Guide Posts – Over the last several thousand years or so Humanity has been given simple guide posts for spiritual direction by many highly evolved spiritual people who have walked the earth plane. At the very foundation of every religion known to us there is a version of the Golden Rule; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Even before recorded time the spoken beliefs echoed those same sentiments. Simple but not always so easy. Another source of guidance given us through time are the ten commandments, again a frame to work from. Guiding rules to gently structure our way. According to your persuasion there are different numbers ranging from ten to twelve or more. Using these two major sources for guidance as to how to live a spiritual life provides us with a road map as to how to approach life in a more spiritual manner.
The commandments are simple and straight forward and they applied to the times and the consciousness of humanity of the time of their origin. As we have evolved it occurs to me that some of them could be expanded on just a bit to more deeply apply to the current times. The third commandment states we should not worship idols. At the time that meant graven images, in today’s society, things like money and power are often sought and worshiped as Gods. They are things and our devotion is better served by focusing on the higher realms for they are still as pure as they were at the time of creation. Rather than setting goals of evolution we are quite often caught up in the pursuit of material things instead of concentrating on the manner in which we are living and impacting our environment. The physical rather than the joy of spirit often has more attention.
The fourth commandment speaks of taking the name of God in vain. For me this goes beyond cursing, I feel that if we over use a term no matter what it is, it loses its impact. When I call on God or the universal energies, I want them to listen, and if I call on them too frequently I’ll end up being the child that cried wolf.
The fifth commandment, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, means more than attending a church. As far as I know God does not take attendance. This is a day meant for reflection and joy. To my mind the Puritans took it a bit too far but they had the right idea. In doing my genealogy I found ancestors who were fined for picking peas on Sunday. Somewhere in the middle works well for me. Visiting a house of worship is only the beginning, and not really necessary at all if your heart and spirit are in the right place. For me the day should hold reflection on the spiritual within my life, it should be a time of focus on the beauty of what we have been given, even if it is hard to find at times. It is a time of finding the joy of the spirit and celebrating it.
The sixth honor thy father and mother. Not always easy in the best of times… but honoring those who brought us into the world and the lessons they have provided is important, and they need not be near or even on this plane to feel the honor. Those who provided the means to get us here so that we could experience life and the joy of creation. Personal relationships are often the lessons given us to grow and understand on a higher spiritual level. We are given countless opportunities to learn and grow; it is of course our choice as to whether or not we choose to draw upon those experiences for joy and growth.
The seventh commandment, thou shalt not kill. This is one of those that takes on deeper meaning because of the evolution of humanity. Taking the life of another is obvious, but this commandment goes beyond that concept, we should never kill another’s dreams or hopes as well. How often have we said, “You must be kidding, you really don’t believe that or think that”, instead of saying, “why not, give it a try.” How little it takes to be supportive as opposed to judgmental. What a gift you would give to another by supporting dreams and aspirations.
The Ninth commandment, thou shalt not steal – this one goes beyond the material which is of course enforced by physical laws. This also means ideas, dreams or hopes, anything not of the physical realm; and stealing on this level is governed by a higher law. What goes around comes around, without a doubt. It seems to me that the physical laws and realms are reasonably simple to understand and follow. It’s when we try to build upon the work of another that things often fall apart and we wonder why.
The tenth – thou shalt not bear false witness, in other words lie. Not only to others but to yourself and the universe as well. There are those who use lies of omission and claim they aren’t lying. There are others who tell “White lies” and feel its o.k. A lie is a lie, and when we are untrue to our nature and tell a falsehood we suffer it to be done to us … and often wonder why? There is a subtly here that is often missed. Telling the truth is important, but how you tell it is just an imperative. Truth should be given with love, gently and humanely. Truth harshly given can be as hurtful and cruel as a lie. Finding kind and gentle ways to give the truth is a skill and a gift and one that is constantly worked upon. It brings back into play the Golden Rule; speak to others as you would have them speak to you.
The tenth commandment – Thou shalt not covet – envy – not a good thing. We are where we are because that’s where we need to be because of our spiritual evolution. Wishing we were in another’s place could be a dangerous thing. You don’t have any way of knowing what that other person is working on and it might not be as nice as where you are at this point in time. In my youth I looked at huge mansions and thought that one day I would love to have one and live in it … today I look at the same mansions and think, boy I wonder how much time it takes to clean that monster, there’s no way I would want that much room to souse my car keys in.
I know I haven’t taken liberties with all of the commandments but some of them just stood the test of time and are as clear as when they were written so to speak. If there were a suggestion box for commandments, I do have a suggestion for an additional one. How about – Thou shall not judge? I have found that in today’s society it has become common for the element of judgment to filter into our lives. We have no right to judge another and yet we do so on a pretty regular basis. Opinions, when asked for and gently given are appropriate, sitting in judgment of another is not only not our place but often unkind. Usually when it’s done we don’t even realize what we are doing but it can be so hurtful in a world that needs more kindness.
If we took these guides and suggestions from the past and used them to follow our pathways, they could not help but be spiritual and enlightening. All we really need do is pay attention to what time has brought us through generations of mans development and evolve them into the here and now … make them a part of everyday life instead of something committed to memory for a time and then filed away. Make them your living pathway and you can’t ever get lost.