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The other day I posted a quote, on Twitter, from Loving What Is author Byron Katie. The quote said, “The world is sacred. It cannot be improved.”
This concept struck a nerve with some people and several responses were noted like: “I disagree. The world needs our love.” Or: “This statement undermines my life’s work.”
I thought this would be a great time to bring a little clarity to what is meant, in my opinion, by this statement that the world, as it is, cannot be improved.
Loving the world, loving life, just as it is, does not free me from the responsibility of sharing my gifts and talents with the planet. It simply means that I share, what is mine to give, as an expression of Love, instead of out of some sense that the world needs improvement.
In the latter assumption, I see the world as being broken. That is a judgment which can only be created in my mind. Such judgment leads to suffering. Offering what is mine to share, from thisbelief feels different, to me, than giving simply for the joy experienced through the giving.
When I see the world as perfect, just as it is, I have no motivation behind sharing my gifts and talents, except to honor the perfection which is omnipresent. From this supposition, I am not trying to fix anything; I am sharing who and what I Am and am free from any attachment to the outcome of my offering.
There is no right or wrong way to share the love we feel compelled to share. If I believe it is my work to save the rain forest, then I will never be content until I am doing everything I can to honor this inner calling.
Regardless if I see the world as perfect or as broken, I am still defining with a judgmental mind which insists on pigeon-holing everything it sees into some dualistic category. The concept of perfect can only exist in a mind which insists there can be imperfection.
So, let’s say I see everything as perfect and you see most things as imperfect. Are you right and I’m wrong, or vice versa? Such distinctions can exist only in a mind, which is adhering to rules it has created and accepted as truth.
Freedom, from servitude to a dualistic mind, can only be realized in this Now moment. The mind, engaged in thinking, is not capable of being fully present in this Now. Always querying its data base, of the collected past, and applying that information to identify and classify the present or the future, the mind filters its sensory input to match that which it has determined is truth. Perfection or imperfection exists only as projections of such data the mind has harvested and interpreted. Perfection or imperfection, does not exist, beyond the definition assigned by the mind.
This can be readily verified by looking at the lack of agreement on any major social or environmental issue.
The bottom line is this: Saying that the world is Sacred and that it cannot be improved is an effort to articulate that which cannot be understood by the human mind. The mind knows what is right and wrong, what is good and bad, and what can or cannot be improved. The understanding, which Bryon Katie is expressing, cannot be experienced within the framework of such a dualistic mind. It can only be known when one moves beyond the thinking-mind to the Source, where the separate self is abandoned.
Having said that, there is no implication intended that the work to which one feels called could ever be unnecessary or insignificant. We, as human expressions of the Source, only feel whole and complete (within the structure of the mind) when we are sharing the gifts and talents we are called to share. Nothing else, in the human experience, will suffice for finding a sense of purpose and living from that purpose.
Due to the limitation of human language it is impossible to explain how it is that the Source, from which everything arises, can never be improved. As I stated earlier it is a concept which is beyond our analytical mind’s capability for comprehension. This is an awareness which can only be perceived first-hand, by one who has experienced the disappearance of self through communion with Source. Until you are graced with that awareness, I recommend doing the work that brings you the greatest joy; the joy which is not dependent upon outcome but is experienced simply through the sharing of whatever you feel called to share. It is in the throes of such joy that one uncovers the shortcut to remembering who they truly are.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Hello friends.
I must tell you that the challenge of coming up
with a single idea to write about, once a
week, is much tougher for me than simply
writing what is on my mind each day.
I said earlier that my writing may be
evolving. While I never really set out to
teach anyone, anything, it was my hope that
sharing what I was learning might be
interesting and perhaps useful to others.
Now, I want to take the boundaries off my
writing. I do not want to be tied-in to
writing only thoughts which are instructional
in nature, for lack of better terminology.
I am not clear, yet, if this is the venue for
these reflections or if I will start other
blogs. Instead of having a writer's block and
being unable to come up with something to
say, I seem to have writer's overload and
want to say more than is physically possible;
at least right now.
Saturday, I decided to take most of the day
off and I picked up about a dozen books and
headed to the recliner. I love to read and I
enjoy extracting small quotes from the books
to use on Twitter, so I spent about five
hours doing just that. I would read a couple
chapters in a book, noting anything I wanted
to share, and then change to another book
when the urge arose.
This was play time for me. I give myself
about one day a month to go crazy with the
highlighter and make notes in my spiral
notebooks.
About the fifth book I opened was What
Do We Know by Mary Oliver. I am
always touched by her writings; oftentimes in
ways I do not fully understand. Anyway, after
reading about twenty pages in this book, I
sat the book aside and wrote in my notebook,
"Nothing from Mary Oliver today." Then I sat
the notebook back down and reached for
another book.
I could not move on, however, as the voice
from Ms. Oliver's book would not leave me
alone. I put the new book down and picked my
notebook back up to record the voice playing
inside my head.
Is it because I am searching for
A sound bite that fits
Nicely into 140 characters
Or less?
My usable space on Twitter.
For I surely heard Mary
I certainly felt her awe
As she looked
Through discerning eyes
At a world most miss,
And felt her questions
Always returning
To where she fits,
Always asking
My questions,
As if we could find
Our answers
Outside ourselves.
Is nature ever held
To any standard
Other than simply "Being?"
Oh, to learn to express
What my eyes behold,
As you do Mary.
To see not just a pretty Blue Jay
But a thief
Clad in Royal Blue
Who bullies his neighbors
And takes what he wants
When he wants it.
Who does he answer to?
What does he serve?
Does he ever feel
He is not enough?
Does he stuff any
Remorse for his
Greed?
Impatience?
Self-serving?
Or is he just being
Who he is,
Content in
His own feaathers?
Allowing life
To live him?
Does he even have a choice?
What do I do with what appears
To be MY choice?
So, clearly I was very moved.
My reading did not reveal
Any twitter-bites
But, as usual, it has
Given me so much more.
Mary,
I am thankful for your talent.
I am thankful for your eyes.
I am thankful for your words.
I am mostly thankful
That you said "Yes"
And shared your remarkable
Gifts with us all.
Your choice
To share that which is Real
Within your heart and mind
Blesses me in ways
I will never fully explain.
By being your Authentic Self
And reminding me that it
Is not only o.k. but
Wise to perpetually question
My story
You have empowered and
Encouraged me
To do the same.
It is the grandest of gifts
I love and appreciate you Mary Oliver.
In my reading, that lazy Saturday, I did not
find any short quotes from Mary Oliver I
could include in my Twitter feed, yet I found
something so much more valuable.
I closed my books and moved outdoors; paying
full attention to the squirrels, the
neighbor's dogs, the wild flowers and the
cultivated ones, the trees, the weeds, the
Sun and the wind. Not only did I take note of
the sights and the sounds, but more
importantly I allowed the questions to rise,
within me, unabated. I amused myself for a
couple of hours wondering about the
magnificence from which everything springs;
wondering how surrender is coupled with
natures incredible urge to grow, expand,
bring forth the fruit of its existence.
Kind of made me laugh at my original "Nothing
from Mary Oliver today" comment.
Life is such a dance. I love it when my feet
move to a rhythm that my head fails to
notice. I love it, even more, once the head
gets on board, and I dance consciously with
the omnipresent life that surrounds me.
I am so very grateful.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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I hope you all needed a break from Secret's
to Peace last week. It was a very busy week
for me with my daughter's graduation,
preparations for her graduation party, and
full time work with the Census.
Everything went very well. We entertained
80-90 friends on Saturday and enjoyed great
food and wonderful fellowship. Caitlin is
thrilled to be out of school and is looking
for a second part time job, to save more
money for college. She will be going to Drake
this fall to study Vocal Performance and
Music Education.
Regarding Secrets to Peace, I am feeling like
I am going to send out only one writing a
week for a while. I am really trying to focus
on completing my book. I love writing the
daily Secret's, but lately it has felt a
little forced. I only have about
two-three weeks of census work remaining.
Then perhaps I will be able to write a daily
reflection again.
I am thinking I will send out the weekly
Secret on Wednesdays, but that is also
subject to change. According to my list
server Mondays and Wednesdays are the most
popular days for the emails and the blog.
For today, I want to leave you with this
short Mary Oliver poem from the book
What Do We Know:
Second paragraph from The
Return:
I do not want to be frisky, and theatrical.
I do not want to go forward in the parade of
names.
I do not want to be diligent or necessary or
in any way
heavy.
From my mouth to God's ear, I swear it; I
want only
to be a song.
To wander around in the fields like a little
reed bird.
To be a song.
I love this verse. I have often thought of
myself as an instrument, similar to St.
Francis when he prayed "Lord, make me an
instrument of your peace."
Like Mary Oliver, I want to not only hear the
beautiful song of the lyrical Wren, but I
want to be the song that Spirit plays through
me.
"Lord may I be an instrument of Life's
Concerto, always bringing forth the song that
is mine to sing."
Thank you for being in my life!
I love and appreciate each of you.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Yesterday I gave a talk at a small Church,
led by Calvin Ennis. I started the talk with
a little of my religious history, which
included growing up in two different types of
Baptist churches, and moving on, as an adult
to an Independent Baptist church. My
experience in these churches, left me
convinced that there had to be a greater
Truth than what I was hearing, so I left all
Baptist Churches by the time I was 25.
Yesterday evening, I went to a Baptist Church
for my daughter's baccalaureate service. I
quickly remembered why this was not the
church for me. In three different sermons' we
heard that:
1) The world is an evil place
2) All humans are sinners
3) The wages for sin are death
4) The only way to heaven is through Jesus
Christ,
aka The Lord
5) Heaven is a place you go after death, where
a masculine god awaits
6) Jesus died for our sins
7) Pre-marital sex is a sin. Says so in the
bible.
8) Watching most movies is a sin.
9) Playing most video games is a sin.
That's enough for now. I remembered, during
the first sermon why I could not stay in the
Baptist Church. Once we got to the actual
minister, he had many words to speak about
being a responsible parent. This minister's
son was one of the children graduating, but
he was not present at the service. I will not
share what I know about this boy.
What is interesting about this, for me, is
that much of my morning talk was on not
judging.
Sitting through an hour and a half of sermons
which focused on the punishments for not
being righteous gave me an "in your face"
chance to practice being non-judgmental.
I must confess I did not fare well. Still
today I find myself wanting to write that
preacher a letter and tell him that if he
actually knew Jesus, in his heart instead of
through his dogma-dominated, intellect, he
would be compelled not to spread such
fear-based dribble.
While I am still working through my own
reaction, I am having to laugh at myself for
the emotions that where hidden and are now
surfacing for healing.
It is an interesting phenomenon that I have
observed often in the last few years. It
seems that every time I try to share what
life has taught me, I am granted, often
immediately, the opportunity to test my
belief and see if I can really live what I
shared, or if I am only capable of compliance
at the theoretical level. Sometimes, I am
very successful. Other times I fail,
discovering that there is still emotional
baggage, where I did not expect it.
In the case of this evening at the Baptist
church, I was reminded of being disregarded
as a child, because children were to be seen
and not heard. I remember my questions being
discarded as the musings of a child, or if I
pressed at receiving the answer, I often
heard: "Because the bible says so, and it is
the Word of God."
I did not write this today to criticize the
Baptist minister.
I wrote this to show that even though I am
able to be non-judgmental in many areas of my
life, there are still segments where
unanticipated emotional baggage appears, and
I am offered another chance at healing those
repressed memories.
I am grateful for the opportunities my minute
to minute experience offers me to recognize
and heal any hidden hurts which remain in my
subconscious. At the very least, when these
old ghosts appear, they are fuel for abundant
laughter.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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This morning I am considering the difference
I experience when I give my task at hand, all
I have to give, and when I just do things out
of habit.
Every task I participate in can be analyzed
this way.
If I am driving, it is an entirely different
experience if I am only present to driving
than it is when I am switching my brain and
concentration between driving and talking on
the cell phone, or between being totally
present with the road and other drivers and
listening to the radio or CD.
Consider these words from Swami Sivananda:
Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul
even to your smallest acts. This is the
secret of success.
Or these words from Osho: Whatever you do,
do it as totally as possible.
I find this to be life altering.
It can be applied to all areas of my life.
When I am with you, I only want to be with
you. I do not want to drift away into
memories of what happened yesterday (or one
hour ago) nor do I want to spend our time
thinking about what I have to do, once we
part. Each such incident pulls me out of the
full enjoyment this now has to offer.
Today I will strive to be fully present in
all I do. I will leave my addiction to the
illusion of multi-tasking for tomorrow.
When I get up, tomorrow, I will reaffirm this
commitment. Every time today, I stray, I will
reaffirm this commitment.
Perhaps I shall form a one-person
multi-tasker's anonymous and strive to live
my life one minute at a time.
At this moment, right now, I am only typing
my thoughts.
It feels so much better than all the other distractions I could be allowing my mind.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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I read this in an old email this morning:
As an experiment, try to work cheerfully at
some job you
dislike: you are training your attention to
go where you want.
Whatever you do, give it your best
concentration.
Another good exercise is learning to drop
what you are doing
and shift your attention to something else
when the situation
demands. For example, when you leave your
office, leave your
work there, too. Don't bring it to the dining
table like an
untrained dog, barking at your heels.
All this is the spiritual equivalent of
kicking exercises in a
dance lesson or knee bends in an aerobics
class. By practicing
these exercises, anybody can learn to direct
attention freely.
-
Eknath Easwaran
This is a lesson I sometimes have mastered
and sometimes forget.
In reading this I was reminded of Brother
Lawrence who washed dishes for many years,
resenting the fact that he was just assigned
this menial task. Then he had an epiphany. He
realized that there was nowhere where God was
not, and that if he did his work in
remembrance of the love he held for God, he
was constantly working in God's presence.
Consider this quote from his masterpiece,
Practicing the Presence of God:
"We ought not to grow tired of doing little
things for the love of God, who regards not
the greatness of the work, but the love with
which it is performed."
Loving the Divine, now, raises one's
consciousness above whatever tedium may be
dragging them down.
Today I will dedicate all that I do to the
Source of all that is. I shall offer, all my
hands create, to the Love which is my Source.
And finally, when I am working on a project,
I shall be fully present in the project. In
this way I can easily remember, as Brother
Lawrence did, that in offering my love for
God, in all I do, I consciously align my
present-moment awareness with the
omnipresence of Love.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Let your mind be turned exclusively towards God, and then only may you hope for peace. - Anandamayi Ma
If there was some kind of meter running, some type of monitor which registered every thought I have, would I end my day with a tally that suggested I was really focused on the Divine, or would I find that I had exerted equal or more energy focused on the challenges of the world?
Fully present I constantly bring my thoughts back to Love.
When I am able to dwell here, peace is the natural outcome.
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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Friday, I received this note:
"Once again Elliott your God is too small. My God has a plan for my life and I am living that plan."
At best, when I write my Secrets, I write what I feel inside. I have no crystal ball, I have no voices outside of myself to blame my writings on. I write what I feel in my heart to be true.
Am I always right?
That seems highly unlikely. I am, however,always authentic.
I apologize to everyone I offended with the whole God's will for my life idea. I know that many people are attached to their truth about these things and, if I had any sense, I would not broach such subjects. The thing is,I do not try to tell my inner muse what I should write and what I should not. I knew when I wrote those words, some would find them uncomfortable and that some would find them offensive. Some actually agreed, but based on the private email I received, that group is in the minority.
I received a new book, Saturday, when I opened it I was pondering people's reaction to my Friday Secret. Read what Scott Morrison wrote as his Author's Note at the beginning of Open and Innocent:
"Agreeing or disagreeing with any of this will serve no function. Intellectual understanding changes nothing. To know the truth of anything, you must look personally and deeply and very honestly, without the obstruction of prior opinion, mine, yours, or anyone else's. More often than not, it's neither easy nor comfortable, but it's worth it, a thousand times over."
I am not suggesting that you or anyone else abandon your belief system when you read my writings. My hope is that we can dialogue,and together explore the thoughts we each discover within ourselves.
Thank you for all the email letters. My hope is that one day we can share these discussions in the comments section of the blog so that all may benefit from our exchanges.
I will close with this short writing from the same book, Open and Innocent by Scott Morrison:
Do everything with a mind
That lets go.
If you let go a little,
You will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot,
You will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely,
You will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world will have come
to an end.
-Achaan Chah
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| Posted by Elliott Teters at | | | |
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