http://www.care2.com/greenliving/are-you-aspiring-to-be-spiritual.html
Are You Aspiring To Be Spiritual?
Consciousness reaches into every aspect of life. All our divisions between inner and outer exist so that we can make sense of two worlds which seem to be separate. Eventually they merge, and as that occurs, a person ceases to be a cause for private change and turns into a cause for universal change.
In a mysterious way, to act is to express the universe, and like the still point of the revolving world, each act is both in time and outside it.
Spiritual people aspire to be in both places, timebound and timeless. In India this is sometimes expressed as “the lamp at the door”–your soul is poised, as if on a threshold between the everyday events that occur in time and the background of the unchanging, infinite absolute.
The reason this is important is that if you can live from the level of your soul, you are doing something very special. It doesn’t really matter what actions you take. The important thing is how much consciousness you add to the whole of human existence, for that is how eternity expresses itself, like a lamp shining in through the window of eternity.
A great soul like Buddha or Jesus wasn’t just a lamp at the door; they were beacons. You and I may feel smaller than Buddha or Jesus, yet that is an opinion formed by our egos. Spiritually, all the light being expressed through a human being is equal, at least in terms of quality.
Why? Because light is a metaphor for the power of consciousness. Everyone’s consciousness draws from the same underlying reality. But it doesn’t really matter if history will remember you as a great soul. At this moment you are expressing the entire universe through your consciousness.
The cosmic plan, whether we call it divine or not, doesn’t need you or me to reach its ultimate fulfillment. Yet the parts you and I play are unique. No one can duplicate them. We make our own cosmic history every second.
Adapted from: Peace Is the Way, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2005).
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25 comments
add your comment »Mr.Eric, You would not need these discourses from HH Deepak Chopra on this web site, your Miracles site would have been an absolute sell out but the reality seems to be different which is beyond Miracles..
Mr.Dixon, Sorry to say that you very much belong to the Gross world & the word Subtle is just a word in the so called English Dictionary w/out having experiencing it.
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Brenda that was most beautifully and clearly said.I have to say so.
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Thank you Melissa. My personal spiritual journey has included the HEALTHY honoring of myself. I'm still working on it. ;) I have had less trouble honoring others than myself; however, the more that I realize that God is omnipresent and that doesn't exclude THIS vessel called Brenda, it makes it easier to see through the illusion that blocks my ability to honor myself or in some cases, others.
What God creates is perfect but we look with "imperfect" eyes.
The more we "see" the more we treat ourselves, others, and all there is with love, kindness, and care.
Even so, I have to admit that there are people who do the "right" thing who seemingly have no religion or philosophy to guide them. There are people who act in unkind, unloving, or uncaring ways who profess a religion or philosophy they claim guides them. So Dwight, I see your point but not everyone that does "good" has an active relationship with the God of your understanding and not everyone who does, does "good".
I think our earlier training and modeling as children teaches us habits that often stick with us whether to the good or not to the good. I do believe that we have a choice and can make modifications or changes in how we relate to ourselves, others or our world. I believe having a relationship with God can help make that difference and while that certainly has been true for me, I am not altogether sure it has been true of everyone who has done or will do "good" in this world.
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A Care2 member alerted me that my link was bad. Sorry about that, and here is the correct link. Honor Yourself
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For me spirituality means "a true healing of the heart." One book I came across recently and loved is, "Honor Yourself" by Patricia Spadaro. I love the way Honor Yourself combines wisdom from so many different sources and spiritual traditions with real-life stories.
Everyone has their own story about their spiritualism, and each should be honored.
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NOW MY TAKE 1-2
In the raw innate essences of this discussion there lies one more thing that I would humbly like to interject.
Groups of Philosophy, way to live, religion, or what else it might be called falls in two separate identities today in our Generation on planet earth.
FIRST: are the failed groups that have not stood the test of time to reproduce good and morally sound things for mankind to think on ponder and how to treat one another in all ways.
SECOND: are the surviving groups that have stood the test of time to reproduce good and morally sound things for mankind to think on ponder and work toward on how to treat all others sane in all the same ways that he/she would like to be treated.
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NOW MY TAKE: 2-2
Is that it is not wise to mix and mingle from the failed groups to the surviving groups--- for long ago I tried that and it didn’t work for me. Because at the heart or core of each Philosophy lies the NUCLEUS. And once I tried to commingle philosophies and all their tangents all was lost because that line of thinking and believing just did stand any kind of test of being normal.
NOW my personal experience of arriving at my philosophy came when I learned of all the lies that I had believed early on. But when I began that purging I had my central CORE in place. But the many tangents that lead from that CORE needed to be redefined for me and that took years.
THE BOTTOM LINE: my philosophy is this I am humbled for even been given a chance to become one under the direction of My Creative GOD. So I fear HIM. Second I am humbled again by my presences with so many of my like kind [humans] that I strive each moment I live to give back unto all in my community their needs of that day. And to that end I live work and breath each moment I live with fervor to go about and help MY GOD that I fear to take care of HIS people.
And when I fail as I do daily I try to look back and see what I could and should have done differently when I was at bats with those folks lives and I STRUCK OUT.
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Julie, et. al, I have noticed that people treat others better and the earth better when they begin to encourage their spiritual nature regardless of what group or church or organization they start stretching those "spiritual muscles". But I can agree with you that ACTION counts.
Some people can't give a darn about anything until they get turned on spiritually. Others may be able to jump into action without spirituality or religion, etc. and that is great if they can.
Sometimes people just quietly do the "right" things for others, for all living things and for the earth right where they are without a lot of noise or recognition. Bless both them and the organizers who on a larger scale try to awaken people to do the right thing . :)
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Spirituality, religion etc - ACTION - to do better for yourself, mankind, the planet and the animals. Be true to yourself and other living beings on this planet. Do what is right for the survival of our monther earth.
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I feel like I walk two worlds all the time. Unfortunately I tend to lean more often toward the everyday events than the infinite unchanging but I hope that I am getting better at doing the balancing act.
As for the East and the West I think it would be good to experience both spiritual paths (not just read about them) before making a choice. How else can you possibly know what they are about? When you make the choice, simply live it the best you can. A choice is only a choice unless YOU decide that there is only ONE choice – the one you picked. Truly there is no need to pick up stones and hurl them at those who have chosen differently. But as Uma says, when a stone is thrown, it causes one to learn. I have experience fully and thoroughly first the Western then the more Eastern paths. I have a found that the latter helped me to see the former in a better and deeper light. There is a still point between opposites where one can remain poised and accepting and it is indeed a beautiful place to be whether we are speaking of East and West or material and spiritual worlds.
There are a lot of things I have heard about or have read about but until I experience what I have heard or read, I can honestly say, “What do I know”? The answer to that is “Nothing”. Experience gives us a much clearer point of reference from which to operate. We are more believable when we speak from our experience(s) than when we speak from parroting other’
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