I am into this prayer thing lately.. not the typical “vertical kind” (looking upward), but the “horizontal type.” I have come to understand in my late fifties that what is humbly offered and truthfully spoken, first to myself, is the definition of prayer and, as such, the very reason why we are here, to wit: to be of service to other pilgrims on the path who are in need. This understanding has provided me with a compass.
To my frame of mind, in the universe of spiritual beings that we find ourselves now a part of, we are here in what is designated as an sanitarium (not a prison.. that is in the mind) of sorts for the potential recovery of souls, from all existence, who were sent here to test whether or not our individual energies can become in spiritual harmony. This lifetime, however long or short, is our last best chance, and hence the time given is precious and wasting is a defiance to the reason as to why we are here. Our guardian angel is our benevolent probation officer that can either cite us or recognize that overall we are honestly trying and can cut us a break. But when we spin out repeatedly, over and over again, indeed we fail. Young children.. before the age of reason (the age of premeditated choice).. who die because of sudden crib death or whatever, are those souls who have been on appeal who have just been granted an acquittal. When such happens there should be rejoicing. We are on trial (being tested) in this temporary existence via having to make choices to unanticipated questions which are presented to us each day.
And what is the issue that we are here to resolve? It’s problems, both big and small. Do we tackle them, delegate them, differ them, bury them and hope that somehow they will go away? Time is a clock that begins with our placement here. To one that is on the wrong path, they.. as with the problematic drinkers, addicts, those consumed with power and wealth.. find it routinely comfortable to say, “I’m just killing time,” in the spiritual sense. It's like daydreaming during a test when in school, and it’s “throwing the bird” to the Entity that sent us to this existence. Those who figured it out early in this existence are deemed over the balance of their earthly lives here to be teachers for others on the path.. or perhaps to be something like lighthouses in the night for the rest. Some call these souls who figured it out "prophets," some call them "saints."
Mother Teresa, the man Jesus of Nazareth, Mohammad Gandhi, ..among others, are souls that came here with a destiny and seemingly with minor refinement to do. Thereafter they gave us a path on how to do it by their example, beginning in all cases with selflessness and service to others. Mother Teresa didn't want to go to Las Vegas or to Disney World, nor did she seek out any recognition. She embraced the orphans, the old, sick, the afraid, and those teetering on near hopelessness. She took away the loneliness which is the doorstep to despair. All the selfless are teachers by example and never by the mandate from pulpit threat or soap box; all are, or were, seemingly illogical (sadly) in their human worldly life’s direction as they did not choose to pursue a quest for the material trappings. All knew this reality to be a segregated colony and that they were sent here because their spiritual posture initially was not entirely harmonious with the collective balance of Truth. They understood the test of life was to honestly face problems, and they understood that the human defect almost always begins with an unformatted ego.
Our horizontal prayers are between ourselves ~person to person, eye to eye, ear to ear, and are offered through words and deeds for mutual guidance, for spiritual comforting and honest encouragement. We pray for the goodness we see in one another. They do not beg for some gain from an almighty Higher Power (that is a different matter). They don't have an expectancy attached to it and these prayers don't require some sort of offering or penance except to discipline our ego. This type of prayer is always addressed, "To Whom It May Concern," and is sent out among the recipients who are on the same frequency who may need to hear such words, often across the tables. Our lives must be spent proactively and not reactively. Primarily I must not blindly turn over direction to theological institutions but in the self that I was given which relies on my spiritual compass ~my conscience. My brief lifetime here must be focused on my pursuit of my spiritual evolution. As the teacher, Teilhard de Chardin, has said, “We are not human beings in search of a spiritual experience but rather spiritual beings immersed in a human experience.” We came into this existence by ourselves and will pass on all by ourselves. But here we have each other, in such horizontal prayer, maybe across a table or a campfire from one another, and these prayers never have a verse, a refrain, a sorted political history behind it, or an undisclosed agenda. Our duty as men and women is to proceed as if limits to our spiritual ability do not exist. We are companions in pushing the boundaries of this creation and love is our sacred reserve of energy. Indeed, it is the essence of spiritual evolution.
To my frame of mind, in the universe of spiritual beings that we find ourselves now a part of, we are here in what is designated as an sanitarium (not a prison.. that is in the mind) of sorts for the potential recovery of souls, from all existence, who were sent here to test whether or not our individual energies can become in spiritual harmony. This lifetime, however long or short, is our last best chance, and hence the time given is precious and wasting is a defiance to the reason as to why we are here. Our guardian angel is our benevolent probation officer that can either cite us or recognize that overall we are honestly trying and can cut us a break. But when we spin out repeatedly, over and over again, indeed we fail. Young children.. before the age of reason (the age of premeditated choice).. who die because of sudden crib death or whatever, are those souls who have been on appeal who have just been granted an acquittal. When such happens there should be rejoicing. We are on trial (being tested) in this temporary existence via having to make choices to unanticipated questions which are presented to us each day.
And what is the issue that we are here to resolve? It’s problems, both big and small. Do we tackle them, delegate them, differ them, bury them and hope that somehow they will go away? Time is a clock that begins with our placement here. To one that is on the wrong path, they.. as with the problematic drinkers, addicts, those consumed with power and wealth.. find it routinely comfortable to say, “I’m just killing time,” in the spiritual sense. It's like daydreaming during a test when in school, and it’s “throwing the bird” to the Entity that sent us to this existence. Those who figured it out early in this existence are deemed over the balance of their earthly lives here to be teachers for others on the path.. or perhaps to be something like lighthouses in the night for the rest. Some call these souls who figured it out "prophets," some call them "saints."
Mother Teresa, the man Jesus of Nazareth, Mohammad Gandhi, ..among others, are souls that came here with a destiny and seemingly with minor refinement to do. Thereafter they gave us a path on how to do it by their example, beginning in all cases with selflessness and service to others. Mother Teresa didn't want to go to Las Vegas or to Disney World, nor did she seek out any recognition. She embraced the orphans, the old, sick, the afraid, and those teetering on near hopelessness. She took away the loneliness which is the doorstep to despair. All the selfless are teachers by example and never by the mandate from pulpit threat or soap box; all are, or were, seemingly illogical (sadly) in their human worldly life’s direction as they did not choose to pursue a quest for the material trappings. All knew this reality to be a segregated colony and that they were sent here because their spiritual posture initially was not entirely harmonious with the collective balance of Truth. They understood the test of life was to honestly face problems, and they understood that the human defect almost always begins with an unformatted ego.
Our horizontal prayers are between ourselves ~person to person, eye to eye, ear to ear, and are offered through words and deeds for mutual guidance, for spiritual comforting and honest encouragement. We pray for the goodness we see in one another. They do not beg for some gain from an almighty Higher Power (that is a different matter). They don't have an expectancy attached to it and these prayers don't require some sort of offering or penance except to discipline our ego. This type of prayer is always addressed, "To Whom It May Concern," and is sent out among the recipients who are on the same frequency who may need to hear such words, often across the tables. Our lives must be spent proactively and not reactively. Primarily I must not blindly turn over direction to theological institutions but in the self that I was given which relies on my spiritual compass ~my conscience. My brief lifetime here must be focused on my pursuit of my spiritual evolution. As the teacher, Teilhard de Chardin, has said, “We are not human beings in search of a spiritual experience but rather spiritual beings immersed in a human experience.” We came into this existence by ourselves and will pass on all by ourselves. But here we have each other, in such horizontal prayer, maybe across a table or a campfire from one another, and these prayers never have a verse, a refrain, a sorted political history behind it, or an undisclosed agenda. Our duty as men and women is to proceed as if limits to our spiritual ability do not exist. We are companions in pushing the boundaries of this creation and love is our sacred reserve of energy. Indeed, it is the essence of spiritual evolution.
