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Enlightening articles by Guy Finley on a wide range of topics address practical life issues and deepen your spiritual understanding.
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Enlightening articles by Guy Finley on a wide range of topics address practical life issues and deepen your spiritual understanding.
Short but powerful quotes by Guy Finley will inspire you throughout your day.
Heartfelt inner-life questions from people around the world, and Guy’s enlightening answers, will shed light on your own issues.
Read Guy’s newest insights as he jots them down, spontaneous and uncensored.
Watch or listen to the specific talk we will all be discussing during this week’s Online Study Group meeting.
If you have a few minutes, and want a burst of enlightenment, watch or listen to these brief talks by Guy, filled with concentrated wisdom.
Hearing Guy interact with an interviewer is a delight. Listen as he makes deep spiritual principles easy to understand.
Be encouraged by hearing fellow members share their experiences and discoveries as they bring higher ideas into their daily lives.
The Life of Learning singers and instrumentalists perform beautiful music that will inspire and uplift you.
Join us for exclusive live broadcasts of select Guy Finley talks.
Start your day off right with a nugget of wisdom that can transform your experience with everything you do and everyone you meet.
Inner-life exercises and special writings deepen your understanding.
Longtime local members speak for 10 to 15 minutes on a special topic. Hear the explorations and discoveries of others on the inner journey.
Dive deep into a subject on your own! Work at your own pace with a series of talks by Guy on topics critical to your inner development.
Catch Guy Finley’s weekly message that focuses on spiritual and personal breakthroughs. This is updated weekly and is available in video, audio and text.
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Shop eCoursesWelcome and good evening. Our chat will begin once I post these opening remarks on the nature of spiritual battle, and what is required of us to overcome the darkness that has (so far) overcome us.
The true spiritual battle occurs in the "dark" of us, a contest between the light of our wish to be better than the bitterness in us, or higher than some heartache or hatred dragging us down. Whatever its nature, this struggle is between forces that are dark and denying and those light and affirming. The ground fought upon is for possession of our interior; to the victor go the spoils.
One mistake many of us make is that we believe that our ignorance of this contest in our consciousness is the same as immunity to its outcome. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is much at stake. And one of the reasons we may deny our responsibility in this cosmic contest is not so much from ignorance of it, but out of feeling ourselves overcome by its challenge.
But we cannot drop out of this contest. To accept defeat is to agree, by default, that darkness is superior to the Light. It is not. That sinking sense of self we have all felt when doing the dark thing we don't want to do is only a temporary direction born out of a bad decision, and all such bad decisions are always made in the very darkness we then find ourselves decrying.
Here is the point: Everything can change -- become much brighter -- if we will do our part. There is a Way to succeed in every spiritual battle. But, this kind of conquest over ourselves begins with gaining special knowledge and then taking the higher actions that these truths point to. The short story that follows illustrates many of these spiritually empowering truths.
Once there was a prosperous and peaceful kingdom called "Goodness." It was a bright place except for one border that it shared with a realm of darkness. Quite often, but never announced, the dark border of the dark land would suddenly swell into the country of Goodness. From out of this enveloping darkness, dark invaders would sweep down, plundering the unwary citizens of Goodness.
None of these attacks went unnoticed by the king of Goodness. One day he called to his throne one of his trusted captains and told him that another attack of the darkness was imminent. He said, "I want you to engage the enemy and not only push them back, but I want you to claim -- in my name -- some portion of their shadowed lands. Will you agree to do this for me?"
The young captain swallowed hard, knowing that he had seen so many of his friends before him fall in battle. Nevertheless, in his heart he knew the trueness of this call. Gathering himself up, he spoke: "Yes, of course I will." He waited a moment, but the king spoke no more. Taking this silence as his dismissal, he turned and began walking out of the great hall.
The sound of his footsteps followed him, echoing in the hall like the legions of thoughts now marching through his mind: "What if. . .? How about. . .? Why should I? Why me?" The captain knew what he was being asked to do was beyond his ability. None of his brave comrades gone before him had yet been able to turn back, let alone overcome, the advancing darkness. How could he?
By the time the good captain reached the end of the hallway, he had also come to the end of his false bravado. He knew he could not win this coming fight even with the best soldiers he could muster onto the field of battle. But what to do? To admit such a fear would certainly cause the king to lose faith in him, but to not speak of his great misgivings seemed an equally bad fate!
The captain turned and spoke. A shock went through him as he listened to the greatly amplified sound of his own timid voice, a result of the natural acoustics of the great hall. "Sir" he spoke, "I dont think I have a chance in this conflict. I dont have what it takes to turn back the approaching darkness." The king's answer stunned him. "Of course you dont."
It was the kindness in the king's voice that nearly knocked him over, for there was no condemnation, no cruelty, and no distasteful tone in his royal pronouncement. The captain could not understand what was happening, and heard himself speak before he knew he was talking. "Why then do you send me to my defeat?" The king sat forward to the edge of his great chair and spoke:
"I would never dream of doing such a thing to you. It is together that we shall prevail." The captain could see the king meant his words, but could not quiet his own doubting voice. "But sire, how shall we win this war when our enemy is cloaked in darkness and unseen until he strikes? Besides, so many others have failed!"
The king smiled and said, "You still do not understand the chain of command. All you have to do is ask it of me and all of my resources are yours to take into battle. This is something others have failed to do, precisely because they did not want to see themselves as needing help. They were mistaken, werent they?"
Completely taken off guard by the implications of this comment, the captain started to say, "Are you telling me that all. . .?" when the king interrupted him: "Yes, good captain, that is exactly what I am telling you. All you have to do is ask."
The king continued: "Now then, you just see to it that you go out there and fight the good fight. I will see to it that you have not only all the light you need to proceed, but that it will exceed the power of any darkness you may encounter there upon the field of battle. That is my part in the plan."
Before we close our chat tonight I will explain several ways in which you can learn to call upon a living Light that is greater than any darkness you may have to face.
What do you feel like discussing? What struggles can we shed light upon that will help you grow and go higher? If you will keep your questions real, personal, and to the point -- resisting the temptation to be speculative or to otherwise ask merely curious questions -- then our time together will be extra profitable. So, let's get started. What is on your mind tonight?
Thomas: You say the King asks us to fight the darkness, but didn't he create it?
GF: The King is a real mystery, isn't He?! However, if you want to know a little bit from yourself about this play of Light and dark forces, venture out onto the battlefield as the captain was invited to do in the story. The true answer as to why the play between these eternal forces is only realized in one's disappearance into their unified state. More than this I can't say.
Thomas: Why did God pit such a horrible force against mankind?
GF: Nothing that God made works against God's life and His plan for us in this life.
Kraig: When facing that "dark night of the soul" which has been talked about by you and others, I'm wondering what suggestions you could give for someone at this particular fork in the road. I have been pulled away before from the path (I did it). There is nowhere else to go anymore; the "world" has no answers. Your opening statement did answer some of this please elaborate.
GF: When a man reaches a True gap in his work where of himself he is incapable of going further and yet the interior impulse will not allow him to walk away from the gulf he stands over, there is nothing for him to do other than become fully aware of his nothingness. This is a strange remedy to the one standing there, but when he reaches the other side he'll realize it was Reality Itself that took him there.
Kat: My husband has a terminal disease. He has a difficult time feeling as if nothing threatens him. How can you address this specifically?
GF: If you are saying that your husband is in denial about his terminal condition, the only thing you can do for now is to be kind and patient while you wait for his inevitable breakdown when he finally has the shock of realizing his condition. Then you must support him by not participating in his fear. This will take courage on your part -- not to sink in his sorrow -- but do this and you will both grow from this challenge.
Kat: My husband is not in denial about his terminal condition, but at times he does get scared. How should he look at this and spiritualize this?
GF: Try to help him (and yourself) to understand that all fears are the creation of unconscious negative imagination. Once this is grasped, that a part of our mind projects negative conditions for the purpose of generating a frightened sense of self, then we know what to do when these punishing parts of ourselves are active. Come awake in the present moment and do not participate in this form of unconscious self-punishment.
Kat: Thank you, Guy. But how do you answer this: If you know you're going to die, possibly soon, how do you believe there is nothing to fear? How do you believe that knowing you're going to die of a terminal disease is not reality?
GF: Dont "try" not being afraid. There is no such state. Watch yourself and as best possible "die" to the fear as it comes up. Remembering yourself and your wish for Gods Life will strengthen your ability to properly surrender, which you must do.
somedude: Is the meaning of "you get what you ask for" linked to us making decisions from our false self, and therefore everything we get is an answer to something that was fundamentally flawed in the first place?
GF: Yes, basically that's the negative implication in the popular phrase "you get what you ask for." There is also a positive side to this thought in that as we learn to ask for what is genuinely Higher in life, the same parts of us that make this request are fulfilled not only as they wish, but when their wish is fulfilled by Law.
Bonj: Regarding "Teachings of the Timeless Kindness: Compensation": All of creation is in balance - up/down, hot/cold. Can God exist without evil? If creation is in balance, does evil have the same power as goodness?
GF: You have to see these archetypes not as in competition with one another but in fulfilling one another. The darkness is transformed by the Light that enters into it, enlarging the realm of Light and its awareness of what was formerly unseen. This is a cosmic story as well as a personal one taking place in our own consciousness if we're willing to make the discovery.
Eric: Was Jesus an ordinary man who "awakened" and thus became a Real Man and a Real Teacher, or was there actually something more to him? Was he one-of-a-kind even amongst the conscious circle of humanity?
GF: There is no question that Jesus lived in a human body and suffered all of the things that human beings must, including doubts and misgivings. Having said this, there was nothing ordinary about this being and it's of little doubt that his life, the one he invited us into, was not of a personal nature but a Divine one.
Ann: What suggestions do you have for clearing the mind of despondent, heavy, toxic thoughts and worries? I've been a student of the Universal Laws for years, yet for the last several months I've had a difficult time getting a handle on my thoughts. Sometimes death seems like the only workable option, yet I'm not ready for that.
GF: The only way we can free ourselves from such ruinous interior relationships as you've described in your present psychic state is to bring enough Light to bear within us, real self-awareness, so that we may see that these dark thoughts and feelings provide us with nothing but a false sense of self as we resist their presence. Weary of that sense of self and the suffering that creates it, and it will disappear.
Ann: Thanks. Do you have any practical suggestions for transmuting the toxic thoughts?
GF: Take no action whatsoever towards any toxic thought except to see it as being exactly that. Our awareness is the action of Light and does the transformation of what comes into it by itself. Our task is to be willing to bear what happens within us as we experience these transformational moments brought about by bringing this Light to bear on whatever darkness is present.
Thomas: What can I do about my memory? It seems to just dump after each lesson.
GF: The question you've asked indicates a small bit of growth on your part. Seeing that we can't remember ourselves, that we cannot retain the Light we wish to but fall into the darkness we know betrays us, reveals a small bit of spiritual memory at work. Make it your aim and refresh it daily to stay with one small spiritual lesson all the way. Work! Work! Work!
sacto: I recently left a big corporate job to focus on self-work. The economy went down and my new consulting job is not giving me any work. In all this, I am finding that I am now without an identity. No, "me the leader," no "me the smart guy," etc. I plan to stick with this crisis, but would love any advice you have to offer.
GF: There is no contradiction whatsoever in taking responsibility for our practical affairs even as we put first in our lives our wish for a Real Life. Take the practical steps you must to ensure you have the food and shelter that you need. These things don't have to be fancy, but they do have to be there to allow you some quiet. Other than this, don't let your spiritual aim punish anyone else near you.
sacto: My practical affairs are in order, so no issue there, and I will be watchful of others. Any word of warning as I deal with this lack of identity? I can sense that my old ways would like to assert a new me again. How do I stop them?
GF: It's important to understand that our divided mind requires having some image by which to gaze upon itself in order to know itself. All identity construct is this pursuit. When life shatters these structures of thought, the thought-nature immediately jumps in to rebuild "Humpty Dumpty." If you want to be free, watch this self seek a new identity and deny it its course by keeping its actions in the light of your awareness.
Roy: In working with imagination and visualization, is there proper use of these faculties that can lead to useful truths about ourselves, and are they related to the development of our intuition?
GF: As with all things, working with imagination and visualization have their limitations and operating ranges that are mostly connected to lower levels of ourselves. Visualizing a great golf shot can help. But you cannot and must not visualize the nature of Goodness nor imagine what the Kingdom of Heaven is about. Use each tool in its proper place and there's no problem.
Roy: What role then does intuition have to seeking the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it a means to this end, or a natural result of the outcome? Or is this just thought playing with thought as I'm so fond of doing?
GF: In one respect, all things are a "means" to "ends," while in another sense, meaning at another level, each "end" realized becomes the next means. Seed to flower to fruit and back to seed again.
Rocky: I have always been a "visual" type person who understands best from graphic images and symbolic instructions. What is the nature of "levels"? How does one understand the nature of levels? In the November 1999 chat you said, "There can't be two without there being one. Two comes from one. God is one. He expresses two." Does that mean the Tao (the black and white) and God (all those three things) are within us? Would it be correct if I say the Tao is God? It expresses in light and dark. What I don't understand is which one sees the darkness in us. Is it the white side of the Tao or God Himself when we are trying to be awake in the present?
GF: Many of your assumptions are correct. The number three has always represented a special order of trinity inherent in the wholeness of the Godhead. Our work which you can understand must be in levels. Just as one goes through school preceding from one order of knowledge to the next, so does our being exist in levels. This inclusive consciousness is the home of the "many mansions" that Christ spoke of being in his Father's Kingdom. Our task, if we agree to work upon ourselves for the purpose of coming into a God-centered life, is to realize this wholeness, this trinity, this triad of inter-active forces within ourselves. Our True Nature contains all that exists at all levels in the universe, and it is possible for us to become conscious of these constituent parts and their relationship with one another.
Freeman: What do you know about Tony Robbins "Personal Power"?
GF: Actually, I know nothing about it.
Dieter: What is the experience that many Christians say they have when they repent of their sins and come to Christ? They say they feel set free, etc.
GF: Mostly this highly emotional, often sentimental state is the simple momentary and temporary release of the opposites within them. This isn't to denigrate those who do wish to repent their "sins," because real remorse is indeed a critical aspect of one's development along the Path to perfection in God's Life.
HCook: Would we be able to grow if we eliminated all negative things from this world?
GF: No. The earth itself is charged negatively. Negative forces are not the same as (and must not be seen as) being the same as the destructive force of hatred and fear. These negative states are aberrations in the workings of and the interactions between what are genuinely positive and negative states working to transform one another and the world that rises from this mix.
somedude: What do you know about the prayer of Jabez? (This is also a recent best seller.)
GF: I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the prayer of Jabez.
somedude: I once came across a title from Vernon Howard's material named "Why you shouldnt help anyone." I cant find this tape anymore and would like to know what he meant.
GF: There are ways in which we can help others grow, and then there are ways in which we steal from them the possibility and the opportunity of that same growth. Learning to tell the difference between that which helps and that which hinders someone is part of the fruit of one's growth in awareness and the conscience that dwells therein.
Freeman: If we do not fight for justice against evil people, wont things get worse?
GF: Let those who want to fight that fight, fight.
sassy: I have been studying truth for many years and yet there are times when I seem to get caught up in daily life and forget until something painful happens and seems to wake me up for a moment. Is it possible to stay awake and not forget?
GF: Oh yes. That's the whole point of the work that we are doing. The big difference is (and do try to see this) that for many of us, wanting to be awake is a passing desire instead of a genuine and deep need in the center of us. The real work on this planet has always been about shaking us free from self-pleasing images so that we may begin to truly hunger and thirst for a Light within us that is never apart from us. It exists. Seek it.
Bonj: In "Timeless Kindness" you said, "Ask and you shall receive [from the Bible]. There is no time between asking and receiving." Can you expand and explain what you mean?
GF: Here's an example: The heart that asks for someone that hurt it to be hurt instantly receives the pain it asks that someone else have. There is no time that exists between the mirror and the image in it. On the other hand, the heart that longs to know Real Love and asks for this has already received some of that Love because the wish itself arising in that person's heart comes from Love itself.
mikejb35: In one of your tapes you said that evil can be properly used to bring good. Can you explain more?
GF: Haven't you ever expressed something evil, for instance maybe you spoke in haste in a cruel fashion to someone you love? Or perhaps you found yourself wanting to punish a person for what they did to you? If in these moments you caught yourself doing what is dark, didn't you suddenly have a kind of right remorse? This kind of conscious pain over causing others pain is a form of goodness from badness.
Dieter: Is God a real person or entity? Should He be worshipped? What is worship and who should be worshipped?
GF: With all due respect, there is no answer to these questions. Not that they can't be answered, but that until you have answered some of these issues in a more meaningful way than just superficial mentation, no answer can really quiet your mind.
goombah: Have you heard of Byron Katie? If so, what so you think of her?
GF: No, I'm not familiar with Byron Katie. And may I just add one thing to the rest of this comment: There really is no value whatsoever in asking my opinion of others. I know this doesn't make much sense, but if you can understand that it is your life/my life that we are talking about here, then concerns over anything outside of these issues serve nothing of value.
Tweety: How do you ask when all there is in you is pain and confusion?
GF: I know that you're referring to the story I gave at the beginning of the chat and urge you to stay until the end and read the answer to your question as to how one learns to ask for the Light when all there is is darkness and pain. There is a way. You will find it here if you will follow the little part of you that longs to be truly free regardless of the cost to self.
Ruth: Is it normal to have a low-grade sense of anxiety or drive at all times?
GF: Try to see the punishment in the word "normal." It's normal for a wolf to howl at the moon, but human beings shouldn't. It's normal for a spiritually sleeping human being to accept low-grade anxiety as a form of motivation, but for a man or woman awakening to themselves, this kind of interior pressure is seen to be the unconscious punishment that it is.
friend: It has been almost two years since I last saw you. We've spoken on the phone once or twice since. You helped me when I needed it the most. I'm having a hard time keeping my mind on the work. Do you have any suggestions that might help me "stay awake" on a daily basis?
GF: No matter what, make the time each morning to either sit quietly and watch yourself, do an exercise in attention (such as given in some of our talks), or at the least read from a Right book. Take these moments into the whole of you so that when you get ready to leave for work you can do the Work interiorly of working to carry with you the new atmosphere. Don't give up. Set tasks.
somedude: What is it about human nature that always wants to "push the envelope"? For example, the rule says 55mph, I go 60. The start time is 9 am, I show up at 9:15.
GF: In this case, the unconscious love of suffering.
Saithial: Shamanism, the magic mushroom, psilocybin, DMT, pineal gland what are your thoughts on awakening consciousness through natural psychoactive hallucinogens? And what do you say to this being a possible cause or catalyst for the beginnings of present religions and/or evolving consciousness?
GF: These things you have mentioned relative to psychoactive drugs are not a part of this Work or the Path it prescribes. It has been suggested that certain schools existed wherein one's essence was liberated or otherwise released through special substances, but this, if it's true, is very dangerous and must not be tinkered with by sleeping beings such as constitutes the mass of today's so-called teachers.
Ricardo: I have had this question for some time. I love spiritual growth, but I wonder how spiritual it can be from a physical standpoint. I mean, if one is hurt and traumatized physically to a tremendous degree by evil people, and the nervous system is severely damaged, will our spiritual maturity remain, or will we become just dysfunctional "animal" pieces of what was once a human being? I've thought on this for years, but I'd like to know your point of view.
GF: If your question is theoretical, throw it away. Such considerations are the action of negative imagination and as such do the very damage you wish to allay by asking what you do. If the question is personal and true for you, then you may be assured that there is nothing under the sun that God can't make right. Nothing. Everything depends on one's sincerity.
Randy: I find that the darkness in me is incredibly angry, spiteful, and unhappy. Do I embrace it, resist it, or just observe it?
GF: You must not sentimentally embrace negative states and you must not hostily resist such conditions. All negative states and their continuing presence within us are the results of our misunderstanding in what our relationship is with these sufferings. Observe them. Deliberately be indifferent towards them. Do not say "I" to them. Give them nothing but your attention and awareness. They will leave you.
Randy: Please comment on detachment. How do you try to "win" without it really mattering? Does one succeed by letting go of the "result"? Where does the motivation come from?
GF: As far as motivation is concerned, at some point one is motivated to win a race and then sees that all he wins for his racing is another chance to race again. That's the mind and how it works without our seeing it. Detachment, natural letting go, is the fruit of seeing the futility in trying to secure a permanent sense of self by participating in a world whose nature is change and impermanence. Think on these things.
mikejb35: Can you speak more about the awakening of intuition?
GF: Intuition, Higher Intuition, is a natural and native element in Higher Consciousness. It is covered up now in us because of our being so occupied with lower functions of these same centers. One does not have to awaken intuition, one has to simply stop participating in the dream of self that keeps this Higher power buried.
somedude: Is that the same as knowing real pleasure/happiness from leaving a very uncomfortable/dark/physical painful state? Is it a must that we live a certain degree of our lives "lost" so that we may come to?
GF: The answer to the first question is "no." The second answer is that everything depends upon ones level of development.
Katruh: Can we have an understanding of these spiritual concepts without actually being able to explain or express that understanding in words, or am I just fooling myself?
GF: The answer is yes, you can have such an understanding. One feels these things deeply and from this Higher emotional center there does comes a kind of "knowing." It is best though, if we wish to keep what we become conscious of, to bring all of our parts into play relative to this awakening understanding. Higher mind and Higher heart joined produce a kind of understanding that can be expressed as well as embraced.
somedude: There are times when I am talking with a very dear loved one and I get horrible images of things hurting them/hitting them, etc. I would never want these things, especially for these people. What is this?
GF: There are dark and malicious spirits that see you as a boarding house because you have left the doors open to their presence. You must, if you really wish to be a consciously decent man, see what I have said here.
Raci: I just finished reading Seekers Guide To Freedom. It is a wonderful book and has been very helpful in opening many new doors of understanding for me. Thank you for writing it for us.
GF: Thank you. I have received many nice notes already about my new book and I'm glad you find it of value in your Work.
Kraig: So what is the best way to cultivate the art of asking the right questions in order to get what we really desire as opposed to getting the results we do not want?
GF: We must learn what it means to first be aware of the nature within us that makes the request, that "asks" the question. Sometimes, anxiety will ask, "How do I become free of rushing?" Anxiety does not want to come to the end of rushing, so the question really forwards the designs of this dark state and that dark state gets an immediate answer as it runs us around. Try to see this.
BNevrgivup: Recently I entered a discussion regarding the existence of God, and the point was made that man is the only animal who asks or believes this. The example was given that if God existed, He would reveal Himself to the world and evil would cease to exist. Could you comment on this?
GF: I speak for myself personally in this answer and do not pretend to answer for you. I never would spend ten seconds in such a theoretical philosophical free-for-all. Stimulating? Most likely. Valuable? Only to the parts of us that enjoy the fast spin cycle in a washing machine.
friend [Joe]: I never felt so alive as when I helped build the Life of Learning Foundation. How do I get this feeling of truth and belonging back?
GF: Get your affairs in order and return here to help us do this Work. If that is impossible, then remember your wish ten thousand times a day and do away with any other part of you that tells you this wish is out of reach.
James1: I realized in adolescence that there were parts of me (personally) that were very ugly. This contributed to a very strong identity (shaped my nature) into someone that deserved very little. I therefore want or love nothing. My actions/thoughts reflect this. How do I wish to love something/someone?
GF: Don't spend one more minute dwelling on what was in your life. Drop every dark remembrance that pushes itself into your mind over what it calls ugly and drags before your inner eyes. Be vigilant with this. Then while this is in place, as best you can, remember the Love that you wish to remember. Center yourself in this distant longing and let it soak in your awakening will. Keep this wish before you at all times.
Eric: Lately, some of the things I say or do have a sort of "bad taste" to them -- simple things, like trying to be funny, or thinking something behind someone's back. Should I let go and try not to identify with any of these "bad tastes"?
GF: This is a good sign what you are saying you now start to "taste" in your day-to-day life. Sometimes these negative states that are indwelling pop out before we even know they intend to inflict some kind of casualty. Just watch them. Do not condemn yourself for your missteps. Such self-laceration is simply a secret extension of the same negative state that tastes bad.
ARNOLD: The link between thoughts and feelings (fears mostly) is obvious evidence they rule. I can see them, but there's nothing I can do to stop and be silent. I am forced to live a life fabricated by my own doing.
GF: You are not forced to live any form of darkness that you wish not to. The wrong parts of us do everything they can to convince us of the inevitability of such an outcome as you've described. But these parts only succeed with their punishments by getting us to identify with the feelings they bring with them and pass through us. Order "Secrets of Cleansing Heart, Mind, and Soul" from this Website. It will help you with this. If it doesn't, return it.
Thomas: I have been looking at peoples faces and have actually seen the redness of what seems to be tension on the skin of their face. As I gaze at it, the tension seems to flow from them and right past me into nothingness. Does this seem plausible, or am I spacing out?
GF: I have no doubt that you see the tension in others' faces. The rest of it, regardless of what may or may not happen because of your gaze, is of no concern, or at least should not be of concern to you. Just take care of what you can do in your own awakened moments and let what comes out of them take place without going to sleep in considering them.
Tweety: I'm often influenced by unseen negative states in other people, and don't know how to handle this properly.
GF: Just recognizing this tendency in yourself is a fine beginning for learning how to rise above it. Start with watching how certain parts of you actually want to dive in and start thinking about what other people are thinking about. Come awake at these moments and steal this activity from yourself by deliberately dropping it. This will be a good beginning for you.
sassy: Just when I think I have come to terms with anger, something happens and it seems stronger. It is scary.
GF: That's all right. Never mind that it often feels like one step forward, two steps back. That's just a phase on the Path that belongs to the parts of us that still believe we can overpower what has been overpowering us. Gradually you will have enough shocks of this sort to realize your right relationship with this anger is to never give it another ounce of your attention apart from simply being aware of it when it passes through.
renee: Many people talk in terms of right or wrong, good or evil; is this the false self thinking in these terms? Is our true nature (who we really are) neither right or wrong, good or evil, but more balanced neutral? From this vantage point, can we then see our contradictions within us and finally be free of the false self (no pendulum swinging)?
GF: At one level, what you are stating is true. Claims of right and wrong, good and evil -- such as we are immersed within and ultimately punished by -- are creations of the comparative mind, in some ways necessary just to navigate this planet of opposites. But there is a Real Good that is not an opposite of anything, but that contains all such opposites such as you have pointed out as being the source of so much pain and conflict.
somedude: Almost everything I have an honest passion for seems to be "not available" in my area. Does this mean I should relocate, despite my loved ones being here, or are these interests wrong?
GF: These are questions you must decide upon alone and in the privacy of your heart's true longings.
WeirdUncleFred: By continually awakening ourselves and remaining in the light as much as possible, is this the path of eternal progression that will lead us into eternity, much as a spiral galaxy keeps expanding?
GF: The path only seems to be of a "progressive" nature due to the limited ways in which our nature perceives the passage of time. Physics today realizes all things are expanding from the center of all things, which expresses the idea that we dont so much grow as we realize our center everywhere.
sacto: I am finding that without a structure -- like a normal job with it's demands, or like school with it's regular schedule, or even with friends and the commitments we make with them -- I have very little drive. It seems that I have been getting my motivation from others, and now I seek my own. I have not found it yet. You mentioned once that we should try to remember what we really want in life, like when we were kids, but I just can't remember. How can I begin?
GF: This is a natural and spiritually healthy stage brought on by the conditions you now face. Be as patient as you can help yourself to be. Something may be fermenting beneath the "soil" of your (consciousness) that will show itself soon. Stay quiet. Do nothing with the struggle to "become" something and let Something come to you. It will. Then follow, starting over and over again.
Scofield: I find that the more I "sit back and relax," the more I learn. Just letting my mind rid itself of it's waste, I can start to begin seeing the "Light."
GF: Yes, the truth is that the light -- in every sense of the word -- is always raining down upon us. We just have too many different colored umbrellas called self-fascination.
jaybird: Leo Tolstoy once said: "Beware of everything which puts an obstacle between you and God." Sound wisdom, indeed. Often, however, these obstacles are extremely subtle and quite difficult to detect. Can you offer some helpful guidelines to becoming awake to these barriers?
GF: One must learn to "taste" these things. For instance someone who has become identified with an insight about Real Life feels that he considers the Truth when the truth is he has built an unseen cage for himself out of the light he saw. Subtle! But never too much for the willing soul who will let go over and over again for the sake of a God-Centered life.
NIC: Would you offer the most important steps to take to discover one's true calling with regards to a person's choosing the right career in life?
GF: The best I can offer given these format limits is to suggest (strongly) that you order (from this Website) audiotape #463. It is entitled: "Fulfill the Real Purpose and Promise of your Life." If it doesn't shed some light on your question, just return it for a full refund, no problem.
somedude: Do you know of any REAL benefit from practicing internal energy exercises? There are countless stories of "masters" of this art accomplishing great humble feats and Im wondering if this is worthwhile or superficial and meaningless?
GF: As with all such questions, all depends upon ones real intentions.
jaybird: In The Seeker's Guide To Self-Freedom, you state: "There is no condition which can hold you captive without your unconscious cooperation." This truly strikes a chord with me. Can you elaborate a bit further in explaining how I might be unwittingly aiding and abetting my inner slave masters?
GF: Most of our feeling like a captive is born out of some form of undetected attachments that we have to ideas or images about ourselves and this life. These attachments are so compelling because we (unconsciously, of course) derive a strong but false sense of "I" from them. Notice when you feel stuck what it is you are actually in relationship with in that moment after you realize that it is not the condition that captures you, but what that "you" wants from it.
Lightseeker: How can I remember who I am when I get tired and hungry and cranky? This state seems to run away with me, and I lash out at those I love. Then when I come to myself, I feel terrible. How can I stop this cycle when I can't eat and sleep more?
GF: I know how this sounds, but it is the way: Try, try, again. There is a secret in this willingness to go back onto the spiritual battlefield. Scripture says it best, I think: "My grace is sufficient for thee because in thy weakness is my strength made perfect."
rousseau: I asked about transcendental meditation before, and your response I still remember: "a mechanical path cannot bring one to God realization" or something to this end. When I read the "Science of Being" more thoroughly, I realized that Maharishi says that TM is a mechanical (insinuating automatic) method to God realization along with all the other gentle physiological effects it has. I was glad you pointed that out.
GF: Excellent. Remember always that our "task" is not to create consciousness, but to remember its indwelling presence and to place ourselves under and within its accord.
ok: The secret of letting go does that also mean of our job too (saying were unhappy with it), even though it may cause us to risk losing our home or such?
GF: Everything depends upon what a person realizes as his position in the moment. One has certain duties in life, depending upon his or her own past. Regardless of circumstances, however, I learn to let go wherever I am because if I cant change some things (because of commitments that must be met to be a good father, etc.), then I CAN learn to let go of my resentments in the meantime.
GF: Let me recount a bit of the "Truth tale" I told at the opening of our meeting tonight, about the kingdom of "Goodness" and its bordering realm of darkness. Invasions of shadow-like creatures would often capture the citizens of Goodness and drag them off, back into the dark lands. We left off where the king of Goodness asked one of his trusted captains to go out and turn back this encroaching tide of darkness, to recapture these dark lands for the Light.
Near the end of their conversation -- after the captain admitted that he thought he could not hope to prevail in such an encounter - the king reassured him: "You make the good fight and I will supply you with all the Light you need to succeed in defeating the darkness." Now let's see how this Royal Command can help us to overcome the dark moments in our lives.
Spiritual Light is what we need to have Real Success in life. This Light is not an imaginary force, yet we must learn to call upon its unseen strength. This Light is not the sentimental stirring of self-gratifying emotions, yet we must place our whole heart into its Presence. This Light empowers us to turn back what punishes us, but these powers do not belong to us.
In the New Testament, in Romans, Paul teaches, "Let every soul be subject unto Higher Powers." He instructs that to succeed with our spiritual wish to transcend the dark nature that defeats us at every turn -- where we act with cruelty instead of compassion, with selfishness instead of selflessness -- we must learn during these trials to call upon the Living Light.
We will touch on exactly what this idea means in a moment, but first, as a prerequisite to empowering ourselves with this rescuing Light, we must make clear to ourselves what it is within us that we are calling upon instead of these Powers of Goodness.
When things go wrong in our lives, we have a real tendency to go along with the wrong parts of ourselves. This means that we gravitate towards negative states such as anger to deal with the angry people before us, or we fall into fearful thoughts when faced with uncertainty. Our unconscious relationship with these dark states places them, by default, in temporary charge of our considerations.
What then is the solution? We must learn to call upon the Light already within us. But to do this, we must first remember that it is within our power to enlist these Friendly Forces, and not fall prey to trying to be a power unto ourselves. This is the Key. It also explains why the timeless idea of being awake to ourselves every moment is so vital in our quest for freedom.
One last Key lesson before we spell out some secret sources of the Light we can learn to call upon: Nothing we can hope to call upon -- to light our way -- can be any more successful for us than our willingness to put ourselves under its Perfect Powers. This means we must agree to be powerless to ourselves before we can hope to be empowered by something Greater than ourselves.
Consider closely the following sources of this Living Light that await your call upon them. Ponder all the lessons that they present, wish to learn their secrets, and then watch how their new powers come to go before you, helping you to win your own interior battles.
First, we can learn to call upon the Light of Real and Timeless Ideas. For instance, we can give our conscious attention to True Thoughts; reach out to touch their bright reality instead of allowing unconscious thought-forms to fill us with their dark misdirection. Self-victory begins with remembering that these inner relationships define us, and then choosing our company wisely.
We can learn to call upon the Light of our faith -- that still small but unshakable part of our understanding -- that quietly, repeatedly, tells us this Truth: Whatever it may be that a Good God brings into our lives must also be Good for us, even when we cannot see the truth of this Light in the temporary darkness of some unwanted and self-opposing event.
We can call upon the Light of remembering our right not to be negative, that we are created with the right to choose who will be our interior company. We can also call upon the Light of all those aspirants who have gone before us, evoking their memory while remembering our wish for freedom; recalling their willingness to work for this, and for us, regardless of the personal cost to them.
Lastly (but only because we are near the end of our time together tonight), we can learn to call upon the sheltering Light of our awareness of the Present Moment, always striving to remember that it is the nature of this True Awareness to oversee everything that falls within it -- which means that nothing is greater than it is.
For extra benefit you should make your own list of Lights to call upon. This kind of special pondering not only helps to produce Light in you, but also attracts to you the Higher Powers you hope to contact. Do your inner work. Remember the Living Light.
Guy's Monthly Chatroom Classroom - February 2002
Posted by Guy Finley in 459 Galice Road, Merlin, OR 97532 on , and updated on .
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