The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com ] Unity Way | | | | October 15, 2006 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | Freedom Through Awareness | | by Andrei Yashurin | | | | Temptations come to people only because of their ignorance. The | | light of Truth discloses all the secrets of desires, so those | | desires which might have painful consequences don't look enticing | | to us anymore. | | | | We are not to battle with temptations through willpower. It is a | | mistake of many sincere spiritual seekers: they are trying to | | suppress their "negative" desires, not realizing that their | | conditions only become worse. According to the law of mind action, | | when we resist someone or something, we make it stronger in our | | life. We become attached to those things we fight against. This is | | why Charles Fillmore and other New Thought teachers insisted that | | the process of denial (mental cleansing) does not require any | | strain. "Make denials as though you were gently sweeping away | | cobwebs". | | | | The key to overcoming temptation is awareness; the key to greater | | awareness is directed attention. We are to focus our attention at | | the light within. This light is our divine nature. | | | | Unlike those believers that label people as weak and sinful, Jesus | | saw them as divine beings. "There is light within a person of | | light, and it shines on the whole world", says Jesus in the gospel | | of Thomas. But we should not presume that it is a "strange | | teaching" from a forgotten Apocrypha. The same message is found in | | all the canonical gospels! | | | | "Has it not written in your law, "I said, You are gods?" | | | | "The kingdom of God is within you... seek first the kingdom of | | God". | | | | "You are the light of the world. So let your light shine before | | men". | | | | According to Jesus, our primary problem is ignorance of who we are | | and it is the root of all other problems which we call temptations, | | sins, and sufferings. And the only available remedy is | | self-knowledge. | | | | One of the greatest temptations is to forget our divine identity | | and to exchange truth or our being for illusions. | | One of the greatest temptations is to be of a low opinion of | | ourselves, and to buy into such destructive feelings as fear and | | guilt. | | One of the greatest temptations is unwillingness to grow and to | | rise up again every time we fail. | | | | Once in a while we become attracted by temptations and act in | | unwise and unproductive ways. But our failures cannot indicate our | | intrinsic badness. Those mistakes just disclose certain areas in | | our life where growth and greater awareness are needed. | | | | I agree with Brad Jensen that every challenge is a miracle waiting | | to happen. | | | | "Think of yourself in a large way, and the little things of life | | will lose interest for you", wrote Charles Fillmore. This is the | | best method of dealing with thoughts and desires which we don't | | want in our life. Let us not fight against them, but substitute | | them with lofty thoughts and desires. | | | | Let us be aware of our divinity and our living connection with the | | Source of all blessings. As we stay centered at these exalted | | ideas, our consciousness will be cleansed from poverty mentality | | with its fears and selfish desires to grab as much as possible. | | | | Let us be aware of our divine destiny to be expressions of God in | | our world. Let us be aware of gifts which God placed within us to | | fulfill this purpose. This will free us from self-centeredness and | | consumerism, and make us generous givers and divinely inspired | | creators. | | | | (to be continued) | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | Recommended Reading: | | | | [ http://astore.amazon.com/talksontruth-20/detail/1419642391 ] The | | Miracle That I Am: Expressing Your Spiritual Self by Brad Jensen | | | | Previous Articles of Andrei Yashurin: | | | | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com/2006/10/07/truth-about-temptations/ | | ] Truth About Temptations | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com/ | | 2006/09/30/courage-of-being-ourselves/ ] Courage of Being Ourselves | | | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com/2006/09/23/ | | practical-peacemaking/ ] Practical Peacemaking | [ http:// | | unityway.wordpress.com/2006/09/16/purity-and-vision/ ] Purity and | | Vision | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com/2006/09/09/ | | mercy-and-wholeness/ ] Mercy and Wholeness | | | | [ http://unityway.wordpress.com ] Talks on Truth Blog | | | | [ http://zme.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T3FSLT9BWIHSWQ ] If you | | find these messages helpful, please send a donation to Andrei | | Yashurin | | | | If you like our list, please recommend it to others. | | | | To be unsubscribed, click the link at the bottom of this message, | | do not write to the author. | | | | E-mail: [ mailto:yashurin@gmail.com ] yashurin@gmail.com | | | | Information: The publisher of this list technically cannot | | subscribe/unsubscribe anyone. You are responsible to do it | | yourself. Please check links at the bottom of this message. | | | | All messages (c) 2006 by Andrei Yashurin | +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=lit.unityway&email=e@mail http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com