We assume that we're going to discover some spiritual insight and then something out there is going to change.
Even in ourselves,
Right?
Something will finally change.
That thing that we've been judging will finally get fixed.
But here's what actually happens.
You transform your relationship with the thing.
The thing doesn't change at all.
You see,
Everything we are struggling with,
Whether it's parents or whatever,
What's so problematic is your judgment of the thing.
You're withholding love of the thing because it's not how you want it to be,
Which is your judgment.
And so the worldly path is,
How can I gain control over the thing to transform it in a way so I don't have to judge it anymore?
We do this in relationships,
Right?
How can I fix you so that I don't judge you anymore?
If only you would be like this and not like that,
That I could be at peace.
And we do that with ourselves,
Right?
We look at ourselves and we say,
Hmm,
I don't like you.
I need you to change.
And we find out it doesn't work in the world,
So we go to spirituality and we bring the same mindset.
Okay,
How can I use spirituality to make that thing change?
But that's not what spirituality is trying to do.
Spirituality is inviting you to just drop the judgment and to see that it's the judgment that is the issue,
Not the thing,
Right?
It's not life that is the problem.
It's seeing life as a problem that is the problem.
It's not your parents that are a problem.
It's seeing your parents as a problem that is the problem.
It's not death that is the problem.
It's thinking that death is a problem that is the problem.
Because when you step back and see what these things really are,
Like we do in these sessions,
Is you're seeing that they don't need your judgment.
You get a bigger picture of it.
You're like,
Oh,
I see what you really are.
I can love now.
This is what we want.
We want to restore the flow of love.
And so why is the love not flowing?
Because there's judgment.
Why can I not love my parents?
Because there's judgment.
Why can I not love myself?
Because there's judgment.
And why is there judgment?
Because you don't see what it really is.
Just like the parent,
You're seeing your idea of a parent.
You're seeing your parent compared to your idea,
Right?
So you're not even seeing reality.
You're seeing the mind's conditioning.
And spirituality is the invitation to look at what's there beyond the mind.
And you open up the aperture and you're like,
Oh,
That's not what I thought it was.
That's not in the way.
And then love flows.