a revelation

Spiritual power of course may or may not be real.

I happen to like the idea that it may be real and is worth trying.

What does this mean, trying spiritual power? Of course I mean trying it out, but how would one do that?

What is spiritual power for? I have some anxiety about suggesting this definition, but I think it's OK: I'm saying spiritual power is for getting what we want.

So, if it's that, then a test or trial of spiritual power begins with wanting something.

It also seems reasonable to suggest that we are already wanting things, and even that we ... I will go so far as to say ... cannot deliberately want something ... which is a stretch, but may be true. At any rate, I'm suggesting we begin by identifying something we want.

Also, I've been encountering the suggestion that we try using spiritual power for some more pragmatic purposes as a way to build our spiritual muscles.

Basically, I'm practicing the method of spiritual power as I write this. You see, I am having trouble deciding what to try to get, I'll put it that way. I'd like to try to get something using spiritual power right now. I'm taking a break from other things, giving myself a few moments to work on this, so, while I'm doing this, I'd like to try to use spiritual power to get something. But what shall I try to get?

Basically, my mind is giving me suggestions. For instance, it is giving me the suggestion "Bentleys and Mansions." (It got that suggestion from a little talk I was just watching, and it is being a little cynical, because that was presented as an example of the kind of thing not to try to get, not for ethical reasons or anything like that, but, as an example of something not so pragmatic. The suggestion is we can try for something more pragmatic, then look for a result, and when we see that result our ability to get things using spiritual power - to manifest - will increase.)

But, do you know what? There's another rule which is, if your mind gives you something, take it!

And this suggestion to go for Bentleys and Mansions is to my liking. It's cheeky! And I like that because it's naughty. But I like it also because it's playful. So you may say that naughty is bad, but are you saying that playful is bad? Playful sounds powerful to me. Of course some will say power is bad ... but they are, I assure you, talking about power in the hands of someone other than themselves. Naughty naughty! (I have been trying to figure out ethics for a long time. Whenever I read something about it, it sounds just sooooooo silly. I've just figured this out: ethics is a very complicated subject! This is very relevant to what's on my mind right now. Here's another reason I've decided to spend some time with this desire of mine for Bentleys and Mansions: I find myself in combat with a whole array of people who say we should want such things. Sometimes they just say we should want things, period. Well, I'm in combat with them ... by choice ... but also, it's my instinct. Anyway, one thought in my mind today is that the way forward is to just ignore such people. By such people I mean people I feel I ought to be in combat with. And there's definitely something to that, but, at the same time, there's something to combat. I wouldn't say the purpose of combat is to win, exactly. Well, no, I take that back, but I wouldn't say it's to ... I wouldn't say it's to rid the world of my opponents. OK, even that might not be true - thinking more on a case by case basis, just to note that - I mean, there might be times when ridding the world of someone would be a really good idea ... The thing is, it feels like a losing proposition to me, for me to pursue that. Let me go back to the idea of what the purpose of combat is, of whether it is to win, and now I will say it most certainly is, but I'm thinking about it this way: combat makes you strong. It's a teacher.)

So, here I am in combat with people who don't want me to have Bentleys and Mansions ... or really much of anything, actually ... and least of all power, especially spiritual power. Well, the thing to do is to somehow .... the words blast right through them come to mind, and that would be lovely, but, as I already mentioned, could lead to trouble, too. Just to note this, I want to punish them. I really, really want them punished. But ... Universe ... not just this moment. I want to think that over a bit. For the moment, I'll settle for just shedding them like water off a duck's back and going straight to Bentleys and Mansions. Yes! I wholly like that idea!

Wow, see what I just did? I worked my way through a whole bunch of stuff. I mean, even if you are a complete poop head skeptic, you can't deny that was stuff. If you don't understand my terminology, it was like playing a video game, and I'm driving down a road, and the game is throwing all sorts of stuff at me, and to move forward I have to dodge that stuff, one way or another (and, too, figure out where "forward" is) ... and then after I've done that for a while, it's like the game opened up and showed me a wide open vision of my goal, Bentleys and Mansions. That's what I'm calling working one's way through stuff. You can call it imaginary stuff, nonsense stuff, or whatever you like, but it was stuff.

And this is what I'm saying is the way to use spiritual power. I mean, it's my hypothesis. So, also, I'm testing the hypothesis.

Let me go check a couple of things.

No, there were no Bentleys parked in front of my house, just now. There was an actual letter, which is a bit unusual, but I doubt it contains the news that I've become the owner of any new luxury items.

But, this is as I expected. And a true discussion of this next subject is beyond the scope of this post, but I have been trying this kind of exercise - it's an exercise, see - recently, and a few somewhat strange things have happened that seemed to echo the subjects of my meditations. I mean, you could call the effect eerie.

Spiritual teachers sometimes talk about this kind of thing. They call it "signs." But why should we think that a sign is as good as a success. That is, even if it was our our spiritual "work" that produced a sign, so what? It's as if we are reporting not a hit but a miss. I mean, you filthy stinking skeptics, if there actually had been a Bently out front, and a key in the mail box with at not attached saying  "look in the glove box, Tom. The deed is made out to you. Enjoy," even you might be impressed. But all I got was, what, some weird premonition that actually did come true in a funny way, why should you be impressed?

Well, I have just come up with a reason. Remember what I was saying about a result? I said that if you do some work and get a result, it increases your spiritual power. I add this to my hypothesis: doing exercises and getting results in the form of signs is a way to build spiritual muscle.