Simple Inner Truths

“There are certain simple inner truths that are beyond the desperate grasping and desires of our egos, but that are not beyond the reality of our everyday lives.” Often in our lives, we find ourselves riding on the surface of the ocean of events, struggling against the turbulent waves, looking for some lasting stability, but not finding any. Sometimes, however, we are surprised by the beauty or wonder of life in ways that take our breath away. Perhaps for the briefest of moments, our thoughts and feelings are stilled as we stand in awe of the beauty of nature, the wonder of a child’s birth, or some random act of kindness that touches our heart. In the face of these flashes of stillness, we may wonder where the meaning of our lives can be found and whether these flashes truly point to anything greater. In Simple Inner Truths, Steven Jay shows how we are, in fact, being touched in our everyday lives by the presence of a divine wonder that is beyond any thought, concept or belief, but that is closer to us than we are to ourselves. The touch of this sacred wonder is fully present right now, this very moment, with and for each of us, and is gently calling to each of us to move out of the darkness of our delusions and begin, as best we can, to move into the light of a gentle, divine radiance in our everyday, regular lives. Drawing on wisdom from Eastern and Western religious traditions, as well as from his own spiritual insights, Steven Jay shows concretely how we can walk an authentic spiritual path, opening our hearts to the divine presence in ourselves, in others, and in all of life, and how such a spiritual path can transform our lives. The journey to this transformation requires some humility, and a lot of kindness to ourselves and others, but it will lead us to unbounded loving-kindness and the beginnings of real wisdom.

Cultivate a Gentle Mindfulness of the Wonder and Preciousness of all Life: Be open to the wonder of each moment of your life. Listen to life, others and yourself. Practice a little inner stillness when you can. Stop asking the universe or God all the time for answers to your questions. Just let the wonder be. Practice in the Ways of Love and Kindness Toward Yourself and Others: Practice simple acts of unconditional kindness towards others, as best you can. Be loving, kind and understanding to yourself. Be patient and remember that learning to love skillfully takes time. Look for the divine light shining within all living beings and in your own soul. Try not to judge yourself and others so much. Stop hurting each other, whether in thought, word or action. Shift Your Focus and Seek Wisdom: Cultivate a humility based on the recognition of the preciousness of all life, including your own. Remember that all of your possessions and achievements will crumble to dust in time, but that love, kindness and wisdom radiate with divine truth. Don’t cling so desperately to your own ego and its desires. Let go of your grasping after power, control and possessions.

About Steven Jay: I have been an attorney for almost 30 years, first as a criminal prosecutor and now in the private practice of law. Although I have been deeply involved in the ways of the world, practicing law and raising a family, I have struggled to follow a spiritual path all of my life, since I was a small boy. My searching was based on my sense of the presence of divine wonder, the preciousness of all life, and the importance of simple kindness and love in our everyday lives. I often felt frustrated and lost, however. The unnamable wonder often seemed so distant and I did not know how to bring it into my own daily life in a meaningful way. I struggled for many years until I finally had to face bouts of extreme depression and a long “dark night of the soul” that sapped my joy in life and badly affected those I loved. Ultimately, I found my way out of the inner darkness to a deeper, joyous spiritual path. First, however, I had to learn to let go of my deep attachments to success, both worldly and spiritual, and find instead a gentler way based on practicing loving-kindness both towards myself and others each day, as best as I could. This shift did not require me to give up my worldly life – far from it – but it has allowed me to enjoy my life more through better serving and being with those around me with a growing appreciation of the immediate wonder and preciousness of all life. The world we think we live in is but shadows and dust and passes away in the blink of an eye. But simple acts of everyday kindness and love shine with the divine presence and connect us to a wondrous, sacred reality. In the end, I finally realized that each day was presenting me with a wealth of opportunities to begin letting go of my sometimes dark dream world and to open my heart instead to the presence of wonder and love. It is there, in responding to those opportunities, that I found that real joy and meaning are to be found. “Simple Inner Truths” is the result of my journey and my desire to share a few of the insights I picked up along the way, in the hope that they may prove helpful in some small way to others.