“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe " ~ Marcus Aurelius
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” ~ The Dalai Lama
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” ~ The Dalai Lama
It still baffles me how on some days I can exhibit kindness, consideration, friendliness and an overall good will attitude for everyone be it my family and neighbors or the stranger in line and even the person trying to enter my lane of traffic. And other days, I am a sheer ogre. I would love to blame the latter on poor planetary influences, my hormonal conditions and especially, “them”, but whatever the reason, I used to be baffled as to why I seemed unable to maintain harmony, peace and serenity on an everyday basis. "I had it for the few moments I allowed myself to meditate! I had it here and there, like a lightning bug flickering off and on."
It is no longer a mystery, however, as, over the years, I have come to understand that when I am at peace with myself, practicing the daily disciplines on a regular basis, it is much easier for me to catch when Self is trying to reassert itself. My awareness is acute of my blind egocentricity and my total inability to control my insatiable need to control. Yep, I am powerless over my lack of Power ... ergo, ongoing power struggle. Add in the fact that I frequently forget the Power of the Pause as mentioned on the bottom of page 87 in the Big Book.
One of my favorite readings in AA literature comes from the 12 x 12. My sponsor had me read it every day for awhile and I practically had it memorized. It was a humbling passage because it was so true. It is on page 92.
“Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill, as well as frequently wrong, and then we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows actually means.”
It goes on to cite some amazingly accurate examples of how we interact with others and our attitudes towards them, finally concluding with this amazing summation:
“Courtesy, kindness, justice, and love are the keynotes by which we may come into harmony with practically anybody. “
Now, why didn’t I think of that?
If my “only aim is to be helpful”, if love and service are vital for enlarging my spiritual life, it is rather hard for me to assist anyone if I am busy being judge and jury on them or waving my scepter around as Empress of the Universe. In my attempts to play the Director, when my role is really Actor (someone who takes direction from the one running the Show), I suffer from a strange amnesia that I myself would like to be treated with those key notes as mentioned above. Maybe it sounds all Golden Rule -elementary, but if you think about it, really isn’t that why the "rule" has such a title? It is Gold because of its invaluable merit?
Also, working off the theory that when I am under self-propulsion and whole-heartedly invested in things working out the way “I” envision them, then I am bound to come into collision with others also operating under their own self-propulsion.
So how do I possess these mysterious "keys to harmony"? I have found that I am in a much better position to practice courtesy, kindness, justice and love when I :
A) Remember where I came from
B) Am coming from a place of gratitude and humility
C) Not obsessed with self-importance or self-pity
D) Cleared of selfish attitudes and egocentric thinking
E) Utilizing all the principles embodied in the transformational process of our Steps
E) Utilizing all the principles embodied in the transformational process of our Steps
My friend, Brad B. shared in a meeting once that practicing Steps 10 and 11 IS actually taking Steps 6 & 7 every day. It was one of those "I could have had a V-8" moments. I love epiphanies!
Having my character defects that stand in the way of my usefulness to you (or “them”) removed is essential in order for me to be of any use or good to anyone at all. It is my key to the keynotes!
What a beautiful harmony Realization and Perspective create! When I recognize who I am and where I belong and how I can carry the vision of my Higher Power’s will into all of my activities, I grasp how crucial they are if I desire to be kind.
The Dalai Lama is right, I believe. I don’t need a temple to practice a "religion" of kindness. The World is a temple and my heart and mind cleared of wrong thinking and wrong motives can serve others who are stumbling (hopefully forward) just as I am. If I am doing the best I can do today, then maybe they are, too.
Having my character defects that stand in the way of my usefulness to you (or “them”) removed is essential in order for me to be of any use or good to anyone at all. It is my key to the keynotes!
What a beautiful harmony Realization and Perspective create! When I recognize who I am and where I belong and how I can carry the vision of my Higher Power’s will into all of my activities, I grasp how crucial they are if I desire to be kind.
The Dalai Lama is right, I believe. I don’t need a temple to practice a "religion" of kindness. The World is a temple and my heart and mind cleared of wrong thinking and wrong motives can serve others who are stumbling (hopefully forward) just as I am. If I am doing the best I can do today, then maybe they are, too.
I will end with this one last quote from the Twelve & Twelve in the discussion of the 11th Step.
“The moment we catch even a glimpse of God's will, the moment we begin to see truth, justice, and love as the real and eternal things in life, we are no longer deeply disturbed by all the seeming evidence to the contrary that surrounds us in purely human affairs. “
Have a nice day!
