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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.