Saturday, December 29
For Sunday December 30th, 2018
Hello to all, in a recent conversation the phrase 'your healing will be your teaching' came up. It refers to the idea that the process of healing from a dis-ease or difficulty can provide you with the knowledge and experience to teach from your healing.
Many who have faced great challenges have gone on to become great teachers in life, helping others to face similar challenges and beyond. Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel come to mind.
May we sit Sunday evening for the insight to know our weaknesses, the courage to face them, and the love to heal from them. And, may our efforts bring benefit to others.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, December 23
For Sunday December 23rd, 2018
Hello to all, the word dissociation is a psychiatric term typically used to describe a state of 'disconnecting from one's surroundings' during times of trauma. It is a survival technique in extreme trauma. But here's a question; in situations which are safe and quiet, can it be learned and used to deepen meditation?
Can we learn to 'step outside our bodies' with meditative relaxation techniques? Can dissociation be crafted and perfected? Can it be used to "leave" everything and clear a path or pathway to the Unitive?
May we sit this Sunday, perhaps with the help of the attached meditative script, to reach beyond the physical, to search for the path to the Unitive, to find our way home.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, December 16
For Sunday December 16th, 2018
Hello to all, here's a quote which seems useful at this time: "Arguments will seldom change the aspects or the views of any. And truth itself needs no champion, for it is of itself champion of champions – and needs no defense; only for self to live according to that which IS the truth!" – Edgar Cayce 1669-1
Cayce is asking us to live the truth, but before that we must find what is far beyond our surface life, to find that which is honest, loving, and eternal.
May we sit this evening for sight which is far beyond the work-a-day world. May we attain some degree of sight into the Divine depths. May we bring it back to live in this world.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, December 9
For Sunday December 9th, 2018
Hello everyone and nearly Merry Christmas, as we celebrate 'the one' whose spiritual job is not yet finished let us work toward the Oneness which is within our reach. Here again a connective process:
Step one; get the hands busy, find or join an activity which can be done with a group.
Step two; the community spirit which is built during the activity is the engagement of hearts.
Step three; it is the engagement of people's hearts which changes the brain and thereby the thinking.
May we sit this Sunday in the unity which is promised but we have not yet attained. May we reach out and make the connections we can. May Thy Will be done in all things.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, December 2
For Sunday December 2nd, 2018
Hello all, I apologize for the lateness of this posting. Due to illness in other Santas I got caught up doing Santa until 8pm. The original schedule said I'd be done by 2pm. So with this in mind, let's sit tonight for all those who portray, and those who help the portrayal, of Santa throughout the world. Collectively, they bring a great deal of joy to the Earth.
Thank you all,
Richard
Wednesday, November 21
For Sunday November 25th, 2018
Hello everyone, if you're looking for hope in the world among the myriad distresses which dominate the news cycles – look toward nurses, hospital clowns, and volunteers sifting through the ashes of Paradise, CA. In other words, look for the helpers. If you're trying to measure the heart of the world amongst all the war, look for the helpers. If you're searching for the 'spiritual glue' which holds societies together, look for the helpers.
All these helpers, and vastly many more, hold the seeds for the future of the human race. They hold those seeds in their hearts. And, anyone can join them.
May we sit this Sunday in gratitude for all those who have been helpers to us in the past. May we sit for the opportunities to be helpers ourselves in the future. May we sit for the courage and outwardly loving heart which is required to fulfill helping.
Thank you all for your help,
Richard
Saturday, November 17
For Sunday November 18th, 2018
Hello everyone, it's difficult to find any way to state this quote more clearly:
"At the most basic level, it's how we treat each other that will make the difference. As we recognize the extent of the pain and anger in the world, the importance of loving kindness becomes even clearer." -- Judge Stanley Peele
Those who annoy, those who injure, and all those who are lost, are still on their own personally crafted path to Oneness. May we sit this Sunday for the depth of courage and self-awareness required to extend loving-kindness to all.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, November 9
For Sunday November 11th, 2018
Hello everyone, it is possible to love someone who is in a state of fear, and when they are angry. It's even possible to love someone despite whatever 'wrongs' they may have committed.
Doing so can be called the beginnings of unconditional love, reaching out to others. It's also essential to do so for ourselves.
The self-honesty which brings an awareness of our own internal difficulties is also a loving doorway for viewing the same difficulties in others. Then the forgiveness we wish for ourselves, once given, can be extended.
May we sit this evening for our own forgiveness. May we extend it to others. May we begin to touch upon Unconditional Love.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, November 4
For Sunday November 4th, 2018
Hello to all, the ancient Grecian story of Pandora's box and it's content of troubles for humanity, when seen from a high enough spiritual level, was not intended as punishment but rather as challenges to provide growth and movement.
We can look at our societal troubles of today through the same lens. Exposing the angers, fears, and discord which are abundant in our national discourse provides us with a chance to address them healthily, giving us a reason to search for wisdom.
May we sit this evening for the proper attitude, enough courage, and the will to act from a loving place within.
Thank you all,
Richard
We can look at our societal troubles of today through the same lens. Exposing the angers, fears, and discord which are abundant in our national discourse provides us with a chance to address them healthily, giving us a reason to search for wisdom.
May we sit this evening for the proper attitude, enough courage, and the will to act from a loving place within.
Thank you all,
Richard
PS Here's a treat I just found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiVcYDyPA6I&index=23&list=PLqU_mQ9bmQDoZ7Mzth0s4qgJj0TqTxap0
Sunday, October 28
For Sunday October 28th, 2018
Hello to everyone, Vivekananda states: "The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – in that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free."
May we sit this evening for the insight to see the Divine in every human being, for the personal freedom which comes from such insight, and for the benefits it brings to the world at large.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, October 21
For Sunday October 21st, 2018
Hello to everyone, Dr. Charles Flynn was a good friend of Tom Sawyer. Together they made a terrific spiritual team known as Tom Sawyer and, not Huck Finn but very close, Chuck Flynn. Chuck came up with an idea he called the 'Love Project' wherein you identify someone you absolutely cannot stand as a human being, the most objectionable person you can possibly find – and decide love them.
You can choose someone you will never likely meet in this life or someone very close to you. The more disgusted you are with this person, and the closer you are to them, the more powerful the project will be. But it is your choice to start wherever you may.
Whoever you choose it begins with your thoughts and attitudes toward them. You do not have to agree with their actions, opinions, or decisions. You merely have to love them anyway, no matter what they do or say.
The Oneness we are promised will include this, perhaps we could take this opportunity get an early start.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, October 12
For Sunday October 14th, 2018
Hello everyone, sometimes a quote from a friend can catch you up, complete and succinct, with nothing more to be said.
"At the most basic level, it's how we treat each other that will make the difference. As we recognize the extent of the pain and anger in the world, the importance of loving kindness becomes even clearer." -- Judge Stanley Peele
May we sit this Sunday for the loving kindness that Stanley lived, for his entire life.
Thank you all,
Richard
Saturday, October 6
For Sunday October 7th, 2018
Hello to all, Mother Teresa's well-known quote, "God did not call me to be successful, but to be faithful," speaks to the heart of her work ethic. No matter what outcomes we may experience in life, the work remains the same. The Golden Rule still stands and "Love one another as I have loved you" still holds true.
Being human, with all attending psychological frailties, we work on ourselves and thus upon the piece of the world that we are. The work accumulates over time and the world moves, sometimes haltingly, toward Oneness.
May we sit this Sunday for the highest parts of ourselves. May we bring out our best. May we move the entire world forward by one human step.
Thank you all,
Richard
Tuesday, October 2
For Sunday September 30th, 2018
Hello to all, Barbara Whitfield has reminded me of a couple of sayings from St. Francis of Assisi, "When we pray to God we must be seeking nothing – nothing." And, "We should seek not so much to pray, but to become prayer."
The purity and intensity of such prayer is striking.
May we sit this evening for 'nothing.' May that which we strive for on the human level become folded into the experience of a higher existence. May we 'become prayer' itself.
Thank you,
Richard
Sunday, September 23
For Sunday September 23rd, 2018
Hello everyone, we've often been told, "This world can be peaceful when we find peace within." There are two points being made here. One is that the portion of the world which we are becomes peaceful when we find peace within. The other is that the outer world appears more harmonious when we have harmony within, as in 'looking with new eyes.'
We may not be able to have a dramatic effect upon all the turmoils of the world. But then, who knows? Who's to say how our work to harmonize ourselves may spread? Or how the world may look from the perspective of a deeply loving acceptance?
Let us sit this evening to attain what we may of the beauty of Divine Source. May a greater harmony be seen to be at work in the world. May we arrive at internal peace.
Thank you all,
Richard
Thursday, September 13
For the weekend of Sunday September 16th, 2018
Hello everyone, may we send our energies to those who are and will continue to be impacted by hurricane Florence this weekend. It looks like it'll be a long ordeal.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, September 9
For Sunday September 9th, 2018
Hello to everyone, the Oneness that humanity seeks to experience is available now, waiting for us to stop separating ourselves from one another. Each time we see 'others' as outsiders, as being across a gulf of unfamiliar cultures and attitudes, we increase the distances between us.
If, however, we learn to see with our hearts, to find our spiritual commonalities, to see 'others' with compassion, we can pull ourselves closer together.
May we sit this evening for opening our hearts and closing our gaps. May distances melt away in a flow of Oneness.
Thank you,
Richard
Sunday, September 2
Sunday, August 26
For Sunday August 26th, 2018
Hello to everyone, for some reason it feels right to revisit a poem by Naomi Shibab Nye:
"I want to be famous in the way
a pulley is famous
or a buttonhole, not because it did
anything spectacular
but because it never forgot
what it could do"
We all have the ability to treat people with respect, to be loving, to search for higher wisdom. The affects of such abilities, accumulated over a lifetime, will change the direction of the world.
May we sit this evening for what we can do in every moment. How would we like to be treated? Can we extend that to others? How much can we change the world?
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, August 19
For Sunday August 19th, 2018
Hello everyone, humanity is a work in progress. We have our ups and downs and sometimes horrible distractions, for everything there is a season. Throughout it all we hold the same goal – to connect honestly, with a smile, a nod, a caring ear, an insightful story, a shoulder to lean on, any of these and more which come from true compassion.
It is a soul-held true desire for each of us to make our corner of the world a little better, a bit more patient, kind, and understanding.
May we sit this evening for even the tiniest movement toward Oneness.
Thank you,
Richard
Wednesday, August 8
For Sunday August 12th, 2018
Hello to all, there is a great need to heal the rife and rancor permeating much of society today. Mary Owen has mentioned Ho'oponopono, a technique from Hawaii. It is based on our connection to everything, that we are an inescapable part of the entire spectrum from the most dense to the most pure and thereby hold some degree of responsibility for its construct.
Ho'oponopono can be stated in 4 short sentences:
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
I love you.
Thank you.
When said honestly these sentences can be humbling, cleansing, and connective. They might also very possibly shift hearts and attitudes away from anger and toward compassion.
Thank you all,
Richard
Saturday, August 4
For Sunday August 5th, 2018
Hello everyone, the purity of the Divine Source is such that there is no need of forgiveness. On that level there is no need because no offense can be taken where only Love exists. We, on the other hand, with our impure love and tendency toward judgement, must practice forgiveness.
As we look upon those who are lost, and in all honesty we must include ourselves in that group, the need for forgiveness is clear. Try as we might we all miss the mark by varying degrees. Forgiveness clears the pathway towards reconciliation, reconnection, unity, and Oneness.
May we sit this Sunday for the compassion which offers forgiveness. May we sit for the forgiveness which releases us from our fears and angers. May our releasing bring us closer to Divine Source.
Thank you,
Richard
Sunday, July 29
For Sunday July 29th, 2018
Hello to everyone, scientists have long looked at forests and seen the tallest trees as being the strongest, masterful winners in a competition for survival. But forest ecologist Suzanne Simard has proven a new understanding – that trees have complex social lives and harmoniously assistive survival techniques – trees cooperate.
https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other
The tendency to project our psychological mindset onto nature has tripped us up but has also exposed a human frailty; a belief in the necessity of strength. As Gary Zukav wrote in "The Seat of the Soul" the desire for 'external power' is born of fear, while 'authentic power' is a matter of the heart.
May we sit this evening for the only true power in the universe, the power of love. May we sit for the insight to see our own illusions and projections. May we sit for the individual recognition and fullness of 'authentic power' to be realized on Earth.
Thank you all,
Richard
https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other
The tendency to project our psychological mindset onto nature has tripped us up but has also exposed a human frailty; a belief in the necessity of strength. As Gary Zukav wrote in "The Seat of the Soul" the desire for 'external power' is born of fear, while 'authentic power' is a matter of the heart.
May we sit this evening for the only true power in the universe, the power of love. May we sit for the insight to see our own illusions and projections. May we sit for the individual recognition and fullness of 'authentic power' to be realized on Earth.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, July 20
For Sunday July 22nd, 2018
Hello everyone, here's a quote: "You know, I think everybody longs to be loved, and longs to know that he or she is lovable. And consequently, the greatest thing we can do is to help somebody know they're loved and capable of loving." - Mister Rogers
There is no way to elaborate on that other than to emphasize the word 'everybody'.
May we sit this Sunday to release that which corrupts our willingness and ability to love.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, July 15
For Sunday July 15th, 2018
Hello to all, history shows that humanity is moving away from the acquisition and application of external power – from the divine right of kings, to the signing of the Magna Carta, to the end of slavery, to suffragettes, to civil rights, to Tiananmen Square, to the Arab Spring; and toward authentic power with the acknowledgement of the sacredness of human life.
There are still hold-outs, desperately grabbing at money, political influence, and military might. But the arc of history will complete itself. The human heart will shine through because compassion is not a luxury, it is a necessity for life. Compassion may well begin from pain, but achieves its fullness in joy.
May we sit this evening for the opportunity to engage compassionately with others. May we bring forth the best of our hearts - to someday arrive at joy.
Thank you,
Richard
Tuesday, July 3
For Sunday July 8th, 2018
Hello everyone, mystics of many stripes have spent thousands of years promoting the transcendence of the body as a means of personal spiritual fulfillment. Transcendence is offered as an escape from suffering and endless cycles of reincarnation. And, those who love outwardly may wonder why we're here during such a time of earthly turmoil.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama offers this simple, compassionate, and ultimately responsible answer, "The purpose of life is not to transcend the body, but to embody the transcendent." In other words, we are here to bring every bit of love, joy, compassion, and creativity that we can attain from seemingly other-worldly spirituality into this dense, physical, earthly life.
May we sit this Sunday for the spiritual fulfillment of our lives in this era. May we bring forth all that we attain. May humanity know its source.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, July 1
For Sunday July 1st, 2018
Hello to all, there is a difference between stopping the thought process and going beyond thought. Stopping the thought process can bring a quietness and a sense of ease which are valuable in their own right. But to go beyond thought is a rare entry into a realm where the formation of loving desire equals immediate action.
Let's define prayer beyond the realm of thought or imagination as fervent prayer. It's an area where the appearance of white Light is not the creation of an actively thinking mind, but rather a perceived fact. Such Light can emanate from a pure and intensely focused Love.
May we sit this evening for that purity and focus. May we bring such Light not into our imaginations, but into reality. It's an attainment which is not within easy reach but is available to all, and can change the world.
Thank you,
Richard
Saturday, June 23
For Sunday June 24th, 2018
Hello everyone, in today's vast expanse of financially driven modern media we are awash with sensationalist outrage, adamant viewpoints, and selfishly motivated reasoning. Such anger and bitterness can destroy a person's peace of mind.
Yet we are social animals who depend upon one another. We benefit greatly from applying love and compassion in the situations we encounter. Such compassion brings optimism and hope.
Let us sit this Sunday for the wisdom to choose wisely and lovingly for ourselves and in our interactions with others. May we have the courage and insight to see the person standing behind the opinions. May we prep our society for the healing which must occur.
Thank you all,
Richard
Saturday, June 16
For Sunday June 17th, 2018
Hello to everyone, it is said that true stillness cannot be imposed but must be arrived at, because to make yourself 'not think' is to be doing something. And, paradoxically, to truly do nothing at all is to be absolutely fully awake and aware, especially of yourself and your own mind. This is remarkably difficult because we have been mentally trained throughout life to condemn, to approve, and to compare; in other words – to think.
A truly quieted mind is free, free to observe without comment - and free enough to learn.
May we sit this Sunday in favor of true quietness. May we follow the path of observation. May we learn our way forward in this life.
Thank you all,
Richard
Saturday, June 9
For Sunday June 10th, 2018
Hello everyone, beliefs are strange things, requiring effort. Beliefs must be formulated, refined, adhered to, defended, and perhaps maintained at all costs even in the face of opposing evidence.
Yet we do not need a belief that there are mountains, or sunshine, or air. These things simply are. We know the truth of them. Are there deeper things which 'simply are'? Deeper things whose truth can be known without need of defense?
In a state of fervent prayer or intense meditation we may come to know many such things, to know them beyond question.
May we sit this Sunday for that depth which cannot be described with words. May we learn things which can be experienced but not taught. May spiritual truths become known in the absolute silence.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, June 3
For Sunday June 3rd, 2018
Hello everyone, having the self-awareness to recognize whether we are loving outwardly or acting from self-serving desires is essential. Our thoughts, words, and actions reverberate outwardly for years, and the intentions which drive them can color our world for generations. As the future depends upon the seeds we plant now, let us be aware and choose carefully.
May we sit this evening for the future which is set in motion today. May we have the love and the courage to see beyond our human frailties. May our spirituality, our true compassion, shine through for all.
Thank you,
Richard
Saturday, May 26
For Sunday May 27th, 2018
Hello everyone, one of the guide posts for assessing spiritual development is observing the occurrence of conflict. Does conflict increase in your presence or does it tend toward resolution? With appropriate self-honesty we can discern our progression.
By examining our thoughts and justifications for conflicts which may exist we often find a trove of opportunities for releasing.
May we sit this Sunday for that self-honesty, for the humility to reconsider, and for the Light which pushes us from within that we may confront our fears.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, May 18
For Sunday May 20th, 2018
Hello to everyone, the 'source of all things' is not out there somewhere distantly waiting to be found; it is in-erasably within. We have covered it over with rituals, traditions, cultures, ideologies, political isms, and belief systems of every imagined kind. Every child of creation on earth has a different concept of what is essential - Oneness.
The long-sought spiritual transformation of earth depends upon each of us seeing beyond the layers of our personal obfuscation. As we see through our own distracting layers we can more easily see through that of others, and reach the connective tissue within.
May we sit this Sunday to find the greater reality which rests beneath our thinking, deep within our hearts, closer than breath itself.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, May 13
For Sunday May 13th, 2018
Hello everyone, here's a story. A 92 year old man enters a nursing home and gives up on life. He had been abandoned by his mother at age three. At age four his father left him in an orphanage. At 17 he entered the military. By 24 he was in a challenging marriage with children. He soon moved on to other difficult marriages. And over the years his spotty connection with his children became even more tenuous, not seeing one for 30 years.
Now, laying in the nursing home, he wrote his military record on a tissue box. It looked like a monument, a cry for help, "Someone please notice I was here."
Over the course of a few months the children he had abandoned gathered around him, no longer constrained by other wives. They visited, they joked, they teased, and went through old pictures of days gone by as if they had never stopped loving him, and they told him so.
It worked.
In a group hug around his wheelchair as they were saying 'I love you' his ancient, battered heart opened. Through tears he finally replied, "I realize that now. I didn't know before."
He may pass at any time. He may hold on a while. But when his time comes, if all goes well, perhaps he'll be open and willing to reconnect with the mother he hasn't seen in nearly 90 years.
May we sit this evening for the power of applied love, for the miraculous changes it can bring, and for the future of us all.
Thank you,
Richard
Saturday, May 5
For Sunday May 6th, 2018
Hello to all, looking outward at our strongly opinionated and weakly connected society we must realize this; that connections are vastly more important than opinions. Opinions are easy to have and hold. Since they are things of the mind, all it takes is a steadfast refusal to acknowledge anything beyond our own thoughts. Opinions can be dead, stagnant, and amazingly divisive; while connections are living things which, at their best, are nurtured and maintained from the heart where they become the building blocks of Oneness.
And what is it that humanity is to move toward?
May we look around at those we meet and those we already know. May we honor the connective tissues which bind us. May we find a clear path through the tumult.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, April 27
For Sunday April 29th, 2018
Hello to everyone, the Dalai Lama says that at their core negative thoughts come from a combination of a self-centered attitude and a failure to see reality clearly. Knowing this does not make negative thoughts immediately disappear, but it does give us pause to consider.
By looking within a self-centered attitude is the easiest to perceive. From outright selfishness to express concerns of our own well-being; these are human frailties which we all share.
What does it take to see reality more clearly? We typically take reality at face value, as it appears to be to us. Yet we know that our own viewpoint is limited by our personal experiences, which are not the only valid experiences available. Further, the Buddhist teachings of selflessness and emptiness lead us far beyond the realms of physical experiences.
May we sit this Sunday for the release of self-concern, for clarity of sight, and for the openness of mind that may well allow the entry of wisdom and altruism.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, April 20
For Sunday April 22nd, 2018
Hello everyone, violence evolves slowly, the Rwandan civil war of the 1990s was decades in the making. Long simmering tensions, rather than being resolved, were inflamed by hardliners. A million people died in a genocide spurred by 'hate-radio' broadcasts. The broadcasts mocked, dehumanized, and finally culminated in one saying, "Sharpen your machetes, it's time to kill your neighbors."
That's a difficult past to come to terms with.
So now, twenty-four years later, a different theme is being presented. A radio soap opera has recently premiered which focuses on reconciliation. It has been wildly successful at changing attitudes and behaviors in just a few months, but it's only a beginning.
May we search our hearts as we sit this Sunday, this Earth Day. May our own hardline or conciliatory desires become clear to us. May we promote that which leads to Oneness.
Thank you,
Richard
Sunday, April 15
For Sunday April 15th, 2018
Hello to all, watching the evening news can bring a worrisome sense of turmoil, while taking the dog out for it's last relief allows a different view. Seeing the quiet stillness of barren trees with soft grey clouds brings to mind, "And still they stand. And still, they stand."
It's a gentle reminder – there are forces at work which are much larger than the turmoils born of our small humanness and our frailties.
May we sit this evening for those still and greater forces. May we connect. May we respond. May we bring them forth in life.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, April 6
For Sunday April 8th, 2018
Hello everyone, the world's problems can be seen as personal problems writ large. If we come across an unpleasant truth within us we can also see it reflected in society around us. So, personal healing is a form of world change.
In other words, the quiet introspection required for personal awareness and healing can bring compassion and truth to an ailing planet.
Let us sit this Sunday for the local personal healing which is an essential part of global spiritual enhancement.
Thank you,
Richard
Saturday, March 31
For Sunday April 1st, 2018
Hello to all, Fred Rogers said some wonderful things, far too many to list here, but it's the look on his face which catches you up. You can see his creative mind working in the service of his great heart.
Fred Rogers poured himself into life, filling every available moment with grace.
May it be that his example, and others, will help us find our own true hearts and lead our thinking onward by the love which lives within all.
Thank you for all you do,
Richard
Sunday, March 25
For Sunday March 25th, 2018
Hello everyone, when we are caught in the addictive power of anger and frustration peacefulness appears to be weak and ineffectual. Anger and frustration seem to come of their own calling, while peacefulness can require immense work. Anger can be vastly destructive while peacefulness can be a firm foundation.
With the beauty of free will we get to choose. If we are willing to search we can find the roots of our frail humanness, and thereby see the commonality we have with others.
May we sit this evening for that disarming self-honesty which levels us all. May the transparency of our own foibles bring us closer together. May the path to Oneness bring us laughter and beyond.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, March 18
For Sunday March 18th, 2018
Hello everyone, the passing of Stanley Peele has brought to mind the saying, "By the fruits of their labors you will know them." Stanley was a singularly true prophet. For many years and for many people conflict dissolved in his presence by the grace of his sensitivity, his wisdom, and his love. Something we would all do well to emulate.
This evening may we be grateful for those such as Stanley, living and passed. May we honor them for their work on Earth. May we open ourselves to Divine Source that we may continue such work.
Thank you all,
Richard
Thursday, March 15
On Stanley Peele by Eda Long
I have not been able to put words to my feelings. Thankfully Eda Long has done it with beauty and grace:
"And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? When the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." ~ Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet)
"I believe that when death closes our eyes we shall awaken to a light of which our sunlight is but a shadow." ~ Schopenhauer
Dearest Richard and all the Peeps, SESC,
It is difficult to write feelings that are beyond words. Stanley made such a difference and had such a deep resonance within, that words seem trite and insufficient. I owe the Universe and Source an eternal debt of deepest Gratitude for bringing Stanley Peele into my life...and into my heart.
The Stanley we knew and loved was gentle, kind, bright, funny, a great listener, brilliant and deep. He cared with all of his being for each of us and celebrated each encounter or phone call with enthusiasm and gratitude. He Always made you feel as if you were the most special and amazing, loved person in the world. He knew your heart and was always tender with it. So often he would recognize your suffering and most hidden pain as well, and lovingly help you feel it, understand it and learn to move through it without judgement.
Stanley believed in Natures ability to offer solace and to heal. He encouraged walks and time in nature and applauded any foray into a quiet place as beneficial. He taught me to breathe... really breathe and listen. Long meditation times were always high on his list for finding the answers I sought. He was simple and complex in such a brilliant tapestry of being that one could only wonder at the life journey he has taken.
Stanley mentored and guided me for over 18 years. AND, He mentored and guided many of you and others as well. He knew when he was being called to support someone, just as he always knew when to leave one to be, or to another to help. He knew when to let go better than anyone I have ever known. His compassion and wisdom knew no limits. Yet, he was ever obedient to Source and to the direction that guided and supported him.
Stanley and Vaughn are celebrating his return home. I imagine that Vaughn asked right off, " what took you so long?"! Yes, these two Master Souls have transcended just 8 months apart.. just a blink or two between the twinkling up of one and then the other. How difficult and sad for us.. until we stop and move into that place to which they always guided us, deep within. That place of Oneness, The Light. Here in Light we are never apart. We are One, and in the Oneness we are never alone, or without the love and guidance they each offer.
Stanley shared so little about himself. He was an attentive and loving husband, father, friend and Spirit. He was an attorney and Court Judge. He wrote for the Chapel Hill Paper often, and he saw beyond all appearances to what was spiritually afoot. There are three beautiful, inspiring books he wrote and self published (see below for Amazon link) that will give you more of an inkling of his rich inner life. His shimmering Spirit has left a soul print here on us all. Grieve not, he is pain free, radiant essence, pure love now.
Did you know how much he suffered physically for such a long time? Most likely not. Stanley, rarely shared his own suffering and pain at all. One could ask directly about it and he, the great master of redirection that he was, would rarely give you more than a shred of information on himself. He was a rare and humble servant of God and of the Universe.
Stanley's beautiful spirit will live on forever in our hearts. He knew and lived as if everything and EVERYONE on this planet mattered. Because is does. If you choose to honor his life, this is a challenge one can embrace and practice. No matter who or what is seen and what seems apparent, there is more beneath that just waiting to be known and loved. Judge not. Pray and be still. Breathe consciously and know that you are ONE in God. And There is surely no lack of God anywhere.
Twinkle, Shine and Shimmer On dearest Stanley. You have taken a bit of me into the Light with you. You left me so much stronger than you found me. You believed in me when I wasn't even sure who me was. Thank you with all my heart.
Humbly, respectfully, with love and deepest Gratitude, Eda
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story. ...
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952. (selected excerpts)
Background. Peele, Stanley was born on July 22, 1932 in Pulaski, Virginia, United States. Son of Joseph E. and Catherine (Groves) Peele. Education. Student, University North Carolina, 1956. Doctor of Laws, University North Carolina, 1959. Career. Associate L.J. Phipps, Attorney, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1959-1962.
FROM THE CHAPEL HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY;
Judge Stanley Peele
Judge Stanley Peele was born into a family that owned and published a local newspaper so he knows about the power of the written word. It has been an essential part of his public service. He has become a master at expressing his passions, opinions and concerns about our society through his writings. Judge Peele's life has been a series of personal steps that built an enviable public service career. He served as soldier on the front line in Korea in 1950-1951. He earned a law degree at UNC Law School. He worked as a lawyer in public practice for eleven years from 1959 to 1969. He is 84 years old, was a judge for 47 years, and has been married for 62 years. He served 3 years as Chapel Hill Recorders Court Judge. He was appointed as District Court Judge in 1969. For over 7 years he was the only juvenile court judge in Orange and Chatham counties. This was his first opportunity to work with the troubled youth in these communities. It soon became a passion and he threw himself into working with and for these juveniles. Judge Peele was the chief district court judge for Orange and Chatham Counties from 1977 to 1989. In 1989, he helped found Chatham County Together, a child mentoring program. He has been a big brother to over 40 children. He worked as a crisis counselor for Help Line for 12 years, from 1984 to 1995.
He helped found and guide a number of youth programs. Because of his devotion to this work, he helped start and run People For Youth, a Big Brother/Big Sister program, Orange and Chatham Counties, from 1980 to 1982. He was also one of the founders, directors, and volunteer mentors for Volunteers For Youth, a Big Brother - Big Sister program. He has generally discouraged receiving any awards, but has accepted a few, including the State of North Carolina Juvenile Services Volunteer award and the Order of the Longleaf Pine -- twice. Judge Peele was a columnist for the Chapel Hill Herald for approximately 20 years and still submits occasional newspaper columns. He gives inspirational talks at meetings and facilitates spiritual gatherings and meditations. He experiences the joy of visiting three nursing homes to talk with residents there. He has written two books, A SIMPLE GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL HEALING and THE RIVER OF LIGHT (the latter contains spiritual articles). He also wrote a short book entitled WHAT I LEARNED FROM EDGAR CAYCE. He has also written many legal articles, mainly on the NC death penalty, and numerous other articles, mostly on spiritual subjects. It has been said that "Everyone who knows Stanley Peele knows that there is no one else quite like him."
He has written two books, "A Simple Guide To Spiritual Healing" and "The River of Light" which are both available on Amazon:
Saturday, March 10
For Sunday March 11th, 2018
Hello to all, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that we are like cookies on a cookie sheet. We see ourselves as separate, possibly even opposing, yet we've all been scooped from the same bowl. And, we get to choose how we see each other, as being different or coming from the same source. Since what we focus upon becomes our reality, the current state of the world becomes easy to explain.
May we sit this Sunday for recognition of our choices. May we see ourselves with clarity and unwavering self-honesty. May we choose our focus wisely.
Thank you all,
Richard
Tuesday, February 27
For Sunday March 4th, 2018
Hello everyone, here's an interesting concept; altruism and self-sacrifice are essential for the survival of a group. Studies have found that people who volunteer on a regular basis have death rates 20-40% lower than those who don't. Further, psychologists use the term "hedonistic happiness," to describe someone who is happy because they are satisfying themselves, in contrast to "eudaimonic happiness," where someone is happy because they are giving to others.
Eudaimonic happiness is a facet of transcending the self as an individual.
May we sit this Sunday for that which calls us beyond ourselves, which serves the greater good, and brings us closer to One.
Respectfully submitted,
Richard
Sunday, February 25
For Sunday February 25th, 2018
Hello everyone, caring for an aging parent can allow a degree of connection which may not have been available in previous times. While loving care-giving can be enjoyed by a child, it may well be deeply appreciated by an aging parent whose physical abilities are dissolving.
At such times a warm handshake and the look in the eye can move aside mountains of past difficulties. This 'conditional loving' is essential in the world. It's a great curative and gives us a tiny peek into what unconditional loving may be.
Let us sit this evening for the connections we have, the connections that can be, and for the connections that will be as we continue to grow and learn.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, February 16
For Sunday February 18th, 2018
Hello to everyone, when tragedies occur such as in Parkland, Florida we certainly offer prayers and well wishes. However, more is needed. Lost souls who may perpetrate such atrocities require human reconnection. Affected families benefit from compassionate, empathetic words and actions. Even strangers we meet in grocery lines and behind counters deserve our patience and kindness. We don't know what kind of struggles they may be facing.
If we are to fulfill our original potential of Oneness we need to take actions that help bring it about.
May we sit this Sunday for the sensitivity and awareness to know what to say and do with all we meet. May we sit for the ability to hear spiritual answers to our human problems. May our time on Earth be beneficial to all.
Reverently submitted,
Richard
Sunday, February 11
For Sunday February 11th, 2018
Hello to all, a quote from the Dalai Lama - "Peace is not the absence of violence. Peace is the abundance of compassion" leads directly to this poem by Rumi:
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."
May we sit for compassion which reaches beyond right or wrong, and simply sees a need for peace.
Thank you one and all,
Richard
Saturday, February 3
For Sunday February 4th, 2018
Hello everyone, in the song 'That Kind of Grace'
David Roth and Anne Hill sing of actual events where surviving family members exhibit amazing compassion and forgiveness toward the perpetrators.
The chorus goes:
"And when I sing Amazing Grace,
Your face is what I see.
I hope some day that kind of Grace,
Will find its way to me."
As the turmoils of our world tumble on, the need for Grace is clear. May we see it where it grows. May we use it when we are able. May we heal a world of troubles.
Thank you,
Richard
Saturday, January 27
For Sunday January 28th, 2018
Hello everyone, the grief we experience around the passing of a loved one can be softened by awareness of a higher perspective. Looking at the flow of life through its many stages; birth, buoyant youth, adventurous young adult, productive middle years, and the decreasing abilities of old age, we sense a feeling of completion coming on.
The passage from material to spiritual is at hand, like a graduation.
May we sit this Sunday for higher perspectives. May they give us strength and courage. May we honor the 'bigger picture' of everyone's life.
Thank you,
Richard
Thursday, January 18
For Sunday January 21st, 2018
Hello to everyone, ex neo-nazi Chris Picciolini talks about the need for empathy and compassion in his TEDx talk:
May we sit this Sunday to take up his challenge of showing our compassion to someone we may think is undeserving of it. May we have the self-honesty to recognize it within ourselves. May we have the courage to act on it. May we bring our hearts into the world for its healing.
Thank you all,
Richard
Sunday, January 14
For Sunday January 14th, 2018
Hello everyone, in times of turmoil we search for answers amidst fear and anger. But there are no answers to be found within fear and anger, only continuation of the same.
We must somehow go through the fear, through the anger to the clear open space on the other side. There we will find answers which allow room for peace to grow.
May we sit this evening for the internal sight which sees beyond our minor selves. May we find answers that strengthen the spiritual glue which holds society together.
Thank you all,
Richard
Friday, January 5
For Sunday January 7th, 2018
Hello everyone, Wendell Berry wrote, "When the people make dark the light within them, the world darkens."
And here is a poem of his called The Peace of Wild Things
"When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free." - Wendell Berry
May we all find the peace of wild things, that we may light the world.
Thank you all,
Richard
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