Free from the bondage of the past and future, we receive the gift of giving

The culmination of our 3-part series focuses on our relationship with the world. Released from the bondage of the past and the future, we now focus on the meaning of life itself. The key to the meaning of life is simplicity itself. I use the term “singularity,” but not in the way commonly described by physics. My use is based on the mystical phrase from the Bible, “if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be filled with light.” My translation goes like this: if you see the world in its simplicity, you will be grateful and happy.

I have taught my young daughter the meaningful relationship that every leaf, every blade of grass has in our world. The function of the green plant via photosynthesis is to transform or translate the energy of the sun into life: carbon, oxygen, and water. Without this vital process the animal kingdom, including we humans, could never have evolved. I use this metaphor to describe our function as humans. We, like the plants, are called to transform or translate the creative intelligence of the universe (what some call god) into useful forms that serve our world. These forms include acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, creativity, and enthusiasm (you can throw in love and compassion for good measure).

When we experience the infinite power of this creative intelligence, what Eckhart Tolle brilliantly named “the unmanifested,” we understand the potential that exists within each day. Our highest calling is to serve as a conduit, a portal, through which this universal creative power might express itself in our world. Without our participation this “unmanifested” literally cannot exist in our world. Truly, then, we are the bridge between heaven and earth, the link between eternity and the space-time world. No less than the leaf, the blade of grass, our function is vital, even holy.

Forgiveness is a word that when broken down sheds light on this phenomenon. When we are not aligned with the spiritual power of the universe, when we see ourselves as lacking, we turn to the world in order to try to get our needs met. We see the world as a place for getting from. But the reversal which comes with our awakening to our relationship with the divine shows us another way of seeing. This is forgiveness, where we correct the error of our thinking. Now we see the world as a place for giving to. This, my friend, is the true meaning of life, that each day offers us a very generous gift.

What I call Conscious Living is the awareness of this gift, awareness that our highest function and our happiness is based upon one simple thing: giving. Giving our creativity, giving our acceptance, appreciation and enthusiasm, each and every day is our guarantee of true happiness and peace of mind. The 3 Faces of Freedom have yielded for us a life free of regret (past), free of anxiety (future), and the greatest of all freedoms, the freedom to express our highest creativity every day. Here we are giving our greatest gift to the world.
________________

Louis Bourgeois lives outside of Cuenca with his wife and young daughter at the Oasis Center. He teaches courses in Conscious Living and Conscious Dying. He is planning a one-day intensive course, The OASIS Experience: How to Know God. He can be contacted at louisb333@hotmail.com