472.  Past


Theology


Steps of the spiritual life

There are certain steps to the spiritual life.  This, of course, implies that there is a way to live a spiritual life.

First, one becomes awakened to the fact that there is something more than this natural world.  This becomes refined until one accepts that there is a person like being that is in charge.  After this awakening, one often falls into an acceptable religion or system that offers some guiding rules of behavior.  Often it is full of dogmas, some of which are practical and useful.  For a time one conforms to their rules, thinking doing so is righteous and good.  However, this conformity falls apart after a time.  Acting righteous just lasts for so long until it exhausts you and no energy is left.

What one is left with is the knowledge that there is a maker.  However, any religious system emerging from this knowledge is suspicious.   Appeals, prayer works for a time but more is needed.  An intimacy, a one on one is sought and realized.  All manners of reaching out to the maker are tried, including talking.   Some things are tested and discontinued, some things work and then don't work.  One persistently looks and sometimes finds.

471. 

Theology

Hitbodedut and Elohai

I ran across two Jewish words that hit the spot lately.

'Hitbodedut' is spending quiet time alone with God and talking with Him in a personal way.  It can be in a closet or in nature.  It describes a deep theme to all I write.  It is a conclusive statement I arrived at and here it is in Judaism.

Why should Abraham be the only person who spoke to God?  We are at a time when we all need that communication. What else works?  True, it might not make a tangible difference in one's life.  But it might.  It is a part of your life in these times that should not  be denied.  It has to be tried.

Speaking of God, M, reader and friend, told me of the word 'Elohai,' which means 'my God.'  First, how close and personal it is.  Second, it sounds so beautiful.  I am never certain how to refer to God.  The word God itself is so overused and abused. I also use the 'maker' and the 'above.'  Hashem is very nice and is respectful and almost a title.

Still, Elohai sounds and feels so right. 

470.

Theology


Our little kingdoms

Sometimes all we have are our little kingdoms.  Some of us become kings and some of us imagine we're kings.  Some of us are kings for a day.  Yes, it's our egos, our sense of specialness, and our arrogance. You were right Shakespeare, all is vanity.

But what else can we do here?  We compensate, we compete, we strive and toil for some territory that is ours. We bloom and flutter and will ourselves to fly.

For those of us who never fulfilled their dreams, or never even found the right dream, how can we let that go?  We can't say 'been there, done that.'  We still cling to the hope of finding it and are attached to the search.

And then at some point we realize there is a maker, an above, a God.  We realize what we have wanted and pursued is not all there is.  So we try to relate to God. This seems to fill our needs, at least for the moment.

Our dreams, though, are still there or at least return.  If we achieved them why should we have to let them go?  If we are still seeking them, why should we have to stop?

We want our moment of 'being all there is.'  We want to be the king.  What is so wrong with that?  It is all we have.  And yet it is doomed. We are set up to fail. Is this fair?  Time and nature eventually destroy all we were and are. Can't we flutter like a peacock for a time? And why just for a time, why not longer?

But God trumps everything, and all knowledge and wisdom and truth lies in his hands.  But at times this seems so unfair. Everything here is so unique and once in a time and fleeting.  Is it so wrong to try to preserve it, memorialize it, and glorify it?  It is our world.

Does God go through what we go through? Does he know what it is to live here not being sure of anything? All we might have is our self appointed 'greatness.'

I have no sweet end to this. There is no resolution.  It just hurts to see this.  Right now there is no easy comfort.  I want to preserve my illusions and it seems I can't.  I contend with he who made me.

469.  Past

Principles

Art.

A reason for

One of the motivators for doing art is to leave your work on this earth for the future.  This has value.  It gives those following you a sense of history, a sense of not being alone, a sense that it can be done.  So this mark in the sand that you are leaving has a purpose.

468.  Past


Systems

All too young  

He sounded all too young with this talk.  A direct cause and effect, action and then reaction relationship in life is not so discernible.  For a time it might seem so.  But there are underlying vectors, unknown forces that also are at work.  In life “if you do this than that will happen” is not always the case.  Lessons are not always so clear or apparent.  As with an earthquake, millions of dormant unknowns contribute to one outburst.

A better, longer lasting approach is to hold off on wanting immediate answers, and to wait for the mystery of it all to gradually unfold.

(By the way, after some immediate success, five years down the road the young man hurt his back, was broke and looking for any available work.) 

467. 

Spiritual Living

A very practical God

I find when I’m inundated with too many abstract problems and lost in my head and thoughts, something practical happens that brings me down to earth. 

Recently my mind was being swirled and twisted and then my refrigerator stopped working and I had to research what to purchase and even discarding the old one which was a problem.  When I tried to remove the ice maker coil attached to the unit it started to leak and then to flood and the attached valve underneath the sink was totally frozen.

What to do?  I ran it by some handy people and realized I had a plumbing problem and might have to replace all the valves underneath the sink.  Can't wing that one.  Need a licensed plumber so work is insured.   Solving this was like a chess match. 

When I tried to force a solution it fell apart. For instance, one handyman said he would try to put a plug on the coil but later canceled out. He was probably afraid to get involved.

Well I mentioned my woes to a neighbor and he said he was replacing his refrigerator soon and I could have his.  Nice and with the flow.   But what about maybe needing extensive plumbing work.  Could it be in the thousands?  Well, biking home I saw a contractors truck and left a note on it to stop by.  Later he did.  A big fellow with a pony tailed assistant knocked on the door, and he was very much a gentleman.  He said the valves were very old and could be replaced cheaply but his company uses brass piping so a bit more.  It would cost 100 dollars for the parts and $100 an hour for labor but should be just one hour.

I said  I did not want any surprises on that, and he assured me it would not be much more in a worse case scenario.  Well its what I wanted to hear and I think he was sincere.  However, this is Florida.  Well, told him I'd sleep on it and would call soon.  I probably will tomorrow and move this along.  I've had to turn the water off to the condominium but I'm ok.  I don't like making urgent decisions if it can be helped.

The point here is, as with an electrical wire, my mind, my thinking, my thoughts were grounded with this practical problem that needed a solution.  There was no room for wrestling with the future, or spiritual roads to be deciphered, or for carving out a destiny.  My feet had to be on the ground.

Our God can be a very practical God.