The Forest Will Move You . . . The Trees Only Distract…”

WordPress (Photo credit: Adriano Gasparri)

I’ve never made it to the “wall,” the home page of WordPress, the Web site that hosts my blog, as a featured blog, despite having written over 300 entries.

Probably because I write about “esoteric” subjects, and haven’t posted any neat travel pictures, or great recipes for chili, or eco-friendly solutions to world problems: (though I DO make an exceptional, home-made chili, using ground turkey).

Recently, (like yesterday), I researched the trending topics for blogs, and “spirituality” was in the bottom half of areas of interest. People aren’t thinking about the “big picture,” the forest; they are focused, instead, on the little trees of daily life.

I’m not sure that I would call that “living in the moment.” I would be more inclined to call it “majoring in the minors.”

When what is for dinner is more important than being an embodiment of compassion . . . Oh, forget it; this is falling apart. Whatever it was that I was attempting to convey is vaporizing.

The Kali Yuga . . . Google it. There is great opportunity before you, but there is an obscuring cloud that is hanging around you. If you push it aside, you will advance in your spiritual life in leaps and bounds. NOW is the time for “easier” spiritual advancement, but few there are that will make leap. If you choose to be one of those few, you will easily open doors to realms that people in other times will find practically impossible to breach.

Perspective, perspective, perspective. This is a somewhat haphazard post, yet there is something in it that someone needs to know. This isn’t what I expected to write – it fell apart. BUT, there is a kernel, a nugget, somewhere in what I have conveyed that will hit its mark. SOMEONE will stop being captivated by the trees, and see the forest as a whole that can lift them higher than they ever imagined.

Strive – NOW is the time. Give it some thought.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“A Sick Trigger Finger…”

Dragon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“A sick trigger finger

Is one that one that will not pull,

When the dragon of your misery

Stands before you like a fool.

 

What is the delay?

It is just a little squeeze,

That is, unless you fall

To His illusion and you freeze.

 

Your mind is not his to toy with,

To frighten or mislead,

Your Spirit is vastly stronger,

And from it the dragons must flee.

 

The dragons belch a wicked flame,

There is no question of this truth.

But if those flames do singe you,

The permission came from you.”

 

Yes, rhyming poetry . . . such a travesty. What can I say, that’s what came out tonight. Control your thoughts and you control your life. Don’t let the dragons of fear and hate drive you. Their power is an illusion. Do not focus on the flames, or they will consume you. The world belongs to YOU, NOT them. Live in this truth.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

When it rains in your coffee go outside

Reblogged from sunshineandsalad:

This morning the skies opened up again, and so I drank my coffee black, with a little rain, and wondered where I'd stashed my boots.

I've been reading a wonderful blog created by a woman who specializes in life coaching and healing through spiritual strategies that sometimes seem impractical, if not ineffective, due to my personal resistance to exploring a world beyond my own.

Read more… 489 more words

I thought this was a wonderful piece, and well worth your time to read. I have written of nature's power often, but rarely as well. Enjoy!

“Return To Us…”

Off the coast of Pusan, South Korea: An F/A-18 Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One (VFA-151) breaks the sound barrier in the skies over the Pacific Ocean. VFA-151 is deployed aboard USS Constellation (CVN 64). This is an edited version (reduced grain). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have written numerous times that “God is Sound.” Here:

http://risinghawk.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/god-is-sound/

http://risinghawk.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/god-is-sound-part-ii/

http://risinghawk.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/god-is-sound-part-iii/

Now I am going to, sort of, refute what I have written.

The power we know as “God” is, in effect, SILENCE. “God” is only sound when that power is manifested in such a way that we can experience It with the five senses – touching, hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing – which also includes thoughts and feelings, (which are sound, in the class of inaudible vibrations).

Therefore, the vibrations of a mantra are solely for the manifestation of a particular “form,” or to create a specific set of circumstances or conditions. In this respect, “God as sound” is, for lack of a better term, a secondary realization of the Infinite.

You could say, esoterically speaking, that sound is a more “base” experience of Creation, (though still incredibly powerful).

You see, “God” is EVERYTHING, suspended in SILENCE.

SOUND is the tool given to us by Creation to use as a means to bring that which already exists as formless potential into a useable form. So, you could say that sound is the creative power of God, but that which we call “God” is Supreme silence.

As with many of the things that I write, this is a difficult concept.

Imagine a sound engineer, sitting at his mixing board. All of the parts of the song are complete, each on its own, individual track. One-by-one, the engineer turns off the volume of the song’s component parts: first the drums, then the bass, then the guitars, then the vocals, until all that is left is silence. The song is still playing, but you can’t hear it.

When all sound ceases, what remains? Silence . . . GOD.

REMOVE ALL THE NOISE, AND WHAT REMAINS IS THE INFINITE . . . GOD.

At this point, everything is still going on, but you are living in the space in-between – the silence – which is within us and holds EVERYTHING . . . every potential. When you need or desire something, all you do is turn up the volume of the appropriate vibration/sound, and stay with it until it comes to pass in your life.

The aspect of God that creates, the active power is, indeed, sound.  But the Supreme, the Infinite that holds all and experiences no lack, is SILENCE.

One could, I presume, reach a point where one existed solely in the sublime silence, the empty void that holds all, desiring nothing and fully one with the Infinite. But, essentially, such a person will have, in effect, “checked out,” and would no longer be a compassionate force to aid the beings on THIS plane, in these bodies within which we find ourselves constrained.

I encourage everyone to avail themselves of the sweet nectar of the silence that is God; to refresh and rejuvenate the body and mind. I encourage everyone to sit in silence until they can touch that place that is within them. Go there when you need to . . . but don’t stay there.

Take your refreshment, your “re-empowerment,” and then return to us with what you have learned, and with all of the love and compassion that you can muster. We need you.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“The Cosmic Mirror…”

: A mirror, reflecting a vase. Español: : Un espejo, reflejando un vasija. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s a big question. It would have to be, considering the size of the subject – the Universe.

The energy that is supporting your existence and holding everything in the cosmos together is, in many ways, a giant, magnifying mirror – and the totality of all that can be known or experienced, and all that exists in any realm, manifest or unmanifest, is held within it.

The late, great Hindu Saint and Mystic, Sage Yogaswami, had this to say:

“If we put into practice what little we know, that is enough. We will come to know everything in that way.”

That is such a profound and powerful statement, and it is the heart of the idea of the “mirror” of which I have been writing. It is, in essence, the code for unlocking the immense power of the universe in your life.

Take the “little you know” and put it into practice [and this applies to both spiritual and non-spiritual affairs]. Do this in faith, and the cosmic mirror will add to what you have and bounce it back to you. Then, you put this greater knowledge and ability into practice, and an even larger reflection comes your way to continue the cycle until, as Sage Yogaswami stated, you “come to know everything.” Following this piece of wisdom will take you as far as you wish to go, spiritually and/or materially, or both. It does come with one VERY important caveat, though.

The universe magnifies and reflects FAITH. Normally, we automatically associate faith with “good” things, but that is a little misleading.

“Faith” describes a firm belief that what you are thinking about, but do not yet see physically, is a done deal. But this can cut both ways. You can be certain of an undesirable result, (which is faith that we have chosen to call fear), or you can be certain that all is well. Both are faith.

So, since there is NEVER a time when you are NOT in front of the big, cosmic mirror, and there is NEVER a time when you are not putting forth thought-energy, it is extremely important to stay on top of where your head is at – the mirror is totally impartial, it will just magnify and return.

Once you have meditated on and realized this truth, the idea of failure can be seen for what it is; the mist and vapor of falsehood. Why? Because every answer and every circumstance that you need is available and waiting.

It has been said that if you want to ensure that nothing gets done, all you have to do is wait until the conditions are “perfect” before you start. Don’t be that person. Trust the universe and practice what you know in faith, and the Infinite will make up the difference.

Many Blessings To All…

Rising Hawk

“Shitty, Nasty, Bloody, Irreverent…”

Screenshot of John Wayne from the film Operation Pacific (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is what was said:

“Revelations of the photographs had senior defense officials once again promising an investigation “that could lead to disciplinary measures.” Said Pentagon spokesman George Little: “Anyone found responsible for this inhuman conduct will be held accountable in accordance with our military justice system.”

This little snippet was in reference to the photos of U.S. Serviceman urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban soldiers. I will admit, such behavior lacks, shall we say, “integrity,” and is not in keeping with fables the U.S Government likes to spin regarding our morality.

The fact that we are in a foreign country, killing people, apparently, isn’t “inhuman;” but pissing on them after we have killed them is just WRONG. I think our moral compass is off or something.

War is shitty, nasty, bloody, irreverent, and a rocket-ship ride through hell for those on the ground. We teach the killing, without remorse, and then act surprised and appalled when someone “disrespects” the corpses we taught and told them to make.

I must say that your head is firmly planted in your ass if you believe that this is an isolated incident, or if you believe that such behavior did not happen when the “Greatest Generation” was fighting in WW II, or any other war. Technology is the only thing that has made this an incident – cell phones that record on the spot, and then post the pictures for all the world to see in a matter of seconds.

War isn’t like a Gene Autrey or John Wayne movie – it is blood, and guts, and fear, and screaming, and a great big “fuck it.” It isn’t nearly as glamorous, or romantic, or noble as John Wayne makes it appear in the photo that I have included in this blog. That’s the truth. I’ve been there, in combat, and beheld it personally. I speak from experience.

Are you offended, outraged, embarrassed, judgmental, sitting at home and hearing about it on the news? Yes, it’s real easy to be righteous when you weren’t there.

Bring them home. Now. That will solve at least one problem.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“I Didn’t Say It Wasn’t TRUE…”

Divinity (Photo credit: Dimitri N.)

The story is alive and well.

What story?

It doesn’t really matter . . . just pick one. I am referring to religions and spiritual paths.

ALL of the major religions, (and most of the lesser one’s, too), had their beginnings in stories that were written long before you and I ever took form in our current body. For all intents and purposes, all of it is nothing more than mythology.

Now, don’t get mad or indignant . . . I’m just pointing out that your God did not sit down and write the story through which you came to know Him/Her/It. The power of the God you know was a bright, shining seed of truth that came along, and then volumes of written material was built around this seed after the power was no longer walking and teaching among us; that doesn’t necessarily make it untrue. Mythology, invariably, has some basis in truth, even if only vaguely, through the expression of larger archetypes that influence our experience of life.

Did Jesus exist? I believe that He did. But know this; He didn’t write a single, solitary word about His life or what He thought. All that we know of Him was recorded, years after His death, by others. I don’t know where you come from, or who you know, but it is a fact that humans sometimes “spin” things in ways that suit their agenda. Again, I AM NOT saying that this occurred in your religion – there is no way that I could know that – but one would be wise to keep this in mind. The exclusion of the role of women in many male-dominated scriptures ought to be a red-flag for any thinking person.

The same is true of the Buddha. He never wrote a single word of his philosophy for anyone to follow; others wrote down what they recalled him saying – and there is a lot of writing that conflicts with other writings, just as in the Bible. I’m only scratching the surface, here.

What about the Druids? They were an oral culture – they made a point of not recording their beliefs and rituals in writing – it had to be memorized. We have no writings from ancient Druids regarding their truths – most of what we know about them comes from the writings of Julius Caesar. And frankly, he was more than a bit of a villain himself, so I would be hesitant to take his word as unbiased and true. After all, he was perfectly OK with feeding Christians and slaves by the thousands to lions in the Coliseum for sport, and he somehow found the ritual sacrifice of a human as abhorrent; an odd dichotomy of morals and ideals to say the least.

And what of shamans and “medicine men” of myriad and diverse, indigenous cultures, effectively wielding power from visions and oral transmissions from those that preceded them in the role.

Throughout the history of mankind, “Gods” and “Goddesses” have been added and subtracted, denigrated and revered, yet the power has NEVER changed. All of these myths are based around some kernel of truth – some gem of eternal wisdom – one that many spend their lives trying to get to; reaching for that singular truth.

Drum roll please . . . this is the part where you might expect me to reveal what I believe to be that “kernel of truth.” Well, that isn’t going to happen, because I don’t know.

What I DO know is this: there is a great power, available to you and me, whatever “myth” we have chosen as our personal touchstone for knowing Divinity. Miracles happen, people are healed in ceremonies, things happen every day that can only be attributed to something greater than all of us.

But there is one, common denominator for those who live in and experience this power, (via whatever story to which they have chosen to hitch their wagon), or were brought up to believe, and that is FAITH.

No matter the house that you choose to play in . . . whatever or Whoever you envision Divinity to be, He/She/It appears to respond to that, ONE thing – FAITH.

I could write for hours about this if I wasn’t so tired – and so inadequate, at times, to express the “cathedral-sized” concepts that the unseen power that we know as God places in my head.

As I always do, I will ask you to do one thing – meditate upon what I have said, and see what is given unto you.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“This Is For All The Marbles…”

Picture of marbles from my collection (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I lied. This single blog isn’t for “all the marbles.” It is for 300 of the marbles, because this is the 300th post I have written on this blog.

One would think that on such an auspicious occasion, I would have something incredibly profound to write about; maybe crack the Mayan calendar, or definitively explain quantum physics in a manner that even a child could easily grasp, or perhaps channel some complex thoughts from a being from an alien race.

Alas, I have nothing of such magnitude to offer. But, you know what, I have written 300 posts in a world where most blogs you come across haven’t had an entry since 2009. I’m rather proud of that, (no, I am not without ego, despite my belief that it is the source of much misery).

This leads me to a simple message: if you are determined to do something, there is a very good chance that you will.

I have been determined to keep this blog alive, knowing in my heart that, every now and then, I would write something that gave someone hope. And, over time, I have heard that I have. And if I can write something that can positively influence someone’s life, then YOU can do something to positively change someone’s life – you just have to be determined to do it.

Thank you to ALL of you who have taken the time to read my words thus far . . . and you can be sure that there will be more to come.

So, I am officially patting myself on the back for 300 posts. That’s a lot of hours at the keyboard, and a lot of commitment. Funny thing, though, it is always me that receives the greatest blessings from the effort. I’ll take ‘em

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“Out Of Darkness…”

Thomas Kinkade (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

…came the light.

Nothing Biblical here, I’m talking about the well-known painter, Thomas Kinkade, known as “The Painter of Light,” who passed away just over a week ago.

Personally, I thought a lot of his work was absolutely stunning: cottages surrounded by flowers with a warm glow pouring from the windows, a cabin on a pristine lake, beautiful, sun-drenched fields. His work, to me, evoked great feelings of serenity and peace – I wanted to be in those pictures. Critics, however, bashed the “commercialism” of his work, and reviled him for what they called “pandering” to the masses.

Now, I don’t have specific numbers, but I can safely say that MILLIONS of people purchased and cherished his work. MILLIONS. I wonder how many art critics ran him over the coals? I’m guessing, and guessing high I imagine, that it couldn’t have numbered more than a few hundred.

Today, I read a story, reportedly by the late Mr. Kinkade’s brother, Patrick, that indicated that Thomas Kinkade battled severe alcoholism, and had relapsed. He said that decades of attacks on his brother’s work had taken a toll on his life. A dispatch recording said that Thomas Kinkade had been drinking all night when he was found, and was unresponsive.

We humans are odd beasts. Millions of people love what you do, and a few hundred critics don’t, and somehow the critics loom larger than the people whose lives you have changed in such positive ways. That is truly saddening to me.

Going into his galleries was an experience – the cool lighting, the colors and light bursting forth from the canvas. And all of this beauty, apparently, came out of a mind tormented by darkness.

To a painter, maybe what he did was considered easy stuff. I don’t know, I’m not a painter. Easy or not, it was pretty and enjoyable. Maybe he didn’t re-invent the wheel, but what he did made people smile, and that’s worth a lot.

For my money, it beats the crap out of Andy Warhol’s soup can thing, (which a lot of critics love). To each his own.

The important thing to take from this is that whatever you may be doing with your life, artistic or otherwise, there are going to be people who, metaphorically speaking, will stand in line and wait their turn to piss all over it. Two things:

1. DON’T . . . PLEASE . . . be one of those people standing in line to hurt someone in that way. And…

2. Whatever you’re doing, don’t let naysayers drive your life over a cliff. Live off the bright spots. They’re nutritious and warm, like a bowl of soup, (had to throw that in since I ragged on Warhol’s thing . And No matter who you are, I guarantee that you have created more than a few bright spots.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“No More Resistance…”

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanshiyin), Shanxi Province, China. 11th-12th century CE. Liao Dynasty (907-1125 CE). Polychromed Wood. Nelson-Atkins Museum Collection, Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What do I mean?

Do we stop fighting against bullying, injustice, lies, war, racism, hatred, etc.? Yes, that is exactly what I mean.

“Resistance” does nothing more than create friction, and friction will perpetuate the burning flame that we thought we were extinguishing by our “stand” against. Such tactics will not work – they never have.

To push AGAINST a push is to do nothing but to ensure the continuance of the fight. No, the best way is to be FOR what represents love and compassion, and not against anything.

Yes, it sounds strange to the ego . . . silly even; but it is the only way. One who is FOR love and compassion, and not against anything, takes the life out of a fight. You know the cliché . . it takes two to Tango.  Love and compassion are like the air: an attacker can kick at them, but one cannot make contact with air. Eventually, the attacking leg becomes exhausted, the fists can no longer be lifted.

It is a great irony that the one writing this message, me, could not be considered a pacifist; yet the truth is still within my grasp. That is what makes this message a very difficult concept for me to write about, and a very difficult concept to comprehend. It goes against everything we, at least in the Western world, have been taught.

Nevertheless, I believe this very esoteric concept is what Jesus was referring to when he admonished to “turn the other cheek.” He wasn’t talking about quietly getting beat up, He was talking about the power of being FOR peace, and not AGAINST violence.

To stay with the Christian example, think of His final act that was recorded – his “death” on the cross. He, himself, had said that He could call upon legions of angels to rescue Him – but He realized that such an act would only perpetuate the fight. It was only by being FOR love, and forgiveness, and compassion, that He could win the final victory.

This is a very complex thing to attempt to explain. No one should read this message and go away thinking that they should be a doormat for violence. It is really a matter of re-defining “resistance.”

I can say no more that will help to expound on this at this time – it is not given to me tonight. But I ask that you think upon it . . . meditate upon it . . . and see what is revealed to you.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD