Interspirituality and ethics
(Cathedral of the Soul) Interspirituality and ethics
“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
~Buddha
What is ethics?
In its broadest sense, the term “ethics” would involve an examination of the habits of the human species in specific societies and at different times. This field of study is apparently too vast to be investigated by any particular philosophy or science. Concretely, large portions of the area of investigation are already occupied by history, anthropology and some natural science such as medicine, psychology or human relations.
However, ethics, itself, in a more restrictive an specialized sense is restricted to the particular field of a character and human conduct or trait as these are related to specific principles – commonly called “moral principles.”
People often tend to characterize their own conduct and that of others using adjectives like “good,” “bad,” “right” and “wrong.” Ethics investigates precisely the meaning and scope of these attributes both about human conduct as in his fundamental and absolute sense.
Ethics and spiritual work
“We’re all just walking each other home”
~ Ram Dass
Working on the un- bondable field of spirit, with the understanding that we are all sojourners through different paths of life, witnessing different experiences, lead us to a standstill point where we are invited to evaluate the way we conduct ourselves and the way we convey working with others. This is a very delicate area of the web of life because it deals with the luminous nature of all of us, conscious human beings-Our Spirituality. As the Universe bring others to our lives, for healing, counseling, guidance, inspiration, we are giving the opportunity to enact our life purpose making love and truth the objectives of our contact spirit.
Compassion versus Pity
The principal of the wounded healer
“Ethics is knowing the difference between
what you have a right to do
And what is right to do. “
~Potter Stewart
For those that already work on spiritual and holistic realms of experiences, ethics may involve the practice of different facets of the same heavenly diamond: Common sense, responsibility, accountability, truthfulness and lastly, the Golden rule. In Many ways, working with the tender part of our beings demand from the practitioner a learning experience of transformation. And the parallel development of a specific “fabric of Spirit” and soul stamina that would allow them to withstand in themselves the powerful wounds, pains, and memories of suffering that can be unleashed during a performance of any healing work.
In healing terms, our understanding of this “transformational process” is similar of what we would call the wounded healer, where the practitioner develops, a connection with the healee through a heart connection and the expression of genuine compassion. Note that the understanding of Compassion differs in many degrees from the concept of pity, because they are derived from two distinctive sources within the self.
Compassion comes as a fruit of the mature heart, originating from the Heart chakra, as the integration of compelling personal experiences and expressing itself through the understanding and solidarity with others journeys. Compassion is born out of empathy; “I have experienced what you are going through, I know how you feel.”
Pity, on the other hand, has its origins on the various expressions of the Solar plexus, and as such, manifests itself through a display of power, many times in a dissimulated way. Pity inevitably is related to the many traps of the ego, and the way it shows itself if through sympathy.
The object of these two feelings or the motor behind both may be the same, the motivation to help others, but the agenda behind them are very distinct, and so are the end results.
When karma influences ethics and vice versa.
“Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. “
~Albert Schweitzer
With Compassion, we are giving the opportunity to act upon, assist, support and heal another soul, but notice that this ability touches the pain, but never the lesson. As spiritual workers, we are permitted to mitigate the pain and suffering, but at any moment, we are allowed to take the experience being received by a soul. With compassion comes the learning of detachment of the final result, because, at the end of the day, we only can be vehicles of love and instruments of healing grace. There is no expectation, there is no judgment. True healing takes place.
When the assistance provided comes from a place of pity, inevitably there is a stance of expectations, along with an underlying power play of Egos, from where the drama of light and shadows are still at play. This is not the environment where real healing can take place because the human drama behind the scenes is continued to be fed: victim/perpetrator, prey/predator, Life/death, health, and Illness. The elements involved may be shuffled a little, but again, the Spiritual practitioner will be, in this case being used as a mirror, not a source of light.
Walking the talk
Many old wisdom Traditions mention the difference between these concepts and add the importance to be vigilant at all times, because, while the compassionate approach brings self –realization, release, and enlightenment to the healing process, the pity one brings more emotional charges and Karmic weight. They all mention that any healer or spiritual practitioner that engages in such practices will contractually absorb at least half of the Karmic balance of their Healee. Whether this is entirely truth or not, the fact is that one has to integrate and display the same values and philosophies they preach; just like Gandhi once said, “My life is my message.”
Earth school, Ethics and Sacred Contracts
“Some people go through life trying to find out what the world holds for them only to find out too late that it’s what they bring to the world that really counts.”
~Lucy Maud Montgomery
Each soul came to this planet with a purpose. No soul is displaced in this world; everyone’s existence is imbued with both reasoning and necessity. There is no conditional existence; all came to pursue self-mastery.
Each soul made this journey into existence to accomplish in a lifetime, an experience we call Earth school. In Earth school, we enter with an elementary concept of understanding and comprehension, but we will receive hard lessons on compassion, awareness, mindfulness, tolerance, and detachment. During the many courses provided, if we are fortunate enough, we may develop the mastery of some spiritual gifts, such as the gift of healing, counsel, hope, reconciliation and many others.
The scope of experiences to be practiced is dictated by the learning necessities of the soul, and we may even call that, the Karmic programming behind one’s life. There are as many contracts as they are human beings (even sentient beings, since we are all connected), there will never be just one way, the same reason there is no only ONE path. This concept is far from simplistic, but it seems so because there is no judgment attached. We agreed previously to this existence to play our cosmic drama to provoke and simulate situations and circumstances where can gather the experience we need to deeply understand our connection with ALL THAT IS.
The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.
~Albert Schweitzer
It is a sacred journey, but the objective is through the “pseudo” sense of separation with all, to experience self-hood at its best. In the light of this consideration, we stress the important as a Luminous worker or spiritual practitioner to do not interfere with the karmic programming of another soul. This is because in trying to do so, one takes upon oneself a job of meddling a script agreed upon by the soul and all the sub-agents of its human dramas and no one have the right to intrude into others agreements and vows.
It is imperative, nonetheless to express that this is not a license, or justification to do not help others on their path of life, this is never the case. This very point is where resides the most significant debate among all ancient and modern schools of wisdom, and it is known that one of the paths of self-Mastery comes from the exercise of our spiritual muscles, the stressing of soul stamina and through selfless services to others. It is innate to Human beings the need to be useful, the need to help each other, to be our brother’s keeper. Something in modern society has been providing different stimuli, impeding a soul to naturally display this clarity of purpose, but instead reinforcing a message of self-serving preservation.
The use of the right speech
The spiritual work field is very much specialized and challenged than other professions. Unsurprisingly once one decides to embrace this path; it will be experiencing the need to develop a demeanor or code of conduct appropriated for the work you are performing.
No one expects a doctor to be seen or speaking foul language or displaying a hurtful behavior, which is because every physician theoretically have made the Hippocrates Oath[1]
While dealing with Human beings in distress, or during the many life passages situations, the Spiritual practitioner should understand the importance of their general posture, behavior, poise, and expertise. Since you are put in the position of being an assistant of the healing/inspiration /counseling of another, as a curative resource, it would be part of your ethical code of conduct the use of diplomacy and tactful strategies. This attitude will allow the Spiritual worker to do not spend an excessive amount of personal energy while assisting another soul into balance. In other words, choosing the right ethical words as an answer is very important.
Another essential aspect of Ethics is the conscious decision to work for the greater good, even when for some ‘mysterious ways” the healer and the healee have developed some empathetic relationship, and this situation acquires a specific importance on the life of the Spiritual Practitioner. This is a lesson on humbleness, In accepting that you (despite all your experience and training) do not have all the answers, nor the ultimate truth about any situation in life, it is important to eventually trust that the Universe is expanding and “becoming” what it should.
Even if you do not have the perfect awareness of how it is so. Always trust and dedicate your work to be followed and supported according to the highest and greater good of all concerned.
And as you never know in truth what is going to come out in in someone’s life ahead of time, it is always best to have that therapeutic professionalism attitude in your mind.
The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings.
~Albert Schweitzer
[1] The Hippocratic Oath, a seminal document on the ethics of medical practice, was attributed to Hippocrates in antiquity although new information shows it may have been written after his death. The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by physicians and other healthcare professionals swearing to practice medicine ethically and honestly. Hippocratic medicine was notable for its strict professionalism, discipline, and rigorous practice. The Hippocratic work On the Physician recommends that physicians always be well-kempt, honest, calm, understanding, and serious.
Source: Cathedral of the Soul
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