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Daxzentzu said:...
What concerns me is that I fully embrace my responsibility to ensure that I am prepared, so that I am "right" in my thoughts, that I can scrutinise my motives and that I can "articulate" my reasons to make this spiritual journey as the most natural and appropriate for me.
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Dax
Indeed. How powerful it would be to walk with the knowledge that we have it all, right here, right now. Every step would be made with gratitude.what would it mean for your Camino, and your life, if you already have everything you will ever need?
Putting it into a Simpson's context. :wink:ZenPeregrino said:Putting this back into a Christian context, I think one could frame the Camino as an opportunity not to do anything with your own spiritual path, but simply to travel as a shining light of love and compassion who meets every other peregrino where they are, providing them with whatever they might need in that moment.
I.e. what would change about your Camino if you were already an angel?
Daxzentzu said:Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
This is exactly the Pilgrims Spiritual Type of guide that I have always looked for Valeria, however I realize that I would need it either in Spanish or Italian! I converse with God in those two languages, however hard I try to do it in English, it just doesn't work! I also have a problem" connecting with the Bible in English.Tia Valeria said:If you are also looking for a selection of Bible verses etc to help with your preparation then 'Forty Days' is very good. We took it on the Camino, minus the photos.
The pdf file can be found here http://gryjhnsn.tripod.com/santiago/fortydays.pdf.
David said:Each spiritual journey is an individual thing ...for those on a spiritual journey (we all are, but many don't realise!) I would suggest reading "The Imitation of Christ" Thomas A Kempis.
Hi Sriyantra, It is so difficult when there are no answers to "why?" Walking the Camino for the first time is a leap of faith and it can be a lonely experience when you're preparing because family and friends often don't understand. How could they when we don't understand what is driving us? Trust in that "tremendous energy" that you saw being sent to you and know that you are not alone - you're part of the Camino community.BUT yesterday I questioned "why", particularly when my back pain kicked in last night. I am 64 and just feel I am meant to do this. I live in Australia so it will be a big and expansive trip, but for some reason I think I am meant to do this. I just feel a bit lonely about it all at times so the forum is a great source of information and inspiration for me. I must remember trust and faith. Blessings to all of you. Sriyantra
. As often as I have visited the Forum I have never seen this thread until today
My own reaction to your question, from a personal perspective of mindfulness, is to question your framing of the question.As structured, your question implies that you need to somehow "earn" your way into a better version of yourself. I.e. the Camino and other spiritual preparation is a giant self-improvement project.
I would suggest that a better framework would be to drop the idea that you need to "do" anything at all. You don't need to "fix" anything because there is already nothing wrong with you. I would invite you to consider an alternative question of "what would it mean for your Camino, and your life, if you already have everything you will ever need?" In that light, the Camino can become an environment in which you can simply rest in each present moment, knowing that you need not do anything further.
The glib way of making this point is to consider the directive to "Don't just do something; sit there!"
As another way of explaining this, the Christian cultural/spiritual framework in which I was raised tends to be based on the idea that humans are flawed to begin with, and salvation or happiness are found via various paths requiring hard work, preparation, acts of devotion/sacrifice, or other "actions of merit" in which the flawed original state is gradually improved. I.e. one "earns" one's way via specific actions toward an enlightened state. I recognize this as a vast oversimplification; I intend for it to be only directionally correct and only for the purpose of making a more specific point in this specific context.
Alternatively, a Buddhist perspective to which I have migrated is grounded in the idea that humans are perfect spiritual beings to begin with, but that our human experience tends to cloud our ability to rest in that reality. In particular, we tend to allow our minds to develop "attachments" to specific conditions, ideas, actions, people or things external to ourselves, and then tie our salvation or happiness to a certain set of such external conditions / ideas / actions / people / things. True enlightenment, from this perspective, is found only when we let go of all of these attachments and realize that we are already perfect. We just need to get out of our own way. Then we are able to exist as our true selves, which turn out to be spiritual beings whose sole purpose is to provide lovingkiness and compassion to all other beings.
Putting this back into a Christian context, I think one could frame the Camino as an opportunity not to do anything with your own spiritual path, but simply to travel as a shining light of love and compassion who meets every other peregrino where they are, providing them with whatever they might need in that moment.
I.e. what would change about your Camino if you were already an angel?
As Buddhism is (from a Western perspective) not really a religion but more of a psychology or philosophy, it can be compatible with other faith traditions, buthttp://www.amazon.com/dp/1401307787/?tag=casaivar02-20 by no means am I in any way suggesting you should not follow the path laid out by your own spiritual tradition. In fact, there is no need to even think of this as a Buddhist perspective if the label gets in the way. Mindfulness is a completely secular way of framing the same ideas (we sometimes say that mindfulness is just the dharma without the Buddha).
In that light, if this perspective is of further interest, my recommendation for an easy next step is the book "Wherever You Go, There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn:
http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-Ther ... 1401307787
If this perspective is not of further interest, then similarly you should ignore it, as ultimately the path we are all on is to discover the framework that leads us to our own happiness, salvation or enlightenment.
Buen Camibo.
great workA practice that I have found helpful is Ignatius of Loyola's "Consciousness examen" which is a simple exercise of reviewing one's day, often in the evening before bed.
There are many variations, but the general idea is:
Recall that you are in the presence of God. Remember your day in a spirit of gratitude.
Review your day, asking yourself: When did I fail? When did I love? Examine the positive and negative and set an intention in your heart to move intentionally toward the good the next day.
Here is a PDF of a brochure with more detail: http://www.rcdom.org.uk/documents/EXAMEN.pdf
While this is a originally a Catholic practice, I find it can suit many different types of spirituality.
Having already suggested the 'Forty Days' here is another very helpful little book. Called 'Making a Pilgrimage', by Sally Welch, it is available from CSJ (UK) - scroll half way down page - and probably from other bookshops too. Terry bought me 'Making a Pilgrimage' for Christmas and I found it very good preparation for our time on the Camino. It is time I used it again I think.I am building myself up to walk to the resting place of St James in 2014.
I know that for me, this is a deep calling and I wish to ensure that I do all I can to be appropriately prepared for the pilgrimage - the walking will be arduous and I know there will be privations. - They do not concern me.
What concerns me is that I fully embrace my responsibility to ensure that I am prepared, so that I am "right" in my thoughts, that I can scrutinise my motives and that I can "articulate" my reasons to make this spiritual journey as the most natural and appropriate for me.
I'd welcome advice, instruction and insights from the Camino family.
Dax
How do people adjust to home after their return from the Camino?
We don't, we dream about the next one and check the forum to see who is doing what.
Thank you so much for posting this!!If you are also looking for a selection of Bible verses etc to help with your preparation then 'Forty Days' is very good. We took it on the Camino, minus the photos.
The pdf file can be found here http://gryjhnsn.tripod.com/santiago/fortydays.pdf.
Thank you so much for posting this!!St Ignatius of Loyola is very good, as is the Daily Rule of St Benedict. Personally, I find in spiritual examination and growth, simpler is better. There are two short prayers perfect for a Retreat or the Camino. At night, before you go to bed, pray" God, show me the truth about myself"; and in the morning: "Father, open me up, heart, soul and mind, to learn what the Camino(retreat) has to show me today."As you go through the day, note as you see kindness, or feel yourself wanting to turn away from someone, or any insights or long lost memories that you have. There is no judgement here, just self knowledge. Then, before you say your evening prayer, review your list and how you feel about the things you noted there. Pray that God shows you the truth about yourself ,and He will help you see what those experiences mean to your life. Its a simple cycle of prayer that makes a day to day connection throughout your Camino. If you find something you don't understand, ask God to help you see what is being shown to you just before your evening prayer. Be patient, trust that you will understand, and love yourself and others.
Buen Camino!!
Thank you so much for posting this!!
Thank you so much for posting this!!
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead
and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here.
Thank you so much for posting this!!
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