Principle, Practice, Process

Each step of the way in spiritual growth, spiritual life actually, is based on these three aspects: principle, practice and process. Spiritual living is not determined by what one believes, although much of religious life is. Spiritual living arises from understanding universal principles and finding practices to integrate them into one's life. For example, the principle of the oneness connection is correlated to the practices of prayer and meditation. Affirmative prayer is the practice of affirming the truth in order to instill it in your mind, in your consciousness, so you know it is real. Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and focusing to know the real depth of oneness within you with all of life. And the third aspect is process, which is the journey one takes and the amazing awareness one arrives at on the journey, over and over again. It's like traveling across the country, whether on foot, bicycle or by car and opening to the incredible journey, including all the unexpected lessons and discoveries. The poem, The Blue Sky, by Gary Snyder, describes it beautifully. Happy Trails.