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On
True and False
©1996 Frank Sant'Agata
What is true? What is false? We are often confronted with
this question. The answer is always the same. What is true will
always exist. Truth is eternal. . . as is love, spirit, peace
and God. They go on and on into "eternity." On the
other hand, falsity is ephemeral. That is, it is subject to the
laws of time and will someday be no more. The past, and future
are also subject to the laws of time and are therefore false.
The present is always "right now," and the only tense
that is true. The past is like a dream. What little we remember
of it is shaded by distorted memories about what we thought happened.
Our memories are not all that reliable. We tend to make the past
what we would have it be. It is only a partial recollection of
our perception of what we thought happened--just as it is in
the dream. We put a great deal of importance in the past because
we were taught to do just that. We study history, tell of where
we've been, what we have done, read the newspaper's reports about
what has taken place and believe that we are protecting ourselves
in the future by learning from the past.
If the past is gone, and not the truth, our dwelling on past
events is keeping us in non-reality. So it is also with the future.
We pretend to know what is in store for us, we worry about it
and wait in expectation for what is to come. Our imagined future
and what actually transpires are guesses -- usually poles apart.
Yet we keep attempting to think we know what the outcome may
be, with eager anticipation, or fearful dread. Our waking and
sleeping hours are consumed in past and future thoughts; in "unreality."
But in the present moment, there is only peace. That is all that
can be in a place where past grievances, associations and pain
can not enter. The present is where the fears and expectations
of what is yet to be is not a factor, so only pure peace abides
there. How can one get to this space? By being very quiet---very
still; through the practice of meditation or prayer.
We have two options: Either we attempt to stop the invading thoughts
which are always future or past thoughts, or we allow the thoughts
of present awareness to totally fill our minds. The first way
is accomplished through repeated meditation practice in any of
the traditional forms. Try this: Close your eyes for a moment
and try to still your mind. Become aware of the things that show
up in your mind. When past thoughts arrive, "push"
them to the left; when future thoughts come, "push"
them to the right. That way you can begin to stay visually "centered"
in the present. This is the basis of meditation.
The second way is to focus your attention on a thought that is
eternal. These thoughts incorporate "love," "peace,"
"joy," "God," "spirit," and so
on. Begin with a thought like love and allow related thoughts
to fill your mind. Then continue unfolding thoughts that relate
to love such as affirming "I am love," I am the essence
of love," etc. until you become lost in the thought of love.
A mind filled with eternal thoughts can not be host to past nor
future. It is there that you find true peace, leave the past
behind, experience little glimpses of heaven and become in touch
with reality and higher consciousness. This is the basis of prayer.
Father,
we thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit as our guide. You
gave us all we will ever need to find our way home to You. Thank
you for showing us the way, by Your guiding light; Your perfect
love that casts out all our fears. Help us stay on the path by
constantly reminding us who we really are and by diverting our
attention from who we thought we were. Our journey home is certain.
Amen
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