Ons gesels hierdie maand oor WYSHEID — en het reeds gekyk na VERTROUE, INTEGRITEIT, KOMMUNIKASIE, ERVARING, en eerskomende Sondag gaan ons afsluit met SPIRITUALITEIT. Daar is by my géén twyfel dat die verband tussen spiritualiteit en wysheid is van onskatbare waarde, om die waarheid te sê, weet ek nie of enige vorm van wysheid moontlik is sonder Spirituele Intelligensie (SQ) nie. Dadi Janki het ʼn unieke blik op hierdie Spirituele Wysheid en vergun my ʼn paar aanhalings wat sy maak — “A spiritual path is like a school. Not a regular school where you learn ordinary skills, but a spiritual school — where you learn the skills of spirit - like how to remove flaws in your character, or how to remain unaffected by the negative influences around you. Some people think that if they follow a spiritual path, they won't be able to cultivate their individual talents. However, what kinds of talent do people really need nowadays? To remove one's own ego is a great talent; to love others is another. There is no need to study all those other complicated things. If you have the nature of following God, then God's nature will become your own. Become true; reveal your true self through your spiritual study, and claim a spiritual degree!” [Dadi Janki on: The Spiritual Path]

Soos met die meeste van die goed in ons lewe, verwar ons inhoud met vorm. Ons almal kom uit ʼn sisteem waar ons alles en nog wat geleer is oor Godsdiens (Religie) maar geen woord is ʼn gerep oor ons Spiritualiteit nie asof dit dieselfde ervaring/inhoud/betekenis het as religie. Natuurlik het Religie iets te doen met ons Spiritualiteit, maar om alles te leer oor die son beteken nie ons weet hoe die strale voel op ons vel en hoe om die energie van die son te hengel selfs al is dit bewolk nie. Om te weet wanneer is dit donkermaan en waarom ʼn sonsverduistering plaasvind, sê niks oor die invloed van die maan op die getye of hoe om jou weg te vind in die donker as dit volmaan is nie. Religie vind sy vorm in teologie, dogma, en belydenis — om in die voetspore van ʼn bepaalde tradisie te stap terwyl Spiritualiteit ons leer om die moed en vryheid te hê om dit te waag om ons eie spore te trap en ons waarheid (inhoud) te vind in ʼn lewende, allesinsluitende verhouding met God.

Martin Luther King Jr. vat dit mooi saam as hy sê, “The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Uiteraard het Religie sy plek en funksie maar al sou dit die tuin (omtrek) bepaal, is dit jou verantwoordelikheid en plig om te bepaal wat jy in jou beddings (inhoud) plant.

Dadi Janki skryf oor ‘Spiritual Education’ die volgende, “A spiritual education teaches how to keep the mind free from tension and fluctuations. An unsteady mind is the result of letting yourself be strongly influenced by human situations. Spiritual awareness keeps you centred and thus protected. You claim increasing happiness and help others to do the same. The world is a supermarket of sorrow. Don't buy any! A good spiritual education teaches you how to be discerning in your shopping. Refuse to accept anything but happiness from others, as well as the world.”

Paulus skryf aan die gemeente in Korinte en gebruik twee woorde — psigikos: dit wat deur menslike asem aangedryf word, en pnefmatikos: wat deur die Goddelike Asem geïnspireer, bevrug, geskep, en gerestoureer word as hy sê, “Maar die natuurlike mens (psigikos) neem die dinge van die Gees van God nie aan nie; want dit is vir hom dwaasheid, en hy kan dit nie verstaan nie, omdat dit geestelik beoordeel word. Maar die geestelike mens (pnefmatikos) beoordeel wel alle dinge; self egter word hy deur niemand beoordeel nie.” (1 Korintiërs 2:14-15) Drie voorbeelde illustreer dit mooi — (1) jy koop vir jou die nuutste, mooiste, duurste plasma TV wat beskikbaar is maar het geen ontvangs nie; (2) jy het die mooiste huis en ingevoerde lampe op staanders en in die dak maar daar is geen elektrisiteit nie; of (3) jy koop vir jou ʼn splinternuwe Mercedes met al die toeters en belle wat geld kan koop maar die motor het geen brandstof in nie! Wat essensieel is tot WYSHEID is ons Spiritualiteit.

Dadi Janki skryf oor ‘SPIRITUALITY’ as volg, “Spirituality is the art of balancing your responsibilities: to yourself, to your family and to the whole world. The basis for this is a deep understanding of the self, God and the law of cause and effect (karma). Knowing the self enables you to be detached from physical factors and their limitations. Knowing God enables you to create a deep link of love and draw into yourself all attributes, virtues and powers from the Source. Understanding the deep philosophy of ‘karma’ motivates you to settle debts of the past and perform elevated actions now. Anyone can fall victim to the suffering of a poor state of mind, ill-health, loss of wealth or unhappy relationships. Human life depends on these four factors and yet each of them has become so fragile and unreliable. God's power restores tolerance and the ability to face anything. An understanding of the deep philosophy of karma reveals how elevated thoughts, pure feelings and good actions can resolve all difficulties for the self and for the world.”

Religie (beginsels) leer ons om aan die linkerkant van die pad te bestuur want dit is veilig en maak dat die verkeer vloei ... Spiritualiteit daarenteen leer ons HOE (waardes) om aan die linkerkant van die pad te bestuur. Ons kan al die kennis (know-what) en ervaring (know-how) hê maar dit is ons Spiritualiteit wat ons leer om meer sensitief, meer bewus, wakker, nugter besluite te neem en te kan onderskei tussen reg en verkeerd, goed en sleg en te doen wat ons móét doen omdat Spiritualiteit vir ons die WYSHEID gee om ʼn groter perspektief te hê op die konteks waarin ons leef. Moenie dat jou kritiek op godsdienstige metodiek maak dat jy jou perspektief (wysheid) verloor op ons Spirituele Identiteit nie.
Die laaste dekade of twee is daar ʼn ontploffing in literatuur oor die onderwerp van SPIRITUALITEIT en veral in die akademiese dissipline van Christelike Spiritualiteit. ʼn Paar van my gunsteling Teoloë verwoord dit as volg — “Spirituality describes our capacity for self-transcendence.” (Joann Wolski Conn); “Spirituality refers to the inner dimension of the person ... [where] ultimate reality is experienced.” (Ewert Cousins); “Spirituality to be concerned with becoming a person in the fullest sense.” (John Macquarrie); “Spirituality as the expression of the dialectic — moves from the inauthentic to the authentic.” (Edward Kinerk)
Vir TE lank het ons onsself aangetrek met allerlei religieuse bekleding en agter die maskers geskuil van kennis, verstaan, en belydenisse dat ons nie eers meer onsself herken in die dryfsand van die verstand nie. Vir TE lank word die ‘hemel’ so rondgeskuif deur fundamentaliste wat die Bybel wil interpreteer, herinterpreteer en dan weer wil interpreteer op ʼn manier tot net mooi niks meer sin maak nie. Kom ons laat ons WYSHEID vry en gesels eerskomende Sondag oor Consciousness, Awareness, Presence, Awakening, Rebirth as die sleutels tot Spirituele Wysheid.
Die laaste woord behoort aan Dadi Janki —  “A beautiful state of being is soul-consciousness, where your whole sense of self is shifted from a physical identity to a spiritual one. In soul-consciousness, you no longer feel yourself to be male or female, black or white. No worldly achievement forms your self-esteem. Instead, self-esteem is shaped by a deep, abiding experience of your intrinsic worth as a child of God. A lack of soul-consciousness puts your well-being at the mercy of your environment — you become a slave to the influences of the people and situations around you feeling happy and good only when outside events warrant it. This kind of dependency leaves the soul weak and confused. Soul-consciousness, on the other hand, frees you from external influences, allowing you to create an inner well-being which is totally independent. Soul-consciousness is cultivated through deliberate practice and only those who have understood the need for this kind of true, inner self-respect will make the effort. Difficulties will arise to test your resolve for self-upliftment — physical illness, relationships, memories of the past, and so on. Yet with patience and introspection, you will come to see how these very tests are the means to strengthen your spiritual identity.”

ACIM: Kolping — 4 Junie 19h00. Stad 1 Junie 19h30 — Chapter 13: The Guiltless World — Section VII ‘Attainment of the Real World’ & Section VIII ‘From Perception to Knowledge’

GESKIEDENIS VAN DIE BYBEL: Kolping — 30 Mei 10h00-13h00: Ou Testament // — 6 Junie 10h00-13h00 — Nuwe Testament ... bespreek by my asseblief.

Besoek ons Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neo-Spektrum/278715195501651?fref=ts

Gedagte vir die Week:
“The only thing greater than the power of the mind, is the courage of the heart.” — John Nash