Karma or Reaping the Fruits of My Sowing

Buddhists speak of karma. Christians speak of sowing and reaping. Scientists speak of things like equal and opposite reactions. Philosophers speak of beliefs drawing us to things that match our beliefs. It seems to me that they are a cluster of similar concepts.

Whatever I do or say or think = energy. Energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. It matters what energy I put out there.

There are several theories about our redemption from our dark energies and the resulting actions that cause hurt and pain. Most agree these kinks in our souls have to be paid for. Fundamentalists say you will burn or freeze (Dantes lowest hell was freezing) forever. Catholics tell us if you are only a little bad, purgatory awaits you for as long as it takes to straighten you out. A God of love is made into a Hitlerian villain. I simply cannot believe in that schizoid idea of God. If God is love, this is not how love behaves.

But then there is the idea of rebirth. It is fascinating. There have been quite a few studies on small children who still remember their past lives, for example at the University of Virginia. It warrants serious consideration I think.

The basic idea is that it takes multiple attempts to refine oneself to be in a state of compassion and oneness with Spirit. The dark side cannot win. Even for the most horrid person, there is eventual enlightenment, although maybe after many, many lifetimes. So there is hope.

Since we arrive here with no direction book and just have to figure it out, is no wonder we make so many blunders. That's no excuse, for we have to try.

Just as our bodies have healed of many things in this lifetime, so too can our souls heal. We can turn to the Light and do our best to let go of selfish ego things and embrace  compassionate living. We can pay for some of our negative karma by how we live out the rest of this life. I highly recommend this.

Oh my goodness Lord, I see clearly the dark seeds I have sown. Lead me to turn to live not for myself, but for You. Help me grow in kindness and compassionate living. Show me how I can make amends. I truly wish and choose to be a beneficial presence wherever I am. With Your Guidance, I do set my foot upon this path today and forevermore.

Words, Words, Words

Funny things words. They can seem the same, but have different meanings to those who hear or read them. They can point to enlightenment, but are not enlightenment. They can be sweet or cruel. They can reach flights of love and joy, or they can lead to despair. They can be used to free the mind or box it in. So incredible the flexibility of words.

I was thinking of "My Fair Lady" in the shower this morning. I could hear Elisa Dolittle/Audrey Hepburn say, words, words, words. Then the historic use of words came to mind. Words have often been power and control tools. There have been lovely sonnets and sweet uses of words too of course, but maybe not as the majority of uses.

Take "God," for example - a word pointing to the limitless Divine Mystery, but more usually used to diminish and box in the Infinite to someone's supposed understanding. So "God" is used as a weapon or control device. Think of examples: my teaching of God is the one and only correct one, and anyone disagreeing needs to be shunned or punished or killed. We see that played out over and over again in history.

I think we need less words about God, less arguments about God and more experience of/with God. Whoever speaks or writes can only feebly point to the Truths. The Infinite cannot fit into the tidy box of words. God is always infinitely more.

Divine More, lead us out of the tyranny of words into the experience of You that transcends all limits. 

5 Hours a Week!

Just a moment ago I read a survey that in a modern family parents spend only 5 hours a week in face to face communication with their children! I felt my danger signals flare.

The common reasons/excuses were watching television, children on their phones or in their rooms.

Helping, training, encouraging our children to be Persons, to find and develop their talents, to instill integrity and compassion, to experience love, to  understand the importance of work and participation, to teach critical thinking skills and on and on - these are job descriptions for the position of parent. If these jobs are not done, what happens to the child left to their own devices?

We find ourselves with a generation perhaps unlike any other. They are sometimes called snowflakes because they wilt so easily. We also read that many lack face to face communication skills because they have a life lived primarily with electronic devices. We find a numbness and despair that lead to this huge catastrophe of drug addiction. There are an alarming lists of symptoms of these children who have been marginalized by lack of parenting.

Then there is the problem with the parents who find a television program more important than their children. I wonder how they were parented??? But there is also a decline in honoring what has been sacred for much of human history. Life is sacred. Much of modernity does not act that way. Our nation has seen over 60 million abortions since it became legal in 1973. Discard human life with abandon and then ignore for the most part the children who were born. Life is sacred. We must act that way.

I think for our children to be all they can be is an important goal for us all. We humans need to do some soul searching. As my old Zen master said loudly and regularly, "WAKE UP!!!"

Incarnation, A New Understanding

It's fun when we discover that things we think and are considering are also thought by others. I discovered Hans Frei this morning. He converted from Judaism and became an Episcopal priest and professor of theology at Yale. Karen Armstrong shared this about him:

Frei argued, the person of Jesus should establish the norm by which Christians judge the world and current events. He was certainly a historical figure, yet he did not have religious value simply because he had existed once upon a time; he became factual only when incarnated in our daily lives.

I wanted to shout "YES" when I read this. So many things danced in my mind at once. Paul's Christ within, his life now the life of Christ; Eckhart's assertion that Christ born from Mary is insignificant if not born in us; on and on ideas I've read flooded in. Then my own experiences validating and validated.

Yet religion today in many ways is not this. It is often shallow, prosperity gospel for example, or Jesus is my buddy. Or it is meanspirited, such as gleefully watching those with a different understanding tortured in the rapture. Or it is violent, terrorism sanctioned. How can we, is it possible, to shift to sincere inquiry and into a life lived spiritually?

The path of actual spiritual awakening is not easy. It requires ernest self inquiry and emptying, kenosis. It requires turning to the right brain, to the heart. It requires compassionate seeing and hearing and speaking and doing. It requires transformation which involves personal cosmic union and the birthing and nurturing of the Presence that was known and seen in Jesus who became The Christ.

It seems to me that people, at least some people, have grown weary from seeking in empty places and yearn for more. Perhaps this time is ripe for awakening the seed of God in us and stepping into the path of incarnation.

A Thorn In The Paw

Contemplating what I consider to be one of my failures, a particular insight showed up. A little background first.

This beloved person turned to evangelical fundamentalism, complete with all of its meanness, judgementalness, holier than thou anger and ego. The self-preoccupation of being "saved" is opposite of the emptying of self to be open to Spirit taught by almost all spiritual masters of all traditions. Self-preoccupation is an activity of the ego. In this case, my beloved person fell prey first to falsehoods instilled by his grandmother and the accompanying seeds of rage. He was, I suppose, pre-conditioned to slip easily into the mean-spirited theology where he finds himself.

Actual spiritual awakening requires healing ego, emptying oneself, and walking into mystery.

So, I saw him in my morning quiet time this morning in the old story of the raging lion with a thorn in his paw. As you may recall, as soon as the thorn was removed, the lion stopped raging and was grateful for its removal. Immediately the question arose, how to remove the thorn/thorns???? I don't know the answer at the moment. What I do know is that, because God gave me the vision, the thorn is removable. There is hope.

Divine Presence, how thankful I am for the insight You showed me this morning. Whomever, whatever, however the thorn is to be removed, I rejoice. May Your profound Love prevail in the lives of all with thorns of pain. May healing sweep across the land and thorns fall in great mounds. May Your people be set free.

What Can One Person Do?

I continue studying history, fully aware that my seemingly innate idealism and optimism are up for debate, maybe death.

Do I allow myself the expense of discouragment? Do I shift to the darkness and jadedness of despair? Do I retreat to my own little sanctuary?

I think not. Maybe awakening is not possible for all in this lifetime, but it is possible for some. Maybe this one person cannot make a difference for the world, but this life can make some positive difference. This light can shine wherever it finds itself on the path of this life. A little here, a little there adds up to something more than if it didn't happen.

So I urge you not to give up. All of our little bits add up. Who you are and what you do matter.

Politics and Religion

This morning I've been reading some more of Karen Armstrong's book, "The Lost Art of Scripture, Rescuing the Ancient Texts." I am enjoying this book immensely, and it so packed with information and ideas that I know I'll have to read it multiple times.

Anyway, I then began sewing on a quilt, during which time some thoughts formed I want to share with you.

Confucius and Lao Tse and others thought a person has to handle ego issues, connect with transcendent reality, be humble, etc. before  being able to serve in government or other civil activities.

It seems to me, as an observer, none or very few of today's politicians qualify to serve the public under those criteria. I see giant egos, power struggles, greed, self -serving, and not a glimmer of enlightenment. In fact, many are even anti-spiritual.

I tend to agree with Confucius and Lao Tse about the ideal leaders. It makes me wonder many things. Is it even possible in today's world? If no change, what future do we have? Can we somehow bring world leaders to seek the spiritual and heal the ego?

Let's contemplate and see what comes to us.