Like waves we come, Like waves we go .. out of the ocean.
The one thing that I realized, the one thing that marks a great distinction between freeing our soul and to live with divinity (and yet be insanely sane) is when one is trapped not able to differentiate between being 'human being' and 'human doing'. Spiritually, it is synonymous of being a God fearing (being Human Doing) and God loving (being Human Being) individual.
These emotions confuse our full acceptance and full understanding to God. These conflicting feelings draw us away from walking and partnering with God. Often, we are told to fear God to be close to Him. Often, we are told that we need to work for Him to be with Him.
We are left to spread God, to create unity and to live a life that has been planned by Him. We are to seek Him and to look around for His signs in our natural world. Those who believe in God believe that the world, and everything in it, has been created with a perfect plan, by God who knows all.
Sadly, such misconception between being 'human being' and 'human doing' creates a bigger problem - a social division. It discriminates all humans subtly, conscious or unconscious. It affirms our human flaws, empowers negativity on divisiveness for judgment and broadens animosity amongst humans.
We become more concerned to be human to please one another rather than becoming a human with responsibility, with purpose, with discipline and simplicity. We lose our natural faith to be who we are and to live life re-membering God and striving to follow His merciful guidance.
I believe it is not how much we sacrifice or how many times we pray that connects us to Him. It is never what we do, it is never the frequent trips we have to make to church-temple-mosque, it is never the umpteenth times we have to kneel down in front of the altar or prayer mat but who we are and what we believe in our hearts that is important to God.
Perhaps, take a while to just look around us. Those that seek God and fear for not getting a spot in heaven tend to become loud just because they go to church-mosque-temple frequently. It is sad that these groups of individuals can only be a good human being where they are in but engage in other human doings once outside.
I like it when a good friend passes this remark "just because I do not cover my head with a headgear, the way most Muslim women do, it does not make me less Muslim". Another friend remarks "just because I am a Buddhist, it does not mean that I never pray to God nor I deny His existence".
Such is human doing - Human constitutes an order that a headgear symbolises religion. In Islam, just taking this religion as an example, people judge another to be religious (one that believes in the existence of God) when a Muslim does all the fundamental pillar of faith and the five pillars of Islam.
Ignoring the headgear, the practice of most other Muslim women, does it make my friend less Muslim? Does it mean that she, as a human being, has ignored Islam and the religious principles and beliefs totally?
When my Buddhist friend sits to meditate, when she goes to the temple to pray - does not she is trying to communicate with and submit to a higher supreme, who many call God, for guidance?
Both my Muslim and Buddhist friends are good people; they are forgiving, kind, honest and compassionate. They strike a balance by fulfilling the obligations to be good human beings while always mindful of God. These should be enough to make them religious (OK, perhaps spiritual) individuals. My take, whatever is between them and God is private and personal.
Human is just human. We measure human doings (human acts) that must be authenticated from religious leaders and cannot be based on individual conscience and morality and pure worship to equate true submission to God. All acts that are not religiously and spiritually driven towards peace, mercy and forgiveness are deemed that we are doing something wrong. Hence, we are not religious.
Discernment is best done when we live our lives as good human being, not human doing, in relationship with God, with the people around us and with God's nature. Authenticity comes only when we have an honest prayer relationship with God in which we confess for all our shortcomings freely and we walk in a just, merciful and humble way before Him. Such a relationship is marked by an attitude of tenderness and responsiveness to God.
The other day, I had two young guys probably in their mid twenties came knocking at my door. When I opened to greet them, one said "Hello there, I am so-and-so and from xxxxx. We are here to guide you and to save all of us. We are here to talk to you about God .. ". They made it sound, and probably had an idea, that I was lost; that they were my savior to save me.
Truth is, there is always a burden to put across God's message. Truth is, we have come to a much wiser and matured timeline. We are no longer in a period where the prophets of God are no longer speaking to a rebellious population. Human Beings today are spiritually aware. There is no need for forceful compulsion to deliver a warning, or an awareness.
The majority of us fall in this category. We easily judge and use our limited knowledge to instill fear. In the world of our egoistic human doings, we become ignorant of people and end up speaking to our own interests. While it is true that we have to use our judgement - which is often personal and prejudice - when discussing religious opinions, we also need to be aware where do we get such knowledge from?
Often, we regard that we have to abide certain rules and to accept (the right) commandment which are sermonised (or perhaps, smoked) from religious leaders. Often, we invite fear through our respect to them and think that all these highly religious individuals must be right and that we have to believe in their sermons.
No, I am not saying that we should totally disregard some of these good individuals but we need to know what is what.
So, what is what?
What often amuses me is, we have to listen heartily to religious leaders and to take their words seriously. Somehow, we are to accept their knowledge and to accept their authorities. With all due respect, we have been conditioned to believe that only these people know and fully understand God just because they read the holy book and the holy scriptures?
Are they not human with judgement too? Are they not human, just like you and me, that can get lost in translation? Aren't our culture, our custom, our philosophy can be different? The difference really depends on perspective. Importantly, does not it imply that we create an intermediary between us and God? Does God exist through these people and not a direct connection between an individual and Him?
I believe, though God is beyond our sight and understanding, yet at the same time we are directly to Him with no intermediary. We are able to know Him, seek guidance from Him alone because He knows well the secrets of our hearts.
To know God is to let go of human doing and be human being. It is in being 'human being' that we exercise our God-given heart and become discernment of becoming a God loving human being.
Our true self is our deepest truth. This is the same as our soul that needs to have direct experience and not just a mere intellectual understanding from external human doings .
God, I believe, wants us to be faithful in creating our honest experiences of being a human being, to be content and have a serving heart. The glory of God is a human being fully alive. We should always re-member that we are made in His image and our being should reflect His glory.
It is our personal insight into our divine self, and the truths we believe in it, that will set us free if only we can see them and put them into practice. It is our everyday actions and personality patterns, and all those divine being for greater potential of love and goodness within us, that draws us closer to God. The innerness of self, of being human being, that is set to mature outward and draws God to reside in our soul.
It is unfortunate should we remain in a shell and remain unconscious but just to follow the crowd blindly and just to follow with all the human doings that may not vibrate with our own convictions. In order for us to free our soul, and allow it to grow, we need to create awareness. Our soul needs to be loved, to be felt and recognized. We can only achieve it when we start to look inward.
We just have to be a being of truth. Religion is to guide us towards it. Ultimately, it is about being a good human being believing in One Almighty God, worship Him alone, seek help from Him alone and follow His guidance in every matter of life.
God is, after all above religion. He is compassionate and merciful. We should not hesitate nor should we waver in the glory of God, the Creator of the Universe. It is those who personally take the time to serve, and dedicate, to Him that shall find the peace.
I offer Reiki Distant Healing