"It is immaterial whether the action is one of balancing or understanding; if your attitude is negative, you create karma either way." - John-Roger
This article is based upon Q&A with John-Roger taken from the Movement Newspaper (1984) and the New Day Herald (1993-95).
Q: Are experiences brought to us to gain understanding or to balance karmic flow?
J-R: It is immaterial whether the action is one of balancing or understanding; if your attitude is negative, you create karma either way. If your attitude is positive, you could care less whether it is one of balancing, understanding, fulfilling or receiving because you are in the consciousness of spirit. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you dig a ditch karmically, understandingly, enthusiastically, acceptingly or cooperatively. What is important is to keep your attitude as positive as possible in all situations.
Q: What is the difference between judging someone and telling them that they are stepping on my toes?
J-R: The difference is not in what you do, but in your attitude as you do it. It is possible for you to give someone the information that what they are doing is not working for you with an attitude of openness and neutrality. What happens too often is that we do not speak up right away, and the energy of feeling imposed upon builds up until by the time you get around to saying something, it comes out like an explosion. You have probably created anger, resentment and judgment around the situation by then, which comes across in your communication. Then you may feel guilty, thinking that it was what you said that was the problem when it was the build-up of emotional energy that most likely caused reaction in the other person. As YOU learn to speak up in the moment something is going on, you may find that it becomes more and more easy to take care of yourself without moving into judgment of others or of situations. Watch your attitude; that is the key.
Q: I don’t always like my attitude or the way I’m handling things, like when I go into doubt or fear or upset because the world isn’t doing everything “my way.” It seems like a time to do more spiritual exercises and just hang in there.
J-R: Are there other choices?
Q: Sometimes when I’m in the middle of a painful situation, I have the feeling that this is a good lesson for me that I will need in the future. How can I benefit from an experience when I’m feeling so badly?
J-R: The key here is to acknowledge that there is a valuable lesson when you’re feeling badly, because then you can redirect the energy. Acknowledge what is happening. If you have a headache, acknowledge that to the people around you. Say that you’re not going to be good company for awhile, that you’re working to get out of pain, and in a few seconds the headache may go and you’ll start to laugh and have fun. Accept the things that are taking place, because they’re really perfect.
Q: Sometimes I look back on some of the things I have done and wonder if I really needed that lesson. I did learn, but might there be another way?
J-R: In the “Lord’s Prayer” (which is really the disciples’ prayer), the disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, how do we pray?” And Jesus answers, “You pray this way: Our Father, who art in heaven…” That’s the disciples’ prayer. “Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil.”
Evil is unnecessary experience, so therefore evil is based back inside of us, as “I just didn’t need that experience.” Well, maybe you had that experience not for you, but for someone else. Years later someone may come up to you and you share what you know. They express their gratitude to you because it solved something for them. And you find yourself saying inside, “Thank God I had that experience, so I could assist this other person.”
But maybe you consider robbing a bank. You could learn from the bank robbers who go to prison; so that might be an unnecessary experience, and evil, for you.
Do the best you can in each moment. It is also important to forgive yourself if you find yourself judging something that you have done. Use as much wisdom and loving as you can before you do things; then learn from what you do, and forgive anything that you are not happy with in your experience. Then you can start walking with the Lord.
Baruch Bashan
Beautiful
I’m soooo grateful for my life’s lessons.
Thank You for this. Thank You for your Beingness in this world and beyond. I appreciate you. I appreciate all the ways you have touched my heart & Soul, and life, and continue to do so. I Love you. God Bless You