Spirituality

What is Spirituality

Spirituality is a strange word since merely because it does exist it implies other terms which are as strange to understand. When one unravels these it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that the word Spirituality belongs to a particular philosophy. Lets take a brief walk on this path.

Simply speaking the human is one being in three parts. We like to understand things in this manner and it makes good sense for us to do so. We live in a three dimensional world (we see three dimensions) and we tend to understand most things, even the Ultimate, in three aspects. We understand ourselves to be Body (soma), Soul (psyche), and Spirit (pneuma). In a certain sense the Soul, or rational aspect (reasoning mind), acts as the intermediary between the Body and the Spirit. The term psychosomatic refers to the fact that soul has an effect on the body and body effects the soul. While this is true it is an incomplete statement since the human is a single three part being and whatever effects the one part has an effect on the other parts. We can thus come up with another term - pneumasomatic - to state that the body and the spirit is in relationship to one another

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Saikarali

A String of Pearls

The Saikarali is an important devotional aid used throughout the Church.  The Sanskrit word saikarali means 'a string of pearls'.

Tradition states that the Saikarali was first made by St. Siphor to use as an aid in catechesis.  He was preparing a blind beggar woman for initiation and gave her a wooden bead to string on a piece of gut for every concept he taught her.  In the end the woman, using the string of beads as a mnemonic device, mastered the difficult and many theological concepts and qualified for Initiation. 

The Saikarali has not changed in form since its first use in the early 2nd century, and the main meditation, the 'Little Prayer' probably did not change much because it stills summarises the essential teaching of Yesu the Saviour and it still constitutes the essence of belief of Church of the East.

In subsequent years many other prayers and incantations were formulated to work in conjunction with the Saikarali, even a junior catechism formula.  The 'Little Prayer' is however still very popular.

Saikarali can be made with anything and we do not know of any gold, silver or very expensive elaborate Saikarali -- it is usually a simple, humble and compassionate personal meditation aid which few devotees go without.

Prayer

Prayer does not change God's mind, it changes our minds

Prayer is a spiritual aid we are endowed with, an art we should acquire and that we need to survive and master the lessons of this life.

As little ones of God we are endowed with creative abilities greater than any other animal in creation.  Our creative abilities stretch much further than merely designing buildings and composing music and shuttling to other planets--we can learn to affect forces of nature, to channel immensely powerful energy, to heal and create peace, to help and to communicate.

How do we do it?

By prayer.  Prayer is meditation on a specific condition we need to bring about.  As we pray in earnest and in faith we mobilise cosmic forces, we extend our own spiritual energies over time and space, we infuse a situation or person or place with these 'corrective' energies and we bring about change.  We can, in the symbolic language of Yesu, move mountains.

Prayer is a spiritual discipline we instinctively know to work well.  Even the deluded person calling him/herself an atheist will suddenly shoot a prayer of help when in dire need.

How do we know we should get what we ask for?

That is the million dollar question.  We need to determine whether we need what we ask for.  According to the latest statistics from 'Akhasic Record Heaven Inc.', 83.4% of all prayers sent through their server are egocentric and, if they had to be realized and not interrupted by helping angels, would have caused long term misery for the pray-er.  A recent article in 'Heaven's Mainframe', states that most prayers are short, aggressive, and demanding that karmic lessons be removed.  That is so shortsighted and narcissistic--I mean, don't everyone know that the purpose of life is to face up and finally conquer one's weaknesses?

Even Yesu prayed; and at times not certain of Dharma, asked for something but added, 'Thy will be done'.  This shows understanding that we pray for something which we discern to be the right thing for the right time--but maybe it is not right, and maybe the angels should not move all that energy (or move a mountain) to change things if the Right thing is to be done...  

Things to pray for

	Pray for guidance--then keep yourself spiritually tuned and alert to 'hear' the message
	Pray for victory over evil--then keep praying, fighting the spiritual warfare, putting in more effort and energy than the evil of the opponents.
	Pray to help condition your soul--prayers of gratitude, love, peace and goodwill are sent to the cosmos and fill your being.
	Pray for peace and harmony in someone else's soul--then keep praying as that someone destroys what you send until eventually your good energy overcomes the negative energy in their surround.

Prayer tips

	Prayer in its pure form is like brain washing.  To work it must be an ongoing process and must be followed by actions and must result in total belief of the reality that the prayed-for condition is busy happening.
	Quick little prayers are like memo-stickers that serve to remind you to take that issue to serious prayer at some stage.
	Ritual prayer is effective only when one immerses oneself in the mystery, and only then
	Prayer is what gives us the upper hand in the quest for righteousness, peace and harmony on earth.  Prayer is the supernatural vehicle we need to do combat and manipulate the supernatural.

IMPORTANT Prayer Fact

Prayer with passion is most effective.  Beware the evil intentioned pray-er who prays with intense passion of greed, hatred and jealousy--it may just be stronger than our little nice prayers--it may just affect our society.

FAQs on Initiation

Questions concerning Initiation

Is Initiation (or baptism, or anointing) a necessary prerequisite for salvation?

Should all children of God be Initiated?

What if an initiated person falls into sin (sin=aims to miss the mark)?

Is it not so that the two categories of initiates and uninitiated create a division in the Church, and perhaps lead to elitism and an inner circle?

How is the life of an Initiate different to that of other members of the Church?

If Initiation is preceded by an act of free will on behalf of a devotee, how can those children be initiated who are mentally challenged?

Questions concerning Initiation

Is Initiation (or baptism, or anointing) a necessary prerequisite for salvation?

The answer to this question is a paradox. It is believed that the rite of Initiation and the subsequent regeneration and study with spiritual insight of the mystical Scripture is the only sure way to liberation. However, a person of another religious or spiritual tradition may partake in other rites wich effect the same divine presence, and these would necessarily be efficacious as well. We are not aware of any such rites in other traditions at present but our God loves all children equally and would surely provide everyone an opportunity to salvation.

That which God does for seekers during Initiation and provision of the Seal are two aspects which the pilgrim or prodigal child definitely needs to be successful in the mission of theosis (theosis = the process of becoming in Christ, one with the One).

Before the deep conviction of the need for this step toward God arises in the heart of the seeker, that person lives in the usual maze and illusions of life. Some are content with this degree of life and others are not so comfortable and are seeking alternative truths. This process continues until, in one or another incarnation, the deep conviction of the need to take this radical step toward the Spirit is achieved. This step then marks the crossing of the so-called Rubicon, the entry into a new phase of existence, the leaving behind oneself of an old phase of existence and consciousness. This is the beginning of the end.

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Should all children of God be Initiated?

All children of God will eventually be initiated to the inner circle, closer to God's bosom. Yes, all children - even the devil and demons. This will take time to accomplish because they have a long way to go before they eventually come to themselves and realise the need to step closer to God, perhaps another couple of hundred thousand years - but in the end it will happen. Initiation is an act of free will, an act out of own volition and borne from a deep conviction of the need for this close filial alliance with Christ - no initiation can ever be efficacious if it is approached without the desire to be allowed into Christ's mysteries and fellowship.

What our Church offers is our understanding of Christ Yesu's Way. The Rite of Initiation is based on these teachings and has been in practice for many thousands of years. We understand that ancient holy Melchizedek initiated Abraham and that the tradition derives from even before him. We also understand that Yesu was a priest according to this tradition and that the Essene and Nazoreans were using the same rite. In view of the vastness of Infinity, and the illimitability of God's love we understand that this rite is by no means the only Way to salvation, but it remains the only one we are aware of that conforms to the standards set by Christ Yesu our Lord.

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What if an initiated person falls into sin (sin=aims to miss the mark)?

As long as we are not yet perfected we are in constant danger of doing things wrong because of our weakness to fall prey to the passions, to the impulses of the mind and to the wiles of evil beings. This is what theosis is all about - the becoming in Christ, the walking of the Way, the perpetual regeneration and dynamic reform, stumbling, being caught before falling, getting up and running the race again. To be an athlete does not of course mean that we are always in top form. It means we are perpetually training to do better, to perform better than last time, to face the stadium again another time.

The initiated person is no different than an uninitiated except in that s/he claims access to divine powers for guidance. Should this person choose not to make use of the gifts the divine bestowed on him/her, surely they will fall and fail as athletes do. It is however easier for an athlete to get up from a fall and to continue the race again or to enter a training program again than it is for an inexperienced person to compete. There is also a tendency in which fit and hardened athletes do not suffer the same degree of damage during a fall or a slip - in fact, this is part of the training, to fall and slip and get up and compete again.

Another tendency to be aware of is that wherever athletes perform there are scores of spectators. Some spectators cheer the athletes on while other offer much advice from the side. It is not uncommon to find that spectators form groups of so-called 'affiliation' to an athlete (or group) and jubilantly celebrate their victories and sorrowfully lament their failures. These spectators who hardly practice at all, are more often than not couch-athletes and monitor with morbid facination the news pages and media for reports and statistics. These people like to think of themselves as specialists and are never shy to offer athletes advice. These are also the first people to see an athlete fail and to find many hitherto unknown 'secrets' about the athlete's life that can bring him/her down from that pedestal which the spectators put the athlete on in the first instance. In this manner we have the seemingly wise-of-the-world who have much to say about their perspectives of Yesu the Christ, Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, other holy souls who we hold in dearness.

To miss and to fail and to have success is what athletes do. Those who do not run the race do not fail in the quest because they are not even engaged in the quest. But athletes are closely scrutinised and they compete in the arena or stadium - thus, they fail in front of many who are eager to discuss their weaknesses. In this wise it is harder for an athlete - because a small misstep, a quick fall, a bad performance day or an arythm is quickly spotted by the spectators and eagerly discussed.

Athletes fail in the public eye on behalf of their teams, while spectators fail in the divine eye on behalf of themselves.

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Is it not so that the two categories of initiates and uninitiated, create a division in the Church, and perhaps lead to elitism and an inner circle?

Most of the above question can be answered in the affirmative since it is a most ancient practice in spirituality for an 'inner circle' to be closer to the Teacher and to receive privileged, inner, or esoteric tuition.

This can also be understood in terms of Arjuna's tuition by the Lord. It can also be seen in how the Lord ministered to various categories of people in Palestine where the 'inner circle' consisted of the male and female apostles which kept close to his bosom.

The Lord also ministered to the religious leaders and in another type of ministry he ministered to the public at large. This is not to say that esoteric teaching is kept away from the masses - it is an example of how small a number of people consider themselves ready to be so dedicated that they want to devote their lives so close to holiness, that they may receive the inner teaching.

It is only right that the future spiritual directors and teachers of the Truth should come from this 'inner circle'. They were not pulled into the inner circle by God but they rather responded to God's universal call for intimate filial piety by walking into that circle and to live by its privileges and responsibilities, gains and renunciations.

Another aspect one should consider in seeking an answer to the question above is that of the natural order of things. It is part of the natural order to have various degrees of interest, acquired expertise, dedication and senses of priority and urgency in spiritual matters.

The Church is challenged to serve all these interests and desires, each at its own level. It is for this reason that the Church is so divided in various denominations and categories. Within the Church of the East we create opportunity for all spirit children to gather in communal worship of God the Absolute One. We believe that the service is not only attended (in free will) by embodied children but also by those disembodied children who desire to have holy communion with us. Some children however require a greater degree of fellowship than only on Sundays and other specified services, and they join in groups who do Scripture studies, spiritual exercises, advanced teaching, theology, etc.

Even in the communal worship service on Sundays do we find that some disciples request to be more dedicated and they inevitably find their way into choir, sub-deaconship, or other offices. The 'category' of Initiates is thus one more category of communal intimate filial piety with Christ our Lord and first Brother - and the experience of the indwelling of Holy Spirit and Holy Wisdom.

One negative aspect of the question is that of 'elitist' categories.

It is the explicit teaching and example of our Lord that humility is the true power of the spirit, and it is our knowledge that, as advances in spirituality are made, that equal advances in humility precedes it. We are most aware of the dangers of spiritual pride and we are always on guard against the onslaughts of the ego - thus we hope that if anyone ever understands an initiate or any other 'category' of spiritual athlete as elite or as 'higher' or 'lower', that repentance should soon follow.

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How is the life of an Initiate different to that of other members of the Church?

Besides the more obvious character experiences and displays of one who experiences the Indwelling and filial relationship with Christ, Initiates are expected to frequently attend retreats where their spirituality can be honed, tested and shaped.

During these specialised sessions advanced meditation and doctrines are exercised and initiates are introduced to blessed aspects of the spiritual life. It is suggested, as a rule of thumb, that no less than four three-day retreats be undertaken each year. It would be beneficient if one retreat for each season could be undertaken (8 seasons), but there-again the options to attend retreat every weekend or even every day are made available. This is perhaps what ashram devotees, nuns and monks desire, to be on retreat every day - and they join the order to make this more possible. On the other hand, retreat is what our spirituality is about - we have to learn how to be in the world but spiritually retreated from it; how to be in the world but not a victim to it; how to be in the body but not a slave to it.

Initiates are well versed in the mechanisms of the Church and are thus qualified to decide whether they want to be married in the Church, whether they want to be buried by the Church, whether they want to the Church to be part of their lives. The Church would therefore require anyone desirous of making the Church a partner in their marriage or burial to be initiated well in advance.
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If Initiation is preceded by an act of free will on behalf of a devotee, how can those children be initiated who are mentally challenged?

Recalling the bedridden motor-challenged believer who heard the Lord speak in Palestine, and was carried and lowered through the roof to the presence of Yesu by friends; and recalling the incidents where parents and friends pleaded with the Lord on behalf of insane, sick or departed loved ones - we must conclude that the miracle of intercession should at all times be accounted for.

Those weak, sick and specially challenged of the children of God are our responsibility in that our communal outreach in love assists those persons to share in the blessings of life. How lonely the entry of the spirit into body and soul only to be discarded and cut short in abortion! How terrible and devoid of loving intercession is the experience of the spirit child living as an infant on earth who suffers abuse and neglect! These, and all those who are in need of care are our responsibilities since they are siblings in need.

Mentally challenged children are afforded more protection from their angels and are generally our spiritual superiors and should be held as examples by us. However, they need our communal love and nurture to experience their full potential, and this is part of their karmic experience. Their current inability is their test which they are challenged to bear, and it is our test we are challenged to make bearable. If it can be reasoned that such a person may need the assistance of the Seal and of initiation, then all possible effort should be made to initiate this child in a manner which is properly adapted to the specific needs of the child. Initiation is not a necessity for the perfect, but for the imperfect desirous of spiritual filial piety in communion with Christ in order to grow into the becoming.

Initiation for the mentally challenged thus depends on the intercession, preparation, effort, faith and desire of the person and her/his intercessory support group who will not only bring the person to the altar and the fount but also support that person throughout.

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Thank you for visiting our little temple
May the Peace of God be yours, may you gain the Light you seek and may Truth come to you at the time you require it.