So ... how about some tunes? this or this?
The Eternal Entangle
There is a presence
about some that draws us,
We can only guess
that the old edges between
us,
from
which only warmth flows.
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Thoughts on Approaching Christmas
The Lord’s
Promise:
All your past except its beauty is gone, and nothing is left but a blessing.
I have saved all your kindnesses and every loving thought you ever had. I have
purified them of the errors that hid their light, and kept them for you in their
own perfect radiance. They are beyond destruction and beyond guilt. They came
from the Holy Spirit within you, and we know what God creates is eternal. You
can indeed depart in peace because I have loved you as I loved myself. You go
with my blessing and for my blessing. Hold it and share it, that it may always
be ours. I place the peace of God in your heart and in your hands, to hold and
share. The heart is pure to hold it, and the hands are strong to give it. We
cannot lose. My judgment is as strong as the wisdom of God, in Whose Heart and
Hands we have our being. His quiet children are His blessed Sons. The Thoughts
of God are with you. [ACIM 5:4:8:2]
On Watching Your Thoughts:
I have told you many times that you can change your mind. Whenever you are not
joyous, then know this need not be. In every case you have thought wrongly.
Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what
you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for what
you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think
with God’s. Your mind is one with God’s. [ACIM 4:4:2:1]
On Indebtedness to Your Brother:
We stand united as brothers in a House of the Sonship, outside of which lies
emptiness, darkness and cold. Within safe walls we huddle about the eternal Love
Furnace. Each of us feeds the fires with his love, warming and lighting the
entire Kingdom. We are thankful and reverent of every loving brother for his
every/potential loving thought. We stand in gracious debt of the warmth of the
entire Sonship! We rejoice in this Warmth, and sing of Love and Light! Om!
Perceive your brother through the Holy Spirit in his mind, and you will
recognize Him in yours.
As you learn how much you are indebted to the whole Sonship, which includes me,
you come as close to knowledge as perception can. The gap is then so small that
knowledge can easily flow across it and obliterate it forever. [ACIM 4:6:2:1]
Your gratitude to your brother is the only gift I want. I will bring it to God
for you, knowing that to know your brother is to know God. If you are grateful
to your brother, you are grateful to God for what He created. Through your
gratitude you come to know your brother, and one moment of real recognition
makes everyone your brother because each of them is of your Father. [ACIM
4:6:7:1]
On Anxiety or Depression:
Whenever you are not completely joyous, know that you are choosing to listen
to the wrong voice (that of your ego) and that you are simply experiencing guilt
for having considered yourself separate from God.
Come home, Child! The light is always on and the door always unlocked for you!
Know that this emptiness and sadness need not be! How we await your return!
Come home, Child, and surrender your Mind to God. Choose to listen to Him and to
the call to Love.
Love God, Love Yourself, and Love All Others!
Know that you are perfectly forgiven and loved deeply by your Father. Rest
assured that God is well-pleased with you!
You did not create yourself, your mind; and you are not expected to order your
thoughts on your own! Accept forgiveness, know that you are loved, and recognize
your brother/sister and your true self!
Rest now and be glad. The Kingdom rejoices with tears grateful of your return!
Charity
If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would work for a charity, I could not have comprehended you. My mind was closed. I lead a life based entirely on self-propulsion, and because of that I suffered much fear. In all honesty, it's difficult to look back and see where any of it was useful knowing what I know now, other than realizing that I had to go through what I had to go through to get to where I am - NOW.
Today - life is different, and it is very good. I have been blessed with some challenges and through those struggles I have come to know amazing joy - like this moment for example, in which I am filled with peace and love, sitting cozily in the magic bubble... writing to YOU, and hoping to impart some of this Gift to you!
The entire point of this blog is to share the Gift. Hafiz beat me to it... but I'm carrying the message too!
Charity is my life's work today... it's my work-work and it's also my personal-work: to share the love. I say that I have become a Teacher of Love, but everyone should know they too are teachers of love. It doesn't take any particular training to teach this subject - only an open heart and willingness is sufficient for you to start teaching love now. And be certain that I don't claim to have any proficiency at this myself, other than I have come to know this study as a very rewarding and fulfilling work.
So, back to charity - being a teacher of love I'm always interested in learning more about it. I came across this in ACIM:
[Healing is the release from fear]
This is because healing rests on charity, and charity is a way of perceiving the perfection of another even if you cannot perceive it in yourself. Most of the loftier concepts [of love] of which you are capable now are time-dependent. Charity is really a weaker reflection of a much more powerful love-encompassment that is far beyond any form of charity you can conceive of as yet. Charity is essential to right-mindedness [love, release from fear] ...
Charity is a way of looking at another as if he has already gone far beyond his actual accomplishments in time. Since his own thinking is faulty, he cannot see the Atonement [ultimate love, perfect forgiveness] for himself, or he would have no need of charity. The charity that is accorded him is both an acknowledgment that he needs help, and a recognition that he will accept it.
So a couple of things you probably noticed: 1) basically the author is saying that our concepts of love are just a reflection (a whisper!) of a much more powerful love-encompassment that we cannot even begin to understand! Love that blows my mind - crazy, but stay with me... and that 2) Charity is generously assuming the potential perfection of others, as if they had already accomplished everything in their perfect-love-good-potential. So... if you take away all of a person's unmindfulness, and ego, and fear ... selfishness, impatience, mistrust, hurt, resentment, blah blah... take all that crap away, and then just imagine - or assume - or better yet you ASSERT! THAT PERFECT PERSON is really the TRUTH! And imagine - assume - ASSERT! all of the GOOD that person WOULD accomplish since they are now this perfect person... THEN, how would you LOVE them?
Let that sink in for a minute. Start looking at your neighbor like that for a few days, and see if they annoy you a little less.
But wait ... what if we turned it around. What if you thought about YOURSELF that way? Think about that perfect-good-love-potential person as being YOU! IMAGINE! ASSERT IT! What if a perfect love could wipe your fear and anger and your silly hurt clean from your soul, and all of your good in time was collapsed into a single moment of love-beingness, a radiant love-light exploding from your chest! How would that make you feel about yourself? THAT is perfect forgiveness - peace - and what ACIM refers to as the Atonement.
That is LOVE. THAT is charity. And that is the concept of receiving as freely as we give. Karma. It's healing-love-karma. It's also referred to as circulation. The love energy you assume/assert for others is the same that you will receive for yourself! What you perceive in others, you are strengthening in yourself. Forgive others - forgive yourself. Love others - love yourself. This is the path to peace. See only Love in others, and you will become only Love.
And just think - if you were able to wrap your mind around all of that, then you are still only getting a REFLECTION of Love.
A-ma-zing.
Simple Rules
If I could simplify all that I have learned in my spiritual journey into a few simple rules:
1. Be mindful and present. Watch your thoughts. All of your problems start with a thought that is not positive, or not love. Be present. Be in awe of the beauty of the present moment. Life is amazing in small moments! Remember to dance and make fish faces.
2. Love God.
Open your heart to God. Get to know Him as you would a best friend. Talk to him
and listen for him. Change your ideas about Him until you find a relationship
that works. Make little changes in how you think He works, see what happens. Use
the thoughts that work (make you feel good). Think of Him as a friend that is
with you in your every step, in your every breath even… in the seeing of your
own eyes. Feel Him in your chest. Know Him in your mind. Think of Him every time
you blink, saying to yourself, God is with me and gives me strength. Do it for
one day and you will be amazed! When things don’t go your way, remember to love
and have patience with God, that He is teaching you something (you
chickpea!).
3. Love your
Self. The Self is the God within you. It is the You without your ego. Get to
know your good Self as you would a friend. Be loving towards your self. Spend
some time with your self. Have patience with your self. Listen to your self.
4. Love others. Love everyone, unconditionally, always. Perfect love scores you bonus points – those times in particular when you don’t want to love someone. Love is wishing well of others, doing them well, practicing forgiveness, patience, acceptance, etc.
A chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot
where it's being boiled.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
The cook knocks him down with the ladle.
"Don't you try to jump out.
You think I'm torturing you.
I'm giving you flavor,
so you can mix with spices and rice
and be the lovely vitality of a human being.
Remember when you drank rain in the garden.
That was for this."
Grace first. Sexual pleasure,
then a boiling new life begins,
and the Friend has something good to eat.
Eventually the chickpea
will say to the cook,
"Boil me some more.
Hit me with the skimming spoon.
I can't do this by myself.
...
- Rumi
The Night Air
...
Which reminds me of the mother who tells her child,
"When you're walking through the graveyard at night
and you see a boogeyman, run at it,
and it will go away."
"But what" replies the child, "if the boogeyman's
mother has told it to do the same thing?
Boogeymen have mothers too."
...
- Rumi
Humility
...
I needed great faith in my master
To suffocate myself
With his holy bag
Full of truth.
I needed great courage
to go out into the dark
Tracking God into the unknown
And not panic or get lost
In all the startling new scents, sounds, sights,
Or lose my temper
Tripping on those scheming
Night and day around me.
...
You need to plunge this emerald dagger
Deep into yourself
Upon this path to divine Recovery --
Upon this path to God.
- Hafiz
Bits and pieces of good stuff
I just want to post some things that I've been carrying around in my pocket for a few months now. Life is good. These things are working for me and maybe you might get something out of them too. Everything here is from A Course in Miracles:
Prayer for Peace
other than the one
you are in. Until the separation, nothing was lacking. There were no needs at
all. Needs arise only when you deprive yourself. You act according to the
particular order of needs that you establish. This is turn depends on your
perception of what you think you are. A sense of separation from God is the only
lack that you need correct. |
Love-Energy Meditation
Start by centering yourself in your
breathing, or thinking of a relaxing concept (peace) or picturing a relaxing
object (a tree, the ocean).
Settle into a comfy meditation for about 5 minutes.
Now turn your attention to a loved family member or friend, someone you easily
care for and love.
Imagine yourself hugging that person, or sitting face to face and you are both
smiling at one another.
You forgive them of everything.
They tell you the same, that you are forgiven.
You are laughing and all is well.
Wish them well in your mind.
Breathe in and receive love from this person.
Breathe out and return it to them.
Let the energy of good will flow out of you.
Imagine the energy flowing out of you and into them right now,
Like a radio signal beamed to wherever they are in the world.
Wish them peace, happiness, and love.
Feel the warmth of that moment.
Now turn that same energy to another friend.
Feel the warmth and repeat the above steps.
Spend a few minutes on each person that enters you mind – do not switch people
too quickly.
Now if you feel comfortable, think of a challenging or difficult person in your
life.
Breathe and stay with the love center.
You do wish them well, as you wish everyone well.
You will try to forgive them for this moment.
Imagine you both forgive each other for this moment.
You smile at one another and thank one another.
You wish them well.
Everything is ok.
Breathe in and receive love from this person.
Breathe out and return it to them.
Now turn your attention to yourself.
There you are, sitting quietly, calmly. You are smiling.
You are a lovely, beautiful person. You are glowing.
You wish yourself well.
You forgive yourself and accept your own forgiveness.
Let the energy of good will flow out of you, back into yourself.
Breathe in receiving love, and breath out sending love out to all.
And be with that energy for as long as you feel comfortable.
The Seed Cracked Open
It used to be That when I would wake in the morning I could with confidence say, "What am 'I' going to Do today?"
The was before the seed Cracked open.
Now Hafiz is certain:
There are two of us housed in this body,
Doing the shopping together in the market and Tickling each other While fixing the evening's food.
Now when I awake All the internal instruments play the same music:
"God, what love-mischief can 'We' do For the world Today?" - Hafiz |
from A Thirsty Fish ...
I have a thirsty fish in me ... - Rumi |
I'm sure there are many interpretations, here is one: There is an uneasiness in us, a thirst for something we cannot see yet surrounds us and is in infinite supply. We search like thirsty fish, looking for water but not knowing we swim in it. We try to quench this thirst in all sorts of ways - through all of means of the material world - trying to find happiness through our achievements, or through romance, success, wealth, popularity - yet we only succeed in distracting ourselves, busying ourselves a little longer. We only delay the understanding of ourselves and the awakening that we never left the ocean, and the water we are searching for is everywhere around us. Take me to the ocean - the source of peace, and let my body/soul (house) be drowned in this Love ("from the center of my chest").
Shadow and Light Source Both
How does a
part of the world leave the world?
Don't try to put out fire by throwing on more fire! Don't wash a wound with blood.
No matter how fast you run, your shadow keeps up. Sometimes it's in front!
Only full overhead sun diminishes your shadow. But that shadow has been serving you.
What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle. Your boundaries are your quest.
I could explain this, but it will break the glass cover on your heart, and there's no fixing that. You must have shadow and light source both.
Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe. When from that tree feathers and wings sprout on you, be quieter than a dove. Don't even open your mouth for even a coo.
- Rumi |
Again, here's one take on this, although this one really cooks my noodle: I think he's talking about overcoming the dream of life. Some people think that consciousness, or as we take pride in it - our awareness/intellectuality, is actually a dream in which we sleep. Our true selves exist somewhere protected, comforted by God, certainly in heaven. This awakening into consciousness was our birth into the world here on earth, what we call our lives, but really the beginning of the dream, or the exit from the Garden of Eden, or man's fall from grace. You can choose how you would describe it, but basically, we sleep yet think we are awake (kinda like thirsty fish?).
The story goes on to say that when we began dreaming a part of our mind was divided/created/born - the ego - which we created initially ourselves, but then it sorta became self aware or something and took over our thinking. Being in this unfamiliar dream for the first time and separated from God our keeper, we were filled with fear like a child in a nightmare, and so we turned to our newly created ego for consolation. We continue to remain asleep, listening to our ego, or in this poem - our shadow. No matter where we go in our dream, the ego is close behind, and sometimes even in front.
So I think in this poem he's talking about the light being the spirit or the power of creation. It is the power of free will, creativity and love that comes from God and also exists in us to create as we will. When in the dream, we create out of darkness, choosing to create unlike God, and although painful nevertheless we cling to this creation because it appears to provide what we need, at least in this world, for a time... and so, darkness is our candle in our dream. Our power of creation, which is blessed and given to us by God, actually hurts us in our dream (and in this world ... how often do our personal desires and free will cause trouble!?!).
He says he could explain this, but that would break us. Why doesn't God just wake us up already? Well, perhaps because it would be a violation of our free will... and it would be in opposite of our creation, and even though we create darkness, God will not violate or destroy what we have made. There seems to be some type of "prime directive of creation/free will" playing its part here. So ... God waits patiently for us to arise from our slumber. He sends the occasion messenger into our dreams, with their calls to awakening. But it's a dream after all, confusing, nothing really adds up as it should, you know dreams - full of mixed messages and weird plots.
So what is his suggestion/solution in the poem? Only to listen and lay your head under the tree of awe. Wow ... wow!
Listen ... and be in awe. That's it. Really? Isn't there more? Where is the light switch on this sleep??? Turn on the lights! Can we really listen our way out of the dream? Or be in awe? - could awe be reverence to the light? gratitude? Love?
Well it's obvious we don't have it all figured out just yet.
the Bank of Life
"How would it be if we all opened a spiritual account with the Bank of Life and, realizing that we drawing on the Infinite, each day deposited enough hope, happiness and faith to more than meet any emergency that might possibly arise?" ...
"God has already made the initial deposit - and a big one - for everyone who is ever born into this world, because God has given Himself to us" ...
"If you take time to harmonize yourself with Love, you will find that when some incident that seems hateful or discordant arises, you can draw on a Reserve Force. Or even when you find yourself unloving or impatient, you will be able to write a check from your Bank of Life that will cover every liability of unkindness.
"God is Love and all the Love there is is yours now."
- Ernest Holmes
Gratitude
Nothing like a gratitude list to brighten my day.
A Simple Rule
Be quiet and listen to your life. You can start with your breathing. When you are still you might notice an uncomfortable energy. It is fear and your ego whispering negativity in your mind. It is just a ghost - once you are aware of it you can simply ignore it because it is not true. When you feel this fear in any of its forms, remember to replace it immediately with forgiveness and love. Forgive both yourself and all others of everything. Love yourself and love all others completely. Realize you know so very little. Respect and love all that you don't understand - and call it God. Don't wait for others to start the process - be the first to open your heart. Be a light - a Love Light - unto yourself and all others.
Off the grid
Many of you are wondering what the heck happened to the site. I moved. I'm still in PB but instead of renting I'm officially a home owner. I have a nice little condo at the beach. Yay! Also of interest in the last two months - my work designated me the Employee of the Year. Nice. Things are good. Life is good. And now the website is back up too!
Falling in and out of Love
Often I get all caught up in little shit that happens during the day, throughout the week… I hold on to the little thing that so-in-so said about this-or-that … I keep a little list in my head. Then I think, I didn’t like that thing they said. Then I think, I’m not talking to that person for a few days. And so it goes … pretty soon I don’t have anyone to talk to! Hahahaha… and I just get bitter… resentful, etc. That’s a difficult road.
But when I remember the Power of Love, I remember to forgive everything … every little thing, just let it go … Ommmm … send them love in return … because that’s what they need, that’s what we all need … more love! We’re all just disconnected from each other, and from Love. We all forget, we lose our minds a little, temporarily, and start listening to the little negative voices in our heads. We’re not alone like this. We're all kinda thinking like that, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, some of us more than others, some of us aware of it more than others, … and what it all boils down to is that we just need to give more to each other, love each other a little more - being open and accepting, having patience, being of service, forgiving, tolerating inconvenience, being flexible, etc. And then the trick seems to be to expect nothing in return (even though the feeling you get when you love, give, forgive, etc. – that *is* the gift … the feeling of peace, that you’ve done something good, and your free from the negative little narration going on inside your head).
Ahhh... sigh. Doesn't it feels good to be in love again. Whew.
The Oldest Question
“The ego, then, raised the
first question that was ever asked, but one it can never answer. That question,
“What are you?”, was the beginning of doubt. The ego has never answered any
question since, although is has raised a great many. The most inventive
activities of the ego have never done more than obscure the question; because
you have the answer, and the ego is afraid of you.”
- A Course in Miracles
Breathing
It is highly recommended that we learn how to breathe. It takes some practice, no doubt - but it will change your life. Knowing the breath is key to knowing oneself. I'm sure there are other ways we can get to where we are going, but we might as well start out on a well-travelled path.
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