Friendship and the Spiritual Life

Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 2:34 pm

There is a wonderful article to be found at http//www.urbandharma.org entitled Friendship in the Spiritual Community.  Here the author shares an account of a conversation between Ananda and the Buddha. “Lord”, Ananda declares, “this spiritual friendship, spiritual companionship and spiritual intimacy is no less than half of the spiritual life.” The Buddha replies, “Say not so Ananda.  It is the whole, not the half of the spiritual life.”

The idea about the essential nature and importance of friendship really made me pause and reflect.  Certainly our spirituality does not exist in a vacuum.  Words like love, compassion and forgiveness are not empty ideations but exist in relationship to another, to “I and Thou”. Here is the ‘word’ made manifest.  Relationships are the proving ground  of our evolving consciousness. I would like to highlight the following points made by the author.

  • Many of those Buddhists who are familiar with the concept of spiritual friendship or kalyana mitrata think of it in terms of a ‘teacher-disciple’ relationship (or a ‘vertical’ relationship). As a result they pay little attention to a vital dimension of spiritual friendship that could be called horizontal friendship: that is, friendship with one’s peers. 
  • Notwithstanding the common image of the Buddha as solitary and withdrawn, in the East many images depict the Buddha accompanied by his chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana, with hands raised in respect before them.  Such images are, in effect, representations of the Buddha and the Sangha, (spiritual community) incorporating the vertical and horizontal axis of spiritual friendship in a single image.
  • Far from being an incidental pleasure in the essentially solitary business of spiritual life, there are passages in the Buddhist scriptures which suggest that friendship between peers belongs not only to the Path but also to the Goal. (Italics mine.)

Christ imparted the concept of the vertical and horizontal axis of friendship, as well.  “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  Walking the spiritual path together secures the blessings of the Teacher and the Teaching. In friendship our shortcomings and flaws are only passing shadows, a source of humor and pathos.  We are reinforced on our journey by the true bonds of friendship– those formed by our aspirations for transcendence.  Here in the living world, we are blest to find friendship and to discover in it a deep well– a profound source and activator of psychological insight and spiritual growth.

 

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Some Thoughts On Aquarian Community

Friday, January 13th, 2012 at 12:16 pm

Some Thoughts on Aquarian Community

     I want to discuss authentic community as the antidote to mass culture and in particular I want to talk about spiritual community.  Regardless of one’s religious affiliation or world view, whenever we come together in a group we realize that there is a fundamental tension between individuality and community.

      Vibrant communities are united by common goals and aspirations while being grounded in shared values and precepts. The creation and success of authentic communities depend far more upon personal responsibility than upon external rules and regulations. On this basis, the necessity of externally proscribing behavior or muting diversity of expression among individuals within the group is greatly diminished. Such a community transcends traditional organizational demands.  Consider the words of Helena Roerich in Foundations of Buddhism.

            It is much easier to submit to rules, even under constraint, than to manifest the personal conscious energy that the Teacher demanded of his disciples. The community strove not to deprive the members of their personalities, but to unite them in friendship and closeness in a single aspiration toward general well being. The community did not desire to level individual peculiarities; on the contrary, Buddha appreciated each evidence of initiative, each individual manifestation, because the Teaching asserts that each one is his own creator and liberator, and that personal efforts are absolutely necessary to achieve this high goal. Thus the individual origin had all possibilities for development.

     When we allow freedom to flourish within our communities we may overcome many obstacles to personal growth typically posed by the group or organization with which we are associated. We have to be aware of an all too common tendency in spiritual groups toward what may become a codependent relationship with an outer human authority or institution, i.e. the felt need for a paternalistic system to keep order which leads, in consequence, to an abdication of personal responsibility and initiative for the spiritual path that each most walk. Simply speaking, we need to examine some of our assumptions about the nature of organizations. But imagine, if you will, the power of a community that promotes a culture where the highest individual creativity may flourish, one that minimizes obstacles to self-reliance and personal initiative, one that allows for both individual contribution as well as support, and finally,one that respects and acknowledges human dignity.

     Margret Wheatley points out the first step in the creation of such a community: “…we need to understand what it is we are trying to become and at the same time what our actions are demonstrating and creating.”  A community will thrive when each individual comprising it becomes self-aware and self-correcting; when each individual holds himself and the group accountable for outcomes.  Goodwill is the key.  When we create a culture of good will, any conflict within the group or dis-confirming information about the group will become opportunity for growth and change.

Success then, depends upon the highest cooperation.  Let’s again consider what Helena Roerich wrote in Foundations of Buddhism

            Buddha—who taught that in the whole Universe only correlatives exist; who knew that nothing exists without cooperation; who understood that the selfish and conceited one could not build the future because, by the cosmic law, he would be outside the current of life which carries all that exists toward perfection—patiently planted the seeds, establishing the cells on a community basis, foreseeing in the distant future the realization of the great World Community.

     The future is now. There is extraordinary power and dynamism in community; it is a new era. Old structures and assumptions are being reexamined.  Change is in the air. The implications of individual communities as cells creating world change, which are in turn created by individuals actively, fully, participating and contributing their unique gifts, in an atmosphere of freedom to their respective communities are profound. The formation of connections and networks between such healthy, spiritual communities amplify the enormous potential for world change. It is not in the multitudes but the few, the creative minority of spiritual seekers that can anchor the flame of freedom which can become a tipping point for societal shift.

I would like to conclude these few thoughts with a quote from an article by Margret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze.

 The world changes as networks of relationships form among those who discover they share a common cause and vision of what’s possible. This is good news for those of us intent on changing the world and creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections. We don’t need to convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices, courage, and commitment that lead to broad based change.

But networks aren’t the whole story. As networks grow and transform into active, working communities of practice, we discover how Life truly changes, which is through emergence. When separate, local efforts connect with each other as networks, then strengthen as communities of practice, suddenly and surprisingly a new system emerges at a greater level of scale. This system of influence possesses qualities and capacities that were unknown in the individuals. It isn’t that they were  hidden; they simply don’t exist until the system emerges. They are properties of the system, not the individual, but once there, individuals possess them. And the system that emerges always possesses greater power and influence than is possible through planned, incremental change. Emergence is how Life creates radical change and takes things to scale.

Michael

 

 

 

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El Morya’s Gift of the Worldwide Ashram

Monday, October 31st, 2011 at 9:23 pm

Some friends have asked me about ‘where I am at’ these days. By way of answering, I’d like to do some sharing here on the Worldwide Ashram site, where a number of us have found a spiritual meeting place, a place that really feels like home! Well, as ‘homelike’ anyway as this temporal earthly way station can get…

The Ashram is a wonderful gift from the heart of a Great Soul named El Morya. Way back in the early 1950s, he gave out a series of letters, including a set of meditations and contemplative practices, designed to bring genuine spiritual seekers together without interfering ideologies, ‘organizational baggage,’ ‘struggling egos,’ etc., getting in the way. By exploring the website you can see for yourself how well he succeeded and if this might be something for you. Read More »

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The Age of Alchemy and The Violet Flame

Thursday, October 6th, 2011 at 10:45 am

A friend of mine recently discovered a beautiful  restaurant, spa and bookstore in Old Prague called The Alchemist. People flock to the place to experience its atmosphere of ancient mystery, old books and magic. We are still seeking out the answers to the mysteries of life. One of the greatest spiritual gifts mankind has received is the miracle of transmutation through the Violet Flame. It was the alchemists that first discovered this energy.

Many spiritual seekers are drawn to these  Alchemists of old who locked their secrets in coded manuscripts, cyphers, endless experiments and oblique references to mixtures, compounds and attempts to create gold.

These brave men and women documented their ordeal to  change base metals into gold. They were laughed at and sometimes persecuted by a dogmatic Church. Now, modern science gives these ones credit for helping to establish scientific principle and methods of discovery. The truth is, that these Alchemists were wiser than they are made out to be, and the transmutation of metals like lead into gold is symbolic of a higher and more noble alchemy — the alchemy of self-transformation. Read More »

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Unprecedented Seismic Event

Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at 10:25 am

The Magic Door between the Ages

Part 3

“Of magic doors, there is this, you do not see them even as you are passing through.” CS Lewis

What has been called an ” unprecedented seismic convulsion event” has ripped through the planet in the last 24 hours. A huge release of seismic tension has occurred with a 6.1 earthquake  in Alaska, a 6.0 earthquake of the coast of New Zealand, a third 6.2 off the northeast coast of Japan and the fourth quake is a 6.0 off of Cuba. Alvin at www.extinction protocol.com points out that this massive seismic action could be the herald of a new phase in earth’s destabilization.

What can one person do about all this change? Is there intelligent design behind all this disruption? Could our consciousness be one of the keys behind these events? Saints and teachers, Messiahs and Buddhas all preach the same message, take personal responsibility:  love one another as I have loved you, become awake, love the Lord with all thy heart, with all thy mind and with all thy spirit, and love thy neighbor as thyself.

With courage and patience let us remain focused on the well being of our families and communities, our school and hospitals, our states and nations and world. We will not let the loud and angry ones call the shots and decide which way this planet goes. Peace to all beings  and Vigilance!

A note from  Supermundane,  Agni Yoga Teachings, # 127, 1940

Some may ask if it is possible that within only two decades such a powerful cosmic tension can develop. Such a question proves that the significance of Armageddon is little understood. Anyone who knows about the approaching end of Kali Yuga recognizes that it cannot occur without world upheavals. The forces that were particularly powerful during the Black Age must now struggle for survival, and they prefer a general catastrophe to defeat. We must co-measure Our forces according to the planetary situation, for during such tension the least exaggeration of effort can destroy the equilibrium.

Most people are unable to understand the importance of co-measurement and goalfitness. They think that Our Power can overcome any resistance, regardless of the cosmic imbalance. It is a simple concept yet it must be repeated constantly, otherwise even the most learned people fall into despair and wonder why something that was possible ten years ago is not possible today. Such a question is evidence that they do not understand cosmic motion. Not without reason do We call for courage and patience.

Morya to Helena and Nicholas Roerich

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A Spiritual Solution for a Spiritual Crisis

Monday, July 25th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
I would like to add a comment on the entry regarding the massacre of the innocents in Norway.  We see many events taking place in the world and feel powerless against them.  But this powerlessness is the result of the projections of those who seek control for their fear of freedom.
I am immediately reminded of the parable of the Grand Inquisitor in The Brothers Karamozov, when the Grand Inquisitor faces Christ and says,

Didst Thou not often say then: “I will make you free”? …For fifteen centuries we have been wrestling with Thy freedom, but now it is over for good…But let me tell Thee that now, today, people are more persuaded than ever that they have perfect freedom, yet they have brought their freedom to us and laid it humbly at our feet.”

He also says, “Instead of taking freedom from them, Thou made it greater than ever! Didst Thou forget that man prefers peace and even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil.  Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering.” Read More »

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Thoughts on the Massacre in Norway

Monday, July 25th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
We all feel a great sorrow for the tragic, tragic events in Norway.  This Anders Brievik apparently vowed to take revenge on “indigenous Europeans” for the betrayal of their heritage.  He is also supposed to be anti-Islamist.  His acts are very incongruous, as the acts of a madman are. But he did not target the objects of his hate.
Why didn’t he design his attack on something related to the European Union or a radical Islamist Mosque.  He did not. How are 90 children and youth in anyway responsible for anything he opposes other than being easy to kill with no hope of escape? His murderous intentions and actions are heinous wherever they are directed, and to target helpless children is especially hideous.
And now we see how very easily the grotesque and macabre will be used to further distort political realities.  Here in the USA, TSA training films now describe white, middle class Americans as the most likely source of terrorism.  And of course Christians are the most suspect group of all.  I predict this despicable act in Norway will provide the grist for endless calumnies against a restive  populace being herded  to the animal farm.
Whatever led this insane man to this act, he was the ultimate tool for the force of darkness on this planet.  I feel we will see the blood of the innocents used as a pretext for the further erosion of freedom and unbelievably, as an attack against the light and teaching of Christ.  Yet was it not Christ who taught “Whatever you do unto the least of these my brethren, you do unto Me.”?
But let the judgement of Christ awakening in every heart be upon the purveyors of illusion for the purposes of profit, control and power and  those who have placed ideology before Truth.  May God give to  all the light bearers upon this planet the discernment they need in the troubled times we live and the troubled times ahead. And most especially, may God receive these beautiful children, each one, into His infinite heart of love.
This is my prayer.
MM
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A New Keynote in Times of Transition

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 at 8:43 am

2011 on target for most earthquakes recorded in 12 years

July 12, 2011 – ROME – 2011 is on target to record the largest number of earthquakes in a single year for at least 12 years. Research by Irish Weather Online, using data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), has found that earthquake activity (5.0-9.9 magnitude) from 01 January to 19 June 2011 is already exceeding the total annual seismic activity for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003.  2011’s total number of recorded earthquakes is also expected to exceed the most seismically active year of the past 12 years, 2007. A total of 1,445 earthquakes, ranging in magnitude from 5.0 to 9.9, have been recorded in the year up to 19
June. The total number of earthquakes recorded globally for the entire of 2007 was 2,270. The massive earthquakes in Japan (2011), Chile (2010), Sichuan (2008), Sumatra (2005 and 2008) and Indonesia (2004) have served to remind us of the devastating impact of earthquakes on life and property.  While the number of earthquakes ranging between 8.0 magnitude and 9.9 magnitude have shown no significant increases in recent years, the number of earthquakes ranging 5.0 magnitude to 7.9 magnitude is rising. In particular there has been a sharp rise during the past 12 years of moderate earthquakes in the range 5-6.9. While considered moderate to strong on the Richter Scale and far less severe than 7+ magnitude quakes, earthquakes in this range can still cause widespread damage and loss of life.   Some well known examples include Haiti in 2010 (7 mag), San Francisco Bay, California, USA, in 1989 (6.9 mag), Caracas, Venezuela, in 1965 (6.5 mag), Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011 (6.3 mag), L’Aquila, Italy in 2009 (5.8 mag), and Newcastle , Australia, in 1989 (5.6 mag). In the last 24 hours alone earthquakes ranging 5 magnitude or more have hit Tonga, Fiji, Panama, the South Sandwich Islands, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Indonesia. Seismologists argue that an increase in detected earthquakes does not necessarily represent an increase in actual earthquakes. The USGS, for example, says improved global communication and enhancements in detection technology have both contributed to higher earthquake numbers being recorded over time. –Irish Weather Online
247.  Thus during cosmic shiftings a new keynote must definitely resound….For the new manvantara one must saturate space with the call to Hierarchy.  Only thus can the best foundations of Existence enter into life.  Hence our Teaching is so vital, hence our Hierarchy is so mighty, hence the great focus is given–for everything is grouped around the seed, and each step has its own saturation.     -El Morya:  Hierarchy 1931 from Agni Yoga

As earth and mankind go through this geological, physical, political, cultural, emotional, mental and spiritual transition, the hearts and hands of souls of light are called to serve their brothers and sisters in travail.

As best selling author Dannion Brinkley says, ” If God could not be here today, and He sent you, what difference has God made?”  We are our brothers and sister’s keepers.  Hold a hand, soothe a heart, bake bread, weed a garden, make tea, take someone to an errand, and be the difference.

Give the rosary, offer up violet flame mantras and decrees, meditate and grow. We are also called to reach out to others, build community and see the Logos and Christos in each heart.

We can do this together.  We can make the difference in this time.
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Earthquakes: The Accelerating Shaking of Our World

Monday, April 4th, 2011 at 7:50 pm

Our last post on February 23rd was about Earthquakes and spiritual transmutation. As we all know, on March 11th the beautiful country of Japan was devastated by one of the world’s largest earthquakes- a 9.0 followed by a massive tsunami and the loss of thousands of lives. We mourn with the people of Japan and send compassion, strength and aid. May the power of transmutation and light, the science and art of prayer and invocation, the unity of meditation raise the entire planet’s vibration so that humanity can better navigate these stormy times.

Earthquakes from Agni Yoga

The Adepts and the great Brotherhood are attempting to awaken humanity and support us in our time of trial and challenge.

You know how the free will of humanity is directed. There can be warnings of many kinds, even earthquakes, but free will prefers destruction of its own choosing. People know that explosions cause rain, yet they will continue to disturb the atmosphere even if threatened with the fate of Atlantis. There are some responsible scientists who try to remind humanity that the harmony of physical laws should not be broken. But people are indifferent, and do not realize what harmful forces are evoked from space by disharmony. A great effort should be made to restrain such free will. Supermundane – The Inner Life – Book 1 (1938) – 241.

However, Nature’s book is full of subtle omens, and people should be able to read them. Only the blind will fail to see the fiery signs, and only imperceptive physicians will not distinguish the fiery diseases. People say, “The sun rises, the moon shines, and everything is in order; yet for some mysterious reason we feel threatened.” Those who can see will point out unusual events that are influencing human nature, while other events will pass unnoticed. Many things happen in unpredictable places, and if you were to record the whereabouts of earthquakes, floods, epidemics, unusual atmospheric events, and unexplained tensions, you would have a book about the sickness of the planet. Supermundane – The Inner Life – Book 2 (1938) – 251.

Remember that the Divine Mother and the Heavenly Hierarchy are with us. They are calling us higher and have given us many spiritual tools to hasten our spiritual growth. We have the Rosary, a meditation on the heart of the World Mother.

Here is a new version of the Rosary for our times:

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with Thee.

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Pray for us Sons and Daughters of God,

Now and at the hour of our victory over sin, disease and death.

The Blessed Mother is appearing to visionaries all over the world. She is promising us her help and aid. She has prophesied the genocide in Rwanda, the war in Bosnia, and our economic challenges. Mother Mary appeared in Akita, Japan and warned mankind of great trials. She is requesting that we fast, pray, and give her the energies of our hearts in the Rosary.

We also have a new spiritual gift, the transmuting power of the Violet Flame. Mystics and Adepts have taught about this light.They have seen this flame. They have called it the light of the Holy Spirit. In the 1930′s, the Master Saint Germain gave teaching on the Violet Flame to Guy and Edna Ballard. Experiment with this Violet Flame. It is the light of freedom, mercy, forgiveness and transmutation. Decrees are part of the Science of the Spoken Word. They are meant to be said aloud, from a loving heart, with clear visualizations and wise action. Here is a wonderful Violet Flame Decree:

O Violet Flame! O Violet Flame! O Violet Flame!

In the name of God, in the name of God, in the name of God!

O Violet Flame! O Violet Flame! O Violet Flame!

Flood the World, and flood the world and flood the world!

In the I AM name, in the I AM name, in the I AM name!

Peace and Peace and Peace be spread throughout the earth!

May the Orient express Peace,

May the Occident express Peace,

May Peace come from the East and go to the West,

Come from the North and got to the South,

and circle the world around!

May the swaddling garments of the earth

Be in place to magnify the LORD

In this day and hour and this night,

May the world abide in an aura of God Peace!

 

We invite you to enter in to a great spiritual experiment with the Rosary and the Violet Flame.

Call upon the Lord.

copyright 1983  The Summit Lighthouse


 


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Transmutation and Earthquakes

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 at 4:34 pm

Transmutation and Earthquakes

Nearly ninety years ago the Ascended Master El Morya physically contacted Nicholas Roerich, the Russian visionary artist, and his wife Helena in London after their escape from revolutionary Russia. They were able to maintain their contact with him and gave the world the Teachings of Agni Yoga.

Here are a number of poetic mediation glyphs from Nicholas and Helena Roerich from their Agni Yoga Society books on the subject of earthchanges, earthquakes and the power of transmutation which lies in the collective and personal consciousness.

Consider this idea: take One Prayer of fire, hope and light into your very heart. Become it, pray it, decree it, say it aloud as a mighty fiat to heaven. Gather with friends to meditate and pray. Let the world hear your voice rising to stay the tide of fear, hate, division and anger. Read More »

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