Tag: awareness

Asceticism and spiritual practice

Published on by lindseybiggs2 Comments

Asceticism is a spiritual discipline that has been practiced throughout history as way to deny the self and feel closer to the Divine.

For early Christians, the ascetic practices were as diverse as their understanding of Jesus Christ. For some, it was living in monasteries with a strict spiritual discipline, for others it was living on tall pillars in the midst of a community, and for some others it was imitating Christ through martyrdom.

Today a spiritual practice often has to do with a desire to feel connected. Feeling connected to nature, to people, or to God.

For some, spiritual practice may include prayer or fasting, for others it might be yoga and mindfulness, for others it might be community and social justice. Perhaps ones spiritual practice may include elements of all of these things.

I find a consistent spiritual practice and discipline that allows me to become more aware of my thinking, what is happening in my consciousness, to be essential. Am I entertaining doubts or fears? Am I buying into materialism or commercialism? Am I having God-centered thinking? Maintaining balanced thinking is essential to keeping us healthy, happy, and purposeful.

A spiritual practice can help one discipline thought by becoming more conscious of the Mind of Christ or divine inspiration. This divine Mind is always communicating that we are blessed, we are spiritual, we are healthy, we are whole, we are loved. God sees and knows who we absolutely are. God is holding you in spiritual peace and divine perfection right now. Seeing beyond matter to the deeper spiritual sense of things helps us see and know a concrete being that is spiritual, perfect, and harmonious.

This is a metanoia experience, a change in consciousness, a healing. It satisfies and has healthy side effects (such as better relationships, improved self esteem, a greater connection to the Divine, and discernment of the Holy Spirit).

Developing a spiritual practice that enables one to be mindful and aware of God, keeping watch over our own consciousness is a great protection to us; it maintains our bodies (since our bodies are inextricably linked to our consciousness); and gives us spiritual renewal and freshness to keep up with the daily demands whether they be parenting, working, or volunteering.

At the end of the day, I like to wrap up the day with gratitude. Being grateful for every little thing — the sunlight. The wind in the trees. The smile of a family member. A feeling that God is with me. Whatever it may be. Wrapping up our day in gratitude shuts down the mental cycle of to-do lists. It stills and quiets thought.

Forgiveness is key, too. Practicing forgiveness for any slights you may have felt that day. These can be subtle (or overt) and we don’t want to let them build up. So simply letting go of any hurts or things that may have rubbed you the wrong way. Getting ready to start the new day with freshness.

A spiritual practice is a wonderful thing to cultivate. It is a gift. It is the perfect way to care for yourself and, thereby, to bless others. It will give you the insight, freedom, love, and joy you need to feel sustained throughout the day and the years.

Let God do the talking

Published on by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

It might seem like there is empty space that needs to be filled up with activity and words. However, since God — divine Spirit and Life — fill all space, there really is no “vacuum” or void. Each moment is already filled with a divine activity. Each consciousness is already filled with messages of Love, health, hope and faith.

Tuning in to these messages and activity with our spiritual sense really makes us feel fulfilled and satisfied. After all, if each moment were filled with divine messages of love for you, wouldn’t you feel full and satisfied? 🙂

More human thinking isn’t needed; more divine reflection is. We can reflect one who and what God is; we can reflect on the spiritual nature of man; we can reflect on eternal Life — the timeless spiritual state of being; we can feel the peace, which comes from unconditional grace and Love.

Spiritual listening is an active faculty we can utilize each moment. It will open you up to new opportunities! It will give you new thoughts and views that you had never considered before! It will make you feel peace and open new doorways of progress!

Enjoy the divine peace, messages and serenity of Love today. It is everywhere.

Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”

Published on by lindseybiggs1 Comment
The following excerpts by Christie Hanzlik, C.S.  are from Let Your Light Shine on UNREALITY to Reveal Reality! (a Christian Science Bible Lesson study guide) 

Plato, a Greek philosopher, created his “Allegory of the Cave” roughly 400 years before Jesus’s ministry, but, in many ways, we can see it as an early glimpse of Christ’s promise to all mankind that we can be free from material bondage.   In fact, we can use the allegory to understand Jesus’s necessary role in revealing and demonstrating reality to mankind.
 
Whereas Plato may have left the story with the prisoners unable to understand the true nature of reality, Jesus proved that people could understand it.  Without Christ Jesus’s amazing demonstration of spiritual vision and communication, the “world outside the cave” would remain a garbled confusion to those feeling imprisoned by matter.   Christ Jesus was necessary to bring the Divine revelation to humanity.
 
Jesus understood God’s love for us so well that he could, unlike the freed prisoner in Plato’s allegory, communicate and demonstrate the truth about the “world outside the cave.”  His role was to show us the way out of the cave so we could see and prove for ourselves that we are not prisoners. He was the way shower.  And true Christianity, as Jesus taught it, is the movement and spread of the absolute truth that we are not prisoners chained in a cave of matter.
 
Jesus saw clearly that the “shadow wall”-matter-is not the true picture of reality even if it may seem to present mesmerizing sights and sounds and smells. He understood the “world outside the cave”-spiritual reality-and his purpose was to reveal this truth to all mankind.  Jesus asked us to let our light shine and to continue sharing his message of salvation-freedom from the chains of matter. Once we know about the “world outside the cave,” we cannot go back to not knowing it; and it’s natural for us to want to share it with others.