“…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven…” Matthew 18:3
What does this mean to you? So often we cannot hear scriptures because we come from religions that have done our thinking for us. Try reading with an open mind and an open heart. Then your intuition will kick in and enlighten you.
It really is clear and simple — when we approach Truth heavy with ego, thinking we already know, how can we hear inner guidance? How can our heart be open? How can we receive? The first and foremost important quality on the spiritual path is receptivity. We must be open to receive. Each moment. Now. Are you open and ready to receive now? Otherwise, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven….
….the kingdom of heaven referred to here is not a place you go when you die, although that is what many religions would have you believe. It is a place here and now. It exists for you here and now. It is Truth. Most of us enter this kingdom gradually, step by step. Each time we receive a spiritual Truth, another candle is lit in the darkness of ignorance. We take another step closer to wholeness.
So ponder all of this. Don’t just read these words and forget them. Read them with an open heart, as if you were a little child. Receive them into your heart. Let them stay with you and enlighten you. See how they apply to your daily life — your daily moments, moment by moment. The kingdom of heaven is available to you. Now. It always is. Each moment of Truth received becomes a moment of enlightenment. It is entering the kingdom of heaven, moment by moment.
all my love,
your fellow classmate & humble teacher
I like this clarification "Each moment of Truth received becomes a moment of enlightenment". On our spiritual path we have many divine moments of truth but I never considered that "enlightenment" - certainly not fully as only a few seem to on this earth. This is inspiration to know that we are truly connected, on the path that is unfolding and not to worry. We will arrive "moment by moment."
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ReplyDeleteHello Debra, It's like cleaning tarnished silver. When the silver is completely tarnished, we can't see even a gleam of the original beauty. Cleaning the silver takes a great deal of hard work and scrubbing -- and then our effort is rewarded -- a tiny glint of silver shines through. Moment by moment, bit by bit, another gleam of the original silver appears.
We can't see the whole beauty until every last bit of tarnish is removed -- once it is, we must stay aware to keep the silver clean and bright. Left alone it will tarnish again. This is how it is for us, for all spiritual beings. No matter how far we go, how bright and shiny we become, we must still stay awake to stay conscious. Otherwise the brightness fades.
This is true as long as we are in a physical body. It is wrong thinking to believe that an 'enlightened' being can give up all spiritual effort. Not so, the angels tell us. Just as all silver is subject to the same physical laws upon our planet, so are all physical beings.
What comes with being absolutely awake? Why, humility, of course. A truly awakened man or woman is never so falsely proud as to think, 'Ah, now my work on earth is done. I have achieved enlightenment, and all others should fall down and worship me.'
First, an awakened person would know that there is no one to worship or be worshiped. One of the tricks of the ego is to watch carefully for any signs of pride or sleepiness - moments of weakness are when the ego attacks.
Also, there is no time for the spiritual being, so how can there be an end? The advanced spiritual being sees no end. Learning and evolving are ongoing. There is nothing more exciting then spiritual work. The advanced spiritual being never thinks, never says -- 'I have attained everything. I have arrived.'
There IS an arriving. That person is living life at another level, a higher vibration. This cannot be denied. We benefit by being in an awakened person’s presence. But we can also be fooled when we believe that person no longer has to 'work' on himself or herself. This sets up a disparity -- a false difference between ‘me and you’.
Just because someone lives or vibrates at a higher level, does not mean that person is free now from all spiritual work. If you are here in a physical body, you must continue to work on yourself. This is universal law and cannot be escaped. Many 'disciples' or 'devotees' keep themselves in a one down position, trapped in duality. So long as you put someone higher than yourself and give them different laws to live by, you are trapped by those beliefs. Many people remain trapped in these beliefs for lifetimes.
We can learn from those who are further along than we are. We can respect and honor them. We can benefit by being with a higher vibration. But we must always remember that the same universal laws apply to all of us. We must never think we are so far along that now we can give up our spiritual work. We must not be fooled by the ego into thinking we can stop our spiritual efforts. This is false pride. This is the moment the ego attacks.
Moment by moment, we shine the silver. Every bit of brightness is a moment closer to Truth, a moment of enlightenment. The only way through -- is through. We have to do the work and get our hands dirty to see the sliver shine.
I am feeling very blessed this morning, a moment when the inner brightness brings peace and wholeness. This last 24 hours has been a flow of movement inside and with the energies of the world, people and places that directly impact me. Connecting with dear friends; resolution of legal matters; completing tasks I procrastinated for years (a big one); looking at my reactions and irritations; and allowing the angels to connect with me!
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