Relax Within Whatever Arises
by Rev. Cory Bradford-Watts
Readings
Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
their labor is in vain who build it.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
in vain the watchman keeps his vigil.
It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late;
vain, too, to eat the bread of toil,
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Isaiah 32:14-20
The fortress will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever,
the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,
and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
his righteousness live in the fertile field.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
Though hail flattens the forest
and the city is leveled completely,
how blessed you will be,
sowing your seed by every stream,
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
Read the written message below with music videos:
I think that relaxing into the flow of things is another way of saying, “Trust in the Lord / Universe.” The consciousness that underlies all things, the beingness of God, is present in every detail of life – we don’t need to beat ourselves up to find it, nor to find meaning or success in our lives. Indeed, when we strive as if the God known-by-many-names doesn’t have our backs, it’s said that we strive “without God,” as described in our reading from Psalm 127, which says that such efforts and fruits are in vain. Many of the most powerful spiritual teachers throughout history, Christ eminent among them, tell us to relax in our striving, to soften around the edges and let go of the anxiety, anger, and harshness that accompany our need to reinforce our false egos and our identification with our rambling minds. Indeed, relaxing into whatever arises (even the fear or anger) and trusting in the flow of providence is said to be the ticket to enlightenment, and to me it sounds like a returning to the childlikeness that Christ said was required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven within.
“My yoke is light.” This is what Christ said of the “burden” we carry when we come to turn towards our own intrinsic presence, the God within all things – shining through our diversity. It’s a fascinating thing, this idea that when we come into acceptance of providence, like a child, we release our burdens for the lightness of God’s. Lines of Buddhism share this idea, inviting us to relax into whatever arises within – letting go of the need to find a new thought or pounce on another feeling – and see that all situations are a manifestation of the one consciousness. Even the evil or destructiveness within our lives has a purpose in our learning and growing, among other things (according to our favorite scientist-turned-mystic, Swedenborg), and it’s also an expression of the sense of freewill needed to allow each of us to express an individualized journey of finding God.
This kind of relaxing within whatever arises helps us to embody Christ’s grace, as well as the compassionate, childlike presence that Christ encouraged. It also opens us up to inner peace and clarity, an openness to the will of God, because when we practice this type of meditation in our daily lives we’re not seeking new feelings or thoughts. We’re just becoming relaxedly present to whatever arises, even the hardest of feelings, knowing that God is the substance of all things (at least, according to Swedenborg!). And that there’s a providence to all events, the Lord guiding each and every one of us toward greater states of heavenliness and inner health – if we allow. To be guided by our source, we must often employ practices that reconnect us with it!
It’s a simple practice, honestly, relaxing into the Prince(ss) of Peace within. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the Lord says his yoke is light. And more fundamentally, it gives our brains a break. We start to notice that we’re often like a cat, ready to pounce on the next thought and wrestle away. Instead, in a way, this prayerful practice is like giving ourselves a constant hug. We just come to see and accept when our anger flairs or our anxiety awakes and our minds ramble, instead of fighting, identifying with, or fearing these things – which lets them settle down. With this practice we’re encouraged to “meditate on the meditator” or centre on the feeling or sense of “I am.” And as we do this, we start to notice how easy it is to continue to meditate or pray in this way, because our sense of “I am” underlies our every thought. We also notice our burdens become light!
Take a moment of silence for this type of meditation. And then, carry it forward into your day – seeking to more greatly embody the Lord’s hope that we would stop “worrying about the morrow” and find his shining peace within.
As our minds settle down with this practice, we’re called to turn our attention and focus to the shining openness of clarity we find. This quiet openness allows us to more ably hear the will of God in our lives, instead of just our own, and follow providence. It also helps us be present to whatever situation we find ourselves in, as well as present with ourselves, instead of being as pulled along or blinded by our habitual thoughts and divisive thinking.
It’s a crazy thought, but when we’re not strung out, we can do more! When we’re not too afraid to look, we can finally see. And when our arms are free to hold, we can finally hold, comfort, and carry each other. Imagine how God must hold the earth, with a deep awareness of what’s truly real and lasting, with no worry or need to analyze. He knows our true nature, and that “every tear will be wiped from our eyes,” as it promises in Revelation. We’re tasked with accepting this, God’s reality, within ourselves, as most of our scriptures invite us to a semblance of truly Godly living and a trust in God’s perspective and power. This also means a trust in our own power: that as we uncover God’s infinite presence within, we’re able to do all the unimaginable things our universe and our God calls us to.
This also means allowing for the Spirit to speak in our lives, while letting go of the need to fulfill false expectations that we’re often encouraged to place upon ourselves. We have to give the Spirit room to breathe within and around us, and this takes the patience we find within this practice and within God’s grace. As we relax into whatever arises, we start to notice all the ways our false sense of self strives to dominate our lives and others’, seeking to control what ultimately cannot be controlled to reassure itself of its fleeting reality. This does no one a service, as it strains relationships and only prolongs the vain turmoil we carry in our egocentric thinking (whether this behaves humbly or narcissistically!).
Our world today needs less reactive thinking if we’re to step up to the challenges in front of us. No matter how responsible we feel obsessing over, getting upset or arguing about that important thing, all situations could do with more of a prayerful attitude in touch with God’s peace and compassionate presence. This relaxing into whatever comes helps us embody the peace and prosperity we’re often striving so hard for, which allows it to more obviously manifest around us, with the help of our unanxious and unburdened engagement.
Peace and presence to you,
Rev. Cory