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Ritual, Andrew Cohen on spiritual evolution, rejoicing and more

Katinka - Spirituality — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:32:40 +0000

This is an overview of spiritual material I put online in the past month or so.
All Considering:

Great Spiritual Books, my reviews:

Andrew Cohen, Evolutionary Enlightenment: a new path to spiritual awakening (2)

Contemporary Buddhism

I could not become a Buddhist without still having some controversial opinions about the topic occasionally… my main spiritual blog will remain ‘All Considering’, but when I have something to say about Buddhism that doesn’t fit that general spiritual audience, I will say it here. I started out by writing down my notes on daily refuge: how to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha without losing a universal perspective. So far it’s not very controversial, but that may change.

Merry Christmas & overview of 2011

Katinka - Spirituality — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:44:27 +0000

2011 was a crucial year for me. My blog reached over 400 subscribers for a bit (now back at 390, still respectable obviously), I learned meditation, quit meditating and went back to meditating daily, I turned Buddhist officially, quit the Theosophical Society, had a serious back problem and recovered, dealt with nose issues that are getting better as well and enjoyed the fact that I can actually live and save on my online income. Due to my health problems I did NOT actually go to India, unfortunately. However, I do feel I learned quite a lot staying in The Netherlands. In fact I’d say this year was adventurous enough on many levels if not on the physical plane.

When you look at my best read posts of the year, you’ll mostly find posts from earlier years. The numbers after the year is the amount of visitors that post had according to my stats:

2012 promises to be a more down to earth year for me: I’m set to try and integrate what I learned in the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism into my own life, trying to continue my meditation practice and generally take it easy. I started a pottery class (yes, that bowl was my first finished product), something I really enjoy doing. I will be going back to university for a class or two, purely on a recreational basis. I have two lectures planned this spring: the one I’m most excited about giving is about health and spiritual transformation.

For the world in general 2012 is of course set to be a pivotal year if Maya prophecies are to be believed. Personally I think the world will not come to an end, but the Euro will probably continue to fall, the world wide economy looks like it’s in serious trouble and if the Euro does NOT survive I guess the environment may be the only (short-term) win.

Back to this blog: the 10 most popular posts written in 2011 were:

What they don’t tell you about meditation
The unsaid basics of meditation and life
Jiddu Krishnamurti as a man of his time
Best Buddhist Blogs
On how to stay celibate (which nobody felt brave enough to share on facebook btw)
Free will and karma
Is there something wrong with boredom, during meditation?
Sticking to one spiritual path, vs New Age shopping…
Channeling: real, unreal? Divine, human?
What we say, do, think and feel – why action matters

Themes I’m considering writing about in the new year include: 1) There is a considerable difference in the way I’ve always interpreted Blavatsky’s version of Karma and the standard Buddhist interpretation; 2) reincarnation vs rebirth and 3) questions about the soul and consciousness. I’ll also continue writing about whatever topics relevant to the spiritual path that seem worthwhile to me.

If you’ve read this far I do have one question: any topic suggestions? Anything you want to ask me, anything you think I SHOULD be writing about?

Oh, and expect the look of this blog to be updated within the next few weeks

Meditation, Buddhist Paths, Blogs and more: overview

Katinka - Spirituality — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:14:08 +0000

With Christmas and other holidays coming up, it’s perhaps not totally inappropriate to remind you all of my spiritual gift guides. Buy something off one of these pages and I get a nice commission: you help me make a living and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Given that it’s almost 2012 and I don’t expect the world to end, you might also want to stock up on a Spiritual calendar or datebook. If you want to give something not particularly spiritual you may like this list of gift ideas or my new gift blog.

But you don’t read this blog for that. So here’s my latest spiritual blog posts.

All Considering

Great spiritual books

Mirror of the free, Nicholas Swift: on the origin of the Tarot (Blavatsky inspired)
When the chocolate runs out, Lama Yeshe

My Spiritual Quotes

Lama Yeshe Quotes on Happiness – When the chocolate runs out

Overview last month: uncertainties, channeling, soul mate, action…

Katinka - Spirituality — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:27:30 +0000

Since my last overview I wrote the following blog posts on here:

I gave the following spiritual gift suggestions on several sites:

And wrote the following book reviews:

Yoga gifts, mindfulness books and more – New spiritual stuff online May 2011

Katinka - Spirituality — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:13:28 +0000

New on Katinka Hesselink Net

New on All Considering:

New spiritual book reviews:

New on squidoo:
May 2nd 2011: yoga gifts: Beautiful Yoga Statues, Figurines and Sculpture
A yoga statue makes a great gift. The yoga figurines on this page usually show the kind of back bending asana that has come to symbolize yoga in the common…

Yoga t-shirts for men
If you’re doing yoga and you’re a man, you will want to go to class well dressed. After all, there’s all those ladies there. Don’t worry about us thinking i…
June 1st 2011: Bible calendars and planners: 2012 Biblical calendars, Bible planners, organizers and date books
The Bible, the Word of God, the foundational text of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church and of course Judaism (if you take only the Torah). As Christi…
May 22nd 2011: Rumi quotes on life
What’s more important to us than Life? I would not know. These are some quotes of Jaladin Rumi, aka Mevlana, about this most important of issues to think ab…
May 17th: First Holy Communion explained for children
When your child is getting ready for their first communion, they’re also at the right age to learn more about their faith. The books on this page help you t…
May 11th: Buddha amulets from Thailand
Thai Buddha amulet pendants and charms
In the west we associate Buddhism with rationality, meditation and a spirituality that’s not in conflict with science. In Thailand however famous monks make…
Women spiritual teachers
Why is it that women outnumber men in most spiritual traditions, but it’s still usually men that take the lead? Or in other words, where are the women spiri…

India, Health, philosophy and more

Katinka - Spirituality — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:20:31 +0000

I find myself once more in a place of nothing, of transition. My health issues with my ears and breathing have returned with the second ear infection this year. I had told myself that if I had one more this year I would not go to India – so I’m not. I mean really, with sciatica added in the mix it’s just not a good idea to leave for a place where I probably can’t reach a doctor without help. Let alone a place where health care just isn’t at the level of Dutch health care. I find myself becoming very attached to Dutch health care as it turns out I need a lot of it…

At the same time I’m letting go of some of the conditionings the Theosophical Society left me with. See my recent post about Jiddu Krishnamurti for instance. Unlike some people have thought, it’s not so much a way of seeking permission to teach – as it is about being allowed to learn.

I guess part of the issue is not so much about what K meant, but how his teachings have influenced the people who in their turn influenced me. Influence… anathema to Krishnamurti himself, but a fact of human existence. And getting beyond conditioning is usually started by revolting against it. Which I guess is what I am doing even while I acknowledge that Krishnamurti has influenced my personal approach to spirituality as much as Blavatsky has.

I just spend a couple of hundred euros in a bookstore on philosophy books. Not going to India, combined with a lack of intellectual stimulus (aka: I’m bored) have combined in the following plan: studying philosophy. However, with recent cuts on university education in The Netherlands, this is an expensive plan. So I thought I’d first read some of the books that are part of the first year curriculum.

Being in transition is a familiar feeling for me, however it does get a bit tiresome. I’d so love to have a clear role in society, a path to walk that is clear cut and easy. It’s not to be. I’ll have to settle for living in the moment best I can.

The upshot is that financially I’m in somewhat safer waters these days. I’m even considering buying myself an apartment. Though going to college may make that something more of a long term project. Those who feel they can spare a little something to help me study and reach my other goals are of course welcome to Donate.

Anyhow: whenever the void I’m in brings insights I can put into words, I’ll share them here of course. For the present it seems likely to be less regular than I’ve been so far. What I have to say may become a bit more philosophical, as I study Western Philosophy and compare it to what I’ve learned of Eastern thought, but that still falls under the heading of considering all, and I hope you’ll all continue to enjoy what I write.

Start your own free spiritual blog

Katinka - Spirituality — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:11:18 +0000

I took over Mystic Minds two months ago because the owner just could not support it any more. Then, as you are all aware, sciatica intervened. However, I’ve now updated the CMS (WordPress) and opened the site open for new people.

That is: you can all start your own free spiritual blog there. It’s without ads right now, though that may change if the traffic picks up. If I do put up ads, there will be ad-sharing and the option to opt-out.

Any spiritual blog is welcome: from Christian mysticism to Aliens, from meditation to Muslim sufism, and anything in between.

Non-spiritual blogs and spam blogs will be deleted, obviously.

See the whole post, including some of the best spiritual content posted there so far.

New spiritual stuff online: Heretics, Gnostics and Christians

Katinka - Spirituality — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:25:46 +0000

Book review: Heretics, The Creation of Christianity, from the Gnostics to the Modern Church, by Jonathan Wright

Spiritual Valentine’s Day, theosophical meditation, Zen Mind

Katinka - Spirituality — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:14:12 +0000

New from me at various online hubs…

Theosophical Path of Meditation, Pablo Sender

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, Shunryu Suzuki review, quotes from this book about Zazen Meditation.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for women who don’t like jewelry

In general I think jewelry makes the best valentines gift. However, some women just don’t wear jewelry at all. Or they wear it so little they really don’t need their man to add to the collection. So what do you give them? On this page I’ve listed som…

Christian Tie Tacs, Men’s Rings and Cufflinks for Men

It’s always harder to find a guy a gift, than a girl. These jewelry pieces will grace your man’s arm, hand or tie, while also reminding him of his faith when things get tough. Shown here is a beautiful ONYX WITH CROSS & PRAYING HANDS MENS RING.
Yoga Valentine’s Day Spiritual Gifts: Not only is Yoga good for our body and mind, it also shares a deeper Spiritual resonance with Valentine’s. Yoga literally means “to unite” or “to become one”. What better way to celebrate this Valentine’s Day than by gifting your partner/friend/spou…
Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts for Christian Men: Bible is the scripture that I’ve read the most, and the thing that stands out for me is the emphasis Jesus puts on Love. Love – very rightly – is claimed by Jesus to be the most precious and important of human emotions. You can be fearless and be sh…
Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts for Muslim Men: Al Wadud – The Loving is one of the 99 names of Allah revealed in the Quran. This page aims to bring together a comprehensive collection of Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual gifts for Muslim Men. Present these beautiful gifts to your Valentine…
Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts for Wiccan Women: Wicca tradition states that the Universe is made from 5 elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth, plus Aether/Spirit, which unites the other four. Each element has been associated with a cardinal point of the compass; Air with east, Fire with south, Wa…
Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts for Wiccan Men: Wicca, also known as Witchcraft or the Craft, is a very modern religion. It developed in the first half of the twentieth century, primarily in England, and was popularized in the 1950′s and early 1960′s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner….
Valentine’s Day Spiritual and Religious Gifts for Hindu Men: Kamadeva carries a Sugarcane Bow and Floral Arrow, and like his Roman counterpart Cupid – the arrows give birth to desire. Kamadeva’s two wives are Rati and Priti. Rati is the one who gets prominence. Kama’s other companions are a cuckoo, a parrot,…
Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts for Sikh Men: Ik Omkar also spelt as Ikk Onkar is a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism. Barely a few centuries old – Sikhism has numerous stories of sacrifice, love, and bravery. Sikh Men and Women the world over try and emulate the examples of selfless living…

Valentine’s Day Spiritual and Religious Gifts for Hindu Women

Not all Hindu females are as beautiful as Deepika Padukone, however, I posted her picture as she in many ways represents the Feminine beauty idealized in Hindu/Indian society. Doesn’t really matter if your Valentine isn’t as beautiful as her. Love a…

Valentine’s Day Religious and Spiritual Gifts

Religion and Love are inseparable. Love, Faith, and Hope are said to be the most important things in human life – according to a scripture; and Love is said to be the most important as it strengthens the other two. I couldn’t agree more. We shouldn’…

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Katinka - Spirituality — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 12:42:43 +0000

I don’t know how your Christmas is, but ours in The Netherlands is white. I’ve skated on a local lake, one of the few where the ice is not too spoiled from snow, this morning. An uncle, my parents and my brothers will gather today in my parents house. My mom is happy to be cooking a Christmas meal in her own kitchen for the first time in years. In fact, the first time since I can remember, because we used to celebrate Christmas at my grandparent’s house. However, the mater familias (spelling?) is now aging and loosing her memory, so things are on a smaller scale for us now.

To make this post a bit more interesting, for those of you reading this who aren’t busy with family, here’s the ten posts that had most visitors over the past year.

10 simple mindfulness exercises

Buddha on Good and Bad Karma (quotes and explanation)

Did Buddhism win the best Religion of the world award?

The five stages of the soul transformation process: Michael Mirdad

If you see the Buddha, Kill Him – an old Zen koan

What’s the goal of the spiritual path?

The purpose of reincarnation

“Love is the opposite of fear” ?

Karma in the Bhagavad Gita

About the Importance of Religious Symbols

Whatever your circumstances, I wish you wisdom, health and happiness for the new year. And if that doesn’t transpire, at least the fortitude to hang in there.

All Considering » Uncategorized

Ritual, Andrew Cohen on spiritual evolution, rejoicing and more

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Merry Christmas & overview of 2011

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Meditation, Buddhist Paths, Blogs and more: overview

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Yoga gifts, mindfulness books and more – New spiritual stuff online May 2011

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India, Health, philosophy and more

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Start your own free spiritual blog

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New spiritual stuff online: Heretics, Gnostics and Christians

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Spiritual Valentine’s Day, theosophical meditation, Zen Mind

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Merry Christmas Everybody!

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