Thinking Out Loud

This title has dualistic meanings. First, read I can't believe what I used to believe in an astonished tone as in "I have no idea how I actually once believed some of the things I used to believe." Second, read I can't believe what I used to believe as a matter of fact in that I can't go back. My eyes have been opened and I can't unsee all the reasons why I no longer believe what I used to believe. As I wrote yesterday, I believe we already have everything we need within . We don't need a Holy Ghost, teacher, prophet, bishop, or parent to tell us what to do. We need to find a quiet place to think, ponder, meditate, or pray. Looking back over my life, it's all so clear why I never received answers to my prayers. I was looking for those answers to come from without  instead of looking for the answers within. I remember praying to know which college to attend. I had received scholarships to a couple of universities and felt that surely God had a plan an...

Perhaps this morning's realization as I meditated sprung from yesterday's post. As I sat in silence, I realized that I already have everything I need inside of me. Perhaps therein lies the power of meditation. Through silently sitting we calm the mind and quiet the inner and outer disturbances that cloud our judgment and create separation between us and our divine center. I love this thought as expressed by Yogananda: Any erroneous thought of man is a result of an imperfection, large or small, in his discernment. The goal of yoga science is to calm the mind, that without distortion it may hear the infallible counsel of the Inner Voice. And what is this "Inner Voice?" Some call it "Conscience," "Light of Christ," "Holy Ghost," "Spirit," or "Intuition." Semantics aside, I believe that this inner voice is divine soul guidance that appears naturally in humankind during those times when our mind is calm. Our inner voi...