06-07-2009, 02:36 AM
Thank you for sharing that, airwaves. I think I have a really good idea of what you're saying. The first 30-plus years of my life were one long roller-coaster ride... until I became aware of my spiritual reality and came to understand my own cyclic nature within the context of spiritual reality. The difference in the quality of my life is, at times, overwhelming. Sometimes I think back on how things were before I 'awakened', and I just cry. Tears of grief for everything that happened to bring me here to this point, and tears of relief for having gotten this far.
The good thing, for me, is all that hardship helped me become the person I am today. I love me, so I consider everything that's gone before, both 'good' and 'bad' (turns out those are truly only relative terms), to be blessings. Same for everything that happens now, only now I see things as blessings in action, rather than in retrospect. The hard stuff hurts less, and the joys are more clear and beautiful, when seen in that perspective. I guess it's called "acceptance".
Something I've been wondering about the folks on this site, and so I'll ask you (understanding that your response is unique to you - promise I won't generalize your response and apply it to anyone else here; it's just a good place to start): From what you've written here, I think I'm hearing that you have directly experienced spiritual reality. What I mean is, when you said you'd read the Odd Thomas books and felt you were reading about yourself, I assume this means you've experienced some of the spiritual/energetic occurrences and perceptions that were described in the series, yes?
So my question is: How much, do you think, have you learned from reading the publications discussed on this web site, versus how much you've simply recognized as resonant with what you knew from direct experience before you found this site?
Has it been more a matter of having found a language in which to describe what you've experienced, and a community in which to share this, or have the publications opened new understanding for you? Or do all these apply?
It seems, from what I've read in the forum so far, that the discussions here are intellectual and tend to quote the publications more than they are a sharing of personal experience. I could be misunderstanding or putting things in an improper context - I'm not sure. I haven't been here long, and I don't know if intellectual discussion (versus personal sharing) is the norm or if going farther back in the forum archives would show more experiential sharing than can be found in more current posts.
This is absolutely not meant to be derisive about the site, the discussions in the forum, or the people here. The people and their discussions here seem to be very loving and well-intentioned, and while I have not read the publications (nor do I intend to), what I've seen quoted and discussed here is truly resonating with me more deeply than I've experienced with other spirituality-based groups. I'm just trying to figure out if I fit in here or not, and one way to do so is to ask questions, yes?
I'm afraid I'm not getting my intent across very well; hard to do, sometimes, especially when the mode of communication does not allow for facial expressions or tone of voice. That, and my question is based more on a general 'feeling' -- neither good nor bad as it applies to the site and this group, but questioning as it applies to my place here.
And of course anyone else following this conversation is most welcome to respond as well. I'd been wanting to ask this, but wasn't sure where to post the question.
Long-winded for a short question, huh? hee
plur
The good thing, for me, is all that hardship helped me become the person I am today. I love me, so I consider everything that's gone before, both 'good' and 'bad' (turns out those are truly only relative terms), to be blessings. Same for everything that happens now, only now I see things as blessings in action, rather than in retrospect. The hard stuff hurts less, and the joys are more clear and beautiful, when seen in that perspective. I guess it's called "acceptance".
Something I've been wondering about the folks on this site, and so I'll ask you (understanding that your response is unique to you - promise I won't generalize your response and apply it to anyone else here; it's just a good place to start): From what you've written here, I think I'm hearing that you have directly experienced spiritual reality. What I mean is, when you said you'd read the Odd Thomas books and felt you were reading about yourself, I assume this means you've experienced some of the spiritual/energetic occurrences and perceptions that were described in the series, yes?
So my question is: How much, do you think, have you learned from reading the publications discussed on this web site, versus how much you've simply recognized as resonant with what you knew from direct experience before you found this site?
Has it been more a matter of having found a language in which to describe what you've experienced, and a community in which to share this, or have the publications opened new understanding for you? Or do all these apply?
It seems, from what I've read in the forum so far, that the discussions here are intellectual and tend to quote the publications more than they are a sharing of personal experience. I could be misunderstanding or putting things in an improper context - I'm not sure. I haven't been here long, and I don't know if intellectual discussion (versus personal sharing) is the norm or if going farther back in the forum archives would show more experiential sharing than can be found in more current posts.
This is absolutely not meant to be derisive about the site, the discussions in the forum, or the people here. The people and their discussions here seem to be very loving and well-intentioned, and while I have not read the publications (nor do I intend to), what I've seen quoted and discussed here is truly resonating with me more deeply than I've experienced with other spirituality-based groups. I'm just trying to figure out if I fit in here or not, and one way to do so is to ask questions, yes?
I'm afraid I'm not getting my intent across very well; hard to do, sometimes, especially when the mode of communication does not allow for facial expressions or tone of voice. That, and my question is based more on a general 'feeling' -- neither good nor bad as it applies to the site and this group, but questioning as it applies to my place here.
And of course anyone else following this conversation is most welcome to respond as well. I'd been wanting to ask this, but wasn't sure where to post the question.
Long-winded for a short question, huh? hee
plur