2000-10-07-Surrender & Transparency of the Heart
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Topic: Surrender & Transparence of the Heart
Group: Costa Rica TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Alana
TR: S. Butterfield
Session
Dialogue
D : I have a question the transmitter asked me to submit to you: What is the process of surrender, surrendering our troubles to you? How does this work?
Alana : Ah, so. She has forgotten already! Or shall I say, set it aside. She has noticed, as if from afar, as if one who does not know, she has noticed that such a process works for others. Her question, also, explores new territory. She would like to know, she would truly like to know, what she surrenders when she surrenders her problems to us. Does she surrender her own free-will choice?
The answer to that, of course, should be quite clear and obvious. We never transgress your free-will choice. When you surrender a trouble to me, you are exercising your free-will choice to believe in me, to have faith that I have only love in my heart for you who is doing the surrendering. You also exercise your faith-belief that I harbor no ill will toward "the problem." So you surrender to me your inability to express love. You trust that I, crossing your bridge of faith, will express love toward the problem that you have surrendered, and toward all those who contribute to the problem, or are touched by the problem in some way.
When you surrender your troubles to me it is the same step you take when you choose to enter the stillness. You step so deeply into the stillness that all troubles are gone, for in that place you hear that you are loved, you know the feeling is true, and your heart opens giving and receiving, giving and receiving, giving and receiving. That is the greatest power on earth as it is in heaven giving and receiving love. When you can not achieve peace of mind, come to me.
Thank you. There may be more to say about this. Do you have any questions.
D : I have no questions about what you¹ve just said. I felt a profound sense of wonder and I felt myself agreeing all along the way. I have tried to practice coming to you. It has been an experience of child-like faith of turning the problems over to you when I feel as if I have come to my wits¹ end. And also, I find myself turning to you in times of joy and sharing with you. The experience of your heart space is more and more familiar to me. I think she is also asking, is it OK not to forgive? What can one do when one does not wish to forgive, in the sense of continuing to associate with, or speak well of?
Alana : Is it OK not to love? Perhaps that is the question.
Q : I think in some way that is at the bottom of it, yes.
Alana : Then the answer becomes quite clear, does it not? However, we will respect the confusion. Often, because forgiveness is such a great act of love, it is held in reverence and certain idols are set forth as exemplars of the "perfect forgiveness." Those of you who have the humility to recognize your...your...well, imperfections, shall we say, not exactly the best word but it will serve us today...those of you still honest enough to know you have doubtful and wicked intentions playing across the television screen of your mind, those of you struggling with purity of forgiveness, do indeed need some reassurance.
You can not always expect to enjoy being among those who may love you (but also may not) and lack respect. It is very difficult to be exposed to lack of respect because if you love these people you do not wish to harm them and often you imagine you are responsible in such a way that you assume guilt, or over-responsibility, and you begin to behave in a manner that ordinarily does not make very much sense. Sometimes you must limit your interactions with those who have yet to open their hearts to the free flow of love and forgiveness, the communication of love.
When such limits must be placed, then the part of your question that deals with speaking well of another becomes quite important, does it not? Because it becomes quite easy to "mouth off," as you say, when the other person is not any where near the vicinity and you risk no immediate "pop on the nose," shall we say. However, when there is distance there is the possibility of ancient ideas, the old memory unchanged by new and loving exchange, becoming as frozen in your mind, as enshrined as those perfect idols of forgiveness that you set above you. Then you become confused because you are guided by inappropriate understanding.
What you do understand is that your own self-love matters. You do not wish to speak ill of your self, nor do you wish to have others speak ill of you, and so it is wise not to speak ill of them as well. It is fair, as Devina has said, to speak the truth, but you will often discover that the truth needs very few words of explanation. Has this been helpful, do you suppose?
D : Yes.