The Heart of Self Help
The Heart of Self Help:
Mind or Heart?
It is difficult to say with any certainty where the notion of “an opening heart” originates, but it exists in all cultures. What gives rise to the equation that somehow the heart is the source of caring and emotion is also somewhat of a mystery. However, there is no mystery when it comes to knowing what is meant by a “broken heart” or “opening our hearts.”
Many people nowadays think of mind power as some force that exerts itself in inner and outer ways as with self-discipline or in some psychic manner. For me, after over a quarter of century studying mind, motivation and behavior, mind power is simply the starting point or ignition for “heart power.” As with our thought of this month, “a change of heart is a change of mind.”
Many believe that self-help and self-improvement is about rags to riches, failure to success, and so forth, when indeed it is the beginning of journey into self-discovery. Inside every human being is an eternal truth and a life purpose. Using our mind power is simply starting the engine on that journey of self-discovery and highest self-actualization.
An enlightened mind is an open heart. An open heart is warm, understanding, loving, forgiving, compassionate and so forth. Indeed, it could well be argued, and has been in various religions, that an open heart is that path to the Divine. It is the path because it is the way in which we see the Grand Organizing Designer (GOD). With that in mind, I am sometimes bewildered by those who would argue that mind power, “messing with the mind or fate” or what have you, is somehow inherently wrong. Cultivating an enlightened mind is opening the heart and opening the heart begins with changing the mind.
There’s a wonderful story that was passed around on the Internet recently by Temple of Peace (templeofpeace.net). The story goes like this:
“A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works Define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not respond to the professor's Hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the religious faith was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"
The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when Man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young man's name -- Albert Einstein. A true story.”
As a new spring season is upon us, I wish you all the budding opportunities, flowering possibilities and new growth that this wonderful thing we call life has to offer. May your minds be enlightened and your hearts opened and made light.
Thanks for taking the time to listen. Eldon
Mind or Heart?
It is difficult to say with any certainty where the notion of “an opening heart” originates, but it exists in all cultures. What gives rise to the equation that somehow the heart is the source of caring and emotion is also somewhat of a mystery. However, there is no mystery when it comes to knowing what is meant by a “broken heart” or “opening our hearts.”
Many people nowadays think of mind power as some force that exerts itself in inner and outer ways as with self-discipline or in some psychic manner. For me, after over a quarter of century studying mind, motivation and behavior, mind power is simply the starting point or ignition for “heart power.” As with our thought of this month, “a change of heart is a change of mind.”
Many believe that self-help and self-improvement is about rags to riches, failure to success, and so forth, when indeed it is the beginning of journey into self-discovery. Inside every human being is an eternal truth and a life purpose. Using our mind power is simply starting the engine on that journey of self-discovery and highest self-actualization.
An enlightened mind is an open heart. An open heart is warm, understanding, loving, forgiving, compassionate and so forth. Indeed, it could well be argued, and has been in various religions, that an open heart is that path to the Divine. It is the path because it is the way in which we see the Grand Organizing Designer (GOD). With that in mind, I am sometimes bewildered by those who would argue that mind power, “messing with the mind or fate” or what have you, is somehow inherently wrong. Cultivating an enlightened mind is opening the heart and opening the heart begins with changing the mind.
There’s a wonderful story that was passed around on the Internet recently by Temple of Peace (templeofpeace.net). The story goes like this:
“A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"
A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works Define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."
The student became quiet and did not respond to the professor's Hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the religious faith was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"
The other students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."
The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."
The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when Man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young man's name -- Albert Einstein. A true story.”
As a new spring season is upon us, I wish you all the budding opportunities, flowering possibilities and new growth that this wonderful thing we call life has to offer. May your minds be enlightened and your hearts opened and made light.
Thanks for taking the time to listen. Eldon
posted by Eldon Taylor at 1:25 PM
1 Comments:
Am much impressed by the guidance that you have so freely posted. You speak about a new spring season being upon us. Are you talking about a new Divine Revelation?
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