REFLECTION ON OUR RECENT SATSANG MEETING
‘Satsang is fundamentally a way of relating
with or encountering each other. It
involves sharing of our experiences with those who are explicitly seeking to
respond to the call of the Absolute within’
Sister
Ishpiya
The spiritual journey can, at times , be a lonely one. Each person and each generation is challenged to reflect on, review and discern our understanding of the spiritual in the light of the present. As our understanding of the Cosmos, Creation , the environment, in fact all the sciences, grows; we are challenged to re-visit the accepted spiritual 'norms'. We are all drawn, by the Spirit, to search for the Mystery that lies beyond and within all.
For countless ages people have sought to
understand the Mystery that is God, Truth,
Allah, Absolute Reality;
by whatever name we call it. They have sought to somehow express
and to convey their sense of the Spiritual, in
short their sense of the In-Dwelling Spirit.
The formal religions (Faith Traditions)
have attempted to help us in this with a combination
of
Scripture, Rites, Rituals and Rules.However,
these are merely an attempt to assist us in
our search for the Absolute, the
Spiritual. Our error can be that we forget this and ‘hang on’
to the God of the Faith Traditions which can then become a God made in our
image.
We can hang on to what Ishpriya refers to as ‘ The Household God’.
The following ‘story’ may help to point
this out.
The mystic came back from the desert.
“Tell us,” they said, “what God is
like.”
But how could he ever tell them what
he had experienced in his heart?
Can God be put into words?
He finally gave them a formula - so inaccurate, so inadequate -
in the hope that some of them might
be tempted to experience it for themselves
They seized upon the formula.
They made it a sacred text.
They imposed it on others as a holy
belief.
They went to great pains to spread it
in foreign lands.
Some gave their lives for it.
The mystic was sad.
It might have been better if he had
said nothing.
Anthony De Mello
The story by De Mello was used to introduce our theme for our gathering in Satsang.
It highlights the difference between the superficial rites and rituals and the true depth of
spirituality. This was further emphasised by the 'clip' we watched from Fr Richard Rohr -
a Franciscan Catholic Priest of the Contemplative Tradition.
Richard Rohr used the example of St Francis and his genuine and lifelong quest to model
himself on Jesus his Master. This quest by Francis mirrors the eternal quest of all true
spiritual seekers. We are challenged to re-examine what it is that our own Faith Tradition
has passed down to us. Although Rohr addressed the Christian message and particularly
the message of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, his points have relevance for people
of different Faith Traditions. Now to return to the points made in the opening paragraphs.
Unfortunately, much of the teachings and practices of the formal Faith Traditions are rooted
in a patriarchal view of life. They focus, as most cultures do, on the external and the masculine.
Whereas, the ancient 'pathways' of the aboriginal peoples were more holistic and
encompassed the internal and the feminine.Ultimately, the journey for the spiritual seeker is
an inner journey. This is a journey into , what Hinduism refers to as, the Cave of the Heart.
Rohr's talk focused on the Honour:Shame system that has dominated civilisations since the
beginning of patriarchal times, that is the past 10 millenia. This also coincides with the
emergence and development of the formal Faith Traditions. The first of these is Hinduism,
which is , at the most, only existed for 3 to 4 millennia before a.d. This is a time period that
has been dominated by masculine values. Where honour and the external trappings are so
important for the male ego and shame and lowliness are directed at the feminine. This was
, and to a large extent still is, the dominant culture of the times. We see it in all cultures and it
was very apparent in the Jewish Society of Jesus. Yet, the life, example and teachings of
Jesus challenge all aspects of this patriarchal view of society. His dealings with women were,
and still are, an affront to male dominated structures. We see this in his willingness to mix with
and speak to the marginalised. The leper, the thief, the foreigner, the woman accused of
adultery. Incidentally, it was only Jesus who asked about the man involved! . This view still
pervades modern society It is particularly emphasised in the male insistence that honour
requires that women be chaste! In other words that real shame is projected upon the woman
and the man is absolved of all blame.
For me, the message of Jesus is stark. It demands a sea-change in the way we view life. It
requires us to relinquish our fascination with masculine pride and honour and that we both
recognise and respect the rights and gifts of women and the feminine in all. Like many other
aboriginal spiritualities, the Spirit or essence of the Mystery, referred to in Celtic Spirituality
as the In-Dwelling Spirit, was often depicted as feminine. The Hebrew Scriptures also refer
to Wisdom ( the Spirit) as She.
At the end of Rohr's clip, our Satsang Meeting listened to the following extract from the Hindu
Vedas which also reflects the spirituality of St Francis and his acceptance of both
male, female and the whole of creation.
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
POSTSCRIPT
After watching the 'clip' we had a time of Personal Reflection before returning
to share. Our sharing was deep, meaningful and personal.
The essence of much of our sharing centred around the vital importance of recognising,
respecting and responding to both the masculine and feminine aspects of humanity. These
are not just and Either : Or but provide us with the rich and great possibilities of a Both: And
way of living and relating. Although, at the surface and external levels the great Faith Traditions seem to over-emphasise the masculine; this is mainly due to our common patriarchal and cultural history.
At the deepest levels the true spirituality of all Traditions recognises, respects and reiterates
the importance of the feminine. There are numerous examples of this.
The teachings and examples of Jesus the Christ are an exemplary reminder to Christians of the need to value and respect the lowly, the downtrodden and the feminine.
In Islam, the Prophet , Peace be upon Him, was renowned for his love and respect for women. His deep love and respect for his wife is renowned and well recorded.
In Hinduism, many aspects of the Divine are pictured and embodied by the feminine.
And finally, in Sikhism, we have this wonderful poem by Gurudev Nanak, In Praise of Women.
IN PRAISE OF WOMAN
Of
woman we are conceived,
Of
woman we are born,
To
woman we are betrothed and married,
It
is woman who is your friend.
And
who travels the road with you;
Another
woman is sought when the companion dies;
Man is
bonded to woman.
Why
should we consider woman evil
When
from woman kings are born?
From
woman alone is born a woman,
Without
woman there can be no human birth.
O
Nanak, without woman,
only
the True One exists.
Guru Granth Sahib (Sikhism)
We ended our meeting with a time of Sacred Circle Dancing led by Angela Creagh
NEXT MEETING: Sat 9th Nov 2013
Day of Reflection 10.30 - 4.30
OUR SACRED ENVIRONMENT
