Week four: Spiritual.....

Week four: Spiritual.....

Do we believe we do the right thing, because its the right thing to do?
Or, do we think we do things, because it is what is expected of us,
with no thoughts of consequence?

Our spiritual beliefs differ from our religious faith.
Spirituality is our deepest commitment to the way we behave and how that behavior effects those around us, now and into the future.

Our spirituality denotes realms of our inner life.
The purity of our motives, our affections,
our intention,
and the analysis of our feelings.
That is how we feel,
what we think,
what we say,
and what we do.

The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh said;
"We must not be attached to a view,
ours or others,
a doctrine,
even a Buddhist one
and call it the truth.
The Buddha said that when we adopt something as the absolute truth and we attach to it, then we no longer have the chance to reach the truth.
Even when truth knocks at our door, we won't recognize it.
So we must not be attached to dogma,
or to what we think,
we believe, or perceive"

Only the truth can set us free from the prison that we set for ourselves and spend most of our lives trying to escape.

Lets escape now
and be free.
It only takes
a spiritual thought.

Nathan



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We are now half way through my version of the six most important areas of our lives.

We are now half way through my version of the six most important areas of our lives.

Should we be bothered to have a hard look at these areas and see we lack,
then we are halfway to discovering a new us.

It is only the recognition that something could be better that determines our attitude to ourselves and the consequences that effect others..

Our behavior is the only standard by which others judge us.

When our behavior does not fit with others values then we are looked at as different, or looked at in a poor light.

In each of the first three areas, it is our behavior and the way perform financially, look physically and react with our home and family,
that determines all our interactions.
Should we not be fulfilled or satisfied, then an effort to let go may be in order.

Behavior does not involve two,
it normally starts with one.
Ourself.
The most important person in our world.

Nathan


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Week three: Home and family.....

Week three: Home and family.....

Here's the thing,
do we act differently at home, than at work,
or with our friends?
Are we all smiles and a show of happiness outside the home and once at the front door,
our demeanor changes.
Its an effort to be nice for one reason or another.
The excuses don't really matter, its all in our heads and totally within our control.

Does our family have expectations about us that we are not fulfilling?

What is it about our home life that we feel we lack?
Do we lack love, respect,
admiration, or is it just boredom and a feeling of being locked in that stops us from performing as a role model should.

All the above and more are only in our head.
These feelings of loss will only go away when we decide to let go of them.

Again,
how to let go is simple.
When we recognize and understand our behavior,
realize the consequences of our behavior,
we can then embrace the behavior,
forgive ourselves,
and let go.

This process does not take two to be involved,
it takes one and one only.
Ourself......
The most important person in our life.

Nathan


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Week two of six: Financial......

Week two of six: Financial......

What an area to discuss as we all feel we lack in this most important part of our lives.

The funny part of this,
is should we think we lack, then it must be true, and we act accordingly.
We want, we need,
we must have,
it never stops.
The more we have,
the more we want.

Apparently, desire leads to suffering and suffering is the biggest cause of high blood pressure, which in turn can cause disease and death.

The Buddha said:
"When we give up desire,
we get what we desire."
That's ok for the Buddha,
he lived the life of an ascetic, never staying in the same place for too long, not accumulating, not desiring to be better, or to succeed in any way.
The Buddha did not suffer with high blood pressure.

The Buddha did say that desire is the root cause of all suffering.

Where does this place us in this success orientated
world.
Do we strive to succeed and prove how clever we are by accumulation,
or do we live the life of a devout monk?
Some of us choose the latter, but only the fewest.
For the rest, the daily struggles go on, striving to pay bills and lead a "normal" life.
Some even succeed beyond all expectation.
For the rest, financial hardship and struggle is a daily fact.

The question is how does one cope with this area of our life so that it does not cause us to suffer?

The answer is as the Buddha suggested;
by giving up the craving,
by giving up desire.
When we let go of these defilements,
the Universe provides.
We get what we want.
We attract all that we need.

We now have a week to let go of something that is holding us back financially.
Please don't say a lack of money is holding us back, cause that's not funny.

I am asking to let go of the craving, the desire,
the cause of suffering.

Please join me.

Nathan


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Today,

Today,
a great day to let go!

Today, I have decided to do something about this.

So now I am sitting in my most comfortable lounge chair.
I have made notes in preparation for my letting go session.
There are six headings on the paper in front of me regarding the major areas of my life.

I have worked out over all these years of
"soul searching"
that should I lack in any one or more of these areas, then I must want to lack in these areas.

I believe that I am in charge of my life,
so I must be in charge of these six areas of my life.

So what are these areas?

Over the next five weeks I will look at each area in greater detail.
The first area to look at is

Physical ;

My question to myself is am I happy, satisfied and fulfilled with myself in this area, or am I lacking physically?

Could I be doing something to extend my life by dropping a habit I don't really need?

When I feel ok with myself, the amazing thing is that the whole world feels great.
Nothing bothers me.
I sleep well and when I wake up in the morning,
I feel as though my whole life is starting again.

There is a yesterday and a tomorrow, but I am not living in them.
I am living physically right here and now.

Of course, this is well and good, but as I try to get up from my comfortable chair, I notice that I am a little overweight.

Alright a lot overweight.

My doctor has put me on the PDTF diet.
She said it should only take a few months and I will be fine.
I asked her what is PDTF
She said;
"Put Down The Fork"

The actual doing is made easier when we know we lack in this area and it is holding us back.

Like a magician who takes a rabbit from his hat, we must become a magician who takes a habit out of rat.
Comparing myself to a rat is not such a bad example as I scurry off to write my next blog and the next area of my life.

As for my own physical wellbeing, I love who I am
and have decided to drop the need to substitute food for emotional happiness and boredom.

I now have a week to initiate change in this,
the first area of my life.

Care to join me?

Nathan




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Time for a change!

Time for a change!

I don't mean the robes.

Today is a great day for letting go of something I think I don't need in my life.

I could wait for tomorrow or even next week,
but I have been putting this off for years,
so today is a good day.

The problem now is what to let go.
I suppose a few old clothes would be a start.
You know the jackets with the large lapels that I was waiting to come back into fashion.
Maybe the odd socks that the washing machine ate.

Maybe I should let go of some old habits!

You know the ones that have held me back from being a complete person.

I have felt for some time that maybe it's me that's at fault, not the dog, or the neighbor, or the wife, or the government, or the aliens that abduct only stupid people.

There was a feeling that all was not quite right with my world.
Now that I have owned up and told myself I need to change,
I really feel better.
Now all I have to do is
"do it"

Of course
"to change "
is
"to change"

We change our underwear, we change our mind, we can change partners and homes,
but when it comes to changing our attitude,
or our perception,
or the way we behave, then this is a different matter.

We find the excuse;
I am so busy,
I haven't the time now,
Living like this is ok,
If you don't like the way I behave , you can all leave
Etc.....

I am now going to sit quietly and have a cup of tea.

Today is a great day to let go of something I don't need in my life.

Now you try....

Nathan


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My thanks to Jonathan

My thanks go to the astrologer Jonathan Cainer for his insight this morning

Jonathan informs that philosophers in the mind body and spirit movement tell us that

"We all create our own reality"

Is this true?

Jonathan says that the truth is that most of us create our own unreality.

I think this is correct.

There are close to seven billions on this Earth and so there could be close to seven billion fantasies being lived out right now.

So which one are we living?

Jonathan asks

"Is it one that has the potential to bring joy, 

or a lot of unnecessary anxiety."

He says to make our dreams worthy of this opportunity we call 

"a life"

He says

 "dream up something good."

Thanks Jonathan.

On a personal note 

I believe what the Buddha taught about suffering.

The more unrealistic dreams and fantasies we create and desire, 

the more we suffer.

We must start to recognize that all of our suffering is caused by our own desire.

All else is an excuse.

All else is a lie.

Why create something that causes pain, 

we are a thought away from love and joy.

Nathan 

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With love