Today's Encouraging Word

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Solitude is as indispensable to man’s spiritual welfare as sleep is to his bodily well-being; and pure thought, or meditation, which is evoked in solitude, is to the spirit what activity is to the body. As the body breaks down when deprived of the needful rest and sleep, so do the spirits of men break down when deprived of the necessary silence and solitude. Man, as a spiritual being, cannot be maintained in strength, uprightness, and peace except he periodically withdraw himself from the outer world of perishable things and reach inwardly towards the abiding and imperishable realities.

While a man is absorbed in the contemplation of inward realities he is receiving knowledge and power; he opens himself, like a flower, to the universal light of Truth, and receives and drinks in its life-imparting rays; he also goes to the eternal foundation of knowledge and quenches his thirst in its inspiring waters. Such a man gains, in one hour of concentrated thought, more essential knowledge than a whole year’s reading could impart. Being is infinite and knowledge is illimitable and its source inexhaustible, and he who draws upon the innermost depths of his being drinks from the spring of divine wisdom which can never run dry, and quaffs the waters of immortality…Man’s true Home is the Great Silence – this is the source of all that is real and abiding within him.

James Allen

(from Byways to Blessedness)

Today's Encouraging Word

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A man does not commence to truly live until he finds an immovable center within himself on which to regulate his life, and from which to draw his peace. If he trusts to that which fluctuates, he also will fluctuate; if he leans upon that which may be withdrawn he will fall and be bruised; if he looks for satisfaction in perishable accumulations he will starve for happiness in the midst of plenty…Be contented that others shall manage or mismanage their own little kingdom, and see to it that you reign strongly over your own. Your entire well-being and the well-being of the whole world lies there. You have a conscience, follow it; you have a mind, clarify it; you have a judgment, use and improve it; you have a will, employ and strengthen it; you have knowledge, increase it; there is a light within your soul, watch it, tend it, encourage it, shield it from the winds of passion, and help it to burn with a steadier and ever steadier radiance. Leave the world and come back to yourself. Think as a man, live as a man. Be rich in yourself, be complete in yourself. Find the abiding center within you and obey it.

James Allen

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Today's Encouraging Word

Life works by direct affirmation. There is no other way for it to work. This is why we are told to be still and know that all things are possible to God. We are told to affirm, positively to assert, to declare this truth, in the face of all apparent opposition; to proclaim abundance in the midst of poverty; to affirm health in the midst of sickness; to decree joy in the midst of sorrow; and to announce the kingdom of God here and now….Why are we told to do this? Because this is the way Life works. It knows nothing about discord or fear; It forever sings the song of Its own being. This song bursts forth from the joy of Its own inner wholeness. We, too, could become part of this celestial choir if we knew how rightly to affirm Life.

Ernest Holmes

Releasing Negative Imprints

L. Dwight Turner


When a person first discovers the principles and the power of the various spiritual laws the Creator has put at our disposal, he or she is often filled with hope, enthusiasm, and positive motivation. This is both natural and as it should be, because these principles are blessings that God has given us and intends for us to use, especially when we need to make major life changes in general and changes that help us to grow spiritually in particular.

However, all too often this initial burst of enthusiasm is dampened when, despite applying these powerful spiritual principles correctly, the spiritual aspirant seems to obtain minimal results. This can be a frustrating experience, especially for those who are sincere spiritual seekers that want to not only improve themselves, but the world around them. Invariably, however, most of us reach this point when we consistently work with the Laws of Manifestation. Indeed, this can be a highly critical crossroads along the journey of spiritual development. More than a few dedicated seekers have thrown in the towel when this sort of experience begins to repeat itself with regularity. Believe me, I know because I have been there – done that.

What is even more tragic about this situation is the reality that this crisis can be worked through without too much difficulty. All it takes is a degree of awareness regarding the less-than-pristine nature of our subconscious mind and knowledge of the proper prayer tools to deal with it.

The Laws of Manifestation, those principles at play when we work to bring something from the spiritual world into manifestation on the physical plane, would work perfectly all the time if they operated through perfectly pure minds in a perfectly pure world. The unfortunate reality is, however, neither the minds in question nor the world in which they operate are anywhere near pure. We all have subconscious patterns of belief that operate beyond our capacity to control them, largely because we are unaware of them. These patterns of belief can sometimes sabotage our best intentions and, if we want to become more adept at applying spiritual law, we have to deal with these subconscious themes.

Although these subconscious themes can be stubborn at times, I have found that the most direct, effective, and simple method of dealing with these obstacles is through positive prayer. In essence, we apply the principles of affirmative prayer to the very things that seem to be blocking our prayers in the first place. As ironic as it may seem, I have found this to be the most consistently effective tool.

With that said, let me share with you a simple prayer that I use when I run up against the sort of thing we are discussing in this post. If you so desire, give it a try. Like all affirmative prayer, the key is to generate feeling in your prayer and repeat it many times. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were your subconscious impediments and imprints. Likewise, they won’t crumble in a day, either. Here is the prayer:

Releasing Negative Imprints

Through the healing power of the God’s One True Light, I now release all negative imprints and impediments in my body, mind, will, and spirit. I release these personal delusions and they are no longer part of me, nor do they create obstacles to the perfect application of the Divine Laws of Manifestation. I am now cleansed and perfected – I am healed, healthy, happy, and whole.

By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the sacred name of Christ, so it is.

Amen.

© L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

The Art of Conscious Living: Meditation and Mindfulness

L. Dwight Turner

At times the search for happiness can take on the character of a greased pig at a county fair. Running, dodging, weaving, the porker seems to elude your grasp with the uncanny skills of an old Kung Fu master. And then, just when you think you have the hog in your clutches, it looks at you with a wry grin and slithers away, leaving you with an arm full of air and Oleo.

Dogen once compared enlightenment to “moonlight in a dew drop, dripping from a duck’s beak.” Or, was it a crane’s beak? I suspect it is the same either way. In a very similar vein, a very wise and eccentric old Daoist teacher I met when I lived in China said that catching a glimpse of pristine reality, shimmering in that sublime and sacred space between our thoughts, was like capturing a tiger in the ass of a gnat.

Aside from the obvious lessons here, Dogen’s teaching and that of the old Daoist both point to the fact that both happiness and the wisdom of enlightenment are found by being present to what I like to call “the divine moment.” It is precisely here, in the “sacred now” that we discover that for which many of us seek so diligently. It is right here, right now, right before us that we discover that which was never really hidden.


I don’t know about you, but I often struggle with the mindfulness necessary to discover the blessed pearls of the present moment. My mind, as the enlightened tell us, is like a monkey, jumping here, flitting there, and forever raising a ruckus of sound and fury. If this is true, and it certainly is, then my mind is often like a monkey on steroids. It just refuses to accept the tether I seek to employ. My mind, indeed, has a mind of its own.

Still, I refuse to give up on such an important issue. I make every effort to improve in this area of my life. To my way of thinking, the more mindful of the moment I am, the better my chance of discovering the divine in the mundane reality of daily living; blessings that I didn’t even know existed; and perhaps most important, messages God may have for me. I firmly believe that we often miss divine guidance because we don’t have ears to hear and the reason we don’t have ears to hear is that we are too busy and too noisy.

I have found that mindfulness and mediation are inseparable practices. The process of meditation is, in reality, an exercise in establishing mindfulness in a specific place for a specific amount of time. The object of our meditation may vary – it could be the breath, a mantra, a prayer, a candle flame, or whatever. You see, to meditate is to be mindful and I have found that the more often and the more consistent my meditation practice is, the more I am able to be mindful when I am not meditating.

Some people complicate mediation way too much. They either turn it into some arcane practice from Inner Bhutan, complete with Tibetan chants and visualizations of everything from Indra’s Net to Shiva’s phallus. It doesn’t have to be this way, really. Countless sages from every spiritual tradition will tell you that counting the breath is enough.

Meditation also involves getting off your cushion, mat, zafu, or what have you and taking that pristine awareness into the world of your daily living. I love the following words by Jon Kabat-Zinn about the essence of meditation and mindfulness:

We need to develop and refine our minds and its capacities for seeing and knowing, for recognizing and transcending whatever motives and concepts and habits of unawareness may have generated or compounded the difficulties we find ourselves embroiled within, a mind that knows and sees in new ways is motivated differently. This is the same as saying we need to return to our original, untouched, unconditioned mind.

How can we do this? Precisely by taking a moment to get out of our own way, to get outside of the stream of thought and sit by the bank and rest for a while in things as they are underneath our thinking, or as Soen Sa Nim liked to say, “before thinking.” That means being with what is for a moment, and trusting what is deepest and best in yourself, even if it doesn’t make any sense to the thinking mind.

From Kabat-Zinn’s words we can see that there is nothing mysterious, esoteric, or bizarre about this process of mindfulness. More than anything else, it is a simple and straightforward effort toward self-mastery, which is an essential goal on the path of spiritual evolution. Although many people tout the virtues of the undisciplined life and, as some say, “going with the flow,” this is in contradiction of the real Zen life. If you happen to be fully enlightened and your karmic debts have been paid in full, then you might consider going with the flow. If you happen, however, to be like most of us, you will readily admit to seeing through a glass darkly and that your karmic spreadsheet still has plenty of red ink. For most of us, going with the flow will garner an experience that resembles more than anything else, the life of a log.

Again, I return to the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, a man who lives his message of meditative mindfulness:

More than anything else, I have come to see meditation as an act of love, an inward gesture of benevolence and kindness toward ourselves and toward others, a gesture of the heart that recognizes our perfection even in our obvious imperfection, with all our shortcomings, our wounds, our attachments, our vexations, and our persistent habits of unawareness. It is a very brave gesture: to take one’s seat for a time and drop in on the present moment without adornment. In stopping, looking, and listening, in giving ourselves over to all our senses, including mind, in any moment, we are in that moment embodying what we hold most sacred in life. In making the gesture, which might include assuming a specific posture for formal meditation, but could also involve simply becoming more mindful or more forgiving of ourselves, immediately re-minds us and re-bodies us. In a sense, you could say it refreshes us, makes this moment fresh, timeless, free up, wide open. In such moments, we transcend who we think we are. We go beyond our stories and all our incessant thinking, however deep and important it sometimes is, and reside in seeing what is here to be seen and the direct, non-conceptual knowing of what is here to be known, which we don’t have to seek because it is already and always here…..In words, it may sound like an idealization. Experienced, it is merely what it is, life expressing itself, sentience quivering within infinity, with things just as they are.

From Kabat-Zinn’s description, it is obvious that coming to live in the present moment, to be mindfully attentive to what is happening in front of our eyes, is a spiritual experience of high significance. On rare occasions, we may be granted by grace a glimpse of this unadorned reality of “just what is” beyond our ideas about what is. These moments are personal epiphanies, always remembered and transformational in nature.

In essence, to meditate and become mindful in our comings, goings, risings, and fallings – in our successes and our failures and in our joys and our suffering – is indeed the experiential definition of a mainstay of the spiritual life: engagement.

To be engaged is to be truly alive, vital, involved, and useful. It is the foundation of all effective spiritual service. When we are mindful we can be engaged, and when we are engaged, really right there in our wholeness in the totality of the divine moment, we become part of the solution rather than the problem.

© L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

The Blessings of Expectancy

L. Dwight Turner

Over the past few days, we have explored two “Attitudes of Blessing,” enthusiasm and effort. Today we need to discuss yet another principle that builds a bridge between our enthusiasm and efforts and our desire goal: the principle of expectancy.
It is not enough to hope for the best. You must learn to give all that you can give and then, with an affirmative attitude, expect the best. All genuine spiritual traditions teach that we have within each of us a Higher Mind, a part of ourselves that has unlimited potential and is eternally optimistic. Higher Mind is but another way of describing what we at LifeBrook call our Sacred Self. When you are operating from your Higher Mind or your Sacred Self, know deep in your heart you cannot fail. As you learn to go deep within yourself and tap into the boundless resources that reside there, firmly know that your success is guaranteed. Be specific in your expectations, but be open that things may not be exactly as you planned - they may be better.

You will encounter these ideas in many schools of positive living. Although the words may vary, the principles remain constant:

Believe in yourself and your abilities.
Have positive and consistent confidence in yourself.
Demand the best from yourself.
Expect the best for yourself.

The central point is that positive expectancy is intimately connected with positive thinking. If you expect to improve, if you have positive faith and a positive desire, coupled with a firm plan and an enthusiastic attitude, then you will make every effort to improve. As we have seen, if you put for the effort you will improve. So it is right and reasonable to expect improvement. Do not entertain, even for a moment, the thought of defeat or failure.

Please understand that positive expectancy flows from two primary sources: faith in God and confidence in your abilities. God, our Divine Source, is not only a God of benevolence, but also a God of provision. Have faith in and operate on the belief that God has already equipped you with every blessing in the spiritual realm. The New Testament affirms this reality and, if you persist in your pursuit of spiritual excellence, so you’re your experience. So have faith in who and what God is and what has been provided for you. Also, continually strive to deepen the level of confidence you have in yourself. God does not want his children walking around thinking they are sinful worms that deserve nothing more than a bleak existence. Historically, some segments of the church have promoted this dismal assessment of the human condition. Some churches still do. Viewing humanity in this manner is not only erroneous, it ignores who and what we are when we are “in Christ.”

Keep your mind focused on the affirmative reality that you will improve. Make every effort to improve, and then expect the best result. If you do this you will foster success in all that you do. Again, I refer you to the wise words of Christian Larson:

“Do your best under every circumstance, and believe that every circumstance will give its best to you. Live for the realization of more life and for more efficient use of everything that proceeds from life. Desire eternally what you want; and act always as if every expectation were coming true.”

By expecting the best result you will become more efficient and more productive. You will have the constant realization that every effort you put forth will bring you that much closer to your goal. You will not waste your valuable "mind-power" on thoughts of defeat and failure, but instead, will focus your mental energy on that which you want to achieve. As a result, your sense of fulfillment in life will continue to increase. Larson continues:

“Think only of what you desire, and expect only what you desire….Make it a point to have definite results in mind at all times. Permit no thinking to be aimless. Every aimless thought is time and energy wasted, while every thought that is inspired with a definite aim will help to realize that aim. The whole power of your mind will work with you in realizing what you have in view.”

What profound truths are contained in Larson's words! "Every aimless thought is time and energy wasted". So give your thoughts aim and purpose. Think positive thoughts connected with your life goals and life mission. By doing so you are using the power of your mind to assist you in accomplishing great things. When you do this, you can expect nothing other than the best results.

(c) L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved

Living From Sacred Mind

L. Dwight Turner

Within each of us there exists a center of pure awareness, complete wisdom, and perfect wholeness. We may hear this Sacred part of ourselves called by divergent names, such as inner light, higher self, Self, Atman, Buddha Nature, Christ Within, and so on. I know it primarily as Sacred Mind and it is, among many other things, a pristine reflection of Divine Intelligence.

When I consistently live from my Sacred Mind my life runs smoothly. People, places, and things that once gave me major headaches now are at most, minor annoyances and many times not even that. When I live from Sacred Mind I am more like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field that Christ spoke so elegantly about. I don’t have to toil or spin, but instead, am more content to go with the perfect nature of things, exhibiting no resistance and manifesting perfect peace. When I operate from this perspective, I am practicing “wu wei,” the Daoist principle often translated as “doing nothing” but in fact, is doing everything at the perfect time.

When I live from my Sacred Mind, I practice Wu Wei naturally and without effort. Wu Wei that requires effort is not Wu Wei, but something else. Like the Tiger lying quietly in the grass watching a group of Impala, my Sacred Mind will tell me when to remain still and when to act. This way I practice Wu Wei, taking no uncertain or wasted action. I practice a perfect economy of energy. Externally I am doing nothing, but internally I am vigilant and am doing everything. When I act, like the Tiger when she strikes, there is no unnecessary action and no wasted qi. Instead, there is harmony of will, decision, and movement, all occurring within the realm of pure stillness. It is a perfect paradox and it is perfect. Nothing more need be said about it.

(c) L.D. Turner 2009/All Rights Reserved

The Blessings of Enthusiasm

L. Dwight Turner

“Never underestimate the power of a man on fire,” said my grandfather on numerous occasions as I was growing up. “He can accomplish more in an hour than 10 good men can manage in a week.”

What do you think my grandfather meant when he was talking about a “man on fire?” Why do you think he repeated this statement often enough that it became firmly established in my memory banks? The answers are simple. My grandfather wanted me to understand the importance of having enthusiasm. Moreover, he wanted to instill in me the motivational value of maintaining an enthusiastic attitude in life.

As usual, my grandfather was right on target with his assessment of the merit of developing enthusiasm. Along with a firm commitment to excellence and a positive, proactive attitude, enthusiasm helps form a positive, energetic foundation for spiritual formation.

Enthusiasm is the emotional corollary of positive thinking. Enthusiasm grows out of a love for what you are doing and a steadfast commitment to excellence. Nothing of lasting value in our lives is ever accomplished without an enthusiastic attitude. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” How true these words are. When we develop a true affection for what we are doing, our actions become more efficient and we devote ourselves more diligently and consistently to our work.

The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek language and implies “an absorbing or controlling passion of the mind by any interest or pursuit". A brief look at the Greek origins of the word gives us deeper insight into the definition and value of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is derived from two Greek words, “en” and “theos.” When combined to form the Greek word for enthusiasm the term is literally translated as “God in you,” or “God within.” or “full of God.” Thus, the whole concept of enthusiasm is spiritual from the beginning. When we are enthusiastic, we are in harmony with God and the Spirit within us. This harmonious relationship fills us with renewed energy, vitality, and an ability to be more effective at everything we put our hand to.

What does this mean in terms of our spiritual formation as Christians? It means that we must be committed to our growth in Christ. We must develop a passion for it and view the time we spend in pursuit of spiritual formation as time well spent. If we lack enthusiasm, we will advance slowly or fail completely. Enthusiasm gives drive to our dream. Further, enthusiasm gives emotional and psychological fuel to our growth and development on all levels. Christian Larson, tells us:

“…man gradually but surely grows into the likeness of that which he thinks of the most, and man thinks the most of what he loves the best. This is the law through which man has become what he is, and it is through the intelligent use of this law that man may change for the better and improve in any way desired.”

What is Larson trying to tell us? Quite simply, he is saying, "Learn to love what you are doing and you will increase your chances of success". If you want to improve as a Christ-follower you have to develop a passionate desire for the spiritual life. Become enthused, then maintain your enthusiasm at all cost. Edward B. Butler tells us that success depends on continued enthusiasm:

“One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life.”


Enthusiasm plays a central part in any successful life. Enthusiasm gives substance to our dreams and provides us with emotional motivation to stay the course toward our goals in spite of obstacles or setbacks. Popular Christian teacher Charles Swindoll reminds us:

“What an essential role enthusiasm plays in our lives! In many ways, it is the key ingredient that frees us from the cramping, dark, overheated confinement of a task. When the odds are against us, the hours are long, and the end is not yet in view, enthusiasm rescues us from the temptation to quit - or run away - or complain. It takes the grit and grind out of boredom. It calls in fresh troops when the battle gets long and the body gets weary. Athletes feed on it. Salesmen are motivated by it. Teachers count on it. Students fail without it. Leadership demands it. Projects are completed because of it.”

Another great fact about enthusiasm is that it is contagious. Have you ever been around a person who was truly enthusiastic, a person who really loved what they were doing and applied himself or herself whole-heartedly to the task they were pursuing? People like this often infect others with their sense of enthusiasm. One of my favorite quotations is by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism:

“Catch fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”

Surround yourself with people who are serious yet fun loving and enthusiastic about their walk of faith. Their enthusiasm will infect you and, in turn, make you more energetic and positive about your own spiritual practice. In turn, your enthusiasm can have a positive impact on others.

In conclusion, I encourage you to heed the message of my grandfather that was mentioned at the beginning of this article. Do all that you can to internalize a consistent attitude of enthusiasm, especially about your spiritual life, and strive in every way to manifest your enthusiasm in your daily life. Begin this process by going into your place of prayer and discussing the matter with God. Ask God to fill your being with enthusiasm and also ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit in terms of what you can do to foster a deepening sense of enthusiasm in your life.

If you are sincere about making enthusiasm a central part of your Christian character, you may be amazed at the results as the Holy Spirit works in you to conform you to the fullness of Christ. And don’t be surprised when one day people come from miles away, just to watch you burn.

© L.D. Turner 2008/All Rights Reserved