Worldwide Ashram Blog

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• Notwithstanding the common image of the Buddha as solitary and withdrawn, in the East many images depict the Buddha accompanied by his chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana, with hands raised in respect before them.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.

2011 on target for most earthquakes recorded in 12 years

A Spiritual Gift of Fire

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE HEART
SHINING IN THE DARKNESS OF BEING
AND CHANGING ALL INTO THE GOLDEN TREASURY
OF THE MIND OF CHRIST

I AM PROJECTING MY LOVE
OUT INTO THE WORLD
TO ERASE ALL ERRORS,
AND TO BREAK DOWN ALL BARRIERS.

I AM THE POWER OF INFINITE LOVE
AMPLIFYING ITSELF
UNTIL IT IS VICTORIOUS
WORLDS WITHOUT END.

Your hearts are the jewels of life
Love to all the Coworkers of the Worldwide Ashram
known and unknown

The latest public upset over recent TSA security implementations underscores the inherent tension between the need of the individual for freedom and the state for absolute control.

At the founding of the United States, our security was at an all time low with Britain, the world’s superpower of the time, still desiring to hold the colonies. Yet in the face of this threat the founding fathers chose to protect personal rights and freedoms in the Constitution. Their belief in the individual bore fruit when our security was again threatened and protected in the War of 1812.

The current stance of the TSA—pushing security at the cost of personal freedom—is un-American, no matter how it is masked. The fact is, security can never be assured. So the loss of personal freedom is a high price paid for a security service that has never in history been attainable.

The threat to the spiritual path in America is when governments, created to defend personal liberty, are acceded the power to destroy that liberty. Sooner or later all personal beliefs, decisions and actions are weighed, not on the basis of their legality,  but on whether they are a threat to the state or not.

Spiritual revolutionaries and people who simply think for themselves have always been, are and will always be a threat to bureaucratic or state control.

The sheep won’t mind the body scanners, pat downs and being treated politely like criminals, only the awakened shepherds will mind.

A caravan crossing the trackless wastes is stronger when the company is many although each may have a separate mission, an individual interest, and at the end of the journey each may pursue a different course.

-Morya:  Letter of April 1, 1952 to Mrs. Ballard of I AM Activity and to the heads of the Theosophical Society, Christian Science, Rosicrucian Society and Unity School of Christianity, inviting a more broad and unified spiritual activity; dictated via Geraldine Innocente

Although it might be simple to dismiss “messengers” that one doesn’t believe in, it is interesting to note the essence of the message itself. If a messenger be an ant, heed him. What if the many who believe in the on going existence of the Ascended and unascended Masters joined with one another for the uplifting of the culture and the victory of freedom and truth on earth? What would that cooperative effort look like?

Theosophy, ground breaking and revolutionary, brought the ancient and hidden teachings to the forefront of modern thought. It inspired innovation in physics, chemistry, indeed many avenues of science. Theosophy brought inspiration to poetry, literature and the study of religion. The teachings of Theosophy through Leadbeater, Besant and Hodson continued to open new pathways of spiritual experience and world service after the turn of the new century.

The I AM Movement, Bridge to Freedom, and the Summit Lighthouse incorporated the science of the spoken word, the use of fiat, and group practice into the study of the Masters teachings- old and new. Each of these groups taught a new spiritual practice- meditating upon and saying decrees for the violet flame of transmutation, mercy, freedom and forgiveness.

Imagine the cooperative effort of all these spiritual groups pursuing their studies, their meditations, and their active endeavors to better the world, all the while aware of the whole antahkarana of spiritual seekers working together.

The goal of the spiritual path is not personal enlightenment and mastery for self alone, it is to help the Logos in the upliftment of humankind and all life. Let’s consider giving humanity a more cohesive family of spiritual seekers to look to for support and help. Let’s explore dialogue and cooperative effort.

Welcome to the Worldwide Ashram blog.  This is a sounding board and information center for spiritual seekers around the world building communities one open heart at a time – or just looking for techniques to make life at home and work more meaningful, rewarding, and joyous.