SPIRITUALITY
    Teaching Articles On Spirituality

    Article One

    Are We Here To Wash Clothes?


    Take a look at this actual excerpt from a very old diary…..

    WASHING CLOTHES.......

    Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.
    Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
    Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

    Sort things, make 3 piles:
    1 pile white,
    1 pile colored,
    1 pile work britches and rags.
    To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
    Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't
    boil just wrench and starch.
    Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
    Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass.
    Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside
    down.
    Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell
    and count your blessings.
    (For you non-southerners, wrench means rinse)

    After I read this I got to thinking.  Many people have the belief that simpler times were better….
    perhaps more spiritual.  But what was man supposed to do?  Look at all the work involved with
    doing the wash.  Wouldn’t it be nicer if everyone had more free time?  And isn’t it normal for
    someone to want to do a job the easy way as opposed to the hard way?  Think about it.  You’re
    standing there scrubbing on a washboard, your arms are aching and your back hurts and you
    have a whole load of wash to finish.  If someone walked up to you and pointed to a modern
    washer and dryer and said, “Hi, I’m from the future, take a look at what I can do”…..would you
    really say, “Thanks, but no thanks my friend, I’d rather stand here all morning sweating over this
    load of clothes?”  

    One could say there would be an upside.  With more time, a person could get the work done
    sooner, leaving time for art, painting, beauty, meditation/contemplation, fun.  In other words,
    things that feed the soul.  Isn’t that what we are all here for?  Or are we just here to wash
    clothes?
    I heard just yesterday on the radio that there is now a company that can build airplanes using
    mostly robots.  They can assemble an entire plane in 6 days and they said that in another year
    or so, they’ll be able to turn out a new plane every 3 days.  Everything we do today is faster, at
    least the physical or material things, anyway.  So are we happier? Are we using our extra time to
    feed our souls?  Most are not doing this, are they?  Most feel that if there is spare time, then
    more money can be made.  And when most do have the time to feed their souls, to enjoy the
    beauty of the world, to learn and come to understand more about themselves and how they fit
    into this world with others, what do they do?  They spend their time in a special kind of trance,
    where time is suspended by a blinding fog of electronic smog called information.  This
    information comes in via radio, television, magazines, and computers.  But can this simply be
    our way of being spiritual?  In order to grow spiritually we have to use a different part of
    ourselves, a different part of our brains so to speak.  In fact, science has already shown that
    brain waves change as soon as we do something as simple as close our eyes. Why do you
    think that in almost every tradition or culture, when someone (sometimes the local shaman)
    wants to “connect” or “tap in” to God, the “Great Spirit”, the “higher Self”, the “other side”, why is it
    that sitting quietly is usually part of the equation?  And why are plant materials many times used
    to enhance this process?  What’s that all about?

    All these things have to do with our being able to get answers that cannot necessarily be
    discovered in the laboratory.  In other words, deep inside we all wonder why we are here.  We
    wonder if we could be or should be doing better.  Now I do realize that many people if
    questioned would say they do not think about these things.  They’ll say things like, I’m too busy,
    have too many kids, too many responsibilities, a demanding boss, a demanding husband/wife,
    etc. But deep down, they have this question….who am I?  Why am I here?  What’s this all about?

    It’s like that old metaphor of the glass.  If you put dirt in a glass of water and stir it up, it gets
    cloudy and you can’t see through, much less read a newspaper on the other side of the glass.  
    But to read the newsprint, to see the “other side” of the glass, what do you have to do?  
    Absolutely nothing.  Just let the glass sit quietly still for a few minutes, and all things become
    clear….you’ll be able to see to the other side and read the newsprint.  So we do have time to
    meditate and sit still don’t we.  We technically have the opportunity to “tap in”…to receive a
    higher guidance that can not only help us grow spiritually, but also simply make our physical life
    here more enjoyable.  We don’t have to scrub clothes on a washboard, or grow our own food, or
    take 2 hours to walk to work.  This list could go on and on.  In some ways, aren’t we already
    living the simpler life?  But why are so many people squandering this opportunity? Most people
    either don’t have spare time because they think they have to work 60-80 work-weeks so they
    can look or feel successful by having material things they don’t need and don’t really want.  Or,
    they disengage their minds with inane time-wasters such as computer games, gossip, soap-
    operas, the evening news, or the monopoly controlled newspapers, or T.V. talk shows
    consisting of people who’s lives have run horribly askew, but they’re going to tell you how to live
    your life.

    So what’s the answer?  I can only think of one answer at this point in time.  It may not be the
    correct answer, but at least it’s something.  I couldn’t possibly leave this discussion without
    offering something.  But please, if you have an answer, remember, it’s just as good as my
    answer and I’d love to hear it, so let me know.  Refer back to the title of this paper.  Is it possible
    that we are indeed here to wash clothes?  Can washing clothes be done in a spiritual manner?
    Some would say yes, but you have to really “get into” washing the clothes.  You would need to
    stay in the present.  You couldn’t be worrying about the bills, or thinking about what to make for
    supper, or feeling bad about something someone said about you the day before.  By staying in
    the moment you can bring spirituality into whatever you do.  However, I think this topic is slightly
    different than being able to connect to a higher source, or receive guidance that could help you
    on a health, financial, or relationship matter.  Haven’t we all had issues with these things in the
    past?  I think the answer is yes for everyone.  So slowing down, looking inward and connecting
    is a powerful thing, but it can’t happen if we don’t learn to slow down and begin to understand
    that energy flows in both directions…what we do here can and does reflect into the realm from
    which we came and will return to…..AND…..what we decided to learn and accomplish before
    we came here to participate here in this 3rd density realm can best come to fruition if we can be
    open and learn to receive from our “Higher Self”.


    Article Two

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