One of the things many people wish for in life is abundance. Having ones life needs, finances and livelihood well sufficient.
Some people find abundance through simple consequence. What some call karma or past life credits. Circumstance or inheritance places them in comfort with ease. They may or may not find satisfaction or happiness with that, but I’ve noticed such people rarely have a sense of what lack is.
Most of us take the approach of action or doing. We apply ourselves and the consequences soon follow. The reward is equivalent to the action, although quality is a key there, not quantity. In essence it is an energy equation. I touched on these points back in Self Effort in the Yog Vasishta.
It’s also worth noting that:
– Those in the first category got it through the second.
– We’re more likely to find satisfaction in accomplishment if our goal is sufficiency rather than excess as Lynne Twist suggests.
– We’re also going to have an easier time of it if we work with life rather than against it, as I touched on in Energizing Cooperation.
– We should also not underestimate the value of tapas or warming. Action warms the way, prepares the ground. Take the steps. Move towards.
– We have to allow for backlog and timing. Sometimes things just don’t happen when we want. They happen when it’s time and when what’s been happening finishes. Effort is never wasted.
– The process is easier to see in retrospect. Resist judging during and avoid expectations. Intend and allow it to unfold as it does. You may be surprised.
But there is also another means. One not described in most teachings. The journey of awakening can be characterized in part by the letting go of all aspects of me, including personal desires.
As we clear up all the dreck, the reactive desires fall away. But also the desires of life itself that the ego has taken credit for are disengaged from the me.
This is the essence behind ideas like doing austerities. Not to live as a monk in the jungle and be rewarded in kind but as an exercise in letting go of credit. Ego has an appalling sense of entitlement.
Like many of the curious stages of the path, the good stuff we give up is soon discovered to still be there. Only now it’s not caught in a story of me. Now it’s not “my” desire, it is the desire of life itself. Life moving through us.
The desire itself actually hasn’t changed. But our relationship to it changes completely. In essence, we get out of the way of it, then learn to support it.
As I touched on over in A Secret of Manifestation, we can use our dreams to fulfill some aspects of life.
Other aspects will be highly appreciative of a relatively clear vehicle for their fulfillment. And others will be happy to assist in any way they can, just for the spillover of the love and bliss being expressed by all that fulfillment. The epitome of working together.
Who’d a thought life could turn into such a fun house?
Davidya
This was a really good one for me Davidya! And, it was perfectly timed… along with everything else. ;o)
In Gratitude!
Ben
Hi Ben
The key in any case is intention. In getting clear on what you want to create and staying firm to that. Giving it our attention and intention, then energizing it with our feelings. Then we co-create with the best of what nature has to offer.
Funnily enough – that is the easiest part. Getting clear, that can take the most time. (laughs)
Davidya, just to wonder around the fun house a bit: I notice I also get stuck in the getting clear phase. But was just realizing it’s maybe because I confuse getting clear with getting specific. Sometimes if I get too specific, then my energy around the intention gets muddy or cloudy. Probably because one of the specifics doesn’t feel right at a deep level. So then if I make my intention more general, often the uneasiness will lift or dissolve. And maybe too that gives Life more room to do its central part in the whole process. Does this sound useful?
Hi Share
hmm – to explain…
Going too specific as you describe here may be getting into the story, hence it getting muddy and causing reactions or feelings of off-ness. You have an intention, then ego starts to try to identify with it, catching it a little.
Staying general allows the intention to just be and is perhaps a place where you can stay clear. More open. So yes, more room to do it’s thing.
There is also the broader thing of getting too specific limits natures ability to make it happen. So yes, it’s not necessary to be too specific. But specific enough to have a focus. Getting too specific may cause you to feel you’re coming out of the flow into a me. That could also cause that sort of response. Same thing really, from another angle.
I guess we could say nature knows what you want and what’s best for the whole. So we want to call attention to what we want and give it energy for them to work with. But not constrain it or get in the way of the process. And not fight it if they have something else in mind.
An example I use is my apartment. I decided I wanted to live in this neighborhood. Then in this building. So I had the clear intention to get a place in the building when I needed it, at the end of the month. The building had no vacancy. Looked around the area for other places. But I framed them as an option if that was better. A friend of mine in the building told me of an unadvertized vacancy. Bingo – I’m on a very short list and get the place. It’s decent and 20% cheaper than similar in the area.
And there’s a strong floral scent drifting in the window at the moment… somethings blooming…