Chakras and concentration (actually about Divine Love and religion)

[Guest guest]

>>>I am not denying the benefits of meditation and concentration.

>>>Meditation helps achieve peace with oneself.

>>>However, meditation is individualistic in nature.

>>>That was my other point about religion being inward-looking.

>>>Of coure, meditation has nothing to do with religion.

>>>There are several people who are very good at the art of

>>>

 

 

Meditation takes one beyond the difference between "oneself" and

"others" to the Unity of and beyond both where true Love resides

and has its basis. Meditation and spirituality in general can

be said to be "inward-looking" in that it goes within to find

the core and the point of Union below all the outward hustle of

endless causes in motion bouncing off one another. But it does

not stay only inward. From that core all of life is transformed

, inward and outward regardless of how actively active the

person is or is not.

 

My guru once said that if we had really intended to do nothing

but meditate and never act at all in the world or interact with

one another then there are planes of existence much better

suited to that than this one! I agree thast authentic

sprituality is not escapism. But how we help, how we are part

of the healing of the world, can vary between different

spiritual people of different temperaments.

 

When we have banged away outwardly trying to make things better

by all or mostly outward means, eventually we notice that the

common roots are inward states of the people involved, including

ourselves. We see that without transformation from within the

transformation we can accomplish outwardly is limited as the

outward in large part reflects the inward.

 

>>

>>>but are not necessarily religious.

>>>Similarly, there are people who are very religious (or rather

>>>ritualistic), but do not meditate.

>>>Doesn't make them any better or worse.

>>>

 

 

Without meditation (and there are many names for it in many

traditions and many forms) it is impossible to reach the goal.

The outward forms without meditation are not worthless by any

means. But until meditation is added and deeply practiced not

so much will be gained. Some rituals are forms of meditation by

the way. True rituals, not simply going through the motions.

 

 

 

>>>That is why it is individualistic in nature.

 

 

 

True spirituality is of necessity tuned to the individual if it

is to be authentic and yet it is the Same as are we.

 

There is a difference between spirituality and religion as these

words are commonly used. Religion is often about what belief

system you have and what your rituals are and perhaps about what

dogmas you agree to agree with and perhaps which scripture you

consider holy. Spirituality is about finding the Truth and

experiencing it for oneself, not accepting second or nth-hand

hand-me-down truth. Religions grow out of and often contain a

lot of real sprituality. But the form and structure is not the

true substance.

 

And yet the form and structure are a LOT better than nothing at

some stages of the soul's development. And the form and

structure provide a scaffolding for the fuller unfolding when

not taken as what they are not and when the true unfolding is

not taken as an attack or threat to the form and structure. Many

instances of all the religions have lost sight of and

understanding of the essence of spirituality and instead inhabit

a creaky old lifeless form. The Spiritu has to be periodically

breathed back in.

 

- samantha