May 25, 2021 Tuesday Evening, Dharma Path III Small Group, Excerpt 2
Service to Self vs. Service to Other
Aaron: I am Aaron. At first, most beings are more in service to self. When you start to hold the idea of service to others, it is important include the “self” as an “other” – service to self and all being – letting go of the distinction of self or other. All are one but there may be a part of yourself that says, “I should choose service to others verses service to self.” Why should you? You are also a beautiful, divine, expression of love. It is very hard to serve others when you turn the back on the self. What is this self versus other? When you come to this dilemma, service to myself / service to others, that becomes the essence of teaching, the initiation into NO SELF.
You keep probing it, over and over, looking at where the ego is attached to taking care of “me.”
Then open up the heart to the self about that.
When fear comes up that “my needs won’t be met,” can you hold space for that fear rather than condemnation toward it? Each time you do this, there is growth toward release of separation.
From the very youngest sentient being to the very eldest and most mature, there is still a constant process of growth.
Some years ago, on a day that was very buggy. Barbara was getting numerous mosquito bites. She said to me, “Aaron, I keep brushing them away, and I have repellant on, but I am being bitten. It is bringing up anger and separation.”
I said to her, “They are small initiations. Each time you get a bite and it itches its an invitation to compassion. Its an invitation to deeper exploration of non-separation.”
And yet, you can still choose to go indoors when you have had enough of it. That is okay, too.
I will release the body to Barbara.