The Pageless Book

Several different and competing views concerning the nature of the Divine seem irreconcilable. The dichotomy that I want to tackle in this article is of the intimate relationship with the Divine and the claim that the Divine is ultimately beyond human knowledge and understanding. How can we be intimate with something so vast and alien as God? The Divine is to our logical minds as a mainframe computer is to a dog’s mind. We simply cannot grasp its full measure.

At least, that is one way of seeing things. It also happens to be the way I’ve presented the Divine throughout my articles thus far. Will I continue to argue that God is unknowable? Of course, but the real question is, do I also believe that we can be intimate with something so far beyond our intellectual capabilities? Yes.

It may seem impossible to some, but I believe that we as humans are intimate with the strange and unknowable all the time. Stargazers are intimate with glimmering points of light in the night sky, and call them by name. Sailors feel intimate with the sea, and feel her call. Travelers, not content merely to read about other places, seek out these places for personal new experiences. It is the unknowable quality of these things that drive them to want a relationship with them. It is that unknowable quality that keeps the conversation going.

In Christianity, particularly Protestantism, followers are encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus. We have given Jesus Christ a personality, a voice, and a face; this is not an unknowable God, but a very intimate person with whom you can break bread and share wine. The Bible contains his words, with which you can learn more about whom he was, and what he was like. We make the Divine personal in this way, so to seem knowable. Isn’t that preferable to an unknown and distant God?

The problem is that this is a man-made image of God; Jesus Christ is the golden calf of Christianity. What you have isn’t a personal relationship with God, but instead you have a personal relationship with an idea of what God might be like. You think you know God, so you stop asking questions. It’s like falling in love with the idea of love. We are assuming that object of your affection is not merely an idea, but a real person despite how little you know of that person. How do you build a personal relationship with someone we don’t know? Through interaction.

How do we build a personal relationship with God? Interaction, of course. Just because you cannot know the nature of God does not mean you cannot commune with God. How can we interact or communicate with God? Through prayer and meditation, but even more important, through living your life fully aware of your circumstances and the consequences of your actions.

The Divine speaks though your life, in my experience. The Gated Emptiness pointed out to me you gain a deeper an understanding of the Divine with the more attention you pay to living your life in the best manner possible. Your relationships will be richer, your successes more fulfilling, and your failures will become new opportunities.

Try it yourself. It isn’t easy, but it can be done. Living perfectly may be impossible; by being more aware of the life you are living, you may learn to enjoy it more, regardless of any hardships. That is how you become intimate with the Divine.

Top Photo by Kenneth Freeman. Middle Photo by Gisela Giardino. Final Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer. Originally Posted October 22nd, 2007

Photo Above by Meyshan. Photo Below by Jaqian, of sculpture titled “Aspiration” by Rowan Gillespie.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of meditation and prayer on the subject of my aspiration and hopes for the future. Now, I’m not the type of person to believe that prayer was meant making requests of the Divine, but rather clarity in how to approach those things you want in your life. At this time in my life, the resources I need to pursue my passions are scarce. While I know that in the future I will be free to pursue bigger and better things, right now I’m frustrated with my current situation.

I am meant to do something important with this life. Constantly, I am reminded that I am meant for something greater. Not fame or fortune, but something that actively makes this world a better place. There is a lot to love in this world that often goes unrecognized and unappreciated. It is as if I see potential where others see only profit, greatness where others see poverty, and beauty everywhere while my fellow human beings walk about with glazed over eyes.

This is what I want from life… I want open eyes, create, heal, and learn. I want to be a father to my children, a husband to my wife, and a brother to all people. I want to be artistic in the way I live my life. I want to start a revolution in humanity’s perception of itself. I want to pry into God’s eye and see deeper into the truth than ever has been seen before. I want love for myself, for those around me, and for those in pain. I want to be the person who makes all difference in the world.

Egotistical? You bet it is. It is the main occupation of my ego to wish bigger and better things for myself. I’m not content to remain a cog in the machine; I’m tired of going around in circles. While I am still young, I can’t help but feel that time is slipping away from me. It just doesn’t feel like I’m moving forward.

I know, I know - enough of this incessant angst! I have a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which is my loving wife, family, and friends. I’m also thankful to have a place where I can speak my mind on spiritual and religious topics - a place to think and be heard. Perhaps I should spend sometime focusing on the positive and remembering that I am blessed. I still have sixty-some-odd years of life ahead of me; my adult life accounts only for eight of my soon-to-be twenty nine years.

…It’s too early for a mid-life crisis.

Above Photo by Dino Olivieri. Photo Below by The Wandering Angel.

Meditation is act of making your “self” small, so that the Truth might rise to the surface. We each already have Truth; it is an instinctive part of human composition. Truth is built into every cell of your body, every motion, moment and memory. However, this “self” pushes that Truth down, obscuring our view and hindering our reach.

It isn’t the original intent of the self to obscure or hinder the Truth. We are each endowed with an ego to aid in our survival. In order to ensure our well being, we must each care about that being that is ourselves. The sense of self, or ego, is a system of ideas and emotions that collectively serve to protect our individual persons from harm. It also works in concert with our ability to reason to further help secure our safety. Because our ego works so closely with our ability to reason, we can sometimes become confused between the self and the logic it uses to keep us safe. The philosophical conclusion “I think, therefore I am” is evidence of this confusion.

We each come to the determination that “I think, therefore I am” at a very young age, which is then reinforced by the society in which we are born. It isn’t by any means incorrect nor can it be called true; this concept is merely useful. This immature idea is a stepping stone to a greater understanding, yet achieving that understanding is not essential to our survival. So we hesitate to exert ourselves in the search for Truth.

Our existence is not dependent upon our thought, but instead is dependent upon our perception. We each become so tied up in our own inner dialogue that we forget what is happening outside ourselves. As each layer of ego becomes cemented in our consciousness, it becomes harder to separate our perceptions from our sense of self. Everything becomes more subjective, no matter how much logic is applied to those perceptions. Our hearing is muted by the constant drone of dialogue, eyes dimmed by the theater behind our eyes, and skin numbed by the wild cold waters of our emotions.

Meditation helps quiet the chatter, end the film, and warm the body so we may pay attention to what is real. It makes our sense of self increasingly small, shrinking around us as we compare it to what we perceive. Slowly, consciousness comes to realize that what is perceived is just as much apart of it as the self. The self becomes like clothing that one dons to keep warm; necessary but not an integral part of a human being. With the self now under the control, Truth becomes obvious. In some cultures this state is called Heaven or Nirvana. This is what Jesus meant when he said that the Kingdom of his father was within.

Make the self small. Shrink it with heavy doses of humility and patience. Write yourself reminders that your “self” is entirely unimportant without the Truth which it conceals. Wrestle loose its blinds from your eyes so you may be free. The eye perceives, therefore both perceived and perceiver exists.

Whether it is a corner of your bedroom or a whole room in your home, setting aside an area for personal spiritual practice is one of the most nurturing things you can do for yourself. However, knowing where you should have your sacred space, how to furnish that space, and what to do while in that space is often a challenge. Seeing as there is no one way to set up a sacred space, it would be easy to assume that just about any space would work. Throw furnishing and tools into the space for meditation or worship, and the sacred space is complete and ready to use, right?

Wrong. A sacred space is an area in which you commune with the Divine. Haphazardly cobbling a space together does not make it sacred. Spending some time and giving some thought to what your space will contain, where your space will be located, and when your space will be used helps sanctify the area. Meditation and worship are acts of mindfulness - it makes sense that we are mindful of the space we set aside for those activities.

• Find a Space - The first step, while being the most obvious, is also the most crucial. You need to know that you will not be disturbed when you are in your sacred space and that you will be comfortable with you spiritual practice in that space. If you want to chant, you need to know either that no one else will hear you, or that no one will mind. There needs to be enough space available for your worship. If the area is part of a common area, you should also think of how this space will look when not in use.

• Find a Time - While not as obvious as the first step, it is important to consider the time of day in which you will worship. Evening worship may create lighting issues. Early morning worship may disturb the sleep of your family. Some times of day are going to afford you more privacy than others or you might find yourself more in the mood to make that spiritual connection during a particular day of the week. The exact time and duration could be over looked if you live alone in a single family home in the middle of nowhere, but few people have such luxury.

• Comfort & Furnishings - You will needs to consider your personal comfort while within this space, as well as storage for any items you set aside for your sacred space. For most people, this might consist of a small cabinet, a floor pillow to sit on, and perhaps a blanket in case you find yourself cold. Of course, if you have more space and are willing to go through the expense, you could always set up an elaborate altar, complete with statuettes of spiritual teachers and elaborate embroidered tapestry. Anything more than the bare essentials I would find distracting, but this is your space and you should make it for your comfort, not mine.

• Choosing Artwork - Although this isn’t a necessity, a little bit of artwork can go a long way to setting the tone for your sacred space. Again, this need not be anything elaborate or large; a simple painting or small inspirational photo is sufficient enough. You will want something soothing and neutral that expresses your particular spiritual understanding or world view. The main purpose is for it to serve as a reminder of the reason this space is set aside, and to put you in the mood for worship or meditation.

• Choosing Accessories - Finally, you will want to consider accessories for your space. These should be items that serve the singular purpose to which your space is dedicated and are stored in this space for that purpose. A few suggestions would be candles, incense, holy books, soothing music, or a note book for thoughts and reflection. If other items appeal to you, feel free to include them in your area. Personally, I would be inclined to include a deck of Tarot cards, but I know that doesn’t appeal to everybody. Incense gives my wife headaches, so I know in her sacred space she would forgo that particular element. I must again stress the importance of setting aside the items for use in worship or mediation only. Doing so creates a strong association with the sacred for that particular space, allowing you to separate this space from the rest of your every day life. With enough time, entering that space may become a psychological trigger that prepares your mind for mediation or worship, and you want to strengthen that trigger if possible.

With these considerations in mind, creating a sacred space for worship can become a rewarding experience. While there are no hard and fast rules, a little structure to your space can go a long way to creating the atmosphere, comfort level, and attitude needed for worship. The Divine, by what ever name you may call it, becomes more approachable and tangible in the right environment. Making an environment for just that purpose is a powerful way to make the Divine a regular part of your life.
Top Photo by Joi Ito. Middle Photo by The Wandering Angel. Bottom Photo by Kelly Cookson.

Photo by Lin Bow

I’ve mentioned before that I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. Because of this condition, I have to pay special attention to my mood and my stress level so that I don’t suffer a panic attack. Meditation has become a form of preventative medicine for me, but as we all know, it is hard sometimes to find the time when at work or during other important social engagements. Just for this reason, I’ve developed a few meditation techniques that help me relax in the toughest situations.

If you have time to use the restroom, you have time to meditate. Now, I won’t claim that a five minute meditation is going to be as therapeutic as a longer or deeper meditation, but that isn’t its purpose. A five minute meditation is like a between-meal snack; it gives you just enough to help you function until you have a moment to take care of yourself properly. Like all quick fixes, this is a temporary solution, so please don’t treat these techniques as anything but temporary.

The first step is finding some privacy. Now, I don’t want you to think that you must find total privacy - often times this can be unrealistic. Privacy can be as little as walking into a back room, the before-mentioned bathroom brake, or a mindless activity that separates you from your source of stress. All you need is enough privacy so you can hear yourself think.

The next step is to take three deep breaths, each one slower then the last. This clears my mind, slows down my heart rate, and prepares me for the rest of the meditation. If you feel you need more then three deep breaths, take your time and give yourself what you need. I sometimes find it helpful to visualize light entering my body with each breath, but this is completely up to you.

This small act might be enough to help you deal with your situation, but if not, you should try recognizing the source of your stress and accepting it. Sometimes recognizing the source of stress can be enough to bring relief. Allowing myself a moment to acknowledge that a situation is stressful and accepting that situation for what it is gives me enough perspective to handle the stress it creates. I need only to say to myself, “I am feeling stressful because…” then state what is making me feel stressful.

After accepting the source of your stress, most often I will need to delve deeper. Attempts to keep your emotions in check can become an added source of stress in addition to your external situation. Say to yourself “This is stressful because it makes me feel…” finishing the sentence with how it is making you feel stressed. Perhaps you are angry that you have to deal with a problem that you didn’t create. For me, sometimes I feel afraid of making a mistake, or guilty that I have already made mistakes. Whatever it is, by recognizing that emotion and no longer avoiding that emotion, you will find the situation easier to handle.

Finally, if you still have not sufficiently calmed down, you should remind yourself why you can handle this stressful situation. Say to yourself “I can handle this because…” and say whatever best helps you face your problem. If it is an ongoing issue, I like to remind yourself that I have handled this successfully before, or if you feel that the source of your stress is somehow your fault, remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes. Whatever it is you need to say to yourself, say it over and over again, until it begins to have a calming affect. I would personally recommend between seven and ten times, but if you feel relaxed after less repetitions, that is fine as well. Once again, I take a few slow deep breaths. Now I would be ready to face whatever obstacle ahead of me.

Most times, a five minute meditation isn’t enough to completely relieve you of your stress. That’s okay. I find that working out even a small bit of that tension from my day can make it more bearable and is usually enough to keep a handle on myself. It should go without saying, however, that the better you take care of yourself when you are not in stressful situations, the easier it will become to maintain a low level of stress in those situations. With this in mind, if you find yourself using this technique more than once per day, you should look into other means of lowering your over all stress level. For me, this meant seeing my doctor, although for you it may mean daily meditation or exercise.