Tag: religion

Living Ourselves into a New Way of Thinking 

Excerpt from Richard Rohr’s Daily MeditationsCenter for Action and Contemplation October 15, 2022  The Eighth Core Principle of the CAC: We do not think ourselves into a new way of living; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking. This final principle is a fruit of Richard’s decades of companioning with others on the spiritual journey. He writes: …

We are part of a living web

Buddhist activist and teacher Joanna Macy invites us to meditate on our intimate coexistence: You know your lives are as intricately interwoven as nerve cells in the mind of a great being. . . . Out of that vast net you cannot fall. . . . No stupidity or failure or cowardice can ever sever…

Love of Others Begins with Love of Self

The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis reflects on the universal wisdom that proclaims the mutuality of love:  No matter who we are or where we come from, no matter whom we love and how we earn a living, the admonition to love your neighbor as you love yourself, when lived out, expresses the interdependence humans need…

Love: The greatest thing in the world

By Henry Drummond, excerpt Everyone has asked himself the great question of antiquity as of the modern world: What is the summum bonum—the supreme good? You have life before you. Once only you can live it. What is the noblest object of desire, the supreme gift to covet? We have been accustomed to being told that…

The Bread You Cast Upon the Waters Returns to You

Joel S. Goldsmith This very clear text of Joel Goldsmith reminds us of what could very well be the basic law of the universe:  “We reap what we sow.” This is true not only in personal relationships, but also in our relationships with the environment, international relations and virtually every area of life. When we…

How authority wanes

Until Gutenberg invented the printing press, it was difficult to challenge authority, hence the stability of the systems in place for centuries, even millennia. The printing press allowed an increase in the circulation of ideas in all fields, which accelerated even more with the modern media: radio, telephone, television, etc. But with the invention of…

The Secret of the 23rd Psalm

       Behold, here is a whole new concept of prayer. We are not trying to GET God* to be with us on this trek through the valley of the shadow of death. We are not reaching OUT for God. We are not even trying to have our fears stilled, since this recognition that God walks…

What does our authority rest upon?

For thousands of years, ever since mankind started settling in cities, we evolved in rigid, patriarchal and extremely authoritarian structures – at least in the West. This started changing after the industrial revolution and the pace has been picking up since the end of the last war. Many authoritarian structures have become much weaker or…

You are Me and I am You

Oneness

By Pierre Pradervand You Are Me & I Am You read by Suzanne Bonetti.Suzanne is a British actress working globally in film, television, commercials, radio and on-line media. http://www.suzannebonetti.com/ One of the more amazing and beautiful aspects of internet is that it is becoming the most powerful tool ever to spread ideas instantaneously worldwide, including a…

When contemplation and action meet

It is my deep conviction that any meaningful religious or spiritual approach must also really address the key issue of today – and that is a world that works for all. Disparities and inequalities in income and opportunities are become so huge, environmental degradation is advancing so rapidly, that unless we create a world that…

Deeds, not words

Paul Ferrini The language of love is not a language of words… Whoever practices love returns to the house of God. No matter what path he/she follows or what name he/she gives it. No path is better than another. You will not return home faster by believing in me than by believing in Krishna or…

Blessing for Spiritual Seekers

Pierre Pradervand We are in a period of unprecedented, challenging and exciting change. In all areas, old structures are falling away or being challenged, including in the field of religion and spirituality. More and more people are undertaking an individual spiritual quest for their right spiritual niche. This blessing is for them.   I bless…

What is the Meaning of Life?

Rev. Bill McDonald I have given much thought and time to contemplate that very question ever since I was a child facing death in the hospital at eight years of age. I had “died” in my hospital bed all alone and unmonitored by medical staff in an isolation ward. In those moments of “death”, I…

A New Way to Worship

by guest Rabbi Rami Shapiro – July 07, 2019 Comment: I love what Rabbi Shapiro writes – it is a major step forward from the rigidified religious practices of the past (and for quite a few, still the present.)  However, after having been most of my life as a member of traditional churches, it is my belief…

The essence of true spirituality

For over 60 years I belonged to forms of organized religion. These still play a useful role for some individuals who need to have verbal formulations of truths and liturgical and cultural forms that reassure and comfort. However, we live in a world where increasingly everything is challenged and each one is called to define…

Satisfying One’s Soul

guyfinley.org

In this life, in any given moment, in one way or another (and more or less as you imagined), you will receive what you asked for… Do not doubt it. As a result, learn how to monitor your requests because nothing that was designed or created here below can satisfy your soul except the Creator…

Spiritual Mastery Prayer

Spiritual Mastery Prayer

by Paul Ferrini Father/Mother God: Help me to feel my oneness with you and my equality with my brothers and sisters. Help me to recognize my judgments and to look within for correction. Help me to give up shame and blame and to learn from my errors so that I do not repeat them. Help…

Unity and the Power of Love

Unity and the Power of Love

Excerpts from an article by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee Unity holds the essential vision that we are one living, interconnected ecosystem—a living Earth that supports and nourishes all of its inhabitants. If we acknowledge and honor this simple reality, we can begin to participate in the vital work of healing our fractured and divisive world and embrace a…

The End of Knowing

The End of Knowing

(Fr Richard Rohr’s Meditation for Friday, October 12, 2018) Our note: if the word God does not resonate with you, change it to one of the many other names for deity – Cosmic Love, Great Spirit, Infinite, Divine, Allah, etc. etc. “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,…

The spiritual life & practice of Blessing

Pierre was interviewed on the subject of the blessing practice in conjunction with the Awaken to Love global event sponsored by The Course in Miracles in November 2018   “This live event you just did on our Awaken to Love Conference was one of the most touching and most powerful sessions I have ever joined!…

On giving thanks

On giving thanks

Enjoy these two short meditations by Eileen Caddy, co-founder of The Findhorn Community in Scotland, from Opening Doors Within Give thanks for everything you have, for everything you received, and for everything you are going to receive. In fact, never cease to give thanks for it is a positive attitude towards life, and the very…

For Life’s Abundance

Gratitude

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here is a blessing from Pierre’s new book https://pierrepradervand.com/365-blessings-to-heal-myself-and-the-world/ As my basic text on blessing states, blessing and gratitude are in a sense the two sides of  the  same  coin. When you bless a situation or a person, you are also saying thank you to the universe for a given…

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

The Blessing of Unanswered Prayers

by an Unknown Confederate soldier I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was…

The Ice Cream That Cannot Be Flavored

ICE CREAM

From Holy Rascals by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, with permission Walk into an ice cream shop and order a scoop of ice cream. The clerk will ask which flavor ice cream you prefer, but you don’t want a flavor, you want ice cream. The clerk is stymied. Of all the flavors on the menu, “ice cream”…

Meet the river people: who speaks for the rivers?

Meet the river people

“I bless the scientists and others working to cleanse the oceans, lakes and rivers in their creativity that they may devise ever  more efficient ways of protecting this God-given resource.” Pierre Pradervand, from 365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World Now available from the publisher, o-books.com in bookstores and other outlets. Elizabeth Macpherson, Erin O’donnell…

Facing a firing squad

Pierre Pradervand blog 01.05.2018

“Grace is the completely unexpected goodness of divine Love manifesting itself in our lives, often at the most unexpected moment. Some people call it “miracle” which is a word we use when we do not understand the perfect laws governing the nonmaterial sphere of being. “I bless myself in my understanding that in a universe…

Our spotless innocence – unchallenged and unalterable

Our spotless innocence

By Pierre Pradervand ~ “I bless myself sincerely and joyfully for being the utterly beautiful divine creature I am, at one with the Source of infinite Love. … I bless myself as Spirit’s manifestation of glorious liberty, total freedom and unlimited innocence – and this is true of all humanity.” From my new book, 365…

World Problems Will Be Solved By A Change of Consciousness

from Our Spiritual Resources by Joel S. Goldsmith, slightly modified and abridged “With a new view of the world supporting a new consciousness, we could transcend the quagmire of the current crisis and set out on the path we were meant to follow a path of cooperation and harmony, leading to the flourishing of one…

Blessing as a Form of Service

Blessing as a Form of Service

In one of the most powerful passages on oneness in world spiritual literature, the prophet Isaiah describes service as the ultimate path to enlightenment and the source of real health (the words whole, holy and healthy stem from the same root):  “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of…

God’s Love and the Fruit Salad

God's Love and the Fruit Salad

Excerpts from Julian of Norwich One morning early, while making my fruit salad, the sentence “All is well, all is well, all is very, very well” continued playing through my mind.  I was suddenly reminded of a very beautiful booklet I read years ago, ENFOLDED IN LOVE – daily readings with Julian of Norwich. Despite…

I Am

As long as you believe that the God you seek is hidden up there in the sky, As long as you believe that your salvation is to be found in religions, sects, gurus or others, As long as you believe that you are too small to forgive yourself and that and only God can do…

An Unspoken Sermon

Author Unknown His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally is wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.…

Islam and Women – Progress in Afghanistan

Thanks to Jamila Afghani and the organization she created, Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO). 6,000 imams in Afghanistan have taken gender-sensitivity training Click here for the full story of this amazing, courageous woman: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2017/0105/Thanks-to-this-Afghan-woman-6-000-imams-have-taken-gender-sensitivity-training It is Friday noon in Kabul, Afghanistan, and men dressed in traditional clothes hurry to mosques to pray in…

Freedom by Grace

Excerpt from the Infinite Way Letter of August 1955 By Joel Goldsmith Freedom is not a condition of government—freedom is a condition of the Soul. Men in chains have been free; men have been free under slavery and oppression. Men have prospered in periods of depression and panic; men have survived war and flood and…

A Practical guide to spiritual enlightenment

Adyashanti From The way of Liberation Open Gate SanghaSan Jose, California Practice Absolute Sincerity To have genuine sincerity is absolutely necessary in the spiritual life. Sincerity encompasses the qualities of honesty, genuineness, and integrity. To be sincere does not mean to be perfect. In fact, the very effort to be perfect is itself insincere, because…

Lakota Prayer

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you…

Blessing and the Spiritual Path

Recently Les Voies de Soi asked Pierre to talk about his spiritual path. In this just released informal video conversation Pierre shares with us the role the practice of blessing has had in his life: ”demolishing” the ego, fostering unconditional love, compassion and forgiveness, eliminating all judgement, and creating a yearning for simplicity in all…

The Might of Love’s Tenderness

Pierre Pradervand The seashell called angel wing is delicate and exquisitely beautiful. One sometimes finds numbers of them on the shore when the tide recedes, their winsome loveliness resting gently on the sand. One wonders why they were not crushed to smithereens in the pounding of the huge waves that brought them in. Yet wave…

Have You Met St. Francis?

A mystical encounter in Tuscany. Andrew Harvey Andrew Harvey is an author, religious scholar and teacher of mystic traditions, known primarily for his nonfiction books on spiritual or mystical themes. He is the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism and has been featured in many videos and interviews on mysticism and sacred activism. During…