BY DAVID RICKEY — January in northern California is usually a time of rain, cold, and a psychic hangover from the double-barreled Christmas and New Year holidays, which can tend to be anything but Holy days. After getting swept up in the maelstrom, let’s step back a bit a get some perspective. Thanksgiving is a good place to begin as both a word and place in time.

Being grateful for what we have, for what we experience — even for who we are — has a major effect on our daily life.

Gratitude comes from an awareness that this is not all just an accident. This morning, as I left for work, at about 5:30am . . . I was greeted by a clear night sky pocked with stars. Recently I read that we are “recycled stardust,” that the elements that make up our bodies had their origins in the ancient unfolding of the universe.

1,000 points of meditative light

Looking up at those stars I could feel a sense of belonging, that all that, out there, produced “me.” And you!

And probably other life forms that we don’t have the cognitive capacity to comprehend. This isn’t an accident. Scientists are discovering evidence of a directionality, a purpose that you and I participate in. Part of this purpose is consciousness.

We are here to experience this amazing universe. And what a gift that ability is!

An awareness of our emerging out of this 15-plus-billion-year evolutionary process can make us grateful for all that has gone on before our being here. And it can be the source of celebration of all that has emerged with us and supports our journey: the food we eat, the specially-blended air that we breathe, the exact temperatures and seasonal balances that support life here on Earth. It can also be the foundation of a sense that this is not so much about us, but that we are part of a process that is still unfolding, evolving now through our choices and actions.

Seeing light waves as the carrier of the cosmos’ intelligence

Christmas then becomes a celebration of the light that is the source of our life, and our wisdom.

When we speak of the “Light that shines in the darkness” we can recognize that Light is the essence of everything, the currency that transmits all intelligence and information, if you will.

The divinity that we participate in is now expressed in human form. The wisdom has incarnated. We may see this in Jesus, or in other great sages, but it is our truth as well. It is available to each of us if we will only quiet our chattering thoughts and tune into the greater wisdom that is our essence and has brought us here, and that urges us forward in responsible growth and expansion of capabilities.

The cyclical aspect of life, that gives expression in each New Year, shows us that there is forgiveness and the chance to “try anew.”

We too are evolving, and hopefully learning as we go. With gratitude for what brought us here, with a celebration and honoring of the wisdom that is available to us, and with the acceptance of both our failings and the possibilities of doing better and learning from our mistakes, we have all that we need to contribute to the future, to be an active part of the evolution of consciousness, of creating new and better life.

In this way, these holidays can indeed be Holy Days, days where we touch again the sacred truth of who we are and why we are here. This holiday can become a template for each day, living in gratitude, with wisdom, forgiveness and new resolve.

David Rickey is an Episcopal priest, Soul’s Code co-founder, and counselor in San Francisco who holds a weekly ministry at a residence for the elderly in northern California. Read David’s previous articles for Soul’s Code: Church for the 21st century: an oral and aural buffet we can all savor, and Mosques and the masks of God. Follow David on Twitter.

BY DAVID RICHO, author of Daring to Trust and 14 other books about spirituality and psychology — Annual planting among ancient peoples began with prayer that recalled how the gods performed this same task at the beginning of time. The human lifecycle, thus, became a repetition of a primal religious event.

Whatever happens every year becomes a promise in perpetuity, and thereby the phases of life and the seasons fit into a spiritual framework.

Among ancient peoples this fostered a sense of belonging here on earth.

Repetition and participation give humans roots: “I am real because I am part of something. I have a grander meaning than is outlined by my fragile body.”

Primitive religious peoples lived in a world that had an alternative meaning to the given one.

Pre-Columbian meso-Americans, 400 B.C.

Belief in a mirror universe to this one gives oppressed people a special hope which is missing from the society in which they live. In that other world rank, status, and hierarchy are all reversed.

This is the apocalyptic vision of a future equality in which goodness and justice triumphs. Here the persecuted will inherit the kingdom and will finally be honored. Such an anticipation and hearkens back to a primordial state, e.g., Eden.

The early Christians believed fervently in a parallel kingdom that defied and abrogated the Roman empire and all its power. In the apocalyptic kingdom God will fully approve the unapproved and the last shall be first.

In our contemporary world we do not have beliefs quite like this. But the collective unconscious can weave a web of myth and symbol that reconnects us with our origins. In the Jungian perspective the psyche is a source, not simply a depository of knowledge. This reflects the ancient views, especially those of Gnostics and alchemists.

Psychologically, we all have a need to trust that we are supported by powers that resemble us, nurture us in our life pursuits, and understand us compassionately.

Our modern egos may balk at this. They often drive us to want autonomy and independence at the cost of connection.

Actually, the ego does not have the ability to sustain itself independently. In addition, the ego fears independence and true freedom.

With independence it would lose its entitlement to be taken care of. With freedom it would lose its escape hatch of blaming others for what goes wrong. So we are searching for and demanding the impossible.

Left to ourselves, we homo-sapiens will spiral down into a cycle of destruction. Relying only on what is innate gives humanity no hope for survival. This is why spiritual teachers come along, so that we can survive and open to other wonderful possibilities in our nature. We were born with a proclivity toward spiritual practice just as we were born with an inclination to dance.

Huston Smith says that religions are to spirituality as universities are to education. You can get there without it but you will be traveling uphill. A spiritually-aware religion provides a platform, a framework in which to understand the world and ourselves. Then it can show us a path to love of the world and ourselves. In addition, when crisis hits, religion may not have an answer but when we come to believe that our suffering is shared by God, it becomes tolerable. Faith also promises that our power to love will not be lost no matter what occurs. In the Void, all of this may be hard to believe, but that, like everything, is temporary.

Religious beliefs are meant to help us accept reality as it is—including death and chance. Indeed we can learn from life itself which shows us so much when we use religious teachings as pointers. Our sacrifice is to give up the craving for absolutes and certitudes as our forms of safety and to use religion as a source and treasury of perennial wisdom and as a coping mechanism in a stressed and stressing world.

David Richo is the author of 15 books, including How to Be an Adult. A formerly active Catholic priest who has made Buddhism his personal practice, he is also a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in individual and couples counseling. Dave divides his practice between San Francisco and Santa Barbara, CA.

BY DAVID RICKEY — One of the miracle stories about Jesus that probably has actual truth behind it is the account of how he fed 5000 (or an additional 4000, according to Mark and Matthew). It’s framed as a miracle to impress upon us that Jesus is a powerful guy.

The version of that story that appears in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21) lends itself to a different interpretation, one that might hit closer to home.

The tale

The story begins with Jesus showing compassion for the multitudes who come to him and healing the sick among them. Late in the day, Jesus’ disciples come to him and say: “It’s late. Send the people away so they can get something to eat.” Jesus responds: “You give them something to eat.”

I find this interesting. Christ seems to be encouraging the disciples to perform a miracle themselves. They had been with Jesus for some time, studying, hopefully learning from him about the way life truly works. This is the time to see what they had learned. But their immediate response is: “There isn’t enough! Just five loaves and two fish!” I can imagine Jesus feeling frustrated—they haven’t gotten it yet! When he says “Bring them to me!” Jesus then prays, tears the loaves into pieces and gives them to the disciples, who begin to distribute them along with the fish.

Afterward, there is enough left over to fill twelve baskets. That’s the miracle! Isn’t Jesus amazing! But—maybe not. Looking a little deeper uncovers another reading that’s still miraculous, but something we could strive to attain in our own lives.

America’s debt scare and zero-sum-pie mindset

There was clearly a large community of people at this gathering, not just a lot of individuals waiting to get their share. Jesus first tells them to sit down; I imagine this was to get them to relax. Then, as the disciples started sharing the bread and fish, maybe someone in the crowd who also had a little bread and fish was moved to share what they had with people around them. And then more got the idea and started sharing what they had. Enough of this could have happened throughout the crowd that everyone ended up having enough and some to spare.

The disciples began from a position of scarcity. There isn’t enough! But as they began to share, to give away some of what little they had (five loaves and two fish would have been more than enough for Jesus and the disciples, others began to get the spirit and share what they had as well. And in fact there was an abundance, or at least enough to satisfy everyone with some left over. The miracle was that people in the crowd, and hopefully the disciples, learned to share.

This interpretation came to me while preparing for a Sunday sermon and watching the spectacle in Washington over the “debt crisis.” In reality, we’re not suffering from scarcity–nor abundance. Rather, we have a perception of scarcity and an underlying fear of loss of abundance.

Miracles are more like acts of viral inspiration

Spiritual teachers consistently point out the power of our thoughts. How we think governs our reality. On one very deep level this has to do with quantum physics and the Heisenberg Principle. But on a level I can actually wrap my mind around, this has to do with how my thoughts and beliefs affect the way I behave. When I am afraid that I won’t have enough, I tend to be less willing to share with others. And when enough of us share that fear, there actually isn’t enough to go around. Have you seen the ads for food savers telling about how much food we throw out? Most us buy more than we need because we fear that we’ll run out. In fact, I had a birthday party a few days ago, and the freezer is half-full of food I never got around to serving.

I believe that Jesus wasn’t trying to show off with the miracles he performed. Rather, he was trying to show us that the universe doesn’t work they way we fear it does. And the real miracles happen when our human consciousness changes. But as with the disciples, it doesn’t change until we experience the new, true reality. Perhaps that was why Jesus had the disciples pass out the bread and fish instead of doing it himself.

We have to experiment with new behaviors before we discover that they work. We are, I believe, in a new time of forced experimentation. Clearly the old ways aren’t working. Do we have the courage to try something new? True faith is not believing that Jesus performed miracles, but our having the courage to try performing a few ourselves.

David Rickey is an Episcopal priest, Soul’s Code co-founder and counselor in San Francisco who does a weekly ministry at a residence for the elderly in northern California. Follow David on Twitter.

Adapted from, Daring to Trust: Opening ourselves to Real Love and Intimacy, By DAVID RICHO — A compass is a trusty tool for a journey, and we can see the four directions that trust can take using the symbol of a compass. Draw a diagram to see for yourself.

Place the words “I TRUST” in the center with a circle around it.

In the East position write: “MYSELF”

In the West position, pencil in: “OTHERS”

South: “REALITY,” or “WHATEVER HAPPENS”  — or “HOW LIFE UNFOLDS.”

And finally, due North: Use whatever word that for you represents, “GOD” or a “HIGHER POWER.”

Chart your trust

Draw arrows from the center of the circle to each of the four points on the compass.

Notice the combination: A horizontal plane for people, and a vertical plane for powers that transcend our control. Draw curves around the face of the compass from north to east to south to west, and back to north.

It’s an illustration of how all the resources of trust connect and aid one another.

Now think of your most recent concern or problem — or how you handle things ordinarily. You can examine how you trust in each of the four directions when it comes to handling this, or any issue.

Through my work as a psychotherapist who has counselled thousands of patients over a lifetime — and research that has produced 14 books — I have developed a set of questions designed to gauge these axes of trust in your life.

Let each of your responses start you on a train of thought and feeling that can show you how to trust more fully and more effectively in each of the four resources. See them as allies in your dealing with your present, or any predicament.

An ally is anyone or anything that aids me in evolving, that wants or urges me to succeed, that coaches me toward my best good, that supports my self-discovery, that is my assisting force.

The first of these four dimensions is about self-trust, which is another way of saying freedom from fear.

Ask yourself:

How much do I trust myself?

1. What resources do you find in your body-mind, and how can you use them more?

2. How well can you rely on yourself to take action when you face a challenge?

3. What qualities, skills, and virtues do you trust in yourself?

4. What commitment will you make to stay with this issue by first pausing to contemplate it — and when you are ready, to address it so that it can be resolved?

The next dimension of trust relates to the level of trust in your relationships with those around you.

Next, how much do I trust others?

1. Asking for help is a way of learning to trust. What kind of support will you ask from your partner or closest friend?

2. What will you tell your family or friends so that they can be of help to you?

3. If people do not come through for you, what plan do you have to handle that disappointment?

4. If you fear or are embarrassed about asking for help, can you work on that by admitting your fear to yourself? If possible, fee. your fear fully, and sidestep being driven or stopped by the fear.

The third direction in your compass of trust is a dynamic I call, “core trust.”

What is “core” trust?

A trinity of questions to ask yourself:

How can you say yes unconditionally to what is happening so that you can gain the serenity to accept what cannot be changed?

How can you say yes unconditionally to what is happening so that you can gain the courage to change what can be changed?

How can you say yes unconditionally to your inner wisdom so that you can tell the difference between what can and cannot be changed?

Make a commitment to keep looking for what helps you trust that the universe keeps providing opportunities for practice, that this problem can further your evolution, that from it can come greater self-esteem and love for others.

The fourth quadrant in our matrix of trust is about your relationship to a higher power.

If appropriate to your belief system, use devotion and prayer to build your personal connection to God or to a higher power. Drop down into the deepest place in yourself where there is an infallible source of unconditional love, wisdom, and healing power — and then picture yourself bringing these three qualities to bear on the issue at hand. Imagine angels, saints, or Buddhas representing love, wisdom, and healing attending you now, and in every phase of the problem and its resolution. If these traditional images are not appropriate, use whatever works for you.

“Can I trust a higher power?”

Ask for the grace of trusting a higher power by using your own affirmations or by using the aspirations below. Regarding each of the four directions of trust use these affirmations:

May I grow in trust in myself by granting myself attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing.

May I grow in trust of others by asking for their support, appreciating their way of giving it, and not blame or punish them if they fail me.

May I grow in trust of my present predicament as a path to wholeness and higher spiritual consciousness by accepting my here and now situation with equanimity  — and with some sense of humor, too.

Quindio, Colombia: Photo by David Rickey

May I keep trusting graces from powers beyond my ego.

May I stay aware that they are everywhere and always with me.

May I feel how they guide, guard, comfort, and cheer me.

May I grow in steadfast faith that cosmic powers always and everywhere care about the evolution of all of us.

May I always be thankful for the graces that keep coming my way.

Now I am aware that the words, “I will fear no evil for thou art with me,” apply not only to a higher power.

They apply to all four of my trusty resources:

“I will fear no evil for I am with me.”

“I will fear no evil for others are with me.”

“I will fear no evil for the universe is with me.”

A litany of loving, trusting kindness

May what I go through in this crisis or concern be of help to all people everywhere who are suffering in the same way that I am. May whatever progress I make be of service to them, too.

May I trust that I will never lose my capacity to love no matter what happens to me, and may I always know that nothing is more important than that.

In this practice of recalling and joining with all people everywhere who suffer as we do, we no longer see our particular pain as unique to us. Our sense of comradeship leads to a “yes” to the given of universal suffering. This is what frees us from suffering as a victim rather than as a human among fellow humans.

We can also say that suffering is more than a given. It is a symptom of remaining caught in duality thinking — namely wanting something other than what’s going on at each moment, which is another way of saying not living in the now.

Buddha’s noble truths can perhaps be understood this way: Suffering happens in attachment to, or in avoidance, of the now. Once we let go into the moment, suffering becomes simply part of the experience of being alive.

David Richo is the author of 14 books, including How to Be an Adult in Relationships. A formerly-active Catholic priest who has made Buddhism his personal practice, he is also a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in individual and couples counselling. David’s newest book is Daring to Trust: Opening Ourselves to Real Love & Intimacy. His most recent workshop at California’s Esalen Institute was in June, 2011. His next appearance at the San Francisco Bay Area’s Spirit Rock Meditation Center will be Oct. 22, 2011.

BY DAVID RICKEY and RICK LEED — As we evolve, both scientific researchers and esoteric healers have advanced new therapies to treat our bodies and our minds but when we first hear of some of them we make a snap judgement that this sounds too wacky to be legit. We use words like voodoo medicine or magical thinking.

Think back to examples like quinine and willow bark — the former a tribal medicine used by Peruvian Indians, the latter an ‘old wives’ remedy. In the modern age, the first was prescribed by doctors as a treatment for malaria and the second in derivative form as aspirin.

Hundreds of health technologies — from acupuncture to hypnosis and artificial heart transplants to the freezing of cord-blood — were once thought to be voodoo and later proven to possess medical value. In that last example, we first read sketchy sounding reports a decade ago that people were having blood extracted from umbilical cords of their newborns cyrogenically frozen so that, in the event of illnesses like diabetes, doctors could later harvest miracle cells in the amniotic fluid for gene therapy.

It was a new science that few could wrap their heads around.

Saving your cells

Many laughed, and called it voodoo or exploitation of anxious, vulnerable new parents. But those who laughed and passed on that opportunity, lost out — or at least their kids did. Now radical new research is giving those parents a second chance. Will they laugh again when they read about a company called StemSave? It says that the promise of medical miracles from stem cells is locked within your family teeth: StemSave is generating a lot of chatter by harvesting the wisdom of DNA from wisdom teeth.

According to research published in peer-reviewed journals, the stem cells in our teeth are among the most powerful in the human body.  Stem cells from teeth replicate at a faster rate, and for a longer period of time, than do stem cells harvested from other tissues.

Wisdom teeth have smart cells

The irony is that living stem cells found within extracted teeth are routinely discarded by dentists every day as medical waste; In the next decade, perhaps any dentist who does that will be seen as out-dated as GP’s who once-upon-a-time suggested cigarettes as a sedative. StemSave enables you to save these cells for future use in developing medical treatments for your family.

Other expressions of the same ethos abound. RegeneRx, with the support of the National Institutes of Health, is making huge strides in applications that can turn cells on — and change the course of certain diseases.

Healing “technowledgies”

In the “soft” healing sciences, conventional institutions on the cutting-edge like Kaiser Permanente and Dr. Michael Benson’s Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are breaking new ground in incorporating the last technowledgies (our word) in Bio- and Psycho-Spiritual medicine.

Closer to home, check out our own teachers, like Vaishali or many of the articles in the Soul’s Code Science and The Brain category.

What do Spirituality and Science have to do with the Big Bang?

St. Paul, throughout his letters, disparaged the “flesh.” A much more enlightened writer, Teilhard de Chardin, said that we are Spiritual beings on a Human journey. One way or another, we are “stuck” in this fleshly body as long as we inhabit this planet. The “Good News” is that we now know a whole lot more about our “flesh,” and how it works then either of these two teachers. As our knowledge of being human evolves so do our treatments for these human bodies.

Being human is an amazing position to be in. We have evolved the ability to look at ourselves, our souls and bodies, and make ever more wise decisions. No other animal has come this far. In the last century we have discovered the interplay between our thoughts and our bodies, and we have uncovered some of the deepest secrets of our very flesh, even these genes which direct our growth and govern natural selection.

But at the same time, traditional medicine has reached a kind of limit as to what it can do to enhance or correct human existence. Our western hospital-health insurance model has become a bureaucratized medical industrial complex.

And it becomes more dysfunctional as it seeks to wrestle with rising costs, demands and diminishing resources, both in terms of care and the ability to embrace new therapies. Added to that is the “unevolved” mentality of some practitioners and funders, complicated by the spiritually unenlightened resistence to advanced study of the human being. There is the perceived notion that humans are somehow sacred and separate rather than just the latest stage of an evolutionary process going back to the big-bang.

There is no separation

Instead, we believe that the whole process is sacred. Divine Wisdom is inexorably unfolding in the physical reality of our universe. That deep wisdom needs to be applied to the advancements in genetic research and psycho-spiritual awareness.

The capability of tuning into that wisdom is part of the very process evolutionary progress in which we partake.

The final question: Will we evolve fast enough to heal ourselves and the Planet? Time will tell, but will we be here for the telling?

David Rickey is a psychotherapist, Episcopal priest and Soul’s Code co-founder; Rick Leed is a media mogul, investor in health sciences and chairman of Soul’s Code.