Free Your Pen

Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Profit From Another’s Loss

Don’t Profit From Another’s Loss is about not exploiting others in order to make yourself happy or successful. The original lojong slogan is: Don’t seek others’ pain as the limbs of your own happiness, which means you should avoid seeking to gain from the loss and suffering of others. This slogan can be hard to… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Profit From Another’s Loss

Mysticism

The Mystic Way 7: Illumination of the Absolute

Last time we introduced the third phase of the mystic path where the mind is illuminated by a new perspective of Reality. Here we continue the extracts from Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism to explore the first type of illumination: consciousness of the Absolute, or a sense of the presence of God: “This consciousness, in its various… Continue reading The Mystic Way 7: Illumination of the Absolute

Astro Journal

How to Handle Mercury Retrograde Transits

Mercury represents how you think and communicate and navigate reality, including short journeys and travel, the use of technology and exchange of information. When he goes retrograde all these areas come under scrutiny so this transit can be quite disruptive with communication breakdowns, travel delays and technical malfunctions. But no matter what happens, these transits… Continue reading How to Handle Mercury Retrograde Transits

Free Your Pen

Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Make Gods into Demons

Don’t Make Gods into Demons is about not using spiritual teachings and practices to feed your ego. The original lojong slogan is the same and it means don’t take something good and turn it into something bad. Don’t take the best things in your life and turn them into the worst by abusing them or… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Make Gods into Demons

Mysticism

The Mystic Way 6: Illumination of the Self

Last time we looked at how the Self is purified through mortification after awakening. Here we continue with the extracts from Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism to introduce the third phase of the mystic path: “In illumination we come to that state of consciousness which is popularly supposed to be peculiar to the mystic: a form of… Continue reading The Mystic Way 6: Illumination of the Self

Apocalypse

Active Hope and How You Can Change the World (Yes, You!)

Last time we looked at how to imagine different futures, so now we need to bring it down to earth and actually put some of these ideas into practice. There’s no point reading a book like Active Hope and then not doing anything – the clue is in the title, after all! When Saturn moved… Continue reading Active Hope and How You Can Change the World (Yes, You!)

Free Your Pen

Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Be Sneaky

Don’t Be Sneaky is about being honest with yourself about your real motives and not doing things just to get something out of it for yourself. The original lojong slogan is: Don’t act with a twist. When you act with a twist you have an ulterior motive. The ego does this because it feels insecure… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Be Sneaky

Mysticism

The Mystic Way 5: Purification of the Self – Mortification

Last time we looked at the process of purification through detachment. Here we continue the extracts from Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism with a closer look at the process of purification through mortification and the adjustment of the character of the mystic to bring the self closer to God: “By mortification, I have said, is to be… Continue reading The Mystic Way 5: Purification of the Self – Mortification

Free Your Pen

Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Compete With Others

Don’t Compete With Others is about remembering that life isn’t a race. You don’t have to be the first or the best, and you don’t have to compete to win. The original lojong slogan is: Don’t try to be the fastest. Life seems to be getting faster and faster every day. Competitiveness is built-in to… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Compete With Others

Mysticism

The Mystic Way 4: Purification of the Self – Detachment

Last time we introduced the second phase of the path and the need for purification of the Self. Here we continue the extracts from Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism with a closer look at the process of purification through detachment and the stripping of any aspect of the self that stands between the mystic and realisation of… Continue reading The Mystic Way 4: Purification of the Self – Detachment