Post by Stefan Pasti on Jan 19, 2014 17:20:23 GMT
As a way of keeping a kind of journal, this writer will offer some of his thoughts and experiences about his participation in the Sunday 9:00 am—11:00 am (GMT-5) Peace Vigil. If other participants, observers, and visitors offer thoughts and experiences also, then this space can become a “Community Journal” for this particular Peace Vigil.
As this writer has said in the introduction offered to the 24/7 Peace Vigil (in this CPCS Campaign Discussion Forum), there are many potential benefits for participants and etc to having a silent Peace Vigil. There are also potential benefits to having a regular practice (spiritual, etc).
One of the potential benefits of a regular spiritual practice is there is a kind of building process. What may begin as simply sitting silently without any particular plan can “organically grow” and become something unanticipated at the beginning. This writer developed a regular practice over time, and it has remained about the same over the last 10 years. However, even in two Sundays of this particular Peace Vigil, one improvement to a part of the practice has come—specifically, to the part of the practice which is concentrated on in this Peace Vigil.
“Organically grown” processes—processes which have a structure (or “trellis”), but nevertheless are understood to be “works-in-progress”, are not something which have machine-like precision [as in cause –“practice” results in “specific known in advance outcome” every time]. One learns and grows with the process, and if one believes some kind of “Divine Grace” is involved, such “Grace” comes not as a direct result of something one does, but with its own kind of inscrutable wisdom and mercy. Having a regular practice simply means that one is making a deliberate effort to improve one’s capacity to receive “Grace”.
“My Grace is ever with you; it is not something that is given or taken; it is given always and accepted by the Consciousness that is aware of its significance.” (Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
This writer, as mentioned in other places, has old injuries which are currently creating challenges with regards to sitting for any length of time. Some days are better than others. Having this set schedule—Sunday 9:00 am—11:00 am, is a spur to this writer’s efforts to restore (by special stretching practices), his capacity to sit for long periods of time. One other noticeable effect is that he thinks about this scheduled event during the week. If he is especially aware throughout the week, he will do very little which will detract from the silent practice on Sunday, and much which will contribute to the experience.
Also, this writer understands that this practice reinforces the spiritual structure of his personality. That is, he knows that there is a spiritual structure (“organically grown” over at least 10 years of deliberate spiritual practice), and he knows that if he is regular with his practice, there is more “growing” which takes place. People who are just beginning may not understand: there will be some “organic growth”/”Grace” which takes place without them knowing it. Thus, if they are impatient, and lack faith in the process, they may not reach a point when they know there is a structure to reinforce.
One more thing: this writer was reminded, during this Sundays’ session, of his definition for peace. It may be helpful for discussions about Peace Vigils to have a definition of peace, as a starting point for input, thoughts, shared experiences, etc of the subject of peace, and what are some of the essential pieces of inner peace, and peace in the world. So, here is my definition of peace:
This writer believes that it is possible for there to be a sympathetic resonance between the example of
leaders (serving society by defining, supporting, and sustaining virtue); the personal cultivation of virtue
throughout society; the ecological stability and sustainability of natural resources; and the current of
Divine Grace. And—that it is possible for people to achieve highly advanced forms of wisdom and
compassion through genuine instruction and sincere effort.
As this writer has said in the introduction offered to the 24/7 Peace Vigil (in this CPCS Campaign Discussion Forum), there are many potential benefits for participants and etc to having a silent Peace Vigil. There are also potential benefits to having a regular practice (spiritual, etc).
One of the potential benefits of a regular spiritual practice is there is a kind of building process. What may begin as simply sitting silently without any particular plan can “organically grow” and become something unanticipated at the beginning. This writer developed a regular practice over time, and it has remained about the same over the last 10 years. However, even in two Sundays of this particular Peace Vigil, one improvement to a part of the practice has come—specifically, to the part of the practice which is concentrated on in this Peace Vigil.
“Organically grown” processes—processes which have a structure (or “trellis”), but nevertheless are understood to be “works-in-progress”, are not something which have machine-like precision [as in cause –“practice” results in “specific known in advance outcome” every time]. One learns and grows with the process, and if one believes some kind of “Divine Grace” is involved, such “Grace” comes not as a direct result of something one does, but with its own kind of inscrutable wisdom and mercy. Having a regular practice simply means that one is making a deliberate effort to improve one’s capacity to receive “Grace”.
“My Grace is ever with you; it is not something that is given or taken; it is given always and accepted by the Consciousness that is aware of its significance.” (Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
This writer, as mentioned in other places, has old injuries which are currently creating challenges with regards to sitting for any length of time. Some days are better than others. Having this set schedule—Sunday 9:00 am—11:00 am, is a spur to this writer’s efforts to restore (by special stretching practices), his capacity to sit for long periods of time. One other noticeable effect is that he thinks about this scheduled event during the week. If he is especially aware throughout the week, he will do very little which will detract from the silent practice on Sunday, and much which will contribute to the experience.
Also, this writer understands that this practice reinforces the spiritual structure of his personality. That is, he knows that there is a spiritual structure (“organically grown” over at least 10 years of deliberate spiritual practice), and he knows that if he is regular with his practice, there is more “growing” which takes place. People who are just beginning may not understand: there will be some “organic growth”/”Grace” which takes place without them knowing it. Thus, if they are impatient, and lack faith in the process, they may not reach a point when they know there is a structure to reinforce.
One more thing: this writer was reminded, during this Sundays’ session, of his definition for peace. It may be helpful for discussions about Peace Vigils to have a definition of peace, as a starting point for input, thoughts, shared experiences, etc of the subject of peace, and what are some of the essential pieces of inner peace, and peace in the world. So, here is my definition of peace:
This writer believes that it is possible for there to be a sympathetic resonance between the example of
leaders (serving society by defining, supporting, and sustaining virtue); the personal cultivation of virtue
throughout society; the ecological stability and sustainability of natural resources; and the current of
Divine Grace. And—that it is possible for people to achieve highly advanced forms of wisdom and
compassion through genuine instruction and sincere effort.