The Requirement for Spiritual Rescue

Ordinarily, we remember the tastes of the past through our mind, body and emotions. But there should be nothing that should make me remember what I don't want to remember... I have an inherent right to not be forced to remember. However, we do not yet have the power to act on this right.

Life force is streaming down endlessly upon us. These forces are coming from a place that is above us, creating a "circulatory system" that goes up and down and up and down, etc.

As a 'vessel' presently, we have no choice in what stimulates us. Our reactions are based on our interpretation of our experiences. But what is it that meets and translates these energies?

"I" show up as I react to what creates defensiveness in 'me'. It is the nature that interprets that must have something to react to every moment. This is what gives us our ordinary sense of self.

Presently, whatever catches our attention is what we automatically give our attention to... But attention is a connecting force and awareness is uniting. Thus, when our attention is called by a negative state, we automatically give way to it in our present spiritual condition.

We merge unconsciously with what our thought nature 'serves up.' Then we try to 'rescue' ourselves from the resulting dilemmas. However, until our attention is truly ours, we are the captives of any thoughts and feelings that might come along looking for a home.

Story: High-ranking officer becomes a chaplain... Stormy night during a time when the officer was due to get a promotion. He thought he saw a hand reaching up out of the water. It turned out to be a makeshift mast fashioned by a downed pilot. He had used this mast to hold his hand up in the air. The pilot was reaching up for rescue... Upon seeing this, the officer realizes how much he has failed to 'reach for rescue' in his own life. The pilot never would have been rescued had he not taken extraordinary measures to ensure he would be found. But the officer learned that he could not remember anything about rescue...

We can't reach for rescue and for what we want at the same time. Something must become the priority. We cannot reach for Heaven with one hand and for the world with the other. We must first discover that our attention is not our own...and that we tend to remember only what ties us to what we want... We must fight for ourselves in the right way. We can stay away from being dragged around by errant thoughts and feelings. We can let the thoughts arise, but reach instead for what we truly want.

There is part of us dedicated to our defective life and other parts that are dedicated to our victory. The greatest pleasure is to forget about ourselves. Nothing is supposed to "remind" us of anything.