Spiritual JourneyPart 1 Of 3
How does an agnostic, a pagan or a nature mystic discover God? How does one seek and find? Do we even know what we are looking for? How do we recognise it once we have found it? Is there a criteria for True Religion? What is it?
Religion & spirituality was not an issue in my family, neither of my parents seemed concerned with God, destiny, scripture or spiritual affiliation. Making a living, getting along with one's associates and neighbors seemed to be their primary concerns. However, education, being knowledgeable and articulate was highly prized in their estimation and may well have been elevated to the status of a religion in our lives.
I still wonder what my parents thought, when they discovered their first born child was far more concerned with the realm of theology, the meaning of life, ultimate goodness and why evil existed than with more mundane subjects such as house cleaning, mathematics and spelling? "Maybe" They might have thought," Maybe, it is just a stage she is going through, something she will grow out of. After all, she is an emotionally sensitive and imaginative child. Perhaps she needs an emotional crutch, which will reassure her and bring her comfort?"
In any case, I can not remember a time when I was not aware of a hunger, a longing, burning deep within my being. I could not say what this hunger was for or what might satisfy my longing. I haunted churches, took out children's stories about saints from the library and spent considerable time pondering the meaning of my existence. Exactly why was I here? What was my purpose? Why was the world the way it was and how come other people were not as concerned as I was?
Two books contributed to my childhood quest,the Bible and Frederick Remington's Way of a Warrior. I recall my utter rage and disgust when I read The King James's Version, the cruelty of the Old Testament God who killed innocent Egyptian Children while leaving the stiff necked Pharaoh alive. The God who told Joshua to kill and destroy everything in a Cananite city except those girls who did not know a man. At 12 years of age, I could not understand why such brutality would be part of a sacred book. The Way of a Warrior opened my eyes to the vision quest of the Plains Indian and I came to the conclusion that religious insight, spirituality and discovering your place in the universe was a solitary quest. Mysticism, Native Americans, and the possibility of transcendence and transformation fascinated me. This continued well into my early thirties, when another book altered my perspective and left me on the brink of psychic collapse. Imagine sitting on the edge of your bed, cold sweat beading your forehead. Your limbs are trembling, your heart is pounding, you are gasping for breath and frozen with fear. I had just finished, The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, and suddenly became very conscious of the empty spaces between the sub-nuclear particles which, made up my body, the bed, the floor and every extant thing. "What would happen if my particles slipped between those which made up the floor boards? Could I get stuck? Would I slip into the Void if my body lost its coherence? " If the world we lived in was only the possibility of things coming into being, and was shaped, maintained and could be changed by our beliefs, then what was real? Trapped in the abysses of existential doubt, I found that I was capable of doubting everything including my own self. At that point, I told myself that it was absurd to doubt one's own existence and was released from my state of terror. The next day, I started considering my old issue, the question of religion and whether I could satisfy my hunger through any affiliation. Since I was aware of how many religions there actually were and how easy it was for me to sympathize with the beliefs and aims of spiritual people, I decided to create a set of guidelines. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE RELIGION? By true, I meant something, which was understandable and would facilitate spiritual development on a personal and social level. I came up with the following: A true religion would be universal. It would offer something for everyone irrespective of his or her age, education, and cultural or social background. It would not be for the elite, neither would it succumb to populist views or special interest groups. A True religion would focus on spiritual education rather than on sin and the need for redemption. It would not set itself up as the arbiter between the value and worth of certain souls and the wickedness of others. A true religion would be as concerned with the welfare of the whole human race as it was with individuals. It would be part of the world, not some isolated, insulated, naval gazing cult. Finally, and possibly most important, a True religion would not necessarily agree with my preferences and expectations. It would not conform to my limited and biased point of view. I added this last stipulation because I knew I had outgrown nearly every belief I had previously held. Therefore, if I found something that was in complete accord with my beliefs and feelings, I would eventually cease to grow. Having established my criterion for religious truth, I continued reading and studying a variety of mystical and esoteric topics. I even met a few Baha'is at that time, but none of them seemed particularly interested in sharing much more than a few principles with me and quite frankly, it was difficult to see what was particularly revolutionary about the notion of unity or monotheism. I knew perfectly well that we were all one family and the earth was one country, the real question was why other's didn't see it. However, in a Sufi book I came across reference to Baha'u'llah, he was called the King of Sorrow and although it did not go into details, the phrase haunted me. Meanwhile, one of the silent Baha'is, a lad who rented a room from me, noticed my love of Sufi poetry and offered me a rather delightful book. My first experience of Baha'i scripture was The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys by Baha'u'llah. Perhaps if I had read the introduction or if a few Baha'is had taken the time to explain things to me I might have associated these principles and this book with an established religion. Unfortunately, this did not happen and so I continued my spirit quest, never imagining the shape it was to take. . O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein! The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah. Select Destination Elainna's New Place Earth Home The Wild Side for My Christian Friends The True Seeker About Me Spiritual Journey Part 2 Spiritual Journey part 3 Sign Guestbook View Guestbook
Two books contributed to my childhood quest,the Bible and Frederick Remington's Way of a Warrior. I recall my utter rage and disgust when I read The King James's Version, the cruelty of the Old Testament God who killed innocent Egyptian Children while leaving the stiff necked Pharaoh alive. The God who told Joshua to kill and destroy everything in a Cananite city except those girls who did not know a man. At 12 years of age, I could not understand why such brutality would be part of a sacred book.
The Way of a Warrior opened my eyes to the vision quest of the Plains Indian and I came to the conclusion that religious insight, spirituality and discovering your place in the universe was a solitary quest. Mysticism, Native Americans, and the possibility of transcendence and transformation fascinated me. This continued well into my early thirties, when another book altered my perspective and left me on the brink of psychic collapse. Imagine sitting on the edge of your bed, cold sweat beading your forehead. Your limbs are trembling, your heart is pounding, you are gasping for breath and frozen with fear. I had just finished, The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, and suddenly became very conscious of the empty spaces between the sub-nuclear particles which, made up my body, the bed, the floor and every extant thing. "What would happen if my particles slipped between those which made up the floor boards? Could I get stuck? Would I slip into the Void if my body lost its coherence? " If the world we lived in was only the possibility of things coming into being, and was shaped, maintained and could be changed by our beliefs, then what was real? Trapped in the abysses of existential doubt, I found that I was capable of doubting everything including my own self. At that point, I told myself that it was absurd to doubt one's own existence and was released from my state of terror. The next day, I started considering my old issue, the question of religion and whether I could satisfy my hunger through any affiliation. Since I was aware of how many religions there actually were and how easy it was for me to sympathize with the beliefs and aims of spiritual people, I decided to create a set of guidelines. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE RELIGION? By true, I meant something, which was understandable and would facilitate spiritual development on a personal and social level. I came up with the following: A true religion would be universal. It would offer something for everyone irrespective of his or her age, education, and cultural or social background. It would not be for the elite, neither would it succumb to populist views or special interest groups. A True religion would focus on spiritual education rather than on sin and the need for redemption. It would not set itself up as the arbiter between the value and worth of certain souls and the wickedness of others. A true religion would be as concerned with the welfare of the whole human race as it was with individuals. It would be part of the world, not some isolated, insulated, naval gazing cult. Finally, and possibly most important, a True religion would not necessarily agree with my preferences and expectations. It would not conform to my limited and biased point of view. I added this last stipulation because I knew I had outgrown nearly every belief I had previously held. Therefore, if I found something that was in complete accord with my beliefs and feelings, I would eventually cease to grow. Having established my criterion for religious truth, I continued reading and studying a variety of mystical and esoteric topics. I even met a few Baha'is at that time, but none of them seemed particularly interested in sharing much more than a few principles with me and quite frankly, it was difficult to see what was particularly revolutionary about the notion of unity or monotheism. I knew perfectly well that we were all one family and the earth was one country, the real question was why other's didn't see it. However, in a Sufi book I came across reference to Baha'u'llah, he was called the King of Sorrow and although it did not go into details, the phrase haunted me. Meanwhile, one of the silent Baha'is, a lad who rented a room from me, noticed my love of Sufi poetry and offered me a rather delightful book. My first experience of Baha'i scripture was The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys by Baha'u'llah. Perhaps if I had read the introduction or if a few Baha'is had taken the time to explain things to me I might have associated these principles and this book with an established religion. Unfortunately, this did not happen and so I continued my spirit quest, never imagining the shape it was to take. . O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein! The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah. Select Destination Elainna's New Place Earth Home The Wild Side for My Christian Friends The True Seeker About Me Spiritual Journey Part 2 Spiritual Journey part 3 Sign Guestbook View Guestbook
The Way of a Warrior opened my eyes to the vision quest of the Plains Indian and I came to the conclusion that religious insight, spirituality and discovering your place in the universe was a solitary quest. Mysticism, Native Americans, and the possibility of transcendence and transformation fascinated me. This continued well into my early thirties, when another book altered my perspective and left me on the brink of psychic collapse.
Imagine sitting on the edge of your bed, cold sweat beading your forehead. Your limbs are trembling, your heart is pounding, you are gasping for breath and frozen with fear. I had just finished, The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, and suddenly became very conscious of the empty spaces between the sub-nuclear particles which, made up my body, the bed, the floor and every extant thing. "What would happen if my particles slipped between those which made up the floor boards? Could I get stuck? Would I slip into the Void if my body lost its coherence? " If the world we lived in was only the possibility of things coming into being, and was shaped, maintained and could be changed by our beliefs, then what was real? Trapped in the abysses of existential doubt, I found that I was capable of doubting everything including my own self. At that point, I told myself that it was absurd to doubt one's own existence and was released from my state of terror.
The next day, I started considering my old issue, the question of religion and whether I could satisfy my hunger through any affiliation. Since I was aware of how many religions there actually were and how easy it was for me to sympathize with the beliefs and aims of spiritual people, I decided to create a set of guidelines.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE RELIGION?
By true, I meant something, which was understandable and would facilitate spiritual development on a personal and social level. I came up with the following: A true religion would be universal. It would offer something for everyone irrespective of his or her age, education, and cultural or social background. It would not be for the elite, neither would it succumb to populist views or special interest groups. A True religion would focus on spiritual education rather than on sin and the need for redemption. It would not set itself up as the arbiter between the value and worth of certain souls and the wickedness of others. A true religion would be as concerned with the welfare of the whole human race as it was with individuals. It would be part of the world, not some isolated, insulated, naval gazing cult. Finally, and possibly most important, a True religion would not necessarily agree with my preferences and expectations. It would not conform to my limited and biased point of view. I added this last stipulation because I knew I had outgrown nearly every belief I had previously held. Therefore, if I found something that was in complete accord with my beliefs and feelings, I would eventually cease to grow.
Having established my criterion for religious truth, I continued reading and studying a variety of mystical and esoteric topics. I even met a few Baha'is at that time, but none of them seemed particularly interested in sharing much more than a few principles with me and quite frankly, it was difficult to see what was particularly revolutionary about the notion of unity or monotheism. I knew perfectly well that we were all one family and the earth was one country, the real question was why other's didn't see it. However, in a Sufi book I came across reference to Baha'u'llah, he was called the King of Sorrow and although it did not go into details, the phrase haunted me. Meanwhile, one of the silent Baha'is, a lad who rented a room from me, noticed my love of Sufi poetry and offered me a rather delightful book.
My first experience of Baha'i scripture was The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys by Baha'u'llah. Perhaps if I had read the introduction or if a few Baha'is had taken the time to explain things to me I might have associated these principles and this book with an established religion. Unfortunately, this did not happen and so I continued my spirit quest, never imagining the shape it was to take. . O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein! The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah. Select Destination Elainna's New Place Earth Home The Wild Side for My Christian Friends The True Seeker About Me Spiritual Journey Part 2 Spiritual Journey part 3 Sign Guestbook View Guestbook
My first experience of Baha'i scripture was The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys by Baha'u'llah. Perhaps if I had read the introduction or if a few Baha'is had taken the time to explain things to me I might have associated these principles and this book with an established religion. Unfortunately, this did not happen and so I continued my spirit quest, never imagining the shape it was to take.
. O YE DWELLERS IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE! Proclaim unto the children of assurance that within the realms of holiness, nigh unto the celestial paradise, a new garden hath appeared, round which circle the denizens of the realm on high and the immortal dwellers of the exalted paradise. Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein! The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah.