Tag Archives: Enlightenment
Four Shapes of Transformation
An Evolving Faith Four Shapes of Transformation Tuesday, June 1, 2021 An evolutionary faith understands that nothing is static. The universe unfolds, our understanding of God evolves and deepens, and our moral development surely evolves as well. We simply cannot, as adults, live by the same overly simplistic rules that governed our morality as children.… Continue Reading Four Shapes of Transformation
The Whole Is in the Parts
The Contemplative Call to Nature The Whole Is in the Parts Monday, April 19, 2021 St. Augustine (354–430) proclaimed in one of his great sermons, “The end will be the one Christ, loving himself.” [1] Paul preceded St. Augustine when he wrote that, in the end, “God will be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).… Continue Reading The Whole Is in the Parts
Oneness
Growing in Christ: Week 2 Oneness Friday, March 29, 2019 The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me: my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, and one love. —Meister Eckhart [1] Today we continue reflecting on what David Benner calls “spirit-centered awakening.”… Continue Reading Oneness
The Four Noble Truths
Taoism and Buddhism The Four Noble Truths Tuesday, August 21, 2018 After his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha sat for some days in his inner liberation, which he called a state of nirvana. As Thich Nhat Hanh explains, “Nirvana means extinction—first of all, the extinction of all concepts and notions. Our concepts about… Continue Reading The Four Noble Truths
The Buddha
Taoism and Buddhism The Buddha Monday, August 20, 2018 My colleague and CAC core teacher James Finley, a student of Buddhism, briefly shares the story of the Buddha’s life to provide some context for Buddhist teachings. The Buddha was born in India about the year 560 BCE and given the name Siddhartha. His father, the… Continue Reading The Buddha
Ways of Praying and Knowing
Hinduism Ways of Praying and Knowing Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Hinduism emphasizes concrete practices (yogas) which allow practitioners to know things for themselves. I often wonder if conservative Christians are afraid of the word yoga because they are in fact afraid of concrete orthopraxy! They prefer to strongly believe things but have very few daily practices… Continue Reading Ways of Praying and Knowing
Be Whole-Hearted
The Beatitudes Be Whole-Hearted Thursday, April 20, 2017 Guest writer and CAC teacher Cynthia Bourgeault continues exploring Jesus’ eight blessings known as the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” —Matthew 5:8 This may well be the most important of all the Beatitudes—from the perspective of wisdom it certainly is.… Continue Reading Be Whole-Hearted
Participatory Knowing
Trinity: Week 2 Participatory Knowing Sunday, September 18, 2016 All authentic knowledge of God is participatory. I must say this directly and clearly because it is a very different way of knowing reality—and it should be the unique, open-horizoned gift of people of faith. But Christians have almost entirely lost this way of knowing, ever… Continue Reading Participatory Knowing
The Contemplative Mind
Action and Contemplation: Week 1 The Contemplative Mind Sunday, May 8, 2016 (Feast of Lady Julian of Norwich) What is the relation of [contemplation] to action? Simply this. He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not… Continue Reading The Contemplative Mind