by Laura Alden Kamm: Buddhism teaches us, above all, that insights perceived through direct life experience cannot be bound by rigid dogma. You are free to explore your own life experiences as authentic and discover the visions and meaning inherent within those experiences.  Your life expresses and reflects the deepest part of your authenticity—your spirit. Often, that which is the deepest part of you is displayed as a surface situation distorted by ego and emotions; and can be painful. But within that experience, there is a seed of your natural authentic self. When you are present to the moment, you can find that seed, that thread, or glimmer of your true nature. Your task then is to follow it.

One of my purposes in teaching what I teach and sharing what I share is to help you bridge the gap between the way things appear to be in everyday life and work, and the way they really are. A skilled intuition will help you do that. For myself, having been blessed with the experiences of life, death and life again in this one lifetime, I tend to caution people about enlisting blind faith or taking life at face value. Particularly taking life’s value based on emotional charges that arise through the ego.

We get hurt sometimes because we trust that which is on the surface of life instead of really seeing the truth underneath the situation; and all the things that drive it. When you know the truth, you are set free. Everything you see, every action you take is a part of the divine process of the universe in accordance with cosmic consciousness. No matter what—a new law, oil, war, peace, good or bad economic times—all are contrasts to help us wake up. You do not awaken without stepping back from, observing and examining the contrast itself and that which undergirds it.

In order for you to see the true refection of your wisdom—your spirit—be an investigative, participant observer of your life. Buddha, said, “Investigate the validity of any teaching as you would examine the purity of gold, rubbing it against a stone, hammering it and melting it.” Use intuition to help you accomplish this. It will take you to your truer, more natural refection.

One of the valuable benchmarks that will open you toward awareness of how you are progressing on your spiritual path is that you will become less egoic and more altruistic. It will be natural and not forced—how could it be anything other than that? Sweet words, a helping hand, smiling (inside and out), practicing compassion toward yourself and others are gatekeepers to wakeful peace.

With love,

Laura