Sunday, December 5, 2010

Courage

Mr. Electric, Waitemata Harbor, New Zealand

No matter how frightening and unproductive our thoughts are, we receive comfort from them. At least they are something to hold on to and shield us from the Unknown. Ironically, if we surrender our thoughts to the Unknown, we will achieve the peace, love and joy that we crave.

Sometimes it takes courage to take that leap of faith away from compulsive thinking and towards being present. As we begin to take that leap, and surrender our thoughts, our anxieties and neuroses begin to peel away. We realize that there was never anything to be afraid of. On the contrary, we feel a connectedness that we have never experienced before.

Let's have the courage to surrender to the Unknown.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Knowing

Waitete Bay, Coromandel, New Zealand

When we worry about a problem that we are having, we are unable to bring our attention to the present moment because we believe that our worrying will somehow solve our dilemma. We make lists of "pros" and "cons" and try to figure out the best answer to our problem.

However, when we surrender our thoughts and worries, and bring our attention to the present, we align ouselves with Universal Intelligence. Once we are in harmony with Universal Intelligence, the best course of action will present itself, without thought or worry. Often, one decision makes us feel nervous and unsure, while the other brings conviction and a sense of calm. Sometimes the best course of action is the less obvious one.

Let's surrender to Knowing.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

JOY

Nara, Japan

Happiness does not exist without unhappiness. Satisfaction does not exist without frustration. The everyday ups and downs of our lives continue until we stop and realize that there is another way. There is a never ending joy that we can experience that is between and beyond thought.

All of our unhappiness comes from thought. All of our frustration comes from thought. All of our neuroses comes from thought. We cannot stop thinking. However, we can stop our compulsive and destructive thinking by bringing our attention, without judgement of any kind, to our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions.
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Let's surrender to joy

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Watcher

Coromandel, New Zealand

When we put our attention to what we are thinking and doing, a break occurs between ourselves and our conditioned mind. This is our first taste of freedom.

When we are watching our thoughts and actions, the question arises, who is the watcher and who is being watched? A door opens to the Unmanifested, the Divine. Once the door is opened, it is very difficult to close again. Once our eyes are open, why would we want to close them? We have taken the first step on a journey to become one with who we really are. Of course, no journey is required. Freedom can never be experienced at some point in the future, only in the present. Are we on a journey or are we not? No answer is required. This is merely a paradox that we surrender to.

Answers are only required by our thinking self. Freedom can only be experienced in the space between thoughts. We become comfortable with unanswered questions. We see the great mysteries of the world and allow them to be as they are. Trying to figure them out will not take us where we need to be.

Let's bring our attention to ourselves.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Surrender

Waihihi Bay, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

We hold onto our beliefs as if our life literally depended on it. We believe with such certainty, that we think that anyone who disagrees with us is an idiot (or worse). We believe that the stories we tell ourselves and others are without question, the truth.

The more adamant we are about our beliefs, the more insecure we truly are. The firmness of our beliefs is in direct relation with the fragility of our egos. We would rather hold onto our beliefs than be happy, confident, peaceful and free. Is the price we are paying really worth it? What would happen if we lost the certainty of our beliefs? Would we be lessened as people if we surrendered our judgments? Would we be lost, with no anchor, if we stopped criticizing and holding firm opinions about what our world is?

Once we surrender our judgment, thoughts, beliefs, and ideas about our reality, we will see ourselves and the world as they really are. Our insecurity and neuroses will lessen. We will experience freedom and joy. We will start to like ourselves and ignore the pettiness and faults in others. We will live in harmony with the Infinite Energy Source.

Let's surrender to joy.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

One

Caterpillar, Sedona, Arizona

When our anger, envy, frustration, desire and other judgments about ourselves and others begin to fade, we will start to see the connections between all of us and everything. We begin to notice that there is a divine energy which is contained in every one of us from which we arose and will return after our physical life is over. We understand that, often the people that we are most critical of are the most similar to ourselves. The differences that we had with others begin to fade. When we look at others, we see ourselves.

Let's see the Light in everyone and everything.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Truth

Meteor Crater, Arizona

We sometimes get irritated when we miss a traffic light while driving. We sometimes become enraged when someone cuts us off in traffic. We often live life on a hair trigger, where the smallest slight will cause us to instantly flush with anger.

We may not realize it, but every moment we are making a choice. We are choosing to react in an angry or judgmental way. Once we realize that we have a choice, why would we choose to be angry over inconsequential things? When we are angry, we are harming ourselves more than others. Our blood pressure and stress levels spike and we are agitated for hours and sometimes days, contributing to our feelings of unease.

We become angry because we believe that our thoughts represent the truth. Once we realize that our thoughts are not truth, we can notice them and not react. We then become free of the shackles of conditioned consciousness. The triggering thought will pass in moments, as opposed to keeping us agitated for days. Our thoughts are not truth. Every moment is a new choice.

Let's be aware of our thoughts without reacting or judging. This is freedom.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Acceptance

Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

The problem is not so much that we wish things were different than they are. The real problem is that we refuse to even accept reality as it is. We tell ourselves stories to justify the divergence between our beliefs about reality and how things really are.

Regardless of how cruel and horrible our lives may be, we must accept that they are what they are
.

This does not mean that we have to be complacent. Once we accept reality as it is, if things are capable of being changed, we can take steps to change them.

Let's accept things as they are by looking at them clearly, without labels or judgment.

Friday, September 17, 2010

This Moment

Kamakura, Japan

We sometimes feel as though life is bearing down hard on us. We feel lost in desire, frustration, loneliness and despair. We believe that life is unjust and unfair. We think that it is possible to awaken and become enlightened, but it seems like an unattainable goal.

There is an idea which can lighten the load. Every moment is a new opportunity to change course and awaken. Even if we cannot bring ourselves to awaken in this moment, it is comforting to know that every moment brings a new opporunity. No matter how bad things may seem, freedom is just around the corner.

Let's bring our awareness to this moment. Let's start now.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Confidence

Dylan

We judge constantly. We judge instantaneously. We judge everything that happens to us. We judge everything we wish would happen to us. We judge others immediately. We judge ourselves relentlessly. We judge because we are insecure and have low self esteem.

If we are confident, it is unnecessary for us to judge. We judge to boost our ego, regardless of whether we are criticizing someone or envious of them. Our judgments prevent us from seeing clearly. Our judgments prevent us from being who we really are.

We believe that our judgments are absolute truth. Although they may or may not be true, they do not help us see clearly or enhance our lives. They only serve to reinforce our fragile egos. We cannot stop judging. However, by bringing pure awareness to our thoughts, judgments will fall away because we no longer need them.

Let's see things as they are, Not as we are afraid they are or wish they were.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Peace

Sedona, Arizona

"Choose peace" is a cliche. However, it is also a truth that can help us become more peaceful.

In any given moment we have a choice. We can be lost within our emotion and become the frustration, impatience, rage or hopelessness that we feel. Or we can bring awareness to our feelings, and experience the calm that is beyond thought and emotion. Once we are aware of our feeling, a separation instantly occurs between our Selves and the emotion and we realize that we have a choice. With awareness,the emotion soon dissipates. Isn't it reassuring that, no matter how badly we screw up, every moment is a new opportunity to choose peace and freedom?

When we are lost in the emotion, we tap into our unconscious conditioned responses and we can feel trapped within it for hours, weeks or months. To create awareness of our emotion at the time that we are feeling it, we can bring our attention to our bodies without judgment and without acting upon it. We feel the heat and want to react to it, but we just let it be as it is.
After a few moments, or at most a few minutes, it subsides. We have realized that we are not the anger and other emotions that we feel. We have become transcendent.

Let's choose peace.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Awareness

The Catlins, South Island, New Zealand

Our mind is designed to think continuous thoughts. It is easy for us to lose awareness of our current circumstance and be lost in thought. When we our lost in our thoughts, all of our feelings and actions will reflect the patterns of our thoughts. Unfortunately, the patterns of our thoughts are created by the conditioning that we have received since birth. They are based in fear. Since our thoughts are based in fear, all of our feelings and actions also arise from fear. This is why we are fundamentally frustrated in our lives. We identify with our thoughts and believe that they are our reality, and therefore, we are trapped in an existence in which we do not feel fulfilled.

We can break this cycle of fear-based actions by realizing that our thoughts are not real. They may or may not be true, but they are certainly not who we are. We are not our thoughts.

There is a much more powerful reality. We cannot stop our thoughts. However, we can become free and in harmony with our true selves by bringing awareness to them without judgment. Once we are objectively aware of our thoughts , they slow down and they begin to lose their power over us.

Let's bring awareness to our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Gratitude

Lettuce, Coromandel, New Zealand

The Buddha said that the cause of our suffering is desire.

We desperately want prosperity, love, and peace. Our desire is what is keeping these things from us. Our lives are a reflection of what we think, believe and feel. We attract into our reality what we think, believe and feel. We cannot change our reality by wanting. If we are in a state of constant dissatisfaction and desire, that is a signal to the universe to attract more lack into our lives.

In a state of gratitude for what is, we are open to receiving more abundance. As we attract, so shall we receive.

Let's be grateful.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Body

Clivedon, England

The body is the instrument with which Spirit interacts with the material world. Just as the Infinite Energy Source is as real as the body, the body is as divine as Source. The more that the body is nurtured and respected, the more effective it will be in fulfilling our desires.

The elements of maintaining a healthy body are well established: nutritious fuel (more fruits and vegetables and less saturated fats and processed foods), exercise, and sleep and relaxation.

Once we fully inhabit our body, it will generally tell us what it needs. Also, by fully being present within our body, our consciousness is connected with Source and Source can freely express itself through us.

Let's respect our bodies. It is so much more than we think it is.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Freedom

Santa Fe, New Mexico

We are prisoners of our thoughts and beliefs. They are keeping us from happiness and fulfillment. Until we realize who we really are, we will unconsciously move through life, saying and doing what we were conditioned to do from birth.

We can find freedom and peace by moving our attention away from compulsive thinking and towards presence. Once we are willing to give up our judgments about who we are and how the world is, we will be able to live our lives in freedom. Our problems and our frustrations will dissolve. Every action that we take will be deliberate and in harmony with our true selves.

Let's surrender to freedom.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Surrender

Hole In The Rock, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

We hold on to stale thoughts and beliefs even though they adversely impact our happiness and well being. We feel safe with our belief systems and belonging to the groups which share them.

These thoughts and beliefs are keeping us from having peace in our lives and living up to our potential. Most of these thoughts are created from fear or are meaningless gibberish. Our compulsive thinking blocks the infinite energy that arises from Source and exists between and beyond our thoughts.

We are afraid of what will happen to us if we give up our thoughts and beliefs. We are afraid of the Great Unknown that exists between our thoughts. We will not be alone if we surrender our thoughts. We will be connected to everyone and everything.

Let's surrender to being.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Allowing

Coromandel, New Zealand

We are not willing to accept things as they are. We constantly wish that things were different. We wish that we looked different, that we had more money, a prestigious job, more love in our lives, that we had done things differently, and so on. We do not allow things to be as they are.

Allowing things to be as they are does not mean that we have to accept our current situation if it does not suit us. On the contrary. only by accepting reality as it is can we effect real change. By not accepting things as they are, we are living in a fantasy world. Non-acceptance causes stress, frustration and endless, repetitive cycles of thought and behavior.

Let's allow things to be just as they are.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Stillness

Coromandel, New Zealand

Do we want to have a more fulfilling, enjoyable life, free of fear, frustration, envy and anger? Would we like to be healthier, sleep better, and think more clearly? Would we like to improve our relationships?

Meditation is not necessary to become awakened. However, it is a powerful tool. Many studies have proven that meditation lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, prvents disease and enhances our health and the quality of our lives in a multitude of ways.

We think that we do not have time in our busy lives to take the time to meditate. Can we really not find the time to do something that makes our entire day better in every way?

There are no rules or techniques required to be still. We can sit down or lie down or stand up, for that matter. All that we have to do is bring our attention away from compulsive thinking and bring it to our bodies, our thoughts and everything around us. It is such a small investment in time which brings such a large benefit.

Let's find the time to bring stillness into our lives every day.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Joy

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

It is sometimes difficult to feel joy amidst the dreariness of everyday life. Life also seems to be filled with death, disappointment, ill health, and unease. We seem buffeted by the cycles of desire, fulfillment, and frustration, happiness, unhappiness, elation and depression. Even our bodies seem to have rhythms which we cannot control. Sometimes our happiness is accompanied by a sense of dread that it is impermanent and that unhappiness is just around the corner

Just below the surface of the endless cycles of happiness and unhappiness, there is a joy that transcends our cycles. It is our true nature. There is a feeling of joy that we can experience even in the midst of great sadness. Joy is a different feeling than happiness. It is a sense of aliveness that permeates all living things.

We experience joy by not believing the stories that we are constantly telling ourselves and instead turning our attention to the present moment. When we are present, a calm washes over us and the things that seemed so important seem almost silly.

Let's release all of our beliefs about ourselves and surrender to joy.



Saturday, June 26, 2010

Mindfulness

Hakone, Japan

Are we paying attention to what we are doing? Or are we lost in thought, regretting things from the past, hoping things will get better, or dreading the future? Are we telling ourselves stories about the past or how things will be? Are we imagining scenarios about how things could have been or should have been? Are we reinforcing negative beliefs by thinking the same thoughts over and over? Are we tired of living this way?

Can we feel our hearts beating when we are still? Can we feel the blood coursing through our bodies? Do we hear what people are saying or are we merely waiting to say something in response? Can we feel the cool breeze on our skin? Do we pay attention to the animals and insects that we see and hear? Do we feel love for everyone that we encounter?

Let's move in slow motion, aware of every movement that we make, for even a moment. For a minute. For an hour. Forever.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Reality

Stony Batter, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Some spiritual disciplines teach that the reality we experience through our five senses is an illusion. The reality we experience through our senses is real enough. However, the subtle levels of experience are just as real. The Divine Energy is real. Our connection to all things is real.

The biggest illusion is that we firmly believe that we are who we think we are.

Our experience of the subtle levels, and peace, freedom and love, can be just as vivid as our experiences in ordinary consciousness. It cannot be accurately described, thought about or imagined. In experience, we can know these things. All that we need to do is have the intention, utilize the tools for self discovery that we have (until those tools are no longer necessary) and surrender to present awareness without judgment.

Let's be aware of a universe beyond our physical senses.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Courage

Kamakura Buddha, Japan

It takes courage to live mindfully for two reasons.

First, we have to be willing to give up the social, religious, and political structures which have comforted us our entire lives. Our entire identities are tied up in the belief systems to which we belong. If we surrender our religious beliefs, we are afraid that we will be punished some time in the future. If we surrender our social beliefs, our friends may not like us any more because the group supports each other with their shared beliefs. Our families may be threatened by the changes that we are undergoing.

Second, when we bring our awareness away from our compulsive thinking about the past and present and bring it to the present moment, painful memories will arise into our consciousness, memories that we have been hiding in our subconscious in order to protect ourselves from pain. We may feel abandoned and alone.

We are not alone. There is great power and wisdom flowing from being connected to All That Is. We will feel alive and energized by living in harmony with the Source. There is nothing to fear. As old relationships fall away, new ones that resonate with our new vibration will appear. We will find new careers and interests. A new world will open to us. One not based on fear, frustration, and anger, but on love, peace and freedom.

The pull of compulsive thinking is strong. The ego is afraid to give up its long held beliefs. The Divine Energy that we yearn for is much stronger. Once we start, we cannot turn back. There is nothing real to turn back to.

Let's embrace the present moment without fear, judgment, or expectation.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Surrender

East Cape, New Zealand

Do we have the courage to give up our long held beliefs about who we are and the nature of reality? Do we have the will to give up our notions about what we need to be free? Are we ready to live mindfully and in the present moment right now and not some time in the future?

Now is the time to wake up. If we do not awaken right now, it will never happen, because we cannot awaken in the future. It can only happen now.

Let's surrender to peace now.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Love

Dylan

Love is what we are. If we are not feeling love, we are not in touch with our true selves.

If we are feeling anger, envy, frustration, disillusionment, rage, fear, or disappointment, we are not in touch with our true selves.

To get back in touch with ourselves, we will stop what we are doing, bring awareness without judgment to our thoughts and feelings, allow them to be as they are, release them, and surrender to who we really are.

Let's start now.






Sunday, May 23, 2010

Release

Yellowstone

Stress equals illness and death. It is caused by compulsive thinking about the past and the future and manifests in an unconscious holding of different parts of our inner body (including, our hearts).

Some say there is "good stress" and "bad stress." There is no such thing as "good stress." All stress leads to disease and death.

There is nothing "wrong" with illness or death. I am not making a value judgment. It is simply a choice. If we choose not to be ill or die at a young age, we must release stress.

We can release stress by stopping our compulsive thinking about the past and future and releasing our unconscious holding within our inner bodies. We can release our unconscious holding within our bodies by bringing our attention to the areas that we are holding, without judgment. We can only be conscious of what was previously unconscious by becoming still and moving our attention into presence. Once our holding becomes conscious, it will release. Breathing deeply into it also helps.

Let's release our stale thoughts and beliefs about the past and future, and surrender to presence.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

One

Sunrise, Hana, Maui

When presence comes into our lives, the neurotic parts of our identity begin to dissolve. The separation between ourselves and our world also begins to dissolve and we realize that we are one with everyone and everything.

Our fear of dying lessens, as well as our fear of future events. Once our attention remains in the present, we realize that the future is an illusion and worrying about it seems silly. Feeling guilty about actions that we cannot change and are not in conflict with our true selves, also seems pointless.

If we do not have "time" to do the work, to meditate, to practice yoga, to be mindful of what we are doing, to keep our attention in the present moment, to be kind and loving towards others and ourselves, we should not be surprised that we are frustrated, worried and stressed. Of course, it does not take "time" and there is no "work" that needs to be done. But we do have to wake up.

Let's realize the unity of all things.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Presence

Summer, Big Sur, California

We seek peace. We seek love. We seek joy. We never find what we seek. These are not things that can found.

However, if we surrender to presence, we will embody them without effort because peace, love and joy are our natural states.

We do not need to work at it, look for it, wish for it, hope for it. We cannot find it by thinking about it. When we bring our attention to the present moment and away from our unconscious thinking we will be home.

The pull of compulsive thinking is strong. Remaining in presence requires vigilant mindfulness and courage.

Let's surrender to presence.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Being

Roberton Island, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

If I could ask the Unknown Universe one question, it would be "Why?" Of course, before the question can even be asked, the answer comes. "Because." The better question is "Why Not?" Again, the answer comes before the question can even be asked. "No Reason."

We do not need a reason for being. There is nothing we need to learn, there is nothing we need to know. There is nothing we need to have. There is nothing we need to be.

We need nothing to be who we are. We are enough just as we are.

We do not need to be smart. We do not need to meditate. We do not need to practice yoga. We do not need to worship anything or anybody. We do not need to be free. We do not have to master our minds. We do not need to control our destiny. We do not need to lead. We do not need to follow. We do not need to justify our existence. We do not have to prove anything to anybody or even to ourselves.

All we need to be is who we are.




Thursday, April 22, 2010

Prosperity

Pelican, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Prosperity is not a function of how much we have, it is a state of being.

The person who has a lot of money or things is not necessarily prosperous. The person who is satisfied and fulfilled with the things that he or she has is prosperous. The key to abundance is not having a feeling of lack.

When we feel fulfilled and are satisfied with what we have, we attract even more abundance into our lives.

If we have a sense of lack and long for more, no amount of money or things will ever satisfy us.

Let's be grateful for everything that we have.


Sunday, April 11, 2010

Freedom

Hana, Maui

Whether we are the wealthiest person in the most free nation, or a pauper in a dingy prison, we are not free. We believe that in order to be free we need to have more money, more love, better health or some other missing element.

If we are not free right now in the present moment, we will never be free. Freedom can never arrive in the future because the future does not exist. It only exists in our mind. The only reality is the present. We have been conditioned to believe that there is a past and a future.

The time to choose freedom is now.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Surrender

Asakusa Festival, Tokyo, Japan

When we surrender what we think and believe about who we think we are, ironically, we become who we really are.

What we think about our reality is not necessarily truth about our reality. It is only a thought, which may or may not be true. To experience reality as it really is, and not how we think it is, or wish it was, we need to shift our awareness away from thinking. We are afraid to do this.

Regardless of the fact that our thoughts and beliefs usually bring us frustration, anxiety, stress, unhappiness and unease, we are afraid to give them up. We believe that if we give up our beliefs, we will lose our identity, our safety, and our bonds with our family and social groups.

It is true that if we surrender our thoughts and beliefs, we will give up certain aspects of our identity. Some of our social groups may lose our interest or the groups may not want us to be around. We will certainly change.

Isn't it a fair bargain to give up our neuroses, our unhappiness, frustration and pettiness, in order to become peaceful, loving, wise, and connected to everyone and everything?

There is nothing to fear from surrender.

Let's surrender to what we are.



Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Love

Russell, New Zealand

Love is what we are in essence. We have forgotten this because of our conditioning. our stale beliefs, our judgments, prejudices, and incessant thoughts.

When we peel the layers of thought and belief, we reach a feeling of pure love.

Some say that we are motivated by only two emotions, love and fear. Everything that we do, think or say arises from one emotion or the other. Every moment is a new choice.

Let's surrender to the love that we are.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Acceptance

Roberton Island, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

We believe that if we were better looking, had more money, had people that loved us, were in better health, that we would be whole. If we are not fulfilled now, we will never be fulfilled, because we cannot awaken in the future. We can only awaken now.

We can only effectuate real change when we accept and embrace where we are in this very moment. Once we accept where we are in this moment, we can take action to change our circumstances. If we are always wishing that things were different than they are, we are living a life of denial and nothing will fundamentally change.

Accepting who we are and where we are in the present moment does not mean that we have to put up with a situation that is not in harmony with how we want to live. It does not mean that we have to accept our fate. It means we can begin to create a life that is meaningful for us. It means that we can be at peace with what is. It means that we can awaken to our purpose in life.

Let's accept things as they are, not as we wished them to be. Then let's make every thought and action a mindful celebration of Life.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Enlightenment

Waiheke Island, New Zealand

I personally know 5 or 6 people who are enlightened. From an historical perspective, this is astounding. Millions of people worldwide are awakening. The 5 or 6 people I know are superficially not similar at all. Some are men. Some are women. Some live in the country. Some live in the city. Some meditate. Some do not. Some are wealthy. Some have very little money or material possessions. Some are white. Some are black. They have diffent likes and dislikes. However, they do share some of the same characteristics.

They do not fear becoming ill.
They do not fear death.
They do not fear for their personal safety.
They do not get irritated or frustrated when we interrupt them when they are speaking.
They are indifferent as to whether we like them or not.
They are indifferent as to what we think of them.
They have no neuroses.
They have great senses of humor.
They do not have any hidden agendas.
They live transparently.
When they listen, they listen. They are not thinking.
They do not become angry at real or imagined slights.
Their ego cannot be bruised.
They do not care whether we think they are enlightened or not.
They are charismatic.
We feel better when we are in their presence.
They know who they are.
They are one with who they are.

It is time to awaken now.









Sunday, February 28, 2010

Peace

Kyoto, Japan

How do we find peace in the chaos of the city, the stress of our daily lives, and the turmoil of our thoughts and emotions? How do find peace when our boss tries to undermine us, our health is challenged and we do not have love in our lives?

We cannot find peace if we look for it, because peace is what we are. Peace is what we are. Peace is what we are. All that we have to do is recognize it.

Let's embody peace




Saturday, February 27, 2010

Mindfulness

Dinner, Hakone, Japan

Are we paying attention to what we are doing, saying and thinking, or are we acting or reacting in accordance with our conditioning?
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When our attention is on what we are doing, we are in harmony with our inner selves and the universal energy.

When we are listening, are we listening, or thinking about how we want to respond? When we eat, do we eat or think about something else? When we walk, do we walk, or do we think about where we are going or what will happen when we get there? When we speak, do we communicate what we mean to communicate, or do we give a programmed response?When we meditate, do we meditate?

Right now let's turn our attention to what is.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Divinity

Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

God is not religion. Religion is not God. God cannot be understood with words or thought. Thought interferes with our ability to experience the Divine. God can be known, experienced and felt. All we have to do is surrender to it.

Religion is a belief structure built by men around their conception of the teachings of an awakened spiritual master. Religion can bring us closer to spiritual awakening, but religion can also keep us from it.

Religion is not necessary to become spiritually awakened. There is nothing we can do that will keep us from being Divine, because Divine is what we are. We just have to awaken to it.

Let's surrender to our Divinity.








Saturday, February 13, 2010

Start Now

Buffalo, Yellowstone National Park

Our intention is to awaken and live in the present moment. We just believe that it will happen sometime in the future. We believe that we do not have time, that we have to first obtain or achieve something or learn something.

We cannot awaken in the future. The future is an illusion. We can only awaken in the present moment. If we wait to become present, it will never happen.

The time to awaken is right now. It is not something that can be postponed. Why not just start now?

Let's awaken now.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Integrity

Pohutukawa Tree, Coromandel, New Zealand

We are not living with integrity when our words or actiions are not consistent with our deeper being. If we feel hesitant, annoyed, frustrated or afraid, we are not in synch with who we are.

When we act in concert with our higher selves, we speak with authority, act with conviction and the energy flows through us.

If we are deciding between two courses of action, we should not try to figure out which we prefer. Thought can only get us so far. If we are still, we will make the right decision that will benefit ourselves and those around us.

Sometimes it is best to not make a decision and see how we feel when we awaken. Often it is the less obvious choice. If our decision brings us peace, makes us feel strong or feels right, we are making the right decision. If we decide based on what we think that other people expect, we are cutting ourselves off from the wisdom that resides within us.

Let's live life with integrity.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Enlightenment

Rangitoto, New Zealand

We believe that achieving enlightenment is impossible. We think that it has only happened a few times in history. Perhaps only Jesus, Buddha and a few gurus in India have achieved it. We believe that it takes years of being cut off from society, practicing meditation or yoga to even see a glimmer of it.

This is not true. The word "enlightenment," like the word "God," is so loaded with beliefs and judgments, that it is almost impossible to see the truth behind the concepts.

All that we have to do is to stop believing that we are what we think we are. We cannot think our way out of our problems, because our thoughts are the problem.

We need to have the courage to turn away from our thoughts, our stale beliefs, our expectations, our judgments and our labels that we use to define ourselves and the rest of the world, and open our eyes to what is.

We do this by bringing our attention to the present moment. It is simple, but it is not easy. It is like a muscle. The more we use it,the easier it becomes. And we will not be alone. The universal energy is waiting for us to awaken and will welcome us with open arms. Life will unfold before us in profound and unexpected ways. We will enmbark on a new adventure.

Millions of us are awakening all over the world. It does not matter what we call it. Enlightenment, awakening, self-realization, living mindfully. Words cannot describe it. It must be experienced to be understood.

Let's wake up to what is.

Life

Sunrise, Hana, Maui

We assume that life is one bad event after another, and that the universe is out to get us. We assume this because of our expectations and assumptions.

The world is a glorious place and life is joyous. We can recognize this by appreciating the simple things. Do we really need an impressive job and car to be happy, or are we actually covering up the fact that we feel inadequate without those things?

Once we stop striving and desiring more, more, more, we can begin to receive pleasure from all that life gives to us. The simple act of breathing and being alive is worthy of celebration. Walking in nature, watching the clouds move across the sky, or looking at the simplicity in which an animal interacts with its environment is joyous. Watching a bird in flight can be exhilarating. If we are thinking too hard about what we have to do tomorrow or worried about how we can afford the things we desire, we will never appreciate such a simple and beautiful thing as a bird flying.

Let's enjoy the simple things in life.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Freedom

Fletcher Bay, Coromandel, New Zealand

We are programmed robots. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can choose to be free. We are living in THE MATRIX, except that instead of being programmed by machines, we are being programmed by society, with our acquiescence.

When we consider purchasing a product that we see on a commercial, we are being programmed. When we go to church, we are being programmed. When we go to the doctor, we are being programmed. When we gossip with friends, we are being programmed. When we watch a movie or a television show, we are being programmed. When we enter a supermarket or pharmacy we are being programmed. When we go to a wedding or a funeral, we are being programmed.

The first step towards breaking the cycle of programming is realizing that we are constantly being programmed. Then we can bring our attention to our thoughts and emotions without judgment. Our lives will then be in harmony with our true Selves and we will be acting in accordance with our life's purpose. Our neuroses, obsessions and fixations will begin to fade and a sense of calm will pervade our lives. For the first time, we will be free of the shackles of our conditioning.

Let's choose freedom.