Theos-Talk Archives (November 1995 Message tl00447)

Jerry S:

>>Deferred gratification is a sign of emotional maturity. We
>>curb our impulse buying in order to achieve more important
>>financial goals. The same is true of bigger things in life.

>Your first statement is absolutely correct. However
>I can't see that it applies to this situation. To say that we will
>not TRY in this life but will wait until a later life is the lazy
>albeit safe road to take IMHO that has no hope of working.

When I wrote my comment I expected someone to reply and say
this. This is because I realize as is apparent that there is
a dual-path to growth and development. This has been described
with regard to enlightenment as the gradual and the sudden schools.

While we are genuinely concerned for the spiritual and exerting
a conscious effort even at this very moment in time we are yet
subject to grown progress and karmic law. Inwardly in our
deepest part we are able to instantaneously realize the emptiness
or Mystery of life. Outwardly in our external nature we are
subject to growth and progress.

My description from that second aspect of life that of external
growth and progress was to point out the importance of being
in-harmony with our external life. We cannot truly see and
participate in life as long as we go through it in a state of
denial arising out of *wanting to be* something that we're not.

>The spiritual Path is only gained in a measure proportionate to
>our effort -- this effort being expended in this or future lives or
>both. In other words we each have a choice now in this life to
>take the bull by the horns and TRY or to do good deeds and be
>a nice person and expend the necessary effort in a future life.

This is true. We need to take the initiative in our lives and
make things happen.

>What I have been trying to say for some time is that the goal will
>never be attained without the sincere effort being made and if we
>truly desire to wait until the next life then this very desire will
>carry over to that next life and we will once again wait and
>so on forever.

We don't want to some future life to make the effort. But on the
other hand we don't create a barrier between ourselves and the
pure experience of life by making a state of denial. We don't allow
the sense of wanting to be something different to keep us from
knowing what we are at this moment and appreciating it in a pure
manner.

>If we have the desire to Tread the Path now in this
>life then and only then will this desire carry over to our next
>life and we can take up where we left off.

True.

>I am sorry Eldon but Heaven can only be taken by storm not
>in bits and pieces although we can certainly approach it in
>degrees that way but any incremental approach to infinity
>will never actually get us there will it?.

Agreed. We try in all sincerity and with all our energy
much as we would rush into a burning house to save loved
ones without thought for personal safety but only of the
important and urgent need that we must fulfill.

My point though is with regard to the process of doing that.
We are operating out of a desire to achieve long-run goals
and the perspective of the short-run looses its hold on our
lives. We do things that may not come to fruition for numberless
lifetimes with the same dedication that we may have previously
given to things that will happen nextweek. We are operating
in a more perfect sense of timelessness a more perfect
detatchment from the sense of external time and a Kalpa seems
no farther away from us than next weekend might.

-- Eldon