Folks, meet my new spiritual teacher- at least via YouTube.

In this modern day, where spiritual teachers, healers, coaches and gurus are writing books and teaching classes and having sessions both on-line and off, it is refreshing to find one, thanks to a soul-sister over at Life on Purpose, who isn’t all serious and self-riteous about being positive or even saving the world or acting as if they have it all figured out. In fact, when a “student” comes to him/Mooji (if you saw in this video) wanting to make herself love everybody, Mooji says, “Don’t try to love everybody. Try to be fair, but don’t try to love.” He assures it is normal not to. “Be yourself. This IS the way. The rest will align itself appropriately.”

“All good habits manifest spontaneously in the deliberate mind.”

My mother has come to visit. She spent a few days with us, and now she is on a mountain visiting her cousin. Soon, we will pick her up and resume her stay. My relationship with my mother has been tiresome, brought on by a conflict between my child self, which feels neglected and my “self-riteous spiritual” self, which feels I should be over it, and show her love.

The night before she arrived, I said to my daughter- let’s intend to appreciate all the parts of my mother. The part that gets angry when we don’t roll out the red carpet for her arrival. The part that pretends she understands what we are saying, but she doesn’t. The part that wants to please instead of be honest. I thought it might be possible, for I am appreciating all of my parts as well. And I must say, the first round of mother went well.

Sure, there were moments where I was annoyed, but mostly there was a new me- (but more truthfully the ever present me hidden under the conflict), a flexible and observant me, who is not emotionally attached or manipulated by past hurts, and who is free of trying to force myself to love or to be kind.

I hear people say things like, you know I am really relieved this or that is over, but I should really be grateful. Or as the woman said on the video, how can I make myself love everybody. Where did all of these ideas come from? That we should walk around in gratitude all day, everyday. That we should love everyone.  These good habits can not arrive spontaneously or at all if we continue to “should” ourselves. If we think we have to be Mother Teresa like. None of this makes us spiritual. We already are of Spirit. We need not do anything to attain spirit. We only need to BE OURSELVES, and sometimes that means a journey of trying to be anything but.

Namaste,

The Soul Reporter