Day Sixteen: Four Things to Learn

I have four things to learn in life:

To think clearly without hurry or confusion;

To love everybody sincerely

To act in everything with the highest motives;

To trust in God unhesitatingly. 

     –Helen Keller

This simple inspiration from Helen Keller sums up a philosophy of life that reveals a deep spiritual core, a commitment to the development of moral character, and the desire to live by faith. With her four goals she touches upon essential components of the spiritually conscious life: a clear mind, an awakened heart, selfless service in the world and surrender to God. Attention to these four areas brings balance to our life and the experience of inner joy.

Accomplishing any of these four goals requires a clear intent, commitment, and spiritual insight. While focused intention and the commitment to act in accordance with these lofty goals is crucial, their full realization depends on our ability to surrender the ego’s illusional sense of being separate from God and to cooperate with life’s inherent supportive grace. From the limited perspective of ego, it is not possible to love everybody sincerely or to act in everything with the highest motives because the natural tendency of ego is self preservation, maintaining the sense of separate existence and the desire to look out for our own interests. However, through spiritual insight and the ability to live in harmony with one’s Higher True Self, attainment of such goals becomes possible.

To think clearly we must understand the nature of the mind. Our mind is the instrument of the soul’s light of awareness, of consciousness itself. The mind, by itself, is not a light; it is not sentient. Like a light bulb that needs electricity to shine, the mind is illumined by the conscious light of the Self. Within the mind are different avenues of perception: thinking mind that receives information through the sense channels and processes it, the faculty of discernment that makes distinctions concerning it, and the ego that makes a case for ownership of the perception. With awareness, we can notice what we are thinking and how we are thinking. We can notice how the contents of the mind are generated. From this witness perspective, we have a choice about which thoughts we will entertain, or encourage.

Regular, repeated experiences of Superconscious meditation are essential to developing the mindful awareness that allows us to think clearly. Without the ability to “go up to the mountaintop” of spiritual awareness and experience directly the clear perspective that is beyond thought, we cannot see through the tumult of thinking mind and its modifications. Through regular meditation, the light of clear awareness shines into the mental field with a calming and purifying effect. Then the mind is renewed and we are able to think clearly without confusion or hesitation.

The same skill of Superconscious meditation that purifies the mind also cleanses our heart of selfish motive and makes possible right relationship with others. To love everyone sincerely and to act with the highest motives, we must realize the spiritual truth about life. When we know that all of life is one, that the life of God expresses as all that is, we enter into a sacred relationship with life. We can love others sincerely because we realize who they are as spiritual beings. We know and we affirm the truth of every person as a divine being and that is the basis of our love—not our likes and dislikes, approval or disapproval, of their behavior but a simple ability to behold the One in all.

To trust in God without hesitation is to live by faith, to rely on the infinite goodness of life as created, nourished and sustained by the infinite intelligence of Spirit. When we know, through our direct experience, that we are That Supreme Consciousness appearing as an individual soul, we trust in the wholeness of life. We know that our life is not separate from God. We surrender the tendency to identify with the ego’s perspective of a separate self and instead embrace our true identity as eternally conscious spiritual being. Free from fear based thinking, we meet each day with joyful anticipation, living in the awareness of our True Nature.

Contemplate these four goals: to think clearly, to love sincerely, to act with the highest motives and to trust God completely. Decide today to strengthen the spiritual foundation that makes their accomplishment possible.

Think About It: A study reported in Developmental Psychology found that people who set goals for personal growth actually showed increases in psychological well-being, regardless of whether those goals were actually achieved. Researchers asked college freshman to write about two of their major goals, then revisited those same students in their senior year. They found the students who set intellectual-growth goals (e.g., goals to explore or learn) were more likely to develop in maturity three years later. In addition, students who wrote about social or emotional goals (e.g., goals to improve as a person or gain a meaningful relationship) showed greater life satisfaction and positive emotion three years later. These results show that simply thinking about goals, no matter whether these goals are attained, can predict personal growth and development.

 —www.greatergood.edu

Be Inspired: Before embarking on important undertakings, sit quietly, calm your senses and thoughts, and meditate deeply. You will then be guided by the great creative power of Spirit.

–Paramahansa Yogananda