“A Bloody ‘Slice of Life’…”

Yes, a little slice of life. In this case, it was a slice of my left index finger, with a very sharp knife.

As it was, it was quite appropriate, as I was slicing a venison/beef
“summer sausage,” which, if I ate it, had a better shot at killing me than the knife did.

There was a LOT of blood, (who would have thought a finger could bleed so much?). I was quite calm. Many years ago, (in a past that is a blur now), as a “government employee,” I had used a knife on others, and seen plenty of blood. Because of that, I am not panicked or disturbed by it. I applied direct pressure and used all the other triage techniques that I knew, but it simply would not stop bleeding…heavily.

And so it was that I found myself in the Emergency Room getting stitches in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. I had only missed the bone by maybe an eighth of an inch.

What’s the lesson here? Well, there isn’t one…stuff happens, and it’s best not to get too worked up about it. Every “next moment” is a mystery, and sometimes it hurts. It’s not rocket science – stay calm and roll with what is presented.

But, maybe there is a lesson. It’s funny, really. I hadn’t picked up my guitar in probably a week. I had wanted to, but always found some excuse not to do it. Now that I CAN’T play, it’s all that I can think about. The lesson is to not take your opportunities for granted when they are before you, because you have no idea how long the chance will be there. I’ll be playing guitar again within ten days…but what opportunity are you putting off to another day. What if that day is taken from you, and never comes?

Experiences; that is how you know that you’re alive. The quickest road to physical death is to panic in a crisis. There was no chance that a cut finger was going to kill me, and I knew that. But, if I had panicked, the emotional ramifications would have been very destructive. Fear and anxiety are the killers of this world.

Stay calm, stay clear – always. It will pay immense dividends when it is an habitual, ingrained practice. And jump on your opportunities while they are before you. Don’t assume that you will have ‘tomorrow.”

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

 

 

“Spreading Fertilizer…”

Let’s get it right.

There is power, which is life, which is All, which is God…which I AM.

There is also Bullshit, which is ego, which is mental, which is devoid of any true power.

Moving mountains isn’t a problem for I AM,  but it’s a real bastard to pull off with bullshit. Bullshit rides on the bottom of your boots; that’s about as good as it gets. And man, there is a LOT of it. I know who you are, and you know who you are – the fertilizer spreaders.

POWER is simple, and impossible to overcome. Bullshit stinks, and tends to be pretty complicated, (it’s tough to remember those lies and stand on all of those falsehoods). Power doesn’t need bullshit…bullshit is for “wannabe’s.”

I will say it again – POWER is simple; you just live it. No need to make it up…that’s bullshit. Upon what side of the cosmic fence are you grazing?

If you’re spreading fertilizer, it would be wise to watch where you’re going. If not, you might accidentally stumble into Truth, and the simplicity of Truth will incinerate every vestige of the castle of “power” that you think you have built with your bullshit. All that will be left of you is a train-wreck of mangled steel.

Do you want power? REAL power? Then just live every moment. Truthfully, there isn’t a damn thing that you can add to that. Think about it.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“Hey, I’m Over Here!…”

Jesus is quoted as saying, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” [John 14:9]

In the Hindu faith, in the text, the Lakshmi Tantra, The Goddess Lakshmi is quoted as saying, “When I look out through your eyes and see another person, it is really me looking at myself.”

Other variations of Eastern spiritual practices espouse the tenet that all is One, and what we see as separation among each other, and from God, is but an illusion.

All three of these examples, (and there are countless more) are saying the same thing; we’ve seen God. That being the case, what exactly are you looking for?

Certainly Jesus wasn’t talking about his physical body – you know, the bearded carpenter – when He said “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” He was referring to his actions. It is the love and the compassion and the power that is the Father, not Joe and Mary’s boy from over in Bethlehem.

We commonly think, if only sub-consciously, that we have not physically seen God, and among those that have had an experience through which they saw God, all saw something different. Just look at all of the varied pictures and representations of this power that have arisen throughout human history. And I fully believe that every one of them is an accurate portrait of that power, because the power of the Supreme is without any limitation as to form; like water, it fills the shape of the container that it is poured into.

But, if we lay all of those varied images aside, every single one of us has still seen that Infinite power that we call “God.”

If you have seen a man who radiates compassion, you have seen God.

If you see a woman who exudes the light of Divine love, you have seen God.

If you have seen a painting of Jesus, or a figurine of Shiva, you have seen God.

If you have looked in the mirror, you have seen God. Hmmm…having trouble with that one? Let’s see…God made the football and kicked it through the uprights and it exploded; scientists call it the “Big Bang.” [they just leave God out of it, because it cannot be explained by the human mind]. That makes ALL of it God, except you? Is that your contention? That’s a little tough to buy into. Maybe it is just that your behavior has been more that of the “space debris,” the physical form, rather than the power that gives it life, which resides within you and is formless.

Yes, we See God, in person, every single day. Perhaps we should make an effort to treat Him/Her/It a little better. And that includes how you treat yourself, too, not just those around you.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“‘Success’ Is A Relationship…”

This isn’t really a spiritual message.

I suppose that it could be looked at that way; the underlying principles are certainly spiritual. But it is meant to be about material success – “making it.”

Most people, at least those who have enough courage to be honest with who they are, want something – some sort of success; even those that seek “enlightenment,” (however they may envision that state). Whatever it is, there is one constant that will help speed you to your goal: relationships.

I’m not speaking of “networking;” screw networking. Networking is a sham – a process where people try to amass as many influential names in their Rolodex as possible, hoping to get something from them somewhere down the road…maybe they will remember you and do you a favor. That is business manipulation, not a relationship.

When I speak of relationships, I am really speaking of love and compassion. The premise is simple; you make it your priority, because you truly want another to succeed, to come to know them, and give to them, without any expectation of some returned favor, all the encouragement and love and inspiration that you have within you.

People aren’t stupid – they know the difference between when someone truly cares about them, and when someone is playing an angle for a future “consideration.”

Make all the friends that you can; never miss a chance to establish a relationship with another human, and do it in the hope and the intent to be an asset to their life…because of your GENUINE love for their path.

If you spend your life in this way, seeking out and establishing these opportunities to help others – REAL relationships, expecting nothing, you will be astounded at the powerful people who will “show up,” unasked and unsolicited, with help to “put you over” on your own endeavors.

There are selfish people in this world – that is true; but as the Infinite is my witness, you will soon learn that people don’t forget when someone gives to them, with a smile, and with love and compassion in their heart. They WILL NOT forget.

When you lift up others, motivated by nothing other than Divine love, they will “show up.” You won’t have to ask and, in fact, you will be powerless to stop it.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“Pretty Wrappers And Soothing Words…”

Chocolate Bar counter (Photo credit: roboppy)

You know, you could study the ingredients list of any candy bar…and memorize it word-for-word. At that point, you could rightly be considered an expert on this particular type of candy bar.

You would know every single thing that went into it, and how much of each additive. Perhaps you would have even visited the factory, and become intimately familiar with the manufacturing process. Yes, there is nothing that would not know about this candy bar – and no one would have a shot of winning an argument with you about any aspect of the truth of its construction; you would know it inside and out. But honestly, all of this knowledge doesn’t tell you squat about this candy bar.

Pick one up off the shelf the next time you are in the grocery store and read the ingredients. Now, tell me how it tastes based on that knowledge. You can’t. All that you can hope to do is preach the wondrous benefits of this combination of ingredients. Why? Because you haven’t tasted it; you’ve only become an expert in everything that concerns it.

Do you know what the wrapper on a candy bar is? It is a marketing tool. All the right colors, an attractive name, and a description of deliciousness; all designed to “get you in the door.” If it is appealing enough, you’ll buy it – that’s the name of the game. Maybe you will like it, maybe you won’t. That’s a pretty innocent example, but let’s ramp it up a notch. Let’s say the product is beer, or cigarettes, or whiskey.

Let’s be totally honest. With a very few exceptions, no one likes beer, or cigarettes, or whiskey when they first try them. That’s the truth, and you know it. But, to be cool, or to be accepted, or just to have something, you keep partaking until you develop a taste for it. Then, after a while, you won’t even consider the idea of giving it up, even if it never really “fit” your life. Now we come to the most nefarious example of all – religion.

Religion is just like the candy bar business, in that, without attracting new buyers, “converts,” it will dry up and die. So it is a competition, to see who can package their idea of God in the most appealing way; the survival of the institution depends on it.

I can’t even begin to name all of the religions that are out there today, vying for your time, your attendance, and your financial support. Candy bars, with pretty wrappers, selling their idea of God and claiming to be the “best” and only true way. Ordinary logic would lead us to surmise that if only one, true way exists, then out of 100 religions, 99 would be wrong. But maybe it is possible that there is a unique truth for each of us – thus eliminating the concept of “one is right and the rest are wrong.”

I would recommend reading  the labels, (the scriptures), and getting to know what these “candy bars” are about; that’s good information to have. But in the end there is only ONE thing that matters, and that is how it tastes.

Forget the rhetoric, forget about whether mom or granddad likes it, how does it TASTE to YOU? Is the taste blissful and unforgettable to you, or are you just “settling” for something that tastes OK, that is popular with the majority, so it must be the “right” path.

Don’t be swayed by pretty wrappers and soothing words. That energy that we know as God will deal with you directly if you approach It with an open and sincere heart.

Don’t “settle.” Take the time to find the path that has been prepared for you, and don’t be afraid to walk away from years of “tradition” to follow that path that is revealed.

There is nothing more important.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“Time To Piss You Off…”

Are you stirring up trouble? Are you making people uncomfortable with your crazy ideas and goals? The question is not accusatory. It’s not “bad” if you are. Truly, it’s kind of unfortunate if you aren’t.

You have ideas…big dreams probably, and they likely don’t fit with the mainstream of what society and the media have deemed appropriate, or possible. If you push these ideas, you are going to piss some people off – if you’re lucky, a LOT of people.

If everyone thinks your ideas are just peachy, and they have no objection at all, it is a definite sign that you aren’t really doing anything. Case in point, an article that I read today, from the Associated Press, of how a Virginia woman has been barred from establishing an Interfaith spiritual center on her own land.

This detestable affront to religious freedom is occurring in Independence, VA, (how’s that for irony?).

In her vision, ALL faiths are welcome. It is to be a place of harmony, wherein every major religion was to have a day to share their faith. HARMONY…love among ALL people. PEACE. Would you like to take a guess as to who is standing in the way of its fulfillment? Don’t bother, I’ll tell you: people who call themselves “Christians.”

Yes, down in Grayson County, VA, it would seem that God doesn’t approve of Divine love to all. The fundamentalist pastors have stood up in council meetings, thumping Bibles, and declaring that such a thing as people getting along and loving one another is totally anti-Christian. Well, here’s a news flash for you: Jesus wasn’t a Christian, (that term came long after he left His earthly body). AND, He didn’t start an exclusive “boys club” church before he departed – that, too, came later. If one has any concept of the root of His message at all, one would have to conclude that He would be in favor of the idea 100%.

The woman’s name who wishes to build this loving environment is Laura George, and I have nothing but tremendous admiration for her and her Godly desire to bring people together in peace and love. What we are seeing in the opposition to this noble cause is hatred, and fear, and ignorance – attitudes and actions that Jesus would have no part of.

Do my words piss you off? If they do..GOOD. Maybe they will cause you to THINK about the essence of what Jesus tried to convey, instead of quoting a stale, religious doctrine whose foolish rigidity is undoing everything for which Jesus stood.

Love. That is all.

And if you do not have that…if some rigid and exclusive doctrine is what controls you..then don’t bother to expect a place at the table in Heaven. Toss your scriptures into a waste heap and go have a beer; you’ve missed the bus, and you might as well get drunk, since you have already made the love of Jesus a profane thing by your hypocrisy.

That is all…end of rant.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“Another New Look!…”

Well, WordPress has put out a new, clean theme that I really like, so I made my own Header image to go on it, (incorporating the image bar from the old Rising Hawk Foundation Web site), and there you have it! [The amazing shield painting and hawk artwork on the bar were custom painted by Fantasy Artist extraordinaire Ed Beard, Jr. He is a man of great integrity, prodigious talent and heart, with an amazing wife and children, all of which seem to be talented, too. Where was I when all this was being handed out? Check him out at http://www.edbeardjr.com/]

The castle is a stylized photo of Eileen Donan castle in the Scottish Highlands, ancestral home of my proud Scottish Clan, Clan MacRae.

Overall, I think the type is easier to read, and it’s easier to glance at “teasers” from recent posts at the bottom. Hope you like it! (Let me know).

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“In The Bathroom…”

I don’t give a rat’s behind about the “paranormal,” because I don’t buy into the idea of ANYTHING not being “normal.”

Everything is, and therefore anything that happens is entirely normal in my view. It may be that you have never experienced such an occurrence before but, in my mind, that doesn’t make it “paranormal;” it’s just a piece of normal that you’re seeing for the first time. Nothing can be “abnormal,” or “paranormal,” in a world that, as a matter of course, includes ALL. That said, tonight, I had an interesting exposure to an aspect of normal that was new to my experience. The scenario was…shall we say…awkward. Nevertheless, I shall relate what happened with as much dignity as I can.

You see, I was in the bathroom…doing business that required me to be seated [if I were wearing a tie right now, I am sure that I would be loosening it, ala the late Rodney Dangerfield]. As we all know, such a position requires that one’s pants and undergarments be gathered around one’s ankles [sweating now]. Whew!

Anyway, I glanced down at my ankles, (as there wasn’t much else to do), and observed a defined, cylindrical shadow pass from my left ankle to my right ankle, and then disappear.

I was not afraid, and being of a scientific mind, I remained still and attempted to duplicate this “anomaly” through means of moving in various directions, messing with reflections, etc. No effort that I made  to replicate the occurrence was successful. Whatever it was, it was apparent to me that “I” did not cause it to happen by any movement or activity on my part; it took place “without me,” so to speak. I have no clue what it means, if anything, or what it could have been.

So, I have shared this event with you for one purpose, and that is to point out that we know only the tiniest fraction of the overall truth of “reality.” Normal is huge – beyond our meager comprehension. We have so much to learn, (though, next time, I hope that I am not on the toilet!).

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“You Are Holy…”

I am a Holy Man.

So is every other man, woman, or child that you may encounter…if you have ears to hear.

There are some whose lesson is what not to do, and there are others who demonstrate an advantageous way. Both are Holy teachers, and you would do well to open the eyes of your spirit and see this truth. If you look upon everyone as Holy, you will learn much.

Condemnation and judgment are the marks of ignorance of truth. Truth isn’t always in a beautiful, peaceful package. Sometimes, it appears as the most disgusting ugliness that you can imagine. But, if you know that ALL is God, and you can realize that ALL is Holy, you will find that God is teaching you even through what you deem to be the most despicable behavior that you have ever seen.

Likewise, YOU are always a Holy lesson to someone. What shall your lesson be? An example of hatred and judgment, or a pointer to the path of love?

It doesn’t really matter in the end what lesson you bring – whatever it may be, it is a Holy lesson, from one that is Holy. It is grand theater, and your role is essential to the unfolding of the plot. Like a jigsaw puzzle, every peace is critical if the whole picture is to be seen.

The Holy must also encompass the profane, for all is one – there is  no separation.

Seek to be the reflection of Divine love, but know that whatever comes forth from you is a Divine lesson for someone. You are Holy…see everyone as Holy…and you may very well find the world to be utterly different from what you had assumed.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire

“Playtime Is Over…”

I am alone tonight.

I am not physically alone; my wife, who suffers who I am with great patience, is upstairs in bed…and beside me on the couch are our dogs, sleeping peacefully. But I am alone in my mind.

There is a reason for this. In psychological circles, particularly in the world of post-traumatic stress disorder, it is termed “dissociation.” That sounds pretty technical so, to put it in simpler terms my mind “checks out” from human interaction in order to devote all of its energies to dealing with some flare-up of the conditions of, well… the “condition.”

Tonight, the dragons are on the attack, and in this particular case, “dragon” is an exceptionally apropos term to use, because it is their fire that I feel. Every joint and muscle burns with intense, flame-like pain. There really isn’t a part of this body that doesn’t hurt. It is though I have been struck by lightning, and all of my nerve endings continue to sizzle like bacon in a smoking hot, cast-iron skillet.

Meditation and Sanskrit mantra help – but it isn’t easy to “get there” once this vicious serpent has flown his lair and grabbed you. The dragon of PTSD is a merciless behemoth and, as I wrote in a previous post, when he shows up, without warning, you will be unceremoniously yanked from your lofty, spiritual perch…and it will take some time to get back up there.  He WILL be heard and felt, and you WILL have to deal with him. For me to do that, my brain makes a U-turn – I move from the world of the “reality” dream, to the world of the dream “reality” [That comment defies any attempt that I can make to explain it, so maybe it would make a good topic for contemplation].

This dragon of PTSD resides within – soaring through my brain and scorching the synapses that relay pain to my body with his lava-like breath. Therefore, to deal with his arrival I, too, must withdraw within to beat him back to his lair – and that’s dissociation in the psych books. You may not believe that this dragon is “real,” but I can assure you that the pain and misery is acute, and quite “real” in this form.

I CAN deal with this dragon – we have had a long association. He knows that he will inflict much damage but, in the end, lose the fight, and return to his cavernous ruin of a home bruised and battered. The war, however, never ends. He will return, and it is always a surprise attack.

He continues to batter me as I write these words, like waves crashing against a crumbling sea-wall. But I am writing it anyway, because people need to know what PTSD does. It is rampant among the soldiers that are returning from today’s wars, and it is invisible to the naked eye.

Now, I must go, for there is a dragon that is destined to submit and, as Lord of the Dragons, I shall see to it. Playtime is over for this ruinous, life-destroying son-of-a-bitch. I am going to where he roams, and clipping his wings.

Many Blessings To All…

Gawain of the Coire