Oh rats! I am hesitant to post this now ... it is perhaps,
overthunk? 
I like your quote of Wayne Dyer, Wil. It reminds me of the emphasis of one of my Teachers on
Reversing the Flow. In very simple terms, I think he was saying this is pretty much what the path is about. It's Step One, and
I'm still there!
Another teacher said this, "
We see the world through the world we have seen."
(Okay, typical mammoth post to follow:
)
Postmaster said:
There are people that talk of the oneness of religion. That fundamentally it comes from one devine source. But what if, just as the conflict we have on a earth there is conflict in the devine and mystical world and there is a struggle to gain our influence?
Postmaster,
Could you say more about this. What you mean, exactly ...
In particular, what do you mean by "to gain our influence?" Since this follows mention of a struggle in spiritual worlds, are you suggesting that perhaps a
spiritual war or battle is occurring over the very Soul of Humanity, as it were? That our
minds (and
hearts!) are the battleground - and that
Ideas themselves can be like the very
Sword and Shield which every warrior uses in the battle?
If so (or regardless), then this is precisely what I believe. And that War, is called Armageddon. My beliefs here may even dovetail somewhat with those of Mee ... though certainly not in all particulars. The Great War - marked by two periods of physical conflict, and really just a lull in between - WAS the onset, and principal battle, of Armageddon, I would suggest. Therefore, certainly dating from 1914 ... all the way through 1945, the battle in the Heavens was at its climax.
My own understanding is that ideally this war would have been contained in the realm of mind. Humanity's suffering would have been great, and the peril would have been global, regardless ... and every effort was made to contain this darkest of times in the subjective. But we would not allow this, as Humanity itself insisted on making it an outward, physical conflict. Really this is the path of least resistance, and it demonstrates that there were not sufficient numbers of true disciples, or enough disciples willing to make the necessary personal sacrifices ... in the world at that time.
Today, I like to believe that things are different! But Armageddon is not over! And so if my original indications are in line with what you were saying, Postmaster, then we should consider where the battlefront is today. Where, for example, is there evidence that the evils of materialism, of selfishness, and of authoritarianism in ANY FORM ... are most rampant? Among which nations, which groups of people, and in what ways do we see this active?
Ugghhh ... I kind of don't like asking that, because it's not about finger-pointing at all, and I'm plenty selfish & materialistic myself! I think that most of us could admit this, and many of us are probably also aware of it enough to be doing something to combat it! You know - `Live simply, that others may simply LIVE!'
The real battle, symbolized by Sri Krishna in His discourse to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, is the personal Kurukshetra - fought within the heart of every human being. Mohammad also taught that we must face this battle, and emerge triumphant. He called it `jihad,' and of the five types of jihad, most are clearly about the individual (and inner) struggle. Also, the word `Israel' means struggle with God, while `Emmanuel' means God is with us, or Peace.
And yet, what is true for the individual (in principle), is true for Humanity (at large). `As above, so below.' Nations, and groups, are ensouled - just as are people. Thus the incredible pressure, the tension, the strain, and the challenges which face us in coming together as Nations ... just as sometimes it is well-nigh impossible to get a group of people with their individual differences to sit around one table and discuss something calmly and rationaly. I mean, wow, even for some families (the basic group unit among Humanity) to come together and break bread - would pretty much LITERALLY require an act of God, would it not???
How much more difficult, then, is the task before World Servers (of every country, ethnic background, religion, and political affiliation) ... of working toward Global Unification! It is truly a daunting task!!! And yes, I do think that there are still forces - quite prevalent in some countries, also among certain mindsets - which oppose unification. These operate at many levels, and unforunately, the ignorance of many people can itself be the greatest barrier. This is something that is seized upon and exploited by the forces of darkness ... and these certainly do still exist (rather obviously!).
But it is only the truly sinister exponents of evil that have bent all their energies to the very destruction of Humanity. They are fighting now their very hardest ... because they are desperate!!! The DEFEAT of the Axis powers in WWII meant the END of the reign of evil upon this planet, and so to speak bluntly, the days of the dark ones ARE NUMBERED.
Yet, if we go foolishly charging in, brandishing our father's favorite ceremonial sword ... it will only be an inconvenience for Those who must lend us Their Shield. Having a right sense of proportion, and appreciating the fact that progress is slow, albeit certain - seems key. Some would even argue that if the necessary sacrifices had been made, the advent of the New Era might have come a full Century before its due. But whatever the case, the Great War brought us to the crux which was destined. And through the Saving Hand of Powers beyond our ken (`Divine Intervention') ... here we are!
I'm not suggesting that we ignore the struggle in the Inner Worlds. But I do wish to stress that in terms of the metaphor of a battle (best to see it that way until is slowly dawns how real this actually is) ... remember, there are lines. Or in terms of modern warfare, Divisions. Every single one of us plays a part, and in the Great Kurukshetra, the record will clearly indicate who fought where, alongside whom, how well, how valiantly, how skillfully, and how honorably. But that being said, it is useful to pause for a moment, from time to time, and assess the scene before us ... and around us, on every side. The General will afford us a glimpse of the Vision, as readily as the Lieutenant, but both will also depend on us hold up our end!
As for the true nature of the Forces (both of Light and of Darkness) arrayed against each other in this ongoing struggle, I do highly recommend a reading of the Song of the Lord - The Bhagavad Gita, if you haven't read this recently. The key point is that it will surprise us to realize that the lines aren't drawn quite as clearly, as neatly, or as conveniently as we might wish to believe. In fact, since the very first line is the one drawn between our own imperfection and the potential Perfection of the Christ, the remaining lines will ALL be difficult and painful to recognize. They run through the very hearts and minds of our family, our friends, our associates, and of course, everyone we know and meet. Precious few are those who have fought this battle and overcome it.
And so I would suggest that it will be a LONG time before Earth herself, as a whole, is finished with this Battle. Perhaps the most advantageous thing we can do - is to identify WHAT are those Spiritual Qualities that we desire to cultivate within ourselves and to encounter within others, Universal in their presence within ALL peoples everywhere ... latent, needing only to be emphasized in order for us to see them. If we can make a list, and see the connections between these qualities, their overlap and how they complement one another, then I think we will be well on the way to answering your question.
If we go further, and begin to visualize these qualities, and try to SEE them in action - both in ourselves, and in the lives of everyone we know - then we will have taken another significant step to answering your question. And there are many who do this regularly, others who know the practice well enough. Thackeray suggested it, here:
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]"Sow a thought, and reap an action.
Sow an action, and reap a habit.
Sow a habit, and reap character.
Sow character and reap destiny."
[/FONT]
Of course, the
cultivation of these qualities -
sown in us by God,
nurtured and brought to fruition by
each Individual - is why we are here. And that is every bit as true of the dark ones as of the
Servers of Light. Some are misguided, but the best spiritual advice of all is for us to live in such a way that
we offer them NOTHING in terms of a foothold, no chink in the armor.
~~~~
I'm out of steam. (Thank God!)
Cheers,
taijasi
