Spiritual Ethics
Articles By Mary Phyllis Horn, Med, CMHt, Rev Shamanic Practitioner
How we view ourselves and how we treat others is directly connected to how we view Spirit. For the sake of clarification, here are my definitions of Spirit: God, the Universe, Divine Source, or any other term you may use for the Highest Power of creation. "Spirit" includes the High Self as well--the highest, purest part of self that is always one with God. It also involves angels (spirit guides), who are as real, individual and sentient as you and I; they devote their entire beings to the service of the highest within Spirit and humanity.
If we treat Spirit with respect and high ethics, any ethical change we implement will occur with ease.
Spiritual ethics involve humility, forgiveness, recognizing our source of abundance, gratitude, and surrendering to Divine Will.
Humility
Humility is a combination of awe, wonder, recognition of our true strengths and weaknesses, and the deep knowledge that "I by myself can do nothing." That is, it takes self and Spirit to accomplish our full potential.
If we assume we can do all things on our own, and that we can manipulate Spirit for our own ends, then we view Spirit as a slave to our wishes. If we operate under this assumption, our angelic guides will merely step aside and let circumstances prove what we can and cannot do. They will not intervene on our behalf. This is how karma operates.
Inner work is most productive when approached with humility. In humility, we recognize our talents as coming from Spirit and that we have a responsibility to use them wisely for the highest good of all. We neither belittle our talents nor pose them as being greater than they are. We also recognize that they need to be used in tandem with Spirit's help.
Humility acknowledges the existence of realms beyond physical awareness. What is seen inwardly may be metaphorical, but it is not a "figment of the imagination" (a falsehood) nor an archetype of self. The unseen realm is real. Imaginative forces are real...a necessary part of creativity and manifestation.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the spiritual counterpart to cleaning house: we get rid of burdens and grudges we're carrying. This leaves space for the Spirit to enter... and fill us with love and understanding. The change in vibration allows us to feel Spirit's presence, and hear guidance more clearly.
Recognizing the Source of Abundance
The grateful person recognizes that all abundance, all good fortune, is brought by Spirit. Think about it: right intent and action deserve good karma... But who brings that good fortune to us? Who guides the right person to appear at our doorstep just "by chance?"... Or causes that serendipitous circumstance to wondrously manifest without effort?... Or leads us to see the very words we need? Spirit.
Gratitude
In being grateful, we acknowledge the source of our abundance. In expressing gratitude, we consciously connect with Spirit, strengthening and expanding that rapport. The deeper the rapport, the easier it is to hear guidance and to be ethical.
How do you feel when someone expresses gratitude to you for what you do for them? Do you want to do more? Do you appreciate your own talents more? Does it lift your spirits and make you feel more abundant, joyous, loving and creative? It's that way with Spirit too.
Surrendering to Divine Will
In gratitude, we strive to surrender our personal will to Divine Will. With an attitude of surrender, we may approach Spirit with such thoughts as: "I come here with my heart open... I honour, love and respect Spirit... I am deeply grateful for my angels' willingness to help and for their wisdom in guiding me... I surrender my personal will to Divine Will... I, by myself, can do nothing... From the depths of my being, I desire to know the truth... I know that Spirit will not deceive me, but will guide me rightly... I am open and vulnerable, trusting in your good will, Spirit... With respect, humility and a loving heart, I ask for your help."
Spirit knows what is in the heart, fake or real. Heart-felt true intent demonstrates a receptivity that allows Spirit to help us the moment we ask for it.
Healthy Skepticism
Spiritual ethics may involve healthy skepticism concerning reality, to assure right discernment and to keep on our chosen path. It is also necessary when first contacting spirit guides, to make sure we're not being deceived.
However, the skeptical thought pattern may be counter-productive when contacting the highest within, such as in meditation, psychic work, shamanic spirit journeying or spiritual healing. A general rule of thumb for working at these levels is: During the experience itself, assume it is real. If you analyse it, you push it away, aborting the process. Analyse it only after you return to ordinary consciousness... Then is the time to decide if it was real or made up. If it's real, apply the guidance in your life. This last step is crucial for building rapport with your spirit guides. Guidance that works in life underscores the truth of their words and strengthens the bond of trust between you.
Extreme Skepticism
Extreme skepticism, the opposite of humility, constantly negates subtle information and any variance from the known. The extreme skeptic approaches inner work with such thoughts as: "This can't be real. It feels like my imagination, so it isn't true!... This doesn't conform with what I think it should be, so I reject it... The guide is only an archetype... There is no guide here for me (perhaps because I think I can do it all myself or I don't trust Spirit?)." The extreme skeptic may also deliberately make things up rather than go with what appears spontaneously...or may discount information given by Spirit.
Sometimes extreme skepticism comes from fear. It may be fear of Spirit or the unknown. It may be based on a deep-seated mistrust of personal perceptions, feelings and self-worth -- all of which may be conditioned responses from childhood or the result of soul loss. They are not in themselves unethical. Nevertheless, they do create a distance between us and Spirit. If we want that close rapport, it is important to work on ourselves and release the barriers.
Extreme skepticism based on arrogance may say, "Everything I need to know is already within me," in the sense that "I don't need to hear it from anyone else, much less Spirit!"
Skeptical thoughts are from the head, not the heart. They sabotage self-discovery, block guidance, and are a sure-fire way of gaining nothing from the effort. Symptoms of this within inner work include: not being able to contact spirit guides...a sense of distance form the guides...the image clouds over...you see the guide's lips moving but you can't hear or understand anything...the guide is unresponsive and appears frozen in place.
Consider this: How would you feel if someone came to you for help and then commenced to discount and "yes, but" to everything you offer? Wouldn't that turn you off and make you not want to offer more help? Spirit reacts the same way; it backs off if we do that. It will not force on us what we obviously do not want.
Spirit Respects Us
Spirit respects us and will not violate our free will. If we want help and guidance, we must be open to it. Spirit will wait patiently and lovingly until we are ready to take the first step. It also sets boundaries for how it will be treated. If we treat it like swine, we'll not be thrown the pearls... But the pearls are always there anytime we choose right spiritual ethics.
We use right spiritual ethics when we approach Spirit with humility and respect, give spirit our love, express gratitude to Spirit for all it gives us, view self as a servant of Spirit while also honouring, respecting and using our own talents, and apply Spirit's guidance in our lives.
Spiritual ethics require that we honour, love and respect both Spirit and Self...in balance.
About the Author:
"Maryphyllis Horn, Shamanic Practitioner, M.Ed, CMHt, CTFT, CP-LRt, Rev., has a spiritual counselling practice in Pittsboro, NC. Her specialties include Soul Retrieval, Shamanic Counselling and Healing, Past-Life Regression, Spiritual Hypnotherapy, Thought Field Therapy and Genonetics. For information phone 919-542-0260, email [email protected] or go to her website: www.soulshaman.com"
Keywords: Spiritual ethics, Divine Source, humility, forgiveness, Mary Phyllis Horn, Intuition, Intuitive, Articles, UK, South Africa, Cape Town
