Serve Others, Serve Your Self

Most of us will probably be introduced to some spiritual teachers the Tao has brought our way. They are loving, they are wise, and caring. And while we diligently follow their teaching in the beginning, there is always a point when we break away. Like a child who grows up, our soul strives for the freedom of self-expression. We break away from our gurus even though they demonstrate unconditional love, they teach us their wisdom and give us the courage to strive for the highest goal, being reunited with God. Breaking away is part of the Way too.

As we keep walking the Tao, life becomes our new teacher. We learn to open up to life and learn from Her. We learn to open ourselves up to events, energy, and people. In this process, we discover our own wisdom, light, and love. As we keep opening ourselves up, we are expanding just as we are returning Home. Slowly, we become good at what we do. Life simply flows through us.

The final stage of our journey is when we become someone else’s inspiration. There is actually no hierarchy in this interaction other than in the eye of the new follower. We learn as much from our interactions as they do, but all they can see is our caring, wisdom and courage, just as we saw these qualities in our gurus before. What they see is a projection of what they want to see, but as they mature spiritually they will see that we are the same giants as they are.

Idols don't exist but in people's minds. Serving does exist because God's Kingdom is build on the foundation of care, creativity and connections. You are on your journey Home when you discover that serving others means connecting with your Self. How easy it is to be friend with a guru or a professor. But can we step us down in the hierarchy and be friends with the poor, the uneducated, or the homeless?  Can we be friends with a criminal? Can we sit beside by a grumpy old man?

Please don’t judge or force yourself to do anything in the name of spirituality. Just follow the longings of your heart and soul and life will lead you Home. God's Golden Rule is not something you need to go by, it is something to discover. Only when you live it will you truly advance spiritually. Actually, you have no choice anyway.  Just be mindful and the Tao will make the choices for you!

By Christian and Su Zhen