Experiments in a Search For God. Mark Thurston

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СКАЧАТЬ the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

“If art can be called the re-creation and formal expression of reality through the medium of human experience, then the creation of language may be called the greatest achievement of art. Each word originally was a focus of energies, in which the transformation of reality into the vibrations of the human voice—the vital expression of the human soul—took place. Through these vocal creations man took possession of the world—and more than that: he discovered a new dimension, a world within himself, opening upon the vista of a higher form of life, which is as much beyond the present state of humanity as the consciousness of a civilized man is above that of an animal.”

      (Govinda, Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism, p. 18)

      When we are irritated or having a difficult time with something, it is often hard to keep from verbalizing our frustrations. Much has been made by the human potential movement in psychology and counseling of “getting it all out,” or expressing what we are feeling directly to the other person. This position may be a response to the extreme position that preceded this movement: that it is proper to suppress our feelings.

      For most people the greatest growth probably lies somewhere between these two approaches. Communication by verbalizing our thoughts and feelings is important, and yet we need to be aware of our responsibilities for the creative power our spoken word has upon others—a power to awaken images and feelings in the other person.

      Experiment: Be aware that there are no idle words. With your speech you are creating and having a strong effect upon the attitudes and feelings of your listeners. When you feel that it is possible to work through a particular difficulty on your own, refrain from the temptation to complain or talk about it in a negative way to others. Also look for opportunities to use the spoken word to uplift the consciousness of others.

       “Each organ has its individual functions and desires, which are in themselves holy.”

      The readings teach the unity of the body, mind and spirit. Conflicts between the spirit and the flesh can never be resolved because they begin from a denial of this underlying unity. The body is the temple, and its function is holy as we use it as a vehicle to meet the Christ spirit.

      One of the most beautiful statements of this concept is found in Nikos Kazantzakis’ autobiographical Report to Greco. The narrator has traveled to Mt. Sinai and at the monastery he meets a monk who becomes his friend and teacher.

      “He lowered his voice still more.

      “‘Angels are nothing more—do you hear!—nothing more than refined devils. The day will come—oh, if only I could live to see it!—when men will understand this, and then …’

      “He leaned over to my ear. For the first time, his voice was trembling.

      “‘… and then the religion of Christ will take another step forward on earth. It will embrace the whole man, all of him, not just half as it does now in embracing only the soul. Christ’s mercy will broaden. It will embrace and sanctify the body as well as the soul; it will see—and preach—that they are not enemies, but fellow workers. Whereas now, what happens? If we sell ourselves to the devil, he urges us to deny the soul; if we sell ourselves to God, He urges us to deny the body. When will Christ’s heart grow sufficiently broad to commiserate not only the soul but also the body, and to reconcile these two savage beasts?’

      “I was deeply moved.

      “‘Thank you, Father, for the precious gift you have given me.’”

      (Kazantzakis, Report to Greco, p. 290)

      Experiment: Be aware of your body each day. Take special note of its desires and functions and try to keep an awareness of holiness as these activities are fulfilled (e.g., eating a meal with a sense of holiness}.

       “The soul will seek that which it has builded, not only in the material plane but in the universal, for ‘as a tree falls, so will it lie.’”

      One of the most exciting fields of research in our times is the study of altered states of consciousness. A question that has concerned researchers is “What determines the level of awareness to which a person shifts as he alters his consciousness?” Whether the altered state is meditation, hypnosis, drug states or dreams, certain factors seem to be very important: the feelings and attitudes of the person before the change in consciousness and the environmental setting of the experience.

      The quotation from the Bible, “In the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” (Ecclesiastes 11:3), which is so often used in the readings, seems to refer to the same principle. That which the mind is dwelling upon as it makes a transition in consciousness will determine the kind of experience the person will have. The analogy of the falling tree, of course, most clearly refers to death. A person’s experiences immediately after death are largely determined by the attitudes and feelings prior to passing over. However, this concept can be applied as well to the transition in consciousness that we make daily—from the waking state to the sleeping state. If we fall asleep with an attitude of thankfulness and desire to know our real selves, our dream life is more likely to provide insightful growth experiences.

      Experiment: Each night before falling asleep say a prayer asking that in your dreams you will be guided to experience that which is best for your growth. Try to retain this sense of seeking as you fall asleep. Keep a careful record of your dreams and of your feelings when you awaken in the morning.

       “We know that we cannot be true to others unless we are first true to ourselves.”

      There is a oneness to the inner and outer world. Often we misunderstand or forget this principle and we experience conflict between the things we perceive outside of ourselves and the things that are within us. Yet a deeper insight into the nature of reality reveals that all of life is synchronized: the inner and the outer, the above and the below. Two people will experience the same event in very different ways. To one person the outside world seems not at all the same as it does to the other. The reason, of course, is that their inner worlds are different, and perceptions of the outer world are being filtered through different sets of memories, desires and beliefs.

      Carl Jung developed a concept of the way in which various aspects of the universe are working together. He suggested that there was not only a Law of Causality (which we might compare to karma and “as you sow you shall reap”), but a Law of Synchronicity as well. We have all experienced this second law and probably called it “coincidence” (e.g., I’m thinking about a person I haven’t seen for years and that same day someone else mentions his name or that person unexpectedly calls me). A frequent way in which the Law of Synchronicity expresses itself to us is by the reflection of our inner world in the events and circumstances about us.

      As we attune ourselves to that within which is loving and peaceful, we are developing in ourselves the capacity to relate to those around us in the same way. As we focus our attention and energy upon our capacity to be honest and truthful with ourselves, we are able to see ways in which to be honest and truthful with the outer world.

      Experiment: Choose some other person with whom you feel a special need to be truthful and honest, and write down that person’s name. Each day observe your relationship with this person and take a few moments (perhaps at the end of the day) to consider the question, “What does the highest spirit within me want for this relationship?” Write down your thoughts and feelings in answer to this question. Through your thoughts and actions make an effort to be true and honest with yourself regarding those things you have written down. СКАЧАТЬ