Encountering Sacred Global Wisdom

Reflections on interspirituality

"All the great world religions contain teachings that articulate the journey of the spiritual seeker; the path one must walk in order to grow in compassion and respond to the world with clarity and wisdom."

In essence, the task is to grow the “substance of the soul”.  In Buddhist teachings this is called the path to Enlightenment. In the Hindu tradition, Moksha (freedom/liberation) is sought.  And in Christianity, union with God through self-knowledge is the end point.”

Lauren Artress, (1995). Walking a sacred path: Walking a sacred path: Rediscovering the labyrinth as a spiritual tool (p. 23 – 24). New York: Riverhead Books.

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"Putin's Invasion" by Bernice Marie-Daly

The trouble is that Presence loves unconditionally
and we do not.
And we don’t want to;
and we don’t want to admit we don’t want to.
We are afraid to learn to love even though we know that all we seek is the fullness of Love.… 

Previous Posts

On Interspirituality and Shaping a New Worldview

What is the New Cosmology and why is it relevant towards the shaping of a new worldview?

Opening to the Universe Whole-Heartedly

“When the planet is in this much trouble, we are in the dark night of the soul of the planet itself, then we are strangely closer to the seeds of imagination that can be used to reinvigorate life and possibly heal” Michael Meade

I’ve been a fan of Madeleine L’Engle’s “Wrinkle in Time” series for many years.  This quote captures the importance of allowing a “Mythic view of the Universe” to take shape in our heart and mind.  It also calls into question the current myth from which our society seems to be operating. Is it producing results in our lives that we all can agree upon are life-giving or is it as Jung is suggesting causing great sickness in our world? It’s an interesting question to ponder especially during the time of Pandemic, in the midst of a dawning realization of damaging climate change and species extinction, and the daily challenges many people face throughout this world to meet their basic needs to survive…

ON INTERSPIRITUALITY AND SHAPING A NEW WORLDVIEW

The “Journey of the Universe” is a life-affirming story told from a distinct point of view emphasizing the potential for humans to live in symbiosis with Earth and every other living being, and affirms our place within this “Cosmo-genesis” (where each moment the Universe is being born). This remarkable documentary helps us translate larger scientific discoveries into a series of poetic reflections set during a 24-hour period filmed on the Greek Island of Samos – in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece. I’m intrigued with a statement that Brian Swimme makes in the closing scene of the documentary “Journey of the Universe” as he climbs aboard a fishing boat and leaves the island of Samos at night heading back out into the dark Aegean Sea. 

What is Interspirituality?

As a person raised in the Jewish faith, but a seeker of spiritual truth across multiple traditions (thus interspiritual), I’ve often found it difficult to spiritually “come out” and profess a deeper love of the world’s many spiritual and sacred teachings. For two years, I worked with the Vincentian Catholic Order in Plainsboro, New Jersey at the Vincentian Renewal Center (also known as St. Joseph’s Seminary) running a program on Interfaith Spirituality. This website is a collection of perspectives on Interspirituality which I've gathered over the years.

Four Archetypes: Shaman, Mystic, Sage, Prophet

Four perspectives or mindsets that provide useful metaphors for thinking about Interspirituality: 

  • the passion of the Shamanic, a radical re-enchantment with the Sacred,
  • the sensibility of the Mystic, a more intimate sense of belonging within the context of a vast and evolving Cosmos (fashioned of elements composed both of matter yet mysteriously beyond it),
  • the gift of the Prophet who can see the possibilities where others only see the impossible, 
  • the wisdom of the Sage, by recognizing evolutionary forces that have spanned 13.7 billion years at work within my mind, body and Psyche helping to bring awareness to this ever-present “Now” of Creation.

    Copyrighted Images provided courtesy of Joseph Goldfedder 
    (Artist, Acupuncturist)
Shaman
Prophet
Mystic

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Sage

Honoring the Light within US...