On the Value of Spiritual Practice

         

The old timers in spiritual studies loved to say that we must “know the Truth.” I say that this is fine…as far as it goes. Knowing the Truth is one thing; practicing its premises is another because practicing is the other half of knowing. It is one thing to close our eyes and murmur that God is all there is; it is quite another to be upset and influenced by the practitioners of hatred and divisiveness, those who would create the “other” to fear and despise. I must cop to this one at times so I know what I, and all of us as spiritual students, must do.

Our holy business...

It is our holy business to adhere to Oneness in the face of everything that would deny it. The world of forms can be beautiful and terrible, humane and quixotic, uplifting and discouraging. Since our thinking becomes cause in the course of our lives, how stable, how gratifying, how filled with love must our thinking be? Of course we know the answer. We must engage in our practices every day with the best mind and heart we have.

Clear thinking and clear knowing...

We can engage in clear thinking and clear knowing if we choose. We can stabilize our minds through consistent prayer, meditation and contemplation. We can keep our vision focused upon the good we can bring into life and work to see it come to pass.

Our own, gift-giving abilities...

A current saying these days is “Be the good you want to experience in the world.” This is an excellent spiritual practice, for it causes us to create within ourselves our own, gift-giving abilities.

Don’t be mistaken. Life needs every gift we have!

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