<div>God decided He was tired of humanity, tired of the incessant selfish requests. He called His angels in for advice. "I would like to go somewhere were these humans will not find me."
One angel spoke up, "Hide on the highest mountain, they will not find you there."
Another angel said, "The bottom of the deepest ocean."
One angel shouted, "The dark side of the moon, they cannot see you there."
God not satisfied that these suggestions would hide Him, He summoned His wisest angel and asked him, "Where can I hide so that these humans will not find me?"
The angel smiled and replied, "hide in their hearts, for they fear to look within."My intention is to introduce a point out a view that invites one to lose interest in getting something from this world and become aware of a Reality that demands nothing, asks for nothing; One which simply Is.Take a moment to pay attention the happenings of the world around you without commenting on it. What do you see? What do you hear? Is it personal?The world changes in appearance as we progressively remove the personal self from the world. As a practice, instead of commenting on how the world effects you, watch your colleauge's, your wife or husband and children. Treat them as though they have no past history with you, they are simply present. Be with this moment with the intention to be kind to everything.

For some this is too simple, or boring. They are far more interested in solving problems, fixing others and (subconsciously) entertaining themselves via the drama of their lives.

To understand the addiction we have to the drama of this world think of how someone would react if we walked  into a room of people watching their favorite soap opera and turned off the TV right at the climax. Now just imagine the response. Anger, yelling, pushing and shoving are the likely effects of disconnecting people from their entertainment. Another example would be, walking into a crowded bar on a playoff night, turn the power off just prior to the end of a close game. Would you see the same reactions?

Transcendence does not mean condemnation of this addiction we see so prevalent in society; at some point one just decides whether or not to continue to participate in it.

Those of you who were raised in any sort of religion, culture/ethnicity, sports team loyalists, soap opera drama  fanatics upbringing were usually programed what to believe, in many cases the reason being “because that's the way it is.” Even if you were not told directly it was obvious by the behavior of your family.  "We are Bronco fans because we live in Colorado." We hate the Raiders and Chargers with a passion!"  We are Catholics?Protestants/ Buddhists etc.  because our parents were and theirs before them for generations.

How do we know if anything is true? Can our thoughts, perceptions, families beliefs and customs be trusted as Truth?

<strong>"Man is intrinsically innocent because he can only choose what he perceives to be good." - Socrates</strong>

<a href="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/YoungOldWoman.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1976" src="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/YoungOldWoman-210x300.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="300" /></a>Looking at this picture, what do you see?
Is this your wife or mother-in-law?
Which perception is real?
Does one negate the other?
Do both exist simultaneously?

I John 2: 9-11 Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. But whoever hates is still in the dark, stumbles around in the dark, doesn't know which end is up, blinded by the darkness.

Look around the room you are in. Is it possible to see the light? Or can you only see that with which the light illuminates?

A persons way of speaking, behavior and thought process simply reveals what they are aligned with, it does not make them what they are. Light does not judge or condemn, its simply reveals what is. God is light and in Him there is no shadow or darkness. So evil is not the opposite or antithesis of God, but simply the state in which He is not being acknowledged and allowed. Perception is therefore extremely subjective as it usually involves with duality, opposites and either-or situations.

Our perceptions are derived from a mind that searches for the meaning of what it perceives or, in other words, identifies with. If the mind is programmed to desire that which it perceives to be valuable. Thoughts and feelings arise from desire, and the mind uses them as a tool to get what it views as a ‘need.’

<strong>You either believe what you think or you question it. There’s no other choice. - Byron Katie</strong>

Our minds, like children, are innocent. They are analogous to a brand new Mac Book Pro without any software. As we observe our families and our culture we pick up the software that runs our minds’ value system which is called perception.<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/plOB4PsoyoXsnIc0THdPhc-xSEWVLpDugXnQAUsnpD6NtlQuatHkFHb8dzSGGDi4cDOP-YoVJylmZjzSTLL1RXDz1Z8GhnUJdnG5B8Oz8jIxbYL2-2E" alt="" width="400px;" height="248px;" />
Like this prism, perception, derived from programming, interprets the light and breaks it into categories. We then judge, evaluate and determine if what we see if valuable or something we would like to avoid.

Perhaps the statement Jesus made in Matthew is an invitation to return to that innocence. To shed our ideas of ourselves and this world. To give up trying to fix everything out there and simply turning within to explore what we fear the most, our heart.

<strong>Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. - Jesus</strong>

Continued in Part 2.

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