Order and disorder birth meaning and purpose.

I believe it's not so much about having a purpose in life when we put that into the context of " we have a purpose here on earth." I understand today there is an order of things like the NATURAL order of things. There are also laws like the laws of nature, of physics. Within the order of things there is disorder.

Disorder is to order what order is to disorder - there's a cycle as my friend Collin would say. One results from the other and so on. Out of disorder ( or chaos as we've heard tell ) comes order. From order there is disorder. The variables seem to be endless at times when we think deeply of it all!

I'm more interested at a starting point. I'm more focused on meaning as in " the search for the meaning of life." And still we encounter the endless variables of 
" what is the meaning of life because we have our opinions and our experiences."

I believe when we discover the meaning of life, as we understand it today that is, that is when the purpose of life begins to reveal herself. We birth it and a purpose is born!

This is the formula as I see it then, the meaning of life may be to discover our purpose in life! And my meaning may not be the same as yours, AND my purpose may not be the same as yours too. The point I think is to think about it and paradoxically at the end of the day we encounter each other searching for the same thing. And when we meet we discover that " laws " that hold us together, that keep order in the order of things apply to us all AND then we move forward with a common goal.

papajohn ~ shaman ~

Why our prayers are being answered.

What is a prayer anyway? Before we glide through the " commonly accepted " landscape of petitions to God let's take a moment to reflect on a valued quote I  read once which is this; " even when I'm not praying my soul is on its knees " .

When I received the idea for this blog thougths navigated my mind about what is
a prayer. Examples reflecting my experiences about what is a prayer are thus; wishes, dreams, strong ( positive ) desires, yearning for something, visions, wants, needs so on and so forth.

What I plan to reveal here today will be a depart from the typical religious academic definition or explanation of a prayer. I'm going to argue against the
" rigid " warnings heard these days that instruct people to follow a specific method, " lest the course we embark upon finds its origin in self-centeredness, from self-desire or from satan ".

Before I continue here's my background concerning this issue and others I write about. My upbringing was very tumultuous, I have recovered from it. My adult years were often chaotic, I've found contentment. I've experienced the U.S. Army and United States Marine Corps. I worked construction for years and I was overly athletic much of the time. I took a position as a Sunday School teacher and Lay Minister with the Salvation Army as well as performing a Nursing Home
" visiting " ministry for 2 years. I'm self taught in Quantum Mechanics and Physics and have studied many cultures, ways, paths and religions. I'm a member of the Society for Shamanic Practitioners as well as a 12 step group.

Continuing then. I truly believe it is OUR obligation as leaders and mentors to properly instruct those folks that desire to better their lives by following spiritual principles. I take this responsibility seriously and have had differences with people who felt at times that I lacked a sense of humor by the way I evaluated conversations involving God or a Higher Power. Clearly, you don't get to be in my position ( or yours ) by joking about these matters when it matters.

If what I write bothers you because I'm departing from the doctrines you adhere to I won't apologise. There's plenty of judgement to go around and besides who is really able to say with complete candor that MY experiences are wrong?

I don't often pray using the " petition method " which is more commonly understood these days by mainstream religious folks and paths. My system evolved over the years from the experience of others and my own. Our experiences lead many to agree that there's something to this open minded practice.

When WE get together and talk about what's been going on since the last time we met the discussion turns into lengthy carefully considered talk generally about our intentions recently. We analyse the good and the bad plus we critique the outcome or the consequences. Usually someone has an ongoing perplexity and WE agree that these discussions more often than not prepare the way for a positive outcome instead of the usual finding of an answer immediately. What I mean is we are laying the groundwork.

WE also understand a few other things which some of you may be thinking about. First WE realise that more often than not the answers we seek are not really our own. Yes we perpetuate the fact that there is " something " powerful behind all of this - the universe however we also understand as well that WE are involved in the process. Yes, we agree we're not " a power " so to speak but more like conductors in the sense that we are being used to transmit love and light.  So God or a Higher Power does His ( or Her ) thing and we do ours. An example to get my point across is for instance people daily exercise spiritually using prayer, meditation and self-examination. WE do that. AND when we do that we see results. Our behavior may bear fruit because of a particular course WE took or the results of our actions show little traces of our spiritual DNA or none and unquestionably that of Gods'. A friend mentioned that we see Gods' fingerprints.

Concerning what God or a Higher Power does for us, I feel any one of you can answer that question with enthusiasm. The examples are numerable and hopeful.

Counting our blessings is a way that not only provides encouragement to continue but the blessings themselves are proof that under certain conditions WE agree that someone or something more divine than us has been at work! Also one might argue that the answered " prayer " of another has effects on far beyond our imagination not to mention far reaching effects on other people and the world at large. You see this mysterious topic of the result of prayer has many facets and the blessings or the results received from that practice are real and sometime mind boggling. WE know there is cause and effect because we examine the consequences of the original intent, petition, wishes, dreams, strong ( positive ) desires, yearning for something, visions, wants, needs so on and so forth.

I don't instruct my friends as to HOW they should pray or what they should pray for. The truth is when WE are spiritually balanced it is usual that what we want or need isn't petty. Of course we'll make the mistake of asking for something which we aren't able to handle or something we receive is more than we can handle but I argue that these experiences are OUR teachers and I'd rather make a mistake and learn from it than be a timid soul wandering through life following the masses who are wandering through life!

Think about this statement;

" when you try to conform to a certain doctrine ( not all doctrines are religious ) that makes narrow your choices, the effort to keep in line is tiring and gruesome AND usually leads the person attempting to ' stay in line ' with a bitter taste in their mouth not to mention a bitter look on their face! "

Who wants to go through life that way continually missing chances to grow, expand and find real meaning?

I don't deny "  eternity " or " the next life " is important, it is if you believe there's more than our current existence however WE see more emphasis put on that ( what's after this life ) and WE ignore the actual present before us! Plus many in our time do purposely ignore their neighbor just because he or she doesn't surrender to a certain belief.

Whether it's erasing bad karma from a past life or preparing for the next life what better way than to be kind and helpful to those who find their way to our doorstep? Our doorstep is the world around us near and far AND the people, places and things thereof! Our doorstep is the area around our being at any given day or time. Our doorstep is the ability and the capability we have to be of service to others. Our doorstep is the next step we take or the step we are about to take! Don't be fooled.

Often it's easier to explain what a thing IS NOT rather than what IT IS. Either way we should be truthful and sober when speaking. And when I say sober I mean serious, sensible and calm by the definition.

Today some us, most of us probably, wondered " what is going to happen" . We were sorting through some tough decisions or making plans, it doesn't matter but the truth is whether it's about decisions or plans it's about prayer. And I pray that we will create with our good intentions a place to live that is comperable to that place we call heaven.

papajohn ~shaman ~

Confess or Distress? A formula for peace of mind.

I want to talk about a formula for peace of mind. And not just peace of mind but a formula for a healthy soul and a vibrant beating heart.

I would very much like to discuss the matter of confessing. I'm not talking about going into a booth, stating the facts as they appear to be and leaving with some confidence that the penance your about to recite will erase the motivation to fall into temptation again, to miss the mark in the future, to sin somewhere down the road all of which disturbs the order of things.

I mean a solid one to one, eye to eye honest appraisal with someone whose counsel you trust and the type of person who does not indict you but is polite and compassionate.

The longer the conversation, the more likely there will be a verdict, maybe several and once that judgement is made - the assessment of the conversation, an opinion will be rendered by the listener but you must walk away feeling acquitted and not sentenced!

Acquitted, not sentenced because chances are that by the time you sit down with your confidant you already feel guilty AND no-one needs to pronounce this.

Failure to confess our errors, our misfortunes or our mistakes often leads to more self-harm and and injury to others. And when I say
" harm " I use the word with much discretion,good judgement.

Failure to confess ensures the continued walk on a dangerous path of subconcious frustration and acting out often times without thought of the consequences because when we're knee deep in the thick of the misguided and disproportioned activity we cannot and will not think sensibly or accurately. 

These mental emotional " black outs " can easily be critiqued with malice and unwarranted criticism by those around us especially if intoxicants were added to the mix. What may not make sense to another person makes sense to you and me provided we have had the same misfortune and infamy.

We know the continued shame and disgrace and as a matter of fact this shame and disgrace often extends the confusing behavior OR adds to it. The unconcious abyss seems never ending and the more we fall the more we fall.

I cannot tell you however to often of the rewards of confessing to a trustworthy person. And not only is trustworthiness paramount but as I mentioned earlier the feedback needs to be constructive, not destructive. Positive not negative. Uplifitng not belittling.

We embark on each days journey seeking the approval of others - it's a birthright. And that approval may come from an unsuspected social tyrant who seeks out the weak and the sensitive. He or she will manipulate another individual and cause great injury, maybe eternal injury but now it's too late for some. Some never return to us as they left.

A fracture occurs in the embodiment of all that is good in these people, people whose life experiences up to this point have been intoxicating and they surrender to the inevitable mental and emotional anguish if only we could be released from this perverted form of approval.

We succumb to the distress and to whom could we explain this misery especially if the person be someone who daily gives us positive approval? How would we tell them, how would we begin to tell them?

And so we look for a " closed mouth " friend ( if I may repeat a line from the A.A. literature ) but I tell you this person must be more than closed mouthed! May I suggest someone with a closed mouth and an open mind then.

Not most of us experience the same path along the way and so the advice we recieve from someone NOT familiar with our deficiencies must be compellingly postive and of an unbiased nature. Lives hang in the balance in some cases!

And so I say to you, the one who is weighed down by the unsweeming endless parade of mistakes to please muster some much needed courage and seek out an individual with whom you can share your ex-periences but also to find a person whose reputation is of the caliber that he or she will undoubtedly help carry your burden.

papajohn ~ shaman ~