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now such as look for employment and watch your spending. If a loved one is going to depart soon, make the most of the now, and spend as much quality time with that person as you can. Take care of the now and there is no need to worry as there is nothing else you can do. The worst thing to do is to become so stressed out and worried that it affects your physical, mental and spiritual health, thereby resulting in making matters worse. Worrying and fretting is letting in fear which depletes the inner resources necessary to using the power of faith and also to giving the best effort. Merge your best effort with the power of faith seamlessly and with stamina. Relax and tap into the infinite source of strength, power and love, the First Source and Center of All, through the connection within you.
Pain and Suffering
From the eternal viewpoint, there is no such thing as pain and suffering, they are illusions. But this is little consolation to those who are undergoing such experiences.
From the material standpoint, a person that is suffering can be likened to a car that has gotten into an accident or has a mechanical breakdown. Even emotional pain and suffering is seemingly due to external circumstances such as the breakdown of personal relationships. Chemical and neural imbalances can also be considered as external, that is, physical. Conflicts with the soul and spirit may seem internal, but the problems are reflected by relation to external reality, how it affects personal relationships.
An automobile that has broken down or has had an accident can be fixed by a mechanic. A person who is damaged physically or emotionally is not as easily fixed because although medical science has improved over the past centuries, it is still far from perfect. Psychiatry and psychotherapy is even less developed. There are also many alternative methods that are viable if it works, so we do the best we can using the available methods to alleviate pain and suffering in our lives. Whatever method we use, being centered in the spirit will unerringly enhance and stimulate the healing process.
A person in a impoverished country has a fate similar to a car in the same environment. Lack of good fuel in the case of a car, lack of good food for the person. Lack of parts and mechanics for the car, lack of medical supplies and physicians for the person. The harsh environment also takes its toll equally on the person and the car: rough pathways, exposure, more toil.
The material vehicle, whether human or automotive, cannot last long under those conditions. Time is limited. So the common wisdom is that the only thing to do is to make the most out of the time available: get as much value out of the life of the vehicle before it goes.
Even for those who are in perfect health, even a long life can seem relatively short, so we must make the best out of what we are given. A person with a terminal illness when told that life may end in a few years will make the most of the remaining time. Every breath becomes a joy, every sunrise and sunset a thing of beauty, every walk a dance, every person a friend. In the total scheme of things, a few years or thirty years, even a hundred years is a short time. If we realize this we will make every breath count, every minute meaningful, and every moment eternal.
It seems we all suffer and experience pain to one degree or another. We say that it is a part of life. But is it truly so? Can't we overcome physical suffering through spirit?
Many people think so. It may be just a matter of to what degree we are in the spirit, to what degree our mind has control over matter. Have faith that God does not want us to suffer, that there are mechanisms that she has implanted in the workings of our body, mind and soul that can conquer any and all ailments. People have done this and so it is possible. But it is not magic. It is a combination of faith and effort, science and spirit, linear methods and wholistic ways; an elliptical process. Through faith and regular contact with the divine spark, the brahman, the Christ Consciousness, the indwelling spirit, we are led to various avenues to resolving the undesired situation. We will be guided to people and circumstances that will provide the necessary knowledge and the right techniques.
Again, I reiterate, miraculous physical healing through spirituality may be possible, there is evidence that the mind has powers over the body that goes beyond what was previously thought as possible, but more reasonably and more often, I think that one is lead by the spirit to finding the most suitable and efficacious medical treatments and methods, whether allopathic or alternative. Use the powers of visualization, positive thinking, along with research and trial and error- faith and effort. It is important that we keep our minds open and explore as many avenues as we can. It is often the close-mindedness of people that deter them from trying methods that are not familiar to them. A case in point is alternative medicine. Many people keep on suffering because they refuse alternative treatments which have proven effective and could alleviate their pain, just because they are afraid to try something new. Of course, one should always be careful in assessing the qualifications of any doctor, alternative or not, for there are charlatans and incompetents in every field. Follow your spiritual intuition, but also make the effort to evaluate the best option. The internet is an awesome tool for that.
Pain of the body, as a biological phenomenon, was addressed previously in my book Katsugen - The Gentle Art of Well-Being. Here is an excerpt:
Pain is a survival mechanism. Pain tells us not to do those things that are causing the pain. As an infant, we might unwisely put our hand in a fire. The resulting pain tells us not to do that again. It is experiential wisdom. We learn that fire equals heat, equals pain, equals "don't put hand in the fire"; a very simple equation. Pain is a signpost telling us which paths to avoid. Pain doesn't tell us what is right, it tells us what is wrong.
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