Welcome back to the Practical Mysticism blog. Today’s topic is Obstacles to Grace. The way I define living from Grace is that it is the effect of living as and from your True Nature or True Spiritual Identity. Living from Grace gives rise to effortless, harmonious, inspiring experience. In a state of Grace the mind is still, and Joy, Gratitude, and Generosity shine forth from within. All bodily needs are met, the crooked places are made straight, and Life is a flowing, ever-present-moment experience. (For a deeper presentation and detailed content about living from Grace, see posts 8-10.)
The state of Grace is attained through right identification of Self as Spirit, and the releasing of all erroneous beliefs, concepts and assumptions. Mystical practice is a two-sided coin of choosing the True and releasing the false.
The content in this post/video builds on the content presented in previous posts. To garner the most benefit from the “Obstacles to Grace” series of posts, you may want to first view Practical Mysticism posts 5 through 7 about the Understanding, Acceptance, & Application of mystical principles, and Practical Mysticism posts 8-10 which address the topics of Dominion and Grace through the application of these principles. These can be found both in written and video formats on this site.
Shorter More Frequent Posts
As a side note…based on inner guidance, I’ve decided to create shorter posts so they can be shared more frequently. Until now, I have created much longer posts, and from start to finish they were taking about a month to get published. I would compose the post in written form, edit it multiple times, create and then insert graphics, post it in written blog format on my website, time the sections of the written post, create a video with timed images, add the audio script, edit it, denoise it, then post it to YouTube. Whew! I’ll actually still engage in the same process but instead of one long written or video post, I’ll make multiple smaller posts. In alignment with this decision, the discussion of the items on the upcoming list of 10 reasons for lack of application of metaphysical and mystical principles will be broken down into multiple posts. Thank you for listening to the explanation of this inwardly guided decision which I trust will be for the highest good of all.
Main Obstacle to Grace
Through many years of working with and observing others, as well as by observing my own journey, I have identified the main obstacle to living from Grace as the lack of application of metaphysical and mystical principles. I have categorized this lack of application into roughly ten categories which I have listed below:
Obstacles to Grace = Lack of application:
Lack of understanding of metaphysics and principles
Lack of acceptance, doubt
Falling asleep in conditioning of material consciousness/dualistic mind
Lack of awareness
Lack of zeal and/or commitment
Complacency, coasting, suffering/dissatisfaction not intense enough to foster motivation, laziness
Close-mindedness
Lack of inner listening and/or trusting
Fear, especially of the “Unknown”
Pride, “I know,” sense of threat to identity
Though there is some overlap among the listed reasons for lack of application, I thought it would be helpful to look at some of the reasons from slightly different angles of discussion. Furthermore, the repetition of ideas is helpful, and even necessary, for the efficacy of understanding and application.
Obstacles to Grace = Lack of Application
Now I’ll list the 10 obstacles to Grace again and then briefly flesh out each one in more detail. The following 10 obstacles to Grace can also be defined as reasons which cause us to hold back from the application of the metaphysical and mystical principles:
Obstacles to Grace = Lack of application
Lack of understanding of metaphysics and principles
Lack of acceptance, doubt
Falling asleep in conditioning of material consciousness/dualistic mind
Lack of awareness
Lack of zeal and/or commitment
Complacency, coasting, suffering/dissatisfaction not intense enough to foster motivation, laziness
Close-mindedness
Lack of inner listening and/or trusting
Fear, especially of the “Unknown”
Pride, “I know,” sense of threat to identity
1. Lack of understanding of metaphysics and principles:
The first reason—lack of understanding of metaphysics and principles—is pretty self explanatory. It’s quite difficult, if not impossible, to apply the metaphysics and principles if you don’t understand them. The foundation of application is understanding, particularly the understanding of the metaphysics and nature of Self, Source, mind and world. I’ve already presented a lot of information about the metaphysics and principles in previous posts, so rather than reiterate them here, I refer you to any of the past 10 posts, and in particular to posts 5-7 Understanding, Acceptance, and Application, and posts 8-10 on Grace and Dominion.
2. Lack of acceptance, doubt
Even if the principles and metaphysics are understood, they may be doubted or rejected due to their radical nature and departure from commonly held beliefs and assumptions. The overwhelming majority of people do not consciously operate from Grace, nor do they have any knowledge of metaphysical principles. Mass consciousness operates at the level of the polarized mind, identifying self as a body and world as matter. All of the related strategies for living are based on these identifications. So it can feel very risky to adopt and apply principles that are scarcely known by the world. It can feel difficult to trust the metaphysics and principles because those who follow them are in a very tiny minority and we’re more accustomed to following the herd. The efficacy of the application of the principles must be proven in one’s own experience, and this can only occur through application. In order to be applied, the principles must at first be at least provisionally accepted. If there is resistance to acceptance and application, I have found it helpful to think of the process as a fun experiment; to perhaps approach it like a curious scientist. Following acceptance and application of the principles, Spirit will convince you of Its Invisible Presence and Grace.
3. Falling asleep in the conditioning of material consciousness/dualistic mind
Perhaps while we’re being exposed to metaphysical truths through reading, listening or counseling, the principles are well in our awareness in those moments. However, once we move back into our daily lives it is easy to “fall back asleep” into our former modes of thinking, reacting, and behaving. The past conditioning of the lower mind—the mind that rules the mass consciousness—is very strong and seems to run on auto-pilot. However, it is in the midst of our daily lives where the rubber must hit the road in the application of these principles. Transformation to Grace—Living as and from our True Nature—cannot occur by occasional listening or reading. Grace makes Itself known by the combination of withdrawal of reliance on the belief systems and modus operandi of the dualistic mind, and complete dependence on and trust in Spirit.
4. Lack of awareness
Lack of awareness ties into number 3. Falling asleep in conditioning of material consciousness/dualistic mind. Falling asleep into former conditioning is common and nearly unavoidable in this process. It’s the lack of awareness that one has fallen asleep in the old conditioning that causes delay in the experience of Grace. This process requires a very high level of awareness; a continual watching of one’s thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. By remaining aware of thoughts and beliefs, particularly about identity, we can change them. By being aware of emotions, we can trace them back to the belief that has triggered the emotion so the belief can be let go. By observing our own behavior, and being aware of the motivation for the behavior, we can uncover what belief system and what identity we are subscribing to, and in what we are investing our dependence and trust.
This post is part of a three-part series on the topic of dominion. I think it is safe to say that we all want to experience a sense of power and to have dominion over our experience. The posts in this three-part series are geared toward offering what I humorously call an operating system update named DOS Dominion Operating System. This operating system is meant to replace the outdated operating system that had been programmed into our minds by those who did not have a proper understanding of metaphysical truths. The outdated operating system which has heretofore dominated our thinking and behavior has proven to be a faulty and unreliable means of dominion over our experience. The main features of this outdated operating system were addressed in the previous posts: Practical Mysticism 8: Dominion Over the World of Images Part 1, and Practical Mysticism 9: Dominion Over the World of Images Part 2 Releasing Projections. If you haven’t already read those posts, or listened to them on my Video page or on YouTube, I recommend that you do so before proceeding with this post. Some key foundational ideas were set forth in those previous posts and this present post is meant to build on those.
In the previous posts, we focused on the three main strategies for dominion offered by the outdated operating system:
Outside seeking
Fixing effects
Employing defenses
This is helpful because we need to know what beliefs, behaviors and strategies to let go of in order to free our mind, to live as and from our True Nature, and to experience True Dominion.
In Part 2 of this three part series, we discussed one aspect of the Dominion Operating System update: identifying oneself and others as Infinite Spirit through understanding and releasing projections. In this post, we will look in more detail at what else the Dominion Operating System upgrade entails.
I’d like to start out by saying that the Dominion Operating System is synonymous with the Grace Operating System. Operating from Grace gives rise to effortless, harmonious, inspiring experience. In a state of Grace the mind is still, and Joy, Gratitude, and Generosity shine forth from within. All bodily needs are met, the crooked places are made straight, and Life is a flowing ever-present-moment experience. The state of Grace is attained through right identification of Self as Spirit, and the releasing of all erroneous beliefs, concepts and assumptions. Mystical practice is a two-sided coin of choosing the True and releasing the false.
In order to fully experience a state of Grace, this choosing and releasing must be uncompromising. In the final analysis, there can be no compromise with Truth.
In order to attain Dominion over the world of images, or to live from a state of Grace, one must have proper understanding of the nature of Self, the nature of God or Source, and the nature of the world/mind. Furthermore, Dominion over the world of images results from Dominion over the dualistic mind.
Outdated operating system erroneous beliefs about self, Source, mind, world:
Erroneous beliefs and assumptions about the world
The outdated operating system strategies for dominion are based on erroneous beliefs about the world. The outdated operating system assumes that the world, or universe, has its own objective existence apart from mind. It assumes further that this objective world is made of solid matter, and that it has no relationship to the self. In other words, the outdated operating system purports an objectively existing self of matter and an objectively existing world of matter in subject-object relationship with each other. This is an erroneous and mistaken assumption.
Erroneous beliefs and assumptions about the self and the mind
The outdated operating system also holds erroneous beliefs about the true nature of the self, purporting identity as a combination of the body, thoughts and beliefs, personality, and outside associations such as “net worth,” skills, culture, etc. So it could be said that the basic structure of the false identity which the outdated operating system is based on is body/mind/personality/associations. Furthermore, this mind, or these thoughts and beliefs, are dualistic. In other words, this is a mind of belief in opposites, a polarized mind. So more accurately, it could be said that the basic structure of false identity which the outdated operating system is based on is body/dualistic mind/personality/associations. Since all personality traits and associations fall on the spectrum of opposites, the core false identity could be further reduced to body/dualistic mind. So the body/dualistic mind identity is really just an assumed concept of the self. Furthermore, all these components of the fabricated self-concept share the trait of changeability, which contrasts completely with the Changelessness of our True Self. Bodies change, thoughts and beliefs change, personalities change, and associations change. It could be said that this basic characteristic of changeability is what makes this self-concept identity false.
It’s important to note here that the false dualistic mind is the home of all beliefs, therefore all beliefs are false. All beliefs arise from the core belief in opposites; the belief that Source/Life/Truth can have an opposite. The outdated operating system is based on the erroneous belief that this dualistic, human mind is not only part of our true identity, but that this dualistic mind is what we should rely on for dominion strategies. This outdated operating system is attempting to solve problems by relying on the problem! The dualistic mind is the problem! Actually, it’s not a problem in and of itself, but when it is worshipped as a “god,” and relied upon for guidance and sustenance, and invested with power and truth, that is a problem. Reliance on the dualistic mind for dominion is the only real problem. It is a hopelessly circular process. It is a tragically misplaced faith.
Erroneous beliefs and assumptions about Source/God
The outdated operating system is not only based on erroneous beliefs about the self, the mind, and the world, but it also misses the mark on the true nature of Source, which is commonly known as God. The outdated operating system:
1. Posits the self in subject-object relationship to Source/God—ie me here, God out there somewhere; I am separate from Source
2. Attributes the qualities of the dualistic mind to Source/God—ie God is Love and God punishes; God is both merciful and wrathful, etc.
or
3. Leaves Source/God out of the picture entirely as in atheism.
The above beliefs and assumptions about self, Source, mind and world comprise the erroneous basis of the outdated operating system which results in unreliable means for dominion over experience.
The truly reliable means of Dominion is summed up in the following quote from A Course in Miracles:
Spirit is in a state of grace forever.
Your reality is only spirit.
Therefore you are in a state of grace forever.
—ACIM, T-1.III.5:4-6
Let’s break this summary down to the foundational understandings that are necessary for experiencing Grace and Dominion:
Foundations of updated Dominion Operating System/Grace Operating System:
Let’s start out by understanding that the triangle metaphor represents the universal, shared mind which is divided in two ways. The top of the triangle is divided from the bottom of the triangle, and the bottom of the triangle itself is divided into opposing corners. The top of the triangle represents the True mind; the mind that is in connection with Source, and the bottom of the triangle represents the dualistic mind which is the home of the belief in opposites. If we recall from previous posts that the seeming world of matter is actually all mind and only mind, it is this dualistic mind that “creates” the world of images. All the opposites we encounter in the world are mental outpicturings of the belief in the pairs of opposites. Even what seems to be so real and fundamental to our universe—namely time and space—are simply mental projections of the concept of opposites: up/down, here/there, past/future, now/later. Everything in the false world, ie the dualistic mental world, is a representation of the pairs of opposites. And what passes for life in the false world is basically slavery to opposites. In attempting to have dominion over their experience, human beings are in a no-escape cycle of constantly trying to swing the pendulum back to good from bad, back to health from sickness, back to full from empty, back to clean from dirty, and on and on and on.
This dualistic fabric of the false mental world is the great trickster, the maya, the illusion. It is a veil of illusion which we perceive in place of the Invisible Infinite Universe. This dualistic world of images becomes the hamster wheel, the matrix, and the prison guard of humanity if it’s given credence and power through belief. Humanity looks out at this illusory mental veil and accepts this limited five sense picture as reality. Furthermore, it draws conclusions based on this veil of opposites, and then attempts to master life using these erroneous conclusions for guidance. Any power that these mental images seem to have is given to them only by your belief. These dualistic mental images have no intrinsic power. They constitute a flimsy, powerless mental veil over the invisible Infinite Universe of Spirit. In contrast to the Changeless Oneness of Spirit, these images are ephemeral and dualistic and thus false. Only that which is Eternal and Infinite is True.
The True Mind, or True Self, is the unconditioned, infinite, whole mind which is beyond the pairs of opposites. This Mind/Self is the “substance” of our True invisible nature, the True invisible nature of Source, and the True invisible nature of the Spiritual Universe. Therefore this mind is One with no opposite. This Mind is beyond rational or dualistic thought and is eternal, ever-present, changeless, and transcendently wise. This Spiritual wisdom knows how to meet needs, ie how to outpicture in the world of images as needs met, without harm to anyone. This Mind knows how to benignly serve the whole with outcomes that are win-win for all. This Mind/Self is the only True Power, and this Mind is accessed through intuition, inspiration, and inner knowing.
So in order to be set free and to experience a state of Grace we must:
see beyond the veil of images to the underlying “code,” ie the dualistic, binary concept of opposites which forms the images,
withdraw all credence and power from the images and their underlying concepts,
and put all our trust in the only True Power, the Invisible Infinite Nature of our True Self and Source.
Only then we are moving towards True Dominion over the world of images.
In order to further integrate the foundational understandings that are necessary for experiencing Grace and Dominion, let’s contrast the erroneous beliefs about the nature of Self, Source, and world/mind that were given above with the Truth about the nature of Self, Source, and world/mind:
Updated Dominion Operating System understandings about Self, Source, mind, world:
Nature of world/dualistic mind (false)
As already stated, the so-called world is actually mind. More specifically, it is the outpicturing of the dualistic mind. The world is not solid matter but is a veil of mental images whose source is the concept of opposites. The foundational split into conceived polarity is the idea of separation; that there could be something outside of or other than Infinity/Oneness, thereby “creating” a primary duality, leading to the belief that Whole Complete Immortal Oneness could have an opposite in death, lack, changeability, and limitation. This foundational judgment that Truth could have an opposite forms the basis of all opposites. These opposites are then “projected” as a five-sense world of opposites. The five-sense images of opposites have no objective existence apart from the dualistic mind, but are more akin to the fabric of a dream. Furthermore, because these images are transitory and dualistic they are categorized as false. The finite, dualistic, changeable mind which produced them is also false. The false dualistic mind/world has no intrinsic power and need not be given any credence, and certainly should not be feared.
Nature of Source/God & Universe (True)
The True Nature of Source/God is Invisible, Infinite, Self-Sustaining, Eternal, Whole, Changeless, Ever-present, Spirit. The True Nature of the Universe is Invisible, Infinite, Self-Sustaining, Eternal, Whole, Changeless, Ever-present Spirit. Source/God and It’s Universe are One. Spirit begets Spirit, like begets like. Note that the use of the terms “Universe” and “world” are contrasted and not equated in this presentation. Being Eternal, Whole, and One, Source and It’s Universe are categorized as True.
Nature of Self (True)
Like Source and It’s Universe, the Nature of Self is Invisible, Infinite, Self-Sustaining, Eternal, Whole, Changeless, Ever-present, Spirit. Spirit begets Spirit, like begets like.
I and my Father are One. I am made in the likeness of Source. The nature of Self being Eternal, Whole, and One, It is categorized as True.
The terms Self, True Self, True Nature, True Mind and Spirit are used interchangeably in this presentation. The word “self” seems to conjure up the idea of something tangible and specific, so it could be helpful to identify oneself as Mind or Spirit, which tends to have a feeling of abstraction. While our True Nature is beyond all words, ideas, and concepts, stepping stone ideas about identity could be helpful.
The key to the Dominion Operating System is to “reside” at the level of the True Mind, which is the gateway to re-Union with Source. This implies and includes withdrawing “residence” from the false mind. For full efficacy, you can’t have a foot in both camps. What does it really mean to withdraw from living at the level of the false, dualistic mind? What does this really entail?
At its most uncompromising extent, withdrawing from operating at the level of the false mind means withdrawing all trust in its in its beliefs and concepts, and in its
ways, means and “laws.” This means all beliefs and judgments are dropped since all beliefs and judgments reside on the spectrum of opposites. This means that all erroneous strategies and cause-and-effect relationships are dropped. This means that the concept of “getting” is dropped. In effect, this false mind is no longer given any credence or power, nor is ratiocination nor logical or linear thinking used to solve problems. The circular hamster wheel ride of constantly working to swing the pendulum of opposites back to the “good” side is dropped. In other words all false assumptions and all strategies based on false assumptions are dropped! Then the mind is still.
Now, what I’ve described is more like the end of the journey; the final resting place of Spiritual Enlightenment. Mostly this letting go of the false happens gradually. Once the proper understanding is there, then the application begins and usually there is a lot of wavering back and forth between the two levels of mind. The reason this transition to living fully from the True Mind usually takes so long is due to fear of the unknown. Living from the True Mind is unknown and we tend to cling to the known because it feels very scary to let go of everything we’ve ever been taught, everything we’ve ever believed in, every strategy we’ve ever employed. This journey to Freedom, Grace, and Dominion requires a lot of trust…in Spirit. This journey to living as and from your True Nature is really a journey of letting go rather than attaining. Your True Mind/Self/Nature “IS”—-it doesn’t have to be attained. But the reliance on the false mind and all of its false assumptions about the world, self, and Source must be let go, revealing the ever-present Free Self.
Finally, if we recall the three main strategies for dominion set forth by the outdated operating system that were detailed in previous posts, we can conclude that the Dominion Operating System upgrade must have its counterparts to these obsolete strategies that were based on erroneous assumptions.
Outdated operating system:
Outside seeking
Fixing effects
Employing defenses
Dominion Operating System:
Seeking (and finding) within
Living from Cause (beyond opposites)
Living defenselessly
With the Dominion Operating System, rather than attempting to have dominion over experience by seeking outside ourselves, we seek and find our Infinite, Whole, Complete, Self-Sustaining True Self within, and it is in this True Self—created in the likeness of our Infinite Source—that we put all our dependence and trust.
With the Dominion Operating System, rather than attempting to have dominion over experience by fixing effects, we live from Cause with a capital “C,” which is our own True Infinite Self, which is reflected in the effects of experiences as inner guidance and inspiration, and as all needs met.
With the Dominion Operating System, rather than attempting to have dominion over experience by employing defenses, we live defenselessly. We withdraw all defensive behaviors—which actually cause the very thing we’re defending against—and replace those defensive behaviors with complete dependence on, and trust in, our Infinite, Whole, Self-Sustaining True Self.
I’d like to end with a quote which I feel is wonderfully relevant. It’s a quote by Joel Goldsmith, revelator of the Infinite Way teachings, and this excerpt is from the collection of letters called Man Was Not Born to Cry:
“Acquiring some knowledge of truth is the raft on which we travel to “My kingdom” where all receive freedom, peace, and immortality. There is a story from the Chinese to the effect that when a person travels and comes to a deep stream, he builds a raft and crosses the stream on it, but once he is on land again he drops the raft and leaves it behind lest it become a burden to him. So do we use the letter of truth as a raft to carry us across the river of our ignorance. Then, upon reaching “My kingdom,” we drop the letter of truth and clothe ourselves with the Spirit, thus attaining freedom.”
And so, in these posts, we have used the raft of the letter of Truth—the principles and practices of Practical Mysticism—to carry us across the river of ignorance to the Kingdom of Freedom and Dominion; the Kingdom of Grace.
If you’d like one-to-one assistance with the D.O.S. Dominion Operating System upgrade, please reach out to me using the contact form on the left sidebar. May the Peace, Joy, Freedom, and Inspiration of Grace be your ever-present experience.
