SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 254

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is the first post on the style of The Way of Nature as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process.  There are 5 more styles to explore and then we will move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven. 

+ On the Style of The Naturalist: The Way of Nature, Ed Bastian writes:

The Naturalist is most at ease when surrounded by nature, whether in the forest, the desert, the plains, the mountains, streams, lakes or the oceans of the natural environment, in harmony with all the shared elements of existence.

·         Is your connection with nature sacred?

·         Do you regard nature as your place of worship?

·         Do you feel a special affinity with animals or plants?

·         Do you feel tranquility, oneness or inter-being when immersed in the natural world?

IT IS STRANGE AND TRAGIC that so many have come to see themselves as separate from nature. And even when they admit that they are a part of nature, many still insist that they are at the top of the evolutionary ladder, a superior species, chosen by God (or Darwin) to be in charge of all the other minerals, plants, and animals of the Earth. This bias toward human superiority can be found in many of the world’s religious, philosophical and scientific traditions. Fortunately, within these same traditions, are other voices that lead us back into sacred communion with nature—the mother of us all.

+ As a pastor, how many times have I heard someone say something like:  “My sanctuary is the great out-of-doors” and therefore , no need to come to church to communicate with God.  What could I say?  Not much.  I mean how could any sermon I preach compare with the sound of the breeze or rippling water or birds chirping or the sight of the blue sky or the canopy of stars and planets and moon at night?      

+ The 12 styles of Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual Path: An InterSpiritual Process by Edward Bastian are listed in SE206.

+ The 7 steps of InterSpiritual Meditation by Edward Bastian are listed in SE21 and SE213. They are described fully in his book, InterSpiritual Meditation.

+ To get inspired and illuminated by Ed Bastian, I invite you to set aside some time for these videos:  Seven Steps of InterSpiritual Meditation (11 minutes) | 15 minute introduction to InterSpiritual Meditation and the Mandala Process | 2 hour lecture & conversation

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Heavenliness page.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” or “Love” or “Guest Post” to John@abundancetrek.com.

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