Wednesday, November 30, 2016

How To Become More Compassionate, Forgiving, Patient & Non-Judgmental to Others

When you travel on a plane and the flight attendants issue the safety instructions, they always say secure your own oxygen mask first and then assist others with their's; and this is sound advice. The same kind of principle applies when it comes to deepening spiritually.

Spiritual principles can seem hard to put into practice: show compassion to others; forgive others; show others patience, don't judge others etc, until we turn this practice around and apply the medicine to our own selves first. So we develop the practice of routinely showing ourselves compassion, forgiving ourselves and being patient and non-judgmental with ourselves. When we have truly mastered these practices (for they must be practiced, Patience, Compassion, and Non-Judgement are not of the mind.) then automatically we become compassionate, patient and non-judgemental with the so-called 'other'. (In this way you are a one-stop shop to your own Enlightenment!) For in mastering these practices we begin to enter ourselves as spiritual beings and plumb the depths of our eternal selves. In doing this we discover a profound unity with the Presence of others.

How do we show ourselves Compassion? Speaking for myself, when there is a pain inside of me and there may be a story attached, perhaps I have spoken out of turn in a moment of unconsciousness and am now feeling the pain of the one I have unintentionally harmed. (Well yes of course we come to realize with consistent inner practice that that one that we have unintentionally hurt is us, but still the practice is the same before or after that realization hits).  In a private space I appeal to my true self, my formless teacher who is all-knowing, all understanding, and all-compassionate, silently, by turning within and I give it all to Her. Sinking into the feeling of woe within, I am like a child unburdening myself to a perfect Mother, this perfect Mother/Father/Beloved at the source of myself. I offer the story up too, which means I surrender it, sacrifice it, drop it and I allow the Compassion to flood the Heart as the Presence transmutes the pain back into Itself. And in it, is understanding and in it, is forgiveness (although your true nature does not even need to forgive because It doesn't blame but still the mind receives the forgiveness it seeks).

And how empowering it is, to allow the Presence to heal you and Love you and expand you in this way because although sometimes we may think that we need forgiveness, compassion, and understanding from another, this we cannot always have! The one we have 'wronged' or 'hurt' may not even be capable of true forgiveness, compassion or understanding at this point because people process emotion at different rates and in different ways or for any number of other reasons. In a relationship you may be given the 'cold shoulder' and that could be a problem to one who has been programmed to need approval but it is disempowering and futile to go after what you seek from the 'cold shoulder'. Rather, transcend that need and give something way better than approval to yourself, from that eternal well of power within you!

So by attending to ourselves first, we can live light and free and unencumbered, nurturing the relationship with that Eternal Presence, which is at the core of the Joy and the Bliss of Life. Then you can overflow your Compassion, Forgiveness, Understanding and Non-Judgement naturally and without effort to others because you are That, so you've got it to give.

- Maha

1 comment:

  1. I fully understand the meaning now of a saying I have heard my whole life and this totally gave me such an understanding of the phrase " HEAL THYSELF " ,It is such a gift to have read this. It will be a beautiful day for me.With heartfelt thanks to you Maha
    From Barbara

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