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REPLIES
TO LAST MONTH'S QUESTION
The question was:
Describe a higher truth
you have drawn from the world’s spiritual/religious traditions that has
guided you in your evolutionary journey and a unifying vision for
humanity.
The responses to this month’s spiritual question of the
month provide a glance at how the wisdom that has come down through the
ages can benefit us in our daily lives. Our heartfelt thanks go out to
those who have taken the time to share the following thoughts.
Having been to practically every
church there is on my spiritual search, I found that every church said to
love one another, but I also found that it’s not practiced as much as it
is preached. I realized that you don’t find allegiance to the principles
that are preached in most churches. This moved me to want to be a person
of my word and to be compassionate. Spirituality comes from within. Know
it, trust it, and be it.
-Contributed by Kate from Sebastapol
,
CA, USA
"Your body is the
temple
of
God
; honor and respect it as such." This concept appears in various
religious traditions, including Christianity and Hinduism. When we greet a
fellow human being with "Namaste" we are essentially saying,
"I salute the Divinity within you." In the
Unity
Church
and say "I greet the Christ within you." This consciousness,
that we all reflect the glory of God, is a powerful force to unify
humanity. How could I possibly harm or insult another person if I know we
both come from and possess the same Divine Essence?
Ed,
Newbury Park
,
California
,
USA
I`m not one who frequently quotes the Bible, but, as a person who felt she
had to do everything herself, be the strong one, never ask for help, etc.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11 has inspired me. "Two are better than one;
because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the
one will lift up his fellow;....Again, if two lie together, then they have
heat; but how can one be warm alone?" I wanted to use the latter as
part of marriage vows - if I ever married again. Sigh.....lol I now see
the broader influence the words have had on my spiritual path.
-
Contributed by Sharon from
Buellton
,
CA, USA
The person I have gotten the most
from is Krishnamurti. He talks about not restricting yourself with any
religion or spiritual tradition. We need to embrace our own path and with
that we can become who and what we are, because each of us is a unique
individual with special gifts to share with others.
- Contributed by Angelina from Oceano, CA, USA
One thing that was a really big
learning for me as a Reiki Master was to allow people to have their
lessons and not try to fix them. The tradition of Reiki teaches us that we
can’t heal any one, that is each individual’s responsibility. By
allowing others to do this and honoring their evolutionary process, we
also allow them to take their power back.
- Contributed by Marion from Citrus Heights, CA, USA
I have found the simple phrase
“Judge not lest ye be judged” to be immensely helpful in my daily
life. It prompts me to remember that the universe doesn’t need me to
pass judgment on the people and events around me, and this makes life
easier for all involved. I also regard it as a simple ideal that, if
embraced on a larger scale, could simplify relations between people of
different faiths and nationalities.
- Contributed by Jane from Nipomo, CA, USA
Could it be as simple as changing
humanity into light givers by turning them from takers to givers?
- Contributed by Merlin from
Lincoln, NE,
USA
All of the religions have versions
of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you.” I believe that respecting life and being mindful of everyone’s
faith is a key to creating a better world. Every one is at a different
place on the spiritual path and we are all different. We can honor that.
As
mentioned in this month's article, you can find an extensive list of
versions of the Golden Rule on this website. JUST
CLICK HERE.
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HONORING THE
WISDOM TRADITIONS
By Phillip and Jane Mountrose
This article picks up on the theme of creating an integral
vision, which we discussed in the last newsletter.
This theme resonates deeply with the mission of Awakenings.
Interestingly,
as we can see from the responses to last month's spiritual question, in
the column to the left, the solutions for many if not all of society’s
problems can be found in the same spiritual and religious traditions that
divide us and wreak havoc on the physical, emotional, and spiritual
environment we share. One of the primary missions of Awakenings Institute
is to create a path and presence that fosters awareness of how we can use
the higher truths of the world’s spiritual traditions collectively to
create a better world and individually to accelerate our progress on the
spiritual path.
AN
INTEGRAL VISION FOR HUMANITY
We
know religion has its shadow side, fostering dogma, rigid rules, conflict
and war. This distorted side ignores the higher truths the
spiritual/religious “wisdom traditions” were based on.
But
rather than throw the spiritual/religious baby out with the bath water,
the opportunity before us is to create a new archetypal
spiritual/religious form, a form that embodies this integral approach and
creates an uplifting presence that can help humanity to rise out of the
current patterns of fear and division. (See exercise on the right column.)
The
major spiritual philosophies and religions can be seen as spokes on a
wheel. Each spoke leads to the hub, which is
wholeness/oneness/spirit/God/source. To create a more harmonious world, it
serves us to acknowledge the many spiritual traditions and the wisdom they
express, centering on love, joy, compassion, and enlightenment. By
incorporating such insights and awareness into our lives, a collective
wisdom that transcends the limitations of any single tradition emerges.
Ken Wilber, the visionary philosopher, calls this an “integral
vision,” being inclusive and representing the best of all possible
worlds.
Wilber
has noted that each single spiritual system is part of a larger whole, or
a spoke on the wheel mentioned earlier. Each spiritual approach adds
valuable pieces to the larger whole. For example, each religion has
valuable knowledge and practices associated with it that we can all
benefit from on our evolutionary journeys. Each spiritual tradition can
also benefit from pieces of the puzzle that can be filled in with the
wisdom offered by others. Together they are resources for spiritual growth
that complement our current technological/scientific/information age.
Wilber
also identifies different levels of understanding in religion and
spirituality. Corresponding to the stages of our evolutionary development,
the more primitive/mythic levels are characterized by superstitions,
tribalism, and literal interpretations of selected religious texts. As we
evolve, our consciousness expands into a more soulful/integral approach
that draws higher truths from all traditions and embraces higher levels of
awareness as a way of life.
ADDRESSING
THE SHADOW SIDE
Addressing
the shadow side is often a missing element in approaches to religion and
spirituality. It is vital to include conscious healing as part of an
integral approach to fully benefit from what the wisdom traditions offer,
as Awakenings is currently doing. With holistic healing (integrating the
body, emotions, mind, and spirit) our religious/spiritual pursuits can
correct the personal distortions and the limiting beliefs that create fear
and ignorance. Love, forgiveness, and divine guidance – higher elements
contained in religion — can then be used for healing as well as
inspiration.
FORMATORY
THINKING
A
common divisive pattern that goes largely unrecognized is either-or
thinking, which may also be called formatory thinking. With formatory
thinking, there is good and evil, black and white, right and wrong, saved
and damned, each focusing on how one’s preferred approach is right and
good, leaving anything else to be wrong and evil. As someone we all know
says, “either you’re for us or against us” and “it’s the right
thing to do,” meaning this way is the best way and anything else is not
worthy of consideration. Life is rarely this clear and simple. In fact,
formatory thinking is not thinking at all. It is more like a computer
playing back data that has been fed into it.
As
a note, we wrote an article on formatory thinking for the Soul News E-newsletter,
which you can access at www.gettingthru.org/sn0202.htm.
Recognizing this limiting perspective is invaluable on the spiritual path.
A
formatory approach is fast and easy, but totally ineffective In relation
to recognizing the need for deeper thought, which requires concentration.
It uses a small part of the mind that puts things into known boxes,
focusing on form, superficial meaning, and associations. As mentioned,
such thinking limits everything to two possibilities or absolute terms.
The old paradigm that you can only get to heaven (or wherever you hope to
go) through one teaching is similarly limiting. It denies a wealth of
possibilities that can be beneficial to the whole and the simple fact
that, regardless of how we describe it, we all seek the same wholeness.
THE
BIGGER PICTURE
To
be sure, this is a time to build bridges and find common ground with
others. We might be tempted to indiscriminately reject all religions
because of the bad things they have done and our disappointing experiences
with them. This all or nothing approach is as limiting, absolute, and
formatory in its rejection of all religious forms as the more mythic
approaches are in their insistence on specific forms.
To
see the bigger picture, we need to use a broad approach that includes
discernment, relativity, and many ideas. Where we may have thought that
religion is a dead end, with full use of our minds and our hearts, we can
discern how the wisdom traditions are alive, relevant, and easily
accessible in our technological world. One amazing example (drawn from one
reader's thoughts on the question of the month) is how virtually all of
the world's great religious and philosophical traditions include versions
of the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you."
CLICK HERE
to see how extensive this list is and imagine how the world would change
if spiritual and religious people worldwide lived by this wisdom.
While
recognizing the parts of religion that are limiting, we free ourselves to
connect with the unifying elements in the wisdom traditions. We understand
ourselves better, relate more easily to others, and expand the common
ground we have with people, the planet, and the cosmos. We can gaze amazed
at the big picture as we ascend the mountaintop and embrace the higher
truths. As we discover what is right for us, we can then carry the wisdom
of the ages with us in our daily lives.
YOU CAN HELP AWAKENINGS
TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD BY SHARING
THIS NEWSLETTER WITH OTHERS.
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NEW
QUESTION OF
THE MONTH
To continue on the
theme of creating an integral vision, the new “Question of the
Month” is:
Share a transcendent experience when you felt unified with
the oneness, wholeness, God, or Creator.
All are invited to participate and your contributions are
appreciated. You never know when you hold the key that will help another
person to transform his or her life.
We will discuss this
subject and share your contributions in next month’s newsletter.
CLICK HERE to
respond to this question on Awakenings'
Website.
RELIGIOUS ARCHETYPES EXERCISE
This newsletter offers spiritual practices for accelerating your
development and realizing your goals.
This exercise
Write down three things you like about
religion/spirituality and three things you dislike. You might find some of
the things are somewhat opposite. For example, you might like the way
religions emphasize love and unity and dislike the examples of how they
have produced hatred and intolerance.
Now contemplate ways that you can
apply the positive aspects of religion in your daily life. For instance,
what is a specific way to be more compassionate toward someone? If you
dislike the person, how can you still find a way to be tolerant and
understanding of them even if their behavior is objectionable?
Now, set a goal to apply one or more
of the positive aspects of religion into your daily life. Goals work best
when made in writing. You can write post-it notes or put a reminder in
your calendar to help you with this goal..
As you cultivate peace within, you
balance the religious archetype not only within yourself, but create more
harmonious possibilities for everyone. One person, like you can make a
difference. Start today with your positive religious archetypes practice.
AWAKENINGS' MISSION
Awakenings was created to share a higher experience of reality, reaching beyond
limitation to wholeness and to create a tangible presence for those
seeking to rise above fear and limitation to create a world that resonates
with the higher energies of joy, love, and peace.
CLICK HERE to find out more about the organization.
This newsletter provides a forum to connect members and
interested individuals around the globe, to heal each other to progress on
the spiritual journey and to realize our collective dream of creating a
better world.
CLICK HERE to subscribe.
MEMBERSHIP
CLICK HERE to find out how you can become an official
member of Awakenings spiritual community.
ORDINATION
A
way to take action toward realizing your dream of serving others is by
becoming an ordained minister. Joining together, each of us has greater
impact as we create an
appropriate form for the realization of our dreams.
CLICK HERE to find out how qualified
spiritual/holistic practitioners can realize their spiritual missions as
ordained Ministers of Holistic Healing with Awakenings Institute.
UNIVERSITY DEGREE PROGRAMS
CLICK HERE to learn about earning a doctorate,
masters, or bachelor's degree in a spiritual/holistic subject.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CLICK HERE to go to gettingthru.org for a complete
listing of seminars and courses available with Phillip and Jane Mountrose
"Be
the change you wish to see in the world."
- MAHATMA GANDHI
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