Gazing in the Mirror

November 12 - Primal Spiritual Truth

Every one who is seriously
involved in the pursuit of
science becomes convinced
that a spirit is manifest in
the laws of the Universe –
a spirit vastly superior to
that of man, and in the face
of which we with our modest
powers must feel humble.
~ Albert Einstein

Probably no one could have
had less desire than I to
organize or launch a new
religion. I am a great believer
in all religions, and am firmly
convinced that every man's
faith is good for him and that
the form it takes is best for
him at the particular time he
follows such form.
~ Ernest Holmes

A number of recent surveys point to the changing nature of religion and spirituality. Increasing numbers of people indicate that they are NOT affiliated with any specific religion. However many people surveyed indicate an increased sense of spirituality as well as meaning and purpose to Life. Many people who are still identified with a specific religion would no longer assert that theirs is the ONLY TRUE faith. Many people are willing to accept an equal validity across ALL religions and even include no religion in that category.

Ernest Holmes came to a similar conclusion long ago. He was interested in studying all ancient systems of thought including the mystical writings of the Middle Ages and the "modern" movements of his time – Theosophy, Spiritualism and other branches of "New Thought". He had a deep desire to "synthesize these various systems with the purpose in mind of finding the thread of unity running through them" and a desire to "put them all together in one system, realizing that we inherit the great thought of the ages and may enjoy the privilege of entering into its meaning."

I have been drawn similarly in my own spiritual path to explore a diversity of thought. My childhood foundations were Christian (as was Holmes'). From there I became interested in Mexican shamanism through the writings of Carlos Castaneda and the exploits of Don Juan. Coming of age at the tail end of the 1960s part of that exploration of the mystical came by way of psychedelic experiences. These experiences opened doors in my perception regarding the nature of reality to include less visible alternatives than ordinary perception usually apprehends. At one point I had a companion who practiced a very strict perspective of mental causation by his involvement with Mary Baker Eddy's "Christian Science". Personally, I found my friend's rigid interpretations a difficult path but I did learn to perceive the magic of individual causation and what comes of being consciously aware of that.

Passing through a period of turmoil in my early adult years took me back into the nurturing space of my parent's home briefly. In a frustrated desire to help me with my somewhat bizarre behavior and emotional upset, my mother introduced me to her shelf full of Science of Mind magazines. I found there clear evidence of a reality that emerges from mental causation and how to perceive its effects but in a gentler presentation than I had found in Christian Science through my acquaintance. Ernest Holmes was a big believer in readers living the experiences of his philosophical perspectives. That is the path I have embraced. I was drawn to his perspective by some reassurances that his philosophy had at least some basis in a scientific viewpoint. Much like Holmes, I have a natural love of physical science.

Holmes was adamant that his Religious Science movement not have dogma attached to it. When I went to my first Science of Mind based church, just as Holmes had envisioned, I found people from many religious backgrounds who could embrace the "living" practice without denying their own religious foundations and the comfort of their lifelong rituals. Holmes understood that scientific Principles are no respecters of persons or religions and that heaven has no favorites.

Holmes declared that – "Religious Science is the outcome of what has gone before and, we believe, a forerunner of what is to come. Religious Science is not a personal opinion nor is it a special revelation. It is a result of the best thought of the ages. It borrows much of its light from others, but in so doing robs no one, for Truth is universal." I have often seen Truth embedded in the most entertaining of fictional stories, in the lyrics of music, in the offhand words of a child or an adult person who never intended my own notice nor the meaning their words had privately for me. I have found such Truth in that most ancient of insights known as the Tao Te Ching. I find that Truth is always available in my own Heart's Wisdom. Holmes' thinking appealed deeply to me because in a very real sense it always was my own individual way of thinking as well.

~ perspective

My spirituality has no dogma,
preferential status or divine
thinker to recommend it.
My spirituality is simply a
perspective of wholeness which
I bring to my own everyday Life.
I sense a guiding Presence, a
Divine Power, inherent in my life,
in every person I come in contact
with and every circumstance,
situation, condition, created object
and time frame of history.
My spirituality is not a search or
seeking for – my spirituality is a
recognition of what is already
present within me, of a Self behind
the expressed self and a Life
intentionally lived.
My sense of the spiritual element
that can be applied to the living
of my life increases my satisfaction
with Life and improves my quality
of life and the relationships I enjoy.

#behavior #dogma #heart #parents #religion #science #shamanism #spirituality #truth #wisdom