Hari
Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days;
Q&As; a general review of the week so far…
Last
week an attempt was made to explain how language fails to properly define the
undefinable. THAT which is within and without, around and about, ever-present
and unchanging. Due to the failure of language a number of 'descriptions' arose
throughout history and the term 'God' became the standard for referring to
THAT. In giving a definition, by
providing a name, automatically, form followed. Humans simply seem unable to
ponder upon The Higher without some form of definition…(excuse that play on
words!)
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Due
to this also, the concept of the all-pervasiveness of THAT has been lost;
particularly in the organised religions. Paganistic faiths at least have this
going for them - that the practitioners see themselves as part of the whole.
The majority of the big religions have somehow separated human beings from THAT,
making it necessary to earn 'merits' in order to be able to reach Its presence
or suffer consequences.
Whilst
pondering all this for last week's post, then about what to put forward for
today, something - or rather, somebody -
came to attention. (It is a continual source of amazement that when one is 'in
the zone' of spiritual thinking, guides and answers will present themselves
very clearly before us!) The name of Bishop Spong was vaguely lodged in memory,
but not at all in the forefront. In following a thread of viewing, as one does, in the tubular device, this video revealed itself. Ignorance is admitted, as to Bishop Spong's stance and the nearness of his views to Vedantic thinking, so this was quite an uplifting moment. No evidence can be found that Bishop Spong
has ever read anything of Vedanta, but having now followed through on some
other presentations and such like of his, it is clear that he is touching THAT; he understands the Aatman and its nature. He has followed his intellect and his
spiritual inner guru and drawn the same conclusions the Rsis did and all the
sadhus of Sanskrit tradition since. Thus proving the point that at the highest
spiritual level one cannot fail to come to the common denominator.
"God" is one. "God" is not an individual but resides in all
individuals. "God" is best expressed through our very human nature,
burnishing it, polishing, spring-cleaning, defouling, adding new scaffold;
doing whatever it takes to maximise our potential.
At
around 1:35 - 2:09 of this little video is the most profound statement. Play this over
and over again for shravanam. Ponder deeply upon it for mananam. Herein lies
proof that Vedantic thinking can co-exist with Christian practice. In the end,
it matters not what we label ourselves; it is the faith and the practice of our
self-improvement which does.