Just One Look Forum Archives

Hi all!

A lot is happening in my process of recovery at the moment. And I want to sum up some of it and share it with you, because what I experience in my recovery relates to the topics we all lately have been talking about in the forums.

Namely; the looking and spirituality, life strategies and money matters.

Since November 2012 I have had a bad back problem and I have not been able to go to work. That has given me a lot of time witch I am really grateful for because it has meant a lot for my recovery. During this time at home from work, one things has especially contributing to my recovery.

I came in contact with a friend who is recovering from many years of spiritual practice. My friend has done it all, he has been convinced that he don't exist for long periods and I think he has listened to all the teachers there is who keep supporting us in the belief that we really don't exist and that we just can sit and observe life from a distance. I think that this approach to life is very sad, and compared to the conversations me and my friend has today that approach is real madness. For us it has been, and still are very helpful to begin to talk about the looking and our recovery. Honesty and focus is the base of our conversations and what we have seen is that we don't have to try to be honest and focused, it is just a natural result of not having a distance to our life's anymore. In a short time our conversations has cleared up so much in us. One more important thing we have talked a lot about is the old habit of wanting to be finished with life. In spiritual talks there is this underlying wish to find the ultimate strategy to deal with and relate to our life's. Because life is hard we want to find a strategy that helps us set point in life. Come to some final conclusion. But what we has seen is that that it is not possible when we don't have a distance to our life's as a result of having looking at our selves. We don't have to get rid of our our strategy's, they simply don't work anymore, they are useless. And life is now rushing in and we can do nothing about it but just get used to it and see that life isn't gonna stop. All along we all have seen awakening as being in our eternal state and just sit and hide in the corners as observers or witnesses and to do nothing. I say, good luck! (smile). Once the effects of the looking has done its job we are thrown out from our hiding place and in to our life's in a pretty violent but beautiful way.

I know this is true. I know strategy's when I see them and I feel life like never before. And I think this story of me and my friend shows the reality in this work we all are doing together . Spirituality is a strategy to deal with life. There is not a spiritual solution to our problems. There is a human solution to a human problem. And we can solve it for our selves. We just have to look at our selves, rise up from all the listening to sat sangs or what ever it is we trust in, and start trust our selves and see that no one can give us what we want. Even John cant give us our feeling of our selves. It is the act that matters and the act that will free us from the distance to our life's.

To feel the power of this act and what it can do for us humans has really made me appreciate John and Carla's work and our community. I really think we are on to something really big. And I think that it is so important that John and Carla can continue to work full time with all that there are doing to support this community. And as John says, it do not take millions. But I turn to all the people that experiencing some level of use in what we are doing here and support this wonderful chance we have to really do something that works, and maybe will change the possibility for all human beings. I am certain of that we as a community can sustain this work without ruin our selves. It dosn't take much, we just have to do it together. I am trying to get an overview on how much money we need to raise every month to be ok. Please stay in touch with the conversation of raising money. We must find a structured and focused way to address this matter together. If we manage to do this I think we gonna feel really great about it and take this community to a new level. I am not trying to prove anything or anything like that, I am just saying that I love this community and what it works for and I will do what I can to support it.

Look at yourself, trust yourself and say goodbye to the craziness!

Love,

Niklas

Niklas & Everyone,

Thank you for your post. Your words touched my heart ...actually the entire post was PERFECT! I am on the same page. I'm replying to your post with my "own" subject line ...just because I like the way it sounds together with your title! I love and appreciate this community, John, & Carla in the same way that you describe. I'm here ...I'm standing up to be counted & to be counted ON to support this work! So there ...anybody care to join us?

In the spirit of love,

LaQuita

Where is the 'like' button? (or rather, the 'love' button?)

You are right. Another C note on the way for your continued advice. Thank you for all your efforts.

Pressing the like-button. Perhaps this should go to Facebook just for the like-button, if for nothing else...

I feel the potential in this community. It brings to mind intentional communities, flesh-and-blood and brick-and-mortar communities, where people live and work together for something they really love and appreciate. There's a long tradition in America for those. I imagine a community where people could go to do voluntary work for long or shorter periods of time that would bring money to the work. It would strengthen the sense of community and utilize the willingness and resources people have, and the need for possible change in the life circumstances when the change starts hitting their lives. When this community grows larger there might come time for this kind of development, what do you think? Just letting my imagination go...

Personally, I'm not 100% there in terms of confidence in this, or reassurance, but I still donate something on a monthly basis from my part-time cleaner's salary. I can imagine living in a place where I could contribute much more with my work. I feel I need a change in my life, and I've lived in communities before and experienced the warm feeling of working for something you believe in (and the downsides as well, don't get me wrong...). If there was a physical place to go in that situation and people to work with and get support from...I'm sure there might be or might come to be more people feeling the same way. Meanwhile, there's this online community. Which in times of intense distress doesn't feel adequate enough, sometimes.

Seppo

Hello Seppo!

Thank you for all your latest postings. Thanks for your honesty!

What do I think of the need of physical community's?

I think it is a very natural question as a result of this powerful process we all are in. But I don't think it is the way forward. I think it would take to much energy and focus. But I can really follow you that it is "lonely" sometimes. For a long time a have had the idea that people in "local" areas can meet and get inspired. For example people in Scandinavia. People in Germany etc. I really think it would be fun and inspiring. What do you think?

As to having 100% confidences in this work. I think we have evidence enough to make a really loud attempt.

I hope to continue this conversation with you and others who will.

Niklas