‘Love & its Channels: the Eternal Thread of Gold’ – our Vision & Mission leaflet

Our Vision & Mission, our identity & purpose (with minor updates) – ;

VER 1/08/16 Love & its Channels: the Eternal Thread of Gold : the basics as 1. Spirit & 2. Form. Learning to celebrate Oneness, beauty, truth, goodness & justice – via 7 teachers, 7 texts & 7 pathways – for peace.

Page 1: THE SPIRIT = LOVE, compassion, or simply kindness – the Golden Rule around which we can unite.
Page 2: THE FORM or structure = the eternal ‘perennial wisdom’ mystical faith core of all great traditions.

INTRO: Our true Self is love. Love is the spirit, the energy, the life-force, the river of life that through us flows – the magnet of compassion that unites, bringing peace. We need the spirit of love but we also need form. Love is the reality, the hub, the mystic heart around which all can centre. One Garden ‘form’, p2, = the perennial framework, taught by all great Teachers – our spiritual legacy, ancient & perpetually new. With love as the’ river ‘& ‘perennial wisdom’ as the ‘river-bank’ of structure we have the inter-spiritual way of life. We have vision, mission & a course.

OUR PROCESS: Read any 2 or 3 of these quotations on love. Meditate on them. Dialogue with a friend. Question.

BAHA’I FAITH: Love is heaven’s kindly light, the Holy Spirit’s eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul. Love is the cause of God’s revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things. Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the diverse elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization …. SOURCE

BUDDHISM:“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”: Thích Nhất Hạnh.

CHRISTIANITY: God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. SOURCE 1 John 4:16

HINDUISM: For those who set their hearts on me/ And worship me with unfailing devotion and faith,/ The way of love leads sure and swift to me. Krishna – Bhagavad Gita – SOURCE

JUDAISM: Blessed are the men and women who are planted on your earth, in your garden,
who grow as your trees and flowers grow, who transform their darkness to light.
Their roots plunge into darkness; their faces turn toward the light. All those who
love you are beautiful; they overflow with your presence so that they can do
nothing but good. There is infinite space in your garden; all men, all women
are welcome here; all they need do is enter. SOURCE – The Odes & Psalms of Solomon

SUFI/ISLAM: O Marvel! a garden amidst the flames.
My heart has become capable of every form:
it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,
and a temple for idols and the pilgrim’s Kaa’ba,
and the tablets of the Torah and the book of the Quran.
I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love’s camels take,
that is my religion and my faith. (Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi: Treasure of Compassion Theos Pub House1911 Poem XI )

TAOISM Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage. LaoTzu
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ECKHART TOLLE: Love is a state of Being. Your love is not outside; it is deep within you. You can never lose it, and it cannot leave you. It is not dependent on some other body, some external form. In the stillness of your presence, you can feel your own formless and timeless reality as the unmanifested life that animates your physical form. You can then feel the same life deep within every other human and every other creature. You look beyond the veil of form and separation. This is the realization of oneness. This is love. What is God? The eternal One Life underneath all the forms of life. What is love? To feel the presence of that One Life deep within yourself and within all creatures. To be it. Therefore, all love is the love of God. SOURCE – The Power of Now -0- “Love is the recognition of oneness in a world of duality. This is the birth of God into the world of form. Love makes the world less worldly, less dense, more transparent to the divine dimension, the light of consciousness itself.” ET Take 3 conscious breaths.

SOPHOCLES: “One word frees us of all the weight & pain of life: That word is love.” (from Oedipus at Colonus)
KHALIL GIBRAN: “Work is love made visible.” TIM FREKE: ‘Love is ease of being’ & “Love is how Oneness feels.” Rick Archer replied; “I have a friend who likes to say; “We are all sense organs of the Infinite.” -0- -0- -0-
2 FORM: ‘One Garden groups’ form or structure to help us practice healing Wholeness via perennial wisdom
or poetically; ”Sipping the healing nectar, perfume, & wisdom from 7 spiritual flowerings!”

HEART & HEAD – Love is the ‘blood’ & heart-beat, the chi or life-force & primary ‘covenant’. Our practice & action nondual & dual = the channel or framework for the life-force or spirit to flow to us, through us & from us – at all levels.

INTER-SPIRITUALITY for me = “the recovery of the shared mystic heart beating in the center of the world’s deepest spiritual traditions.” See Teasdale’s The Mystic Heart & Tolle’s The Power of Now etc. 2 wings of spirituality = A) Connection with the non-dual Whole + B) perennial wisdom & dialogue for 1) Awakening: 2) Detaching: 3) Serving, effective action in ‘love as service’. Love is the hub of all. The 7 Teachers, Texts & paths teach head, heart & action.

‘The One Garden’ groups are about having a supportive ‘family’ to inspire living in the interspiritual way. They are a ‘sacred space’ for practice & dialogue, using eternal wisdom sources. Why? For greater happiness & peace, both as individuals & for the wider community, up to ‘the planet’s global family’ – by returning to the Traditions’ core teachings.

The ‘One Garden’ goal = living the harmony of 2 ‘wings’ i) realizing mystical connection to the formless Whole and ii) dialogue-ing Perennial Wisdom. Together their concern = Awakening:Detaching:Serving. KEYS include ying+yang, breath-work, nonduality+duality, heart-mind, words+silence, panentheism (immanence+transcendence). Breathe x 3!

OUR 3 SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES in developing consciousness = awakening; detaching; serving. Breathe & forgive.
1 Awakening is primarily learning to stay mindful in our connection with the nondual Whole (God if you prefer). Conscious breathing is for many the No 1 re-minder, the anchor, the means to awareness, nowness, integration & presence. Resting in awareness is the default home, of which we remain conscious in all forays into the dual realm.
2 Detachment is learning to reduce the average level of ‘radio’ interference (egotism) as we interact with others, within consciousness of the Whole. Ego like a body is necessary, egotism is the disease of perpetually ‘selfing’.
3 Service is action dedicated to the well being of others – starting with our friends, family & workmates – through to the ‘planetary family’s’ concerns. Our efficacy is proportionate to how successfully we love, challenge & integrate our ‘self’ & its shadow side – learning respect for our Covenantal relationship & taking inspiration from the great Traditions

1) to AWAKEN – “We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.” T N Hanh SL p504
A) • There’s a reality, beyond the material world & its life force: • It is uncreated. • It pervades everything, • but remains (as a Whole) beyond the reach of human knowledge & understanding. Take 3 conscious breaths

2) to DETACH – “A (wo)man is a slave to anything s/he cannot part with that is less than her/himself” – George MacDonald – “Mindfulness allows us to spend more time in eternity! ” (RP) Take 3 conscious breaths & forgive.

B) • You approach that reality by: • Distinguishing ego from true Self • Understanding the nature of desire • Becoming unattached • Forgetting about preferences • Not working for personal gain • Letting go of thoughts • Redirecting your attention • Being devoted • Being humble • Invoking that reality • Surrendering etc. “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” RP The ‘way’ or the ‘teacher’ appear whenever we need to move on up through the next stage. Conscious breathing is the key to awareness SEE Thich Nhat Hanh & E. Tolle

C) • That reality approaches you through: • Grace • (RP We the finite cannot comprehend the Infinite, or even others or our ‘self’ but can, as with the physical sun, feel the warmth of love & see via the light of knowledge.)

D) • You’re transformed, enlightened or saved – so that we embody or reflect that reality by: • ‘Dying’ & ‘being reborn’ i.e living more deeply via the true, higher, non-egoistic Self, mirroring virtues in our being, doing & having.

3) to SERVE E) You then find (even better) ways to serve realizing all work done in the spirit of service is ranked as worship. NB the ‘triangle of the 3’ Awake:Detach:Serve works synergistically – we can start anywhere. “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” A Schweitzer.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” “The breath of God is breathing me, and you – and them! Yahweh.”
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OUR ONE GARDEN PURPOSE & PRACTICE – a) PURPOSE =Awaken:Detach:Serve b) PRACTICE = Smile:Breathe:go mindfully. CONTACT: Roger (Dr Roger Prentice) onesummit@gmail. com – 07724 062 875

‘In the world of existence there is no more powerful magnet than the magnet of love.’ ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá