Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What If...

What if our religion was each other,
if our practice was our life,
if prayer our words?
What if the temple was the Earth,
if forests were our church,
if holy waters were~ the rivers, lakes and oceans.
What if meditation was our relationships,
if the teacher was life,
if wisdom was self-knowledge,
if love was the center of our being?
~Ganga White

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

A Call to Divine Stewardship

Excerpts from an interview between Terry Patten and Alex Grey:

In addition to communicating the subtle energetics of the world with amazingly precise detail, Alex speaks with a unique voice. He combines visionary fierceness and conviction with child-like innocence and appreciation for what is before him. His life’s work has always involved bridging the realms of the sacred and the mundane.

Our conversation was poetic, free and flowing. Alex made the beautiful observation that visionary art brings heaven to earth now and awakens people to the preciousness of being alive…and the possibility of losing it. He says we are “in the garden and we are befouling it.” As we rode this wave together, I told Alex he is a beautiful integrative expression of the sadhu (or the “contemplative”) artist; a convergence of the mystical inner-vision of the contemplative paths of the East and the externally expressed creativity of artists in the West.

Traditionally, mystical spiritual realization has been divided off from worldly life. I suggested that now we are seeing that it’s both possible and necessary to transcend that division and that there is a new kind of worldly leadership, grounded in mystical realization but taking responsibility for the affairs of the world, like the traditional Indian Warrior/King caste, the “Kshatriya”. Alex emphatically agreed that the awakened mystic is now coming into life to be a more powerfully engaged presence in this world. Alex’s art inspires the awakened body/mind that can embody the power and intention of this new kind of spiritual warrior.

Alex believes that the core practice in support this evolution is “creativity, any and all forms of creativity”. If we are going to be a healthy response to this squeeze-point in human evolution—it is always and foremost a creative act. For Alex the question “how can higher consciousness help the human species rise to meet the unique evolutionary challenges of our time?” is a call for everyone’s individual and unique creative contribution.

Alex eloquently argued that integral spirituality is at the mystic core of the planetary civilization that is emerging today. This is a spirituality that is sacred but not cultic and which bridges the realms of the visionary with the here and now. I see Alex’s luminous renderings of archetypal human moments such as birth, death and the family as powerfully presencing the divine within the earthly. His artworks are illuminations of the everyday miracle, awakening us to the startling truth that we are indeed “in the garden” and have always been; and that with this privilege we are called to the highest kind of stewardship.

Striving....

"Inherent in the impulse to be free, is insecurity.  The impulse to be free comes from outside of the mind, and because of this, it makes the mind feel very insecure.  Most spiritual seekers move away from this insecurity by seeking and striving for a distant spiritual goal.  That’s how they avoid feeling insecure." Adyashanti,  “The Impact of Awakening”
 
I am finding this to be true for myself.  I have a need for my practice be very structured and controlled, and yet, in essence, that plays right into  my ego's need to be in charge, be in control and feel more secure.  I am actually better off when I "go with the flow" and try to just remember to be present to the moment.  It is THEN that I find the small quiet Voice that whispers with joy and happiness.  When I am relaxed and playful, I am most likely to be aware of the Presence in and through all things.  It is when "I" am trying to be good, be right, make progress on the path, that my ego gets in the way and it is nearly impossible to re-member who I truly am. 

Monday, May 28, 2012

Truth Is Relative

Truth is relative. It is based on our experience and level of consciousness. The... higher our vibration ~ the higher level of truth will be revealed to us. The more we meditate and clear out the blocks of distortion within our energy fields the greater our connection to truth will become. ~ Sabrina

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Holiness Exploded

holiness exploded.
shooting everywhere.
landing inside of me.
and you.
and them.
and when our hearts are open,
and it leaks out -the light is blinding,
and our souls remember and dance in the brightness.
and for moments here and there, the world is transformed.

~terri st cloud


Friday, May 25, 2012

Why Mysticism Matters

Why Mysticism Matters


Have you ever had a mystical experience? Wikipedia defines “mysticism” as “the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, or levels of being, or aspects of reality, beyond normal human perception, including experience of and even communion with a supreme being.”
I had my first mystical experience when I was a 16-year-old secular atheist. I was sitting up late one night having a conversation about nothing in particular with my mother when suddenly, a most unexpected event occurred: the “doors of perception” swung wide open and I found myself in a dramatically altered state of consciousness. Even though I could see the four walls of the room in which I was sitting, inwardly, my conscious experience was one of no boundaries whatsoever. I felt like I was swirling in an infinite ocean of my own and everyone else’s Being, the nature of which seemed to have no beginning and no end. The presence of ecstasy was overwhelming and even unbearable at times. In the profundity of this beginninglessness and endlessness, it became apparent that death was an illusion and that everything that exists and does not exist—the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown—is all inseparable from this one inconceivable mystery. The majesty and glory of those few moments are impossible to describe in words—it was like the whole universe suddenly became conscious of itself in me.
The transformative power of mystical experiences is that they can convey to us, in a way that our rational faculties can never grasp, that no matter what happens to our bodies and personalities in the world of time and space, mysteriously, at some other level, in another dimension of our own being, beyond the mind, everything is always okay.
The lightness of being that flows from the heart and mind of the mystic is very different than the sometimes disconcerting absolute self-confidence of the religious believer. The believer is convinced beyond any doubt of the incontrovertible nature of the apparently unique truth espoused by his or her particular mythic tradition—whether it be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist. Of course, in all of these traditions, there are many extraordinary men and women who are transformed in the most important ways by the liberating power of their faith alone. But the mystic has seen beyond the truth of any particular tradition because she has directly experienced at least what seems like a depth-dimension of reality that transcends all personal, religious, political, and cultural differences—whether she is a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist. This is because she has access to a truly transcendent knowing of the substratum of reality that remains unseen and unfelt by most. Mystical certainty spontaneously arises from the lightness of being that is the emotional resonance of the deepest dimension of the self.
The path of mysticism is one of transcendence, of going beyond: beyond the mind, beyond time, beyond the whole world. When the mind is transcended, awareness of the passing of time fades away. And when time disappears, awareness of the world also disappears. All the greatest mystics from the world’s religious traditions have made the same unexpected and liberating discovery: when awareness of the world and everything in it, including ones own bodily shape and form, disappears, the most intimately felt sense of “I” still remains. Except now, “I” is all there is—beginningless, endless. When the historical Buddha awakened to this depth dimension, he called it “the Unborn,” “the Deathless,” or “the Uncreated.”
Before time and space, before the universe was born, you didn’t have any problems and the world was not in crisis. That is the reason why lightness of being is the emotional resonance not only of the deepest dimension of the self, but also of the deepest dimension of reality itself. If we can find access to that Unborn, Uncreated, timeless domain of our own being, then we can know here and now, just like the greatest mystics throughout the ages, that everything is always okay . . .
Why is that so important? Because in a world that’s more interconnected than it ever has been, when we’re only hearing the bad news more times a day than we may be able to bear, knowing that, deeply, everything’s always okay is more important than ever. It doesn’t mean we are living in denial of the very real and complex problems we are facing. But the ever-new and always-liberating truth of mystical insight spiritually empowers us so that we won’t become discouraged, even on really bad days. And most importantly, in a truly challenged world that needs our whole-hearted participation more than ever, being awake to our own infinite depths empowers us to fight the good fight with all the courage in the world.

Love

 

understanding it wasn't about the amount of time
or the manner of passing,
but rather about the love created and shared,
a sense of urgency crept over her.
living fully, loving wholeheartedly,
focusing on what grew her -
these filled her now more than ever.
and once again she dived back in.


~terri st. cloud

He Awakens my Slumbering Soul

You ask then how I knew He was present, when
His ways can in no way be traced? He is life
and power, and as soon as He enters in, He
awakens my slumbering soul; He stirs and soothes
and pierces my heart, for before it was hard
as stone, and diseased.

- Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs
12th C -

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Insight Through Faith

What we perceive through faith you attempt to
establish by arguments, and often you cannot
even express that which we see, so it is clear
that insight through faith is better and more
secure than your sophistic conclusions."

- Anthony of Egypt -

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Spirituality vs religion

"When asked 'What is the difference between Religion and Spirituality?' a Jesuit replied: To explain that I have to tell you a little story. Spirituality is represented by the fresh spring water of God's love for all of creation that arises naturally at the top of a mountain. It trickles down the mountainside and refreshes and strengthens everything it touches. Religion, now that is something els...e again, it is the well-intentioned man-made plumbing that often tries to send the water uphill where it should not go and, as often as not, whistles it past your arse without the benefit of a tap. Being man-made it always pollutes the water. So, when in doubt, always go back to the spring." ~ Tim Wallace-Murphy

Deprived of Spiritual Joy

No one can live without delight and that is why
a person deprived of spiritual joy goes over to
carnal pleasures.

- Thomas Aquinas -

(Because carnal pleasure is the horizontal,
durational equivalent to the vertical
experience of spiritual joy?)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

On the Edge of Unknown Territory


Andrew Cohen: It's rare for an individual to realize that he or she is literally on the edge of unknown territory. Most human beings are born and die within a preexistent cultural context that they don't necessarily feel is up to them to define. But at this particular time in history, for new evolutionary stages, structures, and potentials to emerge, it requires heroic individuals who are willing to bear the emotional, psychological, philosophical, and spiritual overwhelm of realizing that they have to be real pioneers. Where we're going now is uncharted territory. More and more people at this edge are working very hard to lay down these new structures, but the truth is that there's no panel of experts or ascended masters who have already figured this out for us. This is something we're all working through and need to work through together, with other individuals that have that same pioneering spirit and have awakened to the conviction that this needs to happen and we're the ones who have to do it. This adds a certain kind of weight, gravitas, and, of course, excitement and thrill to the endeavor of spiritual transformation and evolution at this particular time.
Ken Wilber: Absolutely! That's one of the things that makes being on an evolutionary edge so "good news/bad news." On the one hand, it's a pioneering edge; it's being at a place that has more perspectives than previous positions, that sees more and embraces more and understands more. But it's also a situation where, as you say, these things haven't been figured out; they are all being tested as we go along. People are still trying to work into what the exact meaning is of a truly evolutionary enlightenment, a truly integral enlightenment. And there's no book that gives us the final answer. It's all being done right now in the hearts and minds of those individuals who are treading the path. That's where the book is being written. And that also means that it can be very, very hard on individuals who are moving along this new path. And, as you say, there is no final tribunal, no court of judges or enlightened masters that have gone down this path before. We're all making it up as we go along, but we're grounded in our understanding, in our growth, in our inner development and realization.

A New Moral Context


Andrew Cohen: When we begin on the spiritual path, more often than not, it's all about ourselves. But if we stick with it, eventually we cross a threshold where it becomes more and more obvious that it never could have been a personal matter. Our motive for transformation changes spontaneously and dramatically as we come to recognize that our owndevelopment has always only been for the sake of the evolution of consciousness itself. And it's not a romantic ideal. That's just all there is. That's where I believe a new moral context is going to come from.
Ken Wilber: I do too. It really is that realization that your every move, your every breath, your every thought is literally becoming what I call a "Kosmic habit" or memory that future generations of humanity will follow. And you can do it wrong. That's why it's such a bracing realization: Be the most ethical, the most responsible, the most authentic you can be with every breath you take, because you are cutting a path into tomorrow that others will follow.

Withdrawing the Heart

For prayer is naught else but a rising desire of
the heart into God, by withdrawing the heart from
all earthly thoughts.

- Walter Hilton [14th C.], The Scale of Perfection

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Christianity is an Experience of Faith

"This means that Christianity is not a message,
but an experience of faith which becomes a message,
and as an explicit message seeks to offer a new
possibility of life experience to others who hear
it from within their own experience of life."

- Edward Schillebecks, Interim Report on 'Jesus'
and "Christ, NY, Crossroad, 1991 -

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Where Are We Going?


It's critical that we face and respond to the overwhelming and very real global crises that threaten our collective survival. But to me it's equally critical that we ask, "Where are we going?" Once all of our survival needs have been met, what's the purpose, if there is any, of the human experience? That's what I believe more of us need to be concerned about. What's the next step for you and me at the level of shared meaning and purpose? Who are we, why are we here, and most importantly, how should we make deeper sense out of the experience we're having right now and will be having five, ten, or twenty years from now?
—Andrew Cohen

Tender and Patient with your Thoughts

If you approach your mind with notions of effortful
concentration, you are likely only to create further
noise and disruption. Instead, be very tender and
patient with your thoughts, not worried by what you
might consider to be distractions. Remember that you
are not alone in this endeavor."

- Gerald May [20th C.], The Awakened Heart

Monday, May 14, 2012

Signs of Progress

Our peace of mind increases in spite of suffering; we become braver and more enterprising; we understand more clearly the difference between what is everlasting and what is not; we learn how to distinguish between what is our duty and what is not. Our pride melts away and we become humble. Our worldly attachments diminish and, likewise, the evil within us diminishes from day to day.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

My Education

‘The only thing that interferes with my
learning is my education.’

~Albert Einstein

Not Finding It

‘We learn more by looking for the answer to a
question and not finding it than we do from
learning the answer itself.’

~Lloyd Alexander

Christianity goes beyond Theism

Christianity goes beyond theism. Its fundamental
contribution is to conceive and coherently explain
a bridge between the creator and the creature.
Christianity envisages the union of God and human
beings. It allows for human divinization . . .
Divinization means a human participation in certain
qualities that are proper to God alone. To be
divinized implies that in some sense a human
becomes divine.

- Daniel Helminiak, Spiritual Development:
An Interdisciplinary Study

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Craving and Ignorance

Ajita asked: "What is it that smothers the world and makes it so hard to see? What is it that pollutes the world and seems to threaten it?" The Buddha answered: "It is ignorance that smothers, and it is carelessness and greed that make it invisible. The hunger of craving pollutes the world, and the pain of suffering causes the greatest fear."
- Sutta Nipata

Friday, May 04, 2012

Being "Somebody"

So much fear and desire come from that commitment to 'I am'--to being somebody. Eventually they take us to anxiety and despair; life seems much more difficult and painful than it really is. But when we just observe life for what it is, then it's all right: the delights, the beauty, the pleasures are just that.
- Ajahn Sumedho, "Seeing the Way"

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Illusion: Staying With What's Real

How believable our thoughts are! They create an illusory world that we live in, more or less. Those who live in this illusory world think they feel freer, happier, more content, and more alive and open to life and life's possibilities. This illusory world is not a happy place, but the source of all suffering.
Thoughts aren't believable because they are true; they are believable because they are meant to be believable. We, as humans, are programmed to believe them. If thoughts weren't believable, we would live in Reality instead of the illusion of being a separate self.
We are programmed to believe we are a separate self, and the programming is carried out by making our thoughts believable. Our thoughts hold the illusion of separation in place. The reality is that we are One Being, masquerading as individual selves. If our thoughts weren't believable, life would be unmasked as one seamless Whole. Because of our thoughts, we experience ourselves as separate from others, divided within ourselves, and separate from life and from God -- our true nature.
To discover that even some of your thoughts aren't true is a very big step, and from there, the illusion begins to unravel. Ultimately you discover that none of your thoughts about yourself are true -- or about anyone or anything else! That's pretty radical.
The truth is radical, once it's seen. It's radical to discover that you don't need that voice in your head, which seems like your own voice, to guide your life or to be safe, happy, and fulfilled. The truth is quite the opposite -- believing that voice (your thoughts) takes you out of Reality, where happiness, peace, fulfillment, and true guidance are found.
What does it mean when we say that thoughts are not believable? It means that our thoughts don't match reality -- what's here and now. Reality is what we know to be true and real right here and now. Every self-image you have and every story you tell about your life or life in general doesn't match what is real and true right now.
Is an image or a belief about yourself, someone else, or life true right now? Can you be sure that it is true? When we begin to examine our thoughts this thoroughly, we discover that our thoughts don't match reality, and that is a recipe for suffering.
We all have images of ourselves that we carry around, both consciously and unconsciously. Are you aware of some of these images? Do they match reality now? All self-images were created in the past, so they are unlikely to match reality right now, since reality is never the same way twice.
However, our self-images create a false reality if we believe them. For instance, I carry around an image of a complainer. If I believe that I am that, then I'll probably complain. On the other hand, if I notice this image and don't believe it (i.e., realize that it doesn't match reality -- who I really am), then I probably won't complain.
By behaving as if a self-image (or a belief, such as "I'm unworthy"�) is true (even though it isn't), we bring it to life -- we make it true for the time being. That's how our thoughts create, or shape, our experience of reality moment to moment. Meanwhile, who we really are is here in the midst of this enacting of our self-images.
What would life be like if we didn't shape reality this way with our images and beliefs? We eventually see that Reality is waiting for us to discover it, once we drop out of our thoughts about ourselves and life and are just here, stripped bare of these. Then we discover that Reality is sweet -- and mysterious -- and so are we.
How can any image, idea, or story match reality now, when reality is constantly changing and can't be defined by one or even several self-images or stories? We, as humans, are concept-makers. Our mind makes up concepts, and these concepts help us function to some extent. But concepts don't describe or do justice to reality nor to the mysterious reality that we are.
Concepts define and limit reality. So what is reality really like right now? What are you really like right now? What do you actually know? A self-image may be present, but what else is present that is much bigger and truer than any self-image?
This is really good news -- that you're not your self-images, your beliefs, your past, your desires, your future dreams! You're too mysterious and vast to be so narrowly defined. Let yourself be as vast as you are right now. Let yourself discover who you are beyond all images, beliefs, opinions, likes, dislikes, and desires.
~ by Gina Lake

The Earth is Full of his Glory

"How is the fullness of God's glory achieved in each one of us? If what I do and say is for the glory of God, my words and deeds are full of God's glory. If my plans and undertakings are for the glory of God, if my food and drink and all my actions are for the glory of God, then it is to me also that the words are addressed: 'The earth is full of his glory.'" - Origen, Homilies on the Visions of Isaiah