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The religions of today have separated themselves into armed camps, either for or against other sects or cultures, and the battle cries call the next generation to arms to preserve one faith over another. We can observe wanton evidence of graft in high places within government, business, labor and military circles, and we wonder privately how much it really pays to maintain high integrity and honor in a world where many are living off the fruits of others, through manipulation rather than using their inner personal skills or work ethics. You and I, as individuals, feel helpless in the face of such forces and wonder how we could ever continue functioning in this emotionally distraught world of today. There seems to be nothing you or I can do to help avoid the cataclysm which appears to be coming. We cannot wait on religion, as it is today, to change the world. And, since governments only supposedly reflect the will of the people, we cannot expect either government or church to save mankind until we awaken to our individual and collective spiritual potential, thereby bringing about our own salvation. What I am trying to share through this article is each of us has a choice. Through our “Free-will” of choice, we can choose to focus on the negativity in our world, or we can look beyond these limitations and seek out the unlimited potentials, the common truth which lies in everything around you and me. Maybe a good place to start is to acknowledge that each person we ask for assistance along our journey will provide you and I with only a personal rendition of his or her opinion. The next step might be to accept our individual responsibility and not become caught up in his or her philosophy or theology, but receive this input of experience, perception, or expectation, as a guidepost along our path. We also need to give ourselves the credit for this decision, to acknowledge that there are an infinite number of paths to walk, all eventually leading to the same conclusion. This way you and I, individually, will have the opportunity to become acquainted with our self. You and I could also utilize our present individual belief’s as a foundation to grow from. We could look beyond our present theology, or philosophy, and seek the commonality that flows in all things on earth. We could look not only at the thoughts and concepts of our social environments, but also look within our individual self. A friend of mine once shared this with me. “To pray is to speak to God. To meditate is to listen to God.” Utilizing both the inward and outward approach will help you become acquainted with who you are, what you are, how you view your present invironment, and how you view yourself within your present lifestyle. With each new step, you increase the possibility of accepting yourself for who you truly are, of seeing your true spiritual nature. I would like to close with this quote from a passage in Bhagavad-Gita (The song of the Blessed):
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