SERVICE
by Jacquelyn Small, Eupsychia Institute
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Inner Work & Perspectives Home Eupsychia Institute (800)
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Service
is the outstanding characteristic of the soul, just as
desire for ego gratification is the outstanding
characteristic of our lower nature. We reach a point in
our evolution when ego pleasures are no longer that
interesting to us...As our reality enlarges, we are
called by the archetype of Service, which invites us to
take responsibility for what we create and to be willing
to do so in alignment with our Higher Power. We use our
own ongoing growth process as a model and basis for
co-creating a healthy world. As co-creators, it is up to
us to bring into being a different scenario, one in which
it is possible to have growthful relationships (and where
all people have an equal opportunity to do so.)
Because we are conscious beings, continually seeking our Selfhood while simultaneously working toward awakening our culture is the highest expression of Service. Many have a mistaken notion that we become enlightened (fully conscious) and then commit to "the work" of teaching, healing, and serving. Not so! It's the other way around: we commit to the "work" (which also means Service) and it, in turn, enlightens us. [excerpt from AWAKENING IN TIME, pg. 231] The Four Pillars of Service To remain clear and balanced, we must utilize what I see as four aspects of Service, and we must do so in right proportion, never over-emphasizing one: Meditation: Meditation is not what you "think." Whatever your preferred mode, meditation turns off the thinking mind for awhile so you can hear the voice of the deeper Self from within the Heart. Many people meditate without realizing they are doing so, for it happens during those periods when time vanishes and you're lost in the moment, when you've been doing something (or have ceased doing something) for hours and if feels like minutes, or no time at all. But in order to meditate on a regular basis, it is crucial that we develop a conscious method. Meditation stabilizes our physical appetites, emotional reactiveness, and mental confusions. It brings us to the center, the undisturbed, immovable place where we already know peacefulness. We go into silence and sit in the midst of our inner Self. Inner Work: Our repressed issues and emotions stand in the way of our pristine clarity as spiritual beings. And for this reason we must do the psychological work necessary to resolve our past and present conditions. Both the spiritual and the psychological are aspects of the inner life and when worked on simultaneously, they take us to a deeper (or higher) and more wholistic identity. Study: When we study the inspired ideas of the world's great masters and read their stories of awakening, our creativity is often ignited and we feel connected to a larger whole. By merging our own intuitive ruminations with these great ideas, we carry forward inspired thought and can create our "next right step." What we choose to study should track with our own inner work, and reflect our verify what we learn through our direct knowing. Otherwise, study becomes an empty exercise, for ideas cannot nurture us if there's no tilled mental soil in which to plant them. Outer Work: For conscious co-creators, effective outer expression of one's Service is the goal of all meditation, inner work, and study. I will not focus on specific areas of Service, as I am exploring the being level we each bring to bear on whatever causes and projects we take on. I would like to point out, however, that these areas do fall into the healing and teaching categories within the fields of psychology, medicine, social work, religion, education, and philosophy; into grass roots political work and special-interest projects; and into various forms of business, where there is plenty of opportunity to help bring about positive change. You all will feel attracted to different areas of Service, based on your personal character traits, talents, and interests. [excerpt from AWAKENING IN TIME, pg. 236-243] |
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