I left you yesterday with a cliffhanger: the three ways I know of to ease the burden of doubt, despair, guilt and shame that can not only build up over a lifetime, but that we take on at birth. (If you didn’t read the previous post, take a look at it. There I tell of my “near-birth experience” that revealed quite a bit.)<\/p>\n
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So, the three ways that I know of to lighten up—literally—and come to realize your true value, your true essence are:<\/p>\n
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(1)\u00a0Faith<\/b>. People who have conversion or salvation or mystical experiences report how they feel that they’ve “cast the burden” onto a Higher Power. Jesus said, “Cast your burden upon me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I have found that this helps considerably. Even though my humanness prevents me from turning it all over, letting the Divine take all you’re willing to give is the most helpful action, in my opinion, that anyone can take.<\/span><\/p>\n \n (2)\u00a0Good works<\/b>. There are all kinds of debate within Christianity and religion at large about the relative merit of “faith” and “works.” In my experience, the two dance together as effortlessly as Ginger and Fred. Doing good—and refraining from doing harm, the Hindu and Jain concept of\u00a0ahimsa<\/i><\/span>, non-harming, dynamic gentleness—is said to erase unpleasant karma and I feel that it does.<\/p>\n \n You ease someone else’s burden, and yours gets a little lighter. You put light into the world; more of it shines on your life. You live in a way that lessens the suffering on earth—by adopting a special-needs child or teaching someone to read or not eating meat anymore—the karmic scales come a little nearer to the balance point.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n