Merry Meet,
There are many meanings to the word sacred, as everyone has their own unique way of understanding its meaning. To me sacred means something that is priceless, in non-monetary terms. For an item to be priceless it generally holds the essence of a particular memory or feeling. If just by looking at an item, I can be taken back in time, then it will be sacred to me. One of my most sacred items is an amethyst crystal. This was the first crystal I ever bought, and I was almost 11 years old. It takes me back to my first ever attempt at a meditation, and I have used it in meditations for many years since.
Another sacred item I possess is a silver ring that belongs to my boyfriend. We have been together for almost two years. The ring is sacred not because it is his, but because it symbolizes the first person I ever truly loved. It will be sacred for this reason, even if the relationship with the person who bought it, does not exist anymore.
For my eighteenth birthday, my mother bought me a hand-made pewter fairy with glass wings. This item is sacred to me, because it represents her acceptance of my chosen path in life.
My closest family member is my younger sister. She once gave me a tiny silver photo frame, engraved with roses. This item is sacred to me as it reminds me of the beautiful relationship my sister and I have developed. When I was four years old I had a pair of pink pajamas with rabbits in the front. I have memories if sitting on my father�s knee learning how to read in these nightclothes. I still have these pajamas because they reminded me of family ties, and the importance of family in shaping all our lives. These pajamas are sacred as they remind me of one of my favorite memories. Sitting in a circle of these items makes me realize the blessings of my life. I can appreciate all the beneficial aspects in my life, and also appreciate that I can recognize the positive aspects of my life.
Morality is a subject that is very grey in todays society. This is due to the fact that most people have different values when it comes to morals. The next ten guidelines are how I see a life should be lived if it is to be lived morally. I will also try to give a situation when it may be moral to not follow theses guidelines. I know are written as very strict �rules� but I do respect others may not see these guidelines as being morally correct.
Do not lie. I really believe in telling the truth all the time. Sometimes it is very hard to keep to this guideline, especially when the truth may cause someone pain. This guideline applies to basically every situation. Sometimes �white lies� may be acceptable. I am talking about the examples such as telling someone they look acceptable in their new clothes, even if they don�t look as good as you say. Even in situations such as this it is still often better to tell the truth, unless it will cause undue hurt over a trivial matter. I believe lying is really wrong as it usually causes people more pain the truth would have.
Be honest. I know people may think this is the same as the previous one, but I do see some differences. Just because someone may tell the truth doesn�t mean they will always be being honest. Being honest differs to not lying because being honest involves being more pro-active in telling people your true opinions and feelings. I think that this guideline applies in situations similar to not lying. I was always told as a child to be honest all the time, it isn�t something you should do because someone told you to, but someone that should be done as it is the right way to treat other people.
Do not steal. This guideline applies to everyone nearly all of the time. Stealing from anyone is wrong as it puts other people in a disadvantaged position, when nothing was their fault. Stealing from others may increase �bad� karmic debt.
Do not kill. Murder of other people is a wrongful act. I believe that this act is wrong all of the time. The only exception would be someone who is fatally injured and has no hope of survival, and who wishes to die on their own time, and not just die slowly. I know that sounds horrible but someone who is fatally injured often sees a quick death as a blessing. Aside from that example I believe that killing is wrong.
Take responsibility. Taking responsibility for your own actions is very important. I know this is part if the points of belief, it is a very good guideline for living ones life. Taking responsibility includes not asking �why me� when something bad happens in your life. For me it also includes not letting others take the blame for actions you did. I once got caught in the trap of a girl stealing, and as she wouldn�t take responsibility for it, they wanted to blame me instead. No-one can fully be happy with their own behaviour if they are not willing to tell others of it.
Live life. Living life doesn�t always seem to be an important guideline for many people. For me people who do not appreciate everyday given to them by the divine, should�ve just slept through that day. Some days are horrible and hard to deal with, but they teach us lessons and help us to grow stronger as people. However some days are excellent happy days and thanks should be given to the gods for giving us days such as these. Others may not consider this a necessary guideline but adhering to this guideline makes people aware of having a positive outlook on life, which increases their quality of life.
Know yourself. This moral code doesn�t deal with actions regarding others at all. In order to grow we have to know ourselves. Therefore we should always strive to know ourselves as well as possible. We continuously grow and change, hence knowing ourselves is an ever evolving activity. No-one ever told me to do this, I have just always tried to understand why I think or act in certain ways, in order to better myself. I can not think of a situation when it would be better to not understand oneself.
Look after nature. To me this guideline encompasses animals, plants and the planet in general. I try to help and save animals wherever possible. My boyfriend always laughs at me when he sees me putting bugs back in the garden when they have strayed onto the driveway. Planting trees, using environmentally friendly products and trying to save natural land sites is very important to me also.
Be loyal. Loyalty to family, friends, loved ones and even sporting teams is important. Loyalty can show us how much we really do love and respect the things and people in our life. Loyalty does not apply to all people in all situations. With some families it is understandable that people do not stay loyal to family members who would not stay loyal to them. I would not expect that I would stay loyal to a family member if they abused me in any way.
Be thoughtful. Many people may also originally see this as a strange guideline. For me thoughtfulness may be the most important guideline there is. For me it encompasses being polite, helpful, grateful, staying loyal ,being honest and respecting people for who they are. People should be thoughtful in basically all situations, I truly believe the world would be a much better place of more people were thoughtful.
Now to deal with truth. I do not believe that anything is absolutely true. I believe that the truth may change into something else over a period of time. What someone sees as true, someone else may see as false, and both can be correct. For me I do not believe in anything as truth, except the divine power of the universe.
Blessed Be All Miw Sheri