For the first time in my life I have taken a "break" from church. I have been very surprised to find my spiritual life growing without it. At first this was confusing to me, but I have come to believe that church, while important, can lock you into only thinking about what you hear there week after week and season after season. After a time you may find yourself accepting that this is all there is to faith and spirituality - but I have experienced much more being away from church. I have also been seeking it and focusing on my spiritual growth, it didn't happen by accident.
Looking into meditation and Buddhist practices of tranquility may be, to some, not Christian. I disagree. It all works together beautifully. My prayer life has become much more about listening and less about asking. God speaks in the stillness.
These words from an interview with Ekhart Tolle are validating to my experience:
You can have religion with spirituality. You can have religion without spirituality.
Some people are so identified in their belief structure that they're completely trapped in their thinking. There is no spaciousness.
Any Christian who wants to go deeper into their own spirituality and not abandon their religion - there is depth in Christian teachings and in the words of Christ.
COEXIST: Poetry, Books, and Essays by Diane Vogel Ferri
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
The Four Agreements
The book "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz has been around for a long time, but I just discovered it. These are the agreements you make with yourself:
Be impeccable with your word.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word o speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don't take anything personally.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. when you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will void self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Be impeccable with your word.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word o speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
Don't take anything personally.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. when you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement you can completely transform your life.
Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will void self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
The Untethered Soul
Another wonderful book called The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer- the kind of book you have to resist underlining almost everything.
Much of the book helps us understand how we have complete control over our own thoughts and how much of our energy is wasted on being upset or obsessed with things we cannot control. There are many words of wisdom to share but I just read the last chapter called "The loving eyes of God" and this is what I will share today.
Most of us who have grown up in a church have learned somewhere along the way that God judges us. This causes fear and fear is the opposite of love. The longer I love the more damage I see being done in churches in the name of a loving God. But Singer writes:
What if it is really true that God is not judging- What is God is loving? We all know that true love doesn't judge. Love sees nothing but beauty in its beloved. There is no impurity. There is no possibility of impurity. No matter what it beholds, it's all beautiful. That is how true love sees. That is what it looks like through the eyes of love. So if God is love, what must it look like through those eyes - the eyes are filled with infinite love and unconditional compassion?
It is like the unconditional love of a mother. The mother devotes every moment of life to her child who is physically or mentally challenged. She thinks the child is beautiful. She doesn't focus on the shortcomings; in fact, she doesn't even see them as shortcomings.
What if that is how God looks upon His creation? You've lost out if you've been told otherwise. Instead of being encouraged to feel completely protected, loved, honored and respected by the Divine Force, you've been taught that you're being judged. Because you've been taught that you feel guilt and fear. But guilt and fear do not open your connection to the Divine; they only serve to close your heart.
So it makes sense to me that God cannot love us and judge us. Love is unconditional. I choose love. How about you?
Does anything in God's creation, other than the human mind, actually pass judgement? Nature just gives and gives to whoever will receive. Should you choose not to receive, it doesn't punish you. You punish yourself because you choose not to receive. If you say to the light, "I will not look at you. I'm going to live in darkness," the light just keeps shining. If you say to God, "I don't believe in you and want nothing to do with you," creation continues to sustain you.
Much of the book helps us understand how we have complete control over our own thoughts and how much of our energy is wasted on being upset or obsessed with things we cannot control. There are many words of wisdom to share but I just read the last chapter called "The loving eyes of God" and this is what I will share today.
Most of us who have grown up in a church have learned somewhere along the way that God judges us. This causes fear and fear is the opposite of love. The longer I love the more damage I see being done in churches in the name of a loving God. But Singer writes:
What if it is really true that God is not judging- What is God is loving? We all know that true love doesn't judge. Love sees nothing but beauty in its beloved. There is no impurity. There is no possibility of impurity. No matter what it beholds, it's all beautiful. That is how true love sees. That is what it looks like through the eyes of love. So if God is love, what must it look like through those eyes - the eyes are filled with infinite love and unconditional compassion?
It is like the unconditional love of a mother. The mother devotes every moment of life to her child who is physically or mentally challenged. She thinks the child is beautiful. She doesn't focus on the shortcomings; in fact, she doesn't even see them as shortcomings.
What if that is how God looks upon His creation? You've lost out if you've been told otherwise. Instead of being encouraged to feel completely protected, loved, honored and respected by the Divine Force, you've been taught that you're being judged. Because you've been taught that you feel guilt and fear. But guilt and fear do not open your connection to the Divine; they only serve to close your heart.
So it makes sense to me that God cannot love us and judge us. Love is unconditional. I choose love. How about you?
Does anything in God's creation, other than the human mind, actually pass judgement? Nature just gives and gives to whoever will receive. Should you choose not to receive, it doesn't punish you. You punish yourself because you choose not to receive. If you say to the light, "I will not look at you. I'm going to live in darkness," the light just keeps shining. If you say to God, "I don't believe in you and want nothing to do with you," creation continues to sustain you.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Surrender
The concept of surrendering to anything brings to mind a weakness. It has a negative connotation to most of us. But surrendering to love, to truth, to forgiveness, in order to find peace and happiness may be one of the strongest, boldest things you can do in your life.
Think about how much we believe ourselves to be right in every situation, every relationship, every opinion. We may be right, but we may also cause ourselves great anxiety by fighting what we cannot change. We are the ones that suffer. We lose spiritual peace with the world around us. Just look at our Congress as an example. They are unproductive and weak because every has to be right.
I remember a time in my life when this phrase had a great impact on me - Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?
Some thoughts from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson:
Surrender means, by definition, giving up attachment to results. When we surrender to God, we let go our attachment to how things happen on the outside and we become more concerned with what happens on the inside.
Our only job in every situation is to merely let go of our resistance to love.
To relax, to feel the love in your heart and keep to that as your focus in every situation - that's the meaning of spiritual surrender. It changes us. We become deeper, more attractive people.
Surrender means the decision to stop fighting the world and start loving it instead.
Think about how much we believe ourselves to be right in every situation, every relationship, every opinion. We may be right, but we may also cause ourselves great anxiety by fighting what we cannot change. We are the ones that suffer. We lose spiritual peace with the world around us. Just look at our Congress as an example. They are unproductive and weak because every has to be right.
I remember a time in my life when this phrase had a great impact on me - Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?
Some thoughts from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson:
Surrender means, by definition, giving up attachment to results. When we surrender to God, we let go our attachment to how things happen on the outside and we become more concerned with what happens on the inside.
Our only job in every situation is to merely let go of our resistance to love.
To relax, to feel the love in your heart and keep to that as your focus in every situation - that's the meaning of spiritual surrender. It changes us. We become deeper, more attractive people.
Surrender means the decision to stop fighting the world and start loving it instead.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
What is the Soul?
Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Matthew 10:28
The soul is the part of you that existed before you were born and will exist after you die. It's the highest, most noble part of yourself that you can reach for.
Gary Zukov
The fingerprint of God that becomes the physical body.
Iyanla Vanzant
The soul is the core of your being. It is eternal. It doesn't exist in space time. It the feel of infinite creativity, infinite possibilities. It's your internal reference point to which you should always be in touch.
Deepak Chopra
The soul is the spiritual essence of who we really are.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
The soul is the part of us that never dies.
Debbie Ford
The soul is your innermost being beyond form. The consciousness beyond form.
Eckart Tolle
The soul is the birth less, deathless, changeless part of us . The part of us that looks out from behind the eyes and has no form.
Wayne Dyer
The truth of who we are. The light, the love which is in us.
Marianne Williamson
It is one with God. The soul is immortal. It belongs to God.
Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee
The lure of our becoming.
Jean Houston
In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays fear from them.
Proverbs 22:5
For every living soul belongs to me.
Ezekiel 18:4
Matthew 10:28
The soul is the part of you that existed before you were born and will exist after you die. It's the highest, most noble part of yourself that you can reach for.
Gary Zukov
The fingerprint of God that becomes the physical body.
Iyanla Vanzant
The soul is the core of your being. It is eternal. It doesn't exist in space time. It the feel of infinite creativity, infinite possibilities. It's your internal reference point to which you should always be in touch.
Deepak Chopra
The soul is the spiritual essence of who we really are.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
The soul is the part of us that never dies.
Debbie Ford
The soul is your innermost being beyond form. The consciousness beyond form.
Eckart Tolle
The soul is the birth less, deathless, changeless part of us . The part of us that looks out from behind the eyes and has no form.
Wayne Dyer
The truth of who we are. The light, the love which is in us.
Marianne Williamson
It is one with God. The soul is immortal. It belongs to God.
Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee
The lure of our becoming.
Jean Houston
In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays fear from them.
Proverbs 22:5
For every living soul belongs to me.
Ezekiel 18:4
Friday, January 17, 2014
Musings on the Spiritual Life
So I continue the journey and I am fascinated by the common threads that have run through all my listening and reading so far - whether it is an Episcopal priest, a Buddhist monk, an Indian doctor or a scholar of miracles...
They are:
To be still and allow God to talk to you. The busier you are the more you need the stillness.
To pray to be in contact with God, to reach new levels of awareness to learn who you are beside a physical body (through meditation and prayer).
To live in the present moment. We do not have the past - it is gone. We do not have the future either. All we really have is now.
To seek happiness because then you send it out into the world.
There is good and bad and Satan, or evil, stems from our ego.
Ego is the enemy and it is inside of us.
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Sunday, January 12, 2014
Today I Choose Happiness
by Marianne Williamson
from "A Year of Miracles"
The circumstances of my life may go up and down, for the mortal world is changeable. The immortal world, however, is changeless, for there there is only love. I build my house on the rock of the immortal world. Today I choose only immortal thoughts.
I extend my perception beyond what my senses perceive, to what my heart knows is true. I withdraw my belief that I need anyone or anything to be other than what they are, in order for me to be secure. I know that whenever fear expresses itself, love will ultimately prevail. Therefore, I need not fear, nor cry, nor despair. To the extent to which I see what is truly true, I see only cause for happiness.
Happiness is the choice I make today. It does not rest on circumstances, but on my frame of mind. I surrender to God any emotional habits that lead me down the path of unhappiness. and pray for guidance in shifting my thoughts. In cultivating the habits of happiness, I attract more people and situations that match its frequency. I smile more often, give praise more often, give thanks more often, and am glad more often. For such is my choice today.
from "A Year of Miracles"
The circumstances of my life may go up and down, for the mortal world is changeable. The immortal world, however, is changeless, for there there is only love. I build my house on the rock of the immortal world. Today I choose only immortal thoughts.
I extend my perception beyond what my senses perceive, to what my heart knows is true. I withdraw my belief that I need anyone or anything to be other than what they are, in order for me to be secure. I know that whenever fear expresses itself, love will ultimately prevail. Therefore, I need not fear, nor cry, nor despair. To the extent to which I see what is truly true, I see only cause for happiness.
Happiness is the choice I make today. It does not rest on circumstances, but on my frame of mind. I surrender to God any emotional habits that lead me down the path of unhappiness. and pray for guidance in shifting my thoughts. In cultivating the habits of happiness, I attract more people and situations that match its frequency. I smile more often, give praise more often, give thanks more often, and am glad more often. For such is my choice today.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
COEXIST in 2014
My only resolution, the one I have felt called to at the beginning of 2014 is to use this blog only for good. I have tried to do that for many years but I have also included politics and my opinions. No one needs to hear more opinions and certainly not more political rhetoric. So I resolve to be only inspirational.
For the past 8-10 months I have been on a spiritual journey. I believe I am on a path of enlightenment. I am at a turning point. I am seeing things in new ways. I want to share that journey because if others had not shared their insights I would not have them to begin with.
I will include the wisdom and teachings of others, not necessarily myself. I hope you will join me. I am still a Christian but as I read spiritual teachings I find that non-Christians use plenty of references to Christ and to Christian teachings - I believe all are worthy of thought and consideration.
Thich Nhat Hnah is a Buddist monk. These are four mantras or sacred words to be repeated, that I am incorporating into my daily life.
For the past 8-10 months I have been on a spiritual journey. I believe I am on a path of enlightenment. I am at a turning point. I am seeing things in new ways. I want to share that journey because if others had not shared their insights I would not have them to begin with.
I will include the wisdom and teachings of others, not necessarily myself. I hope you will join me. I am still a Christian but as I read spiritual teachings I find that non-Christians use plenty of references to Christ and to Christian teachings - I believe all are worthy of thought and consideration.
Thich Nhat Hnah is a Buddist monk. These are four mantras or sacred words to be repeated, that I am incorporating into my daily life.
Four Mantras of Thich Nhat Hanh
- Darling I am here for you. When you love someone the best thing you can offer him or her is your presence. How can you love if you are not there? You offer him or her your true presence. You are there for your beloved one.
- Darling, I know you are there. I am so happy because you are truly there. You recognize the presence of your beloved one as something very precious and you use your mindfulness to recognize that and embrace your beloved one with mindfulness and she will bloom like a flower. To be loved means to be recognized as existing and those two mantras bring happiness right away. Even if your beloved one is not there you can use the telephone to practice your mantra.
- Darling, I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you. Before you do something to help him, to help her, your presence already can bring some relief.
- Darling, I suffer. Please help me. When you suffer and you believe your suffering has been caused by your beloved one and you suffer so deeply. you prefer to go to your room, shut the door and suffer alone. You get hurt and you want to punish him or her for making you suffer. You go to him, you go to her and practice that and you suffer less right away.
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