Expressing gratitude for those who have gone before us is important for a sense of connection and continuity, yet it is from those who walk beside us that we can gain the strength and courage to remain true to one purpose. And what many today are discovering as they "dig a new-way path" is not a teacher or guru or guide, but a "resonator", a friend or companion so true to their own reality that they inspire others to be faithful to theirs. Somehow the resonator calls us to our true selves, reminding us and reflecting to us our deepest possibility, asking the difficult questions and encouraging us to take action.
~ from THE FEMININE FACE OF GOD by Sherry Anderson and Patricia Hopkins with thanks to Martha Gilbert
BLESSED BE, friends! In our expression of "Labor Day" this season, may we go into the silence and reflect on the balance and priorities of our lives in these increasingly complex times. May we allow the embracing gift of Silence to bless us with inner peace and wise counsel ... to renew our aspirations that all our Work be in the service of Love.
It came as no great revelation or dramatic insight. Just a simple reminder that I chose my responsibilities and that behind each of them is love. They are not burdens or chores; they are expressions of love. When I am not caught up in anxiety, I enjoy the activities they require. And of all my chosen tasks and commitments, those that bring the greatest challenges, frustrations, joy and satisfaction are those that are born of my deepest love, my love for those who depend on my labor.
Grandfather continued, "Beyond the island of ego, the prison, lies the world of the spirit-that-moves-in-all-things, the force that is found in all things. It is a world that communicates to all entities of Creation and touches the Creator ... a world that expands our universe and helps us fuse ourselves to the earth... There is a bridge, which I call the 'Sacred Silence', that not only brings one to the ultimate purity of the spiritual mind and opens a clear communication, but also transports one to those worlds beyond the island of flesh... The pure mind is a common truth to all philosophies and religions, so the Sacred Silence, is found in all philosophies, though it is called by another name. That name is meditation.
What struck me most was the silence. It was a great silence, unlike any I have ever encountered on Earth, so vast and deep that I began to hear my own body... There were more stars in the sky than I expected. The sky was deep black, yet at the same time bright with sunlight. The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic.
It is time to touch the Silence, to become one with nature and other people. When we go into the Silence, we learn to hear the rhythm of the great Mystery, the heartbeat of Earth. Going into the Silence, we learn to be alone with our thoughts:
To hear the Silence
To listen and to see the Silence
To listen and to taste the Silence
And, with closed eyes, to feel the Silence.
It is in quiet moments that we find our heartbeats. When we let go and search the dark warmth of our silence, we feel the rhythmic beat of the Earth vibrating, flowing toward us.
~ from THE MOON IN HAND: A MYSTICAL PASSAGE by Eclipse
My heart leaps out of my mouth at the sound of the winds in the woods. I, whose life was but yesterday so desultory and shallow, suddenly recover my spirits, my spirituality, through my hearing... Ah! if I could so live that there would be no desultory moments ... I would walk, I would sit and sleep, with natural piety. What if I could pray aloud, or to myself, as I went along by the brookside, a cheerful prayer, like the birds! And then, to think of those I love, who will know that I love them, though I tell them not ... I thank you, God. I do not deserve anything ... and yet the world is gilded for my delight ... my path is strewn with flowers... O keep my senses pure!
~ Thoreau, in THE SPIRITUAL ATHLETE edited by Ray Berry
softly in the whispering of the wind ...
sweetly in the melodies of the songbird ...
peacefully in the rustling of the leaves ... and,
lovingly in ways that touch your heart.
In the country it seems as if every tree said to me "Holy! Holy!"
Who can give complete expression to the ecstasy of the woods!
O, the sweet stillness of the woods!
A chief must never forget the Creator, never forget to ask for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth. We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show great respect for all the beings of this earth. In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics. When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed... These are our times and our responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth, from whom all life comes. In order to do this, we must recognize the enemy -- the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.
~ Leon Shenandoah, in WISDOM KEEPERS by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden
I walked out onto a dock in the Gulf of Mexico. I ceased to exist. I experienced being a part of the sea breeze, the movement of the water and the fish, the light rays cast by the sun, the colors of the palms and tropical flowers. I had no sense of past or future. It was not a particularly blissful experience; it was terrifying. It was the kind of ecstatic experience I'd invested a lot of energy in avoiding. I did not experience myself as the SAME as the water, the wind, and the light, but as participating with them in the SAME SYSTEM of movement. We were all dancing together.
I part the out thrusting branches
and come in beneath
the blessed and the blessing trees.
Though I am silent
there is singing around me.
Though I am dark
there is vision around me.
Though I am heavy
there is flight around me.
