Tag: gardening

The Moving Parts of Manifestation

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Voice of the Mystic: Part 4

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” Mark 4:26-28

In this parable of the sower, the man scatters seed, sleeps and rises as the mystery of germination begins. The earth then produces the result. Notice that even though each of these steps is presented sequentially, the intention is to call attention to the operational components within the single creative system.

Think of the running motor of a car. Many things are happening at the same time. Fuel ignites, pistons pump, oil lubricates, coolant circulates, oxygen is taken in, exhaust expelled. The running motor is not a future event; it is the present example of a perfectly orchestrated multitude of individual processes. 

In a similar way, Jesus is calling attention to the kingdom, not as a coming event, but as a present, dynamically responsive process. He does not bother to specify the type of seed planted because this universal, creative process will produce from any kind of seed. Neither does he associate the kingdom with the harvest. He is simply calling attention to the mechanics of the manifestation process. The kingdom functions like this entire assembly of components: the seed is being planted, the mystery of germination is taking place, a new crop is emerging. It’s happening now. What kinds of seeds are you planting?  

Unlike the running motor of a car, no one starts the manifestation process. It runs 24/7. The kind of crop we get depends on the kind of seed we plant. This is the heart of the lesson. The creative process is in full swing. How do we make sure we get the crop we want? We plant the seed of expectation. If you get up everyday thinking life is such a grind, you will not be disappointed. Life will give you what you expect. Brambles do not produce figs. If you begin lifting your expectations, planting new seeds open to greater possibility, this same natural creative process responds accordingly. The motor is running. The question now is this: Where do you want to go?  

Trust Yourself

YouTube: Trust Yourself

“Who do you say that I am?” This question Jesus posed to the disciples may be the most significant of any that could be asked. We are born into a predefined religious culture that provides us with the answers we are expected to give to this, and countless other questions raised on our spiritual journey. The time comes when, after considering the abundance of perspectives available, we learn to trust ourselves to discern the truth about this life we are here to live.

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9) Jesus gives us excellent insight into why it is important to trust ourselves. Our consciousness, the sum of our beliefs, is the soil through which the seed of the soul is expressed. At the soul level, we find absolute perfection. At the level of expression, we find a mixed bag of good and not so good. The reason for conflicting expressions is that we try to answer the question, “Who do you say that I am” though the opinions of others. Perhaps we’ve graduated from the well-trodden path of mainstream thinking only to adopt a new improved system of belief that is still not our own.

Think of your soul as the bulb of an iris, and the iris flower as the life on earth expressed. Where does the iris get its wisdom, it’s very being? It is in direct communion with the bulb, the very soul of the flower. The bulb knows how to draw everything it needs from soil, sun, and rain. It does not seek the opinions of other flowers or study the wisdom of its predecessors. It’s very being is the answer to the question, “Who do you say that I am?”

It is good to study the works of others, especially when doing so brings clarity and affirmative support to our own thinking. In other words, we know and recognize a truth before we read or hear another’s version of it. It is good practice to dialogue, perhaps through journaling, with our own inclinations. We are a soul expressing through a body and it’s important to know that we’ve come equipped with the proper mechanism that allows for perfect expression. When thinking of yourself, the question, “Who do you say that I am?” requires an answer only you can give. It is an answer you were given even before you asked. Trust yourself.