Oneness Ministry

We are One

Aug 25

Human Nature

by Sequoia Elisabeth

It is human nature to desire love and attention. As soon as we are born we become addicted to it. As cute little babies we get a lot of it too! If we don’t, then we cry. Often attention is necessary as a baby since we cannot talk, we need our diaper changed or we need food or we just need a hug. There is a reason for everything. A practical side to each story. Today we are going to look at human nature and how it relates to being transgender. As usual I will use ACIM (A Course In Miracles) principles as well as other spiritual teachings to explain this.

If it is not an expression of Love, then it is a cry for Love. One of the basic tenets of ACIM, this applies very well to being Transgender. So in every case, love is the answer. Simple, Yes? Easy? That is up to you. Understanding what Love is helps tremendously. My ebooks go into this extensively, so to find those, click here.

When looking at Transgender behavior it is easy to see the individual seeks attention. They are claiming to be different than the masses and expressing their “specialness”. ACIM teaches us the desire to be special is the ego or small self demanding attention. While we are all unique, none of us is “special”. Understand that Love is who you really are and this cannot be taken from you. The ego is our small self and the Love is our Large self or Spiritual being. Yes, Human Nature is made up of both. The ego is loud, demanding, and relentless. This seems to be pronounced for those who are transgender. To get a better understanding of ego, I suggest reading Eckhard Tolle’s book, “A New Earth”. Of course, ACIM is a required course so eventually you will be doing that as well. (Says so right on the first page of the book) There is no better explanation of human nature than what you will find in ACIM. Echhard and Gary are the best authors I have found to explain it. Moving on…

While our bodies are simply a vehicle we experience this world in, they must be taken seriously. The ego will not be ignored! So respect and explore your feelings. All the while remembering Love is all there really is. If it hurts or is painful you can be assured it is ego and not Truth. We each are expressing ourselves in every action we take – how we dress, what we say, and how we behave. Do what you will, it is all good. This means judge not! The ego world around us is temporary, it is in effect a dream, though it does not end when you die, it just starts over. The way out of this world is to Forgive, meaning non-judgment. It is also easier if one creates as little “karma” as possible, because what comes around goes around. If you harm another, you will be harmed. Not directly, but eventually.

To recap here, everyone desires love and attention without even realizing Love is who they are. The body is a vehicle for experiencing the ego world, in essence your body is your ego. Who you really are needs not changing for it is perfect like its creator and has nothing to do with the ego world. Do what you must in this ego world and all the while remember who you are! Love is all there is and this means You.

Imagine you are in a fun house of distorted mirrors. As you walk through you laugh at all the strange images and know all the time none of it is real. But this place is big! You can’t find your way out and you start to panic. Everywhere you look… strangeness and distortion. Take a deep breath… Forgive, remember it is unreal. This is just for fun, remember? Laugh. All is well. Now continue on your way and judge not what you see, what you think, and how you feel. Make it all ok and have fun. When you least expect it a door appears and you exit the fun house. You realize you were home all along. All really is well.

Gender Related Spirituality

Leave a comment »
Aug 19

The Crying has Stopped

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Attention! Ego calling.

This is our daily life because the ego is our interface to this world. Without it there would be no world. This however is not a bad thing since this world is illusion. Reality exists beyond space and time and has no thing to do with the world you see around you. For more on this please refer to ACIM (a course in miracles) and Law of One (the teachings of RA). I needed to lay a groundwork for this blog which will better explain my following insights.

I have been doing a lot of childhood and adolescent analysis of my life. It has become clear to me that most of my behavior was based on a need to be loved. I did not realize I was loved so much and thus my hypochondriac tendencies and later my transgender identity. Much of our behavior as human beings can be traced back to this separation idea on which life in time and space is based. The very concept of space and time are separation. Since the moment I was born I have been crying for attention, literally at first. Mom told me I cried for the first month after I was born and as it turned out I had a double hernia and had surgery to fix it. The two things I did a lot as a child is sleep and cry. I did not want to be here… in this illusion. Perhaps it could be called a nightmare. It was not always one though. I have wonderful memories too. The time I spent with family and in nature was usually very good. As time went on I observed how much my mother was loved by father, brother, and others. I craved what she had and perhaps this is where the seed of my transgender identity sprouted from. I wanted to be like Mom. Of course my crying was fairly effective and got me some attention. I was so insecure that I sucked my thumb till the age of 9 yrs old. The only way my parents could break me of this habit was to have a dental device implanted so that I got stuck by prongs if I put my thumb in my mouth. Wow. It is funny to even think of this now. How absurd life is. Why do I hang on so? False Fear would be my observation at this point.

What I have discovered is there is nothing to fear, it is just a dream and it is time to wake up. It is time to grow up and be the mature loving beings we are! I suspect this whole construct of Transgender and gender non-conformity is rooted in fear of not being loved. (Thus the “cure” is to Love …unconditionally) It is just one method the ego mind uses to make us feel special, to feel deserving of being loved. My work with the transgender community has shown me this need to be special trumps all others motivations. We all need Love. Or do we? ACIM teaches us that we are the Love we seek. That to look outside ourselves for it results in anxiety and depression. That search is futile! Why do we see so much anxiety and depression in the world? Because of this very idea that Love comes from others! It does not. There is no “other” but what is projected by the ego. We are One, means there is only one Mind, the Mind of God (use whatever label you prefer). The ego mind is splintered from this whole and according to ACIM has already been corrected. What we are experiencing is like a echo or memory of that which has already occurred. The only way out is through. This is my focus now – to keep moving forward! I know the truth now, I am not this body, I am free, I am just as God created me! What I have been and because I am still alive, am still witnessing, is this illusion called life. It is not good nor bad, it just is and will be till such time that it is not. Instead of getting, life is about giving that which one desires and in this process one gets what one needs. I no longer seek Love “out there”. I know it is who I am! The crying has stopped. And this is a good thing.

Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂

onenessministry.info   Transness.org

 

Gender Related Spirituality Transitions

Leave a comment »
May 23

What is Ego?

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Lesson 331

Section 12. What is the Ego?

The ego is idolatry; the sign of limited and separated self, born in a body, doomed to suffer and to end its life in death. It is the “will” that sees the Will of God as enemy, and takes a form in which it is denied. The ego is the “proof” that strength is weak and love is fearful, life is really death, and what opposes God alone is true.

The ego is insane. In fear it stands beyond the Everywhere, apart from All, in separation from the Infinite. In its insanity it thinks it has become a victor over God Himself. And in its terrible autonomy it “sees” the Will of God has been destroyed. It dreams of punishment, and trembles at the figures in its dreams; its enemies, who seek to murder it before it can ensure its safety by attacking them.

The Son of God is egoless. What can he know of madness and the death of God, when he abides in Him? What can he know of sorrow and of suffering, when he lives in eternal joy? What can he know of fear and punishment, of sin and guilt, of hatred and attack, when all there is surrounding him is everlasting peace, forever conflict-free and undisturbed, in deepest silence and tranquility?

To know reality is not to see the ego and its thoughts, its works, its acts, its laws and its beliefs, its dreams, its hopes, its plans for its salvation, and the cost belief in it entails. In suffering, the price for faith in it is so immense that crucifixion of the Son of God is offered daily at its darkened shrine, and blood must flow before the altar where its sickly followers prepare to die.

Yet will one lily of forgiveness change the darkness into light; the altar to illusions to the shrine of Life Itself. And peace will be restored forever to the holy minds which God created as His Son, His dwelling place, His joy, His love, completely His, completely one with Him.

(http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?lesson=331)

————

Forgive me! Meaning do not judge or make right/wrong or good/bad any person, being, action, or perception. It’s Ok! Nothing has really happened, this world is but a dream of separation. In reality we are at home with God and we are forgiven because God knows nothing of this dream. God only knows what is real.

Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God.

 

Spirituality

Leave a comment »
Jan 4

Identity Crisis

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Here are two definitions of what a girly girl is which came up in a discussion recently.  We discovered that we each had a slightly different understanding of this term even though most of the group identified with being a girly girl or at least wanting to be this.  The question I posed was Why?

“Girly girl is a slang term for a girl or woman who chooses to dress and behave in an especially feminine style, such as wearing pink, using make-up, using perfume, dressing in skirts, dresses and blouses, and talking about relationships and other activities which are associated with the traditional gender role of a girl.” (Wikipedia.com 2014)

“Girly Girl: an extremely feminizing girl. A girly girl’s favorite color is usually pink, but also likes other pretty colors like purple, baby blue, and pastels. A girly girl: Cares a lot about how she looks and dresses; wears very feminine, cute, stylish, and sexy clothes like skirts, dresses, cute tops and stylish low-rise jeans; likes wearing high heels; wears a lot of pink; does her hair up nice; wears a lot of makeup; does her nails a lot; loves jewelry; usually not into sports; reads fashion magazines; makes herself as little like a guy as possible; usually into guys as more than just friends but doesn’t have to be into guys like that because sometimes a girly girl can be a femme or lipstick lesbian. Also a girly girl says “like”, “totally”, “Oh my gosh!”, “Oh my God”, and “whatever!” a lot.” (Urban Dictionary 2014, grammar corrected by author)

Ultimately it comes down to being Authentic.  Is this ‘Girly Girl’ your authentic self?  It is also interesting to note that many transwomen have been in relationships with them or want to be.  The question that nags at me is how does this relate to identity?  Does our partner really have to resonate with our own identity?  Isn’t this what these relationships really represent?  Most people choose a partner who embodies their own ideals!  People who they feel fill a void within themselves.

Perhaps this is what drives the Transgender identity.  Sometime a rock is a rock.  Is a rock ever really a tree?  The topic of gender identity can be a confusing one and I certainly do not claim to have it all figured out.  All I can do is work from my own feelings and understandings.  So I invite you to reflect on this topic, to question reality, and to search for your soul!

This quest has been a lifetime journey for me and I welcome the perspective of others who also consciously ask “who am I”?    If you identify as a ‘Girly Girl’ what does this mean to you and why do you identify this way?  However you identify… why have any identity at all?  Is it possible to not have an identity?  Maybe you could un-identify yourself with anything!  The question then moves to how does one relate to the world?

A Course In Miracles (ACIM) states all identity separates and this is insane!  The idea of being separate from anything else is exactly what the Course is undoing.  Nothing is separate from Source (God).  God is all there is, so since there is nothing else to be separate from this idea is false.  Perhaps then the only identity we need is “I am”.  The name of God is “I am that I am”.  When embraced with a comma we experience true reality… “I am that, I am”.

Sequoia Elisabeth J

Unity in Gender Diversity

Gender Related Spirituality

2 Comments »
Dec 6

ACIM and Gary Renard

by Sequoia Elisabeth

“Beware of the temptation to perceive yourself unfairly treated.  In this view, you seek to find an innocence that is not Theirs but yours alone, and at the cost of someone else’s guilt.  Can innocence be purchased by the giving of your guilt to someone else?” (Jesus)

There’s a capital T in Theirs because what they really are is innocent Spirit, beyond the veil.  But if you perceive yourself as unfairly treated, then you’re making everything real, which makes the entire ego thought system of guilt real in your mind.  The only way to find your innocence is to get that it’s not real and forgive others for what they have not done in reality. And since it never happened, you can then think of them as being innocent.  That’s the way to have it for yourself.  Never forget that.  It’s the only way out.  (Gary Renard, 2013 p.108)

If you perceive yourself as unfairly treated,

then you’re making everything real.

Just one of many insightful quotes from Gary Renard’s new book Love Has Forgotten No One.  Of the many ACIM teachers out there Gary is by far the easiest to understand and thus the most effective.  He makes the course enjoyable as well as comprehensible.  Of course to fully understand this book, reading the other two are required, but then no one said being an ACIM student was easy.  It takes at least a year to do the daily lessons and in reality is will take the rest of your life to fully grasp and apply the teachings.  This is only if you are dedicated also.  This does not give you an excuse to skip it altogether though.  As is stated in the beginning of the textbook, “”This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.” (A Course In Miracles, 1996, p.2)

If you are not already a student I recommend reading Gary’s three books first and then doing the course or perhaps if you are dedicated you could do Gary’s books while you do the workbook daily lessons.  Just be warned, your life will never be the same again!  This is a good thing.

🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     FREE eBooks! Click Here

 

Spirituality Transitions

Leave a comment »
Apr 25

Divine Ego Revisited

by Sequoia Elisabeth

I am going on a road trip so it will be a week before I can post another blog, please enjoy this blog, read through the others and share with your friends and family.  YOU are Loved ♥

Murder, war, disaster, scandal, political games, and gossip are indeed entertaining.  They might even make for good movie material, but do you really want those things in your life?  What you focus on grows…. One of the things that makes this 2012 era so amazing is the shift in consciousness and the opportunity to move beyond these ego based activities.  Remember, nothing is good or bad lest you make it so.

Spirit works at a whole different level of energy than ego does.  And one of your greatest challenges is knowing the difference!  Making a clear choice is sometimes difficult because you do not understand the ego, separation mindedness, often feels very good.  Think of five things you enjoy doing that bring you pleasure.  For me it is TV, Movies (at a theatre), Good Food, Warm Comfortable Clothing, and Sex.  Each of these can be a source of ego or Spirit depending on the energy I bring to the experience. (Divine Love)

Knowing the difference is not really that difficult.  Keep it simple!  Ego is all about separation, while Spirit (Divine Love) is about Unity.  If the experience creates Unity, then it is sourced by Spirit and lifts you up.  The feeling it brings is peaceful, serene, and joyful.  Ego on the other hand creates separation.  The feeling can be good, elating, and powerful or painful, boring, and lonely; however, the end result brings you and those around you – down.  Sort of like, “what goes up must come down.”  Can you think of an example?

Take TV or Movies for instance.  The whole family can gather in the evening to share in entertainment, Unity!  The family can each enjoy the experience on their own level and share the Love which makes up a family, or they can force their opinions and viewpoints about the experience on the rest of the family creating separation.  Or take sex as an example, the experience can be all about the pleasure and your partner is simply a means to an end or it can be a joining of souls for the mutual experience of Divine connection!

“A Course in Miracles” and books written to explain it are a great source of wisdom concerning the concept I present here today.  I highly recommend you take the course, it will tell you at the beginning that it is a required course.  If you have difficulty with the course, then try some of the other books written about it, like Marianne Williamson’s “A return to Love” or Gary Renard’s “Disappearance of the Universe”.  I know there are many more books as well, like “The Voice for Love” by David Paul and Candace Doyle which is one of the best I have read.  “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle is very good at explaining ego, so you may give it a read as well.

Once these concepts are internalized and expressed, life will take on new meaning and value for you.  Colors will be more vivid and relationships will be more fulfilling.  Miracles are a daily experience and if you are not experiencing this then maybe it is time to wake up and re-align.

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Discover Free eBooks click here

 

Spirituality Transitions

Leave a comment »
Jan 12

Divine Ego

by Sequoia Elisabeth

Murder, war, disaster, scandal, political games, and gossip are indeed entertaining.  They might even make for good movie material, but do you really want those things in your life?  What you focus on grows…. One of the things that makes this 2012 era so amazing is the shift in consciousness and the opportunity to move beyond these ego based activities.

Spirit works at a whole different level of energy than ego does.  And one of your greatest challenges is knowing the difference!  Making a clear choice is sometimes difficult because you do not understand that the ego, separation mindedness, often feels very good.  Think of five things you enjoy doing that bring you pleasure.  For me it is TV, Movies (at a theatre), Good Food, Warm Comfortable Clothing, and Sex.  Each of these can be a source of ego or Spirit depending on the energy I bring to the experience.

Knowing the difference is not really that difficult.  Keep it simple!  Ego is all about separation, while Spirit is about Unity.  If the experience creates Unity, then it is sourced by Spirit and lifts you up.  The feeling it brings is peaceful, serene, and joyful.  Ego on the other hand creates separation.  The feeling can be good, elating, and powerful; however, the end result brings you and those around you – down.  Sort of like, “what goes up must come down.”  Can you think of an example?

Take TV or Movies for instance.  The whole family can gather in the evening to share in entertainment, Unity!  The family can each enjoy the experience on their own level and share the Love which makes up a family, or they can force their opinions and viewpoints about the experience on the rest of the family creating separation.  Or take sex as an example, the experience can be all about the pleasure and your partner is simply a means to an end or it can be a joining of souls for the mutual experience of Divine connection!

The “A Course in Miracles” and books written to explain it are a great source of wisdom concerning the concept I present here today.  I highly recommend you take the course, it will tell you at the beginning that it is a required course.  If you have difficulty with the course, then try some of the other books written about it, like Marianne Williamson’s “A return to Love” or Gary Renard’s “Disappearance of the Universe”.  I know there are many more books as well.  “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle is very good at explaining ego, so you may give it a read as well.

Once these concepts are internalized and expressed, life will take on new meaning and value for you.  Colors will be more vivid and relationships will be more fulfilling.  Miracles are a daily experience and if you are not experiencing this then maybe it is time to wake up and re-align.

😀 Sequoia Elisabeth

Unity in Gender Diversity     Download Free eBooks click here

 

Spirituality Transitions

Leave a comment »
Mar 12

No Order of Difficulty in Miracles

by Sequoia Elisabeth

One of the most powerful if not the most powerful concept you can understand is that there is “no order of difficulty in miracles”.  This concept comes from a book called “A Course in Miracles” which I highly recommend picking up.  Do not be in a hurry, because it will take you over a year to read this book.  But then what’s the rush, you have the rest of your life; let’s just hope that lasts longer than the year! 

The main premise of this world we live in comes down to one thing, separation.  Everywhere we look we see separate people, things and places.  This is not a new concept that I am introducing here, I talk about it often because it is so important to the workings of life.  God is all there is and by now I suspect that you are pretty comfortable with that idea, but are you comfortable with that reality?  I would think not since you and I are still here! 

ACIM calls the world illusory and what you think you are seeing is only a product of your thoughts.  Notice I did not say imagination, because this world has rules and structure so that it seems very “real”.  To quote a favorite character of mine Morpheus from the movie The Matrix, “What is real”?  You will remember that he asks further, “Is it something to can touch, taste, see or feel?  If so those can be broken down to electrical signals running through out your body.”  Real suddenly becomes a lot more ephemeral!  ACIM teaches that God is the only “real” there is and we are already there, cradled safely in “all that is”. 

Life takes on a new meaning when we understand that there is “no order of difficulty in miracles”.  So what is the purpose of miracles anyway?  ACIM teaches us that the false belief that we are separate from God is corrected by miracles.  So this means that miracles are simply here to “correct our misperceptions”.  You can think of this as a shift in consciousness.  Miracles join us with Christ mindedness or Buddha consciousness or simply with GOD.  Unity is indeed the goal of all Miracles! 

With this understanding now we can see that miracles join or unify, and it makes no difference whether we think something is hard or easy, big or small.  Moses parting the Red Sea so that Hebrews could re-join their brethren is a wonderful example of miracles having no order of difficulty. 

Looking at miracles this way means that a simple smile can be a miracle when it joins two people.  If you are not experiencing miracles everyday then you are out of synch and need to take another look.  All it takes is a shift in consciousness and that can happen in a instant!  😉  Sequoia Elisabeth

Spirituality Transitions

Leave a comment »
Newer Entries »