CONGRUENCY

by Susan Kramer

Congruency--
Actions in keeping with our words
Words accurately reflecting our actions
With the addition of conscientiousness--
A balanced and happy life
congruently functioning
for the good of all

Congruency between our words, feelings and actions--keeping our intentions for the highest good--breeds happiness in our life.

Thoughts are forms of energy and produce their exact genetic offspring. Good thoughts produce good; selfish actions lead to repeated dissatisfactions. Just as swimming in unknown cloudy water puts us at risk of facing hurtful obstacles--a cloudy thought process keeps us from viewing and resolving situations clearly.

Honesty is a quality that allows us to look in the mirror and see the reflection of how we really are. In honesty we see clearly and can make course adjustments. If we live each day in accordance with our conscience, our reflection to us and others will be well-balanced.

Congruency in Relationships
Here we are
In physical--mental--emotional bodies, three
Interrelated inexplicably

All relationships contain the aspects of physical, mental, and emotional-- one or more predominating at any moment. Personal and relationship harmony is experienced by balancing these aspects appropriately. Additionally, every relationship that rests on a base of action for the highest good becomes stabilized in harmony.

Format of relationship varies
The invariable--
Underlying action for the highest good

In our intimate relationships our physical and emotional aspects are in congruency when our physical expressions are born of tender thoughts and care. Feelings and thoughts of care and tenderness--when naturally expressed in physical affection--birth deeper realizations in our own soul and between the souls of the mutually beloved. Actions and relationships acted out physically and devoid of the emotion of tenderness fulfill our instinctual drive in the moment, but do nothing to nurture the integration of the emotional, mental, and physical aspects within us.

In the flow of living congruently
Emotions, thoughts, actions in sync--
Conscience clear
We most fully manifest our humanity

Quality Control

Quality of mind
reflected in action
hidden from none
excepting the self
When covered by habits
induced by self-centeredness
quality of mind
clearly unwell

Quality of mind
Q-C'd by actions
arising from caringness
related with love
Revealing depths of mind
clear and healthy
Revealing in depth
mind whole and well

Choosing the Accelerated Course to Congruency

The benefits of choosing the accelerated course are instantaneous from the moment of inception: a content mind; joyful emotions; the awareness of love flowing through us; and feelings of connection with people and creation.

Consider for a moment--is self-centered Self-centered? Actually, Self-centeredness houses self-centeredness.

The small 'self-centered' represents awareness of personal body-mind- emotions. The large 'Self-centered' represents awareness of ourselves as a timeless individual with a body, mind and emotions powered by, sustained by and connected with the all-pervading intelligent conscious energy.

Awareness of Self-centeredness happens gradually as we grow in congruency--grow into awareness of our intertwining relationships within the world of time, place, space, people, things.

Growth in consciousness of our Self evolves naturally. As with learning to play an instrument, we can accelerate this natural process by paying close attention to the proper guidelines and putting them into practice.

The accelerated course from self-centered to Self-centered requires these precepts and practices:

1. The desire to know who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going;
2. A keen mind that is willing to act for the highest good of the situation each moment;
3. The ability to differentiate right from wrong in a given situation;
4. A caring attitude toward people and the environment;
5. Caring actions from a loving heart.

self-centered
or Self-centered--
The moment's choice
moment to moment to moment

Every caring act erases some of the conception that we are isolated. Because we see others' bodies separate from ours, we believe in separation, we remain veiled from the inner knowledge of our intertwining aspects. But as every molecule of existence is living intelligently, inter-linked, and in cooperation with all other molecules, we could never actually be separated.

Concern and care
act upon act
Releasing our mind
from conception of isolation
to perception of relation--
Even one act of concern
transforms our consciousness

Conscientious Action When we act conscientiously we consider the outcome of our actions. Living conscientiously means listening to our inner voice of right (body feels relaxed), and wrong (body feels agitated), and then following its direction for the best resolve of the circumstances and situation.

Sometimes it is hard to act rightly because we might not derive as much pleasure from a right act as we would from a selfish act.

It is this haziness of mind-- the pushing to act on a desire that is not for the good that keeps us from mental, emotional, and physical congruency.

Conscientious living extends past people relationships to include the animate and inanimate environment. The better care we take care of our possessions and surroundings the less we waste natural resources. To develop a conscientious manner with others and the natural world:

1. Consider as many options as possible before acting;
2. Think about the outcome of an action, realizing that we live with the consequence of our actions;
3. Conserve when possible to preserve the natural bounty for all;
4. Think and feel with care and concern--temper emotion with common sense;
5. Meditate regularly--the still posture of meditation makes it easier for our mind to view pros and cons objectively and conscientiously. When we then choose to act rightly, all benefit from our existence.

Conscientious action
allows consciousness to develop
step by step
by taking the invisible but sure way
we know is right
for each and every moment
Conscientious action
steeped in caring love
the invisible but sure way
to consciousness of expansive joy
in each and every moment
A life lived lovingly
in concert with natural laws
allows our emotions, words, and actions
to flow harmoniously--in congruency

04/04/98

Susan Kramer, Graduate Program Coordinator - Publications Specialist Department of Germanic, Slavic & Semitic Studies University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4130 office: 805/893-2131 fax: 805/893-2374