 Our deepest thoughts and desires are expressed outwardly as our physical reality. A person’s action, the way they live and the way they treat and speak of others and the way that they respond to the world is a reflection of their inner thoughts. “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.” You cannot hide from yourself since the outer is a mirror of the inner. Those who are gentle of heart and of positive intention bring forth these attributes in every aspect of their lives. Regardless of what circumstances may befall them, their outer world still reflect inner calm and peace. It is not that everyone “walks their talk,” but they do “walk their thoughts.” We all create our own outer reality even if we do not “see” that we are responsible for what is imaged in our outer world. We have all experienced hypocrisy. We have all known people who proclaim love and forgiveness with one hand as they use the other hand to hate and seek revenge. This is evident at the individual level and the collective level in terms of nations. Grapes do not grow on the bramble bush and those who attempt to hide their negative thoughts in the guise of sweet sounding platitudes are known by their corrupt fruit. What is a key principle here is that our manifest world is the result of the nature of the “tree,” the heartwood, the thoughts and true values within. We are responsible for the fruit that we bear, for our fruits are the product of whom and what we really are at any particular moment of creation. If disease is in our life, we need to examine what is within that gives rise to the corrupt fruit. If we lack material comforts, what thoughts or emotions within give rise to those brambles? If we find it difficult to attract friends and a life partner, what intentions give rise to the thorns? We cannot blame someone else or a social or environmental condition for the quality of our fruit. A strong and healthy plant is not susceptible to the ravages of disease, insect or changes in weather. They stand tall against adversity and it is their inner strength that sees them through setbacks. This is also true of people. The quality of our fruit is not a condemnation nor is it a reason to feel guilt or shame. They are simply signposts, indicators that our inner thoughts require tending and perhaps some loving attention in order to improve the quality of the harvest. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” I am not a believer in the Biblical notion of “good and evil.” I believe those terms were used by many since those were the public terms or common vernacular of the day. The more appropriate terms are positive and negative as they are the words of choice among the mystics and they more accurately represent the true concept. Good and evil imply opposing forces that struggle with each other for dominance and also some intelligent force of evil that competes with an intelligent force of good. This is simply not the case. Positive and negative forces are the dualities that make the manifest world possible. Hot and cold, up and down, front and back, light and dark are but a few examples of that duality in which the existence of one is dependent upon the other. People think and act both positively and negatively. Each term, however is relative and each a degree of the other. As mentioned, we make no final decision about the polarity of an event since, oftentimes, the perceived negative turns out to be positive, and vice versa. After all, down is not “bad” if your plane is running out of fuel. Up is not necessarily good to a mouse that wants to keep all fours on the ground. All positives and negatives are relative and often subjective. All of that being said, the meaning of this saying is rather clear in that we are told that what is inside, becomes pictured outside. Our reality reflects those things that garner intense emotional support. These can either be positive or negative energies that form the basis of our home, work and social environments. The “good” treasure is pictured as a world with positive events and relationships. The “evil” or negative treasure creates the broken families, child abuse, loss of employment, minimal friendships and strained relationships. It is important to mention that emphasis is also placed on the power of speech. Speech is a sound, which in turn is a vibration. When emotions, the positive or negative treasures of the heart, are released verbally, more energy is put into the treasures. Many inspirational speakers and writers will point out the importance of verbalizing your positive intentions in order to manifest your desires. We live in a material world and sound is a vibration that affects that world. Sounds can make us feel happy or sad, irritable, pleasant, sleepy or excited. When inner thoughts and emotions are released as words, more power is given to that vibration and its effect is greater. Saying, “I love you” has more meaning and impact than just thinking it, as does expressing feelings of hatred. Warriors have often used the beating of drums, chants, and shouts to build courage and to frighten the opponent. Music has also been used to stir pride and devotion to nations as well as bringing tears to the eyes in remembrance of lost loves and tragedies. Sound, in the form of speech, is a very powerful tool. When thoughts are released into the physical world, the Universe is more fully convinced that what you are thinking is what you want to manifest. When thought plus emotion plus sound is released on the physical plane the chances of manifestation are increased. The wise have often cautioned of keeping silent or at least thinking before speaking. A thought that is released on the physical plane in the form of words can have either positive or negative effects so the prudent will choose their words carefully. “He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Our ideas and concepts of the Universe and the world in which we live is our mental house. If it is built on the solid rock of understanding, knowledge and experience, then it is built on solid ground. This type of mental house can withstand the onslaught of negative thinking. Water is esoterically the same as one’s stream of consciousness. When built on rock, the flow of ideas from the ignorant does not weaken or shake one’s mental house. When all those around you claim that we live in a horrible world and that the way people think cannot change anything, the house on the stone withstands this mental and emotional attack and rejects those ideas as nonsense. It is difficult to have convictions that are founded upon solid ground. The world is changing rapidly and few are able to keep their footing in the raging torrent of negative thinking. As a result, many a house is swept away and become ruled by fear, despair, confusion, mistrust and hatred. It becomes easy to demonize a country, an ethnic group or race and to lay fault upon their shoulders for our misgivings. It becomes easy not to take up the mantle of personal responsibility and to lay blame at the feet of others. And yet, this very act of turning responsibility over to others is in fact, a choice for which we are responsible. The Law of Responsibility cannot be given away, despite appearances to the contrary. |
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