San Miguel Icons

We are tangible humans having a spiritual experience. Humanity shares a part of God’s image, and the whole of life is moving towards some unknowable end together. As I said in the past newsletters, something more powerful is at work around us; more creative than us, more resilient than us. The teachings of Christ as well as Buddha, Plato and all great thinkers reach towards mending conflict to restore harmony so that all can move towards wholeness. Every aspect of human nature; our minds, our bodies, our virtues, our desires, our sexuality, even our mortality finds its fulfillment in peace. And so every human progressing toward goodness plays a part in the salvation of the
world.

The universe is a pure gift of promise and possibilities and is driven by energy which is continually transforming, moving, unstable and
unpredictable. Try and imagine humanity along these lines; full of promise and possibilities without control. Human energy is self-organizing in an open ended future and knows its highest bliss when we creatively harmonize with universal energy. The planet is teaming with life, just look around. Are you surrounded by what humankind has created?  Take a walk in the woods this season, to reconnect with the wonder of what humankind did not create. For the past 5,000 years our minds have seduced us into thinking and believing we are important. The planet is not an object to be exploited but rather a living being inviting dialogue and participation. Think of the earth as being alive around you and you will feel alive as well.

Most of humanity is beginning to realize we are our own problem, our thinking and behavior. Our contemporary arrogance creates incredible pain and suffering and loss for the planet. Many of us hesitate to recognize God is in control. Something more powerful is at work around us; more creative than us, more resilient than us. God, Universe, Energy, Om, Shanti, Amen.

These images, and thousands like them, embody the wisdom of ancient mystics, they represent an archetypal dynamic around the world. The love motherhood requires is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. Within this relationship is the potential to given and received love, as well as the capacity to release and surrender that same love. Find someone to be tender with… today,
peace be with all of you, think love its the only thing that will sustain us.

Many of us shy away from the word spiritual, thinking it akin to religious righteousness—in reality, nothing could be further than the real truth. Being spiritual or having the ability to see the spirit is more about seeing the true soul and embracing both the commonality and differences within each of us.

In this day and age, where one runs to and fro, seeing nothing but what one must do in the next 30 minutes, hour or day to keep afloat, survive or to fit in with the rest of society, it is rare that someone stop, turn-full-circle and ask: What am I doing? Is this right? Where is my contemplative self and how is my spirit doing today?  Artists like Mary Jane Miller, do just this—they stop, contemplate and bare their soul through art pieces like the Dialogue. It is works of art like this that make each of us ask ourselves: Where is my spirit, my contemplative soul, and what am I nurturing it with?

It is bright spirits like Mary Jane who teach us to view the soul, the spirit and all religions for what they are—true beauty, healing and mysticism. These qualities shine through her icons and especially through the Dialogue, an iconostasis made up of all the great religious leaders of the world. Here they sit side by side in unity, these religious leaders, who speak out to all us and their one most important teaching is “Peace and Love,” showing us that it is not our differences we should focus on, but it is our similarities, love and power within that we should embrace.

Up until now all religions practice righteousnous, focusing on their one true belief, their one true god and their one true way, but what makes one way or god right while the other not? Instead of focusing on the differences, Mary Jane as other great spirits suggest that we should focus on the similarity of all religion—the teaching of benevolence, trust, love and above all peace. Is there something wrong with art that wants to demonstrate the need for love or peace? Some people would say this idea is fanatical, but maybe we need fanatics of this type—the kind that doesn’t preach to persuade us to believe in the one true God, discarding all other beliefs and concepts, but instead persuades us to sit, look, see, be silent and perceive the good, the peaceful and the miracle in all that surrounds us. Come see The Dialogue

The serenity prayer  says,  “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can.” It states we will be given the wisdom to know the difference between the things that are under your control and the things that are beyond your control.

The prayer is asking for the grace to accept the things in our life over which you have no control. The Lilly’s of the field are provided for. To live a spiritual life without an agenda, accept the abundance offered and be at peace with all that surrounds us.

The second part of the prayer encourages us to have the courage to change what we can. We must be available and resilient to a new spirituality which allows change, one lived without fear. We often need courage to storm a new behavior that changes our consciousness and heals us spiritually.

The Serenity prayer helps us to remember our true calm self within and helps to reconnect our piece of mind amid life’s varied chaotic situations. The ocean of conciousness is vast and at time turbulent where we see no assurance of a coast line for security. Prayer is a way of navigating our will towards a higher power, one that is connected to all things. The Serenity prayer is a prayer which is used by all to remember the balance between control and being in  control.

The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the seed of all true art and science. To know what is impenetrable manifests itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty. This knowledge, this feeling is at the center of all true religion.

New religion continues to express art in the modern world. For many people change from tradition is a complete impossibility, and I can understand why they may think this. Formal religion is driven by narratives that are familiar for many but for some quite lifeless. New religious art has a tendency to remove all meaning and reduce the images to vague symbols. The old religious doctrines are a strait jacket for some contemporary artists.

The importance of the relationship between art and religion is still revealing itself. The church and the artist understand the affiliation between them, and the value of this ongoing dialogue. I believe the religious impulse will not just go away, we are improving our understanding of the divine without confusing it with formal religion. Religious art today has no contemporary origin but rather the same mystical undefinable experience found in the past expressed in the new mind.

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Peacebestill spirituality

Music has a close connection with spirituality. Spiritual music has the capacity to enlighten our minds and inspires us to dive deep within. The most profound spirituality involves peace and silence. But to enter this realm of peace and silence it is quite practical to take the benefit of spiritual, soulful music.

Music that helps us spiritually is music that elevates and uplifts our consciousness. It is music that makes rather than breaks. Some music embodies a restless, aggressive quality. Spiritual music energies our inner being, but it does this without creating restlessness and vital excitement. Spiritual music can be a great aid to meditation. If we listen to music with our heart it awakens the inner aspiration to dwell in the higher realms of consciousness. The great composer Beethoven said of music

“Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. Although the spirit be not master of that which it creates through music, yet it is blessed in this creation, which, like every creation of art, is mightier than the artist.”

A popular form of spiritual music is bhajans. Bhajans are simple devotional songs, which are sung many times to invoke a quality of God , The Supreme. Many spiritual teachers have noted the power of devotional music to help seekers spiritually. To sit in silent meditation may be difficult for many seekers, but to enter into the spirit of devotional music is to get the fruits of meditation in an easy and accessible way. For some aspirants devotional music alone is a way to reach the goal. The great Indian Saint Sri Chaitanya sung endlessly devotional bhajans to Sri Krishna. His infectious singing, inspired many in India to follow the path of Bhakti yoga. His bhajans to Krishna are still sung today.

Spirituality and music can never be separated. If music awakens our inner aspiration we will be inspired to dive deep within. Sri Chinmoy says of music:

“When we play soulful music, we elevate our consciousness most rapidly. Soulful music is a form of aspiration, a form of meditation.”

From the outer music we will become in touch with the inner silence. In our deepest meditation great seekers say that we can hear the divine music in the depths of our own heart.

Music also has the capacity to bring people together. It is something that unites rather than divides. Speaking at the legendary Woodstock festival of 1969 the spiritual Guru Swami Satchidananda offered a welcoming address to nearly half a million spectators.

“I am overwhelmed with joy to see the youth of America gathered here in the name of the fine art of music. In fact through music we can work wonders”

Richard became interested in meditation and spirituality whilst studying at University. He now practises meditation on a regular basis. He also has an interest in spiritual music, which has been fostered by his meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy has composed numerous spiritual songs http://www.srichinmoysongs.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/465637

There is an irrevocable, unconditional norm for healing our spiritual selves, in our families, communities, nations, and religions. In particular, there is need right now for the spiritual healing with regard to the aggression and hatred in the name of religion. Ancient guidelines for human behavior in many cultures have the potential to sustain a peaceful world order. We are interdependent on the well-being of all nations. If each of us focuses on peace, everyone’s intentions, desires and actions will affect the well-being of the many. Peace on Earth will transform our rituals and sacraments into inclusive and comprehensive moments of awareness. The new religion will be a daily life style of commitment to a global culture of non-violence, respect, justice, and peace, where there is no more oppression, injury, torture, or killing of other human beings. Spiritual life requires treating others as we wish others to treat us; each of us an example, respecting others dignity and individuality, without exception. We will learn to open our hearts and allow the narrow differences to meld into a culture of solidarity. We will come to see and consider humankind as a family and species of the spiritual world. Forgiveness, kindness and generosity foster lives of service for the common good. Spiritual healing will come collectively as we reach full potential as human being.

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Dali lama says the key to freedom resides in our ability to understand and THINK MORE, it is ignorance of self and other which causes our discomfort. He encourages us all to contemplate and analyze our individual actions on the landscape of the actions and its effect on others. Our accomplishments and activities are not isolated and unique to ourselves. We have indeed an effect on each other, the planet and  potential Global peace. Go slow through life, what is the rush, we are all going to die eventually. Be enthusiastic and cherish the life we have been given. Our focus each day tends to be more on our bodies and satiating them through food, excerisize, creature comfort, work, etc. More attention and love must be given in developing and fostering a healthy and deep relationship with our minds and spirits.

Peace on Earth will transform our rituals and services at prescribed hours into institutions embracing more comprehensive doctrines and hierarchies. The new spirts of peace will embrace a daily life style of commitment to a global culture of non-violence, respect, justice, and peace, where there is no more oppression, injury, torture, or killing of other human beings.

Forgiveness, kindness and generosity foster lives of service for the common
good. Spiritual healing will come collectively gradually reaching full potential as human beings.

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