Spirituality Archives - Madhu Bazaz Wangu
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Spirituality

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Posted on September 27, 2026
in #Authentic Self, Flourishing, Meditation, Mindfulness and Travealing, Spirituality, Travel, Well Being
2 Comments

Our Itinarary (September 27-October 10 2026) Dear Readers, My husband, Manoj and I are going away for about two weeks on a river cruise on Seine River, France. We are leaving on Sunday and will return on October 10. For the next two weeks please enjoy reading the "Reflections" below about the meaning of God, Allah, Yahweh, Dao, Buddhachitta, Atman or any other name we give to the Cosmic Intelligence or Divine Within.Do you sometimes feel that something within you is wiser, kinder and more peaceful than you? Have there been moments when you’ve experienced this Self?For the next two weeks, I’d like you to read and reread what different philosophical, spiritual and religious traditions say about this wiser and kinder jewel deep within each one of us that I call...

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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Posted on September 23, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Awareness, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Attention and Awareness, Flourishing, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds
1 Comment

Do not confuse the whispers of the Authentic Self with the voice in your head. Perhaps you’ve not yet separated yourself from the chain of thoughts and still unconsciously identify with that voice that is loud, pessimistic and never stops talking. Begin to be more attentive. Learn to differentiate between that critic’s voice (harsh and unproductive) and gentle nudges of your Self that are unexpected, productive and wise.  When you make “focus on the breath” a daily routine, you’ll experience the presence of Awareness, presence of your higher Self. The whispers of your Authentic Self are from the one who is within you, who knows you, knows you more than you know yourself. This Self provides you freedom from your separate ego self. You may believe that your small ego self...

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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Posted on September 22, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Stillness and Solitude, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Awareness, Meditation, Sharper Brain after Retirement, Spirituality, Well Being
5 Comments

Do not confuse the whispers of the Authentic Self with the voice in your head. Perhaps you’ve not yet separated yourself from the chain of thoughts and still unconsciously identify with that voice that is loud, pessimistic and never stops talking. Begin to be more attentive. Learn to differentiate between that critic’s voice (harsh and unproductive) and gentle nudges of your Self that are unexpected, productive and wise.  When you make “focus on the breath” a daily routine, you’ll experience the presence of Awareness, presence of your higher Self. The whispers of your Authentic Self are from the one who is within you, who knows you, knows you more than you know yourself. This Self provides you freedom from your separate ego self. You may believe that your small ego self...

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Thursday, September 17, 2026

Posted on September 16, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Awareness, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Creativity, Imagination, Well Being
1 Comment

Spending some time with yourself makes the time you spend with others more pleasurable and playful. Similar to nourishment; solitude is one of the basic necessities. When you’re alone, at first you confront distractions from past and future floating in your mind. You mull over them. This is followed by self-enquiry. More often than not, you realize whatever recent “wrong” happened did not have much to do with her, him, or them, but with you. The negativity feel is ultimately a reflection of your own inner landscape. Slowly the thought settles and you’re back to your normal self. Only in silence can you mull over things and be fair to yourself and others. When you sit still quietly, pondering what you have encountered, how it has affected you, and how you have...

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Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Posted on September 14, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Awareness, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Journaling, Meditation, Originality, Spirituality
2 Comments

The day you don’t get time to meditate do this: two to three times a day, pause, take an inhale, then a long exhale and bring your mind to the present moment. Become aware of your body and senses. What do you see around you? What do you smell? What sounds do you hear? You are fully alive to the present moment! When you are Here and Now your awareness is one with you. With practice you learn to be with your inner Awareness. When you bask in the self-recognition of your aware self you feel the warmth of loving-kindness and peace. Present moment has two levels: the immediate one, the one we are familiar with. A bundle of our experiences—past and future in which we are constantly entangled. At this level we are not truly...

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Thursday, September 10, 2026

Posted on September 9, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Awareness, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Attention and Awareness, Spirituality, Well Being
2 Comments

Read this sentence“It is hard to clear 10-15 minutes in my daily schedule to sit still in silence and solitude.” How silly does it sound? Do you chat on the telephone, surf the internet, watch television? How long do you spend on any one of these passive diversions? Then, why do you find it difficult to find 10-15 minutes of quiet? Why do you think that it is a waste of time, especially now when you know it’s benefits? Sitting quietly provides time to settle the sediments of your mind and to become aware that something in you is aware of you being aware of these sediments. Reflect on this for a few minutes and know that as soon as you are aware your mind brings you to the present moment. That reflection makes...

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Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Posted on September 7, 2026
in #Authentic Self, #Nature Lover, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Awareness, Being in Nature, Flourishing, Meditation, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds, Spirituality
3 Comments

The practitioners of mindfulness meditation who sits in silence and solitude elevate themselves as they realize what it means to live in the awareness of the present moment. When we are aware we are lifted beyond our fleeting emotions and thoughts—painful or cheerful. We feel serenity and true peace. We sense, I’m not my ego self. I’m awareness that is one with the awareness of all—always peaceful and joyful. We are one with our Authentic Self which is always here, now and awake.  What is a life of contemplation? It is to realize that we come to the world alone and we leave alone. Our solitude may be absolute but our life is as meaningful as we make it. Our feelings, thoughts, sensations, activities and relationships are fleeting; but our Authentic Self abides. Those...

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Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Posted on August 17, 2026
in #Nature Lover, #Stillness, Silence, Solitude, Being in Nature, Imagination, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds, Mindfulness and Travealing, Travel, Walking
2 Comments

While traveling through the Canadian Rockies one of our stops was the Jasper Park Lodge in Fairmont. Our cabin was situated facing Lac Beauvert (pronounced: Lack Buh-vair), “beautiful green lake.” By this time we had seen, smelled, touched, and listened to so much natural beauty that we were emotionally overwhelmed, and the stamina squeezed out. But through the cabin window the mesmerizing view of the lake magnetized us. After enjoying a cup of hot tea, we decided to walk the trail that circled the lake. We must have walked for fifteen minutes or so when the view stopped me in my tracks. My heartbeats fastened. The surface of the crystal-clear turquoise water was shimmering silver; tiny shiny waves waltzing over large spherical stones. The reflections of distant mountain ranges—green at some places, blue...

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Thursday, 13 August, 2026

Posted on August 12, 2026
in #Story Telling, Awareness, Reading Books, Travel
2 Comments

Hayden Island, Portland, May 2021 From the Portland airport we took a cab to Red Lion Hotel on Jantzen Beach in Hayden Island, Oregon. The eastern sky threatened with thunderclouds, pouring down with vengeance, while the western sky welcomed us with dazzling sunlight.  Our hotel balcony overlooked the Columbia River, partly hidden behind pine trees. Was it the same river upon which Louis and Clark sailed with their crew? I couldn’t believe I was looking at it. How fortune! The next morning we walked to where our boat, “American Harmony,” was docked right behind the pines! Under the early morning sunlight the air was fresh. We continued walking on a trail that ran parallel to the river. Cumulus clouds announced themselves against the bright blue sky with such assurance that I straightened my...

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Tuesday, 11 August 2026

Posted on August 10, 2026
in #Nature Lover, #Stillness and Quietude, Being in Nature, Mindfulness and Travealing, Travel
2 Comments

Nature is imbued with numen (spirit). Rudolf Otto, the German phenomenologist of religions, qualified the numinous (spiritual) as being mysterium, fascinans et tremendum. In other words: mysterious, awe-inspiring, and filled with terror. He used the Latin phrase, Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans to describe the dual nature of the experience of the Holy or the Sacred. It encompasses both a terrifying and awe-inspiring aspect (tremendum) and a fascinating/alluring aspect (fascinans). He argued that this profound emotional experience was at the heart of the world religions. I have experienced this in nature which I regard as Sacred. I would like to share with you two such experiences, the first being fascinating and the second terror inspiring. #1 Awe Inspiring and AlluringOur stay at Denali National Park in Alaska remained covered with mist and clouds. The guide had promised an unforgettable view of...

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