(souljourney) Growth Needs
Poverty exists where basic needs are not being met. It is vital to recognize that the basic needs of humanity will only be met for humanity by those who already have their basic needs met and who are meeting their growth needs. Unless more people meet their growth needs, the world will be kept in poverty and deprivation of human dignity. Growth needs refer in some way to the growth in our essential nature as human souls in incarnation.
As more and more people are responding to soul, which is the consciousness of growth, issues of poverty are increasingly being addressed as a global responsibility rather than just a local issue as we see with such global events as Live 8.
There are many people today who must consciously recognize that they have growth needs because they are ready and capable of fulfilling these needs. When the basic needs are sufficiently met, then it becomes mandatory to fulfill the growth needs, for that is always the next step. If we do not make that transition we start to develop pathologies – which is exactly what has occurred and is occurring on the planet.
These pathologies take the form of alienation, anguish, cynicism, apathy, etc. and manifest in behaviour that we are seeing in the world today such as children killing children, psychopathy in high places (characterized by a lack of conscience), megalomania (lust for power), lack of respect for life and property, and the like. These are the pathologies that develop when growth needs are not being met. They are maladies of the soul in the sense that soul needs to be connected to and is not. Therefore the soul energies themselves are being distorted and expressed in pathological conditions.
Growth needs are those needs that relate to the development of consciousness. Some are foundational in that they lay the groundwork in the personality for consciousness development, and often are about developing awareness in the personality which must precede the development of consciousness.
There are 33 parameters of the growth needs that we need to experience. Here, p a u s e. Take a paper and rate yourself on a 5-point scale ( '0' you don't have it at all ; '5' you have it fully and the rest in-between). You will then develop a clear picture of your own growth needs and then a clear plan of action will emerge for you. You can take the help of a close companion / spouse for a second opinion and objective assessment.
1- giving
2- right relationships
3- good health
4- awareness of feelings
5- connection to beauty
6- control of reactions
7- balance and harmony
8- mental clarity
9- ability to concentrate
10- ability to think logically
11- knowledge
12- ability to discriminate
13- humour
14- freedom & ability to choose
15- detachment
16- spiritual discipline
17- trust in inner guidance
18- safety and security
19- integration of experiences
20- satisfaction in achievement
21- self esteem
22- friendships
23- love and support
24- a sense of belonging to community
25- meditation & communication with higher realms
26- development of the heart
27- relationship to the universal/God
28- soul consciousness
29- universal ideas and ideals
30- unconditional love
31- a meaningful belief system
32- a sense of meaning in life
33- a sense of purpose
Exercises:
1. Rate yourself on all the above parameters on a 5-point scale. Or get rated . Get a clear picture of your own growth needs first.
2.Attune to your soul or true inner self and determine what growth needs you need to meet.
3. What effect will meeting these needs have in your life and service?
4. In meditation attune to the energy of each of these needs, and internalize and deepen these qualities of being within you.
"Although we know that a
Frozen pond is entirely water,
The sun's heat is necessary to melt it.
Although we awaken to the fact
That an ordinary person is Buddha,
The power of dharma is necessary
To make it permeate our cultivation.
When the pond has melted,
The water flows freely.
When falsity is extinguished,
The mind will be numinous
And dynamic and then its function
Of penetrating brightness will manifest."
- Kuei-feng
As more and more people are responding to soul, which is the consciousness of growth, issues of poverty are increasingly being addressed as a global responsibility rather than just a local issue as we see with such global events as Live 8.
There are many people today who must consciously recognize that they have growth needs because they are ready and capable of fulfilling these needs. When the basic needs are sufficiently met, then it becomes mandatory to fulfill the growth needs, for that is always the next step. If we do not make that transition we start to develop pathologies – which is exactly what has occurred and is occurring on the planet.
These pathologies take the form of alienation, anguish, cynicism, apathy, etc. and manifest in behaviour that we are seeing in the world today such as children killing children, psychopathy in high places (characterized by a lack of conscience), megalomania (lust for power), lack of respect for life and property, and the like. These are the pathologies that develop when growth needs are not being met. They are maladies of the soul in the sense that soul needs to be connected to and is not. Therefore the soul energies themselves are being distorted and expressed in pathological conditions.
Growth needs are those needs that relate to the development of consciousness. Some are foundational in that they lay the groundwork in the personality for consciousness development, and often are about developing awareness in the personality which must precede the development of consciousness.
There are 33 parameters of the growth needs that we need to experience. Here, p a u s e. Take a paper and rate yourself on a 5-point scale ( '0' you don't have it at all ; '5' you have it fully and the rest in-between). You will then develop a clear picture of your own growth needs and then a clear plan of action will emerge for you. You can take the help of a close companion / spouse for a second opinion and objective assessment.
1- giving
2- right relationships
3- good health
4- awareness of feelings
5- connection to beauty
6- control of reactions
7- balance and harmony
8- mental clarity
9- ability to concentrate
10- ability to think logically
11- knowledge
12- ability to discriminate
13- humour
14- freedom & ability to choose
15- detachment
16- spiritual discipline
17- trust in inner guidance
18- safety and security
19- integration of experiences
20- satisfaction in achievement
21- self esteem
22- friendships
23- love and support
24- a sense of belonging to community
25- meditation & communication with higher realms
26- development of the heart
27- relationship to the universal/God
28- soul consciousness
29- universal ideas and ideals
30- unconditional love
31- a meaningful belief system
32- a sense of meaning in life
33- a sense of purpose
Exercises:
1. Rate yourself on all the above parameters on a 5-point scale. Or get rated . Get a clear picture of your own growth needs first.
2.Attune to your soul or true inner self and determine what growth needs you need to meet.
3. What effect will meeting these needs have in your life and service?
4. In meditation attune to the energy of each of these needs, and internalize and deepen these qualities of being within you.
"Although we know that a
Frozen pond is entirely water,
The sun's heat is necessary to melt it.
Although we awaken to the fact
That an ordinary person is Buddha,
The power of dharma is necessary
To make it permeate our cultivation.
When the pond has melted,
The water flows freely.
When falsity is extinguished,
The mind will be numinous
And dynamic and then its function
Of penetrating brightness will manifest."
- Kuei-feng
posted by Borrowed Wisdom at 7:04 AM
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