Anatomy of a Life

My passion, as many of you already know, is writing and sharing articles about Consciousness, the Law of Attraction, and Spirituality to help deepen our understanding of these interrelated subjects. My intention is to help alleviate some of the needless suffering in the apparent world. Here, as a change from my usual format, I offer a poem of mine entitled Anatomy of a Life. For readers who may feel stuck in fear or worry related to identification with the body-mind perspective, I hope the poem will help you turn within and glimpse your true Self, waiting to be recognized.

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Anatomy of a Life

Neither in embryo do we begin,
Nor in dark grave do we end;
For we, Spirit--eternal, are but visitors here,
With soul and flesh to blend.
For three score ten, or more or less,
We breathe, we eat,
We taste, we touch,
We hear and smell and see;
And for a time unknown our hearts keep beat
To the rhythm of Mortality, that ghost of human destiny.
Throughout this mortal maze of Maya,
We dream, we scheme,
We plot, we plan,
Conceiving this and creating that
While holding a secret prayer in our heart
To learn our reason for Being,
To have our deepest thirst quenched.
Toward that goal,
We clutch to the glorious, sustaining hope
That this—this burning bridge of human trials and triumphs—
Will have mattered, held importance, or made a difference.
When Truth is known, we glimpse Eternity
And realize we are not who we’ve assumed ourselves to be.
We are God incarnate, and our character but a phantom of mind.
Having tread upon the dust of our ancestors,
We come and, inevitably, go.
Loving, lusting,
Laughing, crying,
Reaching, raging,
We have only dreamed this human time.
Such is the grandest mystery yet,
From first sunrise, beyond last sunset.

- 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–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Self–Capital “S”

The Self that’s referred to in the title of this article is One with a capital “S.” It’s the Self that’s routinely overshadowed by the majority of persons, who blindly accept that their identity is name and form. All of us are very familiar with the lowercase self; but most are unaware that it’s a conceptual self only. It’s illusory through and through; a thief that’s robbing us of the true joy which is our birthright. It’s my fervent desire to help you become knowingly acquainted with uppercase “Self” via this article. Let’s begin with the following thought-provoking quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, from his spiritual classic I Am That:

“To be a person is to be asleep.”

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, “I Am That.”

“So, Mr. Russell (writer guy), what the heck are you talking about?” For many, the notion of investigating the nature of our Being may seem a very boring, and unnecessary, subject matter; but such isn’t the case. It’s the most exciting journey that we may ever undertake. There’s good reason why the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece was inscribed with the words “Know Thyself.” That culture realized that recognition of true Self was the way to transcend the tribulations that accompany the apparent life of a person. Most of us are very familiar with the polar swings between happiness and unhappiness. In spiritual terms, this is sometimes referred to brittle happiness, because it’s dependent on circumstances and, thus, easily broken.

When we discover Self–capital “S,” we transcend our belief in the false self and, thus, are at peace.

Now it’s time for logic, which may ignite a spark of curiosity. Please contemplate this: Can you really be your name? Can you get burned from the word fire? Can you get wet from the word water? If you’ve been able to answer “no” to both of those questions, you’ve realized that the word is only a term by which we refer to the objects. Now, if you apply that very same logic to the case of your name, you’ll realize that you can’t possibly be your name. Surely, then, this will naturally cause the question (“Who Am I?”) to arise within you.

Time for more logic: When persons understand that they cannot possibly be their name, most will quite naturally assume that they must be their body. This assumption proves, once again, to relate to a fleeting ghost of a thing;” for the body is changing–literally–from one split second to the next. How can such a changeful thing (which is actually a process of Infinite Living Mind) be me? The answer: It can’t. “But,” you may claim, “I feel so real, within; then, I must be my mind.” This also proves to be a very fleeting identity; for our thoughts, which seem so personal, are changeful, too. The “personality” may seem stable; but it’s actually fabricated by discrete flashes of intelligence, memory, and a repetitive “i”-thought. There’s no long-lasting person independent of mind. How could there be when mind is the creator of everything?

Doubt can be a powerful motivator to help lead us toward Truth. Let doubt serve you. Let doubt cast a shadow over the false self, which the majority assume as their identity. By turning your attention from the apparent outer world, to the still world within, you’ll discover that there’s a deeper dimension of “You” that’s awaiting recognition. That is the Changeless, the Eternal, the Immortal Self–capital “S.” We are Spirit.

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” 🙏🏻🧡

A Frog By Any Name

Once upon a pond named Earth, there lived a male frog. If viewed by us, frog might have been described as big and green and slippery-skinned; but to the frog, he was only is-ness. Frog was quite oblivious to the world around him. He gave no thought to yesterday or tomorrow; for frog knew not the silliness of humankind. Every day was a new and daring adventure. When nature decreed, he would do leap-laps around the perimeter of the pond, lazily swim out to the submerged log on the other shore, or perch upon one of the big rocks that surrounded the pond and cribbet frog opera just for the sheer love of it. Frog didn’t know a lick of Italian, but he never judged the quality of his croak-singing against any other frogs’ musical efforts–such would never have occurred to him. Frog felt at home in the pond because is-ness allowed him to instinctively know he was an integral part of the world as a whole. But then…

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One day, “thought” entered the still voidness of frog’s consciousness and whispered “you should give yourself a name.” At first, frog was befuddled, hearing that little voice within his head; but the more frog listened to thought, the more he liked the idea. “Yes,” he thought, “I shall name myself–a name befitting a frog of my grand status within the pond.” Initially, frog was tempted to use alliteration, thinking that names beginning with an F might be quite appealing. For one full day, he mulled over names such as Freddy, Franklin, and Fernando; but frog finally settled on naming himself Ralph Lauren–no relation to the designer. Once he had chosen the name, frog sensed pride rise within himself; he felt as though he was wearing a king’s crown as he stepped smartly around the pond. Now he was a “somebody.”

As life would have it, within a few days Ralph Lauren caught the protruding eye of one of the lovely lady frogs that inhabited the pond. When Ralph Lauren noticed, he played it cool, very cool. In response to the voice in his head (which said, “Damn it frog, stand up straight and look your best!”), he stood up on his hind legs, squared back his shoulders, and puffed up his chest. To top it off, he nonchalantly smiled his “I’m-the-frog” smile and snagged a fly in mid flight without even looking. Lady frog, who was quite impressed, smiled back; and Ralph felt his heartbeat quicken. The voice in his head was very happy, indeed.

Within a few days, Ralph and lady frog arranged to go out on a date. They would have dinner on one of the lily pads with a view. In preparation, Ralph paid a visit to a local apparel shop not far from the pond. After much deliberation, and a silent “yes” from the voice within his head, Ralph selected a tuxedo–basic black, notch lapels, french cuffs, and silk pant stripe. Oh, how Ralph smiled as he strode from the shop, the tuxedo within a clothing bag over his shoulder. He was feeling on top of the world, and he was going to look oh-so-fine on the date!

The date, unfortunately, did not go as planned. When Ralph Lauren rang the doorbell at lady frog’s pad, she opened the door, took one look at his finery, and laughed him off her front stoop. “You think I’m going to go out with you if you’re wearing that!” she exclaimed. “What kind of frog wears a tuxedo to dinner?!” Dejected, Ralph Lauren turned and plodded home. All night long, the voice in his head tortured him. “If only I’d chosen a white suit,” he thought, “everything would have turned out fine.” Life had once seemed so easy; but Ralph was now miserable due to the endless commentary by the voice in his head. How Ralph yearned for the days when he was a nobody singing opera on the big rock at the pond.

In the following weeks, Ralph Lauren visited a local frog psychiatrist, who, after numerous sessions, diagnosed Ralph as displaying human-like behaviour, proclaimed him neurotic, and prescribed anti-anxiety medication, which he still takes to this day. The psychiatrist also advised Ralph to continue their appointments indefinitely. In an effort to alleviate his suffering, Ralph is currently seeking a guru to help guide him back to recognition of his true Nature–That–and the blissful life he knew before “thought-in-the-head” convinced him to believe that he could ever be anything other than what he is already. As of last report, frog had dropped the moniker of Ralph Lauren, preferring to simplify his life as much as possible. Be forewarned, folks. Could it happen to “you?” Special note: “Lady frog” soonafter shacked up with an old toad with a criminal background, and she’s put on a lot of weight. “Thought-in-the-head” would be happy.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Hidden Treasure of “I Am”

What if you were told that there is far more to “you” than meets the eye. Would you be curious? Would you be tempted to set out on a journey to discover your essential Self that is beyond name and form? As a young man living in Bombay, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli in 1897) was earnestly curious; and as a result he realized true Self at the age of thirty-seven. Soon after, be began to hold informal satsang (spiritual discourse, sacred gatherings) with seekers in his humble home in Bombay until the passing of his body in 1981. One of my favourite quotes from his spiritual classic entitled I Am That reads as follows:

“Your begging bowl may be of pure gold, but as long as you do not know it, you are a pauper.”

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj wasn’t talking about the number of coins in our pocket, or the status of our bank account; although such is the prevalent worldly defintion of wealth. He meant that as long as we are still identified with name and form (as our society has conditioned us to believe), we have not discovered the treasure of “I Am.” We may also think of I Am as That without a Second, Source, or The Light of Pure Awareness. It is eternal, immortal, and limitless. The treasure referred to in the title of this article is true Self–“I,” Consciousness. It is the very foundation of our Being. Contrary to popular belief, consciousness is not an epiphenomenon of biological processes. In fact, the common world paradigm of materialism is backward; for the body and the mind arise within Consciousness; not the other way around as is predominantly believed.

To help with our understanding, let’s begin the process of discerning between what is real (lasting and changeless) and what is false (transient and changeful). As we know, our body is losing millions of cells every moment–by some estimates as many as 300,000,000 cells per minute. How, logically, can we claim to be that which is changing so rapidly? At what precise moment could we stop the clock and exclaim, “There I am!” The same logic can be applied to our sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions; for all of these are also transient and changeful. However, true Self does not come and go. Our true “I Am” is the same today as it was when our person was ten, twenty, forty, or sixty. There’s a good reason to explain this: Consciousness is beyond the limitations of time and space; for both are constructs of the finite mind. The true “I” is infinite and eternal.

Our name is another good place to further investigation into our essential nature; and we may do so by understanding that a name is a representation for that to which it refers. In short, we can’t get wet from the word water; nor can the word quench our thirst. That means, of course, that common names for persons cannot literally be them. This alone–this opening for doubt about our essential nature–may provide the stimulus for us to investigate our true nature via the question “Who Am I?” –and not relent until we’ve discovered the treasure of “I Am” within. It is the heart of our Being–eternal, immortal, and limitless. We have nothing to fear; for we are Life itself. The body and mind have a beginning and an end; but true Self does not. The person and the world are within us–not the other way around.

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”

Beyond The Mask

We’re going to begin this article with a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The following is sourced from Wikipedia: “He was an American poet, playwright, and novelist; born to parents who were enslaved before the American Civil War.” In 1902, his body passed at the tender age of thirty-three. How talented a writer; how rich his writing. I include his poem because I believe it clearly relates his understanding of true Self–That, which is beyond our mask of name and form:

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We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,

And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise.

We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

– Paul Laurence Dunbar –

***

We may also discover true Self, That, which is beyond any of the human drama that may have apparently occurred in “our” life. We are not now–nor were we ever–the mind’s sharpness or dullness; the body’s health or disease; our apparent failures or successes! We are neither our costume nor our story. We are beyond the mask! We do not rise or fall by our mask; the mask shines by the light of true Self. We are That which cannot be defined. I Am is our true Self–SPIRIT!

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Working For “The One”

The following fictional account didn’t take place–ever; but for fun, let’s go with it and pretend that it did. Special Note: The characters and events depicted in this article are fictitious. Any similarity to persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental. No persons were harmed in any way during the writing, editing, or subsequent publishing of this article. 🙂

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“Have a seat, Bob,” said Mr. Swanger. He descended from a long line of Swangers, before swanging became a cultural phenomena in certain circles.

“Thank you,” said Bob. He slowly stepped forward and settled himself in the chair across from Mr. Swanger’s desk. He tried to appear calm, but his fidgetting fingers gave him away.

Mr. Swanger leaned forward over his desk, which was distracting because he had a mole on his left cheek the size of Saskatchewan. His computer screen was open to Bob’s profile. “How long have you been with us at The One?”

“Little over a month,” said Bob.

“I’ve brought you in here today,” said Mr. Swanger, “because there’s been a nasty rumor circulating, at the yellow ticker tape that surrounds the previously available water cooler.”

Bob leaned forward, an expression of innocent curiosity pasted on his face. “About what?” he said.

Mr. Swanger sat back and arched his hands together in the stereoptypical teepee power position. “This makes me very uncomfortable,” he began. “Rumor has it that you actually believe that you’re ‘Bob.’ That’s incredibly awkward, given that we all work for The One. See my point?”

“Can’t say that I do,” said Bob. “I’m not Bob?” He patted his knees; they certainly felt real.

Mr. Swanger rolled his eyes. Inwardly, he wondered how Bob had slipped through the hiring process. “No,” said Mr. Swanger. “These bodies are what show up in the waking state. Contrary to public opinion, they’re not your essential nature.” He turned his attention to the computer screen. “It says here,” he said, “that there’s evidence that you still believe you’re the doer.”

Bob crossed his legs and gripped the arms of the chair firmly, knuckles blanced. “I’m not?” he said.

“No,” said Mr. Swanger. “Not now–or ever, for that matter. These,” he said, moving his arms about with floating ease, “move by one power alone–Consciousness. This is idealism, Bob. We gave up that old software called naive realism years ago. That’s when we formed the new company–The One.”

Bob began to fidget; he needed this job. He had nowhere else to go. Everyone these days was talking about the wonderful living immediacy of the present moment; the “Here and Now,” they called it. “What can I do to make it right?” he asked, learning forward. “I could stay late, make coffee. I have an advanced degree in Modern Sychophancy,” he offered. “Would that help?”

“No,” said Mr. Swanger, with a wave of his hand. “Groveling is passé–went out with landlines and the notion of personal consciousness. Since enlightenment, we don’t work that way; we’re all equal here. I think it best if you go home–now, of course–and spend some time in silent solitude. If you do so often enough, you’ll see that the true You isn’t Bob at all. This company is founded on the principles of The One. There’s no room for a bunch of persons running around like egoic chickens, thinking that they own the place. We work for The One; and the world functions a whole lot better when all of us know It.”

***

The meeting concluded a few minutes later, and Bob departed with a fearful I-could-soon-be-walking-down-the -road-kicking-my-lunchpail expression. He was almost out of the building when he became curious about the note that Mr. Swanger had handed to him before leaving. Politely but firmly, he had told Bob that if he wanted to continue working for The One, he should follow the instructions on the note closely. Bob’s pace slowed as his hand fumbled to remove the note from his pocket. It read as follows:

Meditate for ten minutes, once a day. Increase to fifteen minutes, twice each day.
Earnestly ask the question (“Who Am I?”) and don’t settle for the story self.
Read about the teachings of Buddha, Jesus, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and similar sages.
Watch this presentation on self-inquiry by Rupert Spira.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Raping of The Sheep

“Don” is in this life for himself, and he makes no bones about it. He often says “You gotta look out for number one,” and the expression perfectly reflects his behaviour. Behind his customers’ backs, he calls them foul names and ridicules their mannerisms. In business deals, he’s proud of “raping the sheep,” which means getting the upper hand through sly manipulation. The love of money is his sole reason for being. After a deal concludes, he smiles and shakes hands with his customers; but behind closed doors, he mocks their gullibility. The memory of the sweet deal with Rosie, one his trusting elderly neighbours, always brings a smile to his face; it was so easy to defraud her of an extra ten thousand dollars. In his personal relationships, he’s no less ruthless; for his pleasure is what matters most. It is all about him. Although Don is six feet two inches tall, he is a small man; trouble is, he doesn’t know it.

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What Don and innumerable persons like him don’t realize is that our body-minds are expressions of The One, aka Consciousness. Consciousness is the only reality. Due to this, absolutely nothing can be hidden from The One–how could it? If such were, indeed, possible, how could we ever accomplish this miracle of hiding our best or worst from the Loving Power–“That”—which is Omnipresent? In Luke 12:7, KJB, we may read the following: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. When we come to know Truth, we realize that there is only One Knower and One Doer masquerading as a multiplicity and diversity of apparent forms. Any act performed against an apparent other is actually an act against ourself. I make no pretense of being an authority on the Bible, but this truth is clearly revealed in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” It’s informing us that Consciousness knows whether you’ve been bad or good; so be good for goodness sake.

It’s important to realize that we are not punished for our sins (by some vengeful God in the sky); rather, we are punished by our sins (which is actually defined as to miss the mark). What we apparently do comes back to us. Fortunately, the same holds true as it relates to goodness. Thus, if we desire more love in the world, we must be more loving. If we desire to experience more compassion, generosity, and sincerity, we must be more compassionate, generous, and sincere. We can spare ourselves a lot of needless suffering by embracing high ideals on a regular basis. If we’re serving “we” on a regular basis, as opposed to the little “me,” we’re on the right track. Our human incarnation is of tremendous value; for it provides an opportunity to awaken to the Truth of our essential nature. We are so much more than name and form. We are divine Spirit having an apparent human incarnation.

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Update: The majority of us are likely tempted to wish otherwise, but Don’s unethical business tactics went undetected while he remained in human form. However, nothing escapes the snares of karma. Subsequent to a major business deal in which he apparently raped all of the sheep involved, his body-mind passed from this world–not one soul attended the funeral. Don is currently serving time in Colorado, as an intestinal parasite in a sheep named Rosie. You might say, that’s he’s awaiting his extradition papers. With any luck and a little more grazing, he’ll be out in a day or so to continue his journey. Be kind; wish him well; embrace the love that flows through you–that is you–and be wise enough to turn the other cheek and seek not human revenge. Hold no evil wish against anyone. The wheels of this Universe roll along in unexpected and mysterious ways.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Entertaining “The Beast”

I thought I’d share the account of an incident which happened a couple of nights ago: I was feeling a little lonely, so I thought I’d call an old friend of mine, Satan. I asked if he was free and whether he would like to join me for dinner at my place. I suggested that we could have something hot and spicy, perhaps pizza loaded with dragon’s breath peppers. For dessert, I promised that we’d have baked alaska flambé. You’re probably getting the picture–it was to be a theme menu. A couple of hours later, the doorbell sizzled and guess who showed up? Art, it was Art!

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The point of this article harkens to the old story of each of us having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The angel refers to our higher Self, Awareness, which is Being and Knowing. It’s What we truly are. The devil refers to the lower self, the psychological “me,” which is frequently mistaken as our true identity. It’s not. It’s a fictional self-centered little “i” that comes in a wide variety of types. Some are nice, with a little bit of an edge; some are not so nice, but do their best to conceal that fact. At their core, all false selves are ultimately self-centered and, in varying degrees, selfish. The problem with the false self is that it often makes our life a living hell, in one way or another. For instance: With the promise of future happiness, the false self attempts to convince us to spend our life chasing persons, possessions, wealth, and achievement like a crazed donkey chasing a carrot! The false self, which expresses lower degrees of consciousness such as greed, shame, anger, hatred, and selfishness, is the antithesis of true Self.

Our true Self is timeless and eternal. It is not of this apparently physical world. It is Life without beginning or end; the alpha and omega of all that ever was, is, and shall be. The devil self arises and develops when the body-mind appears in the world. It is a conceptual self only, formed from repetitive thoughts and perceptions. Because it was born, it is subject to death; for all that comes into form must fall out of form. To believe it is conscious is an error. It is not. Only Consciousness is Conscious. The key is to recognize What we truly are before the body-mind makes its exit. Collectively, the false selves make up “the devil,” that scary figure often depicted in various doctrines. It’s not an entity unto itself; for there is no opposite to our true Self, which is Consciousness, aka God. So, back to Art, at the door:

***

“How have you been?” I asked, with a fake smile pasted on my face. “Oh, good,” said Art, extending his hand to shake mine. I feigned having greasy fingers from food preparation to avoid shaking his hand. Little Satan boy Art seemed to accept my lame excuse. Trust me, once you’ve given up the devil in you, you don’t want to invite him or her back into your life. A moment later, I told Art that I saw a ten dollar note lying on the floor behind him. As quick as you can say “Beelzebub is bonkers,” he spun around to pick it up, and I closed the door and bolted the lock. Amidst his incessant knocks, I whispered, “Nobody home.” I’m having the locks changed tomorrow.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Rocking The Boat

The boat to which I’m referring to in the title is commonly called Materialism. It was christened so long ago that most persons assume that it’s the only boat available. The boat is a large one, indeed; for it holds the majority of the world’s population who, in most cases, unknowingly drift along in what is termed naive realism, the “subject-object” dualistic interpretation of a world that’s apparently made of stuff called matter. In this article, we’re going to do our best to rock that boat with information that suggests that there’s another valid way of interpreting reality. For the purpose of greater understanding, you’re welcome to board the alternative boat called Idealism. We’ll begin by contemplating the following quote from rocking the more common boat by contemplating the following quote from Interpretation of Scripture: Unlocking The Secrets of The Bible by Neville Goddard:

“Nothing come from without; all things come from within…from the subconscious.”

What Neville Goddard realized, of course, is that what most persons term waking “reality” is actually occurring within the waking-state dream; a state that’s similar from the state in which nighttime dreams occur. He, no doubt, was informing us–as did Paramahansa Yogananda–that “Mind is the creator of everything.” Perhaps another quote, this time from Plato, will help us rock the boat a little harder:

“Reality is created by the mind; we can change our reality by changing our mind.”

It’s well known that Plato was an idealist. In case you’re not familiar with idealism, the following is the definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “a theory that ultimate reality lies in a realm transcending phenomena.” This basically means that all so-called matter is mental phenomena created by mind; and that our body-mind and the world exist solely in Consciousness. Buddha was spreading this very message when he stated that nothing had independent existence. William Blake and Anaïs Nin, respectively, delivered a similar message through the following two quotes:

“As a man is, so he sees.“

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”

The position of idealism is at the core of any worthwhile teachings of the Law of Attraction. It’s also why mystical verses from the Bible, such as “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee” (Job 22:28) can make sense. From the perspective materialism, the Law of Attractioin may seem like little more than positive thinking.

If you board the boat christened Idealism, you’ll be setting out on the grandest voyage of discovery about your true Self–not the conceptual false “me” that you’ve been conditioned to assume is your identity. We are divine Spirit dreaming an apparently human experience.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Feeling” The Prayer

Prayer, as everyone realizes, is a highly personal subject. Some persons pray every day, some only when a grave concern arises, and others never. The manner of prayer also differs greatly. Please know that I’m not trying to tell anyone the proper way to do anything. The purpose of this article is to offer a viewpoint and understanding of prayer expressed by Neville Goddard, which varies greatly from the common approach. Of Barbadian descent, Neville lived in the United States, where he lectured about mysticism and the Bible. Many, if not all, of his books are available in the public domain. I first discovered his numerous books through my passion for studying the Law of Attraction.

One of the key points related to the Law of Attraction teachings is that “we bring about what we think about.” As that relates to the subject of prayer, Goddard added that we must imbue our thoughts with the feeling of the wish fulfilled. When we’re imagining our desire, we must picture it “from” the desired end–whatever that might be. To visualize “of” the end, implies subject-object duality and, therefore, separation from the very results that we desire. So many persons are praying to a conceptual deity with the hope of “getting” a desired result in the future. It’s like trying to get wet from the concept of water. As Oneness and Nowness is the underlying Truth of the Universe, we must align our method of praying with that. To do so, we must claim (in our imagination) what we desire as existing NOW. Time (and space) is a concept rendered via the mind; but all experience occurs NOW–not at some conceptual future date. If this seems nonsensical, please try to experience “next Tuesday.” When Tuesday arrives, it can only be experienced NOW. Below are four teachings relating to prayer, which I’ve borrowed from Goddard’s books:

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***

***

Many individuals approach prayer with an attitude of begging. While being humble in all of our dealings is certainly wise, an attitude of begging only amplifies the feeling of distance from the desire fulfilled. Contrary to popular belief, God does not play favourites with His children–bestowing blessings or curses based on good or bad behaviour. In mind, we must exemplifly our ideals (set a clear pattern) before they will become apparent through the senses. We must claim what we desire NOW; for what is impressed in the mind, will be expressed.

Bob Proctor, who is noted for his outstanding career related to the Law of Attraction, adds to this knowledge with the following statement: “You can only attract what you’re in harmony with.” To pray effectively–for improved health (even cure), abundant wealth, greater success greater–is to envision yourself with your desire fulfilled NOW. If you’re envisioning your desires as occuring in the future, such results are doomed to remain in a conceptual future. Given the challenging conditions that so many persons are experiencing, the subject of prayer–and pointers leading to more effective praying–seemed highly relevent.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: True Self

Anatomy of a Life

Self–Capital “S”

A Frog By Any Name

The Hidden Treasure of “I Am”

Beyond The Mask

Working For “The One”

The Raping of The Sheep

Entertaining “The Beast”

Rocking The Boat

“Feeling” The Prayer

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