The Hidden Power of Forgiveness

In today’s partisan, chaotic world, we rush to judgment and are slow to forgive.

In Tina Spalding’s book, Jesus: My Autobiography, Jesus says “Judgment is the biggest crime that can be committed against yourself and against others.”

How often do we even notice when we are judging? In our opinion, not often.

Spirit

One of the human traits we in spirit find fascinating is your reluctance to forgive.

When you perceive, in your limited vision, another has harmed you, you often focus on the “harm” and not on your part in creating that harm.Read more

Love and Religion

posted in: Blog, channeling, spirituality | 10

Many years ago, I had a startling experience with love and religion.

Still a teenager, I’d joined the US Navy. (Military service was required in those days.) Stationed far from my New York home, I was lonely and homesick, as were my shipmates. Simon (not his real name), my closest friend on the ship, was also from New York.

We were docked in San Diego, California at the time. Simon and I took a weekend off to explore San Diego. We “accidentally” came across a hospitality house owned by a Protestant church.Read more

The Power of Silence

posted in: Blog, channeling, inspiration | 16

Silence is an empty space. Space is the home of the awakened mind. ~ Buddha

glider-silence

Many years ago, when I was a new commercial pilot, part of our flight training had been, odd as it sounds, practicing silence. Well, silence was not the purpose of the practice, just a side benefit.

My flight school was in the Rocky Mountains northwest of Denver, Colorado. Our training included, as you’d expect, learning to handle emergencies, one of which was losing engine power. In which case, your plane turned into a glider.Read more

Oneness Is an Impossible Dream

posted in: Blog, channeling, mind body soul | 8

Vasu deva kutum bakam. ~ Sanskrit mantra (The whole world is my family. From expanded awareness, I feel my connection to everyone.)

oneness-of-our-global-family

 

In this time of dramatic change all around the planet, it’s easy to lose sight of some basic facts of life:

  • We’re all in this together. We always have been.
  • There is no us versus them. There is only oneness. “Them” is “us.”
  • There are no boundaries except those we’ve created while laboring under the grand illusion we’re all separate.

Read more

Those Who Serve In Silence

posted in: Blog, channeling, life purpose | 21

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Buddhist monk in silent prayer

A close friend came to us a while back, wondering why he was on earth, and what difference he was making, if any.

I certainly have often pondered those questions. We all know the difference the great spiritual leaders of our time are making. And we compare ourselves to them. Of course, we come up lacking when we do that.Read more

Do You Really Know Who You Are? by John Cali and Spirit

posted in: Blog, channeling | 16

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~ Buddha

VajraMudraBuddha
Copyright  © 2005 by Vajra Mudra

Kirk Douglas, legendary actor and Hollywood icon, tells a deeply thought-provoking story.

Some years ago he was driving down the freeway in Southern California when he spotted a young man hitchhiking.… Read more

If You Knew You Were Going To Die Today, How Would You Spend Your Final Hours? by John Cali and Spirit

The_Laughing_&_Lucky_Buddha!_A_stroke_of_Luck!_(413428647)The Laughing Buddha by William Cho

How would you answer the question our title asks?

When I asked myself that question, I had to stop to think about it. What would I do? How would I spend the hours I knew would be my last in this lifetime?

Here’s Spirit.

Spirit

Many humans often ask themselves “Why am I here?”

We can answer that question with one word: “Joy.”

Perhaps even more difficult to answer would be John’s question:
How would I spend the hours I knew would be my last in this lifetime?
Read more

Is Your Mind Driving You Crazy? by John Cali

Image by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri

Buddha once said “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

Until I started meditating many years ago, my mind really was driving me crazy. I can still get distracted, but I’ve found meditation to be a powerful tool for quieting my mind—and body too.

Our modern world holds many distractions. This is not necessarily a bad thing.Read more

Spirit’s Friday Frolics — A Parting Shot by John Cali

As you know by now, we’ve discontinued our Spirit’s Friday Frolics because of an apparent lack of interest. However, we decided to do what you might call a “parting shot” — a last funny video sent to me by a dear friend. Thank you, Eoin!

I find it rather interesting we should be publishing this blog post about laughter on Friday the 13th — which, for superstitious people, is a day of “bad luck.”

As one of the folks commenting on the video said, “Laughter is a good medication for worries, sadness and depression….Laughter… Read more

Buddhist Catholicism by John Cali

Does that title sound like a contradiction in terms? How can you be Buddhist and Catholic?

The Washington Post has been following the story of a Roman Catholic priest denying communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral. And then he walked out on the funeral mass. You can imagine the furor that set off.

Not only was the lady lesbian, but she was also straddling the religious fence between Catholicism and Buddhism. She felt at home in both camps.

Several publications had some fiery comments on the story, and raised interesting questions.… Read more

A God of Hatred by John Cali

posted in: Articles, Blog | 1

Spirit recently said something to me that I thought was as profound as it was brief:

“Religion divides. Spirituality unites.”

John Cali

Two prominent news stories in the United States today are the upcoming presidential election and the death of Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs. Both events are being used and misused as platforms for those with a religious or political agenda.… Read more