May 2004
E-ZINE
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May 2004
E-ZINE |
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Inspirations |
From the Editor
A lot of inspiring
things come our way running a meditation website. I'd have to say that
the best thing about what we do is the people we come in contact with.
From the emails we receive, to the campaigns and events that
other meditators are conducting over the internet, sometimes the news is
just too good to keep to ourselves!
in peace, |
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Spirituality - by Sunirmalya Symons Spirituality is the river from which the divine flows. There are numerous tributaries that lead into that potent river. Nature, sport, the arts, creativity and finally religion in all its colours and flavours: they are united in those moments beyond the logical, rational ego – those moments of the heart. It is important that we realize the vast difference between religion and spirituality, as they are often confused. Religion is divinely guided but ironically seriously hamstrung by its scriptures. The ancient texts whose goal was to inspire have often conversely imprisoned their flocks in a mire of dated and frequently irrelevant dogmas and rituals. Supposedly infallible, more and more often amidst the scrutiny of modern science, these texts have commonly been found to be anything but watertight, with political interference rife and even doubts about the identity of authors. Importantly, religious followers have been seen historically, as exactly that: followers. While the masses were largely uneducated and were taught a faith that rested largely outside of themselves to a God in the sky and his intimate priests or rabbis or the like, the ‘followers’ were taught to follow meekly (not unlike sheep) and in fear. The exploitative doctrine of ‘following’ and ‘fear’ is one that permeates the halls of governments even today, and the marriage of religion and state is still well understood to be mutually beneficial for those seeking power. Religion, by its nature, begins in the head and often stays there. Many times people get so transfixed dissecting a particular scripture and interpreting its many permutations and combinations, that whole other sects or even religions are formed. Taken to the extreme, fundamentalism raises its ugly head and the masses that religion was trying to unite are separated into inevitable conflict. Spirituality on the other hand puts worth back in personal experience. It values the experiences of others, the wisdom of religion, the inspiration of the creative and the transcendence of the sports person, but in the end places responsibility for spiritual wisdom on the revelation of the truth within oneself. The cornerstones of the highest religious practices - faith and love – are not outside of ourselves with a God in the sky but are born first within the heart of the seeker. The spiritual aspirant quickly recognizes the universal truths that lie at the heart of all religions, and further than that, sees them again and again in art, music – in fact, all human endeavours. Spiritual philosophy becomes a celebration not of the head but of the heart. and of the fractal uniqueness of journey that each of us travels. Finally, spirituality is of action, of becoming, of living. It is of no use to talk or to philosophize or have all sorts of good intentions. Real spirituality realizes that not one thing is affected by hours of the deepest religious argument – rather it would prefer one second of the thoughtless peace of the heart. It is said that the mind and the ego does not actually know anything to be true, it just believes whatever is repeated, and that blind fundamentalism is the dire result. Spirituality feels that the heart is the fount of wisdom and that each personal revelation of ours is a direct experience of our own truth. This truth is one, but at the same time many - not unlike many observers watching a sunrise, each seeing the same one light, but each experiencing it in different ways. This is the essential beauty of spirituality – it recognizes the one light that shines through every one and every thing but understands there are many beautiful paths to it. |
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There will be total eclipse of the moon in the very early morning of Wednesday 5th May visible in Australia. It will begin at 4:48am (Australian Eastern Standard Time), but the actual total eclipse will be from 5:52am until moonset and sunrise makes it impossible to see (6:36am). So Aussies wake up early/stay up late and catch the best bits just before 6am! Sorry it is not visible in North America, but some countries can see it on May 4th, check out this website to see if you can catch it wherever you are in the world https://www.hermit.org/Eclipse/2004-05-04 On to https://meditation.org.au - you may have noticed that we have been working on our site quite a lot (including a logo change!). We will continue to upgrade the site and add new sections, so if you haven't visited us for a while, please drop in for a look at what's new. We will gratefully accept any suggestions you might have for improvements. A new feature is "daily meditations" - sign up to receive a free inspirational quote automatically delivered to your inbox every day. Also, we are currently working on providing live classes where members log into our chat room and chat to a meditation teacher and class in real-time. We'll let you know when this feature is up and running. |
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We often work
closely with the World Peace Society of Australia and recommend that you
check out their site
https://worldpeace.org.au,
and even consider becoming a member - like the best things in life, its
free! At present they are hosting "The
US presidential election for the rest of the world",
as well as an
Alternative election
with candidates such as Oprah Winfrey
and the Dixie Chicks. Also, check out some of their long-running
campaigns such as "Peace
begins with Me" and "Pledge-A-Hug." |
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We have been contacted about a Peace Pilgrimage that will take place soon. It will start 13th May 2004. They will travel across the globe on bicycles and spread the message of Peace & Unity. They will carry holy books of 13 major faiths/religions of the world (including Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddhist and Baha'i), to create a sense of unity and love among the followers of different faiths. They would love participation and support on all levels. You may consider joining them in their possible 3 year journey (not an option we recommend you take lightly, as it will be an arduous adventure!), or participate for a few kilometres when the Peace Pilgrimage passes by your area, or just offer your moral support. Their website is https://pilgrimsofpeace.bravehost.com, check it out. |
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An international interfaith group are asking for "Just 1 Day" without war. Anywhere. Just 1 Day without bombs and missiles. Just 1 Day without battleships and tanks. Just 1 Day without families everywhere losing loved ones from senseless violence. Help them promote August 22nd 2004 as that day. If you are part of a religious group, you can join their "circle of friends" at https://acof.net. |
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If you have any inspirational poems or quotes, campaigns, or other material you would love to share, please let us know and we will include it in our next e-zine and possibly on https://meditation.org.au. Please email nospam@meditation.org.au with any suggestions. Until then, "may the force be with you". |
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