Month: October 2021

The Good We Seek

To live is to experience a wide range of circumstances. No one is excluded or given a “Free Pass.” There will be ups and downs; triumph and tribulation; exaltation and despair. In any given moment, on any given day, we may feel as though what we seek is beyond our reach, or worse–an illusion. The world can seem against us; our life filled with struggle. The achievement of our desires may seem an impossible dream. If such seems the case, it may help to know that the good we seek is closer than we think. It is, in fact, our very nature. To experience more of it, it’s important to know the following: When we change the way we think, we literally change our world.

How may we find the goodness we desire? Through a shift in consciousness directed by True Self, which is That beyond name and form. Of all of our wonderful abilities, one of our greatest is our power of attention. Contrary to popular misconception, we don’t have to let our mind gallop like a wild horse. With practice, we may figuratively grab the reins and ease the mind to the left, to the right, or slow it down to a trot. By taking a few slow breaths, we can calm our mind and redirect our attention; which, thereby, shifts our experience. To deliberately shift us to a favourable point of attraction (which, according to the Law of Attraction must attract more goodness), please join me on a journey of gratitude. The following are a few suggestions about how to feel better…NOW:

  •  Put on a T-shirt, fresh from the dryer. Feel the warm embrace of the fabric against your skin.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Phone a relative or long-time friend and let the sound of his or her voice elevate your spirit. Think of how truly rich you are for having such a person in your life.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Listen to a selection of music that never fails to raise your spirits. Let the rhythm and sounds transport you to a realm of reverie.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Take your parents out for a tea or coffee. If such cannot be the case, invite an alternate caregiver or teacher who gave of his/her time, energy, or heart and asked for nothing in return.

There is the goodness of life.

  • While walking down the street, guide your attention to a mother or father with a young child. Perhaps the child is holding the parent’s hand, or being pushed in a stroller. For just a few moments, let your mind sense the world through the child’s innocent perspective.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Look at your hands–truly look. Spread your fingers wide and feel the stretch of your palms pulling taut. If there are scars or digits missing, be grateful for the fingers you still have and what they enable you to do. Pick up a pen–as though for the first time–and feel the wonder of every cell, nerve, and fiber.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Place your attention upon nature, even if you are living in a large city. Sit upon a park bench–if only for a few minutes–and let your eyes find the birds, butterflies, squirrels, and insects that are having their day. Feel their aliveness, and imagine the journey that they, too, are having.

There is the goodness of life.

  • While eating your next meal–however humble or extravagant it may be–place your attention upon the food before you. With soup, salad, or sandwich, be with each mouthful. Be mindful of the taste and texture of the food. Be grateful for the innate wisdom of your body, and how it performs the function of digestion without a word of instruction.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Go for a walk, even if only in the halls of your apartment. Marvel at the wonder of your feet and legs and hips that allow you to do so. Feel the aliveness that is stirring within them. If this cannot may be the case, use walker, cane, or wheelchair to move; the distance matters not. Be present, mindful, alive.

There is the goodness of life.

  • Perform at least one good deed daily for someone else–be that person a friend, relative, or complete stranger. From the depths of your heart, ask nothing in return, not even acknowledgement of your kind deed. Know that giving–sincerely–is your reward. Tell no one; in doing so you’ll begin to disengage from the conceptualized self (ego), which is the root of all suffering.

There is the goodness of life.

Through the deliberate practice of seeking goodness, we reap yet another–even greater–benefit: We attune ourselves to our deeper nature, which is God within. It is here that we will find the Source of all Goodness, for that is God’s nature. It is also ours. When we realise this, we may go through life with strength, courage, confidence, and poise. Such goodness of life is that close.

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”

Appearances Deceiving

Samuel Seeger had been seeking true Self for more than twenty years. Faithfully, he had meditated for a minimum of twenty minutes every day. Intuitively, he realized that there something to him–not a thing–that was beyond his name and form. “I mean, really,” he thought, “it’s impossible to actually be a name; for a name is merely a term for that to which it refers.” The word for a glass of water is not the same as holding an apparent glass of water; he reasoned that the same logic must, therefore, apply to Samuel Seeger. Of his body, he also realized that its cells were changing moment to moment. Despite the appearance thereof, there was nothing solid about either. He was seeking the eternal changeless, not the finite changeful. One day he read the following passage in a book (Who Am I?) by Sri Ramana Maharshi:

“At last,” he cried joyously, “I’ve finally recognized Truth! Tears of joy ran down his face as he realized that his so-called reality was actually occurring in a dream. For the next few days, everything he experienced through his senses took on a dream-like feeling. He erroneously assumed that he was now awake. All of his years of seeking had paid off. Yes, it only made sense: Why couldn’t it be that his life was occurring in a dream? Didn’t his nighttime dreams feel real? In a dream could he not imagine that he was flying a plane, riding a motorcycle, or eating a meal? All was well…until Samuel happened upon the following passage in a book entitled The Law of Success by Paramahansa Yogananda:

Initially, Samuel didn’t realize the importance of the words; but as he contemplated the passage more deeply, he focused upon the first line (Mind is the creator of everything) and felt an emotional shock run through his body. “But that,” he thought with nervous puzzlement, “would mean that mind must also be the creator of my body-mind. How, then, can my body-mind be real in the way that I’ve previously assumed? Less than a week later, he came across the following two passages:

“That which is seen, only appears, it does not exist.”

( Amrut Laya, The Stateless State by Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj)

***

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

(Hebrews 11:3)

During the coming weeks, Samuel’s understanding stabilized. The realization occurred that what was occurring was the surrender described in so many holy books. On some days, a feeling of tremendous sadness arose; but gradually, there came the understanding that it was only the illusory loss of being Samuel Seeger that was being mourned. Nothing real was ever lost, for he had never been Samuel. Only innocent confusion had made it appear so. What was gained was the knowing recognition that he was an aspect of That, the Divine Creator, the All in All.

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), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡