Interfaith Advent Reflections

Last updated on: December 2, 2022 at 11:34 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

In celebration of the holidays, one of my readers, Susie Leonard Weller, M.A., sent me a lovely interfaith advent calendar filled with reflections. I liked it so much that I asked Susie for permission to share it with my readers. Luckily, she said yes. Enjoy these Advent reflections courtesy of Susie Weller. To learn more about her work, visit www.susieweller.com. November 27-December 3: Light Your World With Hope Sunday 27 Center yourself in a quiet stillness that sustains your hope.... Read more

Nonduality Without Apathy: How I Keep Non-Attachment from Turning Into Indifference

Last updated on: November 28, 2022 at 4:28 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

I fell in love with the concept of nonduality in my early twenties. The concepts of Brahman—the One Without a Second—and Atman—a drop in the ocean—resonated deeply, especially because they seemed compatible with modern scientific understanding of the universe, physics chief among them. As Aldous Huxley noted, the more discerning the mind, the more it is attracted to nondual spiritual philosophies. Practicing Non-Attachment A primary practice related to nonduality is non-attachment. The idea is relatively simple. Since the nature of... Read more

Interfaith Quotes About Love, Reciprocation (Golden Rule), Service, Forgiveness and Nonviolence

Last updated on: November 25, 2022 at 7:53 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

As I was studying to become an interfaith minister between 2016 to 2017, I gathered hundreds of quotes from the wisdom traditions. In 2020, I decided to publish a selection of those quotes in a book titled The Little Book of Oneness and Goodness. The following quotes are from the Goodness section and talk about love, reciprocation, service, forgiveness and nonviolence. Love Spread Love Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your... Read more

The Universal Spiritual Acts of Experimentation, Contemplation, Love and Service

Last updated on: November 21, 2022 at 6:58 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

“Religion is doing; a man does not merely think his religion or feel it, he ‘lives’ his religion as much as he is able, otherwise it is not religion but fantasy or philosophy. Whether he likes it or not he shows his attitude towards religion by his actions and he can show his attitude only by his actions. Therefore if his actions are opposed to those which are demanded by a given religion he cannot assert that he belongs to... Read more

Monk of All Faiths on Peace and Holiness

Last updated on: November 18, 2022 at 1:50 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

This is the fourth and final installment of excerpts from a small book I wrote last year titled Monk of All Faiths. I based the format on Kahlil Gibran’s classic The Prophet. I’ve added subtitles for online readability. If you like what you read, the book is available in hardcover and ebook editions on Amazon. Enjoy. Peace A man said: “I am a warrior for justice. How can you talk of inner peace when there is no peace to be... Read more

Monk of All Faiths on Morality and Meditation

Last updated on: November 14, 2022 at 4:24 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

This is the third installment of excerpts from a small book I wrote last year titled Monk of All Faiths. I based the format on Kahlil Gibran’s classic The Prophet. I’ve added subtitles for online readability. If you like what you read, the book is available in hardcover and ebook editions on Amazon. Enjoy. Morality A middle-aged man said: “The world appears to be a hard place to navigate without a moral compass. What do the traditions say about morality?”... Read more

Monk of All Faiths on God and Spirit

Last updated on: November 14, 2022 at 4:25 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

This is the second installment of excerpts from a small book I wrote last year titled Monk of All Faiths. I based the format on Kahlil Gibran’s classic The Prophet. I’ve added subtitles for online readability. If you like what you read, the book is available in hardcover and ebook editions on Amazon. Enjoy. God An older man said: “My faith is shaken. Tell me, do you still believe in God?” The monk replied gently: “God. That is such an... Read more

Introducing the Monk of All Faiths

Last updated on: November 7, 2022 at 3:25 pm By Gudjon Bergmann

Last year, I published a small book titled Monk of All Faiths. I based the format on Kahlil Gibran’s classic The Prophet and used inspiration from a variety of interspiritual thinkers to offer insights into topics from perennialism and God to Spirit and destructive emotions. In the month of November 2022, I will be publishing several excerpts from the book. I’ve added subtitles for online readability. If you like what you read, the book is available in hardcover and ebook... Read more

Interfaith Methods Don’t Work in Politics: Especially Not in the USA

Last updated on: November 6, 2022 at 12:31 am By Gudjon Bergmann

I hoped interfaith methods would work to bridge political divides. After five years of offering courses and workshops, I’ve realized they don’t. Here are three reasons why. Offering Solutions I graduated as an interfaith minister in 2017 and was dismayed by the public rhetoric in my adopted country. The anger and division appeared unsustainable. I wanted to do something to help calm the seas, even in a small way. My interfaith toolbox appeared ideal for this task. It included appeals... Read more

Spirituality and Death: From Valhalla and Heaven to Transition and Nonduality

Last updated on: November 6, 2022 at 12:31 am By Gudjon Bergmann

Human mortality is at the heart of many spiritual traditions. What happens after death? Do we go to a magical place, are we reborn, is this the end or does the wave blend back into the ocean? These questions may seem redundant. What happens after death is the final unsolvable mystery after all. Nobody really knows. Which begs the question, why have these ideas become central to most spiritual traditions? Valhalla and Heaven I was born and raised in Iceland,... Read more