Month: May 2015

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TOGETHER IN SOLITUDE

INTRODUCTION

– Reflection on the title
An immersive experience!

– Contemplative community
Sympathetic solitude
Quaker ‘zazen’!
Supporting each other by sharing (whatever is of) the Spirit.

– Inwardness/prayer as the root/source of wisdom/prosperity! Everything good comes out of the pregnant nothingness……
Creating a space for the divine/eternal/supernatural to happen (within each and among all of us)!

“To transform the world, we must begin with ourselves. However small may be the world we live in, if we can transform ourselves, bring about a radically different point of view in our daily existence, then perhaps we shall affect the world at large, the extended relationship with others.”

– J. Krishnamurti

“Trying not to try” – “wu wei”

“Be like water, my friend.”

– Bruce Lee

Relax > enjoy > focus

Observe > accept > appreciate

– “Deep calls unto deep”
From communication to communion!
Moving from loneliness to solitude.
Intimacy with GOD, oneself & others by withdrawing, digging deep and then reconnecting at a greater level!
Identifying and eliminating the superficial & superfluous, in order to access and enjoy the profound & essential.

– Purgation/catharsis => illumination/contemplation => union/resolution – the way from falsehood to truth leads through darkness!
Prophecy & discernment:

Testing the Spirits –

1 John 4:1 – ”

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God…”

“The Father spoke one WORD, which WORD was His Son, this WORD He speaks ever in eternal silence, and in silence must it be heard by the soul.”

– St. John of the Cross

“Behold the silence: Allow the LORD to speak one Word in us… that He is.”

“Behold, I have become human.

If you should not want to join me

In becoming God,

You would do me wrong.”

“Come sit down beside me,

I said to myself,

And although it doesn’t make sense,

I held my own hand

As a small sign of trust

And together I sat on the fence.”

– Michael Leunig

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RESOURCES

– Movie – “Into Great Silence”- a taste of monastic life!
Initiation ceremony: Part 1 – 22:36 – 32:50/35:05
Outing/picnic: Part 2 – 1:05:12 – 1:09:24
Old blind monk: Part 2 – 1:09:25 – 1:19:00

– Charles Lamb – A Quakers’ Meetings (audio)
Heroic tranquility
Quaking diffidence
Foxian orgasm!

– Vesper video

– Mindfulness guided meditation (10 minute and 20 minute – audio)
Foundations of mindfulness: 0 – 6:25

– Knowing yourself and living in the now – Eckhart Tolle

– Centering Prayer – being present/aware (GOD-consciousness), open/receptive (enjoying Grace) and willing/yielded (manifest Glory).

– Articles – “Be Like Water” & “Trying Not to Try”

HENRI NOUWEN

“Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”

– Isaiah 55:2

“The Voice in the Garden of Solitude
Solitude is the garden for our hearts, which yearn for love. It is the place where our aloneness can bear fruit. It is the home for our restless bodies and anxious minds. Solitude, whether it is connected with a physical space or not, is essential for our spiritual lives. It is not an easy place to be, since we are so insecure and fearful that we are easily distracted by whatever promises immediate satisfaction. Solitude is not immediately satisfying, because in solitude we meet our demons, our addictions, our feelings of lust and anger, and our immense need for recognition and approval. But if we do not run away, we will meet there also the One who says, “Do not be afraid. I am with you, and I will guide you through the valley of darkness.”
Let’s keep returning to our solitude.”

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no-one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

– Isaiah 40:28-29

Community Supported by Solitude
“Solitude greeting solitude, that’s what community is all about. Community is not the place where we are no longer alone but the place where we respect, protect, and reverently greet one another’s aloneness. When we allow our aloneness to lead us into solitude, our solitude will enable us to rejoice in the solitude of others. Our solitude roots us in our own hearts. Instead of making us yearn for company that will offer us immediate satisfaction, solitude makes us claim our center and empowers us to call others to claim theirs. Our various solitudes are like strong, straight pillars that hold up the roof of our communal house. Thus, solitude always strengthens community.”

– “Zen” (quietude, meditation, to see/observe) – a Japanese sect of Buddhism that aims at enlightenment for the student by the most direct possible means – direct insight (intuition), through meditation (contemplation of one’s essential nature to the exclusion of all else).
Accepting formal studies, faith and devotional observances, as subservient to, & only when they form part of, such means.
Immediate knowledge.

12 ESSENTIAL ZEN HABITS

By Leo Babauta

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one. However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days.

You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules.

Why live more like a Zen monk? Because who among us can’t use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives? Because Zen monks for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. Because it serves as an example for our lives, and whether we ever really reach that ideal is not the point.

One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” It doesn’t get any better than that.

However, for those who would like a little more detail, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve discovered to work very well in my experiments with Zen-like living. I am no Zen master … I am not even a Zen Buddhist. However, I’ve found that there are certain principles that can be applied to any life, no matter what your religious beliefs or what your standard of living.

“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.”

– Shunryu Suzuki

Do one thing at a time.
This rule (and some of the others that follow) will be familiar to long-time Zen Habits readers. It’s part of my philosophy, and it’s also a part of the life of a Zen monk: single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”

Do it slowly and deliberately.
You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

Do it completely.
Put your mind completely on the task. Don’t move on to the next task until you’re finished. If, for some reason, you have no choice but to move on to something else, try to at least put away the unfinished task and clean up after yourself. If you prepare a sandwich, don’t start eating it until you’ve put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task, and can focus more completely on the next task.

Do less.
A Zen monk doesn’t lead a lazy life: he wakes early and has a day filled with work. However, he doesn’t have an unending task list either — there are certain things he’s going to do today, and no more. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do.

Put space between things.
Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

Develop rituals.
Zen monks have rituals for many things they do, from eating to cleaning to meditation. Ritual gives something a sense of importance — if it’s important enough to have a ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be done slowly and correctly. You don’t have to learn the Zen monk rituals — you can create your own, for the preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you start your work, for what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you do just before exercise. Anything you want, really.

Designate time for certain things.
There are certain times in the day of a Zen monk designated for certain activities. A time for for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating. This ensures that those things get done regularly. You can designate time for your own activities, whether that be work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation. If it’s important enough to do regularly, consider designating a time for it.

Devote a place to sitting.
In the life of a Zen monk, sitting meditation (zazen) is one of the most important parts of his day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really practice for learning to be present. You can devote time for sitting meditation, or do what I do: I use running as a way to practice being in the moment. You could use any activity in the same way, as long as you do it regularly and practice being present.

Smile and serve others.
Zen monks spend part of their day in service to others, whether that be other monks in the monastery or people on the outside world. It teaches them humility, and ensures that their lives are not just selfish, but devoted to others. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you already spend at least some time in service to others in your household, and non-parents may already do this too. Similarly, smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work.

Make cleaning and cooking become meditation.
Aside from the zazen mentioned above, cooking and cleaning are two of the most exalted parts of a Zen monk’s day. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

Think about what is important/necessary.
There is little in a Zen monk’s life that isn’t necessary. He doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food (they eat simple, vegetarian meals consisting usually of rice, miso soup, vegetables, and pickled vegetables). Now, I’m not saying you should live exactly like a Zen monk — I certainly don’t. But it does serve as a reminder that there is much in our lives that aren’t necessary, and it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need, and whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary.

Live simply.
The corollary of Rule 11 is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, to make room for the essential. Now, what is essential will be different to each person. For me, my family, my writing, my running and my reading are essential. To others, yoga and spending time with close friends might be essential. For others it will be nursing and volunteering and going to church and collecting comic books. There is no law saying what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life, and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life.

“Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”

– Wu Li

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SCRIPTURE VERSES (FOR MEDITATION)

“Be still & know that I am God.”

– Ps. 46:10

“Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak LORD, for your servant is listening.”

– 1Samuel 3:10

“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

– Luk. 10:42

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking…”

– Luk. 18:22

“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

– Habakkuk 2:20

“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Look, the LORD is ready to pass by.”

A very powerful wind went before the LORD, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.

After the fire, there was a soft whisper (a still, small voice).”

– 1 Kings 19:11-12

“O LORD, you have seduced me, and I was seduced…”

– Jeremiah 20:7

“What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?”

– 1 Cor. 4:7

“Anyone who does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

“I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…”

– Eze. 11:19

“You shall seek me,

And you shall find me

.

Because you seek me

With all your heart,

I will let myself be found.”

– Jer. 29:13-14

“I am the

one who is.”

– Exo. 3:14

“Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.”

–

Hos. 2:14

“My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away…”

– Song. 2:10

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SCHEDULE

– Silence from 6 am to 6 pm (except during meals). Solitude (sitting/standing/walking – for relaxation, reflection, self-examination, observation, imagination, review, planning, etc.) during the time apart from sessions & meals. Prayer, discernment, Word, resonance => prophecy (LRS model)!

– Teach how to observe silence, solitude & stillness. Meditative exercise (breathing, posture, balance, stretching) – mindfulness (audio guidance)

– Schedule:
11pm – 6am – sleep
6 – 7 am – freshen up
7 – 8 am – solitude (contemplation of nature)
8 – 9 am – group session (sharing & teaching)
9 – 10 am – breakfast
10 – 11 am – solitude (reflection on teaching)
11 am – 12 pm – group session (sharing & mindful meditation)
12 – 1 pm – lunch
1 – 2 pm – siesta
2 – 3 pm – solitude (reflection on Scripture verses)
3 – 4 pm – group session (sharing & audio/video)
4 – 5 pm – solitude (reflection on questions)
5 – 6 pm – group session (sharing & exercise)

– Session – each person’s sharing not to exceed 1 sentence or maximum 1 minute.

– After 6 pm – leisure/conversation/play.

– Take board-games, iPad games, ball, frisbee, tennikoit ring, etc.

– No mobile (call/sms/email/chat) allowed even in the free time

– Confession with a spiritual friend.

– Candle-lamp for object meditation

– Journaling (during solitude) – includes writing prayers and messages to be shared in the group sessions. Poetry, drawing, etc.
Sharing includes repeated reading (aloud) of certain words or lines from the articles, verses, etc.
________________________________________________

Scripture as us talking to GOD, & prayer as GOD talking to us.

Natural junk is not garbage!

Seeing with the mind & knowing with the heart

GOD – The silence that speaks. The silent Word.

Not hurting, afraid or restless!

The relaxation of work
&
The work of relaxation

Silent as light!

Sabbath
Jubilee
Rest, celebration & worship

Light, air & sound

Into the Wild
Back to Nature

The shelter becomes the cage!

Mystical truth

Pain – failure , conflict & boredom – The more you fight them, the more you are frustrated!

Balance, harmonize & integrate

Get clip of old blind monk at the end of the movie.

Contrast:
Yielding/contemplation
&
Quietism/passivity

Looking into the world underground through the hole in the floor!

Beyond the chapel, to the grove!

Bharathi quote – the poet

Vesper – living from inside out, in this world, is Christ (crucified & resurrected) – live bright, die young! Martyr, not victim.
The world above & the world below the clouds – where is your home/heart?

The luxury of leisure – “a royal waste of time!”

Moral –> theological –> spiritual

Before evaluating, appreciate.
Before appreciating, understand.
Before understanding, observe.

Notice!

2nd day of retreat – pressing on!
Beyond fatigue, boredom & impatience……
This is when the real change happens!
What a shame it would be to give up now…

Beautiful fungi!

Colourful bark

What does being natural mean, in this artificial culture??

Determining not to forget……

Solitude is not threatened by company!

Impulsive (psychological) –> instinctive (physiological) –> intuitive (spiritual)

Are sinfulness & brokenness two different things?

The theology of dumb charades: Incarnation – GOD communicating in human language!

Stillness, concentration & intensity

Calmness & radiance

Vipaasana meditation?

I (a worshipper of Yahweh) assert my individuality, in accordance with my nature, as opposed to the limits imposed by my context!

Peekaboo

You are a GOD who hides himself! He wants to be found, but he doesn’t want to give himself up that easily…

Wind – No!
Earth – No!
Fire – No!
Spirit/consciousness – Yes! That’s what makes us human (supernatural/divine – not just elemental).
Water?

Do you have faith enough to believe that you (are in) love (with) him?

Grace-trap! Divine Conspiracy. Snared by the Lover. Not such a bad fate, after all!?

Are you the beloved of your beloved?
Are you the lover of your Lover?

Be still… & know – a command! Crystal clear reflection & transparent water.

GOD promises not to take away what one thing you have rightly chosen.

GOD CAN change the human heart!

Do I want to find Him?

He will move me to seek Him!

Can a wild animal be good?

Speak LORD,… let the whole earth be silent!

Can GOD live in someone like me?

Lacking the one & only thing that matters!

Loving GOD by letting Him love me – to serve Him by receiving from Him!
The one thing to hold on to,
And the one thing to let go of.

The courage to be sensitive! The heart of GOD is the softest.

One heart & new spirit

GOD is in the core – the essence.

Progressive reduction of noise.

The Ascension – The conquest of sin & redemption of suffering, by the power of the divine presence & heavenly perspective!

I must bring back the liturgical rhythm into my daily life. I can continue the critical/intellectual journey alongside! Let my ministry be equally moulded by these two polarities.

Be more proactive in dealing with depression, etc. Reduce sleep. Increase physical activity.

Cultivate intimacy with family & friends.

GOD goes up with a shout of joy,
The Lord with a blast of the trumpet!

Morality is both cultural & spiritual!
What about Scripture?

Recurving a flattened reality!

Prayer: “Let no one live in vain.”

Solitude with nature.
Silence followed by meditation.
Wordless prayer.

“One with GOD”??

How far can I do this when I go back?

Water as symbol of Grace.

Re-treat

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Send Celebration of Discipline (Introduction & Chapter 1)

5.5.15

– “… to win the Gentiles to the obedience of faith (to the gospel) by the power of the Holy Spirit…”

– “Aligning ourselves with the (liberating & transforming) power of GOD through obedience to his revealed will, is how true freedom is gained.”

– Swimming training:
Relax, enjoy & focus – in that order!
Fuck failure.
Fuck the fear.
Fuck the frustration.
Just let yourself go into the embrace of the water. Let the spontaneous intelligence of the body express itself.
The (overly) serious are never (truly) successful……!

– “Be like water, my friend.”
Bruce Lee would be the best swimming coach!

– Wellness:
Physical (includes sexual)
Spiritual (includes moral)
Emotional
Relational
Intellectual
Financial/material
Occupational/professional
Cultural
Environmental

– Nelly Bly

– When push comes to shove,
Stick to your guns!

– “Atheists for Jesus”
“Rescuing Jesus from the Bible”
Rescuing the Bible from fundamentalism!

– Just war & unjust peace

– “Peace-keeping force”
Waging peace

– Enlightened self-interest

– Moral imagination

– “This is what I think is best for you in this matter…”

6.5.15

– Psychomotor retardation
Dysthymia

– Distinguish:
Introversion
&
Depression
Being reserved is okay, but being unhappy/sad to an extent that it negatively affects your usual functioning over a prolonged period is not.

– Branding – is there really such a thing as a melancholic personality type??
What an evil lie – fuck that shit!

7.5.15

– Can godliness & contentment go together?

– “The goal has to go!” – U.G. Krishnamurti

– Focusing on who we are (past) –> complacency.
Grasping for who we ought to be (future) –> frustration.
Embracing the moment –> transformation!
Memory – past
Imagination – future
Perception – present

– The opposite (& thus the cure) of capitalism is, first of all, materialism! The shift from money (financial speculation) to products (real economy) must happen first, before the move from things to people can be made…

– Ornery
Blithe
Pediment
Tomatillo
Placket
Lichen
Backhoe
Saffron
Limpid
Sui generis
Ineluctable
Chary

– “Either give me more wine or leave me alone.” – Rumi, Persian poet

– My daily 15 min. of silence, solitude & stillness must be spent outdoors (park, terrace, etc.)

– machinations

– Called (to him), by his excellent & generous greatness!

8.5.15

– Trying (very) hard to (fully) relax!

– Compare & contrast:
The experience of looking at someone else do something
&
The experience of doing it oneself
E.g. Swimming

– Maybe attending the swimming class is the best preparation for (conducting) the retreat!

– Swimming – First master the basic steps before moving on to the next step. Learn one thing at a time, step-by-step. Do not attempt the next step before mastering the more basic one’s.

– ” கவிதை எழுதுபவன் கவியன்று. கவிதையே வாழ்க்கையாக உடையோன், வாழ்க்கையே கவிதையாகச் செய்தோன், அவனே கவி.” – பாரதி

– Movies:
“Bharathi” (Tamil)
Definitely one of the best movies I have seen!
Is it possible to be great/inspired/passionate and also remain sane/alive/kind for long?

9.5.15

– “Stotram” – praise/hymn (Sanskrit)

– If Jesus is a Jew, then I am a Christian!

– “The Little Man does not want to hear the truth about himself. He does not want the great responsibility which is his. He wants to remain a Little Man…”
– Wilhelm Reich
Does the Judeo-Christian God want/require us to remain Little Men??

– It is no more difficult or easy for us today to believe in Jesus the Christ, than it was for the people who knew Him personally in ancient Palestine!

– Forgiveness for people includes ‘blotting out’ of (their) sins!

– Creation ~ resurrection!

– GOD: Father – Son – Jesus – Christ – Spirit

– Visible/material world & unseen/spiritual powers
Matter & energy??

– We have been released from the merry-go-round (endless cycle) of law-sin-death…
So, does conversion produce whiplash?!

– The teleology of all creation is to be found not in the Garden of Eden, but in the pre-existent Word!

– Eschatology is nothing but teleology fulfilled. Right?
But isn’t the potential for growth in a divine world, infinite?

– Where is the cosmic Christ in the (synoptic) Gospels?

– Pain >> doubt & anger
Pleasure >> disappointment & guilt

– The answer (not solution) to evil, suffering & death is found in faith, hope & love!

– Redeeming atrocity & tragedy

– John 14:19

– Meaningless pleasures

– Indulging in all pleasures, my mind still guiding me with wisdom…

– If monogamous marriage is the original created design, why don’t people have a problem with celibacy as they do with promiscuity?

– Seeking meaning apart from GOD, is like a chasing after the wind.

– Worldly goods are means, not ends.

– Refreshing without distracting.

– Have you ever written down your vision/purpose in life?
Have you established clear guidelines for the journey toward that goal?
What is your life all about?

– No meaning without morality!

– Any pleasure that jeopardizes the sacred right of another is illicit.

– Testimonies of dramatic conversions that produce guilt & shame!

– Only GOD is big enough to keep an adult in wonder.

– Godly success

– Is there a moral framework underlying reality?

– No wisdom without suffering!

12.5.15

– 3 years of marriage successfully completed!
🙂 WOW

– Movies:
“O Kaadhal Kanmani” (Tamil)
A too easy resolution of a genuine problem? But such (dramatic) transformations are also possible…..!