Perfect love is unconditional. It loves no matter what, seeing the worth of every soul regardless of how they are.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 42)
Category: Uncategorized
Liberty
“The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken, the bird cannot fly.”
– Saint John of the Cross
Source: http://www.saintsquotes.net/Selection%20-%20Sparrows.html
Spontaneous Blog Post 2/25/19 — Gratitude
Some of you reading this may have heard the phrase “An Attitude of Gratitude” before. I’m not sure of the history of the phrase, but it’s catchy and important, and it’s on my mind today.
Try this: as you go through your day today, tomorrow, and so on, take some time to analyze your thoughts and your surroundings. Observe the people, places, things, and circumstances in your life and try to find something positive to be grateful for. Pay attention to the little things and big things, in all of your tasks and interactions throughout the day. Your car started on a cold morning… you got an unexpected call from an old friend… you woke up and felt a little less pain in your knee than usual… you managed to not burn the garlic bread this time… you said something that helped someone’s day go a little better…. Every little thing you feel grateful for will help to add joy to your life—every moment of your life.
Even not-so-good things that happen throughout the day can be turned into something positive; perhaps a situation can wake something up inside of you that helps you to be more sensitive to an area (or person) in your life that maybe you weren’t very grateful for until now, or a negative situation can help you to appreciate all of the times when things are going well.
Another benefit of practicing gratitude throughout the day is that when you’re paying attention to the positive things happening in your life, it makes it harder for negative thoughts to dwell in your mind. With enough practice, your thoughts of gratitude become your attitude. You will have developed a way to see the good and positive in every thing and person around you, and joy and happiness will fill your thoughts and your days.
I truly believe that an attitude of gratitude can be a transformative power in each and every one of our lives!
The Absence of Selfish Desire
Perfect love is the absence of selfish desire. It embraces where selfishness pushes away. It thinks about what’s best for the whole and not just for itself.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 42)
Copyright 2018 Golden Rule Independent Publications
Revolution
There were rules in the monastery but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. “Obedience keeps the rules,” he would say. “Love knows when to break them.”
– Anthony de Mello, One Minute Wisdom
Being Alive
“People don’t want to give up their jealousies and anxieties, their resentment and guilt, because these negative emotions provide them with their ‘kicks,’ the feeling of being alive,” said the Master.
And this is how he illustrated it:
The local postman took a short cut through a meadow on his bicycle. Midway across, a bull spied him and gave chase. The poor fellow barely made it to the fence.
“Nearly got you, didn’t he?” said the Master who had watched the scene.
“Yes,” said the old man, puffing, “nearly gets me every time.”
– Anthony de Mello, One Minute Nonsense
Let Your Light Shine Out
Remember that life in God is spiritual and that even the death of the body is not the end of life. Therefore, love everyone, and let your light shine out for the world to see. Let it shine brightly, until all the darkness is gone. Defend yourself with love, and no matter what happens, you will be with God.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 42)
Copyright 2018 Golden Rule Independent Publications
The Poison of Hatred
“Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which though easy enough to understand is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world.”
– Gandhi
True Love
To physically harm another cannot be considered love. Know that true love treats others good regardless of how they are treated. Hate feeds off of hate and causes separation. To love a person that hates you is to wake them up to their true selves.
— Excerpted from The Truth as I See It: A Collection of Spiritual Writings by Adam Soto (p. 42)
Copyright 2018 Golden Rule Independent Publications
Socrates’ Triple Filter Test
In ancient Greece, scholar and intellectual Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about one of your friends?”
“Hold on a minute, “Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”
“Triple filter?” asked the man.
“That’s right,” Socrates continued.
“Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and wanted to tell it to you”
“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“No, on the contrary, it is bad.”
“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really,” replied the man.
“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful to me, why tell it to me at all.”
(I found this many years ago on the internet. This site has a similar version:)
Mind / Purpose / Truth 