Tale of a Coffee Maker

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there lived a wealthy king. He owned many great possessions–castles, prized stallions, and land as far as the eye could see. Of all of his possessions, however, the fairest of all was his coffee maker. For years, the coffee maker had brewed countless cups of coffee to the king’s delight. He happily anticipated his first cup each and every day.

One morning, however, a pall fell over the servants working in the kitchen. Bernard, the king’s most senior servant, delivered the news: “Dear Sire,” said Bernard, “I have something of great bearing to share with thee.”

“Speak,” said the king. “What have thee to tell?”

Nervously Bernard shifted before the king. “Thy prized coffee maker, Sire; it has stopped working. A descaler symbol is present. We know not what to do.”

A grave expression fell upon the king’s face. Several moments passed in silence before he spoke. “We shall fix it. Surely there must be a way!”

“I have heard rumour,” said Bernard, “of desclaling tablets that can be added to the water to reverse the accumulation of lime.”

“Do tell,” said the king. He scratched his chin as he contemplated the situation. “Then go forthwith and fetch these descaling tablets and fixeth the problem!”

“Yes, my Sire,” said Bernard. He bowed, departed, and then mounted the king’s fastest steed. For two full days, he desperately searched the neighbouring kingdoms for the fabled tablets. After great effort–with the steed nearly dead–he located the tablets. They were as gold to him; he guarded them with his life. When he returned to the castle, he directed his fellow servants to follow the instructions carefully. Accordingly, they added one tablet to a full tank of water and cycled the mixture through the coffee maker. Eagerly Bernard waited. And waited some more. Alas, when the tank of solution had run through, the descaling symbol was still present.

The following day, the king summoned Bernard to his great chamber. “How fare thee with my prized coffee maker?”

“Dear Sire,” said Bernard with great trepidation, “I bear news that is not fair. Thy coffee maker still does not work! I fear we shall have to throw it out and get another!”

“Get another!” bellowed the king. “But I don’t desire another coffee maker! I want my coffee maker fixed, for it is the fairest in the land! Return, thee, to the kitchen and attend to the problem!”

“But, but…” stammered Bernard.

“There shall be no buts about it! Fix the problem!”

Bernard departed and conferred with the other servants. On the second attempt, they placed two descaling tablets in the water. The result was the same: the descaling symbol still remained. A great fear befell the servants, for the situation appeared hopeless. The following day, Bernard was again summoned by the king.

“How fare thee?” asked the king.

Bernard’s mournful expression told it all. “I fear, dear Sire, that the problem cannot be fixed.” He shrugged his shoulders and said, “We know not what to do.”

The king directed Bernard to sit before him. “I want you to listen well,” said the king. I have a story to tell you about my good friend Henry Ford, inventor of the automobile.”

Before he could control himself, Bernard spoke out of turn. “But, Sire,” said Bernard, obviously perplexed, “how can that be?! Henry Ford is from a future era and cannot possibly be related to this tale.”

The king’s countenance became stern; his voice gruff. “Dost thou pretend to doubt my word?” he said.

“Nay, please forgive me,” said Bernard, slumping back into his chair.

“That’s better, said the king. “Well, when my dear friend Henry Ford–who invented the assembly line and automobile–directed his engineers to design and build a V-8 engine that could be fashioned in a single casting, his engineers insisted that it couldn’t be done! They said it was impossible, but Henry decreed that it would be done! Again and again his engineers faced failure, but Henry stood his ground. Ultimately, his belief won out; and as a result his company outsold all of his competitors. I am decreeing no less a task from you. Fix my coffee maker…now! It is because we “believe” that it can be done that it “will be” done!“

“Yes, my Sire,” said Bernard. He shrank away, bowing, and hastened to the kitchen.

After much deliberation with the other servants, Bernard decided that this time they would dissolve three descaling tablets in the water. He cycled the solution through the coffee maker and waited desperately, hoping for the best. This was his day to rise and shine–he must! Ten minutes passed. Twenty minutes. Thirty…until the last drop of solution had finally flowed through the king’s prized coffee maker. And…lo?

The descaling symbol had disappeared–the solution had worked! All of the servants rejoiced and there was great merriment in the kitchen. Without delay, Bernard directed a fellow servant to make the king a cup of his favourite coffee, which he delivered to the king post haste.

This time it was the king’s look that told it all. He lifted the cup of coffee from the silver tray that Bernard was holding before him. “Ahh,” said the king, as he savoured his first sip of coffee. “Now, do you see the importance of continuing to believe and persist?”

“Yes, Sire,” said Bernard. Yes, indeed.”

* * *

And of our real dreams–of improved health, greater wealth, better relationships–that add meaning to our days and hold the promise of a greater future? Hold on, hold on, hold on! Their achievement may be much closer than you realize. One more faithful attempt may make all of the difference. So often it does.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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”

Let Your Kite Soar

Although times change, the theme of life remains more or less consistent: It challenges us to grow. We also learn the importance of focusing on solutions, rather than problems; for that upon which we focus determines what shows up in our reality. When we sow Strength, Faith, and Courage in our daily life, we eventually harvest results that reflect those attributes.

This short article is intended to offer a spark to help inspire you to keep reaching for, and attaining, your goals. With that in mind, I offer a short poem I wrote in my thirties:

Flying Kites

Once upon a grey September day,

I strolled into a park in which

A young boy was flying his kite–

So high I thought he’d surely run out of string.

Time swept me away as I watched him.

With muscles taut, and arms pumping,

He skillfully weaved his kite across the sky,

Slicing it through clouds that fell apart in its wake.

The wind was gusting like an angry billow,

But this young boy, undaunted,

Let his kite fly higher, and higher still.

He was fearless!

He reminded me

Of my lost, kite-flying days

When I’d tried to fly my kite

And failed.

My kite always seemed to catch the trees

Or slam headfirst into the ground.

When dusk was falling,

I walked to this young, gifted pilot

As he was reeling in his kite.

When I looked more closely

I could see that his kite was different

Than the kite I’d crashed so many times.

His kite was homemade, shaped somewhat like a box,

With parts that had been taped and glued and mended.

I asked the boy his name and age

And complimented him on his kite and his skill.

“Ah, heck,” replied this boy of nine,

“My kites wouldn’t fly at all last year.

I crashed six of my favourites,

But I just dragged them home,

Fixed them,

And tried again.”

We talked awhile longer,

But when we departed to go our separate ways,

I took his lesson with me.

– R. Arthur Russell –

***

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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” 🙏🏻🧡

Sacrifice: A Fork in the Road

I doubt that anyone, at least in recent history, is more knowledgable about the Law of Attraction than Mr. Bob Proctor. He’s been studying and applying spiritual laws for sixty years. Recently, I watched one of his presentations on YouTube that related to the Law of Sacrifice.

In teachings about the Law of Attraction, we’re informed that nature abhors a vacuum; so much so, in fact, that when some “thing” leaves a space, some new “thing” soon rushes in to fill the void. We’re also informed that no two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Think: Did you ever attempt to place a new chair in the location still occupied by the old chair? Let’s contemplate how this applies on the mental plain; which is one of the three plains on which we have our Being.

Please imagine, if you will, that you desire to rid yourself of a thought process that hasn’t been serving your best interests. An example could be the subject of unforgiveness; of being challenged by a seeming inability to forgive. I’m sure that most of you already understand this: When we focus more of our attention on an issue in mind, we only make the problem worse. Focusing on our repetitive negative thoughts only increases their number and intensity. What to do?

The solution lies in deliberately applying a different focus. We must apply the Law of Sacrifice. When we sacrifice our negative thoughts (perhaps those related to unforgiveness, as mentioned in the example), we actually create space for positive thoughts to rush in. The principle applies in the same way that it applied to the example of the chairs. Without continual focus, our negative thoughts and habits will fall away naturally.

Sacrifice: When we align ourselves with the law, we deliberately give away something of a lower nature to receive something of a higher quality. What would be worth sacrificing for the rest of your life? Pain? Anger? Jealousy? Hatred? How about surrendering the old story of “you?” If you desire more good in your life, maybe it’s time to make more room for it now. What do you think–is it time to take the right fork in the road?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Echo of “I Am”

In wisdom teachings about our essential nature, which is identical in quality and nature to God’s, an analogy is sometimes used of the sun shining as a reflection in water-filled pails. The sun, which is self-luminous and requires nothing else by which to shine, refers to Consciousness; and the water and the pails refer to us, the body-minds or persons. In the analogy, the unaware person assumes that there’s an individual sun in each pail. We, of course, realize that this isn’t the case. The analogy is intended to help us understand that each of us (water-filled pails) is not a source of consciousness unto our self. We shine (or know) by the light of the one-and-only true Sun, Consciousness.

Another analogy came to me this morning. Imagine the following, if you will: In the beginning: Consciousness, All That Is. Eternally and silently, It thinks, hums, and knows “I AM.” Through its creative faculties, It creates all that apparently is, including us. In our mind, we hear the echo of “I Am“–The Creator that logically would have to be within each and every one of Its creations. The confusion arises when we assume that the echo is generated by, and belongs to, our little “i” that walks this Earth. Consciousness is not personal; It is Universal. In John 10:30, Jesus is attributed with stating the same message: “I and my Father are one.” Through innocent ignorance, the majority of humans believe they’re limited to the body-mind that will surely die. This erroneous belief leads to tremendous suffering.

In case this seems like a whole lot of mumbo jumbo, it may help to know that scientists have been unable to identify the biological processes which they assume give rise to a supposedly personal sense of “i” within the human being. They never will. Why? Because the Consciousness which creates, and with which experience is known, isn’t personal. In other words, it doesn’t belong to the body-mind. The story of the little “i” that most persons believe themselves to be is known through Consciousness, the only one there is. A quote from Joel Goldsmith, who was a noted spiritual teacher, beautifully relates this Truth:

“Take off your shoes in the presence of the word ‘I’ because you are speaking the holy name of God.”

There are tremendous benefits that arise through understanding the nature of our True Self; not the least of which is fearlessness regarding death. When we know that the true “I” within us, that “is” us, doesn’t die, we realize that there’s nothing to fear. With this understanding, we can live–fully–here and now. The only self that dies is the fictional “i” of name and form, which is rendered by the mind. The Real “I” is all that is…eternally.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Dear “Death”

Dear Death,

Regarding your rather dark and threatening memo dated yesterday, “thanks, but no thanks.” I’m having no part of the mythical story you’re attempting to spread via fear mongering, subliminal messages, and outright deceit. Nice try. Aren’t you getting a little tired of spreading the same old same old? That skull-and-crossbones logo is passé, don’t you think? Perhaps you could attempt to sell the general public another type of story. You know…a certain bridge for sale; shares in a swampland development; or cures for bunyons, acne, and warts.

Perhaps you haven’t heard, but there’s a spiritual movement that’s gaining momentum, here and now. Human beings are learning that they’re not who they think they are. They’re learning to recognize the deeper dimension of their essential nature that’s beyond birth and death. They know they’re so much more than flesh and bones. They also know that the consciousness through which they live and move and have their being is impersonal and Universal, not personal. So, basically, my message to you is this: The jig is up. Your pants are down. You can run, but you can’t hide. You may now cease and desist from your scare tactics.

I hope this won’t embarrass you, but I shared your recent message with as many people as I could; and I must admit that after reading it, we all had a good chuckle and then…yawned; especially at that fire and brimstone part. We’ve seen through you. Your story’s getting very old. Perhaps you should engage some ghost writers to punch up your story line.

As for you, you little buggar, I bid you farewell. You need not ever contact me again, either in person or via threatening emails. I’m on to you, and so are a lot of other beings. Personally, I wish you a fine, long, and warm stay in Hello, watching eternal reruns of Gilligan’s Island.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Consciousness Creates

The content of this article may seem challenging to understand or outright ludicrous for the majority of “persons” who are still clutching the materialist (matter based) paradigm of reality. It’s highly likely that artists and other creative souls who are attuned to the Source will more easily realize its truth. As the title suggests, the purpose of this article is to cogently relate that CONSCIOUSNESS Creates–not humankind. If you’re open to transformational knowledge, please continue reading.

I agree that it appears as though Humankind creates; but that’s only due to ignorance of our essential nature and sleight-of-hand tricks that are being played by our perception, which is only modulations of thought. Having been conditioned to believe that we’re the false self (the person) since infancy, we, therefore, believe that we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and act as discrete autonomous persons. The fact is that our body-minds are products of Infinite Living Mind. The true Creator, CONSIOUSNESS, cannot be sensed via the senses because it’s beyond the mind. The same can be stated of our true nature; we are formless, limitless, aspects of Awareness. The fabric of this universe is not matter, as is commonly believed. All apparent circumstances, and objects–including our body-minds–are rendered by Consciousness. Doubt this can be true?

If you attempt to relate evidence of an event that wasn’t experienced via consciousness, in consciousness, you will always come up empty handed. Can you? It is impossible to directly know a supposedly material world beyond our perception–namely, seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. Any event that apparently occurs is only known by CONSCIOUSNESS. Of the supposedly material world beyond Consciousness, (which quantum physicists are still attempting to prove exists), we know nothing. How could we? Matter is only a belief that’s rendered by the mind; the truth of this is supported by the most rigorous science. In 1909 at Manchester University, Ernest Rutherford discovered that atoms, which were once believed to be physical building blocks of the universe, are predominately (99.999%) empty space. They are more appropriately described as whirling clouds of energy.

Due to the erroneous belief that Consciousness is personal (it isn’t), the vast majority of humans believe that they arise in the morning to “reality” and begin their day. Such persons erroneously mistake the waking state (a clearer and more sharply defined dream state) as the foundation of reality. They ‘re confused but unaware they are confused. To the enlightened, such Beings are asleep to their essential nature. Just for the record, it’s never been proved that biological processes within the brain give rise to Consciousness…because it doesn’t! The brain, our body-minds, all objects, and the world itself arise within Consciousness–not the other way around. Through innocent ignorance and the lack of clear discernment, humankind has identified with the creation (the body-mind) and remains unaware of their True Self, which is beyond name and form. We are an aspect of THAT (Consciousness, God) which gives rise to all name and form.

We can directly discover the deeper dimension that is our True Self through the practice of meditation, which is actually a non-doing activity. If we set aside a few minutes each day to still our body and mind, we will soon realize that we, indeed, are the Awareness in which our thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, and perceptions arise; they are not us. All of these appear to our True Self. This explains why the Bible advises us to be still and know that I am God.

One of the easiest ways to understand the creative process is through an analogy that Mike Dooley (noted Law of Attraction author and speaker) shared in one of his recent Notes from the Universe. To read it in full, press here. The information he shared is a fundamental principle of life. We pitch our ideas (via our feeling-imbued habitual thoughts and visualizations) and God hits them out of the park. Contrary to popular belief, “you“–Jane or John–are not the doer. There is One Doer, Consciousness, aka God. A note of caution: Consciousness hits all of our habitual mental pitches out of the park, whether we label them good or bad, favourable or unfavourable. It’s no wonder that we are advised to choose our thoughts wisely. I hope this information will help you understand the following quote attributed to Henry Ford at a deeper level: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Just know that either way, it’s only going to appear that you’re the doer. All you truly do is conceive and believe.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

One Without a Second

If you’re still one of the vast majority who believes that you’re a little self born of flesh and bones, you may benefit from reading this article. Why? Because all of us–no matter how spiritual–realize that the body-mind (aka person) comes with an expiry date. This may not seem important now, but someday it most certainly will. The heart of this article revolves around an assumption that by and large goes unquestioned: Am I truly who I think I am?

Our ego would have no part of an article like this; for it believes that it’s in competition with, and disinct from, all of those other selves. It views the world from the perspective of separation, not unity. It sees humans of different colours, forms, and shapes–and conceptualizes them as different from itself. This is no wonder; for we’ve been conditioned to believe this since infancy. As we see ourselves, so we see the world. When we identify with this view of the world, our little “self“judges everyone as a potential friend or foe; or worse, as something that can be used for its own gain. The ego believes that it must fight for its right to survive; and that means defending itself at all cost. When this perspective dominates the collective consciousness, humans go to war…in the name of peace.

The good news is that we can recognize the Truth of your Being without intensive study; neither does such require that we attend a church, a synagogue, a temple, or a mosque on a regular basis (although doing so may prove beneficial). The Truth of our Being cannot be realized by the mind; for the Truth is beyond the mind. As Sadguru so wisely stated: “Truth cannot be interpreted; it can only be experienced.” To realize our authentic Self all that’s required is to withdraw from the sense world on a regular basis, by stilling the body and the mind. There, in the gap between two thoughts, we may glimpse the still Presence which is the Truth of our Being.

This Oneness to which I refer, can–and will–give us anything that we desire: health, wealth, and success beyond measure; but It asks–nay, demands–that to receive such favours, we must pay a price in return: We must surrender our erroneous belief of being a separate self. Why? Because as long as we’re filled with what’s false (the ego), we have no room to be filled with the Truth of our Being. Any associated pain or loss that we may feel when we contemplate surrendering our self may be lessened when we realize that what we’ve called “me” has no actual existence apart from the mind. It is wholly a conceptual self. A verse from Mark 2:22 can add to our clarity: “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” That new wine is found when we recognize (to know again) our true Self.

To my knowledge, Rupert Spira offers the best definition of Consciousness: “That with which all experience is known, in which all experience appears, and out of which all experience is made.” Contrary to popular misconception, the True “You” is neither personal nor mortal. You are like in nature and quality to That which gives birth to universes and human hearts with equal ease.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Bad Things Come in Fours

I’m sharing this article as my civic duty, to inform those persons who may be unaware of a change in a law of the universe. When it changed, or how it changed, I know not. I only know that it has changed. Although we were once subject to the law that Bad Things Come in Three, we must now accept the indisputable fact that Bad Things Come in Four! Perhaps we can blame the change on cosmic inflation or an ever-expanding universe. It only makes sense. It’s clearly evident that expansion is at play! In twenty years, it’s most likely that bad things will come in five! The cause truly doesn’t matter; only that we’re aware of the change.

Why is this so important? Because we wish to live an orderly life, one in which we’re aware of the facts and live by them. To stumble about, ignorant of the laws of the universe, would not only be silly but potentially dangerous! We want to be educated and clear-thinking individuals.

If you’re curious about the time frame under which these bad things must occur, the formal rules are nebulous, at best. This part of the law has never been clearly defined. The period could be twenty-four hours to the minute; loosely based around a period of several days; or even stretch to a week or more. The main point is that the bad things must truly be bad (think severed limbs, overflowing toilets, flat tires on freeways, and–now 4th–neighbours from hell). If no such bad things are available to count, it’s permissible to include matters that might otherwise be viewed as trifling (think smucked in the face with a cream pie). Again, no hard and fast rules exist; discretion is required.

Disbelievers in this law should be cautioned to proceed at their own peril: for the law is operating whether they accept it as fact or not. The situation becomes quite dire; for by and large, the masses are unaware of the change. So many unsuspecting people may be going to bed at night, thinking that all is well and fine (having counted their bad things up to three), only to later learn that the fourth bad thing was missed! What tragic fate may befall those people who are ignorant of the law? We may all do our part by advising two friends–who tell two friends.

So, at least the readers of this article are safe, for now you know the truth: Bad Things Come in Four. Please read it, know it, and commit it to memory. When looking for the bad things it’s imperative to know precisely how many bad things to expect. It’s all about being educated and aware. Realize, too, that if there’s a shortage of bad things in our immediate vicinity, we may lift our gaze and focus upon the horizon until some bad things show up there! Invariably they will, and we may include them in the count and rest easy.

And now, we arrive at the serious part of this tongue-in-cheek article. It lies in part of the verse from Mathew 7:7: “Seek and ye shall find.” What does it mean? It basically means that people find what they’re expecting to find. For those bent on finding the bad—be that in threes, fours, or fives–they shall undoubtedly find them; for such becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m pleased to report, however, that the opposite is true. There’s a lesser-known saying, one of which many people are unaware:

Good things come in innumerable quantities!

By seeking the good, and being grateful for the goodness that already surrounds us, we discover even more. The change occurs within us, not the so-called external world.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

This Mental Universe

In this article, we’re going to depart from our inquiry into the nature of our true Self and examine The Law of Attraction in greater depth. For persons who are unfamiliar with the subject, the law is basically summed up as follows:

“We bring about what we think about.”

One well-known example of the law at work is related in Job 3:25, through the account of Job: “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” That to which we give our attention, whether favorable or unfavorable, manifests in our “reality.” If you doubt this can be true, please read the following photo-quotes from various books:

Socrates (470 – 399 BC) was no slouch when it came to philosophy. He was also an idealist, which basically means that he believed that everything is a concept in mind. Think opposite of a materialist; a person who believes in a discrete world made of “matter.” Before scoffing at the idea that matter doesn’t exist in the “concrete-real” way that most persons assume, please contemplate the following question: “Do you believe that you actually come into contact with matter?” If so, please consider this: All that we experience directly are our perceptions; which basically means sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Beyond these, we’re only assuming that a correlative world made of matter actually exists. Quantum physics has yet not discovered the tiniest bits of matter; and it never will.

A few quotes may help us understand how the Law of Attraction really works, beginning with Socrates: “To be is to do.” Mahatma Gandhi pointed to the same understanding through his famous quote: “Be the change you desire to see in the world.” Bob Proctor, who studied the teachings of the Law of Attraction for almost sixty years, said: “If you can see it in the mind, you’re going to hold it in the hand.” Mike Dooley, who is a noted speaker and author about the Law of Attraction, states it this way: “Thoughts become things.” Neville Goddard, who was a Barbadian-born mystic, lecturer, and author of many books about deliberate creation, stated: “Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.” Andrew Carnegie, who was once one of the wealthiest men in the world, stated the premise the following way: “Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered will begin at once to clothe itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

If all of this sounds ludicrous, I hear you. At one time, I would have definitely agreed. If we engage in even a little self-inquiry, however, we can realize that we are neither the body nor the mind. In other words, you’re not the person you have assumed. Through time spent in stillness (Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God“), we can directly experience a deeper dimension of Self; one in which we recognize that we are the witness of sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts. All of these arise and subside; we, however, are the eternal witness of all that appears. Persons are appearances in consciousness that are known by Awareness. Our true nature is Awareness, or Spirit. Just for the record, science has not yet determined how the body-mind gives rise to consciousness (coined The Hard Problem of Consciousness by David Chalmers), and it never will be. Why? Because the body is rendered by the mind.

We are co-creators, not persons. We create by imagining what we desire; and it manifests in our reality through our belief that it’s already ours. Our “world” is not made of matter; it’s made of mind. This explains why Nikola Tesla stated the following: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration; “and why James Jean, noted astrophysicist and author of The Mysterious Universe, stated “The stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the Universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter… we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.”

As much as it might seem that we are the doers and the personal knowers of the world, we are not. Those effects are produced by Maya (Sanskrit, meaning illusion). There is One Knower and One Doer (God), which is manifesting through a multiplicity and diversity of beings.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Snakes and Ladders

When I was a young child, one of the games I used to enjoy playing was a board game called Snakes and Ladders. It’s actually still available to this day. It consists of a board with horizontal squares numbered 1 to 100; beginning in the bottom left corner. The objective of the game is very simple: A player wins by being the first to land his/her gamepiece at the square marked 100. Players take turns rolling a die and advance their gamepiece accordingly. If players land on a ladder, they can scoot upward; conversely, if they land on a snake they must slither downward. So, what’s the point?

What I didn’t realize until recently is that this simple game is based on an ancient board game from India called Moksha Patam. Moksha, for those who may be unfamiliar with the term, means to be liberated from the cycle of birth and death. This occurs through enlightenment; a term which refers to the recognition of True Self (which is Spirit) and, thus, the falsity of the conceptual person. The game was originally intended to help teach basic lessons regarding morality and how to better live with one another. The ladder represents our noble qualities–such as love, compassion, kindness, generosity, and empathy. The snake represents our ignoble instincts–such as lust, greed, anger, selfishness, and hatred.

On a human–grown up–level, we can still learn many valuable lessons through analogy of our life and the game of Snakes and Ladders. It reminds us to be aware, especially with regard to our thoughts, speech, and actions; for these are building our character and, thus, creating our destiny. If we allow our life to be driven by our little egoic “i,” we are certain to lose; for a self-centered cannot help anyone win. Such will be a shallow life, to say the least; one lacking the depth and richness that ultimately makes life worth living. To truly win, we are wise to apply ourselves to helping others climb their way to success. In effect we, thereby, become the ladder for their ascension and let our life stand humbly in the background. Sweet idea, isn’t it? Even better lived.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Empowerment

Tale of a Coffee Maker

Let Your Kite Soar

Sacrifice: A Fork in the Road

The Echo of “I Am”

Dear “Death”

Consciousness Creates

One Without a Second

Bad Things Come in Fours

This Mental Universe

Snakes and Ladders

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