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  • Desiderata

    Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
    and remember what peace there may be in silence.
    As far as possible without surrender
    be on good terms with all persons.
    Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
    and listen to others,
    even the dull and the ignorant;
    they too have their story.

    Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
    they are vexations to the spirit.
    If you compare yourself with others,
    you may become vain and bitter;
    for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
    Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

    Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
    it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
    Exercise caution in your business affairs;
    for the world is full of trickery.
    But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
    many persons strive for high ideals;
    and everywhere life is full of heroism.

    Be yourself.
    Especially, do not feign affection.
    Neither be cynical about love;
    for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
    it is as perennial as the grass.

    Take kindly the counsel of the years,
    gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
    Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
    But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
    Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
    Beyond a wholesome discipline,
    be gentle with yourself.

    You are a child of the universe,
    no less than the trees and the stars;
    you have a right to be here.
    And whether or not it is clear to you,
    no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

    Therefore be at peace with God,
    whatever you conceive Him to be,
    and whatever your labors and aspirations,
    in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
    it is still a beautiful world.
    Be cheerful.
    Strive to be happy.

    Max Ehrmann

  • Freakonomics

    FreakonomicsYou might wonder what a book based on economics and statistics is doing in a Spiritual blog. The answer is that although Freakonomics uses these tools, it’s really a book about people and what makes them tick.

    Resulting from a collaboration between brilliant but off the wall economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics addresses questions such as what real estate agents and the Ku Klux Klan have in common, why most drug dealers live with their mothers, and how your name affects your likelihood of success. Often revealing surprising answers.

    Full of fascinating and insightful analysis, for me the most thought-provoking and controversial piece was the explanation given for America’s faling crime rate. The reason given was the legalization of abortion some years earlier and the fact that mny o those most likely to be the criminals of today never got the chance to be born.

    Surely there has to be a better way of crime prevention than the pre-birth execution of potential criminals? Surely this knowledge means we can identify those most likely to turn to crime and offer them the chance of a more purposeful existence?

    For all students of humanity, and that ought to be all of us, Freakonomics is a must-read.

  • Enjoy the Moment

    How often when we’re having fun do we spoil it for ourselves by becoming aware that the moment cannot last? Or set ourselves up for disappointment by deluding ourselves the moment will last forever only to find it doesn’t.

    Everything is transient. Experience. Life. Even the planet we live on and the cosmos it exists in.

    Is this reason to be permanently depressed? Of course not. The nature of existence is change. That is why the moment cannot last.

    That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the moment. Savor it, milk it to the full. But in the realization that by nature it is fleeting and like all things shall in its time pass away.

    Even our very essence shall one day cease to exist as a distinct entity. Not when our fragile body ceases to function, for what’s within continues beyond that. But when we are eventually absorbed back into the great oneness or wholeness from which we originated. The moment that Buddhists call enlightenment.

    Appreciate what you have, do not resent what you have not.

    Learn to enjoy each moment. Not through the distorted notion of being able to possess it, but simply for what it is. Live it, enjoy it, and let it go. And be enriched for having the privilege of the experience.

  • Is Money Important?

    Money. Is it the root of all evil? Or does it make the world go round? Or a bit of both?

    We spend a large portion of our lives chasing it through work, investment, playing the lottery and so on… But can it really bring happiness? Yes and no.

    There are plenty of happy poor folk, and just as many unhappy rich ones. But money can certainly ease our journey on earth.

    If we don’t have the basics of food and shelter, life is hard in the extreme. But if we have a roof over our head and food in our belly is it still significant?

    I suggest not as much as some people might think. Sure, money can buy lots of “things”, but “things” aren’t really important and are ultimately unsatisfying in that they only make you ant yet more “things”. And you can’t take any of these “things” (or money itself) with you when it’s time to go home (pass away). All you take is your meaningful experience.

    There is an argument from a Spiritual perspective that if you’re poor you spend so much time putting food on the table that you don’t have time to pursue your true Spiritual purpose. And with money in your pocket you’d have more time to spend doing more meaningful stuff. But meaning can be found in all things, even in struggling to put food on the table, even in trying to find an alternative to a job you hate…

    Of course, sort the basics. But beyond that spend your time and effort seeking what really matters – meaningful experience.

    The (un)importance of wealth

  • Doing What You Can’t Do

    Throughout life we are called upon to do things we can’t, or thnk we can’t do. It starts when as babies we’re asked to crawl, then walk. As babies it’s all a fun adventure, but as we grow older we learn to feel stress when asked to move outside our comfort zone.

    Fact is, the comfort zone whilst superficially comfortable is boring and ultimately defeats our purpose in being, which is to learn and grow.

    So, how can we do things we think we can’t? Start by recognizing that our inability is mostly in our mind. We are all capable of far more than than we believe.

    So don’t worry if you’re called upon to do something that you (think you) can’t. Just pretend to do it, and keep pretending for as long as you can. And after a while you’ll stop pretending, because you’ll really be doing it.

  • Patriotism

    Samuel Johnson called patriotism the last refuge of a scoundrel. I’ve always thought it not only dangerous (how many million have been killed or maimed by its excesses) but also stupid. We can be proud of our achievements and good deeds, but how can we feel pride in something that’s pure chance – ie the nationality we’re born into?

    Nations, the grouping together of people on a large scale, has served some useful purpose in the past. But nations by definition are so big that their peoples are highly heterogeneous. We’re all different, so any attempt to lump us together as one is meaningless.

    Unscrupulous leaders have long mesmerized their subjects into committing acts of great destruction in the name of patriotism. But if we abandoned patriotism, and ultimately nationhood how much better might the world be?

    Far fetched? Maybe not. The relentless march of globalization is breaking down artificial national boundaries fuelled by technologies such as the Internet for which they are invisible.

    We are first and foremost all one, all part of that great unity that is Spirit. Secondly we are all individuals, incarnate for a specific purpose. We will be drawn to other individuals (regardless of nationhood) for the purpose of fulfilling our, and their, purpose.

    Over the centuries nations have produced a rich variety of culture. But rather than wasting energy arguing that the one we happen to have been born into is best, let’s instead enjoy the best of what all nations have to offer.

  • Psychic Vampires

    To most of us vampires mean count Dracula, the anti-hero of Bram Stoker’s classic novel and star of countless old horror movies. We may be relieved to know that there are no beings in reality that maintain eternal life by drinking the blood of innocent victims.

    However, there are such things as psychic or psychological vampires. These are individuals who either purposefully or unconsciously suck the psychic energy of others.

    Just as some charismatic people are a pleasure to be around and make you feel alive, so there are those negatives who mentally and physically drain those unfortunate enough to be in their company.

    The degree to which an individual is affected depends on their sensitivity, and also on their incompatibility with the “vampire” concerned.

    The simplest solution is just to avoid psychic vampires. But sometimes circumstances make this impossible. In such cases the priority is to preserve your energy in dealings with them by expending only a minimum of energy.

    A simple, regular visualization can also help. Take a few minutes to relax, perhaps put on some gentle music. Then picture yourself wearing a shiny suit of armor. This armor allows positive energy to pass through and enter your body, but it reflects negative forces back from where they came. Feel the positive energy passing through the armor, bringing you strength and peace. See the destructive energies bouncing off the armor, back to their origin.

  • The Pope and Hell

    Pope Benedict has told followers that they face going to hell if they sin. He said: “Hell exists and there is eternal punishment for those who sin and do not repent.” I believe the Pope is both right and wrong with this view.

    One problem is that we don’t come to this world to be judged, but rather to learn and grow. By even choosing to incarnate we are Spiritually special. God/Spirit loves us, as a parent loves their child. God would NEVER condemn any of us to eternal damnation, for we are part of God. Hell is a human creation designed by those who wish to keep others under control.

    Another problem is that “sin” is not easy (ie impossible) to define as its meaning varies from era to era, place to place, and even one person to another.

    But there is a form of hell, though different to the teachings of the church. We are each of us our own harshest critic. Where we have fallen short of our own expectations we feel guilt on earth. On returning to Spirit we are invited to review the life just gone. Any disappointment is reflected in the consitions we create around us. But the key point is we can leave those conditions and move on just as soon as we are ready.

    There is no judge, no jury, no jailer, other than ourselves.

  • Cosmic ordering

    Cosmic ordering is one of the most recent new age fads.

    Essentially, cosmic ordering suggests that the universe exists to serve the wants of the individual. To get anything we desire we simply have to explicitly express our wish. Having done so the forces of the universe begin working to satisfy our demands.

    One of the most high profile advocates of cosmic ordering is the English TV presenter and DJ Noel Edmonds. Edmonds’career had been in obscurity for several years when he expressed a wish to return to the limelight. Lo and behold he was offered a job presenting another game show which proved a great success.

    Whilst it is true that the physical universe does exist to serve the needs of the individual Spiritual being, it does so in the way of a school rather than a wish-grantng machine. Schools exist to serve their students, but they don’t hand out graduation certificates without considerable work on the part of the students.

    Also, while the universe does offer the potential of abundance for all, our true purpose is to learn and grow, not to accummulate material trophies.

    The principles of cosmic ordering can be both useful and dangerous.

    It is useful in that it encourages positive thinking. Without defining and expressing our wishes there is very little chance that we can accomplish them, other than by pure luck.

    But the real danger in this belief is that it discourages effort by breeding complacency. “I’ve made my wish, now I can put my feet up and wait ’til it comes true”. Life ain’t like that. We need to express our desires, but we also need to devise and follow a plan for their fulfillment. In fact it is our efforts toward their fulfillment that is our real purpose.

  • The Mind-Brain Problem

    The question of whether mind and brain are separate entities is one of conscious man’s oldest conundrums.

    Conventional science favors materialism, ie that mind is a mere function of brain. But there are many arguments to the contrary, eg the existence of emotion, our need for art and beauty, the huge body of evidence supporting the reality of psychic phenomena, near death experiences and good old common sense.

    While we can no more prove the separateness of mind and brain any more than the monists can prove the opposite, my article Mind, Body, Soul articulates good reasons to believe they are distinct entities.