The Hungry Ghost

Dear Folks -

In Buddhism the ego is called "the hungry ghost." Though the ego
is essential for some aspects of living, it is a disaster to follow
it for insight about a spiritual path to walk. It's hunger for
answers leads us from the forever questioning mind that opens us up
to the mystical where everything belongs and "it is what it is." In
this talk I also talk about the fact that though Jesus was asked many
questions, he only answered three. For what those three are read on.
According to Richard Rohr there are two heresies that the hungry
ghost leads us to be guilty of - silliness and a loss of faith. I
give some examples of both of these heresies including
misunderstandings about the Christmas story.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

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Living in the Age of Unreason

Dear Folks -

Last week I spoke of how our hidden wounds from early life
determine so much of our unconscious behavior. This week I talk about
how if our attempt to experience the Sacred is frustrated we become
addicts. Though Carl Jung believed that substance addiction was a
frustrated attempt to experience the Sacred, I am contending that our
biggest addiction problem is not substances. Rather, we are addicted
to our thoughts and opinions. We relate to them as if they were
facts. I also talk about how in spiritual work there is "no free
lunch" and how important it is to know that God is not "out there."
This talk ends with a favorite story of mine about the student of
aikido encountering a violent drunk on a train in Tokyo.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

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Inner Liberation

Dear Folks -

For those of us who live privileged lives - and you do if you can
read this - we are not likely to be able to make much significant
difference in the world unless we seek what I'm calling "inner
liberation." In this talk I try to explain how the unconscious gets
formed and how, unless we recognize and bring into the open what is
there, the unconscious can make major decisions for us. The purpose
of our spiritual work is so that we can be free to live the lives we
were intended to live. This talk contains the origin of one of my
favorite phrases - "I want a new life and a day without fear." - as
well as Carlyle Marney's wonderful poem about the zoo that lives
inside each of us.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

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