"Sage-ing"
excerpts from Aging on the Pathway of the Soul - World Goodwill Commentary No. 23
"Sage-ing is a process of
growth, says author Zalman Schacter-Shalomi. "People don't automatically
become sages simply by living to a great age. They become wise by
undertaking the inner work that leads in stages to expanded consciousness."
It is a path he describes as "spiritual eldering" - "an inner search for God, a
self-directed flowering of the spirit that unites all people in a common quest,
no matter what their (religious) affiliation."
"(since WWII)...a great door was opened for the inpouring of a new group of highly creative and awakened souls. They are flooding the world with their energy, stimulating both the good and the bad in the human condition, but overall, the effect has been extremely good. Much light has been shed on countless human problems never before addressed. It is hoped that this commentary will help to heighten awareness of the creative potential of our older citizens, and perhaps offer a fresh vision of new spiritual possibilities on the pathway of the soul."
"...what humans think, say and do in the world is largely conditioned by the presence or absence of soul consciousness and soul values. The soul's influence in a person's life - seen primarily in the qualities of light, love and will - is a matter of degree, the degree to which we are sensitive to our innermost self."
"A longer life provides humans with an opportunity to examine their lives in retrospect, to correct some of their mistakes, to get closer to the truth and to achieve a different understanding of the sense and value of their actions. This may well be the more important contribution of older people to the human community."
Historian Theodore Roszak,
in his book America the Wise, calls the baby-boomer generation the "New
People" and observes that "A new world is opening before us - not across the
seas, not in outer space, not in cyberspace, but in time. Living time.
Longevity is our voyage of discovery...a voyage that is so easily affordable
that money is the least interesting issue to address. Far most fascinating
are the powers of the mind, the resources of the spirit, that wait to be
explored."
"Aging on the pathway of the soul is a journey of revelation in consciousness. The pioneering work of spiritual eldering has already begun. The pathway in consciousness is being prepared for the full flowering of the human soul in the world. If the "New People" follow the wave and strive to seek their higher spiritual potential, the new millennium will be off to a good start. It will be a good time to be old.
from "Aging on the Pathway of the Soul"
World Goodwill Commentary No. 23
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