Steven Colborne's Blog, page 20

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Friends, I’ve realised that I cannot be happy with my ego causing me untold problems every day. I plan to retire to a quiet place and meditate until I am free from desire.

Contrary to what I wrote previously, I don’t think meditation is sinful. I think it’s the only way to achieve real peace, for the good of all.

Thank you so much for being with me on this journey, it’s been wonderful.

Spiritual Battles

Greetings, friends. In a recent post I argued that meditation is sinful because it rejects God as doer in favour of a personal experience of the divine. However, I would like to clarify a few things:

1) There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. It’s part of human nature.

2) Meditation can have a stabilising effect. It’s not all about enlightenment.

3) It’s not a choice. God is in control of absolutely everything we ever experience.

I hope this helps.

Blue Sky

An ocean of blue

Blazing sun

Beautiful Earth

Crying

Big News!

I’m going to be a little cryptic so as not to give the game away, but I’ve got some incredibly exciting news related to one of my books.

It’s amazing, God puts us through seasons of trial and then unfolds events in truly remarkable ways that make us aware of how awesome and mighty He is.

Watch this space!

The Bible and the Qur’an

Both the Bible and the Qur’an are considered to be sacred Scripture by billions of people collectively. But how should one discern which Scripture to read and reflect upon?

The answer is very simple: read both. Not only is there much in common between the two, it’s simply conscientious to have an understanding of both.

The Bible is a collection of writings related to the religions of Judaism and Christianity. The Qur’an is a divine revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad, revealed for all people and revered by Muslims.

In terms of the Bible, I recommend the English Standard Version as a good translation. In terms of the Qur’an, I recommend Abdel Haleem’s ‘Oxford World’s Classics’ transliteration as a great English version.

Do not be afraid of reading the sacred Scriptures, even if the Bible or the Qur’an feel alien to you. Both Scriptures provide instruction and guidance concerning how we can please God.

My own books, if you’re interested, provide insight into the philosophy of religion, and I recommend my compilation ’Puppets’ as a great place to start. The compilation is available from Amazon and elsewhere.

Do not delay in studying both the Bible and the Qur’an. Both Scriptures describe a Day of Judgement, so it’s vitally important to read their teachings and ask God which path is right for you. Thanks be to God.

Meditation and Neglect of God

If you saw yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I started meditating again. However, I want to consider how meditation relates to the Day of Judgement and the major Abrahamic religions. This is something I have written about in my books.

Those who meditate are seeking an experience of bliss and freedom from suffering. This is understandable, it’s what we all want. But what about the warnings concerning a Day of Judgement found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Yesterday, I wrote about the teaching of Ramana Maharshi, but in his teaching he never once mentions a Day of Judgement. Would he argue that the efforts of billions of faithful men and women who are committed to these religions are in vain?

God is surely a personal God with whom we can have a relationship. He is a ‘thou’ rather than an ‘it’. Anyone who does meditate is entirely dependent upon God for anything, positive or negative, that he or she experiences.

I think there’s more to life than a desire to escape from it, which is essentially what these gurus are trying to do. Their motivations may be understandable, but the Qur’an says that only the misguided deny the judgement.

I don’t think Abraham sat under a tree for years and meditated. Nor did Jesus or David, I expect. If they had done, surely such experiences would have made their way into the Scriptures.

I am an Abrahamic monotheist who identifies strongly with the teaching of Jesus, who was just a person, like you. I have said sorry to God for my meditation practice.

Meditation is Sin

If you saw yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I started meditating again. However, I want to consider how meditation relates to the Day of Judgement and the major Abrahamic religions. This is something I have written about in my books.

Those who meditate are seeking an experience of bliss and freedom from suffering. This is understandable, it’s what we all want. But what about the warnings concerning a Day of Judgement found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Yesterday, I wrote about the teaching of Ramana Maharshi, but in his teaching he never once mentions a Day of Judgement. Would he argue that the efforts of billions of faithful men and women who are committed to these religions are in vain?

God is surely a personal God with whom we can have a relationship. He is a ‘thou’ rather than an ‘it’. Anyone who does meditate is entirely dependent upon God for anything, positive or negative, that he or she experiences.

I think there’s more to life than a desire to escape from it, which is essentially what these gurus are trying to do. Their motivations may be understandable, but the Qur’an says that only the misguided deny the judgement.

I don’t think Abraham sat under a tree for years and meditated. Nor did Jesus or David, I expect. If they had done, surely such experiences would have made their way into the Scriptures.

I am an Abrahamic monotheist who identifies strongly with the teaching of Jesus, who was just a person, like you. I have said sorry to God for my meditation practice.

Self-Enquiry

In my debut book release (The Philosophy of a Mad Man) I described the experience of self-enquiry, a yoga practice propounded by the late Indian guru Sri Ramana Maharshi.

The practice, which I undertook for several years, involves asking oneself the question ’Who am I?’ and investigating the mental tendencies associated with the ‘I’ thought.

The idea is that by focusing on the source of the ‘I’ thought we can come to realise that our ego is illusory, and instead uncover the real ‘I’ which is Brahman. Unification with Brahman and the destruction of the ego is the ultimate goal of the practice.

I only got so far with the practice the first time around. I had one experience of my bodily form dissolving into bliss, which is an indication I was on the right track, but my mind was not in a good way at the time and I abandoned the practice prematurely.

As I’m currently in psychiatric hospital I have plenty of time on my hands, so I’ve decided to revisit the practice. It’s going okay, though I haven’t yet been able to repeat the bliss experience. Letting go of one’s ego is no easy feat, especially when you think you’re God (I jest).

I do believe God is in control of everything that happens, even the deeper stages of meditation and self-realisation, so my success or otherwise in this endeavour will depend on His will. I’m optimistic though, and I like the idea of obliterating my ego which causes me no end of grief.

In the realised state, which I hope to attain, you can still function as a regular human being, only without the selfishness associated with the ego.

If any of you are interested in reading more about the practice, or even joining me on this mission (I’d love that), I recommend the book ‘Be As You Are’ by Maharshi.

Meditation Mantra

Contrary to my own sometimes overly dogmatic judgement, I love Eastern philosophy. I recently started meditating again after a way too long break. I’m actually thinking of writing a book about how meditation can benefit people with paranoid tendencies like me.

I thought I would share a short ‘meditation mantra’ I wrote in case it helps someone. I would also recommend the practice of simply observing your breathing if you’re new to meditation. Here’s the mantra:

I am the ocean, the waves, the foam. I am the water, the beach, the sea. I surrender, I let go, I release, I fall silent. I am still, I am still, I let go. I am the ocean.

This post is dedicated to Heterodox Buddhist, who writes about Qigong, among other things, at http://heterodoxbuddhism.wordpress.com Thanks for following my blog, buddy!

The Church

Greetings, friends. Today is beautiful and sunny here in London. The crisp breeze entering my hospital room is refreshing. I am feeling more grounded than I was yesterday. Thanks be to God.

In terms of my aspirations and ambitions, I have for a long time argued that the only way to truly discern the will of God is to see how things unfold in reality. I wholeheartedly believe this.

God may make long-term plans, but I believe it’s possible that He might improvise the details of our lives. This is a mystery, to me at least.

My heart exults, because of the goodness and mercy of our Creator. I will live to worship Him again. He says only ‘Be’ and it is. What a powerful God we serve.