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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ellomie on June 6, 2008, at 1:31:56
What are your experiences of living in spiritual communities?
Is living in a spiritual community about running away from the "real" world or a first-class opportunity to deepen spiritual practice?
What's your take on that?
Personally, I've spent time in monasteries round Asia and Europe. I can honestly say that the time and effort have paid off 10-fold.
In what ways have you benefited from community living?
All the very best!
Posted by rayww on June 6, 2008, at 10:54:19
In reply to Spiritual Practice, posted by ellomie on June 6, 2008, at 1:31:56
> What are your experiences of living in spiritual communities?
>
> Is living in a spiritual community about running away from the "real" world or a first-class opportunity to deepen spiritual practice?
>
> What's your take on that?
>
> Personally, I've spent time in monasteries round Asia and Europe. I can honestly say that the time and effort have paid off 10-fold.
>
> In what ways have you benefited from community living?<<<<
Are you talking about living singly, or with your family? My first 18 years were spent preparing for the time when I would marry and start my own family. If we don't prepare for what is going to be the rest of our life, whether it be marriage, career, or whatever, we will end up being unprepared, and then we might need a retreat to catch up with ourselves. I had three years to myself before I got married, but those 18 years of preparation were what saved me.So the first question I must ask is why did you need to retreat?
My (Mormon) culture is a culture within a culture. We live in the world, but not of the world. Our spirituality is cultured within ourselves, and is centered in the home. Spirituality has always been a key element, in that it is something I value deeply, and am willing to put forth effort to achieve.
My experiences with meditation have been life altering experiences, but meditation has never become my center. I wouldn't build my life around it because I'm too busy, and it fits where it fits within life, but life is my priority, and mine is about family. I prepared for it, I looked forward to it, and somehow it worked according to plan, even better than I had planned in some ways, for some reason.
Life is never easy, but the difficulties can be used to your advantage if the spiritual stones are in place. Spirituality is real. It acts like stepping stones along your path, and anchors in a storm. It is not to be confused with spiritualism. In many ways it is just there as a kind of natural consequence for how you live. At least that's how it works in my culture.
Posted by Jay_Bravest_Face on June 25, 2008, at 9:37:41
In reply to Re: Spiritual Practice, posted by rayww on June 6, 2008, at 10:54:19
> > What are your experiences of living in spiritual communities?
> >
> > Is living in a spiritual community about running away from the "real" world or a first-class opportunity to deepen spiritual practice?
> >
> > What's your take on that?
> >
> > Personally, I've spent time in monasteries round Asia and Europe. I can honestly say that the time and effort have paid off 10-fold.
> >
> > In what ways have you benefited from community living?
>
> <<<<
> Are you talking about living singly, or with your family? My first 18 years were spent preparing for the time when I would marry and start my own family. If we don't prepare for what is going to be the rest of our life, whether it be marriage, career, or whatever, we will end up being unprepared, and then we might need a retreat to catch up with ourselves. I had three years to myself before I got married, but those 18 years of preparation were what saved me.
>
> So the first question I must ask is why did you need to retreat?
>
> My (Mormon) culture is a culture within a culture. We live in the world, but not of the world. Our spirituality is cultured within ourselves, and is centered in the home. Spirituality has always been a key element, in that it is something I value deeply, and am willing to put forth effort to achieve.
>
> My experiences with meditation have been life altering experiences, but meditation has never become my center. I wouldn't build my life around it because I'm too busy, and it fits where it fits within life, but life is my priority, and mine is about family. I prepared for it, I looked forward to it, and somehow it worked according to plan, even better than I had planned in some ways, for some reason.
>
> Life is never easy, but the difficulties can be used to your advantage if the spiritual stones are in place. Spirituality is real. It acts like stepping stones along your path, and anchors in a storm. It is not to be confused with spiritualism. In many ways it is just there as a kind of natural consequence for how you live. At least that's how it works in my culture.
>
>
>
>
>
>Interesting Ray, because my Catholic meditations, doing my daily rosary and my prayer books, are what have pretty much helped "ground" me. I lost my wife and child a decade or so ago, and this was before I converted to Christianity. These things are not ones I use for self-glory or self-righteousness, but to ask God and Jesus to keep me centered with humility, humbleness, empathy, compassion, awareness of suffering, and forgiveness for my sins. This is on a daily basis, not the usual Sunday "bless-me" club types. As I enter middle-age, and am seeing the ones I love deeply pass on, I really find (and sometimes it's not easy..just look up Psalm 44) some comfort in the arms of God. Geezzz...see I am starting to cry as I talk about this. I believe it is God who has given me the power to cry, and I am not ashamed of it. That is "grace" at work, grace being the underlying theme of the Scriptures. Far too many people have bypassed this last sentence.
Anyhow...just wanted to share. I think we have had somewhat similar experiences.
Peace,
Jay
Posted by Dena on June 29, 2008, at 1:59:02
In reply to Spiritual Practice, posted by ellomie on June 6, 2008, at 1:31:56
> What are your experiences of living in spiritual communities?
>
> Is living in a spiritual community about running away from the "real" world or a first-class opportunity to deepen spiritual practice?
>
> What's your take on that?
>
> Personally, I've spent time in monasteries round Asia and Europe. I can honestly say that the time and effort have paid off 10-fold.
>
> In what ways have you benefited from community living?
>
> All the very best!
>
>
> http://www.axelg.com/living-in-a-spiritual-community.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Each person will be uniquely led...
I personally do not feel led to shut myself away from the world around me. I see a world that's hurting, devoid of joy and hope. I believe I'm to live my life "out loud" and if they see something in me that stands out, and they ask, I can share what gives me joy and hope.
Our family does live in intentional community with another family - we share property (they're in our guest house), and while we have separate homes, we have shared lives. Many meals are eaten together, we share struggles and celebrations, we know one another's strengths and weaknesses, and we challenge one another to be all we're created to be.
It's hard work, and requires quite a bit of sacrifice, but it's well worth it for us, for the quality of relationship.
For us, it's not about "going to church" (we were led outside of the institutions) ... it's about being the Church to each other, with each other.
Shalom, Dena
"The unanswered questions aren't nearly as dangerous as the
unquestioned answers.""We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to
learn that it is God shaking them." - Charles West"Naked is having no clothes on. Nekkid is having no clothes on and
being up to something.""Our truth, when it becomes the ONLY truth, ceases to be truth."
"While we're not fearful of tasting new things, we don't necessarily
swallow all that we taste."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted by rayww on July 3, 2008, at 15:56:01
In reply to Re: Spiritual Practice » rayww, posted by Jay_Bravest_Face on June 25, 2008, at 9:37:41
> Interesting Ray, because my Catholic meditations, doing my daily rosary and my prayer books, are what have pretty much helped "ground" me. I lost my wife and child a decade or so ago, and this was before I converted to Christianity. These things are not ones I use for self-glory or self-righteousness, but to ask God and Jesus to keep me centered with humility, humbleness, empathy, compassion, awareness of suffering, and forgiveness for my sins. This is on a daily basis, not the usual Sunday "bless-me" club types. As I enter middle-age, and am seeing the ones I love deeply pass on, I really find (and sometimes it's not easy..just look up Psalm 44) some comfort in the arms of God. Geezzz...see I am starting to cry as I talk about this. I believe it is God who has given me the power to cry, and I am not ashamed of it. That is "grace" at work, grace being the underlying theme of the Scriptures. Far too many people have bypassed this last sentence.
>
> Anyhow...just wanted to share. I think we have had somewhat similar experiences.
>
> Peace,
> Jay
>
><<<You have reminded me that prayer is a form of meditation, and that we should meditate when we pray, not just say words while we think of something else, or repeat vain repetitions, poetry, or otherwise. I have a difficult time meditating since my stroke, so words have to do most days. Sometimes when I kneel to pray there are no words, and I have to hope He gets my message. The connections in our brain are all there for a purpose, and when we alter them through drugs, or in my case a stroke, things are different. Sometimes it takes medication to straighten them out. Have you ever noticed your relationship with God being linked to your own brain connections? I don't mean to suggest we can't have relationship with God if we don't feel it. God would not be that fickle. He is even closer and more protective, even though the brain is skewed.
I'm sorry for your loss, but certainly identify with your process.
rayww
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