Welcome to Spiritual Short Stories!
This is the most comprehensive website on the internet devoted specifically to spiritual stories. Although there is a very large collection of parables, many of the spiritual stories are written by and for people just like yourself. Contributions are welcome, so please feel free to submit your favorite spiritual story using the link at the bottom of the page. Enjoy! :)
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Featured Spiritual Story:
Singing Tree |
A reader of my books met me at an afternoon book-signing in Bilbao, in the Basque Country.
"You always speak of symbols,ā€¯ she tells me, "I want to show you a symbol that you have never seen.ā€¯
The next day she picks me up at my hotel... |
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Featured Spiritual Parable:
The Two Flower Merchants |
One day, two flower merchants set up shop next to one another. They opened for business on the same day, carried the same lovely selection of aromatic flowers, and maintained similar prices for their marvelous plants. Both merchants took great care with raising their plants and both were kind and courteous to their customers. In fact, their stores appeared to be equal in every way.
At first, the merchants even received equal traffic through their shops, but - as time went on... |
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Spiritual Movie Review:
Inception |
I feel seriously challenged about how to review this movie. Of course, whenever I notice something like that what I'm really saying is "WOW! There's a lot here and I have no clue where to start. So I'll start typing and see what happens..." It also means there's enough to the movie that I don't want to give the farm away. :)
In some ways Inception shares the "What is reality?" characteristics of The Matrix albeit from a different angle. It also shares similarities to Groundhog Day with regards to what it takes to live in the present moment at peace with ourselves (Inception isn't funny though). It's got a lot of What Dreams May Come in it in many obvious and not so obvious ways (I won't expand so that you can explore this yourself). Yet it's also none of these movies (even if all combined).
Inception is a movie that will challenge the masses to consider momentarily that reality might not be as it seems. For the more conscious and aware individual, Inception will take you on a journey of deep reflection and questioning more deeply what is the reality we choose to create. It will create conversations with friends and family that you will remember, and perhaps even dream about.
On the more technical side, Leo's acting is superb and brings realism to a movie that challenges our reality. It is very violent (much like The Matrix), and fortunately it's mostly guns and explosions so there's no notable gore (just a little bit blood here and there). The effects were also realistic - not necessarily in terms of what we'd expect to happen in our world, but rather, very aligned with what we (or at least I) experience within the dream world.
This sense of realism within a movie that questions all of reality brings a depth that will challenge the viewer's experience of themselves. For those more familiar with psycho-spiritual work like that of Byron Katie and A.H. Almaas, there's a lot of subject matter that will be familiar, though perhaps disguised under the veil of mass media language and metaphor. We're challenged to ask questions like, "What really is a 'projection' and how does it affect me?" and of course The Matrix question: "If you knew the Truth of your world, would you choose reality or illusion?"
There is a quiet sub-theme in this movie that timing is of utmost importance. Most people probably didn't even pick up on this aspect of the movie, yet it's perhaps one of the most important because it infiltrates the movie's dynamics in so many different ways and scenes. It's almost like we have to ask not only "What is time?" but also "What is right timing?"
If you haven't already watched Inception, hold these questions closely while you watch. And if you have seen the movie... allow them to take you into a deeper state of reflection on the importance of time and timing in your own life. And if you really want to dig in, reflect upon what exactly is "creation." Yeah... that'll be a fun one to explore. ;)
I personally wrote down several questions for further reflection (a great inner-world exploration technique I learned by watching Spiritual Cinema Circle). But those are really just for me. The real reflection question is...
After watching Inception, what questions do YOU want to reflect upon further? |
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Spiritual Book Review:
The Spiritual Significance of Music by Justin St. Vincent |
This book takes an interesting look at the relationship between music and spirituality. More specifically, it is a compilation of over 100 different interviews with musicians from around the world, different walks of life, and different genres of music.
I personally did not find this book to be very interesting; however, that may be related to my also lack of experience and interest in the nature of music. I like to listen to music, to experience it, but the fundamentals elude me.
For the music lover who has a spiritual background, I believe this book will provide much more interesting and engaging reading. That's because the interviews reveal a side of musicians that is often not discussed publicly, if for no other reason, the typical outlets for music don't usually sway direct conversation in the direction of spirituality. |
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Spiritual Quote of the Moment |
"Nothing can be taken away from you, and nothing can be given to you that you don't already have."
- Laura Cade |
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