Expanding Horizons

The non-canonical "Gospel of Thomas", an early Christian document discovered in 1945, supports the idea that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is within us all. Kris reads many of the "sayings of Yeshua" from the document and explains that while the author and exact dating of this document is somewhat uncertain, it can certainly provide inspiration for open-minded seekers of the spirit today.

Anam Cara in Celtic means "soul friend". It is also the name of the first book by Irish writer and philosopher John O'Donohue. Kris here gives an introduction to the man and his spiritual teachings, framed by his poetic, mystical writings on nature, the soul, love, and personal growth. 

While the "self" is hard to define and its existence is even debateable, it can serve as a useful metaphor. Here, Kris describes the inner work we do along our spiritual path as five ways of working with our "self" in order to become more compassionate and wise.

In this episode, Kris tells the story of Krishnamurti, one of the 20th centuries most renowned spiritual teachers. Krishnamurti was recruited at an early age by leaders of the Theosophy movement and trained with the expectation that he would become a messianic World Teacher. As an adult, after experiencing a spiritual awakening, he parted ways with the Theosophy movement. He continued to teach and write, promoting freedom from religious dogma, direct perception and self-understanding as the essentials of a spiritual life.

This week, we welcome the Rabbi Frankie Salzman of Beit Shalom Synagogue to give the address, accompanied by readings selected by Kris. Rabbi Salzman discusses an ancient question from the rabbinical literature which challenged two eminent Rabbis to "explain the entire Torah (Jewish scripture) while the listener stands on one foot!" You can settle back in your seat to listen to the answer, which provides an essential rule well worth living by.

At the Shady Grove hostel, with a view of the bush behind him, Kris led the gathering in a contemplation of the role of Nature in our spiritual lives. Listen on for poetry, readings and quotes, plus a surprise offering of yidaki (didgeridoo) music by our friend Wayne.

In the fourth and final part of a series of services inspired by the biblical Book of Mark, Kris extracts more insights from the core teachings of Yeshuah. Yeshuah's final message to his disciples to "stay awake and keep watch" is still very relevant for us today.

Note: The previous episodes in this series were published on June 2nd, 16th and 23rd.

Mark presents Yeshuah as a great teacher and healer. Faith healers were numerous in Yeshuah's time, and Kris points out that even today, we sometimes think of our suffering as caused by metaphorical demons, for example, "the demon of guilt". Although the stories in Mark show Yeshuah as having the miraculous powers expected of a Jewish Messiah, his teachings were critical of traditional Jewish law and the expectation that the Messiah would become the earthly ruler of the Jews. Listen on to hear how these teachings can be helpful on your spiritual path, even if not taken literally.

Following on from his overview of the Book of Mark two weeks ago, Kris shares the beginning of the story of Yeshuah as told by Mark, and suggests some messages that people on a progressive spiritual path can take to heart. For example, what do the teachings of Yeshuah have in common with Taoism? Listen and find out!

This week, Kris invited a guest, Colin Darcy, from the Theosophical Society in Adelaide to speak about the organisation's principles and history. Theosophy was born in the late 19th Century, when spiritual teachings of "the East" were beginning to attract interest among those in the West who were dissatisfied with traditional Christianity. Listen to find out more about the charismatic founders of the movement, their legacy, and similarities to Unitarianism.