Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts

Monday 14 September 2015

Life Explained

Author Unknown


A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.




The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angelas, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."




"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."







Feed Shark

Friday 11 September 2015

What is important

Author Unknown



A young boy watched as his father walked into the living room …

The boy noticed that his younger brother, John, began to cower slightly as his father entered. The older boy sensed that John had done something wrong. Then he saw from a distance what his brother had done. The younger boy had opened his father's brand new hymnal and scribbled all over the first page with a pen.

Staring at their father fearfully, both brothers waited for John's punishment. Their father picked up his prized hymnal, looked at it carefully and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were precious to him; he was a minister with several academic degrees. For him, books were knowledge.




What he did next was remarkable. Instead of punishing his brother, instead of scolding, or yelling, his father took the pen from the little boy's hand, and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles that John had made. Here is what that father wrote: "John's work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert eyes looking up at me and thanked God for the one who has now scribbled in my new hymnal. You have made the book sacred, as have your brother and sister to so much of my life." "Wow," thought the older brother, "This is punishment?"

Since that time, the hymnal has become a treasured family possession. It is tangible proof that their parents loved them. It taught the lesson that what really matters is people, not objects; patience, not judgment; love, not anger.





The Obstacles In Our Path

Author Unknown


In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.




After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."





Life is Like a Cup of Coffee

Author Unknown


A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.




Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups ... and then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.





pingomatic

Thursday 3 September 2015

Mindfulness Practice


“Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” – Wu Li


Mindfulness develops the skills of attention and concentration, with the focus of one's attention on emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment, to intentionally accept without judgment, which can be trained by meditational practices.

Mindfulness, which is an essential element of Buddhist practice, is also an attribute of consciousness long believed to promote well-being. Studies have indicated that the construct of mindfulness is strongly correlated with well-being and health; effectively reducing stress, anxiety and depression.

The essence of mindfulness is acting with undivided attention. Mindfulness is the discipline of doing one thing at a time with awareness — the opposite of how most people operate. Most of us think that if we do several things at once, we will accomplish more. However, those that do one thing at a time actually accomplish more than those who multi-task.

There are several advantages to doing one thing at a time besides increased productivity. When thoughts are racing, concentrating on one thing slows the mind. Doing one thing at a time decreases anxiety by focusing the mind on one thing, pushing from one’s mind preoccupations and worries.

You must guard your psychological space like a guard at the gate. The guard is alert to everything that happens. Like the guard, be alert to every thought, emotion, and distraction that crosses your psychological space. Such mind watching brings your attention back to the present moment. It is okay to take a zigzag path as you criss-cross psychological space to overcome distractions and return to the object of your attention.

Zen monks, are a great inspiration in the way they live their lives: the simplicity, concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days. For hundreds of years, Zen monks have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. It serves as an example for our own lives.

Who among us couldn't use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives?

There are certain principles that can be applied to any life, no matter what your religious beliefs, spiritual beliefs, or your standard of living.

“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but
concentration on our usual everyday routine.” – Shunryu Suzuki
1. DO ONE THING AT A TIME: When you are eating, eat. When you are walking, walk. When you are bathing, bathe. When you are working, work. When you are in a group, or a conversation, focus your attention on the very moment you are with the other person. Do each thing with all of your attention.

If other actions, or other thoughts, or strong feelings distract you, let go of distractions and go back to what you are doing – again, and again, and again.

Concentrate your mind. If you find you are doing two things at once, stop and go back to one thing at a time.

When you are eating, eat

It is not unusual to mindlessly eat while watching TV, reading the paper, or walking around. Eating mindfully is very different experience than the way you normally eat. Mindfully eating concentrates on the eating experience. Only in the present moment do you experience the sensations of eating. When you are present you can taste, feel, and smell your food. The sensations are fleeting and there are many distractions. Mindful eating requires a commitment to do so. Eating a meal mindfully entails the effort to turn your mind away from distractions and return over and over to eating. You are more likely to notice when you are feeling full when eating this way. If you pay attention to the sensation of satiety, you will probably stop eating sooner. Eating can be an opportunity to learn self-control (directing your mind back to eating) and self-discipline (committing to restarting when you stray).

When you are walking, walk

Walking, too, can be a way to take hold of your mind. This is mentioned in the describe section, “… say in your mind … walking, step, step, step …” Describing walking this way slows your mind and focuses your mental energy on the “here” where you are, how you feel, what you are doing, and your breathing.

When you are bathing, bathe

Some people have a routine they go through every time they shower that allows them to concentrate on their actions mindfully. Focusing exclusively on this activity is peaceful and calming. Self-soothing with sensations of bathing copes with stress, relieves anxiety, and cultivates mindfulness.

Notice the feel, sound, and sight of water. Notice the smell of soap and shampoo. Notice the difference between wet and dry, hot and cold. Notice the transitions between turning on the water, getting in the water, wetting hair, shampooing, soaping, turning off the water, and drying. You will have the opportunity to repeat your observations daily.

When you are working, work

Work offers many opportunities for doing one thing at a time and overcome distractions. You may be surprised at how much you can be done if you set your mind to it. Such a commitment helps you learn mastery, doing one thing each day to make yourself feel competent and in control.

Think about what your work really is. Consider how your work expresses you and your place in the world. What attitude do you bring to the work you do? What part of your work is play and what part of play is work? What is your life’s work?

When you are in a group, or a conversation, focus your attention on the very moment you are in with the other person.

In conversation, your ability to be interpersonally effective increases by practicing mindfulness. No matter how nervous you are with another person, focusing your attention on the very moment liberates you from doubt, worry, stress, and fear. Part of mindfulness is letting go of what is interfering with complete involvement. Try mindfulness with a “boring” speaker. You might notice he or she becomes more interesting. People become more interesting when you show your interest in them.

2. DO IT SLOWLY AND DELIBERATELY: Do one task at a time, taking your time, and moving slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

Do each thing with all of your attention. The hard work of doing each thing with all your attention is a choice. Although the idea is simple the result of doing one thing with all your attention is powerful.

If other actions, or other thoughts, or strong feelings distract you, let go of distractions and go back to what you are doing – again, and again, and again.

Step back and be aware of what you are doing. If a thought enters the psychological space between you and the object of your attention, let the thought pass and go back to what you are doing. Distractions will enter your psychological space – let them go and turn your mind. A deceptively simple strategy when you find your thoughts wandering astray is to say to yourself, “Be here now” and turn your mind toward what you are doing.

3. DO IT COMPLETELY: Put your mind completely on the task. Don’t move on to the next task until you are finished. If, for some reason, you have no choice but to move on to something else, try to at least put away the unfinished task and clean up after yourself. If you prepare a sandwich, don’t start eating it until you have put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task, and can focus more completely on the next task.




4. DO LESS: A Zen monk doesn’t lead a lazy life — he wakes early and has a day filled with work. However, he doesn’t have an unending task list either — there are certain things he’s going to do today, and no more. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do.

5. PUT SPACE BETWEEN THINGS: Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

6. DEVELOP RITUALS: Zen monks have rituals for many things they do, from eating to cleaning to meditation. Ritual gives something a sense of importance — if it’s important enough to have a ritual, it’s important enough to be given your entire attention, and to be done slowly and correctly. You don’t have to learn the Zen monk rituals — you can create your own, for the preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for what you do before you start your work, for what you do when you wake up and before you go to bed, for what you do just before exercise. Anything you want, really.

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” -Thich Nhat Hanh




7. DESIGNATE TIME FOR CERTAIN THINGS: There are certain times in the day a Zen monk designates for certain activities. A time for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating. This ensures that those things get done regularly. You can designate time for your own activities, whether that be work or cleaning or exercise or quiet contemplation. If it’s important enough to do regularly, consider designating a time for it.

8. DEVOTE TIME TO SITTING: In the life of a Zen monk, sitting meditation (zazen) is one of the most important parts of his day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really practice for learning to be present. You can devote time for sitting meditation, or do what you do to practice being in the moment. You could use any activity in the same way, as long as you do it regularly and practice being present.

9. SMILE AND SERVE OTHERS: Zen monks spend part of their day in service to others, whether that be other monks in the monastery or people on the outside world. It teaches them humility, and ensures that their lives are not just selfish, but devoted to others. If you’re a parent, it’s likely you already spend at least some time in service to others in your household, and non-parents may already do this too. Similarly, smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work.

10. MAKE CLEANING AND COOKING BECOME MEDITATION: Aside from the zazen mentioned above, cooking and cleaning are two of the most exalted parts of a Zen monk’s day. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11. THINK ABOUT WHAT IS NECESSARY: There is little in a Zen monk’s life that isn’t necessary. He doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food (they eat simple, vegetarian meals consisting usually of rice, miso soup, vegetables, and pickled vegetables). Now, I’m not saying you should live exactly like a Zen monk — I certainly don’t. But it does serve as a reminder that there is much in our lives that aren’t necessary, and it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need, and whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary.

12. LIVE SIMPLY: The corollary of Rule 11 is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, to make room for the essential. Now, what is essential will be different to each person. To some, yoga and spending time with close friends might be essential. For others it will be nursing and volunteering and going to church and collecting comic books. There is no law saying what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life, and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life.

“We have more possibilities available in each moment
than we realize.” – Thich Nhat Hanh






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Tuesday 4 August 2015

Prayer for Inner Peace







Prayer to Grow in God's Love



                   Dear Father,

                 May I continue to grow in my capacity to
                 understand Your Love. May the reality of
                 Your feelings towards me put my heart at
                 ease and fill my soul with gladness. May
                 the rush and worry culture have no impact
                 on me. May You set my pace and establish
                 me in Your purpose. Your work is precious,
                 beautiful and divine.

                   Amen.






Sunday 19 July 2015

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace


Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

Amen.

St. Francis Prayer





Prayer for Peace Making ☮


Jesus, rightful Advocate of peace,
Elegant Champion of reconciliation,
Your victories echo harmoniously.

You taught me the way towards peace,
My assurance of congenial oneness.

Teach me to carry the torch of peace,
That it may reside within my heart
And radiate in my surroundings.

Through the Grace of Your power,
Transform the world into a Heaven.

You are the only hope of mankind:
You are the most gracious Peace Maker!

Amen.







Monday 13 July 2015

Prayer for Depression


Dear God, I pray for happiness

I come to You in my hour of need.
I ask You to touch my mind and uplift my thoughts,
change my seeming realities that I’m thinking about
my life, change my opinion of what is and what can be.

God, I ask that You give me a sense of well-being again.
I pray that You help me find my smile, both on my face and
in my soul. I pray that I have a cheerful heart. I pray that others
are drawn to my happy smile, my positive attitude, and my face
that shines with joy.

Dear God, I know that you have created me and everyone else
to be happy, to find joy and laughter in the different stages and
experiences of life. I pray that I express You in my expression
of joy. God I cannot do this by myself, so I turn to You, and
I surrender. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen






The Lord's Prayer











Ping-o-matic

Thursday 9 July 2015

Exiting The Comfort Zone ⛅


"The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears." ~Dan Stevens

Life is meant to be experienced; it's meant to be LIVED. Life is where we learn, love and grow; and we can't grow if we remain in a state of disengagement. As Eleanor Roosevelt so aptly put it, "Life is meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive." But for many of us, we tend to become complacent in our situation of feeling a quiet pleasure or security. We enter the comfort zone, a state of mind, where we feel at ease and in control; a sense of familiarity. We feel that scarcity, uncertainty and vulnerability are minimized.

What keeps us from moving forward to new experiences and the adventures of living life? What keeps us in our mind-made prisons?

Whether it is consciously or unconsciously; it may simply be conditioning – learned behavior, a sense of unworthiness – perceiving failure or rejection. The bottom line is FEAR – that's the hideous monster that keeps us from stepping outside the box and moving forward in a new direction, towards a new goal.

Fear and anxiety are emotions induced by a threat that is perceived as uncontrollable or unavoidable. It may be in response to a specific stimulus happening in the present, or to a future situation, which is perceived as a risk to health or life, status, power, security, or, anything we hold valuable.

Fear can be learned by experiencing or watching. Fear is not just a matter of personal history; a person may learn to fear regardless of whether they themselves have experienced it or not; or if they have observed the fear in others.




Fear of the unknown is one of the reasons that people don't make an effort to move forward. Many people are afraid of the unknown, which can branch out to many areas such as the next ten years, tomorrow, or even the hereafter – afraid to take the path they want, because of what may lie ahead. Many people would rather remain in a familiar situation they know than to move on to something new; even if the current situation is unhealthy, such as an abusive relationship. People will make excuses, trying to convince themselves that what they currently have is good enough – they settle! Their way of life is known and familiar, but this can lead to procrastination, keeping one from moving forward to a healthier life situation.

Fear isn't always a negative entity. Of course, stepping out of our comfort zone raises anxiety and generates a stress response, but the result is an enhanced level of concentration and focus. A fear response can generate an appropriate behavioral response, causing a change in our brain chemistry and ultimately changing our behavior, thus serving our survival.

Take a look at this cute little video of a goat who stands up to the bull. The goat has no sense of unworthiness, nor is he experiencing any fear in this moment. I'm not sure what lead up to the confrontation, but it is no doubt the goat has decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak!



We, too, must first make the decision that we are tired of being where we are, and to do this we need to strip away what we have been taught.

It wasn't something I was conscious of at the time, but looking back over the years, I can see where my life had been a series of stepping out of comfort zones. At first, there was great fear, and I would continually walk around the idea in my mind for quite some time, before I wholly desired to take that leap of faith and make a change.

I was an extremely introverted child; shy and withdrawn. I became the scapegoat for everything that seemingly went wrong in the world. No matter how hard I tried, I never felt that I had a place in my family. Other than school, and the occasional babysitting jobs my parents would commission me for, I would spend my time in my room listening to music, reading and daydreaming of better times ahead. My sense of unworthiness would carry me into a dark world of depression for years after. I couldn't take it any longer, and by the time I was fourteen, my overwhelming sense of unworthiness, of course, caused me to become too fearful of failing and making things even worse for myself. By the time I was sixteen, I had made the decision to leave. I was going to get out come 'hell or high water'. This decision opened me up a little more and brought me out of my little world of self-protection. I spent months planning, and just after my seventeenth birthday, I escaped!




I did return back to my family after a year or so, but soon realized this was a mistake. It would be years later that I would come to the realization that I was carrying this sense of unworthiness with me into every situation and relationship thereafter. However, each time I stepped through the fear and doubt and moved forward into the unknown, it would become easier and it changed who I once was. Later, when I was in my late twenties, I left an abusive relationship of eight years. This is when I finally woke up and came into my true self!

There is no longer a sense of feeling less than anyone else. I make the decision immediately before getting entangled in a situation of how I am to be treated. There is no longer a need to escape anything.

Now, following a spiritual path, I turn toward grace with a knowing that everything has been given me for my growth.

With lessons of forgiveness and a healthy dose of self-love, looking back, I am truly grateful for all of the lessons life has brought to me. If it wasn't for each person and each situation, I undoubtedly wouldn't have realized the courage that existed within me. I have grown with each scenario passing through my awareness; gaining knowledge and strength on the journey.

"Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions." ~Hafiz




Comfort Zone

I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn't fail.
The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I'd never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn't matter that I wasn't doing much.
I said I didn't care for things like diamonds and furs and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn't let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I'd never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

If you're in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile; success is there for you!

~Author Unknown~








"Dan Stevens." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 30 May 2015. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_stevens.html


ping-o-matic

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Scapegoat's Pledge ༗



“It's too easy to criticize a man when he's out of favour, and to make him shoulder the blame for everybody else's mistakes.”
~ Leo Tolstoy

Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited or unwarranted negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals, individuals against groups, groups against individuals, and groups against groups. Scapegoating relates to guilt by association and stereotyping, a tactic often used to characterize an entire group of individuals according to the unethical or immoral conduct of a small number of individuals belonging to that group.

Unwanted thoughts and feelings can be unconsciously projected onto another who becomes a scapegoat for one's own problems, whereby the chosen group, becomes the scapegoat for the individual's or the group's problems ― just as much as the backyard or school ground gossip of little groups and individuals.

A scapegoat may be an adult, child, sibling, employee, peer, ethnic, political or religious group, or country – a whipping boy, or fall guy are forms of scapegoat.





For those who have lived a life as the projection of the narcissist's or bully's insecurities and inadequacies, here is a pledge for you to live by:

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I AM MY OWN AUTHORITY
~Anonymous~

I must give myself the right to be me – to function as I see fit. It is impossible to have a sound self-concept until I am true to myself and accept full responsibility for my own individual life, my own need fulfillment. At any instant I can start a new life.

I ALLOW MYSELF THE FREEDOM – I DEMAND OF MYSELF THE RIGHT:

To recognize myself as an important and interesting person in the world – a unique and precious part of life.

To feel warm and happy, kind and loving toward myself.

To realize that at my divine center I am no better or worse, or more or less important, than anyone else in the entire world.

To be different, to make mistakes, to be "wrong," to be inadequate.

To take the time and effort to fulfill my own needs.

To be happy and free – to be harmonious and effective – to succeed.

To be open and kind, loving and lovable – compassionate and helpful.

To be keenly sensitive and aware – radiantly healthy and energetic.

To do less than perfect – to be inefficient, to procrastinate, to "goof off," to kill time.

To have "unacceptable" thoughts, images, desire and experiences.

To allow others to make mistakes, to be "wrong" – to be ignorant, to be "screwed-up."

To act spontaneously, to resist, to change my mind, to be stubborn.

To be emotional – to love, to cry, to be angry, to be selfish and uncaring.

To drop all masks and images – to not fulfill other's expectations and images of me.

To be criticized, condemned, disapproved, disliked and unwanted.

To fail and to learn from it.

To be loyal, courageous, and exceptional – in both my person and my work.

To accept my own authority – to follow my own "knowing."

I allow myself complete freedom and I recognize that I am inescapably responsible for all my decisions and actions. For I must inevitably pay the price incurred. I profit or suffer, learn and grow according to the "nature and consequences" of my act. I realize that "good and evil," right and wrong," are but intellectual concepts, for there is only wisdom and unwisdom, only wise and unwise acts.

Therefore, prior to serious decisions I ask myself, "Is this act wise? (i.e., will it injure myself or others – will it contribute to my basic needs – is it in alignment with the laws and forces of life?) What is the total price involved? Can I afford to pay it? And, am I willing to accept the consequences?"

I know that in the final analysis I need answer only to myself and that I have all the time there is for my total unfoldment – that at worst I can only postpone my ultimate reunion with the Infinite. However, wisdom and love, freedom and joy beckon me onward and I choose to proceed as rapidly as my prevailing perception and wisdom allow.

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Saturday 4 April 2015

The True Meaning of Easter


Chocolate is undoubtedly one of life's great pleasures, and without fail, shopping malls will be landlocked with parents and grandparents purchasing their lot of the chocolate bounty.  A staggering amount, alone, will be purchased and consumed for this weekend's Easter holiday. According to the National Retail Association, Americans spent $16.8 billion on chocolate last Easter.

So what's the deal with the bunny and the egg at Easter? Well let's take a moment to reflect on the true meaning and symbolism of Easter:

The Easter Bunny or Easter Hare, as a symbol of Easter, is depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, originating among German Lutherans. The "Easter Hare" originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide.

In Christianity, for the celebration of Eastertide, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus. An egg appears to be like the stone of a tomb. A bird hatches from the egg with life; in which the Easter egg, for Christians, is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and those who believe will also experience eternal life.

In A Course in Miracles, Jesus tells us that the crucifixion is not as important as the resurrection. The crucifixion was a demonstration to us that the horrific assault of the ego does not matter. Easter is a celebration of victory of acceptance and truth; and for us to not to brood over the crucifixion, but instead to celebrate his release.




"This week begins with palms and ends with lilies, the white and holy sign the Son of God is innocent. Let no dark sign of crucifixion intervene between the journey and its purpose; between the acceptance of the truth and its expression. This week we celebrate life, not death. And we honor the perfect purity of the Son of God, and not his sins. Offer your brother the gift of lilies, not the crown of thorns; the gift of love and not the "gift" of fear. You stand beside your brother, thorns in one hand and lilies in the other, uncertain which to give. Join now with me and throw away the thorns, offering the lilies to replace them. This Easter I would have the gift of your forgiveness offered by you to me, and returned by me to you. We cannot be united in crucifixion and in death. Nor can the resurrection be complete till your forgiveness rests on Christ, along with mine." (T-20.I.2)

Jesus became a model of rebirth; a realization which is already in our minds, in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' resurrection is our reawakening to the Truth.

"It is in your power, in time, to delay the perfect union of the Father and the Son. For in this world, the attraction of guilt does stand between them. Neither time nor season means anything in eternity. But here it is the Holy Spirit’s function to use them both, though not as the ego uses them. This is the season when you would celebrate my birth into the world. Yet you know not how to do it. Let the Holy Spirit teach you, and let me celebrate your birth through Him. The only gift I can accept of you is the gift I gave to you. Release me as I choose your own release. The time of Christ we celebrate together, for it has no meaning if we are apart." (T-15.X.1)

A poem by Helen Schucman, scribe of A Course in Miracles, which was one of the last poems Helen wrote.



THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

        You think Him dead Who rose again for you,
        And so you cannot see the shining light
        In which you are delivered. Come, My child,
        And judge Him not. He is not dead. So bright
        His radiance that nothing still remains
        Obscured from Heaven in the doubt of night.

        So still the birth you did not understand
        Who came to you. Before your frightened eyes
        The Lord of light and life appears to fail
        His promises of Heaven's grace, and dies
        Forever on a cross. Nor can you see
        The Child of hope Who in a manger lies.

        The wise are silent. Stand you by a while
        And let the wise men show you what they see
        That came of you from stillness and from peace
        Which rest in you, but speak to them of Me.
        And then be comforted. The living Lord
        Has come again where He has willed to be.

        Wait now for morning. In the silence hear
        The winged whispering that hails the Son
        In quiet certainty and lovely calm
        Whom death released to life. He is the One
        For Whom you wait. Then look again on Him,
        And join His benediction, "It is done."




Sunday 29 March 2015

Moving Towards Grace

If someone were to ask me to describe my younger self, I would have said I was extremely shy, preferring to blend into the background of life. Now, however, I suppose the correct label would be 'oppressed introvert'. In part, it was due to my personality and also it was my way of building a wall of protection around myself. Ironically, this worked only until someone needed a scapegoat to feed their narcissistic appetite; then I lit up like a neon sign.

By the time I was in my mid to late twenties, my personality changed dramatically. Becoming bitter and angry about my lot in life, from being knocked down and kicked while I was down there, I came to face life and everyone in it with utter contempt. With the slightest provocation, I would tear them to shreds with my razor sharp words. I was a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, morphing without a moment's notice. If my daughter happened to be near during one of these episodes, she would saunter away pretending not to know me. This personality change was not something I consciously decided to do or become, but was a gradual shift. It was something that I was very aware of, but didn't seem to have the know how to control.

I lived this way for many years until one day I 'woke up' and realized I HAD to make a change somehow. Going through life being angry all the time was extremely exhausting and this wasn't the real me. Deep down, I really didn't want to hurt anyone else; it was my protective armour. The real me was somewhere underneath this charade.

There's a Buddhist proverb that says, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” I had a hunger for spiritual information and knowledge … anything I could get my hands on. I started on my journey towards God. I read many books, watched PBS programs, youtube videos, and visited various spiritual websites. There seemed to be an endless buffet of resources. I went from one thing to another, and kept feeding the hunger, never getting enough. It would be a couple of years later that I would be given a book called A Course in Miracles. This seemed to be 'the one', the spiritual fit that was right for me. The undoing was also a gradual process as I walked towards God, in an attempt to leave the ego's tyrannical ways behind me.




Along the way, I picked up this phrase, in the form of a question, "What would Jesus do?", that I carried around with me in the back of my mind. This became an incredibly helpful tool to use in a situation that would otherwise have been resolved by an egoic reaction.

One evening, the end of a work day, I boarded a transit bus and sat myself in an aisle seat near the back. I proceeded to get my mp3 player out and put on my headphones. I sat back with my eyes closed and listened to music while I transitioned out the work self into the personal self. Every once in a while, when the bus was at a stop, I would open my eyes to see who was getting on. At one particular stop, a group of 3 or 4 teenagers, of about 14 or 15 years of age, got on. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just a noticing. There was only standing room left, and they positioned themselves just behind me and to my left. I closed my eyes again and as we were travelling along, I felt the sting of a slap across my face, my eyes flying open in surprise. I had been practicing mind watching for a while at this point, and was very aware of the thoughts that came up. The first which was, 'this is a test', soon followed by my default question, "What would Jesus do?" Then I was aware of the thought, "Do something, this was done on purpose, probably a dare," very obviously the ego speaking. Another thought soon arose, "They probably just lost their grip and went off balance", which was no doubt my higher self. It was as if my mind had been split into three entities, the ego, the higher self, and my personal self which was observing this banter, of which also had the choice of which action was going to be taken.

I suddenly became aware of the silence in that area of the bus, as if time had stood still awaiting my response. Finally, I made a decision. I removed my headphones, turned slightly in my seat, and smiled (somewhere between a smirk and a smile) up at the group of teens, resumed my position and put my headphones back on, enjoying the rest of the trip home. The decision I came to in those few seconds was: if it was an accident, I would have made a utter fool of myself by getting up and ranting and raving and possibly embarrassing the teens (as would have been my old way of handling things). On the other hand, if it was done on purpose, I failed to provide them the satisfaction they were looking for by my non-reaction to the situation.

A couple of years later, I watched the movie Tree of Life, which had a quote or passage that seemed to envelope me. I felt the presence of God in this passage, and still do when I hear it. It was like a warm summer rain after a long parched summer.




The term 'nature' in this passage refers to the self-oriented human 'animal' nature … being apart from God, while grace of course, is the way of God.

“The nuns taught us there are two ways through life … the way of Nature… and the way of Grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow.

Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy ... when all the world is shining around it ... when love is smiling through all things.

They taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ... ever comes to a bad end.
I will be true to You. Whatever comes.”

Also, upon hearing this passage, I was taken back to that incident on the bus a few years previous, realizing that was a moment towards grace.



Thursday 26 March 2015

Miracle of Forgiveness

What is the Body?

The teachings of A Course in Miracles help us to distinguish what is real and unreal (knowledge and perception). The world we perceive (the world of time and change, of beginnings and endings) is based on our interpretation. It is a world of birth and death, scarcity, loss, and separation. It is a learned perception, inaccurate and unstable. What perception sees and hears appears to be real because it permits into awareness only the wishes of the perceiver, leading to a world of illusions, which needs constant defense.

The ego's domain of guilt and fear (an unhealed mind) has us convinced that the body is a separate entity from the mind. Until we finally accept that body and mind are together within the mind, the illusory cycle of birth and death will continue … the last Special Relationship to be healed.

"Each lily of forgiveness offers all the world the silent miracle of love." (L-341.13)

A miracle is a correction reminding the mind that what it sees is false, undoing the error. Not attempting to exceed the function for forgiveness, it stays within the limits of 'time'. Forgiveness is the home of miracles.




We go through our illusory lives, the ego mind or 'small self' unconsciously pushing and packing unwanted emotions and feelings away, that we just don't want to deal with. While in theory, it seems like a good plan of action, it is in actuality causing havoc in 'the world' and keeping us away from experiencing true peace and joy.

When one becomes a student of A Course in Miracles, they can be assured that life as they have known it will shift and change. The familiar will start to fall away, as the ego mind twists and churns in childlike tantrums. False beliefs and concepts are being flushed out of hiding. Some of the changes are subtle, while others are of significance.

A couple of years ago, for me, the onset of this shift was soon in motion and there was no turning back. I sold my house and moved closer to my parents to help them out. About three months after the move, my parents started receiving help from various outside sources, therefore no longer requiring my assistance. There was a lot of pent up anger, rage and resentment being flushed up, which was directed towards them and the situation, even at the course. I resented the fact that I had come into contact with A Course in Miracles, as if it were some ancient curse.

Though subsconsciously, I was still using the tools. My mind was flitting through thoughts such as, you did this, you created this mess, you can't undo it, what now! I then turned that anger and rage towards myself, realizing that I was responsible for creating the situations outside myself, all the while the ego is screaming, "Look what YOU'VE done … this is SACRIFICE".

This dis-ease became a disease, and the body became very sick. I lost hair by the handfuls, weight dropped to 94 lbs, was dehydrated, and heart racing. After being diagnosed with Graves Disease and prescribed medication, my health was still on the decline. I felt like I was literally disappearing - the ego wanted to obliterate me.




A couple of months into this, my health was still declining. I worked at trying to forgive the illness, the fact that I was taking medication (magic), and even the fact that someone had to 'care' for me. I was too weak to care for myself, to walk, or even immerse myself in conversation (I felt like death), so was staying with a friend. One evening, while sitting near the computer as my friend was conversing with another friend via skype about the course, there was some mention of 'guilt' and 'magic'. Suddenly, the 'light switch' went on for me. I then realized that it was the guilt that I needed to forgive; not the illness or the medication. I had to go deeper and forgive the guilt that I was holding onto.

I went to bed that night and I listed off everything that I felt guilty about and everyone I was angry with, including myself, and sincerely forgave. Following that, I gave gratitude for everything that was given or shown to me. The next morning when I got, I immediately knew there was something different; I could feel the life back in my body. I went downstairs, had a coffee, chatted for awhile, then said, "You know, I feel great, I think I'm going to go home."


"The body is a fence the Son of God imagines he has built, to separate parts of his Self from other parts. It is within this fence he thinks he lives, to die as it decays and crumbles. For within this fence he thinks that he is safe from love. Identifying with his safety, he regards himself as what his safety is. How else could he be certain he remains within the body, keeping love outside?

The body will not stay. Yet this he sees as double safety. For the Son of God's impermanence is "proof" his fences work, and do the task his mind assigns to them. For if his oneness still remained untouched, who could attack and who could be attacked? Who could be victor? Who could be his prey? Who could be victim? Who the murderer? And if he did not die, what "proof" is there that God's eternal Son can be destroyed?

The body is a dream. Like other dreams it sometimes seems to picture happiness, but can quite suddenly revert to fear, where every dream is born. For only love creates in truth, and truth can never fear. Made to be fearful, must the body serve the purpose given it. But we can change the purpose that the body will obey by changing what we think that it is for.

The body is the means by which God's Son returns to sanity. Though it was made to fence him into hell without escape, yet has the goal of Heaven been exchanged for the pursuit of hell. The Son of God extends his hand to reach his brother, and to help him walk along the road with him. Now is the body holy. Now it serves to heal the mind that it was made to kill.

You will identify with what you think will make you safe. Whatever it may be, you will believe that it is one with you. Your safety lies in truth, and not in lies. Love is your safety. Fear does not exist. Identify with love, and you are safe. Identify with love, and you are home. Identify with love, and find your Self." (L-261.5)

Retreat at La Casa: Releasing Emotions
David and Michael lead a morning session about allowance of emotions to release the stories of the personality self. Healing abounds and need not be avoided. There is never a need to compromise when healing is the Purpose (English with Spanish translation).



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