In a spiritual gathering, a young man said he had been trying to help a friend, but the outcome was disappointing. He felt discouraged and frustrated. He asked the facilitator / teacher, "We all have expectations. How can I simply live by being?"
Indeed, most of us if not all of us had expectations. With expectations, we felt happy when things unfolded as we had hoped, but, we were also bound to experience disappointment sometimes. It was the nature of life that not everything could be foreseen or happened as we had wished (or planned).
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Out of good intention, the young man wanted to help his friend.
When the young man asked 'how can I simply live by being', I supposed he wanted to know how he could accept what 'is' (i.e. the outcome appeared to be at the time) without feeling discouraged and frustrated. Or, he might have assumed that unwholesome feelings did not arise in those that could simply live by being.
Many spiritual teachers had talked about living in the 'now', and had offered helpful advice in handling life situations. People often felt inspired and got a renewed sense of hope for a joyful life afterward. When dilemma showed up again, some found themselves going through similar emotions such as frustration, anger, and pain. We could attend many lectures or read lots of books about life, but true transformation must come from within. If we consistently applied / practiced / remembered that inspired us, we would gradually see a change in ourselves. In time, we might be able to look at life situations and others with a new perspective. (In my post Love! Love! Love!, my spirit guide's timely intervention stopped me from reacting with anger. I did not change overnight. In life, we did fall into the same old patterns again and again. It helped to pay attention to our actions and reactions in situations where problems continued to exist.)
The young man's question reminded me of what the teacher of healing taught us during her workshop. She told us to hold the pure intention of service, let go of our ego, and let the Divine guide us during healing sessions; we should not be concerned with the outcome and have faith that the Divine knew what was the best for the recipient. I found truth in her guidance, and in fact, her words helped me in life situations (or relationships) too. Occasionally, life dramas still got to me especially in total unexpected circumstances. Luckily, I now knew to go through them with love and patience for myself as well as for others that were involved.
The young man, a sincere seeker, would eventually know All Is Well. He had tried his best to help his friend and that was what mattered the most. He might have assumed those spiritual teachers that gave lectures or workshops lived in peace and were void of those emotions. It might not necessary be true. Many spiritual teachers had shared their stories. They had gone through life as we had. As my spirit guide said, "It is alright to react with a certain mood such as happy, surprise or even upset. Face it, this is what life is all about. But then, we discern ourselves from the feeling and observe it with tranquility." (Re You don't necessary have to like or dislike someone )
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The young man might have assumed that by accepting what 'is', one might not have to deal with negative emotions. Well, long time ago I had also made an assumption. I thought only the awakened ones could simply live by being. Since they were awakened, they intuitively knew why this or that happened as well as what would be / could be. Therefore, they were at peace with whatever that happened. I knew now my assumption was wrong too.
What does it mean to simply live by being?
As most of you, I am a simple person living a physical life. Indeed, the real beauty of life is what I do not know . I shall continue to share with you what I learned about living by being. (Next post In Faith and Trust, I AM )
Love and Peace,
Q of D
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