ZenGnostica

Hello world!

jdigilio — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:29:13 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting page you read on the web.
Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can always preview any post or edit it before you share it to the world.

Wisdom of the World: Sri Guru Granth Sahib & the Jewel of the Soul

jdigilio — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:51:45 +0000

“The jewel of the soul is priceless, and yet it is being squandered like this, in exchange for a mere shell.”

- Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Wisdom of the World: Sri Guru Granth Sahib & the Field of Karma

jdigilio — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:24:10 +0000

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karma.

~ Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Wisdom of the World: The Sri Guru Granth Sahib

jdigilio — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Wisdom of the World: The Sri Guru Granth Sahib – Introduction

Welcome to this first installment of the Wisdom of the World Series (WOWS) here on ZenGnostica. We will periodically be celebrating and sharing some of the most meaningful and beautiful passages from select sacred texts from around the world. We will do so without discrimination against belief system or any of the other factors that separate us as people of faith. We at ZenGnostica believe that shared faith can enrich this world of ours and help to heal centuries of division.

This March, we are featuring passages from the Sikh holy book, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is the final and eternal guru of our Sikh brothers and sisters, parts of which date as far back as 1469. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of hymns describing the qualities of God and why we should meditate on God’s name. Sikhs consider it the spiritual guide for all mankind.

Through the sharing of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib may we bring blessings to our Sikh brethren and benefit to the world. May we enrich our own spiritual paths.

The Holy Quran on Compulsion in Religion

jdigilio — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:29:41 +0000

Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clearly from error; whoever rejects evil and has faith in GOD has grasped the most trustworthy, unfailing handhold. And GOD hears and knows all things. GOD is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light.

- Quran 2:256-257

The Year of the Rabbit Cometh

jdigilio — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:22:16 +0000

Gung hay fat choi! May the new year bring us all peace, health, happiness, and prosperity!

February 3, 2011 will usher in Chinese (Lunar) New Year – the year 4079 to be exact. It is the year of the Golden Rabbit and an auspicious time to clean out the physical and spiritual refuse to begin anew. It is a time to spread hope, revere family and ancestors, celebrate life and love, and give thanks to the things and people that sustain us day to day. Here in Chicago, we will be celebrating in Chinatown with firecrackers, lion dances, food, and, of course, a parade. There will be plenty of jiaozi and niangao to go around!

The Chinese New Year is actually a 15 day celebration that differs in its practices regionally. From joyous meals to visiting family to special commemorations of the dearly departed, it is a busy 15 days. The Chinese or Lunar New Year is often observed not just by the Chinese per se, but by Taoists and Buddhists world wide. We Buddhists will be cleaning our altars, taking stock of our missteps, giving thanks for our successes, and ushering in the new year with prayers for peace.

If you were born in the years of 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 or 1999, you are a Rabbit. It is believed that Rabbits are: articulate, talented, ambitious, virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbits tend to be admired, trusted, and financially lucky. If this is you, this is your year!

May the Year of the Rabbit bring us all new hopes and the realization of many of our dreams.

Blessings for the New Year

jdigilio — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:02:07 +0000

As we gather now, at the closing of this year, we pause to give thanks for all that sustained us and supported us in the year now past. We give thanks for the love of family and friends, for food and shelter we enjoyed, for the good times and the bad. We give thanks to all who contributed to our well-being: the laborers, professionals, teachers, and so many others who touched us.

As we gather now, at the closing of this year, we cast off the defilements that hindered us and reminded us of our mortal fallibility in the year past. We ask forgiveness for our trespasses and offer forgiveness to those who have trespassed against us. We wipe clean the slates of our consciences, cast aside earthly guilt and blame, and cut the fetters of anger, hatred, and envy.

As we gather now, at the closing of this year, we greet the new year with prayers of peace and of hope. We stand before the future as brothers and sisters united in the light. We commit ourselves to alleviating the pain and suffering of our human family regardless of location. We embrace the new year as an opportunity to move closer towards that unity in the pleroma that is our promise and birthright.

Isaiah 7:14

jdigilio — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 06:57:18 +0000

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Challenge: Giving Thanks Daily

jdigilio — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:02:51 +0000

ZenGnostica has been a little quiet as of late. I have been preparing to relaunch and refocus in the new year. However, I could not let the holidays pass without doing something worthy of their spirit and meaning. Instead of a long rant on what Thanksgiving and Christmas mean to me and what I hope it means for you, I thought I would instead issue more of a challenge to action.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare wrote, “Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.” In other words, we can talk a thing to death, but unless we act on our words, they are nothing but wasted breath. Holidays and their meanings are just such an example. We can talk about warm feelings, peace, love, and brotherhood all we want. But if we never act to make them reality, they stay just words – the stuff of dreams.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in America. A day for family, friends, over indulgent eating . . . and ostensibly for giving thanks for the many good things we have experienced over the year. I fear that this message of gratitude is often lost among the celebrations, full tables, and eventual ramp up to the commercialism of Christmas. It is but a month of days that separates Thanksgiving from Christmas. For many, it is a non-stop party. Celebrate, we should! We must also not lose site of the meanings of these holidays. The best way to keep the message front and center is to act upon it. That is my challenge to each of you, my friends. Let’s all do something real, something positive together.

The Giving Thanks Daily Challenge 2010:

Between November 25 and December 25, can you name just one thing each day for which you are thankful? It could be anything – a special moment, a good friend, a fun activity . . . ANYTHING! The key here is not just to think up something, but to share it with the world. How you ask? Well . . .

Twitter: I am hoping that most of you will use Twitter. If you do not have an account, it is free and easy to create one. You get 140 characters to tell the world what you are thankful for. Start your entry with “#Thanksbe”. I have created an archive that will collect all tweets with that tag. We will be able to look back on Christmas and see what everyone has been sharing.
Facebook: Though I cannot archive Facebook posts, FB is another great option for sharing your daily thanks. Simply start your status entry with “Thanksbe” and tell what you are thankful for that day.

This challenge should be easy and fun. It does not take much time to write a sentence or two each day. You do not have to be American or Christian either. Just ignore the holidays and stick to the calendar dates. Remember, your first entry shold be on November 25 and your last one on December 25.

Me, I am thankful for awesome family and friends. I will be even more thankful if you could all join me in this challenge!

Happy Holidays!

- John, the ZenGnostic

Happy Diwali!

jdigilio — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:55:00 +0000

To all my Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Brothers and Sisters,

I apologize that this message is coming late, but I want to wish you and your families a Happy Diwali. Please keep me in your prayers this holiday.

May the divine light of diwali
spread into your Life
peace, prosperity, happiness
and good health.