SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

                                                    RELATIONSHIPS

      AS THE EGOIC MODE OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND ALL THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURES THAT IT CREATED ENTER THE FINAL STAGE OF COLLAPSE, THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN REFLECT THE DEEP STATE OF CRISIS IN WHICH HUMANITY NOW FINDS ITSELF. AS HUMAN HAVE BECOME INCRESINGLY IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR MIND, RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT ROOTED IN BEING AND SO TURN INTO A SOURCE OF PAIN AND BECOME DOMINATED BY PROBLEMS AND CONFLICT.

         MILLIONS ARE NOW LIVING ALONE OR AS SINGLE PARENTS, UNABLE TO ESTABLISH AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP OR UNWILLING TO REPEAT THE INSANE DRAMA OF PAST RELATIONSHIPS. OTHERS GO FROM ONE RELATIONSHIP TO ANOTHER, FROM ONE PLEASURE - AND - PAIN CYCLE TO ANOTHER, IN SEARCH OF THE EXCLUSIVE GOAL OF FULFILLMENT THRROUGH UNION WITH THE OPPOSITE ENERGY POLARITY. STILL OTHERS COMPROMISE AND CONTINUE TO BE TOGETHER IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH NEGATIVITY PREVAILS, FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN OR SECURITY, THROUGH FORCE OF HABIT, FEAR OF BEING ALONE, OR SOME OTHER MUTUALLY "BENEFICIAL" ARRAGEMENT, OR EVEN THROUGH THE UNCONSCIOUS ADDICTION TO THE EXCITEMENT OF EMOTIONAL DRAMA AND PAIN.

               HOWEVER EVERY CRISTS REPRESENTS NOT ONLY DANGER BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITY. IF RELATIONSHIPS ENERGIZE AND MAGNIFY EGOIC MIND PATTERNS AND ACTIVITY THE PAIN-BODY, AS THEY DO AT THIS TIME, WHY NOT ACCEPT THIS FACT RATHER THAN TRY TO ESCAPE FROM IT? WHY NOT COOPERATE WITH IT INSTEAD OF AVOIDING RELATIONSHIPS OR CONTINUING TO PURSUE THE PHANTOM OF AN IDEAL PARTNER AS AN ANSWER TO YOUR PROBLEMS OR A MEANS OF FEELING FULFILLED? THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS CONCEALED WITHIN EVERY CRISIS DOES NOT MANIFEST UNTIL ALL THE FACTS OF ANY GIVEN SITUATION ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AND FULLY ACCEPTED. AS LONG AS YOU DENY THEM, AS LONG AS YOU TRY TO ESCAPE FROM THEM OR WISH THAT THINGS WERE DIFFERENT THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY DOES NOT OPEN UP, AND YOU REMAIN TRAPPED INSIDE THAT SITUATION, WHICH WILL REMAIN THE SAME OR DETERIARATE FURTHER. 

                       WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF TTHE FACTS ALSO COMES A DEGREE OF FREEDOM FROM THEM. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN YOU KNOW THERE IS DISHARMONY AND YOU HOLD THAT "KNOWING" THROUGH YOUR KNOWING A NEW FACTOR HAS COME IN, AND THE DISHARMONY CANNOT REMAIN UNCHANGED. WHEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT AT PEACE, YOUR KNOWING CREATES A STILL SPACE THAT SURROUNDS YOUR NONPEACE IN A LOVING AND TENDER EMBRACE AND THEN TRANSMUTES YOUR NONPEACE INTO PEACE. AS FAR AS INNER TRANSFORMATION IS CONCERNED, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. YOU CANNOT TRANSFORM YOURSELF, AND YOU CERTAINLY CANNOT TRANSFORM YOUR PARTNER OR ANYBODY ELSE. ALL YOU CAN DO IS CREATE A SPACE FOR TRANSFORMATION TO HAPPEN, FOR GRACE AND LOVE TO ENTER.  

           SO WHENEVER YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT WORKING, WHENEVER IT BRINGS OUT THE "MADNESS" IN YOU AND IN YOUR PARTNER, BE GLAD. WHAT WAS UNCONSCIOUS IS BEING BROUGHT UP TO THE LIGHT. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SAVATION. EVERY MOMENT, HOLD THE KNOWING OF THAT MOMENT, PARTICULARLY OF YOUR INNER STATE. IF THERE IS ANGER, KNOW THAT THERE IS ANGER. IF THERE IS JEALOUSLY, DEFENSIVENESS, THE URGUE TO ARUGUE, THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, AND UNNER CHILD DEMANDING LOVE AND ATTENTION, OR EMOTIONAL AND HOLD THE KNOWING . THE RELATIONSHIP THEN BECOMES YOUR SADHANA, YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. IF YOU OBSERVE UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR IN YOUR PARTNER, HOLD IT IN THE LOVING EMBRACE OF YOUR KNOWING SO THA YOU WON'T REACT. UNCONSCIOUS AND KNOWING CANNOT COEXIST FOR LONG- EVEN IF THE KNOWING IS ONLY IN THE OTHER PERSON AND NOT IN THE ONE WHO IS ACTING OUT THE UNCONSCIOUSNESS. THE ENERGY FORM THAT LIES BEHIND HOSTILITY AND ATTACK FINDS THE PRESENCE OF LOVE ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE. IF YOU REACT AT ALL TO YOUR PARTNER'S UNCIOUSNESS, YOU BECOME UNCONSCIOUS YOURSELF. BUT IF YOU THEN REMEMBER TO KNOW YOUR REACTION NOTHING IS LOST.

                  IF YOU ARE CONSISTENLY OR AT LEAST PREDOMINANTLY PRESENT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP, THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR YOUR PARTNER. THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TOLERATE YOUR PRESENCE FOR VERY LONG AND STAY UNCONSCIOUS. IF THEY ARE READY, THEY WILL WALK THROUGH THE DOOR THAT YOU OPENED FOR THEM AND JOIN YOU IN THAT STATE. IF THEY ARE NOT, YOU WILL SEPARATE LIKE OIL AND WATER. THE LIGHT IS TOO PAINFUL FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO REMAIN IN DARKNESS.