SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS -- 64

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HUMILITY

+ I will let Brother Wayne have the last word in this exploration of the spiritual practice of humility. 

+ There is no possibility of a mature spiritual life without humility. Nor is it possible to be a successful human being without it. Humility is also, most fundamentally, a relationship of truth with ourselves. Humility begins with self-honesty about our actions, attitudes, and speech. It compels us to accept the fact that we are capable of being wrong, perhaps even when we are convinced we are right. It means that we acknowledge our mistakes, not years from now, but when they are made.

We must be willing to own up to these mistakes before others and not simply ourselves. Such humility is a basic operating principle of ordinary life. Without it, we can hardly move at all, since the mystical process is based on honesty and humility of heart. Search your experience and examine if humility is at work in you.

-- Wayne Teasdale in The Mystic Hours excerpted  from http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/quotes/features/view/27978/quotations-on-humility

+ As you “search your experience,” remember to be very gentle with yourself, forgiving yourself again and again and again. Yes, examine yourself but don’t be harsh.  All too often, we judge ourselves too critically.  Humility requires diligence but not destructive thoughts and actions.

+ We have reached the final post of the Journey of the Mind section of this exploration.  Next we will build on our mind practices as we explore the Journey of the Heart.  The heart practices we will explore are silence, discernment and healing. 

The categories of Mind, Heart, Body and Soul are not new but, the idea of connecting these practices with the paths of Mind, Heart, Body and Soul came to me as I read The Seeker’s Guide: Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure by Elizabeth Lesser, a truly amazing book. She uses these four categories which she calls Landscapes. She offers great wisdom and many useful practices for each of the landscapes: Mind, Heart, Body, Soul.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers a wonderful 12s gallery of images and quotes on Humility
> http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/galleries/category/12s/2#/37/12-humility. The photo with the Roger Housden quote comes from this gallery.

+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html