Ascension Attitudes - Seeds of Expansion

The life of the average adult is filled with innumerable forms of stress and anxiety with only the briefest moments of joy and contentment. By far, most accept this as the status quo for life on earth; as if ‘this is just the way it is’. But the number of those whose hearts can no longer accept the hollowness of these mundane and repetitive patterns is rapidly growing. This has led large numbers of people to sincerely seek for deeper meaning, peace and fulfillment.

Many recall moments in their lives where all stress and negativity subsided and in its place arose the absolute awe of expansion, joy and tranquility. Though these moments are commonly brief, they etch a lasting impression in the nervous system. The foundation of hollow boundaries and limitations is shaken; one is forever changed and the experience is never forgotten. But, all too quickly life returns to what it was before, leaving one longing to revisit the depths that have since been shrouded by the morass of ceaseless thought and habit. Revisiting those brief moments of expansion seem to be beyond conscious control. One is left feeling like a leaf, haplessly blown about by the wind. 

Deep within everyone lies the greatest possible source of happiness. The fact that large numbers of people either ignore ordon’t believe this doesn’t make this un-true. The sun shines whether it is a cloudy day or not. Similarly joy and peace are an already-existing realitywithin one’s heart. More often than not the experience of this stress-free state is clouded over by the identification with, and addiction to the thoughts, feelings and emotions of the mind and body. This identification/addiction is a habit that consistently pulls awareness outwardand away from the tranquil and limitless Self within and into the tumult of ceaseless change. To return to our natural stress-free state one need only go beyond the boundaries and limitations of the mind. Then, naturally the experience of this underlying presence of Divinity will automatically begin to transform life.

Though the awakening to Divinity is possible for anyone, anytime, anywhere; it is rare without proper tools and guidance. There tends to be an uncertainty or lack of clarity as to exactly what choices or techniques best serve expansion of awareness. The Techniques of the Ishayas’Ascension or, Ascension Attitudes, not only make this choice clear, but easy and effortless. The ‘grey-area’ of uncertainty becomes a simple ‘black or white’ choice within. The path toward expansion beyond limitations and stress stands revealed.

The mind, along with the rest of the nervous system, is impacted with nearly every experience it has ever had. Through repetition these impressions form habits of limited behavior patterns or grooves. When one operates from the sandy foundation of these predominately negative grooves, the experience of life tends to be less than joyous or expansive. Every experience is boxed into the narrow confines of limited perception. Though these habits tend to be unconscious, evidence of them surface in the form of judgment. Judgment is the expression of limited perspective and a habit that will never bring about fulfillment. Reversing this life-habit need not be difficult. Rather than attempting to eliminate the negative we need only choose the positive. And by doing so, negativity begins to fall away gracefully and automatically.

PRAISE

Praise is the acknowledgement of the absolute perfection of what is. The boundaries of limitation and judgment rapidly beginto dissolve in the light of the wholly benevolent power of this, the first of the Ascension Attitudes. This is so because Praise moves in quite the opposite direction of condemnation. While judgment contracts and limits; Praise expands awareness toward the limitless. Seeds of condemnation sprout into fear, anxiety and stress; whereas expansion, joy and peace are the fruits that blossom from the simple alignment with Praise.

Praise begins to counter one of the deepest limiting beliefs; the belief that there is somehow something wrong with our lives. This unnecessary belief is the source from which all misery springs. It is the thorn that perpetuates the deep feeling of pain and emptiness. By replacing judgment, the seed of pain and limitation, with Praise, the seed for joy and expansion, life transforms quickly and dramatically. As the dramas and stresses of the mind evaporate, life is lived more fully and innocently in the present moment. Perhaps the highest form of Praise toward anything or anyone is the gift of one’s conscious presence.

Praise is the foundation for the whole of the Techniques of Ascension. It is the crack in the ego’s dam of limitations; allowing for Gratitude, Love and ultimately Compassion to flood through from the core of one’s very being. But it is this, the Core of one’s very being, the true Self, which is the most precious of all gems. The realization of which is not only the ultimate goal of Ascension, but of existence itself. Living life from the conscious awareness of this boundless, timeless Presence equals true freedom. 

GRATITUDE

Gratitude arises as the natural response to the acknowledgement of beauty and expansion. Flowing naturally in the wake of Praise, this, the second of the Ascension Attitudes, begins to counter judgmental positions through which one views the body and the rest of the relative universe. When such positions are held within they are, in turn, projected out onto the universe. This leads to the illusion of “the world as ‘I‘ see it” instead of “the world as it is”.

The filters of limited perception through which one perceived a God-deprived world begin to fall away as the door to Grace is opened. This allows for Divinity to take the place of deeply ingrained positions of judgment and negativity. With the dissolution of the illusory mental programs the world is once again experienced in the innocence and joy ofconscious awareness.

LOVE

Love is the substratum of one’s very being.  Just as a precious jewel goes unrecognized on account of being covered with mud; the recognition of the presence of true unconditional Love rarely and briefly shines from beneath the murky layers of mental positions and programs.  Praise and Gratitude begin to dissolve this mind-created fog of ignorance, thus allowing the radiant light of Love to shine forth.

As long as there is any sense of separation with the Ascendant One there will be pain, fear, emptiness and suffering. Inherent in this sense of separation tends to be the deep feeling of unworthiness. As the Love Attitude dissolves this last bastion of the ego’s limiting programs one begins to recognize their already existing oneness withthe Source-of-All-That-Is. As separation melts away in the light of Truth, the illusion of pain and suffering wither from their very roots. Through the wholly transformative power of love, life begins anew.

COMPASSION

Compassion is the natural state of being for one who flows in harmony with Praise, Gratitude and Love in every moment.  All of the Ascension Attitudes are as rays of light shining from the Self.  All vestiges of fear, judgment and doubt dissipate as one follows these upward-spiraling beacons of light back to their Source.  Those who live in constant contact with Source are humanity’s lighthouses for Truth.  Such souls embody perfect examples of Compassion. From the summit of their own enlightenment they direct others beyond the hollow boundaries of the mind so that they may too awaken from the dream of suffering. This is True Compassion, for True Compassion always seeks to raise the consciousness of the lesser evolved.

Compassion expands effortlessly as consciousness expands. As one grows in awareness, Compassion takes the place of judgment; first toward oneself and ultimately toward all things. This is so because all of life has begun to be seen as part and parcel of the Divine itself.  Like the other three Ascending emotions, Compassion radiates outward to all living beings as effortlessly as fragrance from a flower. All are uplifted by this transformative Presence. The Compassion Attitude contains in seed-like form the essence of the First Sphere.

Any of the first four Attitudes of Ascension can be effortlessly applied in ordinary life from wherever one happens to be and in the midst of whatever one happens to be experiencing. A new crop is born from planting a new seed. Life will blossom in profound and miraculous ways for all those who are sincere enough and willing to give this Teaching a chance. It is the most worthwhile and rewarding journey to commit to. After all, Ascension doesn’t give anyone anything that they don’t already have. Praise, Gratitude, Love and Compassion are built into the very fabric of one’s being. So practicing the techniques of Ascension is really only aligning with what is already inherent within.  As these ancient pathways are enlivened, the swiftly moving stream of conscious evolution pulls the questing soul further into their Home in the unbounded ocean of the One.