Practice: Remembering the Mind (originally posted by therememberedsong.com)

Practice: Remembering the Mind

What motivates us to want the love that Jesus represents is learning to recognize the painful effects of choosing the ego, by seeing everything in our lives as the reflection of the mind’s choice. That is the first step in the process of forgiveness, and it is how we get in touch with the mind that has been forgotten. It means paying attention to every experience of conflict in any form; from a tiny annoyance to murderous rage, and recognizing in it the mind’s choice for the ego. The next step is to be willing to accept responsibility for this choice and to remember that the mind can choose differently. This recognition and willingness is how to turn to the Presence of the Holy Spirit in the mind. Awareness of this Presence is thereby strengthened, and belief that the ego is the only way to go is weakened.

Forgiveness: I Am Not Unlovable

it is truly a miracle to know that you are not unlovable and in that knowledge is everything 

Fear of the Ladder Subsides

i feel more comfortable with this whole 'ladder' idea.. i used to think i was glad i was on it..but wasn't really sure i was..that i (the ego whom i thought i REALLY was) was just feeding me a line to make my guilt go away..sort of..but the guilt remained..i felt like this wretched guilty thing hanging on to this ladder..frozen..

But now, in this moment, I can HONESTLY say, i'm reminded that i don't see myself as this horrible, sinful self anymore (what i used to think deep down, "if you only really knew me").. i don't know where that 'awful person/thing/entity' went, but i KNOW that it is not me.. 


So, everything, no matter how resplendent or repugnant it may first appear that comes into our awareness, can be used as a teaching tool (if we have a little willingness) to see that we are all the same -- without exceptions

Gently 'Readying Myself'....Forgiveness

by constantly looking at all the things i put before the love and peace of god, i.e., recognizing the purpose of what I am doing.. not to judge my choices, but to realize that these are choices I am making.. so as my fear gently subsides, i am able to gently take the hand of the new teacher and accept that love that really "IS" the only alternative (i.e., there really is no choice, only the belief that there is a choice)...


and also remember the even the slightest inkling/twinge of fear/annoyance/discontentness is just another opportunity 'to look without judgment' at what my mind is choosing (ever be it so "minor") it either serves my choice either for: love or separateness...  

Forgiveness: Remembering that conflict is MY choice

remembering that any 'conflict' is REALLY a choice that I have made...




even though I may not be able to see that it is a choice 'right in this moment'... when I can quiet my mind and come from a place of love and compassion for myself.(rare, but it DOES happen).. i can see that it 'is a choice' which logically means: that I can make another choice.. so...just to know...to have the little willingness, followed by the glimmer of hope that i can make another choice..gives me peace.. i don't even have to change my choice.. but just knowing that it comes from 'MY' choice and no one else...gives me this peace I cannot describe... except to say that when I'm in experiencing it...'NO-THING' can take my peace away......

The Forgiving Mind???

I'm becoming more aware of when i'm "not at peace".. i can start to see that it is ALWAYS because I am identifying with the body and not the mind.... i'm just trying to gently 'notice' that... i wonder if that 'gentle noticing' (not actually doing anything to change it).. and if that is really the beginning of the forgiving mind???... when i think of it in these terms.. my fear of shifting to the mind isn't as scary...i mean it's a 'gentler' fear, that has less power to take away my peace

I have no fear around [______] anymore

hey my brain was just spinning as usual and I was thinking "hey why am I able to watch/do things today that I used to avoid like the plague?..."

 

Take this example:

 

Anyone with strong opinions on religion (documentaries or conversations around this area).  I used to avoid anything around this area and turned the channel or avoided the conversation/changed the subject..it was just too fearful.

 

Reason I can watch watch/talk about this subject now?

 

I have no fear around it anymore.. because I understand that all paths/no paths lead to the same place, (all paths are illusions anyway), so I don't have the fear about being 'wrong' and what that would mean if I was wrong?  i.e., would i end up in 'hell' if I was wrong and 'they' were right?  I can't be wrong about an illusion  It's that simple:

 

Now that my fear has been removed around this issue, i am at peace; and it cannot be shaken.

 

Now I can let people say/believe what they want because I realize it's all illusion anyway, that only common/shared interests are real, and any feeling that I need to 'be right" is just FEAR disguised as the ego..(so I can blame the ego, instead of just acknowledging "I have fear around __________").

 

When I am certain there are no consequences, fear disappears.

 

I'm going to explore this topic more and let you know what I find.. but I'm pretty sure it's going to be peace.