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.

In Chinese Philosophy and culture the health of the individual is regarded as a holistic, integral field. Every action we take influences our physical and mental health. Physical and mental health are inextricably linked. Furthermore, the health of each individual is also linked to the health of the family, community, country and world. This core value predates even Confucianism to the culture of the ancient sage-kings Wen and Chou from thousands of years ago. One of the Four Books of Confucianism the “Great Learning” puts it thus:

“The ancients wished to manifest clear virtue throughout the world, by governing their country. Wishing to govern their country, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated themselves. Wishing to cultivate themselves, they first made their minds correct (rectified their minds). Wishing to rectify their minds, they first made their thought sincere. Wishing to make their thought sincere, they first extended their knowledge. Wishing to extend their knowledge, they first investigated things. They investigated things and then their knowledge was extended. Their knowledge extended and then their thought was sincere. Their thought was sincere and then their mind was rectified. Their mind was rectified and then their selves were cultivated. Their selves were cultivated and then their families were regulated. Their families were regulated and then their country was governed. Their country was governed and then the whole world was peaceful.” (Yi Wu 2002, Great Learning Ch. 1, 28, 29)

In the Great Learning we find that there is little distinction between the deepest most personal thoughts and governing the country or harmonizing the world. The connection between the individual and the entire planet is clear. The only way to achieve outer harmony, true health, is to achieve inner harmony. This self-cultivation starts with investigating things. One cannot understand their own nature or the nature of all things without investigating. Through investigation the same source and different paths become clear. Uncovering the metaphysical principle of each thing, shows the unique path of development and distinct characteristics. Understanding the origin, path and characteristics of all things is extending one’s knowledge, extending one’s knowledge to understand the very essence of all things, contemplating all the world around and distinguishing the unique characteristics and functions of each thing. Truly understanding things in this way gives us a sincere connection, a familial feeling with all things. Our thought and concern for all things becomes sincere because of this connection. Superior people wish for all things to flourish in their function and achieve their potential, their Heaven’s destiny. This sincere connection, permeating every thought shows that the mind is truly corrected.

With a rectified mind, superior people, the exemplars of Confucian virtue, cultivate every aspect of their lives to better honor and benefit all things. Superior people use the self to protect and manifest their understanding. Superior people do not live carelessly. They live inspired to benefit all things and to continue the original harmony. They live to nourish their mind and to act to the great benefit of the world. The first training ground for relating to people and sanctuary to nourish the body and mind is the home and family. Maintaining harmony and propriety in one’s family and working to establish a healthy society in which all people can have good family lives, is the root of superior people’s action in the world. Superior people value and cultivate humanity. The family is the place where each of us can learn about the Way of humanity, human relationships and work to the great benefit of others: our siblings, spouses, parents, and children. When all people have good and nourishing families, the country fulfills its function and is well governed. When the country is well governed, it will function as a beacon of peace, radiating health and harmony to the entire world.

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 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

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.

http://www.peacebestill.net/index.html

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.

peacebestill.net

Installation “The Dialogue” for World Peace and Prayer encourages humanity from all religions to rejoice in our commonality. Step through the door to where we all participate and learn from the oneness we all hold in common. The installation ´s purpose is to contribute to peace on earth—it challenges us to think again about the importance of great teachers and our need for their wisdom in our contemporary society. Our future depends on a collective understanding of peace and harmony, without ownership, where we use ecosystems responsibly.

One day we will awaken to the fundamental reality that we are a creation intimately connected and breathing together throughout eternity. Compassion begins with the awareness that all creation is alive, all part of one another and involved with one another. Humanity will compete in a world where food and energy, ecological insecurity and global poverty create pressure for our societies to develop and change. By embracing peace, cultural differences, practicing forgiveness and reconciliation, with those within and outside our individual faith, we as global citizens can move forward towards the creation of a more peaceful, just and humane society.

This exhibition tries to promote and expand life experience; it aims to encourage us to think again about the importance of great teachers and philosophers and their effect from generation to generation. Whether you love god, science, explore meditation, practice yoga, follow anthropology and or embrace psychology, the variations within each of us are limitless, as are the edges of space and time. Humans change and evolve and we do it collectively as well as one mind at a time. The installation encourages humankind to remember the vulnerable planet Earth and how it is being stressed to the limit as a result of what we believe. Our future, and that of our progeny, is dependent upon our planet’s resources. Our future depends on collective understanding and the use of ecosystems responsibly so that we can live on this planet together in peace and harmony, without ownership.

“The Dialogue Project” represents 5,000 years of great spiritual teachings through image. The 27 images are painted with egg yolk and dry pigments from 5 continents around the world. The images are flanked by 40 prayer wheels, and 70 archetypal symbols. The entire exhibit is curved, 32 feet by 11 feet high. The Generator Gallery has generously offered to help promote this project, introducing it to the public for the first time. Each Sunday, 11Am, a van will provide transport to the site with Mary Jane Miller as hostess. Tickets 100 peso donation. The exhibits Location; kilometer 4 in Cieneguita, on the way to Leon and Guanajuato. www.peacebestill.net