The Illusory Values of Travel

A person who does not like herself very often will seek something to "compensate" for the absence of selflove, or for feeling inadequate (low selfesteem). Very often, she will brag or boast about her "important" or "famous" friends; in essence, she is pathetically begging, "Please pay attention to me and say that I am worthy, good, or important." This is replacing healthy selfesteem with damaging friendesteem.

People do something similar with travel. Just as having "famous or important" friends does nothing to make you a truly "better" person, so, in itself, travel does nott improve you-- mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Historically, people who travel much are no more tender or compassionate generally than are those who never have left home.

The wellknown Chinese mystic who is the founder of Taoism, whose name is Lao Tzu, wrote, "The sage can see the whole world without moving her front gate." For the enlightened have no need for all the "hassles" involved with travel.

Time is the "gold" of the cosmos. It takes quite a bit of time to invest in yourself, and in your friends or community. And it takes time to reinforce your spirituality-- reading, discussion, meditation, etc. The person who travels too much actually is putting her spirituality in danger; she is exactly like the materialistic or greedy person, who simply "does not have time" for spiritual concerns. Travel takes much timenergy-- so much that you no longer have time for God (Love) or truth. The genuine Way is lost to you simply because you have not taken the time to study, learn, and meditate.

People who do not like themselves often use travel to hide feelings of unworthiness, believing the illusion (lie) that travel itself somehow makes you "more important" or a "better person." But it does not; the truth is that, historically, many fools have traveled all their lives, every day or every week. And, because they spent all their time in travel, at the end of their lives, they died in their ignorance and foolishness. For an entire life spent in travel, and its many arrangements, cannot be spent in the pursuit of wisdom, peace, joy, or
Love.

Thus, as the people of Love and enlightenment, we must find the wisdom and courage to turn away from the illusion-laden, and glittering, promise of travel. All that glitters... Travel offers distractions to the average person, but has very limited value to the person of Spirit. (Her Journey is interior, and infinite.) Thus, the person of wisdom is not impressed by travel, and she does not encourage this unhealthy form or expression of illusion in her friends.

She might enjoy some moderate travel, and might even discuss this; but she does not support the unhealthy illusion that travel is important in itself. For travel itself is not therapeutic; and too much of it can harm your selfesteem, your family, your friends, or even your community. (For you cannot and do not usually serve anyone when you are always "gone.")

Like everything else, travel is good in moderation, but too much can have a negative effect on your psychology or even your psychospirituality. It can make you feel, subconsciously, unstable, that you have no "solid base" or strong foundation, no firm footing. It can make you feel as if you were walking on quicksand, and its effect can be troubling and unsettling.

It also costs not only much timenergy, but money. The wise would be better served, and truly improved, by taking this timenergy and money to improve her own home.

For the goal of the enlightened is to create a home so beautifully attractive that she does not have to leave it in order to enjoy her time. For the "travel-bug" can also "infect" people who secretly hate their homes. These homes can be greatly improved energy-wise (as in feng shui), by the addition of color, candles, fountains, mirrors, music, chimes, hard floors instead of carpet, and by the complete eradication of all "junk" and clutter. Try to minimize argumentation, disagreements, quarreling, shouting, loud talk, dissonant music, and similar negative
behaviors in the home.

If you "sweeten" the home, it will no longer seem dreary or boring; then, you will not need to "run away from," or "escape," your home. A happy home creates much in the happy life.
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Poetic Fragments

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Every small nail
Driven in for the sake of Love
Is the service of the
One.
There is no such thing
As an "insignificant" act of Love.
Every
act of Love-- mowing lawns, digging holes, listening to a friend--
Is an act of true "worship."
Every thought of Love
Is a prayer,
Worth a thousand Lents.

True faith is
Allowing our lives to unfold naturally,
Without concern
Or manipulation.

The voice of God is heard,
Not in the thunder, or in the ocean's mighty roar,
But in the squeal of puppies,
And the silence of desert canyons.
Every touch of every friend
Is God reaching out to you.
Every aid, every help, every assistance,
Of any person who reaches out a helping hand,
Is also God.

Serving God is the quiet mind.
God's glory is not found in selftrumpeting,
The blast of the tuba,
Never in selfdisplay.
Instead, the greatest is the least:
Infinite power and talent
Manifest in the quiet,
Self-abnegating, self-effacing person.
Glory and splendor cry out
In her silence;
The most beautiful diamonds shine
Also in silence.

The good man
Is self-erasing,
The ignorant self-spotlighting.
God's real beauty
Shines in the silent emerald.

There is no glory
Like the silent and tender,
Quiet splendors of the night-sky.
Stars the size of a million earths
Speak most loudly and clearly
The language of sweet silence.
When all are shouting,
Only the most quiet whisper gets attention.

God moves into thee
When there is deep silence.
Otherwise, She is pushed out
By all the self-talk,
All the thoughts and busy-ness.
Holy Spirit settles
Like sun-kissed morning dew
On the silent rose,
And on the silent person.
In deepest equanimity,
Most profound tranquility,
God as Love
Permeates the unspeaking
And untroubled heart.

Relax into God,
And God will relax into you.
Let the Captain
Guide his ship
Of your life.
Do not try
To take over
And drive it yourself.
It will find its home-port,
But only if you let the Captain drive it.
For the heart knows well
Where is its home.

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