“If two can make peace between themselves in a single house, they can say to a mountain “Move!”, and it will move.”
This US downturn is a tough one for alot of people- it may turn out to be a wakeup call. The 2 million job losses this year, 500K in the last month alone, are particularly harsh, and this stress is exacerbated by the general lack of financial cushion and high debt burden in most households. But it’s not just the lack of money (the “heaven sent leaf” of Faust) that’s a problem: so many people have their identities tied up in their job or what they do, and if not that, than in what they have or possess- that these big shifts can cause a lot of pain beyond cutting back. A sad and unneeded side effect is relationship turmoil, blaming, fighting- people turning on each other over what is essentially an external circumstance, not controlled or individually created by any one person. Is this kind of fighting, when there appears to be “not enough to go around”, really any different than divided countries?
When we read the passage above from the Gospel of Thomas, we first looked at it pretty much at face value, patting ourselves on the back for being one of those families that could weather a storm with love and feeling reinforced by its message of hope, and the simultaneous acknowledgement of how difficult such an accord can be to achieve.
But on closer reading, with softer eyes, we really came to see this not about a couple trying to get along, trying to forge their priorities or to create a “house united”– but foundationally about eliminating duality within yourself- and knowing or remembering who you are, what you stand for, and not allowing pulls from competing masters- the most fundamental of which is love and money- duel to claim your own internal resources!
While we could develop entire treatises on joint problem solving and deep listening and communication between people off of this simple lesson, we’re not going there- we’re taking it back to the source: you are one with the energy of the universe, you cannot be alienated or divided from source (nor can those you live with!)- and that when you forget that and begin bickering in your own head or with others, you are only in a temporary delusion.
I’m wishing that your next budget meeting starts with loving eyes toward your partner, that you can do your own practice and be at peace in your internal “single house”, and that this extends to those you live with.
Peace and love
Christine
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: gospel of thomas, love, marriage, money, nonduality, Peace
