SEVEN REFLECTIONS
1. The Unity and Creativity of God.
"To speak of creativity is to speak of profound intimacy. It is also to speak of our connecting to the Divine in us and of our bringing the Divine back to the community."
—MATTHEW FOX.
2. The Equality of All Species" … each species, however inconspicuous and humble it may seem to us at this moment, is a masterpiece of biology, and well worth saving. … Prudence alone dictates that we act quickly to prevent the extinction of species and with it, the pauperization of Earth’s ecosystems …"
—EDWARD O. WILSON.
3. The Omnipresence of the Spirit Dimension."The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the centre of the universe dwells the Great Spirit and that this centre is really everywhere, it is within each of us."
—BLACK ELK.
4. Continuous Evolvement of Life and Consciousness."The call is to open yourself to your own eternal spirit, to be open to your own rootedness in the Eternal, to start to tread the way, the pilgrimage to fullness of light and fullness of meaning."
—JOHN MAIN.
5. Collective, Individual, Social and Global Responsibility. <5> "Until humankind extends its circle of compassion to all living things, it will not itself find peace."—ALBERT SCHWEITZER.
6. The Effects of Positive and Negative Intentions."Everytime a [negative] seed is watered … we will suffer and make the people we love suffer at the same time. … If the positive seeds in us grow stronger day and night, we will be happy and we will make the people we love happy."
—THICH NHAT HANH
7. Harmonious Living with the Earth."We have been trying to go into the future as a human community in an exploitative relationship with the natural community without any sense of being integral with this natural world as a sacred community. From now on, that is just not acceptable…."
"[A] new, emergent phase of Earth history can be defined as that period when humans would be present to the Earth in a mutually enhancing manner [and] evokes not only the guidance but also the psychic energy needed to carry out the sequence of transformations now required of us as we move into the future."
—THOMAS BERRY
1. To awaken to the oneness of the
Supreme Self and the immanent and transcendent Divine universe.
Thread of meaning: Behind the appearance of individuality there is an
ultimate interconnectedness that permeates all — a Divinity that works and is
universally present within our cosmos and also transcends it. There are
numerous successive ways, openings and various centring levels of being through
which this Truth can be realised and experienced, such as moments in nature and
meditative states of awareness, through worship, forms of prayer, creative
abilities and everyday acts of kindness.
2. To find unity with and realise the
sacredness of all existence.
Thread of meaning: Life is unique, precious and sacred. As humans we
belong to one global family and need to use our Divine gifts to find ways of
becoming co-creators and overcome the boundaries that separate and stop us from
caring for each other, as well as cherishing and protecting the earth and life
upon it.
3. To explore wider states of consciousness
and creative uses of transpersonal insight.
Thread of meaning: The transpersonal realm, which houses states of
awareness beyond the restraints of personal identity, is interwoven with the
collective unconscious mind. In the emergence of spiritual development,
transcendent, transformative and unconscious influences can be revealed through
various practices. Meditative, shamanistic, mystical and superconscious
intuitive experiences all function through this level in an expansive number of
ways and, if integrated correctly, they can help us become aware of the spirit’s
existence and the infinite qualities of good within us.
4. To cultivate wholesome awareness and
skilful use of the will.
Thread of meaning: Growth involves expanding our awareness in an ongoing
healthy direction that helps us embody a balanced life. To find peace in our
being and establish it in the communities in which we live, our actions and
thoughts require elements of mindfulness, patience, wisdom and openness.
5. To harmonise one’s life and transcend the
individual I-consciousness.
Thread of meaning: All areas and facets of our life — the physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual — function more naturally when they are in tune
with one another and harmonised into a complete whole. In the nurturing of
spiritual growth our individual sense of ‘I’, which often seeks to protect
itself and be favoured over others, will need to learn how to let life in
securely before moving on to integrate all-embracing selfless states of being
and uncovering unitive levels of consciousness. A healthy ‘I’ is therefore
part of development.
6. To purify the mind and heart, and perform
wise and compassionate actions.
Thread of meaning: The emotions and the mind are two essential areas that
require exploration to see how they can become more wholesome, open to accepting
others and spiritually engaged in life in skilful ways.
7. To attain selfless freedom in everyday
living and activities.
Thread of meaning: By being in the present moment, cultivating congruent,
deep and meaningful relationships with all and transforming inhibiting patterns
of thought, action and reaction, we find liberation, creative interaction and
spontaneity, and more authentic realms of existence, love and awareness.
8. To honour the great wisdom traditions and
be open to new truths and knowledge.
Thread of meaning: There are treasures in all the great traditions which
can help us live a spiritually centred life. We also live in
multi-cultural societies and are surrounded by people from different faiths.
If we do not seek to understand our global neighbours, look for common ground
and accept diversity, then we will never find lasting peace in the world or our
development, as true growth does not imply only living in harmony with those who
think the same as us. Equally, we need to be receptive to contemporary
knowledge that widens our perceptions about life within and around us.
9. To grow continuously in the spiritual
search and have joy in other people’s accomplishments.
Thread of meaning: Authentic growth is not self-centred, but an ongoing
organic process that continuously expands to encompass all as a profound
spiritual synthesis. When our development includes others, we open to the
richness of their wisdom, goodness and creativity.
By Santoshan/Stephen Wollaston
