ROOTED IN MYSTERY PART TWO

An Evolution into Mystical Consciousness

This is the second of two parts containing reflections on a series of Pravachans ( Spiritual Conferences) given by Sister Ishpriya to the Board of Trustees meeting in Die Quelle, the ISA Sadhana Ashram in October 2010. 

Part one outlined a profound crisis facing humanity three indicators of this evolutionary crisis given by Ishpriya were:

·                     The Crisis of our Environment

·                    The Crisis of Violence and Destruction.

·                    The Crisis of our lack of Compassion

The following lines from the Katha Upanishad highlight the dangers of forgetting that we are all inter-connected and that we urgently require compassion for ourselves and others.



                                 There are not many but only one.

Who seeks variety and not the unity,

Wanders on from death to death.

In summary Part One proposed that humanity is facing a crisis. This is a crisis rooted in its current headlong rush to seeming destruction. It is a path that, where many declined to accept personal responsibility and often seemed quicker to apportion blame.

In Part Two we begin to look at an Alternative Path  a path of Mystical Consciousness. It explores Four Levels of Consciousness acknowledged by both Hinduism and modern neuro-psychology

These reflections can be viewed and downloaded as a PDF document from the Resources page of the Website. This can be viewed  by clicking the link below to view the Table of Resources. The item is ROOTED IN MYSTERY PART TWO

Satsang Resources Page

ROOTED IN MYSTERY :- PART ONE

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ROOTED IN MYSTERY

‘Our duty as men and women is to proceed as if the limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in Creation’

Teilhard de Chardin (Mystic & Scientist 1881 -1955)



PART ONE: - OUR PRESENT CRISIS

These reflections are based on a series of Pravachans (Conference Talks) given by Sister Ishpriya the spiritual teacher of the International Satsang Association (ISA). These talks were delivered at a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees at Die Quelle the ISA Sadhana Ashram in Austria.   These reflections focus on  an urgent crisis facing humanity. This crisis was  carefully outlined by Ishpriya in her talks  and a brieg opening in troduction now follows:

Our human family   has evolved as part of the on-going enfolding of the Cosmos and Creation. Teilhard de Chardin reminds us of our duty and responsibility to play our part in this process. Ishpriya reminded us that we, in the ISA along with many others, had for over 20 years been aware of the growing and impending crisis facing our world and humanity. Many experts, in a wide diversity of disciplines, agree that this crisis is so profound and immediate , that it could mean the end of the Human Era on this our beautiful and wonderful Blue Planet.

Our Cosmos has been evolving for almost 14 Billion years, our Solar System is almost 5 billion years and humanity has become part of this steady evolution in the relatively recent past, that is only in time measured in tens of  hundreds of thousands years. During this time, humanity has made several crucial choices on its path to the present day. One such choice was the decision of our ancestors to move from the African Rift Valley towards the Middle East and then to move East and West. This choice resulted in the rich diversity of our human family. But , as the Hindu Vedas reminds us, we are all inter-connected. This is beautifully expressed in these words from the Katha Upanishad

There are not many but only one.

Who seeks variety and not the unity,

Wanders on from death to death.

In her talks Ishpriya focused on the crucial facing us all in these times. Many consider that humanity has taken a ‘wrong turn’ on its evolutionary path. It has branched off from the natural path of evolution and seems headed for a destructive and very negative dead end or cul-de-sac. This could lead to the total destruction of our human family. There are many indicators that highlight this destructive path, but she chose three obvious and stark examples. These are:

·                 The Crisis of our Environment

·                 The Crisis of Violence and Destruction.

·                 The Crisis of our lack of compassion.

 For a fuller outline of Ishpriya's Teachings and some personal reflections, please go to the RESOURCES PAGE of this website ( http://www.satsang-companionship.org.uk/ ) where a downloadable pdf file is available. This is titled

ROOTED IN MYSTERY PART ONE   click on link below

Satsang Resources Page

Note:- Part 2 - Concerning an Alternative path will shortly follow

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Happy Diwali

HAPPY DIWALI

 Diwali, the festival of light is the most popular of all the festivals from South Asia and is celebrated by Hindu, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists.

The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

Hindus will leave the windows and doors open and display lights so that the goddess Lakshmi can come in.

The foundation stone of the holiest of Sikh places, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, was laid on Diwali in 1588.

 Taj Kaur



Die Quelle :- Board of Trustees Meeting

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Die Quelle:- October 24th - 31st

Board of Trustees Meeting





Die Quelle



The Board of Trustees will hold their Annual meeting at Die Quelle - The Sadhana Ashram from Sunday 24th October until Sunday 31st October. At this meeting many important issues will be discussed and decided, not least the new International Satsang Association's ( ISA) Constitution and Membership.

In addition they will focus on how to improve and spread the values and principles of the ISA. These are vital issues that require dedication, understanding and  discernment

During this important week the Board will require discernment and wisdom. Perhaps this simple story from the Jewish Scriptures concerning Solomon and his request for wisdom  is an important sign.

Solomon's Request for a Gift

Solomon the king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.  

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

 Solomon answered,

"You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this

1Kings 3: 4-10

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AUTUMNAL BEAUTY

Autumn is one of my favourite months. It is a time for celebration and thanks for the bounty and beauty of the Earth. Its hues and colours are signs of nature. It is the season where plants , flowers and trees begin to prepare for their time of rest over the Winter before they once more blossom and flourish in the following Spring.


At each of our regular  monthly Satsang Meetings we have a centre-piece which is designed to both focus on, and complement, the theme of our meeting


The picture below was one we used at our last  Satsang Meeting in Wolverhampton. It represents the beauty and richness of Autumn and it symbolises our need to regularly reflect on our own richness, gifts and talents.

AUTUMN BEAUTY -

an Arrangement by Angela Creagh

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Mystery Mystics and the WOW Factor

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NEW POST

See new article on the Resources Page of this website. This records some reflections on a series of Conference Talks given by Sister Ishpriya at Die Quelle - the ISA Sadhana Ashram in Austria.

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Week of Prayer for Universal Peace

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 PRAYER FOR PEACE

Week of Prayer for World Peace 17th to 24th October 2010

A Short Reflection by Angela Creagh

This is a week set aside to pray for Universal Peace.  Our world desperately needs peace and is being ravaged by violence. There is a deep hunger in the human soul for peace.

 This  hunger for peace is universal and our Satsang Commitment encourages us to earnestly seek to do all we can to break down the barriers between peoples and to work tirelessly in any way we can to build up relationships of compassion and peace.

Perhaps, Satsang Members could reflect on our need for peace and join in, particularly during the coming week , saying the following prayer.  This prayer is adapted from the Hindu Scriptures

It could also become a daily on-going prayer

PEACE PRAYER

               LORD,

Lead me from Death to Life,

From Falsehood to Truth

Lead me from Despair to Hope,

From Fear to Trust

Lead me from Hate to Love,

From War to Peace

Let Peace fill our heart,

Our World,

Our Universe

PEACE- PEACE - PEACE



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DAY OF REFLECTION - Sat 13th November 2010

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DEVELOPING PERSPECTIVES AND
RELATIONSHIP OF COMPASSION

A special DAY OF REFLECTION

Saturday 13th November 2010

Friends Meeting House - Wolverhampton

10.30 - 4.30  

OPEN MEETING - All Welcome

This day will focus on the important  spiritual task of developing a Heart of Compassion. Because it is from this centre of compassion that we can reach out and touch others.

The day will focus particularly  on our need to reach out to the wider world and develop a compassionate perspective on some of the 'hot topics' facing our world.

The day will consist of audio and video input from Sister Ishpriya, time for reflection , silent prayer ( meditation) and sharing

Further information on this topic will be published very shortly.

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LEAD ME FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

NEXT MEETING :- Sat 9th Oct - Wolverhampton

FINDING TRUTH IN THE MIDST OF UNTRUTHS

We live in a world full of half-truths , lies and distortions. This can lead to confusion, misunderstanding, prejudice and violence. Finding the truth is often difficult. It requires us to shine the Light of Truth on everything we see , do or are.

In the following Video Clip, Ishpriya explores some of these issues in the light of an ancient prayer from the Vedas - One of the Oldest Prayers

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UNIVERSAL WISDOM - No:- 3 in the Series - October 2010

UNIVERSAL WISDOM FROM THE FAITH TRADITIONS

This is a series of quotations from the Universal experience and Inheritance of the spiritual traditions and the mystics. They contain extremely condensed Spiritual wisdom. Each are worthy of deep reflection .

This is the 3rd in our Series Reflections from the World's Faith Traditions and their Spiritual Masters.

Knowing the Source:   I have a Source- an origin of my existence… My relationship with this Source underpins all others’

(Sr Ishpriya)

The Attraction of Nature -     Although there is repulsion enough in Nature, she lives by attraction.

( Mahatma Gandhi )

Indwelling God    You God wake up within me, proving that you are there in secret and alone

St John of the Cross  (Christian Mystic)

Self Blindness    Who makes us ignorant? We ourselves. We put our hands over our eyes and weep that it is dark.       (Swami Vivekananda - Hindu Mystic)

Great Sayings of Jesus   I f anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching

Knowing God?  If I had a God I was able to know, I would not be able to regard him as God

(Meister Eckhart)

Searching and Finding!       Stop searching for what is not here and then you will be able to see what is here

Sr Ishpriya

The Paradox of Searching.              You let us find You. So we would search for you

Unknown Mystic

Self-Inflicted Fear -     Why are people so afraid? The answer is that they have made themselves helpless and dependent upon others. We want a Personal God, a saviour, or a prophet to do everything for us.

( Swami Vivekananda)

Blood Transfusion!       Unless it receives a new blood transfusion from matter, Christian Spirituality may well lose its vigour and become lost in the clouds

Teilhard de Chardin

All is Spiritual      Seva is spiritual practice. Stop seeing work and sitting on a meditation cushion differently. All is spiritual practice  Sr Ishpriya

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