Category: Spiritual Writings

“A contemporary definition of Divinity states: “A divine force or power.  Powers or forces that are universal, or transcend human capacities.”

When we examine this definition, two facets of good news are revealed.  First, transcending a situation is more than simply surviving the situation.  It is rising above the situation to triumph over our challenges

In doing so, we become something more — something greater — than the versions of ourselves that faced the challenges in the past.

Second, human capacities  describe what we accept as our abilities, both today and in the past.  It’s often the case, however, that the limits we are accepting for ourselves are not true limits at all.  Rather, they are perceived limitations that we’ve been conditioned and indoctrinated to accept for ourselves.

Divinity is more than our thoughts.  Divinity is more than what we believe.  Our divinity is more than our conscious mind.  It’s beyond our subconscious mind.  Divinity is an expression of a part of us that is known as our superconscious.  This is the part of us that is lasting, ancient, and timeless.

Our superconscious is the source of our direct knowing.  It’s the key to our deep intuition, creative imagination, and expression.  It’s where our self-acceptance and self-love begin, and because of this acceptance and love, it’s also where our deepest states of healing begin.

An often-used, yet anonymous quote that helps to clarify the distinction between subtle states of consciousness is: ‘The superconscious mind is soul, source, love, the authentic you.  The subconscious mind is what you are.  The conscious mind is what you do.’  We see expressions of divinity in the world around us each and every day of our lives.  Sometimes those expressions appear in unexpected ways.”

a passion for God. But if you are prideful, arrogant, and self-righteous, you don’t have compassion.  It’s the one piece needed to do the work that Jesus calls us to do.

“Our soul contracts are carefully crafted to guide us on a path of growth and learning. Every experience, relationship, and challenge we encounter has a specific purpose, helping us evolve and connect more deeply with our inner self.

These unique characteristics of soul contracts are reflected in several key aspects of our lives:

Life lessons: We plan important lessons that we need to learn, such as patience, compassion, or forgiveness. These lessons help us grow and better understand our interactions with others.

• Significant relationships: We choose relationships with family, friends, and partners that will be crutial in our lives.

Through these connections, we experience love, support, and opportunities for personal growth.

• Personal challenges: We select certain obstacles and difficulties that will strengthen us and develop our skills. These challenges push us beyond our limits and help us discover our true strength.

• Gifts and talents: We decide to bring innate abilities into this life to fulfill our purpose and help others. By recognizing and developing these gifts, we contribute to the well-being of the community and our own personal fulfillment.

• Time and place of birth: We choose the environment and historical period that will provide the necessary conditions for our lessons. This context influences our opportunities and challenges, shaping our life experience.

• Career path: We select professional paths that allow us to express our gifts and talents and learn through work. Our careers can serve as vehicles for personal fulfillment and service to others.

• Significant events: We plan key events that will serve as major turning points in our lives. These events offer opportunities for growth, realignment with our purpose, and reflection on our goals and values.”

https://www.gaia.com, Soul Contracts: Do We Plan Our Lives Before Birth?, Gabriel Soca

“Do you believe some people come into your life for a specific purpose? As if they want you to learn valuable life lessons and help you move forward in your spiritual journey? We are all part of a great cosmic master plan and our soul relationships are guided by spiritual laws, rules, and agreements. The more you learn to identify your soul contract, the farther you will go on your spiritual journey.”
mind journal.com

“Soul contracts are created in a higher state of consciousness, where our soul works in collaboration with spiritual guides and other beings of light to plan our lives. This process includes a detailed review of our past lives and an evaluation of the lessons we still need to learn for our spiritual evolution.

During this planning, our soul is never alone. We coordinate our experiences with other souls that also play important roles in our lives, and we, in turn, play roles in their lives. This collaboration ensures that each lesson and challenge aligns with our spiritual growth and that of the other souls involved.

The choice of experiences is not based on unnecessary suffering but on the potential for growth that each situation offers. We consciously select both

challenges and joys to achieve a deeper understanding and spiritual balance. This meticulous planning prepares us for a life filled with meaningful learning and opportunities to evolve.”

https://www.gaia.com, Soul Contracts: Do We Plan Our Lives Before Birth?, Gabriel Soca

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Swami Vivekananda are all considered  prominent yogis who significantly influenced the spread of yoga and Hindu philosophy in the West.  In researching the 200-year transmission of India’s spiritual teachings to the West, I found that these three gurus stood out for their immense impact on public awareness.  They combined a steadfast reverence for tradition with skillful adaptation to the modern world.

They came to America at intervals of about 30 years, in eras that were vastly different, culturally and technologically. They were, of course, Hindu monks.  At the same time, they were well-educated, fluent in English, and knowledgeable about science.

Vivekananda, born in 1863, arrived in Chicago at age 30 as a delegate to the World’s Parliament of Religions. It was the first parliament, and it might have been the last if the ‘handsome monk in the orange robe,’ as one writer described him, had not made it memorable. He stole the show with an eloquent refutation of misconceptions about Hinduism and a dignified demonstration of that tradition’s vaunted respect for all pathways to the divine.

Yogananda was born the year of his predecessor’s triumph in Chicago and landed in Boston in 1920 to speak on ‘The Science of Religion.’ The first major guru to make the U.S. his home, he fell in love with Los Angeles, which he called ‘the Benares of America,’ establishing the world headquarters of his Self-Realization Fellowship on a rustic hilltop with a view of downtown.

The third member of the trio is destined to be known forever as ‘the Beatles’ guru.’ Born in 1918, had been circling the globe for nearly 10 years, teaching his Transcendental Meditation, by the time the Fab Four found him in 1967. He touched down in the U.S. annually for much of that time, attracting small numbers of grown-up middle-class seekers. Then TM caught on among students, and spread to the burgeoning counterculture, and when the Beatles followed him to India, Maharishi’s face became the global symbol of guruhood. It was on the cover of national magazines, the front pages of newspapers, and on national TV.

Meditation was suddenly hip, and soon it would be something more substantial, as Maharishi prodded scientists to investigate what goes on in the body and brain when people meditated. As a result of those early studies, meditation — and with it Indian philosophy — moved quickly from the youth culture to the mainstream. That trend line peaked in 1975, when Maharishi occupied the full hour of Merv Griffin’s talk show (the Oprah of its day) twice, with scientists and meditating celebs like Clint Eastwood and Mary Tyler Moore. Now, a thousand experiments later, yoga and meditation are routinely recommended by healthcare professionals.”

https://www.huffpost.com, Philip Goldberg

“Friendship, marriage, relationships, all these find their fulfillment spontaneously in fully developed potential of the individual. One can be to others to the extent one can be to oneself, only.” (TM = Transcendental Meditation)