I have personally discovered that the degree to which I am clear within myself determines the clarity with which I will be able to understand those things outside of me. The sages over the centuries have told us to awaken; to seek enlightenment, uncover our true selves. Some say we are inherently enlightened, but our lack of self awareness shrouds the experience of being awake and, therefore, clear. Whatever it takes to fully examine and integrate all the parts of who we are, both consciously and unconsciously, is necessary to “awaken”. Once comfortable with that, we can take our understanding to the external world we live in. Our own efforts to seek the enlightened state for ourselves automatically include efforts toward bringing the world along with us. This is due to the fact that we are all part of one larger whole and effect each other profoundly in everything we think, do and say. In fact, this is the Bodhisattva's vow in Buddhism, as they dedicate their spiritual practice..."for the sake of all sentient beings." When you find yourself to be a seeker of "the truth",it can be very exciting if you find your fire has been lit with the passion of self-discovery. It helps not only you but others, as well. One of the methods that enhances our ability to make this inquiry is certainly meditation.The promise of a larger mind, clearer insight, and access to deeper wisdom and intuition awaits us, and it can be very motivating. The more we practice meditation on a regular basis, the more acquainted we become with our inner self. We develop a different relationship to our plaguing thoughts, emotions, and states of mind. Instead of being pulled in one direction or another, we can sometimes remain constant and steady. We learn to sit with things. It is this mindset that allows us to tolerate both the beauty and the horror of this world we live in.This allows us to tolerate the difficult territory of problematic data we have to examine to make accurate decisions. As a teacher, bodyworker, and energy and kabbalistic healer I have come to understand what this means and love to assist others in their journey to inner knowledge. There is no doubt, with evolution comes much clarity. In Kabbalah, there are 10 sefirah, or components of the psyche, on the tree of life which represents a blueprint to the human psyche. The 22 pathways that interconnect those sefirah, when examined in a person, demonstrate which parts are communicating with each other and which parts are not. The more connected these pathways become, the more integrated we become as individuals. To be a fully integrated person takes effort over a good part of our lifetime, usually. This depends greatly upon our woundedness and how we are able to heal traumas which limit our view of our own inherent light as well as external conditions. The world we live in is full spectrum, and how do we find the way to tolerate it all? According to Joan Sutherland,Roshi, the founder of the Awakened Life in Santa Fe, New Mexico... "Whatever happens, you have to just keep showing up. Sit the meditation, attend the retreat, absorb the teachings, face the fear, feel the sorrow, endure the boredom, stay open to the disturbing and also the knee-bucklingly beautiful....with an open mind and a whole heart." People are living in a very polarized state in our country. It is so apparent that many people are reacting out of their unconscious beliefs ,feelings, and agendas in a way that, in some cases, could be and are harmful to others. I wonder how many people in this country could be doing more to explore and awaken themselves. I came across this quote recently by the actress, Jennifer O'Neill. I found it quite applicable not only to our personal realm, but our national realm as it relates to the very problematic presidential campaign we are enduring right now.

"When a person goes into a relationship emotionally needy, they are not going to have discernment in choosing people."

Discernment is necessary in life, whether we are choosing a mate, a friend, a clergy person, a boss, or a president. We cannot be bound by one quality and whitewash the rest of the qualities at the service of our unconscious feelings or a single point of interest. What is necessary is a full investigation of our own unconscious needs, feelings and values as well as that of the background and qualities of the person we are considering. The thing is, if we are desperate, we do not hold out for those qualities we are really looking for. We overlook what our intuition, common sense, and wisdom might be telling us and we settle. Hazrat Inayat Khan says this about awakening and discernment,

"...the awakening of the soul. And the sign of this awakening is that the awakened person throws a light, the light of his soul, upon every creature and every object, and sees that object, person, or condition in this light. It is his own soul that becomes a torch in his hand; it is his own light that illuminates his path. It is just like directing a searchlight into dark corners that one could not see before, and the corners become clear and illuminated; it is like throwing light upon problems that one did not understand before, like seeing through people with x-rays when they were a riddle before."

Being discerning requires we do not take things at face value, we must tolerate the difficult information from all sources, we cannot make quick decisions from emotional reactions and we have to recognize it when someone is simply telling us what we want to hear. We must look at morality, character, history of a person, not as they or others tell it, but through our own study and careful listening. LIstening to the words they say as well as the the words they are not saying. What is behind the words? Through growth and evolution, we gain clarity and an inner knowing. Find yours.

I wish you...

many blessings on your path to self-discovery.

Linda