Social Morning, Home of Heidi B.

     This morning members of our group were guests at the home of Heidi B. in Whitefish Bay. Heidi outdid herself with a spread of breakfast baked dishes, bagles and creamed cheese, fruit, and cake along with coffee, tea, etc. Heidi's home was festive with Holiday decorations and I enjoyed viewing the many objects of art and character placed around her home.

     She made a special point of taking us upstairs to show us her collection of Steiff stuffed toys. Someone asked me: "What is the significance of Steiff?" I had to explain that during the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt the idea of a Teddy Bear was born in the United States based on a cartoon showing President Roosevelt in Mississippi to resolve a border dispute between Missiisippi and Louisiana, refusing to shoot a bear his aids had tied up for him to shoot. The cartoon was published nation wide and the wild bear Teddy refused to shoot became known as Teddy's Bear, was made into stuffed bears by a small toy shop in New York City, thus starting the love affair with the Teddy Bear in this country. Simultaneously in Germany, Richard Steiff, son of a toy manufacturer, Margaret Steiff, drew more cuddly models of stuffed bears, modifying that companies stiff bears that were on all fours to an upright bear which was softer and more cuddly. This newer Steiff version of the stuffed bear appeared at a Leipzig toy fair where American buyers saw it, knew the Teddy Bear craze that was going on in the US, and brought the Steiff bear to the US. Hence the story of the simultaneous appearance of the cuddly stuffed bear in the US and Germany in the early 20th century. Heidi's collection includes not only bears, but many other Steiff stuffed animals.

     We had the unusual pleasure of hearing Paul play his guitar for us. He has learned this instrument admirably and provided some background music to our conversations. Then he played two songs to which we could sing. They are two Beatle Songs. But I am not sure that most of us would listen or completely hear the words when listening to the Beatles sing them. We had the words printed out for us and I, for one, was surprised at the depth of the words. They are printed here for your perusal. Click Read More below.

Winter Solstice

     Sharleen presented some information on the Winter Solstice which just occurred one day ago. Also on the eve of the winter solstice, there was a complete lunar eclipse of a full moon. This is the first time this has happened since the 1600s. Unfortunately cloudy overcast here in the Midwest and other storms over much of the US prevented most from seeing this momentous lunar eclipse.

     December 22 entry from Pocketful of Miracles.

     Seed Thought: The time has come for celebration, for the Light has been reborn! The animals fell the stirringof the lifeforce deep within their dens. The seedsssssss begin to stir within the womb of Mother Earth, and we know that the cycle of life will continue for another year. Rejoice, for today the time of light is greater than the time of darkness. Rejoice, for today the Christ Principle is born within.

     Prayer/Practice:  Welcome the Divine Light today. Take a few letting-go breaths and relax into thte inner stillness. In the space above you and slightly in front of you, imagine Jesus, Mary, the Buddha, a Great Light or whatever symbol of the Divine you feel especially close to. Give thanks for the rebirth of the Light within yourself and in the world. Now imagine that a Living Light is flowing from the Divine to you, showering over you and entering through the top of your head. Let the Light penetrate all your cells, awakening them from their ancient sleep, and washing away any darkness that obscures the Sun withinin your Heart. See your heartlight, the Christ principle within, shining as bright as the star over Bethlehem. Allow it to grow brighter and brighter, uniting with the light of God, surrounding you in a glowing egg of light. Send the light out into the world with the Meta blessing.

"May there be peace on earth, may the hearts of all beings be open, may all be reborn in forgiveness, may all creation reflect the Glory of God."

Continue on (Read More) for quotes from the writing of all great spiritual traditions that relate to Light and Peace.

Schedule of Near Future Spirit Mind Body Meeting Topics:

December 23, 2010  Sharleen will present information about the Winter Solstice. She asks that anyone who
          has information or something about solstice to feel free to include it.

December 30, 2010 Gunther Pohlman Society meeting, to be held at the Home of Heidi. Starting time 7:45
          to 8 AM. There will be no meditation. Address will be announced and emailed to everyone.

January 6, 2011  Bake Off

January 13, 2011  Quotes, Quips, & Quizzical Queries by Eric

January 20 & January 27 will be one of two possibilities: Sharleen: Thinking as a Spiritual Activity. Or
          Tom who has a presentation to be rescheduled.

February 3, 2011  Bake Off

February 10, 2011 Rod Schleck, from Burdick Middle School will be presenting, as a guest of Dave.

February 17, 2011  Heart Sutra.

March 3, Bakeoff

March 10, 2011 Judy K will present.

March 17, 2011 Tim will present Happines, and Job Flow, a continuation of a previous presentations by Tim.

Meditation and prayer Ceremony by Jean H.

We have a very talented prayer leader in our Spirit Mind Body Group. Jean H. leads us in guided meditation and prayer several times a year. This morning Jean moved us all by conducting such a service/ceremony. She wished our spiritual potential would grow into much more than we think we are and she hoped this ceremony would enable that goal.  Calmed by music (first one of my favorites Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata) and Jean's calming voice, we relaxed our body piece by piece, joint by joint and got ourselves ready for the prayer service. Then Jean guided us in "relaxing our heart", that is opening ourselves to receive the serenity of the occasion. We used our breath to guide us in this opening segment. Jean said, "Breath is spirit and spirit is life!"

Then we spent a short time in silence to let Jean's many guiding words soak in and to become as serene as we possibly could, escaping from the whirlwind of this season into this small Mindfulness Center with our friends from our Spirit Mind Body Group.

Jean usually conducts candle lighting with her ceremonies because the light is so calming and symbolizes in many religions serenity, spirituality and opening of the heart, to make the light shine within.

Jean then lit her candle and spoke of a characteristic or quality within herself for which she is thankful. She then passed the light on to the person next to her, lighting that person's candle. Then that person and each in his/her turn passed the light around the room each recognizing and giving thanks for an inner quality for which they are thankful. It is easier to thank and recognize others for their gifts, but sometimes it is difficult to recognize, confess and be thankful for inner qualities that we all have and recognize them as allowing us to move forward in our spiritual evolution.

After all the candles were lit and each of us had spoken our little piece, we randomly spoke the name of people that we wanted to include in our prayers. Then we mindfully and prayerfully placed the candle in the receptical near the altar prepared by Jean. We observed a moment of serenity with these candles all lit. Each person had taken a message from a small dish. These messages were single words that might be a beacon for going forth from this ceremony. Perhaps it would apply to something we had to accomplish, or to something that we wanted to achieve, or to our current meditations. They were single words like honesty, clarity, courage, resilience, happiness, joy, serenity, hope etc. The group broke up discussing their word and how it applied to them or their current activites in life.

Jean recommends the Jesuit prayers and chants at the following website: http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Following are some photos of a sacred place that you might contemplate with your meditations: These are photos of the Cologne, Germany Cathedral.

Review of the book: Evidence for an Afterlife, by Jeffrey Long MD

     During this week's session, Ann S presented a review of the book Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near Death Experiences by Dr. Jeffrey Long with John Perry. Under Read More below I have posted the hand out that summarized this book. After reading through my review, the group discussed what they thought of this book, and if it could be considered a scientific study of the Near Death Experience. Most thought that the analysis in the book was as close to science that one could get in a study of these experiences since objective production or testing of such experiences could not be done. The author analyzed a questionnaire reporting anecdotal experiences. However, the author was able to illicit 1300 such anecdotes. He tried to then apply some statistical analysis to these anecdotes. The question was asked whether the book did produce belief in the group in the afterlife. About 2/3 of the group raised their hand that yes they did believe. Read the review to see if you would like to get the book and read the entire premise there.

Bake off on the Bhagavatam. December 2, 2010

     One member of the group presented two items for discussion in juxtaposition. The first was a small quote from the Bhagavatam. First for those who do not know, the Srimad Bhagavatam is a large book containing 18,000 verses which is considered the Hindu "Bible". It was credited mostly to Veda Vyasa and thought to have been set down in about the 9th or 10th century CD. However large parts of this Veda could have been written before, and passed down over many centuries being edited and altered over centuries. At least small parts were seen in material that goes back as far as 500 CD. This book consists of bhakti (devotions) to the gods, and mainly to Krishna. Parts also describe the life of Krishna, who is an avatar, or incarnation of the Hindu god, Vishnu. Following is a quote that our member wished us to read and then juxtapose with another reading on psychological transference which is printed second here.

    Quote from the Bhagavatam: "Krishna said: Friends love one another actuated by selfish interests; there is no true friendliness there, but only self-interest. Others love even those who do not love them-- this is like paternal affections; here the love is actuated by dharma and friendliness, an it is blameless. Yet others do not love even those that love them; they are either sages who delight in their own self, they whose desires have all been fulfilled, ungrateful people or they who hate their own benefactors and elders. As for me, I do not love even those who love me, so that they may never forget me nor take me for granted, but remain forever immersed in quest of me -- like a poor man who found a pearl which he lost, and is, therefore, for ever looking for it. It is on this account that I disappeared from your midst for a while. But, I tell you, even if I am born again and again for many millennia, I will not be able to repay the debt I owe you nor to recompense your pure love for me."

    The second quote comes from an essay entitled Two Cheers for Romance by Stanley Cavell. In this essay Stanley is considering a movie about Charlotte Vale in which she gives up a widower that she was to marry in exchange for her therapist. But what she is feeling for her therapist is likely transference. Here is the quote: "Now before you jump to the conclusion that she has not resolved her transference in her relation with her therapist -- matter surely to bre considered -- I hope you will be willing to thin of these words and images in terms of Freud's 1915 essay, Observations on Transference-Love, in which he insists in all honesty on the point that "the state of being in love which makes its appearance in the course of analytic treatment (ie., the transference-love) has the characteristics of a 'genuine' love. The analyst does not act to fulfill this love in its own terms because it is exactly his or her peculiar task not to act on it, but instead to teach an attitude that allows freedom from the dictation of action by desire. One might say that it is only because of transference-love is a version of real love that this learning can take place. The question for me is whether Charlotte Vale's modification and satisfaction of the various strands of her desire (and the concept of marriage) may be imagined as achieving a credible and creditable degree of psychic freedom. She had written to Dr. Jaquith to inform him of breaking her engagrement to the eligible widower, expressing her confusion over her action. This man, she said, offered everything a woman is supposed to want: a man of her own, a home of her own, a child of her own. Now in these terms my question about this film becomes: Do we see to her version of these things, including work of her own? Or do we feel, on the contrary, that she has merely fallen into the grip of an ideology which forces her to find substitute compensations for the actual or literal possession of such things, as those things are themselves now only substitute compensations for the genuine autonomous queest for a woman's own existence?"

     I don't think the group saw a connection between these two quoted paragraphs. One group member said he was quite disappointed in Krishna's viewpoint. He appears to be somewhat of a jerk. But some thought that this Krishna quote is a story that is taken out of context and really is like a parable to illustrate some teachings.

     Then several in the group talked about transference in psychoanalytic practice. Transference usually occurs by recalling a former loving relationship -- a later version of something that came before but is forgotten. When transference-love has occurred, it might take several years of therapy for the patient to work through the previous traumatic experience in a relationship. A relationship with a therapist who does not traumatize may show the patient that a more healthy relationship can exist.

    One member stated that for example adulation of a Buddhist teacher can be a trap. The one who is adulating is not free to move on, and the one who is adulated is also trapped.

    We asked the member who brought these two quotes what he thought might be their connection or what point he wanted to use these quotes to make. He just found them interesting when juxtaposed. But I think the consensus was that there was no connection between these two types of love.