Everything Changes
I would like to start with a quote from one of my mentors, who also was a Mystic: Rev. Rod Romney, “My present belief has changed from the past and I expect that it will change in the future.” I could not say it better. . I like to start my talks with a joke. Today I have two: The first one is from the “60s” and I may have told it before, if so, here it is again. . A business man is walking through the city and he comes upon a hippie. The hippie has spread out a blanket on the sidewalk, is burning incense, and chanting while dancing in a circle. The man asks him, “What are you doing?” The hippie answers, “Chasing away elephants.” The man says, “That’s ridiculous; how could you possibly think that is working?” And the hippie says, “You don’t see any elephants, do you?” . The second one is from our family trip to Europe. My wife, Kay, and our three daughters traveled in Europe. I had never been to Europe before. The first part of the trip was on trains. There are a lot of trains, and they are on time. There may be little time to board. The signs are in their language. The stations were often very busy and traveling with a family, there can be a lot going on. In large cities, there can be multiple stations, so it can be important to be sure you are at the right station and taking the train in the right direction. We started in Sicily and then traveled north through Italy. At one point, as the train was pulling out, I decided to be sure and look at the name of the station so I would know it when we returned. Looking out the window, I saw “Uscita” and filed that away in my memory. As we were pulling out of the next stop, I again noticed a sign but it seemed to be the same word. That seemed strange, but perhaps I remembered it wrong. However when I saw “Uscita” at the third station, I realized that Uscita was “Exit” in Italian. . Both jokes illustrate reaching an incorrect conclusion. The first is based on what isn’t visible (Chasing away Elephants), the second upon what is visible (Uscita). . Everything changes. Everything! . I remember my mother talking about change when she was about my age. She said, “I look in the mirror and wonder, ‘Who is this old lady? I still feel 20 inside.’ ” Now I feel that way. Perhaps this is what can happen when we reach this age, we have lived long enough to notice that nothing is the same. . I have an underlying need to not have things change. I once read that about 75% of us don’t like change. When I was working, I sometimes traveled for the Government, and I discovered that I didn’t like surprises. Like thinking that I would be reimbursed for an expense and then, after I returned and submitted my travel claim, discovering that it wasn’t covered. I had to pay for it myself. Toward the end of my work career, I was involved in coordinating recruiting which involved people traveling to Universities and Colleges. I discovered that this was indeed true for them. In general, they did not like surprises. They did not like unexpected changes. So I tried to minimize surprises. . I have an old pendulum clock in the center of our house. It has been in the family for well over 100 years. I remember it in my grandmother’s house when I was young. So I think seeing and hearing it is comforting. It’s one thing that hasn’t changed. Of course that is not true. I have had to have it repaired. But still, hearing it tick and chime, is comforting. . There is a Tibetan Buddhism saying: “This world is not real because it is always changing. But behind the world is an unchanging truth.” (A Dorje is the symbol for this unchanging truth.) . It is possible to confuse change with progress. Just because something changes, does not mean that the change is progress. . I need to be wary of “Been there, done that.” Everything changes. I believe that meditation and intuition can bridge between the World and the unchanging truth. So, I need to continue to meditate daily, and check choices using my intuition. Answers can change over time. I may have not have gone to an event or a meeting in the past. I may have even checked with my intuition. However, everything can change. Including intuitive answers. It is good to recheck intuitive choices over time. I need to remember that I don’t know what is going on and I am not in charge. . Yesterday I had a dream. Carole and I, along with friends from my childhood, were following the Amtrak trail or, something like that. I don’t even know what that is. We were walking from one place to another through an area with businesses and shops. The trail was not marked. In my childhood, one of my old friends would barge ahead, because he knew the way, and leave me behind. As a result, I could suddenly find myself alone and lost. In my dream, he was part of the group. The others took off with him, and I was left behind. Thinking I was following the trail, I kept finding that I was not on it. Knowing I needed to leave, but I could not see the way. I tired to find signs, but I couldn’t. I woke up thinking that the trail needed more signs. . I want to mention that this dream had few images. It was more about feelings. So didn’t see my friends as much as I felt them. I didn’t see different ways. Mainly I felt that the path was not clear. . I believe that the dream is about my Spiritual Path and that the dream relates to this talk. Perhaps the dream is a reminder of the quote from Beverly Sills, “There is no short cut to anyplace worth going.” I need to follow my Spiritual Path and not necessarily follow others. After the dream, I had a feeling of what Audrey Pitchford calls Answered Prayer. . It’s an Illusion! I have spoken about this before. I heard it in meditation one morning. I believe that this refers to Life and more. Life is like a dream, or a movie. . Recently I had another Vision in meditation: I am watching my movie. But there are movies down the street, across town. These are distractions. I need to pay attention to my movie and not wander off to see other movies. . As I think about this, I realize that this simple vision has been made more complex by technology. Now multiple movies can be in the same theater. With TV and computers, they can be in my home. With the Internet, there are more than I could possibly watch. With a smart phone, all of this can be in the palm of my hand. . My goal is to return home. And not to have to reincarnate. This was the subject of my last talk. I believe that I am building a path home. . What has happened recently? What is happening in my movie? My dream? My Spiritual Journey? . One morning I heard in meditation, “Nothing is perfect except God. However, in this World, things can be good enough.” So now I am working on good enough. . I had not seen a friend since before Covid. So that is over five years. We recently reconnected. Part of her text to me was, “… you are a life path 3 which means you are coming back 6 more times!” I did not remember that. I am not sure that it is true, but I can tell you that it was a shock. I did not like hearing it. . I don’t want to come back once, let alone six more times! . Then, not long after our Summer Mastership in July, I had a meditation that helped me release what would cause me to have to return. I did it six times. I am not sure about any of this. But I will tell you that this may be one of the most exciting things that has happened in this Life. I don’t know if this meditation will work for others, but I plan to find out during our Fall Mastership in October. . During our Vortex/Stargate Gathering on August 17, a man showed up who had only attended once before. He was able to confirm some things that were important to me. He also said, “When we leave here, we leave the ‘I’ behind.” To me, leaving here does not mean dying. I think that it means when we leave the Illusion. This has become an important quote for me. In meditation, as I leave the Illusion, I strive to leave the “I” behind. I strive to feel Oneness. . Brian Jones’ classes and the books we read continue to be an important part of my Spiritual Journey. Brian asks the question, “What can happen in a dream?” The answer is Anything. Life is a dream, anything can happen. . Brian has also written a book titled, “Who do you think you are?” This poem in his book has become important to me. . Above the Battleground by Brian Jones . Oh, how I’d love to live above the battleground, where peace, love, and unity abound. . High above the ego’s world of struggle, fear, and strife where I seem to be doomed to return, life after life. . Above the ego’s world of guilt, remorse, and shame, above its insane chase for superiority and fame. . Above its murder and abuse; all as the ego planned it. How can we all remain upon this psycho planet? . Today I look upon its anger, rage, and war and finally decide I’ll return there no more. . I believe that the concept of being above the battleground comes from the Course in Miracles. The World being a battleground has not changed. But the battleground, and how I see it has changed. Regardless, the question remains, am I above it, or have I been drawn into the battle? The song, “The times they are a changing,” was written during the 60’s and became a song of the Civil Rights movement as well as the movement against the war in Vietnam. Basically the song is about recognizing change. But I feel differently when I sing it now than I did before. Perhaps because the battle has changed. This could also be a sign that I have been drawn into the Battlefield. . I continue to benefit from the classes lead by Brian Jones. We are rereading two books that we have read before. In addition to being reminded of concepts, I find ones that I didn’t notice, have forgotten, or see in a new light. Often these confirm what I am on my Spiritual Path. . I am grateful that Unity and especially this Church are open to information from other traditions and are not rigid. This openness and welcome for change created a place where A Course in Miracles and other more recent works can be considered. Of course, this openness can change too. . I am reminded of a newspaper article that we may be separated by our certainty more than by our beliefs. When we are not certain, we have an open mind. This is a good thing for me to remember as I spend time with other groups. Like we will be doing with the Faith congregation tomorrow. I am grateful that we are able to share their large and beautiful Church. . In Summery:
. In this World, Everything changes. Everything. It’s an Illusion. But behind the Illusion is an unchanging truth. I am seeking the unchanging truth. My goal is to go home. I need to continue to meditate daily and use intuition to make decisions. Including not falling into “Been there, done that.” I may have found a way to skip lifetimes. I plan to share it. When we leave the Illusion, we leave the “I” behind. I need to focus on my movie, and stay above the battleground. I have given up on perfection and am now working on “good enough.” (A big step for a Virgo.) . Meditation: The song “Turn, Turn, Turn” is about timing. Has something changed? Can we can have a new experience? Yes. We can take advantage of a change to a crystalline structure. We don’t have to understand or believe in this change. Using the sound of the didgeridoo, we may be able to raise the vibration of the body higher than it has been before. Higher to more easily experience The ALL.
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