Post by rmcdra on Aug 14, 2015 0:26:09 GMT -5
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. - Matthew 10:34-36
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another. They are inseparable. Because of this neither are the good good, nor evil evil, nor is life life, nor death death. For this reason each one will dissolve into its earliest origin. But those who are exalted above the world are indissoluble, eternal.
Names given to the worldly are very deceptive, for they divert our thoughts from what is correct to what is incorrect. Thus one who hears the word "God" does not perceive what is correct, but perceives what is incorrect. So also with "the Father" and "the Son" and "the Holy Spirit" and "life" and "light" and "resurrection" and "the Church (Ekklesia)" and all the rest - people do not perceive what is correct but they perceive what is incorrect, unless they have come to know what is correct. The names which are heard are in the world [...] deceive. If they were in the Aeon (eternal realm), they would at no time be used as names in the world. Nor were they set among worldly things. They have an end in the Aeon. - Gospel of Philip
What comes to mind when you think of spiritual? In the US, the popular image is someone who's balanced and pure but what does that even mean? The popular imagery used for this is a monk who has transcended all desires but the everyday person isn't a monk, nor do they have a monastery or mountaintop to hide away at, nor does everyone want that. But is that all there is to spirituality, this bland persona that seems so devoid of life? Spirituality contrary to popular opinion is a very messy process. It's about becoming unbalanced and unhinged to find what it means to be balanced and hinged for you. It's about being unsettled and getting out of your comfort zone and for many this is difficult to do.
Spirituality at its very core is about understanding who you are and how you interact with the world in which you live. Some expressions of spirituality are specific to culture or family tradition. Some expressions are designed with a general audience in mind. Whatever form it takes, it's about seeking personal truths and this process is not neat and tidy. It's a lot like sex and there's a reason many spiritual traditions in the west use sex as an allegory for spirituality because the processes are very similar. Depending on how you go about having sex, it can be a very rewarding and enlighten experience or very traumatizing. Anyone who's had sex, knows that while this process is innate, it requires some exploration. Feeling around for the right spots that feel comfortable and pleasing, it isn't typically figured out in one go. Even before sex there's recognizing what arouses you and what makes you feel comfortable with a partner. The same is true for spirituality.
In spirituality the first and for most step is go with what you know or at least what you think you know. You have to have a starting point before you can start distinguishing between what you know and what you believe. Even if what you believe is wrong, if you are seeking what is true, it will be revealed. This next statement may be troubling for some but beliefs are not sacred. Beliefs are created by what you think you know based on how you interpret the world. As new information or experiences becomes available they can change your beliefs. Some beliefs are clearly false and can be demonstrated as such. If I drop a hammer on earth, it's not going to fly into the air. I can disprove that belief by dropping that hammer and seeing for myself that it doesn't fly in the air. This is not anything you have to answer now, but some questions to reflect on, “How are you're beliefs helping you? How do your beliefs benefit you? Are my beliefs consistent with the reality that I have experience? How am I ensuring that I'm not giving into conformation bias (believing something because you want it to be true)?”
Another struggle with spirituality is that there is not a consistent terminology because while sometimes spirituality is communal, often time it's personal. Even if two people are speaking the same language the words they use can be used in different ways. Take the word “god” for example; if there are 1,000 people, there will be 1,001 different meanings each person has for the word. In trying to convey your experience and understanding, you can add to the confusion unintentionally. This can be overcome by recognizing that while we as people have the same template, we are unique in that we have backgrounds, levels of understanding, and experiences. Recognizing those differences and similarities is essential to overcoming the language barrier and helps you become empathetic. I mean you are sharing this because they are your friends right?
This is why spirituality is challenging because it is about questioning fundamentally who you are and what it means to be you. There are not easy answers to these questions and questions like these but answers can be found. There are experiences we have yet to have that can provide answers to these questions. There are some experiences we may not ever had because of our lot in life. When these experiences are coupled with the wisdom and knowledge at the right time, they produce a deeper understanding, again much like sex or gardening. Such experiences can challenge what you think you know about reality and can even lead you to a new perspective on reality. It's about diving into the mud to find a treasure that is buried underneath. You'll get messy in the process but you'll find eventually find it. Once it's found then you can concern with cleaning and polishing it but the pearl will never be found if you aren't willing to get dirty. Sure some people may have spiritual experiences by looking at sunsets or walking on a beach, but unless your beliefs are challenged and who you are is questioned, there's no growing. If there is no growth, then there is no life. And living is the meaning of life. Choose how you want to live, you only have one; spirituality will help you figure out how best to live the life you have. Just don't be surprised if you get dirty in the process. The only clean things are dead.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another. They are inseparable. Because of this neither are the good good, nor evil evil, nor is life life, nor death death. For this reason each one will dissolve into its earliest origin. But those who are exalted above the world are indissoluble, eternal.
Names given to the worldly are very deceptive, for they divert our thoughts from what is correct to what is incorrect. Thus one who hears the word "God" does not perceive what is correct, but perceives what is incorrect. So also with "the Father" and "the Son" and "the Holy Spirit" and "life" and "light" and "resurrection" and "the Church (Ekklesia)" and all the rest - people do not perceive what is correct but they perceive what is incorrect, unless they have come to know what is correct. The names which are heard are in the world [...] deceive. If they were in the Aeon (eternal realm), they would at no time be used as names in the world. Nor were they set among worldly things. They have an end in the Aeon. - Gospel of Philip
What comes to mind when you think of spiritual? In the US, the popular image is someone who's balanced and pure but what does that even mean? The popular imagery used for this is a monk who has transcended all desires but the everyday person isn't a monk, nor do they have a monastery or mountaintop to hide away at, nor does everyone want that. But is that all there is to spirituality, this bland persona that seems so devoid of life? Spirituality contrary to popular opinion is a very messy process. It's about becoming unbalanced and unhinged to find what it means to be balanced and hinged for you. It's about being unsettled and getting out of your comfort zone and for many this is difficult to do.
Spirituality at its very core is about understanding who you are and how you interact with the world in which you live. Some expressions of spirituality are specific to culture or family tradition. Some expressions are designed with a general audience in mind. Whatever form it takes, it's about seeking personal truths and this process is not neat and tidy. It's a lot like sex and there's a reason many spiritual traditions in the west use sex as an allegory for spirituality because the processes are very similar. Depending on how you go about having sex, it can be a very rewarding and enlighten experience or very traumatizing. Anyone who's had sex, knows that while this process is innate, it requires some exploration. Feeling around for the right spots that feel comfortable and pleasing, it isn't typically figured out in one go. Even before sex there's recognizing what arouses you and what makes you feel comfortable with a partner. The same is true for spirituality.
In spirituality the first and for most step is go with what you know or at least what you think you know. You have to have a starting point before you can start distinguishing between what you know and what you believe. Even if what you believe is wrong, if you are seeking what is true, it will be revealed. This next statement may be troubling for some but beliefs are not sacred. Beliefs are created by what you think you know based on how you interpret the world. As new information or experiences becomes available they can change your beliefs. Some beliefs are clearly false and can be demonstrated as such. If I drop a hammer on earth, it's not going to fly into the air. I can disprove that belief by dropping that hammer and seeing for myself that it doesn't fly in the air. This is not anything you have to answer now, but some questions to reflect on, “How are you're beliefs helping you? How do your beliefs benefit you? Are my beliefs consistent with the reality that I have experience? How am I ensuring that I'm not giving into conformation bias (believing something because you want it to be true)?”
Another struggle with spirituality is that there is not a consistent terminology because while sometimes spirituality is communal, often time it's personal. Even if two people are speaking the same language the words they use can be used in different ways. Take the word “god” for example; if there are 1,000 people, there will be 1,001 different meanings each person has for the word. In trying to convey your experience and understanding, you can add to the confusion unintentionally. This can be overcome by recognizing that while we as people have the same template, we are unique in that we have backgrounds, levels of understanding, and experiences. Recognizing those differences and similarities is essential to overcoming the language barrier and helps you become empathetic. I mean you are sharing this because they are your friends right?
This is why spirituality is challenging because it is about questioning fundamentally who you are and what it means to be you. There are not easy answers to these questions and questions like these but answers can be found. There are experiences we have yet to have that can provide answers to these questions. There are some experiences we may not ever had because of our lot in life. When these experiences are coupled with the wisdom and knowledge at the right time, they produce a deeper understanding, again much like sex or gardening. Such experiences can challenge what you think you know about reality and can even lead you to a new perspective on reality. It's about diving into the mud to find a treasure that is buried underneath. You'll get messy in the process but you'll find eventually find it. Once it's found then you can concern with cleaning and polishing it but the pearl will never be found if you aren't willing to get dirty. Sure some people may have spiritual experiences by looking at sunsets or walking on a beach, but unless your beliefs are challenged and who you are is questioned, there's no growing. If there is no growth, then there is no life. And living is the meaning of life. Choose how you want to live, you only have one; spirituality will help you figure out how best to live the life you have. Just don't be surprised if you get dirty in the process. The only clean things are dead.
