Guidin
g Thought
In my natural state of Freedom, my mind knows only serene tranquility and Oneness with All. Nothing need be done, for there is no more to do. I am perfect, whole, and complete. Satisfied and filled full, my energy overflows to manifest only the Good, the Holy, and the Beautiful.
Reflection
Steve
I may ramble a bit on this one.
When I began this journey, one of my intentions was to be open to, and explore the question of what is peace. My mission is to reflect on the Guiding Thought of the day, to notice what comes up, how I feel, what I think, and to respond in some fashion. And I wonder, do I respond as though to an audience, or am I writing simply for myself, to help me find clarity in my thoughts and experiences. Ultimately, I have to answer to myself, for that is the only way I can be true in my sharing with others.
Often what comes up for me are songs or art, where the lyrics or art seem to jive with the topic. I enjoy sharing music/art, and wonder what impacts they may have on others. I will never know, but it is satisfying to think perhaps a seed has been planted, that what I write or share may have some impact in someone else’s life.
I notice this Guiding Thought doesn’t mention peace. It mentions Freedom, knowing tranquility, and (hot button) knowing that nothing needs be done, there is nothing more to do. To me, that is tranquility, a quietness of Spirit that can abide in my heart even during the busiest of times. For me, that is a definition of Peace.
In another vein, they say the way to a man’s heart (or woman’s) is through his/her stomach. And the way to Peace is in our hearts. So that implies having a good meal is a way to Peace. I wonder if that includes pizza? A good pizza can be holy and beautiful can’t it? (Dinner tonight is actually a veggie/cheese tray, and hearty homemade chicken soup, made with love).
All we are saying is give Peace a chance.
SusanWithPearls 
Journey of Peace – Day 33 – Lita
In my natural state of Freedom…
I am paying attention to layers today.
Before my walk, I attended to the day’s guiding thoughts and then went for my jaunt with my walking partner. We walk early. The cold and dark of the season requires layers of clothing to keep out the chill and the damp. Then there is the added layer of reflective gear to keep us safe, especially with this morning’s fog. These seem like necessary layers; they come on; they come off, and with relative ease.
The “stuff in our house, well, those layers vary in their ease of application or removal. We have a dictum in our house (not always honored, but the intention is there) that if something new comes into the house, then something has to go out. Even better is when we do a good cleaning and sorting, shedding layers, the house feels better. I feel better.
And then there are the layers of doing, busyness, ones which focus on being productive, working, working hard, earning enough…fill in the blank: money, status, education, spiritual currency, etc. We inherited this layer, both conscious and unconscious, imposed by our Puritanical ancestors before the founding of our country. Somehow we have to earn our physical and spiritual freedom, because our natural state is somehow tainted. We have to cover up.
My work at this consciousness stuff is about the appropriation of layers – those which enhance or cloud my vision, operation, and most importantly, my natural state. Big Mind consciousness folks talk about the liminal time between wake and sleep as optimal to connect with the Divine, set intentions, and so forth: there are less layers here to interfere with the direct experience of Onenes. Nothing need be done.
I still want to retain my natural state of Freedom throughout my day. I am paying attention to layers today.
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Day 33 – Peace – Mary
Last night I went to a gathering of 30 women working on craft projects. At times, I perceived the space we were in as crowded and noisy and some women can be …..well, not just chatty, but “catty”. This event went until midnight. One elderly woman sank into the only upholstered chair in the place and relaxed into a brief restful nap. While she slept, people talked, judging her harshly for not being more awake and active. From my perspective, it took courage for her to make herself that vulnerable. I thought she was Holy and Beautiful, her energy overflowing with serenity and tranquility in the midst of comparative chaos. I believe her presence, her energy, in that natural, peaceful state, helped to calm and quiet the energy in the room. She made it very clear that, for her in that moment, nothing need be done. I have much to learn from her.
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I have such resonance with your opening today! All the time! Who is my audience? At first, I just wrote “to the great void”, and imagined my thoughts/words going out into emptiness. Then I wrote for myself, “how deep can I go? What can I clear out? What are my innermost thoughts?” Then, I thought about my “responsibility” to the audience, “What can I GIVE? How can I HELP?” Everyday I still wonder and think through all of these…
and…
“A Buddhist monk walks into a pizza parlor and says, ‘make me one with everything.’”
😀 ❤
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