Monthly Archives: June 2020

Differences Between Contemplation and Meditation

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Differences between Contemplation and Meditation.

Contemplation in it, has a wonderful dimension, a prayer meaning, that you are called from the other side. You are not the active agent. You are dancing with an invisible partner, but you are not dancing solo and you are not doing it.

Contemplation on the traditional way in the orthodox branch of Christianity it is being absorbed more and more deeply.  An sample or an image, when you worship with an icon and you are looking at the eye balls of Jesus and all of the sudden you have the feeling distinct that Jesus is looking at you, and then you and the icon disappears, and then you drop at some kind of portal at the cave of your heart.

Contemplation is a relational event that drops you finally into that deeper level of being absorbed in something that your mind cannot comprehend and get in top by itself.

Your practice cannot get on top, but you are met and that is the shade of difference.

Oneness, Session 3: The Secret Embrace – Thomas Keating’s Poetry, with Cynthia Bourgeault

1:08:34. To 1:10:30

Conscious or Intentional Suffering

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“Conscious or Intentional Suffering is a conscious and intentional willingness to not only face into one’s own specific pain and suffering, but also the willingness to help shoulder the burden of other people’s pain and suffering. This has nothing to do with martyrdom or victimhood. Its capacity is borne out of a felt sense of connection with the whole—with all human beings, all sentient beings, and the very planet herself. Intentional Suffering finds expression as an energetic reality much more than just an idea or belief or sentiment.”

Willian Redfield , 2020. Lent Retreat 2020, Wednesday April 22.

Intentional suffering is the act of struggling against automatism such as daydreaming, pleasure, food (eating for reasons other than real hunger), etc. In Gurdjieff’s book Beelzebub’s Tales he states that “the greatest ‘intentional suffering’ can be obtained in our presences by compelling ourselves to endure the displeasing manifestations of others toward ourselves”[23]

23  G.I. Gurdjieff (1950). Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, pg 242

Experience of Vertical Exchange

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Few weeks ago, I started a course “The Divine Exchange” with Cynthia Bourgeault and I have been really impressed with the material I am learning. This week, we learn about our life in different realms and how we move in the vertical and horizontal axis.

We had this question for our discussion:

  • When talking about vertical exchange, Cynthia describes that it goes both ways between realms: that not only are the branches dependent on the vine, but the vine is dependent on the branches. How have you experienced this two-way flow in your own life?

I have experienced this concept very vividly in a stage of my life; I felt that I was in total control of my life. I remembered I pushed to the maximum until my body resisted and I got sick and disable. Few years took me to figure out how wrong I was.  Few years took me to convince myself that I need to heal from the inside out.  Few years took me to decide to jump on the hands of God so He will use me as instrument. Then few years is taking me to learn to keep and maintain this flow. It is a life -long work.

My teacher assistant respond me so beautiful with these words by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:

Trust in the Slow Work of God

Above all, trust in the slow work of God
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new. And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability-
and that it may take a very long time. And so I think it is with you.
your ideas mature gradually – let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow. Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.