(This is Part 6 of a series. Go back to Part 5.)
Love is the ultimate solution to all problems.
Let's go further into that ultimate principle:
First of all, as we've seen, if we're having a problem with a relationship, we want to go in the opposite direction from where our anger or irritation would take us and instead create and review a list of things we appreciate about that person.
We've seen that to build better relationships in general we want to look for what we can sincerely appreciate about each person, and then express that sincere appreciation. In this way upward spirals begin, people's inner spirit begins to come out and the world's innate goodness is more and more revealed in your life.
Now let's look at some sample problems:
—I feel depressed, angry, fearful.
The antidote to these feelings is love. When we're feeling negative it means that we're arguing with existence in some way, we're saying that something or other should be different. There is no other way for these feelings to arise than to make war on reality in our thoughts.
Reality is what is. Reality itself—what is—is the ultimate arbiter of how it should be at any given time. What?—we come out of this vast process, and then we're going to turn around and say to this vast process that "we"—with our little 3-pound brain—know better than it does? Doing so is a prescription for suffering.
Not to argue with reality doesn't mean that we don't act. The mind would have us believe that that we can't act unless we're holding reality as imperfect, that nothing would ever "improve".
Yet we can see a flower as perfect and still water it. We can see a kitten as perfect and still teach it the catbox. We can see a child as perfect and still teach them the alphabet or tying their shoes.
In the same way, we can see the world as perfect in its dualities and yet still nurture it as best we can, however that might look. We just do so without the suffering and stress of feeling angry, fearful or depressed.
When compassion for all things begins to replace being fearful, it transforms our experience. This doesn't mean that all people will like you or that you'll never have challenges. The world still retains its dualities; we still win some and lose some. But beneath all that, something entirely different is taking place in the midst of it all. Something like this:
"Whatever is happening, celebrate it."
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord."
"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."
(This is the end of Part 6. Go to Part 7.)
—jim sloman, 8.27.04 for Jun 28
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