Welcome: An Introduction

Sharing the insights I discover as I explore and experience the mystery that is our reality. Join me in my journey and share yours.




Friday, November 25, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 


 

Friday, November 18, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."




Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Between Heartbeats: A Poem

                                            This picture was taken in the woods where I frequently hike.



This rainy morning, as my son builds and designs imaginary worlds with blocks, I've been cleaning up the house while contemplating God. Who is He? What is He?...I've been thinking a lot about the Divine who I encounter, who has touched so many with His love and peace and light. 

I decided to play around with some of my thoughts a bit in the form of a poem. I'd love your thoughts towards some of my ideas. Please pardon the form and the content...it is totally unedited. I just thought it would be interesting to get some people's ideas regarding some of mine...

As I mentioned this poem isn't really finished in its full, edited, form yet. I'm not even sure about its title ( I think it might come across as a bit sappy sounding, what do you think?), though that might not matter, because I'm really not planning on doing anything much more with it other than hopefully sparking some interesting conversations.  I named it "Between Heartbeats" to convey the idea that God can be experienced in the present moment. That to be mindfully aware of all that is around us in the present, is to help cultivate our internal awareness of God and to spiritually encounter Him.I do hope you enjoy it :)


Between Heartbeats

Resting, poised, charged with expectancy
For a glimmer of consciousness to enter in
Released from ego's subtle sin;
Ever waiting for the opportunity to set one free.

You are nothing other than Now
Buried beneath time's eternal brow
The Eye that is ever watching, ever seeing
The Knower of all things being.

Illusions and delusions you continually plow
A fruit, to be picked, by the Tree of Life's outstretched bough,
Succulent, the only thing that satiates a soul's appetite,
You are the rising sun in man's heart, burning bright.

From all things, you are made manifest
And all things being birthed from you are blessed
Before thought, before time you were
And forever more you will remain, ever pure.

Between heartbeats Your energy dances
In those moments lies our soul's chances
To plunge into the most blissful reality
A momentary union with He who is Eternity.


Thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Please leave them in the Comments section. Thank you!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Use of Mantras for the Christian





I believe the truth of God weaves itself in and out of all of man's cultures and religions. There are few absolutes that make up reality, one being that there is no place where God is not. He is everywhere. (Romans 8:39) We only have to cultivate our inner senses to pick up His presence within and all around us.


Man has been finding ways to "tune" into the Divine and center himself for thousands of years now. Most likely from the very beginning when man's eyes beheld the rising sun spreading it's first garment of light over the horizon in early morning and like a flame, consciousness was realized.  With the awareness of consciousnesses one who becomes introspective soon discovers the awareness of the Other, of the Self, of God within.

That discovery has become the quest of spiritual seekers from all the wisdom traditions and religions beyond. It is the pearl of great price. One must shed all the layers of their ego to become spiritually naked in order to fully become one with God.  We must become empty to be filled. Man's praise, material possessions, earthly honors and recognitions all ring hollow as compared to the peace that surpasses all understanding that occurs in the moment one's soul is consummated with God's Spirit. A divine union of infinite proportions. The bride coming home to her groom. A true awareness of the transcendence of being and interconnectedness with all that is.

There are most likely as many ways to discover God's presence within as there are souls searching for such union. God's love and mercy creates pathways individualized to those who seek Him earnestly. We all have different personalities, different ways in which we appreciate and connect to that which is around us. So, it makes sense that there isn't just one way to come into God's presence.   A thoughtful diagram revealing the many different contemplative practices can be seen here: 
http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-wonder-wanes.html Perhaps you might consider trying out one or two new practices in your spiritual disciplines.

I'd like to address the practice of using mantras as a spiritual discipline and pathway to centering oneself to receiving God's presence.  I think there are a lot of misconceptions regarding this practice and it is a bit disconcerting to me at times that so many Christians I come across demonize this beautiful tradition that has been practiced for hundreds and hundreds of years in monasteries and holy places all around the world. I sincerely believe that both mantras derived from ancient Christianity as well as Eastern mysticism practices can be beneficial for the Christian. I'd like to focus more on dispelling the demonization of practicing mantras derived from practices born from the East.



Eastern mysticism has a culture brimming with beautiful chants that are full of meaning and have helped its meditators center themselves in their practices for countless centuries. I believe there is nothing to fear, as a Christian, in implementing these chants in one's own disciplines for they can have a deep centering effect when meditating.  We can learn a lot from our spiritual brothers and sisters in the East. Some Buddhist chants that I have found useful while meditating have been: Om mani padme hum (the chant for compassion), Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om (the chant for peace) and Om gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā which translates "Gone, gone, gone to the other shore beyond.”

I am not alone in my open approach in incorporating elements of Eastern meditations in my contemplative practices. Respected Christian leaders and voices from around the world have come out with similar sentiments and have seen the benefit in becoming acquainted with Eastern philosophies. Such voices: Morton Kelsey, Henri Nouwen, Father Thomas Keating, Thomas Merton...and so many more! 



Renown Catholic monk, Father Thomas Keating, in his book , Open Heart, Open Mind, wrote:

“We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible… Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices, especially where they have been initiated by reliable teachers and have a solidly developed Christian faith to find inner form and meaning to the resulting experiences”. p. 38


 The purpose of chanting for the Christian differs in some ways from that of Buddhist. This difference would be an article unto itself, but basically those in Eastern mysticism seek to empty themselves completely and remain emptied, achieving a nondual state. While the Christian meditator often seeks to be emptied in order to encounter and be filled with God's presence. Though the objective can sometimes vary, the means in which to center oneself to achieve the desired outcome of producing a stillness within, can be the same.

Morton T. Kelsey, in his book, " The Other Side of Silence: A Guide to Christian Meditation", helps illustrate the difference between Eastern and Christian meditation in the excerpt below while also echoing Father Thomas Keating's sentiments in encouraging Christians to explore Eastern meditation practices:

"...if you really envision all life ultimately merging into the effortless, suspended bliss of Nirvana, then you will try to make your meditation another step toward release from the illusion and burdens and pains of this life. You will consider it a way of entering a state of imageless enlightenment in order to experience the bliss of mature relationship with the universe. This is the meditation found in Zen and other disciplines derived from Buddhism.

Christian meditation in its most developed form is quite different...It is based on a view of the world that finds each individual important, both in the material realm and in the nonmaterial or spiritual realm. In this practice of meditation one expects to meet someone, and the encounter is usually experienced as a relationship with a person....Outer aids and actions may also help to bring one to the encounter, and of course there is no reason why Christians should not use the techniques of Zen or TM or Yoga. These are valuable as long as one is aware that there is another element in Christian meditation, an addition that makes it quite another practice. Christian meditation is not a way of escaping from one's condition. Rather it is something we undertake in order to bring the totality of our being into relationship with a person, an Other to whom we can relate. " p. 57




The use of a "breath prayer" or, in other words mantra, has been used since the times of the Desert Fathers. The Desert Fathers were men (and some women as well) who removed themselves from society, choosing to dwell in the wilderness regions of the Middle East beginning from  around the 4th Century, to devote themselves fully in the pursuit of seeking to encounter God. From all the sources I have read, they are said to be the first among Christianity who promoted the use of the mantra as a tool for meditation and becoming attuned to the Divine within. Their presence and practices within Christianity brought rise to monasticism and to the rich tapestry of chants that can be seen in various forms. Examples: Ambrosian, Gregorian, Hildegarian and Byzantine chants.

In his book, The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen cites John Climacus, a 6th century Desert Father, instructing others to use a simple word or phrase, repeated, to achieve a stillness:

The quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart...A word or sentence repeated frequently can help us to concentrate, to move to the center, to create an inner stillness and thus to listen to the voice of God. When we simply try to sit silently and wait for God to speak to us, we find ourselves bombarded with endless conflicting thoughts and ideas. But when we use a very simple sentence such as "O God, come to my assistance," or "Jesus, master, have mercy on me," or a word such as "Lord" or "Jesus," it is easier to let the many distractions pass by without being misled by them. Such a simple, easily repeated prayer can slowly empty out our crowded interior life and create the quiet space where we can dwell with God. This way of simple prayer, when we are faithful to it and practice it at regular times, slowly leads us to an experience of rest and opens us to God's active presence." p. 25

The Eastern Orthodox church has long implemented the Jesus Prayer as a mantra in their practices. This is one of the mantras I use most commonly when I am seeking to achieve a state of stillness within. It is simply : Jesus, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

There is a lot more that can be written on this subject. It has been the object of already many published books. Hopefully, though,  this gives a little bit of a background on mantras and helps dispel some of the fear that others try to spread in order to keep Christians away from investigating the potential riches Eastern mysticism can provide them in their spiritual disciplines.  As, Thomas Keating suggests, the Christian should only branch out and incorporate Eastern meditation practices in one's own disciplines if, first, one is firmly rooted in Christ. Let the Spirit be our teacher and guide in determining what practices we implement and approach. She will never lead us astray but only deeper into the heart of God.

Comments? I'd love to hear them. Please leave them in the Comments section. Thank you!

Friday, November 11, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 


 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

YouTube Tuesday


 
 
Each week a growing group of bloggers are seeing how creative they can get in selecting thought provoking, and sometimes just fun, YouTube videos that have stood out to them. Each month the creator of the project, Josh, will be selecting a winner and presenting them with the "You Tube Tuesday Award".

Do you have a video that you found hilarious, thought provoking or inspiring? Come, join the project and be sure to leave your link on Josh's site: www.itstigertime.blogspot.com And of course in the comments section here too!
 
Today's video is a song illustrating just one artist's vision of heaven. What do you think heaven is like? I'd love to hear it in the comments section.
 
~blessings and peace






Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Many Mirrors of God








There is so much beauty and truth interwoven throughout all of the wisdom traditions and philosophies. God has gilded the inner linings of man's consciousness with a sense of His own. Internally, we bear the distinct signature of our Creator. Through earnest seeking brought upon by intense spiritual thirst and hunger, seekers from all corners of the earth have caught glimpses of His truths and reality. Expressed in the prayers, songs and written texts of man since nearly the beginning have been testaments of those who have been touched by His love and mercy. Man has always lifted his spirit eagerly towards His Maker. Empty hands, empty hearts, seeking to be filled with the only cure for spiritual drought- His living water; reviving, renewing, resurrecting our sense of hope and defining our sense of what's real while allowing  us to shed the illusions of what's not.

The full revelation of God's nature and reality, I am coming to believe, can be likened to the illustration of a multi-faceted jewel.  Now, I know some of my ideas might not resonate well with some people who read this. But they are ideas, and I'm not claiming to be without fallacy. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts towards them in the comments section. Using the said illustration, each religion, each spiritual approach and experience, is a mirror set into the jagged contours of the jewel at a differing angle from its neighbor, many times reflecting similiar aspects of God's nature but oftentimes revealing different views of His reality.

If this is indeed true  it makes little sense for one side, one mirror, to attempt to  "out-do" any of the other sides.  This would be a part claiming full revelation of what can only be experienced as a collective whole.  Only until one steps back and observes the jewel in all of its many different angles, does a more complete revelation of God's reality come into view and one begins to witness the many mirrors of God.  Some experiences I had recently, while walking a labyrinth for the first time, helped reconfirm me of some of these conclusions.


Labyrinths are paths that weave themselves in patterns that take the meditator to the center and then back out to the beginning where they started. They are walked mindfully in silence. I've always wanted to practice walking meditation on one so when I found out there was one at a Catholic church by my dentist's office, I decided to stop there before an appointment I had this week. I wrote an article a few months ago on walking labyrinths, for more details about the practice, you can read it here: http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/03/labryrinth-sacred-path-to-center.html


I experienced a temporary moment of discouragement after I had pulled in the church parking lot and discovered that most of the labyrinth was covered in snow. Impressions of its outline rose out of the snow and there were parts where the path could be seen; a slushy mixture of gravel,  slush, snow and brick.  I knew roughly what this particular labyrinth was supposed to look like, having seen pictures of it online before arriving. And yet, all I could make out now were concentric circles in the snow. So, I decided not to guess at the path in which I would take and merely walk in the circles I could see towards the center and back out. Even if I was unable to walk the exact pattern of the labyrinth, that's not what mattered most. What mattered most was the mindfulness in which I approached the walk. I also made a mental note to return and walk this labyrinth again, next time, not after a snowfall.

A sign at the entrance of the labyrinth suggests to the meditator to begin walking with some sort of intention. A prayer for a specific need or something one desires to know or discover from God. For awhile now, I've been struggling with the apparent juxtoposition between the nature of God that He seems to be revealing to me  in moments of prayer and meditation and the more categoric version of God I have been taught and the reality of which I have never even thought of questioning in the past.  Am I leading myself astray or going in the right direction? Should I listen to what I feel my heart is receiving, or am I deceiving my own self, led by the wishful thinking and desires of my own ego?  

My heart's intention was: Where God are you? How can I find more of your truths? Show me your ways, tell me if I'm heading in the right direction.

I started off with the Jesus prayer, as I usually do, to center myself. But God, I felt, was telling me no, not this time.  I was glad nobody was nearby, save the birds foraging for food beneath the trees that lined one side of the perimeter. For, after a few steps of walking forward in silence,  within me rose this incredible desire to chant "om". So I succumbed to my inner promptings, and almost inaudibly at first, began chanting om. As I continued,  a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna said he (Brahman) can be found in the syllable "om", flashed through my mind. 

I proceeded, step by step, feeling the pressure of my feet press down on the snow, hearing the sound of it compacting underneath, feeling its wet cold seep into my shoes. I could hear my chant become more like a song, as a melody formed. I just kept singing/chanting om. Concentrating on the short distance in front of me. Cool air going in through my nostrils, warm air exhaling. The sharp wind stinging my ears, causing me to draw the hood of my jacket up to protect myself from the unforgiving elements of an unusually chill autumn's day.

"Om"...Deep within me, my heart called out to God. "Where are you? Where can I find more of you? I thirst for you and your truth! Am I on the right path?" Images began to flicker through my mind. "Om..."...Great expanses of land, an ancient people trekking over it's terrain. Images of people, all different kinds, flashed forward in a brief animated collage.  An answer seemed to flood through my consciousness. "Where am I not? I am already found in every language, every tribe. In every heart."

I continued walking and in my mind I began to lament to myself. How heretical I am becoming! I feel I am hearing from God, but what is this that I am hearing? It goes against so much of what I have been taught...

I plodded onward in a steady and even pace. One foot following the other. Rising, stepping, pressing into slush and gravel and leaving traces of my size six shoe on virgin snow. Ripples of leaves shimmering like schools  of psychedelic fish all around me. Reds, oranges, yellows browns and greens all against the brilliance of the sky painted a bold cerulean.  God's glory pressing into me so hard, making me want to fall to my knees, yet pressing outwards simultaneously, filling me with the elated desire to take flight and join the wind in a frolic through the heavens.  I continued, centering myself, drawing myself into the present, and deeper into His presence.

I soon found myself about to reach the center. I wanted my journey to continue, I didn't want it to end. I even repeated the last circle twice. But alas, the center, could not be avoided and I found myself standing there, in silence. 

I felt this intense feeling of interconnectedness with all that surrounded me as I stood there, in the very center. God is in everything. Everything is in God. "There is no place or heart where He is not", I repeated the truth I had been given earlier out loud, to nobody but perhaps Autumn herself, who breathed all around me with the rest of Creation, working at shedding her last fiery-hued layers. Nearly as naked now as my soul felt.

"Where do I find more of your truth?" I found myself asking earnestly. "The truth is like the wind. You can't hold it, you can only experience it. You can only find it in the present. You seek too much to contain that which cannot be contained. Be at peace and let it flow through you."  I stood there for a few more minutes. Living heartbeat by heartbeat. Feeling life all around me doing what it does best as it indunated my senses with its energy and rhythms. I then turned and slowly, in the same pace I had pursued the center of the labyrinth with, retraced my steps back.

As I pulled out of the church parking lot I exhaled deeply. There is so much to learn, to discover, to experience, when it comes to God and reality.  There always seems to be more questions than answers. To me, though, that isn't daunting but almost exhilarating. It means there's no end to discovering the wonders of God.


So tell me, what has God revealed to you lately, of His nature, of His love? I'd love to hear about it. Please leave those and all other thoughts and comments you might have in the comments section. Thank you :)

Friday, November 4, 2011

This Moment: A Friday Tradition

This Moment
"A single photo – no words – capturing a simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
“This Moment” is a ritual found on Life inspired by theWee Man adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Sarah-Jane. If you find yourself touched by a Moment and would like to participate, post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comments section.
 
 
 
 


 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

YouTube Tuesday



 
 
Each week a growing group of bloggers are seeing how creative they can get in selecting thought provoking, and sometimes just fun, YouTube videos that have stood out to them. Each month the creator of the project, Josh, will be selecting a winner and presenting them with the "You Tube Tuesday Award".

Do you have a video that you found hilarious, thought provoking or inspiring? Come, join the project and be sure to leave your link on Josh's site: www.itstigertime.blogspot.com And of course in the comments section here too!