Moses said to the people: "If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul.
"For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."
When a feeling of discomfort begins to settle into our thoughts we understand that our proposed plan is contrary to our well being.
When overwhelmed by a desire to do something, or not to do something it is our inner life begging us to follow His advice.
The conscience is often muted by the desire of the indifferent person to do as they please without thought that the consequences will not please.
A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most. \ George Bernard Shaw
A few moments devoted to silence is sufficient time for us to listen too, and implement into our life prudent advice flooding our thoughts counselling us to take this road, not the other.
It is commonly believed that the Word of God is written in scripture, whereas the patient person learns through time, and experience that The Voice of God is heard speaking from within our being.
Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune. \ Carl Gustav Jung
25 I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.
end
Into the silent land
Posted by Faz on July 14, 2019, 10:03 am, in reply to "Conscience"
Bit bold quoting Jung in this place, Alex, but on the theme of 'silence' I wonder if you've come across Martin Laird's book Into the Silent Land?
It's a gem.
Re: Into the silent land
Posted by Alex Caughey on July 14, 2019, 5:17 pm, in reply to "Into the silent land"
Well, Faz, Fr. Martin Laird is an Augustinian friar and an associate professor in theology, and religious studies at Villanova University, Philadelphia charged by JP11 to teach matters relating to the interior life.
This quote from "into the silent land" speaks to my daily meditation sessions. In other words ones contemplation moments should not be restricted to that which appears to be comfortable. One needs also to experience the negative, the uncomfortable allowing one to release all that can block ones awareness of oneness with the divine mystery.
It is not a question of having only acceptable thoughts, but of thoughts thoroughly observed as they appear and disappear in awareness. No thought or feeling should appear in the valley of awareness unobserved
Martin Laird's book is highly recommended reading for those seeking a structured approach to contemplation. Father Martin is the author of A Sunlit Absence: Silence, Awareness, and Contemplation (2011), Gregory of Nyssa and the Grasp of Faith (2007) and Into the Silent Land (2006).
I am a particular fan of Gregory of Nyssa recommending his guidance into the interior life. (1)
Reaching back some 17 years when I began posting on the Catholic News Discussion Board I have written often on the works of Carl Jung with a view to providing the reader with a so called rationalistic approach to the influence of the divine mystery on our daily life. Carl Jung is particularly popular among Catholics for his willingness to discuss coincidence, or synchronistic accidents that can lead us to understand that chance is never a solitary accident.
Carl Jung's father was a pastor in the Swiss Reformed Church enabling Carl Jung to receive a thorough Christian education that influenced much of his work on the human being's relationship with the universal consciousness. Carl Jung's theories are in my opinion an exploration into the deeper regions of the spiritual experience helping the reader to better understand the inexplicable phenomena that occur to many, if not most of us with no easy rational explanation other than to reference the influence of the divine presence.
My daily meditation sessions are totally unstructured. Nor do I assume the Lotus position, preferring an armchair, encouraging my thoughts to wing me into a world where anything can happen.
Chance encounters with the divine mystery need not be restricted to moments of silent contemplation, for they can also appear out of nothingness with a determination to instruct, or advise.
I'll endeavour to address the matter of my own experiences with the inexplicable in a future post.