SPIRITUALITY
Dr. Francisco Coll, founder of the Americana
Leadership College (www.alcworld.com) and the Inner Peace Movement
International (www.ipminternational.org), states in The Real You
(Americana Leadership Press, Osceola, IA, 2007), 1,
You are a soul with a physical body, not a physical
body with a soul. You are
energy; a spiritual being that is, has been and always will be….
You have incarnated into a physical body to learn more about
yourself. Every experience
you have is an opportunity to learn more about who
you are and the reality of your true feelings.
As a true searcher, you
are concerned about your spiritual life.
You are on planet earth to learn
to balance your spiritual world with the daily routines of the physical
world. Ibid., 1.
Dr. Sandra Adler of the Peace Community Church International (www.pcciworld.org) adds the following:
“Be still and know that I am God."
We all are God; we are not separate because we are one.
Everyone is searching at some level. Each is
trying to find that oneness; the inner peace; the realization that he is
God - which is being one with all things in the universe.
Everything I do affects the entire universe because I am one with it.
The more I stay cleansed the better is my environment and the better the
world is.
There is nothing greater than me in this universe. I am the creator of my life. I attract to me what I think. The more positive I am the more positive my life. If I have troubles I am attracting them. As I heal my concepts my life gets better.
Is God outside of you or within you? If you are one with all things then you must be God. If God created you in his image then God must look like you. Religion has confused the truth to control the masses so everyone is suffering and looking for inner peace. Inner peace comes when we have the facts.
As a soul with a physical body, your first priority is to grow spiritually. The study of the Bible and other religious works, and especially singing hymns, evoke much happiness and satisfaction in an individual. This is evidenced by Authentic Happiness by Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D. (Free Press [a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc, paperback edition] New York, N.Y., 2003), 59-60. I say this occurs because we are spiritual beings.
To lend support to the fact that we are spiritual
beings, I now include hymns from the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and
Buddhist traditions:
From the Christian:
“Here I am, Lord”:
The URL for the video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzp83SWRNZw
Here I am Lord
Words and Music by Daniel L Schutte
© 1981
Genesis 46:2
"And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night,
and said, Jacob, Jacob. I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my words to them.
Whom shall I send?
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will send the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
Finest bread I will provide,
'Til their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
And he said, Here am I."
Chorus
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
From the Jewish:
“Sabbath Prayer” from the “Fiddler on the Roof”:
The URL is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnaZqHy2ZHE
The words for the "Sabbath Prayer" are:
May the Lord protect and defend you.
May He always shield you from shame.
May you come to be
In Israel a shining name.
May you be like Ruth and like Esther.
May you be deserving of praise.
Strengthen them, Oh Lord,
And keep them from the strangers' ways.
May God bless you and grant you long lives.
(May the Lord fulfill our Sabbath prayer for you.)
May God make you good mothers and wives.
(May He send you husbands who will care for you.)
May the Lord protect and defend you.
May the Lord preserve you from pain.
Favor them, Oh Lord, with happiness and peace.
Oh, hear our Sabbath prayer. Amen.
From the Islamic: “I
Look I See” sung by Yusif Islam aka Cat Stevens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypp3cQ1CpQo
I Look I See
I Look I See
I look, I look, I look, I see
I see a world of beauty
I touch, I touch, I touch, I feel
I feel a world around so real
And everything I do
I dedicate to You
Cause You made me
I am for You
I listen, listen, listen, I hear
I hear the words of God so clear
I read, I read, I read, I know
It helps my knowledge grow
And everything we do
We dedicate to You
Cause You made us
We are for You
I listen, listen, listen, I hear
He sent the Prophet to show us the way
He made Religion perfect that Day
Peace be upon him, upon him we pray
Salatullah, wa salamu ‘alyhi
I sleep I sleep, I sleep, I dream
I dream I’m in a garden green
I wish, I wish, I wish I pray
I pray to be here everyday
And everything I do
I dedicate to You
Cause You made me
I am for You
I work, I work, I work, I strive
To make something of my life
I seek, I seek, I seek, I find
I find another hill to climb
And everything we do
We dedicate to You
Cause You made us
We are for You
I look, I look, I look, I see
He sent the Prophet to show us the way
He made Religion perfect that Day
Peace be upon him, upon him we pray
Salatullah, wa salamu ‘alyhi (x2)
From the Buddhist:
“Imee Ooi: The Chant
of Metta (Loving Kindness)”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D644BWAUOXo
The Chant of Metta (Loving Kindness)
Lyrics by Imee Ooi, Music by Woon Yoke Fun
Video Source:
Youtube
Lyrics Source:
http://www.buddhanet.net/chant-metta.htm
Acknowledgment:
I would like to show my gratitude for this post to my friend,
Oakkyaw Za, who sent it to me.
Aham avero homi
May I be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjho homi
May I be free from mental suffering
anigha homi
May I be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharami
May I take care of myself happily
Mama matapitu
May my parents
acariya ca natimitta ca
teacher relatives and friends
sabrahma - carino ca
fellow Dhamma farers
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
Imasmim arame sabbe yogino
May all meditators in this compound
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily
Imasmim arame sabbe bhikkhu
May all monks in this compound
samanera ca
novice monks
upasaka - upasikaya ca
laymen and laywomen disciples
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily
Amhakam catupaccaya - dayaka
May our donors of the four supports: clothing, food, medicine and
lodging
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
May they take care of themselves happily
Amhakam arakkha devata
May our guardian devas
Ismasmim vihare
in this monastery
Ismasmim avase
in this dwelling
Ismasmim arame
in this compound
arakkha devata
May the guardian devas
avera hontu
be free from enmity and danger
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
Sabbe satta
May all beings
sabbe pana
all breathing things
sabbe bhutta
all creatures
sabbe puggala
all individuals (all beings)
sabbe attabhava - pariyapanna
all personalities (all beings with mind and body)
sabbe itthoyo
may all females
sabbe purisa
all males
sabbe ariya
all noble ones (saints)
sabbe anariya
all worldlings (those yet to attain sainthood)
sabbe deva
all devas (deities)
sabbe manussa
all humans
sabbe vinipatika
all those in the four woeful planes
avera hontu
be free from enmity and dangers
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
Dukkha muccantu
May all being be free from suffering
Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu
May whatever they have gained not be lost
Kammassaka
All beings are owners of their own Kamma
Purathimaya disaya
in the eastern direction
pacchimaya disaya
in the western direction
uttara disaya
in the northern direction
dakkhinaya disaya
in the southern direction
purathimaya anudisaya
in the southeast direction
pacchimaya anudisaya
in the northwest direction
uttara anudisaya
in the northeast direction
dakkhinaya anudisaya
in the southwest direction
hetthimaya disaya
in the direction below
uparimaya disaya
in the direction above
Sabbe satta
May all beings
sabbe pana
all breathing things
sabbe bhutta
all creatures
sabbe puggala
all individuals (all beings)
sabbe attabhava - pariyapanna
all personalities (all beings with mind and body)
sabbe itthoyo
may all females
sabbe purisa
all males
sabbe ariya
all noble ones (saints)
sabbe anariya
(those yet to attain sainthood)
sabbe deva
all devas (deities)
sabbe manussa
all humans
sabbe vinipatika
all those in the 4 woeful planes
avera hontu
be free from enmity and dangers
abyapajjha hontu
be free from mental suffering
anigha hontu
be free from physical suffering
sukhi - attanam pariharantu
may they take care of themselves happily
Dukkha muccantu
May all beings be free from suffering
Yattha-laddha-sampattito mavigacchantu
May whatever they have gained not be lost
Kammassaka
All beings are owners of their own kamma
Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe
ye satta pathavicara
whatever beings that move on earth
abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger
Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe
ye satta udakecara
whatever beings that move on water
abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger
Uddham yava bhavagga ca
As far as the highest plane of existence
adho yava aviccito
to as far down as the lowest plane
samanta cakkavalesu
in the entire universe
ye satta akasecara
whatever beings that move in air
abyapajjha nivera ca
may they are free of mental suffering and enmity
nidukkha ca nupaddava
and from physical suffering and danger.
The words of St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 from
The Message also give a model for our lives as faithful stewards of the
word of God:
Staying at Our Post
1-10Companions
as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one
bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,
I heard your call in the nick of time;
The day you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put
it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a
question mark over everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants
gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay
at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad
times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working
late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand;
in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth,
and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting
things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and
honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but
recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten
within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet
always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many;
having nothing, having it all.
11-13Dear,
dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this
wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel
comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them
in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great
affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!
The following is an explanation of happiness from
the link, “Happiness,” in my website,
www.davidhakim.com.
When I read it, I realize immediately that we are spiritual
beings:
I would
like to state what to me happiness is and is not: It is not life forever
filled with joy and peace, but one which includes growth experiences
through which we learn to control our emotions, sometimes with help. It
is when we trust guidance to assist us with our needs and wants, and to
inspire us toward the greater good, or to just sing to us songs such as
"On [with] the Wings of Eagles," "Cruising Down the River on a Sunday
Afternoon" and "I Will Row My Boat Merrily Along." It is the ability to
overcome the fear created by situations in life affecting ourselves
and/or others over which we have little control. It is the knowledge
that no matter what happens to us, God and His angels are by our side,
and we know that we can handle any situation that life gives us. It is
not the belief that someone else holds the key to determining what is in
our best interest, but our ability to know from our inner guidance what
is. It is not having wealth and power to control our lives and others,
but having enough abundance to meet the needs of ourselves and those for
whom we are responsible. And if we temporarily do not have such
abundance, both financial or otherwise, it is having the fortitude with
no false pride to ask for what we need. And if we do have extra
abundance, we have the willingness to assist those who don't.
When we
are tuned into our Guidance, life just flows.
If we are having problems, they may not go away immediately, but
when we are working on our life plan we find greater peace within
ourselves. For example,
when I was writing “Happiness,” when the timing was right and I began to
write on the explanation of happiness, the words just flowed from
spirit.
We are part of God and jointly involved in creation
(See “Creation” by Rev. Estelle Minor on my website).
The intellect of man is limitless since he is part of God.
We can feel forsaken if we do not realize that God is always with
us and part of us.
Blessings and peace are part of our nature, since
we are part of God. Truth,
love, beauty and happiness are also part of our nature.
In the e-Times Communicator Newsletter Wayshowers
Philosophy Edition for April, 2008, Francisco David Coll states that to
live a happy and fulfilled life he must
…Feel-think-act. Feel, means loyalty and sincerity
to my True Feelings. Think, means to organize what I feel for success.
And act, means to accomplish the fulfillment. There is no 'lack' when
doing that, there is no 'fear' in doing that. But the moment I overlook
or omit one of these elements, I erode the fulfillment and happiness of
what I am involved in. Then I no longer freely make my own decisions, I
sacrifice my inner freedom. I can count on feeling limited and unhappy
anytime I leave my true self out, it is that simple . . . and that big a
waste of time. My solution is to relax, tune-in again to
my big picture, and
redefine 'what I am getting out of it.'
If we damn God for our shortcomings, we are damning
ourselves. I went through
this when I was in adolescence and realized that I would be shorter than
average all my life (I am 5’ 3”).
After much therapy, and after getting my teeth fixed when in my
20’s, I realized I could be happy.
The solution for me was learning to live, as in “Live and let
live.”
The belief in God and our spirituality is
subjective and for each of us God can be defined differently.
One aspect that affects our lives is whether we are negative or
positive. If we are
negative, we may view life as fearful.
However, if we are positive with gratitude, we open our lives to
the power of the universe, to the “Law of the Abundance” (see “The
Secret,” the movie or view my summary and “Enjoy” on my website,
www.davidhakim.com).
As to the differences we have as spiritual beings,
Dr. Adler adds:
If it weren't for religion we wouldn't define God that differently. We would know that we are all powerful, the master of our life, the captain of our ship, the creator of our destiny, one with all things.
Further notes after reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New
Earth: Awakening to Your
Life’s Purpose (Paperback:
Namaste Publishing Book, Plume, Penguin Group [USA], N.Y., N.Y., 2008):
My soul just is.
It is me. I am one
with all things.
Is the soul part of me greater or lesser than the
All? In spirit there is no
greater or lesser. When our
soul manifests itself, it is manifesting all parts of the entity called
God.
The soul is acceptance:
Not trying to accept another or a thing, but just acceptance.
The soul is love:
Love in being, not love attempting to be love or proving to be
the greater or lesser lover.
The soul is not searching, because in being it has everything.
The soul is free. It can neither be created nor destroyed. It always was and always will be.
The soul is caring. It is not attempting to be a caregiver, for by definition it is caring.
If I am cleansed spiritually (see the technique called “Spiritual Cleansing” as noted in “Action” on this website, www.davidhakim.com, or call the Americana Leadership College, (800) 336-1008), doing something I passionate about, that I enjoy doing, or listening to classical music while relaxed, I reach a state of euphoria, of just Being. If I am having trouble releasing myself to the power of spirit, I focus on the following: “I don’t mind what happens” or “Is that so?” which helps me release being centered on negative emotions.
A friend who experienced Oprah and Eckhart’s ten week course on the book adds this:
The book is not about God. It is about slowing down
and being fully conscious with what we do in our daily lives and who we
surround ourselves with. It is
Being fully in the here and now with our true feelings or someone
whether or not they are the President or a janitor. It is about getting
the ego out of the way. It
is not trying to have the biggest house and the things that go with it.
It is, for example, being aware
of our surroundings with everything we do, whether it is washing our
hands or looking at the sky without putting thoughts into what you are
doing.
We are always rushing from point A to B and not
noticing what we saw, toughed, heard, or being observant along the way.
It is also being overwhelmed by our egos, attachments, and
problems, all of which stated in this paragraph constitute our pain-body
stories.
David C. Hakim
Rochester, Michigan
March 31 – April 9, May 8, 2008; September
26, 2009