Discovering Spirituality - Episode 10 - The Problem of Spiritual Sanctuary - Podcast Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Discovering Spirituality podcast. Episode 10: The Problem of Spiritual Sanctuary. In this podcast I will be sharing my thoughts on the writing "The Problem of Spiritual Sanctuary" taken from the channeled book "The Light in Your Life is Spirit" by George A. Thompson.

Do you contemplate or do you switch off?

Throughout life we will encounter situations and experiences that we do not understand and so in order to better grasp these complex experiences it is necessary to think about them.

But if we are honest with ourselves we must ask if we think about these problems properly. Do we put in the necessary time and effort to truly understand. It is not as if we are incapable of problem solving but due to emotional interruption, clarity can be replaced with fantasy very easily, which can cause us to avoid exploration due to fear. These fears can also be compounded since the human mind is capable of weaving very elaborate versions of situations that we experience.

Modern life, or course, does not make it easy for us since our time and attention are so very easily robbed form us by all manner of distraction.

If we are seeking an explanation that is less than honest, it is also very easy to grasp at the options and ideas of others to justify our mental direction. Once could say that we are loosing our ability to think properly.

If we are engaged in avoidance then what is it that we seek to avoid? Is it the emotional pain? Is it how our perception and actions will affect out identity?

But again if we are engage in the exploration of honesty, how do we know when we discover the truth? Perhaps it is a question of trust and acceptance that the truth will set us free, but first it will make us miserable. Perhaps this is why we engage in avoidance, to maintain our delusional sense of comfort. We become comfortable being uncomfortable.

But life has a way of confronting us with that which we wish to avoid, of course we have the choice to face these learning opportunities instead of avoiding them.

Maybe we fail to realize that experiencing discomfort is an opportunity for learning, but since we have little understanding of the outcome, diverting our attention and efforts becomes the easy option.

Even during periods of supposed rest, we find ourselves searching for stimulation. So we probably do not rest the mind sufficiently to let it process and examine to the point of learning. Learning takes time and it also involves exploration and being open to discovery.

It is probably worthwhile to recognize that we do not have all the answers but given enough time and mental rest, the truth will never be beyond us.

We are very fragile creatures due to out obvious immaturity, but we would never really admit this to ourselves. And we live in a society where everyone is in the same boat, trying to mask these vulnerabilities.

There is also the other side of the coin when we over think problems or try to find problems when none exist. This is a state when we assume the identity that we are irrevocably broken and are in need of constant repair. This is a type of psychological hypochondria and neurosis, which is just another false identity.

Why do we have such a problem to review and see (mentally) with clarity? One has to ask the question, why can't we just stop the mental maelstrom and have a little a little peace? How do we stop "The War"?

Sometimes it feels like our own minds have a will of their own as it relentlessly manifests a never ending torrent of accumulated thoughts, fantasies and diversions. These thoughts trigger emotions, usually revolving around a base fear of some kind, which can create a feedback loop of misinformation that can redefine ones reality.

Is it a question of developing a degree of control? Perhaps we just need to make a choice? To say "no" to our current state of mind and make the effort to redefine a new state of being. This is of course easier said than done in most cases.

There are several factors that can influence this choice. There is the environment we live in, the identity that we portray. There are also the questions of loss and gain to be asked. For anyone who wishes peace, one needs to understand what it is that creates the war.

Very often we reach out for support in some way from friends, psychologists or members of the clergy to help is make sense of our issues. The trouble with seeking external support is that we can come to reply on it too heavily and so avoid taking responsibility for our own self healing.

Blind Faith. Before we put our trust in God should we not begin by putting our faith in ourselves, to trust that we are making the right decision to create peace.

At the moment I find myself asking the question "How do I find God?" Does this suggest that I have no faith and I still attempt to manifest control over my life? So how does this work, faith vs control? At what point do we let go? How do we let go?

If our head is full of endless chatter, is it a question of learning to calm the mind? When we interact with others do we listen carefully and think before we answer? Before making a decision do we not stop to think before deciding?

Is it a question of choice, to let go of what we think is an appropriate course of action and to pay attention to that more elusive and subtle higher thought?

At what point does Gods guidance help us? Looking at my daily routine I must consider where there is space for God, so to speak. Is there space when I make my family breakfast, drive to work, work at my desk.

Thinking about faith for a moment, is having faith knowing that whenever you ask for guidance, you will receive it? Does it always have to revolve around problem solving?

I cannot help consider that what I am talking about and the questions I have are more about developing and nurturing a relationship with God. And making the choice about or recognizing when God is apparent. The presence is always there, it's a question of waking up to these moments. So pay attention to that spiritual communication, because I think that it is far more multidimensional that I originally thought. Maybe I expect being aware of Gods presence to present itself with the cliched "choir of heavenly angels!"

Maybe spiritual sanctuary speaks of our journey of discovery, getting to know this thing called God. Those moments when we recognize that presence, and see life in a completely new way. And if we are to see with new eyes we must have a mind that is capable of perceiving this new vision. And so clarity is required, peace and serenity so we can observe without judgement and chaos. The light within the darkness.

We could use meditation to create a path of mindfulness but what about our waking moment. We cannot spend all day meditating like monks. So what we need to develop is a state of waking mindfulness. A means to be mindful yet having the capacity to function during our daily experience. With mindfulness does our capacity to think and question become clearer and sharper? Does it improve our attention and capacity for listening?

Sanctuary is a place of refuge. A place of non-judgement and support. The human need for sleep is a type of refuge since it gives the mind a break from being you. But alas when we wake up we slip nicely into our self created identity and reality. Thankfully the sleep cycle takes place every 24hrs so we do get a measure of rest and relief albeit briefly.

Even though there exists a state of peace within our mind, in order to find it we need to make a conscious effort to find this place. This is where the real work begins, since in order to find the gates we need to create a path so to speak.

The important part is to make the effort, for we cannot truly understand peace if we do not learn how to get there. We already exist in a state of suffering so one would think that walking the path of peace would be an obvious choice. But this is not the case in most instances.

For many familiarity of emotional conflict and the physical affects become addictive to a certain degree. A byproduct from our primitive days when we lived in a state of constant fear. And fear does not need to be explained as abject terror. Instead fear and the prevailing anxiety can exist at lower yet chronic levels. When this is the case the defensive mechanisms engage to protect the individual utilizing a range of highly effective coping strategies. So the last place we want to linger in or confront are our fears. This is why mistakes are repeated over and over again.

To truly know peace or to understand how to find it involves facing these fears, and understand them. What we seldom realize is that the moments we experience fear are gone, what remains is the emotional imprint which is triggered can be very difficult to correct or switch off.

If the true spiritual sanctuary is about finding God then what is it that we are looking for? Is it an alternative perception about how we see life? Is it to learn to value life? Is it about understanding love? Is the path to God about learning to love? Therefore do we start to learn to value and love ourselves first?

I find myself coming back to having faith in God or simply accepting that God exists. I also approach these writing as if the reader has no prior knowledge of God, which I think is a suitable starting point since what we learn about God is usually found within religious text. And I feel that this is not the idea foundation to start ones exploration since I believe that each human beings relationship with God is purely personal and should not be tainted by the misguided perceptions of others.

Is sanctuary knowing that ourselves and God are in a relationship and that even though you will face difficulties, you know you can count on God for advice and support at any time you find yourself in need.

But I must say, even before we get to that point, there is still a lot of hard work ahead of us. So now I ask myself, is there a God before I start communicating and seeking to understand this God I must first accept this God exists and have faith that this unseen force, this unseen presence wishes to know me.

What is it that overcomes fear? Love! Since man still very much lives in fear, it is love we seek to bring light into that darkness.

It is in stillness that we find peace, that place beyond the chaos of our lives. That place where the light shines the brightest. Within the stillness we find clarity, and this clarity can lead us from a place of fear to a place of love.

There is a very fine line between fear and absolute madness and over exposure to fear can tip the scales for the worse. All it takes is a moment, a second for us to step over the line into mayhem. And so we must look for opportunity to bring us back from the edge. We must look for love to seek out goodness and find peace within our being.

If all we know is illusion and darkness our path towards the light will be challenging, but it is not beyond us and no matter how much we struggle we will always have support. And the support we have comes in many forms, but the greatest asset we have is the support we can find within.

This may sound like mystical hokum, but it is the truth. And this is what God wants for us, to step back from the edge of self destruction so we may see the truth. We need to ask ourselves how we reached this point in our being and why we continue to linger so close to the edge of self destruction. If we can learn to find peace then fear has no place to thrive.

The key to our new beginning has always existed within the mind, therefore we need to bring peace to our minds. It is the root of all understanding and perception.

And those were my thoughts on the writing The Problem of Spiritual Sanctuary.

If you are interested in reading the writing from the book "The Light in Your Life is Spirit", you can download it from this link.

D.B 20/02/2020