Pauline tweets:
"[I] wonder why anyone would think it appropriate to close a business letter with 'Have a Resurrected Easter'"
There's a fine line between witnessing for the joy of spiritual experience, and just being obtrusive. To some extent the line is in the mind of the hearer. One who has had an experience of awakening has an almost irrepressible desire to share it. Jesus and Buddha, among other sages, commanded their students to teach.
To be fair to your correspondent, he or she may simply have been inviting you to share a joyful experience. However, there are pitfalls in the urge to immediately broadcast one's experiences. Adyashanti discusses these in his book, The End of Your World. These include the fact that the speaker probably does not fully understand what has happened, or the significance of the experience. In addition, there is a phenomenon Adyashanti calls "ego enlightenment" in which the ego hijacks the experience and seeks to use it to aggrandize itself.
We Westerners are so accustomed to the missionary zeal of certain sects that we assume anyone who talks to us about religion or spirituality is trying to "convert" us. This may or not be the case, but ego senses a threat to its own convictions and rises immediately to their defense. A person who is comfortable and secure in the Self with his or her own spirituality, and who recognizes the defensive reaction as coming from ego, is likely to be willing to share the joy of awakening with another, without feeling any need to raise a barrier or to convey or receive anything more than the sharing itself.
It has been my experience that adherents of organized religions often seem to have been hijacked by ego en masse. Even when confronted by one of these individuals who insists on "saving" you, it is more consistent with enlightened spirituality to thank and bless such a person, responding to what is loving and caring in their message, than to reject it entirely.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Ganesha
I wear the image of Ganesha every day. In Vedic tradition, Ganesha is the god of overcoming obstacles. A mantra to Ganesha is "Aum Gam Ganapataye Namaha." To me, he symbolizes the ability of Spirit to soar above the barriers to Self realization raised by ego. I do not worship an elephant-headed divine being, but I revere the spiritual principle he symbolizes and the mystical tradition to which he belongs.
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Healing Meditation
Click on the title of this post to download this guided meditation as an audio file. Music: Kevin MacLeod.
Find a place where you can sit comfortably for a half hour or so. It is best if you can sit with your feet on the floor and your back relatively straight, but it’s even more important that you be comfortable. If you can, turn off your phone and any other devices that might distract you. You may find it helpful to listen to this recording through headphones. You should keep your eyes closed in order to help you visualize the experience.
Give all your attention to my voice and to following these instructions. Your mind will try to distract you with unrelated thoughts and concerns. Do not pay attention to it. There will be another time for you to deal with those thoughts and concerns. This time is for you, your body, and your soul.
You may experience intense physical and emotional sensations as you participate in this meditation; or you may feel very little. Whatever you feel, it is important to allow yourself to feel it completely. You may find that your mind will try to reject the feelings that come to you. In order to obtain the full benefit from the experience, it is important that you suspend judgment and simply allow whatever happens, to happen for the duration of the meditation.
The first thing I want you to do is to relax your entire body. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly through your mouth, visualizing as you do this that all the tension is being released from your body and expelled along with your breath. Repeat this breathing procedure as many times as you like. Focus on your breath, feeling the air pass through your nose and mouth, your throat and into your lungs. Visualize the cleansing oxygen entering your bloodstream and replacing the carbon dioxide and other waste products that will be removed when you exhale. Give all your attention to your breathing, and ignore any other thoughts that intrude on your concentration. Breathe in warmth and healing energy, breathe out stress and negativity.
Remember to ignore any negative thoughts and any other thoughts that do not pertain to this moment in time, this process of relaxation.
Now, allow yourself to breathe naturally and try to detect any remaining tension in your body. Allow your shoulders to fall naturally loose. If your neck feels tight, simply let go of the tension that is contained in those tight muscles and let them relax. Do the same for the muscles in your lower back. These muscles in the back, shoulders and neck store a great deal of stress and negativity that manifests as tightness and soreness in those areas. By mentally scanning for and releasing the tightness, you are able to release the negative feelings also. Release them, and allow them to escape naturally with your breath.
If any thoughts try to intrude, allow them to be expelled also in the same breath.
Now it is time to perform a full body scan and consciously relax and energize every single part. To do so, you will draw on the power of Mother Earth, your loving Mother who makes her boundless energy available to you at all times and in all places.
Start with the toes of one foot. Become conscious of each toe separately, one after the other. Instruct the muscles of each toe to relax and release any remaining tension that lies buried within. Let relaxation be a positive attribute, not just the absence of tension. Feel relaxing warmth enter your toes from Mother Earth and begin to creep upward through your body.
Once your toes are relaxed, move your attention to your feet. Let clean, relaxing energy pass through your toes to your feet and then to your ankles, dissipating any stresses that are locked into your muscles and joints. Let yourself feel loose and happy at this wonderful sensation. Be aware of nothing but this cleansing, healing energy as it naturally flows upward through your calves, knees, and thighs. Focus your attention entirely on one part of your body at a time, letting go of any tension or stress, feeling the delicious energy of Life pervading your body and driving out anything that is negative or harmful. As you focus on each part, retain the background awareness of the other parts that have already been cleansed and relaxed, tingling with the fullness of refreshing natural energy. Let nothing else intrude on your enjoyment of this moment.
Let the sensation of being submerged in a warm bath of revitalizing energy rise through your abdomen, cleansing and refreshing every organ that it encounters. You may visualize this energy as a warm glow or sparkle that completely pervades your body. Nothing that has been touched by this energy is dark, or dirty in any way. All negativity is simply vaporized into air, or expelled in the breath. Your spine tingles with the sensation of being infused with the primordial energy of Life, and you begin to feel light and airy in a way that seems familiar, though long forgotten. You may visualize each organ in turn as being bathed and revitalized, or simply visualize the tide of renewed vitality surging upward and cleansing all in its path.
As the cleansing and strengthening energy reaches your chest, feel it bathing your organs and restoring warmth and health to your liver, lungs and heart. Because your heart is the seat of emotion, there can be a lot of negativity stored in these places without your being aware. You may sense that the tide of energy is coming across hard, dark, tightly sealed pockets of negative emotion. Allow the energy to bathe these areas gently and lovingly, coaxing them to open and release the feelings stored within. If this happens, you may feel a sudden sensation of sadness, or anger, or fear. If these negative emotions are released, do not be overwhelmed by them, but simply allow them to be dispelled with a blessing. Breathe them out with the other unclean energies and enjoy the relief from pain that you didn’t realize until this moment was burdening your soul. If the release brings tears, allow them to flow, knowing that the pain is leaving your body in that way.
If these pockets of buried pain resist and refuse to open, don’t linger over them. Bless and forgive them too, and allow them to rest and await release another time.
Feel your heart opening like a flower to welcome the warm, loving energy sent to you by your Mother Earth. As the energy reaches the center of your heart, you realize that your heart is responding by emitting bright beams of positive energy that penetrate your body and spread outward into the Universe. This is not just a reflection, but the opening of another window into the fundamental energy of All that Is. The energy of your heart joins with the energy of Life in cleansing and refreshing not just your own body and soul, but all around you in every direction even to the farthest reaches of the Universe. In the combined glow of these two energetic sources, no darkness can remain anywhere. You feel indescribably alive and glowing with joy, with health, and with Love for everything that shares this brilliant light. You feel a sense of oneness with the Universe that is unlimited in distance, time, or dimensions.
Now the flow of energy moves upward again, into your throat, jaw, sinuses, eyes, ears, and ultimately through your spinal cord to your brain. Each of those areas is individually bathed in the warm glow of Love and forgiveness emanating from your heart as well as in the energy of Life that now flows from the tips of your toes all the way to the top of your head. Positive, cleansing energy swirls around your organs and removes any lingering traces of negativity or darkness. The centers of your spirituality are in these areas and your soul springs vibrantly awake at the touch of these twin positive energies. You see now that you are a creature of Light, a beacon of Love and Life whose illumination joins with the glow of other souls to fill the Universe with a single, pulsing, vital and eternal energy. A beam of brilliant white light emerges from the top of your head and completes the connection between the energies of Heaven and Earth, both flowing through you and joining you to both and to All that Is.
Your body is now completely suffused with positive energy from the fundamental sources of the Universe. You can take the time now to scan your body again, just to take delight in the sensation filling every part. The energies are ethereal rather than physical, but so powerful that you feel warm, healthy tingle from your skin to your bones, and from your scalp to the soles of your feet. Relax, sense your breathing, and simply enjoy the sensation of oneness with the primordial energy of Life.
Remain seated quietly and in touch with these sensations for as long as is comfortable for you. When you are ready, just open your eyes, and take a few moments to reorient yourself in the physical world. You do not have to leave the sensations you have experienced behind as you resume your everyday activities. In fact, the more times you perform this exercise, the more the sensation will remain with you. Ultimately, you may find that the experience never leaves you, at which time you may not feel the need for a separate practice of this meditation.
May you enjoy all the blessings of Heaven and Earth in all that you do.
Namaste.
Find a place where you can sit comfortably for a half hour or so. It is best if you can sit with your feet on the floor and your back relatively straight, but it’s even more important that you be comfortable. If you can, turn off your phone and any other devices that might distract you. You may find it helpful to listen to this recording through headphones. You should keep your eyes closed in order to help you visualize the experience.
Give all your attention to my voice and to following these instructions. Your mind will try to distract you with unrelated thoughts and concerns. Do not pay attention to it. There will be another time for you to deal with those thoughts and concerns. This time is for you, your body, and your soul.
You may experience intense physical and emotional sensations as you participate in this meditation; or you may feel very little. Whatever you feel, it is important to allow yourself to feel it completely. You may find that your mind will try to reject the feelings that come to you. In order to obtain the full benefit from the experience, it is important that you suspend judgment and simply allow whatever happens, to happen for the duration of the meditation.
The first thing I want you to do is to relax your entire body. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly through your mouth, visualizing as you do this that all the tension is being released from your body and expelled along with your breath. Repeat this breathing procedure as many times as you like. Focus on your breath, feeling the air pass through your nose and mouth, your throat and into your lungs. Visualize the cleansing oxygen entering your bloodstream and replacing the carbon dioxide and other waste products that will be removed when you exhale. Give all your attention to your breathing, and ignore any other thoughts that intrude on your concentration. Breathe in warmth and healing energy, breathe out stress and negativity.
Remember to ignore any negative thoughts and any other thoughts that do not pertain to this moment in time, this process of relaxation.
Now, allow yourself to breathe naturally and try to detect any remaining tension in your body. Allow your shoulders to fall naturally loose. If your neck feels tight, simply let go of the tension that is contained in those tight muscles and let them relax. Do the same for the muscles in your lower back. These muscles in the back, shoulders and neck store a great deal of stress and negativity that manifests as tightness and soreness in those areas. By mentally scanning for and releasing the tightness, you are able to release the negative feelings also. Release them, and allow them to escape naturally with your breath.
If any thoughts try to intrude, allow them to be expelled also in the same breath.
Now it is time to perform a full body scan and consciously relax and energize every single part. To do so, you will draw on the power of Mother Earth, your loving Mother who makes her boundless energy available to you at all times and in all places.
Start with the toes of one foot. Become conscious of each toe separately, one after the other. Instruct the muscles of each toe to relax and release any remaining tension that lies buried within. Let relaxation be a positive attribute, not just the absence of tension. Feel relaxing warmth enter your toes from Mother Earth and begin to creep upward through your body.
Once your toes are relaxed, move your attention to your feet. Let clean, relaxing energy pass through your toes to your feet and then to your ankles, dissipating any stresses that are locked into your muscles and joints. Let yourself feel loose and happy at this wonderful sensation. Be aware of nothing but this cleansing, healing energy as it naturally flows upward through your calves, knees, and thighs. Focus your attention entirely on one part of your body at a time, letting go of any tension or stress, feeling the delicious energy of Life pervading your body and driving out anything that is negative or harmful. As you focus on each part, retain the background awareness of the other parts that have already been cleansed and relaxed, tingling with the fullness of refreshing natural energy. Let nothing else intrude on your enjoyment of this moment.
Let the sensation of being submerged in a warm bath of revitalizing energy rise through your abdomen, cleansing and refreshing every organ that it encounters. You may visualize this energy as a warm glow or sparkle that completely pervades your body. Nothing that has been touched by this energy is dark, or dirty in any way. All negativity is simply vaporized into air, or expelled in the breath. Your spine tingles with the sensation of being infused with the primordial energy of Life, and you begin to feel light and airy in a way that seems familiar, though long forgotten. You may visualize each organ in turn as being bathed and revitalized, or simply visualize the tide of renewed vitality surging upward and cleansing all in its path.
As the cleansing and strengthening energy reaches your chest, feel it bathing your organs and restoring warmth and health to your liver, lungs and heart. Because your heart is the seat of emotion, there can be a lot of negativity stored in these places without your being aware. You may sense that the tide of energy is coming across hard, dark, tightly sealed pockets of negative emotion. Allow the energy to bathe these areas gently and lovingly, coaxing them to open and release the feelings stored within. If this happens, you may feel a sudden sensation of sadness, or anger, or fear. If these negative emotions are released, do not be overwhelmed by them, but simply allow them to be dispelled with a blessing. Breathe them out with the other unclean energies and enjoy the relief from pain that you didn’t realize until this moment was burdening your soul. If the release brings tears, allow them to flow, knowing that the pain is leaving your body in that way.
If these pockets of buried pain resist and refuse to open, don’t linger over them. Bless and forgive them too, and allow them to rest and await release another time.
Feel your heart opening like a flower to welcome the warm, loving energy sent to you by your Mother Earth. As the energy reaches the center of your heart, you realize that your heart is responding by emitting bright beams of positive energy that penetrate your body and spread outward into the Universe. This is not just a reflection, but the opening of another window into the fundamental energy of All that Is. The energy of your heart joins with the energy of Life in cleansing and refreshing not just your own body and soul, but all around you in every direction even to the farthest reaches of the Universe. In the combined glow of these two energetic sources, no darkness can remain anywhere. You feel indescribably alive and glowing with joy, with health, and with Love for everything that shares this brilliant light. You feel a sense of oneness with the Universe that is unlimited in distance, time, or dimensions.
Now the flow of energy moves upward again, into your throat, jaw, sinuses, eyes, ears, and ultimately through your spinal cord to your brain. Each of those areas is individually bathed in the warm glow of Love and forgiveness emanating from your heart as well as in the energy of Life that now flows from the tips of your toes all the way to the top of your head. Positive, cleansing energy swirls around your organs and removes any lingering traces of negativity or darkness. The centers of your spirituality are in these areas and your soul springs vibrantly awake at the touch of these twin positive energies. You see now that you are a creature of Light, a beacon of Love and Life whose illumination joins with the glow of other souls to fill the Universe with a single, pulsing, vital and eternal energy. A beam of brilliant white light emerges from the top of your head and completes the connection between the energies of Heaven and Earth, both flowing through you and joining you to both and to All that Is.
Your body is now completely suffused with positive energy from the fundamental sources of the Universe. You can take the time now to scan your body again, just to take delight in the sensation filling every part. The energies are ethereal rather than physical, but so powerful that you feel warm, healthy tingle from your skin to your bones, and from your scalp to the soles of your feet. Relax, sense your breathing, and simply enjoy the sensation of oneness with the primordial energy of Life.
Remain seated quietly and in touch with these sensations for as long as is comfortable for you. When you are ready, just open your eyes, and take a few moments to reorient yourself in the physical world. You do not have to leave the sensations you have experienced behind as you resume your everyday activities. In fact, the more times you perform this exercise, the more the sensation will remain with you. Ultimately, you may find that the experience never leaves you, at which time you may not feel the need for a separate practice of this meditation.
May you enjoy all the blessings of Heaven and Earth in all that you do.
Namaste.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Catching cold mindfully
The experience of catching a cold is entirely different in a mindful state. This may be because I become aware of the condition at an early stage, rather than denying it. I think also that the symptoms never become as severe as they likely would if I were not practicing mindfulness. There is a sense that the experience is not happening to me, but only to the body. There is much less egoic attachment to suffering, less tendency to take perverse pleasure in having something to complain of, to feel special about. Ego is not in control, so is not able to direct energy towards intensifying suffering.
In meditation, I open myself to Universal energy just as always. I accept the guidance that Spirit provides to the body as well as the self. I do not ask directly for healing, but for the will of Spirit to manifest in and through me, knowing that will does not support suffering. I do not visualize energy cleansing my body of imperfection, but rather seek to clarify the vision of my self as a perfect manifestation of Spirit. I try not to direct any energy to the illusion of illness.
As a result of this approach, it is rare for me to develop extreme symptoms or to remain ill for very long.
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