Aug
26
Speaking of Joan Borsyenko I was happy to discover her recent work, The Soul’s Compass, What is Spiritual Guidance? published by The Claritas Institute for Interspiritual Inquiry, which she founded jointly with her husband. Particularly germane in midlife as issues of authenticity and deeper purpose rise to the fore, she addresses the meaning and practice of spiritual guidance with characteristic clarity. Different from how it’s often understood and practiced today as seeking guidance in getting what you want – the kind of spiritual materialism that Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche identified many years ago – she describes spiritual guidance as tuning into a greater intelligence and “willing the good,” by tuning into what Life wants. The heart is magnetically attracted like a compass to this source of intelligence, orienting us to what harmonious and whole. Asking “Where’s the love in this choice?” can be used as a tool in spiritual discernment. Qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness may also arise, and offer a reliable guide to distinguish authentic guidance from ego-based states.
What is always welcome in Dr. Borsyenko’s work is its ecumenical nature. She sources sacred texts from the Torah to the New Testament, the Tao Te Ching to the Buddhist scriptures, the Vedantas to the Koran. She focuses on the aspects of living a spiritually guided life: (1) alignment: maintaining a direct and personal connection to the Source of our Being; (2) discernment: distinguishing the movement of Spirit in our lives from our own wants, fears and social conditioning; and (3) action: making our best, most inspired contribution to the evolution of life.
In this brief interview, she talks about trusting the unknown as a recurring theme, important because what we think we know is often what gets us into trouble. The spiritual journey begins when a crack appears in the wall of this supposed knowing, perhaps an illness or financial challenge that radically shifts priorities – and sheds light on unknown possibilities.
You can listen to Dr. Borsyenko’s interviews on Hay House Radio. (There’s a $4 monthly Wisdom Community membership fee to listen to their archived interviews.)
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