SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 271

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ This is a post on the style of The Way of Prayer as we continue to explore Heavenliness through the lens of the 12 styles of the Mandala process created by Edward Bastian.  There are 3 more Mandala styles to explore after this: Reason, Relationships and Wisdom. After that, we move on to the 9 Attributes of Heaven.

+ Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, praising God until we ourselves are a constant act of praise.

-- Father Richard Rohr, OFM

This was the Gratefulness Word for the Day on November 16, 2015.

+ We have met this amazing teacher of prayer before.  See SE62 which was offered when we were practicing humility several moons ago.  Father Richard leads the Center for Action & Contemplation. He offers daily inspiration and illumination which is well worth considering if you are looking for such a daily dose on the internet.  I invite you to browse through the website and seek inspiration, illumination, and ideas for your contemplation, meditation and prayer life.  Maybe you just want to see all the great books he has written.  Also, he is a Spirituality & Practice featured Living Spiritual Teacher.  

+ 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

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 235

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ Continuing with the 12 styles of the Mandala process, we are exploring the style of Imagination.

+ Great dreams contain inexhaustible truths, and orient us, like runes, toward our futures. One hesitates to try to explain them; one wants to dance them, act them out in living gestures. The more we put ourselves into a great dream, the more we get back. Great dreams are wells that never run dry.

— Michael Grosso in Soulmaker

+ First we imagine it and then we create it or at least we can create it if we make it our intention and commitment.  So, it’s important to have a great dream and have the faith and the discipline to make it happen.  What are your big dreams and how are you turning them into a heavenly reality here on earth? Dreams may very well be our most important direct connection to heavenly realms.  Thus, as we pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying for dreams to come true, dreams of compassion, peace, justice and sustainable abundance.

 

+ 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 emphasizes the practices of Beauty, Creativity, Imagination & Wonder: The Practice of Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Creativity | The Practice of Imagination | The 12s Gallery on Imagination |  The Practice of Wonder | The 12s Gallery on Wonder

+ 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 "Imagination" 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 – 232

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ Continuing with our exploration of the 12 styles of the Mandala process, we now move on to the style of the Contemplative or Meditator. Edward Bastian writes: 

The Contemplative or Meditator is drawn to quiet and solitary introspection and seeks to discover the truth within or through communion with the numinous.

·         Do you long for inner tranquility, focus and insight?

·         Are you comfortable spending considerable time alone in silence?

·         Are you called to discover truth and meaning through deep introspection?

THE CONTEMPLATIVE enjoys being alone and absorbed in his or her own thoughts, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours or even days. It is a manifestation of that aspect of our consciousness

that enjoys observing the world around us and reflecting on the truths revealed through our life experience or the wisdom of the world’s great philosophers, scientists and spiritual teachers. The terms contemplation and meditation are defined differently among various spiritual traditions, so I will offer the following definitions so that we are all on the same page.

Contemplation generally refers to thinking deeply and thoroughly. From a spiritual perspective, it refers to a state of consciousness that lies at the border between pure, non-conceptual meditative insight and the conceptual mind that seeks to name and define ineffable spiritual experience. It is characterized by tranquil concentration and profound observation of both the conceptual and the meditative mind. Contemplation is the state of consciousness through which we travel back and forth between the sacred and the profane, the divine and the worldly.

Meditation, on the other hand, has a slightly different connotation. It refers to a wide variety of practices that bring the mind into a state of focused tranquility and profound insight. Meditation enables the mind to become tranquil, one-pointed, blissful and absorbed in a non-conceptual focus on the Ultimate Reality, however that is defined within a spiritual tradition. Often, meditation is described as a ‘non-dual,’ because in its state of absorption there is no distinction between the subjective and objective elements that occur in normal perception.

+ Since we have already explored the practices of stillness, silence, solitude and simplicity on this amazing journey, we will not be exploring this style for more than this post.  I urge you to keep working on these essential practices and possibly write about them and share your experiences here.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of a consistent practice of contemplation, meditation and prayer.

+ 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 a variety of contemplative practices including: The Practice of Being Present | 12s Gallery on Being Present | The Practice of Attention | 12s Gallery on Attention

+ 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 “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 – 222

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ Continuing with our current emphasis on the Mandala process, Ed Bastian writes:

The arts are also a means of creating a state of consciousness wherein the numinous can be perceived or intuited. Christian or Buddhist monastic chants, symphonic or choral music, Hindu devotional mantras, the whirling of Dervishes, tribal drumming, dancing and sand painting, Japanese calligraphy, paintings, sculptures, tribal masks, religious architecture, and Taoist poetry are all art forms designed to engender a state of consciousness whereby transcendent communion with the numinous becomes possible.

+ You probably don’t need convincing that the arts are “a means of creating a state of consciousness wherein the numinous can be perceived or intuited.”  But we all do need to be reminded from time to time of the immense importance of the arts so that “transcendent communion with the numinous becomes possible” again and again.  I urge you to contemplate how this essential style is making a difference in your life and I urge you to write about it or find some other way to express how you are inspired and transformed by the arts.

+ The 12 styles of Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual Path: An InterSpiritual Process+ 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:

·         SevenSteps of InterSpiritual Meditation (11 minutes)

·         15 minute introduction to InterSpiritual Meditation and the Mandala Process

·         2 hour lecture & conversation

+ Spirituality & Practice emphasizes the practices of Beauty, Creativity, Imagination & Wonder: The Practice of Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Creativity | The Practice of Imagination | The 12s Gallery on Imagination |  The Practice of Wonder | The 12s Gallery on Wonder

+ 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 “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 – 221

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

-- Thomas Merton

+ Merton again! And why not.  Anyone doing spiritual exploration faithfully can benefit immensely from the wisdom and inspiration and devotion of this great spiritual guide.  He was one of the best writers of the twentieth century.  Millions of seekers have been touched by his writings and the example of his life.  It is fitting that the image of Merton here which comes from Spirituality & Practice is an artistic portrait.  Merton’s unique approach to a meaningful life included a deep appreciation of art.  He encourages us to appreciate the artist and work on developing the gift of artistic expression, a gift we all have whether we know it or not.  That’s because we are all heavenly beings as well as human beings.  That heavenly dimension is huge, infinite, eternal, mysterious, wonderful.  Enjoy being human and enjoy being heavenly.

+ 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:

·         SevenSteps of InterSpiritual Meditation (11 minutes)

·         15 minute introduction to InterSpiritual Meditation and the Mandala Process

·         2 hour lecture & conversation

+ Spirituality & Practice emphasizes the practices of Beauty, Creativity, Imagination & Wonder: The Practice of Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Creativity | The Practice of Imagination | The 12s Gallery on Imagination |  The Practice of Wonder | The 12s Gallery on Wonder

+ 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 “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 – 218

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ God is an artist and the universe is his work of art.

-- Thomas Aquinas

+ The Way of the Arts might be your primary road into spiritual learning and practice. For many artistic learners, spiritual experience is best conveyed and experienced through creative expression. Words and intellectual concepts often fail to capture, for example, an epiphany of the transcendent, the marvelous geometric designs of existence, the mysterious shapes and colors of creation, the beautiful galaxies of the universe. But in the poetry of Rumi, the music of Mahler, the dance of Fonteyn, or the paintings of Michelangelo, something of the grandeur and profundity of these experiences might be expressed. Our natural affinity for aesthetics inspires us to expand and deepen our own sense of the sacred.

-- Ed Bastian in Mandala: Creating An Authentic Spiritual Path: An InterSpiritual Process

+ With this post we begin exploring the essential practice of Heavenliness through the lens of the Mandala Process created by Edward Bastian.  We will move through the 12 styles in alphabetical order. 

We begin with the style of the Artist.  We are called to appreciate the artistry of creation.  We are called to be creative artists and to appreciate those who develop the gift in ways which move us, inspire us and transform us.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not an artist.  We are made in the likeness of God and God is an artist.  I urge you to find the time to develop this gift in one way or another.  I would love it if you would share your artistic accomplishments and intentions in a future post.  Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” or “Guest Post” or “Art” to John@abundancetrek.com.

+ 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:

·         SevenSteps of InterSpiritual Meditation (11 minutes)

·         15 minute introduction to InterSpiritual Meditation and the Mandala Process

·         2 hour lecture & conversation

+ Spirituality & Practice emphasizes the practices of Beauty, Creativity, Imagination & Wonder: The Practice of Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Beauty | The 12s Gallery on Creativity | The Practice of Imagination | The 12s Gallery on Imagination |  The Practice of Wonder | The 12s Gallery on Wonder

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Heavenlinesspage.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” 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 – 210

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He (or she) to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. —Albert Einstein

  

+ Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.

-- Albert Einstein

+ Einstein is definitely one of my favorite spiritual guides.  He is known for his great scientific mind.  He needs to be known for what he taught us about so much more than his brilliant scientific breakthroughs.  He thought outside the box in so many ways and taught us all to do so as have so many other wise teachers.  We awaken to our true identity, our heavenliness, when we are willing to think outside the box, when we are willing and eager to “wonder and stand rapt in awe” even if we need to take risks, to be courageous.  This is an amazing journey.  Thank you for being a companion sharing this adventure.  

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Heavenlinesspage.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” 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 – 201

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HEAVENLINESS

+ Stillness is the greatest revelation

-- Taoist proverb

+ Silence, the quiet calm at the heart of nature, carries, or even hides, the presence of the Divine. Cloaked in the stillness, the Way, the Divine one dwells, always available to us through our surrender. All we need do is dispose ourselves to listening intently. This intent listening is the essence of meditation. If we lean our ear toward the stillness, the outer quiet, it will lead us into a realization of the Presence around us, within us and beyond us. Outer or surrounding stillness will deliver us to the inward stillness, the ultimate presence in which we really reside.  Eventually, as our listening and practice mature, outer and inner finally collapse into each other, and we find ourselves in the One.

-- Wayne Teasdale in The Mystic Hours, reflection #5

+ The Journey of the Soul concludes with the essential practice of Heavenliness. Is Heavenliness really a practice? I think so. But it is ultimately a gift which we receive through surrender.  In other words, we can practice heavenly patterns of behavior but we really aren’t aware of ourselves as thoroughly heavenly until God totally takes over.  We are always heavenly beings but we all too often think, feel, say and do things which do not reflect this heavenly state.  Let us try to remember as often as we possibly can that heaven is “the ultimate presence in which we really reside.”       

You probably know by now that I believe the practice of stillness is essential.  How are you doing? As you practice Stillness, are you becoming more and more aware of “the greatest revelation,” of the “presence of the Divine?” You can always begin again if and when when you realize you need to go back to the basics.  There are 40 SE posts on the practice of stillness beginning with SE1.

Wayne Teasdale is probably responsible more than anyone for creating the new and I believe essential movement of InterSpirituality.  I have found his books particularly inspiring and illuminating.  They are well worth the read.  I invite you to visit the Wayne Teasdale Amazon author page.  

I also cherish the website and the books of my InterSpirituality mentor, Edward Bastian. He is pioneering a method of InterSpirituality which includes lots of wisdom from many different traditions and several great practices.  Several colleagues including me are working closely with him. 

+ 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 Heavenlinesspage.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Heavenliness” 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 – 199

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DELIGHT

+ Perfect happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.

-- Chuang-tzu

+ Happiness ends when ambition begins.

 -- Thomas Merton

+ I will be sharing much of the wisdom of Edward Bastian, my InterSpirituality Mentor, as we move into the twelfth practice, Heavenliness, and then the nine heavenly attributes. Ed says we all have different spiritual styles which need to be discovered, cultivated and harnessed through a Mandala Process of Inquiry, Insight and Integration.  You can be introduced to Ed’s wisdom at the Spiritual Paths website.  Ed is the Founder and President of the Spiritual Paths Foundation.  He has written 2 books on InterSpirituality which you can find on the Amazon Author Page for Edward Bastian.  To get inspired and illuminated by Ed, I invite you to set aside some time for the video embedded here > https://youtu.be/Yy_jK7a0qBs (2 hours) and / or the one embedded in SE196 >  https://youtu.be/TEF5BhN3c5s (15 minutes).

The Mandala Process can be very useful, even essential, for those of us who sincerely want to find and maintain “perfect happiness.” 

+ Delight is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Delight in their Search Engine and you come up with 85 items including 67 quotes, 16 books, 1 practice, and 1 film as of 6/14/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Delight.  However, it is clear that Mary Ann & Frederic Brussat are big fans of Joy. Therefore, put Joy in their Search Engine and you come up with 2057 items including 867 quotes, 835 books, 160 practices, 11 teachers, 24 arts links, 29 e-courses, 98 films, 26 blogs and 4 traditions as of 6/14/16. Oh, and Joy IS one of the 37 spiritual practices. You can also be inspired by their Twelves Gallery on Joy. 

+ Joy will come up again very soon in these explorations since it is the second of 9 heavenly attributes we will be exploring.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Delight page.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Delight” 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 – 186

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DELIGHT

+ In the time of your life, live — so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.

-- William Saroyan

+ Let us immerse ourselves in “the infinite delight and mystery of it.” Yes, there is plenty of “misery and sorrow” but wherever there is pain, there is also joy or, at least, “a nice cup of tea” as the English like to say. You can find all kinds of ways to delight in each and every moment when you put your mind, heart, body and soul into it.  Yes you can.  And you often do.  You are wonderful.    

+ Delight is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Delight in their Search Engine and you come up with 85 items including 67 quotes, 16 books, 1 practice, and 1 film as of 6/14/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Delight.  However, it is clear that Mary Ann & Frederic Brussat are big fans of Joy. Therefore, put Joy in their Search Engine and you come up with 2057 items including 867 quotes, 835 books, 160 practices, 11 teachers, 24 arts links, 29 e-courses, 98 films, 26 blogs and 4 traditions as of 6/14/16. Oh, and Joy IS one of the 37 spiritual practices. You can also be inspired by their Twelves Gallery on Joy. 

+ Joy will come up again very soon in these explorations since it is the second of 9 heavenly attributes we will be exploring.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Delight page.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Delight” 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 – 184

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF DELIGHT

+ The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from domination of outside conditions.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson

+ Change is the only constant and it’s our job to delight in it. Go with the flow. At times you can be the change agent. More often you simply allow change to happen, changes which are constantly coming at you from all directions. It’s OK. Better than OK, delightful. When you are experiencing life in the soul realm, you are always experiencing life as delightful, as a delicious feast, a celebration, a party, an adventure. This is bliss. How sweet it is.

It’s wonderful to reach these Journey of the Soul practices of Simplicity, Delight and Heavenliness. But even the first stage of these practices, the Journey of the Mind practices. can offer many tastes of heaven. Stillness can turn into Simplicity. Detachment can turn into Delight. Humility can turn into Heavenliness. Any one of these practices can be delightful. So, celebrate. Enjoy. Be glad all over.

Delight can be expressed as gratitude. Being thankful for life’s many gifts is a delight in itself. Pause here to become aware of so many blessings which have come your way and continue to come your way. If you are not smiling, laughing, or even dancing at this point, then you simply haven’t given enough time and effort to simply being grateful.

The practices of Simplicity and Delight come easily once Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Detachment, Discernment and Devotion have become regular practices. I can’t emphasize enough how stillness is the key to heaven. Simply be still and amazing things happen sooner or later. It can almost be said that the rest of the practices come as gifts, as amazing grace, once the practice of stillness is achieved.

You are delightful. You are simply heavenly. You are amazing, fantastic, wonderful. You really are. That’s the truth.

+ Delight is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Delight in their Search Engine and you come up with 85 items including 67 quotes, 16 books, 1 practice, and 1 film as of 6/14/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Delight.  However, it is clear that Mary Ann & Frederic Brussat are big fans of Joy. Therefore, put Joy in their Search Engine and you come up with 2057 items including 867 quotes, 835 books, 160 practices, 11 teachers, 24 arts links, 29 e-courses, 98 films, 26 blogs and 4 traditions as of 6/14/16. Oh, and Joy IS one of the 37 spiritual practices. You can also be inspired by their Twelves Gallery on Joy. 

+ Joy will come up again very soon in these explorations since it is the second of 9 heavenly attributes we will be exploring.

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Delight page.  Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Delight” 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 – 175

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF SIMPLICITY

+ Simplicity is not the pursuit of austerity but an ongoing life exploration that asks us to carefully examine what truly contributes to well-being and what undermines happiness.

 -- Christina Feldman in Heart of Wisdom, Mind of Calm

+ We are all invited to go on this “ongoing life exploration” and the sooner the better.  Ultimately, we have no choice.  We are required to go on this exploration because it is what life is all about.  This is true of both our limited earthly life and our unlimited heavenly life.  I like to say that we are exploring heavenly realms here and now.  The more we are open to all of the delights, surprises and even setbacks of our amazing journey, the more we find meaning, purpose and joy in our lives.  I am delighted that you are exploring these heavenly realms with me.  Thank You.  You are awesome.

+ Simplicity is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Simplicity in their Search Engine and you come up with 314 items including 117 quotes, 156 books, 11 practices, 9 teachers, 1 arts link, 11 e-courses, 7 films and 1 blog as of 6/4/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Simplicity

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Simplicity Page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Simplicity” 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 – 167

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF SIMPLICITY

+ Today I invite you to read the famous Desiderata written by Max Ehrman in 1927 (No, not in 1692 as once believed by many of us). 

Desiderata

GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

By Max Ehrmann © 1927

Go to http://www.desiderata.com/desiderata-poem.html.

+ Simplicity is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Simplicity in their Search Engine and you come up with 314 items including 117 quotes, 156 books, 11 practices, 9 teachers, 1 arts link, 11 e-courses, 7 films and 1 blog as of 6/4/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Simplicity

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Simplicity Page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Simplicity” 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 -- 163

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS – 163

 WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF SIMPLICITY

+

Simply Faith

To rest in the arms of our Creator

To love in each action of the day

To resist the urge to seek self- importance

To simply be in awe.

To speak in the face of injustice

To make room for silent moments

To sit comfortably with living and dying

To remember the stories of lifetimes of faith.

To grieve for those lost and loved

To release what is captive in me

To work in great darkness and great light

To celebrate with a joyful heart.

To be a peaceful presence in a world full of distress

To abide in the heart of God

To heal the whole person

To simply be.

To integrate a loving touch and prayer

To speak and honor the Spirit.

To look into the eyes of God in each person I meet

To be grateful.

Simply faith – complex work of the heart belonging to God.

-- Carol Tippe 2013

+ “To simply be in awe” is a wondrous thing.  We can move into this wondrous, heavenly state of being through these practices. This really is an Amazing Journey.

In these Journey of the Soul practices of Simplicity, Delight and Heavenliness we move beyond our earthly limits as much as possible. But, paradoxically, we become more committed to our planet than ever before. It may be a temporary home but it is a wonderful place to spend some time.

That said, let’s see if we can reduce our attachment to it because there really is something better. Heaven is home. Home sweet home. Only heaven can satisfy us totally. We are in heaven right now.  We simply need to become fully aware of this greater reality which surrounds us and completes us. We don’t have to die to get there. But the part of us that is fake does need to die and that’s what happens in all of these practices and particularly these Journey of the Soul practices.

Simplicity, as the song says, is simply a gift. Every one of these practices is a gift, a gift from heaven, your true home.  You are a gifted, heavenly being right now, right here.  Yes you are.

+ Simplicity is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Simplicity in their Search Engine and you come up with 314 items including 117 quotes, 156 books, 11 practices, 9 teachers, 1 arts link, 11 e-courses, 7 films and 1 blog as of 6/4/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Simplicity

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Simplicity Page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Simplicity” 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 -- 161

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF SIMPLICITY

+ Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

-- Henry David Thoreau

+ OK fellow explorers, the time has come to move on.  I believe we need to keep practicing the Journey of the Mind practices of Stillness, Detachment & Humility.  I believe we need to keep practicing the Journey of the Heart practices of Silence, Discernment & Healing.  And we need to keep practicing the Journey of the Body practices of Solitude, Devotion and Holiness.  As we do these practices this final journey becomes possible: The Amazing Journey of the Soul, the one that keeps on going forever.  On this journey we become one with the eternal community which is constantly practicing Simplicity, Delight and Heavenliness.

+ Simplicity is not one of the 37 Spirituality & Practice practices BUT put Simplicity in their Search Engine and you come up with 314 items including 117 quotes, 156 books, 11 practices, 9 teachers, 1 arts link, 11 e-courses, 7 films and 1 blog as of 6/4/16.  Go to http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/search/?q=Simplicity

+ I would love it if you offered a guest post on this practice or any practice.  And, I have work to do on my Simplicity Page.   Maybe you can help.  Send an email with the subject “Simplicity” 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 – 158

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS

+ Holiness is being aware that you are in the presence of God. That something else is happening, something numinous, trascendent, other. Something that partakes of life and death, good and evil (remember the two trees in the Garden of Eden). An object, a place, a time, a person, is holy because it evokes the presence of God. We cover our heads, remove our shoes, look away in reverence. Unlike some spiritual traditions that see the world divided ontolgically and irretrievably into sacred and profane, here we are told that, by our actions, we can realize the holiness in everything.

— Lawrence Kushner in Five Cities of Refuge by Lawrence Kushner, David Mamet

+ Or we uncover our heads!  Christian men traditionally take their hats off in churches. 

Traditions differ but beyond all of the differences is that “shared mystic heart beating in the center of the world’s deepest spiritual traditions” as Brother Wayne Teasdale put it.  No one has an exclusive hold on Holiness.  We become more holy as we open ourselves up to the presence of God in every person, every creature, every culture, indeed everything that we encounter.

+ 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