The Seeing Action that Changes the World

Every human being receives from life exactly what they have asked life for. French philosopher Simone Weil once wrote, "God continually showers the fullness of his grace on every being in the universe, but we consent to receive it to a greater or lesser extent. In purely spiritual matters, God grants all desires. Those who have less have asked for less."

We don't know how to ask for something higher when we are in the hands of something lower. What is good and right in us is asleep. Human beings are incapable of changing and because of this, so is the world. Guy used the example of the mirror and the man. As the world goes so goes man. Man in the mirror can't act without something in the mirror changing. The image can't be different than what's in front of it. The image has no being because its being has no derivative. So, man is seemingly changed by a negative comment or event that was created by what he sees in the mirror.

As soon as a man ceases to be acted upon by what he sees in the mirror (his content) then he ceases to be. Without thoughts and feelings, he doesn't exist apart from what stimulates him. And what stimulates him gives rise to his consciousness. So, there is phenomenal man verses numinous man. Phenomenal man is formed by changing circumstances while numinous man is unchanging because of his relationship with spirit. Phenomenal man has no existence independent of thoughts and feelings that move through him. When the world moves, he moves. A voice says, this is terrible and he feels terrible. Numinous man's existence is independent of thoughts and feelings.

When the world moves we move and we always attribute this movement to ourselves. But we are a reflection of it. As long as we believe we are awake nothing can change. We move back and forth and are unconscious to what we are asking for and we are surprised by the shocks we receive because we are asleep spiritually. We can't change as long as we remain asleep to the fact of ourselves.

We must ask for something entirely new. We are never aware of the thoughts and feelings, the "I" that walks through them and the "I" that is shocked. The world we see and the one that sees it the way it does. The two natures have to be awake at once. Man in the mirror has to be awakened. Man believes he is different than his thoughts, than what he sees in the mirror. But he didn't exist before the thoughts came and said "I" to them.

All thoughts are a seeding action. It is a creation of man's mind from his past experiences. Instead of seeding action it must be a seeing action. Self and the world are one thing. We are either being created by the will that is constantly asking or we can be present to ourselves and the pressure of this divided nature. We can have a life given to us by the whole of life that will give us everything we need and want we should will or we can continue to try to supply ourselves with our own will. There is a greater will that can pour into us what we need to change. Participate in God's world and no longer try to change anything. Become a watcher.