The Science of Prayer

Whether you consider yourself religious or spiritual, the concept of prayer is probably not foreign to you. Prayer has been an effective tool to ease the stress of the mind, to bring focus to our attention, and to generate good will within consciousness. Though, I would admit, that most of us have never really been taught the truth about prayer, how its done (properly), and the metaphysical laws which govern its practice. I shall offer some insight into these area's here, so as to ensure that the next time you SYBD (Sit Your But Down) to pray, you'll have a clearer idea of what your actually doing.

One Mind

The most important thing to realize and understand about prayer, is what it is not. Many would have you believe that one is organizing a series of thoughts in their own mind, directing it to an outside source (the object of prayer, deity, etc..), to offer some degree of benefit. A person gets into an accident, and those close to them offer prayers. You need one more run to win the game, out comes the prayer-book. 

What is fundamentally flawed about this concept is that prayer is seen as some sort of Divine lucky charm that, when exercised, can tip the bar in our favor. This model of prayer does not coincide with what we can learn about The Law, nor does it reveal where the true power of prayer lies. Clearing up this misconception can transform our experience of prayer, as well as the personal experience of the Divine in our lives. 

The first confusion that arises in this model of prayer is the illusion of Separation. This is the most consistent and widespread illusion of the human experience. I am separate from you. We each have two, separate minds, which are also separate (and insignificant) to the mind of God. Correcting these false idea's will lead to a deepened experience of prayer, and wholeness.

Correct the idea of separation by embracing the truth, that we each SHARE the One Mind of God. We are not separate entities, rather, we are seemingly separate individuation's of this one mind. I say seemingly because if we were to look beneath mere appearances we would discover that we are all connected at the quint-essential dimension of being (Mind). Much like we see that there are many separate tree's, we will find that they are all connected by the same element (Earth), and therefore are joined in roots to the same "ground of being". (Pardon the pun..)

How does this revelation transform the nature of our prayer? 

Coupled with the fact that what we hold in consciousness with consistency, has the potential of manifesting in our experience, Prayer becomes an activity in consciousness, of shedding the false idea's surrounding the conditions of phenomenal experience and embracing the true nature of reality. If someone we know falls ill, we do not pray for their well being (which in truth is us empowering the idea of sickness), but instead release the idea of sickness in our mind entirely. We pray to cleanse all falsehoods and illusions from Mind so as to not remain fooled by appearances, and to allow the Truth of God and of Life to be expressed naturally. 

Correction

Typically we are moved to pray whenever something "bad" happens in our experience, or if we perceive the need to add a little "luck" to our endeavors. ("Dear God, please don't let me slip and fall as I accept my award"). This is the classical form prayer takes, and is the reason why we've become accustomed to having our prayers go 'un-answered'. The practice of prayer is not a means to bring Spirit into our human-hood, and this is why the effects of our prayer have been so inconsistent. 

Again, this idea is another misconception, generated by the illusion of separation. We believe that there are two worlds, a world of form made up of physical, gross matter. And then there is a world of Spirit, and this is where God is. These idea's are what have confused mankind for thousands of years, and in many ways has made prayer very ineffective. The correction that must be made in consciousness is that there is not two worlds, but One, expressed in two different ways. 

When one clears this misunderstanding, then the use of prayer becomes about dissolving/releasing our beliefs and idea's surrounding our human nature, so as to allow our Spiritual/Divine nature to find expression through us. Can sickness touch Spirit? Can Death? Can Misfortune? No. Only if we accept the idea that we are merely human can such concepts have an effect in our experience.Therefore prayer is not about increasing the quality of our human experience, but to deepen the experience (and subsequent expression) of our Spirit. 

Does this mean that it is useless to pray for others?

Not at all. 

In fact, our prayers become more potent, because we now understand that we do not pray to alter/influence/change the conditions of form. Instead our prayers for others becomes about cleansing our consciousness (which is the one consciousness we share), of all the thoughts and idea's which brought such experiences to bear in the first place. We seek to hold in mind the perfect vision of our Brothers and Sisters, and hold in consciousness the Truth about who and what they really are. This is the true power of our prayer. Not to fall into the illusion of temporary forms, but to bear the fruit of Truth in our consciousness. 

Praying for World Peace

There are times when, while we pray, we offer good will to all the world in the hopes of bringing an end to the widespread violence, hate, and sickness that plagues so many people. This is beautiful. Yet, people have been praying for this for a very long time, and in no wise has the human situation changed on planet earth. There is still war, violence, sickness, and brutality. Daily.

How does our new understanding of prayer apply to all of the world, and its turmoils?

The crises and problems of the world are merely the same issues and confusions we experience as individuals, but scaled to the entire collective. If we seek to bring about world peace through prayer, we will fall victim to the illusions mentioned above. Instead, the effect of our prayers -- of holding Truth in our consciousness -- translates into the ascension of our own consciousness. This ascension brings us out of the gross experience of life, and releases us into the grace of God, where the turmoils of the world are no longer entertained as truth. 

It is from this transformation of consciousness that we "change the world". By going within and treating the false idea's which are born from being hypnotized by outside appearances, we create a space in mind where we become expressions of this Divine Reality. There may be violence in some part of the world, but here and now, while you are held in the light of truth, such violence cannot take place. And where ever in the world that you travel, you shall bring with you this altitude of consciousness. You shall be anchored in spirit, and that light will shine in the minds of everyone with whom you join with in consciousness. 

This becomes the nature of your prayer. To transform the falsehoods held in mind with the light of Truth, the light of Spirit. To deny the false appearances of form and to correct these thoughts in consciousness so as to allow the expression of Divinity through you. Prayer is about cleansing our consciousness, and about sharing this wondrous reality that we have be born again into, with all the world and those that people it. 

Aum

Being human.... is not enough...

There is something that is happening on our planet, and its not the first time. It has happened countless times over the billions of years that life has been evolving on earth, yet this is the first time it can be consciously directed, in response to the presence of life- threatening crises and breakdowns. As a collective, we have the opportunity to make a quantum leap.

This is what life does when it reaches a ceiling. When it reaches an impasse. A wall. A point of no return. We as a species have reached this point, where every aspect of our civilization, global culture, and technological mishaps have brought us to the edge of page. We can no longer go any farther at our current altitude of consciousness. In short, we must evolve or die.

There was a wise man who once said, 

"You can never solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that was used to create it." 

That is really the easiest way to put it. On every tier of experience, from Individual to Global, we are faced with a vast array of crises, conflicts, and experiential cul-de-sac's that are threatening the stability of our civilization. Some of these issues are new, while others have been building up over several decades. 

If we have any hope of bringing change to our individual and collective experience of life, then we need to get into the zone. This zone is the evolutionary impulse, the fuel of the immanent quantum leap. It resides at the heart of all life and drives it toward greater and more holistic expressions. Call it God, Universal Intelligence, Evolution, Love, etc... Regardless of how you paint it, it is the same thing that is compelling us all to take that next step towards are greatest yet to be. 

When I look to all of the issues and crises that we face in our personal lives, and all the conflicts in our collective circles I notice that each of them has been generated by the Human Being. Or, Homo Sapiens Sapiens to be more accurate. And if the above quote holds any truth to it, then its going to take a very drastic shift in the pillars of our idea's, thought's and beliefs of Who and What we are, so that we may begin taking steps in a more sustainable and enlightened way. 

I feel that, right now, we are each being called to let go of the old idea's we have held about who we are, and what we are capable of. If we are going to tackle all of these issues that we face, then its time we leveled up a little bit. I think its time to shed the skin of being merely Human, and allow the rise of a more spiritual, a more whole expression of life that is open to greater idea's, greater connection between us, and a world of infinite possibilities. 

Tiers of Change

This year has been a big one so far in the department of self development. Many experiences have really helped shape my perspective on a wide variety of issues, existing on each tier of experience. It had occurred to me that these tiers are not widely considered when approaching Change. It seems as if focus on "Global Change" is the most prominent, while community and individual change follow in behind. 

I've been giving this topic considerable thought over the last couple of weeks and just today I was struck with clarity on the why's behind some of my more recent direction changes. Its easy to jump behind the banner of "changing the world" but when you really think about it, the "World" is nothing more then a concept in the mind, patched together by the bits and pieces of news we catch online or on the tube. 

We obviously don't experience the world from a 1st person perspective, so we rely on our worldviews to fuel our passions for Global Evolution. But where does the real change take place? Lets take a look at the different tiers we are involved with day to day, so as to clearly punctuate where the real change is occurring. 

Tier 1: Individual

This first tier is where the real stuff happens. This is the internal and immediate exterior dimensions of our development. Whenever we are moving through thoughts, emotions, beliefs, blocks, our shadow, our relationships, and our behaviors we are operating on the 1st Tier. And it is at this tier that we turn to first whenever we seek to change the experiences of our life, in the 2 succeeding tiers. 

Tier 2: Community

The second tier represent the dimension of our influence and is greatly dependent on the shifts which happen in the first tier. How we show up to our neighbors, teachers, postal workers, garbage men, city council members, and total strangers reflects the development we have made in the 1st tier. The degree of our involvement in our immediate community determines how we view, not "The World" but "Our World". 

If we existed in a community setting that is productive, peaceful, and happy then such conditions would greatly influence what we would perceive as possible for the 'world at large', and in fact would carry with it considerable power to change other places that we do not immediately experience. At this tier we can see the ripples of our influence within the relationships we share in our communities. 

Tier 3: Global

This is the tier where development and shifts in the previous 2 tiers culminate. True global change occurs with the synergistic efforts of many groups of people working together for a common goal. These changes are caused by collective shifts in consciousness, where old world views deteriorate in the light of new discoveries and opportunities. 

I bring all of this up, not as an attempt to turn anyone away from pursuing global change, but for the purpose of highlighting how this change naturally takes place. I myself have experienced the frustration of having my eyes set on changing the world, only to loose steam from a lack of focus on the "here and now" of the world (or first 2 tiers). 

It is also important to note that each tier is deeply connected and that even the smallest shift made in the 1st tier has a direct effect on the proceeding 2 tiers or dimensions of experience. Lets not get caught up trying to change the "headlines" when we can be changing whats going on in our head.. 

Aum 

Being dragged

“Dying to your own attachments is a beautiful death.

Because this death release you into real life.

You have to die as a seed to live as a tree.” 

- Mooji

I am sure many people have had this experience. Your moving, but so is what is outside. And for a brief moment (or until your mind adjusts), one is not completely sure which is moving, the scenery or you? 
One of the many "mind-tricks" caused by the illusory nature of this world. 

Do you feel that you "move"? Does the belief exist in your consciousness that Who and What you are can move, change, or die? Check it out. Until we move beyond it, we can experience this illusion, that it is US in motion, and not the things around us. Though this is not true. It can't be, if what we are is changeless, deathless. 

Attachment is an unavoidable. And for good reason, because attachment is one of the primary tools we use as souls, to wake up from this dream, and realize the Truth of who and what we are. And it is within this journey, that we find the boundless stillness of our being, and become aware that it is the world which moves. Which sways. It is the illusion that "Ebbs and Flows". We are forever stationed in the state of perpetual, divine, stillness. We are perfect unto ourselves, so there is no need for movement. For inconsistency. 

Yet, we experience it. Until we don't. And we won't experience life in this way when we awaken to the eternal "anchor" which holds us in Truth, ad infinitum. When we wake up and realize that this world, by its very nature, is always 'coming and going',  we realize that we've been dragged, 'here and there', this whole time. An attachment arises, plays, and goes and our consciousness sticks with it. We hold on to it, feeling as if we need to, to sustain some less than idea about ourselves, and we get dragged. 

So what can happen if we "let go"?

There is only one way to find out.... :D

Aum

Its ALL or NOTHING

"For they are meaningful only to their maker, and so they have no meaning at all"

- ACIM -

We did not come into this life with identity. It was made. We came with no name, no idea or concept. We were birthed free from expectation or doubt. What of us then, was not made by us through this journey? What of others did we accept to be our own? What has this cost us? 

With what we have made we have discovered a land of fear, of suffering. Of sickness and death. And worst of all, we have found ourselves to be ALONE. And with this world we have made we have cast ourselves "into the pit". Guilt brought us here. Fear keeps us here. 

This is not the world God created. 

Truth must be shared, and this world we have made with our fear and our guilt is one we  experience alone. And for this reason alone, our world is not true.

"For these figures have no witnesses, being perceived in one separate mind only"

- ACIM -

We can choose to continue to live in this world we have made, where we suffer, get sick, and die. Or we can choose to give up the world we have made, and accept the Kingdom as it was created by the Father. The Kingdom is shared with everyone. It is shared with God. It is the ONE in ALL. 

It is in the world God created where he keeps our peace, our joy, our eternal love and grace. All we must do is put down that which we made at the "feet of the Lord" and accept the glory which is our birthright in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

So whats it going to be?

All.... or Nothing? 

Aum ♥

Safe Harbor

"It has been hopeless to attempt to find hope of peace upon a battleground" 

- ACIM Ch.29 - The Coming of the Guest - 

If we pay close attention to the moments we have when there is conflict with another, we will undoubtedly notice that in some part we have decided to allow our still waters to be troubled. We have accepted a less than idea of ourselves, and then projected it upon those whom we accept conflict. 

In the process of Awakening we will continue to have these moments of conflict until we fully and completely release the bag of bricks we carry along with us. In no way can we truly be of service to the world until we have let the world go. This includes everything we have made of ourselves. Being infinite, there is nothing we can apply to our stature that will in effect change anything about who and what we are. In the end, what we add in effect, subtracts from the Glory and Peace which is our birthright. 

Through the examples of the Masters, we have learned that true freedom is attained via the complete abandonment of our Ego/Body-mind, so that our True self may be expressed and experienced. This place of unique solitude may be called our Safe Harbor. Here is where the waters are forever still and remain so regardless of the stones that are thrown. This is the Peace of God. 

And is this not the true gift we can give to others (and thus receive)? If we seek to resolve our inner conflicts and to be vessels of peace in the world, would it not be the wisest to always reside in the safe harbor of the Father? Imagine the impact this would have on the Life around you. Each being whom enters your consciousness would be invited to release their bag of bricks for "it is not I that carries them". 

Let us seek to liberate ourselves and our brothers from the bondage of such tremendous weight and density. Let us be a Safe Harbor for the world so that all whom we share this dream may know that "before me ye are safe, and have no troubles". No man or woman would have use for their stories, beliefs, ideas, all of which are used to protect and defend against a world that they fear. In your presence and consciousness, give your Brother rest, for they have been waging a great battle within. 

Aum ♥

At Ease..

I'll be honest. I've been using a new keyboard for the last little while (and I don't like it) so I have had to release the idea I have about this keyboard so that I can share via this blog. The idea I held previously literally drained me of the inspiration to share on here. It's been released and here I am. Onward.

This blog is entitled "At Ease" because this has been the Header of my experience in the last few days. It began with being still and in a single moment I was struck with a great light, a great peace that carried with it awareness of Truth and Purpose. This feeling has little diminished and I've been "in it" with great consistency. 

This epic experience was ignited through the contemplation of the Truth about Who I was. If everything I see, think, and believe is of my own creation AND I didn't create my true self, then WHAT AND WHO AM I? And with this question I received a very clear response. My True Self is that which is shared with God and all things which reside in God. Then peace. There is nothing I need do to maintain this Self, for it is both infinite and eternal. There is no need to be "reminded" of who I think I am, for who I truly am is forever. 

"Coincidentally" there were passages from A Course in Miracles I came across during my quiet reading time that literally described poetically what I was experiencing. I will share it with you here;

"Who knows the Father knows this light, for He is the eternal sky that holds it safe, forever lifted up and anchored sure. Its perfect purity does not depend on whether it is seen on earth or not. The Sky embraces it and softly holds it in its perfect place, which is as far from earth as earth from Heaven." - CH.30.9 p.632.

How tremendously beautiful. 

A true message of grace and Love. 

I might have been lost and "out at sea" most of my life but Who and What I am has never been endangered. Has never been anywhere other then HERE AND NOW,  its nature so pure and foundational that all the illusions entertained in mind are powerless against its formless grace. And in that moment of true clarity I CLAIMED IT. Yes, you have to completely stop believing in the idea's of the world and let true vision replace the projections. And this is a process, but seems to culminate into escalating plateaus of Divine awareness. 

I've also been doing the lessons of the Course daily, and each one presents a tremendous reality of which we are all one with, and which is present here and now and can be CLAIMED by letting go of that which is NOT SO. 

Thankyou.. Thankyou.. Thankyou.. 

Aum♥