As we advance along our Spiritual path, through our physical incarnations, we carry within us and demonstrate all the major developmental stages that we have passed thus far, both individually and collectively as part of the group consciousness. During early embryonic stages, mammals manifest the gills of their predecessors and this principle operates in terms of human consciousness as well anatomically.
Within every one of us, is the entire map of our growth through consciousness
through the ages. This is re-enacted emotionally and behaviourally during our
physical development from infancy and childhood through adolescence to adulthood.
An example of this is the stage in male children where their play activities
revolve around weapons and mock battles to the death. Even without toy guns,
these children will use sticks or anything else available to represent a weapon
and this is a healthy expression of a normal stage of development, basically
recapping the evolution of physical courage in the human race.
Even the most peace loving adult males pass through this natural stage of childhood,
but not every person matures into someone capable of expressing humanities
highest attainments. That capacity depends on several factors including the
individuals own stage of conscious evolvement attained through their completed
lifetimes, the strengths and limitations of the present physical, astral/emotional
and mental bodies; and determining factors of the chosen present life environment
including the individuals family, the overall social group and general population.
Each of these factors will either encourage or inhibit the complete expression
of what the individual has achieved at a soul level.
Every incarnation presents greater or lesser degrees of challenge, all of which
serve to transform our spirits constantly. Low impulse control, lack of judgement
and capacity for reckless violence may be attributed to a chaotic childhood,
however in many of these cases, it is likely that the soul of that person is
at an early point on the outward path away from the Universal Consciousness.
A persons point on their path is not easily discerned from the circumstances
of their birth or the degree of education that they undertake during their
lives. Nor is it overly discernable from labels that they may receive such
as “convicted felon”. People at every stage of their spiritual
evolution may be found in all walks of life and at every level of society.
A person may even recapitulate a much earlier phase of development in order
to eventually bring greater consciousness and the possibility of remediation
to that realm of experience and this can be seen in people who reform from
a destructive path, such as drug taking and crime in order to teach others
as a result of their experiences.
One of our major challenges whilst we are incarnated is that we don’t
know where we’re going and even less, whether or not we’ll get
there. Sometimes, we feel that every door is closed to us and it is only on
looking back that we are able to realise that our despair over negative circumstances
is what has motivated our search for understanding, whilst our impatience and
self will have been tempered by passing time.
When we seek a clearer comprehension of our soul’s agenda for our present
incarnation and want to better understand and cooperate with the Divine plan
for our present incarnation, we have found the only valid reason for our study
of metaphysics or for consulting those who do.
There are times when no one, no matter how gifted, can help us to see ahead
because we must experience our hopes and fears in order to deepen our character
and ripen our consciousness. When we already know the outcome of any challenge,
the desire to extend ourselves…to reach and grow, is removed and the
challenge is gone. If we knew the outcome of every turn of our lives then by
the nature of being human, we would resist anything painful or difficult and
in doing so, we’d be resisting and slowing down our own spiritual evolution.
We need to remind ourselves that in all our life struggles, even when we think
we’re failing completely in our attempts to find our way, our experiences
stretch and expand our spirituality.
Adversity and change are inextricably linked and we tend to measure the severity
of difficulty by the degree of change that is demanded by it. We resist change
to our daily lives, simply because we fear a loss of identity. Too much change
devitalises us; yet change is necessary to all life and when it is blocked,
the flow of vital energy is found lacking, resulting in stagnation or crystallisation.
Adversity forces us to change, stirs us up, shakes us about, stretches us and
demands that we develop. It revitalises us.
Change can be either and it can be both revitalising and devitalising. The
major events that bring about change are rarely short lived, although at times
they are cataclysmic, however, their effects continue to work out sometimes
over weeks, months, years and decades. In turn we react, adapt and alter our
definitions of self.
Traumatic experiences and catastrophic changes may provide the necessary catalyst
for deep healing as true healing occurs at levels far more subtle that the
physical and involves energetic configurations that have persisted throughout
many life times. Freeing the emotional body from the distortions and illusions
within it has a highly beneficial effect on physical functioning, but most
profoundly it effects healing on our mental bodies.
“
As a man thinketh, so is he.” Our traumas lead us to develop definite
beliefs about ourselves and the nature of life and as we begin our spiritual
return to the Source, we work to shed these distortions and even those of us
who are deeply committed to our spiritual evolution, struggle against adversity.
What we must remember during our struggle is this:
Always look for the gift in adversity, without indulging in self-pity or
blame.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude, without judging your condition or that
of others and avoid being sentimental.
Recognise that disease is given for a higher purpose and not as a punishment.
Seek opportunities to serve others and learn that even death is a form of
healing at a spiritual level.
Every problem is an assignment from your soul, so we must acknowledge that
each problem serves a purpose and seek the lesson. From the soul’s perspective,
a change in consciousness is far more valuable than a cure.
Make understanding the object of your quest and believe in the hidden gift
underneath the drama.
Self pity can become a habit and acts on our consciousness like a drug to
which we become addicted and this provides an excuse for further indulgence
which
is an extremely effective barrier to spiritual development.
Blaming others for your situation is also a self indulgence which prevents
us from taking responsibility. All our difficulties, including those connected
with others are important in relation to our evolution and we should recognise
our enemies for the lessons and enlightenment they bring.
Obviously, this does not make these things any more enjoyable; however, when
confronted by a foe, we can actually liberate ourselves by blessing them
and affirming “This persons highest good, whatever it is, is coming to them.” Do
this with as much love as possible and overcome evil and negative intentions
with good.
When things are grim, review your blessings and focus on them. When you do
this, your burdens will become lighter and you will appreciate the progress
you’ve made, the lessons learned and the understanding achieved; and
be reassured that present difficulties will eventually yield something good.
If you can raise your conscious focus from the negative to the positive aspects
of your condition, then the positive will become a greater part of your experienced
reality. Attitude is the biggest drug of all – so you can always choose
an “upper”.
It is important to seek understanding of your lessons without judging them
or your level of development. Simply trust that you are making progress without
comparing yourself with others on their path as we can never see the entire
picture of someone else’s reality clearly. Sometimes contrast comes through
conflict and in this way, conflict is necessary for learning. Treat each person’s
journey with dignity and do the same for your own, trusting that in just being
here, we are all noble and noteworthy. Avoid sentimentality and the stereotypical
responses that it brings and appreciate that suddenly gaining the opportunity
to have every material thing you’ve ever wanted is as great a spiritual
test as losing everything you’ve ever loved.
Illness is not proof that we are flawed or not being positive. Some illnesses
are a way of working through karma, whilst others result simply from the
recycling process and the fact that much of the energy on the earth plane
is tainted.
The purpose of all suffering is to cleanse and purify and so as a consequence
of endurance through illness, we are uplifted. Having said that, if your
condition forces you to hold still, basically grounding your energies, then
accept this
and focus your awareness on the spiritual experience that you are having
and surrender to it. By doing this you will become a channel for higher energies
that will uplift, inspire and guide you.
Doing for others what they could do for themselves is the chief trait of
many co-alcoholics and other co-dependents who find themselves in a significant
relationship with an addicted person. We must now learn to temper our compassion
with detachment and impersonality and honour the responsibility of each individual
to take control of their place on their path.
Death is harvest time which can be looked upon as a transition which is not
traumatic, but rather an easing into another realm. Esoterically, suicide
and murder are wrong because they prematurely halt a karmic episode, even
though
we can only lose our bodies through these experiences, not our lives.
The more open to guidance we are, the better we can serve a persons true
need and every kind of work, performed with love is a high calling. A person
dedicated
to healing with love is no more naturally exalted than any one else dedicated
by love to their work. Watching another’s suffering tests our faith and
in order to be a good carer, counsellor, healer, lover, partner, parent or
friend, we need to be able to allow ourselves to care without needing specific
responses or outcomes. If we can honour the ways in which we are changed by
our participation in another’s life, happiness, suffering, dying or physical
recovery, true change and growth will occur.
“
Sudden” change may actually have taken lifetimes to achieve and we need
to have faith that all change is for the better in the long term. As we achieve
greater emotional and mental control and learn to work in spiritual concert,
we will consciously create the emotional and mental realms that we inhabit.
Top
of page