Outline of the Keys
To be authentic, your spiritual practice must encompass all aspects of your life experience. Each of these Keys opens a door to a balanced, resilient, and more fulfilling life. Turn to them in the sacred moments and mundane hours.
DISCIPLINE
“Without discipline, there’s no life at all.” ~ Katherine Hepburn
The commitment you make to self-discipline weaves your spiritual practice into your daily life. That commitment nurtures mindfulness from disciplined moment to moment. You will find such discpline is its own reward, while it is also a continually renewed promise to yourself. It requires an ongoing effort to tame the distractions of ego, things, and people. Discipline is not a matter of piling up merit for yourself or honor in the eyes of others. In time, you discover that discipline and passion are twins, always found together.
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SIMPLICITY
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~ Hans Hofmann
Exposed to the summer sunlight of honest self-observation, most of us find contradictions. Check your mirror: we are constantly seduced by complexity, but often we escape the hard questions by allowing ourselves to be deceived by “simple” answers. Looking into it, we find true simplicity is not easy to achieve or sustain. Yet, by the simple practice of finding the sacred within the mundane, we reach the heart of our creative endeavors—and may find God, the simplest of all.
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PRAYER and MEDITATION
“A thought, even a possibility, can shatter and transform us.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Mother Teresa said, “Everything starts from prayer.” She did mean everything, and it’s a good place for you to start, too. While prayer is directed outward, meditation is directed inward: both take you to the same blessed place. All great traditions acknowledge prayer and meditation as the foundations of spiritual practice. There are many methods to tame the mind. The important work is to get in touch, so do not worry about an outer description of your inner experience.
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STUDY
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
You have at your fingertips the boundless library of all your friends along the path. Your task is to hone in on areas of study that serve you best. So build a foundation and the walls of your cathedral of knowldedge, and let it become a sacred place for you. Make your Study part of the spiritual practice, recognizing at the same time that acquired knowledge is not sufficient without direct experience. And relax, it is a lifelong pursuit.
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FAITH
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
First you must find faith in yourself and learn to nurture and sustain it. Then you can faithfully explore a spiritual path, or several. As you mature, you may align with a wordless faith in an inexpressible Unity and Mystery.
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DOUBT
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ~ Aristotle
No doubt you are in good company. You must ask yourself the hard questions, otherwise you lie to yourself. You cannot be fearless or certain, so be resolute and humble. You will always return to the Mystery.
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FORGIVENESS
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ~ Luke 6:36-38
It can be the hardest practice, but first forgive your limited, noble self. Then, you forgive others and allow yourself to be forgiven. Be sure, too, that you have been forgiven by God, however the Divine appears to you. Forgiveness, when fully embraced, blooms into unconditional Love.
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COMMUNITY
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one” ~ C.S. Lewis
No matter how lonely you feel at some points in your life, we share this journey. It is fundamentally human to celebrate and mourn together; indeed, that is how we survive. Sharing your gifts with your communities is the purpose for all this spiritual practice. This is also where we ask and answer the tough questions together. You are never alone. Don’t let others feel alone.
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CREATIVITY
“When the solution is simple, God is answering.” ~ Albert Einstein
Though most art and literature attempts exactly this expression, the deepest spiritual experiences do not come through our words and pictures. Nevertheless, you can celebrate the undeniable fact that your life and all you create within it are unique and therefore divine. Your life helps balance Chaos, the natural law that things fall apart. In your creative expression—be it art or daily life—you are intrinsically linked to God, the universal, continuing Creation.
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GRATITUDE
“Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.” ~ Kahlil Gibran
Thanksgiving is the most important practice, though sometimes most difficult to hold onto. You have so much to the thankful for, even in your darkest times. Gratitude is not just a good feeling; it requires your active participation. Let Gratitude become the essence and expression of your spiritual practice.
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Copyright © 2012 Gary Kliewer. Unless otherwise noted, all photos copyright © 2012 Eric Alan
