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Considerations 153 …
Complacency …
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It is quite clear that a goodly number of forum board members walk some rather advanced steps on the path. Many have perceived incredible visual experiences, clearly walked the inner worlds, heard and seen Divine Spirit, and have a strong connection to higher sets of teachings via many avenues throughout history and past lives.
One of the most difficult lifestyle and perceptual changes of those who walk the far steps is that of complacency … the indifference … the lack of passion for advancement … the unconcern for all they have been through to get them to this current lifetime where conditions, experiences, and situations seem rather to their acceptable level.
Numbers don’t really mean a thing here … but the number of lifetimes it took to get to a stance on the path where most all is strongly acceptable to you … is vast indeed. Karmic implications are lessening … a broad perspective allows for greater understanding of what is going on around the advanced student and they tend to slide back into an acceptance of an occasional highly spiritual experience as just being … something that happened … almost coincidental … certainly exciting but we’ll just wait for more to happen.
This is absolutely not a criticism of anyone. It is easy to understand that during times of hardship, frustration, chaos … most all turn to some perception of a Supreme One … whatever or whomever it might be. When those hardships ease or the conditions of a lifetime eases … the passion to find such answers also eases.
People who walk these advanced steps more often than not forget the passion and effort they put in during previous lifetimes to get to where they are now … and more broad understanding and contented lifestyles leads to complacency. I myself have done just this. To recover that passion without pushing it into fanaticism is not easy. Determination, conviction, devotion, reverence for life … and an inner hunger to take those last few steps … seem unnecessary and almost “wrong” when things are going smoothly. I mean … what’s the point?
The point is … greater Truth … responsibility … and knowing service … none of which are automatics in the human state of consciousness.
All of us have known those individuals who seem “gifted” in special ways … perhaps in drawing or the arts … maybe on instruments such as piano … maybe the ability to write or express … the wholesome and capable ways some of these individuals carry themselves with … and interact with others … yet they dismiss these “gifts” and shrug them off as though … “I just happen to have them … so what?”
These facets were *not* just given to you. You worked hard to learn and develop them. If you don’t know that … you should.
It is no secret whatsoever that individuals turn towards the Divine when times are tough. The common cry is … “Save Me” … from whatever … or whomever. Hardship brings appeals. It’s as common as breathing.
But when times are acceptable … the tendency is to just ride with what Life gives you. Those who walk the rather advanced steps on the path have their understandings and practices to make them even more agreeable. There is no urgency to grow … there is no urgency to develop further. This can lead to backsliding into a lack of simple discernment. An old axiom … if one isn’t intentionally moving forward … one tends to slide backwards. This often turns out to be more true than not. To remain absolutely static … or unchanging … neither forward or backward … up or down … is *very* short term.
Discernment doesn’t mean criticism … or judgment. It’s more often a simple recognition of what is good / better /best … or not so much. Walking any path carries its own options … tangents that one can take off the current direction … or … finding a nice spot to set up camp and just enjoy. After a hard walk up the mountain … when one finds an exquisite spot with a flowing waterfall into a pristine pool … plenty of firewood … nice level spot for the tent … lots of edible plants around and other small game if that is ones tendency … then it’s almost impossible to *not* set up camp and remain for a while … and enjoy. Maybe we do not want to define this as real “complacency” … but rather … enjoyment of where we currently are. Maybe even a bit of simple R&R.
Moments like this are part of it all. When one has a “campsite in Heaven” … why even consider heading farther up into the Unknown with its loose rock, thick underbrush, steep cliffs, narrow trails, and box canyons? The tendency is to accept … I like it here … I’m gonna stay.
This is often when the apprehensive head of “responsibility” rises from the horizon. One of the more ominous discoveries of Soul Itself is It’s responsibility to LIFE … and to the Divine. Perhaps a payment for the gift of individual Life. Perhaps a realization that “I’m 95% of the way to the very top … perhaps I truly and devotedly need to finish … and come to terms with what is left to be done.” Hardships are not coercing you to make this decision. This conclusion has to come fro the depths … the *very* depths … and it has to carry enough influence to drive the individual farther forward into the Unknown that few people ever even consider or are aware of.
Those individuals who walk the farther steps on the path have a different set of resistances and considerations to deal with … much more than the average individual. *Much* more. The determination to drive forward must also come from a depth most people have yet to develop. The last few puzzle pieces are strongly resistant to sliding into place. One slowly comes to the realization that nothing “just exists” … and yet … *all* “just exists” … and that all comes into personal realization through focus, inner effort, attitude, and discipline. Very little … if anything … “just happens” … but “making it happen” means to leave the campsite of ease and beauty and move into the Unknown … which always carries its apprehensions … no matter where they are on the path. To “make it happen” means to apply … and the passion of those who wish to “just be” … are often resistant to application towards much of anything. Mind helps in strengthening that.
To “finish” often suggests one needs to face those resistances that are the most influential. Lots of long-buried perceptions protect them. These protected personal fortresses are often why so few ever “finish” the path … although in reality … there is always something … somewhere … to learn … so no one ever truly “finishes.”
This is when finding … or knowing … someone who has done it before … is worth its weight in gold … and more often than not … we are highly resistant to listening to these very soft whisperings. We continue to wish to “just do it on my own” … and LIFE IT-self will wait until you are ready to face even this highly protected stance and finally go the distance. We are often smug behind our fortress walls and are acceptant that our current understandings can maintain this position forever … and when working with “eternity” … LIFE can wait for you to develop personal strength, devotion, and determination.
More next Monday.
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A 90-post index is found at thread post number 368 … page 37
A second index for posts 92 - 120 is on page 50 … post # 499
Both posts may move a bit due to welcomed moderator editing. They both will be in the “vicinity” of the above locations.
If sincere … I will respond to private messages
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