When we move from juror to judge, we risk making an erroneous decision because we do not know all of the facts. Not being in a position of God-like all knowing, we never do have all the facts. We can only evaluate what we believe to be true and plot our own course accordingly. We choose what is relevant to us but might be well served to leave the door open to other possibilities because this is only the illusion as is all of life.
When we make assumptions and have expectations, we always open ourselves to lessons in discernment. We examine the branch and it seems capable of supporting us at first glance. We might test it gently to see how we feel when we are supported by its strength. We may ask of others as to their experiences on the branch. We will never know the Truth, however until we experience the walking for ourselves. We can only evaluate what our five senses tell us about the experience but then weigh that in balance with what our inner knowing (intuition) is telling us. If we fall, we will add this experience to our portfolio and if we are able to examine the situation objectively, find where we failed in our observations, and how we can alter our process to not repeat the painful experience.
Many times the things we assume are the result of wishful, magical thinking and have little roots in the world of form. We put on our rose-colored glasses of hope rather than a willingness to accept the process and the results for what is. This type of unconscious thinking may work well if there is no attachment to outcomes, but this is frequently not the case. Going with the flow of life can be magical if one chooses to set aside the requirements of how something “should” go rather than allowing all to be as it is meant to be.
This is where judgment comes in. If you have expectations that something should be A and it turns out to be B, you may be emotionally attached to having the events fit your vision. If you allow disappointment to color your outlook, you may be unable to see the real gift that is hiding beneath the surface, ready to go beyond your small view into an expansive gift beyond your limited imagining.
When we judge, we put our fingers on the scale and are unable to honestly evaluate the far-reaching implications of the act because we do not have all the “facts”, which we never do. The ability of being able to stand in this truth and forgo judgment in favor of acceptance is the mark of a seeker of truth and wisdom.
Discernment, on the other hand, is necessary for the wisdom seeker because it allows one to set aside the things that clutter our lives and align ourselves with only things which are in our highest and best good. If one is willing to set aside needs of the ego to be valued and approved, it is easier to stand in the frequency of Love and allow that to be enough. It is like walking through high grass in a purposefully way and only stopping to pluck the most beautiful flowers to take home. If you can keep this inner awareness and not allow the siren call of others who think they have the answer or the “next new thing” pulls you off course, then you have mastered this lesson on the path.
It is less about the old paradigm of fearing to be judged oneself and more about using the reflection of the other to reveal the oneness of all experience. This is a group process and when we judge another and find him/her wanting this merely a smoke screen which keeps us from finding our way Home together. If discernment is a healthy place of inquiry and evaluation then judgment might be thought of as the flip-side of that coin. Heads or tails???
I AM
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