I want to be me, who doesn't?
Who is me? What will become of me? Why am I me?
These are a few serious questions, things to ponder, subjects to meditate upon AND yet many don't care about themselves, the me, the I, where did I come from or where am I going.
One major concern that has become known as a block to spiritual growth, to spiritual liberation is self-centeredness, the ego. AND yet history tells us that we cannot totally get rid of, do away with, annialate the ego. Some of us are familiar with the term
"ego-deflation" and that is all we are about ego- familiar with it.
I am fascinated by a term used in the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know?' It goes this way " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
Well, have you? (I know, it's pretty deep but it's not bullshit either)
I've been in contact with an editor in California about writing a book. Basically I would like to share my experience, strength and hope as I know it, from my experience in A.A. to the expansion of my being from studying and practicing other walks of Faith, cultures and spiritual paths. I said my experience, strength and hope as I know it because I can see myself through the eyes of the person I've become. This (Quantum Physics/Mechanics) isn't easy to explain and were I try to explain it to you I would only lose myself.
This brings up a good point, do you explain yourself to people OR do you, when explaining, try to convince others of your opinion, your view? Do you offer information and let others decide? Are you adiment what you say is truth, the only truth?
You may not believe this, there is quite a bit of Quantum Physics/Mechanics woven into the A.A. books. One quick example- "The prosaic steel girder is a mass of electrons whirling around each other at incredible speed" Big Book pages 48 and 49. Of course, I wasn't enlightened until I watched the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know" and then, I had a better understanding of Science and Spirituality.
The founders of A.A. were brilliant in their approach to answer the riddle of alcoholism and the spirituality remedy is quite mystifying for those truelly open minded. A quick example- "the Fourth Dimension of exhistence" is mentioned on pages 8 and 25 of the Big Book. Do you just read it and never ask what is the fourth dimension of exhistence? Maybe you don't think it matters much.
"I was the recipient of a tremendous mystical experience" Bill Wilson wrote in a letter that was published in the A.A. Grapevine july 1962. Out of that experience, even though he had to get confirmation from Dr. Silkworth about his "mental status" following the illuminating experience of ENERGY, Bill Wilson was able to see himself through the eyes of the person he had become. That's mystical, that's a quantum theory.
Of course, Bill W. wasn't perfect and neither am I BUT I can learn from others mistakes. (so much for ' i ' before ' e ' except after ' c '- the word neither)
POINT of INTEREST. We hear it said around the rooms that when a person is speaking and that person says "BUT" - everything said after "but" is bullshit. DON'T believe that. The word but is used daily in many conversations by genuine folk as much as any other. The word means;
1. On the other hand
2. yet
3. anyway
4. except that
5. unless
6. other than
7. otherwise
Of course many will declare that they have had spiritual experiences (they just quote stuff like that from the book really) but their actions don't show much of a profound change of personality, or heart. I'm not talking about mistakes and little goof ups here and there- I'm talking about downright, self-centered, abnoxious, unacceptable behavior!
If we have truelly had that "mystical" experience Bill Wilson talked about, we can proclaim, as the result of our transformation (transformation is different from change) that we have had a "deep and effective Spiritual Experience that has revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe." (Big book page 25) The dilemma the founders dealt with was the fact that not all members were having the "light flash" of transformation that Bill W. had.
AND, so the idea, the concept was adopted from the book "Varieties of Religous Experience" by William James - spiritual awakening, the educational variety. (see appendix B in the back of the Big Book)
I am able to ask myself now, "how deep and effective is a spiritual awakening when it's the educational variety?" AND "could that awakening wear off depending on the maintenance of my spiritual condition?" AND "what danger lurks around the corner for one who "thinks" they are safe and secure because of an imagined transformation that has no creditable foundation except in "their" mind?"
This brings me to the term I have repeated here several times " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
I believe that no spiritual entity ( something that has a real and seperate exhistence either actually or in the mind), no form of spiritual energy (human) could feel comfortable doing something destructive to itself and others. I believe that someone who has been transformed deeply and effectively does not resemble his or her former self.
I'm not talking about dressing differently, shaving the face, talking a "good" talk- these are the types of things we can train animals to do but at the end of the day- they are still animals. This is a superficial portrayal and that's all it is is change, it is not transformation.
When I think about going through, practicing, working and applying the 12 Spiritual Principles of A.A.- the Steps, I think of change and transformation. Continued practicing of these pirinciples does bring about transformation. However, occassional practice of the 12 Spiritual Principles only results in occassional change.
Remember what I asked " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?" Well, can you see yourself now?
I had a great sponsor ( may his soul rest in peace) who answered every question I had to the best of his ability because he (Mike McHugh) knew that in order to truelly understand something, someone had to explain it.
When Mike explained something to me, usually it evolved from a discussion I would bring to him about a problem in my life. He was exacting the REAL meaning to me of humility which is described on page 58 of the 12 and 12 A.A. Book. ( " To those who made progress in A.A., it (humility) amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be."
This definition of humility from page 58 walks side by side with the term " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become" as it is found on the DVD What The Bleep Do We Know? The term from page 58 is simply this;
" I look at who I am and where I'm at AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT I COULD BECOME."
(We do become what we've seen through practicing the 12 Steps and having that transformation then we are able to look back and see what we were)
In the A.A. literature we are told "after all, no man can build a house until he first envisions a plan for it." (12&12 p.100, Step Eleven)
The A.A. program isn't meant to be skimmed over, I believe. We are given clue after to clue about how to expand and produce and effect. People,places and things mentioned in the books are;
Jesus
William James
Carl Jung
The Good Samaritan
Just to name a few and there's good reason a writer presents that information to the reader AND any good teacher will never give the student ALL the answers- we must do some research ourselves.
In closing I want to remind you this from a passage in the book As Bill Sees It (page 45);
"Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge wether it issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from revealing social studies."
"can you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
Peace, Love and Respect. Tat2guru
Who is me? What will become of me? Why am I me?
These are a few serious questions, things to ponder, subjects to meditate upon AND yet many don't care about themselves, the me, the I, where did I come from or where am I going.
One major concern that has become known as a block to spiritual growth, to spiritual liberation is self-centeredness, the ego. AND yet history tells us that we cannot totally get rid of, do away with, annialate the ego. Some of us are familiar with the term
"ego-deflation" and that is all we are about ego- familiar with it.
I am fascinated by a term used in the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know?' It goes this way " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
Well, have you? (I know, it's pretty deep but it's not bullshit either)
I've been in contact with an editor in California about writing a book. Basically I would like to share my experience, strength and hope as I know it, from my experience in A.A. to the expansion of my being from studying and practicing other walks of Faith, cultures and spiritual paths. I said my experience, strength and hope as I know it because I can see myself through the eyes of the person I've become. This (Quantum Physics/Mechanics) isn't easy to explain and were I try to explain it to you I would only lose myself.
This brings up a good point, do you explain yourself to people OR do you, when explaining, try to convince others of your opinion, your view? Do you offer information and let others decide? Are you adiment what you say is truth, the only truth?
You may not believe this, there is quite a bit of Quantum Physics/Mechanics woven into the A.A. books. One quick example- "The prosaic steel girder is a mass of electrons whirling around each other at incredible speed" Big Book pages 48 and 49. Of course, I wasn't enlightened until I watched the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know" and then, I had a better understanding of Science and Spirituality.
The founders of A.A. were brilliant in their approach to answer the riddle of alcoholism and the spirituality remedy is quite mystifying for those truelly open minded. A quick example- "the Fourth Dimension of exhistence" is mentioned on pages 8 and 25 of the Big Book. Do you just read it and never ask what is the fourth dimension of exhistence? Maybe you don't think it matters much.
"I was the recipient of a tremendous mystical experience" Bill Wilson wrote in a letter that was published in the A.A. Grapevine july 1962. Out of that experience, even though he had to get confirmation from Dr. Silkworth about his "mental status" following the illuminating experience of ENERGY, Bill Wilson was able to see himself through the eyes of the person he had become. That's mystical, that's a quantum theory.
Of course, Bill W. wasn't perfect and neither am I BUT I can learn from others mistakes. (so much for ' i ' before ' e ' except after ' c '- the word neither)
POINT of INTEREST. We hear it said around the rooms that when a person is speaking and that person says "BUT" - everything said after "but" is bullshit. DON'T believe that. The word but is used daily in many conversations by genuine folk as much as any other. The word means;
1. On the other hand
2. yet
3. anyway
4. except that
5. unless
6. other than
7. otherwise
Of course many will declare that they have had spiritual experiences (they just quote stuff like that from the book really) but their actions don't show much of a profound change of personality, or heart. I'm not talking about mistakes and little goof ups here and there- I'm talking about downright, self-centered, abnoxious, unacceptable behavior!
If we have truelly had that "mystical" experience Bill Wilson talked about, we can proclaim, as the result of our transformation (transformation is different from change) that we have had a "deep and effective Spiritual Experience that has revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe." (Big book page 25) The dilemma the founders dealt with was the fact that not all members were having the "light flash" of transformation that Bill W. had.
AND, so the idea, the concept was adopted from the book "Varieties of Religous Experience" by William James - spiritual awakening, the educational variety. (see appendix B in the back of the Big Book)
I am able to ask myself now, "how deep and effective is a spiritual awakening when it's the educational variety?" AND "could that awakening wear off depending on the maintenance of my spiritual condition?" AND "what danger lurks around the corner for one who "thinks" they are safe and secure because of an imagined transformation that has no creditable foundation except in "their" mind?"
This brings me to the term I have repeated here several times " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
I believe that no spiritual entity ( something that has a real and seperate exhistence either actually or in the mind), no form of spiritual energy (human) could feel comfortable doing something destructive to itself and others. I believe that someone who has been transformed deeply and effectively does not resemble his or her former self.
I'm not talking about dressing differently, shaving the face, talking a "good" talk- these are the types of things we can train animals to do but at the end of the day- they are still animals. This is a superficial portrayal and that's all it is is change, it is not transformation.
When I think about going through, practicing, working and applying the 12 Spiritual Principles of A.A.- the Steps, I think of change and transformation. Continued practicing of these pirinciples does bring about transformation. However, occassional practice of the 12 Spiritual Principles only results in occassional change.
Remember what I asked " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?" Well, can you see yourself now?
I had a great sponsor ( may his soul rest in peace) who answered every question I had to the best of his ability because he (Mike McHugh) knew that in order to truelly understand something, someone had to explain it.
When Mike explained something to me, usually it evolved from a discussion I would bring to him about a problem in my life. He was exacting the REAL meaning to me of humility which is described on page 58 of the 12 and 12 A.A. Book. ( " To those who made progress in A.A., it (humility) amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are followed by a sincere attempt to become what we could be."
This definition of humility from page 58 walks side by side with the term " have you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become" as it is found on the DVD What The Bleep Do We Know? The term from page 58 is simply this;
" I look at who I am and where I'm at AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT I COULD BECOME."
(We do become what we've seen through practicing the 12 Steps and having that transformation then we are able to look back and see what we were)
In the A.A. literature we are told "after all, no man can build a house until he first envisions a plan for it." (12&12 p.100, Step Eleven)
The A.A. program isn't meant to be skimmed over, I believe. We are given clue after to clue about how to expand and produce and effect. People,places and things mentioned in the books are;
Jesus
William James
Carl Jung
The Good Samaritan
Just to name a few and there's good reason a writer presents that information to the reader AND any good teacher will never give the student ALL the answers- we must do some research ourselves.
In closing I want to remind you this from a passage in the book As Bill Sees It (page 45);
"Today, the vast majority of us welcome any new light that can be thrown on the alcoholic's mysterious and baffling malady. We welcome new and valuable knowledge wether it issues from a test tube, from a psychiatrist's couch, or from revealing social studies."
"can you seen yourself through the eyes of the person you've become?"
Peace, Love and Respect. Tat2guru
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