Since we cannot get there on our intellectual firepower alone, or on our want-to for that matter, we understand why our self-determined objectives are pretty much useless...more likely the cause of our heading in the wrong direction.
I believe all the great mystics, Allah, the Buddha, Jesus, Saint Clare, Saint Francis, et al, existed...literally lived and breathed...in the 4th dimension (or a dimension way higher but four's my limit so far). It follows then if we want what they had, we do what they did. Which is pretty much why I use the Sermon on the Mount as my manual...for my convenience since I knew about it before I knew it, and I knew nada about the others.
At any rate, the Sermon spells out in plain speak, exactly what we need do to begin the process of expanding our consciousness...not to put too fine a point on it, but we need to get over our own self. If we get that, I mean get that, we can come to a full stop.
But since we don't get that early on, we go for help. The Sermon was my go-to, and it begins with the Beatitudes. Confession: The first few (hundred) times I read them, they did not make a lick of sense to me. So I just went with what I was led to, and let God clarify when, as or if I was ready.
According to me, the Sermon encompasses our life's need to practice the belief that our common welfare must come first, together with our need to make amends when, through selfishness (justified as forgetfulness), we neglect that.
The Sermon reminds us that we have ceased fighting anything and anybody. It is all about denial of self-interest in the care and concern for the other. We no longer curry favor in order to get, but we practice care and concern in order to give.
Long/short: To me today, the Sermon teaches me that I need to do the opposite of what I want to do. Practically speaking, that means I need to do for another, not for me.
Common welfare is the win-win, and we know God's hand is in it when both sides come out the winner.
Thank you.
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