We spend much of our time building our material houses.
What then of our spiritual house? Which gives the greater
protection from the storms and tempests of the mind?
-Joseph Raffa
What matters most?
Tag Archives: Joseph Raffa
A new day dawning
Kitchen Table Philosopher JOSEPH RAFFA looks ahead to a time of transformation.
A new day is slowly dawning for humankind. The day of the humanist, of the materialist, of the intellectual dominance of the human expression is on the way out. The day of a spiritually awakened humankind is on the way in.
As it takes over, every social aspect will be transformed. Relationships, science, medicine, politics, day to day living – every social strata will be affected.
The old attitudes will be bulldozed aside by the influx of a new understanding. Resistance to change will melt away before the awesome power of the new spirit that will be abroad in humankind.
Look out selfishness, envy, greed, everything negative and disruptive in human nature. Love, like you’ve never known before, is coming. God’s love – Universal love – open wide the channels tightly closed for centuries and let it through.
Step out of the darkness, humankind, into the light of a brand new living that glows with the Sunshine of Love.
Step aside, hard-headed intellect. You’ve had your way. The suffering has been too much. Intolerable, the separation from all that is warm, gentle and considerate.
A new spirit is urging to show what it can do. There’s enthusiasm inside, a youthful outlook, all the desirable qualities that have been dammed back – wanting to surge outwards.
Who wants to dance the new steps of love, in tune with a universal melody? Come then and join the universal rhythm. Blend with its timeless beat, then dance out and express the joy that arises.
Cast aside the pain of living, the intellectual struggles and striving of the vagabond that travels the highways and byways of time looking for a home.
Humankind, too long you’ve been lost in time. Come on home. Love is waiting to enfold you – to smooth away all the heartaches caused by separation.
Castaway that you are, leave the vale of time. Join the Sunshine of Love, just for a moment. See how it opens your eyes.
You’ve heard the saying “Home is where the heart is.” Go then, to the Silent Heart of humankind and there you will find love waiting to greet you. You will never be the same again.
Live free of corruption
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa asks if corruption is endemic to human nature…
Corruption has been exposed over the years in sport, politics, science, in fact in most areas where people come together to compete, to achieve, in a bid for power or to accumulate wealth.
Is corruption then, in some form, endemic in the human race? Why are people in prominent positions prepared to risk all for the dubious returns that corruption offers?
Regardless of good intentions, protective legislation, watch dog committees, nothing seems to halt the movement of corruption, sometime, somewhere. Always it looms as an offering of worthwhile value. Those who are initially confronted with a choice yield for one reason or another, then they are caught in a web of devious deception from which it is difficult to extricate oneself.
Are we helpless then to halt the tide of its movement? No. Humans have always been endowed with an inner capacity, a universal nature, the discovery of which releases a deeper perception of the extent and depth of corruption in the human expression.
In many it may not be the spectacular kind that holds the media attention or brings forth investigative committees, but to individuals learning to live corruption free lives it is of profound importance to understand and eradicate every aspect of corruption that bids to settle in the mind. Not only the forms of corruption that are easily recognised as such but also the lesser ones which society may even accept as being worthwhile behaviour.
The end of dreaming
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa asks what is left of the knowing mind when the dream is ended…
Every concept shattered beyond recall. You, me, God, Void, Ultimate Reality. All projected by the mind as stepping stones to feed its urge for knowledge, its need to relate to something.
What is left now the dream has ended? The creative flow of experience, crystalising through the senses as forms, colours, shapes. Feeling to the touch. Sight for the eyes. Sound for the ears. Smells for the nose. A world for the mind. This is our life.
When all this ceases, what is left for the mind to know? What is left of the knowing mind?
We say “God is left, or the Ultimate, or a Strangeness”. We speak with such certitude of the unmentionable, the unseeable, the unknowable, the unthinkable.
How did we get into this? What lure is cast our way? We drift along life’s highway, singing or sorrowing as we go.
Then suddenly, a voice speaks out: “Man – you have a spiritual nature.”
We pack our bags and go. Where? Away from space and time. Away from mind.
To land where? Into uncertainty. Into a vast unknown.
How can we say this? Because it happens. Because it is so.
Don’t ask for explanations. Just go and see what follows.
And if perchance you find the words to express the wonder of that strange unknown, well, good luck to you. For those before you who dwelt there for a moment, were silenced by its nature, all they would say was “It is”. That’s all. “It is” or “That I am”. And perhaps, even this is far too much to say.
If you would like to read more of Joseph’s spiritual writing, it is now available from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
The heart whispers
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa asks if you will listen to the whispers of the heart or stay anchored in mind misery.
Ever got to a stage in life where you feel jaded, drained of energy, without any enjoyment to lighten up your life? Then face it friend, you are on a treadmill where the daily grind has taken over. And who or what is responsible? You are. You’ve allowed the mind to take over with its demands and desires, its over-riding ideas to do this and that, its drive for more and more – security, comfort, nicknacks, gadgets. Oh, there is no end to the demands of the mind.
So, we listen to the mind, going where it tells us, doing what it demands. We ignore how we feel deep down, ignore the need for rest and relaxation, to be lighthearted. There comes a time where we get to the end of the line, when we’ve had enough, when we are so saturated with the mind and its persistent endeavours to completely control the course of our life that we want to throw it all away and feel fresh and brand new again.
Some opt for an outer change, a holiday, change jobs or homes, rearrange routines to try to unload some of the burden. You may have tried some or all of this. But take a look at what is going on. It’s the same old tired troublemaker in charge, in control, trying to jazz up a life that has gone stale. The wear and tear mind, fed up with the results of what it has created, is off in a different direction in the search for a pick me up, for a return to the fun it had long ago when life was young and new and a great adventure.
Outer change serves for a while. We feel somewhat rested and interest is renewed. Then that same old bugbear takes over again, the wear and tear mind, the know-all mind, the source and cause of all our troubles is back to lead us down the same weary pathway. And why? Because it doesn’t know any better. Concern drives the mind. Self protection drives the mind. It’s always busy looking after all the demands of the self. There is no peace, no joy and little rest while little mind is in charge. Mind is the ruthless overseer, cracking the whip of pressure, driving the body onwards, subduing any feelings to be otherwise than on the go, go, go.
Until from within, the cry goes out, “Enough of this.” Tears that act as a temporary release may flow, then a tug of war may follow. The inner insists on a change of direction but old man mind, knowing nothing else urges onwards in the usual way and clings to everything it is familiar with in spite of the pain. There must come a time when we tire of mind, of the thinking, the doing, the acting, all the busy stuff the mind does in defence of and to expand the self. This is an indication that the heart is beginning to stir, that it wants to be listened to. The heart speaks not in the language of thoughts and words but with feelings, with longings for an expansive life uncluttered by the rubbish left by the mind.
Will we listen then, to the whispers of the heart or, will we stay anchored in the mind and the misery it creates? In life we need both mind as the doer, the action side and the heart as the source of renewal. From the heart comes gentle, caring living, the appreciation of the wonder, the beauty of life, of all the magic moments that unfold from day to day. It’s not that the mind means to mess things up. It’s just lost its way. Like a child lost in the wonderland of time, it runs here, there, everywhere, eager to have everything, to taste what it can – quickly. The heart acts as a counterbalance to all this driving action. It’s like a rider who pulls on the reins to check the erratic breakaway gallop of a horse.
The trouble is, the mind has been in control for so long. It gets itself into trouble then when it has had enough it wants to get itself out. Fair enough. But the mind is the troublemaker. Wherever it applies itself, sooner or later it comes to a situation where it is confronted with the results of its own actions. When it acts from a deep understanding of its own behaviour, all is well. Understanding then, is the key to right living. This follows from listening, from paying attention to the ways of the mind, to the flow of thinking and feeling, to everything thrown up by the mind.
Not from constant thinking about it, reading and memorising which keeps the mind endlessly preoccupied. The listening that yields understanding cannot be described. It happens when there is natural interest. That is what is so beautiful about it. Mind with its thinking, its pressure and pushing for results doesn’t bring it about. It’s a response from within, when the heart stirs to give a helping hand to a mind caught up in turmoil, torment and confusion.
When the mind has truly had enough, when it sees that it cannot continue along the same channels that lead nowhere special, it yields and comes to a complete standstill. Not even a thought interferes – then in that moment the heart has a chance to act and help the mind understand. Should this happen, you’ll know what it is to feel new again, to be young and carefree, lighthearted – all the qualities we long for that somehow we have denied in our intensive efforts to look after the self according to self disposition.
Joseph’s spiritual writing is now available from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
There is another side
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa reminds us there is a gentle side of human nature behind the darkness being reflected in today’s world.
In the silence of being we discover that which stills every sound – the sound of breathing, of the heart beating, even the sound of thinking.
The atmosphere of killing fields, of charnel houses, of cities devastated by bombs is something we can do without. The odour of violent death is not a pleasant one. There is something
deeply repulsive about it.
Animals being led to slaughter show the fear in their eyes and in the frenzied behaviour of their bodies. Hasn’t this planet had enough yet? Must we go on living with such behaviour, reflecting
the violence, the aggressiveness, the selfishness that has been part of our makeup for so long?
We don’t have to be like this. There is a gentle side to human nature waiting its chance to show what it can do. It doesn’t need the protection of force, of security screens and protective
devices, of alliances and other means devised by minds riddled by fear and uncertainty.
Behind the darkness of human living, behind the aggressive mask there is indeed another face – gentle, sensitive, caring. All it needs is a chance to come out and, when humans experience it for
themselves, when they dwell in its nature and know it for what it is, never will they choose to dwell in the darkness of human living ever again.
To read more of Joseph’s spiritual writing, visit his Amazon author page.
Deep in the Silence
Life reveals its true meaning when thought ceases, says Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa
The soft plinging of music fills the ears, curiously beautiful, strangely absorbing the attention, lulling the dreamy mind into a state of well-being. The mood deepens, filling the entire being with its softness. The mind is still. All is well. No drifting movement disturbs the silence of being. The observer has temporarily vanished, absorbed in a happy state of listening. A nameless extent takes over. The mind has entwined lovingly and completely with its own movement, transforming in the process its offspring, the thought, illuminating it with its own light.
All is silence till the swift movement of thought breaks the spell, ending the silence. Of its own accord it raises wings and spreads across the background drawing attention to itself, bringing into existence the world of the known with its time and troubles. Thought weaves its pattern of change with lightning like rapidity – too swift to be followed by a sluggish mind. Elusive and difficult to pin down – gathering strength with its ability to deceive the observer. Compelling, this determination by thought to exist, to be the focus of attention, to continue.
Such then is the offspring of silence. Such is the mystery of silence – that thought must cease to separate itself in appearance before it can join the immensity of the silence. And only then, when thought glides swiftly to an end does life reveal its true meaning, its beauty and its immeasurable depth of love. So be it.
Joseph’s collected spiritual writing is now available in a series of books from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
You might like to try The Spirit Calls.
The key to higher understanding lies within each of us.
The Spirit Calls is an invitation to venture inwards to discover our true spiritual nature.
For those who care to listen to the still voice of the spirit, a new way of living awaits.
Enchanting Moments Alone
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa contemplates the still moments that arise to embrace the heart when we seek out quiet times in nature.
Where the surging water ripples and flows
Over the scattered mass of boulders
Spread across the earth
In jumbled disarray
Here, far away from the grasping hands
Of a time ridden civilisation,
Sheltered by a surround of tree-covered hills
The placid beat of a loving nature
Softly swirls over the landscape.
Soft winds warmed by the sun
Drift in and out of shadowy cover
Caressing gently into movement
Massed branches of green coloured leaves.
‘Tis enchantment indeed how the sound of the wind
Blends in with bird calls
And with the incessant chirps
Of a busy insect chorus.
Perfume, set adrift by love
Flows from brightly coloured flowers.
A heady, sweet scented aroma
An irresistible lure
Inviting fertilisation.
The delightful sounds of water in a hurry
Bubbling, swirling, gurgling
Its watery way
Over, around and between
Trees and upthrust boulders.
Where the dampness
Spreads its moistured carpet,
There, the mosses thrive and grow
Softly yielding beneath the naked feet.
To sit on a boulder and listen
To the play
Of nature’s musical instruments
Is sheer delight.
Memories of crowded cities fade
The discordant sounds of production machines
Do not intrude
And the competitive world
Of striving humans
Is temporarily forgotten.
The spirit of a loving nature
Advances slowly, into the heart,
Bypassing the mind
And its urgent need to reason.
The vista of growing plants,
The surround of unspoilt nature
Stirs a latent sensitivity, deep within.
Silenced by the wonder
The mind is deeply stilled.
And out of the heart
A great love comes a-creeping
Caressing, soothing, all embracing
The sights and sounds of nature
Vanish mysteriously
Into the depths of love
For a fleeting, delicate moment
Of sheer enchantment.
Joseph’s collected spiritual writing is now available in a series of books from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
You might like to try Beside Still Waters. This beautiful collection of essays touches on the universal search for meaning and inspires readers to reach out for the still waters of the spirit.
The human heart longs for peace and harmony. It seeks a restful haven from the relentless busyness of everyday life, drawing us to spend tranquil moments in natural surrounds that offer a brief respite from the hustle and bustle. There is a state of inner stillness, when the endless chatter of the mind has ceased, that a deeper understanding arises. These are the ‘still waters’ that bring new life to mankind, that lay claim to the heart and redirect the mind. These are the waters of peace, love and true togetherness that lift us up to divine heights of being and living.
The wind and the wave
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa says there can only be harmony of movement when wind and wave are in unison.
Self is not easy to deal with. It is not an enemy to be vanquished in battle. It is a motion like a wave on an ocean.
We are the wind that stirs the wave into being. If we like the wave, the way of it, what it does – all is well. There is no problem.
But if it displeases us, why then, we turn away, or rearrange, discipline or try to change till in our eyes we approve of what we see.
Strange is it not, that the wind that stirs the wave loses touch and lets the wave run free to do what it will, then disapproves of its own creation.
We produce many wavelets of moods, actions, thoughts and feelings that displease us.
Are we then so helpless – we, the wind that stirs the waves into being that we have to cry help to deal with our own waves?
Why does the wave become such a problem when it laps on the shores of time, flowing where it will? Has the wind lost control?
Such agitation transmitted from wind to wave. Surely the wave is the outcome of the variable force of the wind.
Work on the wave if you will; ignore the wind and the part it plays. Instability will continue to surface.
The wind too must come to order. Only when wind and wave are in unison is there harmony of movement.
Then the wave sparkles in the sunshine, reflecting the light that shines from within.
And the wind? Well, it’s happy with the outcome.
Joseph’s collected spiritual writing is now available in a series of books from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
Seeking the great river of life
Kitchen Table Philosopher Joseph Raffa muses on the search for the mainstream that feeds all life.
I have wandered many tributaries in my search for the Great River of Life. But so many of the streams I travelled led only into marshes and swamps. Oh, how I searched for this mainstream,this Great River that feeds all of life.
I have journeyed forwards and backwards, moved in circles that go round and around; wandered the highways and byways, endlessly asking the what fors and whys. Questions – always unanswered – reasons – on the tip of my mind. But the Great River remains elusive, refuses to make itself known.
Demarcation is not for the River, its movement is not for the mind. No sun shines on its surface, no wind ripples in waves. Its course is not watery motion, its silence like that of the grave.Why then does the search continue and the questions continue to fall like leaves from the trees in Autumn, that litter the ground but to die?
In our journey are we then like a river, lost and out on its own, seeking to flow into Greatness, but doomed to wander alone? Why then do we urge for the Greatness, yet wander the streams of the mind; these streams that lead only to deserts – where they dry out, wither and die?
- Joseph’s Kitchen Table Philosopher series of spiritual writing is available from Amazon.com and other online retailers.
Towards the Silent Heart 
You must be logged in to post a comment.