This is one of those times when the world decided to have a good laugh with me.
My spiritual journey started a long time ago when I was in my parents' car on the way to Carousel (Casino in South Africa) and I asked them why we had to pray 1) in a language we didn't understand (and we therefore didn't know what we were saying ) and 2) why do we keep saying the same things over and over (and why I couldn't choose to say whatever I wanted in whatever language I wanted).
Many years on, I have found a happy medium within which to live my life and have become much more spiritual rather than religious. Having said that, I respect all other religions and those who live their lives in accordance with the principles laid down in these religions.
Anyway, over the years, I have become a fan of metaphysics. A lot of the principles of metaphysics has been popularised by movies such as "What the **** do we know?" and "The Secret". One of the main themes of these teachings is accepting the fact that you can create your own reality, and that you should determine what you really want from life and ask the universe for it everyday - literally! (Apparently that's where the story of the genie in Aladdin comes from - genie represents the universe (or god, or the one being, or the light, whatever you want to call it) who will grant whatever wish you want, and Aladdin is us). So I've been living according to these principles for a while and have believed this to be true, and only a couple of days ago (I know - DUH!), did I realise that this concept of asking the universe for what you want is not just a form of prayer, it is prayer.
This reaffirms my belief that the problem has never been with the religions themselves, but rather man's lack of understanding and misinterpretation of the religions, which results in 'blind' practice without an appreciation of the beauty of the faith that underlies the holy books.
Lovely words, my sweetie.
ReplyDeleteVery true. I also wondered the same things. I still pray today in my own way. If I just repeat things in arabic I don't even know wtf I'm saying so it means nothing for me! I'd rather know what I'm saying. So I pray to God, not through any church or prophet, just straight to God coz I think that's what matters. I'm also more spiritual than religious. The Secret is my all time fav book - stg to live by. Simple principles, but hard to apply!
ReplyDeletePS - love the candle pic - u take it urself?
ReplyDeleteVery good reading. Its that time of the week again, where I upload my stories from Rhonda Byrne:
ReplyDeleteA Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret
How can you make a big dream come true?
You need to have one secret element, and when you have that secret element, nothing will get in your way. That element is an intense desire! You must desire something with all of your heart to manifest it. Often the difference between those who manifest something and those who do not, is the element of desire. When you have a burning desire for something you ignite a fire within you that attracts with an incredible force. The law of attraction is magnetically drawn to that intense fire element in you, and it responds by gathering all universal forces to make your dream come true.
Very often we ask for things because we think our life will be better with those things, but inside of us we do not have an immense desire for those things. When you don't feel that immense desire within you, you are receiving guidance telling you that this is not something you really want. That is why it is so important to get clear on what it is that you really want with all of your heart, because what you really want with all of your heart is the very desire that you can manifest quickly.
When your heart is on fire with desire you will attract the right things to do, you will find visualizing so easy, and you will find it is effortless to think positive thoughts of your desire. You will attract all the qualities you need, such as strength, courage, belief, persistence, faith, and a powerful will. An intense desire lights up your being, producing a magnetic force that enables the law of attraction to cut through every physical obstacle for you and make your dream come true.
Go for your dreams! Don't cheat yourself in your life with petty desires because you don't think you can live your dream. THE DREAM inside you is the one thing that you have the greatest power to create, because you have an immense desire for it. Find the dream inside you - and make it come true!
Here is the story of an 18-year-old girl - her dream - and her intense desire to make her dream come true.
From Rachael in Indiana
When I was in third grade I told my mother that I wanted to go to the University of Notre Dame. I remember going to meetings at age 13 about what it took to get in - that's how bad I wanted it. I knew everything it took and used this knowledge to my advantage. Notre Dame will not accept someone merely because they get a good score on the SAT, it takes so much more.
I told everyone I talked to, new friends and old friends, that I would be attending the University of Notre Dame. The response was almost ALWAYS THE SAME: "Wow, isn't that school hard to get into? Don't you have to be really smart?" They would wish me good luck in a "you really need it" tone. I never let this sway me.
Before every football game, Notre Dame would play a commercial showing a girl taking "the letter" out of her mailbox. I CRIED EVERY TIME (because I could FEEL - with so much intensity - how I would feel when I came to that day).
When it came time to apply I was more stressed out than I had ever been in my life, but I still continued to tell people that I would be going there. Sometimes a thought would creep into my head saying, "What if I've been telling everyone that I'm going there and then I don't get in?" Every time I'd stop and say, "NO, I will not let myself think these thoughts." And I would continue to imagine and to feel the feelings of coming home and seeing the letter sitting on the table.
On March 28, 2008, I got a call from my step-father telling me that I had to come home, "RIGHT NOW". When I got home I saw the letter and felt every feeling that I had felt previously in my mind - only magnified. The letter said, "Welcome Home".
I have never wanted anything more in my entire life. I have never KNOWN something more intensely. I KNEW that Notre Dame was the place for me, was my home (I guess God, The Universe, knew too).
. . .
Click here for more inspirational Secret Stories.
May the joy be with you,
Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions
Thanks all for the comments.
ReplyDeleteNadia, the words are always my own but the pictures are, more often than not, not mine. Interesting thing is that my blogs usually start with an idea and I find beautiful pictures magnify these thoughts and help me focus to actually write something down.
Reshad, thanks for your regular dose of Rhonda ;) I was trying to figure out what I wanted the other day to make sure that I start projecting the right things and start asking for the right things from the world and eventually figured out that I actually have very little idea of what I actually want and some of the most important things that I would wont for, I already have!
The old adage: "be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it" is very relevant in my life right now :)
I just heard something by Elizabeth Lesser that complements what you have been saying.
ReplyDeleteShe says that religion is a springboard into spirit.
I really liked that :)