In my continuing study for my personal "vow of poverty," I'm coming to understand that detachment...learning the art of detachment...is the invaluable and never-ending lesson of a spiritually based life. Face it, what other reason would there by for a voluntary vow of poverty than for still more spiritual growth?
The following paraphrases several different sources whose names, unfortunately, I've lost: Our journey begins with our believing it is money or material goods that we must deny ourself. Ah, but we come to understand that what possesses us is greater than the touchables we own. It is that which owns us, all that possesses our minds and hearts, our attachments and compulsions, that we must hug and kiss and let go.
Desert ascetics called this process of moving toward inner freedom detachment. Detachment allows for greater direct experience of the Divine Presence as the seeker is attached to fewer distractions.
Detachment is nonresistance...just as impersonal love is nonresistance. Resist not evil simplified: Everything we resist is evil to the egoic mind...same as, when you're a hammer, everything is a nail.
It is a wake-up call to my innards just how many attachments I mentally own. The ribbon running through them seems to lead to my attack mind.
The good news is that I rarely follow the dictates of my attack mind...whether it is spiritual growth or old age makes no nevermind, Since I've learned restraint of tongue and pen, I do better...I am not as nasty as I want to be.
However, my vow of poverty, giving up an attachment to an involuntary want disguised as a need, is going to take God, all my angels, and my hands off...or my mind stilled more like.
God can and will when, not if, sought.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment