Non-Attachment, Again

WED., SEPT. 19, 1990, 6:27 AM
FARM, STUDY

I have told you many times that, in this earth life, the spirit that is ultimate you should direct you to active participation. Do not withdraw to become a spiritual recluse. Don’t seek only spiritual satisfactions. Live fully here in the earth, as an earthy human. There is most of timeless eternity to be non-incarnated spirit.

Then I warn you of the danger that lurks as you follow this advice. It is easy to become attached to this material world and to others in it. People and things become necessary for the good life. You deserve them because of the life you are leading. If they are lost to you, there is regret… even devastation. And thus I encourage non-attachment, and because you are only moderately good in this regard I offer you a Teaching of encouragement.

Non-attachment does not mean that you lack appreciation for people and things. Far from it. You must be committed to loving action and to stewardship. You must work hard and be involved, interacting in positive ways. And… you must take any loss as an opportunity to invest yourself in some other ways. In the theology I offer you, the diminishing of any part of your life should be seen as a chance to develop in some different way.

I’ll play again some of My best examples, for you. One of these is this Farm. I have told you that this is the best place for you to live now. It is a fine balance to your academic life. It is a unique place for your grandchildren to visit and for classes of yours to meet. You keep it in reasonable condition, and the work is important exercise for your body. The threat of the quarry is past, but son John Patrick wants this as his eventual family place. Should you reestablish yourself in some way on the Farm, giving up the Farmhouse to destruction and rebuilding. Or should you give up this rural scene and return to town life?

The precise decision is not as important as having genuine non-attachment to this that you now have. Savor it while you have it, but when the decision must be made, turn your energies to what is now possible. Refocus your life toward the new opportunities that a move would bring. Remember, with nostalgia, as you remember Kentucky Lake, but do not cling to what is past. For as long as you have life you should be living it positively and without regrets.

Be not attached to your good, vigorous health. It is a blessing, and My admonition does not mean that you shouldn’t take care of it and nurture it, in ways that you know. It means that as you experience losses that are irretrievable (and, yes, I shall help you with such judgments) you must adapt in some new ways and be more grateful for the blessings you still have. Mourning losses overlong is a waste of spiritual energy, and I do not like to see it wasted. Maintain and enhance your vigorous health, but be not attached to it.

Your attitude toward your job and your professional life is now quite pleasing to Me. I still urge you to write the papers you should, but you are rather non-attached to your work. You still give it time and attention, but you could move on from it, should this be necessary. Until it is, you can enjoy thoroughly your various teaching opportunities. You did your musical presentation last week with spirit, even as you did not feel approval from the class. But as you read the evaluations your spirit was rewarded. They had appreciated the old man.