03-06-2009, 11:08 AM
Dear Irpsit, a lovely idea.
I have been swimming around in this forum for a while without commenting on STS/STO. When I first came across the terms and the percentages I felt that Ra was offering us a gross simplification in order to give us something to chew on that we can grasp with our minds. (I should apologize, but my metaphors can get a whole lot worse than that...) Looking at the terms themselves they have no meaning. We all know the joke that self and other is the same, and what actually is service? Seems like service can be absolutely anything. So you are right - the answer is in the question. It's a helpful tool to get us to think about who we are and where we want to go, and what is true for us. The perception of someone who has chosen "STO" that they are "more STS than STO" will certainly be a strong motivation to move ever closer to the chosen truth.
The "STO" path can be as difficult as we want it to be. As spirits we may want to test how firmly we stand with our chosen truths, through challenging times.
I would suggest to have a look at what you perceive as self-pleasures: food, TV, sports and sex. I can't comment on TV and sports, since I never had an interest in either. I always was the nerd, and never owned a TV. Food is one of my great pleasures in life, and what makes it even more pleasurable is sharing it. I love to create dishes that make people happy. And even if you're alone, it's a great opportunity for gratitude towards the creator for the provision. Have you noticed that when you bite into a really good mango you can hear the angels singing? ;-)
And sex, yes. Having sex with someone who is only intent on pleasing themselves would be as uniteresting (and maybe even painful) as having sex with someone whose only intent is to please the other. It's a give and take, and if both partners can add that 51st percent towards the other, than you're in pretty good shape!
I have been swimming around in this forum for a while without commenting on STS/STO. When I first came across the terms and the percentages I felt that Ra was offering us a gross simplification in order to give us something to chew on that we can grasp with our minds. (I should apologize, but my metaphors can get a whole lot worse than that...) Looking at the terms themselves they have no meaning. We all know the joke that self and other is the same, and what actually is service? Seems like service can be absolutely anything. So you are right - the answer is in the question. It's a helpful tool to get us to think about who we are and where we want to go, and what is true for us. The perception of someone who has chosen "STO" that they are "more STS than STO" will certainly be a strong motivation to move ever closer to the chosen truth.
The "STO" path can be as difficult as we want it to be. As spirits we may want to test how firmly we stand with our chosen truths, through challenging times.
I would suggest to have a look at what you perceive as self-pleasures: food, TV, sports and sex. I can't comment on TV and sports, since I never had an interest in either. I always was the nerd, and never owned a TV. Food is one of my great pleasures in life, and what makes it even more pleasurable is sharing it. I love to create dishes that make people happy. And even if you're alone, it's a great opportunity for gratitude towards the creator for the provision. Have you noticed that when you bite into a really good mango you can hear the angels singing? ;-)
And sex, yes. Having sex with someone who is only intent on pleasing themselves would be as uniteresting (and maybe even painful) as having sex with someone whose only intent is to please the other. It's a give and take, and if both partners can add that 51st percent towards the other, than you're in pretty good shape!