Responding - Guided by Wisdom

Responding NOT Reacting

Guidance from Ancient and Modern Wisdom

Satsang Meeting Sat 7th Feb 2015

1.30 - 4.30 p.m

Friends Meeting House

Wolverhampton

We resume our meetings in 2015, the 15th year of this new Millennium. Our World faces many challenges and we require wisdom in order to respond and not react.

The Satsang Association exists as a companionship of Spiritual Seekers who undertake to attempt to live out their life guided by the Triple Commitment. This is requires individuals to seriously commit to:

Their personal growth in spiritual awareness and practice.

Helping remove the barriers of prejudice and ignorance, which divide persons from each other

Building up relationships of compassion and appreciation across frontiers of race, language, culture and religion.

 And is so doing each seeks  to play their part in

Creating a Planetary Vision & a Universal Heart of Compassion.

The 1st commitment supports and nourishes the other 2. 

Our meetings are designed to provide an  opportunity for sharing, reflection and mutual support as we strive to live in ways that break down barriers and build up relationships. We share far more than our seemingly different backgrounds. We are members of one human family, co- creators in this vast expanding and evolving cosmos.

Our meetings this years will begin to focus on our personal response to the  many current crisis facing our family and our planet. But we are not alone, both Ancient Wisdom and modern advances in knowledge can all assist us in this vital task.

Our next meeting will begin this process as we look at some input from Sister Ishpriya and also share our own responses to recent events. 

The Buddha advises us to  reflect within and beware of external forces.  This quotation from his teachings, advises us to  beware of reacting and to value the wisdom of a reflective response. 

' When we return to the root, we gain the meaning;

when we pursue external objects we lose the reason.'

Hope to see you at our next meeting and if not, then we wish you well as you reflerct on how to respond to the many challenges facing our world.

Tolerance:- Responding rather than Reacting

TOLERANCE- Responding with Respect

Some Reflections on the Crisis Facing the Human  Family

Our world seems to be in crisis and unfortunately many of our leaders seem to react rather than respond to events. We seem incapable of responding to the growth in fundamentalism, tribalism and nationalism that seems to have grown in the early part of the 21st century. Partly, this is a result of our common failure to both understand history, the roots of our current patriarchal system and the lessons we could learn from history. In addition, we are operating from and utilising only a small proportion of our gifts. In common parlance we are 'playing with half a deck of cards' . We have relegated women and the feminine to an inferior and minor role.

We know that humanity is not 'programmed' for major change. We evolved over millions of years and consequently we are very good at managing small changes. Today our world is changing at an enormous pace. Modern technology is amassing vast amounts of information. Technology is changing rapidly and many of the old 'givens' are being challenged or made redundant. In such times humans are tempted to cling on to old ways or desperately seek certainty.   This can give rise to a rise in fundamentalism. People try to deny the evidence of evolution, to cling to past certainties in politics, religion, culture etc. The 20th Century suffered from the rise of National Socialism, dictatorial communism and the collapse of colonialism and the ensuing birth pangs of new nations. 

Many leading thinkers believe that  humanity is on the brink of another evolutionary shift. We have gone through many other 'shifts' in our long 7 million year march. Examples are when we first walked on this planet, another major shift was our use of language and many others. A major shift occurred when our species walked and sailed out of Africa. Another major shift, and one many consider to be adverse, came around 10000 years ago with the birth of the patriarchal era.  The new shift ,one of evolutionary consciousness, faces us with a new paradigm. We are all equal, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity etc. We will  have to let go of the old paradigm, which has led to so much suffering, war and inequality . The human family lives on this small Blue Planet floating in the vastness of the expanding Cosmos. We need to get on with each other and respect our uniqueness and diversity.

However, as with all major change we can choose to react or respond. The current upsurge in extremism - in all areas of the world - is because many are reacting and not responding. This is not just applicable to so called 'extremists' but with many others - leaders, politicians, religious  leaders etc. The world desperately requires us to dig deep and respond from our depth and not react from our fear. Compassion is much better than conflict and love is better than loathing. Failing to respect the beliefs and values of our brothers and sisters is not a wise approach. The duality  Either : Or  rather than the oneness of Both ; And  is a false dichotomy. Every 'right' brings with it a corresponding 'responsibility. 

My right to free speech is not absolute. I need to weigh it up against my need to respect others. Sometimes compassionate silence is the wiser response. Whilst we must take a stand against extremism that would harm others, we also need to be aware of our need to respect. We have to learn to live with difference. Our patriarchal era has led us to take up rigid stances and rigidity is almost always the wrong stance. It has led to some very unhelpful and morally incorrect statements, such as : My country right or wrong, my religion is the only one true way, Men are superior to women, White people are superior to other races etc   
These immoral, inhuman and rigid views have led to war, ethnic cleansing, colonialism, apartheid and now religious intolerance and extremism.

We need to refect deeply and begin to respond more compassionately, intelligently and with deep respect.

Our Long Journey with Mystery - Introduction

Our Long Journey with Mystery

Reflections on Spirituality and Religion

These reflections were initially undertaken as a result of as request from my local Church to write something on Christianity and the other main Faith Traditions that co-exist in the UK. We live in a Global Village and , despite the many racial, ethnic , cultural and religious differences, we are part of one great  human family. We also live in times when fundamentalists and extremists strive to focus on difference and suppress our unity in diversity

This is the first in a series of reflections on Spirituality and Religion. It is based on personal experience and I ascribe no expertise to myself. It is designed to set the scene on humanity’s long journey with spirituality and the Mystery we call ‘God’ by so many names and to lead on to a series of  reflections on six of the world’s major Faith Traditions.

We live in a world where science and cosmology is almost daily adding to the revelation of creation, the cosmos and life itself. We know about the ‘Big Bang’ that occurred 14 billion years ago, the formation of the star we call the Sun followed by the birth of our Blue Planet almost 4 billion years ago.  Creation is proving to be exciting, mysterious and mind boggling. Creation is, in a sense, the first and on-going revelation of the Mystery or Oneness that lies at the heart of everything. After billions of years and a slow and constantly changing evolution our planet developed an amazing variety and diversity of plants and living things.

Human beings arrived approximately 7 million years ago and 200,000 years ago Homo sapiens, the Wise Ones, appeared. Our species has many attributes but three very important ones are iinnovation, creativity and curiosity. These have fuelled our search for meaning both in the external and internal worlds.  For at least 70, 000 years, doubtlessly much longer, we have evidence of our search for spiritual meaning. For the next 50 to 60,000 years we adopted a spirituality focused on creation and the environment, a spirituality that sensed and used imagination, intuition and ritual to celebrate the sacredness of all creation. Our ancestors also knew that our world was, and is, enmeshed in the great web of life.  They were in touch with both the masculine and feminine aspects of our humanity.

About 10,000 years ago the Agricultural or Patriarchal Age commenced. It led to a rapid expansion in our ability to grow crops and to domesticate animals. It resulted in the rise of kings and warriors and the establishment of kingdoms, the dominance of the male and a relegation of the female and the feminine. About 5000 years ago, the first of the great  modern Religions – Hinduism- arose along the Ganges River in North India. A second part of these reflections will focus on this great treasure house of wisdom and spirituality and its contribution to our inherited Universal Spiritual wisdom.

However, it is important to remember that Spirituality is much older than the formal religions.  Although we have made rapid advances in science and technology we have lost some of our intuitive experience of the Mystery. Arguably our task is to re-discover the true potential of our humanity, to recognise how every strand of nature is interconnected and to find a spiritually fulfilling way of living that is environmentally friendly and one that delivers social justice for all.

Future reflections in this series will explore spirituality and religion as we look at Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.

Part Two :-    Hinduism – the Eternal Journey ( coming soon)

' We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience' 

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

 SATSANG MEETING - Sat 7th February

Friends Meeting House  Wolverhampton

THEME :-    Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

                         Into deep darkness fall those who follow action.

Into deeper darkness fall those who follow knowledge.

                   One is the outcome of knowledge and the other is the outcome of action.

Thus have we heard from the ancient sages who explained this truth to us.

          The one who knows both knowledge and action, with action overcomes death  and with knowledge reaches immortality.

The above extract from  the Isa Upanishad from the Hindu Vedas will inform our time reflection at our 1st Satsang Meeting of 2015

ALL ARE WELCOME

satsang meeting february 2015

Satsang Meeting 

Saturday 7th February

1.30- 4.30

Friends Meeting House

Wolverhampton

Reflections from Eye of the Storm

The following reflections are written for three main reasons.

firstly for those who attended the Day of Reflection and expressed a wish for a record of some of the poems and material used

secondly, for those Satsang companions who could not attend

and finally for other readers who may benefit from some of the material and/or are interested in the spirituality of the Satsang Association and its Members in the  UK Midlands

 LIVING IN THE

Eye of the Storm

Reflections on our Satsang Meeting of Sat 8th Nov 2014

The lure of the distance can be deceptive

The great opportunity is where you are.

Examine the ground where you stand

Sister Ishpriya

The Spiritual Journey can be long , at times lonely, and it is certainly challenging.
Although it is ultimately an individual  journey that we all  make ,it is helpful to share it with others. In doing so we gain support, encouragement and share examples of useful practices ( Sadhanas) and experiences.

Throughout the ages each generation, culture and tradition produces men and women who are spiritual masters and mistresses. In short they are mystics. Mystics are those who have had a genuine encounter with the Source, the Mystery or Ultimate Reality , referred to by many Faith Traditions as ' God' . This encounter, no matter how brief, changes them forever and influences their approach to creation , people and the Source. They are non-dualistic and thus see the inter - relatedness and connectedness of everything.. 


Dualism is a serious issue in  our world. It is based on the 'false' idea that everything is Either : Or. This causes unnecessary conflict in every area of life, be it religion, politics, culture, ethnicity etc. It is particularly 'rampant' in Western  Society and influences all forms of Education and Training.  Arguably we have elevated 'Thinking' and Academic Learning above all else  and tended to suppress the  importance of feelings, emotions and our ability to have instinctual or imaginative knowledge. It also relegates 'experience'  and promotes  theory. I am reminded of that famous saying by the philosopher Engels ' An Ounce of Practice is worth more than a Ton of Theory '

 This Dualistic Approach  also infects spirituality and more particularly religion. This is particularly true of the Western Monotheistic Religions. It has led many a religious adherent into a false state and a false dilemma regarding the nature of the Mystery referred to as the Ultimate Reality. This Mystery or God is often seen either as Immanent  or Transcendent, that is Inside or Above and Outside.


Yet all the  ancient spiritual traditions  have always opposed dualism and much of the writings of the sages and mystics, as well as the Sacred Scriptures, contain warnings about this false dualistic separation.  One of the oldest recorded comes from the Hindu Vedas. Here the Sages talk a lot about Advaita ( non-dual or more correctly ' Not Two ').  In summary , the Mystics of the past and the present warn us of the dangers of Dualism which is a very ego centred approach to life. It is an approach that  can lead to us creating a ' God' in our own image.


Developing an awareness of both the falsity and seductive power of Dualism, is a solid basis for developing our ability to find the Still Centre. This is the stillness at the eye of the storm. So our Day of Reflection was informed by input from several Spiritual Masters which provided some key reflections of finding the Still Centre.  Our 'guides' were :-

Sister Ishpriya - The Spiritual Guide of the International Satsang Association and a renowned and gifted Spiritual Teacher

Deepak Chopra -  a scientist and spiritual teacher from the Hindu Tradition.

Eckhart Tolle - a renowned Spiritual Teacher

The central theme from each of these Spiritual Guides was the need to focus on the 'space' that could be found within . Each approached it from a slightly different angle and provided us with a viewpoint or entrance into the non-dualistic approach to finding that Still Centre or Space where we encounter the inter-connectedness of  all. It is in this 'space' that each individual could meet with and relate to the real self, others, the environment , the Cosmos and  the Mystery  that is the Source of all creation.

This blog can merely give an outline or taste of the experience and contains only one  of the video clips. However, it is hoped that it will  be helpful and give a flavour of our Satsang meeting

We gathered in silence and sat around our centre piece, designed by Angela Creagh, to light a candle and become present to each other, our surroundings and the theme of our Day of Reflection.

Light is a Universal Symbol in all traditions that reminds us that we are born in this Body - Psyche in light and it is to that Light or Source we return when we exit from this Body - Psyche 

Each of our input video clips were preceded by and ended with a short poem in  the form of a reflection. 

So our 1st clip from Sister Ishpiya was preceded by the following poem composed by her.

                  CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT OF HALF LIGHT

O Lord

I am caught in that moment of half-light, 

the breathless point of balance between sun and moon.  

As I bid farewell to the cold purification of the night, 

in that same movement, 

I fling wide my arms to be embraced by the warmth and glory of the sun,
 knowing that in due time I will bow to the receding light

 and open my arms to darkness once again.

Thus, O Lord,

You come into our lives, in the blaze of splendour,

the certainty of Your presence,

in the times of aridity and isolation,

even to the point of despair.

Throughout this continuing journeying,

from the zenith of midday

to the depths of midnight and back to blinding noontide,

we grow towards You, the true light,

that shines like the sun beyond darkness, forever. 

Sister Ishpriya rscj

Our opening video clip, from Sister Ishpiya ,designed to outline the theme, can be viewed below before reading on.

Ishpriya, reflects upon how science and cosmology has enabled us to leave our planet and begin to view it from space. Satellite pictures can now show us ,what previously we had guessed or intuited, that there is a still centre to a hurricane. She uses this as an analogy for the 'storms of life' that beset the spiritual traveller and the possibility of  finding that still centre within each one of us.

The storms of life , like hurricanes, cannot be stopped. They are part of the natural order.  It can be unwise to set out to avoid or ignore the 'storms'. Many Spiritual Masters advise us that this is a form of 'spiritual bypassing'.  In short , we seek to find a short-cut or easy way , a form of an ' Elysian field'  where everything is wonderful  and storms either don't exist or merely happen to others. In short, we try to find and live in a world where there are no storms.

We can see this  tendency in all traditions and Jesus the Christ warns about this in his parable of the Sower and the Seed.  Those who fail to put down strong roots either wither or get tossed about by the storms of life. We need to be wary of the modern commercial world offering to sell us easy ways out. Yes, practices such as  yoga, pranayama, Tai Chi, Mindfulness, Reiki and many others, can be helpful but they can only form part of our Sadhana and our lived experience is a truer guide than spiritual 'theory' You cannot 'buy' your way out of the storms of life. It requires effort and above all the development and awareness of self.

However, just as with hurricanes, there is a still centre that moves with the storm and Ishpriya advises us on the wisdom of finding a way or a door into the Still Centre. She outlines three possible 'motivators' or way. These are the way of conviction, Curiousity and Trauma.

Conviction is when we are convinced that there is a Source or Mystery  and this encourages and aids us in our spiritual search for this Reality, Curiousity is  a natural human response and it entices and interests us. This interest , enticement and curiosity drives us on  in the search for Ultimate Reality. Finally, many find the Still Centre after suffering a trauma or tragedy. But whether by conviction , curiousity  or trauma,  all three can lead us towards that Still Centre and it is our responsibility to find opportunities and practices to help us on the journey into awareness that leads to the still centre.

After Ishpriya's input we had a short pause that was to lead us into both our next input and our 1st period of personal reflection. This next input was from Deepak Chopra. However, as with all of our main inputs, we paused as Angela read us a reflection from Rabindranath Tagore - a Hindu Poet and Mystic. This would be repeated after Deepak's reflections.

SILENT STEPS

by Rabindranath Tagore

Have you not heard his silent steps?
He comes, comes, ever comes.

Every moment and every age,
every day and every night he comes, comes, ever comes.

Many a song have I sung in many a mood of mind,
but all their notes have always proclaimed,
`He comes, comes, ever comes.'

In the fragrant days of sunny April through the forest path he comes,
comes, ever comes.

In the rainy gloom of July nights on the thundering chariot of clouds
he comes, comes, ever comes.

In sorrow after sorrow it is his steps that press upon my heart,
and it is the golden touch of his feet that makes my joy to shine,

He comes ever, ever comes.

Rabindranath Tagore

Deepak Chopra , is a Teacher who integrates his understanding of Scientific discoveries with his deep roots in his Hindu Tradition. Like many others, he both recognises and realises that 'spiritual revelation' is not static but is dynamic. Our recent discoveries in science, cosmology and other areas are all part of the ongoing revelation. This is non-dualistic and avoids any tendency to separate religion from science. All is revelation and creation in on-going. In addition, a sentient, conscious and self-reflective beings, we are co- creators in this on going revelation and creation.

Deepak focused on human consciousness and warned us of the 'distortions' of both our perceptions and our , so called ' awake' consciousness. Our senses deceive us and the real journey is inwards to find the 'Presence' of the Mystery within.  He reminded us how science reveals that everything in the Cosmos exists in a binary sense , that is  it is On or  Off. Yet we perceive things as being constantly On. We have much to learn as the real 'presence' can be found in  the Off. It is in those Off times that we can find real consciousness and our deep sense of inter-connectedness. We ended Deepak's input with a short time of inner meditation before taking time for personal reflection.

QUESTIONS TO AID REFLECTION

Some questions designed to aid personal reflection and to lead the sharing of those gathered in Satsang  are shown below. Readers of this Blog may also find them helpful.

The following questions could aid our reflection concerning the Still Centre at the heart of the storm

n

How could my curiosity help me find gateways into the Still & Silent Centre ? 

What are my convictions about the Still & Silent Centre ?

Perhaps more importantly – what has been my experience of finding the Still Centre where thoughts, feelings and emotions  are quieter and (hopefully) sometimes  become silent ? 

After a time of Personal Reflection we shared before breaking for lunch. Sharing at any of our Satsang Meeetings is private and we tend not to comment but merely listen with a compassionate, open and receptive heart. We do so in the spirit of the Satsang Logo.

Satsang - 

Seeking together - Helping to Create - A Planetary Vision - A Universal Heart of Compassion

 

Afternoon Session

We began our afternoon session with an audio clip from Sister Ishpriya, taken from the Hindu Vedas. This supports and reinforces the theme of going within to find the Still Point. Note the term 'fullness' which paradoxically is the same as the Buddhist concept of 'emptiness'  This place or more properly state , is infinite or vast . It can only be experienced and is not open to intellectual perception.

Then we used the following quote from Ishpriya and had a time of quiet reflection with some Celtic Music

A view from Die Quelle - the Satsang Sadhana Ashram

To prepare for the afternoon setting and focus on our theme of looking within , into the place where we  really are and thus  finding the Inner Still Point,  we listened to a song in the Celtic Tradition of 'Presence' based on the words of the Christian Mystic , Juliana of Norwich - All Shall Be Well



We then moved on to our main input from Eckhart Tolle, a renowned Spiritual Teacher. Eckhart focuses on the power of the Now - the Presence that can be found within in an immense inner space.. Before and after his video input we had a reading, by Angela, from the work of John O Donohue.  This is copied below.

The Cliffs of Moher

A Blessing for  PRESENCE

John O Donohue

a Celtic Scholar and Spiritual Teacher

May you awaken to the mystery of being here  and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

 May you have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

May you receive great encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

 May you respond to the call of your gift and find the courage to follow its path.

May the flame of anger free you from falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame and anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.

May you take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.

May you be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

John O Donohue

Eckhart Tolle is a German Canadian who is a renowned Teacher. His input focused on the power of the Now - the Present Moment. It is similar to the teachings of both Buddhism and Celtic Spirituality. He contrasted the endless focus on the mind and its seductive thinking with the real presence one can find in awareness.  Just like Ishpriya and Deepak Chopra, he reminded us that most thoughts were speculative and bore little resemblance to reality. We can spend so much time being imprisoned and enthralled by the mind and its endless stream of thoughts. Many of these were rooted in the past or imagining a future that will never arrive. The only 'time' we have is now- the present moment and we so often fail to live in this moment. 

This was both a dualistic and Ego- Centred approach to life.  In addition, finding the 'spaces' in the stream of thoughts ( just like Depak Chopra's  On - Off  analogy ) was where we could enter the gateway into deep stillness and awareness.  He likened the Ego Centered approach to that  of a person who only lived in a  horizontal plane. This was a plane focussing mainly on the Past or Future while trying to live in the present or now. Thus we were not really living in the NOW!

 He emphasised that going within and living in  the now, the present moment,  required us to go deep to find the expansive and vast space of awareness. This was a state of living that involved the vertical plane. In this vertical plane we lived in the present moment. In short, to paraphrase Ishpriya, we examined the ground on which we stood. From this position we could go deeper and plummet down into the depths of awareness that led ultimately to a  vast space ( in Hindu terms) within the heart. The doorway into this 'heart space'; was to be found in the spaces between the constant stream of thoughts.

Yet the majority never focus on the 'spaces' and remain  over-whelmed by the constant stream of thoughts. Most of these  thoughts are not only very negative but have little to do with the present moment or reality. Modern Neuro-Psychology is also teachings us about the dangers of this negative stream of thinking. They actually re-wire and change our brain and can lead to a lot of unnecessary mental trauma and ill health . They can cause overdoses of cortisol and Adreniline which can damage us both physically and mentally.

Towards the end of his talk, Tolle reflected on how the great Teachers and Masters like the Buddha and Jesus had tried to show us where true enlightenment could be found. Eckhart, teasingly challenged Christianity, as he reminded us of a central teaching of Jesus ' The Kingdom is not without but can be found within' . He wondered how  little Christianity and Christians  had really understood this in the past 2000 years. They seemed to be focusing on the exterior and failing to see the interior and implicit within each individual. As for the Buddha, when questioned about the existence of God ( The Mystery) it is said ' The Buddha kept Noble Silence'. It is in that deep inner noble silence that we can find the Inner Still Point a place of great spaciousness.

Our second period of reflection was informed by the following questions.

The following questions could aid our reflection

How do I respond to ‘ the entire life only consists of the NOW’  (which is so often overlooked ) ?

How aware am I of ‘the grip of the thinking Ego Mind’  and how could I quieten it and find the ‘spaces’ in my life ?

What ONE  thing struck a challenging chord in me ?

Readers of this Blog may find the above questions both helpful and relevant for their own reflections.

Our three 'guides', Ishpriya, Chopra and Tolle, all point to the same reality - the need to find that inner Still Point that is accessed through our growth in awareness of the present moment. This is a journey into the vast space within , that leads to endless possibilities and a deeper relationship with the Source or Mystery. It is a journey that lasts a lifetime and, although ultimately an individual journey, it can be helpful to share in Satsang with other travellers

I want to end these reflections within an extract from the Hindu Upanishads. This demonstrates that the teachings of the modern mystics regarding the nature of the inner journey are remarkably similar to ancient wisdom.  Wisdom is both perennial and Universal. Below is an extract from the Chandoga Upanishad. This 'describes' , albeit in poetical language, the space within that Ishpriya, Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle all refer to.

In the centre of the castle of Brahman ( God) , our own body, there is a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower, and within can be found  a small space. We should find who dwells there, and we should want to know him.

And if anyone asks ‘who is the One  who dwells in a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower in the centre of the castle of God ? Whom should we want to find and to know ? ‘   we can answer.

‘ The little space within the heart is as great as this vast universe. The heavens and the earth are there, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars; fire and lightning and winds are there;  and all that now is and all that is not : for the whole universe is in Brahman the one who dwells is the shrine  and that One  dwells within our heart ‘

                                    Chandoga Upanishad ( Hindu Scripture)

Thank you for reading this Blog

BE HAPPY - Knowing Awareness

BE HAPPY

The Spiritual Sages of all the great Faith Traditions remind us that two great qualities required by the Spiritual Seeker are JOY and GRATITUDE. They also remind us that these qualities result in greater happiness. 

The Sages remind us  that Practicing happiness is a wonderful Spiritual Practice ( Sadhana).

A useful Sadhana or Spiritual Practice is to pause, become aware of the present moment and re-mind   yourself of something , in your awareness, that is positive, acknowledge this positive. It could be a 'thing', a feeling, a thought, etc in the present moment.

Then let that acknowledgement widen and deepen into both an appreciation and a joy.

Then express your gratitude for this.

The above simple practice can be done first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

It is an ancient mindful practice based in all the Spiritual Traditions. 

This short  blog ends with a reflection from the sages of Hinduism

The following reflection comes from the Hindu Vedas.

Be Happy!

Love yourself but don’t judge others.

Forgive, always be simple

And don’t make distinctions

Be still !

But above all be Happy

And in the end you will find yourself

Just by knowing how things are.

Be Happy!

 The Aschtakakra Gita

Developing Spiritual Resilience

Spiritual Resilience

We live in and are part of an evolving Cosmos. In addition, modern discoveries and technologies are constantly changing. Consequently, modern psychology places places an increasing emphasis on the need for us to develop , what it terms, emotional resilience. But what does the term 'resilience' mean ? . The Oxford English Dictionary gives us two definitions that  suggest an ability or quality that assists us in riding the storms or waves of life:

1.                  the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity

2.                  the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

However, I prefer the analogy of the following Japanese Proverb   The winds may fell the massive oak, but young  bamboo, bent even to the ground, will spring upright after the passage of the storm. 

So in psychology, the term ( Emotional) Resilience refers to an inherent ability that allows us to adapt and respond to stressful and potentially traumatic situations or crisis. The possession of Resilience allows us , like young bamboo, to bend with the storms of life and winds of change and yet return to a steady centre. Or in other words, as so ably put by Sister Ishpriya, attain and maintain the ability to remain in 'the eye of the storm'  

Now we are more than just our emotions, we are, so to speak,  PIES people That is we  have physical, intellectual emotional and social aspects to our being.  Unfortunately, our body begins to wear out as we grow old but our intellectual and emotional abilities can remain quite high much longer. Modern neuro-science now tells us that we can continue to grow and alter our brain - this is referred to ass neuro-plasticity. Therefore we need to develop resilience in all these areas.. Most importantly, the spirit never dies and both outlasts and transcends the body-psyche. Consequently, it is inportant  that Spiritual Travellers focus on the area of Spiritual Resilience.

Further reflections in this series  will begin to focus on ten important aspects or pointers that can assist us in developing, attaining and maintaining a healthy Spriitual Resilience.