The Eleven Commandments of Spirituality
By
Jennifer A. Harvilak

Aka Pagan Rose

(paganrose@juno.com)

1. Thou shalt respect the fact that others may see God differently than you, but this does not make them lesser people, for they are your siblings and just as worthy of the love that comes from the divine.

2. Thou shalt respect the fact that symbols do not make the religion. If a person wears a cross to represent his religion, this is a personal representation for him. If a person wears a pentacle, this too is a personal representation. One may wear the symbols they chose, but whether those symbols are all the same makes no difference, as long as you respect and
love one another to the best of your ability.

3. Thou shalt respect that to some, Jesus is God. But they too shall respect that to you God may be Aradia or Cernnunos, Buddha or Allah. The name of God is not as importent as the person you become while worshipping him or her.

4. Thou shall follow the Sabbath day if it is a part of your religious affiliation, but if others choose not too, you do not have to be offended. Each person worships according to his or her own ideas about what is required or needed for reverance to Deity.

5. Thou shall not Dishonor thy Father and Thy Mother, but instead, strive to be the like them, if they show love and respect for all. If they do not show love and respect to others, strive to do so yourself, so that their own dishonor, which they bring on themselves, will help you to become a better person.

6. Thou shalt not kill anything or anyone out of vengence or anger. Love is the easiest thing to pass on, and you should strive to do so, even when others would cast you down as a lesser person for your beliefs. Anger and pain inflicted on others will do nothing but cause futher pain to you, those around you and the divine.

7. Thou shalt strive to be faithful to the person you choose to spend your life with...true love is best celebrated together if you have chosen to actually bind yourselves in marriage.

8. Thou shalt not steal, but strive to give unto others. Not because you have to, or because your religion says you will get a reward of you do, but because you can. Help others, when you can, and realize that your happiness is not found by obtaining your neighbors hard earned belongings, but by reaching out into the world with your hand and knowing that you will give of yourself even if there is no reward to be obtained.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor is one of the most greatest gifts that you can possess. Lying to obtain a needed outcome takes your honor far from your hand, and honor is one thing that only you can take from yourself.

10. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's things because if you look at your own life, you will realize you are blessed even without any worldly possessions. If you can wake up in the morning and breath the fresh air...then walk down a country road with your child while enjoying the sunshine, you are blessed. If you have at least one person who's life is enriched because of you...you have meaning in the world, and you are blessed.

11. Thou shall cherish your life, your friends, your families, and even your hardships and foes because all of them combined have helped to shape you. They have helped to give you strength and happiness, knowledge and the forgive. Trust that the divine knows what he or she is doing, regardless of what your neighbor calls him/her. It is not the name you should worry about, but what kind of a person your neighbor is because of his or her beliefs and spiritual connections with the almighty.


Copyrighted 2003 by The Wayfinder for and on behalf of The Temple of the Way. All rights reserved.