Our universe is made up of many, many spheres, or worlds, and all of them—from the lowest to the highest—reflect the overall state of consciousness of the beings who call it home. One could say that heaven and hell are nothing more or less than hangouts for those with the appropriate state of consciousness. Just like on the third rock from the sun…So then Earth is a place that combines both extremes…
Other worlds exist where one polarity disappears. In spheres of evil, there would therefore be only pain and fear and suffering. Conversely, on spheres of beauty, there wouldn’t be any unpleasant feelings at all, and tigers and deer would be friends…So painters and poets, musicians and dancers, can show us a glimpse of an ideal land where flowers don’t die…
We actually all start out our journey back to heaven by climbing out of the dark depths of hell. In fact, we start out in such a state of darkness, there is essentially unity. Only as we develop and our consciousness gradually expands does the positive polarity come into play—oh, hello duality…So duality is actually a step in the right direction. On the far end of the spectrum, when we reach our full potential, we will once again be in unity, but this time without the frowny face…
What we really need then, at this point on the tour, are some travel trips for overcoming duality…People on a spiritual path of self-knowing like to use the word “surrender”…those of us who aren’t capable of surrendering aren’t going to have much luck finding the core of our being—our divine nature. We won’t be able to love or truly learn and grow. We’ll be stiff and defended and closed off…
One thing we need to surrender to is God’s will, because without that, we’re SOL…And let’s be clear, truth and God are synonymous…What else do we need to surrender to? For one, our own feelings…We also need to surrender to the people we love. We need to trust them and give them the benefit of the doubt…
Refusing to surrender has to do with lack of trust as well as suspicion and fear, and a general misunderstanding that we’ll be giving up our autonomy along with our ability to make decisions in the future. But our holding out creates a supercharged self-will that wears a person out. As a result, we run on an empty tank…
Surrender, on the other hand, is a movement of fullness. When we give over and let go, enrichment must follow; it’s a natural law…But, wow, it so doesn’t work to just say ‘surrender is the key.’ If only it were that simple. For example, are we to surrender to someone who truly can’t be trusted?…
There is an indispensable need to have a discriminating mind that knows when to trust…To surrender does not mean to give up our ability to make good choices. Rather, in surrendering, we may see that a change of course is appropriate…The rough terrain to navigate is the interim stage in which we’re not quite whole and therefore objective enough to fully let go into an inner yielding attitude without which it’s impossible to become more whole. So we must try…
There is, in fact, no contradiction or duality between surrendering and standing up for what’s right. Neither is possible without the other; they are both vital halves of one complete whole…Oddly, it takes a mountain of courage to believe in God’s truth and our power to carry it out into the world.
Return to Nutshells Contents
Return to Gems Contents
