Religious doctrines--moral precepts
External guidelines
till we develop the consciousness
to follow our conscience consistently
The time for New Years resolutions falls right in the midst of annual spiritual celebrations for many of us. This link of a new year--a fresh start--and the time of heightened spiritual awareness gives us the added energy and incentive to carry out resolutions contributing to our personal growth.
Time-tested religious doctrines and moral precepts are our guidance system till we, through practice, develop our own conscience fully.
As our conscience develops
We develop in consciousness
Consciousness and a clear conscience flow from unconditional love. Unconditional love leads us to act with a clear conscience spontaneously and naturally in ways that are caring and respectful. And as we develop and become accustomed to following our conscience, we don't need to depend as much on the outer guidelines--they become internalized. Transferring obedience from outer guidelines to the voice of our conscience is a gradual process--the transfers complete, when we act for the best resolve consistently. And during times when we procrastinate over what is for the best, we can always refer, once again, to the time-tested doctrines and precepts.
We claim our personal freedom
from transgression
by developing
then choosing to follow our conscience consistently
Why should we follow our conscience when we would rather not? For happiness. We all want to be happy. Until we follow our conscience consistently, we stand just out of arms reach of personal contentment, happiness and harmony.
For ultimate happiness prioritize: Separate needs from desires by deciding what is really needed for basic material sustenance and comfort. And even beyond creature comforts, if we want the 'ultimate happiness', we need to seek communion with our Creator/Sustainer. In this 'ultimate alignment' we open ourselves to the most expansive potential of happiness and bliss in our life. Religious, or secular moral and ethical training provide us with the guidelines for action that preserve our personal peace and happiness--while keeping our lives in harmony with others.
Attunement with our Source of Happiness and Harmony
Prologue: Every atom in the universe is powered by intelligence--intelligence, because atoms interrelate and cooperate forming molecules; then combine and progress into and cooperate even more fully into the larger systems of minerals, plants, animals, and our own human bodies. As our bodies are made up of these billions of atoms, we are justified is noting that our bodies are powered by the unseen intelligent energy that permeates all creation. We know about energy in the sense that we see how it works, but the ultimate source of energy is as yet to be viewed by us. Nevertheless, energy exists and energy is just energy and without its own limiting physical form.
Whatever actions we will ourselves to do are done using energy. Whatever attitudes and thoughts we choose to give our energy and time to in our mind, produce like results in our actions, circumstances, relationships, and determine whether or not we will have a happy and harmonious existence. Positive attitudes and uplifting thoughts create harmony, beauty, and love. Negative, destructive thoughts create experiences of loneliness, separation, and fear that we will lose what we already have.
Attuning our attitudes, thoughts, and decisions
with the guidelines of religious doctrines and moral precepts
makes positive use of our energy
It is for our ultimate happiness that from this moment on we resolve to live with a clear conscience--and, if we ever need to get ourselves back on track, we have the outer guidelines, which are essentially the same worldwide. Again, no matter what our background, the goal of every person is the same--to be happy.
We experience happiness and inner peace
from following the dictates of our conscience
Communion with our Creator/Sustainer--the experience of full spiritual consciousness, is essentially harmony--a connection with others that we feel as love. We are aware that we feel love because our body feels easeful but energized, and we feel contentment and happiness in our mind.
In summary: The path to experiencing this highest state of humanity begins by following the outer guidelines of religion, and secular morality and ethics--culminating in the full blossoming, the full perfection of harmony in our consciousness. And as we attune our mind and subsequent actions with the same harmony directing even the tiny atom--we reap the most happiness in our life. We fulfill the goal of humanity most fully.
Religious doctrines
Moral precepts
guiding our thinking
till consistently internalized
Thoughts
Our creations producing our choices
Conscientious, harmonious thinking
Happiness in living!
© Susan Kramer 1997