#27 (18:41 – 19:30)

“Accept this seeming contradiction; the fact that your body will die and that you are also eternal. Surrender to this fact that when someone dies, and stop telling yourself that his or her death should not have happened the way that it did. You can surrender and you can grieve. You do not die; that which was never born, never dies. You are an eternal spirit, formless. You are transforming your life with this. Going beyond form means you, the real you, the observer within is ageless and timeless. That which it is observing, noticing is bound by the need for things to begin and end.”

This is the most difficult idea to accept, especially if you have lost someone very close to you. Believing that we are eternal beings and knowing that to be true are two totally different things. However, if you believe in the perfection of the Universe and that no accidents can happen, then you can understand everything happens the way it should and it becomes easier to surrender. Once you surrender to the will of God, surrender everything to God, then your experience of the world becomes easier to handle because you develop an inner knowingness that all that happens is of God’s will and you do not have the capacity to understand why. Therefore, do not be in conflict with the way things are. Accept it even if it is difficult to understand that we are eternal beings, we are spiritual beings that have temporary bodies. The Law of Conservation of Energy says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can change form. Life is energy, and therefore, cannot be destroyed and was never created. We only change form. Science has proven this time and time again.

#11 (9:04 - 9:47)

"Lighten your material load, starting today. As you do so, less energy is spent hoarding, and insuring, and moving, and polishing and so on. The less attracted you are to your possessions, and the more you are able to share them with others unconditionally, the more peaceful your life will be. See how many things you can give away that you no longer use and don't ask anything for it in return; and don't tell anyone else that you did it. Just give not to get, but just for the beautiful soulful notion of unburdening your soul with all of that material stuff that you no longer need."

"It is the space within the glass that makes it useful."

This has been a very challenging practice for me since I am one to hang on to things. I always think that I will have use for it at a later date; books, old electronic parts, old computers, boxes, clothing, shoes and so on. In a matter of time, I have realized that I accumulated so many things, that it has crowded up a lot of the free space in my rooms.

Now, it has become a lot easier for me. I give away clothing that I do not use, I sell books that, if necessary, could be purchased at a later date if I really needed them. I throw away old boxes and other unnecessary items. I do still have some old computers that are taking up free space that I want to get rid of as well. I actually have them there set aside to be thrown away right now.

Why? I feel much better when there is space around me. The 11th verse of the Tao describes this beautifully:

Though thirty spokes may form the wheel,
it is the hole within the hub
which gives the wheel utility.

It is not the clay the potter throws,
which gives the pot its usefulness,
but the space within the shape,
from which the pot is made.

Without a door, the room cannot be entered,
and without windows it is dark.

Such is the utility of non-existence.

It is the emptiness of the room that gives the room its usefulness. This is exactly how I feel. When there is space, there is clarity of thought and with clarity of thought, there is usefulness. I do intend to reduce the amount of 'things' that I hang on to. We have a way of attaching meanings to all these material things, when in reality, they really have no meaning. It does take a bit of thought changing, but I know it gets easier once you make it a habit of not clinging to possessions.

An important message from this lesson as well is the notion of giving. Most of the time, we expect something in return, but once we start giving and release all expectations, then our lives will change significantly. Not only will we feel great because we give out of joy or love, but also receive the same joy and love from others because it is one of the many laws of the Universe. We will start receiving all that we want in our lives because our givingness is being reciprocated. An amazing place this world is.

God bless.

Frank

#4 (4:30 - 5:00)

"Draw your inner energy from the beauty that surrounds you. When you do so, this energy reception will become a source of strength and sustenance in your life. As you begin practicing beauty appreciation, seeing it in all things that you encounter, including all people; as you begin to see the fullness of God in everyone, rather than something to judge, you will find a new kind of bliss in your everyday life."

I love this message because it once again reminds me of the Divinity that exists in all things. This energy that Dr. Dyer refers to, the energy of life itself, is the Divine energy that goes through all of us. I always do what I can do go beyond physical appearances and view everything situation or circumstance and every person or animal, from a spiritual perspective. This allows me to respect the Divine nature of everything.

I recall, at Dr. Hawkin's lecture in California, he mentioned that a tree respects us as humans because of our Divinity. He calibrated this using Kinesiology and it tested true. I thought that to be amazing. We normally see a tree as a physical, almost inanimate object at times, but there is a life energy that flows through it as well. This is as Divine as the energy that flows through me. Now, I do understand that and respect a tree because it is a tree and for no other reason. Respect all things by virtue of what they are, because they can be nothing else...a dog can only be a dog and nothing else, a cat can only be a cat, a snake can only be a snake, I can only be who I am.

Another thought comes to mind as I type. Dr. Hawkin's once spoke of Chief Detroit, a Native American chief, that will ask the deer for forgiveness for taking its life in order to sustain his own. He truly understand the Divinity, the White Spirit he called it, that exists in all things.

So I do not judge anything for being what it is, but I love and experience life's perfection and surrender my positionalities to God. So much to learn.

Thank you.

God bless.

Frank.