Principle 58

This entry is part 58 of 98 in the series Principles

The Lion Principle

I have talked briefly about this principle a number of times. This is an important one and certainly belongs in the Book of Principles.

This principle has a strange name indeed but it is quite fitting when one realizes exactly what it is and what it accomplishes.

The use of this principle enables the disciple to overcome one of his last hurdles to enable him to keep his mind focused in the light and open a permanent door to the soul.

And what is that hurdle that causes such a problem?

It is the flaws that are seen in our fellow humans, some real and some imagined. Among those which have some basis in reality many are minor flaws that are blown up to become major flaws in the eye of he beholder.

Jesus talked about this problem quite pointedly:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matt 7:3-5 NIV

This is a universal problem that most of us have to deal with. Just consider your own life. How many times have you been approached by someone about a small flaw that you are supposed to have when the guy trying to correct you has obvious huge flaws to which he seems oblivious.

The funny thing is that often this large flaw is him looking at others with a jaundice eye on a self appointed mission to correct others before straightening himself out. It is difficult to find a more annoying flaw than this.

This trait of seeing the flaws in others and allowing them to create a grievance is indeed a source of major blockage to full soul contact.

It is amazing that many who see themselves as spiritually advanced have such a problem with this and come up with excuses such as:

“Jim is destroying the peace of the group and we need to set him straight or throw him out.”

“We just can’t function well as a group if Bob will not do his share.”

“I have to speak up about Betty and the way she dresses. If I don’t know one will.”

“John is arrogant and someone needs to take him down a notch – besides he has that smirk that drives me crazy.”

Unfortunately, when group work is involved and people need to work closely together these small minded critics begin to surface and the group being of a spiritual nature is no insurance that they will do much better than the Rotary Club.

In addition to dealing with small flaws, the disciple will also find he will have to deal with real ones that do interfere with progress. All these flaws that we encounter indeed are difficult for most seekers to master. Often the seeker will seem to have made a lot of spiritual progress. He has gained a lot of knowledge, takes good care of his body, gives money to charity, does service work, but then has a grievance in his heart because of something said that shuts the door to his own soul.

Negative feelings should never be suppressed or denied but must be understood, dealt with and sent to their right place. Denial and suppression gives the negative feelings power to diminish your physical and spiritual energy and can lead to disease.

If someone irritates you then you must learn how to neutralize this negative emotion without injuring yourself.

What is needed is to use The Lion Principle. If you get in a cage with a lion he will most likely do you a lot of damage and this could be very irritating. When looking at the caged lion you know he can kill you but you do not get irritated at his behavior. Why.

Because he’s a lion and that is his nature and there is nothing you can do about it. If you do not accept the lion for what he is you could be annoyed all the time.

Even so, irritating people are what they are whether they are in our lives or not. If we let them get to us then that is like entering the cage with the lion. Keep your emotional distance and realize that they just are what they are and there is generally nothing you can do to change them.

If you find another person irritating or obnoxious then take the vantage point of the observer so they do not affect your emotional body no matter what they do. Then make no effort to include them in your life any more than necessary.

If you see an opportunity to help them, fine, but the guy with a beam in his own eye often does not take criticism kindly.

I’ve dealt with some very difficult people in my life and when this has occurred I have looked upon encounters as practice sessions. I practice keeping focused in the light and seeing the Christ within the guy while letting his negativity breeze through me without effect.

The strange thing is that when the disciple learns to neutralize the negativity of others so there is no grievance, the negative one often becomes more enraged. He will either insist you are in the same state as he or he increases his negative attack.

The key path for the disciple is to be at perfect peace even if he is navigating through numerous emotional storms. The story of Jesus calming the waters is a great symbol of what must occur within us.

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