Thanks for sharing that V. What happened with the man? Did your little conversation melt his threatening behaviour?

Sounds like you weren't harmed.

Love and peace,

Judy

Thoughts on real, physical retreats of the spiritual kind....

He threatened more, then semi-fled. I followed him and had it out verbally. Then he semi-fled again and I had to get back to friends and ... 🙂 --

Well, I was two days into a spiritual retreat (!) 🙂 just popping into town to be outdoors and catch some sun, having a baked spud outdoors. So "have it out with him" means I was actually in a very good mood, thank goodness. 🙂 🙂 After the retreat I did later decide to have the incident police-logged, however.

But my spiritual "retreat" was tuning into something over the net for 5 days. Which meant I was still a part of "the world" around me, as I live now in a city and was doing it over the net but still had to go out. The retreat altogether was two weeks, and I just shared this evening with people returning from it - it was abroad - that this is the great value in a genuine, physical retreat, at a dedicated place 24-hours a day. This kind of thing would just never intrude, and couldn't. Interesting to have that lesson renewed. But I can't afford time-wise or money-wise (few can!) to go to every single retreat I'd like to, so I Iong-since tried to do many over the net, if they are of that nature as to be broadcast and not just silent meditation but involving teachings. It makes me wonder if, if not truly in 'retreat' from the world, trying to get deeply spiritual in a more special way might 'magnetise' this kind of event to you. Or is that just superstition? Who knows. Like, the general 'darkness' wanting to stop the Light I was trying IMVHO to bring down for the world.

It's turned my attention - talking about it tonight though to those physically there - on the great value of a genuine retreat. I mean, the key is in the word, really. Get away from the world. People tell me it was like being in heaven. I have a 'kind of' retreat coming up in June which I may post about afterwards. It's interesting, regular, all-free (!) and open to almost anyone. More on it after the event as it may interest members: free room, food, and all!

I can't close the post without saying that one day of such a retreat - well, it was five days including verbal teaching and chants, but the final day was everyone physically there in total silence for 24 hours, no talk, just meditation. Someone seriously asked by internet if that silent day was going to be broadcast, bless them. 🙂

[Again, I tried to observe the silence when not there in person, but it just didn't work in the end while out here in "the world". LOL: I'd asked uninvolved, kind-of non-spiritual people and friends to leave me alone by phone and everything for 24 hours, so they did - the opposite - phoning, texting, thinking it funny! While I do genuinely appreciate a sense of humour, that day of total uninterrupted and deep meditation had been looked-forward to by me for weeks. I have to say, I think the "worldly" consciousness feels threatened by it, and seeks to stop you achieving it? There's a subtle psychology involved; unconscious to them: "Oh, well if we can't go to that higher place, we'll stop that person too and keep them tied down here with us"? Along those lines.]

Definitely feeling more committed to actually going away to real retreats and not trying to "do it at home" after all these events! 😀

V

Jesus was able to be IN the world, but not OF it! However, even he had to go to his retreats - he went into the wilderness, up a mountain or the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, to communicate with God, divine Mind. He needed that solitude and refreshment, but then afterwards would follow some of his best healing work and, after the garden experience in which he laid down his will to the Father, the ability to go through the crucifixion and then overcome all beliefs of life and intelligence in matter. He proved that divine Love overcomes hate and infinite Life overcomes death.

I know just what you mean about people trying to distract you from your path! If I were you V, I would tell only those friends and family who need to know, but then, unplug the phone, switch off the mobile and not check emails, when wanting some spiritual refreshment. Years ago, I decided to stop celebrating birthdays because of their connection to the passing of time (mortal limitation) and to the beliefs of astrology. Most of my friends have now respected this, but it was such a struggle to start with and there's one friend, who, more than 20 years later, still contacts me on the day. (I don't think she'll do it again!) It was funny, as I had gone away this year, thinking that would help - it didn't, she emailed and than, I was lying by the pool and my husband came out and said, "There's been some mistake. The hotel thinks one of us has a birthday today and have delivered a cake to our room." Oh well, we enjoyed it! 😀

But getting back to what you were saying V, I have always found these words from Mary Baker Eddy very comforting:
[COLOR="Blue"]
At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity. (Science and Health 571)

Love and peace,

Judy

Jesus was able to be IN the world, but not OF it! However, even he had to go to his retreats

Trust you, Judy, to come up with an incontestable fact. But - I'm not Jesus!

All the same, as you say, he did have retreats. Remember when he wanted to sail off into the sea (and did) to be away from the masses. A subject I sometimes mention is also - where was he until age 29? Not a public speaker in his homeland, it seems. So he "prepared" through his 20s, and some sources say this was in Persia, India and Tibet.

I know just what you mean about people trying to distract you from your path! If I were you V, I would tell only those friends and family who need to know, but then, unplug the phone, switch off the mobile and not check emails, when wanting some spiritual refreshment.

Oh, I learned that one and already figured it out, believe me. See, I trusted the people, especially one, I told. Mistake! As you say, keep your mouth closed, and just do it. If the phone or text goes, you don't have to look - or keep them in a different room. Not hard, really. 🙂

It reminds me of when spirituality was first really dawning on me aged around 20. I'm not an orthodox Christian, but one of several major events was seeing the BBC series with Robert Powell as Christ, "Jesus of Nazareth". I was flooded with tears of infinite joy, virtually soaking the carpet LOL - as I had suddenly found spirituality - but I knew darned well that friends in a very worldly way and with worldly intentions would come round. So I drew the curtains, allowed them to ring the bell, knock the window, all that; but I never responded - until in a few weeks I was ready.

But so many of us have worldly responsibilities, careers, children. It's impossible for most Westerners to go on endless retreats. I actually think that's how it's meant to be, and your mention that Jesus lived IN the world is good. It's time for us now to manage being spiritual and keeping that, with the added problems that the world may throw at us. Frankly, it's 'easy' to live on a mountain-top etc, etc.

It's now time to bring that "mountain-top" down into the so-called world, rather than always, at any case, have to retreat from it. I've spent years in retreat environments, and TBH there's a lot there that can be 'easy' and not in some respects character-forming.

V

Retreats

Can you recommend a Retreat ?

Many thanks
Snowbearsxx

Hi Snowbears, welcome to HP. Bramha Kumaris World Spiritual University do a free (they do have a donation box but bed, board and classes are all free) one for the weekend several times a year in Oxford, they also have centres in every city in the UK which is also free they run meditation classes and others based around self development.

Love

Rebecca x