Hi Rosemary,
I saw your message about posting a call for participants in your upcoming research for your Master's thesis. I think this is wonderful, and you should absolutely do it! In fact, this is what I envision as the Alliance grows, that it will truly be a place where like-minded individuals can find resources and collectively support each other in bringing soul into the world.
I would suggest you post your call in the Forum section unless you have a better idea--Because that is open to everyone in the community, more people will see it there. Also, feel free to post it again in a few days or weeks if it gets buried before you get the responses you want.
Good luck, and let me know if I can help.
Bonnie
Replies
I'm SO SORRY, Linda! I was trying my darned-est to clarify the topic under discussion... not to further confuse my readers! Please forgive. Let’s begin with the first ambiguous term used – KENOSIS. It bears absolutely no resemblance to the concept of ketosis. Apologies again…
The term ‘kenosis’ emerges in the wake of sage words from Fr. Thomas Merton: “Before we can surrender ourselves we must become ourselves. For no one can give up what he does not possess.” In truth, this is a terrain that defies definition with words. Still, one can make an attempt by speaking from the murky misty intersection of experience and teaching. According to contemplative wisdom teacher and Episcopal priest Cynthia Bourgeault, the word “kenosis” derives from the Greek verb kenosein, which means “to empty oneself.” It’s important to notice that, from the start, this implies an action rather than an object. On the Christian contemplative path, The Rev. Bourgeault, Father Thomas Keating and others draw our attention to St. Paul’s use of this word in Philippians 2:9-16, “Though his state was that of God, yet he did not deem equality with God something that he should cling to. Rather, he emptied himself and assuming the state of a slave he was born in human likeness.”
Rev. Dr. Bourgeault writes, “self-emptying is the touchstone, the core reality underlying every moment of Jesus’ human journey… the full realization of his divine selfhood comes not through the concentration of being, but through a voluntary divestment of it…” and references Logion 21 in the Gospel of Thomas, where Jesus describes his students as small children living in a field not their own. When the landlords return and demand it back, the children return it by “simply stripping themselves and standing naked before them.” (excerpt taken from “The Luminous Gospels” by Bourgeault, Bauman and Bauman)
In some senses, ‘kenosis’ can also be viewed as the act of “surrender practice”. Surrender, some say, is the antidote to stress in a world that relentlessly conspires to interrupt creative thought. Surrender boosts our brain's endorphins--euphoric, opiate-like pain killers--and serotonin, a natural antidepressant; this allows one to relax, have more fun, and live more fully than ever before. These people say life becomes easier and even more blissful, when one can let go (if curious, see Dr. Orloff’s Ted-X talk http://youtu.be/Jv5tn4MPJV4 ).
I’ll get to the other points you raise in a later post. Thanks again for your proactive involvement, Linda!! Alan
Good morning Alan…you open apologizing when, in fact, you have nothing to apologize to me for...I am so relieved to hear from you that kenosis has absolutely nothing to do with ketosis…an abnormal increase of ketone bodies [accumulate in blood + urine] in abnormal conditions of impaired metabolism [diabetes mellitus]
Hi Rosemarie, Bonnie and Alan - Bonnie forwarded, encouraging me to participate in your research on "heart" awakening experiences....while walking in the valley of death, end times for my beloved sister and brother did 'tella-porta-potty' me into existential "angst" - provoked unthawing....or as I now call them - rude awakenings.....concerning my truth, deeper matters of residing in my heart.....
Good questions Alan:
5) need to look up the meaning of 'kenosis' as a theme, link to individuating and ? notion of unitive consciousness.....only familiar with ketosis in these moments.....
4) is it the heart or something else that is awakened or perhaps the ferment inherent using Ayahuasca in a shamanic guided ritual......
3) unfamiliar with "tikanga'.....need to look this one up too
Looks like what leads to the opening or awakening of one's heart sparks interest plus much potential for deep sharing....Peace + Love Linda
I'm very sorry, Rosemary (& BB) but I never noticed your call for research input. But may I chime into this topic "blind" and ask a few questions about your central thesis, please?
Thanks BB for bringing Rosemary's keenness to our attention! Can we chat some more?
Namaste, Alan