Liberal Catholic Church, Th.S.
The Most Rev. John R. Schwarz III, Presiding Bishop
SAINT RAPHAEL CENTER
2114 East 15th St. Tulsa OK 14104 Phone 918--149-3580
Self-control and Spreading the Word
A Sunday talk by Bing Escudero
@ May 16,1993
The virtue of self-control brings forth the
wisdom of the word that is to be spread. Without
self-control, the spreading of the word is bound to
be out of control.
The word is the truth. And the truth of the self
comes first. It is the self that seeks the truth. And
the self that seeks cannot spread what it has not
found. Without the truth, the spreading of
falsehood prevails. Beliefs and superstitions easily
cater to popular opinions.
The search for truth is no other than the search
for the truth of one's self or spiritual identity. The
question to ask is not "What is truth?" but "Who is
truth?" The word is not some belief extracted from
out of a book. It is that spiritual reality of our own
consciousness.
Any understanding of truth outside of ourselves
cannot go beyond the understanding of our own
self. If one is to understand the outside objects
observed by the senses, one must know the inner
workings of the senses that produce what is
observed.
The foundation of this understanding begins
with consciousness. Our understanding of any
object of consciousness is limited by the
understanding of our own consciousness.
Thus it is not enough to simply turn our
consciousness on objects in order to understand.
First and foremost is the understanding of our own
consciousness. This means the turning of our
consciousness on consciousness itself in order to
come to self-understanding.
Self-understanding is what produces self control.
The Measure to which we have understood
ourselves, is the same extent by which we can help
others come to their own self-understanding.
The spreading of the word of truth to others is
Insured by the reaches and depths of our own
discoveries. The discovery of truth is the freedom
from ignorance. It is in this freedom within by
which we can truly help others find their own
spiritual freedom.
The nature of this freedom is a spiritual
awakening of consciousness. It is a spiritual
awakening because one awakens to or realizes the
spiritual or divine nature within. This spiritual
nature is our true Self. This Self is one that does
not feel separate from every other self.
The surface self that we know is the ego, the
self that feels separate from every other self or the
selfish self. It functions under the delusion of the
"I, Ine, Iny and Inine" orientation. The ego is first,
middle and last. All the others are of the least
consideration, if not totally excluded.
On the other hand, the spiritual Self or unselfish
Self includes all others in a spirit of unity and
harmony. There is maturity. The quality of
maturity Inay be defined as the consideration for
others. The greater the consideration for others, the
greater the In aturity .
This spiritual Intuit y may show itself even in a
child or young adult. Like an old soul in a young
body, the physical age does not really matter.
Self-control begins with the control of the mind,
followed by the control of the emotions and of our
physical actions.
The mind is controlled w hen it is guided by the
spiritual ideals. The ideas of the mind are can be
destructive and even dangerous when not governed
by an ideal.
The emotions are controlled by transforming our
desires into spiritual aspirations. All of human
sorrow or suffering is rooted in desire. To desire an
object is to ultimately suffer. To aspire for the
spiritual ideals is to find the freedom that transcends
sorrow.
At the physical level, self-control begins by
restraining ourselves from harmful actions. Simply
put. First, stop doing the bad. Next, do the good.
The good is the aspiration towards an ideal. The
living of the ideal is the realization of virtue.
Thus self-control is the living of the spiritual
life. The control is less of a restraint and In ore of a
state of being or celebration. In this spiritual
celebration, the spreading of the word is done by
example. The exemplification is a festival of
wisdom that helps others connect to their own spiritual
realization.