The Gift of Life
When we hear the phrase 'The Gift of Life', we usually think of it in terms of the gift/s we have received as living beings.
I'd like to discuss The Gift of Life from a different perspective, in the hopes of helping people to see their own Holiness and that of every other living being around them.
Our Lives are the gifts not only of our Souls to the Creation, but, in some sense even more so, also the gifts of our Bodies to the Creation.
There are many religious teachings that encourage the thinking that the Soul is greater than the Body. Some go so far as to denigrate the Body and encourage us to wish to discard it "after our death".
In truth, the goal that one should aim for, insofar as one can, and know this is a long, and wonderful journey so be patient, is to become what is called The NeverEnding in a Body. We are supposed to purify our Body to the point of being able to experience it consciously as its being a vessel for God and of God. I am not talking as if, I don't mean sort of like - I mean full on God in a Body.
There are filters placed on our consciousness so that we may go on living our Lives without falling on our faces in awe every time we encounter another living being. Without those filters, you could not look another Human Being in the face. The light would overwhelm You, to say the very least. We need those filters in order to continue our Service. However, it is important that we come to the perception Our Bodies and see how Holy they are, at least sometimes. We need this experience in order to be able to value ourselves properly, as well as others, including all animal and plant life.
Our Bodies are the legacy of our Ancestors to us throughout all of the generations. Are Bodies are the distillation and Repository of every act of Service and Devotion that they took upon themselves. The merit of those deeds are passed on to us, along with the plea that we continue their work. The continuation of their work is a sacred trust placed with us.
There are others who would encourage you to think of yourself as limitless in terms of how much you can accomplish. You know, I'm talking about those "you can be anything you want to be" memes.
It would serve You much better to think in terms of YourSelf as being limitless in how much You can give. You will invariably find that You can be anything You want to be so long as it serves Your giving.
When you tap into your Infinite Desire to Give and realize that your Body is the vehicle through which that need can be expressed, you will know the full value of having a Body and you will be deeply grateful for it. Surely, it will continue to "morph", that Body of yours, as it always has. But it is Eternal, no less than your Soul and should be regarded and Most Holy. Unlike your highest Soul, your Body, including your mental and emotional Body, wears and tears in order to give. It takes on discomforts and tribulations in order to give. That is why it is to be regarded gently. This is not to say that it is good to maximize trials and tribulations as some misguided religious teachings have advised. Quite the opposite, we are to take as good care of this Body of ours as we possibly can so that it may serve as fully as possible.
The way in which we purify our Body to be a vessel of God that we are aware of as such (it already is a vessel for God, whether we know it or not, the trick is to know it) is by living a life of Service and Devotion. That does not mean that you have to overextend yourself and try to do everything and that you can never say no or be tired or grouchy. We are Human. Getting everything done is what Other People are for. None of us can do everything. We complement and supplement one another's special abilities and talents. But each of us is filled with an Infinite desire to give. That has to be tapped into – gradually. All we have to do is do our best and keep growing.
Know that everything we do is of great value and infinite moment. "Simple" acts of kindness and service are not so simple and they have cosmic implications.
Know that every act of kindness, every gift given, every kind word, every expression of compassion is leading you and everyone around you to being fully aware of being The NeverEnding in a Body.
When we hear the phrase 'The Gift of Life', we usually think of it in terms of the gift/s we have received as living beings.
I'd like to discuss The Gift of Life from a different perspective, in the hopes of helping people to see their own Holiness and that of every other living being around them.
Our Lives are the gifts not only of our Souls to the Creation, but, in some sense even more so, also the gifts of our Bodies to the Creation.
There are many religious teachings that encourage the thinking that the Soul is greater than the Body. Some go so far as to denigrate the Body and encourage us to wish to discard it "after our death".
In truth, the goal that one should aim for, insofar as one can, and know this is a long, and wonderful journey so be patient, is to become what is called The NeverEnding in a Body. We are supposed to purify our Body to the point of being able to experience it consciously as its being a vessel for God and of God. I am not talking as if, I don't mean sort of like - I mean full on God in a Body.
There are filters placed on our consciousness so that we may go on living our Lives without falling on our faces in awe every time we encounter another living being. Without those filters, you could not look another Human Being in the face. The light would overwhelm You, to say the very least. We need those filters in order to continue our Service. However, it is important that we come to the perception Our Bodies and see how Holy they are, at least sometimes. We need this experience in order to be able to value ourselves properly, as well as others, including all animal and plant life.
Our Bodies are the legacy of our Ancestors to us throughout all of the generations. Are Bodies are the distillation and Repository of every act of Service and Devotion that they took upon themselves. The merit of those deeds are passed on to us, along with the plea that we continue their work. The continuation of their work is a sacred trust placed with us.
There are others who would encourage you to think of yourself as limitless in terms of how much you can accomplish. You know, I'm talking about those "you can be anything you want to be" memes.
It would serve You much better to think in terms of YourSelf as being limitless in how much You can give. You will invariably find that You can be anything You want to be so long as it serves Your giving.
When you tap into your Infinite Desire to Give and realize that your Body is the vehicle through which that need can be expressed, you will know the full value of having a Body and you will be deeply grateful for it. Surely, it will continue to "morph", that Body of yours, as it always has. But it is Eternal, no less than your Soul and should be regarded and Most Holy. Unlike your highest Soul, your Body, including your mental and emotional Body, wears and tears in order to give. It takes on discomforts and tribulations in order to give. That is why it is to be regarded gently. This is not to say that it is good to maximize trials and tribulations as some misguided religious teachings have advised. Quite the opposite, we are to take as good care of this Body of ours as we possibly can so that it may serve as fully as possible.
The way in which we purify our Body to be a vessel of God that we are aware of as such (it already is a vessel for God, whether we know it or not, the trick is to know it) is by living a life of Service and Devotion. That does not mean that you have to overextend yourself and try to do everything and that you can never say no or be tired or grouchy. We are Human. Getting everything done is what Other People are for. None of us can do everything. We complement and supplement one another's special abilities and talents. But each of us is filled with an Infinite desire to give. That has to be tapped into – gradually. All we have to do is do our best and keep growing.
Know that everything we do is of great value and infinite moment. "Simple" acts of kindness and service are not so simple and they have cosmic implications.
Know that every act of kindness, every gift given, every kind word, every expression of compassion is leading you and everyone around you to being fully aware of being The NeverEnding in a Body.
