Spirituality Without Borders

The purpose of life is to become more living, to allow the soul to live more, and that is the limit given by Christ when he says, 'Raise your light high'. This means allowing the soul to express itself. It does not matter what your life is, what your pursuit is; in order to fulfill the purpose of life you need not be in a temple or a church. Whatever your life's pursuit -- art, poetry, sculpture, music, whatever your occupation may be -- you can be as spiritual as a priest or clergyman, always living a life of praise. Your work in life must be your religion; let the soul express itself in every aspect and it will surely fulfill the purpose of life. The soul's life comes naturally if we open ourselves for the spirit to rise.~Hazrat Inayat Khan

"In the same way, I consider myself 100 percent Hindu and Indian and 100 percent Catholic and Spanish. How is that possible? By living religion as an experience rather than as an ideology."--Raimon Panikkar

It is last line that resonates with me. I don't consider myself Hindu and Catholic per se, but am interspiritual. It's about being way beyond the exoteric, and that's a wonderful "place" to be. Religions are made by man, and reflect a particular culture and time, with cosmetic updating in some places from time to time. Today, we are beginning to embrace a broadness, which includes, thankfully, the insights of women's spirituality. The fuedal way of doing things is over, though breathes its last roar presently.


How often the spiritual experience of a realized being finds itself codified, becoming a religion, a binding. Every single one of us stands called to embrace their own fullest self. Any one of us can make "miracles" happen. Such phenomena express the ordinary actually, not the extraordinary. It seems to me that the one true religion involves connection and expression of our fullest being and the one true prayer is "thank you."


Does this mean we dump all religious rituals? No. Ritual speaks to our soul and can transmit timeless truths. It's when the ritual becomes more important than the truth it attempts to convey, a mistaking of the fingertip for the moon, as The Buddha says.


For many, particularly in some ways, for some who think they are open-minded, this threatens. They are loving folks who say publicly that one must root oneself in a single tradition, yet, privately, some say "go for it" to those who live interspiritually. Others say, simply, that one must express one's spiritual life singularly, period.


A rapidly growing number of individuals who have progressed spiritually, however, can, indeed, be the pioneers to a beautiful Reality, and they do so with awe and reverence. They can see through the glass no longer so darkly, experiencing the Fullness of the Beloved in all Life.


In my own experience, Life has blessed me to dance to the harmonies of the Sufis, Christ Consciousness, Jewish spirituality, the Way of Dharma, and the true connection to Nature and our own power from the Pagan world. The Divine plays the Melody. This is not hodge podge mixing of practices or ritual, but a deep respect for each, yet a seeing beyond what separates to What Connects. Simply living Life as Compassion in Mindfulness is a holy thing.

Yossi Lopez-Hineynu, Copyright 2009, All rights reserved

During this time of economic upheaval--aka Depression--more than ever folks need to take time in solitude, meditation, and just letting go. While many of us feel justified outrage over bailouts of Wall Street, car companies and banks and wonder why no one seems to care anymore, we can allow ourselves to be attached to this and related emotions. When it controls us, we live as its pawns and have no freedom.

Letting go does not mean giving up--the two are, in fact, mutually exclusive. In the former, we allow to be what is at this moment, without judgement. We can do only what is in our power to make things different and let the rest go. The latter, on the other hand, means checking out of life, essentially, and this mean defeat. We're better than that.

During the Great Depression, folks simply made do with what they had and attempted to help those they could. We need to do that again.

Spending time in contemplation, meditation and solitude, allows us to detach in awareness, but also see the big picture, knowing we shall get through this no matter how long it takes. What matters ultimately is NOW, this moment--the past is gone, so why fret and the future is not yet here, so, likewise, why worry.

Ultimately, folks do not like change much, but it is what makes for LIFE. Look around at the blazing leaves of Autumn, realizing they soon shall lose colour and die, but ultimately new life returns. Nature teaches a lesson.

It seems to me that we are but in the labour pains to a great spiritual awakening, a paradigm shift of untold proportion, a time of greater awareness on many levels. While it might seem frightening for some now, promises of a powerful and more whole world await fruition.

Yossi Lopez-Hineynu, Copyright 2009--All rights reserved

Interesting as the fast from food continues pretty much during the day--(I stop fasting around 7pm regardless of the time of sunset as I am not bound by the rules of Ramadan)--that an awareness of freedom arises. Food does not have to control me, no. It is a blessing, a gift, and means to honour Creation.

By slowing and taking food mindfully, the sun and rain and wind, farmers, grocers, the soil and mircoorganisms, that comprise each bite find themselves respected, as does my body. Not perfect at this, as sometimes food finds itself sucked in my mouth until the spoon has to be put down for a second of centering. Gifts should never be squandered.

It seems to me that right eating needs to involve simplicity--eating to live as someone said, not living to eat. Without a doubt this one writing has certainly been guilty of the latter. If one inhales food, what enjoyment, truly, exists? Is it not simply illusory control to do so?

Stepping out of the trance and consuming spiritually allows one to simply BE, in the NOW. And what glorious fruits result from that. Namaste.

Turning 44 this day gives me pause--gratitude for this wonderful gift of LIFE and those who bless me by sharing theirs with. It is but a day among many, yet sacred as well.

One of my sisters has Alzheimers. She's 69 and dwells in an eternal present moment--no regrets, no future worries, just what presents itself. My 93-year-old mother said to another sister--"Maybe that's the way to live." Mom doesn't realize it, but she's a mystic--one who slows down and looks deeply at How Things Are.

We involve ourselves in way too much nonsense. We need to slow down, open our eyes and hearts, and live eternally NOW. Jesus tells us to consider the lillies of the field and the birds of the air--whose needs are met by simply being.