“Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven” was part of a prayer I recited more times than I can count. There are times when I wish I had studied the original languages of the Bible so I could understand the context in which this was written. I see Heaven differently than I did while being immersed in the teachings of my Missouri Synod Lutheran upbringing. I was raised to believe Heaven is where you go when you die, providing you are worthy. As I’ve said before, for many years I lived with the belief that I really had to earn my way, since I had made some not-so-good choices. But this idea of Heaven and Hell as two separate “places,” one for the good and the other for the bad, doesn’t serve me anymore.
In Buddhism, Nirvana would be the closest thing to Heaven, although Nirvana is a state of mind free from suffering, not a place. Don Miguel Ruiz, a descendent of the Toltec tradition from the ancient empire of Mexico, explains in his book The Four Agreements heaven and hell are the conditions we create with our mind and if we learn to control the mind, similar to Buddhist teachings, we are living in Heaven. However, if we choose to latch on to the journeys the mind can take us on, the mitote as he calls it, we are choosing to live in Hell.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly experience the place of Hell as Ruiz described. When this occurs, I realize I am more focused on my will rather than being in the flow of Thy will. Blue Yarrow brought a clear message forward:
Surrender into the flow of life. Surrender into nature. Surrender into your healing gifts. Surrender into the flow of writing. Just as nature surrenders to the seasons, so must you surrender to the process of unfolding. As solstices and equinoxes approach each year, reflect on the things you need to release and allow to die off. Just as nature releases the beauty she has held through the months of summer, she transitions with grace, dignity, and beauty. Know that you are supported. Trust and believe without a doubt.
Take a few moments to reflect on any thoughts which perhaps are creating your personal mitote.
What do you need to release? How can this transition be one of grace, dignity and beauty for you?
Now, reflect on the times when you have surrendered totally to the flow of life. How did that feel to you?
Were you surprised by the outcomes?
Once we surrender and are in the flow, the mind releases and becomes less disruptive, freeing us from our suffering.
"There is no will but God's. I seek his peace today." A Course in Miracles 74.7:2-3