Devotion to Service // january 2017

[myststars]

"For this new year, we continue the Pleiadian energy flow that began last month. It is easy to give a simplistic text for this card, about how important and valuable it is to be in service to others and to the universe. However, we wish to go much deeper. As we have discussed in many other texts, we have to look at this card's theme from the perspective of the One (a nondual state) rather than only from the human perspective.

Religious and spiritual groups sometimes stress the importance of working in service but don't really explain why it can be such a powerful practice. It isn't only for the good of the person receiving the service, but it can also be a means by which a spiritual seeker refines his or her consciousness. Let us explain. We will give you two examples of working in service and the possible outcomes of such intense devotion.

Imagine a person who has low self-esteem or self-hatred. The person (consciously or unconsciously) feels they are not worthy of a life filled with joy, so they instead sacrifice their lives to be in service to others -- not realizing that the choice is an escape. On the surface, this seems like a noble action. However, a commitment to service in this case is not really born from the desire for true service. Instead, it is a way to cater to the ego's demands for worthiness, or to escape the pain within. The person may go years volunteering their services while the inner self becomes angrier and the pain builds until it eventually comes out emotionally or physically. The person may become an activist, highly opinionated, or embrace the role of martyr. Entering a life of service from this split in the psyche does not foster integration but can actually enhance the process of separation. Why? Because when one chooses to truly be of service, the being who performs the act of service also fits into the equation. They too must be a recipient of the service for it to be an integrated act. They, too, must experience healing from their service. In some cases, those in service refuse to receive (because of reasons stated above, or others). They choose only to give and not look at themselves. Even though they may feel that they receive a lot from their service, it is only superficial if the pain within them remains and the act of service is not consciously used as a way to heal and/or refine themselves.

Let us look at a second example in which service actually leads to integration and awakening. The idea of performing service as a path to enlightenment comes by consciously working with one's ego while being in service. Originally, monasteries required years of service before they would fully accept someone as a monk. The service was intended to give the person time to perform "meaningless" tasks such as washing the floor, over and over again, as a way to "wash" the ego. Most newcomers to monasteries got impatient, wondering when they would be able to learn the "real" teachings instead of washing the floor all the time. They didn't realize that washing the floor was the real teaching! For those who stayed with the practice, they learned to surrender to the task at hand and realized that no matter what the universe asked them to do, true service meant being fully present with all tasks and watching the games and protests of the ego. It meant also watching the desire for recognition. These awakening monks learned that they didn't have to be noticed for their service. They watched the ego get "washed," until they were content with any service, whether it be washing the floor or feeding the poor. All is equal in the eyes of the universe. Through this practice, they also learned to "wash" their own pain, trace it back to its roots, see clearly, and remember the One Consciousness from which they came, which is the ultimate form of healing. With this kind of service, both the person giving the service and the recipient of the service are nurtured. There is no split. This is a path of integration that has very little to do with seeking recognition, fixing the perceived flaws in reality, or hiding from pain. It has everything to do with the refining of consciousness.

In this intensely contentious time on your world, we recommend that you remember that true service can be in many simple forms. You don't have to join a monastery. You don't have to lead workshops. Just be your perfectly imperfect, beautiful self. At the same time, always watch the ego. Understand the inner landscape of your psyche and engage fear and pain rather than avoid them, in order to deepen your connection to the greater you. Seek to root yourself in the moment with any task, with no agenda. Trust that when you do, you are in service to the universe in ways that the human you might find unimaginable. This true devotion to service ripples through time and space back to the One, and helps to guide you home again."


http://www.lyssaroyal.net/card-of-the-month.html

[Sena]

Imagine a person who has low self-esteem or self-hatred. The person (consciously or unconsciously) feels they are not worthy of a life filled with joy, so they instead sacrifice their lives to be in service to others -- not realizing that the choice is an escape. On the surface, this seems like a noble action. However, a commitment to service in this case is not really born from the desire for true service. Instead, it is a way to cater to the ego's demands for worthiness, or to escape the pain within. The person may go years volunteering their services while the inner self becomes angrier and the pain builds until it eventually comes out emotionally or physically. The person may become an activist, highly opinionated, or embrace the role of martyr. Entering a life of service from this split in the psyche does not foster integration but can actually enhance the process of separation. Why? Because when one chooses to truly be of service, the being who performs the act of service also fits into the equation. They too must be a recipient of the service for it to be an integrated act. They, too, must experience healing from their service. In some cases, those in service refuse to receive (because of reasons stated above, or others). They choose only to give and not look at themselves. Even though they may feel that they receive a lot from their service, it is only superficial if the pain within them remains and the act of service is not consciously used as a way to heal and/or refine themselves.

myststars, thanks for this. It is very interesting.