This article is likely going to seem irreverent, but if that’s what it takes to relate Truth, so be it. The manual which serves as the title of this article is also known as The Human Manual, the one that most of us didn’t receive. Almost all of us inherited our limited knowledge of body-minds from persons who had little or no understanding of their essential nature. This is not intended to blame; rather to inform. You might think of the manual as being similar to “The Proper Care and Maintenance of a Chia Pet.” There, as promised–irreverence. I’m not actually suggesting that we shouldn’t love our body-mind and take good care of it; quite the contrary. As with the Chia Pet, we should feed and water it and love it dearly. An object (and that’s what a person is) tends to perform better if it’s well maintained. The key point is that we–true Self–are meant to govern the body-mind; contrary to an abundance of evidence otherwise, it isn’t intended to govern us.

Identification with Truth is good, indeed. Identification with falsity never leads anywhere good. Such is true with regard to the proper care and maintenance of a human being. If you (as is the case with the majority of the world’s population) identify solely as a body-mind, you are bound to suffer. It’s just the way that humans function. They come–straight from the factory–with inherent desire. Due to this, they’re usually temporarily happy if they get what they desire; but, conversely, unhappy or fearful if they don’t. Some have been known to gripe for a lifetime if they don’t get their way. If you’ll refer to your manual (page 13, subsection C), under “Catch-22 Warning,” you’ll notice that fulfillment of your body-mind’s desires often leads to an inflated sense of “i” and an overabundance of needs, many of which are worthless and selfish. As a result, quality of life diminishes greatly.

Of note: You are wise to keep your body-mind under control. If that’s challenging (or seemingly impossible), enforced isolation may be required. In the company of other body-minds (persons), they have been known to exhibit the nasty habit of judging themselves against apparent others. Your body-mind may have been feeling perfectly fine, until it was brought into proximity of more attractive or more successful body-minds. If you pay close attention, you’ll sympathetically feel yours cringe when threatened. In minor cases, it may retaliate by spitting out a passive-aggressive remark (such as, “Have you always liked wearing mini dresses at weddings?”) at the offending party. In more serious cases, you’ll likely hear it utter a version of the following remark to make up for its feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness: “You know, when I was the president of The World, I was twice voted most popular by an overwhelming majority!”

Body-minds are also inherently selfish and self-centered. Again: programming. Honestly, it’s as though the apparent world revolves around each and every one. How absurd. Collectively, they have (get this, I don’t think you’ll believe it) gone to war against various nations under the guise of creating peace! The real cause of all conflict is lack of awareness about our essential nature. With understanding of our shared Oneness, how would we ever again lift a weapon? We are all of One, Consciousness, expressing Itself as a multiplicity and diversity of form.

The most important advice contained within the Body-Mind Manual is that we should never–ever–listen to the negative babble from the mind of your person. For that matter, we are also wise to ignore its absurd tales of grandiosity. Body-minds attempt to get your attention at all costs, often for prolonged periods. They thrive on imbellishment. If uncontrolled, they’ll try to convince you that everything is wrong. Body-minds occasionally lash out in anger if they’re feeling afraid; or convince you to listen to attacks against your inherent value. Spirits have been known to break under such extreme punishment. Rest assured that true Self is of inherent value because It’s a divine child of God. Don’t let your conceptual Chia Pet convince you otherwise.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2021 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”