Perhaps you have noticed the phrase "living Spirit daily" which appears here and there upon these pages of our little e-zine. While most, if not all, of the articles have been written with this motto in mind, producing quite an array of "Spirit & Whatever Specific Aspect Of Life", we have yet to address the obvious topic for which the e-zine's phrase calls; in short, Spirit & living.
In a world in which we all cope with the daily grind of existence and make great efforts at an ever increasing pace to maintain a lifestyle of material comfort while going for broke, one may ask the pertinent question, "How in Creation am I to live Spirit daily?" While everyone seems to be rushing around from work to family to social commitments, where is the time and place for connecting to Spirit? Perhaps this question, more than any other, is the crux of the modern existential crisis.
As our lives evolve or devolve, depending on how you look at it, we foolishly look to schedule our divine time like all our other activities. This way of thinking is as much a carryover from a church-going past as it is the present "more things to do than there is time for" days. Increasingly fewer people resort to fitting Spirit in for an hour on Sunday morning, not only because they are exhausted from the week's activities and it is their only day in which they may sleep later, yet more so, because sixty minutes per week with the Spirit is simply not enough.
How does one get more Spirit into their lives? First, you have to realize that you are not alone. It is quite easy for any of us, especially when in difficult circumstances calling for some innovative and correct decisions, to feel quite alone when "everything happens to me". Well, that is when the Spirit can come along and remind you to Whom everything really happens while only the things to which you and He/She/ It agreed before you were sent down and out to the big dirtball we call Earth are yours to do. If you listen hard enough inside, you will His/Her/Its/your voice saying, "You are not alone". You will also be reminded about six billion other souls veering about in human shaped vehicles, some in a higher gear than you, but most plugging away in first, sputtering, stalled or stopped in the muddy break-down lane of life; indeed, you are not alone.
Spirit is more than something you can keep in one place for one time, more than the Cosmos' biggest jack-in the-box, which you can wind up whenever you need He/She/It. The Living Spirit is more akin to us than many would dare imagine and like any loving parent, who enjoys a visit from us when it is just to say, "Hello, how are You? I'm doing o.k." instead of "Where's my allowance?" Is it any wonder a Parent with so many children seeking It when times are hard, paying It no mind when things are swell, sometimes seems so far removed as to appear nonexistent? And does it not equally make sense that a child who pays loving and constant devotion be more likely to receive help when it is truly needed?
The key is to have Spirit always at the back of one's mind, to have the kind Father standing on your shoulder and whispering wisdom in your right ear while the kind Mother stands on your other shoulder to whisper understanding in your left ear, to have a white bird or flame fluttering above your head, to be surrounded by a circle of friends, your Brothers and Sisters, the dearly loved who have departed before you to return Home.
While practically everyone is aware of Spirit being up there somewhere, commonly overlooked is the mystical truth that the Spirit is to be found as much inside. Esoteric schools through the ages have taught Spirit is both above and within; the Christ, foremost among western Masters, constantly reminded his students the Kingdom was within. So, if you wish to contact Spirit while living, go inside and you will find He/She/It to comfort you.
Aspects of the Master's teachings are almost as revolutionary today as they were in their time. The concept of a Supreme Being as a loving father to His sons and daughters who is contacted in an intimate way continues to be at odds with traditional religion with its weekly public showings. It is rather interesting how our modern lifestyle has become more compatible with the teachings, rather than the religions, which come to us from the Master.
Another equally revolutionary idea from the Master was the cessation of the sacrifice of living creatures. The notion of slaughtering innocents to appease Spirit is a spiritual paradox of the highest order. Sacrifice is a karmic truth if one views it as a trade with Spirit, i.e. if I give you this, You will give that in return; it's a trade clause in your contract with Spirit. Sacrifice your fear and ignorance and you probably won't have to sacrifice the luxuries in life. Ignore Spirit and you run the risk of losing your home, job, and all in order for you to pay attention to He/She/It. There's nothing like having few material possessions/distractions to put your mind upon spiritual values.
Meanwhile, most of us in the American Empire are accumulating stuff like a snowball rolling downhill.; no one seems to have enough toys. If you're one of those who squirm at the thought of billions of poor and millions of starving people and wonder what you can do about it, don't buy that totally superfluous and unnecessary item. It is widely recognized we live in a consumer society; we don't make things any more, we just use stuff up. So, all you have to do is stop consuming material and you will begin to live a relatively more spiritual life.
What about the system's penchant for taking, as time goes by, a larger and larger cut of your action? To quote the Master, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's". Do you feel like everyone is ganging up on you to take what little you have? Well, let them have it. The less you have, the less our totally material culture bothers you. Become a "dharma bum" and rest assured you will be ignored as if you don't exist. You'll be like a spirit gliding along that highway, alone with nothing but you and your Maker, with all the time in the world to talk to Spirit while becoming the fastest of friends and being certain you will be spiritually rewarded beyond the dreams of avarice in any petty king of the world's mind.
Look upon all the things of the world as so much play-dough dispensed to us by Daddy and Mommy and some of the kids have it in their heads we were created to play monopoly. Remember when you were smaller than you are now, when the other kids played a game you didn't like? You simply turned around, left and went home and found someone else with whom to play.
Welcome the Living Spirit within as a friend and you will have all that is required for "living spirit daily".
