Saturday, December 13, 2008

Divinity


We are unhappy or unsatisfied because we tell ourselves stories which we believe are true. Our attention is lost in the words and pictures contained in our heads. The words and pictures tell a story about the past or the future.


Those stories, which make up our thoughts and beliefs, are an illusion. Although they seem real, they do not reflect reality.


Our thoughts are the result of conditioned programming, which we have been undergoing our entire lives. We have been brainwashed.


If we let go of our thoughts and beliefs, and put our attention to the present, we will be one with the Infinite Energy Source, God, Universal Intelligence, the Unmanifested. It does not matter what we call it because no words can capture what it is. However, it can be experienced.


The main characteristics of Presence are peace, love and joy, which is what we all want. It does not have to be sought because it is what we are.


Let's embody peace, love and joy.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Surrender


We will never solve our problems by trying to figure them out through thought. Our thoughts consist of a repeating cycle of social programming.

We are afraid to give up our thoughts because our identity, who we believe that we are, is irrevocably tied to them. We firmly believe that if we give up our thoughts that we will die.

We will not die.

On the contrary, if we give up our compulsive thinking and surrender to what is, our lives will be in harmony with the Infinite Energy Source.

The solutions to our "problems" will become apparent and we will become aware that our problems actually do not exist.

Let's surrender our thoughts. Let's surrender our beliefs. Lets surrender.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Love


There is no material possession which can fill the hole that we feel inside. There is no knowledge that we can acquire. There is no social or religious group which can fill the emptiness.

Only love can fill it. Love is not something we need to look for. It is what we are. All that we have to do is surrender to it.

Let's surrender to love.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Divinity


There is nothing that we can do to fall out of grace.

Mass murder, adultery, cruelty, child abuse. None of these things will alter our Divine Nature.

However, we can be unconscious of our Divinity. We can be unaware of It and believe that we are separate from all that is. We can cut ourselves off from who we really are.

God does not judge. When we do not judge, we are in harmony with our Divine Nature, which is peace, love and joy.

It is our most fundamental choice. We can live unconsciously, in accordance with our social programming and egoistic desires. Or we can surrender to our Divine Nature.

Let's choose life.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Acceptance


True change can only occur when we accept our current situation as it is. By resisting what is, such as by being frustrated or wishing it were otherwise, we only reinforce the current situation. We do not have to be complacent. Once we accept our situation, we can take steps to change it.

We attract situations consistent with our beliefs. If we wish that our situation was different than it is, we are acknowledging that we are unsatisfied with things as they are. The dissatisfaction perpetuates the condition that we want to change.

If we instead embrace our current situation with acceptance and gratitude, the Universe will provide positive things into our lives.

By being annoyed and frustrated while we are in traffic, we are resisting the flow of life. If we surrender our anger and accept our situation, we will be in harmony with life.

Let's surrender our frustration and embrace life.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Joy


Joy is our natural state.

We experience happiness, and we experience sadness and frustration. We are addicted to the highs and lows of the conditioned life. We are not in control of our lives.

We unconsciously bounce from elation to depression because we have no awareness of what we are doing. We constantly look for something outside of ourselves to save us from unsatisfying lives. We believe that our lives would be enhanced if we only had something that we want, a new job, an article of clothing, a lover. The hole that we feel cannot be filled from obtaining any object or knowledge.

We are afraid to behave differently than we have been conditioned to behave because there is safety in belonging to the group.

If we have the courage to surrender our judgments, thoughts and beliefs, we will discover that we will not be lost. On the contrary, we will find ourselves in the unmanifested freedom of the void. By giving up our stale beliefs, we come home to our natural state, which transcends the ups and downs of our physical existence.

Let's surrender to joy.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Choice


Historically, only every several hundreds of year would someone become conscious and self-realized and teach the world about divine presence. A Buddha, Jesus, or Gandhi would arise every once in a great while to teach others how to live contrary to the programmed existence of the day.

As we have learned the means to destroy the entire planet through nuclear weapons or environmental destruction, millions of people are awakening at the same time in this critical period.

This election presents a rare opportunity to have a leader of the most powerful country in the world, who is self-realized, transparent and does not live in accordance with the social programming of the day. This leader radiates peace and wisdom and is in harmony with the flow of life.

We can choose someone who offers us the comfort of the past, or we can choose a leader for a new future.

Let's wake up and vote.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Allowing


Do we allow life to take us where it wants us to go? Or do we fight the current and allow our deep seated fears and prejudices to lead us where we think we want to go?

We do not have enough information to know what is "good" or "bad" for us.

When we are in traffic, if we are irritated or frustrated, we are resisting Life. If we lose our job, we often later get a more suitable job. If we get divorced, we may realize that we are a whole person that did not need a spouse to complete us. If we have a health crisis, we may realize that we have to modify our lifestyle and choose healthier habits. We may also realize that life is too short to waste a single moment being unconscious and unaware.

How can we tell which decision is in harmony with Life? We know we are in harmony when we feel at peace with our decision. One choice makes us feel contracted and unsure. The other makes us feel in tune with our inner self. With practice, it becomes easier to make harmonious decisions.

Let's allow life to be as it is.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Yes


Underneath anger and frustration lies sadness.

We were hurt by events that happened to us during childhood. We did not want to feel the hurt because it was too painful, so we avoided feeling it by covering it up with anger. The anger affects the way we feel about ourselves and how we interact with people. We continually create circumstances similar to what happened to us during childhood in a never ending cycle.

We can break the cycle by having the courage to be aware of the feelings which underlie our frustration and anger.

We are ready to say: Yes, something happened to us. Yes, it hurt our feelings. Yes, it was not fair. Yes, we accept that it happened. And, yes, we are ready to let it go.

We are also ready to say: Yes, we have the courage to surrender our stale beliefs, and yes, we will now take actions which enhance our lives.

Let's release our anger and frustration and surrender to yes.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Choice


We have a choice.

We can choose to live a conditioned, unconscious life, living our life in accordance with what we have been taught, and attempt to meet the expectations that others have for us.

There is great comfort and safety in conforming to the beliefs of the various groups that we belong to, such as our religious organizations, our schools, our economic and geographic peer groups, our gender identity, etc. It is frightening to stray from the course that other group members follow.

Or we can be choose to be like Neo of THE MATRIX, and search for the truth of our existence and become conscious.

Some people have to reach a low point before they search for answers outside of their familiar beliefs. Others have a nagging thought that there is something more to life than following the path they were assigned, and have a consistent desire to find their own way.

Once we decide to seek a different path, the Universe will offer us the means to awake. Some of us read books, such as Eckhart Tolles', some attend alternative churches like Agape for inspiration. Some find peace by being in solitude or nature. The truth is all around us.

My favorite films are ones where the main character becomes conscious and learns how to love, like THE MATRIX, ON THE WATERFRONT, CASABLANCA, JERRY MAGUIRE, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, AMERICAN BEAUTY, SIXTH SENSE, THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, etc.

We make the choice. The path we choose is ours alone. Let's create whatever life we choose to create.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Thought


If we pay attention to our thoughts, we will discover that 90% of them are gibberish. The problem is, this gibberish controls what we think, how we feel and what we do. Conditioned thinking is why we are so often angry and unhappy.

We can loosen the grip of our conditioned thoughts by bringing our attention to them without judgment. By becoming aware of our thinking, its ability to control us lessens. Once we realize that so much of our thoughts and beliefs are stale, silly and do not reflect what we want ourselves to be, we can release them.

Let's release our attachment to compulsive thinking by becoming aware of it.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Judgment


God does not make judgments. There is nothing that we can do to fall out of Grace.

We have complete freedom to live in harmony with our Divine Nature. Or we can continue to live unconsciously, experiencing the cycles of desire and frustration, elation and depression.

How do we know that our thoughts and actions are in alignment with our Divine Nature? We know that we are aligned with Source when our thoughts and actions bring us peace, love, and/or joy.

Let's choose.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Surrender


Our beliefs are created by programming that we are exposed to from birth by our families, schools, the media, etc. The programming is reinforced daily. We carry around stale beliefs which have been with us since childhood, and do not serve us anymore. The beliefs about our gender, our identity and judgments about other people and things limit our options and cut us off from the life force which is our true nature.

The old beliefs, which often operate below the level of consciousness, cause us to continually repeat patterns of behavior. We keep having the same reaction to situations until we break the cycle of our patterns by becoming aware of the underlying beliefs which control us.

It is time to let go of our stale beliefs which do not bring us what we want in life.

By bringing awareness to our thoughts, feelings and actions, we can release our beliefs and judgments and be aligned with the Infinite Energy Source, which is life itself. Our lives will become peaceful as we give up the things that frustrate and irritate us.

Let's surrender all of our judgments about people, situations, and ourselves and embody the peace which we crave. We no longer need to seek it as it is what we truly are.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Mindfulness


Are we aware of what we are doing? Do we examine our thoughts and feelings? Or do we sleepwalk through life like programmed robots, doing mindless activities and bouncing from envy to frustration, from elation to anger, from adoration to resentment.

Do we say what we mean? Does everything we do and say reflect our true intentions? Do our actions enhance our lives and the lives of others in a meaningful way?

We can break the bonds of our programming and conditioned responses by being aware of our actions, thoughts and emotions, without judgment. The light of awareness reprograms our lives and allows us to live in alignment with our true selves. Stale beliefs fall away, and peace, love and joy enter our lives.

Traditionally, in Japanese culture, people are mindful of every activity they do. They put their full attention to whatever they are doing and try to make it as perfect as possible.

We should be mindful in every activity as well. Every action and every thought should reflect our intentions.

Let's bring our attention to every activity we do. Let's be aware of our feet touching the ground when we walk, let's chew every bite of food that we eat and be grateful for the nutrition it provides.

Let's be present, beyond thought.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Peace


Living in a major city, it can be difficult to find peace. The constant noise and concrete contribute to feelings of unease and frustration. Many people living in close proximity with each other increases the chattering of our minds. Thoughts and beliefs are also constantly reinforced.

We can be peaceful in any situation by silencing the turmoil within us. We can be peaceful in any situation, on an isolated beach or on a crowded subway. We can silence the mind and not be lost in our thoughts by bringing our attention to our thoughts without judgment. Our attention is the light of awareness which dissolves stale thoughts and beliefs.

It requires courage and discipline. We have the courage to look at our thoughts and beliefs which have not been examined for a long time. There is nothing in our thoughts which can harm us. Some unexamined thoughts are painful. These thoughts are far more harmful to ourselves when we do not acknowledge them. They cause us to unconsciously live our lives in frustration and fear. By merely bringing our attention to these thoughts, they lose the power to control us and eventually dissolve.

We need discipline to consistently keep our focus on the moment despite the strong pull of outward distractions and inward unconscious thinking. It is like exercising a muscle. The more we practice being present, the easier it becomes.

Let's surrender to peace regardless of where we are or what circumstances we are in.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Being


If there was an activity which, by doing it a few minutes a day, would lower our blood pressure and make us healthier, would we do it? If there was an activity which would improve our relationships, would we find time to do it? What if this activity would make us happy and peaceful, and rid us of our depression, frustration and neuroses?

Unfortunately, there is no such activity which can achieve these results. However, there is a non-activity that will accomplish these things and more.

If we take only a few minutes a day to sit in stillness, all of these things will occur in our lives. Becoming aware of our breath, our thoughts and our emotions, without judgment, takes courage and discipline.

Numerous studies have proven that meditation lowers blood pressure, enhances health, and increases well-being.

Is it worth a few minutes out of our busy day to benefit every aspect of our lives and indeed change the world?

Let's allow ourselves the gift of stillness.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Simplicity


Do we really need to acquire more stuff?

We are inundated with very persuasive propaganda from films, television and advertising, telling us that we are "not enough."

The pharmaceutical companies invent diseases in order for us to purchase drugs every day for the rest of our lives. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and other conditions are usually easily remedied through diet and exercise. The drug companies earn billions of dollars convincing us that a lifetime of drug taking is the only solution.

We are complete just the way we are. Acquiring things will only temporarily make us feel that we are fulfilled. Soon we will feel empty again.

There is nothing wrong with owning and enjoying material objects. Problems arise when we believe that those objects will enhance who we are.

There is nothing that we need to own or add on to ourselves to be complete. Ridding ourselves of things that have no true value will emphasize that. We will feel whole when we realize that we are whole. If we do not realize that we are complete, we should have faith that we are until we know it. Then we will understand that we do not need things to enhance us.

Let's realize that nothing outside of ourselves is necessary because we are already Perfect.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Awareness


We have a choice.

We can go through life in an unconscious state, bouncing from emotion to emotion, alternating between happiness and depair, desire and frustration. We can continue be a victim of our conditioning with no control over our destiny.

Or, we can take control of our lives, our thoughts and our emotions, and move into alignment with our higher selves.

There is nothing that we have to figure out or do to regain control. By bringing our attention to our thoughts, emotions and actions without judgment, the perfect solution to every challenge will be revealed. We gain more from surrendering what we think we know than trying to figure out solutions.

Let's increase our awareness by bringing our attention to what we are thinking and doing. By bringing our attention to the present moment, we will be in harmony with our Divine nature.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Surrender


There is nothing wrong with owning and enjoying material possessions. Problems arise when we identify with those objects and believe that they will help us overcome our feelings of inadequacy. We believe they will help us feel that we belong to a certain group or help make us popular, envied or desired. We believe that if we are envied, there must be something to envy. We feel our lives must therefore have value.

For a period of time, an object might make us feel happy, envied or desired, or that we belong to a group. Soon, our feelings of inadequacy will return. No possession can fill the hole that we feel, because there is no hole. We just think that there is.

When we surrender all of our judgments and beliefs, we realize that our neuroses and insecurities have left us as well. We are left with pure awareness and we are aligned with our higher purpose.

Let's surrender our ideas about our gender. Let's surrender our beliefs about our country. Let's surrender our beliefs about our religion. Let's surrender our beliefs about ourselves.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Discipline


We have all of the tools that we need to become fully integrated. We know how to discard our neuroses and insecurities. We know how to overcome our depression and boredom. We know how to break the cycle of fear, desire, and frustration.

Since we have the tools, all that we need are the will and discipline in order to realize our intentions. Every time we become distracted by our thoughts or emotions is a new opportunity to awaken to presence.

Let's remember to surrender our beliefs and bring our awareness to the present moment.


Saturday, July 26, 2008

Silence



We are constantly distracted by television, the computer, music, idle chatter with friends, etc. The noise of the city is deafening. The media bombards us with advertising, publicity and sordid revelations about shallow celebrities.


It is not surprising that we are driven to desire and fear in a constant cycle of dissatisfaction and unease. The non-stop advertising from drug manufacturers is very well designed to keep us in a constant state of worry about our health and well being. The fast food industry makes sure that we will need the drugs that the pharmaceuticals sell.


The external noise creates the most disturbing noise of all, the noise within our heads. Our thoughts are programmed by the non-stop conditioning of input from the outside world.


We can free ourselves from this bondage of which we are scarcely aware, and transcend the noise and the never-ending cycles of fear and desire, boredom and escape.


We can rise above the noise by observing the noise within us and outside of us without judgment. By observing the noise, we break our attachment to the messages contained within it. We become comfortable with silence and lose the need to be distracted.


Let's embrace silence.




Saturday, July 12, 2008

Stillness


Can we sit in a chair without speaking, eating, thinking, meditating, or doing anything at all? Can we feel our hearts beating and the blood coursing through our bodies? Can we feel our feet come in contact with the ground when we walk? Can we feel the breeze touch the skin on our face? Do we feel ourselves tensing our muscles? Can we release the tension when we bring our awareness to them? Do we see the world come and go without judgment?


When we are still, we do.


When we are still, we are in synch with the Infinite Energy Source. We are unfazed by the turbulence that surrounds us. We are at peace.


When we are still, everything changes. We no longer endlessly strive for things that we desire. We are not jostled by the highs and lows of everyday life. Our problems disappear. Our petty jealousies and hatreds fade. We are one.


Let's just be.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Freedom


We are prisoners of our conditioned mind. From birth, we have been programmed to think, feel and act in accordance with our gender, religion, economic class, region, etc. We sleepwalk through life.


We can become free by realizing that everything that we believe is false. We are not restricted by being male or female. We do not have to belong to or follow a religion. We do not have to consider ourselves Americans.


We will be free when we surrender all of our thoughts and beliefs and become comfortable with the uncertainty of not knowing. By releasing all of our beliefs, we awaken to who we truly are. We release our stress at the same time. Our stress was caused by the conflict between what we think we are and what we truly are.


Let's surrender to freedom.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Watcher


If we are unaware of our thoughts, emotions and actions, we move through life like conditioned robots. We are buffeted between fear and desire, programmed to respond in a certain way since birth. The programming continues throughout our life, until we awaken.


The media barrages our unconscious mind with the desire to purchase items which we think will fulfill us, and drugs, which we think will bring us health and well-being. We are brainwashed.


By bringing awareness to our thoughts, emotions and activities, we break the pattern of conditioned responses.


Awareness is simply attention (or observation) without judgment. When we perceive ourselves without making judgments of any kind, we allow the infinite energy of Source to flow through us. Our activities are then in alignment and we will experience a profound peace. There may be some turbulence in our outer lives, but that is because our true selves have been repressed for so long.


Are we the one who is perceiving or the one who is being perceived? We are both, and this bifurcation allows us to become aware that we are much, much greater than we think we are.


Let's become mindful of our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions and start truly living.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Love


We search for people or things to fill the hole inside ourselves. We seek status, prestigious jobs, expensive fashions, impressive cars, etc. We try to fill the hole with alcohol, drugs, sex, exercise, work.


The hole cannot be filled because there is no hole. We attempt to attain something which cannot be attained. No matter how successful, popular, powerful or beautiful we are, we do not find fulfillment.


Love is the answer. Not the yearning for someone or some thing. But the realization that love is what we are. By dropping our identity and our notions of who we think we are or want to be, we find ourselves. We can discover our Selves by being present, without thought.


Let's be aware of our true nature.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Heaven


If we are not living in Heaven right now, we are never going to find the Heaven we think we are looking for.


If we believe that we are working towards achieving a particular state or will someday be there, it will not arrive, because it is what we already are.


No belief can get us there. We cannot learn how to get there. No knowledge can bring us closer.


Only by shedding our beliefs and judgments about it, can we recognize our natural state, which is one with the Eternal.


Let's stop striving for future goals and become what we are, right now.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Joy


There is no happiness without unhappiness. Happiness and unhappiness are irrevocably tied.


We can transcend the cycle of happiness and unhappiness. There are no steps that we need to take or lessons that we need to learn to achieve it. It cannot be learned. It cannot be achieved. There is no path to become joyful. It underlies our being.


Joy is our natural state. We can experience joy by surrendering all of our assumptions, judgments and ideas about what we should be doing and how we should be living. By peeling back the layers of who we think we are, we become what we are, joy peace and love.


Let's surrender to joy.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Enlightenment


No one can tell us what enlightenment is. It only has the meaning we give it. No one can tell us the path to enlightenment, because there is no path. Our experience of enlightenment is unique to each of us. It is what we want it to be.


It cannot be taught. It is fruitless to seek to acquire knowledge to achieve it. It cannot be achieved.
Only by surrendering our thoughts, judgments and beliefs can it be experienced. It is our natural state. We can recognize it by stripping things away, not by adding any teachings or belief systems.


We experience the Eternal by recognizing that it is what we are. We recognize it by surrendering and allowing. Let's surrender to the Eternal. It is our true selves. The rest is an illusion.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Inspiration


How do we know the difference between inspiration, which is derived from Source, and thoughts that come from the conditioned mind?


Thoughts and action inspired by Source are accompanied by feelings of calm and peace. When we act in accordance with our conditioned programming, we will eventually feel frustrated and unfulfilled. The more conscious we become, the easier it is to discriminate between Inspiration and unconscious conditioned desires.


Until we know the difference intuitively, we may have to follow our impulses regardless of where they are coming from. For example, we may have an impulse to buy a flash car. As much as we may enjoy it, it can never make us feel fulfilled. If we identify with our possessions, they will reflect back to us the insecurities which compel us to feel important in the eyes of others. We need to seem important because we feel unimportant.


If we feel peaceful while following an impulse and the action promotes understanding for all concerned, our impulse is inspired.


If we allow Divine Inspiration to guide us in all our activities by surrendering to what is, everyone involved will benefit from our actions (although they may not realize it at the time), and we become a fundamental part of human evolution.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Simplify


We cannot make ourselves whole by adding things on to ourselves, such as obtaining material possessions, knowledge, beliefs, etc.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with having things which make us comfortable or learning things. However, we will become disappointed if we think that additional things will make us fulfilled, or when we identify ourselves with our labels, friends or possessions (e.g., "I am a Mercedes owner," "I am President of a company." "I wear the latest fashions," "I am accomplished at this or that.").

We can experience fulfillment by releasing our identification with things. We can feel connected to the Source by dropping the labels that define us. The less we know the wiser we become.
Let's strip away all of our labels and identifications, and become what we truly are: Peace, love and joy.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Affirmation


What we say and think affects how we feel. If we change what we say and think, we will change the way we feel.


When people used to ask me how I was (which, since I am mostly on the phone all day with different people, is sometimes dozens of times a day), I would always answer "I can't complain," signifying that, although I am not too well, there are a lot of people worse than I. Although I usually felt OK, I was often frustrated and angry.


One day I realized the connection between what I said and my state of mind. Now when people ask me how I am, I only answer one of two ways: "fantastic" or "great." I noticed that occasionally this response lifts the spirits of the person I am speaking with. I also noticed that I began feeling less angry and frustrated when little things went wrong.


I had a cold this week, yet when people asked how I was, I answered "fantastic." When I realized I sounded sick, I would sometimes follow it up with "I have a cold, but otherwise feel fantastic." I also realized that I felt great despite being sick. Even though I had the symptoms of a cold, they did not affect my state of being. I did not feel sorry for myself, did not expect sympathy from others or wish that I was not sick. I also did not identify with being a sick person.


Let's bring awareness to our words and thoughts and, if they are not reflecting who we want to be, let's release them. Our words and thoughts should reinforce what we truly are: love, peace and joy.

(I feel better now, thanks.)

Monday, April 21, 2008

Death


The fear of death follows us like a shadow. It colors every action we take. We are afraid because we were taught that there is something to fear.

When we float over our bodies and realize that we are more than our bodies, we know that there is nothing to fear. Our physical manifestation is just a small part of what we are.

There is no reason to have preconceptions about death. It will be what it will be. Our Spirit will continue.

Let's surrender our fears and be one with the Infinite.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Forgiveness



As we bring awareness to our thoughts and feelings, it is easy to feel frustrated and angry at the small-minded, selfish and, indeed, crazy thoughts that we have. This frustration and anger perpetuates the conditioned programming that we experience in our thoughts and our actions.


Although it may seem that these thoughts represent "ourselves," they do not. They are merely conditioned responses to programming that we received long ago and which is constantly being reinforced. As our awareness increases, the crazy thoughts recede into the background.


Let's bring gentle awareness to our thoughts and feelings and forgive ourselves for whatever we might observe. Those thoughts do not represent what we are.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Stress


Stress and fear are the same thing. Stress is a euphemism for fear.


When our bodies are in a perpetual state of stress, adrenaline is constantly coursing through our muscles and organs. The system was designed so that adrenaline is released in short bursts when we are under imminent threat.


When we are stressed, it is as if an automobile was running at maximum revs constantly. The car's life is greatly shortened and it is susceptible to mechanical breakdown.


We can release the stress by bringing awareness to our bodies, our activities, our thoughts, our emotions, and our breathing. The awareness brings acceptance of our current situation and allows the stress to be released like a balloon slowly releasing air. Otherwise the balloon will continue to expand and eventually burst. Similarly, if we do not release our stress, we could suffer a heart attack or a stroke.


Let's be aware of the fear and the stress within our bodies and release it by awakening to presence

Monday, March 31, 2008

Nature



Night turns into day, the seasons come and go, the buds of flowers appear and their petals fall to the ground. Nature contains rhythms. We are a part of nature.


We also have rhythms.We are a part of the flow of nature, not separated from it. Breathing deeply in a natural setting reminds us of that connection.


Animals are comfortable in their skins and plants have no pretense but are simply one with nature. So are we. Let's drop the artifice and posturing and be comfortable with our self, which is connected to all things.


Let's have the eternal within us observe our natural rhythms and the rhythms of nature without attachment or judgment.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

We Are The Prophets


Historically, it was only once every several hundred years when a prophet would awaken and instruct others on enlightenment. The evolution of the planet is accelerating.


Just as violence and disorder seem to be increasing around the world, millions of people are waking up the reality that we are not what we think we are. We are divine presence.


The time to be on the spiritual path is over. The time to follow spiritual and religious leaders and teachers is over. The time for doing is over. The time for being is now.


We are the prophets.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Surrender


There is nothing wrong with owning and enjoying beautiful or useful things. If we obtain, for example, a Porsche, or other luxury car, we can love its beauty and enjoy the way it drives and its engineering.


However, if we own it to create envy in others or to show that we are part of a group, it only exposes our own feelings of inadequacy. If we desire to create envy in others, we must feel lower than they are. If we have to prove our superiority, it means that we do not feel superior. Of course, even if we succeed in establishing our image of superiority, there will always be someone with more, and we feel inferior again.


Although we are not superior to anyone else, we are also not inferior to anyone. We can rid ourselves of our constant striving and become whole and confident by surrendering all of our ideas and judgments about who we think we are. By surrendering layer after layer of our thoughts, beliefs and judgments, what remains is our connection to Universal Energy and we experience peace, love and joy.


There is nothing we have to do. We stop doing and surrender.


Let's surrender to the Infinite.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Being


There is nothing that we have to learn to be peaceful. There is no knowledge which can add to our understanding of it. There is no object we can acquire which can bring us peace. There is no accomplishment we can achieve which will bring us peace.


Peace is what we are. It is not a belief. It is a state of being. We can rid ourselves of the turbulence and frustration of our lives by becoming aware. Awareness is simply attention without judgment. By bringing attention without judgment to our thoughts, beliefs and emotions, they dissolve. They cannot exist in the light of awareness. We are left with our natural state of being, which is peace, joy and love.


If we are sitting, not doing any activity, not thinking or judging, we (or others) might think that we are wasting our time and not accomplishing anything. On the contrary, we are causing the world to evolve.


Let's release our judgments, thoughts and beliefs and be what we actually are: love, peace and joy. Let's be now.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Transcendence


Life is designed for us to experience happiness and unhappiness, health and disease, satisfaction and frustration, peace and impatience.


We can transcend the ups and downs of these cycles which cause anxiety and stress, by bringing awareness into our life. We do this by observing, without judgment, our thoughts, emotions and what we perceive with our senses.


Is it possible to be peaceful in the midst of turmoil? It is inevitable because peace is what we are.


Let's transcend the changing tides of our life by releasing our addiction to thought and the stories that we tell ourselves, and allow our awareness to transform us.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Meditation


We do not need to meditate. We can remain aware of our oneness with the Infinite Energy Source without it. It may, however, be a useful tool.




Stress can build up like a balloon filling with air. We do not know how to release it because we have lost perspective. The stress keeps building up until the balloon pops and we may have a heart attack or other health crisis.




When we meditate we return to a place beyond thought and emotion. We are restored to our natural state of peace, love and joy.




Let's remember who we are.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Acceptance


True change cannot occur until we accept reality as it is. When things happen that we are not happy about, we become irritated, frustrated and resistant. We wish things had not happened in the way that they did.


If we have a sore throat and we have an important meeting or fun activity planned, we become angry and upset with our condition. Of course, this only worsens it. Also, we tell ourselves "I always catch a cold at the wrong time," or "I must be coming down with the flu," or "Why does this always happen to me." By telling ourselves these stories we reinforce the situation we do not want to occur, attracting it to ourselves. We literally make ourselves sick.


If we instead fully accept our situation and do not label or judge it, we allow our body to heal itself. If "My throat feels sore" turns into "I am coming down with something," we will. Without judgment, the sore throat could go away in a day or an hour. It is the negative thoughts that often cause the sore throat to turn into something more serious.


Similarly, if we become irritated because we are stuck in traffic, we become unnecessarily anxious and stressed. If we allow the situation to be as it is, by, for example, enjoying the music or time by ourselves, things will unfold in the way that they are supposed to. We are flowing with the current of Life. We may find that the traffic clears or we were better off not arriving in a "timely" manner.


Let's fully accept whatever occurs without judgment or labels.


Sunday, February 10, 2008

Enlightenment


Enlightenment is not a nearly impossible to attain state that only a handful of people have ever experienced. Enlightenment is the realization that Infinite Divine Energy, consciousness, awareness, the unmanifested, or whatever we choose to name it, is what we are.

We feel cut off from the energy field that we are and believe that we are a thought construct built up over our lives and confirmed daily by people with similar (or dissimilar) thought structures. We believe the stories that we tell about ourselves are who we are.

Donald Trump is the perfect symbol for the entire world of an ego-identified person. He believes he will be admired if he acquires enough golf courses, buildings and other physical structures. His desire is to be the envy of everybody in the world. If he is envied, he believes that he must be worthy of envy. If he is worthy of envy, his life must have value.

His problem is not that he has a lot of things, but that he identifies with those things and believes that his value as a person is derived from those things. No acquisition can bring him satisfaction as he must continually acquire more and never feels that he has enough.

Having goals does not create dissatisfaction. Believing that acquiring something will make us whole or happy is what creates frustration and dissatisfaction.

There is nothing that we have to acquire. There is nothing that we have to experience. We do not have to attain Enlightenment because Enlightenment is what we are. All that we have to do is realize it.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Spirit


Can we feel the water flowing on our body when we take a shower? Can we feel our breath going in and out of our lungs? Can we feel our hearts beating in our chests and the blood coursing through our bodies? Can we see our thoughts passing through our minds like clouds in the sky? Can we feel our Spirit, the infinite divine energy floating above and through our bodies?

Spirit is a very inaccurate word to describe what we are. Words are inadequate to describe our true nature. We can, however, experience our Divine nature.

We can experience who we are by becoming still. The noise in our minds and the sensory overload that our senses experience in the outer world distract us from becoming our Selves. We can quiet the noise within us and without us by meditating.

Mindful meditation is the simple act of being. We bring our attention to our bodies. As thoughts arise, we observe them without judgment. When we do not identify with them, they pass like clouds. There is no need for frustration if we do not feel still. The realization that we are not still is an awakening. No judgment is required. To paraphrase a bad joke, the worst meditation I had was still good.

Let's be aware of the outer boundary of our body. Let's dissolve that boundary and merge with the Infinite.

Let's discover and join with our true nature by being still.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Mind


The mind is not our enemy. It is a useful tool. However, identification with thought creates frustration and unhappiness.

We can interrupt our identification with thought by bringing awareness (i.e., attention without judgment) to our thoughts and emotions. We are not our thoughts. Thoughts arise and we observe them. We will discover that 99% of our thoughts do not serve us. They consist of worry, guilt, fear, frustration, hope, desire, etc.

Let's bring awareness to our thoughts.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Body


Our body is our instrument for interacting with the material world. We should treat it in the same way we would treat a beloved possession.

Maintaining good health is no secret. It requires three things: Good nutrition to nourish the body (i.e., eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, meat and dairy); vigorous exercise nearly every day; and rest (including sleep and relaxation). More and more studies have shown that practices like yoga and meditation have substantial benefits to the heart, and the other organs).

It is well proven that unconsciousness, i.e., negative thoughts about our health, cause disease and ill health. When we become conscious, we drop our addiction to things which cause us ill health, are renewed by a constant flow of energy, and turn towards healthier choices.

Let's nurture our instrument.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Pure Awareness


Pure awareness is what we are.

We have convinced ourselves that we are an identity, which has been constructed over time since we were babies. We were given a name, a sexual identity, a religion, a socio-economic label, a national identity, group affiliations (e.g., country clubs, labor unions, alumni associations, professional organizations), etc.

The only existence we know is this identity which consists of a structure of beliefs which has no independent existence in reality.

We are reluctant to give up our attachment to the cycle of desire, expectation and fulfilment, even though it is irrevocably tied to disappointment and frustration. We are like a person who is addicted to gambling. He cannot stop despite the fact that his life is in shambles. He believes all his problems are caused by the fact that he loses. He continually tries to defeat the odds. The problem is not that the gambler loses, the problem is the gambling itself.

Similarly, we believe that our problems are caused by our desires not being fulfilled. We believe that if our desires are met, we would be happy and satisfied. The problem is not our unfulfilled desires. It is desire itself.

If desire is the problem, what is the solution? The answer is pure awareness, the realization that awareness is what we are. It is awareness becoming aware of itself.

Let's surrender to awareness.