Spiritual But Not Religious

29/08/2024

It took me a long time to create a video version of Episode 12 of the SBNR podcast, but I finally created something that I think is fitting. I hope you find it useful.

In it I discuss my takeaways from the novel by Wesley J. Wildman titled "The Winding Way Home". The book explores the latter half of the life of Jesse as he experiences much joy and agony, nurturing spiritual fulfillment along the way.

PeerTube: https://spectra.video/w/6fcNyoub9TQc5HJjhheNUY

YouTube: https://youtu.be/p_ejuEt_Dr0

In this episode, I discuss my takeaways from the novel by Wesley J. Wildman titled "The Winding Way Home". This work of fiction explores the life of Jesse as...

13/07/2024

Now you can watch the video version of Episode 14 of the SBNR podcast: Awakening to Life's Sacred Moments: Journeying Through "Wake Up Call" with Tom Rapsas. In this episode, we explore highlights from several chapters of the book, with some helpful links in the episode description. Enjoy!

In this episode of "Spiritual but Not Religious" with Jill Dominguez, we delve into the profound insights of Tom Rapsas's book, Wake Up Call. Tom's journey m...

11/05/2024

Episode 14 is now live! Join me as I take you on a journey through "Wake Up Call" by Tom Rapsas. You can find the podcast and transcript at: https://www.spiritualbnr.org/episode-14-awakening-to-life-s-sacred-moments-journeying-through-wake-up-call-with-tom-rapsas

The Spiritual But Not Religious podcast is also available on your favorite podcast app and at:
https://spiritualbnr.buzzsprout.com/

13/10/2023

I was recently inspired by a quote from Robert Wolfe's book "Ramana Maharshi: Teachings of Self-Realization". Ramana is quoted as saying, "Only the absolute Being is real." In Episode 13 of Spiritual But Not Religious, I discuss the meaning of the quote and how it applies to my own life. I hope you find it inspirational.

Here's a direct link to the MP3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1689607/13769687-episode-13-my-thoughts-on-a-ramana-maharshi-quote-about-absolute-being.mp3?download=true

You can also find the episode at:

Spiritual BNR Website: https://www.spiritualbnr.org/episode-13-absolute-being

Spiritual BNR Buzzsprout page: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1689607/13769687

Spiritual BNR YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VnXlZp5Lamo

This episode includes a quote about

13/09/2023

https://www.spiritualbnr.org/episode-12-the-winding-way-home

Join me in Episode 12 of the Spiritual But Not Religious podcast as I take you through the novel by Wesley J. Wildman titled "The Winding Way Home". The book takes you on a journey through the latter half of the life of a brilliant, prideful man (Jesse) who expands upon his own ideas of spirituality as he searches for answers after suffering a tragic personal loss.

A site for sharing my blog and links to podcasts and videos discussing spiritual growth and self-actualization.

20/07/2023

You can now find the video version of my review of the book "Higher and Friendly Powers" on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/MKWGUm7dQ90

The book was written by Peg O’Connor, a professor of philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. In the book, Peg delves into the life and works of philosopher and psychologist William James. She also discusses how those recovering from addiction can follow a spiritual path forward, and how Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) could be helping even more people by de-emphasizing the role "God" should play. She speaks from personal experience and gives voice to those who need help but feel uncomfortable with the Christian over-beliefs of AA's founders.

13/06/2023

"As a spark proceeds from fire, 'Individuality' emanates from the Absolute Self." ~Ramana Maharshi

Everything emanates from the first fire of creation. Sparks do not become something different when they fly from the fire. We are not separate selves from the All; we are the All.

23/05/2023

I'm reading through "Ramana Maharshi: Teachings of Self-Realization" by Robert Wolfe. It's written as if someone is having a Q&A session with Ramana, with the answers being a collection of his teachings. This is a quote that spoke to me today:

"When once you realize your own Self,
and that there is nothing other than this Self,
you will come to look upon the whole universe as the Self....
The totality of all things and beings constitute Self."

This simple statement strikes me as something that could change the world if everyone took some time to contemplate it. If we taught this from day one to our children, they would grow to be compassionate citizens of the universe. We could include it in our personal conversations with them, and we could integrate it into every aspect of their education, discussing the implications in more detail as they grew.

What a beautiful world it would be if everyone saw themselves not as separate individuals, but as part of a whole—a whole that includes every person, animal, plant, and rock; every whirlwind, ocean, and star. Would we not be more apt to care for and love our neighbors if we saw them as part of the Self? This Self does not recognize religion, national identity, or race…it just is.

It can be difficult when you are raised with a set of beliefs. Many are brought up with the belief that they are unique, that they must forge their identity to make their own special place in the world. They are taught to "get ahead" and "look out for number one." They are taught that their religion, race, nationality, or social class is superior, and that those who are not like them are lesser and do not deserve to be heard, or that they must be converted somehow.

Although these and other ideas of self-identity are the norm in most societies, it doesn’t have to be that way. You and I can help by teaching our children well, and by loving everyone and everything as they are, not as we wish they could be. Love is healing and unifying, and it is even easier when you realize that when you love, you love the Self, and that is all there is.

30/04/2023

New episode is up! Join me as I delve into “Higher and Friendly Powers: Transforming Addiction and Suffering” by Dr. Peg O'Connor. The book includes thoughts on the 12 Steps espoused by Alcoholics Anonymous; discussion of William James's book “The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature”; and the idea that even if you are not a believer in God as a higher power, there are spiritual paths to transforming your life.

You can listen to the podcast and read the transcript at https://www.spiritualbnr.org/episode-11-higher-and-friendly-powers or find it on your favorite podcast app.

A site for sharing my blog and links to podcasts and videos discussing spiritual growth and self-actualization.

22/02/2023

I came across this little mantra "gem" during a game of Bejeweled in "Zen" mode. It says, "My beliefs create my reality." This truth is foundational to nearly every episode of my podcast and is basic to understanding your own existence. Spiritual But Not Religious Episode 2 illustrates it pretty well. Check it out if you've got about 4 minutes! https://bit.ly/Ep2-Allegory



Image description:
Screenshot of a Bejeweled game with the text "My beliefs create my reality." along the bottom of the game screen.

30/10/2022

Image description: Quote from Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" as translated by Ralph Alan Dale. Cyan text on a background of a blue, brown, and white pinwheel on a black background. Text reads, "Who can remain still while the moment for action so slowly emerges? Who? We observers of the Great Integrity, who in our times, like those ancients, never seeking fulfillment, are never unfulfilled."

28/09/2022

Episode 10: Living with Purpose is now up at https://www.spiritualbnr.org/living-with-purpose. It's a bit of a meditation on a leaf I saw on the ground during a morning walk. That leaf inspired me to think of all the people of the Earth as leaves on a tree. When we nurture the tree, the tree takes care of us all. Our purpose is to nurture the tree and each other, so that the tree will stay healthy and bear new leaves after we are gone.

If you would like to see the imagery that accompanies this episode, you can find the video version on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/juukk8GU-Yg.

Image description: A bright yellow leaf lies alone on gray speckled pavement.

26/08/2022

We’d had no rain in our area for about 2 months, and whole areas of our lawn just dried up and looked dead. The rains did finally come this week, blessing the earth with several inches of rain locally, and today I found that in the “dead” patches—not just ours, but in all the scorched lawns around us—signs of life have emerged. What seemed dead was full of potential energy, just waiting for the right conditions to release that energy and break through.

As I’m reading Lao Tzu’s “Tao Te Ching” as translated by Ralph Alan Dale, I feel this spark of energy in everything—that potential for being, flowing with the Tao, experiencing all the potential that exists in the cosmos. According to Dale’s interpretation of Lao Tzu’s philosophy, “To live life in accord with the Tao is to be in harmony with all others, with the environment and with one’s self. It is to live in synchronicity with processes, and to be completely authentic, sincere, natural and innocent.”

In section 6 of this book (“Life’s Spirit”, page 13), I found a verse apropos to my discovery today:

“The spirit of life never dies.
It is the infinite gateway
to mysteries within mysteries.
It is the seed of yin,
the spark of yang.
Always elusive,
endlessly available.”

I’m reading “The Tao The King, or the Tao and its Characteristics” on Project Gutenberg at the same time. The wording in “The Tao The King” tries very hard to capture the literal translation of the Tao Te Ching, but can be difficult to read. I really like the way Dale and his photographer and illustrator, John Cleare, captured Lao Tzu’s work in a poetic, pleasing, inspirational format, including the original Chinese characters on each page. Dale enlisted the help of several colleagues and reference texts to complete this edition. I am very glad to have this book as part of my collection of texts as I travel the path toward enlightenment.

Alt-text for image: The background of the image shows a previously dead-looking patch of lawn that now shows signs of life. Inset in the bottom right corner is a framed image of the book "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu and translated by Ralph Alan Dale.

24/06/2022

The philosopher and Stoic Lucius Annaeus Seneca reminds us that all of our experiences are the reality of life. It is up to us to decide whether to weather them as they are and move on—readying ourselves for the next storm, as it were—or to complain and writhe in misery.

The full quote, taken from Letter CVII in "Seneca—Letters from a Stoic", is: "Winter brings in the cold, and we have to shiver; summer brings back the heat and we have to swelter. Bad weather tries the health and we have to be ill. Somewhere or other we are going to have encounters with wild beasts, and with man, too—more dangerous than all those beasts. Floods will rob us of one thing, fire of another. These are conditions of our existence which we cannot change. What we can do is adopt a noble spirit, such a spirit as befits a good man, so that we may bear up bravely under all that fortune sends us and bring our wills into tune with nature's; reversals, after all, are the means by which nature regulates this visible realm of hers: clear skies follow cloudy; after the calm comes the storm; the winds take turns to blow; day succeeds night; while part of the heavens is in the ascendant, another is sinking. It is by means of opposites that eternity endures."

15/06/2022

This episode was a difficult one for me. I talk about my mother's death, and my path to peace. The book described in the video is "Tyson’s Gift: How an 8-Pound K9 Became a Man’s Greatest Spiritual Guide" by Brandon Wainwright. You can read more about Brandon and Tyson at https://tysonsgift.com/about.

06/04/2022

April promises blue skies, fragrant blossoms, and longer, warmer days. Take time to relish the birdsong and the cool winds that usher in this month. Clear your mind and become one with the greening trees and the flowers arousing from their winter slumber.

01/11/2021

Today is the first day of November. As the days cool, the leaves fall, and darkness crowds out the daylight, our thoughts often turn to the cyclical nature of life and death. We are born into this world without knowing how many seasons we will witness coming and going, with no certainty that our spring will take us into summer and fall. As each year passes, we we find ourselves going from excitement about the future to worrying about the present to reminiscing about the past.

It took me 50 years to figure out that it doesn't have to be that way. Each day, each moment, every NOW is worthy of focus. Your past experiences were but moments that happened as a result of the universe moving towards that particular moment. Your reaction to the moment is what made you consider it "your" experience. It's important to be able to let go of those experiences, good and bad, and live every moment now as it happens. Emotional reactions now to things that happened before (or have not happened yet) do not serve you well; they only drain you of energy you need to experience—and appreciate—life as it happens.

So as we head into the penultimate month of the year, let's not think wistfully of the warmth of summer or ruefully of the winter ahead. Instead, let's watch the squirrels as they gather nuts, notice the fiery colors of the changing leaves, and take in the stark branches of the bare trees as they appear. Let's live each moment now as the precious gift from the universe that it is.

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Image description: Black background with close-up image of rust-colored leaf. Text reads, "November thoughts".

05/10/2021

Explore the ideas of Neti-Neti meditation with me. Parts 1 and 2 of "Neti-Neti Meditation", a summary of the book by Andre Halaw, are up now on YouTube. https://buff.ly/3AbGINX
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Image description: Molecules (small red and black orbs) loosely make up the image of a human body on a background of pale peach with loose molecules floating around. In top left corner is text: "What is this body? Where does it begin, and where does it end?"
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14/09/2021

Podcast Episode 8: A review of Andre Halaw's book "Neti-Neti Meditation" chapters 4–7 is up now at https://buff.ly/3zcUkHF and on YouTube at https://buff.ly/3AbGINX.
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Image description: A softly swirling pale purple and white background behind a quote from the book "Neti Neti Meditation" by Andrew Halaw: "True meditation is being awake to the Absolute moment after moment."

06/08/2021

Hi! It’s Jill Dominguez and I’m back from my summer hiatus with a new Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) podcast episode on YouTube and on all of your favorite podcast apps. Join me as I review the first few chapters of Andre Halaw’s book “Neti-Neti Meditation”. It's an in-depth look at the process of negation, meditation, and how to apply it all to your everyday life to achieve contentment with the Reality of Now. Since the book is quite densely packed with insight, I’ve split the podcast into two parts. I’ll review the final chapters of the book in the next SBNR podcast episode.

You can find audio, video, and transcript all on my blog:
https://www.spiritualbnr.org/part-1-a-review-of-neti-neti-meditation

I’ll include the YouTube video here as well:
https://youtu.be/3uZ-HcPR62E

Andre Halaw's book, "Neti-Neti Meditation", is an in-depth look at the Neti-Neti mindset, the practice of meditation, nonduality, and how to incorporate it a...

03/08/2021

In his fifth letter to Lucilius, Seneca recalls something he remembers that the Stoic Hecato once wrote: "Cease to hope and you will cease to fear." He expounds on that, pointing out, "Fear keeps pace with hope... Both belong to a mind in suspense, to a mind in a state of anxiety through looking into the future. Both are mainly due to projecting our thoughts far ahead of us instead of adapting ourselves to the present."

He goes on to say, "Wild animals run from the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come... Memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely."

This is the very concept behind accepting that the only Reality is in the Now. The past is done, and the future cannot be known. Wasting time and emotional energy on worrying (or lamenting or hoping or fearing) about things beyond the present moment just brings about anxiety and suffering.

Live each and every moment as if it is the only one that matters. That is the way to contentment with life as it is.
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Image description: Fragile, pink blossoms on a thin tree branch frame the left side of the image. A blurred image of spring greenery fills the background with a Seneca quote in black text overlaid. The quote reads, "Fear keeps pace with hope. Both belong to a mind in suspense, projecting our thoughts far ahead of us instead of adapting ourselves to the present."
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31/07/2021

Today's blog post talks about the connectedness of all things and the meaningfulness of meditation. https://www.spiritualbnr.org/connectedness
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Image description: Faded image of a large tree's branches overlaid by black text of a quote from The Buddha. Quote: The enlightened one, intent on meditation, should find delight in the forest, should practice meditation at the foot of a tree, attaining his own satisfaction.
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11/07/2021

"The more you make your thoughts (beliefs) into your identity, the more you are cut off from the spiritual dimension within yourself." ~Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth"
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Image description: A red tablecloth is spread under a green saucer holding a green mug filled with black coffee. To the right of the saucer, a white paper napkin sits under a silver pen, and on the napkin is written in blue cursive, "Get rid of limiting beliefs."
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09/07/2021

💖 When you accept what you have and where you are in life, no matter the circumstances, then you vanquish anguish and suffering. 💖
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Image description: Seneca quote in black text over a background of a partly cloudy, tree-lined sky. To the left is a man with graying, curly hair and beard, wearing an orange robe, his head bowed and hands raised as if in prayer. Quote: "It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more." From "Seneca: Letters from a Stoic" as translated by Robin Campbell.
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04/07/2021

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." ~William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
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Image description: Shakespeare quote from "Hamlet" in light purple text on background of crystalline snow with shades of blue-gray and white. A purple crocus with green leaves sprouts through a mound of snow. Quote: "There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
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02/07/2021

"When you are alert and contemplate a flower, crystal, or bird without naming it mentally, it becomes a window for you into the formless." ~Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth"
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Image description: Eckhart Tolle quote from "A New Earth" in white text on black background with images along the bottom of a clear cut diamond, a white dove in flight, and a pink lotus flower. ""When you are alert and contemplate a flower, crystal, or bird without naming it mentally, it becomes a window for you into the formless."
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30/06/2021

"The wise teach without telling, allow without commanding, have without possessing, care without claiming." ~Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching" as translated by Ralph Alan Dale
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Image description: Lao Tzu quote in black text on age-damaged image of Lao Tzu painted on wood. "The wise teach without telling, allow without commanding, have without possessing, care without claiming." Lao Tzu, from the "Tao Te Ching" as translated by Ralph Alan Dale
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29/06/2021

"In the infancy of the universe, there were no names. Naming fragments the mysteries of life into ten thousand things and their manifestations." ~Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching", as translated by Ralph Alan Dale
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Image description: Lao Tzu quote in white text on black background with a stellar explosion releasing stars into the inky darkness.
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