Death as Love's Servant; Illness as Death's Servant

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This donkey, for years, has accepted on sheer faith, that its suffering from a chronic condition of less-healthy health was somehow "good." But its goodness remained hidden until recently.

For recently, an opportunity to leave this world behind did beckon, at times, rather strongly. Although, of course, there is always much that we seem to "lose" when we leave this world, the overall gain is so much greater to make it obvious that death is the servant of Love, not of the "devil," or fear, Love's conceptual opposite.

But how, exactly, does death serve Love? Squeezed into a tight emotional corner, the donkey was forced to ask this question until his "inner ears" rang, and then, threatened to fall off!:) To answer this question became a passion!

But one evening, the answer finally dawned: Here is how death serves Love: Death is not a "terrible" or even "bad" event. Although we do lose everything of this world, that loss is only temporary. Indeed, when twenty years pass on earth, that is only a few minutes in the afterlife state ("Homeworld").

Death serves Love by totally erasing all mistakes and errors, or by educating us out of them, through karmic consequences. It liberates us all into a brand-new world with the clean slate of a new beginning. Death introduces us to incomprehensible mercy, incredible forgiveness, and the complete awakening of, and to, grace. This is Love in its most "saving" or rescuing form; ultimately, Love liberates us from even this whole world of frustration, disappointment, dream, and nightmare. This makes death the servant of Love. This removes death from the category "bad," and places it in the opposite"-- "Good." In a word, death is a good thing.

But, locked and lost in the world of illusion, it is very, very difficult for us to wrap our minds around this stunning new perspective. What is "stunning" is the idea that death is sunny-- not a curse which throws the mind into a black, bottomless pit. For, instead, it awakens the Mind to a dazzling new identity as an immortal and nonmaterial Soul. We must reverse, within ourselves, the entire idea that death is bad, or that it is "punishment" for sin, created by a vicious and merciless god.

We need to begin to embrace death as a great gift instead. This is how Jesus, the Buddha, and other great mysticsages viewed death. And this is why so many mysticsaints died willingly-- or at a very early age. If the idea of death as "good" sounds a little nutty, it is-- by the standards of society and culture. But this is the very charge made by those ancient champions of logic, the Romans, against the early Christians, who often claimed that they could hardly wait to die!

This is how death serves Love. And disease (genetic or otherwise) serves death. How can this be good?

This is how: Sooner or later, we all need to leave this planet, this tiny life, in order to enter what some mystics call "the real life," the gigantic life as a supernatural and superhuman being, a nonphysical Soul that is already millennia old, and that lives always in perfect tranquility and utter bliss.

If we happen to be "blessed" with a deadly (lethal) condition, then, the problem of our leaving the earth is greatly simplified. For if it is the case that our bodies are trying to signal us that our time on earth is over, all that we have to do is nothing. For if we do nothing, then, nature takes over, and we leave this world.

A comedian once quipped, "I love nature, but I think she is trying to kill me!" Yes, nature is "trying to kill" everyone; and, ultimately, she does indeed bring us to the point of biodeath (which is not "psychodeath" or "pneumodeath.")

If we of Tao, when our time comes, simply relax into our bioprocesses, with fullest trust (faith) in the great and invisible Tao-Mind that controls all things, then, we can leave the planet in peace by simply allowing nature to "take her own course."

The Taoist is no fanatic. She does not drop all health-giving vitamins, minerals, herbs, or drugs, for they can make her life much richer; and if she is not willing to leave the planet-- if, for example, she thinks that her personal Tao is wanting her to stay on earth for a few more years-- then she continues to "resist nature," or act decisively out of selflove: She continues with the vitamins, medicines, etc. For taking her meds is a form of Love (selflove).

But things are very different when she hears the call of the Infinite, deep within the Mind, telling her that it is indeed her time to "go Home." When she hears this, and only when she hears it with crystal-clarity, then, she is free to stop taking the drugs, vitamins, or other supplements that "interfere healthily with nature" to keep her alive through chemical or "artificial" means.

She does not have even to face the terribly complex problems that face arguments for euthanasia, selfsuicide, doctor-assisted suicide, and related areas of enormous complexity. For, when she knows without doubt that she is being called to the Life far beyond this one, all that she has to do is nothing. For doing nothing, if she has a serious illness, is the easiest, the most effortless, solution in the entire cosmos. This is how weakness, or disease, can be the real gift of a loving God. If
she does nothing, in the most perfect Taoist sense, she will leave the earth. This is the great, and usually secret, immense blessing hidden within disease.

Btw, "disease" is so much more than mere "dis-ease." When you are battling disease, it is not reducible to saying, "I am uncomfortable." Much greater, often enormous, pain can result from disease (which is why some metaphysicists are so terrified of it). Some rather foolish people have tried to so reduce it, but it has many and complex roots, in both this life and previous ones.

When our time to leave does come, let us all hope that we are grown-up enough to approach the inevitable free of fear, and even saying "okay" to death itself. Silently praying, a million times, "Thy will be done," we can enter even the deathexperience without terror and horror. If we are very lucky-- or blessed-- God will provide a Way for us to leave by doing nothing!

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Friendship

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There is no better use of time on this planet than to offer assistance to a friend.:)

What Really Matters

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Under the worst conditions, and even on the worst planet (and it can, at times, seem to be earth), you have been tempered by life to a solid, non-wimpish state of courage, Love, strength, wisdom, and active service.


There is a pop-phrase that comes to mind: "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." Agreed, but I would expand it to: "Even that which kills me will make me stronger." For death is an incredibly empowering experience!:)

The storms of life are so great at highlighting the things that really, truly matter in life. And you know what? There aren't a whole lot of things that truly count. There are Love, friendship, giving, relationship, spirituality, and a few other things. Beyond these, as the great mystic Solomon said, "All is vanity."
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The "Moral Code" of Love

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When it comes to a "moral code," people often forget that "moral" simply means "good." So, a moral code is a set of guidelines or regulations that increase the goodness in our lives.

The very highest moral code in history is to follow the Way of Love.

For example, in sexual matters-- which are the ones that people think of first when considering "morality"-- the Way offers several valid guidelines:

It supports ahimsa. This means that we are prohibited absolutely from voluntarily harming any person at any time, for any reason. We must not harm others emotionally. So, we must stand behind fidelity and faithfulness in marriage, for this is a commitment to God and to human beings. Since sexual promiscuity harms many people-- whole families, if not communities, in many ways-- it is not allowed under the guidelines of the highest morality. Also, since it might produce unwanted kids, which would seriously harm and damage them, careless or promiscuous sexual intercourse is flatly prohibited. So are "recreational" or "casual" sex, because sexual interaction must remain a manifestation of true Love with commitment. Any attitude but the sacred cheapens sexuality. It must remain a high form of worship. Thus, it must be Love.

In other life-matters, the Way of Love recommends that every day, we do something real to help or aid others. This might be teaching, if that is our calling or gift. But it must also express in giving economic aid to the poor, aiding the sick or challenged, and generally, extending a helping hand. In a world such as ours, there are millions of opportunities each and every day.

The Way recommends kindness towards all, and goodness, honesty, generosity, fairness, compassion, and the expressions of tenderness, mercy, and forgiveness. We must be gentle towards all. A being of Love will never use offensive violence. That is, she will never attack; but she might have to use defensive violence if attacked.

To sum up the Way: Love everyone, serve everyone, and forgive everyone.
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Salvation and Love

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We all always need to be "saved"-- from ignorance and arrogance, as early gnostic Christians pointed out, and from the falsehoods and dangers of the lower nature (the humanimal mind and the animal mind).

The "quickest and easiest" Way to salvation is through Love-- through Love-immersion. This means that we think almost continuously about Love and its many flowers or "fruits," such as kindness, reason, goodness, generosity, and wisdom. We must never forget the poor and the disadvantaged among us. When we can afford it, we even give money to those who need it. We can do this through recognized charities, but, since a high percentage of their funds often goes for administration, often, we are better off just giving to a person whom we know to be in need.

Love is also expressed as tolerance and patience. Recognizing that we do have forever, the humanitarian Lover is not always rushing around, or rushing others. She is a being of patience. Because of her Love, she tolerates diversity-- in lifestyle, sexual preferences, politics, and religion. This does not imply that the person of Love must be indecisive, a wishy-washy type who says that nothing really matters. That is not deep spirituality, but one of its opposites-- apathy or complacency.

The spiritual being might know with solid and total firmness what she believes, and might even share it. But she will do so only educationally; the spiritual being does not make "converts." For God is continually "converting" the heart from within, and conversion is Her job, not that of the human being.

Love, in this kind of world, must be not only relentless, but continuous. We must often try to love the being (Soul) beneath the person (mask). The person might be ignorant, arrogant, and even repulsive. But it is up to the enlightened to see beneath the surface, to see that tiny "spark" of the "sun of God" that dwells within every person. Thus, we can never "damn" anyone, which is the "judgment" prohibited by the Master. (Mt. 7:1)

To love endlessly, tirelessly, universally, consistently, and unconditionally is the Way to salvation. This includes the three subpaths of real spirituality: 1) love everyone, 2) serve everyone, and 3) forgive everyone.

No amount of "Bible-study," no giving of sermons, no Bible-thumping, no "gift of the Spirit" is worth anything without accompanying Love. So, if you had all of these, without Love, they would all be worthless. Joining any particular church or religion is also useless, if it does not create or stimulate Love in the heart. Joining any group that damns others is sin. But if you have Love alone, without any of these, you are blessed beyond imagining. (Compare the "Canticle of Love," in First Corinthians,
chapter 13.)

Some preachers and ministers do not know this, and so, they emphasize the wrong things-- actions that eclipse Love in the heart. We must be careful never to become followers of incompetent and ignorant human beings. Why should we? For we have the Master of Love, living entirely in each and every heart.
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Love and Love Ministries

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Every act of Love (compassion) is an act of true worship. Whenever you help an animal, or save a dog, or show Love to any human being, you are in active and very fruitful "worship." This Love is, in fact, the only real worship. For going to church, studying the Bible, singing hymns, and saying public prayers-- usually mistaken for worship-- can be done by any fool or hypocrite. But no fool or hypocrite can love.

In harmony with this finest of principles, every thought of Love is a true "prayer."

A life spent in services such as the saving of animals and the adoption of children is a life spent in sacred service. There is no better use of time or spiritual resources. No act of Love is ever "illusion." Each is an everlasting "investment" in your own eternity. Each and every act of compassion is worth the timenergy that it requires to do it, and results are very, very real.

Thanks for your kind offer to support the work of Love Ministries. We never charge for our spiritual work; seminars, lectures, tapes, and personal advice (through email, telephone, or visits) are all given free. But our work, especially publishing books, can become quite expensive; and so, we do receive voluntary Love-donations from time to time. Thanks again for asking.
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