Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00386)

Murray: <Part of it all is discovering where the not-love is
within yourself, and letting the light shine into it. >

Right.  Many years ago, I used a simple technique.  Just
before going to bed every night, I would think of everyone
who I had communicated with during the day.  Then, if they
had said or done anything that hurt me for some reason, I
would forgive them.  In some cases, this forgiveness was
difficult, but I was able to do it.  Pretty soon, I could
honestly say that there wasn't a single person that I knew
that I hated (some people I would rather not be around, but
I didn't hate them).  In this way, I got hatred completely
out of my system.

Murray: <To my mind, "stage 3" ethical behaviour is reached
through a growing sense of unity and connection with the
life around you, plus that innate valuing of all being that
wells up from within, that can be called love. The circle of
concern and identification expanding as we unfold.>

Exactly (but I think you mean "level 3").

Murray: <Another facet of attaining stage 3 is, prosaic as
it may sound, training.>

I agree.  The technique of daily forgiveness is itself a
useful training aid.  The human mind runs in grooves and is
by nature habit forming.  So, by training it to love instead
of to hate, we can actually improve ourselves and our
worldview.  In time, the deliberate training will become
natural.

Murray: <So stage 3 comes about naturally, but can
definitely be helped.>

Yes.

        Jerry S.