A great discussion on Unity and its teaching offered by Rev Kudlik.
In this podcast you will hear about what Unity is and isn’t, What is true sense of happiness, the importance of forgiveness and meditation in practical terms, and about the 5-step process from Bitterness to Wholeness. (the discussion was generated by AI in an amazingly professional manner, except that it assumed that I was a male person 🙂
VIDEO
0-1:30 What I have been busy with recently
1:30-2:50 Brave new world of specialisation
2:50-4:40 The process from a Unity stand point
4:40-5:15 What is the Cycle from Bitterness to Wholeness
5:15-5:30 1st step
5:30-6:45 2nd step
6:45- 8:20 3rd step
8:20-9:30 4th and 5th steps
9:30-10:10 in closing
On a personal note for the video
It feels that I have arrived to the top of the mountain. Naturally it doesn’t mean that my journey has stopped. I continue on into the greater depth of Oneness. I suspect as we reach a certain station on our personal and spiritual journey, we stop and marvel. I have done the same. As I was taking in the view, I received an idea of a system that comprises my journey in stations. This is what this video is about. I detailed it below.
Our spiritual evolution is a cyclical process on an upward spiral. But for now it feels that I really understand the cycle of the journey I call from Bitterness to Wholeness. I look at it as a cycle because it is constantly swirling presence of energy. I walk this journey with consciousness awareness on a daily basis in a very practical way. In order to get here, however, I needed to discover the major elements that I call stations on this journey.
The stations are:
1. Self awareness
2. Forgiveness and letting go
3. Awareness of the greater picture – Acceptance of what is
4. Gratitude and Compassion
5. Wholeness and Oneness (Result of the above)
Each element or station, as I discovered them in their depth, builds on each other that’s why I call this a cyclic process.
Probably self-awareness is or has been the major part of my journey because it comprises of a lot of different things. On one hand it is a discovery of our denials, bitterness, anger or our victimhood. It is also about breaking down the false self-image that we built to protect ourselves. It is also about our wishes and dreams. At the same time, it helps us discover our powers, strengths, and uniqueness. And finally, it is about looking at our journey so far – becoming aware of the glorious as well as the painful events in our lives; how we have integrated all that into our understanding of ourselves; and what conclusions we have drawn about ourselves as a result of these events. Though self-awareness is a great part of the journey, it’s only the beginning or the foundation of the greater journey.
The second station is forgiveness and letting go. This is probably the most challenging part of the cycle. We need to understand, however, that forgiveness and letting go opens the door to greater, deeper and more beautiful experiences . Through forgiveness and letting go, we, literally, embrace our Life with all its twists and turns in its entirety. Letting go often refers to letting go of false ideas, self images, and misunderstandings as well as false expectations. (NOTE: I have created a video on forgiveness, pls find the link further below.)
The next step of the cycle is actually the result of the previous two, which is awareness of the greater picture or the awareness of the greater journey, and an awareness of our greater-self. Meditation, contemplation, and connecting to the Divine Presence is a big part of this stage. This is the station where we start becoming aware of our spirit, our spiritual journey, our relationship with the Divine Presence or God. As we do that, we can start moving into the Loving with IT ALL, including ourselves. Loving is a sense of alignment and an awareness that we are part of ‘everything’ and ‘everything’ is the part of us. This alignment helps us accept all there is just as they are, knowing that all that is going on right now is part of a greater movement, and all is well.
The next station of the cycle is gratitude. As a result of seeing the greater picture and becoming aware of our own indwelling Loving Spirit that is constantly connected to God’s Loving Presence, and being able to experience this loving presence more consciously we become grateful. Gratitude is a conscious action. We choose to see the good. We develop faith in the good in self, in others, and in the Universe. In our gratitude, we start seeing the puzzle pieces of our lives in greater depth and as part of a bigger picture with all its challenges and beauties. We willingly see how our life is built with precision, care and Loving. We also start to see how difficulties, challenges, drama, even devastation, overcoming, and triumphs, all add to the greater movement of Life itself for us all. In gratitude, we stop judging, blaming, shaming, and expecting: We arrive to a sense of peace. I see compassion as an accompaniment to Gratitude. As we are compassionate, we accept all there is, as it is. Compassion helps us be grateful.
As we practice all the above steps, we consciously align ourselves with the Loving Presence of God. As a result, we simply find ourselves in wholeness with ourselves, our lives and our (imperfect) world; and in Oneness with the loving that is of God.
In Unity we talk about ‘raising our level of consciousness from the material world to the immaterial in a way that it effects our physical journey in a positive and practical way’. Under the brand of Spirit’nArt, I offer classes, workshops, individual discussions (mentoring sessions) that will support you the walk the cycles of the upward journey at your own pace in your own time with your own level of awareness using art as a tool.
All the classes, workshops and discussions I offer are practical with a lot of takeaways that you can integrate into your daily life. To make the journey more joyous, I use fun artsy tools!
Video on Forgiveness
“Forget the nonsense of there and here, race, nation, religion, starting point and destination. You are soul, and you are love.” Rumi
Though Unity – A Positive Path for Spiritual Living – is not an interfaith spiritual movement, it mostly finds its roots in Christianity it integrates practises from different other spiritual traditions, I personally like celebrating different religious events and rituals because I believe that all paths leads to God. I find that each celebration offers an opportunity to observe the inner movement of Spirit and helps us expand our relationships with the Divine Presence.
“All religions, all this singing, one song. The differences are just illusion and vanity. The sun’s light looks a little different on this wall than it does on that wall, and a lot different on this other one, but it’s still one light.” Rumi
Ashura, is an Islamic religious celebration that was originally requested by Mohammad. It commemorates Moses’ parting of the sea for his followers and the following gratitude-filled fasting and meditating.
Mohammad was a great prophet and spiritual teacher who taught similar messages that of Moses and Jesus about Spiritual Love and Devotion to the Divine Presence. This Love and Devotion is beautifully reflected in Rumi’s poetry. Though Rumi was not a Muslim, he belonged to the followers of the mystical tradition of Islam called Sufism.
When I look at a religious tradition, event or celebration, I imagine that it was created a long time ago to support a group of people to move into closer personal relationship with the Divine – the source of all Life.
As I observed Ashura, I was not fasting, I simply spent some time in meditation and contemplation yesterday: I imagined the parting of the sea as the opening of human consciousness as a result of following the teachings of a ‘master teacher’. In my understanding, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and many more through human history were great spiritual teachers of ‘master teachers’ who carried the same message of spiritual Love for God, self, and others.
Moses lead ‘his nation’, the followers of his message, into a new level of consciousness, to a level of Freedom from a fear-based consciousness that generates the madness of the physical world. By remembering we move into Gratitude; as a result of our personal efforts and God’s Grace we are freer and therefore at a more joyous and abundant place within ourselves.
Why don’t you spend some time today in Meditation and Gratitude remembering all that is the result of your spiritual efforts and God’s ever present Grace in your life. You may want to make a list of these so you can always be reminded. 🙂
Read more on Ashura
It is believed that Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, created the world on this day. Therefore, this day is considered auspicious and is celebrated as the beginning of a new era.
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Another day to have fun and celebrate. 🙂 The Hindues celebrate Sukhladi or Gudi Padwa (this celebration has many names) on the 9th of April with gifts and decorations.
Every celebratory event is an opportunity to cheer up and have fun. The world is full of drama and gloom. When I am invited to celebrate, give thanks, be marry and joyous, I take the opportunity.
Let’s celebrate that we are healthy, we live in abundance of opportunities, we are free to make decisions for ourselves, and we are loved (at least by one person, yourself). Let’s make it a day of joy, fun, laughter, even if it is difficult because of circumstances. One laughter is more than none. One smile is more than none. Remembering of one nice thing is better than none. Making a day count by peeping out of the drama and the craze, will make your day. I guarantee that.
In 2024, the date of Chaitra Sukhladi is April 9. Chaitra Sukhladi is celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm in Maharashtra and Karnataka. On this day, people wake up early and take a ritualistic bath. They then decorate their homes with rangolis and flowers. People also offer prayers to Lord Brahma and perform puja rituals. They wear new clothes and exchange sweets and gifts with family and friends.
In Maharashtra, people prepare a special dish called Shrikhand-Puri on this day. In Karnataka, people prepare a dish called Holige, which is made of jaggery and lentils. The festive spirit is high during Chaitra Sukhladi, and people come together to celebrate this day with great zeal.
I have a confession to make. Sometimes I grumble. Sometimes I’m irritated by having to wait in long lines or by the driving habits of others…and I grumble about it. Sometimes I’m less than pleased by getting the flu or having the aches and pains that come with an aging body…and I grumble about that. Sometimes I’m impatient with bureaucracy and paperwork and glitching websites and endless waits on hold, trying to reach an actual person to talk to…and I grumble about it. And sometimes I just grumble about life not being exactly the way I want it to be.
C.S. Lewis wrote, Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining…but “you” are still distinct from it. But there may come a day when you can no longer stop. Then there will be no “you” left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine.
We all know people like this: people who have a sour outlook on life and communicate that dissatisfaction in each and every encounter they have with others. How much do you enjoy being around that type of person? Probably not much.
So, how can I make sure that my occasional grumble about something specific doesn’t become all there is of me? I have a secret weapon: gratitude. Gratitude is the opposite of grumbling. It’s paying more attention to what we have than what we don’t. It is the appreciation of what we have while we have it. It’s remembering who we are, the souls we love, and all the other blessings we have in our lives. Gratitude is what brings joy and contentment into our lives, and helps us grasp the deeper meaning in all that we experience: love.
In my family and social circle and spiritual community, I know people who cannot see, who cannot walk, who live in poverty, who have lost a spouse, who have serious medical conditions, who have faced financial ruin, and in general have circumstances and conditions that anyone else would label as devastating – and yet they have risen above them. They talk with enthusiasm about how grateful they are, and instead of focusing on their afflictions; they ask how others are doing and radiate compassion and kindness toward them. And in every single case, they were able to do that because they practiced gratitude instead of grumbling.
So, today, this day, while we may experience some situations that are less than optimal, we can make them worse – by grumbling – or better, by practicing gratitude. I don’t know about you, but today? Today I’m choosing gratitude.
A moment of Grace by Rev Steven McAfee @ONEBYONE COMMUINTY
Re McAfee is a pastor at Unity Fort Wayne Spiritual Centre. See the March Program below
Reach Rev McAfee for his programs at onebyonecommunity@gmail.com
