Dedicate one’s actions

Meaning is defined by context, which determines motive. It is the motive that establishes spiritual value. To dedicate oneā€™s actions as a service of love to life is to sanctify them and transform them from self-seeking motives to unselfish gifts. We define excellence as dedication to the highest standards. Every act can then be held as an opportunity to glorify God by sheer purity of endeavor. All physical tasks and labor can be ingredients in oneā€™s contribution to the world. Even the smallest task can be seen as serving the common good, and if viewed in that light, work becomes ennobled.

How life is contextualized can bring either joy or resentment. Begrudging is replaced by generosity. If others benefit from oneā€™s efforts, so much the better. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute to harmony and beauty by kindness to others and thereby support the human spirit. That which is freely given to life flows back to us because we are equally part of that life. Like ripples on the water, every gift returns to the giver. What we affirm in others, we actually affirm in ourselves.

from The Eye of the I, pg. 106-107

The Universe is Highly Conscious

The universe holds its breath as we choose, instant by instant, which pathway to follow; for the universe, the very essence of life itself, is highly conscious. Every act, thought and choice adds to a permanent mosaic; our decisions ripple through the universe of consciousness to affect the lives of all.

from Power vs. Force page 122

Devotional Non-Duality Prayer

“Somebody asked that we finish it up with a prayer today, in line with Devotional Nonduality… That which is the Voice of God is Silence. That we sink into the Voice of God, we sink into the Silence, which is indicative of Divine Presence. Behind the thought, behind the thinkingness, is an Infinite Silence, and the Infinite Silence is the source of all existence. And between the thoughts, under the thoughts, is the profound Silence and all we have to do is to become aware of that Silence, all we have to do is become aware of that Silence, by realizing itā€™s there.

(Pause in Silence)

Ā Behind all the sounds of the universe, the Silence is forever there. Behind the sounds in the woods, the woods are silent. The sound of the bird doesnā€™t have anything to do with the Silence. You see, the Silence is maintained even though thereā€™s sound above it. But the only reason you can hear the sound is that itā€™s against a background of Silence. So the Silence is there, right in the middle of the sound. So, you focus on the Silence, which is ever-present.

In the middle of cacophony and catastrophe, as the bullets are flying around and the planes are crashing, and all hell is breaking loose, thereā€™s nothing but the Infinite Silence. So you identify with that Silence and just maintain awareness. You can go about your daily life and do everything that you need to do and, at all times, still be aware of the presence of the Silence. So that gives you a centering. So, a centering kind of prayerfulness is youā€™re always aware of the Silence, which is the infinite context. The reality of the Presence of God is an Infinite Silence. And then, that which you hold in mind in that Silence tends to manifest, not as a result of causation, but potentiality manifesting.

And we thank Thee, O Lord for Thy Divine Presence, as the Infinite Silence, out of which arises our existence. Amen!”

ā€“ Paraphrased from the end of the August 2006 lecture, “Reason vs. Truth,” DVD Disc 3, ~ 014400-014740

Inner Peace

With the experience of inner peace comes great strength. An energy ļ¬eld of total peace is unassailable. The person who has found inner peace can no longer be intimidated, controlled, manipulated, or proĀ­grammed. In this state, we are invulnerable to the threats of the world and have, therefore, mastered earthly life. When the state of peace has become established, ordinary human suffering is no longer possible because the very basis of that vulnerability has been totally relinquished.

from Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender pg. 188

Effect of Positive Feelings

It is obvious that higher states of consciousness have profound effect on our relationships, because one of the laws of consciousness is like goes to like. Our inner states are actually radiated to others. We can positively affect others even when we are not physically with them. Feelings are energy and all energy gives off a vibration. We are like sending and receiving stations. The less negativity we are holding, the more aware we can be of what others are really holding about us. The more we love, the more we find ourselves surrounded by love. The replacement of a negative feeling by a higher one accounts for the many miracles one can experience in the course of life. These become more frequent as one continues to surrender.

As we surrender, life becomes more and more effortless. There is a constant increase in happiness and pleasure, which requires less and less from the outer world to be experienced. There is a diminution of needs and expectations of others. We stop looking ā€˜out thereā€ for what we now experience as coming from within ourselves. We let go of the illusion that others are the source of our happiness. Instead of looking to get from others, we now look to give.

from Letting Go, ch. 18, pg. 271-272