WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS
+ This is the final post on the style of The Way of
Reason as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles
of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian. There are 2 more Mandala styles to explore
after this: Relationships and Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.
+ I am concluding this very short exploration of the
style of reason with more wisdom from the chapter on this style by Edward
Bastian:
A seeker on the Way
of Reason strives to use logical inference and empirical observation as the
basis for determining realities that lie beyond our cognitive and sensory
perception. It seeks certainty about a reality that transcends our transient
world, that is the foundation for being, that connects all phenomena and gives
meaning and purpose to our lives. The Way of Reason seeks to prove, for
example, the existence of an immortal soul, life after death, the existence or
non-existence of God. It seeks a rational basis for meditation, prayer, devotion,
ritual, mystical intuition and social service. The Way of Reason seeks a
rational foundation for spiritual practice, believing that, if one has good
reasons to back up one’s spirituality and ethics, then it will be easier to
pursue a spiritual life with rigor and consistency. But it is not uncommon for
the Thinker to have a satisfying, rational description about the nature of
reality, and yet, lack a healthy and satisfying spiritual life. For, often,
they have not cultivated other qualities necessary to propel them along the
way, like the aspiring mountain climber, with the proper theory and technique,
but without the endurance and the other tools necessary to climb.
Sadly, a strictly
intellectual perspective, isolated from other spiritual styles, like the Ways
of Love and the Body, leads to its own form of psychological dysfunction and
prevents the development of a satisfying personal spiritual path and a balanced
life. So, the first step for the Thinker is to seek out and define the physical
activities, the art forms, the prayers, the meditations and relationships,
etc., that will conform with their intellectually defined higher truth, and
then consciously integrate these into a practice.
+ But Ed would be the first to point out that the same
criticism can be offered to anyone who chooses to be limited to 1 or 2 or even
3 styles when other styles are so important. So, try to become knowledgeable and skillful
in styles where you are weak even as you keep growing in areas of strength.
+ The 12 styles of Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual
Path: An InterSpiritual Process by Edward
Bastian are listed in SE206.
+ To get inspired and illuminated by Ed Bastian, I invite you to set aside some time for these videos:
+ You can always find a link to any of the Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html
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