Saturday, March 31, 2018

God

I do not pretend to be able to prove that there is no God. I equally cannot prove that Satan is a fiction. The Christian god may exist; so may the gods of Olympus, or of ancient Egypt, or of Babylon. But not one of these hypotheses is more probable than any other; they lie outside the region of even probable knowledge, and therefore there is no reason to consider any of them. The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible. - Bertrand Russell

 



Friday, March 30, 2018

Hard to Say - A Parable

The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man. - José Ortega Y Gasset


Once upon a time, there was a king. The king liked one of his followers very much because he was very wise and always gave very useful advice. Therefore, the king took him along wherever he went.

One day, a dog bit the king. The finger was injured and the wound was getting worse. He asked the follower if that was a bad sign. The follower said, “Good or bad, hard to say”. In the end, the finger of the king was so bad that it had to be cut. The king asked the follower again if that was a bad sign. Again, the follower gave the same answer, “Good or bad, hard to say.” The king became very angry and sent the follower to prison.

One day, the king went hunting in the jungle. He got excited when he was on the chase of a deer. Deeper and deeper he went inside the jungle. In the end he found himself lost in the jungle. To make things worse, the native people who lived inside the jungle captured him. They wanted to sacrifice him to their god. But when they noticed that the king had one finger short, they released him immediately as he was not a perfect man anymore and not suitable for sacrifice.

The king managed to get back to his palace after all. And he finally understood the follower's wise quote, “Good or bad, hard to say”. If he hadn’t lost one finger, the native people could have killed him. He ordered the follower to be released, and apologized to him. But to the king’s amazement, the follower was not mad at him at all. Instead, the follower said, “It wasn’t a bad thing that you locked me up.”

Why? Because if the king hadn’t locked the follower up, he would have brought the follower along to the jungle. If the native found that the king was not suitable, they would have used the follower. Again, the quote ‘Good or bad, hard to say’ stands.


The moral of the story is that everything that happens in this world, there is no absolute good or bad. Sometimes good things turned out to be bad things eventually, while bad things become a gain.

Whatever good things that happen to you, enjoy it, but don’t have to hold too tight to it, treat it as a surprise in your life. Whatever bad things that happen to you, don’t have to feel too sad or despair, in the end, it might not be a total bad thing after all.

If one can understand this, he or she will find life much easier.

Want to read more inspirational, motivational and educational parables? Get a copy of Parables on Amazon or join Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, and read it for free.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Spiritual - Quotes

When an illness is a part of your spiritual journey, no medical intervention can heal you until your spirit has begun to make the changes the illness was designed to inspire. - Caroline Myss

Yes, I am a Spiritual being. But I am also a human being. Sometimes I get frustrated, annoyed, angry or sad, but this is all part of my lessons, and my journey always leads me back to the light! - Unknown

In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. - Henry David Thoreau

In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. Every civilized human being, whatever his conscious development, is still an archaic man at the deeper levels of his psyche. - Carl Jung

Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again. - Thich Nhat Hanh

All things are linked with one another, and this Oneness is sacred; there is nothing that is not interconnected with everything else. For things are interdependent, and they combine to form this Universal Order. - Marcus Aurelius

Property is unstable, and youth perishes in a moment. Life itself is held in the grinning fangs of Death, Yet, men delay to obtain release from the world. Alas, the conduct of mankind is surprising. - Titus Maccius Plautus

Spend your brief moment according to nature's law, and serenely greet the journey's end as an olive falls when it is ripe, blessing the branch that bare it, and giving thanks to the tree that gave it life. - Marcus Aurelius

Spiritual awakening is the most essential thing in man's life, and it is the sole purpose of being. Is not civilization, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening? - Kahlil Gibran

The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises. - Leo Buscaglia

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Buddhist Quotes

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. - The Buddha

As I am, so are others; as others are, so am I. Having thus identified self and others, harm no one nor have them harmed. - The Buddha

The stillness of the body, the silence of speech, and the spacious awareness of mind are the three doors to enlightenment. - Adyashanti


The Four Reliance

First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings, not on the words; Second, rely on the teachings, not on the personality of the teacher; Third, rely on real wisdom, not superficial interpretation; And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind, not on judgmental perceptions. - Traditional Buddhist teaching

Friday, March 23, 2018

Mindfulness

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

The Basics of Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness helps us put some space between ourselves and our reactions, breaking down our conditioned responses. Here’s how to tune into mindfulness throughout the day:

• You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to access your mindfulness skills – but you do need to set aside some time and space.

• Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm.

• The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgement. Easier said than done, we know.

Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgements arise during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.

• Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.

• Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.

That’s the practice. It’s often been said that it’s very simple, but it’s not necessarily easy. The work is to just keep doing it. Results will accrue.

- source unknown

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Spirutual - Quotes

It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters. - Amit Ray

Just as the rising sun dissolves the dark shadows so are all forms of evil put to flight by the rays of positive and constructive thoughts which shine forth from a heart fortified by confidence in oneself. - K. Sri Dhammananda

Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins. - Jim Rohn

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything - anger, anxiety, or possessions - we cannot be free. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realise the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself. - William Hazlitt

Love is how it feels to recognize our essential unity. Awakening to oneness is the experience of Big Love. Knowing you are one with all, you find yourself in love with all. - Timothy Freke

Men seek out retreats for themselves in the country, by the seaside, on the moutains … but all this is unphilosophical to the last degree … when thou canst at a moment's notice retire into thyself. - Marcus Aurelius

Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place. - Unknown

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Church - Quotes

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. - Thomas Paine

There would be no churches if humanity had not been afraid of the weather, the dark, the plague, the eclipse and all manner of other things now easily explicable. - Christopher Hitchens

I’m completely in favour of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death. - George Carlin

Monday, March 19, 2018

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Wisdom of Dhammavadaka

The Dhammavadaka is a poem composed by the Australian monk Bhante Dhammika in 1986

Treasure silence when you find it, and while being mindful of your duties, set time aside, to be alone with yourself.

Cast off pretense and self-deception and see yourself as you really are.

Despite all appearances, no one is really evil. They are led astray by ignorance.

If you ponder this truth always you will offer more light, rather than blame and condemnation.

You, no less than all beings have Buddha Nature within. Your essential Mind is pure.

Therefore, when defilements cause you to stumble and fall, let not remorse nor dark foreboding cast you down.

Be of good cheer and with this understanding, summon strength and walk on.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Spirituality

Many people cannot allow themselves the time to sit and do nothing but breathe. The consider it to be uneconomical or a luxury. People say ‘time is money.’ But time is much more than money. Time is life. The simple practice of sitting quietly on a regular basis can be profoundly healing. Stopping and sitting is a good way to focus on mindful breathing and nothing else. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Being is that which disturbs our insistence on remaining in the life-numbing realm of our secret desperation. It is the itch that cannot be scratched, the whisper that will not be denied. To be, to truly be, is not a given. Most of us live in a state where our being has long ago been exiled to the shadow realm of our silent anguish. At times being will break through the fabric of our unconsciousness to remind us that we are not living the life we could be living, the life that truly matters. - Adyashanti

A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self. - Albert Einstein

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Christianity

If you think that Christianity is the most direct and undefiled expression of love and compassion the world has ever seen, you do not know much about the world's other religions. Take the religion of Jainism as one example. The Jains preach a doctrine of utter non-violence. While the Jains believe many improbable things about the universe, they do not believe the sorts of things that lit the fires of the Inquisition. You probably think the Inquisition was a perversion of the "true" spirit of Christianity. Perhaps it was. The problem, however, is that the teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. You are, of course, free to interpret the Bible differently – though isn't it amazing that you have succeeded in discerning the true teachings of Christianity, while the most influential thinkers in the history of your faith failed? - Sam Harris

Monday, March 12, 2018

Reincarnation and Timelessness

Question: If the Cosmic is timeless, how can we have past and future incarnations?

The reason we undergo incarnations – as individual personalities – is to learn various lessons, lessons which we must learn in order to become more aware of the existence of natural or cosmic law as it relates to the Universal Mind. In other words, we must realize both on the objective and subjective levels that which exists in the cosmos and which is directed by the Universal Consciousness.

Once we have gone through transition, all of those experiences and impressions which have been important to us become past incarnations. They are consigned to the Complete Memory, which in reality is our soul personality. Any additional information from subsequent incarnations, of course, is added through this same process. This continuing process of incarnation and transition is referred to as development, or soul personality development. Therefore, we are the sum total of all our past experiences.

Future incarnations, on the other hand, are those experiences which come about because of previous causes which we, as individual personalities, are responsible for. We must accept these effects and learn the lessons derived from them. This will then provide an environment which will produce additional experiences necessary for a gradual and continuing understanding of the Universal Consciousness. In this way, incarnation after incarnation, we become more perfect in likeness to this Universal Consciousness, eventually becoming totally perfect. 

It is important that both past and future incarnations are realize in the now. That is, all experiences are realized as they happen in the present. Whether we say future incarnations are brought about by past causes, or they become past incarnations simply because they are a part of memory, does not in any way change the fact that they existed and we become aware of them at that instant we call the now.

In the cosmic sense there is no time, since the Cosmic is infinite, with no beginning or end. There are no limitations in the universal world. In a word, it is timeless. However, unlike the universal world, the objective world of man is limited. That is, certain limitations are placed upon it. Since man’s objective, reasoning mind is finite, he cannot conceive of the infinity of the Universal Mind. Therefore, objectively he cannot conceive of any notion of what is ‘timeless,’ for man’s earthly mind can only conceive a beginning and end in all things, and not the non-beginning or non-ending of the universe. Since man is the only animal creation with the ability to objectify his realities, he then is responsible for the conditions he classifies as past or future.

Since the outer man, the objective man, is limited in his ability to reason because of the restrictions placed upon the five senses, he invents something to account for his inability to reason. He invents time and space arbitrarily to take the place of his inability just as he arbitrarily chooses twelve inches as a measure for one foot of distance, there being no measure regarding infinity.

Author Unknown 

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Buddhist Quotes

Buddhism teaches that joy and happiness arise from letting go. Please sit down and take an inventory of your life. There are things you’ve been hanging on to that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. Find the courage to let them go. - Thich Nhat Hanh

There are always some people who are ready to embrace a doctrine, a notion, a dogma, and they miss the real teaching. - Thich Nhat Hanh

The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself. - Thich Nhat Hanh

When you realize the nature of mind, layers of confusion peel away. You don't actually "become" a Buddha, you simply cease, slowly, to be deluded. And being a Buddha is not being some omnipotent spiritual superman, but becoming at last a true human being. - Sogyal Rinpoche

Cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words, and following after speech, and learn the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest. - Dogen Zenji

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light. - Dogen Zenji

Flowers fall amid our longing and weeds spring up amid our antipathy. - Dogen Zenji

Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation. - Dogen Zenji

What is Reality? An icicle forming in fire. - Dogen Zenji

Friday, March 9, 2018

Universe

A hundred thousand million Stars make one Galaxy; a hundred thousand million Galaxies make one Universe. The figures may not be very trustworthy, but I think they give a correct impression. - Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington

A spiritually optimistic point of view holds that the universe is woven out of a fabric of love. Everything that is happening is ultimately for the good if we’re willing to face it head-on and use our adversities for soul growth. - Joan Borysenko

Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. It is not a uni-verse – there is more than one reading. The story won't stop, can't stop, it goes on telling itself, waiting for an intervention that changes what will happen next. - Jeanette Winterson

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Spiritual - Quotes

As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances. - James Allen

Every human on this earth, regardless of age, race, or nationality, is a completely pure being, because each and every one of us receives our energy from the same universal source. - Dr. Robert C. Fulford

Every phenomenon on earth is symbolic, and each symbol is an open gate through which the soul, if it is ready, can enter into the inner part of the world, where you and I and day and night are all one. - Hermann Hesse

I am not my thoughts, emotions, sense perceptions, and experiences. I am not the content of my life. I am life. I am the space in which all things happen. I am consciousness. I am the now. - Eckhart Tolle

I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics. - Albert Schweitzer

In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

In our spiritual development, we are often required to pull up roots many times and to close chapters in our lives until we are no longer attached to any material things and can love all people without any attachment to them. - Unknown

In the attitude of silence, the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. - Mahatma Gandhi

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Church

I was afraid of a united Church; it makes a mighty power, the mightiest conceivable, and then when it by and by gets into selfish hands, as it is always bound to do, it means death to human liberty and paralysis to human thought. - Mark Twain

When I was a kid I had an imaginary friend and I used to think that he went everywhere with me, and that I could talk to him and that he could hear me, and that he could grant me wishes and stuff. And then I grew up, and I stopped going to church. - Jimmy Carr

Monday, March 5, 2018

Reincarnation

One of the first the thing to realize is that reincarnation is a law of the universe and not a religious doctrine; neither is it solely an Eastern Doctrine.

Reincarnation is the cycle of birth and rebirth of the soul personality. It is in a sense, the process of purification of the ego part of man’s consciousness, transforming that ego into the essence of Cosmic consciousness. That is, by the experience of life, the ego is changed into the pure thoughts of the consciousness of Cosmic. The process of transmutation takes place here on earth, because it is here on the lower level of awareness that the ego is closely attuned. By associating with this environment and by passing through a series of experiences, the ego begins to change, gradually attaining the state of awareness we know as Cosmic Consciousness.

The Real Life
The purpose of the development is to enable the soul personality to reach a state whereby it can exist harmoniously in the cosmic realms with all levels of the consciousness of the Cosmic. The earth life is a school of preparation for that life.

Although we can only overcome our individual karma on earth and learn life’s adjustments here, we do pass through many experiences on the cosmic plane which help us to realize our shortcomings and the egocentric problems which impede our progress.

Life on earth is a wonderful opportunity. It is here that we can truly help those other seeking souls to find the way to more highly developed consciousness. Once that desire is kindled, all the steps to help the one who is seeking the greater light are to be found here. That is why we must aid one another to find the path by spreading the knowledge at every opportunity. Life can change so dramatically for the searching soul who finds the path to illumination.

The beauty of the realization of our oneness with the Cosmic can be a most moving experience. Nothing on this earth can compare with the condition of spiritualized awareness of the Cosmic Within.

The soul personality of man is purged and purified by association with earthly experiences. Therefore, we should try to understand the reasons for our present incarnation and for those circumstances and experiences we need in order to transmute the lower elements of our awareness into a better, more beautiful expression of the Divine Consciousness.

The perfecting of our soul personality cannot be accomplished in one or two short lifetimes on earth. Rather, many varied lives are needed to round out the character and personality. We need varied stimuli to bring about the necessary circumstances in which we will seek to purify ourselves of any undesirable tendencies we have developed.

Our emotional harmony is acquired by passing through disturbing events, which will help us to understand the lessons that are there for us to realize.

However, our past incarnations can often reveal traits of character which do not always seem consistent with our life and training in the present incarnation. Quite often qualities of character can come forward and reveal quite a different character trait that we were not necessarily aware of. By looking back into our past history, we can bring forward these hidden traits.

We can often be amazed at what lies in our past and this can be revealed in time and through the proper development of our inner psychic consciousness.

Our present incarnation should be the one that interests us most. Analyzing our inner tendencies can help us to a greater degree of attainment. So, we always suggest that a rational outlook is preferable to one where we are ready to believe what others tell us of our past.

Our past is in the realm of possible recall to a certain degree, depending upon our inner awareness. Regression techniques and other readings can sometimes be helpful. However, they can also be misleading, and in the case of regression certain highly emotional reactions can take place when one is asked to relive a period of one’s past.

We realize why the strong impressions left on some of our past incarnations can be very disturbing when we consider that the strongest memories are usually those which were deeply impressed because of traumatic experiences we had. When we regress in time, these traumatic experiences are likely to be the ones that first come to the fore.

We have to recognize that most of us were not high potentates, royalty, or well-known historical figures. Many of us lived and worked under most difficult circumstances, as history will reveal, and when we recall our past, we might be very disappointed to learn who we were.

It is only natural that we would, upon learning about reincarnation, dream of being some great historical figure. However, those who were well known for one reason or another were very few in number compared to the billions of soul personalities now on earth. Therefore, we are often on safer ground with the personality we have at present than a former one of doubtful repute.

Reincarnation is, of course, one of the most fascination of subjects. It is only now that the general public is becoming interested in the subject on a wide scale. Few of course, are willing to engage in a deep study or investigation of the subject: their interest lies only on the surface. However, people today are becoming more aware than ever before that there is more to life than a few mortal years. They are beginning to accept that there is much more to life. This trend will be quite helpful to us when we bring the light of a greater life to their attention.

We should each realize, of course, that our personality and character as we now express them are very much determined by our past lives. Although there are parts of our personality that are hidden from view, we can, through inner reflection, become aware of what that past has to reveal to us, but our main concern should be the degree of cosmic contacts and awareness we have so far developed.

In our spiritual development, we are always adding to our attainments, and although we may not be aware of what we have attained at times, we can be sure it is there awaiting our application and use. We should ask ourselves, how can we use and apply our spiritual development in our everyday life? The answer is often that we can use our attainment in a most natural way. When we are faced with any particular problem, we should endeavour to meditate briefly upon it. By raising our consciousness into the Cosmic for just a brief period, we find that our minds are enlightened, that our problems will be seen in a clearer perspective, and that we will also be lifting our consciousness above the disturbing emotions that many of our problems bring.

Life here on earth is the great preparer. It is here that all the cosmic laws and principles are fulfilled and demonstrated. If we can apply ourselves to our lessons, we will surely find that the cosmic intelligences are anxious to do our bidding and that we can command all nature.

Above all, let us remember that what we think and do today will determine what our tomorrows will bring. Therefore, let us lift up our thoughts and establish the highest ideals in our hearts, so that all our tomorrows will reflect the peace, love, and harmony of the Cosmic.

Extracted from the article Reincarnation By Robert E. Daniels

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Awakening a Kind Heart

Love

All beings are important from the point of view of our spiritual development. Even enemies are important because they incite our anger and thus give us the chance to work on patience, one of the most valuable qualities on the spiritual path.

All beings are the same in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. They are, at heart just like ourselves.

Every being has Buddha-nature, the potential to become free and enlightened. Even those who live unethically and do many harmful deeds have a nature that is pure and good, and one day (probable after many lives) they will attain enlightenment. If we can accept these ideas and keep them in mind whenever we meet another living being, then instead of feeling, “you are different from me,” we will feel, “you are just like me” and loving-kindness will arise naturally.

The love we develop should be pure and unselfish, expecting nothing in return. Pure love also transcends boundaries.

Love is an inexhaustible energy. Learning to be more loving is like discovering a natural spring within us: however much love we give, more will always come bubbling up. It is our habitual self-centeredness and self-limiting ways of thinking that constrict the flow of love. As we gradually lessen these, our ability to love will increase.

Extracted from Awakening A Kind Heart by Ven. Sangye Khadro

Friday, March 2, 2018

Buddhist Philosophy and Quantum Physics

Broadly speaking, although there are some differences, I think Buddhist philosophy and Quantum Mechanics can shake hands on their view of the world. We can see in these great examples the fruits of human thinking. Regardless of the admiration we feel for these great thinkers, we should not lose sight of the fact that they were human beings just as we are. - Dalai Lama

Click on the link to read the article

Dalai Lama: Spirituality Without Quantum Physis is an Incomplete Picture of Reality

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Prayers

The true mystic never prays to God with a petition that He intervene in human affairs in accordance with a conclusion reached by the petitioner. The mystic, in other words, never attempts to analyze human situations or to pass judgment upon them and, on the basis of that judgment, to petition God to intervene in a manner that will adjust conditions in accordance with the human conception. The mystic knows that to attempt to do this is the attempt to assume the infinite understanding of our human problems and to put one’s human self and human conception and understanding on a par with Divine Understanding.

What the truly humble and understanding petitioner should express in his prayers are the most rational and reasonable desires of his heart, based upon his comprehension of universal law, order, and universal justice.

The mystic would not ask for that which he might need and yet realize that it is something that if granted to him would deprive someone else of it, nor would he ask for that which he should earn or create himself or obtain by the sweat of the brow. He would not ask for that which if given to him would constitute a unique or extraordinary expression of divine mercy and love unless he has earned it through some extraordinary gifts to human kind given in the name of God, nor would he ask that certain things be done that are of purely local value and interest to a few and of no concern to the majority or perhaps of opposite value to a majority.

Take for an instance, the conditions that existed during the great World War (I) when many Christian countries were lined up on either side of the battlefield as enemies. Throughout all of the Christian countries involved in the war there were constant prayers offered not only in the homes of individuals but also in the churches on Sundays and other days by representatives of religion. These prayers were often long petitions to the God of the universe to make the individual country in which the church was located victorious in the war.

This meant that during the war there were thousands of ministers in six or eight countries asking that God bring sorrow, grief, pain, and suffering, loss of life and vanquished positions to thousands on the battlefield while in other countries ministers, devoted to the same Christian religion or other forms of religion, were praying to their God that their people be saved from pain and so-called death but that the soldiers on the opposite side be visited with His wrath and judgment.

Can any mystic or any rational person believe that God took any interest in our human affairs at that time, to such an extent that He would have listened to these petitions and granted victory to one side and disgrace to the other? And can we believe that if God had any personal interest in us merely as human beings He would have allowed the World War to have been started or to continue for even a day, let alone several years?

It is only when we believe and understand that God was interested in the souls of these persons and realized the lessons that they would learn through such conflict – through such resort to primitive instincts, to such violation of divine and man-made laws, and to such repudiation of the higher instincts of human brotherhood – that He permitted the war to take place or that he permits other wars or other things here on earth to affect our existence.

The mystic cannot believe that God is concerned in human experiences to such an extent that He is watching what we eat and is ready to intervene in our partaking of wrong food because it may cause us ill-health; or that, having an interest in our human welfare and, therefore, knowing of our wrongful acts, He remains wholly indifferent, refuses to intervene, and deliberately allow us to suffer while He is conscious of our human situation.

For these various reasons, the mystic claims that God is not interested in us as human beings and that He will not grant us the petitions we utter as human beings and will not intervene in our purely human experiences. He does believe that God is mindful constantly of the spiritual evolution taking place within us and that He guides and directs our affairs so that this evolution may be maintained and increased in its value and ultimate contribution to our spiritual unfoldment and progress.

Source of Article Unknown