bythemethod.com blog

Perhaps the biggest question any of us has to face is the about the existence of the soul. Is there something about us that lives on after death? Is there something in us that is not just physical but which can reach out to something beyond the physical.

Some scientists want us to believe that the only thing that is real is the physical world. If you can’t poke it with a stick then it doesn’t exist. Of course they go further than wanting to poke things with a stick but this is the essence of the argument. Then others seem to think that the physical is just an illusion. Who is right?

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Escaping from the busy-ness of life would be great, wouldn’t it? Don’t we all want a chance to get away from it all and find that little oasis where all of our troubles are gone and we can be perfectly happy? Yet when we try so often we fail. We have holidays that take us five days to settle in to and then we have to start thinking about getting back. Or we anticipate a future where maybe this might just be possible - perhaps when we retire we can enjoy this temple of peace.

If you are looking for this temple then read on …

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How busy are you? Most of us complain about how busy we are. No time to do anything - not even enough to do what we have to. There are jobs to do at work and at home. And have you ever tried bringing up four children and then have time for anything? How can I be less busy and how can I find time for anything spiritual anyway?

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One of the keys to spirituality is learning to see. You must learn to see things that you have never really noticed before. This will help you enjoy the world around you more.

Our brains are very clever because they help us to filter out the familiar so we can cope with life. If we were forced to experience everything around us as though we had only just seen it for the first time we would soon go mad. As we get up in the morning or go outside we do not have to cope with all the sights and smells and feelings. For general living this is a good thing but for our spirit this is bad.

In the first part of this series we are going to explore how we can learn to see.

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Overview

In this post we explore a way of looking at your life that will help you to gain wholeness. Life as many parts and this is just one way of thinking about them. Within this view is that we find harmony in life through the correct ordering of things. People are made up of four aspects all of which are interdependant: body, heart, mind and soul.

How are we put together?

There is an approach to life that can help build happiness and success. It finds its roots in many of the major world religions and in ancient western thought and is also grounded in modern approaches to life management.

We are made up from four different aspects. These four combine to make the whole of who we are. Within life we should seek harmony within our self. Harmony is about achieving balance through everything being in its rightful place. However each aspect of life seeks to be dominant and will take control if allowed to do so. It is up to us to maintain control within ourselves.

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Spiritual experiences are good for you. They help you gain perspective and appreciate the world around you. But where do you go to get these experiences? They aren’t found on the shelf of the local supermarket so where do you go to get them?

But what is a spiritual experience?

Perhaps you have already had spiritual experiences? What about watching a sunrise/sunset? What about swimming with dolphins? What about climbing a mountain? Or perhaps holding a new born child? I’ve even heard people who describe massage as a spiritual experience. I guess it will vary for us all but ultimately it must be when we experience something that is outside of ourselves, when we touch the divine.

You could seek them in the wisdom of others

This is just what many people do. They seek out the wisdom of ‘holy people’ in an effort to discover where these spiritual experiences are to be found. After all it makes sense that you might tap into the experiences through the wisdom of someone who already has those experiences.

However just listening to others will not bring you a spiritual experience.

Perhaps they might be found in holy places

 People travel for many thousands of miles in search of the ultimate spiritual experience. There are holy places all around the world. It makes sense that if others have had an experience in these places perhaps we can have them too. However many people leave holy places not really feeling anything. They may get a sense of peace or of the occasion but many people feel nothing in these places.

The reality is that these spiritual experiences come from within

It may surprise you to know that those experiences that so many people are searching for actually come from within us. You don’t have to travel any distance at all to get a sense of the divine in your life. You can get it right here and right now. The most incredible spiritual experiences come from simply sitting quietly and reaching out for God.

As a Christian I believe that God is accessible to all who search for Him. Just take some time to pray. You don’t need to travel anywhere (not even to the local church) to have the most profound of spiritual experiences.

So why not stay at home and pray.