Page 14 - Newsletter 2013 Fall Web
P. 14
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
THE GRA CE OF F AITH WITHHELD by Tom Colucci
THE TEACHING defines Faith as the ability to make up the mind, money and sex.” ‘“My” parents were to blame for doing such a poor job
and Grace as undeserved gifts. Rhondell describes Faith as the most of raising “me.”’ One of the great discoveries was to see that the only
powerful force known to man, and that if we could experience it before way the accounts could be cancelled was if whatever happened in the first
we have the maturity to handle it, we might misuse it in a moment on place to cause the account had never taken place.
indiscretion and possibly cause harm to self or others. He compares this Slowly, I began to see the price of identifying with the accounts
situation to giving a loaded 30-06 rifle to a little child. Rhondell also receivable and their power is diminishing.
says that it is a bit of Grace that Faith is withheld from us until we have As Rhondell said, eros is a blind force that is selective, but not
the maturity to recognize its power and use it intelligently. After spending exclusive, and if not used consciously, it is as dangerous as having bare
a few years observing self, it has become increasingly clear that having Faith electrical wires running through the house.
withheld is actually one of the greatest gifts we can receive because it
requires us to put in the effort to continue in self-observation over a long For much of this one’s life eros has been an area of struggle, conflict,
period of time thereby preventing us from using the Teaching as simple and confusion. I observed that mammon had absconded with eros trying
another method of self-improvement. to convince I that eros is mammon’s possession. And, that it has a right
So, over the past few years, Faith has been withheld from this one in to gratify its desires every way it wants. At times, this brought about
quite a bit internal and external conflict. As mammon
the attainment of a number of ideals. These ideals have and eros have gradually been separated greater sanity
included many of mammon’s gleaming gems in his treasure MITRA SENT this verse by and balance in living have come about.
chest of temptation - money, recognition, and eros.
Having Faith withheld so that these desires could not be Rumi: The four ideas of the world -- ideals, self-
actualized has turned out to be a great opportunity to improvement, signs & demonstrations, and blaming --
investigate the truth and value of the Teaching. Had “I” became evident as I began to see that over the years
been able to achieve these ideals, “I” would have been IF YOU COULD GET RID almost every method of self-improvement was attempted.
like the little boy with his nose pressed up against the OF YOURSELF JUST The amazing thing is that “I” never achieved the ideals
window at the candy store - totally hypnotized by which had been mode so important, but mammon’s
mammon and not been able to see the truth of “my” ONCE, THE SECRETS OF desire for more, better, and different kept “I” tied up in
inner state. SECRETS WOULD OPEN a hypnotic whirlpool of conflict, struggle, and resistance
Of course, all of these desires are based on the four for years.
dual basic urges, and the struggle, conflict, and TO YOU. THE FACE OF I began to see how all of this feeds addiction.
frustration “I” experienced in attempting to gain them This one’s primary outer addiction is food, but the real,
clearly demonstrates the Picture of Man with its THE UNKNOWN, inner addiction is mammon with its demand for more,
continual conflicts like the Hatfields and McCoys. (Did HIDDEN BEYOND THE better, and different. When we serve mammon it uses
you ever consider that the Hatfields and McCoys fought “I” as its slave and wears us out leaving us feeling empty
for generations and gradually forgot why they started in U N I V E R S E W O U L D and wanting to fill the hole with the outer addiction --
the first place? Sound familiar?) APPEAR ON THE MIRROR food, sex, alcohol, drugs, etc. -- which doesn’t work,
The resulting conflicts led to many unpleasant leaving us even further down and out.
emotions, including resentment, anger, fear, and self-pity OF YOUR PERCEPTION. Rhondell said that Faith might be extended to
which brought about adaptation in the body giving “me” one as they slowly grow in Agape and Grace. As much
the opportunity to see the vicious cycle in action. It of the misery within was seen and understood, Agape
gradually became clear that these emotions were simply an attempt to for self began to slowly filter in. Realizing that others were in a similar
control circumstances, both inner and outer, either by violence or being state of being, Agape has little-by-little been extended to others. There
such a pitiful little baby that hopefully someone would see it, run, fix it, has also been a deeper experience of Grace. Moments of Understanding
and make it all better. I was delighted to discover how sophisticated and that come unexpectedly and thankfully from within and provide the
intelligent “I” really am by discovering a 2-year-old stamping his feet trying inspiration and faith to keep going in the work of self-knowing.
to get his way inside a man in his mid-forties. These are just a few of the pieces of the Teaching that have been
In time, the beliefs that supported these desires came to light. Beliefs observed over these past few years. Gradually, the Teaching has been
like: “I” know what ought to be. “I” know what happiness is. “I” know experienced as a seamless whole. It is the seamless robe worn by the
what “I” need in order to be happy. And, “I” know how to get what “I” Christ, and not the fragments of the personality. It is a gift that when
need to be happy. acted upon creates a seamless whole in the inner man.
The continual demand for gratification of these ideals was greed Had this one been able to make up the mind to actualize these
actively speaking in the name of I to X, and whenever greed’s demand desires, the Real I would never have developed because mammon would
was not met, vanity felt mistreated. Then pride would rush in to the have had the ability to quickly and easily gain everything it wanted. The
defense of the poor little self with anger, resentment, or even apathy, Grace of Faith withheld is that we are lovingly and firmly invited by X to
when it was particularly cunning, demonstrating the tone scale. slowly reevaluate the self and rise above that which is destructive. The
Over a period of months, the accounts receivable became increasingly Not-I’s continue to tempt I on a daily basis, and sometimes win out, but
like the grain of sand in the oyster -- they are the irritant that create a pearl
apparent. The little Not-I’s were saying things like: “the church is to
blame for conditioning ‘me’ with so much guilt and fear, especially about -- a completed man.
14 www.harmonyworkshop.com
THE GRA CE OF F AITH WITHHELD by Tom Colucci
THE TEACHING defines Faith as the ability to make up the mind, money and sex.” ‘“My” parents were to blame for doing such a poor job
and Grace as undeserved gifts. Rhondell describes Faith as the most of raising “me.”’ One of the great discoveries was to see that the only
powerful force known to man, and that if we could experience it before way the accounts could be cancelled was if whatever happened in the first
we have the maturity to handle it, we might misuse it in a moment on place to cause the account had never taken place.
indiscretion and possibly cause harm to self or others. He compares this Slowly, I began to see the price of identifying with the accounts
situation to giving a loaded 30-06 rifle to a little child. Rhondell also receivable and their power is diminishing.
says that it is a bit of Grace that Faith is withheld from us until we have As Rhondell said, eros is a blind force that is selective, but not
the maturity to recognize its power and use it intelligently. After spending exclusive, and if not used consciously, it is as dangerous as having bare
a few years observing self, it has become increasingly clear that having Faith electrical wires running through the house.
withheld is actually one of the greatest gifts we can receive because it
requires us to put in the effort to continue in self-observation over a long For much of this one’s life eros has been an area of struggle, conflict,
period of time thereby preventing us from using the Teaching as simple and confusion. I observed that mammon had absconded with eros trying
another method of self-improvement. to convince I that eros is mammon’s possession. And, that it has a right
So, over the past few years, Faith has been withheld from this one in to gratify its desires every way it wants. At times, this brought about
quite a bit internal and external conflict. As mammon
the attainment of a number of ideals. These ideals have and eros have gradually been separated greater sanity
included many of mammon’s gleaming gems in his treasure MITRA SENT this verse by and balance in living have come about.
chest of temptation - money, recognition, and eros.
Having Faith withheld so that these desires could not be Rumi: The four ideas of the world -- ideals, self-
actualized has turned out to be a great opportunity to improvement, signs & demonstrations, and blaming --
investigate the truth and value of the Teaching. Had “I” became evident as I began to see that over the years
been able to achieve these ideals, “I” would have been IF YOU COULD GET RID almost every method of self-improvement was attempted.
like the little boy with his nose pressed up against the OF YOURSELF JUST The amazing thing is that “I” never achieved the ideals
window at the candy store - totally hypnotized by which had been mode so important, but mammon’s
mammon and not been able to see the truth of “my” ONCE, THE SECRETS OF desire for more, better, and different kept “I” tied up in
inner state. SECRETS WOULD OPEN a hypnotic whirlpool of conflict, struggle, and resistance
Of course, all of these desires are based on the four for years.
dual basic urges, and the struggle, conflict, and TO YOU. THE FACE OF I began to see how all of this feeds addiction.
frustration “I” experienced in attempting to gain them This one’s primary outer addiction is food, but the real,
clearly demonstrates the Picture of Man with its THE UNKNOWN, inner addiction is mammon with its demand for more,
continual conflicts like the Hatfields and McCoys. (Did HIDDEN BEYOND THE better, and different. When we serve mammon it uses
you ever consider that the Hatfields and McCoys fought “I” as its slave and wears us out leaving us feeling empty
for generations and gradually forgot why they started in U N I V E R S E W O U L D and wanting to fill the hole with the outer addiction --
the first place? Sound familiar?) APPEAR ON THE MIRROR food, sex, alcohol, drugs, etc. -- which doesn’t work,
The resulting conflicts led to many unpleasant leaving us even further down and out.
emotions, including resentment, anger, fear, and self-pity OF YOUR PERCEPTION. Rhondell said that Faith might be extended to
which brought about adaptation in the body giving “me” one as they slowly grow in Agape and Grace. As much
the opportunity to see the vicious cycle in action. It of the misery within was seen and understood, Agape
gradually became clear that these emotions were simply an attempt to for self began to slowly filter in. Realizing that others were in a similar
control circumstances, both inner and outer, either by violence or being state of being, Agape has little-by-little been extended to others. There
such a pitiful little baby that hopefully someone would see it, run, fix it, has also been a deeper experience of Grace. Moments of Understanding
and make it all better. I was delighted to discover how sophisticated and that come unexpectedly and thankfully from within and provide the
intelligent “I” really am by discovering a 2-year-old stamping his feet trying inspiration and faith to keep going in the work of self-knowing.
to get his way inside a man in his mid-forties. These are just a few of the pieces of the Teaching that have been
In time, the beliefs that supported these desires came to light. Beliefs observed over these past few years. Gradually, the Teaching has been
like: “I” know what ought to be. “I” know what happiness is. “I” know experienced as a seamless whole. It is the seamless robe worn by the
what “I” need in order to be happy. And, “I” know how to get what “I” Christ, and not the fragments of the personality. It is a gift that when
need to be happy. acted upon creates a seamless whole in the inner man.
The continual demand for gratification of these ideals was greed Had this one been able to make up the mind to actualize these
actively speaking in the name of I to X, and whenever greed’s demand desires, the Real I would never have developed because mammon would
was not met, vanity felt mistreated. Then pride would rush in to the have had the ability to quickly and easily gain everything it wanted. The
defense of the poor little self with anger, resentment, or even apathy, Grace of Faith withheld is that we are lovingly and firmly invited by X to
when it was particularly cunning, demonstrating the tone scale. slowly reevaluate the self and rise above that which is destructive. The
Over a period of months, the accounts receivable became increasingly Not-I’s continue to tempt I on a daily basis, and sometimes win out, but
like the grain of sand in the oyster -- they are the irritant that create a pearl
apparent. The little Not-I’s were saying things like: “the church is to
blame for conditioning ‘me’ with so much guilt and fear, especially about -- a completed man.
14 www.harmonyworkshop.com
