Spectrum of Spirit: A Digital Sanctuary for Spiritual Discourse and Community

I once heard a reflection on graveyards and specifically the gravestones that inhabit the space. While going through a WW2 graveyard, the guide shared an overall summary of all the individuals that served and died during the battles. Some of them were war heroes, some were nurses, some were homemakers, some were young children who hoped to reach their potential of all they could have been. The guide expressed that his favorite part of the gravestone was not their date of birth or their date of death, but the line that is in between the two dates. The guide explained that this was the time they were alive, the little line connecting the two dates is where the people lived. Though it is typically an afterthought, the line in between birth and death is what those who knew the individual try to recall, the experiences and moments they shared with the departed. I could imagine some of these moments were quiet, less appreciated milestones and achievements that could have been easily forgotten. I could imagine some of these moments were loud, noisy, collecting accolades, progressing towards whatever goal they might have set. Though it may be easier to remember the times everyone cheered us on for an accomplishment, I would like to reflect on the quiet times where we came to a realization about oneself, others, or a situation, a revelation if you will.

William Arthur Ward once said, “We can learn much from wise words, little from wisecracks, and less from wise guys”¹. I think there is some validity in this quote, the ego of an individual possibly getting in the way of receiving the message from the speaker. I believe this can be applied to the profoundness of the moments in our lives, learning the most from the most quiet moments, and not as much from moments filled with praise. I would like to invite you to step back with understanding, to listen and inhale differently, and to notice and express the moments in life we may overlook on a daily basis.

Silent Revelations

I’m currently taking a course about Corporate Responsible Leadership within my degree path to achieve a masters in Organizational Leadership. In this course and the courses I have previously taken, we have discussed a lot of different approaches to change, sustainable change built through conviction of the workforce as a whole instead of just one or two forceful people at the top of the hierarchy within the organization. Some leaders make their loudest moves in times of controversy, others strike when everything appears to be still.

On The Sadhguru Podcast, Sadhguru shares how Mahatma Gandhi changed the world². Sadhguru believes a lot of what North America is today is of Mahatma’s making³. Later on, Sadhguru states there has been violence on this planet forever, but in the 20th century violence became more organized, particularly in the form of the World Wars⁴. Sadhguru continues, these wars declared blood, moving the wheels of history, but by the mid 20th Century, Mahatma created a movement where spirit, not blood, was the catalyst to the moving wheels of history⁵. Sadhguru expresses this is a significant change because as the human spirit turned the wheels of history, and as Mahatma’s movement grew, democracies on the planet grew to become reasonable democracies⁶. Sadhguru recounts Mahatma’s story, being born out of a time where ruling nations lynched half the world, became the story of a freedom struggle leader⁷. Sadhguru clarifies that just because Mahatma is known as a freedom struggle leader, doesn’t mean he fought against somebody, and emphasizes how significant and powerful it was for Mahatma not to fight against somebody, and moreover how difficult it is to create a movement without an enemy⁸. Moving forward in the podcast, Sadhguru explains Mahatma was not just struggling for India’s freedom, but was aiming to liberate humanity from their internal struggles, the violence they carry within, the conflicts one suffers from themself and others⁹.

In a time of war and global conflict, Gandhi addressed his convictions without sheer force. Gandhi related to others, thought strategically, and influenced those around him, relieving the wheels of history of bloodshed, encompassing them with the human spirit. Sadhguru remembers Mahatma’s movement as one of a freedom struggle leader, his monumental change to the focus of change influencing the modern political landscape of North America. Mahatma capitalized on his stillness, using it to fuel his vision to liberate humanity from within, instead of the history and pattern of blaming external oppressors. Mahatma did not hoard his silent revelations, but shared them to the world, understanding his struggles and his conflicts, to express the need for change in others, and his powerful message has resounded for years after his passing.

Beautiful Revelations

During my undergrad, I got involved with the Tucker Center for Spiritual and Ethical Life, and in doing so, I joined a lot of religiously based meetings. Some of these meetings were in a culture I was familiar with, but others I was a part of was the first time I had been around people who had the beliefs or background they had. These cultures were only familiar to me through my studies of ancient religions, however, most of these people did not have the same beliefs or background of the people who identified with said tradition a thousand years ago. I walked into most of these meetings like a sore thumb, unfamiliar with the processions of the meeting and how to interact with those who could tell that it was my first time. Joining multiple meetings, unfamiliarity became the most familiar; adapting to different cultures, missing the mark, felt like one punch after another. However, each meeting was enriching, learning more about what matters to people, what they believe in, what grounds them, showed me a fraction of the tapestry of humanity.

On the Cultural Gabfest podcast, Dana, Sam, and Isaac discuss the new film “One Battle After Another”¹⁰. One of the hosts says that he is a fair weather fan of the director, Paul Thomas Anderson, and was shocked by how much he enjoyed the movie¹¹. The host goes on to talk about the shagginess of the film and talks about the length of the movie, 2 hours and 40 minutes of hanging out/action and adventure¹². The movie is about revolution and repression and white supremacy, and Leonardo Di Caprio’s character is trying to exist within this world while being washed up and too high to take care of his bi-racial daughter¹³. The host concludes by sharing that the movie is quite slapstick even though a lot of it is dark and gloomy¹⁴. The other host comes in to add his perspective on Paul Thomas Anderson and his films. The host explains Thomas Anderson has two types of movies, a big statement movie and stoner comedy, and the host describes “One Battle After Another” being about a protagonist of a stoner movie being lost in a big statement movie, trying to figure out how to be a protagonist of a big statement movie¹⁵. The host loves the score of the movie and how the movie was shot¹⁶. The host commends the performances from the fantastic performances of the big name actors, and expounds on another layer of the film, the think piece layer¹⁷.

The first host said exactly what I was hoping to hear, he was shocked by how much he enjoyed the movie. The comical relief seemed to be the optimal amount to clash with the thought provoking plot the hosts continued to talk about in the podcast. The movie was well balanced, one bang after another as the main character, Bob, struggles to retrieve his child through his paranoia. Surprises are thrown left and right, trials trail one another, for the entirety of the two and a half hours. “One Battle After Another” has brought excitement and life back to the movie theatres as we come closer to the end of the year, a bridge in conversation between souls. As the hosts mentioned, the clash of Paul Thomas Anderson’s biggest storylines created a beautiful film, a reflective piece, viewers expressing their enjoyment of the plot with deep pondering of the revealing questions the movie presents.

Creative Revelations

I made my first painting last spring. I had never worked on painting a canvas, especially the canvas the size I was dealing with. I had no idea what I was doing and was grateful for the guidance of the art teachers around me. However, their guidance was quite relaxed, allowing me to experiment and figure out how I wanted to create. The new medium gave me an opportunity to trust myself, trust my mind, in a new way. It revealed to me the confidence that I have, the way I express the themes I want to attack, and the new ways I can invite others to understand me.

In the Magic Our Way podcast, a few of the hosts come together to discuss the behavior in Disney Parks¹⁸. The first section of the podcast highlights a report of an interaction at a T-Rex cafe in one of Disney’s parks, where the manager of the park and the deputy had to get involved to deescalate a situation¹⁹. The deputy testifies to trying to arrest Mr. Gregory, the man in question, until he seems to try to bite him²⁰. Later on, the hosts disclose the man might have been intoxicated with alcohol and possibly drugs while he created chaos in one of the kids cafes²¹. The hosts comically recount Mr. Gregory’s charges, battery and resisting arrest without violence, the charges not matching the account that was told²². Mr. Gregory apparently pleaded not guilty, even though there are plenty of witnesses and multiple articles written about these events²³. In the next segment, the hosts share another story about the Paddlefish, a restaurant in Disney Springs²⁴. A person reportedly robbed the restaurant, took some scuba gear back on from the Springs, blocked out the footage and jumped back into the water²⁵. The investigators believe this operation only took two minutes, which impresses the hosts²⁶. The culprit probably swam to the restaurant in scuba gear, removed the gear, approached the store close to closing time, and robbed the cashier²⁷. The event was reported shortly after midnight, well after the restaurant closed and approached the manager, cornered two individuals, and took $10,000-20,000 in cash²⁸.

Well this was not what I was expecting in this podcast, to say the least lol. If I would have read the full title, Bad Behavior in Disney, I would have possibly started the section differently. My misstep now has influenced me to create something off script. I have to experiment with the two mediums I am working with, my personal experience and the story shared in the podcast. I already shared the stability painting has given me in finding my expression, and I have noticed the openness in expression by the hosts of the podcast, to share the ongoing investigations of the two perpetrators. My experience with creation can be contrasted to the created experience by the podcasters, both of us experiencing and perfecting our own expression of creativity. I believe the revelations we get, whether through Disney news, or through self reflection, calls us to create, calls us to express, and calls us to share.

Reaffirming Revelations

Quiet the moments. Hold what is foreign to you. Chart what is loud. Reveal what is empty. Silence doubts of possibility. Beautify your spirituality. Create depth within you. Affirm your culture. Understand life’s encounters. Inhale the art in everyday life. Explore and express. Thrive eternally. Let your dare echo. Listen to your origin. Slowly touch your soul. Tell your twin to quiet down.

Bibliography

1. “William Arthur Ward Quote: “We Can Learn Much from Wise Words, Little from Wisecracks, and Less from Wise Guys.”,” Inspirational Quotes on Beautiful Wallpapers – QuoteFancy, accessed October 1, 2025, https://quotefancy.com/quote/933960/William-Arthur-Ward-We-can-learn-much-from-wise-words-little-from-wisecracks-and-less. ↩︎
2. The Sadhguru Podcast, “#1391 – Sadhguru on How Mahatma Gandhi Changed The World,” podcast audio, September 30, 2025, https://open.spotify.com/episode/3S9yTeShA3gOVjzABnRD0G. ↩︎
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18. Magic Our Way – Artistic Buffs Talkin’ Disney Stuff, “Bad Behavior in Disney: Land and Sea – MOW #596,” podcast audio, September 30, 2025, accessed October 2, 2025, https://open.spotify.com/episode/18I4eKa2TAZb6UgqtxvmbI. ↩︎
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