As human beings in a transient existence, we perceive things inconsistently.  Sometimes we know something, and do not believe it.  Other times, we believe something and do not know it.  We may feel something but not know it or believe it.  These internal contradictions underlie much of our pain and confusion in this life.

Many methods for removing these logical inconsistencies exist.  Most of the methods find themselves scattered throughout the many educational disciplines.  Part of a method may be in psychoanalysis where we work on “unconscious desires.”  Other ones hide in spirituality, such as believing, faith and receiving.

The new movie “The Secret,” attempts to packaged a method of creating one’s perfect life.  Fortunately, the method is not really a Secret.  Unfortunately the method in the film is somewhat incomplete.  It states:

1. Ask
2. Believe
3. Receive

Now, this method works mighty well for most people.  Think about a child, this girl wants a pony.  She asks the universe for it.  Her mind is now training itself to only see options that lead to success.  Then she believes that it will come.  This releases her fear while keeping her motivated and focused.  Finally, receiving keeps her from becoming a tyrant and just going and taking something.

Yet for an adult, this process involves many other aspects.  For example, one has to feed and care for that pony.  A spiritual adult or adolescent has far more concerns that must be allayed before the process can work.  These adults may frustrate their own powers of acquisition.  Thus their will is divided internally and externally.

Furthermore, the process of manifestation is not truly for acquisition.  ALL MATERIAL OBJECTS ARE FINITE.  This means that anything loved in this physical existence will decay and die.  Absolutely everything.  To experience lasting peace, one must fix one’s mind, or awareness, on a principle.  While the actors fulfilling the principle may die or change, the principle NEVER EVEN FADES.

This means that while one may love a great judge as a lover of truth, the judge will someday die.  But truth will never die.  As long as one is fixed on this principle, he or she will never taste the disappointment that plagues one who puts faith in physical objects.  No pastor, prophet, or savior will ever fulfill an infinite need.  It is the IDEA that the person represents that provides the fulfillment.

So the question lies, how does one do this?

One learns to focus the mind through a variety of means.   In Vedanta we call this “single-pointedness.”  All spiritual exercises, such as those of the founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, are designed with this goal in mind:  Reduce the mental agitations, and focus the will.  This is what mediation is for.  This is what service is for.  This is what a host of regimens teach.  They train the individual to focus the mind and body on one thing alone. 

Once the Seeker gains the ability to focus, contemplation must begin.  Now the individual removes all internal and external inconsistencies.  The process of intellectual refinement follows the physical refinement for most.  Though, some go the other direction.  Examples include the Brahmacharya who surrenders all physicality and goes mental-no pun intended, and, the Yogicharya who goes completely sensual.

Each uses a method to focus and eliminate external agitations.  Most of these agitations come from incomplete thoughts or attachments.  Regardless of the method, the Seekers must then focus the mind and will on removing any other logical inconsistencies.  The most common one is that the world or universe is unfair or unjust.  In the long run, all accounts balance.

By very definition what “is,” is what “should be.”  For what “is” dictates what is REAL, while what you imagine is the artificial construction.  Thus, the world is perfect, while our perception is imperfect.  Another way of presenting this concept, is to say that the world is infinite, while we are finite.  Our minds take a dependent snapshot of a moment of time of a process.  It is easy to look at a process and pick the incomplete part which justifies what we want to believe or feel.

Look at child rearing.  There are times as a parent where one must allow the child to cry in its crib.  If you caress the child every time he or she cries, the child is being taught, “crying is the appropriate way to get comfort and communicate.”  This child usually grows to be spoiled.  It cries whenever it wants something or experiences minute frustration, rather than learning to use the discomfort as motivation to change circumstances.

In the finite, the parent who allows the child to cry seems extremely cruel and unkind.  Ruthless and unforgiving.  This is not the case at all.  It may very well be more loving to allow the child a little frustration now rather than ENDLESS frustration in the eternities.  Focus on the principles of appropriate conduct, and one always has a goal and reward.  Living your own righteous principles can never truly be taken away, and requires NOTHING PHYSICAL.