THE HARD WORK

We have been busy! A son's wedding, a graduation party, a son and grandson visiting from California, an anniversary party and trying to keep up the homestead.

I wish I could say that was the only reason I haven't blogged. However, there is a bigger and more nebulous reason. I have been discouraged about my own path and my progress towards enlightenment. It is a trap you don't want to fall into. You can't try to be enlightened. Oh boy; does the ego like that. Trying puts the ego in the drivers seat! You will soon get a glimpse of hell.

The problem is the energy is high. All of us, who want to see Love take over on Earth, can feel it. It seems that we should be doing something. It feels like there is not much time to get our act together. It is easy for us to see our imperfections and not always easy to see our progress.

But it is unlearning, not learning, we must do. You can't try to unlearn. You must release the past and its unloving constructs. Give up those old ways of thinking; see what is in the now. For generations the typical way of reaching enlightenment was through meditation; emptying the mind and experiencing the well of peace that exist in our beings. There are many pathways, many traditions; they all lead to oneness, to the knowing that love is everything and nothing else is.

In my eagerness to find peace, as a permanent experience, I made a conscious vow to give up the past. I do know better! My ego said, "Oh is that right". I found new ways to torture myself. Sometimes I felt like I was under attack. Negativity in the form of self-critical thoughts would seem to come out of  nowhere.

Yes, we need to give up the past. We need to gently release it. We need to give up all the negativity of the past and, also, our past glories. It is not that we will forget the past; but, when it does come to our mind it will not carry an emotional charge. We first must forgive ourselves for all our imagined transgressions and remind ourselves, that they are over, when they reappear in our thought stream. When they appear you may observe them and gently release them. If the same ones keep coming back, look at the emotion that is attached; allow yourself to feel it and know it is an illusion. It is not real and you don't need it.

We need to accept where we are at. Know that we are love. The ego will get between you and loving yourself as soon as you 'try'. Trying will always imply judgement. I don't like to play with words, put you can have will and determination without the trap of trying. Undoing.........undoing.......undoing.... it needs peace, relaxation, letting things be. One of the best ways of undoing is laughter and more laughter. After all, our foibles are really funny when brought to light. Our self-criticisms can be a cause for a good belly-laugh.

Love and life is now. I often sit and observe my animals; chickens, sheep, turkeys and goats as they go about their business. They don't seem to be thinking of anything. They react only to their direct experience. They exude a kind of peace that enhances my meditative experience. Trees seem to exude even a deeper peace. I often wonder what it would be like to be a tree, my roots deeply implanted in the Earth, my branches soaring to Heaven.

I will to be more faithful in my blogging.

Love and Peace, Gregg