"It's alright to indulge a little. You don't have to deprive yourself."
That's what they say. What I used to say. But I don't want to say that anymore. I want to enourage people to exceed their self-imposed limitations. I want to tell them they can resist temptation; not give them permission to yeild and yeild and yeild.
All my life, I've been indulging my addictions, and depriving myself of a better life.
I don't need anyone to tell me it's alright to succumb to my urges for immediate gratification. I need them to tell me I can withstand these tests, and remind me to have faith. I know there is a better life waiting for me.
Keep your cheese and fried junk. Some of us have a destiny to fulfill.
I'm already down on myself for not taking more steps forward, while everyone is telling me it's okay to take a step backwards. "Once in a while is alright." We say that, but then we indulge every day. We do it once, and we want to do it again. A little here, a little there, until it's all we know. Even our healthiest choices are unhealthy.
We're addicted to poisoning ourselves.
We're all sick. We don't even know who we are. We just stagger around, poisoned.
We've got salt scarring the insides of our veins, sugar spiking our blood-pressure, strange chemicals settling in our brains, clouding our judgement. Every cell in our bodies is congested. We can barely feel our hearts.
And it all seems normal. Everybody's doing it. We have no idea what it means to be healthy. We have no clue what we're capable of. So, when is it enough?
When is enough enough?
Most of us don't even want a better life. We're too sick, too weak, too tired, to shelter any hope. We'd rather embrace mediocrity, and convince ourselves how happy we are stuffing our faces with shit. Sure, we feel heavy, uncomfortable, exhausted after every meal. Sure, we're a breeding ground for disease. But it tastes good, so why bother acquiring a taste for food that makes us lighter, calmer, more energized, and not only preserves but encourages our health.
It's easier to go with the flow; go with gravity; slip into the pit.
Well I've played that game, and it's rigged. The dice are loaded with MSG.
Now I see the possibility for something more.
What if I respected myself and my life enough to fight for them? What if I made the most of the gifts I've been given? What if I became the man I am capable of becoming, and accomplished the goals I am capable of accomplishing? What if I tried?
I want it bad enough to try.
If I slip and fall, I'm not going to punish myself. Nor am I going to give myself permission to stay down. I'm going to get up, and try that much harder to recover lost ground. I'm going to keep walking, until I can run. Then I'm going to keep running, until I can fly.
And fly until I merge with the sun.
I'm that strong.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Meditation
'The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!'
~ Wordsworth
"Although science has made many advances in our modern age, to use scientific knowledge to understand meditation is, as the Chinese proverb says, 'To scratch itching foot with boot on.' We can imagine that all our human knowledge is a building with many windows. Each window gives a different and valuable view of life. Science is a window. Philosophy is a window. Religion, Psychology, Physiology, ...and all other fields of study are windows. As long as we continue looking out of these windows, we will never get outside. We will never have a chance to look at this building in which we live. No matter how much knowledge we gain, we are still 'looking through windows'."
-- Master Jou Tsung Hwa
'The Tao of Meditation: Way to Enlightenment'
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!'
~ Wordsworth
"Although science has made many advances in our modern age, to use scientific knowledge to understand meditation is, as the Chinese proverb says, 'To scratch itching foot with boot on.' We can imagine that all our human knowledge is a building with many windows. Each window gives a different and valuable view of life. Science is a window. Philosophy is a window. Religion, Psychology, Physiology, ...and all other fields of study are windows. As long as we continue looking out of these windows, we will never get outside. We will never have a chance to look at this building in which we live. No matter how much knowledge we gain, we are still 'looking through windows'."
-- Master Jou Tsung Hwa
'The Tao of Meditation: Way to Enlightenment'
For Those Who Wish To Go Forward
From:
'The Dao of Taijiquan: Way to Rejuvenation'
by Master Jou Tsung Hwa
I believe the answer for those who wish to go forward is twofold:
never be satisfied and always seek diligently for keys to further progress...
[How] can you avoid the pitfall of self-satisfaction, which tempts you to settle for where you are rather than pursue loftier aims?... Goals organize energy. They help you use your time and effort more efficiently. Goals are most effective if they are made conscious and meaningful... Try to be specific in formulating your goals... Vague goals, even if they sound good, will not focus your energy nor inspire you to employ effective means of realizing them... Specificity helps focus your will and strengthens your belief in your own potential. Focus on something you really want, not just something that sounds nice. The fervor of your desire makes the difference between a fond hope and a goal which empowers your pursuit of it. Empowering goals are magnetic. They attract energies in your life that contribute to their fulfillment and repel things that might distract you...
At every stage, there is specific work to be done that cannot be skipped if you wish to make progress... Have confidence in yourself. If the old masters did it, you can do it. Give up negative habits of thought. Excuses will drain your energy and ruin everything... Your assumptions about yourself and who you are... create an inertia in your life... The more often you think of your goal, the more it shapes your reality. Once a week is better than once a month, once a day is better than once a week... Remembrance is the greatest key, linked to the cultivation of your will and the power of your imagination... If you can remember your goal and yeild to the possibility of change, you will indeed breakthrough and begin to live at higher levels of energy and consciousness...
[Strive] to adopt the philosophy of taiji, expressed in the principle of change. Unfortuneately, some players are sidetracked by the belief that their teacher is the only teacher. In the attempt to follow only one way they lose sight of the principle of change and of the richness of taijiquan. You probably were led to your teacher to learn certain personal lessons you might not have learned with someone else. This was a gift to you, but if it fosters an attitude that excludes rather than includes and that encourages mockery of other people and ideas, you will very likely shove away the keys to your own breakthrough. Be open to the lessons hidden in all that comes your way. Remain flexible and see what works for you. Do not be afraid to change your practice, to learn another style, or to incorporate new ideas into your form. As you change, it changes -- as it changes, you change.
'The Dao of Taijiquan: Way to Rejuvenation'
by Master Jou Tsung Hwa
I believe the answer for those who wish to go forward is twofold:
never be satisfied and always seek diligently for keys to further progress...
[How] can you avoid the pitfall of self-satisfaction, which tempts you to settle for where you are rather than pursue loftier aims?... Goals organize energy. They help you use your time and effort more efficiently. Goals are most effective if they are made conscious and meaningful... Try to be specific in formulating your goals... Vague goals, even if they sound good, will not focus your energy nor inspire you to employ effective means of realizing them... Specificity helps focus your will and strengthens your belief in your own potential. Focus on something you really want, not just something that sounds nice. The fervor of your desire makes the difference between a fond hope and a goal which empowers your pursuit of it. Empowering goals are magnetic. They attract energies in your life that contribute to their fulfillment and repel things that might distract you...
At every stage, there is specific work to be done that cannot be skipped if you wish to make progress... Have confidence in yourself. If the old masters did it, you can do it. Give up negative habits of thought. Excuses will drain your energy and ruin everything... Your assumptions about yourself and who you are... create an inertia in your life... The more often you think of your goal, the more it shapes your reality. Once a week is better than once a month, once a day is better than once a week... Remembrance is the greatest key, linked to the cultivation of your will and the power of your imagination... If you can remember your goal and yeild to the possibility of change, you will indeed breakthrough and begin to live at higher levels of energy and consciousness...
[Strive] to adopt the philosophy of taiji, expressed in the principle of change. Unfortuneately, some players are sidetracked by the belief that their teacher is the only teacher. In the attempt to follow only one way they lose sight of the principle of change and of the richness of taijiquan. You probably were led to your teacher to learn certain personal lessons you might not have learned with someone else. This was a gift to you, but if it fosters an attitude that excludes rather than includes and that encourages mockery of other people and ideas, you will very likely shove away the keys to your own breakthrough. Be open to the lessons hidden in all that comes your way. Remain flexible and see what works for you. Do not be afraid to change your practice, to learn another style, or to incorporate new ideas into your form. As you change, it changes -- as it changes, you change.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Unitarian And Quaker Service
This morning I attended a Unitarian Universalist service. The people wore their bright, friendly faces, the sun beamed in, livening the fresh, white walls, and flowers stood colorfully in vases on the window sills beneath a vaulted ceiling. As I took my seat, the sound of small-talk filled the air like a chirping of excited birds. The community was buzzing, anxious to make their "hellos" and catch up on the week's business.
In sharp fits and starts, the piano player was warming up, while the choir shuffled the pages of their hymnals and also made their "hellos". During the service, everyone sang as directed and listened to the tender, noble sentiments of the smiling minister. Afterwards, the buzzing again; smiles and hand-shaking and more small-talk.
I must admit to both the uneasiness I felt through much of the service, as well as the slight, warm feeling of fellowship which came over me towards the end. It seemed to me that this was a fine social gathering, where lofty sentiments could be freely expressed, but that there was nothing particularly deep or spiritual about the event.
There was some mention of "centering", but not a moment of silence in which to accomplish such a thing. There was talk of connectedness, compassion, and joy, but no clear allusion made to the still, small source within, from which such experiences arise in earnest, and by which they may be maintained. No hush came over the crowd. No true, abiding sense of calm, stillness, or peace descended to lift us into an altogether different, more authentic state of being. It was a social event, and a kind of wholesome entertainment, but not a spiritual event, as I understand it.
To a casual observor, it would appear that everyone but myself was uplifted and inspired by the meeting. My own expression must seem rather dour, clouded, less attuned to celestial movements, while their happier faces would appear to be proof of the authentic spiritual connection taking place within them. But how easy it is to smile and chirp and buzz about, when nothing much is required of oneself, and no challenge, no stretching, no settling down is being effected deep within. How simple, when the time set apart for prayer and worship takes on the same busy, superficial character of our more careless hours.
To me, it seemed as if a kind of spell had been cast, and the congregation had been made to believe that some spiritual encounter had taken place, and something more of the divine life had really taken root within. I could not help thinking these people had been fooled somehow into imagining that the love and connection they sought was actually accomplished simply by hearing and giving their approval to a philosophy of love and connectedness. True, we were encouraged to call these beautiful things to mind, but did that mean they had actually been anchored in our depths? Hardly. Rather, we had again found ourselves praising things like purity, love, and devotion, without being given the tools, or shown the way, to acquire these gifts.
Having attended a number of Quaker services (or Meetings, as they are called), the discrepancy between this busy, artificial spirituality, and a sincere encounter with one's spiritual core was fairly undeniable.
The priority accorded to the inward and authentically spiritual life is immediately apparent even on the surface. Quaker meeting houses are invariably modest, unadorned buildings, just as Quakers themselves do not tend to exhibit much in the way of expensive jewelry or dress. This unambiguously reflects the fact that we prefer, whenever possible, to remove our attention from the physical realm. While donations are not solicited, a box is set out for those who wish to contribute, secure in the knowledge that only a small percentage of the funds will be used to maintain the building, that none of the money will be spent on elaborate carvings, brass candelabras, silver goblets, gilded icons, or even the salary of a minister, -- but that the majority will be used to provide food, water, medicine, and shelter to desperately needy people around the world.
Upon entering a Quaker Meeting, one is met with an atmosphere of silence, stillness, peace, and calm. This is true whether one is the first or the last to enter.
Such an atmosphere does not cater to our more habitual attitudes of unconscious reactivity. It stands apart from the bussle; from all the desensitizing and oversensitizing hours spent in worldy pursuits, mundane conversations, or in front of the television. It invites us into another realm of being, and gently requires us to relinquish our scattered energies, if we would enter therein. There is no mistaking this occassion; that it is indeed a time of more profound reflection and centering.
There, having taken our seats in respectful silence, we begin to enter, by degrees, more and more deeply into a spirit of true inward contemplation. We are reminded, at every moment, that we "live and move and have our being" in the very presence of God, for it is impossible to be still without humbling oneself and patiently submitting oneself to the bare will of God as it is revealed.
We are brought to see clearly that it is God, and no mere minister, who is working upon us, and providing us with precisely those reflections and experiences which are needed by each individual at that very moment. God, who speaks only from the depths, is allowed to speak, and we are allowed to listen; to deeply listen.
There, every member of the congregation is a kind of minister who may stand and address the others if and when a genuine message is aroused from within. Nothing is prepared in advance, but the Spirit alone is permitted to speak, if it will, as it will. Often, an entire hour is passed without any voice daring to breach the holy silence -- so deep is our commitment to speak only when prompted by God.
When, at last, we rise, and make our greetings, and step out into the open air, we find a world transfigured, and we ourselves transfigured along with it. The sun is warmer, brighter, the air is cooler, sweeter on our skin, and there is nothing remotely small about our conversation. All things stand renewed before us, wider, clearer, and more immediately real. A calm pervades our souls as we look upon the world, at once removed and yet more intimately interwoven with it. A quiet dignity embraces us and all creation. Around us, within us, and bubbling up through us, the presence of God manifests.
I thank him for leading me to the Unitarian Universalist service today, for the experience has worked marvelously to confirm me in my calling as a Quaker, and to remove any lingering doubts or reservations I may have had. How perfect is the will of God! Even by detours, he leads us back, and back, to the straight and narrow path.
In sharp fits and starts, the piano player was warming up, while the choir shuffled the pages of their hymnals and also made their "hellos". During the service, everyone sang as directed and listened to the tender, noble sentiments of the smiling minister. Afterwards, the buzzing again; smiles and hand-shaking and more small-talk.
I must admit to both the uneasiness I felt through much of the service, as well as the slight, warm feeling of fellowship which came over me towards the end. It seemed to me that this was a fine social gathering, where lofty sentiments could be freely expressed, but that there was nothing particularly deep or spiritual about the event.
There was some mention of "centering", but not a moment of silence in which to accomplish such a thing. There was talk of connectedness, compassion, and joy, but no clear allusion made to the still, small source within, from which such experiences arise in earnest, and by which they may be maintained. No hush came over the crowd. No true, abiding sense of calm, stillness, or peace descended to lift us into an altogether different, more authentic state of being. It was a social event, and a kind of wholesome entertainment, but not a spiritual event, as I understand it.
To a casual observor, it would appear that everyone but myself was uplifted and inspired by the meeting. My own expression must seem rather dour, clouded, less attuned to celestial movements, while their happier faces would appear to be proof of the authentic spiritual connection taking place within them. But how easy it is to smile and chirp and buzz about, when nothing much is required of oneself, and no challenge, no stretching, no settling down is being effected deep within. How simple, when the time set apart for prayer and worship takes on the same busy, superficial character of our more careless hours.
To me, it seemed as if a kind of spell had been cast, and the congregation had been made to believe that some spiritual encounter had taken place, and something more of the divine life had really taken root within. I could not help thinking these people had been fooled somehow into imagining that the love and connection they sought was actually accomplished simply by hearing and giving their approval to a philosophy of love and connectedness. True, we were encouraged to call these beautiful things to mind, but did that mean they had actually been anchored in our depths? Hardly. Rather, we had again found ourselves praising things like purity, love, and devotion, without being given the tools, or shown the way, to acquire these gifts.
Having attended a number of Quaker services (or Meetings, as they are called), the discrepancy between this busy, artificial spirituality, and a sincere encounter with one's spiritual core was fairly undeniable.
The priority accorded to the inward and authentically spiritual life is immediately apparent even on the surface. Quaker meeting houses are invariably modest, unadorned buildings, just as Quakers themselves do not tend to exhibit much in the way of expensive jewelry or dress. This unambiguously reflects the fact that we prefer, whenever possible, to remove our attention from the physical realm. While donations are not solicited, a box is set out for those who wish to contribute, secure in the knowledge that only a small percentage of the funds will be used to maintain the building, that none of the money will be spent on elaborate carvings, brass candelabras, silver goblets, gilded icons, or even the salary of a minister, -- but that the majority will be used to provide food, water, medicine, and shelter to desperately needy people around the world.
Upon entering a Quaker Meeting, one is met with an atmosphere of silence, stillness, peace, and calm. This is true whether one is the first or the last to enter.
Such an atmosphere does not cater to our more habitual attitudes of unconscious reactivity. It stands apart from the bussle; from all the desensitizing and oversensitizing hours spent in worldy pursuits, mundane conversations, or in front of the television. It invites us into another realm of being, and gently requires us to relinquish our scattered energies, if we would enter therein. There is no mistaking this occassion; that it is indeed a time of more profound reflection and centering.
There, having taken our seats in respectful silence, we begin to enter, by degrees, more and more deeply into a spirit of true inward contemplation. We are reminded, at every moment, that we "live and move and have our being" in the very presence of God, for it is impossible to be still without humbling oneself and patiently submitting oneself to the bare will of God as it is revealed.
We are brought to see clearly that it is God, and no mere minister, who is working upon us, and providing us with precisely those reflections and experiences which are needed by each individual at that very moment. God, who speaks only from the depths, is allowed to speak, and we are allowed to listen; to deeply listen.
There, every member of the congregation is a kind of minister who may stand and address the others if and when a genuine message is aroused from within. Nothing is prepared in advance, but the Spirit alone is permitted to speak, if it will, as it will. Often, an entire hour is passed without any voice daring to breach the holy silence -- so deep is our commitment to speak only when prompted by God.
When, at last, we rise, and make our greetings, and step out into the open air, we find a world transfigured, and we ourselves transfigured along with it. The sun is warmer, brighter, the air is cooler, sweeter on our skin, and there is nothing remotely small about our conversation. All things stand renewed before us, wider, clearer, and more immediately real. A calm pervades our souls as we look upon the world, at once removed and yet more intimately interwoven with it. A quiet dignity embraces us and all creation. Around us, within us, and bubbling up through us, the presence of God manifests.
I thank him for leading me to the Unitarian Universalist service today, for the experience has worked marvelously to confirm me in my calling as a Quaker, and to remove any lingering doubts or reservations I may have had. How perfect is the will of God! Even by detours, he leads us back, and back, to the straight and narrow path.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Mozart's Requiem
Requiem Mass in D Minor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final Masterpiece was commissioned in mid 1791 by the Austrian count Franz Von Walsegg, as a Tribute to the passing of his young wife Anna. Mozart began his final composition in Prague, suffering from an undetermined illness, which would eventually take his life and rob him of the chance to see the completion of his Magnum Opus. After Mozart's death, his understudy 'Franz Xaver Süssmayr', at the behest of Mozart's wife, completed the missing parts of the Requiem. Requiem Mass was first performed on January 2, 1793, in a private concert for the benefit of Mozart's grieving wife, Constanze Mozart.
The Following are the lyrics, translated from their Original Latin
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.
You are praised, God, in Zion,
and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer,
to You all flesh will come.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Day of wrath, day of anger
will dissolve the world in ashes,
as foretold by David and the Sibyl.
Great trembling there will be
when the Judge descends from heaven
to examine all things closely.
The trumpet will send its wondrous sound
throughout earth's sepulchres
and gather all before the throne.
Death and nature will be astounded,
when all creation rises again,
to answer the judgment.
A book will be brought forth,
in which all will be written,
by which the world will be judged.
When the judge takes his place,
what is hidden will be revealed,
nothing will remain unavenged.
What shall a wretch like me say?
Who shall intercede for me,
when the just ones need mercy?
King of tremendous majesty,
who freely saves those worthy ones,
save me, source of mercy.
Remember, kind Jesus,
my salvation caused your suffering;
do not forsake me on that day.
Faint and weary you have sought me,
redeemed me, suffering on the cross;
may such great effort not be in vain.
Righteous judge of vengeance,
grant me the gift of absolution
before the day of retribution.
I moan as one who is guilty:
owning my shame with a red face;
suppliant before you, Lord.
You, who absolved Mary,
and listened to the thief,
give me hope also.
My prayers are unworthy,
but, good Lord, have mercy,
and rescue me from eternal fire.
Provide me a place among the sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
guiding me to Your right hand.
When the accused are confounded,
and doomed to flames of woe,
call me among the blessed.
I kneel with submissive heart,
my contrition is like ashes,
help me in my final condition.
That day of tears and mourning,
when from the ashes shall arise,
all humanity to be judged.
Spare us by your mercy, Lord,
gentle Lord Jesus,
grant them eternal rest. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
liberate the souls of the faithful,
departed from the pains of hell
and from the bottomless pit.
Deliver them from the lion's mouth,
lest hell swallow them up,
lest they fall into darkness.
Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael,
bring them into holy light.
Which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.
Sacrifices and prayers of praise, Lord,
we offer to You.
Receive them in behalf of those souls
we commemorate today.
And let them, Lord,
pass from death to life,
which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
Grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest forever.
Let eternal light shine on them, Lord,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI
FULL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DsJ5YQr5s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final Masterpiece was commissioned in mid 1791 by the Austrian count Franz Von Walsegg, as a Tribute to the passing of his young wife Anna. Mozart began his final composition in Prague, suffering from an undetermined illness, which would eventually take his life and rob him of the chance to see the completion of his Magnum Opus. After Mozart's death, his understudy 'Franz Xaver Süssmayr', at the behest of Mozart's wife, completed the missing parts of the Requiem. Requiem Mass was first performed on January 2, 1793, in a private concert for the benefit of Mozart's grieving wife, Constanze Mozart.
The Following are the lyrics, translated from their Original Latin
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.
You are praised, God, in Zion,
and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer,
to You all flesh will come.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Day of wrath, day of anger
will dissolve the world in ashes,
as foretold by David and the Sibyl.
Great trembling there will be
when the Judge descends from heaven
to examine all things closely.
The trumpet will send its wondrous sound
throughout earth's sepulchres
and gather all before the throne.
Death and nature will be astounded,
when all creation rises again,
to answer the judgment.
A book will be brought forth,
in which all will be written,
by which the world will be judged.
When the judge takes his place,
what is hidden will be revealed,
nothing will remain unavenged.
What shall a wretch like me say?
Who shall intercede for me,
when the just ones need mercy?
King of tremendous majesty,
who freely saves those worthy ones,
save me, source of mercy.
Remember, kind Jesus,
my salvation caused your suffering;
do not forsake me on that day.
Faint and weary you have sought me,
redeemed me, suffering on the cross;
may such great effort not be in vain.
Righteous judge of vengeance,
grant me the gift of absolution
before the day of retribution.
I moan as one who is guilty:
owning my shame with a red face;
suppliant before you, Lord.
You, who absolved Mary,
and listened to the thief,
give me hope also.
My prayers are unworthy,
but, good Lord, have mercy,
and rescue me from eternal fire.
Provide me a place among the sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
guiding me to Your right hand.
When the accused are confounded,
and doomed to flames of woe,
call me among the blessed.
I kneel with submissive heart,
my contrition is like ashes,
help me in my final condition.
That day of tears and mourning,
when from the ashes shall arise,
all humanity to be judged.
Spare us by your mercy, Lord,
gentle Lord Jesus,
grant them eternal rest. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
liberate the souls of the faithful,
departed from the pains of hell
and from the bottomless pit.
Deliver them from the lion's mouth,
lest hell swallow them up,
lest they fall into darkness.
Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael,
bring them into holy light.
Which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.
Sacrifices and prayers of praise, Lord,
we offer to You.
Receive them in behalf of those souls
we commemorate today.
And let them, Lord,
pass from death to life,
which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
Grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest forever.
Let eternal light shine on them, Lord,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI
FULL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DsJ5YQr5s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The One Thing That Is Needful
More than any other episode related in the Gospels, I return again and again to the story of the two sisters, Mary and Martha, who were visited by Jesus. No saying, no parable, no blood-soaked sacrifice connected with the life of Christ has exercised a more powerful hold over me, nor struck me as so crucial for our time, and for all time, than this brief, unassuming incident, which seems to encapsulate the very essence of religious life:
"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:38-42
Martha, for all her hard work and hurrying to please the Teacher, could not find favor in his eyes, while her sister, who merely sat at his feet and listened, was commended for having chosen the "one thing" that is needful.
How necessary this message is for those of us living in our modern, tightly-wound industrial societies, busying ourselves and encouraging one another to be busy with all sorts of cares. So many apparent duties and obligations swarm. There is, we are told, so much to be done, and only a useless person would sit idly by, listening to God, while others work.
Just imagine how our politicians, educators, and elders would respond to two such people as Mary and Martha. No doubt, they would honor Martha for all her labors and her worries. Mary, they would laugh to scorn and dismiss as a good-for-nothing dreamer; a lazy bum. Yet, far from being "good-for-nothing", the Master marks her out as having performed the one thing -- the only thing -- that is a necessary good. She has stilled herself, and listened attentively to the voice of God.
We imagine that nothing is so easy as being still; sitting and listening. In fact, there may be nothing so difficult for us. All our habits and customs are active. If we sit attentively, it tends to be in front of some sort of screen, which inundates us with novel sounds, colors, shapes, and lights; all necessary to captivate our attention. And this is how so many of us seek relaxation, but only after we have actively exhausted ourselves in one direction or another. The instant we are silent, and there is nothing beckoning like a madman for our attention, we become restless, -- or, rather, we become aware of our restlessness. We cannot be still.
Consider it. We can neither be still nor attentive without something clamouring for our attention. Many of us have lost the capacity even to read a book, as this requires too much stillness. We may be able to sing like angles, but we cannot be silent. We may be able to multiply in our minds, but we cannot clear our minds. We can work long, gruelling hours, even run marathons, scale mountains, score touchdowns... But we cannot be still.
We will exert all our powers of concentration, and strain our wills beyond what we thought possible, in order to obtain some coveted worldy end. Whether it is wealth, fame, prestige, the development of a craft, or however we measure accomplishment, -- we will demand more from ourselves, and push ourselves relentlessly in pursuit of that goal. But when it comes to the one thing that is needful, we have no will to do it, nor any sense of how to relinquish our will to do a great many other things. What would appear to be the easiest thing in the world is utterly beyond us. We have no power to relax.
We resist relaxation like the grave, because it is impossible to relax deeply without letting go, trusting, and falling into the unknown. Relaxation brings an inevitable death with it, and an inevitable rebirth into a world and a self transformed. This is why meditation is at the heart of all true religious teaching and discipline. It is why Jesus says we must die and be born again. The life of Christian devotion is an inward life, which springs up from the very depths of meditative experience. It is not some heroic feat, or endless succession of feats, which we perform outwardly for all to see, -- but, rather, a state in which we do nothing, and are nothing; having become entirely receptive to, and dependent upon, the deepest promptings of the Holy Spirit within us. In this stillness, and only in this stillness, will we discover the humility, patience, purity, simplicity, compassion, and fortitude of the saints.
"Soren Kierkegaard considered what sort of effort should be done to pursue the Kingdom of God. Should a person get a suitable job in order to exert a virtuous influence? His answer: no, we must first seek God's Kingdom. Then should we give away all our money to feed the poor? Again the answer: no, we must first seek God's Kingdom. Well, then perhaps we are to go out and preach this truth to the world that people are to seek first God's Kingdom? Once again the answer is a resounding: no, we are first to seek the Kingdom of God. Kierkegaard concludes, 'Then in a certain sense it is nothing I shall do. Yes, certainly, in a certain sense it is nothing, become nothing before God, learn to keep silent, in this silence is the beginning, which is, first to seek God's Kingdom.' And so I urge you to still every motion that is not rooted in the Kingdom. Become quiet, hushed, motionless until you are finally centered. Strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the Kingdom of God. Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core."
~ Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity
"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:38-42
Martha, for all her hard work and hurrying to please the Teacher, could not find favor in his eyes, while her sister, who merely sat at his feet and listened, was commended for having chosen the "one thing" that is needful.
How necessary this message is for those of us living in our modern, tightly-wound industrial societies, busying ourselves and encouraging one another to be busy with all sorts of cares. So many apparent duties and obligations swarm. There is, we are told, so much to be done, and only a useless person would sit idly by, listening to God, while others work.
Just imagine how our politicians, educators, and elders would respond to two such people as Mary and Martha. No doubt, they would honor Martha for all her labors and her worries. Mary, they would laugh to scorn and dismiss as a good-for-nothing dreamer; a lazy bum. Yet, far from being "good-for-nothing", the Master marks her out as having performed the one thing -- the only thing -- that is a necessary good. She has stilled herself, and listened attentively to the voice of God.
We imagine that nothing is so easy as being still; sitting and listening. In fact, there may be nothing so difficult for us. All our habits and customs are active. If we sit attentively, it tends to be in front of some sort of screen, which inundates us with novel sounds, colors, shapes, and lights; all necessary to captivate our attention. And this is how so many of us seek relaxation, but only after we have actively exhausted ourselves in one direction or another. The instant we are silent, and there is nothing beckoning like a madman for our attention, we become restless, -- or, rather, we become aware of our restlessness. We cannot be still.
Consider it. We can neither be still nor attentive without something clamouring for our attention. Many of us have lost the capacity even to read a book, as this requires too much stillness. We may be able to sing like angles, but we cannot be silent. We may be able to multiply in our minds, but we cannot clear our minds. We can work long, gruelling hours, even run marathons, scale mountains, score touchdowns... But we cannot be still.
We will exert all our powers of concentration, and strain our wills beyond what we thought possible, in order to obtain some coveted worldy end. Whether it is wealth, fame, prestige, the development of a craft, or however we measure accomplishment, -- we will demand more from ourselves, and push ourselves relentlessly in pursuit of that goal. But when it comes to the one thing that is needful, we have no will to do it, nor any sense of how to relinquish our will to do a great many other things. What would appear to be the easiest thing in the world is utterly beyond us. We have no power to relax.
We resist relaxation like the grave, because it is impossible to relax deeply without letting go, trusting, and falling into the unknown. Relaxation brings an inevitable death with it, and an inevitable rebirth into a world and a self transformed. This is why meditation is at the heart of all true religious teaching and discipline. It is why Jesus says we must die and be born again. The life of Christian devotion is an inward life, which springs up from the very depths of meditative experience. It is not some heroic feat, or endless succession of feats, which we perform outwardly for all to see, -- but, rather, a state in which we do nothing, and are nothing; having become entirely receptive to, and dependent upon, the deepest promptings of the Holy Spirit within us. In this stillness, and only in this stillness, will we discover the humility, patience, purity, simplicity, compassion, and fortitude of the saints.
"Soren Kierkegaard considered what sort of effort should be done to pursue the Kingdom of God. Should a person get a suitable job in order to exert a virtuous influence? His answer: no, we must first seek God's Kingdom. Then should we give away all our money to feed the poor? Again the answer: no, we must first seek God's Kingdom. Well, then perhaps we are to go out and preach this truth to the world that people are to seek first God's Kingdom? Once again the answer is a resounding: no, we are first to seek the Kingdom of God. Kierkegaard concludes, 'Then in a certain sense it is nothing I shall do. Yes, certainly, in a certain sense it is nothing, become nothing before God, learn to keep silent, in this silence is the beginning, which is, first to seek God's Kingdom.' And so I urge you to still every motion that is not rooted in the Kingdom. Become quiet, hushed, motionless until you are finally centered. Strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the Kingdom of God. Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core."
~ Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Why I Believe, and What I Mean
Soren Kierkegaard
Soren Kierkegaard was correct. The biggest hurdle to understanding and/or practicing Christianity is the mistaken conviction that one already understands and/or practices it. How many atheists reject the life of faith because they assume they know what this means, when in fact they haven't a clue; having received their impressions of religion solely from the most popular, dogmatic, and ignorant conceptions? From the esoteric or mystical perspective, atheists do not contradict the common believer, but concur with him, in their superficial and erroneous notions of God and Christ. One rejects and the other accepts, yet neither has any relation to true religion; both are utterly mistaken as to the deeper meanings of words like "God", "Christ", and "faith".
Soren Kierkegaard was an individualist. Every individualist, -- particularly, those who align themselves with a tradition which has long been obscured and corrupted, in the hope of reforming and redefining it (or merely recalling its original, intended meanings), -- lives under the cloud of near-constant misunderstanding. In order to speak his own truth, from the heart, he makes all things his own, and must insist on undermining the conventional interpretations of things. Naturally, this makes some demand on others; namely, that, if we wish to know his meaning, we must make some effort to be open-minded and to think independently of our habitual conceptions. First, we must recognize that we are in the presence of a strikingly original mind; a mind which reinterprets and, so, requires that we also reinterpret, if we would understand. He can meet us half-way without betraying himself, but we will have to take some steps in his direction as well, if we wish to know his meaning.
The Existence of God
First, we must agree on a definition of "God" before we can debate the question of "God's" existence. Alas, every mystic in history teaches that God, in "His" true nature, is beyond definition, and that all our attempts at defining "Him" are necessarily flawed, and can only carry us so far. The rejection of easy answers is common to both atheists and mystics (i.e. authentically religious people). In fact, mysticism may be defined as a process by which we tear through these easy answers, or veils, which hide from us the reality of God's true nature. It is said that, at the highest levels of revelation, language breaks down and the appearance of paradox is unavoidable. As the Upanishads of the Hindus put it: "God is and is not."
"God" and religion are much more mysterious than most self-professed Christians would have you believe. In fact, what so many atheists are rejecting is the same superficial, dogmatic form of belief which every true mystic in the history of the world has also rejected. However, while atheists seem to think they've rejected belief in God and religion, all they've managed to reject is the popular view held by people who have no concept of what the spiritual life is all about. While believers and non-believers may antagonize each other, most of them take essentially the same view: Neither grasps the possibility that something may be figurative without being fictional.
The Spirit, Not The Letter
When the Bible says "Read the spirit not the letter of the law; for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life," it is warning against a literal interpretation. Curiously, though, most believers interpret scripture literally (and believe), while most atheists also interpret literally (and disbelieve). Both are mistaken.
What is required is the ability to think abstractly, and to understand that something may be truthful without being factual. The historical reality of Jesus, for instance, is fairly irrelevant compared with the eternal reality which is symbolized by Jesus Christ. He may never have existed as we exist, yet, he may exist no less than you or I, as an idea (perhaps the best idea) which has emerged from, and taken hold of, the imagination of mankind. He may be figurative, but he has exerted a more powerful influence on history than anyone who has existed in a more limited, less abstract, sense. This alone ought to suggest that there is something substantial in him, whether or not it accords with our narrow definitions of what is real.
God Again
"God", too, may be a figurative reality. There is undoubtedly a state of mind in which one experiences profound peace, compassion, determination, clarity of vision, and submission to the present moment. For good reason, many have elected to name the reality of this experience, or the force which engenders it, "God"; probably because no greater name could be found. Some would argue that it is, in fact, impossible to experience this state without a feeling of reverence, and that it is impossible to feel reverence without exclaiming, "It is God!"
This is essentially a value judgement, for it is not so much an assertion that God exists as it is an assertion that something exists which is worthy of being called "God". It's like looking at a beautiful painting and saying, "It is divine."
It's really not up for debate.
The Incarnation
Christ is an exemplar, a prototype for what we may become, at our best. He is the idea of unconditional love and acceptance "incarnated" or personified as a man. Thousands of people have attained to incredible ethical heights by contemplating this figure. Understood in this way, -- that is, spiritually, -- we may easily give our approval to the words of Athanasius: "God became man so that man could become God."
The Christian Legacy
Yes, the meaning of Christ has also been misinterpreted by the masses, and willfully twisted by some for selfish reasons. But we find this in all walks of life; in all ideologies, not merely in religion. If the Crusades should be seen as an embarrassment to Christians, then the Holocaust should be seen as an embarrassment to atheists. The Nazis were not interested in religion when they put 9 million people to death. And the Communists were "devout atheists" when they murdered untold millions in their gulags.
So we see that men can be foolish and corrupt even without religious dogma, but it is much harder to find instances of men being martyrs for love without some religious prompting; there are plenty of thieves and murderers among those who consider themselves secular and among those who consider themselves religious, but where are the "secular saints" who sacrificed everything in order to share a message of unconditional love and community?
Soren Kierkegaard was correct. The biggest hurdle to understanding and/or practicing Christianity is the mistaken conviction that one already understands and/or practices it. How many atheists reject the life of faith because they assume they know what this means, when in fact they haven't a clue; having received their impressions of religion solely from the most popular, dogmatic, and ignorant conceptions? From the esoteric or mystical perspective, atheists do not contradict the common believer, but concur with him, in their superficial and erroneous notions of God and Christ. One rejects and the other accepts, yet neither has any relation to true religion; both are utterly mistaken as to the deeper meanings of words like "God", "Christ", and "faith".
Soren Kierkegaard was an individualist. Every individualist, -- particularly, those who align themselves with a tradition which has long been obscured and corrupted, in the hope of reforming and redefining it (or merely recalling its original, intended meanings), -- lives under the cloud of near-constant misunderstanding. In order to speak his own truth, from the heart, he makes all things his own, and must insist on undermining the conventional interpretations of things. Naturally, this makes some demand on others; namely, that, if we wish to know his meaning, we must make some effort to be open-minded and to think independently of our habitual conceptions. First, we must recognize that we are in the presence of a strikingly original mind; a mind which reinterprets and, so, requires that we also reinterpret, if we would understand. He can meet us half-way without betraying himself, but we will have to take some steps in his direction as well, if we wish to know his meaning.
The Existence of God
First, we must agree on a definition of "God" before we can debate the question of "God's" existence. Alas, every mystic in history teaches that God, in "His" true nature, is beyond definition, and that all our attempts at defining "Him" are necessarily flawed, and can only carry us so far. The rejection of easy answers is common to both atheists and mystics (i.e. authentically religious people). In fact, mysticism may be defined as a process by which we tear through these easy answers, or veils, which hide from us the reality of God's true nature. It is said that, at the highest levels of revelation, language breaks down and the appearance of paradox is unavoidable. As the Upanishads of the Hindus put it: "God is and is not."
"God" and religion are much more mysterious than most self-professed Christians would have you believe. In fact, what so many atheists are rejecting is the same superficial, dogmatic form of belief which every true mystic in the history of the world has also rejected. However, while atheists seem to think they've rejected belief in God and religion, all they've managed to reject is the popular view held by people who have no concept of what the spiritual life is all about. While believers and non-believers may antagonize each other, most of them take essentially the same view: Neither grasps the possibility that something may be figurative without being fictional.
The Spirit, Not The Letter
When the Bible says "Read the spirit not the letter of the law; for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life," it is warning against a literal interpretation. Curiously, though, most believers interpret scripture literally (and believe), while most atheists also interpret literally (and disbelieve). Both are mistaken.
What is required is the ability to think abstractly, and to understand that something may be truthful without being factual. The historical reality of Jesus, for instance, is fairly irrelevant compared with the eternal reality which is symbolized by Jesus Christ. He may never have existed as we exist, yet, he may exist no less than you or I, as an idea (perhaps the best idea) which has emerged from, and taken hold of, the imagination of mankind. He may be figurative, but he has exerted a more powerful influence on history than anyone who has existed in a more limited, less abstract, sense. This alone ought to suggest that there is something substantial in him, whether or not it accords with our narrow definitions of what is real.
God Again
"God", too, may be a figurative reality. There is undoubtedly a state of mind in which one experiences profound peace, compassion, determination, clarity of vision, and submission to the present moment. For good reason, many have elected to name the reality of this experience, or the force which engenders it, "God"; probably because no greater name could be found. Some would argue that it is, in fact, impossible to experience this state without a feeling of reverence, and that it is impossible to feel reverence without exclaiming, "It is God!"
This is essentially a value judgement, for it is not so much an assertion that God exists as it is an assertion that something exists which is worthy of being called "God". It's like looking at a beautiful painting and saying, "It is divine."
It's really not up for debate.
The Incarnation
Christ is an exemplar, a prototype for what we may become, at our best. He is the idea of unconditional love and acceptance "incarnated" or personified as a man. Thousands of people have attained to incredible ethical heights by contemplating this figure. Understood in this way, -- that is, spiritually, -- we may easily give our approval to the words of Athanasius: "God became man so that man could become God."
The Christian Legacy
Yes, the meaning of Christ has also been misinterpreted by the masses, and willfully twisted by some for selfish reasons. But we find this in all walks of life; in all ideologies, not merely in religion. If the Crusades should be seen as an embarrassment to Christians, then the Holocaust should be seen as an embarrassment to atheists. The Nazis were not interested in religion when they put 9 million people to death. And the Communists were "devout atheists" when they murdered untold millions in their gulags.
So we see that men can be foolish and corrupt even without religious dogma, but it is much harder to find instances of men being martyrs for love without some religious prompting; there are plenty of thieves and murderers among those who consider themselves secular and among those who consider themselves religious, but where are the "secular saints" who sacrificed everything in order to share a message of unconditional love and community?
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