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Welcome to the
Earth's Kids' Spirituality Page. A page for parents,
teachers, and everyone else who yearns for a more loving,
sustainable, and joyful future. Here you will find recommendations
for some of our favorite books, links encompassing of variety of
spiritual ideas, and articles that put forth some of our own cherished
ideas. Despite the eclectic array, there is one simple yet elegant
idea that underlie the selections we present:
If
all the people of our nation, of our world, could lay aside their
arguments over all the petty details concerning :
whose [idea of] God is best,
and how
God wants everyone
to live,
And,
instead, simply acknowledge :
the
existence of a benevolent "higher power",
the
value of calling upon that higher power for guidance and assistance,
the willingness to seek &
to follow the guidance of that higher power, and
the commitment to choose
integrity, compassion, and goodwill....
Then
perhaps we could audibly reintroduce that higher power into our
workplaces, our
schools, and our childcare centers. Perhaps we could stop bickering
over religion, and simply support each other as spiritual people.
And then rather than each of
us feeling lost on the
endless wheel of the daily grind-- instead of struggling (and often
failing) to keep alive a daily sense of hope and of purpose, we
could speak often of a higher power, be daily reminded that each of us
is connected and supported through a power greater than ourselves, and
we could remind each other to call upon that higher power to guide and
sustain us in our daily living and in our major life challenges.
Our
faith in ourselves, in our own true inner power, could grow day by
day. And our sense of what is possible, of what we can accomplish --
and of how
we
can accomplish it, despite obstacles -- would be a light that
illumined our days.
Imagine
what a difference
this could make -- for the children,
for ourselves, and
for
this world!
Sure this is a dream. An ideal. A goal. But it is
certainly an ideal we can keep in mind as we make the choices that set
the course for our future.
And on a daily basis, we can live our
individual lives in harmony with this goal, seeking ways to realize it in
realistic ways within our families, among our friends, and perhaps even
our colleagues. That is, we must seek a spiritual path in life that
respects the spiritual freedom of others, that focuses on our shared
wisdom and our shared yearnings (rather than on the variances among our
philosophies).
We must seek daily, and even hourly, to stay mindful
of our connection to a power greater than ourselves -- moving in ever
strengthening partnership, wisdom, and peace as we connect to a reality
that sustains us and informs us.
This is not to say we would each abandon our search for for truth,
meaning. It does not mean that those of us with traditional faiths
would have to lay them aside, or abandon their teachings for our
personal lives. It only means we would practice sufficient
wisdom and humility to hold a larger perspective. One that
acknowledges the power of the divine to speak to all people, to love all
people. And...that acknowledge that none of us has a
perfect knowledge of the divine or its will for us. Instead, if
our hearts our open and our intention firm, we are all seekers together.
The question is, will we help each other? Or be sidetracked by
focusing on that which divides?
Check back from time to time. More on the way...
Use the inner scroll bar to view more book selections.
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A
Question to Ponder...
Have I remembered to acknowledge the
inner potential and presence of a greater power within each person I
interacted with today? Or did I ignore them, cut them down in my
thoughts, or otherwise set myself above them? (Or beneath them.)
Either way, may I let go of what is done,
forgiving myself, and doing what I can to set things right. May I seek
today to recognize that each person is a conduit of a power greater than
myself. Recalling this simple fact, may I call that power forth,
amplifying it's positive effects in this world many times over, far
beyond what I would accomplish valuing self will and self glorification
alone.
In doing so I lighten my load and
brighten my future.
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Spiritual Links |
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"The
Master views the parts with Compassion
because He/She understands the whole."
-- Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching
(translation
by Stephen Mitchel)
Spiritual
Greeting Cards, Spirituality Ecards From 123Greetings.com
Someone has rightly
said, 'Your religion is what you do when the sermon is over.'
Share the message of these meaningful greeting cards with your near and
dear ones & reach out to them in
a whole new way
The Art of
the Law: Aleister Crowley’s Use of Ritual and Drama
Whatever your view on
Crowley, this is an excellent and scholarly
article from Justin Scott Van Kleeck that unlocks the higher spiritual
intent behind Crowley's teachings (to know and follow the will
of the higher self) -- along with discussion of Crowley's theatrics,
ritual, and sarcasm. Fascinating glimpse into the man so often
associated in the public mind with dark magic, wicked deeds, and
anti-Christian rhetoric.
A
Course In Miracles
The
home page for this well known program and philosophy and for the
Foundation for Inner Peace.
Click
here
to learn "what it says".
Babaji
Learn
more about this mysterious and charismatic figure.
Buddha Net
Discover Buddhism online.
The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment
Home of
the "One Truth Known by Many Names" --
learn about the
"Eternal Way" and the underlying beliefs common to the great spiritual
traditions.
Christian Mystics & Their Writings
This
great resource features linked listings to the writings of various
mystics, saints, and scholars!
The Christ Path
The
Ezine of Christian Mystics, traditional and contemporary. I especially
enjoyed reading "The Inner Light", found in Volume 1, Number 2.
Indra's Spiritual Center
Rumi
and Kabir -- check here for the famous lyrical poetry of these Eastern
mystics. Don't miss the article "The Way of Transformation," which gives
a interesting take on why we're all here. While there, browse through
their excellent links to other spiritual sites.
Judaism,
The Development of the Jewish Cannon
From Canonization of the Torah
to rise of Rabbinic interpretation to the translation of Jewish Law into
Greek (the Septuagint), a fascinating overview Judaism's
developing relationship with "The Law of Moses", the works of the
prophets, and the writings of the Talmud.
Knowledge of Reality
"The
Universal Culture of Spirituality." This site hosts online issues of
this fascinating magazine, featuring articles about key spiritual
personalities of modern and historical times as well as others who have
shaped our outlook on reality -- Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr.,
Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, and more.
Messengers
This
page holds a trove of information about those who have added their light
to the world -- great painters, sculptors, poets, scientists, statesmen,
and -- of course -- spiritual teachers. Learn about Buddha, Zoroaster,
Jesus Christ, and many other great saints, prophets, and spiritual
masters.
The Q'uran
An
online version of the Qur'an (or Koran) -- the principal text or holy
book of Islam. One side of the page features an English language
translation, while the other side of the page shows the original text in
Arabic.
If you enjoy comparing translations, try this site:
The Noble Koran,
which features the Yusufali, Pickthal, and Shakir interpretations.
Rosicrucians
"Mastery of Life, an introduction to The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC."
Scientology
Learn
about this modern spiritual movement, including their tremendous
volunteer outreach at "ground zero" after the September 11th disaster.
Sufism
A
beautiful collection of writings and ideas can be found by visiting the
Threshold Society/Mevlevi Order website. Look here for a mystical,
profoundly enlightened approach to Islam-- and in fact for important
core ideas that are timeless and vital for all spiritual seekers after
the fundamental truths of being and of becoming.
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