SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 292

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is the final post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness  through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ The Lord's Prayer shows us that loving God is loving the living beings we see and touch in our daily life. If we can love them, we can love God.

--  Thich Nhat Hanh in Living Buddha, Living Christ

This was the Spiritual Quotation offered by Spirituality & Practice on November 24, 2015.

+ I think it’s great to end this exploration of the Spiritual Style of Relationships with the teaching of a great Buddhist teacher who reveals here his appreciation of another wisdom tradition, Christianity.  Recently I came across a wonderful book by Thich Nhat Hanh: How to Sit. He knows how to make profound spiritual guidance simple and gentle.  He writes: “The first thing to do is to stop whatever else you are doing.” He is guided by a wonderful principle that I love so much: We are not human doings.  We are Human Beings.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 291

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ The feminine principle in nature always upholds relationship, while the masculine principle upholds autonomy. The one seeks to merge while the other seeks to individuate. We can only experience true relationship when we are capable of standing alone. And we can only truly stand alone when we realize that we are forever interconnected with everything. We are a paradox of opposing urges. We are both separate from, and one with, all of creation. We must stand alone and we must stand together. This is the sacred marriage.

-- Ann Mortifee in In Love with the Mystery

This was the OneSpirit Daily Inspiration on February 14, 2016.

+ I haven’t repeated my credo here for a while so here it is:

We are

intimately,

intricately,

infinitely

connected

by a matrix of

unconditional,

unlimited,

uniting

LOVE

which is

miraculous,

mysterious and

marvelous.

Are you “in love with the mystery” which connects us so intricately to everything? Which do you need to work on more, the feminine principle or the masculine principle?  They are both so important.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 290

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ Love One another.

-- John 13:34 and elsewhere in the Bible

+ In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

-- Matthew 7:12 NRSV

This is the Golden Rule which is taught by Jesus and is found in other places in the Bible and in many other wisdom traditions.

+ Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

-- Luke 10:25-28 NRSV

This is the Great Commandment which is based on 2 verses from the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:5 & Leviticus 19:18.

+ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

-- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NRSV

+ "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

-- Luke 6:27-38

+ The Bible is certainly a major source of guidance on creating and sustaining compassionate relationships.

 

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 289

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond. Listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings. The beauty of listening is that those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their true selves. Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to be friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you.

-- Henri J.M. Nouwen in Bread for the Journey

This was the OneSpirit Daily Inspiration onNovember 21, 2015.

+ Henri Nouwen is definitely one of the best spiritual guides of our age.  We have met him before in this exploration: SE29, SE107, SE113, SE120, SE 126 and just recently: SE 282 in this exploration.  Let us practice “the beauty of  listening” as often as possible so that we can all enjoy knowing our “inner selves more fully.” When we listen deeply we not only help others discover their true selves but we discover our own true self as well  

I said there would be at least 8 posts on this style but it will go up to 12. I have collected some good quotes on the Spiritual Style of Relationships which I want to share with you before we explore the next and last style of the Mandala process: Wisdom.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 285

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ Compassion is the basis of all truthful relationship; it means being present with love – for ourselves and for all life, including animals, fish, birds, and trees. Compassion is bringing our deepest truth into our actions, no matter how much the world seems to resist, because that is ultimately what we have to give to this world and one another.

-- Ram Dass in Compassion in Action

This was the OneSpirit Daily Inspiration on October 4, 2016

+ Service to others … is a … spiritual necessity. … … everyone we encounter matters. … we are spiritually responsible for each other and we are meant to discover and nurture the divine that exists within each person.

-- Caroline Myss in Invisible Acts of Power

This was the OneSpirit Daily Inspiration on October 1, 2016

+ These are two very wise spiritual teachers of the USA have found meaning and purpose in wisdom traditions not native to their homeland just as Edward Bastian found answers to deep spiritual questioning in Tibetan Buddhism rather than in the Presbyterian Church of his upbringing.  Maybe their need to find meaning elsewhere contributes to the humility and compassion I see in them.  We have so much to learn from others especially others who are different than us. 

The “deepest truth” is that “we are spiritually responsible for each other and we are meant to discover and nurture the divine that exists within each person.”  We need to embrace humans who are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Native American, Wicca, SBNR (Spiritual but not religious) or who fit any other religious or cultural description.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 284

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ See the light in others and treat them as if that is all you see.

-- Dr. Wayne Dyer

This was the OneSpirit daily inspiration for September 30, 2016.

+ Probably all of us have had encounters with people who treat us as if we are the only person that matters even if they are the kind of people who teach and inspire dozens or hundreds or even thousand s of people.  That is an attainable ideal we can achieve if we work at it. I like to say: “I am the Light of the World” coupled with “You are the Light of the World” and you are. Let us build an increasingly shining community of humanity and all creatures through our compassionate relationships as we practice, practice, practice heavenliness breath after breath, day after day.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 283

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ It is through relationships that we are able to learn how virtuous and non-virtuous intentions can affect our relative states of happiness and well-being. By experiencing joy, grief, love and jealousy—and by the dispassionate observation of these emotions—we recognize the intentions that produce lasting happiness, and those that produce sorrow.

-- Edward Bastian in the chapter on the Spiritual Style of Relationships in Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual Path: An InterSpiritual Process

+ If your spiritual practices are not helping you become more loving in your relationships, then something needs to change.  It is always necessary to practice discernment  which we have explored before (SE posts 81-96) so we can become aware of what needs to change in ourselves as we make contact with others. We can find a lot of joy in solitude but it often is based on previous relationships and probably can only be sustained by the support and encouragement we get from our current and future relationships.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 282

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

 Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.

-- Henri Nouwen in The Dance of Life

+ Many of us cherish the spiritual guidance of Henri Nouwen.  We have met him before in this exploration: SE29, SE107, SE113, SE120 & SE 126. He is perhaps most famous for coining the term “wounded healer.”  The idea is that we can’t really make a difference in the life of another unless we enter into their reality and even experience at least some of the pain another is feeling.  It takes courage to do this and it takes the strength we gain from our deep spiritual encounters with ultimate reality.  I believe solitude is essential for that to happen but it can’t end there.  We need to be involved.  We need to connect with others.  We need to deeply respect others and “create community.” Our planet desperately needs this to happen one relationship at a time.

     

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 281

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is the first post on the style of The Way of Relationships as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There is 1 more Mandala style to explore after this one: Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ Here are the questions Ed wants us to ponder as we consider the spiritual style of Relationships:

·         Do you gain wisdom primarily through being in relationship with others?

·         Do you prefer being in the company of others more than being in solitude?

·         Do you like to help others to learn, solve problems and increase their happiness?

·         Do you enjoy being involved in community projects for the welfare of others?

·         How will you harness the Way of Relationships to create your spiritual path?

+ And here is the beginning of Ed’s chapter on this style:

The Mentsch learns most naturally and expresses spirituality through compassionate interaction with others, gaining deep satisfaction thereby.

FROM THE MOMENT of our conception until we take our final breath, we are constantly in relationship with others. It is through relationships that we learn to apply that which we have learned. For some of us, relationships are the primary vehicle for learning, while others may prefer a more solitary absorption in such the intellect or meditation. Every profession and relationship provides equal opportunity for manifesting our inner values and insights. Whether one is a lawyer, a soldier, a minister, a politician, a health care professional or a businessperson, one can be in relationship with others in ways that can meet our highest ethical standards.

Relationships are our constant joy and challenge. Through relationships, we see reflections of ourselves and experience our shared human condition, as reflected in the lives of others. Relationships are the stage and playground for love and hatred, compassion and narcissism, wisdom and ignorance. Relationships are the basis for a life-long ethical experiment—the living laboratory for testing if and how generosity actually generates personal happiness, and if and how selfishness generates sadness.

+ I decided to look further into what it means to be a mentsch since Ed likes this description for one who excels in relationships. Mentsch has come to mean an ideal person in the Yiddish tradition of Judaism.  So I found a web page devoted to being a mentsch > http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/148221/jewish/Be-a-Mentsch.htm

On that web page, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson defines a mentsch as “someone who respects the needs and wishes of others—especially the desires of those in his care.”

For some of us, this comes easily.  For others, it is a life-long challenge.  I fall into the latter category.  I have had and continue to have some wonderful relationships with people and other things but I can do better.  It is that second question Ed asks which is my problem: “Do you prefer being in the company of others more than being in solitude?”  There is no doubt in my mind that my answer is solitude and that can be an obstacle to developing relationships.  Solitude is underlined here in the Word document and it will be highlighted when it appears on the blog since it is one of the twelve spiritual practices we are exploring.  I do believe solitude is an essential spiritual practice.  But it is not intended to be a barrier to loving and compassionate relationships.  I have known that for a long time and I pray that I have made progress at tearing down this barrier and can continue to do so.

I have collected quite a few quotes on this style and I anticipate at least 7 more posts on this style.

+ 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

+ Spirituality & Practice offers abundant resources on the practices of Love & Compassion: The Practice of Love | The 12s Gallery on Love | The Practice of Compassion | The 12s Gallery on Compassion

+ 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