Peter M. Parr's Blog

One saying attributed to Jesus is: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4) I interpret this teaching to be about staying in touch with our true eternal Self, ‘that of God’ within, and allowing the Inner Light to guide us.

Historically, monastic communities have lived by a Rule. (An example is the Rule of St Benedict, written around 530 AD.) Recently, I’ve been drawn to creating and adopting a personal Rule which, when I follow it, can help me to cultivate Presence and remain more consistently in the Vine. This isn’t about a set of requirements for me to adhere to rigidly for their own sake. To borrow from another of Jesus’ teachings, “The Sabbath was made for us, not we for the Sabbath.”

Adopting a personal Rule is about living intentionally. Following a rhythm in daily life can help me to stay focused on entering into and dwelling within what Jesus called the ‘Kingdom of God’. For me, the Kingdom is not a place but a state of being. It is the awareness of the Presence of God. Acts of kindness, inner peace and other fruits of the Spirit will flow when we enter God’s Presence (here, now) and attend to the promptings of love and truth in our hearts.

I’ve kept my Rule short and simple. In discerning what to include, I’ve asked which of the practices I’ve already been following (though perhaps inconsistently) I have found most helpful in keeping me centred? What makes the biggest difference in how present I am and in how I live out my faith in the world? I’ve been honest about what I am ready to make a commitment to do regularly – even on those days when I’m tired, or don’t feel like it. For example, there’s no point in adopting a Rule that I’ll get up at 6am every day, go for a run and then meditate for an hour before breakfast if, after a day or two, I decide that’s too much for me and I quickly abandon a morning discipline altogether. I’ve also included one practice which I haven’t been doing very often, but which (informed by one of the Quaker advices and queries) I sense would be valuable to embed in my weekly routine.

I’ve arrived at three practices I’m going to commit to every day, four others that I’ll do one or more times a week, and two – including reflecting on the Rule and refining it in the light of experience – that I’ll do once a month.

What practices might you be ready to commit to as a way of helping you to dwell more consistently in the Vine, and to live with presence and love?

In this conversation with Emma Roberts for her Quakerology YouTube channel, I speak about my journey to Quakers, my spiritual practice (including present moment awareness and a monthly examen) and my understanding of Christianity.

With all that's going on in the world at the moment, it's easy to slip into having judgmental thoughts about people.

When I notice I'm judging someone, I remind myself, 'I am in God and God is in me. Therefore Love is my essence, my truth and my being' .

Then, as I think of the person I'm judging, I affirm, 'You are in God and God is in you. Love is your essence, your truth and your being' . I send them that energy of seeing who they really are, beneath all the ego and bluster.

This doesn't mean condoning unkindness in others... but it is a reminder that, whatever they may do, they too are children of God with that divine Essence within them.

Of course, this applies equally to politicians and world leaders and to those who 'push our buttons' much closer to home.

If God is love; and if we are created in the image and likeness of God, what does that say about who we are in our deepest, truest, nature?

For more inspiring photo quotes, follow  The Kindness of Presence  on Facebook.

In the neighbourhood where my aunt lives in Warsaw, they’ve installed some wonderful features to enhance the local environment – a culture centre, dancing fountains, 2 outdoor gyms. A family of beavers have taken up residence in the nearby lake too. In addition, there’s a pagoda with a Bell of World Peace.
 
World peace is a grand goal but, it feels to me, one that I can do little to bring about. What I can work on is inner peace – being at peace within myself. From a place of inner stillness and present-moment awareness, I can bring peace into my relationships and offer peaceful energy to those I think of or meet. Perhaps, in a small way, that is making a contribution to peace in the wider world. Of course, I frequently forget to be present – I get caught up in my own thinking, in my plans and general ‘busyness’. That is where a regular reminder to pause and to take a few deep, mindful, breaths can help. I can’t carry the Bell of World Peace around with me. (It’s a hefty thing!) But I’ve downloaded the excellent Plum Village app onto my phone and set it to sound a gong every 15 minutes – it’s my own, portable, Bell of Peace to recall me to the present moment and restore my mind to peace.

My new book,  The Kindness of Presence , is out now and Available from Amazon (eBook and paperback) or from the Quaker Bookshop at Friends House, London (high quality paperback edition).

Here's a quote:

"How can we let go of unkind thoughts and judgments? How can we forgive those who hurt us? How can we live not to serve our own selfish interests, but for the good of the Whole? This is where presence comes in. It is only when we are present that we can choose to be kind. When we are present, we can draw on the guidance and inspiration of Presence. Rather than react unconsciously, fighting ego in others from a place of ego in ourselves, we can be alert to the promptings of love and truth within. When we are guided by those promptings, the entire picture changes... Kindness can flow through us... We can be a loving presence in the world."

You see the flesh or recognize the Spirit... There is no choice in vision but this one. What you decide in this determines all you see, and think is real, and hold as true. On this one choice does all your world depend, for here have you established what you are, as flesh or Spirit in your own belief. If you choose flesh, you never will escape the body as your own reality, for you have chosen that you want it so. But choose the Spirit, and all Heaven bends to touch your eyes, and bless your holy sight, that you may see the world of flesh no more, except to heal and comfort and to bless. 
(A Course in Miracles, Chapter 31. VI.:1)

A Guided meditation based on Lesson 157 from the Workbook of  A Course in Miracles.

Excerpt:

Most of us live most of our days not being fully present. Our minds are somewhere else, imagining the future or reliving the past. And when we’re not present in the now, we can’t be present to our True Self.
 
Spirit guides us always, but we have to be present to discern Its leadings. When we are caught up in our own thought-processes – judging people and situations, analysing the past, or planning the future – we reinforce our sense of separation. We do not hear the Voice of Love, just as a blackbird might be singing outside our window and we do not notice it.
 
My state of mind – awareness – is central, because I can only choose a loving response in any situation if I am present enough to be able to choose my response. When I am not present, I react to situations automatically, based on pre-judgments and pre-conceptions.
 
The remedy is to return to that present state of mind – the decision maker – where I have the freedom to choose again. Then I can choose to listen to the Holy Spirit rather than ego. I can choose forgiveness rather than attack. Love rather than fear...

Blue tit:
"Good morning. I'm pecking on your kitchen window to call you back to the present moment. Simply look. Simply listen."