According to Gill Edwards, “Darwin, Marx and Freud all saw progress at the cost of conflict, suffering of  ‘going for the burn’ , the idea is that if it doesn’t hurt, it isn’t doing us any good. ”

I grew up believing that if the antiseptic used to cleanse a wound doesn’t smart, it won’t do the cut any good. The same rule was applied to various life incidents. We were scolded harshly because it was good for us.

But we saw through our mom; she was too kind and lowing to scare us. I think we behaved not because we were scolded but more because e waned to make her happy.

In school it was slightly different. Some of the nuns had the gift of tongues for scolding. I believe the sandwich method of dealing with mistakes was not discovered yet. The nuns hardly used affirmations nor praises; the were afraid students would become proud. Thank God we grew up with strong self-esteem in spite of everything.

To paraphrase Gill Edwards, my education and social conditioning ennobled struggle and hardship. “No pain, No gain” was the mantra. Even in our prayers we lived in “the valley of tears” according to a prayer recited to the Virgin Mary.

The new spirituality according to Gill Edwards suggests that we can grow through love, joy, abundance and laughter! We can grow by learning how to create our own reality.

Paradox

(Social Conditioning Article)

According to Ronald Mann: the greatest paradox that unfolds from the knowledge of the reality of the soul is that as one learns to do less, one can accomplish more.

This is unbelievable. After years of Catholic education that exhorted one to do the maximum everyday here is a dictum to relax. What happened to the teaching that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop? I translated that daily as “Don’t just sit there,move!”

Contrary to Western psychological thought, which suggests that we must be very busy thinking and planning in order to accomplish and awakened being knows that subtle spiritual forces control and direct all of creation.

Neale Walsch, Lynn Grabhorn, Tamura, the shamans etc believe this. Zero Limits by Joe Vitale speaks lengthily about this. The process is called Ho’oponopono. I have been using this for quite some time now.

Furthermore, Mann says: thought when conceived in a spiritual state, emanates subtle energy that draws experiences into manifestation.

The challenge and opportunity for the awakened soul lies in drawing upon the deeper inner forces and realities and integrating that level of awareness into everyday life, with the result that each day becomes a mystery and an adventure… since the soul is accessed through a process of letting go, one learns to solve problems and live life with less effort.

All blame and criticism stifle the clear, quiet voice within us, the voice of our soul purpose that guides us, like a North Star, to our ultimate destiny. This was written by Michael Tamura.

I have been inspired by M. Tamura since I bought a copy of his book in Singapore in 2008. Although I did this years ago I still feel uncomfortable when I heed his words. At 70, I should have weaned myself from my social conditioning but very old habits are hard to change.

I grew up conditioned to do “an examination of conscience” daily appropriately done before sleeping. Needless to say this practice was exhorted with the rider to be as scrupulously strict on one’s self.

The collateral damage is that I know I have limited myself. I have not ventured joyfully in life as much as I believe I could/would had I not listened to the fatalistic voice of religious guilt.

I was awakened late in life to the damages of guilt when our daughter shared with us the story of a physically challenged Dutch executive in her company. He used the term “Catholic guilt” which since then has moved me to be kinder to myself.