Four Mantras

The essential mantra is silence. This mantra represents the Heart.

The primary mantra is the breath. This mantra represents the Beloved.

The mantra of awareness is the mind. This mantra represents the Buddha.

The mantra of life is the body. This mantra represents the Jivanta.

Differences and Non-differences

There are both differences and non-differences between Yeshu of Nazareth and Siddhartha Gautama; between Muhammad and Guru Nanak; between Sri Krishna and Abraham; between Vardhamana and Kongfutzu; between Zarathustra and Ramana Maharshi. Each is different, because each has limitations as well as advantages; each is non-different, because each can act as the ishta-guru, or 'chosen guru', the spiritual friend. The charge of 'relativism' does not apply, since differences are acknowledged. The charge of 'exclusivism' does not apply, since non-differences are acknowledged. And if none of the above seem worthy of being a spiritual friend, then an infinite number of other events awaits your attention.

The Life of the Prophet

The life of the prophet is like that of someone walking upon a rope: matter on one side and spirit on the other; heaven on one side and earth on the other; the imperfect self journeying towards perfection and at the same time bearing the burden of numberless souls, many of whom have not yet learned to walk even upon the earth. In the history of the prophets, at whatever time they have come on earth, one reads of their struggle being fourfold: struggle with self, struggle with the world, struggle with friends, and struggle with foes; and yet many wonder why a prophet should be a warrior! Most people know that the Prophet Muhammad was a warrior, but are unaware of the fact that Moses had the same experience; and very few know that the whole lives of the prophets of India, Rama and Krishna, were nothing but warfare from beginning to end. Their scriptures are full of the wars and battles that went on all through their lives, and if some prophets apparently did not have to wage war, then they had some other form of warfare to go through. The blood of the martyrs was the foundation of the Church.
-- Hazrat Inayat Khan

The Fourth Truth

And this is the Fourth Truth of the Way of Abhaya. The Way of Abhaya consists of (1) fearless view, (2) fearless intention, (3) fearless speech, (4) fearless action, (5) fearless livelihood, (6) fearless effort, (7) fearless concentration, and (8) fearless awareness.

The Third Truth

And this is the Third Truth of the Fall of Bhaya and the Rise of Abhaya: the remainderless fading and dimming, renunciation, relinquishment, release, and defeat of that very bhaya; and the absolute appearance and brightening, engagement, embodiment, incorporation, and victory of that very abhaya. That is, to shine as the Heart dims that very bhaya; to fight at the side of the Beloved defeats that very bhaya. To shine as the Heart brightens that very abhaya; to fight at the side of the Beloved is the victory of that very abhaya.

Four Functions for All Humans

Vayu (air): to study and teach
Agni (fire): to shine and fight
Prithvi (earth): to make and art
Apas (water): to serve and heal

The Second Truth

And this is the Second Truth of the Rise of Bhaya: to forget to shine, and to abandon the fight, lead to bhaya. That is, to forget to shine as the Heart leads to bhaya; and to abandon the fight at the side of the Beloved leads to bhaya.

The First Truth

This is the First Truth of Bhaya: bhaya afflicts birth, bhaya afflicts aging, bhaya afflicts death; bhaya afflicts sorrow and celebration, lamentation and praise, pain and pleasure, grief and joy, and despair and hope; bhaya afflicts association with the loved and unbeloved; bhaya afflicts separation from the loved and unbeloved; bhaya afflicts getting what is wanted and what is unwanted. In short, bhaya afflicts all phenomena.

The Ways Diverse and Unified

The Way of the Jivanta: knowledge of the natural world

The Way of the Buddha: satsang with the Awakened Ones

The Way of the Beloved: ascesis from the Divine Lord

The Way of the Heart: trust in the Unconditioned

Out and In

The Heart is neither transcendent nor immanent.

The Beloved is fully transcendent.

The Buddha is fully transcendent and immanent.

The Jivanta is fully immanent.


The breath-cycle replicates the nature of reality.

Breathing-in mirrors the Jivanta.

The stillness-after-breathing-in mirrors the Buddha.

Breathing-out mirrors the Beloved.

The stillness-after-breathing-out mirrors the Heart.


Each breath is communion.

Awareness of the breath awakens the Heart.

We're all Buddhists Now

Buddham saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Buddha

Dhammam saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Dhamma

Sangham saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Sangha


"Official" Buddhists take refuge in the Triple Gem, by reciting some version of the Threefold Refuge. The Refuge, though, also has meaning that transcends religious boundaries. Christians take refuge in Christ, Muslims in Muhammad (which is not to say that Muslims see Muhammad as divine, however), Jews in Moses (since Mosaic, and not some other person's, law is followed by Jews), Vaishnavas in Vishnu, for instance. Christians take refuge in the Gospel, Muslims in the Qur'an, Jews in the Torah, Vaishnavas in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and so on. Christians finally take refuge in the Church, Muslims in the Ummah, Jews in the Minyan, Vaishnavas in Satsang, et cetera.

Days, Planets, Buddhas

Sunday: Sun: Dattatreya
Monday: Moon: Radha-Krishna
Tuesday: Mars: Yeshu
Wednesday: Mercury: Siddhartha Gautama
Thursday: Jupiter: Guru Nanak
Friday: Venus: Muhammad
Saturday: Saturn: Abraham

I Bind You Together

Have your eating and drinking in common. I bind you together. Assemble for worship of the Lord, like spokes around a hub. Of one mind and one purpose I make you, following one leader. Be like the Gods, ever deathless! Never stop loving!

Atharva Veda 3.30.6-7. VE

H3

What is "religion"?

Among the definitions given here, definition number four looks to be the basic definition from which sprung all the others.

4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

Beliefs about supernatural powers would then represent one, common way that people can be inspired to zealous devotion. Why this zeal? What's the purpose?

Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religi, religin-, perhaps from religre, to tie fast.

"Religion" likely evolved from the Latin verb "religare", "to tie fast", or "to tightly connect", or "to bind again".

Latin religre, to bind fast : re-, re- + ligre, to bind

From "religare" comes the English word "rely". From "ligare" comes words like "ligate", "oblige", and "league".

"Re-" prefix carries a particular meaning, "again" or "back". To bind again implies that a prior binding, or union, existed.

To practice religion is to re-connect with what you had lost. The need to practice religion implies that one is not fully whole, that there is something missing. In Eastern Orthodox Christian terms, what was lost was the intimate communion with God in the Garden of Eden; and Jesus Christ becomes the way by which the communion is not simply restored but also cultivated and perfected. In Meher Baba's theo-cosmology, what was lost was unity with God; and Meher Baba becomes the way by which that unity is not simply restored but also cultivated and perfected. I'm not too sure about the Orthodox position on this issue, but for Meher Baba, the priori unity of God was an unconscious unity. God wanted to become conscious, and thus asked "Who am I?", simultaneously leading to the creation of the cosmos and of living beings within, and a part of, that cosmos. Living beings then evolve their separate centers of awareness, from atoms on up to mankind. Mankind is then able to evolve in spiritual awareness, into re-union with God, but now this new God-Union (unlike the prior unconscious unity) is filled with awareness.

Religion can be seen as the process of making whole, of re-uniting separate parts.

Something that has healed is now whole. Both "whole" and "heal"; as well as "holy" and "hallow", as in "Hallowed be Thy name"; come from the same Indo-European root "kailo", "whole", "uninjured".

Religion then, essentially, is truly "holy": healing, health, and wholeness, whether physically, energetically, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually.

The Magician

The Magician

A youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the symbol for infinity, or the figure 8 in a horizontal position. About his waist is a serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail. This is familiar to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here it indicates more especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit. In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth. This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries; it shows the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from things above and derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit. On the table in front of the Magician are the symbols of the four Tarot suits, signifying the elements of natural life, which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as he wills. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium convallium, changed into garden flowers, to show the culture of aspiration. This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in the liberation of its union with that which is above. It is also the unity of individual being on all planes, and in a very high sense it is thought, in the fixation thereof. With further reference to what I have called the sign of life and its connection with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad." The mystic number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy Spirit and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of Christ.

The Ocean of Fire

Mind has the habit of getting exalted, and then going down. Sometimes it is full of doubt. So, in one's spirit of trying to seek Truth, one sometimes gets in a mess and feels dry at heart. God and love for God are not child's play. In love, you have to be ready to drown yourself in the ocean of fire.

Jesus was never serious about anything, except about God, whose incarnation he was. He was serious about himself and God, with whom he was one. Otherwise, he was so lighthearted that he even got crucified for others, with the same lightness of heart. Why? Because he had no wants at all. He did not want, he gave. So the only thing that God wants is not ceremony, not yogas. He wants love, the love that makes you forget yourself in him.

Do you know that Jesus told his disciples, "Leave everything and follow me"?....So unless and until you are wholeheartedly prepared to follow someone who you think true, like Jesus, the best thing for you would be not to submit to anyone. Just go on following the inner voice. Can you surrender absolutely...? Just ask yourself. Be honest to the very core. If not, do not bother about it.

-- Meher Baba; 16 May 1952; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The One and the All

Stick To One Guru

From a doctor, you get a prescription. From two doctors, you get consultation. From three doctors, you get your own cremation. Even so, if you have many Gurus, you will be bewildered. You will be at a loss to know what to do. One Guru will tell you: “Do Soham Japa.” Another will tell you: “Do Japa of Sri Ram.” A third Guru will tell you: “Hear Anahata sounds.” You will be puzzled. Stick to one Guru and follow his instructions.

Listen to all, but follow one. Respect all, but adore one. Gather knowledge from all, but adopt the teachings of one Master. Then you will have rapid spiritual progress.

Easy Yoga

Etymologically, the Sanskrit "yoga" is related to the English "yoke". The English "to yoke" means "to unite". The Sanskrit "yoga" includes the meaning of "unite", as well as other meanings, like "method", "way", and "work". The way of the Heart can thus be named "Hridaya-Yoga"; the method of the Buddha, "Buddha-Yoga". (Or, when speaking of the universal Way or Method common to all Beings, we may simply say "Yoga", and one who practices this Method or walks this Way, a "Yogi".) When Jesus talks about His own form of "yoga", the word He uses is usually translated as "yoke". Since the English "yoke" lacks the depth of meanings associated with its genetic relative "yoga", it might be insightful to take a Sanskritic view of Jesus' statement. Thus, we may modify Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV):

28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take my yoga upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30For my yoga is easy, and my burden is light.

Jai Jesus!

If we assume that sounds are not arbitrary, that human speech especially forms a link to an inherent meaning, that the elements of language actually possess innate transformative potential, what would that mean for understanding our different spiritualities, our different religions?

For instance, take Sanskrit and English. Does the Sanskrit "je" sound , and the meanings associated in Sanskrit with that sound, have anything to tell us about English words containing the "je" sound?

What about the word "Jesus"? What does Sanskritic syllabic meaning say about "Jesus"? (I sound out vowels such as "e" as the ancient Latins did, as a short "eh" [e.g., the "e" in "fell"] or as a long "eh" [e.g., the "a" in "fate"]. Some English speakers pronounce the "je" in "Jesus" like the "jay" in "blue-jay", so "je" can be seen to form a part of "Jesus".)

There's a Sanskrit verb root "ji" (rhymes with "she"). One form of this verb is "jés·as". The dot after the first "s" should actually be below the "s"; and the final "a" would probably be pronounced like "uh" as in the "u" in "up"; making "jés·as" sound very much like how the word "Jesus" is pronounced.

"Jés·as", then, comes out of "ji". And the infinitive form of "ji" carries several meanings, "to conquer, to win, to defeat, to excel, to vanquish, to overcome any hardship or difficulty". From "ji" thus comes "Jai!" or "Jaya!", both meaning "Victory!", as in "Jai Ma!", "Glory to the Divine Mother!", or "Jai Dev!", "Glory to God!" When Christians, or anyone else, then, shouts "Jesus!", they are shouting for victory, for overcoming any hardship, for besting any suffering -- even in the very midst of loss, hardship, and suffering. To shout "Jesus!" is to throw your hat into the ring, with the intent to win, even if you have to lose.

The Golden Rule

Sutrakritanga: Book I: Lecture 11: 33:

Indifferent to worldly objects, a man should wander about treating all creatures in the world so as he himself would be treated.

(Also found in: Jaina Sutras. Translated from Prakrit by Hermann Jacobi. 2 Volumes. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1968. Vol. 2: 314.)

The Golden Rule of Christianity ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") expresses the basic idea also found in the Jain-Hindu-Buddhist concept of "ahimsa", or "non-harming".

Yamas & Niyamas

The Ten Yamas:

1. Ahimsa
2. Satya
3. Asteya
4. Brahmacharya
5. Kshama
6. Dhriti
7. Daya
8. Arjava
9. Mitahara
10. Shaucha


The Ten Niyamas:

1. Hri
2. Santosha
3. Dana
4. Astikya
5. Ishvara-Pujana
6. Siddhanta Shravana
7. Mati
8. Vrata
9. Japa
10. Tapas


In the coming days, I'll explore what these yamas and niyamas have to say to modern men and women.

Aum Namah Jivantayah

"Jivanta" means "that which is alive, and that which is living". From the Heart and the Beloved comes forth Jivanta, all that is alive: the light, the atoms, the molecules, the stars, the seas, the land, the sky, the plants, the animals, the men, and the women. The presence of men and women then makes possible the appearance of the Buddha, who then points directly back to the Heart and the Beloved.

Aum namah Jivantayah: I venerate all living beings.

Aum Namah Buddhayah

According to classical Buddhism, the "Buddha" is the one who has most fully realized and manifested wisdom and compassion.

If we take the most basic meaning of "Buddha" as "one who is Awake and Aware", then the number of Buddhas we have known becomes potentially endless. I'll just name a few Buddhas I've known:

Zarathustra
Krishna
Abraham
Vardhamana
Siddhartha Gautama
Kongfutzu
Yeshu
Muhammad
Guru Nanak

Aum namah Buddhayah: I venerate the Buddha in us all.

Active Presence

The Heart is the Infinite Essence, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Mother. The Heart gives birth to the Beloved, the Creator, the Lord, the Father. Taking refuge in one means taking refuge in the other.

To take refuge means to keep the relationship growing, to keep communications open. One gradually renounces all that diminishes the relationship, and steadily cultivates all that supports the relationship. The Heart and the Beloved are ever-present. Whether they are actively-present depends upon you, your faith, your listening, and your doing.

Vallabham Saranam Gacchami

Vallabha means Beloved. Unlike Sri Sankara, Sri Vallabhacharya posited that only God is real, and rejected the notion of maya (or the "illusory power of God"), since to assume the existence of maya would violate God's utter sole reality.

Vallabham saranam gacchami: I take refuge with the Beloved.

Hridayam Saranam Gacchami

The Buddhist practice of Refuge takes the not-yet-Buddhist into the realm of the Buddhas. By having taken Refuge, the newly-born-Buddhist has placed his or her ultimate trust in the Buddha (the Realizer), the Dharma (the Revelation), and the Sangha (the Community).

Buddham saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Buddha.
Dharmam saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Dharma.
Sangham saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Sangha.

The Buddha is one who has realized the Heart (Sanskrit, "Hridayam").

Hridayam saranam gacchami: I take refuge in the Heart.

Science and Wisdom

Parable Of Four Learned Scholars

Once four learned scholars-an Ayurvedic doctor, an astrologer, a musician and a logician-had to spend a day at a village; and each was highly learned in his own science, a very great authority in his own subject but empty of wisdom concerning life.

Now they went about collecting articles for their food, and the Ayurvedic doctor went to buy some vegetables. But he soon walked back home with empty hands, for his medical knowledge concerning the food-value of vegetables would not allow him to choose any. The potato was harmful as it would cause wind, while onion was too Tamasic and so did all other vegetables prove defective. And none was suitable for food.

The astrologer climbed a coconut tree to fetch a coconut for cooking. While he was climbing down, a donkey from a nearby house brayed, and lo, the astrologer stood on half-way down the tree, deciding at once to work out the astrological consequences of this donkey's braying! And he thus stood on... ,

The musician's history was yet more pathetic and ridiculous. He was watching the pot in which the rice was being cooked; the water was boiling, and soon a rhythmic sound emanated from the boiling-pot. The musician, true and loyal to his knowledge of music, at once began marking time; but would the sound of the boiling-pot conform to the known laws of music? Soon the musician was beside himself in a fit of anger and broke the pot with the ladle, and lo the rice fell over the ground and was lost.

The logician was none the better for his erudition. He was returning with a cup full of ghee and en route, it struck his logic-loving mind to test and verify whether the cup supported the ghee or the ghee did the cup. He at once turned the cup upside down, and lo, the ghee fell on the ground, and was soon lost. Grief-stricken at the loss, yet the logician congratulated himself at the findings concerning the cup and the ghee and walked back home lost in thoughts of logic.

Be ye not merely learned, but become ye truly wise. For more learning will not bestow on you an iota of real happiness. Wisdom is bliss. Book-learning is lifeless knowledge; experience and true wisdom should be acquired through service of a Guru, studying under him and following his instructions in their true spirit.

So What?

God Exists, So What?

"Yes, I believe God exists," you say: "What should I do about it?" Endeavour to realise Him.
He must be more real to you than all the objects of the world.
For that you must serve humanity and love God. Meditate on Him in Brahmamuhurta.
Sing Kirtan.
Do Japa.
Lead a virtuous life, for He is the witness of all your thoughts, words and deeds.
Be truthful; cheat not anybody.
Love all; harm not anybody.
Be kind to all; for God dwells in all. And, thus realise Him here and now.
May God bless you!

SWAMI SIVANANDA.

The Name of God

The Name of God


BRAHMA
SARASWATI

ABBA
AMMA

VISHNU
LAKSHMI

FATHER
MOTHER

SHIVA
SHAKTI


Who give birth to

BUDDHA
DHAMMA

SON
DAUGHTER

RISHI
VEDA

CHRISTOS
SOPHIA

SIDDHA
VIDYA


In short,
the Marriage of RADIANCE and WISDOM, Father and Mother,
gives birth to
the AWAKENED ONE and the COSMOS, Son and Daughter

Revati

There are two main theories of the after-life: (1) you have one chance, and then it's eternal hell or eternal heaven; or (2) you have many chances, and neither heaven nor hell is eternal.

One attraction the "one-life-only"-idea possesses is that, if you 'get right with God', then this is your only lifetime on earth, and you have eternity in heaven.

One attraction the "many-lives-possible"-idea possesses is that, if you don't 'get right with God', then this isn't your only lifetime, and you don't have to spend eternity in hell.

The synthesis of both is this: God transcends both heaven and hell -- thus, take your stand in the presence of God in this very moment.

The Death of Death

In the Christian tradition, Christmas sets in motion the events of Easter: Christmas makes sense only in the context of that latter day. Easter can be seen as a kind of ultimate Christmas, a 'glorified' Christmas: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1st Corinthians 15:55)


Markandeya

Markandeya was a great devotee of Lord Siva. His father Mrikandu had performed rigorous austerities to get a son. Lord Siva appeared before him and said: “O Rishi, do you want a good son who will die in his sixteenth year or a bad and foolish son who will live for a long time?” Mrikandu replied: “O my venerable Lord, let me have a good son”.

The boy came to know about his fate and began to worship Lord Siva whole-heartedly with intense faith and devotion. The boy entered into deep meditation and Samadhi on the day decreed as the day of his death. The messengers of Lord Yama were not able to approach him. Hence, Yama himself went to take away his life. The boy prayed to Lord Siva for protection and embraced the Linga [an iconic representation of Lord Siva]. Then Yama threw his noose round the Linga and the boy. Lord Siva came out of the Linga immediately and killed Yama to protect the boy. Lord Siva was called Mrityunjaya [Conqueror of Death] and Kala-kala [Destroyer of Time] from that day.

Then the Devas approached Lord Siva and said: “O adorable Lord, salutations unto Thee. Pardon Yama for his mistake. O Ocean of Mercy, bring him back to life”. Then Lord Siva brought Yama back to life at the request of the gods. He also conferred a boon to the boy Markandeya that he should live for ever as a boy of sixteen years of age. He is a Chiranjivi. In South India, even now men and women bless a boy when he does prostration to them: “Live as a Chiranjivi like Markandeya”.

Through Tapas and meditation you can achieve anything in the three worlds.

Luke, Chapter 2 (New International Version)

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Christmas Creed

I believe in the Beloved, the All-Powerful, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Look! Yesu Christos, the Foe-Destroyer,

Was conceived by the Spirit, born of the Almah Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He went into the underworlds.

On the third day, He was Resurrected;

He Ascended into the overworlds, and sits at the right hand of the Beloved, saying,

“As you sow, so shall you reap.”

I believe in Holy Nature;

I believe in the Sacred Universal Communion of Light, Atoms, Molecules, Minerals, Plants, Animals, and Man;

and in the Communion of Saints, Sages, and Siddhas;

The Forgiveness of sins,

The Marriage of Consciousness and Energy,

And the Life everlasting. Amen.

Bridges Across the Divide

Not too many people know how large an influence the Catholic tradition had upon the Protestant evangelical author of the best-seller The Purpose Driven Life. The current interest in Catholic spiritually among Protestants stems from many reasons (as the excerpt below from The National Catholic Reporter, 15 December, 2006, shows; registration and subscription necessary to see the whole article). The trend of the Protestant, especially Reformed, tradition has been away from orality, away from the senses, away from contemplation, away from mysticism. Yet, if the Protestant experiment is to survive, it must retrieve these essential elements, elements that are truly 'universal', or 'catholic' (from the Greek, 'kata holos', 'relating to the whole').

Rick Warren, evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., told NCR that classical Catholic spiritual literature had a strong impact on him in writing The Purpose Driven Life, his Christian advice book that was on The New York Times Bestseller List for 174 weeks.

In 2005 this book made headlines when Ashley Smith, a 26-year-old hostage of the Atlanta Courthouse killer notified police that her captor wanted to turn himself in, claiming that during her captivity she read to the killer Brian Nichols from The Purpose Driven Life.

Newsweek magazine called Warren one of “15 People Who Make America Great,” an award given to people genius or passion, devote themselves to helping others. Christianity Today dubbed him “America’s most influential pastor” in a 2002 cover story.

Warren gives away 90 percent of his income to charities. His church is attended by as many as 20,000 on Sundays and carries 80,000 on the rolls. Elements from Catholic spirituality are a feature of many of the church’s Sunday workshops and classes, he said.

With roots in the Southern Baptist tradition, Warren said he has depended upon concepts from his readings in Catholic spirituality to form his own vision for his church.

“The idea of dying to self is a strong theme that comes from classical Catholic spirituality, as well as the instruction to learn to pray without ceasing. In St. John of the Cross we find the notion of the soul’s dark night, emphasizing the importance of how you handle those times when God seems absent or silent. Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, is a Catholic spiritual classic I have found useful. How does a book last 500 years?”

From the early church fathers and mothers through the monastic traditions and up to Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton, Warren said these traditions and writings have all ministered to him.

“Fr. Nouwen’s concept of the ‘wounded healer’ has informed my pastoral career. Here was a man who clearly struggled with his faith. His authenticity comes through.”

Warren quoted St. Augustine’s famous sentence, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you,” saying he believes that longing for the transcendent God is the source of his congregation’s interest in spirituality.

“People have tried everything. They realize there’s a hole in their hearts, knowing instinctively there’s more to life than just the material. There’s a spiritual yearning that all the technology and gadgets in the world can’t satisfy.”

In the classes taught at Saddleback Church, Warren said, six different ways to meditate are presented, along with instructions on how to fashion a daily devotional time. “We teach prayer, fasting, solitude. These are tools and resources for reaching out, for accomplishing our mission.”

Heaven and Hell

How long will you keep pounding on an open door?

I carry a torch in one hand
And a bucket of water in the other:
With these things I am going to set fire to Heaven
And put out the flames of Hell
So that voyagers to God can rip the veils
And see the real goal.

-- Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya (d.801)

Rabi'a was one of the earliest Sufis, and she was apparently the first Sufi to speak of the Divine as "Beloved", a characteristically Sufic appellation.

One Life, or Many?

Work as if you've birthed and died a thousand times.
Love as if you have one life to live.

The subject of singular or multiple lifetimes forms one of the distinctive differences separating much of the East from much of the West. A few questions to keep in mind, if one is troubled by such a seemingly tremendous difference among the great religious traditions of the world:

1. What is a "life"? Where does "life" begin, and where does it end?
2. Who is this "I" that apparently takes birth, and apparently dissipates at death?
3. Do our inclinations, perspectives, and personal and social histories determine which ideas we find more believable?
4. "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
5. "Which one life are you living right now?"

Orient Yourself

Bhagavad Gita Commentary–Thirty-two–by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

The qualified student

During my first trip to India I met two Australians who told me they had come to India to seek out a “qualified guru.” I laughed and with my usual lack of tact asked: “Are you qualified disciples? Do you think a qualified guru would accept you?” They looked very “taken aback” and then admitted that it was not likely. But when I met them some months later they told me they had gotten initiation from every guru they met. “Just to make sure,” was their explanation. They had not gotten the idea.

But who is a qualified disciple? Krishna tells Arjuna: “That same ancient Yoga has been today taught to you by Me, for you are My devotee and friend; it is the supreme secret.”

Devotee and friend. Here we have the marvelous seeming-contradiction that is the jewel of Eastern religion (including Eastern Christianity): the ability to be simultaneously absolutely reverent toward and yet absolutely familiar with and “at home” with God. The awe, fear, and trepidation, so beloved to Western religion, past and present, simply do not come into it. Why? Because the “orientals” intuit their unity with God, while the “occidentals” feel utterly separated and alien from God. Consequently Western religion demands reconciliation and placation while Eastern religion simply calls us to unity, a unity that is essential and eternal. Westerners doubt their salvation, but Easterners know it is unnecessary. They may have forgotten their unity with the Divine, but they have never lost it. They do not find salvation, they recover it. The infinity of God and their finitude does not daunt them in the least. They rejoice in both as devotees and friends of God.