None of us truly know where heaven is, or how heaven looks like, but we are all pretty sure it is a nice, beautiful and peaceful place. For most of us, waking up everyday to work or waking up knowing in the back of your head you've got all the commitments waiting for you. Must really be horrible right?
You'd be surprise but we have experienced heaven on earth many, many times actually. For some of us it could be our first job offer, first pregnancy, first car. Felt like you were on top of the world right?
Other nice feelings on this world could come from when you find yourself appreciating the beauty of mother nature - beautiful mountain scenery, seeing an amazing formation of birds take flight up in the blue skies or simply seeing a wonderful sunset right outside your office window.
For some of us, we find inner peace when stepping into a sacred place like a temple, church, or a simply a dedicated room for prayers. Sudden tranquil just flows around you right?
Those experiences I just mentioned above are some experiences many of us go through quite often at times but often taken for granted.
Most of us find it difficult to be at peace because of some of these simple factors, described by John Robinson:
Disbelief: Was disbelief your first response to my description of Heaven on Earth? Did you immediately dismiss the possibility of Heaven on Earth with all your objections? Disbelief prevents us from even considering the possibility of stepping into that Heaven that is already here.
Fear and Worry: When you worry and fret about problems, distressing thoughts prevent you from stopping to really see what's around you. Instead, you're living in a fear-driven mental world completely removed from the presence of Heaven on Earth.
Compulsivity: Instead of stopping to see where we are really are, we rush on to the next problem, worry, or self-improvement project. Driven by compulsivity, we rarely stop to "smell the roses" which is where the threshold to Heaven lies.
Here are some ways he describes to find heaven on earth:
1. Find a peaceful and pleasant place to stop everything. Disconnect from people, phones, and tasks, and be quiet for a few minutes. Breathe deeply, quiet your mind, and down shift from the world's hectic pace.
2. Find a peaceful and pleasant place to stop everything. Disconnect from people, phones, and tasks, and be quiet for a few minutes. Breathe deeply, quiet your mind, and down shift from the world's hectic pace.
3. Now stop thinking, heighten awareness, and begin examining the world just as it is, without names, ideas, judgments, or beliefs. Look at whatever is around you and see it as if for the very first time. Notice the colors, patterns, textures, and spatial arrangements of things, and how the subtly changing light affects their appearance. Open your senses, be utterly fascinated, and you will soon discover that the world is not what you think.
4. Bring love and joy to whatever you experience. You already know how to love, love everything unconditionally in this moment and see how the world changes before your eyes.
5. Finally, silently repeat the following simple phrase, "This is Heaven on Earth." As you do this, notice how your perception and feelings change further. You are now looking directly into the divine world.
Try it out! I am sure you'll see things under a different light. :)
____________________________________________________
John Robinson holds doctorates in clinical psychology and ministry and is an ordained interfaith minister, author, and mystic. He has taught extensively at men's gatherings, professional conferences, churches, hospitals, and retreat centers and is the author of three previous books on the interface of psychology and spirituality. His new book, 'Finding Heaven Here' (O-Books, 1/09), documents the chorus of mystics from across eras and traditions who tell us that Heaven on Earth is already here when you learn how to see.
You'd be surprise but we have experienced heaven on earth many, many times actually. For some of us it could be our first job offer, first pregnancy, first car. Felt like you were on top of the world right?
Other nice feelings on this world could come from when you find yourself appreciating the beauty of mother nature - beautiful mountain scenery, seeing an amazing formation of birds take flight up in the blue skies or simply seeing a wonderful sunset right outside your office window.
For some of us, we find inner peace when stepping into a sacred place like a temple, church, or a simply a dedicated room for prayers. Sudden tranquil just flows around you right?
Those experiences I just mentioned above are some experiences many of us go through quite often at times but often taken for granted.
Most of us find it difficult to be at peace because of some of these simple factors, described by John Robinson:
Disbelief: Was disbelief your first response to my description of Heaven on Earth? Did you immediately dismiss the possibility of Heaven on Earth with all your objections? Disbelief prevents us from even considering the possibility of stepping into that Heaven that is already here.
Fear and Worry: When you worry and fret about problems, distressing thoughts prevent you from stopping to really see what's around you. Instead, you're living in a fear-driven mental world completely removed from the presence of Heaven on Earth.
Compulsivity: Instead of stopping to see where we are really are, we rush on to the next problem, worry, or self-improvement project. Driven by compulsivity, we rarely stop to "smell the roses" which is where the threshold to Heaven lies.
Here are some ways he describes to find heaven on earth:
1. Find a peaceful and pleasant place to stop everything. Disconnect from people, phones, and tasks, and be quiet for a few minutes. Breathe deeply, quiet your mind, and down shift from the world's hectic pace.
2. Find a peaceful and pleasant place to stop everything. Disconnect from people, phones, and tasks, and be quiet for a few minutes. Breathe deeply, quiet your mind, and down shift from the world's hectic pace.
3. Now stop thinking, heighten awareness, and begin examining the world just as it is, without names, ideas, judgments, or beliefs. Look at whatever is around you and see it as if for the very first time. Notice the colors, patterns, textures, and spatial arrangements of things, and how the subtly changing light affects their appearance. Open your senses, be utterly fascinated, and you will soon discover that the world is not what you think.
4. Bring love and joy to whatever you experience. You already know how to love, love everything unconditionally in this moment and see how the world changes before your eyes.
5. Finally, silently repeat the following simple phrase, "This is Heaven on Earth." As you do this, notice how your perception and feelings change further. You are now looking directly into the divine world.
Try it out! I am sure you'll see things under a different light. :)
____________________________________________________
John Robinson holds doctorates in clinical psychology and ministry and is an ordained interfaith minister, author, and mystic. He has taught extensively at men's gatherings, professional conferences, churches, hospitals, and retreat centers and is the author of three previous books on the interface of psychology and spirituality. His new book, 'Finding Heaven Here' (O-Books, 1/09), documents the chorus of mystics from across eras and traditions who tell us that Heaven on Earth is already here when you learn how to see.
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