Letter #4 from Hilton, NY - The world of the ego is not in jeopardy

The world of the ego is not in jeopardy

It’s been quite a month in Hilton, NY. Harry Hollywood has been trying to meditate. Harry wanted to have more peace in his life and to feel more centered. His life, for a long time, had seemed out of balance. Harry was sharing his experience with meditation with some of his friends at a local coffee shop and wasn’t getting very far.

“Meditation,” huffed Elmer Sandbagger, “what is that, some kind of new age nonsense like yoga?”

Barb Golden piped up and said, “It’s sitting quietly Elmer and just watching your thoughts pass by in your mind.”

“For crying out loud, “said Elmer, “what a waste of time. I don’t have time for that. I’ve got things to do. I can’t just be sitting around watching my thoughts. It sounds like a new fangled brand of navel gazing to me.”

Roy Christian said, “It’s a form of prayer, Elmer. Jesus went off by himself to pray. I suspect that what is meant by prayer is meditation.”

“Ahhhhh he just wanted to get off by himself. Probably those disciples of his drove him nuts always wanting some sort of miracle out of him.”

Ted Marketer shared, “Well, meditation has been rebranded as mindfulness and it’s caught on. It’s become very popular. They are selling hundreds of self help books and video courses on how to do it.”

Jennifer Golddigger said, “Well, if there’s money in it, count me in. Maybe if I learned it, I could write a book or make some videos or even do some workshops or classes and make me some money.”

Jacob jumped into the conversation and said, “You all seem a bit cynical to me. I meditate every day and I consider it my quiet time and happy place. It takes a little practice but I’ve gotten better at it and now I enjoy it.”

Harry said, “It’s a way of getting outside your own ego and going inward and just being without having to do anything. I feel closer to God, you know, that non dualistic Oneness..”

“The what?” objected Elmer.

“The non dualistic Oneness,” said Harry.

“What’s with all the big words,” said Elmer?

“I’m sorry, Elmer,” said Harry. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. Most people wouldn’t know what that is.”

“It’s another word for God, isn’t it?,” said Roy.

“Yes,” said Harry.

“Is it time for an offering?” said Jennifer and laughed.

And that’s the way things have been going in Hilton, NY over the past month where Harry is developing a mediation practice, Elmer thinks meditating is a waste of time, Ted is thinking about how to brand it, Barb wants to teach it, Roy thinks Jesus did it, Jennifer is scheming about how to get money out of it, Jacob has tried meditating and enjoys it, and the world of the ego is not in jeopardy any time soon by people embracing the non dualistic Oneness.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson $5 - I am never upset for the reason I think

Lesson #5 - I am never upset for the reason I think.

All day long and all night long we have feelings and we think there are certain things that cause these feelings and we have no peace. We have made our life hell because we believe all these things we think, and we experience feelings we think these things cause.

We get confused and upset multiple times a day by the things we think. We have misperceived, misgeneralized, made assumptions, jumped to conclusions and unfortunately believe our own nonsense.

Today’s lesson is really very simple, but so hard to admit. Today’s lesson implies that we’re not right and delusional. Is this idea a bridge too far? To accept today’s lesson requires great humility and wisdom. The instructions for the workbook tells us we need not agree with the lesson, or accept the truth of it, or even understand it. We are encouraged to suspend our belief and just do it.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. UUs understand that we need not think alike to love alike. UUs teach that it doesn’t matter what one believes or what creed they pledge allegiance to. UUs imply that people should not be upset by the things they believe or other people believe. UUs know that Love trumps all belief.

Spiritual practices: Component #4 - Meditation

Meditation

The fourth component of spiritual health is attunement to the non dualistic Oneness and the cardinal sin #4 is separation from the Oneness and the enhancement of the ego. The spiritual practice to mitigate separation and enhancement of the ego and strengthen the attunement to the non dualistic Oneness is meditation.

Meditation is the going within and clearing the mind of all thoughts. This can be done while sitting quietly or sometimes when engaged in repetitive physical activity like walking, jogging, swimming. Another way of thinking about this attunement with the non dualistic Oneness is the psychological experience of entering into a state of flow. Flow is when time stands still and the person loses awareness of their physical body and engaging in any effort. One is just coasting or floating.

Sometimes people say they can reach this state through prayer or engaging in some ritualistic prayer activity like saying the rosary, chanting, or repetitively saying a mantra..

Sometimes people attempt to alter their consciousness using chemicals or other compulsive behaviors like gambling, working long hours when the person has gotten their “second wind.”

Sometimes people describe reaching this state in orgasm.

Sometimes people describe reaching this state by singing, playing a musical instrument, dancing or some other creative activity.

The most widely and best spiritual practice though is called “meditation.” Start for short periods of time, just 5 minutes and sit quietly and just watch your thoughts pass by in your mind with the intent of clearing your mind to a point at which you attain “no mind.” When a person attains “no mind” the person has left the ego and entered into attunement with the non dualistic Oneness.

A Course In Miracles Workbook lesson #4 - My thoughts don't mean anything

Lesson #4 - These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in this room (on this street, from this window, in this place.)

The Buddhists call it "monkey mind." The constant yammering that goes on in our head. The mind is like the hamster running in the wheel in the cage.

This lesson encourages us to just watch these thoughts like leaves in a breeze or clouds floating by in a partly cloudy sky.

This lesson is the beginning of meditation encouraging us to take a few minutes during the day and just watch.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and in this lesson #4 the Course In Miracles is training us to become aware that our thoughts don't mean anything. What we think of as "reality" is a social construction and the meaning we make of our experience is conditioned by society. The Course is referring to thoughts about the external world, in the world of the ego. In latter lessons, the student will be encouraged to look within to the world of the soul. We will come to realize that we are souls with bodies not bodies with souls. We will grow in our appreciation that our thoughts about the world of bodies doesn't mean anything.

This idea in today's lesson is hard to accept. We have to suspend are customary ways of understanding our experience. We don't have to agree with the lesson, or like it, but if we are to continue  on the path we are encouraged to do it.

We are reminded, once again, not to believe everything we think.

Good news for 08/04/20 - Kids chat with woman who is 101

Unitarian Univerasalsts covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations and around the world.

This kind of transgenerational interaction is inspiring and fills one with awe at the wonder of life. This wise elder seems to really enjoy young people and her sincerity in answering their pointed questions is very reassuring about the rewards of a life well lived.

Letters from Hilton, NY - Letter #3 - On miracles

Letter #3 - Miracles

It’s been quite a month in Hilton, NY. Harry Hollywood has been doing miracles. He does a few every day. Sometimes people notice, but most of the time they don’t. It makes no difference to Harry because he goes on doing them anyway.

Harry went over to McDonalds and ran into Elmer Sandbagger. Elmer was going on about how much he loved Donald Trump and all he has done for our country, how Covid-19 is a hoax to make the President look bad, and if it wasn’t for the Mexicans and Muslims and you know who moving into our suburbs, America could be great again.

Barbara Golden was there and told Elmer she disagreed but he, Elmer, of course, is entitled to his opinion, even if he is wrong, because it is a free country and people can express their opinion. Elmer then went off on fake news and how reporters should be locked up for spreading lies.

Ted Marketer came in and joked that he didn’t know if he could sell what Elmer was peddling but if he could sell it anywhere he would have more success in Hilton, NY which is certainly Trump country. Roy Christain who had come to McDonalds with Harry said, “There certainly are a lot of Trumpists here, but not everyone, and I pray every day that the tide is turning and that there will be a miracle and that people will see the light of God in every person.”

Jennifer Golddigger was sitting in one of the tables in the back and apparently had overheard the conversation because she came up front to get a refill on her coffee and said, “I voted for Trump because he is a billionaire and a great businessman. I always wished I was one of his daughters like Ivanka. I would like being married to a rich guy like Jared and have a rich daddy like Donald.”

Harry said, “There’s more important things in life than money.”

Roy chimed in, “Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.” There was a pregnant pause in the conversation.

Harry said, “Yes, a fool and their money are soon parted. A person does not live on bread alone.”

Elmer said, “What are you talking about Harry?? Rich people rule the world and call all the shots.”

Harry said softly, “Not the world I live in.”

And that’s the way things have been going in Hilton, NY over the last month or so. Harry thinks there are things more important than money. Jennifer wants to be Ivanka and have Donald for her father and Jared for her husband. Roy loves to quote the bible, and Elmer loves D.J. and wants America to be great again when the whites were in control. Meanwhile, Harry seems to have risen above it all and surfs the waves of pain and suffering in the ocean of the ego. Harry’s attitude and presence of mind in the midst of this insanity seems to be a miracle.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #3 - I don't understand anything

Lesson #3 - I do not understand anything I see in this room (on this street, from this window, in this place.)

Often we are so sure we are right. We overlook implicit bias, confirmation bias, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. At one point in the text of A Course In Miracles, it asks, "Would your rather be right or be happy?"

We'd often rather be right. Being right sustains and bolsters the ego. I love Carly Simon' song, "You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you."

To admit that we don't understand anything we see in this room, on this street, from this window, in this place, is a bridge too far for many people. At this point, they quit doing the exercises in the workbook.

The instructions for the workbook say, though, you don't have to believe the lessons, you don't have to like them, you don't have to agree with them, just do them. We will come to understand that we are being trained to achieve a new metaphysical experience of our lives. The first step in achieving this is to give up the old world of the ego and all its social constructions and lies.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations and throughout the world. The workbook of A Course In Miracles in lesson #3 is asking us to consider that we don't understand the social constructions of understanding which we have received, participate in, and contribute to. That's all. 😊