Dealing with physical attacks

QUESTION: Masters, you have said in your writings, “You cannot be affected by another’s actions or thoughts unless you accept the things they say to be valid. If you know who you are, and that you are a perfect magnificent soul, what others say will have no effect upon you.” What happens when another’s actions become physical and abusive? Is the lesson still about belief in one’s divinity, as well as detachment, but from physical, instead of emotional, pain and hurt?                 ~Lee, Singapore

ANSWER: Yes and no. The lesson is always that you are to remember your divinity in order to evaluate the lessons you are having in the duality of the human experience. If you do not remember your divinity, you will come under the ego and use human judgment to determine what is happening. The writings you referred to primarily were in reference to people feeling emotionally attacked by another, and not about dealing with physical events, which originate from different agreements.

Physical attacks relate to the underlying lessons that necessitated the attack. If you are dealing with a lesson about forgiveness, you may call a physical experience to yourself to examine the emotions at the heart of the situation or how you handle the aftermath of the attack.

Are you sending out negativity that is being responded to in a physical manner? Have you forced another into a corner and the only response they can see is to fight their way out? You may not have even been aware of the fear they had causing them to react so violently to your actions.

One thing that is true about all physical or abusive behavior directed toward you: somehow you have called it to yourself because you needed or wanted to experience it. Examine your feelings about the entire situation. How do you feel about that person? What are your feelings about the way you handled the event? Sometimes an event will occur so you have to decide whether your reactions are instinctive or the result of exercising freedom of choice. One shows that you are controlled by ego and the other by your soul.