Only an instant does this world endure.
“This is the thought which can be used to say that death and sorrow are the certain lot of all who come here, for their joys are gone before they are possessed, or even grasped. Yet, this is also the idea that lets no false perception keep us in its hold, nor represent more than a passing cloud upon a sky eternally serene.”
I am thinking of Jennifer Hudson whose mother and brother were shot to death two days ago in their home in the South Side of Chicago. Here we have a fairy tale Princess story, rags-to-riches – Jennifer Hudson rises to stardom out of dirt-poor beginnings – only to find now she always had everything she wanted already before the Academy Award, before the movies and money.
She had a family who loved her.
And while she always openly acknowledged her gratitude for her family’s love and support, I bet she would give up everything she has worked so hard for in order to change this situation, in order to see her mother and brother one more time, and to talk with them again.
You realize in a flash that everything you ever wanted was always right there in front of your eyes to look at.
WHAT AM I TAKING FOR GRANTED THAT IS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW, WHILE I SEEK FOR OTHER GOALS?
All things are lessons God would have me learn.
There is always a tendency to keep striving for things, while being blind to what is directly in front of you. I find I don’t usually appreciate something until it is gone, and then it’s too late.
Only an instant does this world endure. We seek Your holy Word today. For we, Your loving Sons, have lost our way a while.
For we, Your loving Sons, have lost our way a while.
That’s good to know. At least it gives me the option of continuing to wander lost and aimlessly OR to let it be a reminder to me that I can stop where I am, and take a good look around, to pause, and find my way again.
It means to open my eyes and count my blessings. I have everything I’ve ever wanted right now. It’s all here for me today. You could give me all the money, Academy awards, honors, achievements to me and it would not add a single thing to the treasure that is before me right this minute.
What are you taking for granted?
ATTACK and GUILT Lisa, ATTACK and GUILT. It’s time for a break.
Lisa, I am grateful for this blog and for you showing up every day.
From the early talks of Gurdjieff, 1924:
“For one section of the people here, their stay has become completely useless. If this section were asked why they are here, they would either be completely unable to answer or they would answer something quite nonsensical, would produce a whole philosophy, themselves not believing what they were saying. A few may have known at the beginning why they came, but they have forgotten. I take it that everyone who comes here has realized the necessity of doing something, that he has already tried by himself, and that his attempts have led him to the conclusion that in the conditions of ordinary life it is impossible to achieve anything. And so he begins to make inquiries, to search for places where, owing to prearranged conditions, work on oneself is possible. At last he finds; he learns that here such work is possible. And indeed such a place has been created here and organized so that the seeker should be in the conditions he was looking for.
But the section of people I am speaking about does not make use of these conditions; I may even say they do not see these conditions. And the fact that they do not see them proves that in reality these people were not looking for them, and have not tried in their everyday life to get what they were supposed to be looking for. Whoever does not make use of the conditions here for work on himself and does not see them – this is no place for him. He is wasting his time by remaining here, hindering others and taking someone else’s place. Our space is limited and there are many applicants whom I have to refuse for lack of space. You must either make use of this place or go away and not waste your time and take someone else’s place.
I repeat, I start from the point that presumably those who come here have already done preparatory work, have been to lectures, have made attempts to work by themselves, and so on.
As I see it, those who are here have already realized the necessity of work on themselves and almost know how it should be done, but are unable, for reasons which are beyond their control. In consequence there is no need to repeat again why each of you is here.
I can carry on my work here only if what has already been received is transmuted into practical life, Unfortunately nothing of the sort takes place, because people live here but do not work; they do so only under coercion, outwardly, like day laborers in ordinary life. I therefore propose to this section of people that they should work now as they once understood work, that they should reawaken the ideas they once had, and set to work in earnest, or that they should understand at once their presence here is useless. As things are now, if they go on for ten years nothing will result.
I am not answerable for anything. Let people try. Otherwise they may present a claim for the time wasted. Let them arouse in themselves their former intentions and so make their stay here useful for themselves and for those around them.
He who can be a conscious egoist here can be not an egoist in life. To be an egoist here means not to give a hoot for anyone, myself included; to regard everyone and everything as something by which to help oneself. There must be no considering with anything or with anyone. Who is mad, who is clever does not matter. A madman is also a good subject for study, for work. And so is a clever man. In other words, both mad and clever people are necessary. Both the cad and the decent man are needed; for the fool and the clever man, the cad and the decent man can equally serve as a mirror and a shock for seeing, studying, and using for work on oneself.
Moreover, you should understand for your own guidance one particular phenomenon.
Our Institute is like the repair shop of a railroad, or like a garage where repairs are carried out. When an engine or a car is in the shop, and a new man comes into the shop, he sees engines which he has never seen before. And, indeed, all the cars he sees outside are covered over and painted, and the man in the street has never seen their insides. The eyes of the man in the street are only used to seeing the covering. He does not see them without the covering as in the repair shop, where parts are dismantled and all stand cleaned and open to view, having nothing in common with appearances familiar to the eye. And so it is here. When a new person arrives with his luggage, he is at once undressed. And then all his worst sides, all his inner “beauties” become evident.
This is why those among you who do not know about this phenomenon get the impression that we have indeed collected here only people who are stupid, lazy, dense – in a word, all riff-raff. But they forget one important thing; that it is not he who discovers this, but that someone has exposed them. But he sees and ascribes everything to himself. If he is a fool, he does not see that he himself is a fool and does not realize that someone else has exposed others. If someone else had not exposed them perhaps he would have been bending the knee to one of these fools. He sees him undressed, but forgets that he too is undressed. He imagines that just as in life he could wear a mask, so here too he can put on a mask. But directly he entered these gates, the watchman took off his mask. Here he is naked, everybody senses directly what sort of person he is.
That is why no one must consider internally with anybody here. If a person has done wrong, do not be indignant, because you too have done the same. On the contrary, you should be very thankful and think yourself lucky that you did not get a slap in the face from anyone, for at every step you act wrongly toward someone else. Therefore how kind these people must be who do not consider with you. Whereas, if someone has done you slightest wrong, you already want to hit him in the face.
You must understand this clearly and behave accordingly and try to make use of other people in all their aspects, good and bad; and you must also help others in all your own aspects, whatever they may be. Whether the other man is clever, a fool, kind, despicable, be assured that at different times you also are stupid and clever, despicable, and conscientious. All people are the same, only they manifest themselves differently at different times, just as you yourself are different at different times, so others need your help, but you must help others not for their sakes but for your own. In the first place, if you help them, they will help you, and in the second, through them you will learn for the benefit of those who are closest to you.
You must know one more thing. Many states of many people are produced artificially – produced artificially not by them but by the Institute. Consequently, sometimes upsetting this state in another hinders the work of the Institute. There is only one salvation: to remember day and night that you are here only for yourself, and everything and everyone round you must either not hinder you, or you must act so that they do not hinder you. You must make use of them as means for attaining your aims.
Yet everything is done here except that. This place has turned into something worse than ordinary life. Much worse. All day long people are either occupied with scandal, or they blacken one another, or they think things inwardly, judge and consider with each other, finding some sympathetic, some antipathetic; they strike up friendships, collectively or individually, play mean tricks on each other, concentrate on the bad sides of each other.
It is no use thinking that there are some here who are better than others. There are no others here. Here people are neither clever nor stupid, neither English nor Russian, neither good nor bad. There are only spoiled automobiles, the same as you. It is only thanks to these spoiled automobiles that you can attain what you wished for when you came here, but now you have forgotten. Now it is necessary to awaken to this realization and to come back to your former idea.
All that I have said can be formulated into two questions: (1) Why am I here? and (2) Is it worthwhile my remaining?”
Great article Peter!
Will, if you do not like what you read here, then you should stop coming here. No one is forcing you.
I’m quite comfortable coming here Lisa. Thank you though.
will
Lisa,
I was outside doing yard work and got to thinking about your blog. This Jennifer Hudson you are referring to, who just had part of her family murdered. Would she find comfort in your attacking her because she is successful, as if that somehow shows she is incapable of caring? It’s interesting that about a year ago you attacked Mother Theresa for her lack of spirituality, then this weekend went after Sarah Palin and now Jennifer Hudson. All successful women. The Course teaches about not having to defend yourself. You have nothing to defend. Just take a deep breath and see if there is something here for you.
will
yeah thank you lisa, you put me right back on the spot again
what am i taken for granted?
got lost in the “what do i get out of all this” kind of thinking
which ofcourse is never enough, leaving me grumpy and not satisfied at all..let alone being grateful
what am i taken for granted?
the question is not anymore…what can this situation. this person, these people in front of me give me…but…can i appreciate this situation, this person , in front of me these peole around me…
thank you so much ..it is so simple and yet so easy to forget…i am not wandering around in the dark…i am surrounded by the Love of God…it takes only me ..to open my eyes…and you to show me the way…
love you
Will, thanks for staying focused on the lessons of the course, your words are heard,
I saw your comments the other day as well, before they were deleted….I feel, your
love, and know your coming from the heart…I also, feel Lisa, is opening herself,
to us, on her blog, for us to take what we need or help us with our own journey, which
is all the same, just different junk at different times for all of us….Its helpful for
me to show up here, with a common link, we have all asked for the study of ACIM,
and we are All connected, to be here for one another…Lisa has been honest, with
allowing her low times and being vulnerable, to what is going on her in life..We best
learn when teaching others…and the student can be the best teacher…sometimes!
Just wanted to say Thank you Will, for showing up, and
being honest, and sending your loving words, even if they can be taken as “negative”
I do feel your love showing light to us all! When we attack others we are attacking
ourselves, we learn the lesson when we choose to see it differently….Wow,
we are on #300…..I remember when Lisa started the year, saying she was totally
committed to do this every day…..Thankyou Lisa, you are LOVE!!!!