Spiritual Portal

mccoy, I find your assessments helpful. You have known me for awhile now, undoubtedly not in one lifetime but in past and future scenarios. For this my moments here with Eric, Kelly, Joy and other friends who have been here and will return who support keeping this site going I will always be grateful. There are always shades of grey in silver linings and we should never expect others to go through the same path as ourselves. I can never know the experiences that mccoy, Eric, Kelly, Joy and others have had to arrive at their present views. Until we are enlightened we will always have challenges understanding the views and actions of those who come into the sphere of our influence. Sometimes those attitudes and views send us reeling apart for a time. However those who play important roles in our lives seem to mysteriously reappear, often at helpful times, when answers to perplexing life situations do not seem to be forthcoming.

Hey you know what Brother I’ve always appreciated your spirituality and your tireless enthusiasm to see this site thrive. We’re just not coming together on politics and I’m afraid we never will. The way I see it, you have a karmic background much different then mine and it just doesn’t jive with your experiences. Yet if we stay together we both will meet, when enlightened, and that’s are main purpose here!

I daily pray for friends and their support to the goals of this site. We can never know all the experiences of others until we are enlightened….

Walk A Mile in My Shoes

 
Walk a mile in my shoes and think my thoughts
You'll really learn a lot
Hear the words that i say
Remember them one day

We walk this road all alone
like a stepping stone
to an unknown place
at an unknown day

I'll remember you
Take your memories too
and when i feel blue
 I'll just think of you

Everything we shared
it made me so aware
Every moment here
Brings a passing tear

And life goes on
Like singers in a song
About the joy you gave
And the love we made

I'll walk a mile in your shoes and think your thoughts
i'm sure i'd learn a lot
And the words u had to say
They'll come to me someday

Walk a mile in my shoes and think my thoughts
You'll really learn a lot
And when i'm gone away
You'll sing this song someday

~ Hydonus

Steve, I'm happy you're able to come to these conclusions and find peace. I think about you as well and feel a loving sensation in my heart. =)

It's kind of like how I feel for my Sister- we've been little nasties to one another. Now, not so much. No matter the stage in our life, we are family. I hope others realize that a difference of opinion is welcomed here, which is a rare quality in todays overly-political climate. Life doesn't have to be so serious- we aren't telling others how to live their lives. What's right for one is wrong for another. We do share our inspirations and interest- and encourage members to do the same. We can navigate life easier when operating from our personal experiences rather than responding from excess media consumption or isolated instances found in virtual reality.

I noticed in another thread you talked about maintaining your disciplines and not letting people rob you from your exercises. I tend to agree, don't let anyone outside yourself rob you of your happiness. I had the thought today while running, life can be experienced in an infinite number of ways- and there are infinite circumstance teaching us how to discover and operate from a place of inner-joy. Resolve, nurture, receptive, willing. We're learning as God wishes. He is so close to us, and we aren't often aware of how intimate that ultimate relationship really is. 

What I have found is that friends and kind people may have much to say on how we can change our lives and become better people, yet they have little to say of their experiences with spirit and for instance meditation. I have found that people who have truly psychic and spiritual experiences as yourself Eric, may come from many different karmic backgrounds. Some of them think politically similar to myself and others do not. I have come to the conclusion that there is no political or religious views that have a corner on spiritual awakening. It appears to me that most people with their views are accepted by the spiritual masters, and from my perspective deeply spiritual people attempt to transcend or have transcended the various individual mindsets that separate less evolved seekers who still struggle with such differences, as I have myself. Just my observation. Often Masters or spiritually minded people reply with answers to such differences with comments like;  “No comment.” Or “It is all the mind.” “ There are many paths.” Or “All the same.”  I have pondered on their take on differences for some time now.

In the state of Savitarka Samadhi, the mind weigh things with awareness and decides whether they are useful to discuss or not.

In the state of Savitarka Samadhi, the mind weighs things with awareness and decides whether they are useful to discuss or not.

Friendship is the result of many lifetimes of effort between individuals to work out differences and get along. If you have found a friend this life, rest assure you have spent time with that person in other lifetimes and you are simply continuing the process of connecting with the friend who is behind all of our friendships and has blessed us with such people.

Today I’m much more grateful for the friendships that I have been given to me and much more tolerant then I was just a year ago. Often we do not recognize who people were or what their purpose was in our dharma till many years later.

We may look back and see people who were added to our life with humility and who were non assuming that had a spiritual significance and perspective we were graced with.

I see that we are attempting to be shown the various blind spots we all
have as humans and deal with them in a more affective and conscious level.

I often see that relationships can be in a quite different way than just sensual and being close to friends here elevates my mind and spirit.

Are friends only friends till that time that they no longer find something worthwhile in what they have to give?

Yes.




(Not the answer your were looking for eh?)


 ;)

Of course, I say this to prod at the thought- that maybe it's okay people come and go. I am learning to recognize the Divine Lover in *all* *ways* *present*.... Self-Realization... And so, whatever the form- wherever we are... Whoever we're with.... Or without.

I also say this to illustrate what I don't know.

I have been on the receiving end of friends who expect too much and don't respect boundaries, robbing me of my rest and peace of mind. I don't claim mastery- I enjoy my moments of solitude and introspection.

I actually had to review what I have said that initiated this discussion. I have since found that some of us are going through a progressed spiritual training, that other friends may not choose to currently follow. It reminds me of what Brother Anandamoy once said when he was talking about a devotee that prayed this prayer; “Lord chisel thou my will to thy purpose.” Brother said that, this man is a brave man to ask for such training. Because most people who think they want such discipline, will cry; ‘Wait a minute that hurt when you chiseled that part off that piece of ME, put it back.’

Little reminders like the above, from worthwhile friends, keep our mind in the right attitude. Most everyone I've met on the internet 🛜 seems to demand trust while barely knowing one another. That is very premature. Trust is gained over the years and true friendship is worked on for incarnations.... not just in one life.

That's kind Steve. Thanks for the bump.

We've experienced both polarities in our friendship- gentleness and coldness. But we never stopped trying. I suppose that's pretty admirable.

Of course, it's all been online. Maybe there's a reason for that too.

I feel there is a reason for it. That reason may just be to be able to get along with different people who have different views on some specific topics and common views on others. Perhaps the topics we look at in a different perspective would not be addressed as much if we were together in person sharing common personal experiences.

I find that we don’t always choose our friends, sometimes they choose us, and I’m grateful that some people have found me worth choosing as a friend, especially at times I choose others as friends and they are not interested in me.

I’m coming back to this thread because I have found in many ways people have been helpful and attempted to be kind, even though at times they may not know that they have had difficulty expressing it. We may think we would be better off in another relationship or with someone else as a friend, until we find out that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, especially if we have spiritual support in friends we can rely on.

I have found that there are people who are more lighthearted about their day to day lives. It is important to have a good laugh with people. Sometimes I’ve been with friends that in many ways are much different than me, but I’m so happy to have some ‘laugh therapy’ with them. When they can take themselves less seriously 😳 and joke about a few things along the way. After all, think of the great cosmic joke God played on us, making us think all this we are experiencing is totally real.

Yet this is an attitude to nourish: through spiritual practice we do find that all our serious concerns can point to a person so stuck in their own predicament and often self centered, that they can’t lighten up to enjoy what’s presented to them in this theater of life.

https://youtu.be/g6OpuHPoViQ?si=J4QSChZ-Tghb3q0b

‘ Those who say they are great are not. And those who are, are too busy being great to think about their greatness. Besides, as soon as you proclaim how wonderful you are, everyone wants to prove you otherwise. A fake rose can never be a real rose and a real rose will shed its fragrance, no matter how much it is crushed.’ ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

Recently I’ve had some deep experiences remembering just how it felt when I was with certain friends and it is hard to believe that others I’ve been with do not feel the same intensity of those experiences again, from time to time. Can it really mean I will never see this person again? I do not think so. Perhaps not this life, but sometime again. I mean, even though we have differences with people, still what about that soul connection we have felt with them? Is there nothing to this?

I believe that people that meditate actually can feel the very presence of a soul connection that happened years in the past; whereas a lot of people forget and dull their senses and soul receptivity with worldly activities. And then lose their feeling of soul connection that they’ve had, which keeps them going strong on the spiritual path.

I find that in friendships it is important to attempt to help friends with their issues and emotional difficulties without advertising to the world when your friends may not appreciate doing that and others may use such information maliciously against them. This is what I have been attempting to express in the latest thread we have been discussing.

Steve, this message you have "attempted to relay in the last few threads" is cryptic and hard to follow. It's best to speak plainly if you're trying to tell me something, I have not been keeping up with whatever is going on. You can write me a personal message or leave me a detailed message on my phone if I miss your call.

What information is being maliciously used against you? I'm really confused Brother, it sounds like someone might be harassing you. Or you might be experiencing some heavy and dark emotions? I pray for your immediate relief and peace.

God is with you.

Take care ~

If you didn't know- if a friend is using personal information against you with malicious intent, they are no friend. You should remove yourself from that dynamic.

Sometimes it’s too late for that. All we can do is forgive and forget.

Apparently so!  :o

 :D

Yes and only apparently because what happens between friends is not always so cut and dry. In the world we presently inhabit, duality has many shades of grey added to the occasional glimpse of Mr. Sun through the clouded grey hues of the clouds.

Really like waking up in the middle of the nite and finding a friend has responded here or by personal message. And then going outside to energize and lastly meditating a bit before going back to sleep.

Don’t ignore me!

https://fb.watch/tkxmjpk9vl/?