I have indeed felt that expanse - when my feet bare felt earth soft and cold underneath. When my skin lie on hot white sand. When I watched the sun slowly over the day cast different light into the sky and then return back down again to bring the sky into her darkness.
We have in our faith (I'm Orthodox Christian) a prayer called the prayer of the heart. In fact, it is more of a concept which states that every prayer is articulated by and should stem from the mind, but the only way to connect to God goes through the heart. Meaning the only portal which gives access to the understanding and a state of mind close to the divine is the heart. Mind is still the place where all representations take place and no one (according to this concept) should ever let him/herself prone only to emotions, but the only way to reach God and have a glimpse of the world through His eyes is through the heart. Make of this what you like, Orthodox theology is filled with paradoxical truths, but I think it comes close to what you described in your text.
Hi there, I have been interested in Orthodox theology as well as the Orthodox monks and their prayer practices for a couple years now so I really appreciate your comment. It really accurately summarizes what I think I was trying to get at in the essay: living from the heart over the mind. And moreover living in communion with God in the heart space. Is what you are referring to the "nous"?
That may be, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to venture in making this connection. It happened that I was listening, just 1-2 days before I read your text, to the interpretation of the meaning/importance of the "prayer of the heart" from an important priest-theologian, so it was fresh in my mind and I thought to share it with you. What I can underline is that he insisted about the necessity to always use the mind to formulate the prayer, but, as he put it, the mind has to descend into the heart's home so the thought process doesn't remain cold and impersonal but able to identify God as a personal God, not an abstraction.
That sounds right. Cause when the prayer is in the head, it's a concept and intellectual. But when it enters the heart it's an experience. I have never been able to get my heart to pray unceasingly on it's own like the monks have. I always need my mind to direct it. I think it takes a lot of practice if I understand the concept correctly.
Also, if God lives in the heart of man, then wouldn't that be where we would meet with him?
Have you heard of the book, "My Elder Joseph The Hesychast"?
In what the late Saddam Hussein once dubbed “the great Satan,” roughly two-thirds of the United States enlisted military corps is white . . .
The fat, bulbous, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin once confirmed in a 93-2 vote of the U.S. Senate, immediately embarked on a whirlwind media tour of duty, telling the pseudo-secular sycophants in the state-controlled tabloid press and state-controlled television talk show circuit about how the U.S. Army is full of bad racist white men.
Senior Defense Department leaders celebrating yet another Pride Month at the Pentagon sounding the alarm about the rising number of state laws they say target the LGBTQ+ community, warned the trend is hurting the feelings of the armed forces . . . “LGBTQ plus and other diverse communities are under attack, just because they are different. Hate for hate’s sake,” said Gil Cisneros, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, who also serves as DoD’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.
And now the U.S. Army is doing ads begging for more young white males?
What happened?
Even with a full-on declaration of war from Congress, and even if Gavin Newsome could be cheated into the Oval Office by ZOG somehow, while Globohomo diversity brigades go door-to-door looking to impress American children into military service, they will be met with armed, well-trained opposition, the invasion at the Southern border is going full tilt, and the drugs are flowing in like never before . . .
With the borders of Europe and the USA wide open, civil warfare within the USA, Britain, and most of Europe is a certainty if foreign wars are initiated. Nobody is going to fight a war for Biden, he is dumber than Bush . . . Nobody is going to fight a war for that kikesucking Zionist ass-whore Nikki Haley, and I mean nobody.
Get ready for it . . . the fat old devil worshipping fags on Capitol Hill, on Wall Street, in Whitehall, and in Brussels are in no shape to fight a war themselves, and most Americans are armed to the teeth with their own guns . . . NATO hates heterosexual white men . . . they said so themselves . . .
Beautiful. Let's find moments to be free together this year. That's the only way to be free, in moments. Hot white sand and warm dog pats could be in our future.
This is beautifully written. I feel the weight of the chains you describe. It’s unfortunate that so many of us live so attached to urgency. Urgency to check email, check Facebook, check instagram. It’s become such a prominent part of our lives. We need to make more time for our minds to be quiet. I have not done yoga in probably 4 years. I know I need to get back to it as a way to relax. Maybe baby steps is what we all need to start with.
I feel like your response so succinctly explains the essence of what I was trying to get to - urgency vs. having quiet in the mind! I am relieved to know I am not the only one! I love you. Thank you for your always thoughtful responses and for reading <3
We have in our faith (I'm Orthodox Christian) a prayer called the prayer of the heart. In fact, it is more of a concept which states that every prayer is articulated by and should stem from the mind, but the only way to connect to God goes through the heart. Meaning the only portal which gives access to the understanding and a state of mind close to the divine is the heart. Mind is still the place where all representations take place and no one (according to this concept) should ever let him/herself prone only to emotions, but the only way to reach God and have a glimpse of the world through His eyes is through the heart. Make of this what you like, Orthodox theology is filled with paradoxical truths, but I think it comes close to what you described in your text.
Hi there, I have been interested in Orthodox theology as well as the Orthodox monks and their prayer practices for a couple years now so I really appreciate your comment. It really accurately summarizes what I think I was trying to get at in the essay: living from the heart over the mind. And moreover living in communion with God in the heart space. Is what you are referring to the "nous"?
That may be, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to venture in making this connection. It happened that I was listening, just 1-2 days before I read your text, to the interpretation of the meaning/importance of the "prayer of the heart" from an important priest-theologian, so it was fresh in my mind and I thought to share it with you. What I can underline is that he insisted about the necessity to always use the mind to formulate the prayer, but, as he put it, the mind has to descend into the heart's home so the thought process doesn't remain cold and impersonal but able to identify God as a personal God, not an abstraction.
That sounds right. Cause when the prayer is in the head, it's a concept and intellectual. But when it enters the heart it's an experience. I have never been able to get my heart to pray unceasingly on it's own like the monks have. I always need my mind to direct it. I think it takes a lot of practice if I understand the concept correctly.
Also, if God lives in the heart of man, then wouldn't that be where we would meet with him?
Have you heard of the book, "My Elder Joseph The Hesychast"?
In what the late Saddam Hussein once dubbed “the great Satan,” roughly two-thirds of the United States enlisted military corps is white . . .
The fat, bulbous, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin once confirmed in a 93-2 vote of the U.S. Senate, immediately embarked on a whirlwind media tour of duty, telling the pseudo-secular sycophants in the state-controlled tabloid press and state-controlled television talk show circuit about how the U.S. Army is full of bad racist white men.
Senior Defense Department leaders celebrating yet another Pride Month at the Pentagon sounding the alarm about the rising number of state laws they say target the LGBTQ+ community, warned the trend is hurting the feelings of the armed forces . . . “LGBTQ plus and other diverse communities are under attack, just because they are different. Hate for hate’s sake,” said Gil Cisneros, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, who also serves as DoD’s chief diversity and inclusion officer.
And now the U.S. Army is doing ads begging for more young white males?
What happened?
Even with a full-on declaration of war from Congress, and even if Gavin Newsome could be cheated into the Oval Office by ZOG somehow, while Globohomo diversity brigades go door-to-door looking to impress American children into military service, they will be met with armed, well-trained opposition, the invasion at the Southern border is going full tilt, and the drugs are flowing in like never before . . .
With the borders of Europe and the USA wide open, civil warfare within the USA, Britain, and most of Europe is a certainty if foreign wars are initiated. Nobody is going to fight a war for Biden, he is dumber than Bush . . . Nobody is going to fight a war for that kikesucking Zionist ass-whore Nikki Haley, and I mean nobody.
Get ready for it . . . the fat old devil worshipping fags on Capitol Hill, on Wall Street, in Whitehall, and in Brussels are in no shape to fight a war themselves, and most Americans are armed to the teeth with their own guns . . . NATO hates heterosexual white men . . . they said so themselves . . .
https://cwspangle.substack.com/i/138320669/nato-an-anti-white-and-anti-family-institution
Beautiful. Let's find moments to be free together this year. That's the only way to be free, in moments. Hot white sand and warm dog pats could be in our future.
Love this :) I'm looking forward to it!
This is beautifully written. I feel the weight of the chains you describe. It’s unfortunate that so many of us live so attached to urgency. Urgency to check email, check Facebook, check instagram. It’s become such a prominent part of our lives. We need to make more time for our minds to be quiet. I have not done yoga in probably 4 years. I know I need to get back to it as a way to relax. Maybe baby steps is what we all need to start with.
I feel like your response so succinctly explains the essence of what I was trying to get to - urgency vs. having quiet in the mind! I am relieved to know I am not the only one! I love you. Thank you for your always thoughtful responses and for reading <3
Thank you so much, Mark! That is a great piece of advise. To consciously separate from the machine and take time away from it all.