finding purpose in infinite reality
"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations. Neither are you here to live up to mine." so runs the opening lyric of Peter Tosh's reggae classic I am That I am.
Much of the plentiful grief in this world derives from intolerance, the inability to accept others who may differ from oneself in behavior or belief. And yet the world is big enough to accommodate all manner of diversity. (more…)
The question of whether animals have souls appears to be something of a slippery slope. If apparently sentient creatures like dogs or rabbits have souls, how about insects? bacteria and viruses? plants? Where can one draw the line? (more…)
David was a healer. From his earliest childhood he wanted to help others and alleviate suffering. David sailed through medical school and became a successful doctor. Using his vast knowledge, alongside an indescribable instinct, he specialized in treating patients that other doctors had given up on, usually with excellent results.
As word about David spread, more and more patients came to his door. He never turned anyone away. David didn't work for money, but to fulfill his very purpose. (more…)
Uncomfortable as it may be, anyone who's ever had a pet or bothered to gaze into the eyes of an animal, can be in little doubt that inside their body lies a distinct soul. Elliott O'Donnell's classic Animal Ghosts or Animal Hauntings and the Hereafter (available as a free online e-book) presents overwhelming evidence as to the Spiritual nature of our fellow creatures.
Animals see ghosts, animals have ghosts, and by the very virtue of being less "civilized" than our good selves might it be that animals are inherently closer to Spirit than us?
A recent report Four in ten people believe in ghosts by UK public theology think tank Theos revealed that even in these days of technology and rationality there remains substantial belief in a wide range of supernatural phenomena. Across the United Kingdom 53% stated a belief in life after death, 55% in "heaven", 22% in astrology/horoscopes, 39% in ghosts, 15% in fortune telling/tarot, 27% in reincarnation, and a massive 70% in the human soul. (more…)
Of the huge variety of living species supported by planet earth human beings are dominant by an order of magnitude. Why should this be, and what responsibilities do we carry as representatives of the "master" race? (more…)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to win a lottery? What opportunities would your good fortune bring? How would it change your life?
Just imagine for a moment you won a lottery with an incredible prize of eighty-six thousand a day, every day, for life... The only condition being that you had to spend the prize each day, you couldn't carry anything over. Would that be a blessing? Or a challenge? (more…)
A wise prayer, known as the Serenity Prayer, adopted by that noble organization Alcoholics Anonymous, runs like this:
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
And therein lies much of the key to a happy and purposeful life. (more…)
Who are we? What is this reality that we're part of? Why are we here at all? These questions lie at the depths of our being, and their answers - should we ever find them - would dictate the very purpose of our existence.
As a species we have evolved from single-celled organisms into beings that can travel in space, probe the very building blocks of our bodily nature and the universe we inhabit, and create works of art capable of moving us to the core. And yet for all our tremendous mastery of knowledge there appears to be a boundary that we cannot penetrate. (more…)
Our relationships with others provide many of the most satisfying - and frustrating - moments of the human experience.
On the one hand we are instinctively driven to seek the companionship of our fellow beings, indeed such is the complexity of the modern world that out very survival depends on co-operating with numerous others. But conversely our dealings with other people force us to sacrifice, compromise, inhibit our liberty, and are an endless source of disappointment and anger when our peers fall short of our reasonable expectations. (more…)
