How do we learn truth (best)?
Converse with wise people.
Engage in conversation with those who have an open heart.
People with an open heart are able to touch, and to be touched by others, even those with whom they are at odds, disagree with, come from a different place or point of view.
We can't learn Truth when we shut out that which we don't want to hear.
We can't learn Truth when we surround ourselves only with what we like.
We can't learn truth when we avoid those different from us, from our beliefs, our origins.
It is easier sometimes to begin this exploration of learning truth, by learning to communicate with non-human beings--animals, birds, insects, plants, trees, the wind, the moon...
Listening, and speaking as if they can understand us--because often they can. Our non-human relaions often understand us much more than we do them. It seems less fearful to begin our learning truth through our relationships with these relatives rather than with humans. THey have much to teach us.
Self-Reflection: I desire to learn Truth. I take time to listen to the natural world around me.
If you would like to explore a wonderful practice for learning to listen to the wisdom and guidance of nature, click here: A Medicine Walk for Wisdom and Clarity
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Saturday, December 31, 2016
To Learn Truth We Practice Through Relationship
Richard Rohr (Center for Action and Contemplation), in one of his morning contemplation posts writes "We do not think ourselves into a new way of living; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking."
If we want a new life for ourselves, we must be willing to return again and again to that place where we learn and can practice tools for living in a new way. The place we return to is through our connection with All Our Relations. What we learn is Truth. What we experience is Love. We learn to live in relationship with all Creation. We learn to think in the language of love.
Self-Reflection: I commit to practice living in relationship with all of creation in the best way I know how. In this way I wil Learn Truth
If we want a new life for ourselves, we must be willing to return again and again to that place where we learn and can practice tools for living in a new way. The place we return to is through our connection with All Our Relations. What we learn is Truth. What we experience is Love. We learn to live in relationship with all Creation. We learn to think in the language of love.
Self-Reflection: I commit to practice living in relationship with all of creation in the best way I know how. In this way I wil Learn Truth
Friday, December 30, 2016
We Learn Truth Through the Sense of Touch
We begin the experience of being human through our 5 senses. The 5 senses are not instincts, but they inform our instincts, and also, the other way around. We begin our learning about what it is to be human with our sense of 'touch'. We learn comfort and pain, hot and cold, hard, soft. Our first experience of being loved or rejected comes through our tactile experience during our birth.
In working with the Cycles of Truth, we begin with Learn Truth and the first of our five senses, touch. This tactile sense is our first informer as to whether our world is a good and safe place to be. It is the first way we are in relationship with all of our world.
Reflecting on our early experience in the world gives us clues about where we need to update our sensory systems (quite literally). Jamie Sams' experienced this first cycle of truth as 'Talks With Relations'. Through the story she tells, she shows how our willingness to step into relationship with all of creation (not just people and our pets) is a tried and true way to Learn Truth AND to open our sense of touch to a higher level of sensitivity and frequency, which brings healing for us and for all we touch...
Self Reflection: I enter a new year of cycles and rhythms. I will be touched by the experience of living my life in rhythm and flow. I will Learn Truth through being present to whatever my life touches.
In working with the Cycles of Truth, we begin with Learn Truth and the first of our five senses, touch. This tactile sense is our first informer as to whether our world is a good and safe place to be. It is the first way we are in relationship with all of our world.
Reflecting on our early experience in the world gives us clues about where we need to update our sensory systems (quite literally). Jamie Sams' experienced this first cycle of truth as 'Talks With Relations'. Through the story she tells, she shows how our willingness to step into relationship with all of creation (not just people and our pets) is a tried and true way to Learn Truth AND to open our sense of touch to a higher level of sensitivity and frequency, which brings healing for us and for all we touch...
Self Reflection: I enter a new year of cycles and rhythms. I will be touched by the experience of living my life in rhythm and flow. I will Learn Truth through being present to whatever my life touches.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
January New Moon and the Gift of Healing Touch.
Carolyn shares her thoughts on the night of the new moon: I sat listening to what thoughts make themselves known to me during the time I set aside
for my new moon meditation.
Thinking about the gift of the call to Learn Truth that I embrace this
month. AND thinking, too, about the gift creator has provided for me through
my five senses.
This month the sense we are asked to know better is the sense of touch. My mind goes to a memory of one of the first times I laid my hands on the skin of a loved one and through that touch received awareness of their pain and the way to relieve it. Remembering this, and reflecting on the other times my coming in touch with another has been healing for me, or them, and sometimes for both of us, I had this thought: What if we are beings born as cells of the heart of Creator? What if our bodies are living ‘hearts of the Divine’? Then this skin of ours, which is the largest organ of our body, is a magnificent receptor and giver of all that is possible of Divine Love. It is no wonder that intuition is developed through our awareness of touch. It is of no surprise that we Learn Truth through our willingness to be in relationship with all, and how often our sense of touch (as well as our voice) frames these relationships.
Self Reflection: Am I open to the gifts which come my way with the willingness to learn truth?
This month the sense we are asked to know better is the sense of touch. My mind goes to a memory of one of the first times I laid my hands on the skin of a loved one and through that touch received awareness of their pain and the way to relieve it. Remembering this, and reflecting on the other times my coming in touch with another has been healing for me, or them, and sometimes for both of us, I had this thought: What if we are beings born as cells of the heart of Creator? What if our bodies are living ‘hearts of the Divine’? Then this skin of ours, which is the largest organ of our body, is a magnificent receptor and giver of all that is possible of Divine Love. It is no wonder that intuition is developed through our awareness of touch. It is of no surprise that we Learn Truth through our willingness to be in relationship with all, and how often our sense of touch (as well as our voice) frames these relationships.
Self Reflection: Am I open to the gifts which come my way with the willingness to learn truth?
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
As We Move to a New Year of Truth Cycles...
Being and living the vision for our life: Everything in the universe has a template for it's structure and existence (it's potential and possibility). We, as human beings, are no different in this sense than rocks, trees the elements and the stars. We are what we are. Yet, as human beings, the template of our potential is often co opted by our ego and our thinking brain (a simplistic description; read Ken Wilber's work on Integral living if you want to know more). We have brief, fleeting moments of awareness and knowing--where we ARE fully present, and the person we dare to dream we could be-if/when...makes herself/himself known to us!
We are already who and what we were created to be. But...because our sense of self is not in alignment with our 'Divine Template' it only means that we must learn how to bring our vision back from the distance of 'someday' to the present moment.
We already are the person we sense we are called to be. We CAN and WILL learn to experience ourselves as this person! How? We start by paying attention to the reaction of our senses in our daily lives. We notice our preferences, likes, dislikes, prejudices, beliefs. No judging, just notice. No judging, just notice.
Self Reflection: The process of becoming who I am is not so much about becoming more, but a process of shedding, letting go, dropping what is not 'me'.
We are already who and what we were created to be. But...because our sense of self is not in alignment with our 'Divine Template' it only means that we must learn how to bring our vision back from the distance of 'someday' to the present moment.
We already are the person we sense we are called to be. We CAN and WILL learn to experience ourselves as this person! How? We start by paying attention to the reaction of our senses in our daily lives. We notice our preferences, likes, dislikes, prejudices, beliefs. No judging, just notice. No judging, just notice.
Self Reflection: The process of becoming who I am is not so much about becoming more, but a process of shedding, letting go, dropping what is not 'me'.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Stereopsis Moon
 |
| Stereopsis New Moon , Lisa Kay, 9/30/16 |
Monday, September 5, 2016
Serving the Child, Serving the Future
Karin, a founding member of our original Moon Cycle Circle and guest blogger, starts off the exploration of the role of 'will' (and true service) on the path to Live Truth. She shares her personal reflections:
During last month's focus on Serving Truth, I was startled by the assertion that I needed to serve myself. (This flies in the face of my Christian indoctrination.) It took so much pressure off me to serve, serve, and serve some more until I was spent. Working with Kinders these past two weeks--and I mean, young Kinders--with their joyful and willful expression, has reminded me to be aware of and care for my own inner child. I intuit that I need to cultivate and give witness to an intermingling of service to them and to service to myself. Therein lies the evolution and healing of Planet and Self--one and the same!
It takes daily contemplation and review of my intentions in order to Serve God/The Good. My intentions encompass guiding the little ones in learning how to 1) distinguish needs from wants; 2) balance their needs and immediate wants with those of their peers; 3) to assert when they have not been heard, yet also practice strategies of patience and grit when faced with challenges. Basically, to stre-e-etch both their brains AND their hearts when peers trespass their boundaries and they don't receive immediate gratification--tall orders for any of us, let alone Kinders!
August's focus on Service and September's focus on Awareness of Tomorrow's Dreams in its range of manifestations epitomizes my journey through the cycles. The image of a giggling-then sleepy-then generous babe Wata-jis in the cradle board (from Jamie Sams story of Setting Sun Woman) captures the essence of a Kinder kid! This morning I looked at our class pictures and could distinctly envision them as high schoolers! I need to be aware that their future selves will carry the foundational circuitry and emotions from their Kinder selves!
What exactly is my role? It's imperative that I pray morning, evening, throughout the day (!) for the words and patience to love them just as they are developmentally (as my young Karin needed and did not always receive). Also important is to give them choice and a measure of responsibility in making those choices. Tell them in word and deed that I trust them. Model that I, too, make mistakes, but that we can and will become skillful emotionally and cognitively. This is a process, an entire life's journey. My co-teacher and I are learning that patience and respect (with respectful consequences for obstinacy!) during this journey are the hardest to practice and model. But the fruits of our labor are so worth it.
During last month's focus on Serving Truth, I was startled by the assertion that I needed to serve myself. (This flies in the face of my Christian indoctrination.) It took so much pressure off me to serve, serve, and serve some more until I was spent. Working with Kinders these past two weeks--and I mean, young Kinders--with their joyful and willful expression, has reminded me to be aware of and care for my own inner child. I intuit that I need to cultivate and give witness to an intermingling of service to them and to service to myself. Therein lies the evolution and healing of Planet and Self--one and the same!
It takes daily contemplation and review of my intentions in order to Serve God/The Good. My intentions encompass guiding the little ones in learning how to 1) distinguish needs from wants; 2) balance their needs and immediate wants with those of their peers; 3) to assert when they have not been heard, yet also practice strategies of patience and grit when faced with challenges. Basically, to stre-e-etch both their brains AND their hearts when peers trespass their boundaries and they don't receive immediate gratification--tall orders for any of us, let alone Kinders!
August's focus on Service and September's focus on Awareness of Tomorrow's Dreams in its range of manifestations epitomizes my journey through the cycles. The image of a giggling-then sleepy-then generous babe Wata-jis in the cradle board (from Jamie Sams story of Setting Sun Woman) captures the essence of a Kinder kid! This morning I looked at our class pictures and could distinctly envision them as high schoolers! I need to be aware that their future selves will carry the foundational circuitry and emotions from their Kinder selves!
What exactly is my role? It's imperative that I pray morning, evening, throughout the day (!) for the words and patience to love them just as they are developmentally (as my young Karin needed and did not always receive). Also important is to give them choice and a measure of responsibility in making those choices. Tell them in word and deed that I trust them. Model that I, too, make mistakes, but that we can and will become skillful emotionally and cognitively. This is a process, an entire life's journey. My co-teacher and I are learning that patience and respect (with respectful consequences for obstinacy!) during this journey are the hardest to practice and model. But the fruits of our labor are so worth it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)