THOUGHT EXERCISES

Anger is the product of hunger for that which the soul knows is possible. Love for all things in the universe is the product of satisfaction; but satisfaction never comes before love. Since all things in the universe exist in every moment, and every moment consists of all things; if you are to love the moment you must in turn love all things that make this moment possible. Since you decided that a moment did not serve you, and chose a thing to blame for this moment existing instead of knowing the perfection of every moment and seeking the lesson that lies within; you have created anger. Since it was you who condemned the moment, which was really created for your benefit; the anger you created takes from you. Since it was you who created the anger, guilt, fear, or shame; you feel the pain. Only when you can learn to shine the omnipotent ever illuminating light of love, on all things, from all angles, in every moment will you feel no pain.

Self-love is the key to success. Forgiveness is the key to self-love. Learn not the specifics of the following; learn the process that is enacted. If you lie, do not condemn yourself. If you condemn yourself, you shadow a part of you; as much as you try to stamp it out, it will always exist. You will not be whole until you shine light and love on all parts of yourself. You will lose the opportunity to bear the fruit of those shadowed parts of yourself. The part of you that chose to lie, did so for a reason. Lets say you lied to protect the feeling of the person you lied to. In you exists a part of you that wants to please others and make them happy. Forgive this part of you for causing you to lie. It was only trying to express itself since you were not paying attention to it. Go inside of you and find this part of you. Instead of shadowing it, bring it into the light. Love and appreciate it so that it may grow. The lies will not grow, but soon you will see that your actions are such that they please people. You will no longer need to lie. This is true forgiveness; appreciation. Do not condemn the part of you that condemns the parts of you. It to has a reason it feels it needs to do this. Its power is great; study it, learn to be its master not its servant, so that you can benefit from its gift. Know that all things exist in duality, and what has the power to condemn also has the power to liberate. Knowing, loving, appreciating, and mastering all parts of yourself enable you to overcome any obstacle.

It is ok for people to believe differently. In diversity lies strength. If everyone believed the same and it was wrong, all would fail. Besides it would be boring.

by Jaron Wiley

An Alternative to the Judging Process

When we plant a rose seed in the earth,

We notice that it is small,

But we do not criticize it as "Rootless and Stemless".

We treat it as a seed,

Giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed,

When it first shoots up out of the earth,

We don't condemn it as "immature and underdeveloped;"

Nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear.

We stand in the wonder of the process taking place,

And give the plant the care it needs at each stage of development.

The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed,

To the time it dies.

Within it all times,

It contains its whole beauty.

It seems to be constantly in the process of change:

Yet at each stage, at each moment

It is perfect just the way it is.

LISTEN

When I ask you to listen to me,

And you start giving advice,

You have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me,

And you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way,

You are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me,

And you feel you have to do something to solve my problem,

You have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen! All I asked was that you listen,

Not talk or do - just hear me.

Advice is cheap: 50 cents will get you both Dear Abby and

Billy Graham in the same newspaper.

And I can do for myself; I'm not helpless:

Maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.

When you do something for that I can and need to do

For myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness.

But when you accept as a simple fact htat I do feel what I feel,

No matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you

And get around to the business of understanding what's

Behind this irrational feeling.

And when that's clear, the answers are obvious, and I don't need advice.

Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what's

Behind them.

Perhaps that's why prayers works, sometimes, for some people,

Because God is mute, and He doesn't give advice or

Try to fix things. "They" just listen and let you

Work it out for yourself.

So, please listen and just hear me. And if you want to

Talk, wait a minute for your turn, and I'll listen to you.

The Bridge

There was a man who had given much thought to what he wanted from life. He had experienced many moods and trials. He had experimented with different ways of living, and he had had his share of both success and failure. At last, he began to see clearly where he wanted to go.

Diligently, he searched for the right opportunity. Sometimes he came close, only to be pushed away. Often he applied all his strength and imagination, only to find the path hopelessly blocked. And then at last, it came. But the opportunity would not wait. It would be made available only for a short time. If it were seen that he was not committed, the opportunity would not come again.

Eager to arrive, he started on his journey. With each step, he wanted to move fast; with each thought about his goal, his heart beat quicker; with each vision of what lay ahead, he found renewed vigor. Strength that had left him since his early youth returned, and desires, all kinds of desires, reawakened from their long-dormant positions.

Hurrying along, he came upon a bridge that crossed though the middle of a town. It had been built high above a river in order to protect it from the floods of spring.

He started across. Then he noticed someone coming from the opposite direction. As they moved closer, it seemed as though the other were coming to greet him. He could see clearly, however, that he did not know the other, who was dressed similarly except for something tied around his waist.

When they were within hailing distance, he could see that what the other had about his waist was a rope. It was wrapped around him many times and probably, if extended, would reach a length of 30 feet.

The other began to uncurl the rope, and, just as they were coming close, the stranger said, "Pardon me, would you be so kind as to hold the end a moment?"

Surprised by this politely phrased but curious request; he agreed without a thought, reached out, and took it.

"Thank you", said the other, who then added, "two hands now, and remember, hold tight." Whereupon, the other jumped off the bridge.

Quickly, the free-falling body hurtled the distance of the rope's length, and from the bridge the man abruptly felt the pull. Instinctively, he held tight and was almost dragged over the side. He managed to brace himself against the edge, however, and after having caught his breath, looked down at the other dangling, close to oblivion.

"What are you trying to do?" he yelled.

"Just hold tight," said the other.

"This is ridiculous," the man thought and began trying to haul the other in. He could not get the leverage, however. It was as though the weight of the other person and the length of the rope had been carefully calculated in advance so that together they created a counterweight just beyond his strength to bring the other back to safety.

"Why did you do this?" the man called out.

"Remember," said the other, "if you let go, I will be lost."

"But I cannot pull you up," the man cried.

"I am your responsibility," said the other.

"If you let go, I am lost," repeated the other.

He began to look around for help, but there was no one. How long would he have to wait? Why did this happen to befall him now, just as he was on the verge of true success? He examined the side, searching for a place to tie the rope' some protrusion, perhaps, or maybe a hole in the boards. But the railing was unusually uniform in shape; there were no spaces between the boards. There was no way to get rid of this newfound burden, even temporarily.

"What do you want?" he asked the other hanging below.

"Just your help," the other answered.

"How can I help? I cannot pull you in, and there is no place ot tie the rope so that I can go and find someone to help me help you."

"I know that. Just hang on; that will be enough. Tie the rope around your waist; it will be easier."

Fearing that his arms could not hold out much longer, he tied the rope around his waist.
"Why did you do this?" he asked again. "Don't you see what you have done? What possible purpose could you have had in mind?"

"Just remember," said the other, "my life is in your hands."

What should he do? "If I let go, all my life I will know that I let this other die. If I stay, I risk losing my momentum toward my own long sought-after salvation. Either way this will haunt me forever." With ironic humor he thought to die himself; instantly, to jump off the bridge while still holding on. "That would teach this fool." But he wanted to live and to life life fully. "What a choice I have to make; how shall I ever decide?"

As time went by, still no one came. The critical moment of decision was drawing near. To show his commitment to his own goals, he would have to continue on his journey now. It was already almost too late to arrive in time. But what a terrible choice to have to make.

A new thought occurred to him. While he could not pull this other up solely by his own efforts, if the other would shorten the rope from his end by curling it around his waist again and again, together they could do it. Actually the other could do it by himself, so long as he, standing on the bridge, kept it still and steady.

"Now listen," he shouted down. "I think I know how to save you." And he explained his plan. But the other wasn't interested.

"You mean you won't help?"

"But I told you I cannot pull you up myself, and I don't think that I can hang on much longer either."

"You must try," the other shouted back in tears. "If you fail, I die."

The point of decision arrived. What should he do? "My life or this other's?" And then a new idea. A revelation. So new, in fact, it seemed heretical, so alien was it to his traditional way of thinking.

"I want you to listen carefully," he said, "because I mean what I am about to say. I will not accept the position of choice for your life, only for my own; the position of choice for your own life I hereby give back to you."

"What do you mean?" the other asked, afraid.

"I mean, simply, it's up to you. You decide which way this ends. I will become the counterweight. You do the pulling and bring yourself up. I will even tug a little from here." He began unwinding the rope from around his waist and braced himself anew against the side.

"You cannot mean what you say," the other shrieked. "You would not be so selfish. I am your responsibility. What could be so important that you would let someone die? Do not do this to me."
He waited a moment. There was no change in the tension of the rope.

"I accept your choice," he said, at last and freed his hands.

Rules for being human

- Author unknown

You will receive a body.