pa rum pa pum pum

vorte freude ist die beste freude

the waiting joy is the best joy

***

The collective anticipation of Christmas gains so much momentum each year that it has become a life force in itself. Imagine what we would be capable of if we were to direct that energy towards a common cause or if the people who were really celebrating the birth of Christ actually collectively engaged in a radical act of love. Jesus was a feminist, an activist, and a steward of the Earth, (environmentalist). His teachings remind us that our lives are temporal but that there is an eternal aspect of our being that will transform our human experience if we come to know it as our true nature.

***

Most of us are so completely identified with the world of form that we do not encounter the consciousness beyond what we think of as our everyday lives. We have been taught that enlightenment is for the Jesuses and the Buddhas and people who don't have to change diapers or go to the grocery store or file their taxes, but those are not the teachings of the saints and the monks. Their sutras point towards a simple awakening of presence. Paying attention. Experiencing god in everything.

***

We have confused spiritual messages as messages of morality, as if we might all be satisfied with a "to do" and "not to do" list that we can use to condemn ourselves and others. True spiritual advancement is about becoming aware of our god like nature or simply existing in a state of love or presence. Living in this sate of wisdom is possible and much needed in our world right now.

***

"I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you".

-Luke 11:9