Hevajra Mandala (detail) by Wonderlane
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
"Wholeness"
"Sabbath Meditation:
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Remember:
We are just a little tiny flicker of a much larger flame that is Life itself, Consciousness itself, Being itself, Love itself, God’s very self. (Sunday)
Each of us replicates the Wholeness of God and has a certain wholeness within ourselves—but we are never entirely whole apart from our connection with the larger Whole and the other parts. (Monday)
Religion's main and final goal is to reconnect us (re-ligio) to the Whole, to ourselves, and to one another—and thus heal us. (Tuesday)
Creation itself is the Body of God, and “the Christ” is the mystery of matter and spirit operating as one. (Wednesday)
“God is the One whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”(Bonaventure) (Thursday)
Wholeness holds you…. You fall into it when you stop excluding—even the “bad” and dark parts of yourself. (Friday)
Rest: Making a Mandala
Mandala, the Sanskrit word for circle, is a Hindu and Buddhist symbol for the universe. It represents the Whole of which we are a part. In Carl Jung’s words, a mandala is “a safe refuge of inner reconciliation and wholeness.”
There are many ways to make your own mandala; the following is just one idea. Begin by gathering all the materials you’ll need (a large sheet of blank paper, extra paper, scissors, pencil, compass, coloring pencils, markers, paints, etc.). Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for the next hour.
You might start with silence or by journaling, setting an intention for this time and practice. Bring to heart and mind four areas in your life or the world for which you desire healing. Record them on a spare piece of paper using words, symbols, or colors.
Cut the large piece of paper into a square. Mark the center of the page with a small dot and use a compass to draw a circle a couple inches from the edge of the paper (if you don’t have a compass, trace a small plate or bowl). Within the circle, draw a square and divide it into four quadrants. In each section, draw an image or design that represents each desire. Beginning at the corners of the squares, create concentric circles with repeating shapes or curving lines. Work meditatively, gradually moving toward the edge of the circle and beyond. Add color if you wish, filling in the design methodically and slowly.
When you have finished creating your mandala, consecrate the time, energy, and focus you’ve given to the healing and wholing of self and world. Spend some time simply gazing with non-judgmental eyes at the mandala and surrendering your desires and expectations.
Tibetan and Navajo rituals involve ceremonially destroying their intricate sand mandalas after completion. When your mandala has served its purpose, you might choose to intentionally burn, bury, or somehow let go of it.
Gateway to Silence: Wholeness holds you.
For Further Study:
Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Loving the Two Halves of Life: The Further Journey
(CD, MP3 download)
Things Hidden: Scripture As Spirituality
True Self/False Self
____________________________
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
"Wholeness"
"Sabbath Meditation:
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Remember:
We are just a little tiny flicker of a much larger flame that is Life itself, Consciousness itself, Being itself, Love itself, God’s very self. (Sunday)
Each of us replicates the Wholeness of God and has a certain wholeness within ourselves—but we are never entirely whole apart from our connection with the larger Whole and the other parts. (Monday)
Religion's main and final goal is to reconnect us (re-ligio) to the Whole, to ourselves, and to one another—and thus heal us. (Tuesday)
Creation itself is the Body of God, and “the Christ” is the mystery of matter and spirit operating as one. (Wednesday)
“God is the One whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”(Bonaventure) (Thursday)
Wholeness holds you…. You fall into it when you stop excluding—even the “bad” and dark parts of yourself. (Friday)
Rest: Making a Mandala
Mandala, the Sanskrit word for circle, is a Hindu and Buddhist symbol for the universe. It represents the Whole of which we are a part. In Carl Jung’s words, a mandala is “a safe refuge of inner reconciliation and wholeness.”
There are many ways to make your own mandala; the following is just one idea. Begin by gathering all the materials you’ll need (a large sheet of blank paper, extra paper, scissors, pencil, compass, coloring pencils, markers, paints, etc.). Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for the next hour.
You might start with silence or by journaling, setting an intention for this time and practice. Bring to heart and mind four areas in your life or the world for which you desire healing. Record them on a spare piece of paper using words, symbols, or colors.
Cut the large piece of paper into a square. Mark the center of the page with a small dot and use a compass to draw a circle a couple inches from the edge of the paper (if you don’t have a compass, trace a small plate or bowl). Within the circle, draw a square and divide it into four quadrants. In each section, draw an image or design that represents each desire. Beginning at the corners of the squares, create concentric circles with repeating shapes or curving lines. Work meditatively, gradually moving toward the edge of the circle and beyond. Add color if you wish, filling in the design methodically and slowly.
When you have finished creating your mandala, consecrate the time, energy, and focus you’ve given to the healing and wholing of self and world. Spend some time simply gazing with non-judgmental eyes at the mandala and surrendering your desires and expectations.
Tibetan and Navajo rituals involve ceremonially destroying their intricate sand mandalas after completion. When your mandala has served its purpose, you might choose to intentionally burn, bury, or somehow let go of it.
Gateway to Silence: Wholeness holds you.
For Further Study:
Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Loving the Two Halves of Life: The Further Journey
(CD, MP3 download)
Things Hidden: Scripture As Spirituality
True Self/False Self
____________________________
Center for Action and Contemplation
Albuquerque, NM 87105 United States (physical)
PO Box 12464
Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 United States (mailing)
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
____________________________
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