What is this Web site for, and how do I use it?
Informing and assisting individuals to take on the exquisite journey to realizing and integrating their souls are the site's primary purpose. So you will find that the site is even set up as if you were on an exploration. You open doors. You encounter scrolls, and see where they lead you. You gather information and see how different places in the site are related. Here is a hint to your successful journeying: find where the eight parts of integration processes are, and immerse yourself into them. Most of the other scrolls will directly relate to these.
The Buddha is attributed to have said, "If you see the man pointing to the moon, shoot him." What he meant was that you must focus on where the finger is pointing, not on the person who is pointing. If you focus on being led by the person, you lose the integrity of the journey. If you try to take steps without first entrenching yourself in the teachings you risk ever floundering. You must draw on all these site points, you too, but just drawing on it is not the journey. Each step you initiate from these teachings is the journey.
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What is the soul?
There is no easy way to answer this. The eternal essence of each person is known as the soul. It is an essence that existed before birth and continues after mortal death. The essence is of and from God -- what most wisdom and mystical traditions describe as the "highest creating power," the "One" from which all else comes and returns. So, to realize the soul involves realizing "God," "That Which Is," "The Nameless Oneness," and a host of other names. It is of note that many traditions that espouse "gods" in the plural, yet often ascribe to one the unquestionably "highest" place. We will use the word "God" as it is often the most common term used.
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Where is the soul?
The soul is not "something" somewhere in the body, like the liver or brain. The deeper parts of the mind can access its soft and gentle wise voice, but let's just say that no one can "put a finger on it."
But there are reflections of the soul at times. In the face of newborns (when not screaming for their needs, such as food and sleep) there radiates an innocence that can give us an idea of the soul's beauty. A person at peace, when dying and released from the demands of mortality, may radiate that innocence once again, and share a profoundness of being that gives indication of that special and eternal place in that person. There are times in life when the pressures and demands of providing for ourselves -- and often for others also -- lessen enough that in short moments there comes from within a clearer understanding about life and a knowledge beyond what we have learned. It is in these times that the reality of the soul can be felt. Many people have experienced enough of their soul to recognize it, but dismiss it because it is so out of sync with the rest of their life.
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Can the soul be proved?
There is no scientific proof for the soul because science relies on empirical data, and there are no sophisticated instruments yet to establish the soul's existence. The predominance of religion in almost every human culture is the strongest indication that there is a Creator, God, something beyond humanness and randomness. And almost all mystical and religious traditions maintain that within each human is a quality (the soul) of the "Creator of all," that must be found within and united with for the fullness of being, complete self-integration. G. F. Wright pointed out the accepted place of the soul "among the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Hindus, the Persians, the Greeks and Romans, the Druids, the Celts, the Germans, the Slavs, and a great variety of tribes in North and South America, in center of Africa , and in the islands of the sea." One could argue that there very well could be a misconception handed down over generations in a culture. But the belief in the soul has occurred cross-culturally over centuries, when communication between cultures wasn't present.
It is up to each person to decide for themselves about the reality of the soul and God. For those of us who have united with this most beautiful and essential part of our being, we hope others will choose the decision to believe in the soul and begin the most incredible journey of life.
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How do I find out about the soul?
Obviously the best knowledge of the soul is "the living words" of experiencing it through the deeper levels of the mind. But, to get to this place safely, one has to learn how to delve into the deeper levels of the mind, and study the writings of those masters who teach on the uniting with one's soul.
It should be noted here that almost all modern cultures encourage and demand only the portions of the mind that suit their purposes. Unfortunately for the civility, ethics, and morality of such cultures, the soul is left out completely. There seems to have been a reverse relationship that as humans progress technologically, especially beginning with industrialism, the eternal wisdom of life is lost. Many "modern" cultures prefer gaining the greatest material wealth and ease of living - almost always at the cost of others' suffering - rather than finding and living in integration with self and the rest of life on this precious planet. So, anything more is up to the individual to pursue.
The most reliable information can be found in what is referred to as either "Eastern Mysticism" or "Western Mysticism." The Mystical literature of either the East or West argues for a "self" infinitely and eternally greater than the "self" we consciously develop throughout our lifetime to thrive in society. The Contemplative Life Foundation (CLF) has gathered and organized information about the soul and the journey to realize and integrate the soul. This Web site is intended to point you to all there is known about the soul, that is both reliable and accepted over the course of time.
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How do I get to my soul?
Because societies have their citizens focus on what is needed to sustain them, the person takes on this self-integration secondarily, like going on a "inner journey" in the midst of wherever you are. Day by day, a person can find new and profoundly meaningful knowledge when they know how and where and to look.
The journey to the deeper levels of mind and the soul is long and arduous (many have compared it to climbing a steep mountain), taking eight to ten years (there are NO short cuts to this); and usually must be taken after the person learns all the knowledge necessary to live productively within a culture.
There are established traditions: Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen, Sufism (the Mystical expression of Islam), and Christian Mysticism. But all these are somewhat "relics" of the past. The good news is that the major teaching tenets of these are fairly much the same, and are rather easily adaptable to even modern day. The greatest danger is taking the wrong step in who to trust to lead you in the journey. Anyone or any organization that demands or even implies that you must totally and completely trust and give yourself to it is not to be trusted or followed. Those who introduce you to the great traditions, encourage you explore them and yourself, and are more "providers" for what you need along the way can be trusted. This is an inner journey, not a consumption of your life by others or even by yourself. It is a journey taken in context of your life.
There is a fantastic amount of available information about the "journey" and the soul - more than any time in history. Be a student, not a "groupie" or "follower." Resist those who want you to identify with some "movement" or group. The Web site soulnurture.com tries to act somewhat like a "gathering house" of what you will need, what to watch out for, and respond to questions. And in the words of Thackeray:
"Life is the soul's nursery - its training place for the destinies of eternity."
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