STEP 6 Live the Love You Are
Live the Love you are...
If you have made the choice to believe that you are spirit, that you are peace, that you are joy, that you are love, and that you are free, and if you have made the choice to perceive yourself, others, and the world as that same spirit, and if you have made the choice for forgiveness instead of attack, then all that is left to do is live the love that you are.
Right and Wrong: A Zen Parable
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled.
Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter.
This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them. “You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
Reps, Paul. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection Of Zen And Pre-Zen Writings (p. 68). Pickle Partners Publishing. Kindle Edition.
CALL TO ACTION
Questions?
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The purpose of this website is to help create positive, life-changing experiences. The best way to experience something is to do it.
After each of the Seven Steps, a “CALL TO ACTION” is provided which recommends an activity, or activities, to perform in order to experience the concept presented in the step.
The recommended activity for STEP 6 is:
- Write down the name of a specific person or situation that is disturbing you in your life right now. Someone or something about whom, or which, you are not at peace.
- This step asks you to decide that you sincerely want to have peace regarding this person or this situation.If you cannot get to the point of sincerely wanting to resolve the issue, that is okay! It just means you are not ready for this activity yet.You can always come back to this activity when you are willing to sincerely seek peace with regard to the person or situation you have in mind.
Spiritual growth cannot be forced; it must be invited into our lives. When we are ready to receive it, we merely need to ask and then listen with our heart.
It is not productive to go any further with this activity if you are not willing to find peace at this time; you will not be able to hear the voice of loving wisdom speak to you.
The voice of loving wisdom is always there to be heard, but we are not always ready to hear what it has to say, and that is perfectly alright!
The voice of the ego – the voice of fear - often arrives first in our minds, and it speaks very loudly; it is only our sincere willingness to hear the voice of loving wisdom that can muffle and stop the voice of fear.
The voice of the ego wants us to stay a victim, wants us to stay angry and in pain since without those things, the ego is powerless.
So, stop and rest a while – for as long as it takes – minutes, hours, days, weeks, months. Be kind to yourself during that time.
Be sure to dismiss any thoughts of self- judgment or condemnation, and come back when you are genuinely willing to make peace with this person or situation.
If you cannot do this step, that’s okay, but stop the activity now.
- If you are willing to find peace, then schedule about 15 minutes and find a place that is quiet and safe physically, emotionally, and psychologically, and become still in all three of those areas of your life.
- Ask genuinely: How can I see this situation differently – how can I see it through the eyes of loving wisdom? What is the most loving response I can have to the situation that is causing my distress? What would you have me do, or not do, or say, or not say?
- Listen intently. The voice may sound like your own in tone, but it will say things that are not like your normal thoughts. It will say things your ego does not want to hear.
- Know the truth. You will experience complete peace when you have heard, and have accepted, the loving wisdom of the voice. That voice is in you! That voice is in you! That voice is in you! That voice is in you. That voice is in you!That voice is the real you!
STEP 7 is about about staying vigilant. Go there when you are ready to concentrate on that content.