Memories of Snow

NaNoWriMo Day14: More about Spirituality (WC:2099)

Kamál (Perfection), 12 Qudrat (Power), 173 BE - Sunday, November 13, 2016 AD about 8:39 PM Pacific Standard Time

The Full Moon and Moonflowers

Evening shadows creep across the valley. In the east a supermoon rises. The beaver moon looks down upon Las Vegas casting a sleep spell upon all who look upon her. Everyone, or almost everybody, thinks of the moon as a man. The refer to the man in the moon who smiles down upon Mother Earth. The moon flows through its phases while it directs the movements of the tides. The moon is beautiful, she Luna a goddess to humanity's ancestors.

In the twenty-first century old superstitions about the moon still linger in the minds of modern people. At least people who don't live in third world countries. Some people still think the moon has an effect upon the moods of individuals. Maybe it does. Perhaps it doesn't. If you believe in something strongly enough it manifest itself in your life.

I'm dealing with a bit of depression. It isn't as bad as it once was, but it can go either way. My depression can either get better or worse. If I focus on the prayers and the scriptures then the depression will get better because I won't be worrying as much as when I don't make a concerted effort to develop my spirituality.

Every time I see a full moon whether it's a supermoon or a regular full moon I think of Grandma Mary's moonflowers. Grandma always had several beautiful pearl white and delicate moonflower plants blooming in her yard. I remember watching them under the light of the full moon. They always seemed to glow bright white when moonbeams hit them.

I wonder why moonbeams are supposed to come from the moon and rays from the sun. Maybe it's because the moon shines with reflected light. The moon reflects the light of the sun and then shines down upon the Earth. I miss Grandma Mary. I miss Grandma's moonflowers. I wonder if you can grow moonflowers in the desert. I know you can grow a lot of plants in Las Vegas that you wouldn't expect to see in the desert. At least you could if we weren't experiencing a drought.

Kamál (Perfection), 12 Qudrat (Power), 173 BE - Monday, November 14, 2016 AD about 12:42 PM Pacific Standard Time

When I feel connected or in tune with my spirit, how do I feel? Are there any particular rituals or behaviors that help me to reach that state?1

Tranquility flows through my body and soul. The ocean of peace, joy, and tranquility washes upon the shores of my creativity inspiring poems dedicated to my beloved. Calmness is a wind blowing across the water of my desire quieting any fears that may linger. Meditation upon the names of God gives me a new found peace that flows a tide across my fears . The question arises how do I encourage this feeling of peace that permeates my body, mind, and soul.

Prayer is one of the ways to encourage spirituality. I find that the prayers revealed by The Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha are the best because the speak directly to my soul. Another way to encourage spirituality is to into God's Most Great Name. "God is the all glorious" or "God the All Glorious" is the English translation, but I chant it in Farsi as I move prayer beads across the sting holding them together. I chant it 95 time because that is how many time Baha'u'llah said we should chant it.

Chanting the Most Great Name helps the soul rise above the mundane problems of everyday existence. It carries the soul into to paradise where communion with the beloved aways. Prayer, chanting, and meditation are all part of a spiritual life. Each helps the soul to progress toward it final destiny which is to find the Beloved of the Word. God is the Beloved of the world. Many people l go through their days trying to find peace and tranquility when it's near at hand and easily reached when you focus upon the prayers revealed by the Prophets or Manifestations of God.

Christ revealed the Lord's Prayer to the Christians. It is the most powerful prayer any Christian can recite because it was reveal by Christ to his disciples and followers. As a Baha'I I can say the Lord's prayer as well as the Baha'I prayers or any prayers revealed by the other Prophets of God because I believe that they are all sent by the same God. God sent Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah to reveal His laws to humanity. God also sent Moses and others to help the human race move forward and carry on an ever advancing civilization.

What does it mean to be a “spiritual person”? What behaviors do I associate with being spiritual?2

What does being spiritual mean to me? It means that I should see every human being as a child of God. Each person has to tread his or her own spiritual path, while some of those paths sometimes appear to be at odd with what I think is the will of God, I can't condemn another person because of his or her chosen spiritual path. I can pray for that person. I can pray for the salvation of any human being, but it isn't my place to decide if that person is saved or not. Only God knows the condition of another person's soul and only God can judge whether or not that person is living up to his or her spiritual abilities.

I have to search for truth myself. I can't accept another person's opinion of truth because I have to find it for myself. I have to avoid getting involve in political and religious arguments because it doesn't reveal the truth. I need to listen to what another person thinks, but I have to make up my own mind if what is said is truth or not. I have to admit that I have difficulty when it comes to remaining a neutral stance in politics because sometime there is an obvious distinction between what I believe and what the candidate says. There is also a difference in what I believe and the candidate appears to believe.

Getting involved in arguments or shouting matches of any type doesn't encourage spirituality. The only one I can depend on to guide me in the right directions is Baha'u'llah. His writings show how to live my life on a spiritual plain while living on the material plain.

Afternoon Break

I'm going to take an afternoon break, say some prayers, and take a nap before I answer the rest of these questions. I'm almost falling asleep at the keyboard so I think it's time to take a little break. I need to rest my mind, my eyes, and fill up my medication boxes for the rest of the week or rather the next seven days.

About 4:30 PM Pacific Standard Time

What does it mean to grow spiritually and how do I know if I have grown?3

I'm not sure what it means to grow spiritually. I've thought about this over the years and still haven't come to any conclusion. I believe there are several components to spiritual growth. I think one of them is the search for truth, but when searching for truth you have to use your own mind to find out if the stuff you're told by preachers and other spiritual leaders make sense. Some of the questions that you need to ask when searching for spiritual truth concerns whether or not what your told is unprejudiced and makes sense to you.

Other components of spiritual growth is prayer, meditation, and giving up bad habits. If you discover that a habit you have is interfering with your spiritual life and growth then you need to give it up. Sometimes it can be difficult to give up a bad habit, but it can be done through prayer and extra effort. If you can't do it alone then find a group or friend that you can talk to about the problem. In addition journaling helps with spiritual growth, especially letter writing. Write a letter to your Lord and Savior or someone who you find spiritually inspiring.

If I were to focus more on growing spiritually, what changes would I need to make in my life? What would I give up, if anything, and what would I need to do more of?4

If I were to focus more on spiritual growth I would have to make sure I said one of the obligatory prayers everyday. I attempt to say the noon obligatory prayer everyday between noon and sunset. I usually do this, but sometimes I find that I don't do it either because I forget or I let the time get away from me. I could also start saying the long obligatory prayer because I think it's possible to sit down and say it without worrying about the other instructions. God forgives and when a person has difficulty getting up and down off the floor, He understands.

What do I need to do more of? Prayer, especially when it comes to my thoughts. I need to give people the benefit of the doubt. I don't have to fall for everything they say, but I can smile and guide them to help if they need it. I also think I need to say the Long Healing prayer, the Tablet of Ahmad, and the Fire Tablet because this prayer help in spiritual growth. The main thing I need to do is make more of an effort to teach the faith, to tell others about Baha'u'llah, through my actions, thoughts, and my writings. I know that I need to make more of an effort in focusing on spiritual growth rather then material things or worrying.

NaNoWriMo Day 14 Evening Thoughts

The day moves forward. The sun sets behind the western mountains. The full moon prepares to rise about the Eastern peaks. It is a super moon that is rising behind Sunrise Mountain. According to the news, I should be able to see it about 5:30 PM. I'll keep an eye on the time so that I can see what the biggest super moon this year will look like.

The name of the November full moon is the Beaver moon. I find it interesting that each month the full moon has a different name. The names come from the mythology of the Native American tribes. I haven't did a lot of research on the names of the moons, which I'm going to have to do especially if I'm going to use the names in stories and poems. I wonder if the names of the moons have a spiritual significance in the Native American religion. Perhaps I should say religions because there are numerous tribes. I think most of the tribes worship the Great Spirit, their name for the creator of the universe. So I guess one could say religion without being wrong or needing to explain why I refer to it in the singular then the puerile.

Sometimes it's difficult to write 2,000 words in a single day. The problem is writing that many words and getting other stuff or rather other writing accomplished. I don't know what we have planned for Tuesday, I do know that Smith's will be calling me with a prescription. I just don't know exactly when. Hopefully they will call either on Tuesday or Wednesday that way I can pick it up on Thursday. I don't want to wait until Friday or Saturday to pick it up because I know there are other things to do on those days. Maybe I worry too much about mundane things. I know I worry too much about finances because everything turns out all right.

Worry interferes with spiritual growth. Worry causes me to forget to say prayers. It causes me to fantasize which isn't good for a spiritual attitude. I think I could write better if I made more of an effort to say prayers. If I have difficulty sleeping then I need to turn on the light and say prayers instead of staring at the ceiling. I think I've written this before. I've tried saying the prayers I've memorized, but I think I would do better if I opened my prayer book and said some of the longer prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah. I wonder what would happen if I said the Tablet of Ahmad or the Long Healing prayer before going to sleep.

Footnotes
1  http://writingthroughlife.com/7-journaling-prompts-for-exploring-spirituality/
2  ibid
3  ibid
4  ibid