Neutrality is a multi-level concept in terms of spiritual development. At the base level it can be mistaken for apathy. On the highest level it is the ultimate respect for a being’s Free Will. Whether or not Free Will itself is ‘real’ or merely illusion is a topic for another future article; for the purposes of this one we will assume that Free Will exists and is a soul having agency over its own destiny.
We have often had dissonance about when to intervene in the ‘physical’ realm, and when to leave the situation to play itself out.
Often, one is thrust into a situation without the chance of reflection and analysis, and MUST act in the moment. The hope in these situations is that the soul will instantly take the action or lack thereof which is most in alignment with Universal principles. One must realize that there’s no perfect solution to any situation, and often even the best solutions end up as an infringement on some beings’ Free Will. The aim therefore, should be to take the course that infringes the least.
Insulation from Pain is often worse than the pain
A limited human may argue that ALL suffering must be alleviated wherever possible. A human will define THIS as compassion, which they hold as the highest of all virtues. We do not agree. Often, misplaced pain avoidance (mistaken for compassion) is what prevents the individual from learning and growing from the experience. This mentality is exactly what is causing an epidemic of weakness and emotional incompetence on your planet.
The addiction to instant gratification permeates all aspects of human behavior. The notion that being ‘nice' is the target behavior in all situations, is flawed to the core. Humans do it, because it gives them instant feedback and that ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ of BELIEVING they did something good for someone. However, without taking into account the needs of the other’s soul, they often end up hurting them... Sometimes the other soul NEEDS to suffer a particular pain in order to learn a spiritual lesson; by intervening, you may cause the lesson to have to be repeated in a much worse way.
Often it takes being cruel or indifferent (not by causing pain, but not preventing it happening to others) in the short term for the benefit to the individual to be apparent in the long term. Experiencing pain and learning and growing from it will always make one stronger.
‘Pain is weakness leaving the body’ –Source UnclearInterfering with another’s destiny, should never be the default. It should be done with the utmost care.
The Butterfly Metaphor
A young human girl walking in the park sees a butterfly about to emerge from a cocoon. It managed to poke a little hole in the side, but seems to be struggling to get out. For over an hour the girl looks at the butterfly not making much progress in getting out of its cocoon. She gets worried that something is wrong and decides to intervene. She takes a sharp knife and cuts a slit into the side of the cocoon.
Seconds later, the butterfly emerges and slumps to the ground. Its body swollen and its wings shrivelled. It never flew... and was quickly eaten by the bugs of the ground. She cries, 'I only wanted to help!'
The girl later learned that it was this long struggle that was the very thing that allowed the butterfly’s internal fluids to be pumped into its wings and to strengthen its muscles enough to fly.
The girl learned a very important lesson: That if one misplaces what they perceive as kindness, they can do more harm than good.
The soul can be like the butterfly... Sometimes it needs struggle to give it strength to fly.
From Pixabay
When to Act, and with how much Tact
There is no easy answer to this.
For example, if a friend of yours is in financial trouble, and asks for a big loan, their soul may need to learn:
a) I need to be more independent and take responsibility for my financial security
(Do Not Act, i.e. refuse the loan, politely)
b) I need to know I have people who love me and can help me in emergencies
(Act if able to do so, i.e. extend the loan)
c) I need to quit the coke/gambling/hookers and re-evaluate my life
(Do Not Act, i.e. refuse the loan, firmly and suggest they sort out their life)
Obviously, this is a simplified example, as there are many more permutations and circumstances to consider in even such a simple case. Most of the time, if all you offer is impartial advice from the heart without intervening, this will preserve Free Will, as long as your intention is for their ‘Greatest Good’ without trying to judge what specific outcome that means.
How do you know what their soul needs to learn from this particular suffering?
Intuition...
Sorry, we wish we could give you some neat method or trick... but we don’t know any that would guarantee certainty.
One thing we personally do is ASK.
In your head, ask your soul/mind/subconscious/God/higher self/guides/Daemon whatever:
‘What is the best thing for ME to do in this situation for this person’s Highest Good?’
Go with the first thought/instinct/feeling you get without judging or analyzing.
Obviously you can override it and claim to ‘know better logically’, but you asked for a reason... didn’t you?
In closing...
• Try to act in a way that respects the Free Will of others
• Don’t assume that the ‘kind’ thing is always the RIGHT thing
• Think about what the other person’s soul needs to learn from a situation
• Use your intuition and ASK about the best course of action