One day, I was standing in front of a store when a Pentacostal pastor approached. The pastor introduced himself and spoke about his church. Afterward, he asked me if there were any ailments that I wanted healed. I told him about the abscessed tooth that was bothering me. He explained  about the works of God and that, sometimes, during prayer, miraculous healing occurs. As he placed his hands on me, he commanded that God heal my affliction. The tooth never bothered me after that.

One thing that can be said about Protestant Christianity is that a large percentage of its adherents tend to give credit where it’s due. During moments of  “signs and wonders”, it’s too easy to give credit to a person when all that person is doing is stepping out of the way and letting the “Higher Power” do its work. A major tenet of Christianity is Grace, which is what happens when we step out of the way. Christianity deserves much respect for its emphasis on this principle, even when it’s misunderstood by some adherents.

Grace is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. We can’t say that you either have it or you don’t, based on whether you performed particular rites or doctrinal vows. It’s a constantly unfolding process. As we “extinguish the fluctuations of the mind” (Pantanjali, Yoga Sutras) and let go into the divine flow, grace becomes an increasingly prominent force in our lives.

A person who has brought this process to completion is commonly referred to as a sage, a saint, a master, etc… In such a person, God (or the higher intelligence) is the sole doer. If you’re lucky, you may see cosmic blessings or miracles seeming to come from such a person. From our limited perception, that is how it appears. However, they know that it’s not themselves doing anything. It all comes from the act of allowing Grace to guide them.

I learned a little bit, from teaching Reiki, about “initiations”, “transmissions” and “diksha”. When teaching Reiki, you pass on a transmission which allows the student to use the Reiki energy. It sure doesn’t seem like it’s me transmitting anything during these rituals. It’s obvious that it comes from the source of all and then through me as the conduit or vessel. It’s a good reminder of what a “saint” must experience when they’re apparently performing wondrous events. Do such things come from them as a particle or through them as a wave?

Taoism is a way of life that has gained popularity in the west in recent decades. There is an emphasis on becoming “an empty vessel” or “an uncarved block”. The popular rumor mill diluted the message at some point, mistaking the message as a call to laziness. “Effort not” and its variants became a new mantra. The principle of Grace gave way to a cheap counterfeit as large numbers of seekers finally found religion(?).

When we try to be effortless, we may find that it takes a lot of effort. Our minds get in the way. We have so much unconscious garbage, wounds and motives that the act of becoming effortless becomes impossible. We’re resisting the flow without necessarily realizing it because the mind enslaves us. That’s a lot of effort.

How do we “step out of the way” and allow the flow of Grace in our lives? It seems like a catch 22, doesn’t it? Pantanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, describes the “fluctuations of the mind”. Yoga is the “cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”. To increase our effortlessness, we must increase our effort through “Yoga”, which means spiritual practice that leads to union with the Absolute.

These days, the term Yoga is known as a set of practices that originated in India. The term, in the ancient sense, is much more universal than that. Otherwise St. Theresa of Avila would not have experienced Samadhi (absolute absorption in the Supreme Bliss, often accompanied by a lack of breath and heartbeat and a deep consciousness of the infinite) on a regular basis. Do you need to study Indian techniques to realize union with God? Did Theresa?

Concentrated sincere prayer and meditation allow us to gradually settle our agitated minds as we plunge deeper and deeper into the divine flow. Our lives become more integrated as we continuously let go of all the baggage of the mind. Intuition increases and, as we follow that and act on that, we increase the flow of Grace into our lives. Everything becomes increasingly guided by Grace until we realize who’s really running the show.

More Writings:

What is Meditation?

Resolving Conflict with our Whole Being

Change Any Subconscious Belief in a Minute or Less

Oceanic Mind - The Deeper Meditation Training Course Homepage

Monkey Wisdom Meditation and Yoga Homepage

Monkey Wisdom Meditation and Yoga

Prescott, Arizona

(928) 273-4365

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