None of my blogs are intended to be read in isolation. All 29 and now 30 have some relationship to each other. The last three blogs, 27, 28 and 29 were meant to be read together. All blogs are intended to be a conversation with the reader.
Following Blog 29 I received an email from a reader. The reader is experienced with an excellent career, widely read, and has engaged with integrity on a spiritual journey. The reader explained that he had read blog 29 and he had used the prompts, and meditated on Invictus as was indicated. Then he said, “Okay – but what is next.” This led to an hour long call in which we discussed at length my website posts 16 – Verses, Meditations, Poems, 17 – Thomas Keating’s Eight Points of Agreement and 18 – Bill’s Further Thoughts under the subtitle – Personal “Path.”
So on reflection after this poignant question I felt a need to clarify in this blog post #30 so as to possibly not mislead others. I will start with a bit of brief personal background and then expand on what could be next after Blog #29.
My “path” like so many began early in life with reverence and reading those that inspire like Thomas Merton. I completed my BA in psychology and did a senior project on Jung focused on journaling with Ira Progoff. I then explored a few eastern meditation paths. Then discovered Steiner and spent the next two years working at the Weleda and living and working at the Fellowship Community within the Threefold Community in Spring Valley, New York. In these two and half years, I received many gifts of wisdom from numerous people.
I returned to MPLS and started law school. As I did I started on my own internal “path.” It went slow. I usually started any meditation with the orienting meditation in Slide One below:
Then each three to four years I would add one meditation so in my first 10 years I was just using the first four meditations in slides 1-4 below. Then over time all the meditations in the slides below were slowly added. Most times just one meditation a year was added when a new one arrived and spoke.
It was this process and all the slides below that we walked through with my friend and discussed. It was now clear to him what might possibly be next for him following Blog 29. He responded a month later with gratitude. I am grateful to him as when we or I talk about an inner life or a path it is morally incumbent to try to be clear. I hope all the slides below from items 16, 17, and 18 on my website provide some clarity. I am always as my site indicates willing to discuss anything with a reader.
“Path” is in quotes to distinguish it from an inner life. Surely a “path” is a reflection of an inner life but an inner life alone is not necessarily a “path.” A “path” is active, disciplined, practiced, individualized, and flexible.
Why an inner “path?” Not to redeem ourselves but to enter a space of gratitude for the knowledge that all 8 billion plus humans are profoundly equal. Then through this knowledge the Redemption and Resurrection of all is possible.
Personal Path – Verses, Meditations and Poems
And Thomas Merton below tells us what that one word is.
Personal Path: Thomas Keating’s Eight Points of Agreement
Personal Path: Bill’s Further Thoughts on the Path
