Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tl00109)

At 12:01 PM 11/10/97 -0500, Titus Roth wrote:
>M K Ramadoss <ramadoss@eden.com> wrote:
>
>> I think that there are a lot of opportunities to serve (help) others and
>> many of them may not need any special training.
>
>The outer work may indeed be trivially simple.  But how far do people go in
>acting on what they say they believe and what portion of themselves do they
>give or reserve?  What are the inner barriers?  There is a hidden sea of inner
>troubles behind the most benign looking people, as the statistics on broken
>marriages, depression, white collar crime ... etc show.  When life is
>comfortable, the surface of most people appears calm, but when in crisis watch
>out!  To be honest, I am only too well acquainted with selfishness,
>materiality, and anger in my own nature.  I honestly wonder if the collective
>inner sea I've described is ready to upheave some surprising and shocking ways
>as happened in Nazi Germany.  The wave of terrorism, gangs, and militia groups
>starting to appear in our country is possibly a foretaste of such an upheaval
>and reflects the inner turmoil of the average Joe and Jane.
>

I tend to disagree that outer work may indeed be trivially simple. Some
things may be simple, others not. I have seen some outer work demanding all
the creativity and all the energy and all the resources to find a solution.

We are going to see selfishness, envy, and all the base characteristics show
up all the time in men and women, until such time we are able to find an
Adept who has evolved beyond all of it.

Recently a friend told me that to make show up their real natures, just
given them power directly or indirectly or put them under a lot of stress.
We have to live with all the limitation we see around us. Again from my
little experience, many of the problems that most people get into can be
traced to causes created by themselves in this life itself.

>As Peter, we need to walk on the water of our own unexplored astral sea.
>
>> In the course such activities, if self-improvement takes place, however one
>> defines it, it is ok. I feel that self-improvement may be a by product of
>> the service/help. I think all of us have enough (self) improvement that we
>> can provide some service and such service would definitely have an effect on
>> the needy.
>
>For most of us, self-improvement comes through life itself, which places
>boulders in front of us that engage our whole being to move or find a way
>around.  People who have dynamited their own boulders of inertia,
>procrastination, unforgiveness, materiality are the ones who give in
>apparently "simple" ways.
>
>> So I would jump in and act in any service if I see it as an opportunity to
>> help/serve without watiting for the day when I am self-improved.
>
>As I said, I don't think one should "wait", but rather that self-improvement
>(if it is not of the selfish kind) must proceed side-by-side with service.
>
>My impression, Doss, is that you are a rare jewel.  Perhaps you have been
>pushed to your limits in this or past lives and it has given you more
>motivation to apply yourself in the "simple" ways.
>

Thanks for the commendation. I am just a very ordinary human being using
ordinary common sense. (I am neither a scholar nor a professor with a PhD). 

It is quite possible I may have been pushed in the past lives or just I have
started using my common sense. That is not really important. It is important
to note that people helping people can make heaven on earth here and now
(figuratively speaking). But all that needs is one to TRY -- as a great man
once exorted.

mkr