Spontaneous Beauty

Finding meaning in a random universe

2011-10-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

We have a habit of saying, "everything happens for areason." I don't think that this formulation of the way the universeoperates, though superficially comforting, is very helpful. It leaves us looking for meaningin seemingly random events, including those that are on the surface quiteterrible. It also causes us to look outside ourselves for explanations that areoften unobtainable.

The fact is that many if not most events in this physicaluniverse of ours do not happen for any discernible reason. Even theinsignificant minority of events that are directly attributable to humanchoices are as often as not due to random, ego-based impulse. It debases Spiritas well as ourselves to suggest Spirit is carrying out some cosmic agenda thatis beyond our comprehension, and that every tragic event that we experience isdesigned to lead paradoxically to a greater good. We may even choose to abandonthe spiritual path rather than accept the notion that Spirit callously imposespain on us or other beings for reasons of its own. Itmay also lead us to passivity and fatalism to believe that current events havea cause that is in the past or "out there" somewhere. Better torecognize 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 hasbrought 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 limitedcomprehension. Spirit has no experience of causation because it knows no pastnor future, only the eternal Now.

This does not imply that we who still live in a time-boundspace 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 leadus only to despair and destructive behavior. Though we inhabit the physical universe only conditionally, inorder to survive the experience and remain sane we need to impose order on it. It is important for us torealize, however, that such order is imposed by our minds and not by theworkings of Spirit.

Rather than affirm that everything happens for a reason, Iwould prefer to say that every eventthat we experience presents us with a range of outcomesthat are determined by how we choose to respond to it. What differentiates these responses from each other is their degree ofconsistency with Spirit. Some will have the effect of enhancing the lovingrelationships we have among ourselves and with Spirit; others will increase ourseparation. In the end this is what determines whether the event is perceivedas having a positive or negative outcome. So, in asense everything does happen for a reason, but the reason for everything is thesame: to provide us with the opportunityto develop an ever more harmonious relationship with Spirit by learning toreact to every situation with love and compassion.

This interpretation places the responsibility for ourrelationships with Spirit and its various manifestations squarely where itbelongs: on each individual. It also refocuses our attention from the past to thepresent moment. All events carry the opportunity for us to react in ways that produce greater or lesserharmony between ourselves and Spirit. Wemay see events as "good" or "bad", but those terms havemeaning only in the context of the effects ofevents in the physical universe. Since all physical things are impermanent, andtime is only a way of constraining our view of the universe, physical effectshave no significance compared to the way we choose to align ourselves inrelation to Spirit.

The lesson in this is that we are defining our role inSpirit in every instant. Each moment presents the opportunity for greater loveand harmony. We are constantly at choice, and the choices we make define notonly ourselves, but our experience of the universe. In order to take advantageof the opportunity for choice we must remain mindful that there is more than oneway to react to every situation, and be aware of whatthose choices are. The closer we choose to align ourselves with Spirit,the greater peace we will experience.

We Are One

2011-10-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

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

Open your mind to me, for no thought arises without mymaking 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

2011-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-05-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-05-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

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"?

2011-02-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-08-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

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"?

2010-07-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-29T14:29:00.001-07:00

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

Sweetness

2010-04-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

Understanding Oneness

2010-04-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

.
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?

2010-03-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-16T10:34:00.001-08:00

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

2010-02-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

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

Focus on Spirit

2009-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Equanimity

2009-09-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Equanimity and mindfulness go hand in hand. The person who is totally aware of his environment but unable to view it with detachment may go insane. But equanimity without mindfulness may be no more than avoidance and denial.

By practicing both mindfulness and equanimity, you are able to face your fears and demonstrate that they have no power over you. You can experience chaotic conditions and view the panicked reactions of others without being infected by that virus yourself, enabling you to deal calmly and successfully with the situation. You can enter into unfamiliar surroundings in full confidence that you will be able to handle anything you encounter. You can refuse to take on other people's problems as if they were your own, and compassionately allow solutions to emerge naturally. You can distinguish between situations requiring action and those that are purely ego-generated distractions. Anxiety fades as you rest in the awareness that you and all beings are perfect and invulnerable children of God. Your "comfort zone" expands to fill your entire Universe.

Namaste

Illness

2009-09-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Illness is not a demon to be cast out, but a misperception to be lovingly corrected; a darkness to be gently illuminated; an emptiness to be filled with gratitude and Grace.

Love and Self-Love Redux

2009-08-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I blogged that Selfless Love Is Self-Love. Yesterday I tweeted that "You cannot love yourself unless you realize that there is no self." Both postings attempt to describe the same truths, but the tweet seems to call for some more explanation.

On the level of human relationships, it is a truism that you cannot fully love another if you are unable to love yourself. People who have not come to terms with their demons and accepted themselves as perfect children of God will prefer to crtiticize and stand off from others, rather than embracing their humanity along with their innate divinity. In the realm of spirituality you must identify and worship the God within yourself in order to be able to see and revere the same animating spirit in other beings. In both realms, as long as you hold back from loving yourself you may experience a sensation that you think is love for others, but is really simply attachment born of insecurity, a felt need to supply from external sources something that is seen to be lacking in yourself. Spiritual love, on the other hand, grows out of the mutual awareness of our essential perfection. The Dalai Lama has been quoted as saying: "The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other."

At this point yesterday's tweet intersects the other tweet I posted yesterday: "The purpose of yoga is awareness; the purpose of awareness is compassion; and the purpose of compassion is Oneness." Yoga - a term which refers to all forms of spiritual practice - is directed at achieving the recognition of the divine Spirit within yourself. Because it is intensely introspective it may lead the practitioner to isolate himself, sometimes physically (the hermit) and sometimes emotionally, from others. Great teachers caution the student, however, not to allow this self-absorption to be taken over by the ego (when it expresses as narcissism), nor to allow it to become an end in itself. If those things happen, then awareness will not come. Recognition of the God in ourselves is the first step in spiritual rebirth, not the last. The glowing lotus which blossoms at the center of your being at the moment awareness is achieved is not the sole point of light in the Universe. To the contrary, its illumination is cast in all directions and soon unites with the light of infinitely many other souls.

Introspection thus leads to awareness, not just of your own divinity, but also of the divinity of all other beings. Hence awareness leads to compassionate connection, in which the Spirit in you reaches out in yearning to touch and be absorbed in the universal Spirit which is no more nor less than the vibrational energy of the entire Universe, that of which individual souls are manifest. It reaches out, not only to others who have attained the same awareness, but even more so to those who have not. It seeks to cast its cleansing light into the dark places within you and within others where Love has not yet penetrated; to release the phantom demons chained there, and to free every individual manifestation of Spirit from the illusion of separation.Humility is another outgrowth of complete awareness, because the individual recognizes himself as no different from any other.

Inevitably, the continued practice of awareness and compassion lead to the internalized realization that all beings are one; that the entire Universe is a single vibrational energy in which our individual existence is simply a localized illusion. As long as we persist in human form this realization requires constant reinforcement, because our experience seems to deny it and our egos resist it. Reinforcement takes place as we return to the practice of yoga, the source of awareness, and to compassion, the awareness of our coexistence in the Universal Mind of God. Thus, the loss of self is part and parcel of the experience of pure universal Love.

Complementing Meditation with Mindfulness

2009-07-16T10:04:00.001-07:00

In the realm of spirituality, Truth is evident to the self-realized individual. For the rest of us, however, the quest for Truth sometimes seems to be a multiple-choice test in which every question has several equally appealing answers. Of course each of us wants to encourage within ourselves thoughts and actions that will guide our footsteps along the way of Truth. But how are we to know which of the infinitely branching paths before us will take us in that direction?

As I blogged yesterday, meditation is one tool we can employ to help us make choices that are consistent with our highest aspirations. However, we can't always take time out to meditate over every decision that life presents us with. Fortunately, we can complement our meditation practice with other practices that are equally conducive to "right action".

The main complement to meditation is mindfulness. Mindfulness is awareness; awareness of one's surroundings, including one's physical body, of the thoughts and actions of others, and of the workings of the mind. Whereas meditation often requires us to isolate ourselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, mindfulness flourishes in that environment. Meditation requires stilling the mind and turning within to the Source of all wisdom. Mindfulness, on the other hand, allows us to draw on the store of wisdom accumulated through our meditation practice and put it to work in the active part of our lives. Beyond that, mindfulness permits us to look to other equally valid Sources outside our individual beings. Where meditation involves single-pointed focus on Spirit, mindfulness requires us to perceive Spirit in every object and occurrence within the range of our perception.

I recognize that I -- the essential I -- am an individual manifestation of Spirit, or of Universal Mind, and as such I have access to unlimited Truth at all times and in all places. Yet not all of that Truth is to be found within. Each other person and thing that I encounter in this energetic Universe is a unique manifestation of Spirit equal to myself. We all have the same Source and ultimately, we are the same energy and the same Truth. Yet each of us illustrates Truth in a way that is different and special. If I pay attention only to the wellspring of Spirit at the center of my own being, I will miss the opportunity to access a more complete experience by bathing in the emanations of Spirit that are occurring all around me.

In meditation, I open myself to the direct experience of Spirit at a soul level. By mindfulness, I open myself to experience Spirit through its myriad manifestations in the Universe that surrounds me. Like Arjuna beholding Krishna in his God-form, through mindfulness I stand in awe at the infinitely detailed manifestation of Spirit. This also constitutes focus, but of an entirely different sort - the focus on Oneness as expressed in the manifold phenomena of existence.

Right action implies interaction with the physical Universe and with other individuals. In order for those interactions to contribute to the positive evolution of Spirit in this Universe, I must be aware of many things. I must see my surroundings clearly, free of the haze of ego and the distoring lenses of memory and anticipation; in other words, I must perceive only the Now. I must accurately assess the thoughts and needs of others as manifested in their own actions. Most importantly, I must keep firmly in mind the principles and guidance I have received in medidation and from the great teachers. I must endeavor to maintain access at all times to that channel of wisdom first opened in meditation, so that when my own powers of observation, reasoning and compassion fail me, I may turn to Spirit to guide me in a positive direction.

Mindfulness, then, extends the awareness of Oneness with All That Is developed through meditation into the sphere of daily life. It is the only practice by which we can keep Spirit always in view while coping with the requirements of secular living. It can be considered meditation by action - the expression in thought and deed of the awareness developed through communion with the Divine.

Where Does This Stuff Come From?

2009-07-14T23:55:00.001-07:00

If you asked me where my blog postings come from, I would be hard pressed to give you a satisfying answer. Usually I will have been turning over in my mind some everyday problem or situation that I have faced, or observed in someone close to me. These tend to be issues involving social interactions, the give and take among individuals. I put myself in the place of a student asking a question of his Teacher: What is the right action in this situation? Not "right" in a moral sense, but "right" as the Buddha used the term -- What action will lessen suffering, and bring me closer to the dharma? A Christian might ask the very same question this way: "What would Jesus do?" (I do not consider myself either a Buddhist or a Christian, nor do I identify with any particular set of religious beliefs, believing rather that what is true in any of them arises from a single source and is the same in all.)

I know that when I have formulated a question like this, and then still my thoughts in meditation, the answer will come to me quickly and of its own accord. It is not necessary or even helpful for me to try to puzzle out the solution in my own mind. My mind is just an individual manifestation of Universal Mind, the God-Mind that knows the answers to all questions before they are asked. All that is necessary is for me to be receptive to guidance, and guidance will come. Often it does not come to me at first in words, but as a non-verbal concept, an awareness that the solution has been with me all the time. If I think the question and its resolution will be helpful to others, I will often sit down and try to put in into words. More accurately, I will sit down and allow words to flow through me onto the keyboard or the writing tablet. Most of my blogs are written at a single sitting and in a short time, with only minor editing after the fact. I consider that the words, like the guidance they describe, are provided to me by Universal Mind, of which my own intelligence is only a messenger.

I find myself adopting this approach in more and more situations in everyday life. Every teacher I have found -- from Lao Tsu to Ernest Holmes, Joel Goldsmith and Adyashanti -- emphasizes that Truth is from God, however that Source may be called in that teacher's particular tradition. God knows our needs before we ask; what is the point of asking God for anything? We attract, or channel, into our individual existence those things that occupy our attention. If our desire is to live a God-centered life, then God must be at the center of all that we think and do. Whether I am deciding what to eat for breakfast, driving on the freeway, overhearing office gossip, or watching television, my thoughts and actions must be consistent with God's Will, which is Love. The answer to "what should I do?" in literally every situation is, "Love." If Love is the guiding principle of your existence, then everything else will flow as naturally and clearly as a spring-fed mountain stream.

Evidently, then, the guidance that flows through me is not attributable to some unique source to which only I have access. In fact, that Source is available to anyone, at any time, and in all places. It can be called God, or Spirit, or Love, or by countless other names in countless tongues; but it is simply the Voice that comes to you when you set aside egoic mind -- the small self -- and allow Universal Mind -- the Higher Self -- to speak to you. Blogging serves a purpose for me, because it allows me to formulate in concrete form the nonverbal guidance that I receive. I hope also that it may serve a purpose for others, by reminding them of their own access to the Source of all wisdom, and the means of accessing that Source through Meditation.

Is Life Bittersweet?

2009-06-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Is Life Bittersweet?

A friend recently commented that “life is so bittersweet.” This friend rarely makes such observations casually, so I know it followed some period of reflection on his part. So I had to reflect on whether I agreed with his statement.

Of course everyone experiences moments of joy and moments of sadness in the course of a lifetime. Life taken as a whole has its times of sweetness and of bitterness. But the idea that life itself is bittersweet means more than that. Most of us would think of a bittersweet moment as one in which happiness and sadness are felt simultaneously, and probably from the same cause.

Transitions are often experienced as bittersweet. The passing of an aged relative or good friend causes grief mingled with the reliving of happy times spent with that person. A new job may present an invigorating challenge and the optimism of a fresh start, along with regret for friends left behind, or doors of opportunity left unopened.

We are always at choice in life, even if we are not always aware of it. Every day we make an implicit choice either to continue as we have been, or to move in a different direction. The more mindful the individual, the more choices he or she must make. Sometimes these choices are easy, and sometimes agonizingly difficult. Almost always, a choice requires us to weigh pros and cons, to decide whether the benefits of one course of action outweigh its costs, as well as the net benefits of alternatives. If we decline an opportunity for change, we may later feel that what we held onto was not worth as much as what we might have had. Conversely, if we opt for change, there may be moments when we look back with regret at what we gave up.

Our feelings at these times of reflection on past choices – whether those choices were made consciously or by default – can often be described as bittersweet. These mixed emotions are very much a part of the human condition. They are due to the mind’s ability to remember past events (though not always accurately) and to compare them with present conditions; and even more importantly, to indulge in “what if” fantasies and second-guessing.

Most of this mental activity is pointlessly self-destructive, because it leads to suffering over roads not taken and things that cannot be changed. It can be ascribed to the ego’s insecurity: “I am not good enough, I could have been better (or happier) if I had chosen differently.” Ego can never be satisfied because ego lives in a fantasy world where total and immediate gratification is just tantalizingly out of reach – available to everyone else but not to the ego’s self. Ego believes it is entitled to this gratification without effort, and blaming the past for the lack of gratification in the present is a way of avoiding responsibility for the choice to continue in an unhappy condition rather than to do something about it. This infantile attitude serves the ego’s purpose to keep it’s own needs in the forefront and to divert attention from the open door of the soul.

Buddhism teaches that attachments give rise to suffering. Pleasure leads inevitably to pain, because the ego forms an attachment to the pleasurable experience, and suffers when that experience is withdrawn. We (that is, our egos) also become attached to anticipated pleasures, that we somehow feel are owed to us, and that we rely on like a drug to provide the illusion of present enjoyment. Whether the thought is a memory or an expectation, we dwell on it because it provides an ersatz enjoyment in place of the pleasure that the ego cannot access in the present moment – that is, in reality. Eventually we must endure the suffering that attends the realization that the experience is not real. The observation that life is bittersweet is a description of this process by which pleasure is created, only to be transformed into pain.

The mindful individual knows the difference between now and not-now, and knows that only the now is real. He can experience pleasure without becoming attached to the experience, because he knows that all worldly experiences are transient. He does not daydream about events remembered or anticipated, because he is totally absorbed in the present moment, the experience that is happening now. One who is aware of the now in this way cannot deceive himself that it can remain unchanged, or can be preserved to be called upon at will in the future. He is able to experience genuine happiness in the present. His enjoyment is not curtailed by the fear of loss, because what is inevitable cannot be feared. He may experience sadness, but never regret or despair.

Ultimately, he comes to the realization that there is only one genuine experience, which is the experience of Love. His awareness becomes “one-pointed.” He abandons dualism and sees that “not-Love” is not the opposite of Love, but only its absence; a shallow emptiness that can be obliterated by pouring into it the Love that comes from the inexhaustible Source of All That Is, leaving no trace of its passing but only the irreducible Truth of Oneness.

By experiencing the Allness of Love – its “isness” as the primordial essence of which the Universe is formed – he is able to perceive and participate in the Love that is present behind each of its individual manifestations. Then he will no longer experience bitterness, and only sweetness will remain: the calm satisfying sweetness of resting in the pure awareness of universal Love.

Let Every Thought Include a Blessing

2009-06-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Never forget that mind is a tool to be used lovingly. If you do not use it lovingly, then ego will use mind for its own purposes. There is no time of day or night - whether you are working, meditating or playing, interacting with others or alone, that your experience cannot include love. One way to accomplish this is to let every thought include a blessing. If you are thinking of another person or group of people, bless that person or group. It does not matter whether these people are close to you, think kindly of you, or even know you. It is your own role in bringing love into manifestation that concerns you. If you think of an animal or an inanimate object, bless that also. If your thoughts are abstract and metaphysical, bless those concepts that flow through your consciousness. You may find yourself blessing people whose actions seem the very antithesis of love; or ideas that seem dangerous and evil. You may bless diseases and unhealthy spiritual conditions. Your goal is not to promote unloving actions or ideas, nor even to change them, but simply to bring the light of spiritual love to bear on them. They may change or even vanish, not because of your intention, but rather because their illusory nature cannot stand up to the abiding Truth that is Love. Shining light into darkness exposes the insubstantiality of darkness and the power of light. This is simply your perception of a natural law that always existed. There never was evil, or hatred, or disease; these were merely phantoms awaiting the light to dispel them.

For the last week or so I have had The Prayer of St Francis running through my head almost constantly. I was reminded of it again when I heard of Ron Roth's transition; and when I re-read Joel Goldsmith's The Art of Spiritual Healing. Each of these teachers emphasizes that we serve Spirit best when we acknowledge its power and stand out of the way. It is not our blessings that we shower upon the just and the unjust, but the blessing of Spirit to which we offer ourselves as willing instruments. If we seek to heal, then we must open ourselves as channels through which Love can flow into the manifest world. This is not meant to be a passive approach, but only the acknowledgment that without Spirit we are powerless. As instruments of Spirit, however, we can participate in the manifestation of profound goodness and the operation of boundless Love.

self awoke

2009-05-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

self awoke in darkness,
troubled and alone.
to emptiness spoke desperately,
"make me better!"
silence followed.
from which Self replied,
"you are."

We Are At Choice

2009-05-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Every moment of our lives we are at choice. Mindfulness is essential not only to making right choices, but even to being aware that choice is possible.

Here are some of the fundamental choices we cannot avoid making in our everyday lives --

The choice between acting (or not acting) out of love or out of indifference

The choice between giving our best effort, or doing just enough to get by

The choice between cherishing our bodies as temples of Spirit, or trashing them

The choice between generosity and miserliness

The choice between faith and fear

The choice between teamwork and competition

The choice between openness and isolation

The choice between compassion and hatred

The choice between Spirit and ego

The choice between awareness and denial

The choice between Oneness and separation

The choice between mindfulness and unconsciousness

Even saints are human and don't make every choice in the way that brings them closer to Spirit. All that we can ask of ourselves is to remember that every action is a choice, and to take the time to understand just what our choices are.

The good news is that, like most things, this process becomes easier with practice. Practice staying awake, practice recognizing your choices, and practice making those choices that are consistent with your chosen Path. Finally, practice forgiving yourself for those instances when you stray.

Namaste.

Act Out Your Intention

2009-04-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you experience a problem and only visualize the problem going away, you are missing an opportunity. Spirit may take the problem away, but not necessarily in a manner you would expect or appreciate. At best, you will be free of that particular problem but you will have added nothing positive to your experience. If you visualize yourself finding a solution, and then focus your efforts in that direction, you will become an active part of the process of manifesting the solution. This will bring your intention into alignment with the operation of Spirit, and your consciousness into closer harmony with All That Is. You are likely also to come to a solution that more completely fulfills your goals and needs as you participate in directing the flow of Good in your life.

Don't just go with the flow, be the flow.

Are We Responsible?

2009-04-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Joel Goldsmith emphasizes again and again that all power comes from God, and that human beings have none in their own right. This is consistent, with minor differences in terminology, with the teachings of most sages. How, then, are we who are still stuck in individuality to take responsibility for our own lives, our fates, and our spirituality?

One answer is that, while we as individuals are powerless, as individual manifestations of Universal Spirit we are all-powerful. The realization that all power flows from God is just a half step away from the realization that nothing, including ourselves, exists but in God. When through meditation we come to the secure conviction that we -- and all things -- are manifestation of the God-force, then it becomes possible to accept that the power of which we were made still forms the essence of our being.

Another way to visualize these principles is to recognize that power alone is meaningless; that only power coupled with intention is capable of shaping the God-stuff of All That Is into a Universe of stars and planets, matter and energy, stones, plants and animals.

Our individualities are created, not just of power, but of intention as well. We are blessed not only with the power of God, but also Its creative Intention. We are capable of directing the flow of events in our Universe by exercising that holy Intention to instruct the omnipresent divine power.

As an attribute of God, which is Love, the Intention can be exercised only to produce loving outcomes. All other events that appear in our experience represent only the random operation of a power that has not been subjected to the control of Divine Intention. The more perfect our sense of Oneness with the Divine, the more perfectly will our intention shape the Universe around us into an accurate mirror of Divine Love. This is why the awareness of Oneness is always accompanied by Love, security, and happiness.

The circumstances of our separate existences, as we experience them, are entirely within our control. To the extent we acknowledge, and seek to incorporate, our Oneness with All That Is, to that extent we cause peace and Love to manifest around us. To the extent we turn our backs on Oneness, we subject ourselves to the random workings of an impersonal and unfeeling power. These are the choices that each of us makes every day, every hour, and every moment that we are alive.

An Easter Grace

2009-04-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

Blessed Spirit of the Universe,

We are gathered together to celebrate this festival of eternal Life. As we consider this feast we are about to enjoy, we know that no matter how much enjoyment it brings us today, our bodies will soon be hungry again. Therefore we pray that the physical satisfaction we feel today, and the hunger we feel tomorrow, both remind us of the hunger the Spirit within us feels for Oneness with you. May our ways be guided to the unending satisfaction that is Unity with All That Is.

And so it is.

Sitting in the World

2009-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Meditation in silent surroundings is very enjoyable. Since meditation is about focus, and most often that focus is directed inward, freedom from external distractions helps to maintain that focus.

When the subject of meditation is Oneness, however, there is a certain contradiction to the attempt to exclude "distractions" - indeed, even in the use of that term. If your intention is to experience unity with All That Is, then to the extent your intention is fulfilled, externalities by definition do not exist. All That Is means just that. The barking dog, the ringing telephone, even the strident television must somehow be incorporated in your experience.

Physical reality may exist only conditionally, but it is the milieu in which we have chosen to pass a portion of our existence. It is said that even a dream, as dream, is real. The world we see may be just the product of Universal Mind reflecting upon itself, but as a part of that Mind it exists in the same way that we do.

Seeking a quiet environment for meditation is useful as part of our training. It is difficult enough to release the ties that bind us to egoic mind when we sit in silence. Yet we must beware also the subtle egotism of restricting our Universe to the narrow confines of our own inner awareness. The consciousness of one individual, however expansive, cannot begin to encompass All That Is.

The awareness of unity can never be complete so long as it is confined to our quiet places or our daily periods of meditation. Oneness cannot be limited in time or extent. Enlightened Masters exist in permanent communion with the Divine Source, and have surrendered the illusion of individuality.

To consider the sounds, sensations, thoughts and feelings that pass through your consciousness in meditation as "distractions" is to impose an artificial limitation on your consciousness, to succumb to the dream of separation. When a bird sings, say to yourself, "I am that." Do the same when an airplane flies overhead or a neighbor starts his lawnmower, or when your mind wanders to thoughts of what's for dinner. Do not dwell or focus on any of these sensations, but do not resent or reject them either. Your experience of Oneness must include your entire experience, or it is also only an illusion.

Religion In Your Face

2009-03-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Ganesha

2009-03-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

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.

A Healing Meditation

2009-03-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Catching cold mindfully

2009-03-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

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.

The trappings of spirituality

2009-01-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Humans seem to have an inherent need for ceremony. Significant events in our lives are attended by observations of various kinds: birthday parties, weddings, funerals. Each religion has its own collection of ceremonies, whether Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or otherwise. Indeed, sometimes religion seems to exist primarily to provide us with a means of commemorating important occasions.

Spirituality, too, has its ceremonial side. We perform rites of cleansing, invoke goddesses and gods, burn candles and incense, chant mantras. Ceremony brings us comfort. Sharing our beliefs and intentions makes us more confident in our convictions.

There is no harm in celebrating your spirituality. Whatever helps you connect with All That Is is a blessing. However, ceremonies are unnecessary. All that is needed is for you to sit quietly and open your soul to Spirit. In your daily meditation, relax and sense your oneness with Spirit. Feel the God-stuff vibrating in your body. Welcome Universal Love into your body and soul. Surrender your being completely. Know that you are a cherished child of God. Trust in Spirit to know what is needed and to provide for you. Let "Thy will be done" be your only mantra. Accept God's love as the only principle of your existence. Reject ego's need to control or direct your connection to Spirit. Affirm that God knows what is needed without your asking and reject the presumption that you know better than God. Sink deeper into acceptance of God's will and know that you are one with Spirit. Let Love flow into you and merge with the essence of your being. Abandon all thought of separation and be one with All That Is. Feel yourself merge with the Spirit of the Universe and accept the sensation of Love and Joy that is the earthly manifestation of Aum, the fundamental principle of all being.

And so it is.

Are "Ghosts" the Survival of the Ego?

2008-12-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a conversation with my very good friend whom, unfortunately, I see only rarely since we both changed jobs. I worked closely with this fellow for four years, and from the very early days of our collaboration it was clear that we were following parallel spiritual paths. He is a voracious reader, and in imitation of the Gita I would say that he has taken the path of the scholar. I myself read more selectively, and would describe myself as one who follows the path of loving worship, turning to sages only for sufficient guidance to keep me from wandering off the path entirely.

The topic of fear came up in our discussion, and I expressed my view that the antidote to fear was trusting surrender to God’s will. The phrase “Thy will be done” has had great power for me in my efforts to avoid being controlled by fear. After all, if God is Love, and Love pervades the Universe – if the Universe is made of God-stuff which is Love – what can there be to fear? There is no need to be concerned with outcomes at all if all outcomes are the operation of Love. Love can choose better outcomes for us than we can ever choose for ourselves.

In particular, I mentioned that I did not fear death. This surprised my friend, who said he still was afraid of dying. This led to a discussion of the fate of the soul and personality after death, on which we also expressed disparate beliefs which on later reflection I found paradoxical. My friend, who said he was afraid of death, also could not accept the idea that the personality does not survive the death of the body as a separate entity. I, who professed no fear of death, took the view that if the personality does survive, it is only as a generalized awareness within the unified Oneness that is the Universal spirit, the spirit of Universal Love – in short, God. Since the apparent inconsistencies did not strike me until after we had again gone our separate ways, I didn’t have the opportunity to ask my friend why he finds death frightening, since he believes in the survival of the individual personality. I am sure it is not because he identifies the body as the self. As for me, my indifference to the loss of the personality along with the body may be attributable to my sense that Oneness is the true state of all souls now, and that physical death simply removes one barrier to full awareness of this truth.

There is a lot of popular interest in the afterlife these days, as evidenced by television shows (television being the medium as well as the mirror of our culture) dealing with the subject. I am thinking in particular of shows such as Medium and Ghost Whisperer, both of which I confess I follow ardently. In these shows, individual personalities linger on after the death of the body, for a variety of reasons. Generally the reasons have to do with some unfinished business of the individual who died. The departed spirit is hung up, like a floating log on a snag in a river, on some problem that was not resolved during life and now must be dealt with before the spirit can move on “into the light”. What is puzzling to me is why – aside from the scriptwriter’s need to concoct a story that will hold the public’s attention – these spirits should so often seem to be obsessed with negative feelings and desires. If the soul is the part of the individual that survives death, and the soul is the essence of Universal Love manifested in the body, I would expect them to act only in loving ways. So the basic premise of these shows (and the popular beliefs that they reflect) does not fit comfortably into my belief system.

Of course there are many people who don’t believe in “ghosts”. It does not trouble me very much that there is little or no scientific evidence for the existence of spirits separate from their bodies. I personally don’t believe that science explains very much that is important. Science is a good way of understanding the physical world, but not at all well adapted to the study of spirituality. So, on the subject of ghosts I have something of an open mind. However, I do have a thought about how “ghosts” might fit into my cosmology.

I believe that the soul, the animating energy of life that is part of the pattern of loving energy that underlies the Universe, is distinct from ego. I see ego as the natural outgrowth of the physical body and its sentient brain. Ego appeared once the brain was able to formulate ideas that did not have observable physical representations. This enabled the brain to develop self-awareness. Ego, the “I” that is separate from all other individuals, is the ultimate refinement of the animal’s instinct for survival. Ego puts itself above all others. As such the ego is the repository of all those negative energies that serve to separate individuals from each other and from Spirit – fear, hatred, envy, greed, and the like. Mind is very often the tool of the ego. The mind is also capable of noble thoughts, of course, and insofar as it embraces and expresses Love it is in harmony with the soul that is the true Self. However, ego is by its nature antagonistic to the soul as it is to other egos; it must emphasize separation – and its own superiority to any others – above all else as a means of self-preservation. Only the soul craves Oneness. Ego constantly tries to wrest control of the body and mind from the soul, in order to aggrandize itself and to put down others, and in most cases in the present state of humanity, it succeeds. Ego, not soul, then, is often the dominant energy pattern manifested in the body.

The soul survives the death of the physical body; is it impossible that this egoic energy pattern should also survive, at least temporarily? If that is the case, might not a “ghost” be the lingering energy pattern of the deceased’s personality, rather than a manifestation of the soul? The image is reminiscent of the faint glow on a cathode ray tube immediately after it is turned off, which shows a “ghost” of the last picture to be projected onto the screen. This could explain why personality “ghosts” appear to exhibit primarily negative energies. They are the continuation of the egoic energy pattern rather than of the loving energy of the soul. The death of the physical body, in this interpretation, liberates not one but two energy patterns: that of the soul and that of the ego. The soul was never separate from God and so might merge immediately into the energy of the Universe. The ego, having nowhere to seek refuge after the demise of the body, lingers and continues its self-centered behavior – perhaps intensified by the absence of the tempering influence of the soul. Ultimately the ego must “go into the light.” However, this is not passing into an eternal afterlife, but the final dissipation of the ego’s energy pattern into the entropy of the physical universe. Born of the physical body, ego cannot pass beyond the limitations of the physical. Only the soul survives, and it only as a pattern of awareness within the greater energy of Spirit.

This is, of course, pure speculation. But it may harmonize some widely-held beliefs. I welcome any comments.

All choices are valid

2008-11-28T02:04:00.001-08:00

All choices in life are valid. The only folly is in refusing to accept the consequences of the choices you make. Such refusal generally takes the form of denial. Sometimes you act without considering the consequences of your actions at all. More often it is true that you understand the negative consequences of your choices, or that you suspect what those negative consequences will be, but you refuse to acknowledge them and act as if you had not considered them. Either way you have effectively denied them. Once you fully understand and accept the consequences of your choices, you will very rarely make a choice that you will regret later. The Spirit within you will guide you on the path to greater happiness and away from those choices that lead to separation and sorrow.

Spontaneous Beauty

2008-10-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Awareness, dormant in the Soul,

In meditation, or by a guru's touch,

Erupts in spontaneous beauty

Like a flower.

In the Stillness

2008-09-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

In the stillness comes the Beloved,

Whispering wordless ecstasy
to the lonely Self.

Do not hesitate to throw off
your needless garment and embrace her.

She will not betray you
nor leave your yearning unfulfilled.

Though you wander from her bed,

She welcomes your return.

Warm, enfolding, she completes you.

Drink from her endless spring
of joy unbounded.

Discard thoughts of want or loss;

Let fulfillment flow unmeasured.

Eternally faithful, she invites you,

Even as you yearn,

To dance in her arms forever.

Love and Ego

2008-09-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Anything in you that does not love is ego. Anything in another that does not love is ego. So anything between you and another that is unloving or disharmonious proceeds from ego and means nothing. Love the part of each other that is real - which is no part, but the whole being - and disregard the effects of ego totally.

You Cannot Train a Fish To Breathe

2008-08-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

You cannot train a fish to breathe air, and you cannot train ego to live a spiritual life. Enlightenment comes by transcending ego, not by transforming it. The attachment to ego may be the last attachment you surrender, but until you can accomplish this, you have not set foot upon the Path.

Love Without Attachment

2008-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Teacher entered a trance and said,

"You are concerned that giving up attachments will require you to renounce your life as you have lived it until now -- your possessions, your family and friends. It is true that renunciation of this sort is one approach to spiritual living, and frankly it is the easiest. This is why it has been taught by prophets in the past. Removing oneself altogether from the temptation to form attachments reduces the risk of backsliding and makes the transition to an enlightened state much easier. However, it is not absolutely necessary."

"You can enjoy a material object without succumbing to the need to possess it completely. If you renounce the belief that you can possess a person or thing then it is not necessary to renounce the actual person or thing. It is really the mental image ot the thing, not the thing itself, to which you form attachments. Renunciation really means the refusal to form these mental images."

"You can cherish the people and things that come into your life without coveting them, clinging to them, or becoming obsessed with the fear of losing them. Love is at the core of my teaching and you exhibit it when you cherish without attachment. I provide what you need at every moment without your asking for it. If a person or thing is physically unavailable to you at any time, it is because you do not have need of it at that time."

"The focus of your awareness must be Oneness with All That Is, including other souls that are manifestations of my intelligence and Self awareness equally to you. As you love them and yourself, you also love me. As you love me, you love every manifestation of me. Learning to discern my presence in All That Is is a part of your training."

"As physical beings you are necessarily imperfect. This imperfection endures as long as you exist on a physical plane. To a great extent this is due to the influence of egoic mind, which is only an aspect of your physical form."

"Because you are imperfect and incomplete, you do not perceive the vibrational connections between you and other beings and objects. You may sense these connections on a soul level. Another part of your training is to bring that awareness into consciousness. To the extent you retain the illusion of separation, you cannot truly feel bound by Love to others."

"Physical or emotional attachment is the desire for pleasure or the fear of its loss. It is a weak imitation of the loving connection that arises from Oneness. Mind can perceive only such attachments, while Spirit can experience only Love. Renunciants discard the former in order to bring the latter into sharper focus. If you wish to become fully alive in Spiritual consciousness without renouncing material things, you must remain constantly and vibrantly aware of the difference between Mind and its attachments on the one hand, and Spirit and Love on the other. If you are capable of this then you can experience vibrational harmony between yourself and other individual manifestations of my consciousness as true Oneness."

"It is possible -- indeed it is your goal -- to experience Oneness of this kind with all souls. However, on the material plane a connection with one other soul is optimal. Any attempt to maintain a material connection with more than one other is far more likely to distract you and dilute the purity of your spiritual connection with the One, than it is to enhance it. Therefore I teach you to maintain a loving physical relationship with only one other. You in your material form are simply incapable of maintaining focus on Oneness with Spirit in the distracting presence of multiple material attachments."

"Renunciants avoid the difficulty of balancing Spiritual Oneness and physical union by abstaining from the latter. You may think of vows of fidelity as renunciation as well. Renunciants of all types should enter into their commitments joyfully. If they cannot do so, then they should seek another path."

"Just as renunciants must beware of forming attachments to asceticism, you must maintain focus on the spiritual basis of your relationship in order to avoid morbid attachments and their manifestations -- craving, clinging, jealousy, and regret. Awareness of Oneness at the level of genuine Love is the surest way to attain this, and makes all forms of attachment unnecessary. Your loving relationship becomes a part of your spiritual practice, the true test of which is whether it brings you and your partner into closer harmony with me. If it brings peace and joy to your consciousness, then the relationship exists at the soul level. If it brings pain, fear, or disharmony, it is a mere attachment of body or Mind."

The Source Of Unhappiness

2008-08-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

A student asked:

"Why does life bring me so much unhappiness?"

The Teacher answered:

"Your unhappiness does not arise from your life situation, or from other souls. Unhappiness is a reaction that arises within your ego in response to certain stimuli. The stimulus may be the action of another person, a physical mishap, or a pain in your own body. In each case it is something outside your Self. The stimulus may be external, but the reaction -- the unhappiness -- is entirely created by your ego. Do you disagree? The next time you feel unhappiness coming over you, be aware of the process of stimulus or response. Is the unhappiness something that is injected into you, or does it arise internally as your ego's reaction to an external event? Even if you are unhappy only as a result of witnessing someone else's unhappiness, the pain that you feel is not their pain, but your own."

"Unhappiness is the emotional suffering with which your ego responds to a painful stimulus. Because it arises in the ego, it also is outside your Self. You do not realize this until you have learned to distinguish between the ego and your Self as the center of awareness."

"You may not be able to prevent the ego from responding in this way. That is what ego does. Eckart Tolle speaks of the pain-seeking aspect of ego as the 'pain body.' The pain body is composed of the accumulated negative energy of all your lifetimes -- to the extent you have not previously released it -- and may seem even to possess sentience. It literally feeds on and gains strength from negativity. It drives the ego to seek painful experiences and to create more suffering for itself and for other pain bodies. "

"How many times have you asked yourself why you seem to be deliberately causing yourself to suffer; why others seem to deliberately cause you to suffer; or why you seem compelled to inflict suffering on others? This behavior is the pain body in action. It needs no explanation other than that the pain body is engaged in self-preservation."

"Pain is one of ego's principal tools for asserting control over your being. Physical or emotional suffering gives ego an excuse to demand your full attention and insist that you devote all your resources to making the pain go away. Ego enjoys and benefits from this form of distraction. It makes it easier for ego to possess the small self. Mindfulness is the antidote to this poisonous manifestation of ego. Meditation brings the higher Self to the fore and shines the light of joy into the darkness of ego's suffering. As darkness is only the absence of light, awareness of the Unity of the true Self with the Source of all Joy is the way to remove suffering from your experience."

"You can ameliorate the influence of the pain body only by becoming mindful of its influence and refusing to act mindlessly -- that is, through the ego rather than through the Self -- in response. In this way you further your sole purpose, which is to manifest Joy for your Self and others in awareness of the unity of All That Is."

2008-08-02T15:23:00.001-07:00

The Teacher Said:

You think that you must look outside yourself for guidance and for peace. When your mind is troubled you turn to religion in the hope that an external power will rescue you. Or you may seek an anodyne in a drug, or a distraction. But there is no power outside yourself that can change your predicament. I have taught you that your thoughts create your life situation. Properly seen, your mind is a tool by which you shape your Universe. Or at least, your experience of the Universe; for behind all appearences the Universe is unchanging Spirit. Any discomfort or unpleasantness you feel does not originate outside yourself; it is totally within you. Because of that, you can eliminate it by changing your thought.

Your mind is a machine which has been programmed to respond without thinking in certain ways to particular stimuli. Certain nerve endings transmit signals that your brain interprets as physical pain, and your mind automatically converts that pain into suffering. It is difficult but not impossible to break that program so that suffering does not automatically arise. Even if the suffering reflex does arise, once you have learned to recognize it for what it is, you can release the suffering and deal only with the pain. Pain is simply a signal the body uses to alert the mind to a harmful condition. If the condition is one that can be ameliorated, the mind can take appropriate action to reduce or eliminate the pain. Some pain cannot be so easily eliminated; by letting go of suffering the pain ceases to be a distraction and you can return to equanimity. [Shinzen Young's approach to the relationship between meditation and pain is described here].

Some pain is emotional rather than physical. For the unconscious person, emotional pain provides no benefit other than, perhaps, to aggrandize the ego ("Look at me, I am in pain!" Of course, only ego itself would consider that a benefit). The mind develops knee-jerk reactions to emotional pain just as it does to physical pain, and the mind is all too willing to suffer from it -- nothing bolsters the ego like a good bout of self-pity. But for you emotional pain serves a higher purpose, which is to alert you to attachments that you have formed and which are disturbing your peace.

All attachments have the potential to cause disturbance. Whether the attachment is to a person, a thing, or an idea, upon formation it immediately creates a duality -- the duality of having and not having the thing to which you are attached. This duality creates tension which gives off negative vibrations. These vibrations manifest as desire; as fear of loss; as jealousy; as antagonism to others who are seen as wanting to take from us the things to which we are attached, or who actually possess those things already and from whom we feel the desire to take them. The mind naturally forms attachments, but it is not natural for the mind to perceive their effects and to purge itself of attachments or to avoid forming them. This is where you -- the authentic you, which is your inner manifestation of Spirit -- can step in and instruct your mind to release the attachment which is causing disturbance, or not to form that attachment in the first place.

The reason that the mind creates attachments is that the mind is influenced by ego. If Spirit does not exert its control, then the mind is controlled by ego. Ego originates as the mind's awareness of itself. At the stage when ego is formed, mind is not yet aware of the presence of Spirit. Mind conceives the idea that it is separate, alone, and unique, and from that thought arises ego. From that moment forward, ego is engaged in spinning around itself a cocoon of separation to preserve its perceived identity. The first duality that arises in the mind is the duality of "me" and "not-me." The ego is the "me" and its sole purpose is to create the perception that it is important, in order to ensure its own survival. The way that it does that is to seek to dominate and possess the "not-me." What it cannot dominate or possess, it seeks to destroy or deny.

Of course, all this activity takes place entirely within the mind. From the single construct of ego arises an elaborate web of fantasies and fictions, each of which is perceived as a "thing" to be seized or destroyed. Whether the desire is to own a thing or to destroy it, that desire is an attachment because ego believes that its own well-being depends upon fulfilling that desire. If the "thing" is the object of desire, then ego believes it cannot be satisfied -- cannot be happy -- without satisfying its desire to possess the "thing". If the "thing" is the object of a destructive desire, then ego believes that it cannot be happy unless the "thing" ceases to exist. This is ironic, since the "thing" was created by mind or by ego in the first place; but ego cannot see the irony, because ego itself is unaware that it created the "thing." The perception of anything separate from self is the funamental delusion of the ego, but the ego cannot be cured of this delusion because the ego's very existence depends upon duality. If the ego were to accept that All That Is is One, that the entire Universe, is a manifestation of one Spirit, then the illusion of "me" and "not-me" would collapse and ego itself would vanish.

You can only become convinced of the Oneness of all things through meditation. Awareness of Oneness comes to some in a flash and to others only by dint of much meditation and inner seeking. Having experienced that awareness, even if it does not remain constantly with you as an immanent experience, you are able to grasp the concept that Spirit exists unconditionally, while ego exists only conditionally. In other words, Spirit is real without context; ego is real only in the context of mind. To the extent your awareness is controlled by ego, it is not genuine awareness; only the awareness of Spirit is ultimate Truth. This is the realization that you need in order to perform the inner work of identifying and releasing attachments. Ego and its attachments can be seen in the light of this realization as mere distractions. Why should you give your energy to attachments that only serve to distract you from the Truth? Of course it is absurd to do so.

Once you have realized that attachments stand between you and the complete realization of Oneness with Spirit, it becomes possible to identify and begin to release them. Here are some examples of thoughts that arise from the false attachment to the duality of "me" and "not-me":

-- That person thinks that he or she is better than I.

-- That person is different from me in ways that make him inferior to me.

-- That person has something that I do not, and I want it.

-- That person does not respect me.

-- That person wants to take something away from me.

-- That person is being treated better than I.

-- I feel responsible for that person's actions and he is embarassing me.

-- I don't have enough money/friends/love/etc.

It may not be necessary for you to specifically instruct your mind to release such attachments, if you are convinced they are unworthy of your attention. By withdrawing your attention and energy from them they should dissipate of their own accord, for it is only your energy that sustains them.

I want to be clear that I am not telling you to release attachments because they are evil. "Good-evil" is just another duality created in the mind. I tell you to release them because they are a distraction, and they prevent you from focusing your attention on Spirit and the Oneness of All That Is. Having attachments does not make you a "bad person"; it simply contributes to false beliefs of separation, and makes you unhappy.

A fully enlightened being does not form attachments. However, this is not to say that releasing attachments is the way to become fully enlightened. It would be more correct to say that the two coincide. The perception of Oneness leads to enlightenment and also to the release of attachments, and the inability to form new ones. Nevertheless, the fewer attachments one has, the easier that perception becomes.

The Highest Praise

2008-07-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

When I say that you do not exist apart from God, how can you interpret that to mean you are nothing? What greater honor and praise could there be? Ego does not understand this as praise, because ego can value itself only in relation to others. Value yourself as God, as Oneness, and you will see your perfection.

Do Not Be Misled by Ego

2008-07-27T08:30:00.001-07:00

Do not be misled by ego into believing that your purpose is to bring good to others. Be aware that you can serve others only by example, and by pointing out the good which they already possess.

Simplicity

2008-07-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Spirituality is not complex. What could be simpler than Oneness? It is the elaborate visions constructed by Mind to distract Spirit that are complex. Do not seek to understand the intricate complexity of the Seen in terms of the Unseen. Seek only to absorb the awareness of the unity of all that is. On that foundation you can build your understanding of that which is unconditional and dismiss the need to integrate the conditional. Love is the one vibration that pervades all energy fields. Identify with love and allow all other associations to fall away.‏

In meditation, sense the life force of the Universe pervading your physical and etheric bodies. Allow it to vibrate in harmony with the energies that surround you, so that your energy can be cleansed and refreshed by its power. Feel your energy extending to the far reaches of the physical Universe and bonding with the energy of All that Is. Then become aware of the impossibility of any thing existing that is not a part of that vibration, of any discord arising in the presence of that harmony.

Surrender the illusion of separation and let your being merge with every other. Feel your individuality dissolve in the sea of Spirit. Accept that your fate is the fate of every other; your life is the life of every other. Then you will be suffused with the light and warmth of knowing pervasive, universal Love, and the sure awareness that all that is not Love is illusion.

2008-05-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Teacher emerged from meditation and said:

"I am Brahma manifest as this body; you are Brahma manifest as that body. These bodies possess minds and those minds have created egos, but neither body, mind, nor ego is the Self. The Self is Aum, the universal vibration of Brahma from which all things are created. All spiritual principles in the Universe flow through the Self into the world of gross manifestation. The Self is the principle of which love is a manifestation. The Self is One."

Are there demons?

2008-05-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Many people believe that there are beings that are wholly evil. They may be called devils, or demons, or dark angels, among other names. If they existed, these would be beings whose life force was derived entirely from negative rather than positive energy. To accept the existence of such beings may imply that there exists a Lord of Demons, Satan, the Devil, Beelzebub. The Universe would then have two sources of energy, a positive source - God or the Universal Spirit - and a negative one. Belief in the Devil is seductive, because it allows us to blame our negative feelings and our misfortunes on an outside influence: "The Devil made me do it!" What's more, it allows us to make excuses for the bad conduct of others.

Recently I attended a class on the Bhagavad Gita at the Ananda Center in Palo Alto. Ananda is an organization which follows the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, as interpreted by his pupil, Swami Kriyananda. Yogananda taught that there is a demonic force in the world, according to the person leading the class. As much as I respect Yogananda and his teachings, I cannot accept this one aspect.

There is no doubt that there are people who seem possessed by evil spirits. Indeed, it is an encounter with one such person that leads me to this topic. Many of us have people in our lives whose sole purpose seems to be to cause trouble and pain for others. This may be particularly true for those of us who have chosen the path of love and harmony; there may be a person who appears to have made it his life's work to discredit you and goad or drive you off your Path.

It is not necessary, however, to resort to explanations which presume the existence of demonic forces in order understand such behavior. If we are honest with ourselves we need look no farther than our own egos to find a sufficient explanation. You believe that Love is the Way; that the entire Universe is composed of positive loving energy. Yet your own mind, your own body, your own emotions are constantly pressing you to express negativity. In your personal, professional, and spiritual life you still find a voice nagging at you to be competitive, to undermine others to advance your own interests, to resent the success of others. If you are strong and resolute, you will resist these pressures most of the time. But they are there, and they will always be there as long as you draw breath.

If you, with your devotion to spirituality, have such feelings, how much more must they dominate the lives of those who lack a commitment to love and harmony? No question there are individuals - perhaps they are a majority - who are, in Eckhart Tolle's words, completely unconscious at all times. That is, their consciousness is totally submerged and subjugated by their egoic mind. A person who is controlled by ego cannot help but act out in egregious ways that are petty, spiteful, and calculated to cause nothing but pain. That is how the ego seeks to validate and aggrandize itself - by driving others down and trying to bring out egoic reactions in them.

What is the correct way to deal with these individuals? One way is to ignore them, as you do with the proddings of your own ego to the extent possible. However, it is also important to remember that these beings are not the undiluted egos that they appear to be. Each person has within him or her the unblemished manifestation of Spirit without which there can be no life. You may despair of ever seeing any evidence of this fact in some people. Indeed we all have known of heard of people who went to their graves as ornery and cantankerous as they had been all their lives. This does not detract from the fact that somewhere under that seemingly inpenetrable shell is a glowing pearl aching to be revealed.

The good news is that it is not your responsibility to reform such a person. The most that Spirit expects of you is to honor the Spirit within them with silent love and forgiveness. Their inner light - or Higher Self - may muster the strength to burst forth in this life and produce the flowering of what seems to be a new person; or it may remained buried under its karmic burden and await an opportunity to reassert itself when reincarnated in a new body. Either way, the most you can hope for is to maintain your own equanimity and perspective.

Finally, your forgiveness must extend also to yourself. If you look at your own thoughts and actions honestly you are likely to find ways in which you contributed to the problem between you and this other person. You may have treated him unfairly or thoughtlessly. There may have been times when your ego gained control and lashed out in its own defense against the calculatedly treacherous and unfair attacks of the other. You can regret this experience and learn from it, but do not fall into the trap of believing that you should give yourself over to ego as a way of retaliation. Just as the ego dominated by negativity suffers more than its victims, so will you endure more suffering from surrendering to the egoic impulse than you could ever hope to inflict upon another. Simply return to your centered state as quickly and easily as you can.

The Mind's Filter

2008-04-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Teacher said,

When I teach you, I am usually speaking to your higher self. Your egoic mind will process the information, but in many cases will resist my teaching. This is understandable, because much of what I tell you attacks the ego at its foundation. Your higher self is aware of its oneness with Spirit; the ego denies it. The ego is all about differentiating the small self from other beings, and making itself look important, while the higher self seeks to minimize differences, break down barriers, and reach out for unity. If I could, I would bypass the mind and body and share my insights with you on a soul level. Since I cannot do so in this life, I must teach you first to listen from the higher self, free of the filter of egoic concerns; and then try to express in words what would best be communicated wordlessly from soul to soul. I too must deal with the filtering effects of expressing soul concepts in a medium designed for communication between egos. This is another important reason for you to meditate, because in meditation the higher self communicates directly with Spirit and there is no need for wisdom to pass through the mind's filter.

Your Way

2008-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

There are so many voices telling you what to do, which way to go. Many of them are sincere, and some are truly aligned with Spirit to a greater or lesser degree. You do not have to choose among them until you are ready. But at the same time, you do not have to listen to them all, even if you are convinced of their Truth.

Everyone sees Truth a little differently. You must ultimately follow your own vision, even if it is different from every other's. In fact, your authentic vision is bound to be different from anyone else's. There is much to learn from teachers and sages. But they each have only one vision. By studying many viewpoints you may achieve a sort of holographic picture of Truth as others see it. There is a great deal of convergence in the visions of those who have seen some aspect of Truth clearly, and you can save yourself much confusion by consulting them. Yet you cannot find your own Path simply by walking in the footsteps of others.

Eventually you will need to break from the pack and pursue your own vision. You will just exhaust yourself by trying to follow all the well-meaning voices. They will pull you in many directions and you will end up not very far from where you began. Only by striking out in the direction chosen for you by the higher Self can you attain a clearer vision of the Truth that is meant for you. This will not be the easiest path or the most comfortable, but it will be your authentic Path. You will know it when you are ready, and will be drawn irresitibly to it. Accept it when it comes and offer your heartfelt thanks to Spirit for showing it to you, no matter what hardships or difficulties you may encounter on the Way. That Way also lies your Joy.

And so it is.

Ego and Spirit

2008-03-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Resentment is ego
Jealousy is ego
Fear is ego
Want is ego
Greed is ego
Hatred is ego
Separateness is ego
Surrender is spirit
Acceptance is spirit
Love is spirit
Joy is spirit
Oneness is spirit

A New Earth

2008-03-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

I think the beautiful side of our American approach to ethnic identity appears when it is inclusive rather than exclusive. This is why St. Patrick's Day is such a joyful holiday here. When we say everyone's Irish, we're also saying we are all sisters and brothers.

I'm just beginning to study and meditate upon the role of ego -- personal identity -- in our lives. Everyone has it and needs it in order to become a healthy adult. Yet unrestrained ego also is the source of most of the problems in society and today's world, when it causes us to devalue others who are "not like us". Ego is the source of hatred, greed, and indifference to the circumstances of others. Ego is not a secure foundation for life because it is exclusive, rather than inclusive. Ego senses its own incompleteness yet cannot make the leap of understanding to reach out to others to form a secure and stable bond. Instead, it seeks a false sense of security by gathering more to itself while denying or taking away from others.

Eckhart Tolle (who wrote "The Power of Now", and has been re-issuing it in various forms for several years now) calls for a new birth of Universal consciousness in "A New Earth". I was taken aback and reacted negatively at first when Eckart and "A New Earth" were embraced by Oprah. I have come to realize that this was an egoic reaction -- I wanted to keep Eckart "to myself" and didn't want to see him become popular. I now see it is imperative to bring his message to a wider audience.

Of course his philosophy has to be diluted for mass adoption. I would hate to see happen to his beautiful teaching what has happened to the Law of Attraction through "The Secret." But without popularization he can never accomplish what so urgently is needed, which is to reverse the dominance of ego over Spirit that has accelerated in the modern world.

Carolyn Myss has described a way of living for "mystics without monasteries". Her point also is that we need to develop ways to incorporate deep spirituality into everyday life so that it is not confined to a few hermits living outside society. If human life is to survive long on this planet, Spirit -- not any narrowly defined religion, but simply a basic guiding awareness of the oneness of all beings and all things -- must become dominant. We must begin to live not predominantly for ourselves, our families, our ethnic groups, or our political units, but for each and every other, in great ways and small. Popularization of Eckhart Tolle's philosophy is one way we can hope to start a movement in that direction.

Manifesting Wellness

2008-02-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

You can’t always keep your body from becoming ill, but you can keep from making yourself ill.

There is no question that illness has many origins. Science has pinpointed causal relationships between many environmental factors and bodily ailments. These range from viruses and bacteria to chemicals and even excess sunlight. In some cases our bodies even seem to attack themselves. What is sometimes less clear is why some people are more susceptible to these factors than others.

Illness and injury are a part of this physical world into which we have placed ourselves. When we chose to incarnate in this Universe, we also chose to expose ourselves to the risk of suffering. We may have chosen to endure bodily pain in order that we can better empathize with other physical beings, or in order to teach ourselves how spirituality transcends pain. When we do find ourselves ill or injured, we can therefore accept this as part of the human experience (even while doing all we can to reduce our suffering). This does not mean, however, that we should seek out suffering, or endure more than is necessary.

Sometimes a spiritually advanced person takes unto him or herself the suffering of others; this is one way saintly compassion manifests. Aside from such an exceptional situation, there is no reason to bring pain upon oneself, and to do so is evidence of separation from Spirit.

Even though injury and illness may have external causes, there are many ways in which we enable or even encourage them to afflict us. Have you ever said to yourself, “I always get a cold in January,” then spent the month watching for the first symptoms to appear? Might you even congratulate yourself on successfully predicting your illness? It’s no wonder that you got a cold – your prophecy was self-fulfilling. You invited the illness and welcomed it on arrival. Maybe you failed to take ordinary precautions such as taking vitamins, eating healthful foods, and getting enough regular sleep, or maybe you focused all your conscious attention on avoiding exposure to cold viruses. In either case, you broadcast your intention to catch a cold into the Universe, and the Universe responded to that attention according to Law.

Do you reward yourself for getting ill? Do you welcome illness as an excuse to stay home from work, or neglect household chores? Do you tell yourself that being sick is a good reason for overindulging in your favorite dessert or spending money on items that you can’t afford? Do you demand extra attention and coddling from loved ones? These are other ways we find to take pleasure in getting sick, and open ourselves to it. Extreme cases of such behavior are recognized as mental illness.

Instead of assuming at the first sign of a possible illness that you are in for two weeks of misery, try putting the Law to work for you. Take the opportunity to reaffirm your oneness with the healing energy of Spirit. If your throat tickles, meditate upon the warmth of Spirit flowing through your body and cleansing negative energies from that area. If your sinuses are congested, visualize spiritual energy opening constricted passages and allowing blockages to be relieved. Whatever spiritual practice you regularly follow to infuse your body with health and vitality, be sure not to neglect it but perform it with redoubled positive intention. Visualize yourself as you truly are – a perfect manifestation of Spirit – and ignore any suggestion from your body or egoic mind that you are imperfect in any way. See the pure flame of Spirit burning in your center, glowing with an energy that drives any impurity from your physical and energetic self. Sense the pure cleansing energy that radiates from you and through you. Visualize yourself and all beings in pristine energetic simplicity as flawless creatures of light.

This practice should not be limited to those times when you feel unwell. The more you practice seeing yourself and others as perfect, the more perfection will manifest in your life and in the world around you. If you have been a magnet for suffering, just stop. Become instead a vortex of health. As you move through the physical universe, carry with you the sure knowledge that all beings are perfect in their essence. This knowledge will manifest in your soul and in those around you as improved health and abounding joy.

Adopting this practice in sickness and in health will have many positive effects. First, you will not become physically ill nearly as often. Along with the knowledge of your perfection comes the ability to honor your body by following healthy practices. Placing your attention on wellness rather than sickness will manifest even more wellness by operation of the Law. When you do become ill, your illnesses will be less serious and protracted. You will not see illness as punishment or as evidence of some flaw in yourself, but will bear it as part of the human condition while resting securely in the knowledge that your core is divine essence. You will maintain a positive attitude and will not convert physical suffering into negative spiritual energy. You will radiate health and joy into the Universe around you, and will have a positive influence on the wellness and happiness of others. You will contribute your intention and your energy to the positive flow emanating from, and leading back to, the perfect light of Spirit.

And so it is.

Namaste.

Enough

2008-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Whatever you have, it is enough.

Whatever the voice in your head is telling you that you need, you do not need.

Whatever the level of spiritual development you think you have attained, you are already fully in touch with your higher Self.

You are a perfect manifestation of Spirit right now. As a child of God, how could you be otherwise?

You already know your life's purpose and how to attain it.

All that remains is for you to manifest materially that which has always existed perfectly in Spirit.

And so it is.

A Hymn For The Season

2007-12-20T22:57:00.000-08:00

Sages of many religions have adopted the phrase "Christ Consciousness" to describe the presence of God in all of us. In that spirit, I offer this hymn for the holiday season.

At this time of celebration, I rejoice in the blessings we all share, that are symbolized by the coming of the Christ into this world.

I celebrate the endless birth of Joy in the world and in my heart.

I celebrate the promise of forgiveness.

I celebrate the all-encompassing Love that surpasses our power to understand.

I celebrate the Oneness of all beings in Spirit.

I celebrate the power of Light to triumph over darkness.

I celebrate the immortal Soul that denies the reality of death.

I declare that Christ Consciousness shines in me and in all beings.

I declare that all beings shall unite in Love in this world and all others.

I declare that Peace glows in every heart.

I proclaim the dominion of Love and Light, and banish darkness and hatred from my Universe.

I proclaim the sovereignty of God's healing power.

I gratefully acknowledge these and many other blessings, which I accept on behalf of all beings.

And so it is.

Namaste.

"I Don't Care"

2007-12-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

Followers of spiritual traditions often seek equanimity. We train ourselves not to feel disturbing emotions, or at the very least not to be swayed by them. We may believe that such feelings have their source in the egoic mind or the physical body and that they are distractions that can lead us astray from our spiritual paths. We may envision our life’s goal as the attainment of perfect detachment, subsiding ultimately into a state of pure awareness that is as undisturbed as a still unruffled pool. There are dangers in this approach, however. Detachment should not properly be regarded as an end in itself, but is at most an attitude that may be useful in attaining a more perfect sense of unity with all that is. Avoiding superficial distractions may help us to focus on our fundamental oneness with the Universe, but we must not detach ourselves from Spirit.

The single-minded pursuit of detachment may actually represent a form of egoism. An individual may wind up so withdrawn into himself, in an effort to avoid disturbing influences, that he walls himself off not only from other people but from the Universe itself. The ego is fed by the implicit belief that all things outside oneself are unimportant, perhaps even illusory. Detachment of this sort does not lead to unity, but to separation. Within his protective shell the individual grows more and more focused on his own identity to the exclusion of others. He withdraws from emotional contact with others and, ultimately, with Spirit. He loses his place in the Universe by denying its existence.

Other people may seek detachment to protect themselves from painful contact with turbulent emotions, either their own or others’. Detachment for them becomes a form of denial. This may occur not because they do not care about themselves or others, but because they care so deeply that the intensity of feeling is intolerable. This can be particularly true when the feeling is painful. An individual may feel his own pain, or others’, so strongly that he retreats into detachment in self defense. For him, “I don’t care” is a mantra he chants to drown out the cries for help that reverberate in his consciousness. He may feel helpless and hopeless, drowning in a sea of human suffering that he is powerless to alleviate.

The sense of despair at one’s inability to wipe out all human suffering is itself a form of suffering. Detachment from that suffering does not mean to wall it out, but to allow it to pass by and to be unaffected by it. The same is true of other negative emotions. Rather than try to shield ourselves from them, we must learn to feel their full force while denying them power over us. Oneness with Spirit in meditation facilitates this process. It also enables us to realize that we and others like us do indeed have the ability to reduce human suffering by our actions in the material world as well as on a spiritual level. Every kind act we perform in the world shifts the balance measurably in the direction of Joy and away from pain. In the aggregate, those acts have immense power. At the same time, through compassionate meditation we can lighten the hearts of all beings by sending our Joy into the Universal Spirit in which all share at a subtle level.

Open Your Heart

2007-12-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Don't pray for God to open your heart; that is your job. God will not enter a closed heart.

Visualize your heart as a lotus or rose opening to the sunshine of Universal Love. As its petals unfold, the Love within you shines forth to merge its radiance with that of the Universe. You are bathed and you bathe others with the brilliant, cleansing light of Love, until nothing but Joy and perfect Being remains. There you rest, your soul at peace in the heart of God.

Namaste.

Define Yourself

2007-11-26T09:23:00.001-08:00

Don't buy into any one else's vision of who you are or what your possibilities are. Other people live in their own worlds and their visions define them; they do not define you. You are defined by your own visualization of your unique being and your special opportunities.

Problem free

2007-11-26T09:20:00.001-08:00

You are already completely free of problems. Instead of wasting time wishing for problems to go away, realize that they cannot affect you in the essence of your being. This will allow you to deal with material concerns on a practical level without feeling threatened by them or obsessing over them.

The Name of God

2007-10-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Why are some people disturbed by references to God? Of course you can substitute whatever synonym you like in place of the word "God." The meaning will be the same whether you say "Spirit", "the Universe", or "All That Is." The reference is to the Source of all things, of which each being is a part. It is to you and me, and what we are in essence when our separate identities are stripped away. You cannot deny the existence of God without denying your own existence, because there is no difference between yourself and God. If you have a negative reaction to the very word, it may be you do not understand its meaning, or have had bad experiences with people who do not. Or it may be that your mind is doing its mind thing, and resisting awareness of a greater and truer reality.

Troubles are Transitory

2007-09-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

We are so often reminded that things are temporary. This is true when people and things we love pass out of our lives, and we have no difficulty comprehending this fact of life. Why do we not regard troubles as equally transitory?

Why?

2007-09-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

There are times in everyone's life when he or she feels compelled to ask, "Why?" At such times some turn to Spirit for an answer. It is probably true that the great majority of us who engage in spiritual practices first embarked on the Path in search of an answer to some question that ultimately resolves into "why?" Those questions include "Why am I here", "Why do I have these feelings," and the granddaddy of all, "Why did this happen to me?"

Eventually we realize that the question "why" belongs to our human side, to the mind and the small self. It is the mind that sees events happening in the world and needs to understand their causes. Only the mind is attached to concepts of causation and its implicit corollary, fairness. It is the mind that asks, "How can God/Spirit/the Universe do this to me," and that believes "goodness" should be rewarded, or that the Universe is an orderly place in which individual circumstances can or should be correlated with individual behavior.

The mind, which is supposedly the rational part of us, maintains these beliefs in the face of all experiential evidence to the contrary. We see "bad" things happening to "good" people, and vice versa, every day. We all do our very best to be "good" people yet sometimes "bad" things happen to us. We even think these "bad" things are punishment for us not being "good" enough. All this is due to the mind's need to connect every event with a cause that can be understood by the narrow logic the mind has developed, and with its corresponding need to judge persons and events as "good" and "bad".

When united with Spirit in meditation, it is possible to realize that separateness, good and bad, causation, and even time itself are artifacts of the mind and the physical universe. What we perceive as our individual selves and our lives are no more separate from Spirit than waves are separate from the ocean. There can be no good and bad souls where all souls are merged in Spirit. From the perspective of Spirit as the unified field of loving energy spanning all dimensions, individual events in the physical universe lose their significance and lines of causality fade. The foreground loses focus and eventually is seen as unreal against the background of Spirit. Nothing but isness remains. Then all questions meet their answers and are annihilated in the joy of unification with All That Is.

And so it is.

Namaste!

Living Without Ego

2007-09-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

In the preface to "The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi", Arthur Osborne says of the Maharshi's teaching that "those who asked whether they should renounce the life of the world were always discouraged from doing so. Instead they were enjoined to perform their duties in life without self-interest."

What would it be like to go about your daily activities without self-interest? Ultimately the goal must be freedom from the ego. How would life be different without ego? By ego is meant not just egotism, selfishness and the like, but all manifestations of the small self, eventually even the awareness of separateness. Would it really be possible to perform one's duties in life as a pure manifestation of the greater Self that is the Universal manifestation of All That Is?

A beginning would be to simply practice awareness of the presence of ego and its influence on your actions.

All Healing is Self Healing

2007-07-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Teacher said,

All healing is self healing. You may use whatever modalities you like; they may have effect in accordance with your intention. But complete healing is not a matter of manipulating local energies, but of cleansing the spirit of the illusions that the subject and the healer are separate beings and that either is separate from God. If you practice Pranic Healing to remove unhealthy energies, on an esoteric level you should actually be seeking to peel back the individual personality and lay bare the Spirit behind the mask. If you focus your attention exclusively on particular ailments or particular parts of the body, you may produce temporary relief from symptoms, but you may actually do long-term harm by reinforcing the illusions of identity and separateness. Therefore, your principal focus should be on greater awareness of the unity of your energies with those of your subject, and the unity of both in God. Do not visualize a perfectly functioning limb or organ, but rather a soul in perfect union with the Universe. The soul I speak of is yours and it is your subject's; it is the soul of all beings. You cannot treat your subject fully without also treating yourself, because you and your subject are one at the level of ultimate reality.

You will know the degree of your success in achieving proper focus by the effects you observe in yourself and your subject. True healing is complete healing. Your subject may have sought you out because of a particular symptom or condition. But you should observe changes not only in that condition, but in your subject's overall wellness, and your own. If you feel your energy has been drained from you after a treatment, it is because you have focused on transferring energy from your illusory self to the equally illusory self of your subject. Rather focus on the awareness that you are both manifestations of an infinite field of energy that provides you with limitless vital resources. You both should feel energized, lighter, and more fully alive after a treatment. You may find that any pains you may have been feeling in your own body are no longer present. You or your subject may also experience the relief of painful emotions, or the release of buried emotional pain that initially manifests as tears. It is this sense of wholeness that is the sign of a successful treatment.

Spiritual Freedom

2007-07-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

Independence Day

Today is Independence Day in the United States, and across the country speakers will be paying tribute to the ideal of freedom. Most will understand this in a social or political sense: as a reference to the freedom of the nation as an independent state; or to the individual freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. It’s worthwhile also, however, to reflect on the greatest freedom of all, which is the freedom of the spirit. This is a freedom that, while sustained and protected by political freedoms, can flourish and grow even in their absence. Indeed, there are many inspiring stories of the power of Spirit to achieve freedom even while enduring oppression, persecution, and torture.

My purpose today is not to pay tribute to those heroic examples, but to examine the ways in which spiritual freedom is accessible to each of us in everyday life. Before discussing the many ways in which spiritual freedom manifests, I want to say a few words about the tools we use to achieve it.

Tools of Spiritual Freedom

Meditation

Meditation is the doorway through which anyone seeking spiritual freedom must pass. There are many forms of meditation, but all have in common the goal of calming the small mind of the small self and allowing the Big Mind or the Higher Self to come forward. In other words, it allows the individual to become aware of his or her oneness with all that is.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is, in a sense, a way of carrying your meditation practice with you at all times. It means being aware. Specifically, it means being aware of what is happening in your mind and body. It is essential to the ability to express the attitudes and qualities of the Higher Self in your daily activities. Mindfulness also means being aware of those attitudes and qualities to which you dedicate yourself during meditation, but which tend to slip out of your attention under the pressure of ordinary life. Your mind is always reacting to stimuli from the environment. Between stimulus and response, there is always a fraction of a second in which you have the ability to choose the response you will express. The mindful person will always be on the lookout for the opportunity to guide his responses into the path set before him by the Higher Self. As Rabbi David Cooper said, "there are few, if any, fully enlightened people, . . . but there are untold numbers of enlightened acts."

Love

Love is the pervasive presence of God in the Universe. Through meditation, you become aware that Love is available to you at all times and in all places. By incorporating Love as the fundamental value of your own life, you become a manifestation of God’s Love and evidence of the oneness of all things. The knowledge that Love is everywhere, that you are never without Love, becomes the bedrock on which your spiritual freedom is built. Knowing you have Love, you know you have everything.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is inseparable from Love and is its inevitable consequence. However, Forgiveness is also one of the steps to becoming aware that Love is everything. It is such a powerful tool for achieving spiritual freedom that it must be included here. Forgiveness cuts through many obstacles to the attainment of spiritual freedom, including anger, jealousy, and resentment. Developing the ability to forgive anyone or anything -- including especially yourself -- is literally the equivalent of growing angel’s wings to fly above the barriers to freedom that the ego erects for itself. By practicing Forgiveness, you internalize the principle that all beings deserve Love.

Surrender

It seems paradoxical to say that surrender is a tool for the attainment of freedom. Yet the ability to practice surrender is essential to that end. The Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr asks for "grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed." Surrender means the acceptance of what is. Not in the sense of passively accepting the dictation of an impersonal Fate, but in the sense of being mindful. Many people spend far too much energy in denial. Even if we intend to work to change our conditions, we cannot do so effectively until we recognize what those conditions are. Surrender is therefore a practical tool for establishing a baseline against which our progress toward spiritual freedom can be measured.

Surrender also means the acceptance that everything in the Universe proceeds according to God’s Law. How could it be otherwise, when God is all that is? Because each of us is an individual manifestation of God’s Love for itself, we also are a part of the Law and are able to use our knowledge of it to attain spiritual freedom.

Aspects of Spiritual Freedom

What then does spiritual freedom consist of? If freedom means the ability to act, what actions evidence the presence of spiritual freedom in your life?

Freedom From Attachments

Great spiritual teachers have always taught that we must release our attachments to worldly things in order to become free. As long as you believe a particular person or thing is essential to your happiness – or even to your existence -- you are a slave to that person or thing. This does not mean you should not enjoy the people you are close to, your favorite pastimes or your personal belongings; it means only that you should recognize that your happiness is independent of these things. Since all things and all beings are one in God, you cannot own them anyway. Clinging to the illusion that you can possess a person or thing only guarantees eventual unhappiness when it is lost. Surrendering that illusion sets both of you free. Meditation on oneness is a way to empower yourself to release attachments.

Freedom From Desire

Desire is an attachment to something you don’t have. Or perhaps you have it, but you don’t believe you have enough. Either way, desire enslaves your mind and prevents you from being free. Desire is inconsistent with surrender, and so impairs your ability to see the world as it is. Desire prevents happiness, because it implies that you need something you don’t already have in order to be happy. Meditation on the presence of God’s Love at all times and in all places loosens the grip of desire and allows you to release it.

Freedom Of Choice

When you banish attachments and desires from your Universe, then you are free to choose the path you will follow, or to follow no path. You can be happy as you are, particularly if you practice the tools of Love and Surrender. Or you can use those tools and others to break down any barriers that stand between yourself and your happiness. You can choose your surroundings and your companions. You can choose the ethical rules that you will follow in living an upright life. Most importantly, you can choose your attitudes and the ways that you react to the things that happen around you. You can choose to be happy knowing that Love abounds and Love is sufficient to your joy.

Freedom To Trust

The ability to trust is a great freedom. It frees you from fear and anxiety. Trust is the knowledge that you will not be hurt by the actions of others, or of the Universe. By sending out vibrations of trust you increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Knowing they are trusted makes those around you want to deserve that trust. Trust instructs the Law to bring you outcomes that support your happiness. Trust also describes the knowledge that, whatever the outcome, you will emerge free and happy. Trusting that Love is the foundation of all that is enables you to see the positive elements in any outcome. Trust in yourself as a perfect manifestation of Spirit gives you the understanding that nothing can harm you in your essence.

Freedom To Be Well

Illness of body, or mind can be a prison. Pain and discomfort can block out the realization that you are living in the midst of Love and Joy at every moment. It is easy to become attached to one’s illness, since it seems to make your own needs the most important things in the Universe. Illness can also be attractive as an excuse for indulging in behaviors we would otherwise consider unworthy. It is one of the main tools used by the egoic mind and body to try to reclaim the attention we have taken away from them in our focus on Spirit. By directing our attention to themselves, they seek to distract us from Oneness.

The antidote for the negative effects of illness is, first, to practice Surrender, and recognize it for what it is: a temporary condition of body or mind that does not affect your essence that abides in Spirit. Forgiveness can then be brought to bear in order to sweep away any underlying causes in the form of fear, attachment, or guilt. Practicing self-Love enables you to see that the illness is not a part of you, but rather a stain that can be cleansed by shining the Light of Spirit upon it. Mindfulness assists in each of these practices.

Great teachers instruct us that illness is not an attribute of Self. This is evident once you realize that the body and mind are not the Self; it is attaining this realization that is difficult. Meditation on Oneness leads eventually to the understanding that the Self is perfect, eternal, and united through Spirit with the Love that is all that is. It is this awareness that finally releases us from all limitations and brings perfect Freedom.

And so it is.

Namaste

Change your thinking, change your life

2007-06-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

One of the most often repeated sayings in the New Thought movement is, "Change your thinking, change your life." Often this is said in explaining the Law of Attraction. It is also a fundamental principle of Religious Science as taught by Ernest Holmes. It has been said that if you keep doing what you've always done, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten. The same is true of thoughts -- if you keep thinking the same way you always have, then your life will continue along the same track it has always taken.

If you have been plagued by negative thinking for a long time, it is very difficult to change. It's also difficult to internalize the understanding that negative thinking is a self-fulfilling prophecy. A person who always expects the worst is likely to get it. When he does, he is likely to see the outcome as validating his expectations, when in fact it was his expectations that created the outcome. If he can find a way to break this vicious circle for once, and give up his negative outlook even temporarily, he may learn the truth that what you put into the Universe is what you get out of it.

How can someone who has never experienced positive outcomes adopt a positive outlook? The first thing to do is to examine what you consider a positive outcome. Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty person? If you are always looking for something to complain about, you are always going to find it. On the other hand, if you are always looking for something to be thankful for, you will also find that. So even without changing a thing in the "outside" world, you can change the amount of enjoyment you get out of life by changing your focus.

There are a few things you can do to help with this change. First, you can consciously affirm the presence of good in your life. Make a mental inventory of things you are (or should be!) grateful for -- in other words, count your blessings. Be generous in this exercise. Don't let the words "but" or "except" creep into your thinking about the good things in your life. Just look on the bright side for once -- you've already given the dark side too much of your attention for too long! Later, when you are ready for more advanced techniques, you will affirm the good that is not yet tangible but nevertheless is just around the next corner.

Second, start watching your thoughts. Don't try to suppress any negative thoughts that come to you; just try not to react to them at all. Detach yourself from them and allow them to fade and vanish. Without your attention, they will. Become aware of how often you think about past unhappy events, compared to how often you enjoy happy memories. Be aware of the attention you are giving to the unpleasant aspects of experiences you are having today, right now, and of how many opportunities for even a moment's pleasure or happiness you are passing up. Notice how often you have gloomy thoughts about the future, and how often you generate positive expectations. Don't react or try to force your mind into a different way of thinking; just observe.

Once you have gotten into the habit of watching your thoughts, then try to discern where the negative ones are coming from. Is there a place in you that always seems to see clouds where there could be sunshine? Focus on this place for a time, not in such a way as to encourage or develop it, but simply to see how it operates. Knowledge is power, and knowledge of yourself is power over your Universe. Look also for the parts in you that seem to generate mostly positive thoughts and feelings. Why aren't they getting the same attention as the others? Shine the light of your love on these fertile fields, and count the beautiful flowers that spring into view. The things to which you give your attention are those that will flourish in your life.

There really is no such thing as a dark force. There is only love and the absence of love. You don't have a demon inside you making you think negative thoughts; you just have some places that haven't been exposed to the sunshine enough. There are places within us where we store pain. Disappointments, losses, abuse and mistreatment hurt us, and most of us have tucked away the pain from those events in various nooks and crannies of our psyches or our anatomies. When you have a negative expectation, ask yourself why, then observe the thoughts that come up from your subconscious. They may seem to be random, disconnected ideas, but noticing them may give you some clues to the buried pain tangled up in those sore muscles and that wounded ego. The more you learn about yourself, the easier it will be to release that hidden pain and free yourself from the pall it is casting over your life.

Once you feel you have gotten a handle on what is going on inside you, then it is time to start gently shaping your world by shaping your thoughts. When you have a positive thought, encourage it; turn it over in your mind, enjoy it, watch it develop and grow into a bright spot of happiness. When you see a negative thought coming, allow it to move right past. Don't try to shove it back down where it came from; that will just prolong the process of ridding yourself of those unwanted ideas and feelings. Just don't give it your attention and it will wither to dust and blow away.

While you are doing all this inner work, try to do the same with the world around you. Greet every person you meet with warmth and love. Look for things to be glad about, and shrug off those less-desirable things you would have obsessed about before you began this self-rescuing program. Above all, don't take on any new pains that you can avoid. If friends are in trouble or in pain, offer them sympathy but don't allow yourself to take on their suffering. That is their karma to work out, not yours; you have plenty of your own. On the other hand, share your own happiness with others, and allow them to share theirs with you. You'll find that happiness is not diluted but is multiplied by being shared. It's well known that changing your behavior can change your attitudes. Changing your outward interaction with the world will help you change yourself inwardly as well.

There's so much more to be said that hundreds of books have been written on the subject. If you'd like some recommendations, write me and tell me your story. I'd love to hear from you.

Namaste

Why are we so interested in the personal lives of celebrities?

2007-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

The ego is constantly comparing itself to others. It is jealous of everyone, but particularly of attractive, wealthy celebrities. It takes pleasure in the misfortune of anyone, but again, especially celebrities. The ego does not understand that it is reinforcing its own unhappiness by focusing on the misfortunes of others.

Control

2007-05-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

You cannot always control your circumstances, but you can always refuse to be controlled by them.

Mp3

Harmonious Oneness

2007-05-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

The Teacher said,

"When I say you must find the God within yourself, I do not mean that God is hidden somewhere within you. Every cell in your flesh, every breath in your lungs, every sensation and feeling is God. What is needful is for you to become aware of this. When you meditate, be mindful of the energy that animates you. Feel the vibration of the Universe in your body. Let it resonate through your nerves and your veins. Let that resonance build until your body cannot contain it, and feel it bursting forth into the surrounding Universe. Then be aware that the same energy resonates in every being and every thing, and of the profound harmonies between your vibrations and theirs. Learn to ride those harmonies like ocean waves, to sustain their crescendos, and you will know oneness with the divine."

Mp3

Drawing Lines

2007-05-29T16:34:00.001-07:00

The mind seeks to draw lines between people; the soul seeks to erase those lines.

Mp3

Live Beautifully

2007-05-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

The essence of spiritual living is not to find a beautiful environment in which to live, but to find a way to live beautifully in any environment.

Selfless Love is Self Love

2007-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

There are those who seem to love and think only of themselves. Fewer are those who seem to take no thought for themselves, but care deeply about others. The truth is that in order to truly love others, it is necessary to also love and care for yourself as a cherished child of God.

I was struck recently by the statement in a recorded lecture that Mother Teresa spent five hours a day in prayer and meditation. That means five hours devoted to developing and maintaining her personal connection with God. Was that selfish? Surely she derived unimaginable bliss from her daily practice. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in close communion with Spirit has felt some intimation of the peace and joy she experienced. Such a daily practice over many years must have opened her soul so wide as to encompass the entire world, and sustained her in her saintly path. She must have seen clearly her place in the heart and mind of God and known God as her beloved, herself as the beloved of God. Knowing God's love, who can withhold self love? It is no stretch of conjecture to suppose that it was this experience of oneness with God that enabled her to live the life that she did. By loving herself as a part of God, she was able to see the diseased and poverty-stricken people to whom she devoted her life -- her brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters -- as equally deserving of love and compassion.

John Paul II asked: "Where did Mother Teresa find the strength and perseverance to place herself completely at the service of others? She found it in prayer and in the silent contemplation of Jesus Christ, his Holy Face, his Sacred Heart." Few of us will follow closely in Mother Teresa's footsteps either as a servant of the destitute, or as a devoted child of God. But we can learn from her example that a daily practice of prayer or meditation can help bring us closer to the loving Spirit of the Universe, to an awareness that we are one with that Spirit, and to the knowledge that every soul we encounter is likewise a beloved part of God and therefore a part of us as fully deserving of love as we are ourselves.

Just as we are not perfect in our outer manifestations, we may have difficulty seeing the perfection in others through their disguises formed of ego, pain, and fear. But just as prayer and meditation can show us to the perfect God within ourselves, they can also teach us to find and worship the stainless manifestation of Spirit within every other person.

Prayer and meditation, in other words, are the path to love, acceptance, and joy. The more we indulge in those delicious practices, the greater is the joy that is accessible to us. But any amount of daily practice, be it five minutes or an hour, can help us set foot on the Path that leads to peace and fulfillment.

And so it is.

Namaste

Teaching release of negativity

2007-04-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Teacher said,

"When you begin the instruction of a new student, do not tell him to release negativity. He would probably misinterpret your teaching and try to suppress his negative feelings. This is how most people deal with fear, anger, and stress. The result of course is that negativity builds up under pressure, which leads to increased stress, anger, and dis-ease."

" Tell your student instead to express his negative feelings to you. You can absorb and release them, and your student will feel his burden lightened. In this way we teach the student not to deny negativity but to be mindful of it without becoming attached to it. He will no longer need to feel unworthy because of his natural sentiments, by being released they will not fester and grow into bigger problems."

"As he becomes increasingly mindful of his negative thoughts and feelings, he will learn to recognize and release them at an earlier stage, before their destructive power has been magnified by being suppressed. This will lead to his feeling less threatened by them, and enable him to learn to release them more easily. Eventually he will learn to distinguish between those thoughts which require him to take action to remedy an undesirable external condition, and those which are unnecessary whinings of the egoic mind."

"These last he will eventually be able to release without even expressing them verbally. For those thoughts requiring action, he will be able to act without rancor or fear, without the pressure of so many other repressed complaints."

There is no negativity

2007-04-29T21:16:00.002-07:00

The Teacher said, "Do not say, 'I abandon negativity', for then you are giving respect to a phantom. Say, 'There is no negativity.'"

Love and Acceptance

2007-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

In our hearts, we all desire love and acceptance more than anything else, and therefore it seems the most natural thing in the world would be for all of us to love and accept each other all the time. So why is true unconditional love so rarely seen?

Sometimes we are separated by fear or distrust. We know and trust our own motivations, but how can we read the mind of another person to know whether he or she will return our love, rather than seeking to take something from us? Who should love first?

We are afraid someone may "take advantage" of us. Yet how can that be so long as we first love ourselves unconditionally? Self-love is not selfish, and it is not sinful. It is in fact a commandment from God. Jesus taught that we should love others as we love ourselves -- not more than we love ourselves, but just as much. Yet he also taught us to love others deeply and unconditionally. He was telling us to have the same complete and unqualified love for ourselves.

If we follow this commandment and love ourselves unconditionally, then there is really no risk in loving others. Our self-esteem will not be dependent upon how others feel about us. If you extend a loving hand to a brother or sister in Spirit and it is refused, should you be hurt? No, because you know what a precious child of God that you are. The rejection does not mean your love is undesirable or that you are unlovable, but only that the other person is not in a position to accept love from you at this time. You can leave the door open for him or her to return seeking your love and acceptance at another time, without any risk of damage to your own love of yourself.

Another important fear about relationships is the fear of loss. We may hesitate to give anything of ourselves to another person out of fear that he or she will leave us and there will be a hole in our existence that cannot be filled. This causes us to cling to the relationships that we have, as well as to resist entering into new ones. This fear also is totally derived from doubts about our own worth. If you love yourself fully and unconditionally, nothing another person does can shake that love. Therefore, you are free to open yourself to another knowing that if he or she later needs to withdraw for a time, you will remain perfectly whole.

One way to minimize the fear in relationships is to be open, trusting, and accepting of literally everyone. You may find, as a particular relationship develops, that there must be limitations on these attributes; but each should be approached initially in a way that demonstrates the total absence of fear or doubt. If that is your standard practice, then people will be able to see their perfection mirrored in your own, and will be eager to enter into the same kind of relationship with you.

Argue

2007-04-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Teacher said, "Argue against these principles. Bring forth every argument you can, and do not cease arguing until your arguments have exhausted themselves. Then you will see the principles still standing before you pristine and untarnished, as shining emblems of eternal Truth."

Pain is not real

2007-03-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Intellectually, I am aware that pain is not real. The body is a manifestation of God's perfection, and God cannot create pain. Nevertheless, as long as we believe in pain, it exists for us, and we will be burdened with its apparent reality.

I mention this because my physical age and condition are such that aches and pains appear to be real with increasing frequency. However, I made an interesting observation today.

I woke up feeling soreness in my lower back. I pampered it as I started my morning, holding myself stiffly so that I would not move the affected muscles more than necessary. Then I got more involved in my daily activity, specifically washing dishes and making breakfast. I noticed that when I focused on one of those activities, I did not notice the ache in my back. Once a task was finished, my attention would return to the pain and I would feel it again.

The thought came to me that pain is only a bodily sensation. One realization that followed this observation was that I did not identify my self with my body. The pain affected my body, but it did not affect me.

The second realization I had was that, since the pain is not part of me, there is no need for me to be concerned with it. If I focus my attention elsewhere, I should not notice the pain, and if I do not notice it, the pain does not exist. Pain is not something that is real independent of the body which experiences it. To the extent I can -- as I have been trying to do anyway -- concentrate on the Christ spirit within me rather than on its physical manifestation in the body, I should be unaffected by pain.

I hope that this will help me understand Joel Goldsmith's teachings better.

Namaste.

God is everything

2007-03-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that is real that is not God. You and I are manifestations of God's creative force. Because God is perfect, you and I are perfect. There is nothing that is real that is not perfect. If we can fully grasp this truth, then everything is possible.