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"You are the guest of joy, you cannot impose yourself," was a quote from our sharing yesterday, when we contemplated the place of receptivity in spiritual living. This quote, from Jean Klein, in Who AM I?: The Spiritual Quest, equally applies to our contemplation today. Most of us live in cultures of aggression, where we humans, in pride, have assumed a right to impose ourselves on Life, as evidenced in how nature is treated as means to an end, our not recognizing we are nature. Additionally, we have created economic structures that manipulate in order for personal gain. This deceit is displayed through the training of persons in false advertising to lure us to purchase what we do not need and will never lead us to joy. These are only two examples of many among our denials of what Life offers us only as gift. Rather, we need cultures of receptivity, communities that live in union with nature, with one another, with Life. This kind of life is a life of gratitude, and is neither religious nor irreligious, neither spiritual nor non-spiritual. This is sharing with Life as Life. For, when even one of us looks closely, we cannot define anywhere where Life is not. We cannot locate where anyone or anything begins or ends. See, we are Life, for one with Life, and to receive Life is to receive ourselves. When we respect anyone or anything, we respect ourselves. This posture of Grateful enjoyment with Life, this becomes our Worship. Out of this Worship we still engage in the everyday means of living together, yet, with the attitude we all are guests here. In this posture of respect for Life, life becomes celebration. Nature becomes sacrament, we respect others, including the 'inanimate,' with appreciation of its innate dignity.
Life is Eucharist ~ lit. Thanksgiving ~
Life invites you to feast from Itself gratefully
Life becomes Givenness
the sacrament of Holy Communion
this Rite of Life
requires nothing but surrender to Life-Giving-Itself
while not excluding religious rituals at places of worship
this Communion is everywhere, always
Life is Its own Temple, Priest
Altar and Sacrifice
initially, we engage a spiritual 'path'
focusing on receiving for ourselves ~
sadly, much religion and spirituality encourages persons to remain in this self-focus, some even creating a heaven as the perfection of this self-seeking
this is a proper beginning motive
for kneeling at the Altar
Life meets us, feeds us, gives us drink
and this repeated receiving transforms us, so our motives
in time, we ourselves no longer receive for ourselves
we receive for everyone, then everything
the energies of self-reference are, then, transmuted
until in our receiving, everyone is receiving for everyone,
then everything for everything
here, there is no person present to receive
for person implies individuality ~
The Flame of Love, being universal, melts individuality into universality
oneed with the Rite happening
no thought of meaning is assigned by the mind ~
not even of blessing for oneself, or anyone or anything
spontaneous acts of service may arise
if so, they arise from Life Itself, not a personal intent to do good
by action or stillness, being alone or among,
one relaxes, trusting Life to give Itself freely, however Life chooses
the prayer, "Not my will, but Your will be done"
has become a silent, living Prayer, "Your will be done"
then, one is trustingly relaxed in Grace
thankfully participating in Grace by Grace
in this, you become the Feast, a silent invitation
to others to relax, to enjoy
do not underestimate, in this Eucharist
the power of non-intention, of non-action, of quietly-being
Life was here long before you
has being giving Itself for aeons
simply, in your grateful reception of the Feast
others are inspired to receive, for all
naturally long for this joy
and, what is this Feast of Thanksgiving, but
the joyfulness of loving and being loved,
of togetherness, being Heart-with-Heart?
*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2018.
*Move cursor over photos for details of copyright owner, title, and source.
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