An Unshakable Heart

Greetings!

Years ago I heard a spiritual teacher say that suffering is grace because it brings us closer to the Divine.

While I have had this experience, lately I have come to realize more and more that this is not always the case.

Sometimes we suffer and distance ourselves from the Divine. We may become angry or give up on the Divine. Or feel as though the Divine has given up on us. 

This is never the case. 

The challenges we face can be stumbling blocks that take us off our path (whatever that may be), or they can be stepping stones that lead us further down the path. The choice is ours. Whatever we are facing can be fuel for the journey, or it can completely derail us.

I shared in one of my first blog posts about a difficult time I went through years ago. I was newly divorced with a young son and I lost my home. I held onto my spiritual practice more than ever, and not only made it through those times, which lasted a few years, but they were pivotal times in my life. Despite being some of the more challenging times in my life, they were some of the most beautiful. Truly. They were times of such incredible beauty and expansion. My practice at the time was devotional chanting. I had the Names of God in my heart and on my lips for hours every day. And everything was okay, no matter what it looked like from the outside.

Master Sha teaches about having an unshakable heart. We have to be solid so nothing can shake our heart.

In the Immortal Tao Classic, two hundred twenty sacred phrases for the spiritual journey that Master Sha received from the Tao, there is one line in particular that deeply moves me: 

Lian Xin Bu Dong 

Pronounced lyen sheen boo dawng, this means the Xiu Lian heart cannot be shaken. Xiu means purification and “Lian” means practice. “Xiu Lian” (pronounced sheo lyen) means practice to purify soul, heart, mind, and body. If you are a serious spiritual practitioner, or if you wish to live a peaceful, balanced life, an unshakable heart is a must. 

There is much negativity and pollution on Mother Earth. There is pollution of all kinds, not only environmental pollution. You cannot let it shake your heart. Walking a spiritual path can be challenging at times; to not be distracted by the pollution, and to always be aware of how easily we can create new karma by what we speak, what we see, what we think, what we do. 

One of the benefits of spiritual practice is that it purifies the heart. With a pure heart, the negativity and pollution around you won`t shake your heart. It won`t derail you. It cannot distract you from your journey. What`s more, when faced with challenges big or small, you can stay on track, or more easily get back on track. 

Use everything you can as fuel for your journey, and your journey will keep moving forward.

Everything you do, and everything you experience, can be a way of coming to God.

Have a blessed and beautiful day.

Until next time.

With love from my heart,
Master Elaine

Meeting the Divine Half Way

Greetings and welcome.

It has been some time since my last post and I want to share a story with you that has had great impact on me. You may have heard this story before. I first heard it a few years ago, and it deeply touched my heart.

If you recognize the story at the onset, I ask you to keep reading. Be open to receive the message that is there for you, for we can hear the same story many times and receive new insights each time.

Here it is...

A heavy storm came into a town and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the river would soon overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in the town to evacuate immediately.

One man who lived alone heard the warning and decided to stay, saying to himself, “I will trust God. If I am in danger, God will save me.”

As people were quickly evacuating, a neighbor came by and said to him, “We’re leaving and there is room for you in our car. Please come with us.” The man declined. “I have faith that God will save me.”

The man stood on his porch...watching as the water rose up the steps. Deeper and deeper. A man in a row boat paddled by and called to him, “Hurry and come into my boat. The waters are rising quickly!” But the man again said, “No, thanks. God will save me.”

The flood waters rose higher and began pouring into his house and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police rescue motorboat came by and saw him at the window. “We will come up and rescue you!” they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off saying, “Use your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!”

The flood waters continued to rise higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop.

A rescue helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A rescue person came down the ladder and pleaded with the man, "Grab my hand and I will pull you up!" But the man still refused. “No, thank you! God will save me!”

Shortly after, the house broke up and the flood waters swept it and the man away and he drowned.

He got to Heaven and asked God what happened and why he had forsaken him in his time of need when he had such faith. He told God that God had let him drown.

God replied, "My son, don’t you see? It was I who sent you two boats and a helicopter."

*****

The man was waiting for God's hand to scoop him up and rescue him. He could not see God’s hand in those mortal hands that offered help.

God rescues us all the time. It is our responsibility to see those miracles in the making.

You have to meet God half way.

You have to do your part. And that’s where service and Total GOLD (gratitude, obedience, loyalty and devotion to the Divine) come in. That's our part.

If we leave it all to God, what kind of character does that instill in us? The man was expecting God to do it all. He didn’t try to save himself. He was expecting more from God than he was willing to give of himself. In a way, he was testing God. He held a mind-set that it would work a certain way. It would look like this or that. Then he questioned why God failed to serve him in the way he thought he should have.

For me, this story sums up how so many of us choose live our lives. We have faith in God to take care of us, but we ignore so many signs and opportunities He sends our way.

We may think, why am I suffering, I have such faith…why is this happening to me?

Everything is a gift for our own awakening and expansion. We are always and in all ways being tended to in the most appropriate way in this moment.

I believe that the highest form of prayer is that of gratitude. This is so powerful. I pray the things I do will glorify the Divine and serve the Divine's will, not mine, rather than praying for this or that to fulfill my needs. You may find this practice to be very transforming also.

Starting today, do your best to be aware of the gifts that are being sent your way on a daily basis. Some of them may not look like gifts at all. They may not even feel like gifts. Become aware of how you respond to these opportunities. What is the message? You may wish to keep a simple journal.

Thank you for reading. I welcome you to leave a comment. Next time, we will do a practice to develop gratitude. Subscribe to my blog so you don't miss the blessings and practices. 

Until next time.

With love from my heart,

Master Elaine