God and Man ～Guideposts for Spiritual Peace and Awakening
ー Written by Masahisa Goi
Chapter 5⑥： How to Overcome Karma
When one does not know about one's Guardian Spirits and Guardian Divinity, and just aimlessly practices mental concentration or sits in religious meditation, creatures (thought bodies) in the subconscious world sometimes come to influence the physical body which has become, in some degree, 'empty' due to the mental concentration or meditation. In such a case, the person will come to have a peculiarly senseless atmosphere that gives an unpleasant feeling to others. This is quite unlike the sunny, joyful atmosphere of a person whose attitude toward life is naturally arranged by his or her Guardian Spirits.
(This will be explained further in the next chapter.)
I do not advocate a method of emptying one's mind by sitting in meditation or silence. It is dangerous to try to empty one's mind when one does not have a good spiritual guide.
I believe that if one simply thanks one's Guardian Spirits and Divinity, and is receptive to their guidance, and is diligent in one's daily work, one will easily and naturally be connected to God, and can thus reach spiritual awakening.
Whatever kind of difficult situation may come before a person, it will definitely turn into a bright one for someone who is able to believe in the protection of his or her Guardian Spirits.
It is not necessary for you to investigate the identity of your Guardian Spirits, or to know what their names and family connections were during their lives in the physical world. The thing to do is simply to think, with an appreciative feeling, that one or more of your ancestors who is closely related to you, although you do not know who it is, is protecting you with a strong power connected to God.
If there should be some matter in which your judgment wavers, call upon your Guardian Spirits within your heart and ask for the right decision. If you do this, it is certain that they will answer you in one way or another. As I mentioned before, the answer might come from the mouth of another person whom you meet. Or, the answer might be known to you in a flash of intuition. In the case of the former, the first person you meet will give you the answer. In the case of the latter, your very first intuition will be the reply.
No matter how inconvenient that answer might seem to be for your present self, it is sure to be the way that will lead you to a better situation later on. You must believe this. You have to be very wary of the second 'intuitive' feeling, as it is the karmic reply. The karmic reply is always sugar-coated. Since many of these second answers seem very convenient, people are very often tempted by them. Because of this, it is important, at all times, to believe in your Guardian Spirits and to feel thankful for their protection.
The 'party of two pilgrims,' mentioned by the Great Teacher Kobo,(※14) means that a human being does not live alone in this life, but is always in a party of two, accompanied by his or her Guardian Spirit. This is to say that one always lives together with God. It is the same as in the teachings of Christ, who taught people that God is always with them. But most people feel that God is so great and so high up that it seems more familiar and easier for them to think of their Guardian Spirits, who have a direct connection with them as ancestors, and who at the same time are powerful spirits who are always protecting them from behind the scenes. This makes it easier for people to become one with God.
Also, instead of psychoanalyzing what kind of past mentality has taken shape in the form of disease or unhappiness, and reflecting on it, it would be better to simply believe that since all the adverse situations that have appeared are manifestations of karma accumulated in the past, and are vanishing into nothingness when they appear, when this difficulty is over you will definitely be placed in much better surroundings. At the same time, it is important to believe that since your Guardian Spirits are protecting you, the situation is without fail becoming better and better.
Analysis of past cause and effect is likely to hurt a person, and it leads to a dark frame of mind, which tends to separate the person from God. Since God is Light, God rejoices in a person who always has a sunny mind.
God is love. God is light. I am always living in the midst of God's love and light.
Also, I am living under the protection of my Guardian Spirits. The past no longer exists. It is vanishing. Any kind of affliction is sure to disappear. To believe this, without digging up the mistakes of the past, and to keep one's mind turned only toward the light, is the most important thing you can do to free yourself and others from the whirlpools of karma.
It is important for us all to create a world of love and forgiveness.
Love yourself and love others.
Forgive yourself and forgive others.
This is the best way to overcome karma.
Everyone, let us be compassionate with one another and let us encourage one another.
When your wisdom and power do not suffice, entrust everything to your Guardian Spirits. Your Guardian Spirits will surely take good care of things for you.
※14: Kobo Daishi (弘法大師) means 'The Great Teacher Kobo.' He lived from 774 to 835 A.D., known as the priest Kukai. Kobo Daishi founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan after returning from China, where he was entrusted with sacred teachings and practices called Mikkyo (密教).
To be continued in Chapter 6①
Dios y el Ser Humano (Spanish Edition)
Deus e o Homem (Portuguese Edition)
