A friend of ours is interviewing for a job in another state. As she has talked about the idea of moving, she has thought about taking up a temporary residence somewhere until she can decide where and in what neighborhood she wants to live in. As I have listened to the stories of those whose homes were lost during Hurricane Katrina, there was a clear sense that where I am at right now is a temporary situation, but soon I will be moving back to or into permanent housing again.
When it comes to where we live, most of us have a clear sense of when the place is our temporary and or permanent residence. So why is that some of us have trouble doing that with our feelings. why is that sometimes we take up residence in an experience good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, as if that experience or feeling is going to last forever. Feelings and experiences change; they evolve over time. We might experience grief when someone we love passes away, but that grief is not a permanent state of being; it will change in shape and intensity over time. The sense of shock and amazement one might feel when receiving an unexpected and generous gift is also temporary; it too will change over time. we can experience lack, doubt, worry, or fear, but they are just momentary experiences of a feeling.
Realizations, however, are permanent. Through them, we gain and internalize an understanding of our potential, abilities, and awareness of who we are. Our consciousness awakens to the permanent realization that we were made in the image and likeness of God who is love. In this permanent state of realization, we awaken our senses to express to the qualities of unconditional love, compassion, wisdom, bliss, peace, and creativity. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama once said, “With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.” It is with these realizations, which we realize we do not need to find our way back to God, as we never left. Rather, we can build a better world by being of service to others and assisting them in their journeys to the realization we are each to radiate the warmth of our live, compassion and other Divine qualities on all of humanity. This is the permanent residency from which we are created to operate on an ongoing basis.
The experiences come and go, but the spreading of love, compassion, wisdom, bliss, peace and creativity, are eternal. Are you ready to claim your permanent residency in this state of self-realization?