The ONE GARDEN– Meditation & Dialogue celebrating the Oneness behind diverse traditions via
exquisite inspiring interspiritual beauty,truth & goodness – for justice & peace. God is love!
JUDAISM: Blessed are the men and women who are planted on your earth, in your garden,
who grow as your trees and flowers grow, who transform their darkness to light.
Their roots plunge into darkness; their faces turn toward the light. All those who
love you are beautiful; they overflow with your presence so that they can do
nothing but good. There is infinite space in your garden; all men, all women
are welcome here; all they need do is enter.
SOURCE – The Odes & Psalms of Solomon – http://onetruename.com/solomon.htm
HINDUISM: For those who set their hearts on me/ And worship me with unfailing devotion and faith,/ The way of love leads sure and swift to me. Krishna – Bhagavad Gita – SOURCE
CHRISTIAN: God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. – SOURCE 1 John 4:16
SUFI/ISLAM: O Marvel! a garden amidst the flames.
My heart has become capable of every form:
it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,
and a temple for idols and the pilgrim’s Kaa’ba,
and the tablets of the Torah and the book of the Quran.
I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love’s camels take,
that is my religion and my faith.
Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi: The Treasure of Compassion ‘Tarjuman al-Ashwaq’ Theosoph Pub House 1911.Poem XI
RUMI: I profess the religion of love,
Love is my religion and my faith.
My mother is love
My father is love
My prophet is love
My God is love
I am a child of love
I have come only to speak of love
BAHA’I: Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings.
Love is heaven’s kindly light, the Holy Spirit’s eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul.
Love is the cause of God’s revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things.
Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next.
Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul.
Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the diverse elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms.
Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe.
Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization …. SOURCE
TODAY’S BUDDHISM:“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh
NB Below: our Meditation & Dialogue framework- it is a way of life, a mission, a vision, a curriculum
‘One Garden groups’– our focus = practicing healing Wholeness via perennial wisdom
”Sipping the healing perfume, nectar & wisdom from various spiritual flowers!”
The ‘One Garden’ goal = living in balance – 2 wings i) realizing mystical connection to the whole & ii) dialogue-ing Perennial Wisdom/Philosophy. Together their concern = Awakening:Detaching:Serving
‘One Garden’ groups are about having a supportive ‘family’ to inspire living in the interspiritual way.
We are a sacred space for practice & dialogue – using eternal wisdom sources. Why? – for greater happiness & peace, both as individuals & for the wider community, the planet’s global family.
OUR 3 SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES – awakening; detaching; serving.
Awakening is primarily learning to stay mindful in our connection with the Whole (God if you prefer), conscious breathing is for many the No 1 re-minder.
Detachment is learning to reduce the average level of ‘radio’ interference (ego) as we serve others within consciousness of the Whole.
Service is action dedicated to the well being of others – starting with a our friends, family & workmates – through to planetary concerns.
INTERSPIRITUALITY (21stC inter-faith) = “…the sharing of ultimate experiences across traditions.” – see Teasdale’s The Mystic Heart & Tolle’s The Power of Now etc.
They teach the 2 ‘wings of spirituality’ – A) Connection with the Whole + B) perennial wisdom & dialogue for 1) Awakening: 2) Detaching: 3) Serving.
1) to AWAKEN – “We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.” T N Hanh SL p504
A) • There’s a reality beyond the material world & its life force: • Which is uncreated. • It pervades everything, • but remains (as a Whole) beyond the reach of human knowledge & understanding.
2) to DETACH – “A (wo) man is a slave to anything s/he cannot part with that is less than her/himself” – George MacDonald –
“Mindfulness allows us to spend more time in eternity! ” (RP)
B) • You approach that reality by: • Distinguishing ego from true self • Understanding the nature of desire • Becoming unattached • Forgetting about preferences • Not working for personal gain • Letting go of thoughts • Redirecting your attention • Being devoted • Being humble • Invoking that reality • Surrendering etc.
C) • That reality approaches you through: • Grace • The ‘way’ or the teacher seems to appear whenever we need to move on up through the next stage.
D) • You’re transformed – enlightened – so that you embody or reflect that reality by:
• ‘Dying’ and ‘being reborn’ (i.e transformed & living more via the true higher non-egoistic Self).
3) to SERVE – “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” – Albert Schweitzer
E) .You then find (even better) ways to serve – realizing that all work done in the spirit of service can be ranked as worship. NB the 3 Awake:Detach:Serve work synergistically – we can start anywhere.
-0-
OUR PURPOSE & our PRACTICE
Our One Garden a) PURPOSE =Awaken:Detach:Serve b) PRACTICE = Smile:Breathe:go mindfully
CONTACT: Roger (Dr Roger Prentice) onesummit AT gmail DOT com
Share this:
Soul Needs - One Garden 