Open
Heart
“To
be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be
different is maybe even greater.”
Bono
“When
you constantly go beyond yourself, there are no more limitations.
There are no more boundaries. Limitations and boundaries only exist
at the places where you stop going beyond.”
Michael
J. Singer (The Untethered Soul)
These
two quotes, one by Irish pop singer, Bono, and one by economist and
spiritual leader, Michael Singer, represent the heart and soul of
spirituality. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be
“openness.” Singer established the Temple of the Universe in
Alachua, Florida as a place where people of any race or religion can
come together to learn yoga, meditation, and to seek peace and mutual
understanding. Bono, lead singer of the band U2, travels the globe
raising consciousness about inequality. Both come from one tradition,
but have gone beyond themselves by opening their arms and hearts to
people of all traditions.
When
we embrace one tradition, or religion, and then shut our hearts and
minds to all others, we step outside the sphere of spiritual
integrity. In all religions and traditions, there are people who use
their beliefs to limit and persecute others. They are fortunately not
the majority. In all traditions and religions there are people who
espouse peace and brotherhood. When we shut out whole swaths of
humanity because they are different from us, whether that difference
involves their religion, race, socioeconomic class, or sexual
orientation, we are not exercising true spirituality, regardless of
which religious tradition we belong to. We are simply sticking with
our limitations and boundaries. We have stopped going beyond
ourselves and our self-interests.
To
walk the path of peace, one must learn to be open to differences
without persecution. True spirituality, regardless of having its
roots in any particular religious tradition, lives with its heart
open.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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