Counting the Cost Part II

Part two is added here in a short paragraph because "counting the cost," is also part of the message Lao T'zu gave out when he said that 'every day he invests in loss." Every day he loses a little bit more. What is it that he loses? He loses himself. He loses his pride, his ego, and becomes more modest, knowing that there is an even bigger power than that of his little, limited selfish ego. With that knowledge he gains immeasurably in the more spiritual aspects of his nature, and as he becomes more aligned with a higher power, while at the same time remaining modest, his powerful intention (which comes from deeper within) manifests itself in the material world. Therefore Lao T'zu says, "Ever desireless, one sees the mystery, ever desiring, one sees the manifestation." The words have multiple meanings here and operate on many different levels, but on one level he appears to be saying that by eliminating the desires (of the little self) daily, (practicing chariot driving) he becomes freer and freer to behold the mystery. Through desire, (of the higher self) one manifests one's desires on the material plane. (This is just one meaning, there is a contrary meaning here as well.)

When we let go and allow the universe to flow through us, then we find that the universe accomplishes our deeper (more spiritual) desires through us, but if we focus only on the materialization of those desires, we cannot see the true mystery from which all things emanate. And that emanation is from the "Universal Subconscious Mind," or, in other words, from the Tao. Jesus said, "you cannot serve God and Mammon." in other words you cannot serve both the belief system of a material world only and at the same time, the belief system that there is spirit as well. You must recognize the two as one; that there is no difference and yet the first cause is spirit, the material is only a manifestation of the mind of the "Divine," The Tao. And it will melt away from you if you put your faith totally in it not recognizing the reality behind it.

The "pearl of great price" is the mystery of what we seek. The "pearl" is that first cause, of which the material world is only a reflection, and the "pearl of great price" is that ability to be so connected that we truly create our own reality. Our desire should only be to spirit, if our desire is to the material world, our desire is based on an illusion, and it is foolish to serve an illusion.