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Our Hearts Natural Love Part 1

Oct25

DSCN2146Many of us have been on an inner spiritual journey for quite some time.  For many years I looked for love in the most ridiculous places until I finally looked for it within myself.  I felt that God was Love and being one with God, I too am meant to be love.  If that was true, I wanted to feel and express love at all times, in all relationships and certainly within myself.   After many years of seeking truth and awareness, and working daily spiritual practice of applying the tools of Self Realization, I feel that I growing daily toward the “Hearts Natural Love,” in me.  This is a journey that is a process that keeps on growing.  God is not done with me yet.  This is a term I found in a book by Paramhansa Yogananda’s  (who wrote “The Autobiography of a Yogi”) guru, Swami Shri Yukteswar, who wrote “The Holy Science.”  It is a small priceless treasure of a book that I have close at hand and I keep very close to my heart.

When I first heard the term, the Hearts Natural Love, something inside of me was energized and saying “yes”.  I felt my heart open up to something I was about to explore for many years to come that caused me to seek a deeper and more universal understanding.  Our heart has profound wisdom that can lead us to God, wisdom and eventually Self Realization.  Our ego and our head on the other hand, has many opinions, conditions, distractions, reactions, flaws and obstacles that prevent us from expressing the hearts natural love.

Taking my own spiritual growth to heart I knew there was a lot of work for me to do. Opening my heart helps me learn better ways to serve God with greater energy and ever deepening dedication.  I am always working on the daily “Practicing of the Presence” by consciously knowing that “God is the doer”.  That is when I witness the growth in my own awareness and attune myself to my highest self rather than being caught in any unholy habits of trying to manipulate or have power over anyone else but me.

Shri Yukteswar wrote about eight obstacles to the hearts natural love and he called them “meannesses of the heart.”  The following is his list of traps that prevent our hearts from becoming perfectly purified.  At Ananda we do that with meditation and using the techniques of Kriya Yoga that help us reach the spiritual eye and light within us.  Many old habits block us from going deeper into spiritual substance within us and gaining the deep realization that we seek beyond the intellect.

Hatred: dislike, loathing, animosity, disgust, aversion- all are the opposite of love.

Shame: dishonor, humiliation, embarrassment, disgrace, dishonor, degrade, discredit.

Fear: dread, terror, anxiety, fright, worry, concern, afraid, alarm, panic, horror

Grief: heartache, pain, misery, unhappiness, sorrow, angst

Condemnation:  blame, disapproval, criticism, attack, judgment

Race Prejudice: People of influence who prejudge others set the stage for institutional racism to occur.

Pride of Pedigree: Proud of being in an elite and privileged group.

Smugness: arrogance, self-satisfaction, conceit, self righteousness, self importance, over confidence, condescension, pride, exclusiveness

Most of us will find some thing on this list that we still have some work to do upon.  If not, good for you.

If you would like to join me in exploring how the above thoughts or issues impact your relationships in your life, or in yourself, your family, in the work place, in your security, social actions and attitudes.  Who are you honest with?  This is a wonderful opportunity to get support on your spiritual journey.  I invite you to take advantage of it.

Perhaps you are willing to take a look at the above attitudes and behaviors and see what comes to you.  If you need to shift or change something within you to make the world a better place, now is a great time to do just that.  What I seek to share with you in this series of blogs is an opportunity to go more deeply into reflection over the next few blogs and in my book in development.

Share your thoughts, your struggles, victories and insights.  Lets see who is in this process with me that intends to grow and make a difference.  The world needs all hands on deck now.  “Be a part of the Change.”  We all grow a little faster with the help of our friends along the path.  I hope that you will share some of your process so we can all encourage one another and dissolve any doubts that blocks our peace and understanding with a little help of our spiritual friends.  You are not alone!  If that touched a vulnerable place in you…. put your hand on your heart and breath deeply.  Then write me a post and tell me how I can help, what is up, do you need to share something now?

I ask you to look at this as both a student and for those of us that are also teachers to make sure we are revealing the keys to our inner kingdom of divine consciousness in all of our thoughts, beliefs and actions.  This journey demands self-control and honesty and lots of prayer for assistance from God to help us discover the joy of living in tune with the Infinite.

Know that You are Loved!   Rev. Barb Walley

Is your Ego your friend? Part 3

Sep11

DSCN2500I grew up thinking that developing a strong ego was a good thing.  What my spiritual journey has revealed is that it is really about how I protect myself from what I fear.  All of the many ego identifications are often about what we like or what we dislike.  Whatever we identify with will always create fences that define our limitations and block others out.  We all have oodles and bundles of self definitions.  We just do not recognize them as that.

The ego takes sides and expresses the color, shape and size of the conditions or boundaries that we feel that we need or choose.  It might not be very obvious that we are doing our best to be safe from whoever or whatever is in control.  It is what sets us apart from the other souls on the planet who have more or less than we do.  They might live in other countries, cultures or economic realities.  We create fences with so many of our thoughts, beliefs and current comforts.

We construct brick fences, or thick concrete fences, or high barbed wire fences, or electric fences, and even glass or clear transparent ones.  What they all do is say “do not enter” or “stay away.”  They are all constructed to block others out.  They are all how we limit ourselves and convince ourselves in believing we are “safe”.  It is what we imagine or think will keep us safe.  It is our fear that is actually triggering us.

The fences can be economic, social, cultural, racial and they often translate into divisions.  They invoke feelings that mask the Soul.  In our souls we are one.  In the heart of God we are one.

When the hurricanes head into an area of the world – they come to everyone regardless of the economic or social circumstances.  It blows its ravaging winds upon everyone in its path. The rich might be able to escape more quickly if they have the means available to them, and sadly the poor and sick are not as easily served.

Only Spirit within us can set us free.  When we identify with God and choose that energy that lifts us toward our higher self, we have an opening to possibilities

The great Spiritual Master – Paramhansa Yogananda said that limitations are like putting on a heavy coat on a extremely hot summer day.

All of these fences are “agitations of the heart.”  This kind of thinking can only mislead ourselves.  It does not help and only disturbs the mind and body with the conditions and beliefs that we fool ourselves into believing.

Lets keep working on healthy thoughts, beliefs and actions.  It takes more work when we are caught in fear but the outcome is so much better in the long run.  Do not give up.  You are doing so much better than before you realized what was blocking your higher good.

Know that you are Loved,   Rev. Barb Walley

 

 

 

 

Walking Through the Storm:

May18

I was having a particularly challenging morning today and it was triggered by the news that I read on the internet.  I was just browsing my emails and not guarding my sensitivity level because it was early and the brazen and aggressive news hit me smack dab in my heart and my head.  I immediately felt restless and nervous about what is happening to our beautiful planet, our country and the many innocent souls who are the hardest hit by greed and ignorance.

When circumstances, people or situations hit us over the head because we were caught off guard, it is very useful to have a few time tested tools available to apply to our current mind set or we will be drawn into the energy, emotional drama or the dominant attitude being expressed.

I noticed that I was feeling anxious and my plans for the morning had been ease and grace, doing my meditation, staying centered and calm and the opposite had been triggered and I had an insufficient screen in place.

Once again, God brought me to a challenge that was going to stretch my inner life skills to work through the feelings of fear and insecurity that came up when I read a few of my emails.

I realized that I was barely alert and I needed to be kind and accepting of myself where I was at, in the moment.  Not that I should pamper myself and play out “poor me” scenarios.  I was aware that I needed to be compassionate and conscious and I needed a healthy strategy to find a way to gently shift my gears.

I went for a short ride with my dog to Masters Market at Ananda Village and picked up one of my favorite breakfast sandwich’s and then shared some extra fresh tomatoes I had with a friend.  If we are too absorbed in our own suffering it is time to give more generously of ourselves to others.   I made a decision to switch out of a self absorbed mind set and decided to give my energy to help someone else because I was not supporting myself at all.  Giving of ourselves when we are moody, frustrated or upset is the best way to utilize our misdirected energy.  Be generous with our lives and we simply can’t  out-give God or the universe.  With a loving and empowering attitude the energy will shift and change as you walk through the storm.

Know that You are Loved…    Rev. Barb Walley