We don’t teach meditation to the young monks. They are not ready for it until they stop slamming doors. — Thich Nhat Hanh
Along those same lines, Fr Richard Rohr has written: Meaty spirituality must first of all teach us freedom from the self, from my own self as a reference point for everything or anything.
Both of those statements are the basis for coming to understand that we cannot rid our self of self. We cannot even knock it down a peg or two just by using our common sense. I am coming to believe that the only way to get over our self is to seek God's help in becoming concerned first with the wellbeing of another. Then we're prepared to move it on up...to the care and wellbeing of others.
It is a noted fact that my ego always legislates for itself. I cannot recall a time when Lucy gave over instantly to an idea of mine that would lessen my stake in anything, or strengthen yours over mine, more specifically. Well, who's kidding whom? I can't recall having such an idea as a first thought ever.
The first step in ego deflation, apparently, is taking responsibility for our own less than wonderful behavior...which is always on display as the behavior of the other, the one we're mentally chewing out. For doing what we're doing.
There. That's when we begin to take responsibility for our own negative (self-centered) thoughts and feelings about another...our pay-hate-back wants are being transmuted to pay-love-forward. Lucy is moving to the back as God is moved forward. By our decision to get over our own self. Also known as...surrender.
Thank you.
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