Removing Barriers
A reader asked how one can overcome the obstacles to unity. This is an important question – one that we should never put completely to rest.
Emotionally, the two major hurdles are oversensitivity and various glamours. Mentally the basic problem is illusion.
A problem common to both is an overly critical attitude.
The simple solution to these is found in one of my core truisms:
“Follow the highest you know.”
To follow the highest you know the seeker must have a pure heart. A pure heart greatly increases the power of the pilgrim. “My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure,” said Tennyson.
So, what exactly does it mean to be pure in heart?
We all know that it is a good thing to be pure in heart but rarely has anyone tried to define it. Perhaps it is time to do it.
Here are some of the aspects that should be embraced by a person whose heart is pure:
[1] When such a person voices an intention, that intention is what it appears to be. There is no hidden intention that will cause harm or loss to others. In other words, the intention of the heart is pure, purely what it is expressed to be.
[2] He [or she] attempts to follow the path of harmlessness.
[3] He is honest with himself and others. “To thine own self be true” is the keynote here. You wouldn’t think it would be common for people to lie to themselves, but they often do to fulfill the demands of the lower ego.
[4] When error is revealed he will accept the truth and make corrections. This is very difficult for the average person.
[5] He is inclusive rather than exclusive.
[6] He desires to do what is best for the whole rather than putting isolated attention on the part.
[7] He loves his fellowmen and seeks to be of service.
I’m sure this list could be expanded, but this is a good start and takes us the right direction.
A person must be pure in heart to follow the highest he knows, for if he is not he will deceive himself and follow some easy deceptive path while lying to himself and assuring himself he is doing the right thing when he is not.
There is no magic bullet to remove the barriers to unity and soul contact but such will take many years and even lifetimes to attain. Even if progress may seem slow at times, we must never get discouraged. It is true that sometimes you will be doing your best and it may seem that nothing is happening, but something will be happening.
If you are following the highest you know you will have an inner peace and a general feeling you are headed the right direction. Then at an hour where you may be expecting nothing you will have wonderful experiences that will renew your faith and bring joy to your heart because you will know that all your effort has not been in vain.
The two major problems of glamour and illusion are extremely difficult obstacles to unity. One of the major reasons is that the seeker who is under bondage to them will usually not feel they affect him.
The Course in Miracles tells us to recognize the problem so it can be solved. Illusion and glamour often go unrecognized and often goes for lifetimes unrecognized in the life of the aspirant.
If I had to give one key to removing barriers to unity and soul contact it would have to be centered around this quote from Socrates:
“A life unexamined, is not worth living.”
The disciple must constantly examine himself or he will never find the necessary problems to solve. At the end of each day [and often in the middle] he should ask questions such as:
[1] What flaws do I have that I am not seeing?
[2] How can I correct them?
[3] Do the various criticisms of me from my friends and associates have any merit? If not – why are they criticizing me?
[4] What are my blind spots?
[5] Am I keeping my ego in check?
[6] Do others think I have an air of superiority? If so, why?
[7] What are some foundation beliefs that have been planted in me that could be creating illusion? Are these beliefs accepted by me as being true because I am not examining them in the light of day or would they just be difficult for me to change?
One must never cease questioning. One cannot truly examine his life without asking lots of them.
It would be nice if a teacher could just say, “Do A, B & C and then you will have sufficient soul contact,” but such is not the case. The path is long and the trek strenuous but in the end the disciple would have it no other way because a fulfilling joy awaits at the end of the journey.
He that plants trees loves others besides himself. – Thomas Fuller
Sept 29, 2011
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