On Desire
I think its important to be able to discriminate
between one's desires understanding the boundary between the lower and
the higher. The following text was just recently published by a friend
of mine today, Lee van Laer. He puts this in perspective for me, maybe
for you too?
"Ordinarily, I am always measuring myself by my desire; and my desire is always to somehow to allow myself to fall short.
What there is a need for is to go one step past what I want to do, which
is almost always selfish in one way or another. This needs to be looked
at; it's so habitual, really, that I rarely notice it. I take my
selfishness for granted; and that marks the line where hell's property
begins.
There is a satisfaction in the fulfillment of duty. I have been brought
to this planet to learn how to take one step past what I want, into what
is good for others. It's this service that counts.
I'm tempted to live in a secret, personal space. It has many comforts;
and many things that help me are imparted there. But the intention of
inner work is to bring me into relationship, first with myself, of
course — but then, always, with the outer, into which I ought to bring a
little of the light I am sent."
There is another angle about this which has to do not with falling
short, but fulfilling a promise (duty), but also once again taking it
one step further. In committing oneself to producing more than what is
asked of oneself, one consciously creates a dimension of freedom in
which in the process of making an exchange one's conscious awareness
operates creatively which would otherwise not be subject to that higher
state and challenging tension.
"Ordinarily, I am always measuring myself by my desire; and my desire is always to somehow to allow myself to fall short.
What there is a need for is to go one step past what I want to do, which is almost always selfish in one way or another. This needs to be looked at; it's so habitual, really, that I rarely notice it. I take my selfishness for granted; and that marks the line where hell's property begins.
There is a satisfaction in the fulfillment of duty. I have been brought to this planet to learn how to take one step past what I want, into what is good for others. It's this service that counts.
I'm tempted to live in a secret, personal space. It has many comforts; and many things that help me are imparted there. But the intention of inner work is to bring me into relationship, first with myself, of course — but then, always, with the outer, into which I ought to bring a little of the light I am sent."
There is another angle about this which has to do not with falling short, but fulfilling a promise (duty), but also once again taking it one step further. In committing oneself to producing more than what is asked of oneself, one consciously creates a dimension of freedom in which in the process of making an exchange one's conscious awareness operates creatively which would otherwise not be subject to that higher state and challenging tension.