San Miguel Icons

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

When we consider the possibility that life exists on other planets in the entire universe, we count the exoplanetary environmental conditions, and other factors known to have caused the emergence of life in this world. As we cannot yet prove that life does in fact exist on other planets, the search for those life forms is driven with similar faith as those who seek God and spirituality within themselves. And in this kind of line of reasoning, we begin to perceive the wisdom of agnosticism, the faith of an open mind towards possibilities that we have not encountered.

Agnostic faith is different than atheism in that atheism is as much a conviction to believe that God does not exist, as it is a conviction to say that God does indeed exist. An agnostic is far less probable to become a person of persecuting those who believe in God in the name of science, who through their own acts become as guilty as those who persecuted scientists in the history of the church. An agnostic will not ridicule a person who does not have faith that God does not exist, nor will an agnostic turn against those who do believe in God’s existence, but is able in understanding these parallel realisms to listen and support the exploration of existence on both sides.

The mind of an agnostic is a paradox for those who believe that human mind is limited to sustain only one belief system. An agnostic mind is a mind of a parallel relativist par excellence, as it can wander through all religious belief systems, and those, that because of the mistake of perception, are perceived as opposing belief systems for them, not merely as parallel ones. The mind of an agnostic is not flat, and is only limited by the possibilities of knowledge that are universally the limits of human understanding. He or she will not say that the semantic content given to an independent object must be only one, but acknowledges that it has as much variation as there have been, are, and will be humans, having thus an understanding on how parallel perceptions are formed, and is able to count the variations given by timely valuations.

Like a parallel relativist is able to enjoy all the riches of all cultures without residing his or her existence to only one of them, such can be the life of an agnostic in relativity with religious systems from atheism to Hinduism to the law of attraction however great a paradox it might seem to be for those of one faith. As an end note it should added that a person of religious faith can embrace the diversity opened with parallel relativism by saying “In this I have faith, and these things I know”, without losing one’s faith.

Henry M. Piironen is a contemporary European author and philosopher of consciousness, cultures, religions and reality. To purchase his latest books, visit Amazon.com now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_M._Piironen

Please feel free to add any comment, idea or give us any feedback on our new Forum page

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

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. The ethical spiritual phycology already exists in the practice. Ancient guidelines for human behavior have the potential to provoke a new sustainable world order. We are interdependent on the well-being of the whole and everyone’s decisions, actions, and failures affect the well-being of the many.

Peace on Earth will transform our rituals and services at prescribed hours into institutions embracing more comprehensive doctrines and hierarchies. 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 and relatedness. 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 we reach full potential as human being.

Modern Iconography Class    December 5 th to December 21 st

No artistic experience is necessary for the iconography classes in egg tempera. The class is taught as a meditation, watching the mind like a window to the divine. The end result is hopefully an image reflecting our thoughts of God and ourselves in the world. The process of icon painting moves us beyond the act of painting, eventually revealing a clearer vision of the god in who we place so much trust and the limits of self. The classes in iconograghy are Mondays  and Wednesdays, 9:30 to 11:30, 1,800 pesos, 6 week commitment, everyone begins the practice together. Please call to confirm ahead of time.

millericons@gmail.com