I recently began reading a
book by author, David Richo, Ph.D., entitled “How to be an Adult in
Relationships.” Dr. Richo is a
psychotherapist, teacher and workshop presenter who has extensive training in
the Buddhist tradition, but also has roots in Christianity. As the title would indicate, the book is
primarily about becoming conscious of how we engage in relationships, and the
ways in which the unconscious or subconscious ego structure (the myths,
messages and limited beliefs that we often allow to define us) negatively impacts
our ability to be in healthy conscious relationships. Dr. Richo offers the reader insights and
suggestions about how to become conscious of the ego structure and how to develop
a healthy self-image in order to establish and participate in mature and
lasting relationships.
I am learning a great deal
from reading the book. And, while I find
the information on relationships educational and enlightening, a statement that
Dr. Richo makes early in the book particularly grabbed my attention and piqued
my interest. He refers to Jesus’ Sermon
on the Mount as the recipe for dissolution of the ego. Until
I read that, I had never before considered it from that perspective. I admit that I am not yet convinced that
dissolution of the ego is possible or even desired; however, I am in complete agreement
that awareness and understanding of the ego is essential to our conscious
spiritual growth.
Needless to say, I am reading
the Sermon on the Mount from a completely different perspective today. In fact, I will be using it as the basis for
my talks during Lent. It is a perfect
“recipe,” as Dr. Richo refers to it, for attaining conscious awareness of how
the ego structure limits our experience, and it also offers us clear
instruction on ways to meet the ego and move beyond it. Ultimately, that is really what the season of
Lent is about.
Charles Fillmore, the
co-founder of Unity, in “Keep a True Lent,” says, “Lent is a season of
spiritual growth, a time for progressive unfoldment.” It is a time for removing our focus from the
things of world, and instead placing our attention on the things of Spirit. Lent is a time to “Let Go, and Let God.” It is a time for letting go of our attachment
to our limited thoughts and beliefs about who we are, and fully embracing
ourselves as the embodiment of the Christ, our true nature.
In Unity, Lent is not about
self-denial or self-sacrifice. It is not
a time to deny our human experience, but to grow in understanding of our
spiritual nature in order that we might live more fully in conscious connection
with it. Unity Minister and author,
Reverend Ed Townley, in this book, “The Secret According to Jesus,” says, “The
Sermon on the Mount…simply and profoundly reminds us that we are all spiritual
beings sharing a human experience; and it describes the most efficient way to
bring together these two aspects – to infuse the human experience with
spiritual power and thus to achieve the kingdom of heaven by allowing God to
create it through us.”
During this season of Lent,
let us make a commitment to fast from the limiting thoughts that we allow to
prevent us from living fully empowered lives.
Let us commit to spending time in conscious communion with the Christ
nature within through the practice of prayer and meditation. Let us observe Lent this year as an
opportunity to allow the awareness of the Christ to progressively unfold in our
consciousness as we “Let Go and Let God”.
Then, on Easter we can joyously proclaim, “Christ is risen” and sits on
the throne of my conscious awareness.
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