Tom Wilson’s “A Cast of Thousands”

Eastern beliefs brought us meditation and a hope in a personal contemplative life at the level of laity. In a flash, “Hey, I can do this myself!” pervaded the frontier of Christianity and other major religions. However, it does not effectively deal with ‘shadow’ or elements of our psyche split off from the healthy True Self and Ego due to inattention, too much attention, or some life event that added to the damaged self during early development years (i.e. abuse, death of a loved one). In fact, simply focusing meditation on such an issue can heighten and worsen the healing process.

Western culture brought us the ability to discern ‘shadow’ and to embrace/resolve issues through specific psychological tools; however, it also opened the door to gurus offering ‘instant enlightenment’. For, in the West, we want everything now.

And, unfortunately, people just want to eat the cake – they don’t seem particularly interested in the ingredients that were required to make it. Or, even worse, they want the instant enlightenment and don’t want to contemplate for years-on-end to achieve enlightenment – the cooking time. But enlightenment is never achieved – it is an endless journey where each level is battered with new challenges or new experiences that cause a person to question, pray, and grow even more. It is a train, that once boarded, may never be stopped – sure, you can change cars, but all future activities are manifested towards the question of “Who Am I?” One of the most misunderstood aspects of the spiritual journey is that you only experience enlightenment at the level of understanding you have currently achieved. The East understands this. Eastern philosophies understand that years of practice create a sound, spiritually enlightened, individual. This all harkens to Father Richard Rohr’s quote of Ken Wilber’s model, “Transcend and Include” – We must not throw the baby (the Church) out with the Bathwater (Emerging Church). We cannot do without either the ritual (Church) or the compassion (Faith); as we cannot do without the Historical Jesus or the Christ of Faith. The Foundation and the Emerging Church…Transcend and Include.

A spiritual life built without a foundation is a personal danger – how does one’s ego/fortitude handle a situation that involves their spiritual ‘position’ to fail? Both will fall, and that is extremely difficult to rebuild, possibly even devastating. It appears that spirituality demands that a person know from where they evolved their foundation of the One True Self. And therefore, it is just as important to know and understand about the practice that you have chosen to pursue on your journey.

Yet, modern people continue to pursue faith on an individual basis due to the hazed lens through which they view organized religion. The amount of practices available to any one person is now a veritable box store of possibilities. This is further debilitated by access through the Internet or books – it is still wise to have a teacher (more foundation). This must be reinforced to have a person choose one practice that speaks to a person’s heart and maintain dedication to it for at least five years, the time that it is considered to truly bear and harvest the fruits. Keep it simple and don’t try to mix together a meal from a variety of boxes. No, your practice shouldn’t be a veritable goulash simmering in the pot.

Not to worry if you have researched and discovered a meditation practice that suits you which oddly falls outside your religious background, because if you look close enough, you’ll be able to identify a similar practice within your own cupboard. This is due to what Ken Wilber refers to as a ‘Core Set of Beliefs’. So, back to Ken Wilber, renowned American Philosopher, who initially wrote in his book ‘Grace and Grit’ and then again in ‘Integral Spirituality’ that the majority of wisdom traditions share at least seven Core Beliefs that can be used as a foundation, as follows:

1. Spirit, by whatever name, exists.
2. Spirit, although existing “out there” is found “in here,” or revealed within to the Open Heart and Mind.
3. Most of us don’t realize this Spirit within; however, we are living in a world of sin, separation, or duality — that is, we are living in a fallen, illusory, or fragmented state.
4. There is a way out of this fallen state (of sin, illusion and/or disharmony), there is a Path to our liberation.
5. If we follow this Path to its conclusion, the result is a Rebirth or Enlightenment, a direct experience of Spirit within and without, a Supreme Liberation, which
6. Marks the end of sin and suffering, and is
7. Manifested in social action of mercy and compassion on behalf of all sentient beings.

He also stated in his book, “A Brief History of Everything,”

“Are the mystics and sages insane? Because they all tell variations on the same story, don’t they? The story of awakening one morning and discovering you are one with the All, in a timeless and eternal and infinite fashion.”

So, embrace your practice, and embrace each other with love knowing that our gaze is the same. And create knowing that it is manifested from the same.

And musicians understand that it is just as much about the space between the notes as it is the encapsulating notes that hold together a song and draws in a listener. The listener’s intuition is that they can surf on top of each note, or float in between, feeling free and rested. It could be explained as being lost from this manifested world, but you are actually found. You have found yourself.

And, there is the moment of giving. Not of a material gift, but rather like handing a glass of water to a loved one who is not feeling well. The moment the cup passes from your hand to theirs. The moment when you heart opens to the other, which is none other than yourself with a different exteriority – a unique expression of Divine. Spaciousness.

When you are painting, playing guitar, or even being attentive to a task, and the time seems to have flown by imperceptibly – that is the space – endless. Without beginning and without end. It is `flow` – to move or progress freely without inhibition, as if in a stream. As written by Laurence Freeman, OSB, in his book, `The Selfless Self’:

It is the ecstatic and continuous state of dispossession. We can glimpse it simply by calling to mind those moments or phases in life where we experienced the highest degree of peace, fulfillment and joy and recognise that those were times, not when we possessed anything, but when we lost ourselves in something or someone.

This is where Divine is. Where Divine acts from. When is the last time I lived from that space? I shouldn’t dwell on this too much, just do, just BE. Just be with Divine. And enjoy.

To continue on my creative path, I have decided to pursue an online drawing course that focuses on the ‘classical figurative tradition’.  It was a natural decision between this and a college level art history course; I chose the option that would provide the most immediate expression of the creative self.  I came across this course while researching the silverpoint method of drawing, with peak application during the Renaissance Art period.  My interest in silverpoint was heightened due to the work of Albrecht Durer and Leonardo Da Vinci’s, both on a technical level and as fine artists. 

My research enabled me to cross internet paths with my new mentor, Gerrit Verstraete.  I was most impressed with his sheer discipline and commitment to the creative process as well as to maintaining the purity of style and technique of the Masters.  His artistic journey and writings on Spirituality and Art are inspirational.   Gerrit Verstraete does not shy away from new mediums or frontiers including abstract painting and digital works using an Intuos Drawing Tablet.  Seldom do you come across someone in the arts with such dedication, and I have been fortunate to meet but a handful of such disciplined creative souls, to include Eleanor Rose Milne and David Nakabayashi.