October 27, 2024

For many people, this last week of October brings parties, festivals, and preparations around the theme of Halloween. Halloween evolved from All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Hallows' Day, or as we term it now, All Saints' Day, celebrated in Catholicism as well as several other Christian denominations. I always find it an interesting cultural twist that Halloween is counterbalanced with All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day, November 2, first reverently giving honor to all Saints, known and unknown. Then the following day, is given to remembering and praying for faithful Souls who have passed on (depending on different traditions that may include those who attain heaven, or those who are in purgatory, still fulfilling penance). These two celebrations overlap with Day of the Dead, a more social, family recognition of friends and family members who have died, now celebrated throughout many countries, but with deep roots in Mexico. Here, we also have the belief that there is a space in time when those who have died can intersect with the living, briefly returning for a reunion. So the end of October and the beginning of November brings an energy of meeting, past and present, life and death, the terrifying forms and the sweet treats of life, daily human life co-mingling, touching transcendent spirituality, and love that is lost, then cyclically returned--in a magical, mystical dance.

As we all plow through these times we live in, the transition from October to November also brings the national and state elections to another kind of co-mingling of opposing politics. As yet, we are moving toward unknown outcome. Yesterday in meditation, I found myself wandering in thought. My wandering went to wondering: what comes next? I know many are not just wondering, but are are worrying--with all sorts of frightening possibilities popping up in their minds--many triggered by social media from the thoughts and images of others, created for the sole purpose of stirring fear and conflict. In my meditation, I unexpectedly saw a link between worry and wonder. Wondering what might happen can take a turn to worry, Worry turns to fear. Fear feeds itself. Can we shift our worry back to wonder? And then, consider wonder not as a verb, but wonder as a noun: Wonder. This is word play, yes, but it led my thoughts back to stillness, peace and the Wonder of it All. That Wonder supersedes the fears of the unknown and clarifies your own personal path.

So let today, and the week ahead bring you Wonder, not worry. Even if you choose not to join in the revelry of Halloween, the sanctity of All Saints Day and prayers of All Souls Day, or none of the often intense emotions and liveliness of Day of the Dead, know that millions of people do, in this transition to November. That in itself is Wondrous. Rituals are their own form of the Wondrous. You can find your Wonder to lift you past election intensity, and remind you of your Larger Life. Meditation can open that door. (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://www.awakin.org/v2/read/view.php?tid=475&op=audio https://kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com/.../deeper... https://www.bartleby.com/.../249-the-mystic-trumpeter/

October 20, 2024

This morning I am reflecting on spiritual acceptance. I purposefully qualify the word "acceptance" by linking it to the "spiritual"underpinnings of life. Although, depending on your idea of spirituality, we struggle with behaviors, situations and outcomes on all sorts of human and social levels, labeling them as unacceptable or grudgingly tolerating as part of the human mix, spiritual Acceptance is a step toward Peace in the larger movement of Life. Acceptance is receiving with recognition that this, whatever 'this' is, is happening or has happened. Since there are obviously many aspects of Life that we do not understand, and life includes loss and suffering, as well as beauty, companionship and joy, spiritual Acceptance involves clarity and faith.

Years ago, a friend of mine told me the story of their early life in Germany during WWII, the continuous bombing where they lived, and the family's dramatic escape to America. The trauma impacted their entire life, affecting education, jobs, relationships and my friend's later attempts at meditation. As I usually do, I talked about forgiveness as the path to healing. This friend wasn't sure forgiveness was possible and left to consider it. Some time later, when we spoke again, they told me that forgiveness remained out of reach, but new Peace and deeper meditation had come through Acceptance. This conversation in turn, gave me new perspective on the power of Acceptance as well as the blocking power of denial. There are layers of meaning in both denial and acceptance. Denial can be protective. New Thought has a prescription for denying the power and 'substance' of adverse events in order to free our thinking to accept the Good we are seeking. But that can easily degrade into psychological denial--crippling our ability to digest, and come to terms with overwhelmingly painful or frightening events. Ironically, when we are able to integrate both the painful and the deeply satisfying wonders of our life, in Acceptance--however we get there--we know both Peace and Gratitude. Life opens in new ways.

Acceptance is not then just about trauma or the flaws of others or our dissatisfaction with ourselves and our life. Spiritual Acceptance includes our ability to graciously recognize and receive gifts which are freely given. We receive and learn acceptance on the level of human relationships, in the world of nature, and in our spiritual practice. Ultimately, we learn to accept the unearned Grace of God. Before I settled into writing this post, I decided to first venture outside and empty my recycling bin. What a magnificent, clear October day! As I came back to the front door, I gazed at the mountains to the North and scanned the trees around me, looking up at the high tree right next to the front door. All the lower limbs had recently been trimmed away and today, the high branches were suddenly full of apricots! There are other fruit trees in the yard, but I have never seen any sign of fruit on this tree, where I have exited and entered daily for 3 summers. I was stunned. When had they arrived? How could I not know this was a fruit tree? Did the pre-storm pruning bring the fruit? What about the extreme heat? I have no answer, but I have a harvest of apricots. "Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest," flashed through my mind. What other ripening nourishment awaits your acceptance? (Susan Nettleton)

https://www.greatestpoems.com/love-after-love/... https://www.greatestpoems.com/mending-wall/#more-380 https://allpoetry.com/Human-Family https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../WhenWorld/index.html

October 13, 2024

This morning I am reflecting on spiritual acceptance. I purposefully qualify the word "acceptance" by linking it to the "spiritual"underpinnings of life. Although, depending on your idea of spirituality, we struggle with behaviors, situations and outcomes on all sorts of human and social levels, labeling them as unacceptable or grudgingly tolerating as part of the human mix, spiritual Acceptance is a step toward Peace in the larger movement of Life. Acceptance is receiving with recognition that this, whatever 'this' is, is happening or has happened. Since there are obviously many aspects of Life that we do not understand, and life includes loss and suffering, as well as beauty, companionship and joy, spiritual Acceptance involves clarity and faith.

Years ago, a friend of mine told me the story of their early life in Germany during WWII, the continuous bombing where they lived, and the family's dramatic escape to America. The trauma impacted their entire life, affecting education, jobs, relationships and my friend's later attempts at meditation. As I usually do, I talked about forgiveness as the path to healing. This friend wasn't sure forgiveness was possible and left to consider it. Some time later, when we spoke again, they told me that forgiveness remained out of reach, but new Peace and deeper meditation had come through Acceptance. This conversation in turn, gave me new perspective on the power of Acceptance as well as the blocking power of denial. There are layers of meaning in both denial and acceptance. Denial can be protective. New Thought has a prescription for denying the power and 'substance' of adverse events in order to free our thinking to accept the Good we are seeking. But that can easily degrade into psychological denial--crippling our ability to digest, and come to terms with overwhelmingly painful or frightening events. Ironically, when we are able to integrate both the painful and the deeply satisfying wonders of our life, in Acceptance--however we get there--we know both Peace and Gratitude. Life opens in new ways.

Acceptance is not then just about trauma or the flaws of others or our dissatisfaction with ourselves and our life. Spiritual Acceptance includes our ability to graciously recognize and receive gifts which are freely given. We receive and learn acceptance on the level of human relationships, in the world of nature, and in our spiritual practice. Ultimately, we learn to accept the unearned Grace of God. Before I settled into writing this post, I decided to first venture outside and empty my recycling bin. What a magnificent, clear October day! As I came back to the front door, I gazed at the mountains to the North and scanned the trees around me, looking up at the high tree right next to the front door. All the lower limbs had recently been trimmed away and today, the high branches were suddenly full of apricots! There are other fruit trees in the yard, but I have never seen any sign of fruit on this tree, where I have exited and entered daily for 3 summers. I was stunned. When had they arrived? How could I not know this was a fruit tree? Did the pre-storm pruning bring the fruit? What about the extreme heat? I have no answer, but I have a harvest of apricots. "Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest," flashed through my mind. What other ripening nourishment awaits your acceptance? (Susan Nettleton)

https://www.greatestpoems.com/love-after-love/... https://www.greatestpoems.com/mending-wall/#more-380 https://allpoetry.com/Human-Family https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../WhenWorld/index.html

October 6, 2024

October has arrived! This weekend in Albuquerque brings one of the most photographed events in the world, the International Balloon Fiesta. The skies will be filled with an unimaginable array of colors and shapes as hundreds of hot air balloons rise in succession and float across the city. If you are in Albuquerque, there's no way to ignore them; you simply have to stop, and look upward. If you ever longed to recapture the joy of childhood wonder--no matter how brief--let those balloon work their magic. Yes, the traffic and influx of travelers can be vexing, so look up. Rise above it all. For those not in New Mexico this year, myself included, there are many videos online that offer a sprinkling of balloon magic.

I open this post with the Balloon Fiesta, to counter the worldwide tension of this month. There are heavy happenings in the world right now, with war escalation in the Middle East, the disastrous flooding of Hurricane Helene and more storms and floods on the horizon, as we come to grasp climate change. We are on the cusp now of a divisive election that adds to a collective uncertainty across the globe--all the more reason to look up and around for October's gifts. This morning in meditation, I heard one single bird exquisitely announcing the clear day. My mind told me it was signaling nearby birds, but my heart said his song was to me, with only a prefabricated wall of separation between us. It was a reminder of the interconnected web of life we share.

When we can realize and accept that we have what we personally need, it is natural to share and support others; right action flows out of us, like bird song. Life taking care of life is not just a transcendental or abstract thing; it includes our personal lives, and our collective care. It includes the realm of prayer support, the realm of forgiveness even in the faee of meanness and other trespasses. It includes as well, feet on the ground action, showing up, giving, sharing. What unites you to the world around you? What isolates you? To give in these ways really requires that we are a part of the Whole. So look up, above and beyond your usual frame. Even if you are far from a balloon filled sky, or your vision is physically obscured, sweep beyond the frame.

When I was twenty, I attended a University retreat for educators in Houston, held at a lovely monastery with a quadrant court yard. I was very focused on academics, but I met someone who wanted to talk about spiritual matters. Standing in the courtyard with a cloudy sky overhead, my new friend challenged me with, "Look around you, look at that sky, how can feel this is all there is to the world and there is nothing beyond all of this?" I looked up.In that moment there was a loud thunderclap and a powerful lightning bolt flashed across the sky above me. Then that light burst open my thought structure. I entered my Path. Don't underestimate the sky or the bird outside singing, or the bloom at your doorstep. Spiritual windows are everywhere today. Look up! Look around! (Susan Nettleton)

for poetry: https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../WhyINeedBird/index.html https://poets.org/poem/more-loving-one https://literatureapp.com/sylvia-plath/balloons https://allpoetry.com/A-lightning-flash

September 29, 2024

Last week I encouraged a Sunday spiritual practice of recognizing, naming, and appreciating the Good. Of course spiritual practice is not bound to Sunday tradition, but it is strengthened by consistency and routine, in whatever rhythm fits your life. Today, I want to add another element to expand an awareness of Good, our capacity to change perspective. Change of perspective can be subtle or dramatic and comes more easily to some than others. Ironically, too rigid a practice can settle-in and actually resist the further insight that comes from shifting perspective.

Earlier this is week I received a notice of a research study published recently in BMC (BioMed Central. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03569-8) The article inspired me to consider the intricacy of our human capacity to view events from different angles, and the complexity of the way our minds draw conclusions that re-enforce--or challenge--our habitual interpretations of life events. Perspective and interpretation feed our default view of Life. The workings of our intellect and logic, as well as intuition and faith, give name and shape, and ultimately meaning, to our days. Yet, perception is not solely choice. Much of our brain circuitry seemingly operates on it's own. How do we change perspective?

This research project looked at the human skill of mental rotation as a possible way to lower post-traumatic distress. The research was part of a future goal to develop tools to prevent and decrease early symptoms of PTSD. This controlled study followed 164 health care professionals who were experiencing disturbing, intrusive memories with involuntary images of traumatic events during the COVID-19 pandemic. It involved a one-time-only instruction: researchers selected a visual image that "triggered" the participants memories, and then taught them to shift their awareness from the trigger to an unrelated, imagery-based, visuospatial task. The task was to play the computer game Tetris for 20 minutes. The game requires "mental rotation", our ability to imagine what something would look like if it were rotated to a different position and could be seen from a different angle. The successful player mentally rotates each upcoming digital block so that it can be strategically placed to complete lines of blocks. The theory here is that activation of mental rotation competes with the cognitive mechanism of intrusive memory, and thereby reduces and/or prevents disturbing memory images. Participants recorded any intrusive episodes of memory-images daily, for up to 6 months. Analysis showed remarkable decrease of traumatic image intrusion, with only the 1 training session.

This research pinpoints a specific path of healing of the mind's intrusive and disruptive reminders of trauma, by shifting awareness to mental rotation that "sees" the possibility of a change of perspective to complete the game "puzzle". The fascinating aspect to me is the seemingly unrelated activities. The puzzle game apparently "blocks" the disruptive memory. This is not an isolated phenomena, because the gaming industry has produced other types of digital therapy for other disorders, including PTSD, ADHD, as well as games that boost mental acuity in aging. They all re-enforce, in one way or another, changes of perspective--seeing Life from a different point of view, different from the confines of our personal concerns and consciousness.

In a spiritual process of discovering Life as an unfolding Good, sooner or later, we open the door of personal perception and it expands beyond the ideas we have been faithfully (or fearfully) rehearsing. To me, this snippet of research is a reminder of the power of re-arrangement, that we often resist. Re-arrangement inevitably provokes our perspective. Whether it is an unexpected rearrangement of our schedule, or of our "things", our relationships, our ideas and feeling states, or our physical bodies--consider it may be a call to a change of perspective, a healing, a fresh expansion of Good. (Susan Nettleton)

for perspective poetry:

https://allpoetry.com/.../11611734-The-Changing-Light-by... https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Mydailyactiv/index.html https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%253Fdate...

September 22, 2024

In Western culture, Sunday is viewed as a day of rest, coming out of the Biblical creation story that ends on: "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." In other parts of the world, of course, there are other Creation stories, other calendars and other holy days. Monday usually marks the beginning of the week. Living in the U.S., I post on Sundays but as a (semi-retired) Minister, Sunday is mobile, sometimes marking the end of the week, sometimes the beginning, but always a day to affirm the Goodness of Life, and I encourage you to join me in that simple practice.

If your days include scrolling social media, online and TV news flashes, and radio broadcasts, it may be difficult to remember the spiritual significance of affirming the Good when conflict, tragedy, and threats from both nature and human drama dominate the news. So today I remind you to simply take a moment, a meditation, an outing, a prayer, even a conversation, to recognize, name, and appreciate the Good that continues. Savor it. Know it as genuine and as your understanding of the even larger, unfathomable reality of Good. Let (let, not force) any shadows that may fall around that Good dissolve. You don't have to take care of the shadows in this practice; this spiritual practice is to affirm and support the Good, the Beautiful and the True.

As part of my own practice today, I recognize the amazing work and dedication of the firefighters who have been battling 3 large fires in near Los Angeles: the Bridge, Line, and Airport fires. I dedicate this post to them as spiritual expressions of Good. The Line fire began during Labor Day weekend. The other two followed a few days later, as extreme heat hit these areas and the danger and scope rapidly spread. The bravery, dedication and skill of these firefighters goes beyond the term 'good', but rather, elevates to the realm of Spiritual Good, encompassing skilled firefighters and their support teams such as strike teams of engine and hand crews, water tenders, wildfire falling module units, and those manning infrared imaging and aircraft. In all, it is a massive effort that includes the circle of other states in an intricate, mobile necessity of trained, dedicated people and equipment. Spiritual Goodness further expresses through the Cal Fire website that meticulously and generously provides not only daily life-saving updates for those in the area, and but also conveys powerful messages of living in community. As the message from the Chief put it, "We are all here to help each other". The website clarifies daily closures and evacuations, listing shelters for residents, and shelters for large animals and small animals. As I write, these fires are now all over 56% contained. The weather this past week suddenly shifted to much colder, more moisture, and calmer wind.

Yes, the terrain, some structures and homes have burned. There have been injuries and loss of wildlife. Yes, the Line fire was arson, and the Airport fire crew suffered a transport rollover that insured several of the crew, some seriously. These are sobering events that we can acknowledge and recognize as loss. We have our social structures for justice, and our means of resilience and recovery. We have knowledge and prayer for healing. I maintain that the recognition of Good, even when coping with loss, opens new possibilities of continued and expanding Good. Not all of us can rest on Sunday, but we can find Good wherever we are. It maybe as simple as a bite of food, or a lovely smile, or a flitting butterfly, or a space of peace within our own hearts. Give it life, savor it, name it Good, and very Good. (Susan Nettleton)

Poetry https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/.../rainer-maria-rilke-i...

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Isawagreatli/index.html

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../MiracleFair/index.html

https://artandtheology.org/.../the-divine-will-by-jean.../

September 15, 2024

"CLARITY II'

The French say:

beau temps,

not a beautiful day

but a beautiful time.

The day can't be beautiful

but the time can be.

(Larry Morris, On this Sweet Earth)

After a smoky-sky beginning, this morning has given way to beau temps! I remember discovering the morning salutation "Quel beau temps!" many years ago, while staying at a quaint guest house on the French island Noirmoutier in the North Atlantic. The early morning had been misty, cold and gray, but by mid-morning, the clouds gave way to glorious sunshine, blue sky, and clean ocean air--beau tempe. The French hotel host that morning enthusiastically greeted me, with "Quel beau temps, and happily began to educate me (in English!) on the layers of its meaning. My meager French was self-taught, so I was open to his lesson. When I latter told the story to Larry Morris (who had actually taken French courses at UNM), it inspired the poem, Clarity II.

I knew 'quel' translated to the exclamative 'what!' and 'beau' meant beautiful, but I learned that 'temps' has two meanings: it can mean 'time', in a general sense, (like "take all the time you need") but it also has evolved to mean weather. There is some speculation that the words 'time' and 'weather' were originally associated through ancient systems of measuring time, like the sundial. Predictable, periodic times of changing weather developed the concept of seasons, with distinct challenges and delights. "Time" extended to include fluctuating social conditions as well, giving us such ideas as "hard times"/"temps difficile"and "better times"/"meilleurs temps". Today, I encourage you to consider how you habitually greet the day and label "the time(s)" we live in.

The California Covid surge this summer, the horrendous heat waves of September, the current fires here in L.A. County and across the country, and all the added conflicts and challenges around the globe do not easily meld into a time of beauty. This, I think, is what Larry meant when he wrote "the day cannot beautiful". We humans carry the weight of social issues and the consequences of conflict with nature and each other. Yet, there are always alternative ways to view life. We have the capacity to re-name our reality. Because Life is immeasurable, there is life hiding within life: birth hiding within death, peace hiding within conflict, love hiding within fear, resilience hiding within failure, and beauty--depending on how you define and experience it--everywhere. If only for today, greet the beauty inherent in time and in timelessness. My favorite way to greet the day is the adage: "As the sun makes it new, day by day, make it new, yet again, make it new." Find or refine your own morning greeting. Why not Walk in Beauty and Newness of Life? Quel beau temps! (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../WhenWorld/index.html

https://henryehooper.blog/navajo-traditions-prayer-poems/

https://gladdestthing.com/poems/daybreak

September 8, 2024

Today I am still reflecting on my commitment to adapt to Life's changes in the 21st century as a key principle of my spiritual life. My sense is that the larger spiritual framework of Life, name it God, or a Power, Presence, and Intelligence Un-named, guides and directs creative adaptation, expressing through me, and you as we respond to It. This past week brought new challenges in the form of extreme heat. I grew up in Houston, and even decades ago, there were times of humid, muggy days over 100 degrees. Then I moved on to Albuquerque, where the desert-like dry heat of summer surpassed Houston. This week's heat-wave in L.A. County, has gone beyond the peaks of those days, with severe heat warnings and scorching afternoons (outside and indoors in air conditioning not designed for extreme conditions)! With my grandchildren in need of rides home from school this week, I was pushed outside at mid-afternoon peak temperatures. After 1 day of the building afternoon heat, and warnings of daily escalation, I realized I had to pay close, physical and spiritual attention and that this was an exercise in adaptation.

That same evening, a friend sent me an Instagram clip of Thích Nhất Hạnh from the monastery he founded, Plum Village. In the clip, the gentle Buddhist master spoke of a very simple practice of meditation, with a focus on breath: "Breathing in, I am calm, I relax; Breathing out, I smile. Calming; smiling", or he offers alternatively, you can say, "I listen, I listen deeply. This wonderful sound brings me back to my true home. Breathing in I establish myself in the present moment; breathing out I know this is a wonderful moment...Present moment; Wonderful moment."

The text explains that this is known as a gatha, a short "poem" recited as spiritual practice to bring the mind into harmony with the breath. This practice is also linked to a meditation bell as a reminder to stop and breathe the "poem". The post is a invitation to the plumvillageapp, which has it's own structure for the bell, but for me, this was all a reminder that meditation, like breath, is something I take with me, wherever I go--be it in extreme heat, pleasant weather, or winter freeze. Reminders come from everywhere, like my friend who spontaneously sent the video clip.

The next day, after my own practice of meditation--an inner availability, an inner deep listening--it became clear that the extreme heat requires simplicity--that translates to some very practical ideas--short after-sunset runs to the grocery as needed, simple warm-it-up-in-the-microwave meals, and take-out, lots of home-made ice in the freezer, a small cooler of drinks with ice for the grand-kids on the drive home, conserve the electricity, pay attention to the city updates, check on one another, expect the Unexpected Good...simplify whatever can possibly be simplified; this too shall pass. Consider today, whatever your weather, the simpler path: Calming; Smiling. Present moment;Wonderful moment. (Susan Nettleton)

for Poetry: https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../BrightField/index.html

https://genius.com/Emily-dickinson-how-happy-is-the...

https://www.poetseers.org/.../thich.../thichp/to-meditate/

September 1, 2024

September begins today and tomorrow is America's Labor Day--always the first Monday of September. Culturally, our Labor day weekend is seen as the end of summer, followed by settling in to work, school, and the seasonal changes ahead. Labor Day also now signals seasonal commercial shopping sales. Yet, this is a day to reflect that Labor Day, was officially created in 1894 to honor workers in a time when organized laborers began to gain power through collective bargaining and strikes.This was a time of struggle to improve pay, hours, work conditions, and fair treatment. Now, it is not only individual workers that we honor-- 21st century workers include groups, teams with collective skills, and necessary exchange with one another across varying jobs. And in 2024, the energy that sparked the labor movement now faces the as yet undetermined impact of A.I. on jobs and employment. With all the issues of Labor Day listed here, I'm am encouraging you to consider the spirituality of "work".

In our culture, work is closely connected to "job", a necessity we do in exchange for money and other benefits like health care, insurance, and/or retirement planning, and sometimes, depending on the job, social status. Work implies effort, often repetitious effort, and physical or mental, or even emotional exertion. Easy, simple, enjoyable action doesn't quite fit with the concept of work, although some jobs may be enjoyable and satisfying. Now consider your spiritual life and practice. Some paths of spirituality are indeed about work; a burden is placed on the individual to achieve physical and mental/emotional self-discipline. There are dualistic paths where failure or neglect predicts dire consequences. Even with relatively "soft" spiritual practice, we are called to self-confrontation about our behavior toward others and ourselves, and given techniques to change our attitudes and thought structures. My Sunday posts often include "suggestions" to open and expand your spiritual awareness. Sometimes there is effort (work) involved in the follow-through.

Really though, spiritual work has little meaning without the experience of Love. On a psychological level, Sigmund Freud is credited with the insight that the "cornerstone of humanness" is our ability to work and to love. Psychoanalysis in short is to heal and set free our capacity for both work and love. Poet Kahlil Gibran expressed this on a spiritual level as "Work is love made visible" (see the poetry links below). That shift of laboring from material need to laboring from Love is powerful. It is an aspect of a shift in our life viewpoint that "God", or our "Higher Power" or "The Universe" is our foundation of support--not our specific job. Life takes care of Life. "Work is Worship" is a phrase (and concept) found in all major religions, but grasping that the work that you do is your spiritual expression, cannot really be reduced to a phrase. All that you do is itself the greater creative flow of Life moving through you, as you, in the context of now. This week, as a spiritual experiment (not a duty), consider your work as a manifestation of Love. You are Loved and Life takes care of others through you. (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://poets.org/poem/work-4 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57673/to-be-of-use

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../EnrichingEar/index.html

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Workof/index.html

August 25, 2024

This Sunday, as we enter the last week of August, I am encouraging you to review your sense of trust. It is a word that I often include in my closing thoughts in these posts. I remind you to trust in the larger spiritual field of Life. The general idea of trust underlies our view and belief in Good. At the same time, our idea of Life as Good is re-enforced by trust. From a dictionary point of view, to trust means that we have confidence in specific people, specific things, and specific events. The more we trust "specific" people, things, projects, and their integrity, character, and ability, the more we are willing to rely on them. The more positive experiences we have in trusting others, the more likely we are to extend trust to those we do not know well. It is the woven nature of trusted alliances and reliances that support a positive outlook of the day before us and our more distant future. But self-trust is also essential. If we cannot trust our own choices, decisions and follow-through--if we cannot rely on ourselves--then it is difficult to have mutually supportive relationships. Trust is a balancing act. Trusting the unknown and unproven can be foolish. It can also intuitive. Trusting the unknown, in whatever form, can spring from our deepest faith in God as the ultimate Source of all manifestations of Life. Our perceptions and judgements, our risk tolerance, our fear and courage, our trust and suspicions are multilayered. But the more we trust, the more positive options we find.

Earlier this week, I sat at the computer, listening to the sound of a neighbor's lawnmower. The extreme heat had receded for a few days; the sky was clear blue and that sound reminded me of the freedom of childhood summers. Suddenly, the lawn mower stopped and there was silence, followed by 2 loud popping sounds, followed by more silence with a deep stillness all around. Involuntarily my body tensed. I went to the window, but hedges blocked my view. Everything held still and silent. Then the lawnmower briefly began again, but then stopped. More sharp popping, then more deep silence. I finally exhaled as the lawnmower started up again. This time, it continued the job, moving through the neighbor's backyard, then stopping in completion. OK, it was now obvious that something in the mower misfired. But that space of fear, as I heard the "pops" explode the silence, was something else--not rational--best named collective fear. Collective fear creeps into consciousness when society has repetitive threats. It is the ancient call of alert, announcing danger to the tribe--our primitive warning system. That fear response is not well integrated into our phenomenal modern communications and warning systems. But primitive collective fear is leveraged and fed by human agendas that aim to disrupt, destabilize, and feed conflict, rather than communal safety.

Trust in 2024 then is complex, because our world is complex as we move through a time of technological advances and climate shifts, not just in our "territory", but across the planet. We are emotionally susceptible to all sorts of claims, threats, predictions, and promises. Taking this week to clear your mind and rest in your own inner Trust and Truth, is another step to Peace. (Susan Nettleton)

Poetry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/.../trust-56d22ce3845d0 https://besharamagazine.org/news.../poems-for-these-times-4/ http://www.phys.unm.edu/~tw/fas/yits/yits.html

August 18, 2024

Today's post is an excerpt of this morning's Zoom talk.

This morning I am speaking on The Path of Adaptability. I have been mulling this idea this summer of reckoning)--the election shifts and intensity, the climbing heat, and storms, the wars and protests, and a significant resurgence of Covid. Yet, how we frame these events is critical to our own sense of self and agency. I see my role as offering a spiritual perspective for human struggles, expressed through an individual sense of self and agency. When I say agency I mean our ability to act, to take action, to have a way of response and interaction as an individual, but in my view, we do not just act as an individual, because we also act in the greater context of collective. Today we are looking at the option of adaptability--in the face of collective, even global change. There are other options: conflict and resistance, denial, hunkering down while rehearsing the longed-for-known and familiar. My stance is that solution to the changing environment is what it has always been, humanity adapts. Today, I am focusing on our capacity to adapt, by cultivating a conscious spiritual intent of adapting to change, participating in the most productive way we can as a spiritual path. So let me define adaptability as our capacity and/or our willingness to change (or be changed) or adjust to varying conditions and circumstances. We can include in that words like being flexible, versatile, ready to respond to the unpredictable, a willingness to alter the plan or product or... resilient, pliant, fluid. You can shift gears in your plans, in your ideas, in your movements, words, even mood when necessary. ...

Our belief systems are what partially shape our adaptability. rigid ideas limit creative shifts and novel responses. Rigid spirituality narrows the possibilities for guidance and support. My sense is that adaptability, at least for me, is dependent on the larger spiritual intelligence, you could name it intuition and sometimes it is intuitive, but often it is some triggering sense that a situation requires something other from me than the habitual routine. It is the unexpected that often brings a shift into conscious spiritual mode. Despite my best intention, I do not always consciously move around in spiritual mode; that is why I meditate. For me, meditation includes trusting that direction and "the way" comes as it is needed, even if I forget that. Even if my meditation wanders, it has spiritually opened a way to meet the unexpected events of the day.

Adaptability and creativity are linked processes. Adaptability in the natural world, reveals the phenomenal creativity of life and history tells us not all adaptations end up being useful. Although we have learned a great deal over the centuries of knowledge, we don't know everything. Navigating shifts in climate that involves the entire planet, and it's entire human population that is dependent on conditions of nature, is daunting. Maladaptation is a real thing, in other words, making changes, even with the best of intentions in the long run could turn out to have been misguided or cause further problems. So adaptability, which often requires creativity, also requires resiliency--the ability to recover from and learn from mistakes (our personal ones, and ones of the larger social order) and keep moving forward. At the root of this discussion, I am talking about the consciousness and creative possibilities that you are a part of. You do not have the personal power to make everyone do what you think they should be doing. But, you are an aspect of this planet, this time, the place, the situation. How you respond does matter. Your ability to envision and to adapt, and be creative matters. How you go about these next few years , the attitudes and beliefs, the ideas you cultivate, matter. I am urging you to consider what adaptability means for you personally, but also what your adaptability contributes. (Susan Nettleton)

Poetry from today: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/54897/the-layers https://allpoetry.com/All-Watched-Over-By-Machines-Of...

https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/.../lao-tzu-we-are-river... https://wordsfortheyear.com/.../the-poet-dreams-of-the.../

August 11, 2024

oday, I turn our attention to the human quality of patience. Patience is one of the concepts that we humans have developed as a way to counter the frustration we feel when we fail to to conquer or mold the tendencies of things, people, and circumstances. We also frustrate ourselves with out own behavior, and depending on the culture, we are told that sometimes, we need to be more patient with ourselves, although cultural expectations can also demand perfectionism and painfully shun failure. Our focus today is to consider patience from a spiritual perspective that really is a form of surrender to a larger spiritual reality. In all major religions, scriptures and teaching stories address patience and usually with some sense of balance between human striving for spiritual connection, and living in the world of human relationships. Wikipedia gives a straightforward definition of the word: "Patience is the ability to endure difficult circumstances." How we experience the parameters of "difficult" varies with our stories, our current mood and expectations, and even physical factors (like physical pain or other limitations of the body and our neurological processes). And really patience includes expectation; without an expectation of good, of resolution, of fulfillment, there is no frustration.

This morning, I caught myself in a wave of frustration. Frustration is the feeling we have when something or someone prevents us from fulfilling our goal or felt need. It was a morning of miss-steps, text interruptions, and unexpected chores slowing me down--I wanted my coffee and I wanted it in my prized Santa Fe coffee mug that was lounging in the sink with a few unwashed jars headed to recycling. I don't know why I pictured that mug; I suspect it seemed to be a self-soothing image meant to finally launch me into the day's work. As I rinsed out the cup, I knocked it against one of the plastic jar lids and the lid rolled over, snuggled into the drain circle, blocking the drain. This sink tends to attract circular objects. I pried it up with a fork and it flew up and landed in the mug--completely sealing the cup this time. I tried to pry it out, but it sunk deeper in to the mug, its hard yellow plastic firmly wedged in the bottom. With growing irritation, I used every trick I knew to uproot it. Impossible! Years of meditation have brought me that dual quality of mind that both acts and watches the process; watches the frustration, watches the over-reaction, says to let it go, but at the same time another aspect of thought, refuses to let it go. It is the will that rises to conquer the material world--this time, with a justifying thought of the evils of plastic--even though the jar lid was headed for recycling. I reminded myself that there were other mugs, right there in front of me. But the incredible frustration that the lid simply would not bow/bend to my hand blinded me; I couldn't make that shift to letting my failed will, simply dissolve. Until, I just sat down and meditated.

After meditation, I had my morning coffee in a lovely mug someone had recently sent me. It was indeed comforting. Spiritual patience is about surrendering our narrow frameworks when they are not working. It is a turning to the larger dynamic of life and having the patience to let that unfold and reveal itself. Sometimes the process reveals itself as frustration v.s. patience in things that seem so minor. They hardly justify a fierce battle to liberate something like a cup, when the larger world is struggling with seismatical issues. Yet, the mind has it's way of reaching for small control as we give way to the larger Life. The ancient aphorism, "As above, so below", teaches us that our spiritual life is not just about astounding spiritual experiences of the grandeur, the immensity, of the cosmos, but the unfolding day, learning to move with the movement of the day, patient with ourselves, as well as others and the material world. Surrender. This week consider the quality of patience. In what way are your small battles with the Way things are, actually bringing you new insight into our changing world. (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://zenmoments.org/have-patience-lao-tzu/

https://www.poetryverse.com/rumi-poems/because-cannot-sleep

https://thewellnessalmanac.com/.../patience-a-poem-for.../

August 6, 2024

Announcement to all!

Hillside will hold a Zoom Service, Sunday, August 18, 2024 with Dr. Susan Nettleton

Topic: The Path of Adaptability

Date: August 18, 2024

Time: 11:00 AM Mountain Time, 10:00 AM Pacific Time

If you are not on our email list for Zoom service and would like to attend, please email us at Hillsideew@aol.com or through the contact page on our website: Hillsidesource.com or message us on Facebook with your email address.

August 4, 2024

August brings a new month; tomorrow is a new moon--time to consider newness of life! Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) is known for several revolutionary philosophical ideas and in particular his analysis of causation. He questioned the inevitable tendency of human beings to see life events in terms of cause and effect, and instead, offered the explanation that causality was a habit of thought, arising from an assumption that connection, or "constant conjunction"or repetition of two events appearing together, must mean one caused the other. Hume saw that one can ever actually verify that one event caused the other. But in essence we have a kind of agreed upon assumption, derived from inductive reasoning, that assumes the future will resemble the past. With inductive reasoning, we generalize causation ("this caused that") and precepts out of repetitive observations, probabilities, comparisons and analogies.

It may seem contradictory to write of newness of life in early August, 2024, with the work of an 18th century philosopher, but today I am writing about the stories we create over time through connecting events and experiences. Hume's ideas on our construction of causes are very much active today. I am actually pointing you to the possibility of creating a new story (or stories) from this day's (or this summer's) moments, that continues to unfold in newness of life.

Notably, back in Hume's final year in August, 1776, the official completed version of America's Declaration of Independence was being signed (August 2, 1776), although the formal public announcement was declared on July 4. How is this relevant? It isn't, unless my mind--or yours--weaves the events of Hume's work, his iconoclastic rejection of causation, around the events of the original 13 colonies in their determination to break free from England. Hume wrote ‘the mind has a great propensity to spread itself on the world', i.e. we project our feelings and ideas onto the world without being aware that it is projection. We assume one event caused another.

Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson, considered to be the main author of the Declaration of Independence, rejected Hume's work for political reasons, not philosophical. He considered Hume's "History of England, dangerously biased toward Tory views of conservative political ideas that could undermine American independence. Yet, he admitted that it was so well-written that without those biases, it would be "the finest piece of history which has even been written by man." Instead, Jefferson opted to promote a plagiarized copy, politically re-worked by another author, which Jefferson deemed, "Hume, republicanised." {J. Jefferson Looney, Daniel P. Jordan Editor, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, https://www.monticello.org/.../the-finest-piece-of.../}

Religious beliefs and spiritual teachings readily give us simplified ideas of cause and effect based on culture and traditions. As Hume described, perception of cause and effect is filtered through the mind that "spreads itself on the world", generating perception, assumptions, interpretation and answers out of the past. You could see this as human illusion, or as a wondrous process of Life encountering Life, with infinite creativity, bringing order through name and meaning, extending the creative process Itself. As U.G. Krishnamurti said, "Every event is an individual and independent event. We link up all these events and try to create a story of our lives." It is difficult if not impossible to see every event as independent of every other event--it is in the linking of events that we sustain identity, relationships, and society. We create the story of the world. But when we catch a glimpse of that other form of time, of unlinked independent events, a door to freedom opens. The stories we, or others, or the culture has fixed for us, are changeable. What story do you choose now? (Susan Nettleton)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/.../tell-all-the-truth...

https://sacredmoves.com/poetry/for-a-new-beginning/

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/.../when-i-heard-the...

July 28, 2024

After the last few weeks of rollercoaster politics, I was thinking about the concept of influence and raising questions in myself about how human beings have learned the trick of influencing each other. I was mulling over both our susceptibility to being influenced and our ability to shape the opinions and spark the action of others. There is a science of influence through which we humans have learned to measure and understand this ability to impact and indeed manipulate others. In circling around the issue of influence, I considered the cultural as well as spiritual ramifications, but the focus of this Sunday post suddenly shifted with an unexpected memory.

Around 8 years ago in Albuquerque, I brought some visiting friends to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center during the Center's year long 40th Anniversary celebration. The place had undergone renovations and established a new permanent exhibit entitled "We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story". The intent was to honor Pueblo land and "all living things". It is an interactive exhibit of Pueblo history, resilience and tradition. When we entered the exhibit, there was an immediate sound of a drum beat, followed by intermittent recorded singing/chants. At first, I was focused on the visual display, but the drum beat was unrelenting. It began slow and steady, speeding up at times, the singing fading in and out with the rhythm of the drum. At some point, I had to just close my eyes and let the drum beat, resonating inside me. I suddenly understood: the drum was the beating heart of the community. This revelation was like a lightning bold that left me breathless. At first, I understood it as an unexpected insight into Pueblo life. The atmosphere, the sum effect of the visual gallery, and the drum,--mostly the drum-- sparked insight that decades of Albuquerque life, working with Pueblo people, attending Native American dances, and general study had not revealed. How could I have never understood this? So there is another layer here of realization of how little we grasp of history, of other cultures, of vibrant life all around us for years and years, until something cracks open consciousness. Now the memory of the drumming brings a smile. The heartbeat of the tribe...community is a shared heartbeat.

It may seem that such a concept is only valid for an ancient culture, or for the intimacy of a small, close-knit community or family, or one's closest friends and companions, butt I ask you to reconsider the possibility that human beings, collectively, have a shared heartbeat.

Medically, we measure pulse--centuries of heartbeats have given us a range of normal as well as measures of dangerously fast, or dangerously slow, or arrhythmic heartbeat. We have learned that the heart's electrical system controls the electrical impulses that cause your heartbeat, rhythm and conduction. Science now envisions our hearts and brain as circuitry. We know relationships and emotions impact the circuitry, along with growing evidence that music also effects our blood pressure, heart rate and breath. Our physical hearts obviously do not all beat all at the same rate at the same time. When I write of a collective heart, a Universal heart, it is partly metaphor and partly mystical, mostly undiscovered, this heartbeat of Life, that resonates within. Rather than fretting about being overly influenced or cultivating our personal power to influence others, we could envision, we could discover, One, Communal Heart sustaining and directing us. In speaking of his own shattering realization that there is no [separate] self to be realized, my teacher, U.G. Krishnamurti said, "What you are left with is the pulse, the beat and the throb of life."

This last week of July, consider trusting that we each play a part in a Living Circuitry of Good.

(Susan Nettleton)

Poetry: https://allpoetry.com/.../15695579-Healing-Power-of-the...

https://poets.org/poem/paul-robeson

https://www.poetryverse.com/walt.../crossing-brooklyn-

July 21, 2024

As summer heat carries on across the country, with shifting storms, and shifting political news, I am mulling over restorative practices. Restorative is an interesting word. It is a specific aspect of healing that by definition makes a person feel better--recovers energy or abilities--when they are tired, sick, injured or even overwhelmed. Restorative implies what is damaged or depleted can be made whole again.

In yoga, restorative refers to a type of relaxation that includes the body as well as the mind. Gentle muscular stretches are held for several minutes, while the body relaxes, supported by pillows, bolsters and other props. Mental processing slows to focus on the breath. This seemingly contradiction of simultaneous relaxation and stretch, increases physical flexibility, releases muscle and emotional tension, lowers blood pressure, improves cardiac rhythm, and reduces physical pain. It's interesting that Westerners, in the push to achieve more mastery in yoga, or more athletic strength or skill in exercise or sports, often focus on self-coercion to summon success, resisting the idea of gentle restoration of the body.

In the Western Biblical tradition, there are multiple references to spiritual restoration that leads to physical healing and renewal in life circumstances, including relationships, prosperity, and a sense of meaning, The first passage I memorized in the Bible as a child was the 23rd Psalm that begins with the metaphor of God as the Shepherd who cares, and "makes me (us all) to lie down in green pastures. He leads me by still waters. He restores my (each) soul". As I child, this image of green pastures and still waters brought me immediate peace, even though I didn't understand the historical context. Now, after years of reflection on this Psalm and it's layered historical and metaphysical meaning, these lines still bring Peace. In the context of 2024 and global climate change, there is new meaning in our collective need for green pasture and still waters with an added understanding of restoration and the critical role of nature's capacity to soothe and heal.

Yet, "restoration of the soul" is not to be confused with the idea that life must stay the same, nor return to what it "used to be". Life is movement, and Life is not locked in to one form, or expression. Life is boundless. It is our human capacity to flow with changing times--with Life's boundless possibilities and our own creative ability to respond to events--that is in need of restoration. If you are tired and depleted, if you slip into despair, or just feel over-burdened, consider a time of restoration, a time of rest, ease and nourishment, rather than neglect or force. Sundays, or these remaining days of summer, in spite of heat, storm, or news still hold a space for your deeper soul restoration. Let go. (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://www.bible.com/bible/114/PSA.23.nkjv

https://bestselfmedia.com/restoration-a-poem/

https://onbeing.org/.../john-odonohue-for-one-who-is.../

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/.../of-history-and-hope

July 14, 2024

This past week, circumstances brought me to the local California DMV without an appointment. The building was highly digitalized, complete with QR codes, text messages involving more codes, a large mounted screen flashing upcoming alphabetic/numerical coded-clients, alphabetized staff cubicles, a triage gatekeeper worthy of an ER, and of course we, the drivers, lined up and then seated in rows before the screens and counters. I knew I'd have to wait, but that kind of waiting is always an opportunity for meditation, especially a meditation on waiting itself, which is my subject today. One of my favorite Buddhist quotes is from Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha. In the story, circumstances eventually lead the future Buddha, Siddhartha, to seek a job. The potential employer questions Siddhartha about his "credentials" for the job and Siddhartha replies simply : "I can think, I can wait, and I can fast." I have written various pieces on that powerful quote, as condensed attributes of the spiritual life. At the DMV, "I can wait" was at the top of theses skills.

Meditation in a packed room of"strangers" is quite different than meditation in your own quiet, dedicated space and practice. The waiting space at DMV was vibrant with activity. Along with the visual pull of the large screen with number codes displaying changing rounds of applicants, a second screen flashed California public programs, while code numbers were simultaneously announced by a robot voice. Those waiting were a cross section of American life with multiple languages, styles, ages, and handicaps. An elderly man sitting next to me was watching a movie on his cell phone, volume full on!. I was prepared for the wait, but rather than sit with my work I brought or my book, I chose meditation to have a moment to acclimate. No one seemed to notice my closed eyes, quiet breath, or stillness. The screen rotations and announcements carried on shifted; the noisy cellphone movie continued. In meditation, the sounds were no longer a nuisance. I was waiting for my turn.

Meditation comes in infinite forms. Reflecting on how meditation has changed for me over the years, I realized one of the biggest shifts s came when I stopped orchestrating some inner event or experience. Rather, sitting has become a gentle shift to what I can only call the meditative mind as it moves away from the calculating mind. The calculating mind is a mind that plans and maneuvers, it designs, interprets and judges. It "adds things up", that is, it reaches conclusions. It is a significant aspect of human intelligence, often self-serving. Over the years, my sense of meditative mind has changed from an abstract emptiness, or a thought stopping stillness, to a kind of waiting. It is like the way you wait for a friend that you know is on the way, and will soon walk through the door. Or while sitting with a friend, you wait for them to speak, because you sense they have something to tell you, and you don't want to disrupt, or take over the conversation. Or, when all conversation has stopped, you simply share a connection. The calculating mind may still hang around and intrude, but it can be spotted and gently silenced.

The patience to wait develops over years of observation. You discover answers, guidance, direction, connections, are not obligated to only reveal themselves in mediation. Times of turning inward can yield unexpected clarity and serendipitous events later, while out in the bustle of everyday life. So the conversations around me, the robotic announcements, the cell phone movie's voices next to me, don't matter. It's all life. The quiet center speaks through all, navigates around all, or waits its turn--later today, tomorrow, months, years from now. This is the fabric of life in which we all have our part--wherever you are headed today, or this week, you are an aspect of that fabric. All the upheaval of recent events are also aspects of that fabric. Meditation gives us the where-with-all to move with the flow of life. It brings the patience, trust, expectation, directive that requires going with, rather than arguing against, or fighting, resisting and/or ignoring the movement of Life. We can wait.

For poetry: https://allpoetry.com/.../8625707-Life-by-Juan-Ramon-Jimenez

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../Isaidtomysou/index.html

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../NowIBecomeMy/index.html

July 7, 2024

The first week in July 2024 has been turbulent, coming on the heels of the Presidential debate with all its controversy and aftermath, exuberant 4th of July celebrations amid extreme heat across the Southwest (and world), and the earliest-forming Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, Beryl. Here outside L.A., we watched the local 4th of July parade with kids, flags, streamers and candy give-aways, marching bands and local officials --a definite throwback to small town life, affirming strong roots and a stable future despite the 90 degree heat. While personal fireworks are banned, surrounding cities sponsored fireworks that boomed late into the night. Friday brought heavy traffic; Saturday turned still. That stillness seemed to deepen in the silence of meditation.

The stillness brought to my mind the Biblical passage, Kings 19, 11-13. The prophet Elijah, fearing for his life in a religious/political war, hides in a wilderness cave. God tells him to come out in the open as He passes by. As Elijah starts, there is a tremendous wind that shatters the mountain rocks, but God was not in the wind. "After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there came a still small voice. 13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! Why are you here?”

The story continues with Elijah's new mission, but the power of this passage, metaphysically, is the still quiet directive of the inner 'voice' that matters, not the drama which fed Elijah further fear. It is the inner voice within, in a time of withdraw into stillness, after all the spectacle, that leads him out of the cave and back to place his part in life. The inner voice challenges him to remember the part he has been given in unfolding events, "Elijah! Why are you here?" On one level a fearful Elijah is hiding in the cave; on another level, he has withdrawn in spiritual solitude, to seek guidance for his next move. Can both be true? Yes, we live as people in a delicate world of culture and human society, but we remain expressions of a greater unfoldment of Life Itself.

This week I also came across my copy of Garrison Keillor's poetry anthology: Good Poems for Hard Times, which seemed fitting for this week. It's a mix of complaint and upliftment, the material world and it's difficulties and joys, along with existential and transcendent resolve. The poetry links below are poems from that volume that speak of both levels. Consider today and as you read them, your inner response to the question, "why are you here?" this July 2024. (Susan Nettleton)

For Poetry, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse...

https://allpoetry.com/The-Planet-On-The-Table https://exceptindreams.wordpress.com/.../24/254-the-future/

https://hellopoetry.com/poem/14511/just-now/

June 30, 2024

This last week in June as summer deepens in an uncertain climate, I have been reflecting further on the our physical senses and the relationship of our sense nature to spirituality. Many religious teachings throughout world history have shunned our natural senses in a belief that love of the sensuous distracts us from the true depths of spirituality. Still today, we have ideas that meditation requires us to turn away from external sights, sounds and movement that distract the mind's focus from turning inward. While meditation does move us from outer activity to inner stillness, it really isn't necessary to run from sense input. Rather, I propose considering meditation as a process that moves our awareness to more and more subtle expressions of vision, scent, sound, touch and taste. The idea that we have to turn from the physical input of an external world to experience intuition and/or the true nature of the self, sets in motion a polarized belief that our sense nature and the natural world around us, is somehow at odds with our inner life, making it spiritually necessary to be detached from our physical form.

Ancient religions in an attempt to access and connect to spiritual realms with little understanding of the neurophysiology of the human body, drew a dividing line between our outer senses and our inner longing for understanding. Buddha taught in terms of the problem of attachment to the things of the world, which themselves are in motion. In other words, those attachments are inevitably subject to change. Wanting more of whatever pleasurable experiences we have, or emotional reliance on those aspects of life which we grow to crave at the expense of other ways of seeing and being, ultimately brings suffering. These are indeed potential pitfalls in life--not allowing life to change or develop--or even age, which is the nature of life. My focus today is about opening to the wondrous beauty of that which allows us to perceive and relate to the Allness. I am encouraging you to bring your physical senses to the table as it were, to more and more subtle forms of awareness.

I began reflecting on the more subtle aspects of sense this week at the grocery store. As I eyed the snack shelves, I was struck by a growing pitch for "intense" snack experiences--labels like intense "heat" or "flavor", and intense beverages -from soda to alcohol to caffeine! With the obvious exception of pure hot chili peppers, this marketing trend brings a variety of lab generated additives. It is not just food and the sense of taste here that is exploited, but a push for intense stories, news, films, music, the sharp and demanding push of our bodies in sports and fitness calling you to feel the burn. But, do we need increasingly intense experiences? Evidently, intensity is good for marketing. And clever marketing feeds a cultural pressure that offers bonding through both sensory challenges and competition, especially among the young who have yet to develop caution.

My reflection on the subtle senses brought to mind French philosopher François Julien's book: In Praise of Blandness (2007), which explores the early Chinese Taoist practice of cultivating sensory experiences of blandness. Blandness was perceived as a way to move toward sameness, and through that, understand the "undifferentiated foundation of all things". In other words, the Tao, the undifferentiated energy of life, brings the 10,000 things into form. I invite you to experiment with your senses on subtler levels. Inner hearing is not disconnected from the outer sounds of the world; the same is true with taste, vision, touch (the touch of spirit, the touch of God, the angelic touch), with scent (the air that brings a mysterious whiff of perfume), a song arising and awakening, and sound that echos the past--or future... This is not to cultivate the "extra sensory", but to discover the larger frame of guidance and relatedness of a larger world. (Susan Nettleton)

for poetry: https://allpoetry.com/Five-Senses

https://ortizpoetry.blogspot.com/.../12/my-fathers-song.html https://www.best-poems.net/mary.../at_blackwater_pond.html https://www.poetryfoundation.org/.../hearing-56d221d141610

June 23, 2024

It was a fairly simple moment Friday evening, as I parked my car in my usual curb parking spot, and felt the need to sit still in the front seat...just stop and be still. I wasn't really meditating, but I've been a meditator for so long, that just sitting "on pause" for a moment sparks a meditation connection. I looked down the tree lined street that brought shade while the Heat Wave--or Southern California's share of it--scorches the country. These trees arch high above the electrical wires; curved branches on the south-side meet mirroring branches on the north side, while dropping purple blossoms in a slight breeze. They give peaceful shelter for birds, squirrels, raccoons, lizards, tiny life forms, insects. There is shade for larger animals too, beyond the many dogs (on daily walks with their people friends) and even shade for bears, an occasional mountain lion, or a lean wolf down from the mountain, looking for food. This Friday evening the angle of the sun sprinkled rays of golden light across the clumps of branches. What a view! And for a moment, I was keenly aware of the act of Seeing.

Maybe it was because my eye doctor had recently changed the prescription on my contact lenses, or maybe it was the contrast of the brutal heat lifting when I turned the corner to my shady street, but I was flooded with the sense of sight. What an amazing thing: Seeing. We know that not everyone has sight or full sight. Aging, along with all sorts of life events can dim or damage sight, but I was struck with the sheer wonder that sight exists at all, let alone the addition of our other senses. It is the composite of those other senses that compensate should others fail. As I sat in the car, I shifted briefly to an awareness of evening bird song....listening...but was pulled back to the view. This encounter was really about watching.

Yet, there is a paradox here when we talk of human beings belonging to, or immersed in, the world of nature and the Allness of life, because to 'see' in this way is a distancing of immersion. I remembered a lady from the earlier years of Hillside Church who told me about a sudden realization she had as she prayed for understanding of her spiritual life and her role in it all. An inner voice answered that she was a "witness". This brought her peace. Sitting in the car, I agreed; I was witnessing the Wonder, but I also was witnessing my capacity to see. This is a point of separation. To see is seemingly separation. The tree has become an object; the self, I, "stand" outside the tree, witnessing that Wonder. I thought of the Biblical quote in Genesis 1:31, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." And yet God, the Transcendent, is both Creator and Created. Confounded, our logic moves to separate. Sitting in the car after a day of dust and heat, then the play of light and shadow, coolness of shade and shade as shelter, I saw the Beauty of it all. A tiny part of me in some unfathomable aspect of Divine Vision, rests in All, God, seeing through my eyes, naming it Good and very Good. Today is a day to trust your outer vision. Look. Simply Look. (Susan Nettleton)

For poetry: https://poeteecummings.weebly.com/i-thank-you-godpoem.html

https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../HowtoSeeaDee/index.html

https://www.yogawithsusana.com/post/the-ponds-by-mary-oliver