To find the silence, practice the 3 stages of meditation:
Become an observer of your thoughts.
Become an observer of your emotions.
Become an observer of just being.
In each step, do not judge and assess the thoughts, feelings and being. Eventually, you will find the silence. Here the bubble around you, the 'I,' will dissolve. You will find peace and discover how all things are connected, the at-one-ness, the bridge between here and there. You will have reached out and touched the silence.
The silence is full of noise; the chattering of birds, the wind in the trees, the water over pebbles or rocks, the hustle and bustle of people racing around; the thunder after the lightning, the footsteps of a child, the purr of a cat, the crackle of a fire, the rain on the window. All sound comes from an immutable source, the silence.
The silence is peaceful. It is a place within you and around you..
It is one thing to find the silence, but another to carry it with you, as you walk the journey of life.
It is like a candle that is lit, then the flame is shared by lighting another candle. It is one light, the same light yet on all candles. It is duty to light the unlit candles by sharing the light, that is the silence.
Friday 24 July 2015
Wednesday 8 July 2015
Future in the past tense
What if the future is actually the past? When we look at the universe, is what we consider the past, the beginning, actually the future? Is our perception of time as human beings unique when actually time behaves differently?
Deepak Chopra recently suggested that cells retain a conscious memory which is picked up by new cells so they know what to do. He explains this by explaining how often various cells replace themselves. He suggests that when a cell, such as skin cell dies it is replaced by a new skin cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? What did my father, grandfather do?" And Deepak thinks the conscious memory of the grandfather, or father, cell is passed on to the new cell so it knows what it is and what to do. It's an interesting idea but, if time operates differently, as I suggest, maybe the cell is telling the grandfather cell, "This is is what you did, this is what you were."
If this is the case, is birth actually death? Is the question of what happens after death and where do we go actually from whence did I come? This may indicate we come from 'nothing' (an unknown state) into this state and when we die, we actually become part of someone else. The rules seem to reverse.
A flower in bloom is its birth, retiring to a seed. A grain of sand is the beginning which collects other sand particles to become a pebble. A view is not received by the eye but projected. Rain does not fall down, it climbs up. The beginning of the universe is actually our end.
Everything would be turned on its head.
If we look at the example of the flower, the seed doesn't come first but the plant. Yet is this not the case anyway? The flower starts tall and shrinks to a seed. The seed has not fallen to the ground but jumped up to be part of the initial flower.
So, is this the case? Or is time as we perceive it linear from past to future? Does gravity and the orbit of the planets our solar system follow one direction and the universe follow another idea of time?
With the double split test, the photons hit the target either as particle or wave. After realizing, that when scientists observed, the photon changed state accordingly to reach the target, the scientists didn't observe the photon and used a laser to act as the second barrier, and set it to randomly choose when to 'raise' the barrier. The test was recorded without human observation, until afterwards when they watched the recording. What they found was, basically, the photon appeared to know when the laser barrier was going to be used, or not used, and changed state accordingly, even though the laser was choosing when to 'raise' the barrier at random! So they wondered how it knew when the laser would randomly choose to activate. What they deduced was that the future outcome influenced the past, so the photon knew which state to be in, due to it knowing when the second barrier would be used.
This may sound odd, but when I came across Deepak Chopra's article, it seemed to make sense; when a cell dies it is replaced by a new cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? And what did 'grandfather' do?" And the conscious memory of the 'grandfather cell' is passed on to the new cell, so it knows what it is and what to do. Moreover, the consciousness passes from cell a to b. To reach the next cell, it has to know that it is coming back, or know the memory is moving forward aware that it's dying.
Deepak does not go in to reincarnation as such, and I (and only in my opinion) do not believe in reincarnation. I do believe in something happening when we die and the migration of the soul though. I personally believe in each soul/person being unique, and also each individual being an expression of the universe, as we are all made from the same things and part of the universe, not separate from it.
So, in my eye, memories, or consciousness, could potentially be downloaded, so to speak.
As I write this, I am pondering how we know certain things: when we are born, how do we know how to breathe? Science may explain how, but why and how do we know we need to breathe? How do we know to open our eyes? How do we know we will need them? Natural selection may explain why we have eyes, and why some animals have them in certain positions, but how do we know that we need them. Is the answer as Deepak suggests? Has the being downloaded the necessary information to know what it needs? Is it because it knows the future, the end and knows what it needs to do to get to that final destination, like the photon?
Or is it due to our perception of time being unique? Does time's arrow shoot straight from past to future? Or is it only this way for us as we are caught in gravity's web?
All these things are to take out for a cup of tea, on a warm sunny, autumn day, in March. Biscuits optional
Deepak Chopra recently suggested that cells retain a conscious memory which is picked up by new cells so they know what to do. He explains this by explaining how often various cells replace themselves. He suggests that when a cell, such as skin cell dies it is replaced by a new skin cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? What did my father, grandfather do?" And Deepak thinks the conscious memory of the grandfather, or father, cell is passed on to the new cell so it knows what it is and what to do. It's an interesting idea but, if time operates differently, as I suggest, maybe the cell is telling the grandfather cell, "This is is what you did, this is what you were."
If this is the case, is birth actually death? Is the question of what happens after death and where do we go actually from whence did I come? This may indicate we come from 'nothing' (an unknown state) into this state and when we die, we actually become part of someone else. The rules seem to reverse.
A flower in bloom is its birth, retiring to a seed. A grain of sand is the beginning which collects other sand particles to become a pebble. A view is not received by the eye but projected. Rain does not fall down, it climbs up. The beginning of the universe is actually our end.
Everything would be turned on its head.
If we look at the example of the flower, the seed doesn't come first but the plant. Yet is this not the case anyway? The flower starts tall and shrinks to a seed. The seed has not fallen to the ground but jumped up to be part of the initial flower.
So, is this the case? Or is time as we perceive it linear from past to future? Does gravity and the orbit of the planets our solar system follow one direction and the universe follow another idea of time?
With the double split test, the photons hit the target either as particle or wave. After realizing, that when scientists observed, the photon changed state accordingly to reach the target, the scientists didn't observe the photon and used a laser to act as the second barrier, and set it to randomly choose when to 'raise' the barrier. The test was recorded without human observation, until afterwards when they watched the recording. What they found was, basically, the photon appeared to know when the laser barrier was going to be used, or not used, and changed state accordingly, even though the laser was choosing when to 'raise' the barrier at random! So they wondered how it knew when the laser would randomly choose to activate. What they deduced was that the future outcome influenced the past, so the photon knew which state to be in, due to it knowing when the second barrier would be used.
This may sound odd, but when I came across Deepak Chopra's article, it seemed to make sense; when a cell dies it is replaced by a new cell which wonders what it is. "What am I? And what did 'grandfather' do?" And the conscious memory of the 'grandfather cell' is passed on to the new cell, so it knows what it is and what to do. Moreover, the consciousness passes from cell a to b. To reach the next cell, it has to know that it is coming back, or know the memory is moving forward aware that it's dying.
Deepak does not go in to reincarnation as such, and I (and only in my opinion) do not believe in reincarnation. I do believe in something happening when we die and the migration of the soul though. I personally believe in each soul/person being unique, and also each individual being an expression of the universe, as we are all made from the same things and part of the universe, not separate from it.
So, in my eye, memories, or consciousness, could potentially be downloaded, so to speak.
As I write this, I am pondering how we know certain things: when we are born, how do we know how to breathe? Science may explain how, but why and how do we know we need to breathe? How do we know to open our eyes? How do we know we will need them? Natural selection may explain why we have eyes, and why some animals have them in certain positions, but how do we know that we need them. Is the answer as Deepak suggests? Has the being downloaded the necessary information to know what it needs? Is it because it knows the future, the end and knows what it needs to do to get to that final destination, like the photon?
Or is it due to our perception of time being unique? Does time's arrow shoot straight from past to future? Or is it only this way for us as we are caught in gravity's web?
All these things are to take out for a cup of tea, on a warm sunny, autumn day, in March. Biscuits optional
Forgiveness
Why forgive when I can't forget?
Why should I forgive?
What they did was unforgivable!
So why forgive someone? The one point I will stress straight away is that I'm not talking about 'spiritual' or 'religious' aspects of forgiveness. I'm going to look at the psychological aspects of forgiveness.
Firstly, no one is asking you to forget. Secondly, it's up to you to forgive, no one can make you. However, forgiveness has many psychological benefits for it helps brings closure, helps you come to terms with what happened, can bring reconciliation, helps you to find peace and can help you move forward from an event.
Forgiveness is something that people often say they have done before they have processed the mental work necessary. It's also a necessary part of grieving process, when we accept what's happened and realise we can't change it. [For grieving, please see article on 'mourning'.]
It is easy to say that you forgive someone, but harder to live that forgiveness. This is especially the case when you know or live with the person. Human nature means we tend to remember experiences & incidents and recall them when similar events arise; it's part of how we learn. However, how we handle our response is another thing that is learnt, hence people tending to say they forgive before mentally processing the forgiveness journey. It's a little like those who repeat positive affirmations; the more you tell yourself that you're a strong, positive person, the more you believe it and live like it.
The act of forgiveness, as previously mentioned, helps us come to a state of peace and accepting that it happened to you. It can once and for all put the subject to bed. It releases you from the incident's grasp, alleviates your mental state, and grants you a sense of control.
If you imagine that every wrong doing done to you was a stone, place them in a backpack and carry it, how heavy would it feel? Do you want that emotional weight weighing you down? One way of alighting that weight is to remove it and its power over you. Yes, by not forgiving, the event/person is under the control of the incident/offender. To release the control it has over you, take control and release it.
As mentioned before, the mental journey you undertake is part of the forgiveness. We can do this by accepting and acknowledging our feelings, emotions and the event. [I deal with this in a previous article called, 'Mourning'.] We may not be able to undo the act carried out, nor forget it, but we can move beyond it.
When you come back from holiday, you unpack your bags and do the laundry. You then go about getting into your normal routine. This is a bit like forgiveness. You don't forget the holiday, and you unpack the baggage and give it a good wash
Why should I forgive?
What they did was unforgivable!
So why forgive someone? The one point I will stress straight away is that I'm not talking about 'spiritual' or 'religious' aspects of forgiveness. I'm going to look at the psychological aspects of forgiveness.
Firstly, no one is asking you to forget. Secondly, it's up to you to forgive, no one can make you. However, forgiveness has many psychological benefits for it helps brings closure, helps you come to terms with what happened, can bring reconciliation, helps you to find peace and can help you move forward from an event.
Forgiveness is something that people often say they have done before they have processed the mental work necessary. It's also a necessary part of grieving process, when we accept what's happened and realise we can't change it. [For grieving, please see article on 'mourning'.]
It is easy to say that you forgive someone, but harder to live that forgiveness. This is especially the case when you know or live with the person. Human nature means we tend to remember experiences & incidents and recall them when similar events arise; it's part of how we learn. However, how we handle our response is another thing that is learnt, hence people tending to say they forgive before mentally processing the forgiveness journey. It's a little like those who repeat positive affirmations; the more you tell yourself that you're a strong, positive person, the more you believe it and live like it.
The act of forgiveness, as previously mentioned, helps us come to a state of peace and accepting that it happened to you. It can once and for all put the subject to bed. It releases you from the incident's grasp, alleviates your mental state, and grants you a sense of control.
If you imagine that every wrong doing done to you was a stone, place them in a backpack and carry it, how heavy would it feel? Do you want that emotional weight weighing you down? One way of alighting that weight is to remove it and its power over you. Yes, by not forgiving, the event/person is under the control of the incident/offender. To release the control it has over you, take control and release it.
As mentioned before, the mental journey you undertake is part of the forgiveness. We can do this by accepting and acknowledging our feelings, emotions and the event. [I deal with this in a previous article called, 'Mourning'.] We may not be able to undo the act carried out, nor forget it, but we can move beyond it.
When you come back from holiday, you unpack your bags and do the laundry. You then go about getting into your normal routine. This is a bit like forgiveness. You don't forget the holiday, and you unpack the baggage and give it a good wash
Tuesday 7 July 2015
Mourning
When we hear the word mourning, we tend to think about bereavement, death, but it is also linked to any loss or change. We may have moved house, had a child leave home, changed job, experienced a break up in a loving relationship, as well as having suffered the loss of a loved one. So mourning is a process we go through regarding any change or loss.
At one time, I was in the armed forces and when I left, it took me ages to get over it. Why? Because until someone told me I was mourning, I didn't realise. Then the healing began. Once I recognised the state I was in I could move through it. Everyone has their own unique point of realisation and there's no fixed timescale for the healing either. It takes as long as it takes.
Grief manifests itself in many ways. There is regret, remorse, sadness, anger, catastrophiszing, and depression. These are all expressions of grief. Sometimes we cannot recognise what emotions we are experiencing, so need help with this from a friend, a listening ear and sometimes professional help. Being able to recognise the emotion is helpful and to realise that this is a manifestation of your grief, your mourning, is integral.
To move through mourning, we need to recognise and acknowledge the trigger, such as bereavement, change of lifestyle, break up of a relationship, etc. Once we acknowledge this, we begin to recognise how we feel. Do you feel angry? Sad? Happy? Depressed? There are no right or wrong answers. Acknowledge your feelings. Explore why you feel the way you do. Talk to someone, a friend, a stranger, a doctor or counsellor. By doing this you you are moving through the mourning.
Next is accepting what has happened, that it cannot be undone. It is a hard thing and can be intensely difficult to accept that the event occurred. At this point, we wish we had a time machine to undo what has been done. So accepting the event is integral and like I said, the most difficult stage of mourning. Once you accept that it's happened, you are almost there, almost through the mourning.
After accepting what has happened, it's time to carry on with everyday things. This is easier said than done. Little things can trigger emotions, memories and mental pictures. Be aware that the most unlikely scenario can stir up the memories and emotions. As you continue your journey through life, you will never forget what occurred but you will become more at peace with it.
There's no prescription that can heal. There's no thing you can change. The mourning process is what it is. Some people take a while to process mourning, whereas others are relatively swift. So try to remember;
Recognise that you're mourning
Explore & Acknowledge your feelings
Accept what happened
Continue with life
Take as long as you need
It's difficult. Seek help if you need it. Acknowledge the change has happened. By not doing this, you just shelve it till later. Mourning needs to be dealt with. So take the time to move through it.
These words seem so easy to read, so easy to write, but mourning is a hard process to go through. I'm not saying it's easy, I just know it's something you have to go through, just as I have
At one time, I was in the armed forces and when I left, it took me ages to get over it. Why? Because until someone told me I was mourning, I didn't realise. Then the healing began. Once I recognised the state I was in I could move through it. Everyone has their own unique point of realisation and there's no fixed timescale for the healing either. It takes as long as it takes.
Grief manifests itself in many ways. There is regret, remorse, sadness, anger, catastrophiszing, and depression. These are all expressions of grief. Sometimes we cannot recognise what emotions we are experiencing, so need help with this from a friend, a listening ear and sometimes professional help. Being able to recognise the emotion is helpful and to realise that this is a manifestation of your grief, your mourning, is integral.
To move through mourning, we need to recognise and acknowledge the trigger, such as bereavement, change of lifestyle, break up of a relationship, etc. Once we acknowledge this, we begin to recognise how we feel. Do you feel angry? Sad? Happy? Depressed? There are no right or wrong answers. Acknowledge your feelings. Explore why you feel the way you do. Talk to someone, a friend, a stranger, a doctor or counsellor. By doing this you you are moving through the mourning.
Next is accepting what has happened, that it cannot be undone. It is a hard thing and can be intensely difficult to accept that the event occurred. At this point, we wish we had a time machine to undo what has been done. So accepting the event is integral and like I said, the most difficult stage of mourning. Once you accept that it's happened, you are almost there, almost through the mourning.
After accepting what has happened, it's time to carry on with everyday things. This is easier said than done. Little things can trigger emotions, memories and mental pictures. Be aware that the most unlikely scenario can stir up the memories and emotions. As you continue your journey through life, you will never forget what occurred but you will become more at peace with it.
There's no prescription that can heal. There's no thing you can change. The mourning process is what it is. Some people take a while to process mourning, whereas others are relatively swift. So try to remember;
Recognise that you're mourning
Explore & Acknowledge your feelings
Accept what happened
Continue with life
Take as long as you need
It's difficult. Seek help if you need it. Acknowledge the change has happened. By not doing this, you just shelve it till later. Mourning needs to be dealt with. So take the time to move through it.
These words seem so easy to read, so easy to write, but mourning is a hard process to go through. I'm not saying it's easy, I just know it's something you have to go through, just as I have
Anger
In any situation we can be faced with a person who is angry and taking it out on you. From experience, I have found that the person who is confronting me is actually angry about something else, yet it's manifesting itself in another way. So, I ride out the initial wave of anger and let them say what they feel the need to say. Then, I break down and repeat back to them the points they've raised. As I try to reach a resolution, I begin a conversation. Throughout the dialogue, I collect additional information which can often be revealing.
One time, a lady I was speaking to was complaining about a minor issue, but through conversation, I discerned that her handbag had been stolen. She had lost her purse which contained money, bank cards, etc. and priceless photographs of her family, some of whom had died. Hence, she needed her issue dealing with, as well as needing to express her emotional state regarding a) the theft & b) moving through the bereavement process. I did not offer advice but listened.
The need to be heard is a very strong need in humans. This requires active listening, not simply hearing what's said and glossing over it. And curiously the listener is frequently someone that they do not know. I personally think this is due to the way the afflicted person perceives the people they know; they presuppose the reactions and answers, and know how they will react. Therefore, speaking to someone who they don't know gives the opportunity to hear a fresh response, one that is not presupposed, not expected.
So next time someone sounds off at you, try to listen, get to the heart of the problem. You don't have to give advice, but actively listen so they feel heard, that someone has taken the time to listen to what's going on in their heart. Reach deeper and listen to the heart, not the anger.
One time, a lady I was speaking to was complaining about a minor issue, but through conversation, I discerned that her handbag had been stolen. She had lost her purse which contained money, bank cards, etc. and priceless photographs of her family, some of whom had died. Hence, she needed her issue dealing with, as well as needing to express her emotional state regarding a) the theft & b) moving through the bereavement process. I did not offer advice but listened.
The need to be heard is a very strong need in humans. This requires active listening, not simply hearing what's said and glossing over it. And curiously the listener is frequently someone that they do not know. I personally think this is due to the way the afflicted person perceives the people they know; they presuppose the reactions and answers, and know how they will react. Therefore, speaking to someone who they don't know gives the opportunity to hear a fresh response, one that is not presupposed, not expected.
So next time someone sounds off at you, try to listen, get to the heart of the problem. You don't have to give advice, but actively listen so they feel heard, that someone has taken the time to listen to what's going on in their heart. Reach deeper and listen to the heart, not the anger.
Monday 6 July 2015
A chance to change
I was greatly encouraged this morning by a conversation with my 13 year old son. He was asking me about black holes and how we know that they are there. This lead to asking other questions about the universe. He also asked about God and had the idea that possibly God and the universe are one and the same. I explained various schools of thought, then he asked who created God. I explored the various arguments with him, from Hindu, Jewish/Muslim/Christian, Buddhism to Zen. He suggested that each religion had possibly been given a part of the universe to explore. He also came up with this idea; maybe the universe/God knows the outcome, the end of everything and we have been given the opportunity to save it. We talked about time and how we, as human beings, perceive it in one fashion, and that our view maybe unique. We explored the possibility that, like the recent double split test indicated, the future affects the past, as opposed to decisions made in the past or now affecting the future. Again he came back to the idea that the end is already known, yet we have been given the opportunity to change it.
Let me explain something; my son, Thomas, is autistic and certain concepts for him are difficult to grasp. He has no real concept of time, and explaining it to him is a real challenge. He recently said he does not believe in God. Inasmuch as it upset me, it showed me that he is capable of reaching an intelligent conclusion. (I'm not saying he is incapable; I was merely impressed by his level of reasoning.) I'd love him to believe in God. I would like him to have faith. I can't impose any idea on him and he will have to formulate his own beliefs. Yet, today's conversation encouraged me that, firstly, he is questioning his position and place in the universe and, secondly, he is trying to understand God.
It was a great conversation we had. I often long for this type of dialogue with people. I was able to present competing ideas from science, cosmology and religions. However, many of the answers to the questions presented revealed the answer, 'We don't know.' We have many ideas and form opinions, but ultimately, we do not know so much.
The one thing that impressed me so much, is Thomas's idea; the universe/God knows the outcome, the end of all things, yet we been given the opportunity to change it. This gives me hope for future generations and encouraged me today, as I sit here, in this little part of the western world, which seems to be moving away from religion, from faith, from belief in God. And I thank the Lord for this encouragement.
Let me explain something; my son, Thomas, is autistic and certain concepts for him are difficult to grasp. He has no real concept of time, and explaining it to him is a real challenge. He recently said he does not believe in God. Inasmuch as it upset me, it showed me that he is capable of reaching an intelligent conclusion. (I'm not saying he is incapable; I was merely impressed by his level of reasoning.) I'd love him to believe in God. I would like him to have faith. I can't impose any idea on him and he will have to formulate his own beliefs. Yet, today's conversation encouraged me that, firstly, he is questioning his position and place in the universe and, secondly, he is trying to understand God.
It was a great conversation we had. I often long for this type of dialogue with people. I was able to present competing ideas from science, cosmology and religions. However, many of the answers to the questions presented revealed the answer, 'We don't know.' We have many ideas and form opinions, but ultimately, we do not know so much.
The one thing that impressed me so much, is Thomas's idea; the universe/God knows the outcome, the end of all things, yet we been given the opportunity to change it. This gives me hope for future generations and encouraged me today, as I sit here, in this little part of the western world, which seems to be moving away from religion, from faith, from belief in God. And I thank the Lord for this encouragement.
Thursday 2 July 2015
A short spiritual autobiography
I've always had a predisposition to sitting and thinking. As a teenager, I recall sitting in the large, swivel armchair after dinner and just thinking, musing over things, looking at the books on my father's bookcase. I'd read the spines of the books. One day I finally opened up one of the books. It was about American history, the Indians, 'cowboys,' outlaws, and presidents. It was enthralling. Then I opened another book another time which was a history of western philosophy. I recall reading about the thinkers Monty Python referred to, Kant, Pascal, Nietzsche, et al. Being young, I kept re-reading the articles to try and understand them.
I was also a martial arts enthusiast and became immersed in the philosophy and thought of the far east. The music I listened to was instrumental, electronic and I enjoyed Erasure, Depeche Mode and Howard Jones, who was vegetarian and used philosophy in his lyrics. Inspired by Howard, I read the Tao te Ching and a book by Lin Yutang. Some of the other books I requested at the library the staff had never heard of, but they requested them from other, bigger libraries.
Then, after a long time and in the armed forces, I began to get back into my interests. I learnt about Rastafarianism, lived with a Sikh lady for a while, learnt about myths, Hinduism and studied the Bible intensely. At that time, I was also in a very bad place, mentally. The journey for me was just beginning.
I spent time with my maternal grandfather and we talked alot about the Bible and he gave his perspective as a Jehovah Witness. I also went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with my local Roman Catholic church. At this point, I began to emerge from the dark place I'd been in. My parents took me to a healing event and this was the turning point for me.
Mum and Dad raised my sister and I in a stable Christian environment. We had attended Baptist and Anglican churches. I had given my life to Christ at a very young age, I was about 7-8yrs old and got confirmed at 14. I also went to an Elim Pentecostal church for a good while, with school friend, Geoffrey.
As an adult, I became intrigued by Buddhism and its similarities to Christianity. This led me on another part of my spiritual journey through Hinduism, back through Buddhism, Taoism and Zen / Chan. In my late thirties I began practicing Zen, not Zen-Buddhism. This took me back to the origins of Judaism/Christianity. I also began to share thoughts with the ACIM practitioners, with whom I have a deep affinity. [ACIM - A Course in Miracles]
When I was 39, I had an awakening and it was also at this time that I qualified as a teacher. Over the years, I gained other qualifications and found a love of learning. From Zen, I learnt alot about not judging. I was inclined to learn, and unlearn, things. I preferred the Rinzai Zen line, their use of koans and approach to enlightenment. I began reading alot of Thomas Merton's work and began to weave Zen into my Christian life. Many people confuse Zen and Zen Buddhism, and say you cannot mix them, but I believe you can. Zen is a way of life, that, ostensibly, the first Christian contemplatives followed. I felt no deep calling to join a monastic order, but I have frequently considered joining the priesthood and I still think this would be a possibility for me in the future.
I love learning and talking about different spiritual beliefs. I see a great beauty in them, especially the eastern religions. I have my opinions and beliefs, but don't impose them or preach them. However, I have preached sermons in church services. I have always encouraged prayer and believe in the power of prayer.
So what do I believe? I believe that there is God. I believe in the Holy Spirit and in salvation, through Christ. I believe in actions speaking more than pretty words. I practice Zen, in daily life, and meditation. I don't believe in imposing beliefs upon people. I don't believe in karma. I believe there is the Way, which can be observed in nature. I believe all things are connected and long to understand the nature and being of God, as I am fascinated by God. I have looked at how other faiths perceive God, and the relationship between humankind and God. It's not something I struggle with, but seek to explore. I've had many numinous encounters and am amazed by them. I know that there is power in prayer and faith, and I know God exists. I perceive God as a trinity, all parts being equal.
In my daily walk and spiritual journey, I've found how to apply my learning and synthesize it, actualize it. At this time, I find myself trying to help others on their journey of faith. I don't tell them, I await them asking. And people are asking. I don't prescribe a path, but ask them questions to assist them in their spiritual journey.
I've learnt alot and will continue to learn. I'm nicknamed, Guru or Roshi, the meadow master, but I am who I am and I'm not God. I try my best, try my hardest not to judge and prefer to act in a situation rather than react or just talk about the situation.
My heroes? Jesus, Abraham, Joseph, Ghandi, Dogen, Siddhartha Gautama, the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa, Ma-Tsu, Mo Tsu, Lao Tzu and anyone who makes a peaceful stand for change.
It's time for me to live the learning and I've started. The journey continues.
I was also a martial arts enthusiast and became immersed in the philosophy and thought of the far east. The music I listened to was instrumental, electronic and I enjoyed Erasure, Depeche Mode and Howard Jones, who was vegetarian and used philosophy in his lyrics. Inspired by Howard, I read the Tao te Ching and a book by Lin Yutang. Some of the other books I requested at the library the staff had never heard of, but they requested them from other, bigger libraries.
Then, after a long time and in the armed forces, I began to get back into my interests. I learnt about Rastafarianism, lived with a Sikh lady for a while, learnt about myths, Hinduism and studied the Bible intensely. At that time, I was also in a very bad place, mentally. The journey for me was just beginning.
I spent time with my maternal grandfather and we talked alot about the Bible and he gave his perspective as a Jehovah Witness. I also went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with my local Roman Catholic church. At this point, I began to emerge from the dark place I'd been in. My parents took me to a healing event and this was the turning point for me.
Mum and Dad raised my sister and I in a stable Christian environment. We had attended Baptist and Anglican churches. I had given my life to Christ at a very young age, I was about 7-8yrs old and got confirmed at 14. I also went to an Elim Pentecostal church for a good while, with school friend, Geoffrey.
As an adult, I became intrigued by Buddhism and its similarities to Christianity. This led me on another part of my spiritual journey through Hinduism, back through Buddhism, Taoism and Zen / Chan. In my late thirties I began practicing Zen, not Zen-Buddhism. This took me back to the origins of Judaism/Christianity. I also began to share thoughts with the ACIM practitioners, with whom I have a deep affinity. [ACIM - A Course in Miracles]
When I was 39, I had an awakening and it was also at this time that I qualified as a teacher. Over the years, I gained other qualifications and found a love of learning. From Zen, I learnt alot about not judging. I was inclined to learn, and unlearn, things. I preferred the Rinzai Zen line, their use of koans and approach to enlightenment. I began reading alot of Thomas Merton's work and began to weave Zen into my Christian life. Many people confuse Zen and Zen Buddhism, and say you cannot mix them, but I believe you can. Zen is a way of life, that, ostensibly, the first Christian contemplatives followed. I felt no deep calling to join a monastic order, but I have frequently considered joining the priesthood and I still think this would be a possibility for me in the future.
I love learning and talking about different spiritual beliefs. I see a great beauty in them, especially the eastern religions. I have my opinions and beliefs, but don't impose them or preach them. However, I have preached sermons in church services. I have always encouraged prayer and believe in the power of prayer.
So what do I believe? I believe that there is God. I believe in the Holy Spirit and in salvation, through Christ. I believe in actions speaking more than pretty words. I practice Zen, in daily life, and meditation. I don't believe in imposing beliefs upon people. I don't believe in karma. I believe there is the Way, which can be observed in nature. I believe all things are connected and long to understand the nature and being of God, as I am fascinated by God. I have looked at how other faiths perceive God, and the relationship between humankind and God. It's not something I struggle with, but seek to explore. I've had many numinous encounters and am amazed by them. I know that there is power in prayer and faith, and I know God exists. I perceive God as a trinity, all parts being equal.
In my daily walk and spiritual journey, I've found how to apply my learning and synthesize it, actualize it. At this time, I find myself trying to help others on their journey of faith. I don't tell them, I await them asking. And people are asking. I don't prescribe a path, but ask them questions to assist them in their spiritual journey.
I've learnt alot and will continue to learn. I'm nicknamed, Guru or Roshi, the meadow master, but I am who I am and I'm not God. I try my best, try my hardest not to judge and prefer to act in a situation rather than react or just talk about the situation.
My heroes? Jesus, Abraham, Joseph, Ghandi, Dogen, Siddhartha Gautama, the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa, Ma-Tsu, Mo Tsu, Lao Tzu and anyone who makes a peaceful stand for change.
It's time for me to live the learning and I've started. The journey continues.
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