Things

I AM the presence of Love. In order to dwell in this presence, one must be willing to set aside the trappings of life which are a distraction to the fulfillment of that promise. Now this does not necessarily required the renouncing of all expressions of beauty and form, but rather setting aside their importance in your life. While it has been said that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”, that has been used in some ways to obscure the true meaning of renunciation of form.

When we speak of letting go of the attachment to form, it is not necessarily meant in a physical sense. It is neither good nor bad to have possessions if they give pleasure to the senses. The slippery slope is breached however when the objects of desire take on the importance of becoming the motivation of your actions rather than a byproduct of appreciation. As in all matters, it is the underlying desires and intention that reveal the motivations of action. All else is merely window dressing.

How easily can you detach yourselves from the “things” in your life? What would you find hardest to “give up”? If all were swept away in the blink of an eye, would you be any less perfect in the eyes of God? Is attachment to the “things” in your life overshadowing and directing your motivations and actions? As we pack our bags for the journey Home, these are the kinds of decisions that determine whether we will take the express route or the local where we must stop and unload excess baggage.

Once you have released your attachment to the “things” in your life you are free to enjoy the finer things in appreciation of their beauty and meaning. It is as if you are visiting in a fine hotel and using the beautiful things there for your amusement without having to “own” anything. Ownership is but another illusion of the ego for nothing in life is truly owned but merely there for our understanding as we clear our vision of reality. It becomes more of a question of the object of your desire owning you in a deeper sense of the word. What “things” own your attention, desire and lust? How important have they become in your life”
As we begin to shed the desires of the ego in our lives, we feel a lightening of the burden of form. In a formless state, reality is quite different from the illusion of the third-dimensional state of being. When life is reduced to the essence of consciousness and being, what are the “things” that comprise this new reality? What characterizes a world of form that is no longer valid in a formless state? How important will the “things” in your life become when the illusion of form is transcended?

If this mode of thinking is beyond your scope of comprehension, let’s step back into the present…What things in your environment distract you from seeking your higher purpose? What attachment have you made that mesmerize your thinking and draw you into a worship of the form itself rather than the appreciation of its presence? Is it Love-ly to behold and therefore worthy of your admiration or is its attraction because it reinforces the baser elements of attraction? Does it serve to elevate man’s understanding and experience or does it merely enchant the mind into a cycle of distraction? Is this a “keeper” in terms of long-term potential for growth and understanding or is it merely a distraction that obscures and detracts from the higher purpose in life? All are considerations to be taken into account as bags are being packed for the upcoming move.

What do you “need” for your substance and growth? What enrich your life and give it purpose and meaning. What things make you feel good because they reinforce your highest ideals and sense of beauty and wonder? And which fail to measure up to this higher standard? Perhaps it is time for a little housecleaning and de-cluttering in order to see clearly the real beauty in our lives and the higher possibilities for growth and achievement. Perhaps?

I AM