I have a dear friend who has spoken here several times over the years. He is
always a popular speaker. You can go to the archives on the Ordinary Life
website and listen to him speak.

http://www.ordinarylife.org/archives/files/archive-6.html
(You'll have to scroll down on the page)

His name is Dr. Joseph Rachel. He is a clinical psychologist. A few years ago
he immigrated from this country to France. In a few weeks we are going to go to
Europe. We will fly to Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal was once the platform for the
exploration of what was then called "the modern world." Our plan is to drive north
exploring Portugal, across northern Spain and into southern France where we
will visit with Joseph and his wife Sarah. Then drive to Nice and come back to
Houston. I am NOT looking forward to the ordeal of flying.

Download 20060910.pdf
Download 20060910.mp3

Last week I began by saying that our goal in doing spiritual work is to integrate
our spiritual beliefs and practices into all of life. Not all of life, of course, is
pleasant. Further, not all beliefs and practices that are classified as spiritual or
religious are wise or useful. Not at all. Some of the meanest and most destructive
acts carried out in the world have been carried out in the name of some
understanding of God or for some so-called "religious" belief.

I come back to my foundation point for the work I think our lives are about: The
central truth of and for spiritual practice is "paying attention" and developing the
resources to be present to "what is." Central to this spiritual practice is growing in
the capacity to be non-judgmental.

To bring this "spiritual goal" to fruition takes work and practice. We grow up
given a set of lenses through which to view the world. We are very reluctant to
give these lenses up. For one thing, the tribe that gave them to us does not want
us to give them up. For another, by the time we have reached what we call
"adulthood" these "habits of the mind" are so deeply ingrained in us that giving
them up feels like losing our best friend.

Download 20060903.pdf
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One of the goals of the teaching you hear in here is that we be able to integrate
our religious practices and spiritual beliefs into all of life. This is difficult for us
because we are taught from early on in life that there is a division in all aspects of
life. We become dualists dividing the world into various camps.

One of the great damages that has been done to the human psyche, especially
in the Western world, is to divide the world into sacred and secular spheres. If
you look carefully at the writings of Hebrew Scripture or at the teachings of
Jesus, you will see that they do not do this.

Somewhere in the history of Judaism the notion got introduced that God was in
history, God was present. Moses, for example, saw the burning bush and heard
a voice saying, "Take off your shoes. You are on holy ground." Think of that! Dirt
is sacred.

Download 20060827.pdf
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