“Intensity of feeling is no measure of depth of awareness.” — Flannery O’Connor
The spirit refers to consciousness—whether the proto-consciousness of a plant, the semi-consciousness of an animal, or the full-blown consciousness of a human.
Once you understand what the … Read the rest
Mystics are Spiritually Independent
“People who are spiritually independent share the same existential questions as almost every other human being, but do not confine their search for answers to any one religion.” — Rami Shapiro
A mystic is someone who seeks firsthand experience of … Read the rest
Walk the Pathless Path
“Traveler, there is no path.” — Antonio Machado
We all want a map to guide us from here to eternity. But no such map exists, because the path is made by walking it. No two people are alike, and therefore … Read the rest
The Mystic Way
“Religions are different roads converging to the same point.” — Mahatma Gandhi
The Mystic Way means an activity of transformation—the inward process by which a person moves toward union with Ultimate Reality, not a mere set of beliefs or a … Read the rest
The Reality of the One
Dan is an Atheist. One day he proudly proclaimed, “There is no God.”
So I asked him, “Do you know everything?”
Looking at me weirdly, he answered, “No, of course not.”
So I said, “So what you don’t know might … Read the rest
Neoplatonism and the Path to the One
Plotinus lived about 600 years after Plato, the famous student of Socrates. He lived an austere and highly disciplined life centered on philosophy and inner contemplation. He was said to eat very little—often only one meal a day or even … Read the rest