STAYING AWAKE ON THE JOURNEY

A JOURNEY MARKED BY PARADOX     

 

Reflections from our Satsang Meeting:- Saturday 8th October 2011

After a short Summer Break, we resumed our Satsang Meetings on Saturday 8th October at the Friends Meeting House in Wolverhampton. Now,one of the purposes of our regular Satsang Meetings is to provide us with 'food for the journey'  and so ,whenever we meet we listen to or watch a talk with a theme that will provide us with spiritual teaching, challenge and some useful reflections for the Journey. Our meeting on the 8th October was no exception. We watched a  talk from + Sister Ishpriya from her  DVD . 'The Grass Grows by Itself' .  This is a series of talks that form the basis of an  8- day  Contemplative Retreat and we watched Day 4. This focused on , among other things, providing , travel advise for the journey from Ishpriya.

TAKING CARE !

Spiritual Journey as a Symbol    Our search for spiritual truth is often likened to a journey. This can be a useful symbol as it relates the spiritual life to that of both our physical and psychological journeys.


 As with all journeys we need to stay awake and remain present to and mindful of the journey. Otherwise we can come unstuck and , sometimes, have either a physical or psychological accident. Consequently, remaining awake, aware and mindful is one of the central teachings and truths on the Contemplative Spiritual Journey. 




Ishpriya used this symbol  of the Journey to begin her focus on our need to remain awake if we were to develop and remain present to our 'natural' spiritual gifts.




TRAVEL ADVISE FOR THE JOURNEY

Choosing the Right Exit

Many motorists will have had a typical experience of travelling along a Motorway and failing to spot the right exit or junction. The result is you travel on , past your destination, heading in the wrong direction and perhaps frantically trying to re-plot your route so as to get back on track. This is an experience I recently had when travelling to an important appointment. I was on the M25, the main circular motorway around the Greater London conurbation. In addition, the M25 is the busiest motorway in Britain. Because of my momentary failure to pay careful attention to the road signs, I found myself in the wrong lane of the motorway and , too late, realised this as I sped past the Junction for the M23. .As this was the first time I had taken this route and, with growing 'gridlock' on this busy road, it took me several hours to recover from this simple error. 


Ishpriya used  this idea of failing to pay attention to the road signs as a metaphor for the need to pay careful attention whilst on the spiritual journey. She reminded us that is was easy to find yourself going in the wrong direction and thus be faced with the task of either turning around or re-plotting your route. The former reminded me of a time I once passed a junction on the Autobahn in Austria. As the next junction was over 50 kilometres further on, this failure led to an extra 100 kilometres being added on to my journey. So I am well aware of the pitfalls in failing to both spot and take the right exit when travelling.


The above is an example from modern society but she reminded us of another from the East. The Indian Poet Rabindranath Tagore , a Hindu Mystic and Poet Laureate. She used a quotation from one of his well known poems, The Lotus to make  a similar, but more poetic point, about the need for awareness on the Journey.



THE DAY THAT THE LOTUS BLOOMED    by +Rabindranath Tagore

A Lotus in full bloom

On the day when the lotus bloomed,

alas, my mind was straying, and I knew it not.My basket was empty and the flower remained unheeded. 

Only now and again a sadness fell upon me,and I started up from my dream and felt a sweet trace of a strange fragrance in the south wind. 

That vague sweetness made my heart ache with longing and it seemed to me

that is was the eager breath of the summer seeking for its completion. 

I knew not then that it was so near,

that it was mine, and that this 
perfect sweetness had blossomed in the depth of my own heart. 

Once again, we are presented with the picture of how a failure to stay awake and remain present can result in us missing the moment.This time the symbol being used is the LOTUS. This is a sacred symbol in Eastern Spirituality.The Lotus very often grows out of stagnant pools of water and opens up as the sun warms it. At the height of the sun it opens itself to reveal its full glory and beauty. Unless one remains present to the lotus  we can miss seeing its full beauty


Here again we have a powerful and poignant picture of the journey.Yet, this concept of the Journey, can paradoxically be misleading. If one agrees that our Spiritual Journey has a goal that is to find union and consciousness of the Mystery we call God or Ultimate Reality. Then one could reasonably assume that it was somewhat like a physical journey, with a starting point, a route and a destination. Here is where Ishpriya reminded us  of the importance of paradox. 


Now many of the great Mystics speak of this paradox. Meister Eckhart , a medieval German Monk, writes about it. What is this paradox ? Well, as Ishpriya reminded us , there is no journey to seek the Mystery, the Mystery is within and with us at all time s and our ability to relate with this mystery is natural. She quoted that wonderful spiritual saying :

'I let you find me a , so that you might seek me' 

The implications of this  quotation is, that if we had never experienced the Mystery deep within our core , we would not continue to seek it.  Lady Juliana of Norwich a Medieval English Mystic, puts it in another way when she writes ' Between God and me, there is no between' 

So we are reminded by both these sayings that our 'search' for the Mystery is based on the paradox, that what we seek and search for we already have!  It reminds me of a game we adults so often play on young children. We hide behind them and as they frantically turn around as we move too. Thus the child seemingly has 'lost' the adult. Onlookers often shout ( as children do at a Punch and Judy show)  ' Look behind you' !  The paradox for us is this, we need to remain awake and aware and might benefit from regularly shouting  ' Look within you!' 

PARADOX AND RELATIONSHIPS

So, having reminded us of the paradox and that we all naturally possessed the gift of communicating with and relating with the Mystery. However, our environment and life are full of paradox and when faced with these people have commonly found symbols useful in grappling with the truth behind and within the paradox. This is particularly true of Spiritual paradox and how we might 'relate' to this Mystery. Ishpriya reminds us that we have used our experience of relating to help us. Thus , in trying to express our relationship with this Ultimate reality ( God by whatever name) we resort to symbolic relationships and terms such as :


God as LORD,  God as MASTER, God as FATHER, 


                          God as MOTHER, God as BROTHER, God as SISTER, 


                                                                 GOD as FRIEND, LOVER or PARTNER etc

More on Relationships

The paradox on the spiritual journey, which is so aptly described by the quote  'I let you find me , so that you might seek me'  is really connected with our constant search for relationship and meaning. This search for relationship is inherent and naturally holistic in all human beings. It touches all aspects of our lives. It touches us at the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual areas of life.

We are born as a result of a physical relationship between our mother and father and from birth we instinctively reach out and seek love and affection, both physically and emotionally.  Research has shown that premature babies, who are kept in incubators, prove this point. Those who are both fed and touched by other people, as opposed to those who are fed identical amounts, put on more weight.

Psychology and our lived experience confirms the importance of emotional love. We know from Attachment Theory, that babies who have a 'secure attachment' with a loving adult , normally their mother, grow up and manage to make more effective relationships and to live more securely. Whereas, those babies who have an insecure attachment either form insecure and often over-dependent , relationships or detach from relating and avoid any emotional or physical intimacy. They often form abusive and inappropriate relationships and then pass this model on to their children. So it seems that we all inherently seek relationships  and these, if successful can help us in forming a spiritual relationship with the Mystery we often refer to as God.

Thus, earlier in her talk, Ishpriya had indicated some of the human relationships that could assist us in relating to the Mystery. One of her examples was that of a loving parent.. Many of these  have in the past proved helpful and for many continue to do so.

 However, for a large proportion of our human family, whose experience of relationships , particularly with regard to some of the 'titles for God' above,  these symbolic relationships no longer prove  helpful. So she gave us two powerful symbols that could help some of us 'solve' or see afresh this paradoxical relationship between us and the Mystery. These were an Apple and a Mirror.  

THE LESSON OF THE APPLE AND ITS CORE

The Lesson of the Apple

The first symbol Ishpriya introduced was an apple. I was surprised and intrigued by this . An apple is a pretty common fruit and one that, like many, I take for granted. Ishpriya talked about the Core and the rest of the apple. She remarked on how the core was the centre of the apple, it was the source from which the apple grew and formed. It  was simply the essence of the fruit.Without the core there could be no fruit and without the rest of the apple, it could not be an 'apple'


The  core or centre was essential but the fruit would not exist without the outer  or remaining  part.  To put it is 'spiritual' terms, the Core or Centre of Being was the Source of life. The outer part was myself. 

REFLECTIONS ON A MIRROR


Ishpriya then suggested another , possibly, helpful symbol. This was a mirror. How often do we look in a mirror and yet fail to realise the wonder of its reflection?  When you view a mirror you realise that it merely reflects the reality. Whatever is presented to the mirror determines whatever is reflected.

I am struck by this example and on further 'reflection' begin to realise both its value and also the value of the word REFLECTION.

Both the piece of pottery and the mirror exist on their own . It is only when they 'stand' in front of one another that the 'reflection' appears. They are both 'real' but when they stand together the reflection appears.

If I was to change the piece of pottery for myself, I can now see something more of the reality. Without the Mirror, I cannot see my reflection and this reflection gives me another picture or view of myself. Both exist but when I stand in front of the Mirror my  'reflection'  helps me to see myself differently. This insight helps me to see the Mystery ( which is the mirror) and myself in relationship and how this helps me to 'reflect' and gain a better view of who I really am.  

We all have a natural talent or ability to relate, not only in human terms with ourselves, each other and our environment but also spiritually with the Mystery we call God. However, we sometimes doubt our natural talent.

OUR NATURAL TALENT

The Naturally Talented Doe

Ishpriya finished her talk by recounting an encounter she had with a Doe. She used this to demonstrate her point about every creature possessing natural talent.

She was walking along a track with a forest on one side and field with crops on the other side. The Farmers had placed a fence between the forest and the field to stop the Deer eating the crops. Yet, this continued to happen. Ishpriya noticed a Roe Deer in the field and thought that there must be a hole somewhere in the fence.

She slowly and carefully walked towards the Roe Deer, who appeared undisturbed.  Then to  to her surprise the Roe Deer nonchalantly and easily leaped over the fence and walked off. The deer turned around to face Ishpriya and looked at her as if to say  ' It is natural to me !'

For me the message from this story was simply this; we all possess a natural talent of gift for relating. We can readily relate with the Mystery for, as Lady Juliana of Norwich reminds us  ' Between God ( the Mystery ) and us, there is no between'

Invitation to the Wilderness




Elegant Solitary
Picture by Frank Francis

The Call of the Wild

' I will call you out into the wilderness and there I will speak to you'

Jewish Scripture

Throughout time people have always been attracted to the wilderness, whether it be the great deserts , the high mountains or the woods and forests. Solitude, aloneness and the great expanses of nature have an inherent and natural attraction.

What are some of the 'roots' of this attraction to silence,solitude and the wilderness ? I feel that there are some clues in the experiences of people throughout time and in different cultures and settings.If we look at the great cultures and Spiritual Traditions we can begin to see how these are rooted in both Holy People  , wise men and women, and in certain places; such as mountains, caves, deserts, forests, rivers etc. 



The Himalayas - the home of the Gods



One of the oldest and richest source of spiritual teaching is the Vedic Tradition of Northern India. Here in pre-vedic times the ancient peoples looked up in awe at the vast expanse of the Himalayas. These stretch for over a thousand miles across the northern part of the sub-continent.

I well remember my time spent at the Jeevan Dhara Ahram in Northern India. I went the there with my wife and  others members of the International Satsang Association, to spend time with Ishpriya Mataji in a place that she helped found and also a place that had nurtured her spiritual journey. The Ashram is set high up in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Whilst we were there, each  mornings we arose before dawn to sit looking up at the snow capped mountains and await the sunrise. At sunrise a wonderful and awesome experience occurred. As the sun rose over the Himalayas, it spread a sheet of gold across the snow covered great peaks. From far to the East and stretching West across the great expanse of the Himalayas, we watched the sun as it lit up the mountain peaks. It was as if  a vast golden sheet of silk was spread across the mountains. It was a sight I will never forget.  Consequently, I can well imagine how and why the ancient Rishis, Sages and Sannyassins in India looked up at the Great Himalayas and imagined that these must be the home of the Unknowable Spirit.

Gangotri-
The Source of the Ganges

Mata Ganga   So in the Vedic Times people began to revere the great rivers that flowed out of the Himalayas. One of the greatest of these is these is the Ganges. Mata Ganga( Mother Ganges) is the most sacred river of the Hindus.  Although it has many sources, the one most acknowledged by Hindus is near Gangotri, about 14,000 feet up , where a great glacier feeds the source. Here for thousands of years Holy Men and Women have lived in this place of solitude and silence.





The Ganges North of Muni Kereti - near Rishikesh

And so the Ganges begins its long Journey through the foothills of the Himalayas until it enters the great plain of North India. It exits the mountains just north of Rishikesh, the place of the Rishis. Here near Muni Kereti is reputed to be a place where the  ' Silent Ones' meditated in solitudes along the banks of the sacred river. I have sat, with my wife, near this place for many evenings and watched the sunset and the light of the evening Aarti shine out from the Temple on the far side of the river. These are sacred and holy places, places where one senses the presence of the Holy.

It was from such places that the sages of India began to compose the Vedas - a rich source of Universal Wisdom and one that has given great wisdom and riches to all the spiritual traditions. It was from these places and roots that the great richness of Indian Spirituality sprang forth. It gave to the world the wisdom of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the great tale of the Bhagavad Gita, a tale of the fight between good and evil. From these scriptures  and the lived experience of the holy men and women , we received the teachings of Advaita - non-dualism. This reveals to us the insight that the Mystery, which is Ultimate Reality cannot be named or known fully but paradoxically can be experienced in the Cave of the Heart. It has given us ideas such as Unity Consciousness and great the Sadhana ( Spiritual Practice) of Meditation  and Mindful Awareness. It has also given us the great Sadhana of Ashtanga Yoga.

Out of this great tradition sprang Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and latterly Sikhism. Arguably, the mystics of India who sought solitude and silence and who answered the 'call of the wilderness' have left us one of the greatest and richest treasure trove of  spiritual wisdom the world has ever known

The Desert Traditions

The Wilderness

In the great Western Traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the wilderness places are the deserts and dry lands This is where the great prophets of ancient Israel and  latterly, John the Baptist  and Jesus went out into to gain spiritual wisdom and consolation. It was from these places of silence and solitude that they 'honed' the message and teachings that they then delivered to the people. Silence, solitude and the harsh beauty of nature can be great teachers .

I of oneness with the elements. This, like my experience in the Himalayas, remains as an important milestone and memory on my spiritual journey.

Great Saudi Arabian Desert

In Islam, Mohammed( Peace be upon him) the great prophet found spiritual wisdom and great insight in the great  Saudi Desert. It was here that  he received the message from God. This is written down in that most sacred of Islamic books, the Q'uran. From this setting, Mohammed went on to lay the great foundations and spiritual tradition of Islam.

So we can see that many of the traditions both speak of and recognise the importance of the wilderness. But the Mystics remind us that this use  of 'wilderness' in spiritual teaching is symbolic. This is a point often made by Ishpria, the spiritual guide of the International Satsang Association ISA) . Part of the Daily Rhythm at the  ISA Sadhana Ashram at Die Quelle is a daily Pravachan from Ishpriya. Her teaching focuses on the Contemplative Path or Tradition and its many roots. One of these roots is our inherent attraction to the wilderness. This is an interior attraction, a call from our innermost self. But what can this be about?



The Wilderness - a Thin Place

Well, as Ishpriya and other Teachers often remind us, the 'wilderness' is symbolic.  The wildernesses of our planet are places where human interference is at its lowest and thus they are places where natural growth can take place. They are places where nature creates what my Celtic Tradition calls ' Thin Places'     These 'thin places' are so called because they seem to help the sacred to break through into our normal day-to-day world. Thus they are places where we can all sit and 'just be' . And in 'being' we can  more keenly  observe, reflect and learn clearly about life in all  its fullness. Those of us currently on the Journey can learn a lot from this wisdom


The important lessons I, like many others , can learn from this is to   find  places and times to STOP , PAUSE and OBSERVE  and the examine  what grows naturally in my life. This can help to identify and realise what grows naturally in life and thus what  has real value. It is , as Ishpriya reminds us, 'about focusing on what is essential'


Modern psychology  emphasises the concept of Life Stages. These are important stages in our life when either physically, emotionally, cognitively or spiritually we are challenged and faced with choices. At such moments, particularly on the spiritual journey, we need to choose with discernment and wisdom. This is something I have battled with and reflected on during my life. . I am by nature and personality very impulsive. I tend to get drawn into the pressures and business of life. I get involved and can, at times, be creative and intuitive. However, this mix of intuition and impulse can be counter-productive.  


Throughout my life I have struggled to balance these seemingly opposite forces and tendencies. So I have found this quote from Ishpriya helpful ' Hurry and speed are not the same thing '  Her wisdom , which coincides with the wisdom of the spiritual masters, reaffirms the importance of balancing our life with times of STILLNESS and MOVEMENT. This is where the practice of Mindful Awareness is so effective and important. Mindfulness can help us develop the gift of Inner Stillness regardless of our Outer Movement. This on-going and life long practice of mindful awareness helps to keep me alive and awake to this 'inner invitation to the wilderness' .  This inner invitation   reminds me of  that famous quote from the Jewish Scripture ' O That today you would listen to my Voice '  

In the Hindu scriptures this is likened , in the Upanishads, to  the ' Little Flame that burns in the heart'.   Now  in Eastern Spirituality 'the heart' is a symbol. It really refers to a 'Heart of Awareness' . It is a place where, as the quote from the Jewish Scriptures reminds us, we can listen to that 'Inner Voice' ,  the voice where Spirit speaks to spirit. Where the essential questions are posed and in the silence the quiet answers rise up within.


Many of the Teachers remind us that this Mystery, this Ultimate Reality ( God by whatever name) calls to each of us in the depth of our being. However, we must be awake to this call. Ishpriya , in one of her talks reminds us that this Mystery is often seen as a Lover. She referred to that famous passage from the Jewish Scriptures, where God calls on us like a Lover and tries to 'lure' us into a deeper relationship. An excellent example of this can be read in the Song of Solomon ( Song of Songs) Chapter 5 Verses 1-6. In the night the lover ( God) comes in the night but the beloved is reluctant to get up and let the lover in. She gives excuses but eventually  when she relents and opens the door, the lover has gone!


LOVER
Come into my garden , my sister, my promised bride. 
I gather my myrrh and balsam, eat my honey
Drink wine and milk
Eat my friends , drink deep my dearest friend


BELOVED
I sleep, but my heart is awake, I hear my love knocking


LOVER
Open to me my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is wet with dew, my hair with the drops of night


BELOVED
I have taken off my robe—  must I put it on again? 

I have washed my feet—  must I soil them again? 

My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him. 

I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.

My heart sank at his departure.I looked for him but did not find him. 
I called him but he did not answer.
I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone.

One of the main messages from the quotation above, is our human tendency to resist the call, to resist change and to make a series of 'lame excuses' .  This is clearly shown in the behaviour of the Beloved and when she eventually decides to get up and attend to her Lover, the Lover has gone!


What can we learn from all this, from ancient mystics and poetical scripture readings? Well, it seems to me that we need to stay wide awake on the journey. We need to listen to the invitation of the wilderness .More importantly, the message of the Song of Songs is surely this : When we receive the invitation ( from the Mystery) , then we need to act on it.  Don't wait to be lured . Beware of using feeble excuses, otherwise when we get up to open the door, the Mystery may have moved on ! 

ARE YOU STUCK WITH THE HOUSEHOLD GOD ?

GETTING STUCK WITH THE HOUSEHOLD GOD

 ‘The Household God  you have created is no more than that…..   The God you have made to satisfy your needs is not the Ultimate Reality’  ‘Sr Ishpriya

'The Tao that can be named is not the Tao'  

                                                                          Taoit ( Daoist) Scripture

Over recent months I have been reflecting, along with others on the challenges facing many people of faith as they question some of the stock answers given by their particular Faith Tradition. Many of these can seem to fly in the face of our growing knowledge and understanding of our world, our cosmos and evolution.  So I decided to revisit some reflections I made about  this ‘theme’ at  a Satsang Meeting held in Wolverhampton about 18 months ago.  

 At that time our Meeting focused on the ‘false choice’ we often make between the concept of the   ‘Unknowable God’ and that of the ‘Personal God’.  This is often posited as an Either : Or choice  but for many the reality can be a Both : And  choice. But first let me put these ideas in their proper context.

Over  many millenniums, people have struggled with the concept of the Ultimate Reality, a God by whatever name we may call it, him or her. This ‚’Creator’ of the cosmos and all that is, is ultimately Unknowable, a Mystery and yet the Source of all and the Ultimate Reality. Over time, many of the Faith Traditions have recorded in Scripture and rituals their ideas and experiences of this Mystery. Some of the Traditions believe that this God – this Ultimate Reality has taken on a human form in order to make itself known to man.

Certainly the Christian Tradition believes that God became man in the person and divinity of Jesus the Christ. The Hindus  have  a trinity of 'Gods,' one of whom is Vishnu and he has 10 ‘incarnations’ of the God. These incarnations are called Avatars. Please remember that Hindus DO NOT believe in many Gods. These are merely symbolic and are meant to represent the many faces or aspects of the one Ultimate Reality.  In Buddhism, although not a Religion, there is also the concept that a person, such as Gautama the Buddha, can become fully realised and that through his or her life, example and teachings we can gain a better insight into our own self and spiritual journey. But these Incarnations become visible in human form and are seen by us, who are human beings. Therefore, we can but see an imperfect vision of the Ultimate Reality.

So let us return back to Christianity. Jesus the Christ became man and in so doing he gave us a vision and example of the Ultimate Reality and how we , as mere humans,  can relate to this Reality. He himself always pointed his disciples at the God or Source he called Abba – Father. So 2000 years ago this Jesus in human form left this earth but Christians believe he sent the Spirit to guide us on our Journey  back to the Source. So Christians are left with the example of the life and teachings of Jesus and these can aid us in our relationship with Ultimate Reality

In her talk Ishpriya suggested that many Christians can struggle with the idea of Ultimate Reality and fear that if they ‘let go of Jesus'  in human form they might lose him. This is because they can often see the dilemma as a choice between the historical Jesus and the unknowable Source/Reality.  Therefore, this dilemma can raise the question; can we reconcile the intellectual assent (to an unknowable Source) with the basic emotional need to relate to an identity? (e.g. with Jesus or another identity or incarnation of God). This can then lead on to a further question; ‘Can we  personalise our  relationship with Ultimate Reality?    As people, we need to remember our tendency to make a God out of anything - sex, money, politics, religion , sport etc.  We can so often make a personal God to fit our needs.   

This ‘dilemma’  posed in the questions above, is not unique to Christianity. All cultures, most  Faith Traditions  and peoples have this universal tendency to create a HOUSEHOLD GOD. The Household God is human, we can identify with it or them and we can manipulate and control them (or they can manipulate us). However, are these ‘Gods’ just projections of our reality or do and can they contain some bits of the Unknowable Source ?   So to return to Christianity, the Faith Tradition I was brought up in . Arguably in many branches of  Christianity we have tended to turn Jesus of Nazareth into a Household God. (Other Religions also create household gods connected to their main figures). 

 I was reminded of this by the Christianity of my childhood in Catholic Ireland. This was a religion with its ‘hierarchy’ of God, Jesus, the Spirit, the Virgin Mary, Angels and Saints. Somehow, God seemed to be very busy or else unapproachable. So we were encouraged to use intermediaries. The Virgin Mary was a special one; somehow she could help to get ‘her Son’ to do things for us.

Then there were the plethora of Saints, each with his or her ‘special role’.  St Anthony was called on whenever we had lost anything. I can well remember my mother losing her keys, so we knelt down to pray to St Anthony and lo and behold there we could see the keys under the table! But it was all thanks to St Anthony. There was St Christopher for travel and St Monica, mother of St Augustine, to whom many mothers pray for their  ‘ recalcitrant and feckless’ sons. Then there is  St Jude , the patron saint of ‘lost causes’, always there in an emergency if we happened to forget which saint we required. So, in a strange way we created a real set of ‘household saints’.  

Now I realise that this ‘hierarchy’ can be, and was for me, helpful. It can assist us, particularly in our early years, in relating to the Mystery or Source and to find both comfort and wisdom by being guided by the example of others. In a similar way in Hinduism, the many ‘gods’ all signify an aspect of the One God, Brahman. However, we need to be careful not to let this ‘block us’ from our search for the Mystery.  So I could see the point Ishpriya was making about ‘Household Gods’

However, as we mature, both in years and in spiritual awareness, for many of us the questions that begin to arise at both the psychological, cognitive, emotional and spiritual levels, cannot be answered by some of the stock responses from the leaders and doctrines on the Faith Tradition. The consequence of this is that many people drift away from belonging to a particular church or mosque or temple. Yet the fundamental questions are still being asked and many still seek answers, but do so outside the mainstream religions.

Ultimately we need we need to face a more essential and fundamental  question about our own belief in an Ultimate Reality. Can we say ‘Yes’ to this Reality and are we convinced it ‘Is’?.    Obviously, if we do not assent to this question, then our path continues down a non-theist road. However,  if we  do assent to this question then we can face the  next question for the spiritual seeker. This is the question of  the if, how and when this Ultimate Reality may have become ‘visible’ in human form.?

For Christians this  not only occurred but did so is in the person of  the historical Jesus the Christ.  For our Hindu brothers and sisters it may be in one of the many ‘Avatars. And if we assent to the concept of an Incarnation  then  we cannot separate’ the Reality 'and the Personal God – both are part of the same  Real, in fact , to paraphrase a famous easterrn non-dual statement, there are not two but only one.   For those of us, (like Christians) who believe in the Incarnation, this means we can relate at a personal level with this Unknowable Source. This is not an intellectual relationship it is an experience of relatedness.  In short it is an experience of the Spirit and this experience can be both exciting  and challenging.

This is not a new challenge. In most of the Faith Traditions, the contemplative path can provide an answer. The mystics of all traditions have set out certain guidelines or signposts to aid and comfort the spiritual seeker. They encourage us to journey within  because it is there we will meet and experience answers to our search for truth and mystery. In recent times there has been a growth in Integral Spirituality. This  is an attempt to harness the Universal Wisdom of all and present a better outline, for that is all we can do, of this Ultimate Mystery. Father Thomas Keating, a Benedictine Monk and founder of  Cantering Prayer and Ken Wilber a renowned philosopher and spiritual guide, have done much to foster and develop a deeper appreciation of the mystical and contemplative path in Christianity.  In her talk, Ishpriya focused on this mystical aspect and particularly on the mystical aspect of Jesus. She  used the Christian story of Jesus’ Transfiguration as an example.

In this story of the Transfiguration, when  the disciples went up the mountain with Jesus they did so as followers and disciples of a great Teacher . For several years they had followed their Master, seen his actions, his miracles, his deeds and heard his teachings. Then on the mountain something happened for and to them.   The disciples saw the Reality more clearly ,– in other words,  they had a Transfiguration Experience’.   

This experience of ‘seeing’ Jesus in a different way happened to Mary of Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane. She saw the ‘Risen Christ’ in a different way. In fact she only ‘recognised’ him when he spoke to her and he reminded her ‘not to hold onto him’. So often Jesus warned and advised his disciples not to focus on him but on Abba – the Father. Furthermore, at the end of his time on earth he told them to rely on the Spirit who would guide them. Consequently, it seems to me that, as a disciple of Jesus, I need to follow his advice and to focus on the Spirit. In  so doing,  I can be guided in my life  by His example and teachings.

Ishpriya then offered us a personal symbol that helped her to understand the dilemma outlined earlier. This involved pure clear water and stones. Looking at the stones makes one aware of the presence of the water and when you become aware of the water you are also aware of the stones.  One makes the other visible.  Perhaps, this is what Jesus meant when he said ‚ ‘I am the Living Water’ because through Him, we Christians can get a better (although still imperfect) vision of the Reality that is God, the God he referred to as Abba (or Daddy).

 She suggested , as do many other teachers and guides, that it could be helpful (at times) to leave the Scriptures to one side ‘and to look at the actions and see how much experience you have of the Reality – the visibility of the non-visible in those actions’  This does not mean that Scriptures are not important but they are  there to point us towards the Reality. I have found this advise to be very helpful.

 Reflecting on this advise, I was reminded of the Buddhist saying ‘ The finger pointing at the moon, is not the moon’ . We have a tendency, particularly in Western society, to rely too much on the written word, which can remain merely words on a page that can become mere concepts and thoughts. The spiritual journey is one that takes us to ‘The Cave of the Heart’

How can we then ‘know’ the Reality who is the eternal Thou and who IS?  An answer, or more properly a response, has been found by the mystics of all ages and all Faith traditions.  It is in paradox. In the West we have a tendency to ‘intellectualise’ Reality and make ‘God’ a thing of the head whereas the Eastern approach is one from the heart.  This heart is not a body-psyche experience but one that is seen as the spiritual centre or as Meister Eckhart the medieval German mystic refers to it as ‘the Ground of the Soul’. The paradox is that the eternal Thou can be known and  that this ‘knowing’ is experienced  as an encounter at the heart of ones being, in what the Hindu Upanishads call ‘The Cave of the Heart’. 

Readers wishing to explore this at a greater depth can find an excellent exposition of this ‘concept’ of the ‘cave of the heart’ in +Mascoro’s translation of the Chandoga Upanishad (8.1) and in other Upanishads. This ‘knowing’ is experienced as the absolute Person/Unity or Reality who gives unity to all and therefore, at this essential level, there are no boundaries between the I ( who is me)  and the Ultimate Reality. It seems to me, that my task as a Christian – a disciple of Jesus, It is not an either or choice. It can best be seen as a both and choice. I need to retain my relationship with Jesus the Christ but through his teachings, and more importantly (perhaps) his actions, Guided by the Spirit my spirit can better realise who and what this Unknowable Reality is.

 As I journey onwards ‘in the Spirit’ I can deepen my understanding of how, however imperfectly, I might relate to this Reality on my Journey back to the Source.

So, in writing this short reflection, which is based both on recent reflections and  on a  theme from Satsang Meeting – a place where spiritual seekers seek truth;  I am struck by the power and support of our local Satsang Group. It seems to me, that in listening and sharing in our Satsang Meetings, I get so much more than I would get by myself. The spiritual journey can, at times, be a lonely one and the meeting up with fellow travellers on the road is both comforting and enriching. It also can help me to be more awake and aware of those small , but vital, moments of ‘transfiguration’ in my life. In staying awake and aware of these moments, I can better relate to the Reality that is the Mystery at the heart of all

P. S.
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