Spirituality for Living

Inner deaths. Those little changes that represent a growth period, but do end a facet of your existence. When it feels like an iron door has slammed shut, but was it really “abandon all hope ye who enter here”? For me it was more of an entering into the world, and in a way more [...]

You choose the pain because you choose the role. Pain is better then numb, if it hurts it can stop. If it’s doing nothing …
The great way, or ‘will of god’ to use metaphor, is not a nebulous void. It’s dynamic actualization. The will of god is not separate from your will. The great way [...]

Lately I am dealing with a severe case of ennui. Existential boredom. How can that be? So much knowledge to learn? The disciplines of the mind reduce to exercising human perception. This is starkly limited and easily exhausted. From basic human premises of philosophy and science you can extrapolate any argument that has ever arisen [...]

The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake would seem to be gratifying, but the presence of the implicate order in any field of knowledge is readily evident. All existence is limited or else it would be present solely as a potentiality spread throughout the implicate order
Gnosis and knowledge are inextricable. Even science requires that [...]

There is a dark side to may popular attitudes that people deny, and in fact everything we think and do is symbolic. Even with the more “normal” types. Some say suicide is by no means symbolic, but indeed it is. It is usually the playing out of a drama that was full of symbolism. It [...]

Do people get over tragedies or do they just move on? The idea you forgive and forget is a lie, and an injurious one. You can forgive and let go, but the delusion that you can forget makes people feel bad about themselves.
Faith can be a strength, but understanding is still necessary, and organized faith [...]

The shamans knew about the full mind. Do everything counter to the way that everybody else did. This is the path of the Heyoka. Sacred clown. They support their tribe by showing them how things are undone, keeping them alert. They were tricksters, but because they went backwards. They just “undid” things. People kept aware [...]

What it would be like if I could do anything? The wizard is eventually revealed as a silly little man behind a curtain. He still had the power, and magic is everywhere. Martin Luther King was really just upset that people were being creepy to each other, and yet he made a big change in [...]

We heal by knowing why we are where we are, and maybe discovering how that can change. For all our pursuit of light, we still fall into darkness. It is a part of the cycle. The right hand is strong. The left hand is sensitive.
In general, we live with people who are eager to see [...]

Have you considered what you will do at transition? Some people think that it works one way. Spirit communicating with incarnated. It isn’t that neat, not that orderly, and some put forth the idea that anything in human incarnation is human. That isn’t necessarily so either. I didn’t undergo the process of immersion, and I [...]

Hurtful people don’t need reasons to be hurtful. There is a simple truth, hurt people hurt people. They don’t respect themselves, so no one can be respected.
If we are continually abused we come to believe what is heaped on us is true, but there is an unusual way out of it. The bad person can [...]

When you look around, what do you really see? I’m sure you think you see trees and grass and buildings and stones, but in fact your own science says that you aren’t actually seeing that. You are seeing light. The light comes from everywhere, and exists on all levels. From the range of light you [...]

What would you say about someone who has killed a couple of hundred people, and accepts that, sleeping soundly knowing that only the dark part of his soul enables that same sleep? Is the soldier a criminal for having killed? Is someone who sees the world darkly an enemy for that view alone? I would [...]

Darkness consumes, and it can also liberate. Tolle himself had his realization in a time of darkness. Darkness is not all bad, it is part of the whole. It’s an awareness on an encompassing level. If you cut your hand it hurts, hopefully you will treat it. If you experience spiritual darkness it hurts, and [...]

We undergo many changes. Things are lost, and we discover new paths. This has a dark side, but dark things aren’t bad of necessity, and by trying to hide them, or bury them, you deny part of you. There is a literal darkness of spiritual, and it is my observation that life on all levels [...]

There can be pain in the change of ending one relationship, and starting another. Mourning loss is good, and allowing yourself to grow naturally into the new relationship is good also. Not immediately adopting a positive stance, because “you are supposed to”.
Another may want to fight with you, but you don’t owe any fight. You [...]

In the shadow, the human mind will create “bad” things“, but the bad things are things arising from our nature, the same as those parts of ourselves we praise. But being parts of the one whole truth of who we are, often that shadow mirrors everything we consider worthy, every virtue we claim stemming from [...]

People look for all sorts of ways to avoid communicating, and only bad comes from dismissal. It’s a fad to tell people to keep their drama to themselves, or not make drama. “I don’t do drama.” It’s a code for don’t bother me with emotional stuff, because I can’t handle it either. When they say [...]

I am considered autistic. It makes me a natural nihilist, and I have always been a negative thinker. The funny thing is, I tried with all my might not to be. This drove me into a deep depression, and the more I tried to understand the world as I was told it was, and the [...]

Spiritual discussions and therapy don’t often cross paths. Doesn’t it seem strange they don’t cross? What do spiritual groups have to offer if they won’t accept pain and a need to heal? Platitudes maybe. They make statements implying they want to help and heal, but pain is somehow beneath them. Taoism teaches that our strength [...]

The Buddha rejected the way of the ascetic, but people get hung up on his view of attachments and miss his message. Avoidance can be an attachment, and no insult intended if you are Christian, but in my experience those most concerned with Satan are Christians. They are more concerned about Satan and evil than [...]

Even the “saints” felt spiritual darkness. The term “dark night of the soul“ was used to describe the doubts experienced by a man now seen as an exemplar of his faith. It’s been expressed in a lot of art also, but people don’t seem to think about it. The poem “Footprints in the Sand“ says in your [...]

Many spiritual groups don’t welcome dark feelings or dark sentiments in their functions. We don’t have this prejudice on Reflection Island, and our Spiritual Darkness class is to give that its place in our awareness. I would like to start by offering the floor to anyone who would like to share some element of darkness [...]

Snakes mostly just lay in the sun trying to get some heat, digesting something they could gulp without too much effort a week ago. Snakes rule. They are very close to the Tao, and it is wise to respect their space. They are as a rule avoidant of any fights, but they will strike as [...]

Dwelling is what gets me. I wonder how I could have done things differently.  Well for me on dwelling, I practice really only one thing. It helps me quite a lot, but it seems to be sort of complicated. Disinhibition. Your mind is inherently aware of error. You won’t stop being aware of error, and you [...]

There is an old Native American practice, or rather non practice. They never apologized. Can you guess why?
It’s about connecting in the wrong way. To say “I am sorry” is almost self insult. Yes. The way they saw it, they needed to do something, or you did, and apology was pointless. They understood the concept [...]

Stress re-enforces habit big time. I daresay some people are so accustomed to their stress habits they forget they are stressed.
As in a twitch, or as in running away? The whole spectrum, facial tick, running away, uncontrolled rage, self-harm, and that is not a rare habit really. For every virtuous behaviour we have been taught, we [...]

Is the frustration invalid because it’s “bad“? Some people avoid any and all frustration like they aren’t allowed to be frustrated for some reason. I can get very frustrated, but I have no reason to resent anyone. I can’t blame them for options I don’t have, because I do have them, and I take them. [...]

I do like the idea of accepting the literal facts of gender difference without additional prejudice. Men don’t need to be emasculated, women don’t need to be intimidated, yet we do both. In the States, if a man gets married he’s seen as having “gotten a wife”. I often mock my male friends for how [...]

I value my shadow side, and have a natural inclination toward it. It is sort of my spirituality, but people often mistake me. A light during the day can go unnoticed in the broader light. This same light in darkness stands out very clearly. If you are a darkly inclined person it doesn’t mean you [...]

Darkness is a part of spirituality, yet there is a trend to censor it in some spiritual groups. No one really likes to talk about the bad side of things, and part of the reason they don’t is either an idea that it somehow makes their efforts impure, or just simply the tendency to label [...]

The darkness of those who lie, like married men who don’t say they’re married. That is bad. Infidelity. Cheating on a partner.
Is sex in the virtual world of Second Life with someone married infidelity? To my view, yes it is.  But there are other ways to cheat, and not with sex. The intention is what [...]

Are the spirits really inconsistent about anything? They live within their realms very consistently. Solid is agreement to stay at a certain state. The human inconsistent isn’t about humans having any programming, it’s more about them not knowing that they aren’t actually programmed. Human’s won’t actually claim their domain.
It’s not a matter of conscious agreement, [...]

The spiritual darkness discussion group, at ‘One World, Many Paths’ in Second Life, was started because a lot of other spiritual groups bar people from talking about negative feelings, and tell them that if they would just be more spiritual they wouldn’t feel bad. We don’t do that here, and we let people share and discuss [...]

A lot of people look at darkness as a negative. I’m not one who does. Nor am I. This is why we have the discussion group on spiritual darkness in Second Life. It’s to learn from this side of the truth also.
When others refer to driving back the darkness, I know they mean the unwanted [...]

I wish I could stop and reflect more often. What stops you? Not sure, partly personality. I ask a lot of questions. Questions can be patterned in a concerning way. Questions are always coherent with patterns of thinking, either perhaps corresponding to therapeutic method, or religious prejudice, or emotive bias/temperament. Sometimes they don’t maintain coherence.
In [...]

Our Spiritual Darkness class at One World, Many Paths is a bit less formal. It‘s more about being able to share the darker side of our spiritual lives without judgement and maybe receive some support. As usual advice is cheap, so any offered is not meant to offend.
So maybe for a bit of darkness, doubt/insecurity maybe? Ever [...]

I recently got in a fight. A fist fight, and realized that the guy who busted my lip and messed up my jaw probably grew up in a terrible environment without love. Actually, even if he did not, whatever motivated him is still about him. Some people rebel even if raised in a loving family. [...]

I’m setting myself up for a new experience pretty soon by enlisting in the Navy. And will learn much, though some may say it’s questionable. What in the end isn’t questionable?
Free will. Yes, which is where questions arise from, and answers, and delusion, and the resultant liberation.
I certainly questioned it. I still do, but I [...]

We created our Spiritual Darkness discussion group in Second Life to give place to the darker feelings and phases of the spiritual life. Their expression and perhaps some insight.
Everyone on any spiritual/philosophical path has dark moments. In Christian mysticism they refer to them as a “dark night of the soul”. They are actually considered good [...]

There is a focus here. The darkness we may be in, or may have insight into.

I recently had the revelation that I am always pointing the finger at others, including a God I supposedly gave up belief in. Rather than turning my thoughts inward and finding the problem, I cast the issue at the feet [...]

There are some very good lyrics I have been hearing lately, “I’ll take everything in this life. I’ll join everyone and understand. ‘Cause all men die. ‘Cause all men die.” (James Blunt)

The secret is to learn to be happy first, with whatever you have.
But what you have was acquired first and thought to bring happiness.
To [...]

The first knowledge is “I don’t know”. The second knowledge is “I can observe”.

I don’t like my state. I want to acquire so much knowledge in life and its never-ending.
How will this knowledge help you after you die?
By knowing I lived a happy life with my knowledge.
Is knowledge necessary? I don’t know, but it’s presence [...]

What is meaning?

What is skilful and what is not so skilful.
How can you discredit one thing and credit another?
It depends on the moment.
Meaning is purpose.
Who decides meaning and purpose?
How can anything be right or wrong if it has true meaning?
Because everyone has their own path.

Meaning is nothing, and you decide anyway. That is meaning.

You can’t [...]

Why do we sand bag ourselves in with beliefs, worries, fears, philosophies? I prefer to leave my space open. I find these things in the world, and move through them. I find faith, and move through it. I find knowing, and move through it. They all relate in a very big and spacious world.
Philosophy is [...]

In our spiritual darkness class, I like to encourage people to speak freely, but it is not a venue for bashing on anyone or criticizing how they deal with things. I will try to offer only constructive advice and will try to keep it relevant/asked for. Unlike many other spiritual groups, we do not discourage discussion [...]

Most people find living with parents once out of the nest even more frustrating, because they start to treat you like a child again. Both parties change, and yet sometimes expect you to fall back in to old patterns. Do you feel respected currently?
I moved back in out of concern, respect and necessity, but it [...]

I found a piece of paper last night. It was something I wrote twenty years ago. Philosophical, reflective and had frustration in it. I saw it and knew what it was, and it was so long ago that I have no real intellectual attachment to it. It surprised me when I read it and started crying. [...]

I’m changing with time. Time. Interesting notion.
Bushido teaches something I find helpful, metaphorically at least. “I am already dead.” You have already lost the fight, so you can decide what to do with your “failure”. If everything is a failure then what is failure? I am a huge failure. I never sustained gainful employment. I [...]

A very passive guy. Hates confrontation of any kind. Hates even to criticize anyone. He is also funny. He gets so frustrated with people, because they don’t seem to understand how to “act right”. They do not treat him as he treats them. Just call him names all the time or don’t know how to [...]

For quite a long while I have sought to get a handle on an aspect of my inner life. Strange parts of my consciousness that had no good explanation I had heard, and I really got stuck between a few different models. I needed more details.
I do dream work, but last night wasn’t fully lucid [...]

Have you ever noticed that both angels and demons are elemental, but ordered differently? Example: Raphael and his flaming sword, a fire angel, and fire demons are obvious. Michael and his chalice, a water angel and water demons are heard of also, but more commonly in Asian cultures.
I see what you mean, like a druid? They [...]

Let me guess. You like a whole and healthy world, but you do not like the order that people put commonly on it. You have always felt you had an instinct for how things would be healthy and strong, even happy, and have been very concerned about happiness in general. Likely enjoy animals a great [...]