NOTE: The latest projects related to this site are Let It Happen, a recovery blog, and Recovery Nashville, an unofficially illustrated Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous available online.
the nature of spirit
about this site. | additional resources.
Simplicity. Patience. Compassion. Faith. Reality. These are the keys to inner peace. Make these the center of your path and be yourself, just for today. What a difference!
"Great men are they who see the spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are all manner of people in this world with a spectrum of inclinations, needs, environments, beliefs, personalities, problems, addictions, and so on. I'd be quite the naive dreamer to believe that one might alter one's course, or that one should even desire to, based solely on a quick read of this site. There are many who hold not the slightest degree of interest in spiritual matters. For too many years I fell into this category. I usually played host to a wide array of negative feelings in those days. However, based on the emails I receive, people tend to stumble across this site when seeking nutritional info or spiritual sites, and the majority seem to appreciate its content. I am always pleased to hear from those who have visited this site. Let me know what you think.
"Spirituality is a matter of self-discovery rather than becoming something else."-- Lama Surya Das
For several reasons, my life today (the only day) must include a liberal dose of the spiritual: those things that serve to feed and enhance inner peace and self-acceptance. This is simply a requirement in my case. A healthy dose of introspection and contemplation are absolute necessities in the pursuit of these camouflaged qualities, always with us though often trapped below the icy surface of negative thought patterns. This web site exists for one reason: to serve as a reminder to myself with regard to these issues -- especially with regard to being ever mindful of the present moment and appreciative of life.
"There is no more certain sign of a narrow mind, and of arrogance than to stand aloof from those who think differently from us."-- Walter Savage Landor
Nature you know, but for the purposes of this web site, 'spirit' refers to those things that promote inner peace, self-acceptance, wisdom -- those things beyond science that we all crave. It is not directly concerned or associated with any particular flavor of organized religion, yet it is indirectly concerned and associated with all world religions. It might even be described as the essence of religion: what is left of it after the exorcism of tradition, fundamentalism, and dogma.
The laws of Spirit point to the innate order and intelligence of the universe. They transcend concepts, customs, and beliefs. They form the basis of all human morality. Constant as the movement of the planets, they apply not only to the mechanics of nature, but to every aspect of existence. They can guide you through the shallows and reefs of your life the way the stars and compass guided ancient mariners on their course.
Certain laws have special relevance to the practical affairs of human life. The books and teachings of religion touch upon these great truths -- simple, powerful principles for finding inner peace in a difficult world. Those who follow the laws prosper and find fulfillment; those who ignore or resist them meet consequences that instruct them on their journey of awakening, so they can one day find peace in the light of higher understanding.-- Meeting with a Mountain Sage, Laws of Spirit, by Dan Millman
about this web site.
In short, this site is being cultured to help me find, feed, and foster inner peace on a daily basis.
This is the second section of a dual-faceted web project (the other side). Some of the pages in this section remain unfinished. In fact, the Hiking Nature site and this site (Nature of Spirit) are both works in progress, and probably will remain so for the foreseeable future.
This is where I record spiritual observations (ultimately opinions, I suppose) and quotations, largely of the sort I used to refrain from even thinking about, much less verbalizing or documenting (having for many years thought of these matters as too metaphysical, too fluffy, too religious, or just a bunch of new-age psychobabble). Readers will have all sorts of preconceived notions pertaining to these topics. Before perusing this site, it may be beneficial to ingest this sage advice:
There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principle is contempt prior to investigation.-- Herbert Spencer
On some of these pages, rhetorical, existential, or philosophical questions are asked. Perhaps you have asked yourself these very questions on many occasions. Sometimes these questions are followed by a quotation. Sometimes the quotation pertains to the question, and if so, it may or may not present my view or opinion on the issue at hand. In other cases, however, the quote may have been randomly placed on that page, having nothing much to do with the surrounding text -- just hanging about, being noncontextual. What am I trying to say here? This, I suppose: take all this in with a grain of salt, particularly those things that relate to divisive issues such as religion. I hope siginificantly fewer grains of salt will be required with other information on this site, such as the nutrition section.
The red/orange links on this site lead to a page of definitions. I am not making the assumption that readers do not know the meaning of these common terms. In the interest of objectivity, and in order to most closely align the contents of this site with reality, definitions are provided. Over time, and for various reasons, I have often found it necessary to consult a dictionary, for I've found that as I take in more and more information from books and other sources, my personal definitions for some words can become colored and/or can evolve over time. Having some of these words defined within this site helps to keep it real, so to speak. All of these definitions are compliments of dictionary.com.
Grandma said I had done right, for when you come on something that is good, first thing to do is share it with whoever you can find; that way, the good spreads out to where no telling it will go. Which is right.-- Little Tree, The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter
One might wonder why this section is connected to the hiking site, or why it even exists among my web projects at all. To know me well is to understand. To be overly succinct, I enjoy documenting things that interest me, and the two things that have interested me most since 2002 are those things relating to inner peace, hiking, and nature.
May you live all the days of your life.-- Jonathan Swift
web resources.
general spirituality.
I have NOT thoroughly investigated any of these links. An external site's inclusion via link here (or anywhere else on this site) does not indicate my belief in, subscription to, or agreement with its contents. The sites below are linked because I found something of interest there and perhaps intend to look at it again.
- Spirituality Resources -- "...specific resources are listed alphabetically... such as a specific religious affiliation, belief, organization, or person. For more general web sites about spirituality, religions, or related information, visit the General Information section."
- Life Positive -- "your guide to holistic living."
- The Christian Mystics -- "In reality, the Christian Mystic is simply returning to the very essence of the Christian experience at it's earliest stage. What, one can ask, would it have been like to have heard Jesus speak the Sermon on the Mount? To have sat across the table from him in the company of tax collectors, prostitutes and drunkards and listened to his voice?"
- Pure Silence -- "There is a gentle, loving, peace-filled silence here and now in this moment. It has always been this way. It is always here. It is right here within you and all around you, a stillness, an apparent void, a seeming nothingness out of which everything arises, exists, and eventually returns.There is nothing more than this. You are this. This is not some esoteric spiritual jargon about some new age philosophy or any religion or belief. There is nothing here which is mystical. There are just these words and you and the silence. This is real, now. This is right here in you, every single moment of your life. This silence contains you, your being-ness. This silence allows the entire universe to be. All existence, everything that is, all matter and energy, all thought is contained in this silence. This is what some have called Truth, Infinity, Reality, Enlightenment, Nothingness, God, Great or Holy Spirit, True Self, Consciousness and Love. This is a mystery beyond mind, beyond what the human brain can fully comprehend. Like a beautiful diamond, we can only see a few facets at a time. This mystery is seemingly far beyond us-our capacity to understand, to know. And yet this is contained within our very selves..."
- Inspirational Stories -- "be inspired! be happy! be yourself!"
people and their ideas.
- Critical Thinkers -- from The eJournal