Foundations of Spiritual Growth

Study, meditation, mindfulness and intention all foster spiritual growth. 

Study

It is true that each of us has direct access to truth through the higher Self.  However, before we can learn to channel that truth to our consciousness, most of us require the guidance and encouragement that we derive from studying the works of spiritual masters of the past and present.  The more diverse our sources of wisdom, the better, because no one teacher, no matter how great, has been able to translate spiritual truth into human language perfectly or completely.  By studying the ancient teachings of Jesus and the Buddha, Krishna and Lao Tsu, the recent teachings of such masters as Ramana Maharshi and Paramahansa Yogananda, the teachings of contemporary masters such as Eckhart Tolle and the Dalai Lama, the interpretations of students and scholars past and present, and the everyday wisdom of the spiritual teachers we encounter daily, we can achieve a holistic understanding that relates the truth to our individual circumstances in a way that no one philosophy or system of thought imposed from outside the self could possibly give us.

Intention

Intention is the will to put aside the promptings of ego and the base urgings of the small self in pursuit of higher truth.  Study leads us to this intention as we learn to appreciate the values incorporated in the teachings of the masters.  Intention truly forms within the self, however, and is the first evidence of the universal spirit that inhabits the consciousness of each individual.  It is the first shoot of the sprouting seed that pushes through its earthly covering and spreads its leaves to the sun. Studying the masters is like providing warmth and water to  the sleeping grain of universal consciousness under the surface. That seed responds to truth and blossoms spontaneously into the personal consciousness:

Awareness, dormant in the Soul,
In meditation, or by a guru's touch,
Erupts in spontaneous beauty,
Like a flower.
 
Meditation

Spiritual consciousness, however, cannot be acquired through study. Study prepares us, provides us disciplines and intentions, that will help us to find the way and keep steadily to the path that will carry us on our journey.  But once this foundation has been laid - this roadmap has been opened - a general understanding of the benefits of spiritual truth and the means of accessing it - we must open ourselves to the gifts of awareness that are granted us in meditation.  Though meditation can mean many things, here I am referring to the silent practice of emptying the conscious mind and opening it as a vessel to receive the downpouring of Spirit from its universal Source. Here paradoxically we must renounce reliance on the teaching of human masters along with all other mundane practices and wisdom sources.  Through the practice of opening ourselves directly to Spirit, we are following in the footsteps of those mystics and masters, whose teachings invariably emphasize the importance of a personal relationship with the Divine.  A meditation practice begins with the abandonment of all preformulated beliefs and principles. Sitting in stillness, we are able to contemplate many purported truths that make their way into our consciousness. Many of these will come from our own minds and egos and will not stand up to the light the consciousness casts upon them.  Only those that are pure enough to possess their own internal illumination, and to flood the consciousness with the unmistakable brilliance of eternal truth, will we adopt as principles on which to build a new understanding. Over time, meditation will assist us to refine and reformulate these understandings in a dynamic process of polishing our consciousness into an ever more perfect mirror of divinity.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an essential tool in our practice. Mindfulness can be applied to both thoughts and actions. In meditation, mindfulness enables us to be aware of distractions and to adhere to our intention by setting them aside; and to distinguish the gleam of truth from the glare of desire in the thoughts and images that pass constantly on the periphery of consciousness. In daily life, mindfulness allows us to make choices and take actions that are consistent with our intentions and with the values we have absorbed from the study of great masters and from communion with the Divine. Mindfulness allows us to avoid the unexamined life in which we act based on instinct or reflex (what I call "one dimensional consciousness"), or on habit, on values and behaviors derived from the sometimes polluted environment in which we live ("two dimensional consciousness"), or on the promptings of ego. It provides continual course corrections to keep us on our chosen path. Mindfulness consists of holding each thought, each action to which we are prompted, up to the light to determine whether it is consistent with our highest good and the intention we have formed for our spiritual development.  It enables us to choose loving thoughts and actions over selfish ones.

Together, study and meditation, practiced with divine intention and mindfulness, are the essential foundation of a life that is fulfilling far beyond the satisfaction of material desires, a life of loving oneness with the Divine.

Finding meaning in a random universe

We have a habit of saying, "everything happens for a reason." I don't think that this formulation of the way the universe operates, though superficially comforting, is very helpful. It leaves us looking for meaning in seemingly random events, including those that are on the surface quite terrible. It also causes us to look outside ourselves for explanations that are often unobtainable.

The fact is that many if not most events in this physical universe of ours do not happen for any discernible reason. Even the insignificant minority of events that are directly attributable to human choices are as often as not due to random, ego-based impulse. It debases Spirit as well as ourselves to suggest Spirit is carrying out some cosmic agenda that is beyond our comprehension, and that every tragic event that we experience is designed to lead paradoxically to a greater good. We may even choose to abandon the spiritual path rather than accept the notion that Spirit callously imposes pain on us or other beings for reasons of its own. It may also lead us to passivity and fatalism to believe that current events have a cause that is in the past or "out there" somewhere. Better to recognize that events are mostly random and to seek elsewhere for meaning.

The whole notion of causation (and therefore "reasons") depends on the existence of time, of a past that has brought us to where we are and a future that will develop out of the present. Yet time is only a construct that human mind created to explain its limited comprehension. Spirit has no experience of causation because it knows no past nor future, only the eternal Now.

This does not imply that we who still live in a time-bound space should abandon the working hypothesis of causation. Before our spiritual awareness reaches a certain level, contemplating the lack of objective meaning in external circumstances may lead us only to despair and destructive behavior.  Though we inhabit the physical universe only conditionally, in order to survive the experience and remain sane we need to impose  order on it. It is important for us to realize, however, that such order is imposed by our minds and not by the workings of Spirit.

Rather than affirm that everything happens for a reason, I would prefer to say  that every event that we experience presents us with a range of outcomes that are determined by how we choose to respond  to it.  What differentiates these responses from each other is their degree of consistency with Spirit. Some will have the effect of enhancing the loving relationships we have among ourselves and with Spirit; others will increase our separation. In the end this is what determines whether the event is perceived as having a positive or negative outcome. So, in a sense everything does happen for a reason, but the reason for everything is the same:  to provide us with the opportunity to develop an ever more harmonious relationship with Spirit by learning to react to every situation with love and compassion.

This interpretation places the responsibility for our relationships with Spirit and its various manifestations squarely where it belongs:  on each individual. It also refocuses our attention from the past to the present moment. All events carry the opportunity for us to react in ways that produce greater or lesser harmony between ourselves and Spirit.  We may see events as "good" or "bad", but those terms have meaning only in the context of the effects of events in the physical universe. Since all physical things are impermanent, and time is only a way of constraining our view of the universe, physical effects have no significance compared to the way we choose to align ourselves in relation to Spirit.

The lesson in this is that we are defining our role in Spirit in every instant. Each moment presents the opportunity for greater love and harmony. We are constantly at choice, and the choices we make define not only ourselves, but our experience of the universe. In order to take advantage of the opportunity for choice we must remain mindful that there is more than one way to react to every situation, and be aware of what those choices are. The closer we choose to align ourselves with Spirit, the greater peace we will experience. 

We Are One

Open your heart to me; for I am your Source, the presence of your Being.

Open your mind to me, for no thought arises without my making it so.

Open your body to me; accept my animating Grace and power.

I am the beginning and the end; your Alpha and Omega.

You live and move and have your being in Me,

Your Creator in this moment and always.

We are One, you and I, inseparable

As the breath from the air

One Unity undivided

Coexistent

One.

Finding Joy In Others

If you have trouble connecting to the Source of Joy within you, try looking for it in other people. Joy arises spontaneously from a close connection between individual manifestations of Spirit. With those who are closest to you, sense the deep connection that underlies your separateness. But do not limit your awareness to your immediate loved ones. The same connection exists between you and every other being. Start by becoming mindful of the way you greet people when you meet them - whther they are friends or strangers. Are you open and welcoming? Do you accept the ego vulnerability that comes from exposing your true nature to the gaze of others? Or are you closed and protective of your thoughts and feelings? In order to connect to the network of Joy that is Spirit, you must be prepared to allow others within your walls, if not to tear down those walls altogether. 

Connection is most easily established through the eyes and the touch. Begin by looking each person directly in the eyes when you are with them. Smile and offer them your hand or a hug, as appropriate under the circumstances. There are few circumstances in which a handshake is inappropriate! Once you have established a physical connection in this manner, remain open and, by your manner, encourage others to open themselves to you. You will find that the more open the lines of communication are, the more easily the Joy of Spirit arises and flows between you. What's more, the flow of Spirit cannot be contained once it begins; it soon reaches out to embrace others around you, until a whole group of people may become united by a healing sense of personal warmth and goodwill. Try this the next time you meet a group of people in a public place.

Oneness Through Technology?

We are all challenged to put down our smartphones, laptops, and remote controls long enough to establish a daily meditation practice - and to encourage others to do so. Technology, at least until now the enemy of mysticism, is pushing us farther away from the one-on-one experience of the Divine even as it brings us closer together as people. I see a glimmer of hope even here, however. As we become increasingly a world community, a new path to Oneness may emerge from the growing awareness that people everywhere aspire to peace, love and respect for our planet. The original title of this blog - The God In You, The God In Me - derived from the desire to reach out and connect to the Divine spark in other beings. I don't believe that social networking will replace meditation, but it may lead to a greater willingness to practice metta - loving kindness - in meditation and in daily life. Oneness springs spontaneously from metta practice.

The Kingdom of God

This is an answer to a comment on an earlier post.

You want to know how to live your life right now; and you believe the Kingdom of God is at hand. These two sentences contain a question, and the answer to that question.

The Kingdom of God -- these are Jesus' words. I know they aren't his actual words, but I believe their meaning is close to what he actually said. Many of Jesus' followers expected him to establish an Earthly kingdom that he would rule as God's representative. He used the word "kingdom" in order to redefine it. His teachings are quite clear that the Kingdom of God is no worldly princedom, but a spiritual condition. Moreover, he taught that the Kingdom is not imminent - that is, in the future - but immanent - already present and accessible by spiritual means.

We have recently completed the Easter season with its many opportunities to reflect on the meaning of the life and death of Jesus. To me this year, the lesson has been that his death was a purposeful demonstration of the transitory nature of physical things. According to popular history, Jesus could easily have fomented a rebellion and proclaimed himself king. Instead, he chose to submit his physical form to destruction at the hands of the secular authority. What a powerful demonstration of his belief that worldly power is fleeting and, ultimately, meaningless! What a clear message to all who would pay attention that the Kingdom of God is an eternal kingdom of Spirit that cannot be harmed by the acts of human beings. Jesus' words to Pilate reinforce this teaching.

I believe that the Kingdom of God of which Jesus spoke is no more nor less than the divine presence that sits at the heart of every individual consciousness, and unites all consciousness in the bliss of Oneness. This kingdom is not attained by conquest, but by surrender; the surrender of the small self to the will of the higher Self. Even Oneness is not a prize to be pursued, but a gift to be accepted. Peace, joy and Love are attained simply by acknowledging the powerlessness of the small self in the spiritual realm and accepting the gift that is freely offered once the barriers erected by ego are torn down.

There are a number of practices that can help us accomplish this. Meditation is the practice of surrendering the ego and laying the consciousness bare and defenseless to the all-consuming power of Love. Prayer also contributes, as long as the prayer is simply "not my ego's will, but Spirit's, be done." (I borrow this formulation from Adyashanti.) It is essential to incorporate this same attitude of surrender into our secular lives, not by becoming passive and submissive to the wills of others, but by carrying out all our worldly activities in an attitude of love and thankfulness. It is to Spirit, not to other egos, that we surrender. Jesus was no wimp, but he did perform every act out of Love.

One thing that the Kingdom of God is not, however, is a life of material bounty and comfort. Too many people of all faiths have joined Jesus in poverty or martyrdom for that to be true. Attaining the Kingdom of God does not give one worldly power; it only makes one indifferent to it. The peace that passes understanding is the peace that wells up from an inner source even in the harshest circumstances, for those who have cultivated the ability to tap the Source of peace. It does not require much study of the daily news to learn the truth of the saying that money cannot buy happiness. Jesus went so far as to say it was impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. Poverty may not be a prerequisite to saintliness, but the attachment to creature comforts is a formidable obstacle.

Knowing all this, there is only one possible way to live your life. Live in such a way as to open the inner gates to the Kingdom. Practice mindfulness, meditation and compassion. Forsake attachment to (but not necessarily the enjoyment of) physical things. Find comfort in the wisdom that all that is material must pass away, including particularly your own body and those aspects of your personality that are dependent upon that body. This is comforting because the material world contains suffering that has no place in Spirit. Live in the awareness that you and God are one, as Jesus did. Let the light and spiritual power of the Kingdom emanate from its Source within at every opportunity. Accept the gift of unconditional love and bask in the bliss of radiating that Love to all around you, not just those few souls who are close to you in time and space, but to all beings in all dimensions. This is truly the Kingdom of God, and a sufficient answer to every question.

Can Mysticism Be Popular?

Mysticism is best practiced in solitude away from the eyes and ears of the multitude. This is well understood by all great teachers who urge us to find stillness and look within. Mysticism is about a personal relationship with the Divine. While this relationship leads to awareness of oneness with All that Is, paradoxically it is most easily cultivated away from society.

Once the mystical experience has been realized, it must be constantly reinforced. In all but a few individuals, the experience fades and becomes unfamiliar if the individual allows the practice of quiet meditation to lapse. In other times, most who sought this experience lived monastic lives in which they were permanently isolated from the distractions of secular life.

Contemporary teachers stress that the times demand that mysticism emerge from the monastery. There is a sense of compelling urgency about broadening the scope of mystical experience not for the benefit of the individual, but for the benefit of all - all beings and all things, whether or not sentient or even animate. This is because humanity as a species has achieved the ability to destroy itself and every other form of life on this planet; and at times seems hell-bent on exercising that ability. Salvation, it seems, can come only by bringing a larger proportion of humanity into direct contact with Divine Spirit than has ever been the case in the past. There is a sense that once a certain critical mass of souls has achieved a sense of Oneness, the scale will tip in the direction of survival rather than annihilation.

Learning Oneness from differences

We incarnated as individuals so that we could be different. Because we are different we can learn from each other. What can a person teach you who thinks exactly as you do?

Because we can observe our differences, we can also observe our similarities.  This teaches us the concept of Oneness encompassing the diverse manifestations of our Universe.  Having learned the concept, we can progress toward the conscious experience of Oneness.

Thoughts on Bin Laden's Death

Even the Dalai Lama must have mixed emotions today. It is to be hoped, though there is no certainty this is true, that the death of Osama will help reduce terrorist threats. On a spiritual level we can have compassion for his soul while accepting  on a practical level the necessity of his death.

Years ago I received this teaching which I shared in this blog:

"Even those who seem to have come into this world only to cause pain and destruction are sinless children of God at the core of their being. Encrusted and bound as they are by the scars of past pain, the soul within still glows and yearns to be released. Osama's soul is like a man buried alive; his hatred is like a coffin blocking out all light and even air, and the weight of Separation bears down like tons of earth heaped upon him. Wrapped in ropes of pain, it struggles only to find itself held tighter. It will require much compassion and lovingkindness from others to free that soul from the crushing weight of all the pain its thrashing about has caused. But if Osama and the millions of others like him are ever to be deflected from their destructive course, it will be by the true force of love and compassion, which is Spirit, and not by the false and hollow means of further death and destruction."

His soul is now free to return wrapped in another body, with a different mind and personality. What experiences await it are beyond our power to predict.

I see today's news as the carrying out of an execution. Temporal powers demand an eye for an eye. We would do well to remember that the personal desire for revenge does not emanate from the God-spark at the core of our being, but from a primitive part of the mind expressed through the ego. Society must have laws and there must be punishments for breaking those laws. Society also has the right to protect itself from those who would cause it harm. But we can be steadfast and uncompromising in enforcing our laws and protecting our families without taking pleasure in the pain it causes to such as Osama. To take such pleasure is to yield to the same egoic pressure that drove his own actions, and to ensure that the cycle of violence and hatred will intensify. As for myself, I understand the urge to celebrate, but I will try very hard to be faithful to the teaching I have been given.

Are We "Special"?

When we enjoy good fortune, or even when we just feel good, there is a tendency for ego to rise up and proclaim that we are special because we have been singled out by the Universe for special blessings. We may feel that this is because we are "more spiritual" than others. This is an example of ego's constant effort to take command of the situation and shine the spotlight on itself. Ego conveniently forgets that we have suffered misfortune in the past and most likely will suffer it again in the future, leading to the inference that at those times we were not as "special" as we are now -- or at least, not special in a positive way.

To a great extent, the favors of the Universe are bestowed randomly because the Universe does not recognize distinctions among individuals. One person cannot be more meritorious than another because all persons are part of the singular Unity that the Universe is. The circumstances in which each of us find ourselves are transitory and meaningless from the Universal perspective. "Good" things may happen to "bad" people and vice versa, but only because we make it so -- it is we who attach the labels "good" and "bad" to people and events.

You really can't say you are "blessed" when things happen that fit into your concept of "good" unless you are willing to admit you are "cursed" when events fall outside that concept. But in truth, all events are neutral and should be accepted with equanimity. Because the Universe is Love, all beings are blessed all of the time. It just takes a long practice of meditation and mindfulness to become aware of that principle. When you are in the flow of that awareness, then your are constantly bathed in Love and joy no matter what seems to be happening around you. Moreover, there is nothing that you need to do but to Love. Love God and its manifestations in the physical Universe that you are experiencing at each moment. That is, to paraphrase Luke, the one and only Law.

It can be hard for us to accept that when we meditate, practice loving kindness, and strive to eliminate unloving behaviors, we are not entitled to a reward.  The world of reward and punishment is ego's world, not God's. To love God and its manifestations is its own reward. It is the be-all and end-all of our human existence. It is this that we incarnated to learn, and to practice until we have it perfected. Once we have learned perfect forgiveness and through it perfect love, our task is complete. There is no other task that has meaning.

Nothing but Love

You don't have to be taught to love your neighbor, or even your enemy. That love is already in you. What is needed is to break free of the ego that insists you must compete, you must fight, you must seize all you can; and that whispers in your ear that others - all others - are conspiring to take what you already have and trample you in the dust. Simply quieting the mind and listening for the Voice that comes from beyond mind and the small self is enough. You will know that Voice because it is untainted by selfishness or hatred. 

The calm, reassuring Voice of God comes in stillness to counsel that all are One; that peace is strength; that Love is the only Power in the Universe. Then all the concerns that trouble ego are revealed as emptiness, nothingness. The image of evil fades and dissolves in the knowledge that God is all and God is only Love. You rest in the awareness that God is in you and you are in God, inviolate and eternal. With nothing to fear, there can be nothing in you but Love.

Sleeping and Waking

A period of meditation at bedtime can be useful in clearing your mind of the cares of the day and preparing for restful sleep. It is a natural way to set aside the mind's agenda and to make room for the voice of Spirit. Some people follow the routine of counting their blessings before sleep. This also is a beneficial practice as it invokes the "attitude of gratitude." Anything that can help you enter your sleep period in a peaceful and receptive state is beneficial.

In sleep, your active consciousness is temporarily disabled. This allows other influences greater access to your passive  awareness. If you fall asleep worrying about life situations, those worries may continue to possess your awareness during sleep, leading to a greater likelihood of troubling dreams and restlessness. However, if you prepare yourself for sleep by setting aside worldly concerns and opening yourself to Spirit, then the Spirit within you that never sleeps may fill your awareness, allowing disturbing ideas no access. Sleep may then become the time during which you most fully experience the peace of Oneness.

The attitude that you carry into your sleep period is likely to remain with you when you wake up. Peaceful, restful sleep leads to peaceful awakening. However, your awareness is still vulnerable in the first moments of wakefulness and the ego may try to take advantage this by causing worldly cares to rush in and take possession. To avoid this, develop a practice of meditating immediately upon awakening. This will extend the period of complete receptiveness to Spirit so that it encompasses your entire sleep cycle, including the periods of entering into and emerging from sleep. Your higher consciousness or inner Spirit will be able to establish itself as the guide and protector of your awareness during the day to come, increasing your ability to meet everyday challenges with equanimity and a positive attitude.

One method of meditation both at bedtime and in the morning is to practice body awareness. After going to bed, perform a relaxation exercise by focusing your awareness on one part of your body at a time, becoming aware of any stress or tension that has become embedded in your nerves or muscles and encouraging your body to let go and relax. Try to sense the underlying energy of Spirit that actuates your body, maintaining its physical manifestation. You may sense this as a vibration or tingling in each body part as it becomes the object of your awareness. Allow this sensation to become a generalized feeling of well being as your awareness of it spreads to encompass your entire body.  Keep your focus on quiet restfulness and relaxation as you do this, because this exercise also has the capability to fill your body with active energy and make sleep more difficult to achieve.

In fact, a recommended morning practice is almost identical. Immediately on awakening, begin with a moment of total  surrender and receptiveness to Spirit. Then become aware of each part of your body as it emerges from the sleeping state. Allow the universal actuating positive energy to fill each part in turn until your entire being is vibrating harmoniously. Open your awareness again to the healing message of Spirit as it fills your consciousness with affirmative attitudes for the coming day. You will enter into your period of wakefulness and activity well prepared for a day filled with peace, love, and successful endeavor.

Everything Is All Right

Compassion is both a way to connect with the indwelling Spirit, and a manifestation of that connection. A sense of compassionate connection with other beings reinforces the awareness of Oneness that is otherwise too often inwardly-directed. 

I have had a sense of peace and security about my life situation more and more lately as I learn to relax into Love and to surrender to Spirit. My meditations focus on acceptance of the higher Self as my true being, and on giving up the complaints and demands of the egoic self. In many situations that I would formerly have found stressful or threatening my reaction is now not panic or fear, but a gentle awareness that everything is all right. This awareness is not limited to spiritual themes but extends into everyday living. At home, at work, and anywhere else I may find myself, I am learning to accept that nothing can be wrong in Spirit and that, sometimes despite appearances, everything is all right. I am becoming increasingly aware that as I allow Spirit to manifest in my being, so it manifests in my life situations as well.

Recently when I have felt a compassionate connection with another being, I find that it expresses itself in a way that I feel as cherishing. I look at the other with my eyes or with my mind, and the affirmation “I cherish you in Spirit” arises seemingly of its own accord in my consciousness. There is feeling of safety and acceptance that comes along with this phenomenon; acceptance of my being, and of the other, as if we were both cradled in the same pair of loving arms. I can only describe this as the loving power of Spirit flowing through me, and the other, and filling us both with the fundamental loving energy of the Universe. Any anxiety or concern I may have had for the other’s well-being is lifted from me as I become aware that everything is all right.

I am excited at the realization that this profound sense of well-being does not stop at the limits of my  physical body. I feel that not only I, but also those whose life situations attract my compassion, are sheltered in the protective embrace of Spirit. They may not immediately feel the same  sense of security that I do, because they have not cultivated their connection with Spirit. Nor may they be able to see beyond the immediate crisis to the safe harbor beyond. But I hope that my own tranquil awareness that everything is all right may be communicated to them and that they may come to that realization sooner themselves. Their realization in turn should enhance the manifestation of Spirit in their life situations so that, in the end, it will be evident to all that indeed, everything is all right.

Ramana Maharshi on the Householder's Dilemma

 

This Q&A addresses the question I believe every secular mystic must confront: How to live spiritually while dealing with the demands of everyday life.

 

Q:  How can cessation of activity (nivritti) and peace of mind be attained in the midst of household duties which are of the nature of constant activity?

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi:

As the activities of the wise man exist only in the eyes of others and not in his own, although he may be accomplishing immense tasks, he really does nothing. Therefore his activities do not stand in the way of inaction and peace of mind. For he knows the truth that all activities take place in his mere presence and that he does nothing. Hence he will remain as the silent witness of all the activities taking place.

 

Bhagavan is reminding us here that the Sage exists as the silent observer, entirely apart from his body/mind. The activities of body/mind are not his activities. He is free from attachments, and his serenity is not disturbed by the constant stream of thinking, acting, and relating taking place around him. Of course "he" is not "he" but the I am.

 

The value of the quotation lies in the reassurance it gives us that renunciation of attachments does not require the abandonment of everyday relationships and responsibilities. We need this assurance in order that we do not give up on the Path out of concern that it will lead us to abandon those who depend upon us. This is  separate from the pain that ego anticipates from the loss of attachments.

 

Until we attain full realization of the Self, we may believe that complete renunciation of worldly affairs is necessary. We may find this impossible out of love for family and friends, the sense of responsibility we feel, and the compassion for ourselves and others that pushes us to strengthen, rather than loosen, the bonds between us and them.

 

This dilemma is not limited to any particular school of philosophy. Followers of Buddhist and Vedantic traditions are faced with it, but so are Christians. Jesus taught his disciples to leave behind their livelihoods and their closest personal relationships in order to follow him. Taking this literally, as mind/body is wont to do, must have caused many to despair of ever walking in his footsteps.

 

Joel Goldsmith paints a stark picture in "A Parenthesis In Eternity":

 

"Few people realize the price that has to be paid for engaging in spiritual work. ... As a rule it means the loss of one's family, and it always means the loss of one's friends because in spiritual work no one has the leisure necessary to enjoy friendships or for time-consuming social dilly-dallying."

 

Although Ramana himself left his family and lived as an ascetic, in the quotation he is pointing out that the real renunciation is internal rather than external. Because his Self realization occurred at such a young age, he never acquired the kind of family and social responsibilities that many of us bear. Because he attained Self realization almost instantaneously, he may not have fully appreciated the difficulty of allowing the I am to emerge as the true Self while simultaneously giving attention to the concerns of the smaller self. Yet his message here is the infallible Voice of a fully realized being, and it is that the body/mind can continue to discharge its responsibilities after Self realization. Surely it must also be true that we can continue to fulfill our daily duties while on the Path. In the words of the Zen proverb, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

 

In a later passage, Goldsmith also seems to acknowledge the possibility of maintaining relationships on a foundation independent of ego:

"Illumination brings freedom from dependence on persons and things, and the only perfect human relationship there can ever be is one in which we do not look to anyone for anything. ... Then we have normal, happy relationships because we are free to share without thinking of any return."

 

Here he seems to recognize that it is not the external relationship, but the internal attachment to that relationship and its rewards that is renounced.

 

The Ramana quotation also reminds me that Self realization consists of bringing into conscious awareness a reality that already exists. I am is the core of every being and rests eternally as the silent Presence in each of us. The tranquil Observer already sits apart from the body/mind and witnesses its frantic comings and goings. Self realization is like removing the blindfold that hides this Presence from us. 

 

The purpose of meditation and mindfulness practice is to unify this core consciousness with the mind/body consciousness so as to escape the world of karma and unite with the Universal Self. As Goldsmith describes it in the chapter entitled "The Mystical Marriage": 

"That which is human and that which is divine meet: the human element is dissolved, and all that is left is the divine. The two become one."

 

 

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The Q&A above is from the Ramana Maharshi Facebook page. There are many other related discussions to be found there.

Spiritual Surrender

Our human existence can be characterized as a series of challenges. Life presents us with one situation after another in which we must choose among many possible courses of action, one of which is not to act at all. Behind those choices is another very important choice, which is whether to be guided by ego or by Spirit. 

Ego almost never chooses inaction. Ego's modus operandi is to stir the pot, to find threats in every situation. Because it is convinced that the Universe is hostile, ego reacts either defensively or aggressively, whatever it believes will best serve its own perceived needs without regard to the needs of others. Ego scorns inaction as passive surrender to the omnipresent enemy.

Spirit, on the other hand, inhabits a cooperative Universe in which love and acceptance are the moving forces. It does not feel threatened because it knows that it is immortal and unchanging. As manifested in us as individuals, Spirit counsels us to act for the benefit of all. In many cases, this means allowing events to play out rather than intervening in order to direct them toward an outcome that favors us at the expense of others. Almost always, it means taking time to assess the situation and to formulate a thoughtful response. Ego contemptuously labels this measured approach as weakness.

In order to choose mindfully between courses of action, we must pause long enough between stimulus and response to become aware of what our choices are. Ego's reactions are often reflexive. They are based on prejudices or the preconceived notion that every interaction is an attack. Quelling the urge to react in a knee-jerk manner is the necessary predicate to adopting a spiritual rather than an egoic response.

Spiritual teachers may refer to this practice as surrender. Surrender in this sense, however, is not the passive acceptance of events and circumstances. Instead, it is the recognition that Spirit is the most dependable source of guidance in any situation. It represents the choice to be guided by the calm Voice that comes in stillness rather than by the shrill rantings of ego. 

In order to hear that Voice, it is necessary to cultivate the ability to establish a zone of internal peace even in the most tumultuous surroundings. This is accomplished by regular meditation practice, and by seeking to live every moment in the awareness of Spirit. If we put spiritual principles to work in the routine activities of our daily lives, their use will become a habit that will serve us well in times of crisis. 

In our calm center, we know that we are safe and that we already possess everything we need in order to be happy. We know that these things cannot be taken from us because they are the only eternal truths in the Universe. By surrendering to the Voice of Spirit not just daily, but from moment to moment, we bring serenity into our lives and, in some measure, into the lives of those around us. Spirit will never guide us into discord and pain, though it may guide us to confront controversy, rather than avoid it, in order that it may be resolved. At the very least, we can contribute peace and loving coexistence in every situation. Perhaps the most important action we can take, in the long run, is to demonstrate by example that actively choosing spiritual surrender is the surest path to happiness.

Thinking About Immortality

Death and dying are subjects that are so taboo in our society, that we often refuse even to think privately about them. The Google dictionary defines "morbid" as "Characterized by or appealing to an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, esp. death and disease." I suppose that interest in death and disease can be carried to such an extreme that it can be characterized as abnormal and unhealthy. The same is true of any other subject; the pathology then is related to obsession, rather than to the topics themselves. But we often behave as if any consideration of death and dying were a sign of mental illness, and as if any reference to the subject were extremely bad manners.

The very aversion that we demonstrate to the topic of death is an indication of the great importance we attach to it. I have alluded to the subject before. Physical death is inevitable. It seems very likely that ego, which is attached to the physical body, must die with it. It is ego that finds any discussion of the topic unbearable. It is insane to fear the inevitable, but ego is insane and does fear its own extinction. When we live from the ego, we are possessed, often paralyzed by that same fear. What is true for us is also, naturally, true for those to whom we are attached. The passing of a loved one is often even more painful to contemplate than our own. This reflects ego's conception of death as extinction, as well as egoic attachment.

New Age and New Thought adherents often refer to physical death as "transition." This implies a process of moving from one state of existence to another. It is comforting to speak of transition rather than termination, but we should not delude ourselves that "life after death" is just a continuation of our present existence, with no more effect than changing clothes. How much of your personality did you bring with you into this world, and how much did you acquire after your conception? That which was born with the body or acquired by it afterward will likely pass away with it. 

Nevertheless, the core of our being - whether considered as Awareness, Spirit, God, or the Higher Self - is immortal. The I am which observes and - in the spiritually aware person - governs the thoughts and behavior of the small self is a manifestation of the Presence that is the fundamental energy of the Universe. All of the experiences that constitute human existence occur within that matrix and, in that sense, are also immortal. But to cling to the notion that a particular set of experiences that we call "ours" must remain identified with a particular wrinkle in the fabric of the Universe simply represents an attempt to narrow the scope of the Infinite to fit within the limits of our present awareness.

The thread in that fabric that represents a single consciousness may pass through one or many transition events. But when time falls away and all is seen through the lens of Oneness, there are no individuals; there is neither life nor death; there is no past nor future. There is only Awareness, undifferentiated and immeasurable. Therein lies our immortality.

Buried Pain

I suspect that many people hesitate to go within because they are afraid of what they will find. It is true that most of us have buried many painful memories and emotions. But even though we have placed them out of reach of our ordinary awareness, their negative influence remains. The only way to eliminate the adverse effects of buried pain is to uncover it and release it once and for all. Doing so removes one impediment to spiritual awareness. The process becomes progressively easier as you learn that you, not the pain, are in control of your life.

The Power of Patience

Another powerful quotation from the Dalai Lama shone like a jewel in the mud on my Facebook page today.  Here is the quotation:

"The most important benefit of patience consists in the way it acts as a powerful antidote to the affliction of anger - the greatest threat to our inner peace, and therefore our happiness. The mind, or spirit, is not physical, it cannot be touched or harmed directly. Only negative thoughts and emotions can harm it. Therefore, only the corresponding positive quality can protect it."

Facebook - or the little slice of it that is reflected on my page - seems to be increasingly devoted to the expression of individuals' social and political imperatives.  As such it mirrors our ever more polarized society.  Dialog seems to have largely vanished from the forum of opinion, to be replaced by strident voices shouting from soapboxes on every corner.  People are more devoted to their own ideas, prejudices and agendas than they are to other people.  In spiritual terms, this is another manifestation of the power of ego to dominate any situation in which it its influence is not tempered by love and the awareness of Oneness.  

There is no question that love and patience go hand in hand. Loving another person sometimes requires a patient understanding of that person's thoughts, emotions, and felt needs. Loving oneself requires the same patience. Loving a society, or the world, or the Universe requires patience and acceptance of the truth that regardless of the scope, events will not proceed according to our own personal values and priorities.

Ego is not patient.  Ego wants what it wants, and it wants it now.  Ego is angry. Spirit as manifested in the Universe has no need of patience because it exists outside of time; but as manifested in each of us, Spirit brings the patient ability to put today's emergencies into the context of eternity. A life spent in Oneness is a life of equanimity, knowing that every external tempest - including the tantrum of personal ego - is only a departure from Love and will be calmed by a return to stillness and the fundamental peace of Spirit.

Peace will not be found by out-shouting other egos.  Peace comes from the realization that Love is All There Is -- right "now", right "here", not in some imagined (but unattainable) future time when the mind's priorities have been fully realized. As we go through our human existence working as hard as we can to produce the good that we wish for all beings, we can stay on course by returning daily to the inner awareness that the peace of Oneness is ours for the asking at any time and in any place.

Who am "I"?

Sri Ramana Maharshi invites us to meditate on the question, "Who am I?" ... ultimately "I" discover that "I" am nothing apart from God. Still "we" cling to "our" illusion of individuality, twisting and jumping from one concept of "self" to another like a fish on a line. Each time mind presents another rationalization for the belief that "I" am separate and unique, "I" must struggle to overcome and release such thoughts. Yet it is impossible to release them completely while living a secular life. "My" family, "my" friends, "my" job, "my" possessions, all seem to have meaning. "My" senses testify that other people also are unique individuals. Only when "I" take sanctuary in meditation can "I" approach the understanding of Oneness. Then dualities fade and "I" passes from awareness for a time in the presence of I am.

How Should Disease Be Treated?

A discussion of an alternative or naturopathic cancer treatment led me to meditate on the choice between such therapies (which for want of a better term I will call "alternative" medicine) and conventional medicine (i.e., the medicine of Western science, doctors and hospitals).  The understanding that came to me is that physical illness -- by itself, clearly a phenomenon of the material universe -- may have many causes.  Some causes are themselves material (such as exposure to toxic substances, viruses and bacteria, or congenital physical defects). Other causes are energetic (arising in the aetheric boundary between the material and the spiritual), and still others are purely spiritual (such as karma).  Similarly, physical illness can be treated on a variety of levels, ranging from the purely material to the energetic to the purely spiritual.  In each case the treatment will not be considered "successful" unless the physical manifestation of the underlying cause is removed.  That is, the "cure" must manifest in the material universe, on the same plane as the condition being treated.  However, if the underlying cause is energetic or spiritual, it seems the physical condition (or another just as undesirable) is likely to recur unless the non-material cause is also dealt with in some fashion.  There appears to be a hierarchy of cause and effect in which events at the spiritual level have effects on the energetic and material universes; energetic practices affect the material plane, but not the spiritual; and material approaches affect only material manifestations. 

So, for example, some may treat cancer by seeking to modify or release its karmic causes on the spiritual plane.  Some may apply pranic healing, qi gong, or other energetic methods.  And of course, some may treat the condition purely on the material plane, by removing tumors, administering chemotherapy, or applying one of the available alternative remedies. 

An important fact, and one that needs to be stressed repeatedly until everyone understands it, is that none of these methods should be considered to exclude the others.  Far from detracting from the efficacy of conventional medicine, for example, energetic and spiritual treatments have been found to complement conventional approaches to the treatment of disease.  And the application of conventional methods should not be considered inconsistent with energetic and spiritual treatments, or with some alternative methods.  It has been said many times that sometimes God sends help in the form of a doctor.

Now, conventional and alternative medical treatments, in general, both operate solely on the material plane.  There may be some situations in which they are in fact mutually exclusive -- e.g., if a skin cancer lesion is removed by one method, it cannot also be removed by another.  What is not helpful to the patient is that practitioners of either kind often denigrate the practices of the other for non-scientific reasons, such as ego identification with their own specialty or the superstitious belief that only their chosen approach (be it conventional or alternative science) can be efficacious.  Medical science must forsake the illusion of its own infallibility, and acknowledge that some alternative treatments can be effective. Alternative practitioners must similarly respect the methods of conventional science.

Insofar as purely material approaches to the treatment of disease are concerned, I prefer the methods of conventional medicine.  The material universe is truly the domain of Western science, which is constantly expanding its understanding of the physical causes of physical events.  If conventional medicine rejects an alternative treatment on scientific grounds (rather than superstition or prejudice), I am prone to respect that position.  At the same time, I will not fall into the fallacy of supposing that physical disease can have only physical causes. If the cause is energetic or spiritual, then material procedures must be accompanied by an appropriate non-material treatment. I will continue to respect energetic and spiritual treatments in conjunction with the material approaches of conventional and alternative medicine, as the situation dictates.

New Challenges

Meet every new challenge with respect by giving it your full creative attention.  Treating new challenges as if they are old ones leads you to apply old methods and solutions, which may or may not fit the current situation.  This is especially important to remember if you are an "expert".  Expertise is more than experience. It requires the ability to discern what is unique in the present circumstances and to modify old solutions accordingly.  Knowledge must be tempered with the wisdom to realize that you don't know everything, and that the present moment is different from any moment in the past.  Relying on knowledge alone leaves you frozen in the past.  The present is fluid and constantly new, but welcoming if you are willing to plunge in, swim with the tide, and learn new lessons.

Universal Mind

The things you write that you believe are thoughts newly coming to you from Universal Mind are really memories, or rather impressions penetrating the illusion of separation. You are dimly aware of the state of Oneness with Source and these writings are imperfect descriptions of that imperfect awareness. Others who read and appreciate what you have written do so because their own awareness, albeit as imperfect as yours, is stimulated. Thus the process of writing and reading is itself part of the reawakening for both.

IMPERMANENCE

This flower is already withered,
this moment now is past.

This cup already broken,
this breath will be my last.

Each thing I could not live without
is just a memory.

Each precious trinket that I owned
has gone and left me free.

This body has been dust long since,
this town a sterile plain.

This land has sunk beneath the sea,
and I am home again.

I've watched the planet Earth dissolve
in her Sun's nova flame.

I've seen the galaxies burn out,
yet I am still the same.

I am the One I've always been,
unbound by time or space.

I am unborn and never die.
I am eternal Grace.

I am the planets and the suns,
the flower and the breath.

I am the Spirit that transcends
my birth, my life, my death.

I am the truth within my lie,
the solace in your pain.

I am the Voice that softly calls
you back to me again.
 

Listen

It's not true that God speaks only to a chosen few. Only a few choose to listen.

Sweetness

Don't seek to enjoy life, but to experience it.  There is wisdom in bitter fruit, and sweetness in wisdom.

Understanding Oneness

.
The Teacher said,


In order to understand Oneness, you must learn a new way of visualizing yourself in relation to God.  You say to yourself, "How can I be one with God?  God is infinite and I am limited; God is everywhere and I am only here." You can accept yourself as a part of God; yet God as the infinite unbounded Oneness has no parts.  In God there is no great or small, no here nor there; for those are dualistic concepts that cannot describe attributes of Oneness. Indeed Oneness has no attributes, because attributes exist only for purposes of comparing one thing with another.  All That Is comprehends all attributes and therefore has none.


What is here is everywhere.  You draw a circle around yourself and say, "The part of the Universe that is within this circle is me; the rest is not me," even though God is both inside and outside. With this limited image of yourself, it is no wonder that you cannot understand Oneness.


It can be shown mathematically that every point outside a circle corresponds to a unique point inside the circle.  This means that there is just as much infinity within the circle as without.  But you say, "I can easily measure the distance across my little circle -- I can never measure the distance to infinity outside it." This is purely because of the limitations on your own artificial conceptions of distance and time.  It is quite easy to define time and distance in such a way that the distance from any point outside the circle to its perimeter is equal to the distance from the perimeter to the corresponding point on the inside.  Then the depth of the Universe within equals the infinite breadth without.  You can no more plumb the depths within you by limited ego-based thinking than you can travel to the end of the outside Universe.  The journey would be endless in either direction. 


Only by abandoning time and distance altogether can you realize Oneness.  If every point outside your little circle equals a point on the inside, then it is only a matter of perspective whether what you consider to be "yourself" is on the inside or the outside. Try to visualize yourself being the outside rather than the inside; your own being extending without limit in all directions.  Then expand yourself even more to include the infinity within the circle.  Now the circle that is the limitation that your ego placed on your being can be seen as artificial and unnecessary, and dissolves back into nothingness.  What remains is you, and also is God, and All That Is.  This is Oneness.   

Love or Attachment?

It's easy to mindfully distinguish love from attachment.  Love unselfishly desires the happiness of others.  Attachment desires the attention of others to gratify one's own perceived needs.  Ego is not capable of love, but ego is all about attachment.  Spirit knows that it is Love and, being aware of its Oneness with All That Is, understands the futility of attachment. When you allow yourself to be controlled by ego, you find yourself grasping at objects of desire whether they are people, things, or ideas. The more of your consciousness that you devote to Spirit, the more you will manifest unconditional Love. The two forms of consciousness cannot exist simultaneously, though sometimes we vacillate so rapidly between Love and attachment that we find it difficult to distinguish between them, and even believe that they are two names for the same thing.  We can escape this confusion by being aware of their very different consequences.  Attachment is associated with anxiety, fear, jealousy, and discomfort; Love is associated with calmness, confidence, generosity and bliss.  To focus on Love is to dwell in Spirit and, therefore, in harmony with All That Is. 

Ego and the News

Contemporary spiritual teachers advise against paying too much attention to the news media because they appeal pruriently to the ego, which is obsessed with self-preservation yet drawn paradoxically to the adrenaline rush of danger.  Maybe the co-existence of those two factors explains the popularity of horror and violence in entertainment media -- we are able to feel the physical/emotional reaction without being in any real danger.  The simulation of imminent danger also promotes ego's agenda to focus consciousness on personal survival rather than on Oneness. I wouldn't discount either the grotesque satisfaction ego draws from the experience of remaining safe while watching others endure hideous suffering.

You Will Call, I Will Answer

Harvard Law professor William Stuntz discusses his impending death. He describes his feelings about issues that most of us are not forced to confront on a daily basis. His thoughts deserve a place in your consciousness.


You Will Call, I Will Answer

Surrender

Surrendering the belief in good and evil means it is no longer necessary to look for the good in evil people or circumstances. Surrendering personal will means abandoning the need to impose your own conceptions of good and evil on your surroundings. Acceptance of the Universe as it is allows you to surrender to the Spirit within and let God's will manifest through you; and ultimately to dissolve that ego-imposed sense of separation that denies you access to Oneness with All that Is.‏

Book Review: Chants of a Lifetime by Krishna Das

Sometimes when reading a book on a spiritual topic, I realize that I am not really reading to learn something new, but only seeking validation of what I already believe. The author will state a point and my inner judge evaluates it, concluding “Yes, this is consistent with what I believe,” or “No, this is wrong, this is all rubbish.” It is a difficult thing to suspend judgment and simply allow the author’s ideas to flow through my consciousness, particularly when the book is one I have been invited to review. When that does happen, though, I find the inner voice is still there, but in a different tone -- “This Truth feels familiar … This Truth is one I have not experienced yet.” This state in which reactions come more from the higher Self than from the small self is difficult to attain. What surprises me in retrospect about the experience of having read Chants of a Lifetime is that Krishna Das managed to evoke that less judgmental state naturally, without my being aware this was happening. By the time I had finished reading I had accepted his truth -- not necessarily as true for me, but as unquestionably authentic for him; not that these truths are different, but that each of us sees truth from a different angle.

The book includes a CD of Krishna Das performing his moving and powerful music. Yet Chants of a Lifetime is not a book about chanting -- or singing; Krishna Das uses the words interchangeably. Nor is it an autobiography, though it does remind one of Autobiography of a Yogi. It is more in the nature of a memoir, the memoir of a lifelong love between Krishna Das and his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, or Maharaj-ji as he is most often called in the book. Maharaj-ji is named in the first sentence of the Preface and in the penultimate sentence of the final chapter. His name is to be found on almost every page. Krishna Das’ devotion to his guru’s physical incarnation is the theme of the first part of the book: how he traveled to India to meet Maharaj-ji; how the experience changed his life; and ultimately, how their separation and the guru’s physical passing threw the disciple into a tailspin that lasted years. In the subsequent chapters, Krishna Das describes how he came to realize that the loving relationship he believed he had lost was just as real and as present as it had been in the days spent in the guru’s entourage in India. Ultimately, we learn how he found peace in the arms of his guru long after the latter had left his physical form.

Except for the accounts of time spent with Maharaj-ji in India, Krishna Das devotes little attention to the actual events of his past, but takes the reader through an intensely open and honest experience of his mental/emotional/spiritual roller coaster of a life. He shares with us the insights he has gained -- purchased at the cost of much suffering, not because of the guru relationship but in spite of it. He paints a picture of Maharaj-ji as almost a reluctant teacher. This was a saint or boddhavista who had chosen to incarnate for the purpose of guiding his disciples to a higher understanding, but who stubbornly refused to spoon feed them. The lessons learned from the guru did not fall from his lips like pearls, but were planted like seeds in the consciousness of the disciple to bear fruit only when the student was ready and able to receive it. It seems that much of what Krishna Das learned about himself from his teacher came to light after his guru’s physical passing, as he reflected upon and experienced the flowering of what had originally seemed relatively inconsequential remarks heard and remembered, but not initially understood.

Chanting does play an important role in the book, as it does in Krishna Das’ life. He is a professional musician and leads kirtan -- “chanting the Divine Name”, according to the book’s glossary -- throughout the world. The defining experience of his time with Maharaj-ji in India was that of chanting the Names of God. Most importantly, chanting became his spiritual practice. Krishna Das describes the ways in which chanting brought him at last to a condition of love and peace. Clearly he believes this practice can do the same for each of us. He describes chanting in the way that others describe silent meditation, which he himself found unsatisfying. It is easy to believe that chanting would provide the same experience to anyone who performed the practice with the same love and devotion as he.

Chanting is well known to us in the West, whether it be the enthusiastic chant of the Hare Krishna movement, the repetition of a guru-given mantra as in Transcendental Meditation, or even the recitation of the rosary. Thomas Ashley-Farrand, a Vedic priest who has devoted his life to teaching Sanksrit mantra, asserts that the very words carry a vibrational energy that in and of itself has the capacity to shape our experience. I believe that Krishna Das would ascribe greater importance to the intensity of feeling with which the Names are spoken or sung. Repeating Om, or Ram, or any of the other Names of God is not the key to a higher experience if performed mechanically; it is the love that the chanter feels for the Divine, and expresses through the chant, that leads to the dissolution of the small self and to the peace and joy that come from the realization of Oneness. The book therefore is a testament to the transformative power of spiritual practice of all kinds, of which chanting is only one. The understanding of what the practice has meant for Krishna Das is the greatest lesson I learned from the book, a lesson that by itself would justify spending the time to read it and get to know this remarkable individual. This experience taught me much about myself as well as about Krishna Das.

When Krishna Das saw his guru in life for the last time, Maharaj-ji asked him “How will you serve me in America?” The disciple replied, “I will sing for you in America.” Many turbulent years passed before this prophecy was realized, but sing he does, and his song resonates in the heart of the reader after the last page has been turned.

Chants of a Lifetime, a book and CD by Krishna Das, is published by Hay House, www.hayhouse.com. It is copyrighted by Krishna Das. Krishna Das has his own website, www.krishnadas.com.

Federal regulations require me to disclose that I received a complimentary copy of Chants of a Lifetime, including the accompanying CD, from Hay House for review purposes.

Surrender as a Constant Practice

Surrender is the recognition that seeking God is pointless because God is nowhere to be found; but that God will come to you if you are open and accepting. This openness is first achieved in meditation or other spiritual practice, where the demands of body and mind are set aside in favor of your relationship with Spirit. However, few if any are so fortunate as to be able to spend all their time focused exclusively on a formal practice. Eventually the demands of the world must also be given some attention. For most of us, the great majority of our time and attention is devoted to worldly matters.

It is essential, then, that we learn to carry the attitude of surrender with us as we go about our daily affairs. This does not mean to be passive, but rather to conduct ourselves always in ways that are attentive to the inner Voice that first comes to us in our practice. In fact, we will find that maintaining our intention to surrender to the will of God is a very demanding exercise out in the world. First of all we must be mindful; mindful of the influence of body and mind on our attitudes and behavior, and mindful also of our interactions with people and with worldly situations, aware that these too are Divine creations. We must provide food, clothing and shelter for ourselves and any others who depend upon us, yet we must seek to do so in ways that are consistent with our commitment to Spirit. In the time-honored phrase, we must be "in the world but not of it". This requires continual self-discipline, recognizing and dealing appropriately with the demands of the small self from the perspective of the larger Self.

Joel Goldsmith reminds us of the ancient teachings that God will provide for those who surrender to It. In more contemporary terms, "being in the flow" means that by maintaining our connection to Spirit, we navigate easily the straits and shoals of worldly life. God provides the ship, the wind and the sails; all that It asks of us is to steer. With a firm and steady grasp of spiritual practice as our rudder, we are sure to bring ourselves and our communities safely to harbor.

Happiness and Buddha Nature

From Krishna Das' forthcoming book, Chants of a Lifetime:
"Ultimately, we'll come to live in a state where our hearts are so expansive, so open to love, that everyone and anything is free to come and go without being judged or pushed away."

What Am I?

What am I?

There are so many things I sometimes identify with that are not me.  I am not my car or my house.  I am not my computer.  I am not any of my belongings.

I am not my friends or my family.  I am not any of these precious relationships, no matter how closely I may cling to them.

I am not this hand, this foot, not even this heart and lungs, not even - dare I say it - this brain through which all my experience surges ceaselessly like a storm of lightening.

I am not this thought that is passing through my consciousness at this instant.

That which I am would exist if all these things were destroyed, or if they had never existed.

I am none of these things that seem to distinguish my being from any other.  I am Universal Spirit; I am Oneness; I am that which is real and has no opposite; I am Life.  Existence coalesces around me, individual elements lose their identity. I am the swirling black hole at the end of this Universe into which matter falls and becomes undifferentiated energy, or at the birth of the next spewing individuality newly re-formed.  I am Universal awareness, spinning the mandala of existence, consciousness without duality, without judgment, surpassing time and space ... I am no thing but that without which no thing, no condition could appear ...  I am that I am.

Knowledge of Immortality

I know there is a universal Spirit of which my own awareness is an integral part. I know this Spirit consists of joy and love. I know these things because I also know my body must die and dissolve, and that part of my consciousness that depends upon support from the physical body must pass away.‏

Knowing my physical mortality allows me to accept the inevitability of physical death and move past it.  It is insane to fear the inevitable.  Still, even calm acceptance of mortality is far from the exuberance of joy and love. If physical existence were all we had, then the sure knowledge that life is limited would be sobering, if not saddening. 

Yet in meditation, and any time that I sense my connection with Spirit, joy and love are all that I feel.  These cannot have their source in the body or the mind that depends upon it. They can only emanate from a Source that is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.  That Source is Spirit, God, Life, or Oneness . . . I am, the unnamable.  Mortality does not dampen my enthusiasm for Life because I am an individual manifestation of this universal Spirit.  I am as immortal as God Itself, because God and I are one.

The God In You, the God In Me: Love Without Attachment

The God In You, the God In Me: Love Without Attachment

Focus on Spirit

Place your entire attention on Spirit, and no harm can come to you.

Have you ever noticed that when you are completely absorbed in a thought or an activity, other concerns disappear?  The egoic mind uses this phenomenon to distract us from Spirit.  However, you can turn the tactic around by concentrating on Spirit.  When you do, all worldly fear, pain, and distress vanish.  The bliss that is found in meditation is like a light banishing the darkness.  Mind, body, and soul become attuned to the harmony of the Universe, which naturally expels negative thoughts and attitudes, and the physical and mental ills that they produce.

Banishing Fear and Insecurity

Some people live closely guarded lives, fearful of encountering someone or something that might shatter their insecure spiritual foundation. This attitude, however, is not the fault of religion but of their own limited understanding. True Dharma leads in exactly the opposite direction. It enables one to integrate all the many diverse experiences of life into a meaningful and coherent whole, thereby banishing fear and insecurity completely.

- Lama Thubten Yeshe, "Wisdom Energy"

Defining Prosperity

If you define prosperity as having everything ego wants, you can never be prosperous.  If you define it as having what Spirit needs, you are likely to find you are prosperous already.