In today’s reading, Jesus is arrested and taken to the high priest’s compound for trial. When you read today’s story, pay attention to how the apostles react to this event.

1.  Some apostles imagine what will happen next, and then they run off, reacting to their own imaginations.

2.  One apostle stays in the garden seeking guidance in quiet.

3.  Judas realizes that he has made a mistake, and he believes he’s guilty for it.

4.  Peter realizes that he has made a mistake, and he seeks guidance from the inner teacher.

The reactions listed in #1 and #3 are egoic reactions. They come from identifying with thought and identifying with emotions.

The reactions listed in #2 and #4 are healing. Using the language of The Code, they are choices that raise one’s vibration. (Reference the tip for Day 53.)

In #2, the apostle stayed quiet and sought guidance instead of believing his imagination and acting from it. In #4, Peter made a mistake. When that mistake became apparent to him, he went within and sought clarity.

The contrast between #1 and #2 teaches us how to respond when a fearful situation arises in our life. The contrast between #3 and #4 teaches us how to respond when we see our own mistakes.

I recommend contemplating these contrasts. This contemplation will help us make choices that follow the examples set in #2 and #4. Those types of choices raise our vibration, and then higher choices become available to us.

Thoughts of Awakening # 56

I know nothing,
and so I cannot lead.
I can only follow.

The choice I have is clear.
I can follow the one
that thinks it knows,
but does not.
Or I can follow the one
that knows
and loves all things.

This is the choice that is mine.
I must choose which voice to follow.
The voice I choose,
is the voice that I will hear.

~An affirmation of awakening
given to us by our Holy Spirit

Here is a link to a playsheet designed to facilitate contemplative movie watching:

 Click Here

In this film, one of the main characters, Calvin, is encouraged by his psychiatrist to write a story about a woman he’d like to meet. He comes up with a character he calls Ruby Sparks, his dream girl. At some point, Calvin finds his dream girl has come to life. Ruby possesses just the qualities and personal history that Calvin wrote for her. It’s a freakin’ miracle!

Well, be careful what you wish for. Once made flesh, Ruby starts to exhibit a mind of her own. So, whenever Ruby exhibits an independent streak or gets moody or sad – or simply doesn’t want to have sex — Calvin simply writes a scenario that meets his approval. The problem, of course, is that it’s no longer a relationship once Calvin exerts absolute control of his beloved’s thoughts, actions, and emotions.

The movie can be found on most streaming sites including Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, Itunes, and Google Play.

Ron Raitz will lead the Movie Group’s discussion of this movie on Sunday, April 25th at 8 p.m. ET.

Whenever fear arises, we have a choice about how to face it. We can project it onto someone or something else, we can lie to ourselves about what we are feeling, or we can surrender. Only the last of these three options is healing.

In today’s reading, most of the apostles project their fear onto one another. Since that is the situation in the moment, that is the situation that Jesus addresses through his teaching at Passover.

Peter denies his fear, so Jesus points it out to him. Jesus wants to help Peter discover how Peter lies to himself. As Michael Langford writes in The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss, “Right from the beginning, the ego’s preservation strategies have to be dealt with.”

Jesus also experiences extreme fear in today’s story. However, Jesus faces fear with surrender.

Surrender is letting go of one’s point-of-view, one’s will, and one’s identity. In the final surrender, one also lets go of the sense of self-existence. Listen to what Dr. David Hawkins says about the final surrender in this video: (The tip continues after the video.)

https://youtu.be/eRD4rRYLEF0

When we practice surrendering our ideas and our positions in daily life, we are preparing ourselves for the final surrender. We need this practice. If we cannot surrender our political opinions, for example, we will not be able to surrender our sense of self-existence at the final doorway.

One way to prepare for enlightenment is to embrace opportunities to surrender. Have the thought in mind, “Let go of self. Let go of self. Let go of self,” and watch for opportunities to let go a little more each day. Typically, whenever there is conflict in your life, there is an opportunity to let go of self.

In addition, we need to learn to be with fear instead of projecting it or denying it. We also need to learn how to recognize fear, because fear hides under other emotions, like anger.

As we learn to accept fear with openness, and as we learn to surrender more and more deeply, we prepare ourselves to embrace enlightenment.

Thoughts of Awakening # 55

Have faith and trust.

All things unfold for the benefit
of awakening.

There can be no error,
because the offspring of God is one.

All things are used for healing.
All things lead to
the awakening of one mind.

Blessings upon you.

~From our Holy Spirit

End of Me, a new program hosted by Helena Monteiro, will begin Wednesday, April 14^th at 5:30 pm ET/3:30 pm MT. The program will be held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month from 5:30-6 pm ET/ 3:30-4 pm MT.

Helena’s intention for this program is that it be a grateful exploration of her own willingness to share her journey in awakening to the true Self. She will share experiences from her own path and invite others to share from their journeys. If prompted, Helen will read from The Holy Spirit’s Interpretation of the New Testament, Adyashanti, Nisargadatta, and from her favorite poet, Rumi.

Helen requested that we share this photo of her which was taken when she arrived in Santiago the Compostela, after walking the 700 km to get there. She shares that it represents her true willingness to be healed and her gratitude to James, the Apostle.