12-30-2012, 05:41 PM
Story time: For the past several days I've found myself in a serious funk. I've been depressed and lethargic, wanting to do little more than sleep. Part of this I attribute to a lack of sleep, but another contributing factor seems to be a degree of spiritual burnout. I've had so many intense spiritual discussions lately, many of them quickly evolving into heated debates that leave a sour taste in my mouth. It's gotten to the point I'm just tired of talking about spiritual things, and many of the things that normally interest me have become burdensome. I got to the point of pushing away even my closest friends, and for days have found myself irritable and more sensitive than usual.
These things always manifest strongest during the empty hours at work, when boredom sets in and I have nothing but my own thoughts for company. So today at work I was in dark spirits, wishing I could just go home and curl up under the covers instead of interacting with the public. Then, my boss decided to go out for food on his break, and he brought me back one of the sandwiches I like. That one small act turned around my whole day.
Now, as far as I can tell, my boss isn't an especially spiritual person. I don't think he bought me that sandwich because he was trying to meet some arbitrary percentage of STO behavior in order to ascend. Nor are we close to the point of such things being expected. He did it just because he wanted to be nice to his coworker. On any other day I may have been only mildly appreciative, but today it was a message sent from above. The message was: what's the point of being a repository of esoteric wisdom if you can't be kind to another human being? That small, selfless act was worth a thousand well-written spiritual viewpoints.
After that I felt my heart open back up again, expanding out and farther out. I realized how often I've let my opinions on minutiae and extraneous details overrule common courtesy and respect of other selves. How often have I turned into a total ass just because I was insistent on my viewpoint being seen as "right"?
My spiritually-neutral boss reminded me today of what I believe to be the true nature of service-to-others behavior: doing things for others without even thinking about it. Living with kindness and respect. Considering the feelings of those around you, and working to contribute to a positive environment, wherever one is. These are simple things that take next to no effort, and, when practiced consistently enough, simply happen naturally almost without thought, yet how strong their impact is! What are performing great spiritual works, gaining stores of esoteric wisdom and winning every debate worth without these foundational principles of service? The path of the adept is useless when its grounding principles are forgotten.
I highly doubt my boss realized the impact his actions had on me. He gave me a sandwich and went his way, expecting nothing in return. Yet I was greatly aided and refreshed by his simple predisposition toward kindness. Sometimes it really is the small things that create the greatest ripples. I realized today that, when I die, I'd much rather people say "Lynn was a kind, helpful and generous person" than "Lynn knew a lot of stuff" or "Lynn was right on such-and-such an issue". In the face of foolishness and distortion, I hope that it is my heart that makes up the difference.
When in doubt, buy someone a sandwich. You never know the mountains you might move.
These things always manifest strongest during the empty hours at work, when boredom sets in and I have nothing but my own thoughts for company. So today at work I was in dark spirits, wishing I could just go home and curl up under the covers instead of interacting with the public. Then, my boss decided to go out for food on his break, and he brought me back one of the sandwiches I like. That one small act turned around my whole day.
Now, as far as I can tell, my boss isn't an especially spiritual person. I don't think he bought me that sandwich because he was trying to meet some arbitrary percentage of STO behavior in order to ascend. Nor are we close to the point of such things being expected. He did it just because he wanted to be nice to his coworker. On any other day I may have been only mildly appreciative, but today it was a message sent from above. The message was: what's the point of being a repository of esoteric wisdom if you can't be kind to another human being? That small, selfless act was worth a thousand well-written spiritual viewpoints.
After that I felt my heart open back up again, expanding out and farther out. I realized how often I've let my opinions on minutiae and extraneous details overrule common courtesy and respect of other selves. How often have I turned into a total ass just because I was insistent on my viewpoint being seen as "right"?
My spiritually-neutral boss reminded me today of what I believe to be the true nature of service-to-others behavior: doing things for others without even thinking about it. Living with kindness and respect. Considering the feelings of those around you, and working to contribute to a positive environment, wherever one is. These are simple things that take next to no effort, and, when practiced consistently enough, simply happen naturally almost without thought, yet how strong their impact is! What are performing great spiritual works, gaining stores of esoteric wisdom and winning every debate worth without these foundational principles of service? The path of the adept is useless when its grounding principles are forgotten.
I highly doubt my boss realized the impact his actions had on me. He gave me a sandwich and went his way, expecting nothing in return. Yet I was greatly aided and refreshed by his simple predisposition toward kindness. Sometimes it really is the small things that create the greatest ripples. I realized today that, when I die, I'd much rather people say "Lynn was a kind, helpful and generous person" than "Lynn knew a lot of stuff" or "Lynn was right on such-and-such an issue". In the face of foolishness and distortion, I hope that it is my heart that makes up the difference.
When in doubt, buy someone a sandwich. You never know the mountains you might move.
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