Day 6 of the 40 day spiritual journey from the book 'The Purpose Driven Life- what on earth am I here for?' by Rick Warren
My insights from Day 6:
Rick tells us that life on earth is just a temporary assignment, especially
when we compare it to eternity. And also, that we should consider planet
earth as a temporary home - our true home being elsewhere and beyond this life.
Maybe I am an alien on planet earth?
What I find interesting is the way the Christian Lords Prayer, that I was
taught at school, had the sacred feminine aspect removed from it,
apparently!
I was taught at school:
'Our Father which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name'
Apparently, the original Amaraic texts say:
'Our Father which art in Heaven,
Our Mother which art in Earth,
Hallowed be thy names
This connects more with Yin and Yang,
positive and negative forces in balance etc
Interesting!
So I am not completely sure that I accept that our home is
entirely beyond this life and this planet earth?
I think I would prefer to accept the notion of both heaven and
earth (right and left brain hemispheres again) as part of a cycle?
But I do agree with the notion that the things we can see, here and now,
on planet earth are 'conditioned' and impermanent, and the things
we cannot see, the invisible, the 'unconditioned' may last forever.
I learned from a Sage that 'there is no true and lasting fulfillment
to be found in the finite. Lasting fulfillment can only be found in
the infinite'.
The Buddhists say, until you realise this you will suffer from
'unsatisfactoriness'., or incompletion, if you wish.
Rick quotes the Bible to say the same "We fix our eyes not on what
is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but
what is unseen is eternal".
Perhaps the greatest and most powerful point for me, for this day, is
the statement and realisation that 'true abundance' is not the same thing,
at all, as just material abundance.
I prefer a world of 'spiritual billionaires'. I seem to meet more of these
people in countries, sometimes far less developed, with rich tradition,
culture, and a strong sense of community. Even though some of them
may be experiencing severe material poverty!
Unfortunately, in many of our richer material and economically developed
countries, we have 'spiritual poverty'.
Who really needs the help??
The great news for me, is to realise that life is far more than the short span
on earth - maybe everlasting - I don't know. Does anybody really know?
As a wise person said to me recently, I would rather spend this life
happily believing there is an afterlife, and discovering there is not
- than to spend this life unhappily believing there is no afterlife, and
discovering that there is !!
More at:
http://www.in-love-with-wisdom.com/
