Upon what type of foundation (Truth or illusion; Real or unreal) are you building your life? Do you really believe that you’re a person of flesh and bones, or could it be that you are actually so much more? This article is based upon the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders in the Bible. The basic account is related in Matthew 7:24-27:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The parable, of course, is not referring to the building of an actual house. It’s not informing us to seek out the town engineer, perform soil sampling, and examine the municipal records to see if a toxic dump was once located on the potential site for our home. It’s informing us about Life and true Self. There is actually only ONE Identity but we’ve been conditioned to believe in another. ONE is founded upon Truth; the other is mired in ignorance. ONE is lasting peace and joy; the other leads to heartache and suffering. ONE is changeless (like the rock upon which the wise man built his house); the other is shifting continuously (like the sands upon which the foolish man built his house). ONE is always safe; the other almost always feels vulnerable. ONE knows there’s no other against whom to compete; the other is competitive by nature.

The parable actually relates the important differences between our ego (the shifting sands) and true Self (the rock of our Being). If you’re seeking lasting peace, they’re worth investigating on a deeper level. Isn’t it true that your thoughts and feelings about yourself are always shifting? One day (or hour) you’re up, and the next down. Happy/unhappy. Satisfied/dissatisfied. If you’re like most persons who are ruled by ego, you might consider yourself to be an outright geennius genius one day but feel like flashing your Dummies Club membership card the next. These shifts in moods and attitudes comprise the shifting sands of the ego.

Beneath all of the various opinions we might hold of ourselves is That which is beyond all descriptions, definitions, and thoughts–either favourable or unfavourable. The true YOU is That which cannot be added to, nor subtracted from. It is neither conceivable nor perceivable. To feel good, It needs not a diploma, degree, or facelift; for It is already everything and yet simultaneously no thing. It is the same YOU that YOU were when your body-mind was five years of age; and It will be the same YOU that shouts yippee at one-hundred-and-five. To seek It, you need not take one step away from or toward your Self (nor is either possible). Seek That, knowingly, here and now.

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”