The aim of spiritual work is the dissolution of the self. Unfortunately, the self is clever and will do all in its power to keep control, including turning spiritual work into the ultimate ego trip. This is why we must be constantly on guard. The first task, once we've become quiet inside, is to locate, feel & identity the Spirit – our Divine Spark. The work, from then on, serves this spark rather than self-interest, and such work is always humbling.

The word humble comes from the Latin humus, which means ground, earth, soil. To be humble is to be down to earth. You stay grounded and do not put yourself above others.

I've reached the moment where the movement of my thought interests me more than the thought itself.

—Pablo Picasso

This blog (such an ugly word) is a journal of sorts. An accrual of daily thoughts generated by the work. It is designed to help us out of the world and into the work – put us in the mood for practice.

MEDITATION

lingering

in

stillness

I am thinking about the hand of the gardener.

What does it touch? It is a loving, waiting, patient hand.

It touches what is not there yet.

It guards the distance.

—Byung-Chul Han

YIELDING:
                      reaching forward from the back (rounded shoulders)
                      pulling back the front (hollow chest)

I choose to live off crumbs because I believe they mark a trail. The value of frugal.

Knowledge bolsters the Ego
Poetry feeds the Soul

empathy is a moral obligation

We've created a society full of elderly
but devoid of elders.

in the midst of silence

When the mind truly quietens, you have no choice but to face God, and you realise there's nothing more terrifying than silence.

That's the job of art:
to undo the logic of the world.
—Sean Scully

via negativa

everything is connected

nothing is locked

The teacher provides a small set of principles which, when obeyed to the hilt, slowly wash us free of self, of sin.

The imperative of releasement

With our cherished freedom of choice, we design lives that make spiritual progress well-nigh impossible.

I spent nine years at university only to learn that if I wanted a real education I needed to look elsewhere.

We do not know what God is. God Himself does not know what He is because He is not anything. Literally God is not, because He transcends being.

—John Scotus Eriugena

A real teacher doesn't merely pass on knowledge or information, they turn on your spirit. This is the transmission.

We all know, deep down, that when we produce beauty – be it silence, art, simple kindness or natural order – then God is pleased.

Without the correct hardness (self-discipline) we're indulgent & infantile, and without the correct softness (a feeling for others) we're disconnected & selfish.

When the knife reaches bone,
your life must change.
—Rumi

The Human Touch

Athletes know that a great training session will be followed by muscle soreness the next day. Dancers have regular "zombie days" when they simply can't function and need to rest. Live performers take all sorts of drugs (alcohol being the most common) to ease the awful comedown after the gig. The same with us spiritual adepts – if you have a really effective meditation or prayer session then expect to feel wretched & unsettled – out of sorts – the next day.