The Value of Contentment
Dear friends,
Contentment, it has been rightly said, is the supreme virtue. While I believe this is true, there are a number of ways to misinterpret this so I thought to share a few thoughts…
Contentment does not mean passivity. It means an open, receptive heart, able to accept reality for what it is. Once the heart is calm, true intuition and knowledge is free to enter. I was once in a book study group and a section of the book we were studying (The Art and Science of Raja Yoga) was on affirmation — how to focus your will to conquer the restless mind and achieve what you want. This raised the question, “How ought one select what one wants?” Using your will you can, perhaps, manifest something that is not at all right for you. Of what purpose is that other than temporary satisfaction? To answer this it helps to explore what creates a calm heart.
If you want to seek guidance from a friend, which is more likely to receive a true response?
a) “I just bought this sweater! I love it. Don't you think it’s gorgeous?”
OR
b) “I just bought this sweater. I kept the receipt because I am not sure. What do you think?”
Our own biases and strong feelings prevent the other person (or Spirit) from telling us what they think. A cup full of milk cannot be filled with water until the milk is emptied. When we are firmly content, we are open to whatever reality presents to us and to whatever information comes our way. Our inner essence is fine no matter what storms come, so why block any input out of fear? What exactly are we protecting? Our own fixity gets in the way of learning something new about ourselves, or seeing something from an entirely new perspective.
This is not at all an exhortation to be passive, but once we are calm of heart, what needs to happen will more likely become apparent to us. Then go for it with your full blast! Energy, persistence, and will are then required. But there is no point marshaling one’s forces to do the wrong thing, so the first step is knowing what the Universe is trying to tell you. Those messages are always available to us once we unplug our ears. Like anything else of value, developing this ability takes joyful effort, persistence, and time, but the rewards are very well worth it. And to avoid initial discouragement, remember that the goal is steady progress, not immediate mastery.
May we each develop the ability to accept what comes. For it is inner acceptance that allows a calm heart. From that calm centeredness, may we come to know what all-knowing Spirit has in mind for us beyond our personal preferences.
Blessings,
David G, manager
For the gang at East West