SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 341

WE ARE EXPLORING THE HEAVENLY ATTRIBUTE OF TRUTH

+ We are called to create and enjoy a realm of compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance for all.

+ You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

-- Jesus (John 8:32)

+ Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free.

-- Eckhart Tolle

+

Truth’s naked radiance,

Cut off from the senses

And the world,

Shines by itself

No words for it.

-- Pai-chang Huai-hai

+

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” -

 that is all Ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know.

-- John Keats in Ode on a Grecian Urn

+ We are still exploring the central heavenly attributes: Beauty, Love, Truth. All of these 9 Attributes of Heaven  are the truth or they are not truly heavenly attributes. The truth is that we are liberated as we realize our true heavenly identity.  This is bliss.

We are in heaven right now, right here, and that’s the truth.  As I write this I look out the window and see blue sky.  It is so beautiful.  Heavenly.  And that’s the truth.  Yes, Keats got it right:  “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”  It is always so. Something wonderful is happening. Always.

Breathe deeply. Breathe fully.

Be still. Be silent.

Be centered. Be grounded.

Lighten up. Loosen up.

Let go. Let God.

Celebrate. Enjoy.

Be glad all over.

Something wonderful is happening.

This is bliss.

+ The meme comes from the Spiritual & Practice 12s Gallery on Beauty.
 

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post.  And, I have work to do on the Abundancetrek Truth page. Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Truth” or “Heavenly Attributes” 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 156

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WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS

+ The Kingdom of God is as close to us as some precious keepsake we've been looking for for years which is lying just in the next room under the rug all but crying out to us to come find it. If only we had eyes to see and ears to hear and wits to understand, we would know that the Kingdom of God in the sense of holiness, goodness, beauty is as close as breathing and is crying out to be born both within ourselves and within the world.

— Frederick Buechner in The Clown in the Belfry

> http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/quotes/quotations/view/1870/spiritual-quotation

+ I think this is what I have been saying, isn’t it?  Aren’t you  glad that we are continuing to  explore Holiness utilizing the resources of the best website in the universe.  I have never read a Frederic Buechner book but I know he is a great source of wisdom for many preachers these days. 

Jesus often taught that the Kingdom of God is near.  At one point he even said that it is within us (Luke 17:21).  Mystics tell us again and again how immanent Heaven is.  Soon, when we move on to the Journey of the Soul, we will be exploring Heaven.  But, for now, this Journey of the Body practice of Holiness continues to appeal to me as worthy of further exploration.  What do you think?  

+Spirituality & Practice offers a variety of resources on Frederic Buechner. Here is a Buechner quote from his memoir Telling Secrets which is directly related to this practice because your story, my story, our story, his story, is a very holy story:

My story is important not because it is mine, God knows, but because if I tell it anything like right, the chances are you will recognize that in many ways it is also yours.

+ Holiness is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Holiness in their Search Engine and you come up with 460 items including 227 quotes, 168 books, 28 practices, 14 teachers, 12 arts links, 7 e-courses, 3 films and 1 blog as of 5/11/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=holiness.

+ The Body gets a lot of attention from Spirituality and Practice as you can see when you go to a link to “Body” on their search engine. You will find 1611 items as of 4/26/16.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Holiness Page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Holiness” 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS -- 50

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HUMILITY

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

-- Micah 6:8 NRSV

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

-- Matthew 5:5 NRSV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
-- James 4:10 NRSV

… lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

 with all humility and gentleness,

 with patience, bearing with one another in love,

 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

-- Ephesians 4:1b-3 NRSV

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

clothe yourselves with 
compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

-- Colossians 3:12 NRSV

My religion is kindness.

-- The Dalai Lama

The (true) servants of (God) the Most Gracious

are those who walk on the earth in humility,

and when the ignorant address them, reply with (words of) peace.

-- The Holy Quran, 25:63.

Found at http://theislamicworkplace.com/positive-quotes/

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said

“(God) has revealed to me that you should adopt humility so that no one oppresses another."

-- Riyadh-us-Salaheen, Hadith 1589.

Found at http://theislamicworkplace.com/positive-quotes/

+ Humility is more than an essential spiritual practice.  It is an essential attribute of holiness, of  heavenliness.  The teachers of the great wisdom traditions emphasize being humble over and over again.  It is an attitude which makes it likely that you will see every person including yourself, indeed every creature, as divine and absolutely neither inferior nor superior.  When we are humble, we can see clearly.    

The essential spiritual practices of stillness and detachment lay the foundation for the practice of humility which makes it possible to live according to the Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

+ Spirituality and Practice offers a wonderful 12s gallery of images and quotes on Humility.

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