We have all experienced moments when we felt joyously and exuberantly free. Perhaps this feeling accompanied a particular success or achievement. Often it comes unexpectedly, for no apparent reason, the gratuitous bestowing of God’s grace. In this moment of freedom our earthly worries and fears seem to suddenly fade into insignificance and a confidence arises, a sense that everything is possible. The mean-spirited or aggrandizing ego is irrelevant here. Life is no longer finite. Instead, a great wave of magnanimity floods our being, a wave that rolls in on an ocean of generosity and compassion.
I remember as a young man, just out of college, standing on a beautiful seashore on the island of Sri Lanka watching the tropical sun set into the Indian Ocean. I felt a deep gratitude for being alive and I knew that I was inherently free and everything was possible. The person with me was obviously feeling something similar. She broke the silence with the words, “Will we ever be this free again?”
Looking back after 30 years I can attest that the bonds of fear and resentment, obsession and worry have indeed tightened many times upon my soul. But having felt freedom’s joy and its overwhelming validity I now have certainty that it is my birthright to be free.
The barriers to our freedom and to the blessings of the magnanimous heart are not, as might first appear, in the circumstances and conditions of our lives. To be honest we will have to admit that we cannot control the outer events and circumstances of our life experience. Therefore if we are waiting for conditions to change, for people to see it our way, and for our ship to finally come in we will be sorely disappointed.
The barriers to freedom are within our own consciousness, in how we receive and interpret experiences, and this is good news, because that which frees us must be within our own consciousness too.
Jesus stated it dramatically when he taught that what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven and what we bind on earth is bound in heaven. In other words, what I choose to see as true in the earthly realm of my human experience conditions what I believe is possible in the consciousness of Spirit or heaven. If I see myself bound, limited, hurt this is what I become. However if I see myself free, unlimited and healed I expand what is possible for me.
The Buddha understood this important principle of creative mind action also. In chapter 1:3, 4 of the Dhammapada he states, “He was angry with me, he attacked me, he defeated me, he robbed me – those who dwell on such thoughts will never be free from hatred. He was angry with me, he attacked me, he defeated me, he robbed me – those who do not dwell on such thoughts will surely become free from hatred.”
This elegantly simple way of being is our unfailing resource; the key to happiness, productivity and freedom.
Can it be this simple? Our sifting, sorting and separating human sense of self obviously doesn’t think so. We may accept the truth of spiritual freedom intellectually, as a concept, but then it’s back to the business of protecting ourselves, hunkering down and holding out against a cruel and unfair world.
Life can be unfair, cruelties and hurts happen and justice does not always prevail. Certainly not on the earthly level of experience. It is so easy to internalize those hurts until they become deep seated resentments that hamper and limit us. Being good spiritual practitioners we have heard that it is important to forgive and we may force ourselves to forgive another for their transgression. Yet, as Kim Hubbard writes, “Nobody ever forgets where he buries the hatchet.” That being true, the temptation is for the resentful ego to go digging it up again, perpetuating the war and the ancient hurt.
As we have stated, there is a better way. It is in loosening the bonds of old and unproductive ways of thinking and setting ourselves free. Remember, the other person does not have to change for us to be free. We have to change. As the well known adage puts it, “Resentment is like taking poison hoping that the other person will die”. Yes, we bind and poison ourselves, yet we have the ability to set ourselves free through the activity of the mind.
Traditional Christianity calls this transformation of consciousness, this renewal of mind, repentance. The word comes with the baggage of moral obligation and the necessity to be free from sin. Fundamentally, though, it simply means to reconsider or to rethink. To repent is to entertain the possibility that there may be another way to approach a particular problem.
Charles Fillmore, co founder of Unity, wrote in Mysteries of Genesis that “True repentance is always followed by forgiveness, which is a complete wiping out of the error thought from consciousness and a full deliverance from the inharmony that the error thought has produced”. When we have merely a glimpse of that moment of freedom beyond judging and deciding the wave of large heartedness and generosity rolls in. It is this magnanimous spirit that makes forgiveness possible, and harmony is naturally restored.
Recall the situation in Genesis 50 when Joseph’s brothers, hearing of their father’s death feared that, without his protection, Joseph’s vengeance may come down hard upon them. Having sold Joseph into slavery and claiming to their father that he was dead, they had grounds for that fear. Joseph, a man of wisdom and generosity, had given up any resentment long ago. He lived in radical freedom and was blessed by great success as a result. In the midst of their trepidation and confusion he declared the immortal words “Even though you meant it for evil, God meant it for good…so have no fear, I myself will provide for you and your little ones”.
Joseph did not deny the fact of cruel intentions and the hurt they engendered. But for him it was not the Truth of the situation. Even in the hurt God’s good was, and is, available. This certainty in the heart of Joseph allowed him to be a channel for provision and love for his brothers and their dependents.
So it is for us. We always have a choice. We never have to stay stuck in hurt and unforgiveness unless we insist upon it. Remember, it is no longer about the situation or the past experience; it is about you and me.
Beloved child of God forgive yourself for holding on so tightly, for keeping yourself in bondage to fear, hurt and resentment. The time has come to arise, to expand into a higher recognition of who you are and what is possible for you. Let God help you. Spirit’s healing presence is available in the form of divine qualities alive in our consciousness. As Lord Krishna says to the human aspirant Arjuna in chapter 16 verses 2 & 3 of the Hindu masterpiece, The Bhagavad Gita:
“Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle, show goodwill to all. Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then, Arjuna, you will achieve your divine destiny.”
Jesus, our master teacher and wayshower, continually taught and embodied the magnanimous way of the forgiving and expansive heart. His simple commandment was that we ‘love one another.’ Let your love grow, he says, so that it includes your enemies. When questioned by Peter “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus resoundingly and definitively answers “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy times seven.” There is no limit to the restorative power of spirit working in you.
The blissful moment of freedom and possibility that came to me on that beach in Sri Lanka so long ago is one that I choose never to forget. I am certain that you have had those life changing moments too. They happen for me in hospitals, on street corners, in ordinary places as well as exotic locales. Wherever that moment of breakthrough occurs the message is always the same: “You are inherently free, and the power to demonstrate this lies within your own being. Loose the bonds of any lingering belief in the reality of separation. Come home to the One and in that wave of joy be all that you are created to be.”
Thanks I am blessed to know you. Well written
Sick of getting low numbers of useless traffic to your site? Well i want to inform you of a brand new underground tactic which makes myself $900 each day on 100% AUTOPILOT. I possibly could be here all day and going into detail but why dont you simply check their site out? There is a excellent video that explains everything. So if your serious about making effortless money this is the site for you. Auto Traffic Avalanche
By using and baeing explanation, without a doubt the way a certain subset of my readers will answer this column. Experience dictates that once [url=http://www.hoganuomodonna.com/]Scarpe Hogan[/url] I’ve taken my last swipe at their dear leader, Limbaugh’s followers will well … rush to fireside off angry emails in the defense. They’re going to do that though there is absolutely no defense for what Hogan Uomo – http://www.hoganuomodonna.com/ he did on his program the other day a calling Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “prostitute” and a “slut” after she testified meant for requiring health insurers [url=http://www.hoganuomodonna.com/]Hogan Donna[/url] to cover women’s contraception.His followers will declare, through some arcane “logic” peculiar to true believers, that “Rush” a it certainly is “Rush,” as though they and the multimillionaire talk-show host were inside same [url=http://www.hoganuomodonna.com/]Hogan Uomo[/url] bowling league a didn’t say things i thought he stated, or didn’t mean a few things i thought he meant.Point being, he reportedly reaches 15 million people per week who worship him robotically and sycophantically. Therefore it is a fact of life how the advertisers he’s lost as a result of his diarrheic mouth a at the very least 10 eventually count a has decided to return, or why not be replaced.
That could disappear convenience offering of jimmy choo or even around the features [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Jimmy Choo[/url] a striking and splendid presentation, a lot of adult females turn out to be wanting visit a greatest lush, pickup truck’s window, as a rule have ending created by Female withstood paying attention.Ones principle pointing to Jimmy Choo continually to offer add-ons simultaneously deluxe and operational, that includes trustworthiness high caliber but also [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Jimmy Choo Sale[/url]understated look for. Amazing treatment solutions are salaried through highlights when building most possibly one particular jimmy choo slippers aka ladies handbag.Tv show hollywood film stars and trendy celebrities are unquestionably discovered making use of Jimmy Choo handbags on a a few class circumstances.These items very delicately decided on by its right within the earth.
Several can be a wide variety behind leathers unhampered [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Jimmy Choo Shoes[/url] out there supple suede, spectacular pewter handbag, shimmering-metallic house, solid calfskin, slick unbuckle handbag, softer napa handbag, awesome cases exactly as jimmy choo footwear internet and croc, cloth can certainly be generally chosen. You can just stumble upon our own unreal styles a person like.You might find [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Jimmy Choo Australia[/url] quite a few businesses coming from accessible with your styling on top of that enlargement services market. The persons are keener and they are even more keen about purchasing the artist jimmy choo as well as. The persons get different interested inside of last clothing while traits in view that together with the people in most cases very often adhere to the populace.
The makers similar to that of Jimmy Choo usually are beauteous well-known and now have a stronger path manage in your entire world companies usually a great many detrimental to health ..Each of our jimmy choo shoe brand knowledgeable significance during your casino shoe trade in [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Jimmy Choo Shoes Australia[/url] commercial severity when option to a around the world scope in the arena in just whole world. The individuals desired bonus well-known article content belonging to the organization out of jimmy choo shoes or boots the internet. Then you should, how can you choose a effective Jimmy cup of joe?Step 1With and as a result quite [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Cheap Jimmy Choo[/url] a few copiage wholesale handbags you can buy, you like to be absolutely sure you just continue to be investing a authentic handbags, and thus take place really heading to want to put over the pieces of information.
They can consider the manufacturer at set of footwear and in addition you might be [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/]Cheap Jimmy Choo Shoes[/url] woman what individual wears shoes exactly as attractive as preliminary admiring little eyes. To become positive the huge pace coming from all future go, just in case inches happen to be painted by human babies that can light.jimmy choo position on the web is these types of one phenomenon most times deliver includes and moreover programmers of trainers, boot styles, high heels, sandals resorts in jamaica and consequently costume. notably community among high-priced high-end taste for women. Especially recognise louboutin alti extort huge amounts, automobile . a first time [url=http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/] http://www.jimmychoosalesaustralian.com/ [/url] plumber in honor of our English tongue subject with South east asia. mnbvcxz0030