The spiritual path isn’t about being somebody. It’s about being nobody. ~~ Ram Dass Vedanta
Lost In Love
I am in love and I don’t know with who
Dead to myself as I am lost in You
Drunk in Beauty my heart is made new
Sweet Divine Mystery I’m in love with You
Reason is gone, love’s arrow goes through
Opposites unite as both sides hold true
United with love we are no longer two
Lost in this ocean I’m in love with You
rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
The Dancing Flame
I undressed myself and
Found a burning flame
Hidden behind the veil
That was torn in two
I have died and now rest
Stripped and naked new
The kiss of God gives life
Her lips fan the burning flame
That whirls and dances tonight
Rivers of Love
I’m stripping away all that is not me
So I can be who I was meant to be
And live a new life that is truly free
With eyes of my heart open I can see
Accepting the past and future I let go
With a deeper awareness I now know
The river of love can always flow
With the death of the mind and ego
In union with the love of my true self
I feel sweet beauty like I’ve never felt
A wonder, bliss and joy of mental health
Now that I have rivers of eternal wealth
Wow! What a beautiful thought, Paidon! By the way, your thoughts on this forum have always been of considerable encouragement to me. Thank you so much for thinking so deeply and aesthetically about our God, who disciplines those whom He loves and is a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:6 and 29).
It is a good thought and after reading what Paidion believes on this subject I know he’s the real deal. It’s not about self-esteem or building yourself up but death to the old ego self and coming into union with the true self (love). The Beauty of holiness is in humility.
Thank you gandalf’sbeard. Your response is an encouragement to me (and yours also, St. Michael).
Your name is written in the Lambs book of Life Paidion. We have minor disagreements but this is the heart of it in my opinion.
If anyone is interested in this Andrew Murray has written a book called “Humility: The Beauty of Holiness”. It’s hailed as the greatest book on humility ever written. Andrew Murray was open to Universalism. Murray was greatly influenced by William Law. One of Law’s books clearly outlined Law’s belief in universal salvation. This very book was later republished by Murray under the title Power of the Spirit.
Here’s the table of contents:
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Humility: The Glory of the Creature
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Humility: The Secret of Redemption
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The Humility of Jesus
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Humility in the Teaching of Jesus
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Humility in Daily Life
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Humility and Holiness
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Humility and Faith
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Humility and Death to Self
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Humility and Happiness
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Humility and Exaltation
The book is only 80 pages. Real easy to grasp.
One quote from the book that was helpful to me:
Friend, the only thing that can cure you of the desire for man’s praise or the hurt feelings and anger which come when it is not given, is by only seeking the glory that comes from God. Let the glory of the all-glorious God be everything to you. You will be freed from the glory of men and of self, and be content and glad to be nothing. ~~ Andrew Murray
I was reading my book:
The Essential Mystics, Poets, Saints and Sages by Richard Hooper and it describes the enlightenment experience. Listen to this:
Well, that describes me to a T… I guess I’ll wait for a great enlightenment… I won’t hold my breath, however.
Hang in there Gabe buddy. It’s dark before the light.
This comes from page 61 of the book “The Essential Mystics, Poets, Saints and Sages by Richard Hooper”:
Renouncing the world seems like it would be incredible hard, and renouncing the ego seems entirely impossible. Modern society is especially challenged: we have iPhones and iPods, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and American Idol. We all deserve our fifteen minutes of fame. It is especially difficult to become nobody in a world that only respects those with big egos.
The mystics tell us, however, that we can never realize we are one with All until we have eradicated our personal sense of “I”. God can’t come to visit unless we’re not home. As Ram Dass put it, “The mystical game is not about becoming somebody, it’s about becoming nobody”.
There is no such thing as a sustained vacuum.We are already empty… "without form and void"until the word “Let there be light” starts a new creation within through the Logos, and a relationship with Him. It is about fulness, given by grace, and receiving it with thankfulness, even in the midst of difficulty. It is not by looking in the mirror of what “I dont want to be”. It is by looking in the eyes of the one who “Is Who He Is” and receiving His fulness via His love.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. Col 2:10
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. John 1:16
IMO the destruction of the ego only occurs through the impartation of the divine nature- by grace, through faith, in fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Spirit.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, let us run with patience the race set before us.
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Eaglesway:
Ego death happens or begins when you hit bottom. It’s a painful ego puncturing. Someone or something else usually has to do it. It’s a shattering of the ego and then a complete surrender and abandonment to God. A letting go. You first have to become aware of your ego. Check this out from Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death
We empty ourselves and become nothing. Jesus gave us the example:
he emptied Himself
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Phil. 2:7-8
As an empty vessel the wind of the Spirit blows through.