Well the universe has thrown at me some profound change
recently and I am happy to take up the challenge. I used to think that every
relationship was permanent and that I would be with the person forever until I
die. I think the world and the universe have other plans haha some are in this
world to learn and some are in this world to adapt and become co-dependent. I
look at my time of living in the forest for 7 years as a learning experience. I
have lived in big cities, small cities, the country, travelled to the USA and
all across Canada. If you ask me there is not a single methodology to living. I
always follow what my mother churches main teaching encapsulates and that ‘do
that which is right’ I always tend to look at harsher events in my life as karmic
or payback for all my wrong deeds. I would think by now that I have paid back
my debt to society for 5 years of mayham. Or the world is extremely bizarre to
make you pay 50 years for a few years of bad choices. Actually quite the
opposite, I keep getting blessed with fortunate circumstances and when you
remain thankful and grateful and incredibly happy about life good things will
come to you. Like for example, what I am using to type out this discourse,
honestly I have always wanted a freewrite system but they retail for like $600
USD and I have always wanted a gaming computer but now I am typing on a circa
2003 alpha smart modern typewriter and it allows me to unplug from the net and
get comfortable for awhile………. hehe I am thankful that I at least have this,
that I have a nice bathroom, that I have a working kitchen, a nice home, a
comfortable bed, good health and my bills paid that is all I need really. When
you are thankful and grateful and you give out what you most want in return it
will come back to you-profoundly. I always advocate to give charitably see
instead of sticking with one charity and giving them all your money spread it
around, there are many giving sites and even sites where you can give directly to
the individual like gofundme or heifer int’l (I use Canada helps here) and I am
able to give $3 a month to a charity that I choose, recently I was able to cut
my debt in half with a few winnings so I am able to give $6 instead of $3 so
now I can give to 2 charities a month and what a blessing that is!!! I may not
be able to give a million dollars but over a lifetime imagine how much good and
merit you have brought into other’s lives not to mention your own. Anybody
practically on any budget can give what they can and you can be charitable with
some thought put into it. I tend to see myself as pretty generous and imagine
this lifetime of merit built up over the 70 year old that just thinks for
themselves and is greedy and not charitable. You are in a way better off place
by giving a tiny bit and putting some god given thought into your generosity
than somebody that does not give – and what do you get in return? Well this
merit builds up over time and produces favourable circumstances in one’s life. However
mysterious and however magical life may be, if you want millions then give out
millions and its not too late to start on giving out that million one cent at a
time!! You don’t need to brag about who
you give too or whatever but it is so easy to spread the happiness around – if you
worry about starving to death it makes sense to give a few bucks a month to a
food bank, if you worry about cancer give to a cancer charity –give money so
that cancer lodges can afford food for their clients, if you worry about your
cat or dog getting sick, produce merit in the name of the pup and give to a
charity that helps animals in distress. Also remember the smaller charities
like turtle rescues or clothing the working poor – chances are the big
charities will use the money for their admin bonus’s to afford a lease on a Mercedes
and I am not joking, with about 5 minutes of research you can find out where
your money will go and if it will aid those that need it. Keep your giving
close to heart – donate to causes that mean the most to YOU not just general
places that provide blanket help. Why give your money over to a charity that is
just going to print thousands of calendars off every year in hopes that they
will guilt trip people into giving. Generosity is a gift from the spiritual
world and the divine. This is one reason why I am now happy to report that I am
90% vegetarian. I felt most of my relationships have not been 100% supportive
of this, so now I finally get to create merit by not eating animals. Honestly I
used to be so against vegetarianism but eating meat only produces more
suffering and I don’t want to do that – I want to produce merit in my life, we
don’t even know what this whole existence is why would you just mindlessly eat
flesh all the time it is funny. Taking the bus the other day I saw a guy trip
and his roasted chicken went flying a few steps ahead of him on his path- the
chicken stayed in its packaging but I just thought “oh that poor stud and his
chicken lol” if we lived in an ancient culture we would have more of an
understanding of the karma of eating meat. Anyways still, I indulge in a tiny
bit of meat a month maybe a few meals and yes I crave chicken nuggets sometimes
lol it was just an awesome surprise to do groceries this past month and consciously
and mindfully chose to abstain harming other beings for my benefit. What a
beautiful thing !! I still get the odd milk or eggs or cheese and eat meat
socially cause who wants to be the flake that brings tempeh to an xmas dinner !!
I just want to take this chance to wish everyone a beautiful holiday season and
may you all bear the fruits of happiness and generosity in your good will !! J -Rev. Dr. Shaun A.
Delage