When Everyone Does The Work

Byron Katie answers the question of what she thinks the world looks like when everybody comes from a fearless place of pure love and joy—when everyone lives with that depth of understanding?

It’s amazing. We all begin to do what we can do—what you and I are doing now—to clean up the planet and to find solutions rather than fight. It just happens everywhere. We begin to become human in a different way than what we’ve known before. We begin to be creative in a whole new way. Right now our minds are confused with thousands of untrue beliefs, and we act out of those beliefs, and our environment mirrors that confusion back to us.

We have the opportunity to—oh my goodness!—it’s unspeakable. All of us would be doing the most wonderful things, and we would never know who did them. Like pollution right now—we never really know who’s doing it, although if we’re awake enough, we can know our own part. So, it would be like living the opposite of the pollution example, where all day long you do something that is a contribution and helpful, but you don’t ever get found out. No one knows it’s you.

You realize, “My life is a contribution.” Even breathing is a contribution. Low self-esteem is not possible when you understand the nature of everything. Depression is not possible. The universe is absolutely friendly.

If everyone lived that way, it would end up with all of us living as our true nature. And if we weren’t fearful, we would live that way.

Source: Hemachandra.com

A Teacher of Fear

"A teacher of fear can’t bring peace on Earth.
We have been trying to do it that way for thousands of years.
The person who turns inner violence around,
the person who finds peace inside and lives it,
is the one who teaches what true peace is.
We are waiting for just one teacher.
You’re the one."

~ Byron Katie ~

Keeping the peace?

I loved this comment that Karla made a couple of days ago. I decided to post it so that all of our readers will get to see it. The comment was in reference to the post about brain scans being able to predict who will keep a promise and who won't.


"What is dishonest?" For some people, white lies and evasive techniques come very easily because they are the type that survives best in a harmonious atmosphere. I see this a lot in reading palms. Crooked pinkies indicate fibbing...the more twisted the pinkie, the more apt someone is to twist the truth. But slightly bent often just means the person adjusts truth to keep peace.

We can apply this to our project, I think. When we don't keep those promises to ourselves were we fibbing at the onset? Or is it that the need is simply to harmonize another area of our life at that moment when we must let that promise go?

So, Karla, here's my answer:

When I read this, the first thing I did was check my pinkie fingers - and sure enough, they are only very slightly bent. How interesting! Years ago, they used to be alot more crooked than they are now. So, clearly I'm making progress with myself which is good. The fact that they are even slightly bent, plus the fact that I know what I do got me thinking... Do I adjust the truth to keep the peace? Or am I more likely to tweak the facts in order to avoid trouble? or ease my workload? And at what point does adjusting the truth to smooth out the wrinkles in my life actually begin to cause way more trouble for me than it fixes?

And that answer brings up even more questions:

And what about you? Are you a truth adjuster? What do your pinkie fingers look like? When you find yourself not keeping the commitments you make to yourself, is it in the interests of peace and harmony? or to avoid trouble? And is that the same thing? What areas of your life do you most often find a need to "harmonize," where are your peacekeeping skills most evident? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this one, and how it might relate to this project, and have you been able to keep your commitment to yourself thus far, and if not, were you on a peace keeping mission? or troubleshooting? or what?

Inner Peace

There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing are right for you. The criterion is: Have they brought you inner peace? If they have not, there is something wrong with them, so keep seeking!

~Peace Pilgrim

As I work my way through this project, it occurs to me that many of my energy drains were created in the moment when I chose chaos or suffering or avoidance or anger or procrastination or potato chips and beer over inner peace. When I look at the results of my actions, I find that inner peace must be at the bottom of my "to do" list and "overwhelmed" must be at the top.

So, I guess I'm wondering, what can I do - what small thing can I do in this moment, right now, that will bring peace instead of chaos, comfort instead of suffering, nourishment instead of deprivation, rest instead of weariness. And the answer is....

"Take a nice long hot shower and then go to bed."

I wonder if I'll do it... The other voices in my head are screaming WATCH A MOVIE, DRINK A BEER, EAT SOME CHIPS, PLAY THE SIMS!! Who will win out? I'll let you know tomorrow.

What about you? Where do your choices tend to lead you? What could you chose, in this moment, that might bring some small portion of inner peace? What will you actually do?

The Lodge of Peace

Once our goal or priority is set, then we ask, "Am I at peace with my goal? Does it ring true? Does it make me want to get up early in the morning and get right to it? If our priorities are still couched in "shoulds" and "oughts," we do not really move with them. They are masks for other, more important issues that we have not yet uncovered. So the next activity on the wheel of manifestation is working to be truly at peace with what we want.

Are you morally at peace with your work? Does it feel right to be doing what you are doing? Is your conscience clear? If it is not, there is some part of you that will rebel or will sabotage you efforts.

This lodge of peace is really about getting honest with yourself, about feeling right about what you are doing down to the bone, which is quite different from wasting energy trying to convince yourself and others that what you are doing is good. In the manner of conferring with others, if you are asking too many questions or seeking a lot of advice, you are not yet at peace. Take the time to process whatever needs to be processed. Allow the vision to crystallize. The feeling of being in the flow is well worth the wait.

~Rick Jarow, The Lodge of Manifestation

Friday's Principle

The Fifth Principle: Harness your emotional turbulence.

Sutra: Moksha (MOKE-shah)

Meaning: I am emotionally free

Once we understand that external reality can't be separated from the internal reality, once we understand that the universe really is our extended body, it becomes very clear that negative energy within ourselves is destructive. Emotional turbulence is a major barrier to the spontaneous fulfillment of desire, but it is possible to transform negative energy into a higher level of awareness.

The work moksha means "freedom." As this sutra resonates within you, it expresses "I am emotionally free. My soul is disengaged from melodrama. I am free from resentment, grievances, hostility, and guilt. I am free of self-importance. I am free of self-concern. I am free of self-pity. I can laugh at myself. I see the humor in life." These are all contained in that freedom; if I'm not emotionally free, then I overshadow and cloud the experience of the spirit with the ego, and my best intentions cannot be fulfilled.

Anytime we have emotional turbulence, we upset our natural internal balance, which can block our spiritual evolution, and may even disconnect us from synchronicity. This is not to say that emotions are, in themselves, harmful or to be avoided. As human beings we will always have emotions; these are part of the human condition. There will always be events or relationships in our lives that trigger strong emotions in us. There will always be things in this world that cause great pain or anxiety. What we need to do is avoid getting stuck on one emotion.

read today's sutra exercise

Wednesday's Sutra

Sutra Statements
for the Third Principle


Imagine that you are centered and totally at peace.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you are looking at the world with knowingness and peace.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that all beings are your equal.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you are not affected by flattery or criticism.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you are focused on the journey, not the destination.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that in your presence all hostility is overcome by a profound peace.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you're detached from the outcome.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that a deeply profound ocean of calm exists in you that is not affected by any turbulence.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that love radiates from you like light from a bonfire.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you are in love with everything and everybody. Imagine that you are intoxicated with love.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that the right answer come to you spontaneously whenever you are confronted by any question.

sat chit ananda

*

Imagine that you now exactly what to do in every situation.

sat chit ananda

How to:
When you have an image of each statement in your mind, say sat chit ananda (saht chit ah-NAN-dah), continue with each image until you have visualized each one and repeated the sutra. You can print out these statements, and repeat the statement and the sutra any time during the day that you feel anxious or stressed.

Today

Today the peace of God envelops me,
And I forget all things except His Love.

~A Course in Miracles

The image is a solar eclipse
as seen from the moon.
(click on it to enlarge it)

I go amoung the trees

I go amoung the trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
Around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
Where I left them, asleep like cattle.
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.

~Wendell Berry

All that matters

All that matters is to be at one with the living God
to be a creature in the house of the God of Life.


Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
and at one with the master of the house, with the mistress,
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.

Sleeping on the hearth of the living world
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of the master sitting at the board
in his own and greater being,
in the house of life.

~D H Lawrence, "Pax"