Spiritual Discernment is something we must develop if we want to keep our heads out of the clouds of delusion. While we love all people as spiritual Beings, we know not everyone behaves in ways that are supportable. His Holiness the Dalai Lama defined compassion as understanding the motivation behind the act. In a compassionate awareness, we use Spiritual Discernment, not our emotions, to choose how to respond. We may well understand the motivations of a criminal, their childhood perhaps being a factor, but we would not necessarily go into business with them.
It is simply true that we are not all on the same level of self-development or awareness. There are those who cannot imagine relying on an invisible power to supply them with everything they need to prosper. They truly believe it is a dog-eat-dog world and they must take their good from wherever they can, even if it means stealing or cheating. Acts of crime, whether violent or “white collar” stem from the fear of Lack. There is a belief in “not enough.” However, underneath that psychological state is spiritual DNA which knows “there is Good for me and I ought to have it.” Emma Curtis Hopkins said that and added, “even the thief believes it, they just do not know how to get it.” When we do not know how our Good comes through us and are ignorant of our relationship with Cause, we will do just about anything to obtain what we think we must have, what is our Good.
Recognizing these traits in others is not a condemnation of their soul. It is simply an acceptance of where they are in consciousness. It is rather tricky to acknowledge this while also knowing they are capable of great leaps and profound change. Until there is evidence of that, however, it is wise to choose whom to associate with carefully. We do not kick them out of our mind or heart, and certainly not our “prayers” but we know it is not spiritual enlightenment to pretend everyone is motivated by their higher Self.
Sometimes in New Thought, I hear well-meaning students equate judgments with condemnation. They are not the same thing. We make judgments all the time; it is necessary to live and remain safe in this dimension of time/space. When we say, as an example, “Marvin is not to be trusted with the Center’s money,” we are not condemning him to a life of crime. We are not denying his wholeness or his boundless potential. We hold those to be true, but we also discern that he is on a level of consciousness that is not conducive to holding a position of financial responsibility at this time. It would be spiritual malpractice to put him there.
Too many ministers have rued the day they put someone in charge, thinking, “they will rise to the occasion,” when they clearly were not yet capable of doing so. Everyone deserves our love, that is, our recognition of their innate goodness and unlimited potential. Spiritual discernment is not a denial of the current human expression; it includes it. We love all Beings while knowing we are each on the path of awakening; some are ahead of us and some behind. We can learn from both, but it takes good judgment and spiritual discernment to extend our compassion and to choose wisely.
Dr. Carol Carnes comes from a varied background in service and Global Ministry. Her career has spanned three decades and has taken her around the world. In the company of some of the great minds on the planet; scientists, religious leaders and cultural icons, she has participated in three Synthesis Dialogues with HH the Dalai Lama and other world leaders in Italy and India. She helped plan the 2014 Awakened World Film Festival in Santa Barbara, the Gandhi King Peace Train and several New Thought conferences. Her service to the international Centers for Spiritual Living included being the Director of Education and Member of the Board of Directors.
She has written for Creative Thought and Science of Mind magazines. Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King inducted her into the MLK International Board of Preachers in 2000.
Author of three books, she has a daily blog “Living Consciously” which serves as inspiration for thousands of people around the world
Her latest book “Emerson and New Thought” was published through Devorss. She has a featured article on Creativity in the April issue of Science of Mind Magazine.
In her own words “I believe the world is awakening to its spiritual roots, relieving itself of the superstition and dogma of Religion. To be spiritual is a way of living and thinking, not an institutionalized set of rules and regulations to follow. Spirituality ought to set us free to be authentically who we are and fully present wherever we are. Learning to honor and respect the creative nature of our own mind, seeing how we are one with the universal intelligence, can change lives dramatically. From physical healings to financial prosperity and all manner of healthy relationships, we can direct our own destiny with the right use of mind.”
It is simply true that we are not all on the same level of self-development or awareness. There are those who cannot imagine relying on an invisible power to supply them with everything they need to prosper. They truly believe it is a dog-eat-dog world and they must take their good from wherever they can, even if it means stealing or cheating. Acts of crime, whether violent or “white collar” stem from the fear of Lack. There is a belief in “not enough.” However, underneath that psychological state is spiritual DNA which knows “there is Good for me and I ought to have it.” Emma Curtis Hopkins said that and added, “even the thief believes it, they just do not know how to get it.” When we do not know how our Good comes through us and are ignorant of our relationship with Cause, we will do just about anything to obtain what we think we must have, what is our Good.
Recognizing these traits in others is not a condemnation of their soul. It is simply an acceptance of where they are in consciousness. It is rather tricky to acknowledge this while also knowing they are capable of great leaps and profound change. Until there is evidence of that, however, it is wise to choose whom to associate with carefully. We do not kick them out of our mind or heart, and certainly not our “prayers” but we know it is not spiritual enlightenment to pretend everyone is motivated by their higher Self.
Sometimes in New Thought, I hear well-meaning students equate judgments with condemnation. They are not the same thing. We make judgments all the time; it is necessary to live and remain safe in this dimension of time/space. When we say, as an example, “Marvin is not to be trusted with the Center’s money,” we are not condemning him to a life of crime. We are not denying his wholeness or his boundless potential. We hold those to be true, but we also discern that he is on a level of consciousness that is not conducive to holding a position of financial responsibility at this time. It would be spiritual malpractice to put him there.
Too many ministers have rued the day they put someone in charge, thinking, “they will rise to the occasion,” when they clearly were not yet capable of doing so. Everyone deserves our love, that is, our recognition of their innate goodness and unlimited potential. Spiritual discernment is not a denial of the current human expression; it includes it. We love all Beings while knowing we are each on the path of awakening; some are ahead of us and some behind. We can learn from both, but it takes good judgment and spiritual discernment to extend our compassion and to choose wisely.
She has written for Creative Thought and Science of Mind magazines. Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King inducted her into the MLK International Board of Preachers in 2000.
Author of three books, she has a daily blog “Living Consciously” which serves as inspiration for thousands of people around the world
Her latest book “Emerson and New Thought” was published through Devorss. She has a featured article on Creativity in the April issue of Science of Mind Magazine.
In her own words “I believe the world is awakening to its spiritual roots, relieving itself of the superstition and dogma of Religion. To be spiritual is a way of living and thinking, not an institutionalized set of rules and regulations to follow. Spirituality ought to set us free to be authentically who we are and fully present wherever we are. Learning to honor and respect the creative nature of our own mind, seeing how we are one with the universal intelligence, can change lives dramatically. From physical healings to financial prosperity and all manner of healthy relationships, we can direct our own destiny with the right use of mind.”
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