“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

“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

“A Ring In The Nose…”

Hindu ritual in Varanasi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“We must find our own ritual. We must find our own ceremony, our own access to the realms of consciousness that exist within and without.” – Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.

Why do you treat yourself as if you are of no account; as if you cannot come to know that which is Spirit in your own way, as if you have depend on what a church . . . a BUSINESS INSTITUTION, gives you as the “proper” ritual to connect with “God.”

A whole lot of shit gets hammered into your brain from your earliest youth, and going forward as well. Don’t be a sucker – let your intuition be your guide.

Your intuition is a hell of a lot smarter than your Grandmother, (though you love her no less), and will lead you to the personal ritual and connection to the power that many call “God” that is right for you. Just trust your Spirit. Abandon yourself to where it leads [as long as it is in keeping with love and compassion].

Do you have any experience with “bulls;” bull cattle or bull elephants? They are creatures of immense power, and they know what is right for them. As humans, we have no shot of contesting their power . . . UNLESS, we can implement something by which we can control them, like a ring in their nose.

Do you have a ring in your nose? Are you being led around, painfully and insensibly by your religion? Take the ring out of your nose. You have two hands, and higher intelligence than any other animal. Stop being a pawn in someone else’s game.

You have your own truth . . . seek it, and live it. Find your “own access to the realms of consciousness, within and without.” Until you do, you are defrauding your own Self.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

 

“No Hiding Place…”

Crayak (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I see you.

I see you in the places that you believe hide you. In the day, and in the night.

Spiritual “mumbo-jumbo?” No, I see you quite clearly. All of your weaknesses, all of your strengths, all of your fears, all of your hopes – because I am you in every way.

I need not consult a crystal ball to know you, for I live and breathe the same air as you, and walk upon the same earth as you, and take my nourishment from the same omnipotent Source as you.

What creates our “separation” is my awareness of this truth. I pass through your Spirit as a breeze through the trees, gathering unto me the essence of what you are, and what you feel, and what you fear, and what you hope. And what you are is what I AM.

Stand before me and try to hide your truth . . . you will fail. You cannot fool me any more than you can fool yourself . . . because we are of One Source. Miles of geography there may be between us, but you stand beside me no matter where you may be . . . and I know who you are.

Is this a gift, or is it a curse? It all depends.

It depends on what you are running from. If you are not prepared to face yourself, you are not prepared to sit with me – because all that I am, and am not, is YOU. I am the mirror . . . do not come to me if you are not prepared to see YOURSELF.

Many Blessings To All…

 

“God Is Sound, Part III…”

Repartition map of the languages over the world (version blank of key). See File:Languages world map.svg for full description. Esperanto: Mapo de la etendo de la lingvoj en la mondo (senpriskriba versio) Français : Carte de la répartition des langues dans le monde (version vierge de légende) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yeah, I didn’t know there was going to be a “Part III” either.

You see, there is this incredible,(insurmountable really), challenge in writing about this topic.

God is sound – but the words that we use to attempt to express this great, wondrous fact are poor, profane attempts to capture something that cannot be captured.

God, as sound, is of a purity that we cannot adequately express. To condense the sound that is God into words is to sully its pristine essence. To take the unmanifest, magical and profound vibration that is God, and attempt to place it within the boundary of our feeble human speech is a profanity; but it’s all we have.

The greatest experience of God as sound is in the hearing of a babbling brook, or the song of a bird, or the wind through the leaves, or a babies laugh – without comment. The moment that we make some vocal gesture to describe such things, we profane them.

God is sound . . . a sound that is heard in a place that lies much deeper than the ears, and cannot be articulated without bringing it down to a baser level.

Nevertheless, the sounds that we make, the words that we speak are still carriers of awesome power. How can you describe the sound of a babbling brook without causing it to lose all of its power? The feeling of the vibration of the water – its sound – is the experience of God as sound. You cannot describe the feeling of the sound in an effective way, anymore than you can describe the taste of an apple to someone who has never eaten one.

Nature holds the sound of God, and that sound becomes less – compromised – when we, no matter how poetically, attempt to describe it. The sound that is God is purest when it is unspoken; when you hear it on the inside, and the joy overflows.

But, we must speak of it, even though in so doing we diminish it.

GOD IS SOUND.

I am inadequate to convey this thought, this truth, but somehow, you must “get it;” and all that I have is my voice, and the written word. The mantras of the ancient Sanskrit language come closest to a pure expression of God – yet even they profane the truth when they are spoken.

They are unquestionably effective, but not the pure sound of God. We cannot form that sound with human effort. Despite that, what we DO have, as far removed as it is from the primordial sound that is God, can link us to the truth and cause changes in our lives.

God is sound . . . vibrations that are both heard and unheard, but felt. I do not know what else to say, but I pray that you will meditate upon this, and benefit from it.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“God Is Sound…”

The famous Greek word logos — “word, speech, argument, ratio, etc.” — as SVG image. I don’t know if someone still needs such graphics in the times of Unicode, but if you like to use it here it is … (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

OK, I’m going to try this.

This message is ready, but I am not certain if tonight is the night that I am ready to write it. If it isn’t, I guess you won’t be reading it.

“God” is sound.

You can be certain that this is true. Were it not for sound, you would not have heard of any “God,” of any religion. Even if you could read the words, but did not have the ability to hear with your ears, you would still be hearing the sound, the vibrations and their meanings, in your head.

Christian scripture says as much. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Thousands of years before that was ever written, Sanskrit/Hindu writings said much the same thing. In a text some 8,000 or more years old, the Sata-patha Branmana, it is written that, “In the beginning was God through speech,” and he united with that speech and became pregnant, becoming the “progenitor of all beings.” The two scriptures couldn’t be much closer in what they are saying, though thousands of years separate them.

“God” is sound.

Affirmations produce results in keeping with their objective. Sanskrit mantras do likewise. Why do you suppose that is the case? Because God is the manifester, and that manifestation takes place through sound – vibrations, and the energy attached to the words – be they spoken or only thought.

Do you know “God?” Then you heard about that power through sound, words, spoken out loud or repeated in your head while reading a book.

Creation begins with sound. In science . . .The Big Bang. In Ancient eastern scriptures, through the vibration of the primordial “Om.” In Christianity, the Word made flesh, in the form of Jesus.

“God” is sound. Creation is sound.

YOU have the ability to form sound. Think about that. What has God given to you? Such immense power, usually ignored.

It is written in some places that God made man in His image. That means that you are a creator – you have that power. You speak the words, and you layer the vibrations of those words with your intent – that’s how Creation happens. That’s how God did it, and you are His likeness [As an aside, God isn't a "He," that power is ALL].

Sound creates . . .words create . . . unspoken words in the form of thought creates. What are you saying and thinking? What are you creating? You have been given the power, so who is responsible? Think about it.

Well, I got through it . . . a thumbnail sketch, anyway.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“You Are Not…”

Andes (Photo credit: finn)

“Counterfeit spirituality. Wearing another’s costume does not make one kin.” – Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.

Why don’t you just quit? You are playing a game; it’s called “dress up.” Here are some things to make note of; and these words are flowing freely, rising up like a tidal wave from some unseen place. I do not know to whom they are directed, but if they are aimed at you, you will know.

You are not a Christian because you attend church and read the Bible.

You are not a Shaman because you have many odd stones and have read about them, or because you have taken a two-week course in the Andes.

You are not a monk because you wear a saffron robe.

You are not a Yogi because you practice austerities.

You are not compassionate because you agree with what the Dalai Lama says.

Counterfeits . . . wannabe’s . . . pretenders to the throne.

Fools . . . pretentious fools, who do nothing but prance about in the appropriate garb. Be careful; you may meet the real thing and the piss will run down your leg.

It isn’t a class. It isn’t the Seminary. It’s a lifetime of sacrifice and struggle, of experiences that YOU serve, not experiences that serve YOU.

I am speaking to someone. I have no idea whatsoever who that might be. It is not “me” speaking, but “I.” If you do not understand that, then it is even worse for you. The meal has been served and it wasn’t for you, yet you donned your “pretend” attire and partook of it just the same. Now the bill is due, and you cannot pay.

Are you hands covered with filth? The question is posed because it is within and among what society considers the filth of humanity that the Christian, the shaman, the monk, the yogi, etc., are born. Many there are that claim the title, but few there are whose hands evidence the dirt of intimacy with those “dirty” beings that need healing and compassion; those beings on the bottom of the strata of humanity. There is a fire that must be walked through to “be” the energies of which I spoke of above, and you do not smell of smoke.

I claim to be nothing myself, save for tonight when, apparently, I am a messenger. You are being pursued, and you are not prepared to prove yourself to that which is real, and coming. Step back, and re-evaluate your path, while you have the time.

Spirits are real. No, you probably won’t see them – they are formless; but they can destroy your life. Not all that is “spiritual” is a “friendly” energy.

I, the one who types this, do not know to whom I am writing tonight, and the message is not my own. Nevertheless, it demanded to be written. I hope that it serves someone.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“You Make A Fine Roadblock…”

What are you concerned about today?

What’s bothering you, upsetting you, keeping you up at night, worrying you?

What are you beating yourself up about today?

Whatever your answer may be to any of these questions, if you haven’t turned the problem into a prayer, and LET GO OF IT, then you have placed your own mind firmly in the way of a solution.

I have often been guilty of doing this, and I seriously doubt that anyone reading this could honestly deny having done the very same thing. There is a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that is a wonderful and simple reminder to us all to allow the power that is the answer to EVERYTHING, the Supreme Divinity, “have a go” at these things instead of you giving them constant attention and worry. She wrote:

“Any problem too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”

If you are treating your concerns as “too small” to offer to the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent power that is pure love, that power whose ONE concern is for you to reach that place of peace and joy that is within you – the I AM – then who are you to burden your feeble mind with them? [feeble, that is, in comparison to that which is ALL].

There is nothing too small to place in the hands of that which is ALL. After you have done that, feel free to do what is in your grasp to resolve your problem, but you can cease to be “concerned” about it. If you hang on to your concern, then you haven’t really given it up for assistance; you’re still holding on to it, secretly allowing your ego to keep you thinking that you can fix it all by yourself.  All that will accomplish is to throw up a roadblock against the very relief that you’re seeking. Just remember this, also from Corrie Ten Boom; “God doesn’t have problems, only plans.”

Trust in the “plan,” and stop wallowing in the “problem.” Whatever “it” is, turn it into a prayer and fully trust that which is higher.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“Yesterday’s Pitches…”

Image via Wikipedia

Frank Ferrante is an interesting character.

At a time when he was torn with various addictions and losing hope, Creation nudged him into a unique opportunity to get clean and to turn his life around, AND have a documentary made of his journey [You can find out more at www.mayibefrankmovie.com]

People like Mr. Ferrante – those who have successfully weathered some of life’s greatest extremes – tend to be sources of a lot of wisdom. Take the following quote, for example, that he shared with Ode Magazine‘s Josey Duncan:

“I have to rejuvenate my spiritual connection every day – you don’t just arrive, it’s a daily practice. You can’t win today’s game on yesterday’s pitches.”

This statement offers ample evidence that he’s figured a few things out along the way that a lot of folks have yet to grasp. In this case, it is the simple truth that your spiritual connection must be maintained in a daily basis in order to thrive.

There are a large percentage of people who attend their chosen house of worship one day a week, then lay aside matters of the Spirit for the other six days, i.e. trying to win “today’s game on yesterday’s pitches. That’s a sure path to a losing season.

Morning prayer is truly a form of rejuvenation, a freshening of your intimate connection with the Infinite – that great mystery that holds everything together. And this daily exercise doesn’t need to be an overwrought, draw out treatise on sin and forgiveness, either. In fact, there is no need to view this as a “religious” exercise at all; it is simply a way to engage your Spirit, like pouring a cup of esoteric energy to awaken your higher Consciousness. The idea is to SHOW UP: to let Creation know that you are ready to be guided, and to remind yourself of the Divinity that resides within and around you.

Starting each day with this type of prayer is simple, powerful, and rejuvenating, and allows you the great advantage of starting each game with a fresh arsenal of pitches.

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD

“It’s Time To Go Fishing!…”

Image by Nick Saltmarsh via Flickr

I have a quote for you that I really like, from Darrell Royal, a noted former football player and coach. He said:

“You’ve got to think lucky. If you fall into a mud-hole, check your back pocket – you might have caught a fish.”

You could take a quote like this very superficially – just a chuckle about having a positive outlook; but it also holds the blessing of a deeper meaning.

Human experience is full of “mud-holes;” we fall in them on a regular basis. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from financial challenges, relationship woes, illness, car troubles, all the way to death and personal tragedy. So, it is not really a question of IF you are going to fall into a mud-hole, but WHEN. Who thinks “lucky” when they find themselves in one of these messy spots? Not many people, which is unfortunate. Why? Because every mud-hole contains a fish or, as I term it in my seminars, a rough diamond – one that you won’t find, (or even bother to look for), if you aren’t thinking “lucky.”

Understand that life is the training ground for your spiritual evolution and, just as with the process of the formation of a diamond, it is the place where the heat and pressure are the greatest that faith, spiritual strength and character are formed.

No, no one expects you to be leaping around with joyful abandon in the face of misfortune; that’s a bit unrealistic. But, as soon as you can regain a measure of composure, it is time to begin looking for that fish in your back pocket.

What lessons were there to be learned?

What personal strengths and abilities did you uncover?

How can what occurred and your response to it be used to empower yourself and others?

It is a known fact that some of the greatest gifts to humanity have come as a direct result of “failures” and tragedy.

There is another course you could take, though.

You could just endlessly wallow in the misery of what happened, helping nothing but your own ego, (which loves to be the center of attention – be it good or bad). I do not believe that to be the wise course, and I doubt that you think so, either. To fail to consciously sift through the rubble of the hard times is to rob yourself of the gift of power that is hidden within. Don’t make that mistake.

Get up, brush the mud off, and start checking those pockets. It’s time to go fishing!

Many Blessings To All…

LOTD