clinging

In his sermon, Doug Pratt discusses the constant struggle between spiritual aspirations and human fallibility, using the analogy of a 'gap' to describe this. He references the Apostle Paul's words in Romans about the internal struggle between sin and righteousness, relating it to everyday frustrations faced by individuals. Pratt mentions the tendency of people to either give up due to the difficulty of living up to spiritual standards or to lower these standards to attain comfort. He advises against these approaches, instead suggesting a path of confession, accepting God's forgiveness, forgiving oneself, and daily surrender to God's will. He emphasizes the importance of allowing Christ's spirit to work within individuals to overcome the 'gap' and experience spiritual growth, urging the congregation not to abandon their faith or lower their spiritual standards, but to keep striving for spiritual maturity with God's help.

www.venicepres.org

This talk was given at Empathic Practice in Pensacola, Florida on 6/26/23.

gulfcoastdharma.org

In this episode of the podcast, Margaret reflects on the concept of hope and clinging in situations where someone is sick, injured, or dying. She shares a personal anecdote of a friend's children contracting chicken pox and the introduction of a vaccine as an example of hope versus realism. Margaret then raises questions about the line between hope and clinging in scenarios where someone strives for healing beyond what is expected or accepted.

Margaret also shares a personal experience of her father's terminal lung cancer and the acceptance and preparation for his eventual passing. She reflects on the difference between acceptance and fatalism and the importance of not judging others' situations or reactions.

Margaret remembers an expression used by  Cayce Howe, who provided guidance and support while her husband was in hospice. "The living are dying and the dying are living," is discussed as a way to focus on the present moment and let go of attachment to desired outcomes. Margaret reminds us that it is not wrong to hope or accept expected outcomes, but clinging to desired outcomes can lead to suffering.

It is almost time for Season 3 of the Death Dhamma podcast! Yes, it is true. The first episode is coming on January 30, 2023. In this short trailer, Margaret Meloni introduces the topic of attachment and why we need to spend time on stories of clinging and aversion and how they expose us to dukkha. 

When someone you love dies, the most apparent form of attachment is your attachment to your relationship. Now your mother, father, partner, or friend has gone. He or she is not coming down the hall to have breakfast with you. You are not going on vacation together. He or she will not make you dinner, do the dishes, or take out the trash.

We also have attachments to things, roles, emotions, and surroundings.

A few days after my father died, my mother went to his closet and pulled out his clothing. She was distraught and could not stand to look at his things. At the time, I was shocked. On some level, I recognized that she was having an emotional reaction to his death, and seeing his clothing was triggering. A few weeks later, she had a similar episode as she walked down the hallway. She insisted that his computer desk must be removed and moved into the garage immediately. Fortunately, I was able to comply. She disliked seeing the things he used daily because he was no longer here, using those things. And seeing his jacket in the closet or his empty desk was breaking her heart.

There are many lessons for you in what you hang on to and what you push away. These are not simply lessons about our relationship with our loved ones. They are lessons about our relationship with ourselves and with life itself.

Often people would say to me, "You need to have more self-confidence." Over time I realized what I needed was God-confidence. I discovered I didn't trust God, which is the same as not being confident in Him. This podcast will help you to gain and grow in God-confidence. 

Contact me at emcreasman@aol.com 

The entire endorsement:

https://youtu.be/Mvlm3LKSlpU