Exactly the same but different.

This statement came from the TV show the New Pope. The sequel to the Young Pope. When the Pope was asked, "What is heaven like?" He answered, “Exactly the same as here, but different, because we glimpse God." I’m paraphrasing as it was a longer conversation but this is the essence of it.

I love this scene so much. For me this is the correct answer. If anyone asked me why have a spiritual outlook on life or practice any form of spirituality, my answer would be, because it changes everything and yet it looks the same. This idea that a spiritual life needs to look different is nonsense. It is different but not in just appearance. There is no separation between your spiritual life and your everyday life. Your whole life is your spiritual practice. It all changes if you approach life in this way.

For me this, “same but different" has taken many forms. I’ve experienced it in many different situations. The common factor is I got out of the way and allowed God to glimpse this world through me and I got to see the world through Gods eyes. It’s an amazing experience. Life changing and yet to anyone observing nothing happened. It looked just the same but it wasn’t. Many, if not all, have experienced this. Fleeting views of Heaven. But how you frame it can determine how profound an effect it can have on your life. You can frame it as just a one off event and maybe bring it up in conversation as a strange thing that happened to you. You could base your whole supposed spiritual life around it and still never move on. I’m suggesting it is here all the time, ready for us to witness, it just requires us to be still and notice.

When I say it can take many forms, it is all form. You truly can see the essence of everything, the truth beneath it all. For example, I have sat in conversation with someone who most of the time I totally disagree with. We have over the years had many pleasant and not so pleasant disagreements. I'd taken this personally and decided I don’t like talking to this person. I’d decided we are different and we just can’t get along. This is true in the seen world, but not so in the unseen world. It looks the same but different. My internal world, the world unseen but felt, is where the change occurs. Due to a family commitment I chose to visit the home of this person again. On the drive there I did everything in my power to bring myself into the present moment. I could feel I was in a clear, open, curious and still state when I arrived. On this visit the same person said very similar things I’d disagreed with before, but this time it was different. Exactly the same but different. This time I just listened and engaged when I felt I wanted to. I totally disagreed with everything they said, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I watched how much they enjoyed sharing these views with me and I enjoyed in that as well. I almost tilted my head like a dog. I was just curious and amazed. The small “i” had diminished enough to allow the true “I" to witness. Nothing I needed to defend, agree with or disagree with. I loved it and the rest of the evening went so smoothly. In fact it went so well other beautiful conversations unfolded. Now it was the same situation but I had changed. The topics hadn’t changed, yet again I had. So you see my point? The outside world needn't look that much different for it to be worlds apart. You are just different in it.

I have had lots of similar experiences over the years. I’ve seen things change in front of my very eyes and just watched on in wonder and no one else knows. I’ve felt things at a deeper level than I thought possible. Knowing full well there is a lot more depth to explore. I’ve had great teachers over the years who have encouraged this and also not let me get delusions of grandeur. It’s a common place phenomena for those practised in the art of self mastery. So I’ve heard. I’m still learning and trying to be in that place more. That’s the work. Some days it's fun and other days it maybe painful. But it's growth. Just like seasons we have times to blossom and times for storing our energy. Times for shedding and times for just soaking up the suns rays.

Exactly the same but different.

MC