Internal morality expands from
biocentric (my only concern is my bodily needs)
to egocentric (my only concern is my ego)
to sociocentric (my only concern is my group)
to worldcentric (my only concern is all humans)
to World Soul (my only concern is all sentient beings).
Circles of love expand too
from self-love to loving others
to being aware of God’s Love
to loving God.
“Being loved by God and loving God
can only be experienced on the basis
of self-acceptance” – Otto Rank
You first have to accept yourself
with all your flaws
before you can accept that God accepts you
with all your flaws.
By this spirituality of imperfection
and by applying what the mystics know
to your everyday mind and heart
you may discover your ordinary life
can be a ‘way of the mystic’ –
it’s all a matter of perception with the eyes
and integration of the heart.
The ways of one ordinary monk
became the ‘Rule of St. Benedict’
which governed the life of all monasteries
from 516 AD till now.
The Rule is based on Christian non-dualism:
“All the believers were one in heart and mind.
No one claimed their possessions were their own
but they shared everything and there were
no needy persons among them.” – Acts 4:32-34
Communal sharing of all things
gradually waned in Christianity
but the ideal was kept alive
in convents/monasteries/religious orders.
In organized religion, the leaders
whether priests/ministers/imams/rabbis
tend to be dualistic, either/or thinkers
because to lead they need
clarity – if someone blows a muted trumpet
no one responds – religious leaders need
clear authority – which black and white thinking
easily lends itself to – you are with us
or against us – in or out.
In any case, any ‘no’ must be preceded by ‘yes.’
The ‘no’ of the biblical prophets
to militarism/animal sacrifice/self-serving priests
came from a previous foundational ‘yes’
to God/life/the Beloved Community.
However, the rituals of organized religion
can be life-giving – the Tea Ceremony
in Zen Buddhism like the Eucharist
is about oneness – no longer any class distinction
between noble and commoner – all are one.
The goal of Zen – not that Zen has goals
is the knowledge and perfection of Original Being.
The Original Being of a woman
is to be a mother – an unconditional lover.
In women’s initiation from girlhood to womanhood
that is, childbirth
women become more independent
a person in themselves
and someone more important in the eyes of society
that is, a mother.
Men’s initiation makes them more dependent –
they lose their independence from women –
they realize their true purpose
is self-sacrifice for women and children
to keep humanity going – the most noble calling
along with motherhood.
On a higher level both women and men
sacrifice themselves for God.
The Jews were always incredibly brave
many were martyred for God’s Law –
the Zealots submitted to torture
rather than call Caesar ‘Lord’
on top of Masada Mountain
both women and men committed mass suicide
rather than submit to the pagan Romans –
they became everyday martyrs.
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 