Yesterday morning, at breakfast, a friend
read this to me:
Essentially, all the sages are saying the
same thing. They're saying life is non-dual,
one without a second; there is only That.
It's omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience.
Omnipresence means total presence, not a
future and past. Total presence.
Omnipotence means total power. Omniscience
means total intelligence, total knowingness.
Total-nothing other than that. In the
Dzogchen scriptures, they mention
non-conceptual awareness. They tell you in
one sentence, "The great perfection is
non-conceptual awareness." They call in
"non-conceptual, ever-fresh, self-shining
presence awareness. Just this and nothing
else."
We're used to working things out in the mind.
But when it comes to pure intelligence, the
mind can't grasp it. The mind is a thing,
and it can't understand no thing. Presence
awareness contains the mind. The mind can't
contain it. That's why it says in the
Bhagavad Gita, the sword can't cut it, fire
can't burn it, wind can't dry it, and water
can't drown it. Presence awareness contains
all of those things. None of those things
could contain or grasp it. They wouldn't
exist without it. So it's pointless. Stop
the search. Stop the search right now.
There was never any final moment. When I was
with Nisargadatta, I just realized what he
was saying-that I had always and ever been
That. I couldn't have been anything else!
The seeming sixteen years of my search
disappeared like a dream. I realized that the
sixteen years didn't matter. Anything that
was previous didn't matter. Anything in the
future didn't matter. The actuality is right
now. I can never live this moment again, and
neither can you. If I'm not living totally
in this moment, if I'm not seeing, hearing,
tasting, touching, smelling fully-if I'm
locked into the mind instead-I'm not actually
living. When you're totally aware, totally
alert, you're really living. This is the
actuality of this moment. It can never
happen again. You can recall the past, or
you can imagine the future. But you're
wasting all your energy in the recollection
and the imagination, because they're stopping
you from seeing what is happening right now.
So if you're aware, if you're awake, then be
that.
--From Living
Reality: My Extraordinary Summer with
"Sailor" Bob Adamson
by James Braha
pp 104-106
Can you imagine living fully right now?
No chains from the past
No fears of the future
Nowhere to go;
No history to forgive
Or forget.
No thought, at all.
No need to add my story
To anything I see
Simply allowing it all
The freedom to be.
That sounds like real independence
To me.
For those in America, have a blessed
Independence Day. For those of you in other
parts of the planet, go ahead and set
yourself free of the bondage imposed by a
belief in the finite. It is the ultimate freedom.
Yesterday I received an email promoting Rob Bell's
upcoming tour. I found these words, (I
am guessing written by Rob Bell) in this
announcement:
We plot, we plan, we assume things are going
to go
A certain way and then they don't and we find
ourselves
In a new place, a place we haven't been
before, a place
We never would have imagined on our own,
And so it was difficult and unexpected and
maybe even
Tragic and yet it opened us up and freed us
to see
Things in a whole new way
Suffering does that-
It hurts,
But it also creates.
How many of the most significant moments in
your
Life came not because it all went right, but
because
It all fell apart?
It's strange how there can be art in the
agony. . .
I am not completely clear why I am compelled
to share these words, this morning, but
either I or someone on this list needs to
hear them.
Perhaps it is simply a reminder, to me, to
always look for the art, even when all I feel
is agony.
Perhaps it is a reminder that tragic events
can open me up to looking at life in a whole
new way.
I am reminded, with increasing intensity,
that how I look at life is more important
than what I think I am seeing.
Here's what I mean:
I see something
I define it
I classify it
It is good or bad
It is helpful or destructive
It brings pleasure or causes pain
It is wanted or undesired.
The very act
Of naming it
Takes me out of the realm of possibility
And limits me
To the definitions I use in my naming.
Perhaps I simply need a reminder that my way
of looking at the world needs to be
continuously challenged to rid myself of
complacency.
Maybe, I just need to remember that anything
I focus on, anything I fix my sights on is
increasing its presence in my experience.
For whatever reason, I found these words to
be important and I needed to share them, this
morning.
May you find the value you need for your life
experience, if these words were also meant
for you.
Recently, at a small gathering, some friends
and I watched a short movie from the
Spiritual Cinema Circle entitled "Gabrielle".
The premise was that a soul, preparing to
enter a baby's body, was entitled to preview
some of the future aspects of that life.
The soul, we were witnessing in the film, saw
some of the pain her new identity would
endure, and she had doubts about following
through with her agreement.
Prior to entering her new life, Gabrielle,
needed to sign an "Agreement." I thought the
statements in this contract were intriguing
so I am sharing some of the highlights:
I ________________ agree to choose life.
After seeing the events of my proposed
physical existence, I am satisfied with my
choice of parents and my future. I am ready
to be born as _____________.
I understand that love, hate, joy, sorrow,
fear, and courage breathe life into my soul.
I agree to accept my life as it accepts me. I
understand that my happiness is not guaranteed.
This last weekend, I was clearing out some
old email and I came across the following
statement from John MacEnulty. John has been
publishing a short newsletter which he calls
"Emanations" for years. He was one of my
inspirations for starting ET's Reflections,
which preceded Secrets to Peace.
In 2005 John wrote: "I am here to live
life to the fullest, experience the beauty
and the sadness, the blossoming and the
dying, the tears, the laughter, the whole
thing, the life experience with all the
richness that divine has packed into it."
I seldom know how to react to friends when
life offers them opportunities for growth.
Just in the last week a man I admire lost a
young son, another friend had a tree branch
come through the roof; still others had water
in their basements or living rooms.
The normal, everyday human Elliott wants to
reach out, offer condolences and try to help
in any way possible. The spiritual
adventurer, in me, can barely wait to hear of
the growth these beautiful people will
discover through these events. The healer in
me goes inside, locates these individuals,
and loves them, knowing that anything that
hurts my brother or sister, hurts us all.
My truth, on this day, is that everything,
the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the
ugly offers me exactly what I need for this
moment. It does, truly, all add to the
"richness" of my experience as it "breathes"
life into my soul.
To all of my friends who have experienced any
loss this week, please know that I have found
you, inside of my Self, and have totally
wrapped you in Light and Love. I know, with
no degree of uncertainty, that this event
will carry great blessings as it passes from
present reality to memory.
I had to write a paper, which described myworldview, for a recent Ethics class. I wantto share a part of my writing with you today.
"My work in life is not to teach others aboutthe life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, mylife's work is to show that the Christ livesin and through me."
In one form or another, I think we each sharethis mission: To become the greatestexpression of that, which is Divine, within us.
I recently read this quote from Mother Teresaof Calcutta: "I believe in person toperson. Every person is Christ for me, andsince there is only one Jesus, that person isthe one person in the world at that moment."
I think this is one of the ways we movecloser to our True nature, by seeing theDivine in each and every other person.
Jesus gave us the advice, "..That whichyou do to the least of my brethren, you alsodo to me." - Matthew 25:40
I would suggest that what you see in theleast of your brothers/sisters mirrors whatyou know about yourself. What you believeabout your brothers/sisters reveals the truthyou hold about yourself.
When I look into the eyes of anyone I meet, Isearch for myself. Not the little "s" selfwith all his small "t" truths andpersonalized memories, but for the capital"S" Self, which is who I Am when all myfacades are peeled away. It is always inthere. There are only three things which keepme from seeing this Truth: 1. Fear 2. Preconceived ideas 3. An unwillingness to look that deeply Sometimes, in prison, I find myself really disliking some inmate. On closer inspection,removed from the situation, I realize that what I really do not like is looking within and rerecognizing that I could be that individual. I could actually live in a world where violence was my first choice for conflict resolution. I could live as a person who believed it was in my best interest to do unto you before you do unto me. And then I comprehend that this awareness is what I do not like. I do not like the fact that I could actually be this wounded soul before me. His truth still resides within me, and I do not like having to face this aspect of my self.
When I sit down, this new revelation in hand,and really look into this man's eyes, I seethe Light. It is buried beneath dozens oflayers of hurt, but it is there.
In that moment, we connect, and my fear is healed.
My hope is that this demonstration fuels that light and it grows as we work together for the next year.
We all have the same opportunity, minute tominute, with every pair of eyes willing to open themselves to contact. The eyes are the sensory path to the soul.
While the commercials are usually silly, I
love the question, "What is in your wallet?"
which accompanies one credit card advertisement.
I love it because I am always asking, of
myself, "What's in your programming?" It is
my "if-then" programming that I call into
question.
We all have these programs running;
oftentimes they dominate and totally control
our experience. Because these "if-then"
statements are like an operating system,
which functions at our core (subconscious),
instead of showing up in our conscious
awareness, we are often not aware they even
exist until the "then" portion of the
conditioned response shows up. Then, what
often happens is that instead of us owning
our programming, these "if-then" statements
appear to own us.
When these programs control us, we feel
powerless. We see ourselves as victims of the
outer world and feel incapable of change.
While it is true that we often have very
little apparent power over the "if" portion
(the stimulus) of the "if-then" program, we
have complete autonomy over the "then"
(reaction or response) portion.
This can show up in very obvious ways such as:
· If she does parrot "I love you" after I
have said "I love you" I need to question
whether or not she still cares.
· If it rains today, I will not be happy.
· If it is Friday, then it is going to be a
good day.
But it can also show up as more subtle truths:
· If I try to love, then I will just get
hurt.
· Every time I trust, someone lets me
down.
· If I give them an inch, they will take a mile.
Most of the programming we have accepted as
our "worldview" runs unchallenged. In other
words, we seldom even examine this
programming unless the pain being created by
the program is greater than the risk of
changing our minds. So, most of the time we
just know what we know, and let it go at that.
What I know can be so much more destructive
than what I do not know.
What I know can forever keep me from becoming
a greater me.
This is why Socrates was spot on with "The
unexamined life is a life not worth living."
I think that every life is worth living, but
when I lie on my death bed, provided there is
time for reflection, I want to remember that
I questioned everything, and constantly
re-created who I was and how I showed up in
the world.
I am not yet who I long to be. There are
still programs, remaining "if-then"
statements, which evoke mindless reactions
instead of thoughtful responses. But, knowing
I am free to become the greatest me I can
imagine is absolutely exhilarating.
Each day, each opportunity to discover and
replace self-created pain with life affirming
Love is like a perpetual treasure hunt. In
each program where a love-based response
replaces an autonomic reaction, it is like
finding gold, enriching my day to day
experience beyond my ability to describe.
There is a scene at the end of the movie
The Mission in which Jeremy
Iron's character, (representing the Light
or the Christ Consciousness), challenges
Robert DeNiro's character, (representing
the collective or earth-based consciousness),
to reconsider using weapons to defend against
encroaching forces.
DeNiro's character insists that fighting,
with all his might, is the right thing to do,
while the priest played by Irons says, "If
you are right, and love is not enough, I have
no desire to be here, anyway." I paraphrased
this quote, from a not so recent memory, but
I am fairly confident I captured the flavor
of the conflict.
This is our daily choice.
One idea has us being in the world but not of
it and the other has us joining the
consciousness of humanity which believes this
physical experience is what is real.
The physical is the vehicle, it is not the
"experiencer".
When we take a road trip, the car is just the
means of transportation; it is not the
journey itself. It is necessary, but the
journey does not end if the car breaks down
or disappears. If the vehicle is lost, the
journey just changes form; an adventure,
different than the one first visualized,
emerges out of the loss.
The inmates, I work with, overwhelmingly
agree with DeNiro's character that picking up
the sword, to defend this physical experience
with all his might, was the right thing to
do. They refused to believe me when I said I
agreed with Iron's character. They wanted to
play the scenario game, "surely there must be
something you would pick up arms to defend"
they echoed in disbelief. I not only believe,
but know, that for me, Love is enough.
Surrounded by beauty,
In every now moment,
There is nothing to die from
Nothing to die to.
In this heavenly awareness
In this realization of oneness
There is nowhere to go
Nothing to leave.
"Today is a good day to die, "is not a
statement about dying, it is a way of living.
This day I will live my life
as if there is no tomorrow
as if this is my one chance
to leave a legacy of love,
Recently, an ex-subscriber to this list
wrote, "I have so little time to read
emails, I must let yours go. At first, it
seemed you wrote new, inspiring thoughts each
day. Now, it seems that every day is the same
message."
I am sharing this just to say that I have no
particular agenda with these daily
reflections except to share the astonishment
with life, which I feel. While it is
rewarding to me when someone writes that my
words have inspired them, it is not the real
purpose of my sharing. Even though I get
goose bumps when someone tells me that these
words were exactly what they needed to hear,
I do not share my discoveries with that as my
motivation.
I share, what I share, because I feel a type
of emptiness when I am not allowing my inner
discoveries to flow out of me in this manner.
I feel like I have dammed up the very energy
that keeps me vital, that contributes to my
joy, when I am not sharing my journey with
others.
My journey is not "everyone's" journey.
Well, in some ways it is, but that's an area
for exploration on another day
The point is not everyone will resonate with
the revelations which excite me. To some the
experience of being cradled in the loving
hands of the Universe is so routine, so
ordinary; my expressions of awe are somewhat
adolescent. To others the world is such an
unsafe place that my child-like wonder
appears overly Pollyannaish.
I have no desire for you to experience life
exactly as I do. If my writings have any
agenda it would be to open you up to sharing
your experience with others, so that we may
all grow, not only through our own sensory
input, but also through a appreciation of the
reality in which you live.
I do not put a lot of analysis into my
writing. I sit down and start my fingers
moving on the keyboard, and watch to see what
is seeking expression, from deep within me.
Some days I think the same thing as the
ex-subscriber. I have heard myself lament,
"Geez, is there not an original thought in
there somewhere?" But, I have this agreement
with my inner self that I will not edit or
throw out the gifts it brings forth for me.
So, most days, I simply send what I am given.
Occasionally, I would like to retract what I
have written, when a later re-reading reveals
a lack of clarity or a possible
misperception, but I have to let those days
go. I must trust my inner guidance.
For those who read these words, I am most
grateful. According to the software supplied
by my list server only about one fifth of all
the subscribers even open my mail. For a time
I felt troubled by this information, but then
I remembered that I am not seeking to teach
nor am I seeking to persuade. I send this out
simply because it thrills me.
So, I apologize to those who sometimes find
little value here, and I cherish those who
stay, even though some of those days may be
inevitable.
If nothing else may my example urge each of
you to find some vehicle of expression which
brings you as much joy as these daily musings
bring me.
That which is divine in me, recognizes,
salutes, and embraces that which is divine in
you.
I humbly thank you for being here and
investing your precious time with me.
This morning my power went out at about 5:20
and it stayed out for the next two and one
half hours. Because it was dark inside, I
went outside to read by the
light of the rising sun.
What a glorious morning.
What first appeared to be a challenging event
became an amazing blessing. It was perfect.
Not as hot nor as humid as the last
two mornings, this day started quieter than most.
In this dawning of a new day I began to
ponder what it would have been like to have
lived with no power, no lights, and no air
conditioning. Would I have been blessed by
each new day as I have by this one?
One of the amazing things I read this
morning, once again from Mary Oliver, was
this gentle reminder:
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
I love this. It absolutely addresses the
childlike giddiness I am feeling inside as a
result of the opportunity to welcome this
morning without the usual electronic clutter,
which often crowds my little piece of the world.
What a way to live each moment;
Astonished by what I see,
Allowing my words
To create themselves
From within this experience of amazement,
And then sharing the thoughts
That reveal themselves
With all who will lend an ear.
The magnificence which surrounds me
Waits patiently for my acknowledgment.
It does not long for
Nor does it need
My approval
Or even my attention,
But an amazing transformation occurs
When I open my mind and heart
To its essence.
For example:
Consider what happens when I fully embrace
The golden day lily.
Instead of just being some flower in a field
This glorious display of light,
Clothed in the divinity of life itself,
Grows and glows within me,
As though it were transplanted
Into my mystical, fertile soul
It encourages me
To carry its essence
Forward
With every step I take.
What can possibly disturb the calm peace of a
fertile soul, bursting at the seams with
light-filled beauty?
May the magnificence of this incredible
morning carry you from blessing to blessing,
as this day continues to unfold.
So every day
I was surrounded by the beautiful crying
forth
of the ideas of God,
one of which was you.
- So
every day, by Mary Oliver
I can not
or perhaps will not
let this idea go.
It seems mandatory
to remind myself
over and over,
if need be
that every thing I see
is a manifestation
of God.
It is important because I still want to judge
the stunning blue jay, even in its meanness,
as beautiful, and the sparrow as rather dull,
its colors not as aesthetically pleasing.
It is important because I want to hate the
revolutionary guard who controls, with
violence, my brother's quest for freedom,
dignity, and self-determination.
If I really knew,
fully owned the wisdom
that it was all God,
would I still pick and choose
when to offer my love
and when to withdraw this offer?
It is apparent to me that this is an "all or
nothing" proposition. There is no middle
ground. To love God with all my heart and
soul is the only choice which promises
lasting peace.
Recognizing that "it is all God" calls my
commitment to a new level; often well beyond
my comfort zone.
It is so easy to see God in your eyes, in
your heart, and in your actions when you are
doing what I think is consistent with how
love should look, act, and be demonstrated.
I want to abandon this whole notion the
minute your choices seem to prove my theories
are all wrong; the second you show up in
opposition to the thoughts I hold so dear.
It is very tempting to leave God out there
separate from it's creation,
that one ideal
the only perfection
that deity
singularly worthy
of my unconditional love.
Of course, if I am totally honest
with myself
I have had trouble with that idea too.
Remember when I thought I was living my life
"right"
and this God
of thought
still sent thieves
in the night?
Even then
despite the fact that God
was out there, somewhere,
I had trouble
loving her,
all the time.
Perhaps the challenge lies
not in where I place God
but in the fact that I am only willing
to love freely
when I get my way;
when life
unfolds exactly
as I think it should.
To love
as God loves
may be too lofty of a goal
for a mind
which thinks it can identify
that which deserves love
and that which does not.
And yet
to love
with reckless abandon
is what drives me.
It is what defines me.
It is the longing
which propels my feet,
hands, and heart
forward.
It is my motivation for
honest self examination.
It is what calls me
to present-moment awareness.
In this moment
I forgive myself
for the judgments
I have used
to warrant selfishness.
Perhaps by learning
to love myself,
as I long to love others,
I shall find the courage
to see only God
when I look at me,
even if I do not like what I see.
Maybe this will free me
to remember
that everything I see
