Notes of a conversation - January 12-19th

These are notes made by two people who took part in the first week of the conversation at Chisholme referred to in the invitation sent out in early January. We hope to post other records of the ongoing conversation as they become available.

We are in a time of unprecedented change. This is evidenced in both the exterior and the interior. The world is changing, we are changing, and Beshara, as news of both the exterior and interior, is changing. Can we see this? What is asked for is clarity of vision. What is happening and how can we respond?

While it was asked (in the tube advertisement ) some years ago –
'You might not be able to change the world, but can you change yourself?'
The question now could be: '...but can you see that your self and the world are one self?'

This is not a personal spiritual matter – reference to the quote from the Hopi – 'This is not a personal matter', what you thought was personal is global work'.

Bulent's paper – 'An Esoteric Exposition of Finance' was read referring to 'the three major aspects that rule over the present age': the Spiritual, the Financial and the Scientific.

This has proved an invaluable guide to our understanding of the era, particularly
– these three dimensions are necessarily interdependent
– that a total awareness involves the integration of these three dimensions
– that they are based on the bedrock of Life – 'It is through Life that Finance, Economy, Business find possible expression in human existence
– that the place of the true spiritual/universal vision is in the 'bedrock of Life'. That the Compassionate Spirit and the good news of Beshara is at this level
– that we are inevitably, in this era, born with these dimensions as our daily modes of perception.
We cannot but help see the world in financial, scientific and spiritual terms.
– that the present condition of the era is communicated to us through these modes – population, exponential growth, credit crunch, global warming etc. are exposed through these 'souls'.

Unprecedented change is evidenced in exponential growth particularly in world population, use of resources, world financial debt etc. We are at the point now where the rate of increase has itself increased hugely and leads into impossible levels. (Reference graphs of exponential growth in Chris Martenson.com – 'Crash Course')

One strongly entrenched belief has been that growth is good and that growth means prosperity. However, the real situation is that with limited resources, growth and prosperity become mutually exclusive; ultimately continual growth is not sustainable.

The paradigm of growth is being exposed as untenable. While it might have been workable in the past it is no longer relevant for a 'full planet'. Another model is needed. It is necessary for us to rethink basic assumptions. The continuing belief that the future will enlarge is a myth and is leading to a burden of debt on future generations. (see Chris Martenson.com) This also refers to the myth of personalised spiritual growth.

However, not everything in the past/present is negative. It is helpful to distinguish between the real and the imaginary e.g. Real Economics and Imaginary Economics. There is a proper order to 'economy' as the standard of value, transfer of energy/resources, value of man's work, etc. As simply movement from place to place in itself, it is neutral and can truly reflect the real qualities of Life, Energy and Generosity. Imaginary economics can sit on the top of this and operate according to self, greed, exploitation etc. and have negative effect. Greed and fear must be replaced by generosity and compassion of response.

We are of the era and as such are party to the sickness of the era, but we have been educated in wellness.

It is important to keep levels distinct and to view the exterior from the exterior and the interior from the interior. ' Don't try to give spiritual answers to scientific questions; Each has their own truth, but they are not in opposition'.

We must be careful not to 'jump the gun', to proceed to a speculative conclusion. This is an invitation to vision, not to solutions.

Invitation to vision requires 'abiding in truth' and following the unfoldment as it unfolds. The question is 'What is happening ?', 'How is it now?' and 'How can we see it more clearly? We are asking to be informed.
This communication is a request for vision. Nothing can be communicated without vision, otherwise it is imagination from a limited place. Let's ask for annihilation in vision, and ask until it is total.
Vision communicates; if vision is given let's ask for more.

The real paradigm shift is non-existence in the face of the One Self – 'practical non existence'. There is the flavour of breaking down something and opening up in a different way; the sense that with one small movement interiorly, everything moves; nothing is the same after this. (The image of metamorphosis – the caterpillar dissolving in the chrysalis and emerging reformed as the butterfly).

The whole order is beneficence. Freedom of movement within the order without appropriation. How to step into this vision but with non-appropriation, non- ownership, but with responsibility. Ownership is only by the Real Owner of all.

Everything has its order, its way of flowing. This is true economics and good housekeeping.

Not to see the changes as negative, but to see them as they are, not to judge. As in Rumi – 'the emaciated invalid is for the surgeon's skills to manifest' – points to the greater goodness underlying the apparent lack; a sense of real purpose and a cause for celebration.