Thursday 30 March 2023

The Inner Hug: Contact with the Eternal and Infinite - Lent 2023: Day 37

You cannot fake it. It has to be utterly sincere. Your dialogue with God - the Maker, the Purpose, the Unfolding, the Eternal and Infinite. The God of the entire Universe, limitless, timeless; your help.

You are as nothing to the vastness of the Cosmos - and yet it was all created for you. There's a moment in your life in which this paradox becomes clear, when everything clicks into place.

Begin with a quieting of the self. Be at rest, entirely comfortable. Eyes may be closed, or beholding a sight that inspires marvel. As mine are right now, focused on the tall trees in the forest beyond my garden, reaching up to the sky, swaying slightly. A feeling of connectedness, serenity, ideal calm. Breathing slowly. In this state of mind, deep, glorious intuitions may come. 

And how does God manifest God in our lives? In your life? How do you know for certain that the materialist-reductionist worldview is flat, lacking depth and meaning?

Tiny shafts of light that shine through the whirring cogs of our everyday activities - that inner hug, tears of love welling up in the eyes...? Miracles? Does God intervene in our lives? Can we "petition the Lord with prayer"? When this happens, when you feel the inner hug - that is a time to ask. To ask for something that's right and proper., that's aligned with the unfolding Universe. Peace, peace of mind, health, comfort, freedom from fear, freedom from stress. Acceptance. Certainly not pimping the Ego; asking for material luxuries is neither right nor proper.

How do we know we're getting it right? We receive feedback in the form of profound intuitions, unbidden explanations to hitherto intractable problems - suddenly something becomes clear - indisputably clear. A strong, positive voice fills you with confidence, dispelling doubt. And that 'inner hug' - that magic, warm feeling within, your eyes well up with tears of joy - a surge of oxytocin through the bloodstream, acting as a biofeedback response to your trust in the Universe.

Can we always bring it on? I don't think I'm spiritually evolved enough to do so at will. It's now the evening, I try and I try. Somehow now it's not out there for me. We all have ups and downs - as the Rabbi says, "when you're having a great day, remember it can all turn shit-shaped very quickly. The corollary is also true. When you're having a shitty day, remember that great days are just around the corner."

And I must say, I'm happier with each passing year. To a 40-year-old, this may seem odd - it certainly would have seemed odd to a 40-year-old version of me to have read such words. But it is true.

Lent 2022: Day 37
Take it easy - or get rigorous?

Lent 2021: Day 37
Dream insights into past lives

Lent 2020: Day 37
Further thoughts on Reincarnation

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