Grace and peace to all!
Many moons ago I ran into Ken’s writings through What Is Enlightenment? magazine while I was looking at Buddhism, and how it compared to the Christian meditative practice that I followed.
I did not understand his ideas at all. I was still under the cloud of Fundamentalist Christianity; locked in a cage of deceit. I had been looking to criticize Buddhism and anything else counter to my rigid beliefs.
Fast forward to today…I am still a Christian; in fact I am a Second Level Postulant in the Order of Lutheran Lutheran Franciscans due to Novice this winter or next summer. But my how things have changed!
I had what I call a true conversion about 10 years ago, and this time I changed for the better. My mind opened like a parachute and I began to see the beauty in all life and the peace to be found in true spirituality. A spirituality that embraces all! I rediscovered Ken’s writings through a close Buddhist friend and now they were understandable. And they changed my life! I now live an Integral Life. I am an active meditator, social justice crusader, and mentor to the homeless and addicted. I receive Spiritual Direction through the OLF, but am looking for something more. I need a mentor in Integral Life Practice. Someone to talk with by phone or text at least once a week about how we are each doing in our practices and our lives. A little like an AA or NA sponsorship relationship by phone or text. If anybody is.interested in such a relationship with me please let me know here it by email at william.bradley101@yahoo.com.
Pace E Bene
Hi breck101,
I certainly relate to your experience, having been a pastor and missionary where I could not come to terms with my religion which condemned certain persons to a future place called hell unless they recited a certain prayer about Jesus and answered yes to specific questions. How was the God of love that I experienced, in this? My exposure to any other religion as a seminarian was only in terms of how to “make them Christian.” I had to forge my own direction for many years, stumbling across Ken’s work in process. His descriptions of states and stages in terms of spiritual evolution for both individuals and religions was profound in my mind. I kept wondering “why was no one using his material and teaching this when I was in seminary?!” Of course the answer is because I was attending a very conservative, evangelical seminary where adherence to the narrative was the means to “salvation” rather than experiencing who we are meant to be through meditation and contemplative prayer, etc, in connection with God or ultimate reality or however we try to grasp our integral spirituality with words. Thanks for your post. I would be interested in carrying on the conversation with you. Kim
Hello, and Grace to you. I was away awhile. But I would love to continue a conversation with you. Just message me when you like.
I will be checking messages daily. Looking forward to hearing from you.