Notes from the first “First Monday Spiritual Exploration Group” – Discussion, not Dogma, held April 6, 2009 at the Little Nepal Restaurant.
Introductions:
Rosemary introduced the concepts we are choosing to follow for this group. She referenced a Bill Moyer’s interview with Karen Armstrong. This interview can be seen at: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03132009/watch.html and is well worth watching.
Some of the main points brought out:
· At the base of all religions is the Golden Rule
· Compassion is not feeling sorry for someone but putting one’s self in the other’s shoes to truly understand the other’s position and situation. This is how she wrote about Muhammad, putting herself in “the hell of 7th century Saudi Arabia.” (ref: Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet)
· In this interview Bill Moyer’s quoted Elaine Pagels; paraphrasing: there is practically no religion on earth which affirms the choices made by someone of another religion
· St. Augustine: The Bible only speaks of charity. If you find a passage that is violent or warlike or seems to preach hatred, then study and meditate on that passage until its message of charity is clear. Armstrong noted that it is only since the 17th century and the dawning of the scientific age that anyone took the Bible stories literally.
· One of Armstrong’s projects is to put together a “Charter for Compassion” – see: http://charterforcompassion.com/
We then talked about what we thought “spirituality” means. While beliefs are of the mind, spirituality is of the heart. It just “is.” It is like energy or gravity: it’s not something to believe in but is something that we know is there. We may have a difficult time explaining it well (it’s not of the mind) but we can sense it, feel it, and know (in our hearts) that it is real.
Spirituality is something “bigger.” It is “love” as in Brian Swimme’s The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story, in which the Universe is loved into existence.
Spirituality is ambiguous and complex. And the “new physics” or quantum physics is beginning to bump into the mysteries, the mystical aspects of the Universe. A reference which explores this and begins to integrate western science and eastern mysticism is Joseph E. Donlan’s Ordaining Reality; The Science Behind the Power of Positive Thinking. See: http://www.ordainingreality.com/
Spirituality is about “connection.” We are all looking for connection; and love is the attracting force in the Universe; it is both the creative and motivating power behind “everything.”
Two other references were brought up in this introductory discussion:
· Power vs. Force by David Hawkins
· Hidden Truth Forbidden Knowledge by Steven M. Greer, an American physician, ufologist, and conspiracy theorist
At this point we introduced ourselves by providing a bit of background and focusing on our reasons for being part of this formative stage of the group.
We then did a round-table, all providing thoughts and ideas on good discussion topics. These include:
· An exploration of Extra-terrestrial Intelligence and UFOlogy
· How do we speak about “God” – several people expressed difficulty with the word, and other ways of speaking about “divinity” or “higher power.” What is this concept and how do we react to it? Is this a being outside of ourselves?
· Energy – what is it and where does it go when we die? How does energy connect us? Is there an energized afterlife?
· Culture and Society – what are the origins, how are they created and how are they destroyed. A related topic is the study and preservation of indigenous cultures, especially their spirituality. Is the destruction of a culture part of the evolutionary process? – out of chaos comes new creation? Is all evolution good?
· How do we determine right from wrong – especially in the turmoil of an evolving and relative value system? Ethics.
· Compassion vs. Tolerance – tolerance is of the ego, compassion of the heart
· Grace – what is it? How can we get it? Where does it come from, where to look for it? “Let go of control and let grace appear.”
· Judgment – how does our language, the words we use, further a judgmental attitude? “Try to talk without judgment.”
· Native American traditions and spirituality. Other indigenous cultures.
· Celebrations and ceremonies; rituals; earth-based spirituality and celebration of the seasons, sun-cycles, moon-cycles, and their connection to religious holidays
· Reincarnation, karma, past-life regression.
This can be an on-going and ever expanding list, but it is a good beginning.
We also discussed some basic group definitions and dynamics. The following is a list of thoughts for the group as we continue to form and move forward:
· We are a group of explorers coming to a variety of subjects with no judgment or preconceived notion of the “Truth”
· We come together to discuss, not dictate. We hold each other with respect and mutual caring, in loving kindness and compassion
· We will be guided by compassion and the Golden Rule. The following excerpt from the Charter for Compassion Project illuminates compassion’s role as a spiritual tool and its relation to belief:
The religious traditions all make it clear that compassion is the test of true spirituality; it takes precedence over belief and doctrinal orthodoxy. You can have faith that moves mountains, but if you lack charity it is worthless. Compassion is the path that brings us to the sacred. In our fellow human beings we see what has been called the human face divine. It is also the practice that brings us to Nirvana, God, Brahman, or Dao.
· We will meet monthly on the first Monday of the month; and for now we will meet at the Little Nepal Restaurant from 6:30 to 8:30 (or so).
· We may add a second monthly meeting to experience spiritual practices and ritual
· “Notes” of a general nature appropriate for sharing with the whole group will be recorded and disseminated along with discussion topic(s) for the next meeting. These will form a newsletter, “Wisdom Connections”, and be available in blog form for further online comment and discussion.
The next meeting will be held on May 4, 2009, 6:30 pm, at the Little Nepal restaurant.
Please feel free to invite guests of like mind and spirit. And do let Rosemary and Richard know who is coming no later than noon Monday so we can make arrangements with the restaurant.
The discussion topic for the next meeting is: “How do we talk about ‘God’?”
Wisdom Connections 