One God Notes Archives
2008
#333. 2008/01/06.
When a man is
completely
reconciled to God
he is united with
Him through
unceasing prayer
and contemplation.
Such was Elijah's
state when he
closed the
heavens, causing a
drought (cf. 1 Kgs.
17:1), and burnt
the sacrifice with
fire from heaven
(cf. 1 Kgs.
18:36-38). In such
a state Moses
divided the sea
(cf. Exod. 14:21)
and defeated
Amalek by
stretching out his
arms (cf. Exod.
17:11-13). In such
a state Jonah was
saved from the
whale and from the
deep (cf. Jonah
2:1-10). For the
person found
worthy of this
mystery compels
our most
compassionate God
to do whatever he
wants. Even when
still in the
flesh, he has
passed beyond the
limits of
corruption and
mortality, and he
awaits death as if
it were an
everyday sleep
that pleasurably
brings him to the
fulfillment of his
hopes.
St.
Theognostos (VIII
Century of the C.E.
?), quoted in:
Palmer, G.E.H;
Sherrard, Philip;
Ware, Kallistos (Timothy)(Eds)(1981).
The Philokalia.
Vol. II., P.375.
#334. 2008/01/13.
Place your devotion whole-heartedly at the service of
the ideal most natural to your being, but know with unwavering certainty that
all spiritual ideals are expressions of the same supreme Presence. Do not
allow the slightest trace of malice to enter your mind toward any
manifestation of God or toward any practitioner who attempts to live in
harmony with that Divine Manifestation.
Ramakrishna, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom,
P.43.
More
on Ramakrishna can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna
#335. 2008/01/20.
There is no reason why our thoughts about Scripture or
dogma or Christian tradition should issue from our heads in the form of
scientific analysis. Our aim should be to have the mind of Christ. Paul
prayed for his readers that Christ be formed in them, that they should put
on Christ, that they should walk in Christ, that they should die and rise
again in Christ. That is simple, not a complicated program. Yet here we
are, followers of Christ, forever speculating, questioning, splitting up,
analyzing, codifying, labeling and card-indexing. If our prayer life were
operating properly, we would be inclined to unity.
Hubert Van Zeller, The Current of Spirituality, P.168.
More on Hubert Van
Zeller can be found at:
http://www.librarything.com/author/zellerhubertvan
#336. 2008/01/27.
Sharing in God's life through faith, causes us to
become "a new person;" we obtain a new comprehension of reality, a new
perception of God as well as a new perception of the temporal reality
around us. (...). We notice His presence and work within ourselves as well
as in the world of nature and history. (...) Faith is a virtue, which
allows us to be in touch with God (...). Faith is a sharing in God's
thinking. (...) Faith allows us to think as God does, not only about
ourselves but also about everything we come in contact with. (...)
Tadeusz Dajczer, The Gift of Faith, P.23-4.
Fr. Tadeusz
Dajczer (born 1931), Polish priest and theologian, professor of the
Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. His book - "The Gift of Faith" -
translated into 27 languages, prompted in 1985 the creation of the
Families of Nazareth Movement. This movement, which spread to over 10
countries, seeks to protect family and family values.
#337. 2008/02/03.
People who are really humble, (...) - have about
themselves an air of self-containment and self-control. There's no
hautiness, no distance, no sarcasm, no put downs, no aires of importance
or disdain. The ability to deal with both their own limitations and the
limitations of others, the recognition that God is in life and that they
are not in charge of the universe brings serenity and hope, inner peace
and real energy. Humble people walk comfortably in every group. No one
is either too beneath them or too above them for their own sense of
well-being. They are who they are, people with as much to give as to
get, and they know it. And because they are at ease with themselves,
they can afford to be open with others. (...)
Joan Chittester, "Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living
the Rule of St. Benedict Today," PP. 64-5.
More on Joan
Chittister (b.1936), a Benedictine abbess, popular lecturer and prolific
spirituality writer, can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Chittister
#338. 2008/02/10.
There are ten temples here at Herakhan. They are
symbols. They show us that the body is a temple with ten senses, and
we must install God in our hearts within this temple. This body is a
moving temple of the Lord. He wants us to make this temple so
beautiful that wherever it goes, people would like to worship, have
great reverence for it, and try to gain knowledge from it.
Haidakhan Bababji. "Teachings of Babaji," P.21.
More on
Haidakhan Babaji (1970-1984), can be found at:
http://www.babajiashram.org/hua/About-baba.html
#339. 2008/02/17.
They have experienced only one way of living -
their own - and can imagine no other. Besides, when I recall the
ways I have failed through ignorance, I feel I should have a kindly
tolerance for others.
The Cloud of Unknowing, P.74.
#340. 2008/02/24.
After supper tonight Athos was clothed in
clouds and a rainbow reached to the end of the peninsula, as a
setting sun bathed all in warm light and a full moon shone above the
clouds. There is a small chapel of the Transfiguration atop the
Mountain. Father Dionysios tells me it must be rebuilt every year
for the feast because lightning destroys it. That is easy to
believe. It is fascinating here to see a sky full of stars and yet
flashes of lightning as the clouds from the west bump the high
peaks. "Holy Transfiguration" is the right titular for such a chapel
and for the heart of monasticism. We, unlike Peter, have been
allowed to build a tent and are invited to dwell as fully as we can
in the Divine Cloud. (...)
M. Basil Pennington. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal
of a Retreat on Mount Athos. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co.
P.28.
#341. 2008/03/02.
(...) There is a seaside village of "Baskala"
where sinful people bereft of Vedic virtue reside. They are wicked
debauchees with deceptive means of livelihood, atheists, farmers
bearing weapons and adulterous rogues. They know not anything about
true knowledge, detachment or true virtue. They are brutish in their
mental make-up and take a great deal of interest in listening to
evil gossip and slander. People of different castes are equally
roguish never paying attention to their duties. Always drawn to
worldly pleasures they have engrossed in one evil action or another.
All the women too are equally crooked, whorish and sinful.
Evil-tempered, loose in morals they are devoid of good behavior and
disciplined life. (...)Repentance is the only way of acquittance
for all sinners. (...) Purity can be realised by repentance alone.
(...) The mental purity that one derives on hearing the story of
Sivapurana cannot be gained by any other means. As a mirror becomes
free from dirt on being wiped out with a cloth, so is the mind
undoubtedly purified by listening to this story. Accompanied by Amba,
Siva stays in the minds of pure men. The sanctified soul thereupon
attains the region of Siva and Amba.
(...) A person who listens to the story in this birth though he
be unable to meditate, realises the same in the next birth after
which he reaches the goal of Siva. Many repentent sinners have
meditated upon Siva after hearing this story and have achieved
salvation. Listening to the story of Siva is the cause of beatitude
for all men. Properly entertained, it dispels the ailment of worldly
bondage.
The Glory of Shivapurana. [In:] Sivapurana, Vol.I,
Part I. Delhi, Varanasi, Patna.: Motilal Banarsidass. P.10,14,15.
#342. 2008/03/09.
Powerful currents of life-energy emanate from
a Saint and surcharge the surrounding atmosphere (...) The mere
presence of a Saint awakens souls and redeems them (...). Rays of
purity constantly radiate from him. He is full of wonderful light
and kindness. He has an indescribable influence on others. He has
magnetic attraction. By his words, which are full of mystical
meaning, he pulls the souls upwards. He produces an experience of
bliss which defies description (...). There is peace and evenness
within a perfect Master. As a result of being in his company, a
current of bliss runs through us. We feel happy on meeting him. All
our doubts are removed and we feel certain that out ultimate
destination will be attained (...). The perfect Master is an
incarnation of the Lord. Just as the Lord communicates his teachings
to the Saints without the agency of speech, similarly the Saints
impart their messages to their disciples by means of internal
experiences, and without the use of speech.
Maharaj Sawan Singh, Philosophy of the Masters,
quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.185.
#343. 2008/03/16.
O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and
made you into peoples and tribes, so that you may come to know one
another. Truly the most honored of you in God's sight is the
greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
Quran 49:13
#344. 2008/03/23.
One conquers death by love - not by one's own heroic
virtuousness, but by sharing in that love with which Christ
accepted death on the Cross.
Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,
P.234.
#345. 2008/03/30.
Jesus, lover of human salvation, draw all souls to the divine
life. May greatness of Your mercy be praised here on earth and
in eternity. O great lover of souls, who in Your boundless
compassion opened the salutary fountains of mercy so that weak
souls may be fortified in this life's pilgrimage, Your mercy
runs through our life like a golden thread and maintains in good
order the contact of our being with God. For He does not need
anything to make Him happy; so everything is solely the work of
His mercy.
Faustina Kowalska, The Diary, 1466.
#346. 2008/04/05.
In a country as hot as India, a person really requires very few
essentials in order to live: one vegetarian meal a day, bread
rice, vegetables and lentils, two pieces of clothing to wear, a
mat, a blanket, a lota, a water container - just enough to
fulfil our bodily requirements. In fact, we don't have a
bathroom, shower or toilet here but have to go down to the river
to wash, and for everything else we squat among the stones.
Cooking takes place outside on an open fire and we sleep on the
floor, tucked up on a mat in any place we can find. There is no
need for shoes, for it is better to walk barefoot, nor a
suitcase because it is sufficient to wrap one's clothes up in a
bundle. Mother India is a great teacher of simplicity. (...)
Probably the original message of every religion is common to
all, the meaning so simple and straightforward, but our
sophisticated minds complicate everything, especially in
theWestern world. Our civilization, the one of blind
materialism, of violence and of overpowering others through war,
lacks discrimination. Here in the Indian jungle, I have found a
corner of the world where peace and human love exist; it is
real, lived every day, a spark of light.
Gaura Devi (2001). Fire of Transformation. My
life with Babaji. West Leigh, Crediton, Devon, UK: Nymet
Press. P. 74, 85.
More on Gaura Devi can be
found at:
http://www.nymetpress.co.uk/
#347. 2008/04/13.
I've set my shelter
with you in my awe and fear
and in despair
established your name as a fortress;
I looked to the right
and left and no one was near-
and into your hands
I committed my loneness ...
The Hour of Song by Gabirol (11th
Century). Quoted after: Cole, Peter (Trans.) (2001). Selected
Poems of Solomon Ibn Gabirol. Princeton, Oxford: Princeton
University Press. P.117.
More on Gabirol can be
found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabirol
#348. 2008/04/20.
Distress reminds the wise of God, but crushes those who
forget Him.
St. Mark the Ascetic (4th Century C.E.),
quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.114.
349. 2008/04/27.
On the day of the execution Sir Thomas More changed into his
best clothes (...). He was then brought out of the Tower
(...). Before he walked onto the scaffold, the mood was
sombre and difficult to endure. (...) Thomas More then said
to the officer in charge of the execution who was also
deadly serious: "I pray you, Mr. Lieutenant, see me safely
up, and as for coming down let me shift to myself."
(W.Roper&N.Harpsfield, Lives of Saint Thomas More,
London, New York, 1963, p.50).
St. Thomas More (1478-1535), quoted in:
Dajczer,T (2001) The Gift of Faith., P.102.
350. 2008/05/04.
After becoming an ascetic, Rishabhdev took the vow of total
silence and started wandering accompanied by other ascetics.
When, after his penance, he went out to beg for food, he did
not get anything to eat. The common people of that age were
ignorant about the practice of giving food as alms. They did
not even appreciate the need to do so. Whenever Rishabhdev
approached them, they offered him respect and valuable gifts
as they would to a king. Rishabhdev would then proceed ahead
without accepting anything. (...) After one entire year of
wandering from place to place and doing harsh spiritual
practices without touching any food or water Rishabhdev
decided to beg food once again. He came to Hastinapur town.
(...) When Shreyans saw approaching Rishabhdev, he rushed to
welcome his great grandfather. After bowing down at the
great ascetics feet when Shreyans looked at Rishabhdev’s
face he could not shift his gaze. He went into a state of
meditative thoughts and suddenly he acquired Jati-smaran
Jnan, the knowledge that opens up memories of the past
births. (...). He realized that Bhagavan Rishabhdev had been
wandering around without food or water due to the prevailing
ignorance of the people regarding ascetic norms.
With due reverence he requested Rishabhdev, "Prabhu! I am
honored by your presence. I have just received 108 pitchers
full of fresh sugar-cane juice that are pure and suitable
for you in all respects. Kindly accept the juice and break
your fast." Rishabhdev extended his cupped palms and
Shreyans poured the sugar-cane juice from a pitcher.
Rishabhdev broke his fast and the skies reverberated with
the sound of divine drums and divine applaud, "Hail the alms
giving!" (...) This was the beginning of the tradition of
religious charity and alms giving. In memory of this
incident, the third day of the bright half of the month of
Vaishakh is celebrated as Akshay Tritiya festival.
#351. 2008/05/11.
Let heaven and earth serve as my witness that whether it be
man or woman, a Cuthite or an Israelite, male or female
slave - the holy spirit rests upon each of them, to the
extent that their behavior merits it.
Rabbi Chaim Vital, a Jewish mystic of the
XVI-th century. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The
Holy Name. P.74.
#352. 2008/05/18.
Instead of remaining trapped in this very limited, conditioned existence, we
can become one with the universe, immense and unconditioned. In rediscovering
this truth, the Buddha liberated all sentient beings, not just himself,
because he cleared the way for every person to realize that he or she, too, is
intrinsically a buddha (or, as some schools prefer to express it, capable of
being enlightened). When the awakening came to him, it reentered human
consciousness after untold ages of being entirely forgotten.
Jack Maguire. (2001). Essential Buddhism. P.14.
#353. 2008/07/06.
Prayer is the journey of the soul toward God, the purpose being to reach him
and to be united with him. (...). We might also say that it is the atmosphere
in which the soul lives. You know how our lungs breathe air? In the same
way our souls breathe with prayer.
Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra. (2005). The Church at
Prayer. Athens; Indiktos. P.9,10.
#354. 2008/07/13.
If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better or his equal, let him
keep firmly to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with a fool.
Dhammapada, a collection of sayings attributed to Buddha,
quoted after Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.105.
#355. 2008/07/20.
Life is everything. Life is God. Everything changes and moves to and from, and
that movement is God. And while there is life there is joy in consciousness of
the Godhead. To love life is to love God.
Pierre Bezuhov in Tolstoy's War & Peace. Submitted by Robert
Moore.
#356. 2008/07/27.
To praise God is to be purified: when purity arrives, corruption quickly
leaves. Opposites flee from each other: night flees when the light dawns. When
the pure Name enters the mouth, neither impurity nor sorrow remain. Your awe
and love are the rope to catch My gift: beneath every "O Lord" of yours is
many a "Here am I" from Me.
Rumi, Mathnawi III, 186-188, quoted in: Helminski, Kabir
(2000). The Rumi Collection. P.97.
#357. 2008/08/04.
(...) Chris Pauling, (...) distinguishes between "capital -E" Enlightenement,
representing the totally transformational awakening that Shakyamuni had, and
"small-e" enlightenment, reflecting the evolved consciousness of a person who
can - and repeatedly does - see beyond the limits of the self and the everyday
world (...).
Jack Maguire. (2001). Essential Buddhism. P.85.
#358. 2008/08/17.
Let us proclaim to every soul: Arise, arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism
of weakness. None is really weak; the soul is infinite, omnipotent, and
omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not
deny Him!
Vivekananda, quoted in: Nikhilananda, "Vivekananda, A
Biography," P.120.
#359. 2008/09/07.
(...) But in a deeply religious culture people know that the deep level of
prayer and of divine attendance is the most important thing in the world. It
is at this deep level that the real business of life is determined. The
secular mind is an abbreviated, fragmentary mind, building only upon a part of
human nature and neglecting a part - the most glorious part - of a human
being's nature, powers, and resources. The religious mind involves the whole
person, embraces his or her relations with time within their true ground and
setting in the Eternal Lover. It ever keeps close to the fountains of divine
creativity. In lowliness it knows joys and stabilities, peace and assurances,
that are utterly incomprehensible to the secular mind. It lives in resources
and powers that make individuals radiant and triumphant, groups tolerant and
bonded together in mutual concern, and is bestirred to an outward life of
unremitting labor.
Kelly, Thomas. A Testament of Devotion. PP.35-36
#360. 2008/09/14.
Conditioned by ignorance are the karma-formations; conditioned by
karma-formations is consciousness; conditioned by consciouseness is
mind-and-body; conditioned by mind-and-body are the six sense-fields;
conditioned by the six sense-fields is sense impression; conditioned by
sense-impression is feeling; conditioned by feeling is craving; conditioned by
craving is grasping; conditioned by grasping is becoming; conditioned by
becoming is birth; conditioned by birth there come into being ageing and
dying, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair. This is the origin
of the whole mass of suffering.
Ascribed to Buddha, quoted after Novak Philip, The World's
Wisdom, P.69-70.
#361. 2008/09/21.
And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each
one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and his understanding of the
earth.
Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, P.57.
#362. 2008/09/28.
All
of what
I would like my child to know
my poems attempt.
We are infants before each other, are we not,
so vulnerable to each other's words and
movements.
A school I sat in cured me of hurting others.
I have come to see that all are seated at His table, and I
have become His
servant.
Sometimes God is too shy to speak in public
and He pinches me.
That
is my cue -
to fill in the blanks of your
understanding
the best I
can.
Rabia [in:] Ladinsky Daniel (2002). Love Poems from God.
Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West. Penguin Group. P.15.
#363. 2008/10/05.
Om
Bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.
Oh God, we meditate on Thy divine light
bestow Thy blessings upon us
so that out intellect may be enlightened
so that we may rise higher and higher
to the highest consciousness
enable us to meditate
to be successful in all affairs of life
and realize God.
Gayatri Mantra - the original mantra of the Goddess Gayatri -
Sun God - to be repeated a minimum of three times at sunrise and sunset.
Quoted from: Haidakhan Arti (2002). Haidakhandi Samaj. P. 25, 56
#364. 2008/10/13.
Dear God, please reveal to us
your sublime
beauty
that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere,
so that we will never again
feel frightened.
My divine love, my love,
please let us touch
your face.
St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Quoted in: Ladinsky Daniel
(2002). Love Poems from God. Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West.
Penguin Group. P.56.
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