Right Activity I
July 8, 1999
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
As usual lately, members were eager to get the discussion going, so of the readings brought in, those read were only the quotes from I Corinthians and a short paper entitled "Daily Reminder", attributed to Mary Baker Eddy on the subject of activity and work.
There was a heated discussion on what constitutes right and wrong activity. Some felt there were definite standards to be set and lived up to, while others saw such concepts as adjustable, depending on the time and place. Both groups agreed there is a definite standard on the level of the divine — after all, God is, as many including Mrs. Eddy have said, omni-action. But on the level of material mindedness or mortal mind, any activity will bear within its parameters the seeds of destructiveness.
One member went so far as to say he didn't care what an activity looked like — if it was "good", he was probably leaning on matter and if it was "bad" he had at least advanced to the stage of evaluating it properly, in preparation for locating and living the Reality which the activity proclaims and invites us to enjoy. To be free of mortal mind's wrong/right miasma, he has found it essential to get out of the dualistic matter based conceptual realm into a more expansive sense of "I" and thus healing. He recommends letting activity proceed from the omni-action of God, the only real being of man and the universe.
We then turned to a discussion of the divergences which have appeared in recent communications from two departments of The Mother Church on the subject of homosexuality. These differences are now being addressed. There seems a need for divine seeing to promote a proper resolution. What is the verdict of Truth-Love-Principle for its own infinite, complete ideas?
Some of our members were interested in how Buddhism's concept of "right activity" compares with that of Christian Science. Such concepts as non-attachment, accepting things as they are, and matter would be differently evaluated in the two systems. For instance, one might seek non-attachment to matter in Science but accomplish it by total "attachment" to — really at-one-ment with and as — God. In Science, the student would accept things as they are, perfect ideas of Mind. For the advanced student of Science, matter is nothing more nor less than Spirit, misperceived as a dualistic concept. But look at this statement: "The wisdom placed at our disposal by zazen (or sitting meditation) , the continuous practice of enlightenment, does not belong to anyone or depend upon anything, and yet it embraces everything and leads everywhere," (J. A. Taylor from "Koans of Silence" in Parabola, Summer issue of 1999). Who can say what the one meditating is seeing here — is it the total harmony of being or just a kind of agreement to go along with the world of the senses? Whatever the vision, perhaps one point to be made now: in its thousands of years of practice, Buddhism has come up with some wonderful techniques which could be used by the Christian Scientist without in any way adulterating the Science. In Christian Science the highest action is scientific prayer, and if zazen would aid that — like a comfortable chair or quiet room — who could argue with it?
We went on to healings:
- A member who has been single for twenty years and feeling increasingly OK with it — enjoying his freedom and completeness — and hardly even imagining that he would have or want another intimate relationship, has met someone who appears to fulfill previously unarticulated parameters for a successful partnership. The Christian Science "work" to get to this place was to just proceed with his life full throttle seeking daily fulfillment as the reflection of God. In these circumstances, the appearance of an intimate is an aspect of his demonstration of selfhood in God.
- The member who was troubled by erectile dysfunction several weeks ago reported a full recovery, based on his prayerful work to see that all his human faculties are entirely controlled by God. He also felt his attraction to the strictly animalistic side of sex balanced by an influx of loving feelings. Concurrently he was healed of a severe case of arthritis in one hand.
- Another member was having trouble installing a new lock on his door. He started to pray about the lock when he suddenly saw he must affirm man's safety in God's universe, peopled by divine ideas alone. The lock was quickly put in place and he experienced a solid sense of harmony and safety.
The God-principle is omnipresent and omnipotent. God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power.
The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth.
The Divine Being must be reflected by man,—else man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One "altogether lovely;" but to understand God is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire.
The highest prayer is not one of faith merely; it is demonstration.
Love cannot be a mere abstraction, or goodness without activity and power.
Human perception, advancing toward the apprehension of its nothingness, halts, retreats, and again goes forward; but the divine Principle and Spirit and spiritual man are unchangeable,—neither advancing, retreating, nor halting.
Our highest sense of infinite good in this mortal sphere is but the sign and symbol, not the substance of good. Only faith and a feeble understanding make the earthly acme of human sense. "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God."