29 December, 2012

Making a Resolution - RE-SOLUTION


 


This is a reflection based on the spirituality of the International Satsang Association, further details of the Satsang Association in the UK can be found on the clicking on the link to the  UK Local Website.)

 

New Year Re-Solution  :-

 

Theme - Seeing in Silence



Each year we are urged to make 'new year resolutions'  But what is a resolution?  Perhaps , as so often is the case, we could benefit from looking at this word and its root.  Resolution - really means RE- SOLUTION -   Each re-solution is an attempt to resolve our life either by changing direction and/or living life in a different way. This is often more clearly seen when we undergo the loss of a loved one, because when we suffer bereavement there is NO EASY SOLUTION, there is merely a re-solution.

Now Christians are well aware of that puzzling quotation by Jesus, taken from the Gospel of Mark 4 :-   "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!" 

These words come near the beginning of Mark's Gospel and suggest that people need to really look and really listen if they are to truly understand.  
 Now, we can so easily see these words either at face value or, more often, as being addressed to people living in Palestine 2000 years ago. But we could all benefit from pausing, reflecting and taking these words into the depths of our inner being. These are words that could provide us with a gateway into our own inner self and encourage and challenge us to really look afresh at our life and re-solve it.

Those of us who believe that there is an underlying MYSTERY at the heart of Creation are Theists. We believe in a Spiritual Basis for the wonders of this evolutionary journey we, and all the Cosmos, are engaged in. In that sense we are Spiritual Pilgrims. +Dom Helder Camara reflected on this aspect of Pilgrimage in his writings. Being a Christian he refers to 'Christians'. However, these words can  readily be applied to all who undertake the Spiritual Journey 


Extract from Dom Helder Camara - Essential Writings 

' The Christian is the well adjusted follower of Christ: one with Christ and made responsive to him and by him to the whole of human life.

The Christian is the universal brother and sister of all, and loves to give prayer a communal dimension .........     I have tried to express all this in the simple and humble words of the following prayer.


Being Responsive to Life - Seeing in Silence

How poor you will remain until you discover
that you do not see best with open eyes.

How naive you will remain until you discover
that when your lips are closed,
there are silences richer than a torrent of words.

How clumsy you will remain
until you understand
that joined hands
can do far more
than restless hands
which may inflict the unintended wound.


Now these words of Camara's begin to make sense of how we can begin to see things as they really are. If we are to begin to see,hear and understand things then we need to look and listen with a great degree of inner mindfulness. If we can begin to do this, then we will gain greater 'Insight' and thus begin to 're-solve' our life and also relate with greater compassion towards ourselves and others.

 So perhaps a good New Year Resolution or Re-Solution would be to open the eyes of our heart and both look and listen with more mindful attention at all aspects of our relating - with self, each other and creation.

02 December, 2012

Advent- Waiting in Hope


ADVENT – A Time of Hopeful Waiting


Advent, from the Latin word Adventus, which signifies a coming, is a significant and special season in the Christian Calendar. It also marks the beginning of the Christian year. Now it may seem strange and perhaps paradoxical, that the year should begin in a time of darkness, in a time when, in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are shortening and the nights are lengthening. However, this is a time of preparation for the birth of a Saviour, for the birth of Jesus the Christ who brings light into a broken world.


For Christians Advent is the spiritual season of hope. It is a time when every  Christian is called to reflect on their life  and how they might become hope both for themselves and the world. The Christian experience and message of the Mystery, we call God, is one of a “God who comes” (Adventus) and, moreover,  a God who calls us to go to meet him. This is a God, who in Jesus, responds to the Psalmist’s cry ‘I have called to you, Lord, hasten to help me. Hear my voice when I cry to you’. (Ps. 141:1).


Now traditionally, Christian’s begin each New  Christian Year  at the Season of Advent. It begins with the story of John the Baptist, a story of one ‘crying out from the wildernesses.


In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” Matthew 3: 1-5

This was a voice that expressed the truth about the prevailing situation, a truth that was unpalatable for many and particularly for those in authority. Yet, rather than be a voice foretelling of impending doom, John’s voice also pointed to the Light ( Jesus) who was coming into our Broken World and a Light which would bring healing and salvation.

Now many in our current times may fail to see the significance of Advent or the story of John the Baptist – the voice crying out in the wilderness. Perhaps it could help to first get in touch with the term – ‘the wilderness’ and second to place the Christian Story in the context of  our present times and situation.

The term wilderness indicates a place of desolation, a place where little grows and where life exists on the edge. It denotes a barren and inhospitable place.  Now , our world has many ‘wildernesses’ and these are not necessarily confined to places such as deserts and the tundra. In our world we have many economic and social ‘wildernesses’. We have places of desolation such as :

v     The desolation of millions of children malnourished and lacking clean water. 

v     The desolation of women, denied their dignity and subject to the control and oppression of systems, culture and patriarchal domination .

v     The desolation of financial chaos, unemployment , financial instability and inequality.

v     The desolation caused by the abuse of power, whether it be financial, aggression or that of  sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

v     The desolation caused by our growing estrangement from our environment, our planet and ultimately our true and real selves.

Yes, we live in a world with many desolations, a world that is increasingly becoming a wilderness for so many of us .

Yet, it is into this world that God, the Mystery at the Heart of Creation, enters. The Christian story of the Advent of Jesus the Christ, offers a light of hope that streams onto these many desolations. It brings hope to those in darkness. For me and many others, the real message and meaning of Advent is to provide us with the opportunity to reflect on our lives and our world and to prepare to renew ourselves and to live life more in tune with our environment, each other and ourselves.

29 November, 2012

Making Peace with Self and Nature

HOPE FOR OUR FUTURE

The future well being of humanity and the earth is dependent on a new world view in which the care of the planet, nourishment of the soul and the nurturing of the human community are integrated and seen as a continuum. In the following You Tube talk, +Satish Kumar, an Earth Pilgrim , outlines some aspects of his personal Journey of discovery and life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EQ1HtzXxQU&feature=related



28 November, 2012

The Virtue of Reflective Practice

REFLECTION  & CRITICAL THINKING
( finding a better balance)

We live in a fast moving and dynamic world where new discoveries are occurring almost daily and where all professions , branches of society and sciences are challenged to remain rooted in truth and yet open to new  ideas. Most of the other main professions recognise our tendency towards thinking and the inherent imbalance between reflection and thinking . Therefore , they exhort followers to develop the attitudes and skills of Reflective Practice, combine this with genuine Critical Thinking and live a more balanced life.

The Table below outlines some important issues that contrast  Reflection and Thinking and are then followed by some important points about DEEP REFLECTION  or Meditation

REFLECTION  (PRACTICE)
 (CRITICAL)THINKING
Emphasises the instinctive or intuitive
Emphasises explicit reasoning and debate  or discussion
Is expressive and inquisitive and explores  spirituality and religion as  a way of life and a journey into relationship
Is analytical and strategic, linking
 knowledge bases , such as Scripture and other books
etc to practice and worship

Emphasises learning through practice and personal experience of the Mystery
Emphasises deconstructing Religion by  examining processes, worship and
written Scripture
Appreciates that  the world and creation have meaning that can both inform and give deeper understanding to the Spiritual Pilgrim
Understands the difference between empirical information ( facts) , and attributed  meanings from  written tradition and personal perceptions
The Classic Challenge for Reflective Practice : -  Being sensitive to others  while at the same time being true to one’s personal experience of  the Indwelling Mystery . Remaining open , awake and aware  that each unique being has a personal journey back to the Source of Life we  refer to as God
The Classic Challenge for
( Critical) Thinking : defending current religious thinking and practice in a dynamically changing world. Remaining mindful that theology is constantly shifting in response to new knowledge and new understanding of the contextual issues that inform our Scriptures, Religions and cultural influences.

DEEP REFLECTION – Spiritual Wisdom

Spirituality is much older than the main Religions. Spirituality has been around since the dawn of humanity and we have over 70, 000 years of recorded evidence. Religion is a more recent expression of our human spiritual experience, it is ,at most, only 5000 years old.  

The Spiritual Wisdom has much to teach us about Reflection and provides many useful Spiritual Practices to aid our reflection. . Ultimately Deep Reflection  ( meditation) is a state of profound inner silence  and peace , a state of not thinking, of just being aware. And in this state of awareness, deep truths rise up within. Therefore, Spiritual Pilgrims can learn much from our past, from other professions and their own experience and thus develop a Spiritual Practice that places a greater emphasis on the value and virtue of finding moments of stillness and silence to aid Reflection.   Like salt or yeast, moments of reflection  add a great deal to life’s balance.
Peter Creagh

13 November, 2012

ECOLOGY & SPIRITUALITY
As part of our regular Satsang Meetings we look at a variety of Spiritual Practices and issues.At our recent Day of Reflection we looked at Ecology and Spirituality. One of our areas was the contribution of Native American Spirituality. The following two prayers were used to aid our time for personal reflection

Native American Prayers for the Earth



UTE FAMILY & DWELLING
The Native American Ute peoples are part of the Uto-Aztec peoples  of the Americas .No-one knows there exact origin. However, from about 1500 they were known to occupy the South Western Part of the United States, in present day UTAH, Colorado and New Mexico.
Like many of the Indigenous  peoples of North America, and  in common with the many Aboriginal peoples of the world, the Ute people had a spirituality that was rooted in Nature and in their understanding of the land, the environment, their inter-connectedness with all  creation and  their sense of the  In- Dwelling Presence of the Spirit.


The following is a typical prayer from their Spiritual Tradition.

Earth, Teach Me

Earth teach me quiet - as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering - as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility - as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring - as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage - as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation - as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom - as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance - as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal - as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself - as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness - as dry fields weep with rain.                                                    

An Ute Prayer


 The following is a prayer from the Iroquois Native American Tradition. These were a peoples who occupied the North Eastern Part of North America, in Modern day New York and up the Quebec.  Like all of the Native American peoples, the Iroquois have a profound and deep reverence for Creation and its wonderful diversity of nature, creatures and peoples.


Thanksgiving

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.


We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.


We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.


We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.


We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.


Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness,
and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
Iroquois


06 November, 2012

The Wisdom of Reflection -Swadhyaya


Three Circumstances for Making Wise Choices

+Sr Ishpriya recently released a video clip on both You Tube and the ISA Website 
Its subject was Free Will. Now this got me thinking about the responsibility free will 'imposes' and its various choices.  I was also aware of our upcoming Day of Reflection and their place in my rhythm of special times set aside for deeper reflection. This led to the following brief reflections:

If we accept that we possess Free Will then this requires us to be responsible for our choices   and their consequences. However, it can help to be aware that there are three main mental, emotional and spiritual states we face when making choices.


First of all there are times when feelings are unsettled and our thoughts are in turmoil.

Sometimes our emotions are in turmoil when we ponder and struggle with the alternatives. We may experience many strong feelings as we face the prospect of choosing—anger, fear, confidence, confusion, hope, sadness and many others. Wise Spiritual Teachers warn us about making decisions at these times because these situations require us to more carefully observe, understand and interpret these feelings. We could all benefit by taking time out to discern the spiritual meaning of our feelings and thoughts and discover how they point us to the right choice, a choice based on deeper wisdom.

Secondly there are times when seemingly there is no doubt.  


Sometimes the right decision seems unmistakably clear. We know what the right choice is. All we need do is act on what we know. However, we often put off acting on what we know and this can be both puzzling and frustrating. However, the reality may be we don’t know enough either about the situation or our real self. Once again we could benefit from taking time out discern the spiritual meaning and discover how this could  point us  to the right choice.

Finally there are times when our emotions, thoughts and spirits  are calm.

These are the times when we can we approach a decision in a tranquil and settled frame of mind. This is probably the wisest and easiest time for decision-making  because we can bring to bear our wholeness, our oneness and all the power of our emotional, thoughtful and spiritual self to shine a light on our choices. These are times of real spiritual discernment and wisdom. All the great Spiritual Traditions have examples of how great Teachers took ‘time out’ to discern and make wise decisions and statements.


Reflection or more correctly self-reflection is a spiritual necessity. In the Hindu Tradition it is one of the 5 Niyamas – It is known as Swadhyaya. – Study of Self by the self. One focus of this niyama is learning from our own lives. We are our own teachers. Lessons abound for us. There is a reason that we are here in this life now and part of that is to learn.  Swadhyaya lasts a lifetime .

So , perhaps our task and responsibility as Spiritual Seekers,  could be to set aside times for Reflection that  help us reach  moments of calm – because in those moments we can more readily enter periods of Inner Silence and Tranquility  and thus both Listen to and  ‘hear’ the inner voice  that enables us  find our Inner Moral Compass, to more fully understand and be aware of our choices  and thus discern the right choice.

31 October, 2012

A PRAYER FOR OPENNESS


Aarti Flame
Spiritual Seekers have a variety of Practices ( Sanskrit word is SADHANA). Being open and aware  are vital qualities for all of us as we journey back to the Source.
  We need to regularly take time to shine the Inner Light of Awareness onto our relationship with the Mystery that is the Source of all life.

In Hinduism, the ceremony of the Aariti Flame is meant to remind devotees of their relationship with this Inner Light or Source.


The following is a simple Prayer or Mindful Experience that is designed to focus us of the present and being Present to the Presence.



SEEKING TO BE OPEN TO THE SPIRIT

A prayer of intercession

Touch your fingertips to the forehead

‘O Lord, open my mind to remember your presence’

Touch your fingertips to the lips


O Lord, open my mouth to speak your wisdom’


Touch your fingertips to the heart


‘O Lord, open my mouth to speak your wisdom’


Touch your fingertips to the lips


‘O Lord, open my heart to extend your love’


Open both hands palms up and extend them out


‘O Lord, open ermy hands  to serve  you  generously’


Open arms wide

‘ O Lord. Open my whole being to you’

‘May my mind, my body, my heart my all be yours’

Amen


Further examples of Satsang Spirituality can be accessed by linking to our local website    www.satsang-companionship.org.uk




26 October, 2012

The Story of the Universe


The Big Bang
 OUR UNIVERSE

The Continuing Story of Creation

Our Universe is part of the unfolding and ever-accelerating Cosmos. It came out of what many Cosmologists refer to as 'The Big Bang' It has existing almost 15 billion years and around about 4.7 billion years ago a Star , we call our Sun was born.

From this beginning our Solar System developed and from this developed our wonderful Blue Planet - often referred to as Mother Earth. For countless generations people have gazed at the stars and wondered and pondered about them. Philosophers, physicists, prose writers and poets, all have contributed to this wonderful story. In this week designated as ONE WORLD WEEK, it seems appropriate to share from the writings of a great Environmentalist and Ecologists, +Thomas Berry. Below is an excerpt from his writings


The Story of the Universe

The Universe story is the quintessence of reality.

We perceive the story.
We put it in our language,
the birds put it in theirs,
and the trees put it in theirs.

We can read the story of the Universe in the trees.
Everything tells the story of the Universe.
The winds tell the story,
literally, not just imaginatively.

The story has its imprint everywhere,
and that is why it is so important to know the story.

If you do not know the story,
in a sense you do not know yourself;
you do not know anything."
Thomas Berry

Further examples of Satsang Spirituality can be accessed by linking to our local website    www.satsang-companionship.org.uk




22 October, 2012

One World Week

ONE WORLD WEEK
21-28th October 2012

The one that sees the diversity but does not  recognise the underlying unity , 
wanders on from death to death'     Hindu Upanishads

This week is set aside as ONE WORLD WEEK. We are all members of a common species , all part of the growing human family. Every branch of human learning, every science, every spirituality every piece of research is increasingly confirming our shared oneness.  The great American Psychologist  William James put it succinctly more than 100 years ago, when he wrote :

' We are all like islands , connected at the deep'

Increasingly, we live in a world 'village'  Modern technology, the great advances in communication and our ability to quickly travel great distances, mean that we are much more aware of what is happening around the world. Consequently, we can no longer escape from our responsibility as a member of our human family. In short, ignorance is no longer an easy excuse for inactivity. What happens to one part of our human family impacts on all.

However, One World Week has an even higher remit. As a species we have four levels of spiritual awareness. These are outlined below.

1.  EGOCENTRED      The first level that we enter is that of being EGO-CENTRED. At this level we relate everything to a personal, intrinsic and egocentric view. At its worse this can lead to a total focus on the ME.   Ultimately, at its worse this Me-ness  leads to Meanness .

2. GROUP CENTRED    Our next level is that of our ethnicity,culture,family,religion etc. We are born into a culture, tribe and family and this heavily influences our personality, views, opinions and actions. Here again, at its worst, it can lead to a divisive  'Them and Us'  mentality. Where the 'other' becomes an 'It'   This mentality ultimately leads to wars, oppression and even Ethnic Cleansing.

3. WORLD CENTRED   Part of growing in awareness involves transcending the self and our group and recognising our inter-connectedness. We become more  aware that we are part of the wonderful diversity of our world. We are a related species living on and in a beautiful planet. Failure to do so has led, and will increasingly lead, to the exploitation of each other and of the resources of our planet.

4. Cosmic Centred   The fourth level of awareness involves cosmic awareness. We are part of a vast expanding and evolving creation . This is a creation that has existed for  14 Billion years . Our tiny Blue Planet, on which we live is floating in the vast oceans of our Cosmos, with its Universes and Multi-Verses. Whether or not we believe that there is a  Mystery, which many call God, lying at the heart of this evolving and expanding Cosmos is not the most crucial point. After all, our belief is based of faith which can be proven or dis-proven. Therefore our only response the the wonder of the Cosmos is one of AWE and WONDERMENT.

The ethos and values of One World Week are similar to those of the International Satsang Association  whose website can be accessed by following the link. Further information about our local Satsang can be accessed on our local website Satsang UK Midlands & North


Our challenge as a human family is to recognise our oneness with our world and each other. I want to end this short reflection with a challenge and quotation from the World Charter.

' Can we co-operate to move towards a global society , which adapts to change while :

    *        balancing the needs of nature,economy and society

    *        respecting universal human rights and economic justice

     *      building a culture of peace ?

Do we ( each) accept that only by working together to meet these challenges can we share equitably the legacy we have received with our descendants?

Perhaps each of us could take some time to reflect on the importance of One World.





12 October, 2012

Ecology & Spirituality - Day of Reflection




 ‘Ecology & Spirituality’


How do they touch your life?

“Human use, population, and technology have reached that
certain stage where mother Earth no longer accepts
our presence with silence.”      Dalai Lama

A Day of Reflection & Experience

Saturday 10th November 2012     (10.30 – 4.30 )

FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
Summerfield Road, Wolverhampton


We live in a world that faces many challenges. It is a world where change is occurring at an unprecedented rate.  Many of these changes are adversely impacting on the Ecology of our Blue Planet. We face urgent choices and our response to the urgency is critical. These challenges and choices can inform and/or  effect our view on Spirituality, Religion, Science, Social Awareness and all areas of life.

Our day will be informed by some input from DVD clips, Scripture and other sources. We will have times for Personal and Shared Reflection and in the afternoon some shared group responses to the theme.

Further information about this event and the UK Midlands & North Satsang Group  can be found by following the link in blue to our local Website www.satsang-companionship.org.uk

OPEN EVENT   ALL ARE WELCOME

COST: To cover the cost of hiring the Hall and drinks there is a charge of £5 /person
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN PACKED LUNCH

09 October, 2012

Seeking Meaning Rather than Sense

'Seek Meaning rather than sense.
Seeking sense  can often lead to Non-Sense'
  
The words above are adapted from the work of + Viktor Frankl a famous Austrian Psychologist and survivor of the Nazi Concentration camps. As a Spiritual Seeker and Member of the International Satsang Association, I find these words , powerful, meaningful and very helpful.

The purpose and meaning of the International Satsang Association is outlined in its Logo

Seeking Together - Helping to Create - A Planetary Vision and a Universal Heart of Compassion.

As a Satsang Member, I share a common goal with many others, including Satsang Members and all Spiritual Seekers. As Seekers, we accept our responsibility to try our very best to seek Truth  in every aspect of, and encounter with, life.To assist us in this serious and important endevour we regularly gather together in Satsang to share with and support each other,This helps us to strengthen our resolve to gain the wisdom to see and the strength to respond to the ' Signs of our Times'

We particularly strive to recognise our common humanity and our unity in diversity. In doing so we try to play our part in breaking down the barriers of difference , in all its aspects, that separate and divide our human family and to strive to build up relationships of compassion.

11 September, 2012

Living on a Borderless Planet - Programme of Meetings






  

Living on a Borderless Planet

SATSANG ASSOCIATION

UK Midlands & North Area

PROGRAMME

Oct 2012 – July 2013



‘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

Month/Date
TOPIC
Time
Venue
October 13th
Contemplative Tradition Centering Prayer
a  DVD with Father Thomas Keating
1.30 – 4.30

Wolverhampton




November 10th
DAY OF REFLECTION
Theme on Website in September
10.30-4.15   
Wolverhampton




January 12th
Oneness at the Heart of Creation
Reflections from a Trappist Monk
1.30-4.30

Wolverhampton




March 9th

DAY OF REFLECTION
Theme on Website in September
10.30 – 4.15
Wolverhampton




May  11th
½ Day Meeting for sharing on a Topic/Theme to be announced
1.30-4.30
Wolverhampton




July 13th
DAY OF REFLECTION
Theme on Website in September
10.30-4.15

Wolverhampton


Satsang Triple Commitment:-   Members commit to

a 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, ethnicity, culture, language, economic class  and religion.

SATSANG 
   Seeking Together – Helping to Create  A Planetary Vision  - and
    A Universal Heart of Compassion

For further details on our Satsang see
or email