Our Long Journey with Mystery-Conclusion

Our Long Journey with Mystery

Summary on our Six Faith Traditions

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

This is the last  in a series of personal reflections on Spirituality and Religion. They have looked at six of the world’s major Faith Traditions and set out to  chart the  important part  that spirituality has played in our human story and our long journey, over hundreds of thousands of years, in search of the Mystery that lies at the heart of creation. In this search, we have looked through the 'lens' of  six Faith Traditions; three from the Eastern Tradition (Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism)  and three from the Western Tradition (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). 

All six  Faith Traditions have arisen in the past 5 or 6 millennia and are , in a sense, different cultural and historical  attempts to understand, explain and express the Mystery that is beyond all religions. Each tries to shine a light on the Mystery or Absolute Reality  that existed before time began and  is a Reality that is experienced   as both  Immanent and Transcendent.  

All six  Faith Traditions acknowledge this Immanence and Transcendence  but arguably the East focuses more on the Immanent nature and the West emphasises the Transcendent Nature of God.   These aspects are neither  an either-or  distinction  nor  an assertion  that one is better than the other. Such false distinctions are totally man made and can, if not challenged, lead us to design a God made in our own image.  

Buddhism and Daoism advise us about using our understanding  'to tie God down' and remind us that ;' The finger that points at the moon is not the moon'.  All Religions merely attempt to express the inexpressible nature of God. Each tries to 'highlight' aspects of the God , Mystery or Absolute Reality that have been experienced and thus can prove to be very helpful. The Mystery is way beyond our human understanding but the Faith Traditions, and their collected universal spiritual inheritance, can be a useful and helpful support on our journey back to the Source ,  the Mystery of all life.

Throughout our long journey, humanity has always pondered some deep questions, such as  : Who made all this? - Who am I ?  What is the purpose of life ?  and many others. The mystics and sages, of all Traditions, have advised us to seek the answers to these questions at a deeper level.  This is a level beyond mere human senses and intellectual knowing. It is one that requires us to be open to the Presence and the Grace of the Indwelling Mystery. Those who have experienced God at this level, suggest that  there is a deeper Mystery at the heart, or root, of all creation and that it is wise  to journey inwards in search of this Mystery . If we do, then our human family will find a more authentic, safe and surer, peaceful and more joyful  evolutionary path. 

For Mystics this  is a path that leads towards union with both  the Mystery and each other. It can provide us with a way out of the  many current crises that threaten us, our planet and our soul.  One of the root problems  is that  we have lost sight of the  underlying unity and oneness of our one human family . We share the same Source and live, in this  body psyche,  on our small  planet Earth.  This sense of unity and oneness is found at the heart of  all  Faith Traditions.  Perhaps this  is best expressed by the following quote from the Hindu Vedas - the Isa Upanishad 

  ' The one who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all beings,  loses all fear. When a wise one sees this Great Unity and his own Self has become all beings. What delusion and what sorrow can ever be near him?'. 

This sense of oneness is echoed by St Paul , a Christian Mystic in Galatians.

 'There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' 

The great Faith Traditions have so much in common. We are not in competition with each other. False competition leads us down the path of discord, disunity and conflict . We are created for co-operation not competition by the Unity that unites and enfolds all Creation. This Unity is the Great Mystery, or  Great Spirit of the Aboriginal peoples , that the Mystics and Sages have shown us. Their path  leads inwards. This is an ancient path of contemplation that people of all faiths and none can safely follow. However, it is a path  that requires  courage, patience, wisdom and , above all, grace which is a free gift from God .

I would like to end these reflections with a blessing from the Celtic Christian tradition, a tradition that underpins my personal journey of Faith. Celtic Christianity shares much with both Hinduism and Buddhism, it sees and senses God's Presence in every situation. This is a prayer for 'New Beginnings' and is adapted from John O Donohue's  book ' Benedictus

New Beginnings - A Blessing 

'In out of the way places of the heart. 

Where your thoughts never think to wander.' 

This beginning has been quietly forming. 

Waiting until you are ready to emerge....    

Awaken your spirit to adventure; 

hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; 

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm. 

For your soul senses the world that awaits you'.    

 As Jesus says :  'On that day, you will know that you are in me and I am in you'  . John 14:20.

Our human family stands  on the threshold of a new beginning and the Faith Traditions have so much wisdom to offer us which essentially is:

Be still and know that I am God the Mystery  (Psalm 46:10)

Peter Creagh

Our Long Journey with Mystery Part 6 - Sikhism

Sikhism -   Ek- Onkar -One God - One Truth ‘Killing all the temptations of the world, one controls the uncontrollable and thus gains knowledge and merges into the Eternal  ( Guru Ram Das )

Sikhism, the 5^th largest of the world’s religions was founded by Guru Nanak (1469- 1539) whose basic spiritual teaching is to be found in the most Holy of Sikh Mantras – the Mul Mantra, composed to honour the God he called Sat.

The Mul Mantra

‘ Ek-Onkar (One God) , Sat (Truth) is the name,

 the Creator, without fear and hate, 

Omnipresent, pervading the Universe. Neither born, nor dies to be born again. Truth is revealed through the grace of the Guru. 

Before time itself there was Truth. 

When time began to runs its course, there was Truth.

 Even now, there is Truth 

and ever more (says Nanak) shall Truth prevail’.

The Mantra contains the essence of the Guru’s spirituality and teaching about One God. After a deep spiritual experience, he became critical of many of the religious practices of his day, particularly about caste, the division of people and the treatment of women. He set out to offer an alternative path to both Hinduism and Islam and appointed his successor Guru Angad. Thereafter each Guru appointed their successor until the 10^th Guru (Gobind Singh). He instituted the Sikh Kalsa (more on this later) and compiled a collection of the Gurus teaching, including writings from Hinduism and Islam. This forms the Guru Granth Sahib (or Adi Granth) the Sikh Holy Book. This became the 11^th Guru that is central to Sikhism and the focus of worship in the Gurdwara (Temple), which is Punjabi for ‘the door to the Guru’.

The name Sikh means ‘disciple or learner’ and denotes one who believes in; One God, the Ten Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib. In addition, Sikhs believe that the Gurus represent One Divine Inner Voice, they are all one. Their forms changed but their lights merged. In other words ‘the Gurus are vessels for a single spiritual torch’. The 5^th Guru Arjan built the Golden Temple at Amritsar, which is the most sacred place for Sikhs. In this short reflection it is not possible to explore all ten Gurus. We will look at the 10th Guru Gobind Singh and end with a quote from the founder Guru Nanak.

The Kalsa (Pure Ones) and  the Five Ks     Guru Nanak’s alternative spirituality and its emphasis on standing up for the marginalised and oppressed, led to a long period of severe persecution of Sikhs by the Mogul rulers of Northern India. By the time of the 10^th Guru Gobind Singh a tradition of saint-soldiers had developed. It was during this time that the Guru created the Kalsa, which essentially created Sikhism as we know it today. He did so in 1699 with a unique initiation ceremony. Before outlining this, it is important to read an extract of some of the Guru’s words concerning the ethos of those who become the Kalsa. This comes out of the ethos of those times in India and proposes an alternative way.

‘ The one who repeats night and day the name of God, whose enduring light is unquenchable, is one who bestows not a thought on any but the One God  and who has love and confidence in God and places no confidence, even by mistake, in fasting, worshipping at tombs, places of cremation or where yogis meditate. This is one who recognises only One God( Ek Onkar) and cares not for pilgrimages, alms, penance and austerities. It is one in whose heart the light of the Perfect One shines and such a one is recognised as a member of the Kalsa’

In 1699, accompanied by his wife, he gathered Sikhs from all over India. He selected 5 people, one from each of the 4 castes of Hinduism and the 5^th an Untouchable, to be the first to be initiated into the Kalsa. His wife held the cup of nectar (Amrit) used in the ceremony. It was then that Sikhs adopted the custom of wearing the 5 ks , so called because each begin with the letter K. These are; Kes – uncut hair (hence the turban), Kara – bangle or bracelet, Kangha - comb, Kirpan – dagger and Karcha – underpants. All males were required to take the name Singh and females Kaur (princess). This ceremony marks the formal birth of Sikhism and is celebrated each year by Baisaki 

( Spring Festival).

Seva (selfless service).  Sikhism extols 5 very important virtues. These are Compassion, Truth, Contentment, Humility and Love.  One very important practice in living out these virtues is the tradition of Seva a central aspect of Sikhism. This is perhaps best demonstrated by the Langar – a kitchen attached to every Gurdwara. Here, in the spirit of Guru Nanak’s teaching, all are freely welcomed and fed, regardless of gender, race ethnicity or class. As one of the many non-Sikhs who have been often welcomed into a Langar, I have been impressed by the spirit of service and hospitality I have received. It is a positive example and one that other Traditions could benefit from.

Guru Nanak, like other founders of Faith Traditions, was both a mystic and a deeply spiritual human. His writings exude a spirit of compassion, wisdom and mysticism. I would like to end this short reflection with one of his quotations (In Praise of Woman) on the importance of women. I have chosen this because, in the context of 16^th Century India, where women were considered to have no rights, this demonstrates Guru Nanak’s teaching about equality in a society that was deeply entrenched in caste and male sexism.

Of woman we are conceived, of woman we are born, t

o 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.

Satsang Programme 2015-16

Seeking Together

SATSANG ASSOCIATION UK Midlands & North Area PROGRAMME October 2015 – June 2016

OUR THEME

                    ONE WORLD- ONE FAMILY

For further details on our Satsang see

www.satsang-companionship.org.uk

or email

Angela@angelatierney.wanadoo.co.uk

Our Programme this year is still being designed. Its main theme will be

ONE WORLD - ONE FAMILY.   

We will look at  issues such Gender  & Children's Equality - The Environment - Spirituality for the 21st Century. In fact we will be guided by the famous mantra

NOT TWO - ONLY ONE

Dates, times and venues are outlined below for your diary. Updates will be published both on our website www.satsang-companionship.org.uk  and our blog. They will also be emailed by mid September

Month/Date	TOPIC	Time	Venue
Saturday October 10 th	TBA ( see Satsang Blog)	1.30 – 4.30 p.m.	Wolverhampton
Saturday November  21st	TBA	1.30 – 4.30	Wolverhampton
Saturday January 16 th	TBA	1.30- 4.30	Wolverhampton
Saturday March  12th	DAY OF REFLECTION	10.30 - 4.30	Wolverhampton
Saturday May 14th	TBA	1.30-4.30	Wolverhampton
Saturday June  11th	DAY OF REFLECTION	1.30- 4.30	Wolverhampton

SATSANG 

   Seeking Together – Helping to Create

   A Planetary Vision  - A Universal Heart of Compassion

Sacredness of Life & Creation

 The Sacredness of Creation and of Life

We live in a world where humanity is struggling with many issues and in many ways seems to be facing an some existential choices. Many of the Mystics and Sages , both from the past and present 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 here are three stark examples of crises that our human family needs to honestly face:

                    The Crisis of our Environment - 

as we abuse and misuse our planet - Mother Earth 

                    The Crisis of Violence and Destruction.
                                we live on a world that is far too violent and self-destructive

                    The Crisis of our lack of compassion

( for more on these 3 issues  , and particularly the first  two, see  the resources page  www.satsang-companionship.org uk and the two articles Rooted in Mystery)

Our Crisis of Compassion

It is the last of these that this post wants to briefly address. This lack of compassion  highlights our failure to see who we really are and our intimate connectedness with all. As Carl Sagan notes,.

 The Cosmos is also within us. We are made of Star Stuff.  We are a way for the Cosmos to Know itself’   

Thus the first two crisis are iner-connected with and rooted in the 3rd crisis - that of our lack of  compassion for self and others.
  

Humanity has evolved over hundreds and thousands of years and, as a species, we have a great capacity for empathy and compassion.  Increasinglt, neuro-science is providing more and more evidence that traces the evolutionary growth of our brain and its remarkable capacity for connection. This requires both Empathy and Compassion.However, the Patriarchal lust for power over and  the growth in  fundamentalism 'blocks' or diverts this great Heart - Mind human capacity.

We can see this in the current growth in both materialism and fundamentalism all around our planet. It impacts on politics, religion and all areas of human endeavour. In our rapidly changing world with its many crisis , it is an example of  how human beings, particularly when faced with complex crises, tend to block out or ignore them. They do this in a variety of ways and a favourite 'defence' or 'diversion' is to focus on issues that are not essential or immediate. This has led to a common human syndrome of ' sorting the deckchairs on the sinking Titanic.'    We panic and instead of accepting personal responsibility, we begin the dualistic 'blame game' with its my way is better than yours and 'its not my fault, its your fault.'

We forget the ancient wisdom of our inter-connectedness. So aptly  and beautifully expressed in these words from the Katha Upanishad ( from the Hindu Vedanta)

There are not many but only one.

Who seeks variety and not the unity,

Wanders on from death to death.

I was reflecting on much of the current news and the challenges faced by the fundamental lack of compassion. By chance, I came across the following reflections by Reina Parada. Reina, is a Satsang Member from California. Many years ago she generously shared these reflections, which were published in our ( now out of print) Satsang Newsletter - Indwelling. I re-issue this and record my thanks to Reina as she reflects on her feelings of SACREDNESS written in 2006.

SACREDNESS A Reflection by Reina Parada ( 2006)

Every moment is sacred Every moment is to be revered It is Thursday, early morning The house is still Everybody sleeps And I feel the sacredness of the Early morning at dawn I looked at the window and all The trees seemed to be captured In a perfect picture That remained still in time It is dawn Not a sound is heard yet The birds are sleeping The plum tree in the garden, My old friend, Seems to meditate along with Everything around I walk quietly I do not want to break the precious Sacredness I feel in this moment All of a sudden The stillness I feel Around me Embraces me in a silent hug And, like if I was in the arms Of my love I closed my eyes And I felt With my whole being and with all my gut How precious every moment is Because only for that instant I was able to touch briefly the heart The heart of the Oneness that IS And pervades everything that is and Exists I bowed in my heart with a deep reverence To the silent sacredness of this moment For feeling the pristine music of silence That constitutes every single moment Of what we call life

It is the same heart embracing All the colors spread on earth In every form and shape of creation This moment is sacred Because it IS This moment is sacred A child is being born Somewhere in the planet Someone is dying Somewhere in the planet Someone is loving Somewhere in the planet Someone is crying Somewhere in this planet Someone is laughing Somewhere in this planet Someone is sleeping Somewhere in this planet Someone is dancing Somewhere in this planet Life and death Pain and joy Sadness and happiness All the colors of the spectrum Of emotions and feelings And, unfortunately, Someone is dying Somewhere in this planet Because of violence and hatred…. The moment we break The sacredness of this moment That moment we bring Pain to others Either in thought or in action We have become irreverent to the only reality that IS But, every moment we live We have the opportunity To realize, at least for the split of A second, The sacredness of this moment And rejoice and sing in praise For all that IS

Remembering Srebrenica

Please note the above and feel free to attend

Part 2 - Review of Satsang Day

We resume our review of the Satsang Day of Reflection , held at the Friends Meeting House, Wolverhampton on Sat 13th June 2015

Summary of Part 1

Our Day was designed to look at the many challenges facing our world and our human family in the 21st century. Our growing understanding and knowledge from all the disciplines indicate that there is a great inter-connectedness at the heart of creation. 

The Cosmos has been expanding and revealing itself for around 14 billion years and we, as a species, have been around for about 7 million years but modern humanity ( Homo Sapiens) has, over the past 200 thousand years ,become to use its great gift of self-reflective consciousness to begin to explore and engage with the creative process. However, we have also begun to have a negative impact on our environment and planet. This has become more marked in the past 300 years and has accelerated in the past 50 years. The negative impact is increasing at an exponential rate and thus, as a species, we face many challenges and choices. 

These challenges are particula\rly relevant for the major World Faith Traditions. It requires each of them to reflect on and review their underlying truth(s) and ultimately to embrace an alternative theology. They require a theology that can hold both the ancient truths and wisdom and modern knowledge in a non-dualistic manner and thus avoid the pitfalls of an Either : Or or 'my religion is best' mentality. ( This is an issue that we will return to in future Satsang Meetings)

Our ancestors, and particularly before the onset of the current patriarchal era, had a more holistic view of creation and our place in it. Modern science confirms that all creation comes from the Big Bang .We are as Carl Sagan suggests all created from star dust. 

The Cosmos is also within us. We are made of Star Stuff.  We are a way for the Cosmos to Know itself’      

Carl Sagan

Ancient Spiritual Wisdom can assist us but we have to be honest and face the inaccuracies and distortions that can sometimes arise when Religion fails to focus on the Mystery at the Heart of Creation and over-focuses on a Creator ( or God by many names) who is more made in our image i.e. a small-minded  and ( mainly) man-made God. .

The following quote from Part 1 serves as a thought provoking and useful reflection. Though the words are about  Christianity, they could be adapted and applied to other Faith Traditions i.e. for church read mosque, mandir, gurdwara etc

   "Faith itself sometimes needs to be stripped of its social and historical encrustations and returned to its first, churchless incarnation in the human heart.“  ( Christian Winman)

So in Part 1 we looked at  two themes that challenge us and how Ancient Wisdom could be of assistance. The themes were

1.   The Balance between Knowledge and Action

2.    The Macro and Micro Cosmos - The interconnectedness of 

       all creation

Final Note    Whilst our Day of Reflection contains 4 'themes' it is not necessary to take in all four. Each of us are on our own unique journey back to the Source. We gather is Satsang for spiritual companionship and support. However, it is hoped that one or more of Sister Ishpriya's 'themes' will touch us at this point on our journey. If so, this will be the 'gift' for us this day.

Now to continue to Part 2

Opening Reflection & Focus

To prepare for our 2nd session, we had a time of silence and watched the following video that presented a poem by Sister Ishpriya - Caught in the Half Light

This led us gently into the afternoon's session with its two themes. We began the afternoon with Theme 3 of our 4 themes, each supported by a short video input from  Sister Ishpriya

Theme 3:- NEED not GREED -
 the power of money

   'Leaving the transient, find Joy in the Eternal:

  Set not your heart on another’s possessions.'  Isa Upanishad

After a short pause we began to move into our third theme with  a quotation from Gandhiji- the father of modern India. His quote reminds us that our Blue planet- a wonderful home for our human family, is bountiful and provides sufficient for all our real needs.

Video Clip 3   from Sister Ishpriya

We then watched a short video clip from Ishpriya and she reflected on the influence and power of money and its impact on our world and humanity.

Post-Video Reflection

After Sister Ishpriya's input the following quote from the Native American Tradition was used to lead us gently into a time for personal reflection. 

The Native American Tradition , like those of other 1st Nation Aboriginal Peoples clearly show the holistic link these traditions have with the Earth , Creation and 'The Creator' - by a variety of names. 

Final Point for  Reflection on Theme 3

After a time for Personal Reflection on Theme 3, we gathered together.  We then looked into the wisdom of Islam for some further points about greed. Islam as a major World Religion has much to contribute, particularly concerning the importance of mercy and giving alms. The following story from the Hadith was used to provide a 'space' for final personal and silent reflection before we moved on to the final theme for our Day.

All the great Traditions warn of the dangers of over-forcing and/or over relying on money and possessions.  The Christian Tradition- and certainly the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ- lay great stress on the dangers of greed. One of His many quotes is :

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.'

 Its not that money or possessions are inherently bad, its that it can lead to us focusing on the wrong thing. This quote came out of a cultural backdrop where 'wealth' was seen a a sign of 'God's Grace'   

Arguably, we have not moved on very far from the times of 1st Century Palestine  . Much of our modern values lay great stress on the accumulation of money and wealth. and is the cause of much inequality amongst our Human Family.

Our Blue Planet is our home and its gifts and treasures are not only to be held and dealt with in reverence but also shared equally.

Arguably, our failure to share the bounty of the world more equitably is one of the root causes of much of the tension and violence within our human family.

The words of the Isa Upanishad are indeed not only wise but very relevant in our modern times.

   'Leaving the transient, find Joy in the Eternal:

  Set not your heart on another’s possessions. ' Isa Upanishad

Theme 4 - Courage

We then moved into the final part of our Day of Reflection and this focused on the theme of COURAGE.  The word comes from the root ' couer' or 'heart' in French. 

To have and to find courage requires a Heart- Mind connection ( a topic we covered in an earlier Satsang Day of Reflection   Both modern Neuro-Psychology and Ancient Wisdom recognise the value of the Heart-Mind Connection.

We are a species who have evolved over time and with a large proportion of our brain devoted to the Affective and Empathic aspect of life and relationships. 

In modern neuro-scientific parlance we are designed for 3 core needs :-  Survival - Satisfaction and Connection. The last of these is part of our more evolved brain , the top part and this requires a Heart-Mind connection.  Neuro Science calls this neuro integration. 

In many of the Spiritual Traditions the Source of Creation is seen as Love or Relationship. Excellent examples of this are the Hundu practice of Bhakti and the Christian message that 
'God is Love'   this is emphasised by the Trinity.

With this as a backdrop, the following quote from  the ancient Chinese Taoist Spirituality was used to enter into our theme on Courage.

Video Clip 4 from Sister Ishpriya

In her final video clip, Ishpriya focuses on the theme of Courage and recounts 2 examples from her experiences living  near Rishikesh in Northern India at the  Jeevan Dhara Sadhana Kuttirs   near Tapovan.

Post Video Reflection

The following powerful quote from  St Paul the Christian Mystic led us into our final time of personal reflection. Note the connection between love - courage and inner strength.

Sharing our Day and our Journey

After our time of Personal Reflection we met as a Group and used the following quote from the Vedas to remind us of our Journey and to guide our sharing.

The Dance of the Elements

We ended our day led by Angela in a final period of Sacred Circle Dance. Angela chose a lovely song - Tread Gently on the Earth. This is often referred to as the Dance of the Elements - Earth - Air - Water - Fire

We danced to a backdrop of a large slide ( see below) of Mother Earth surrounded by the diversity of her children and they dance in reverence of her bounty and love.

We hope you enjoy these reflections and we resume our Satsang Programme in October 2015