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NOTE: The following section I have included with reserve. I decided its import warrants it inclusion. Yet, we need not be inclined to deciding a person is not on the Way. I have written elsewhere one in Spirit will show fruit of Spirit. Still, one should be careful not to assume she knows the heart of another, while honoring she may have insight into the heart of another (i.e., discernment). One can, furthermore, discern without being judgmental. Spiritual discernment leads to compassion. No human is the judge of anyone else before her Beloved.
Some persons take a so-called spiritual path, and they are just as lost as the one who appears so lost without a spiritual path. Fraudulent ways are widespread, as well as preliminary teachings diverting from the absolute aspect of the Way; that is, teaching pertaining to relative truth is mistaken for absolute wisdom.
The wisdom is to be attentive to your walk, support the walk of others, and be cautious of trying directly to help others in their lostness. Carol S. Pearson addressed this as to the archetype "Wanderer."
When [they] do not let another in, whether it is parent, lover, therapist, analyst, or teacher, it is important for that helper to pull away so that Wanderers can experience fully the aloneness [i.e., loneliness, emotional isolation] they have created for their own growth. Otherwise, they will be diverted from recognizing their loneliness by fighting off the assaults of others against their walls.
Hence, the wise Way-walker does not meddle in the resistance of another to the Way. The Way has its own "karma," and the resistance of the other will rebound to her, until she yields in humbleness to welcome the wisdom of Life in glad consent.
Also, another caution is not to allow the lost one to manipulate you in support of the resistance. If a person does not cater to her demand for attention, she may seek another "helper," until she finds someone who will enable her obstinancy. The last thing a person lost needs is to be aligned with someone who pities her, so enables her to become more lost in lostness by tolerating her lostness. The way of love is to love the other, not to think in terms of tolerating her or feeling you need to help her. Simply walk and be a medium of the presence of Presence, a light of the Light to all by your quiet, gentle spirit. If asked for guidance, be alert not to give it lightly and quickly, and be careful of any felt-need to over-help or save the other. Much "spiritual" pride manifests in the felt-need to convert another - to save her, or get her saved -, when no one needs someone converting her, and no one can anyway. Again, Grace awakens one to Grace, Life converts one to Life.
Remember -
do not attach to the concept of being a helper to anyone
that is all it is - a concept -
simply remain available to Grace
to be a means of Grace
being a helper
is another identity
not you, not anyone
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Now, as the Way not being a Way, which the Sage said to the disciple - that is something one may wish to contemplate. For how long? - until the Sun of Wisdom shines forth and thinking dissipates in the Light. The Sun shows Itself, even as It gives Itself. The appearance and the giving are one.
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A Prayer ~
We the Golden Chain of Love
This lovely prayer arises from Pure Land Buddhism. Amida [ah'-mi-duh] is the Buddha of the celestial heaven. One can easily remove the name Amida and leave it blank or replace it with another name - Jesus, Christ, Spirit, Krishna, Allah, God, Buddha, Supreme Being, the Light, the One, the Great Spirit ... - I encourage you to offer this prayer thoughtfully, heartfully for all beings.
We are a link in Amida's golden chain of love that stretches around the world, we will keep our link bright and strong.
We will be kind and gentle to every living thing and protect all who are weaker than ourselves.
We will think pure and beautiful thoughts, say pure and beautiful words, and do pure and beautiful deeds.
May every link in Amida's chain of love be bright and strong, and may we all attain perfect peace.
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(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2020
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