ground of being

Our quest for peace - contentment, rest, fulfillment - is, paradoxically, most often filled with frustration, anger, exhaustion, and even rage. Make more money, acquire necessary things, secure fulfilling relationships, and fulfill sensual desires.

Over and over again, great obstacles present themselves. Storms arise. Obstacles roll over us. People thwart us. Disasters destroy all that we have worked for and take away those that we love.

And when we find ourselves naked and afraid - when all is lost except loss itself - where do we go? What do we do?

We could, like the great phoenix, resolve to rise from the ashes and rebuild our lives by starting over and repeating our quest.

Or, perhaps we could reconsider the quest itself and reexamine what it is we seek.

If what we seek is peace, which is an inward state of being - a mode of consciousness - then why do we assume at the outset that our quest must be the triumphal conquest of external circumstance?

If what we truly desire is an inward oasis, then our quest must be an inner odyssey.

The journey to fulfillment lies wholly within. And the deeper we go, the more this truth becomes clear to us, until in our spirit we arrive at the very ground of our being and discover there that the truth really does set you free.

Source Scripture

Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49

Connect

Twitter: @AwestruckPod
Email: info@awestruckpodcast.com

Extras

The Awestruck Podcast musical playlist 
(Apple I Spotify)

The full text of this podcast can be found in the transcript of this edition or at the following link:

https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/09/a-gentle-plea-for-buddhisto-christian.html

Please feel to post any comments you have about this episode there.

Music, "New Heaven", written by Andrew J. Brown and played by Chris Ingham (piano), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Russ Morgan (drums) and Andrew J. Brown (double bass)

Thanks for listening. Just to note that all the texts of these podcasts are available on my blog. You'll also find there a brief biography, info about my career as a musician, & some photography. Feel free to drop by & say hello. Email: caute.brown[at]gmail.com

The full text of this podcast can be found in the transcript of this edition or at the following link:

https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/07/constancy-and-change-are-not-opposed.html

Please feel to post any comments you have about this episode there.

Music, "New Heaven", written by Andrew J. Brown and played by Chris Ingham (piano), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Russ Morgan (drums) and Andrew J. Brown (double bass)

Thanks for listening. Just to note that all the texts of these podcasts are available on my blog. You'll also find there a brief biography, info about my career as a musician, & some photography. Feel free to drop by & say hello. Email: caute.brown[at]gmail.com

The full text of this podcast can be found in the transcript of this edition or at the following link:

https://andrewjbrown.blogspot.com/2022/04/be-ignited-or-be-gone-becoming.html

Please feel to post any comments you have about this episode there.

Full details (and a representative recording) of the Service of Mindful Meditation mentioned in this episode can be found at the following link:

https://www.cambridgeunitarian.org/morning-service/ 

A fuller unfolding of some of the key themes alluded to in this piece (and few others besides!) can be found at the following links:

The freedom to be tomorrow what we are not today—Part One: A Beginning

The freedom to be tomorrow what we are not today—Part Two: Becoming Free Spirits

The freedom to be tomorrow what we are not today—Parts Three & Four: Becoming Archaeologists of Morning & men and women without a position

The freedom to be tomorrow what we are not today—Part Five: A Short Postscript, June 2021

Music, "New Heaven", written by Andrew J. Brown and played by Chris Ingham (piano), Paul Higgs (trumpet), Russ Morgan (drums) and Andrew J. Brown (double bass)

Thanks for listening. Just to note that all the texts of these podcasts are available on my blog. You'll also find there a brief biography, info about my career as a musician, & some photography. Feel free to drop by & say hello. Email: caute.brown[at]gmail.com