Is it really Love? Spiritual Way of the Six Loves

In this episode we will look at the value of generosity and its opposite, greed. How we define greed will be depend on where and when we live. Greed is not only about money but can include such things as power and recognition. Behind the problem of greed there is a specific self-delusion or faulty thinking, which is connected to the false self.

In the next episode we will look at another value that is important to have for healthy spirituality.

To learn more about the book on which this series is based, Why Are We Here?, go to www.craigowen.net

What happens when we go through spiritual transformation? The false self is dismantled. A brief description of this process is offered. [For a more detailed explanation of the unraveling of the false self, see Episodes 12 & 13 on What is Spiritual Love?] In this episode we will concentrate on the two most basic values that we learn in spiritual transformation: compassion and humility. A definition and explanation of humility and compassion is discussed. In the next episode we will look at some additional values that we learn through spiritual transformation.

For more information on the book on which these podcasts are based, Why Are We Here?, see my

website at www.craigowen.net

In this episode we look at a definition of healthy spirituality. One of the key ideas is that spirituality is a lifelong processs, not a one time event. We also need to be in community with others for the process of spirituality to work. Healthy spirituality fully engages our minds, it does not require us to believe blindly.

In the next episode, we will look at some of the specific values that are involved with the process of healthy spirituality.

This series is based on my new book, Why Are we Here?, which can be found at www.craigowen.net

When someone says "I am spiritual but not religious," what do they mean? In this episode we will look at two possible answers. One is that someone shares some of the beliefs of a particular tradition but does not participate in organized religious observances. A second answer could be a person who has pieced together beliefs from several religious traditions. While these answers are helpful, they are missing a key element of being spiritual- commitment to a community.

In the next episode we will look what I believe is the best understanding of spirituality.

This series is based on my new book, Why Are we Here?, which can be viewed at www.craigowen.net

Before we can get an idea of what is healthy spirituality, we must have an idea of how religion is not the same thing as spirituality. In this episode, we will look at what I think is a good understanding of religion. Many people, perhaps most, are comfortable with organized religious services, some simple forms of devotion and activities with their religious community. They seek nothing more in their religious faith. But for others, especially younger people, this is not enough. People with a more mystical attitude want to experience the divine in their daily lives. They might tell people that "I am spiritual but not religious." Here we begin to see how spirituality is not the same as religion. Next time we will look at what people mean by saying they are spiritual but not religious.

This series is based on my new book, Why Are we Here?, which can be viewed at www.craigowen.net

In this episode we are moving in a new direction. This will be the first of several episodes that looks at the question 'What is healthy sprituality?' We do not have to look far to see examples of bad spirituality, so it is important to know what the good kind looks like. Before we can answer that question, though, we must look at several issues. First, what is religion? What is faith? Is spirituality different from religion and faith?

In this first installment, we will look at a couple of definitions of religion, one positive and one negative. We will learn something from each that helps us get closer to a workable understanding of what is religion.

This new series is based on my new book Why Are We Here? which can be viewed at www.craigowen.net

Perhaps the ultimate question we all face is do we survive beyond death? In the context of this series, the question would become 'Does love survive beyond death?' Many of you listening have lost loved ones, as have I. You cannot help but wonder does the love we still feel for the ones we lost tell us anything? Is it futile to still love someone who is no longer here, or is it a sign of something beyond this life?

In the the next episode we will start a new series about faith and spirituality, based on my recent book WHY ARE WE HERE?

To view the book on which this series is based, Why Are We Here? go to www.craigowen.net

In this episode, we will look at a love that is closely related to Marital Love, which is Family love. I offer a suggested definition of family love and then examine it phrase by phrase. Not everyone who is in a marriage chooses to have children, but for those who do, my suggested definition might be helpful.

In the next episode, we will look at the question of whether or not love survives beyond death.

This podcast series is based on my book, The Six Faces of Love, which can be viewed at www.craigowen.net

When is a marriage no longer workable? This is a difficult question to answer in a short podcast. I discuss the spirituality of marital love to offer a suggested answer to the question. I look at two common mistakes couples make regarding the spiritual stages and rates of spiritual growth of their partners. Very seldom are a husband and wife at the same spiritual stages or experiencing spiritual growth at the same rate. Failing to understand these two things can cause stress in a marriage that is completely unnecessary. I also offer one measure of the health of a marriage regarding both partners' approach to each other's spiritual growth.

In the next episode we will look at family love, one that is closely related to but not the same as marital love.

To find Craig's book"The Six Faces of Love" and his music go to www.craigowen.net

When is a couple ready to get married? In the past, one answer was that individuals must first do therapy and become emotionally mature before they should get married. When I gave pre-marital counseling to couples and tried to use this answer, I found something unusual. No couple I counseled seemed to meet this test, where both people had completley reached emotional maturity. I discuss how I modified my approach in counseling engaged couples, changing the 'therapuetic' model that was unrealistic in its demands.

Next time we will look at two closely related questions: How do you keep a marriage going? and How do you know when a marriage will no longer work?

To see Craig's book The Six Faces of Love and his music go to www.craigowen.net