The Principle of Losing
Question: Could you expand that idea a bit–in what manner does one ‘lose oneself’ in order to ‘find oneself,’ except metaphorically?
The standard view of the scripture is that if one is called upon to sacrifice his life or become a martyr for God he will gain eternal life, but if he is not willing to do this he will not obtain that glorious life in the hereafter. While there is some truth in this literal interpretation the principle is overlooked. While a narrow application of a principle is often rejected by the logical mind a principle itself when properly explained is usually seen and accepted even by the person of reason who has not obtained soul contact.
Here is the scripture again:
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Luke 17:33
The principle:
If we put our full attention on saving or preserving a thing because of selfishness or lower desire that thing will slip away from us and be as if it never was. If the seeker is attached to this object of illusion much pain will be the result.
If we can overcome attachment to the object of lower desire and let go then we not only have available the lower as needed but open the door to higher life and enjoyment.
Let’s apply this principle to a practical situation.
Let us say you fall in love and desire this person more than any person you have ever met. You try to ensure that you will possess this person by throwing all your attention on him or her. You call six times a day, you buy flowers, candy, run errands and at the loved one’s beck and call 24/7.
The effect is you scare the dickens out of her and she avoids you like the plague.
Another person also meets the love of his life but he understands this principle and is willing to risk losing her to win her. He doesn’t come on too strong and is himself around her even at the risk of not impressing her and losing her. She senses the freedom she has with him and that she could lose him if she doesn’t respond so he winds up winning her affection.
Spiritual healers also teach this principle with their work. They say that if the ill person puts all his attention on being healed from his disease the disease usually gets worse. He has to take his attention off the disease as well as healing and let it go. In other words, obtain the frame of mind that he has not care whether he is healed or not. Then he needs to live his life as if he is in perfect health. He thus loses his attachment to health as well as the disease and is healed in the process.
There are hundreds of applications to this principle. Jesus was just using it in relation to the situation faced by his disciples.
Here are a few other things I have written in the past about the scripture in question:
Quote #1:
When the lower desires govern decision-making, the Son of God that is within each of us is bound in chains and has no freedom of expression. When the higher desires govern decision-making, the Son of God is released from his prison and sits upon his throne to direct the lower self to greater expression and fulfillment. Thus, the whole self becomes free. This is one of the meanings of the injunction:
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life (lower self) shall lose it (not find what he is seeking); and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”
When we yield up (or lose) the lower self to the higher, we find the greatest expression of the whole.
Quote #2:
The pilgrim treads the path as the humble lamb which is herded about and controlled by many shepherds, some good and some not so good. With each new shepherd he thinks he has found the ultimate truth, but each time this happens he finds he is only herded about until eventually he winds up on the kill floor. As the lamb faces death by the hands of those with whom he was supposed to trust, and all his friends flee to a safe distance, the lion is born from the humble lamb; he rises from what seemed to be a dead end, seizes kingdom and opens the seven seals which before were beyond his grasp.
Even so it is with us. Each of us must find the peaceful Christ consciousness within and humbly follow it even as a lamb follows his shepherd, until the point of tension is reached. Then, the initiate, or the lion part of the Christ, is resurrected and seizes the pillars of knowledge. The lion of Christ realizes the shepherds can only take him so far, even with the help of the lamb of Christ within.
Eventually, ‘Carpe Diem’ comes to his consciousness and he finds he must not only seize the day, but he must seize the kingdom.
Seizing the kingdom is a great mystery and exact instructions for it cannot be put into earthly words. The path of the lamb can be put into words and followed and this takes the pilgrim to the threshold. At the threshold the revelation comes and the lion comes to life and has an innate knowing of how to take the scroll out of the right hand of power and open the seals.
Until that day comes the pilgrim must play the role of the lamb of God, follow the highest he knows and as well as the promptings of the Christ within, even if it seems he will be slain.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt 16:25-26)
The lamb seems to have been slain, but rises with the strength of a lion and takes the kingdom. At that point the Christ within says:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt 28:18)
All things are now possible, but he no longer wants all things. He wants to see the will of God done on the earth as it is in heaven and accepts that portion of the marvelous work which belongs to him.
Quote #3:
Even Christ cared about things as enlightened as He was. What I mean is that you’re not attached to things so that if you see that something needs to be done for the benefit of humanity you will allow yourself to lose your life. Remember Christ said, ‘He that loses his life for my sake shall find it. And he that seeks to save his life shall lose it.’ In other words, true enlightenment is when you’re willing to let everything go for the greater good. When you have that state of mind, when you’re willing to let everything go whether it be your wife, your kids, your job, your money, your house or your life itself, when you’re willing to let all that go for the greater good and sacrifice it then you’ve made a great step toward enlightenment.
Larry said maybe we’re just shifting our attachment from self to being attached to the greater good. That’s true. It’s a series of new attachments, perhaps we could say. We’re attached to our life then we switch our attachment to the greater good. Later on we find something above the life of the greater good so we switch our attention and keep switching our attention until we get to the whole one life.
There’s always somebody who is paid too much, and taxed too little – and it’s always somebody else. – Cullen Hightower
Sept 10, 2007
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