From the Art of Life Tarot, the Hierophant; from the Tao Oracle, "Progress:"
The constant debates over dogma and scriptural interpretations were a prime motivation for me leaving the labels of religion. I could care less if a mythology is supposed to be historically accurate or only a metaphor. And I refuse to believe I must sit in a particular church, temple, mosque or ashram to be saved or find enlightenment. What I do find relevant (as Roosevelt alludes to in the quote above) are the spiritual principles found in the writings of all of them. If I want to know if I'm merely complacent or making progress, all I have to do is look back over my day and see how well I've interwoven them in my thoughts and actions:
- honesty and integrity
- love and compassion
- generosity and gratitude
- service for the benefit of others
- courage and perseverance
- tolerance and forgiveness
- open-mindedness
- acceptance of "what is" (reality)
- fairness and objectivity
- mindfulness
- patience
- optimism
- humility
Of course I never even get close to practicing them 100%, but it's the sincere effort that counts. As they say in 12 Step groups, "we seek progress, not perfection." What are some of your spiritual principles?
Never finish a sentence that I begin with "Well..." what would follow is Always unasked for advice.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Sometimes I don't realize I've left myself wide open until I get a full serving of it. :D
DeleteYou know, I've never thought about listing them. And writing them down they make me feel like this is not me. Some of the words that came to mind are:
ReplyDeleteLove
Embracing the Divine which results in:
Acceptance and courage
really listening,
mindfulness
smiling
compassion
gratitude
joy
It is good to think about and to be aware of your own principles
Hugs
Writing them out does make you think them through, doesn't it? Thanks for your list!
Delete