THE WISE MAN AND FOLLY

© 2018 - Reprinted with permission from Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore newsletter August 2018

by Mario C. Veo

Long, long ago, in a peaceful land, there lived this wise man way up in the mountains… not too far from this little village. He was a gentle wise man, and so all the little boys of the village liked to spend time with him, listening to his stories of strange lands, and stranger customs. Oh, how they laughed at these foreigners, how they puzzled over the strangers’ incessant lust and greed, how different it all was from their little pristine village… and, at the end of the day the boys would run the whole way back home, shouting gleefully while playing ‘defenders  of the land’… All of them, that is, except for Jon… No, he walks slowly, head turned to the ground, deeply immersed in thought…

The next day Jon is the first to reach the wise man, for he has many questions: “Why do they do this ?” he asks, “Why would anyone engage in such turmoil… Why waste so much of life simply trying to hurt each other…?” There is a look of gentle pity in the wise man’s eyes as he replies “Men who don’t know love…who don’t value  peace and togetherness…who only know how to hurt and abuse others… they are just lonely people, and very, very afraid of what the future will bring… and so they try to make themselves feel important, by hurting and demeaning others.”

Hearing this Jon paled, his eyes shining with unshed tears “But that’s so wrong – if they’d just be nice to  people they would have lots of friends…and they, they wouldn’t need to be so lonely… Why do they do this …?” The old man drew Jon to his chest, holding him in a safe embrace while his tears ran free “Men choose… not out of their hearts, but from their darkest fears” …and held him safe while Jon cried for the loss these strangers would never heal…

Years passed and Jon grew up to be a very serious young man… and the day came when he announced he would go to the strange lands, and seek out those fearful, angry men… and show them love, teach them how to be happy… teach them friendship. He left, without pomp and ceremony, to start his long, long journey… with only the old wise man standing witness for his nobility … [even as he muttered to himself about the folly of youth]

The closer Jon got to the strange lands, the less he recognized – no longer were the trails following the natural contours of the land – no , now they were paved in hard unyielding rock… no longer was the forest free to flow with the rivers – no, now it was cut back so crude fields could be planted in row after row of ugly crops… and what was that stench… what were these people burning as fuel…? Far too soon he came to the city [well, it was really only a small town, but Jon had never seen so many houses together]… and so he stood in the town square [as he had been taught by his elders] and started orating…

In a clear and thrilling voice he told any who passed by about love and friendship, and peace… but all he got back were jeers, people mocking him, laughing at his ‘peasant attitude’… and when he tried – oh, how hard he tried – to make them understand where they went wrong… well then, the crowd got ugly, they started shoving and pushing him, throwing rotten vegetables at him… ugly it was, until the guards came… not to rescue him, but to throw him in jail “For disrupting the peace, inciting a riot , and being a moron”.

The next morning he was before a judge, who took one look at him, at his dirty clothes and unwashed body, and promptly ruled him guilty, sentencing him to three years in a chain-gang, building more ugly roads… and when Jon tried to speak in his defense he was promptly beaten by the guards “For your arrogance, in talking back to the judge”… Three long years later Jon is released, penniless, bruised and battered, to walk back home to his lost village… the road is long and hard, often almost impossible, and only the deep knowledge that love and peace will wait for him in the end sustains him in his journey.

Yes, love and peace… for those who know the true value of life… but, not everyone chooses that… finding their coarse pleasure in greed and hatred… Best leave them to it, then…

Mario C. Veo is a teacher of Spiritual Science and a Healing Arts Practitioner. He teaches classes and individuals on Personal Transformation and the Expansion of Consciousness. Mario is available for personal guidance and consultations on Tuesdays and monthly on the last Sunday at the Shining Lotus™ Bookstore.

HOW EVIL WINS...

© 2018 - Reprinted with permission from Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore newsletter August 2018

by Mario C. Veo

This is a true story… I should know, it happened to me.

I was in my late thirties, successful business owner, happy with my achievements, with a good and loyal staff, and clients who were very satisfied… So the next logical step was to expand. I looked around for the right premises – could not find anything appropriate… friends looked – nothing came of it… so we did what everyone said I should have done in the first place: get an agent… and, sure enough, within a few days she found what she thought was the perfect place.

… Well, yes, it looked pretty good, just needed a few adjustments, some remodeling, new equipment put in… and it should work just fine… the only thing is, it wasn’t local, but in the next town. Now the question was how to restructure my staff, move key players over, and take on a different role [plus a commute I wasn’t too happy about]… but I was young, successful, really wanted to expand, and thought I could pull it off. The next day the agent and I flew to see the building.  Floor plans in hand we rushed in, did a whirl-wind examination of the main floor only [big mistake on my part], and it all looked good enough. The next day I signed the lease, and started the renovation – I left it all in the hands of trusted contractors, and flew back home. Too good to be true ? You’re so right.

Two weeks later the contractor calls to say that he cannot continue – not because he doesn’t want to [after all, he’s getting good money] but because there is a major discrepancy – the plans did not match the building. And so I flew back, still with the original plans that showed there should have been extensive quarters at the back of the building… but, guess what – the entrance had been bricked up, and the rooms were being used by the business next door [who were as upset as I was by the whole thing, but showed me, quite clearly, that their lease included those rooms] So I called the owners…who referred me to their lawyers, and made an appointment for the next day.

There are times when clichés do come to life… This fat, unctuous, beady-eyed, toad of a man [ shyster by any other name] proceeds to tell me that I didn’t read the plans properly [and not even using polite language]. When I pointed out that I have an engineering background, and I had remodeled 6 houses already… he just laughed at me. Barely hanging onto my temper I showed him the plans where the others rooms were clearly marked… and he tells me it’s just a closet – yes, a big closet… yes, with many other closets… but still, not rooms. I couldn’t believe my ears – the little toad was mocking me… refusing to recognize what any 12 year old could easy see is a whole suite… I must admit I got louder and louder, getting ready to tell him – in no uncertain terms – what I thought of him, and his whole unethical business practice… And then I saw it – that glimmer in his beady eyes, that malevolent look of a carrion-eater that is just waiting for me to cross the line… so he could now sue me for defamation or whatever else he could trump up.

To him it was all a game… if he could taunt me until I became ‘uncouth’ – crude, foul-mouthed, vulgar… just like him – then I would lose… But that is not my nature… I am not such a vile creature… And so I left, without another word… shut down the renovations, paid the contractors, got hold of my lawyer, and sued the owner for misrepresentation… It took many months, and a lot more money, but in the end I ‘won’ [an empty victory at best]… and took many, many showers to get rid of the stench of it all.

So why am I sharing all this with you – well, look around you… look at all the drama, all the pathetic lies that are going around, look at all the crazies that are sprouting off irrational nonsense, refusing to engage in even the most basic intelligence… It is a contamination, a corrosive energy that has infected our country… that makes us pawn in the hands of little, slimy toads, who take pleasure in infecting us all…

Now I’ll challenge you – how much drama are you allowing into your Life… how harshly do you respond to others’ opinions… how many excuses are you using to justify your point-of-view… how hurtful are your words and actions… and have you forgotten about Karma … ? Just how contaminated are you by all this Dark Energy …?

Mario C. Veo is a teacher of Spiritual Science and a Healing Arts Practitioner. He teaches classes and individuals on Personal Transformation and the Expansion of Consciousness. Mario is available for personal guidance and consultations on Tuesdays and monthly on the last Sunday at the Shining Lotus™ Bookstore.

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK

© 2018 - Reprinted with permission from Shining Lotus Metaphysical Bookstore newsletter August 2018

by Bob Romero

My teacher in my metaphysical classes has said that to turn the other cheek does not mean to be a pacifist and let others attack you, it means let no harm be done. So you are fully justified to defend yourself against an attack, even if it means killing the other person to save yourself. This is a difficult situation for those on a spiritual path that are nonviolent. It may mean, however, to ignore exchanging insults. Road rage is a prime example. My instructor in an AARP driving class said that when someone cuts you off in traffic, or makes obscene gestures at you, put him out of your mind, because he is out of his.

Another reason to avoid engaging in verbal assaults is that you don’t want to become bound to the lower energies of the other person. In this current political climate, it’s easy to get caught up in slinging nasty insults back and forth. I used to always make sure that I got a zinger in there, until I listened to a card reading on a web site, which stated, that you shouldn’t become entangled in drama that doesn’t really affect you, because it brings you down.  Send love to the situation and pray for justice. Step back, and observe with divine neutrality.

There are now many claims about “fake news”. In order to be aware of what the true facts are, I researched news organizations to see which ones followed journalistic standards and verified their sources, instead of just using blogs as sources. There was an old saying that used to really get to me, which was “Well, both sides do it”, which to me was a cop out.  I maintained that both ten and a thousand are greater than zero, but they are not equal. Now I can be more effective, by concentrating on being a light worker, and not letting it adversely impact me.

However, if you see atrocities taking place, you must also act, in addition to sending love to the situation. People must be held responsible for any damage or injuries that occur. Inaction on your part will also cause undesirable karma. At the very least, write your senator or congressman, and let them know your displeasure with what’s going on.

I once saw an automobile accident take place right in front of me. A teenage girl and her friend had just started to go after the light turned green, and was hit by a much older man in a pickup that ran a red light. No one was hurt, but the young girl had just gotten her license, and was pretty upset. At the time, the older man was very apologetic to the girl. Seeing that everything seemed under control, I started to drive off. I went about a block, and then my better angels told me to go back. As they were exchanging information and waiting for the police, I gave my business card to the friend, and told her to contact me if they needed a witness. Sure enough the girl’s father called me, and said that that the older man was blaming the young girl for the accident. It appeared to me that he was trying to bully her, and I can’t stand bullies.  I told the father that I would be willing to testify, because the light had turned green for a full second before she started to go through the intersection. It was definitely not her fault. The older man then backed off and paid for the damages. I felt good about what I had done, not because I was some kind of hero, or I took delight in taking a bully down, but because, now the girl knew that she had done nothing wrong.

People who take the high road are often admired for being courageous enough to ignore their ego and keeping their standards high. This may make more of an impact on those with lower energies, than trying to argue with them with facts. Taking the high road is the road to higher consciousness.

Bob Romero has been a diligent student of esoteric spiritual subjects and metaphysics for many years, with a life-long quest for answers. He has submitted new and original articles that focus on life lessons and experiences he wishes to share with our readers and the world.