Make it Practical
Make it Practical
The Work is a practical path to awakening. To be useful and not just philosophical or theoretical, I need to make the tools of scale and relativity practical. It’s essential for verification and progress in the Work.
Scale and relativity are useful work ideas for creating intentional attitudes and overcoming mechanical weaknesses. Identifications lack scale and relativity; imagination operates with zero or too much scale and relativity; and the many ‘I’s are notoriously blind to scale and relativity because they change so frequently.
Of course, the trick is using the right tool at the right time. That is the essence of relativity. I cannot control someone else’s manifestations, for example. Instead, I work with controlling my reactions and attitudes and respond accordingly without negativity. I cannot do the Work for another person. When I try to change someone, I’m not using scale and relativity.
There is another practical take on relativity. The teacher recommends working on the weakness of the moment as a rule. So that means when I’m losing perspective on some matter in my life, it might be a time to think and feel on a larger scale. How many times have I observed in hindsight that I overreacted or thought a decision was more consequential than it really was? How many times have I exaggerated the size of a problem or neglected to act when it was prime to do so?
I use scale and relativity to moderate the ups and downs. I use scale and relativity as a filter for sifting out the truth. I use scale and relativity for slowing down and avoiding hurrying. What’s the rush? I use scale and relativity to remember the moment, to feel the breeze before a storm, to taste the first bite of a delicious meal, to embrace those I love with a conscious act of Presence. Sometimes we need to reduce the scale of something. Gurdjieff used to suggest to some of his students to work in the garden prior to a concert or some other event. Sometimes we need to become smaller.
There are no mistakes in the Work, only gains. Every moment instructs. Such contradictions may be troubling at times. Bringing scale and relativity, however, helps make sense of these adages. Make it practical.
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