"The Indian Parrot" by Coleman Barks
(Published in One-Handed Basket Weaving. Maypop Books, 1991.)
There was a merchant setting out for India.
He asked each male and female servantwhat they wanted to be brought as a gift.
Each told him a different exotic object:A piece of silk, a brass figurine,a pearl necklace.
Then he asked his beautiful caged parrot,the one with such a lovely voice, and she said,
"When you see the Indian parrots, describe my cage.
Say that I need guidance here in my separation from them.
Ask how our friendship can continue with me so confined and them flying about freely in the meadow mist.
Tell them that I remember well our mornings moving together from tree to tree.
Tell them to drink one cup of ecstatic wine in honour of me here in the dregs of my life.
Tell them that the sound of their quarreling high in the trees would be sweeter to hear than any music."
This parrot is the spirit-bird in all of us, that part that wants to return to freedom, and is the freedom. What she wants from India is herself!
So this parrot gave her message to the merchant, and when he reached India, he saw a field full of parrots. He stopped and called out what she had told him.
One of the nearest parrots shivered and stiffened and fell down dead.
The merchant said,
"This one is surely kin to my parrot. I shouldn't have spoken."
He finished his trading and returned home with the presents for his workers.
When he got to the parrot, she demanded her gift.
"What happened when you told my storyto the Indian parrots?"
"I'm afraid to say."
"Master, you must!"
"When I spoke your complaint to the fieldof chattering parrots, it broke one of their hearts.
She must have been a close companion,or a relative, for when she heard about you she grew quiet and trembled, and died."
As the caged parrot heard this, she herself quivered and sank to the cage floor.
This merchant was a good man. He grieved deeply for his parrot, murmuring distracted phrases, self-contradictory -cold, then loving - clear, then murky with symbolism.
A drowning man reaches for anything!
The Friend loves this flailing about better than any lying still.
The One who lives inside existence stays constantly in motion, and and whatever you do, that king watches through the window.
When the merchant threw the "dead" parrot out of the cage, it spread its wings and glided to a nearby tree!
The merchant suddenly understood the mystery.
"Sweet singer, what was in the message that taught you this trick?"
"She told me that it was the charm of my voice that kept me caged.Give it up, and be released!"
The parrot told the merchant one or two more spiritual truths. Then a tender goodbye.
"God protect you," said the merchant "as you go on your new way. I hope to follow you!"
21 February, 2007
17 February, 2007
What if ... ?
What if... ?
"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
-- Eden Phillpotts
What if you were to pretend that you were healthy, wealthy and wise? What if you were to decide to be happy, no matter what else was happening? Take the power of ‘what if...’ seriously, and you will grasp the power to create a world of your own design. Everything, EVERYTHING begins in the imagination. Put it to work constructively for you.
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."
-- William James
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
-- Lewis Carroll
"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
-- Eden Phillpotts
What if you were to pretend that you were healthy, wealthy and wise? What if you were to decide to be happy, no matter what else was happening? Take the power of ‘what if...’ seriously, and you will grasp the power to create a world of your own design. Everything, EVERYTHING begins in the imagination. Put it to work constructively for you.
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."
-- William James
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
-- Lewis Carroll
14 February, 2007
Life in abundance comes through love
There is no force more potent than love.
Take away love and your world is a tomb.
Your life echoes emptiness without love.
With it, your life will vibrate with warmth and meaning.
Even during hardship, love will shine through.
As you look back upon the events in your life you will find that the moments that stand out,the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love.
If you have it, you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter what else you have.
Therefore, search for love.
Once you have learned to love, you will have learned to live.
Love is the most important ingredient to your success.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Daily Guru
www.dailyguru.com
Take away love and your world is a tomb.
Your life echoes emptiness without love.
With it, your life will vibrate with warmth and meaning.
Even during hardship, love will shine through.
As you look back upon the events in your life you will find that the moments that stand out,the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love.
If you have it, you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter what else you have.
Therefore, search for love.
Once you have learned to love, you will have learned to live.
Love is the most important ingredient to your success.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Daily Guru
www.dailyguru.com
13 February, 2007
YOur LIfe Purpose ( Wayne Dywer )
Ignore what anyone else tells you about your purpose.Regardless of what anyone might say to you, the truth about your feeling purposeful is that only you can know it, and if you don't feel it in that innerplace where a burning desire resides, it isn't your purpose. Your relatives andfriends may attempt to convince you that what they feel is your destiny. Theymay see talents that they think will help you make a great living, or they maywant you to follow in their footsteps because they think you'll be happy doingwhat they've done for a lifetime. Your skill at mathematics or decorating orfixing electronic equipment might indicate a high aptitude for a givenpursuit--but in the end, if you don't feel it, nothing can make it resonate withyou.
Your purpose is between you and your Source, and the closer you get to what thatfield of intention looks and acts like, the more you'll know that you're beingpurposefully guided. You might have zero measurable aptitudes and skills in agiven area, yet feel inwardly drawn to doing it. Forget the aptitude-testresults, forget the absence of skills or know-how, and most important, ignorethe opinions of others and listen to your heart.Wayne Dyer
Your purpose is between you and your Source, and the closer you get to what thatfield of intention looks and acts like, the more you'll know that you're beingpurposefully guided. You might have zero measurable aptitudes and skills in agiven area, yet feel inwardly drawn to doing it. Forget the aptitude-testresults, forget the absence of skills or know-how, and most important, ignorethe opinions of others and listen to your heart.Wayne Dyer
04 February, 2007
Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharishi
Happiness
All beings desire happiness always, happiness without a tinge of sorrow. At the same time everybody loves himself best. The cause for this love is only happiness. So, that happiness must lie in one. Further, that happiness is daily experienced by everyone in sleep, when there is no mind. To attain that natural happiness one must know oneself. For that, Self-Enquiry 'Who am I?' is the chief means.
Consciousness
Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real, the pictures are mere shadows on it.
Mind
Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind. When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart, names and forms disappear. If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self.
Who Am I ?
Enquiry For all thoughts the source is the 'I' thought. The mind will merge only by Self-enquiry 'Who am I?' The thought 'Who am l?' will destroy all other thoughts and finally kill itself also. If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, one must enquire to whom did this thought arise. What does it matter how many thoughts arise? As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask to whom is this thought occurring. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from). The thought which arose will also submerge. As you practise like this more and more, the power of the mind to remain as its source is increased.
Surrender
There are two ways of achieving surrender. One is looking into the source of the 'I' and merging into that source. The other is feeling 'I am helpless myself, God alone is all powerful, and except by throwing myself completely on Him, there is no other means of safety for me', and thus gradually developing the conviction that God alone exists and the ego does not count. Both methods lead to the same goal. Complete surrender is another name for jnana or liberation.
The Three States :
Walking, Dream and Deep SleepThere is no difference between the dream and the waking states except that the dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of the mind. Our real state, called turiya, is beyond the waking, dream and sleep states.
Grace and GuruI have not said that a Guru is not necessary. But a Guru need not always be in human form. First a person thinks that he is an inferior and that there is a superior, all-knowing, all powerful God who controls his own and the world's destiny and worships him or does Bhakti. When he reaches a certain stage and becomes fit for enlightenment, the same God whom he was worshipping comes as Guru and leads him on. That Guru comes only to tell him that ‘God is within yourself. Dive within and realize.’ God, Guru and the Self are the same.
Self - Realization
The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realization for want of a better term. That which is, is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature. We spoil it. What is required is that we cease to spoil it.
HeartIn the center of the cavity of the Heart, the sole Brahman shines by itself as the Atman (Self) in the feeling of 'I-I'. Reach the Heart by diving within yourself, either with control of breath, or with thought concentrated on the quest of Self. You will thus get fixed in the Self.
RenunciationAsked “How does a grihastha (householder) fare in the scheme of Moksha (liberation)?” Bhagavan said, “Why do you think you are a grihastha? If you go out as a sannyasi (ascetic), a similar thought that you are a sannyasi will haunt you. Whether you continue in the household or renounce it and go to the forest, your mind goes with you. The ego is the source of all thought. It creates the body and the world and makes you think you are a grihastha . If you renounce the world it will only substitute the thought sannyasi for grihastha and the environment of the forest for that of the household. But the mental obstacles will still be there. They even increase in the new surroundings. There is no help in change of environment. The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. If you can do it in the forest, why not at home? Therefore, why change your environment? Your efforts can be made even now - in whatever environment you are now. The environment will never change according to your desire.”
Fate and Free Will
Free will and destiny are ever existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned about it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free will and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But jnana transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Whatever happens, happens as the result of one's past actions, of divine will and of other factors. There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time, 'Not I, but Thou, oh Lord' and giving up all sense of 'I' and ‘mine’, and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self-enquiry or bhakti marga (path).
The Jnani
The jnani has attained Liberation even while alive, here and now. It is immaterial to him as to how, where and when he leaves the body. Some jnanis may appear to suffer, others may be in samadhi; still others may disappear from sight before death. But that makes no difference to their jnana. Such suffering is apparent, seems real to the onlooker, but is not felt by the jnani, for he has already transcended the mistaken identity of the Self with the body. The jnani does not think he is the body. He does not even see the body. He sees only the Self in the body. If the body is not there, but only the Self, the question of its disappearing in any form does not arise.
All beings desire happiness always, happiness without a tinge of sorrow. At the same time everybody loves himself best. The cause for this love is only happiness. So, that happiness must lie in one. Further, that happiness is daily experienced by everyone in sleep, when there is no mind. To attain that natural happiness one must know oneself. For that, Self-Enquiry 'Who am I?' is the chief means.
Consciousness
Existence or Consciousness is the only reality. Consciousness plus waking we call waking. Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep. Consciousness plus dream, we call dream. Consciousness is the screen on which all the pictures come and go. The screen is real, the pictures are mere shadows on it.
Mind
Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. That which arises in this body as 'I' is the mind. When the subtle mind emerges through the brain and the senses, the gross names and forms are cognized. When it remains in the Heart, names and forms disappear. If the mind remains in the Heart, the 'I' or the ego which is the source of all thoughts will go, and the Self, the Real, Eternal 'I' alone will shine. Where there is not the slightest trace of the ego, there is the Self.
Who Am I ?
Enquiry For all thoughts the source is the 'I' thought. The mind will merge only by Self-enquiry 'Who am I?' The thought 'Who am l?' will destroy all other thoughts and finally kill itself also. If other thoughts arise, without trying to complete them, one must enquire to whom did this thought arise. What does it matter how many thoughts arise? As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask to whom is this thought occurring. The answer will be 'to me'. If you enquire 'Who am I?' the mind will return to its source (or where it issued from). The thought which arose will also submerge. As you practise like this more and more, the power of the mind to remain as its source is increased.
Surrender
There are two ways of achieving surrender. One is looking into the source of the 'I' and merging into that source. The other is feeling 'I am helpless myself, God alone is all powerful, and except by throwing myself completely on Him, there is no other means of safety for me', and thus gradually developing the conviction that God alone exists and the ego does not count. Both methods lead to the same goal. Complete surrender is another name for jnana or liberation.
The Three States :
Walking, Dream and Deep SleepThere is no difference between the dream and the waking states except that the dream is short and the waking long. Both are the result of the mind. Our real state, called turiya, is beyond the waking, dream and sleep states.
Grace and GuruI have not said that a Guru is not necessary. But a Guru need not always be in human form. First a person thinks that he is an inferior and that there is a superior, all-knowing, all powerful God who controls his own and the world's destiny and worships him or does Bhakti. When he reaches a certain stage and becomes fit for enlightenment, the same God whom he was worshipping comes as Guru and leads him on. That Guru comes only to tell him that ‘God is within yourself. Dive within and realize.’ God, Guru and the Self are the same.
Self - Realization
The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realization for want of a better term. That which is, is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature. We spoil it. What is required is that we cease to spoil it.
HeartIn the center of the cavity of the Heart, the sole Brahman shines by itself as the Atman (Self) in the feeling of 'I-I'. Reach the Heart by diving within yourself, either with control of breath, or with thought concentrated on the quest of Self. You will thus get fixed in the Self.
RenunciationAsked “How does a grihastha (householder) fare in the scheme of Moksha (liberation)?” Bhagavan said, “Why do you think you are a grihastha? If you go out as a sannyasi (ascetic), a similar thought that you are a sannyasi will haunt you. Whether you continue in the household or renounce it and go to the forest, your mind goes with you. The ego is the source of all thought. It creates the body and the world and makes you think you are a grihastha . If you renounce the world it will only substitute the thought sannyasi for grihastha and the environment of the forest for that of the household. But the mental obstacles will still be there. They even increase in the new surroundings. There is no help in change of environment. The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. If you can do it in the forest, why not at home? Therefore, why change your environment? Your efforts can be made even now - in whatever environment you are now. The environment will never change according to your desire.”
Fate and Free Will
Free will and destiny are ever existent. Destiny is the result of past action; it concerns the body. Let the body act as may suit it. Why are you concerned about it? Why do you pay attention to it? Free will and destiny last as long as the body lasts. But jnana transcends both. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Whatever happens, happens as the result of one's past actions, of divine will and of other factors. There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny and not the Self and that the ego is non-existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time, 'Not I, but Thou, oh Lord' and giving up all sense of 'I' and ‘mine’, and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes with you. Complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self-enquiry or bhakti marga (path).
The Jnani
The jnani has attained Liberation even while alive, here and now. It is immaterial to him as to how, where and when he leaves the body. Some jnanis may appear to suffer, others may be in samadhi; still others may disappear from sight before death. But that makes no difference to their jnana. Such suffering is apparent, seems real to the onlooker, but is not felt by the jnani, for he has already transcended the mistaken identity of the Self with the body. The jnani does not think he is the body. He does not even see the body. He sees only the Self in the body. If the body is not there, but only the Self, the question of its disappearing in any form does not arise.
About Burt Harding
Burt Harding, founder of the Awareness Foundation in Vancouver, offers a radical invitation to recognize the truth of our being as already whole and fulfilled.
He holds satsangs (meetings) in which we are reminded of the love we really are beyond the personal stories we carry. In this way, we come to recognize what we have always known but did not live from ‹ the beauty and wonder of our own true essence.
Burt also conducts sessions and workshops in Supersentience, a system devised to help heal deep wounds and promote a shift in the perception of who we really are.
He has conducted studies in higher consciousness for thirty years and had his own television series on the mind/body connection.
He holds satsangs (meetings) in which we are reminded of the love we really are beyond the personal stories we carry. In this way, we come to recognize what we have always known but did not live from ‹ the beauty and wonder of our own true essence.
Burt also conducts sessions and workshops in Supersentience, a system devised to help heal deep wounds and promote a shift in the perception of who we really are.
He has conducted studies in higher consciousness for thirty years and had his own television series on the mind/body connection.
Burt started teaching after an experience with Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, who appeared to him in 1974 while he was living in Toronto, Ontario. As a result of this experience, he acquired the sure knowledge that the only reality lies in the present moment, the Now, and that everything else is just an illusion. His spiritual search ended in that realization.
( On 4th January 2007 ramana-maharshi.org was divided into two new distinct websites:
The first website is dedicated to Arunachala, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and to helping devotees in whatever way it is possible to do so. It also has a forum for use by devotees. The address is:
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/
Sri Ramanasramam now has its own website hosted in India. The address is:
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ - Their new email address is - ashram@sriramanamaharshi.org
ramana-maharshi.org will continue to function in a very limited way throughout 2007. Please do not forget to bookmark the new sites. )
The first website is dedicated to Arunachala, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and to helping devotees in whatever way it is possible to do so. It also has a forum for use by devotees. The address is:
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/
Sri Ramanasramam now has its own website hosted in India. The address is:
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ - Their new email address is - ashram@sriramanamaharshi.org
ramana-maharshi.org will continue to function in a very limited way throughout 2007. Please do not forget to bookmark the new sites. )
Reviewing feelings versus emotions ( Burt )
Dear Burt,
Thank you for the Satsang today. Would you please clarify feelings versus emotions (energy in motion like frustration, anger, sadness, depression, fear?) again?
With love, M.
Dear sweet M.,
I noticed your energy last night and your listening was quite good. When someone listens well there is an aura of beautiful energy around the person.
You asked me to clarify feelings versus emotions. First of all please remember that words like ‘feelings’ and ‘emotions’ are often intertwined and mixed up by most people. However, when you start going deep into spiritual understanding, you will start to feel subtler feelings — feelings that most people are not aware of. So, in order to explain them one must use special explanations like saying ‘there is a vast difference between true feelings and emotions.’
A true feeling is joy, it is a feeling as if you have disappeared and have merged with everything around you. For example, observe a baby when they are happy, there is a brightness in their eyes with so much joy. Their smile is captivating and their innocence is heart-warming yet as they reach out to you, they are oblivious of themselves. In other words, they are not self-conscious. Now, this feeling is known as Pure Feeling. It is not an emotion because the body is not caught in any sensation other than total ‘melting’ with whatever is at the moment.
Now, an emotion is the opposite of that feeling. An emotion is a motion of sensation in the body. Again, suppose you are with a group of people that make you feel uncomfortable. You can feel the sensation of emotion in your face, in your red hot ears, in your contraction, self-consciousness or a feeling of smallness. Along with this emotional feeling in the body you also feel a ‘story’ going along with it such as, “I could kill them,” or maybe not as drastic such as, “They are obnoxious,” or “Gee, I don’t like them...” and so on. Just as pure feeling is joyous and all -encompassing with the environment with no story or physical discomfort, so is emotion filled with a story (mental activity regarding that emotion) plus self-conscious contraction.
Every emotion such as anger, depression, frustration and even sadness is a carry-over from a thought. For example, if you have been often ignored by others as a child or not shown love by your parents and so on, then there is the inevitable thinking that you are separate and different from others. This can’t be helped. Any thought regarding feeling ignored or unloved brings the need for having love, having meaning, having importance or becoming something. The human being can’t help seeking that which they feel they are missing. The reason for this automatic seeking is because that is how the heart reaches for itself through us. However, when these needs for love are not understood they start making us feel lonely, separate from others and create a feeling of smallness, which again makes us want to be special even more. This vicious circle creates many emotional feelings of quiet sadness, depression, anger, frustration, irritability, judging others, and general unhappiness. Every human being goes through this and it can’t be helped.
What happens with most people is that they can’t feel happy and so bury these emotional feelings by ‘trying’ to have fun, have wild sex, look for parties, maybe drink alcohol, become workaholics, take drugs, do crazy things and a million other escapes in order NOT to feel this nagging emptiness. However, this nagging emptiness cannot be avoided because it is not something bad, it is a warning (karma) that we are not being honest with ourselves, we are lying and deceiving our truth of being. Did you know that very very few people actually know that true feelings are joy (inner peace, contentment or inner fulfillment)?
So, growth is dealing with emotional suffering through awareness until only pure feeling remains. Pure feeling is the voice of God within. It ‘talks’ to us through silence and shows us (through its light) how everything IS!! This is the Inner Silence that all masters talk about.
To understand what I have written to you, is to begin to ‘FEEL’ inside you what is beyond words. The extent that you ‘FEEL’ (not emotional) what is being said here is called heart-understanding. It is spiritual understanding.
With love,
Burt
http://members.shaw.ca/burtharding/feelings.html
Thank you for the Satsang today. Would you please clarify feelings versus emotions (energy in motion like frustration, anger, sadness, depression, fear?) again?
With love, M.
Dear sweet M.,
I noticed your energy last night and your listening was quite good. When someone listens well there is an aura of beautiful energy around the person.
You asked me to clarify feelings versus emotions. First of all please remember that words like ‘feelings’ and ‘emotions’ are often intertwined and mixed up by most people. However, when you start going deep into spiritual understanding, you will start to feel subtler feelings — feelings that most people are not aware of. So, in order to explain them one must use special explanations like saying ‘there is a vast difference between true feelings and emotions.’
A true feeling is joy, it is a feeling as if you have disappeared and have merged with everything around you. For example, observe a baby when they are happy, there is a brightness in their eyes with so much joy. Their smile is captivating and their innocence is heart-warming yet as they reach out to you, they are oblivious of themselves. In other words, they are not self-conscious. Now, this feeling is known as Pure Feeling. It is not an emotion because the body is not caught in any sensation other than total ‘melting’ with whatever is at the moment.
Now, an emotion is the opposite of that feeling. An emotion is a motion of sensation in the body. Again, suppose you are with a group of people that make you feel uncomfortable. You can feel the sensation of emotion in your face, in your red hot ears, in your contraction, self-consciousness or a feeling of smallness. Along with this emotional feeling in the body you also feel a ‘story’ going along with it such as, “I could kill them,” or maybe not as drastic such as, “They are obnoxious,” or “Gee, I don’t like them...” and so on. Just as pure feeling is joyous and all -encompassing with the environment with no story or physical discomfort, so is emotion filled with a story (mental activity regarding that emotion) plus self-conscious contraction.
Every emotion such as anger, depression, frustration and even sadness is a carry-over from a thought. For example, if you have been often ignored by others as a child or not shown love by your parents and so on, then there is the inevitable thinking that you are separate and different from others. This can’t be helped. Any thought regarding feeling ignored or unloved brings the need for having love, having meaning, having importance or becoming something. The human being can’t help seeking that which they feel they are missing. The reason for this automatic seeking is because that is how the heart reaches for itself through us. However, when these needs for love are not understood they start making us feel lonely, separate from others and create a feeling of smallness, which again makes us want to be special even more. This vicious circle creates many emotional feelings of quiet sadness, depression, anger, frustration, irritability, judging others, and general unhappiness. Every human being goes through this and it can’t be helped.
What happens with most people is that they can’t feel happy and so bury these emotional feelings by ‘trying’ to have fun, have wild sex, look for parties, maybe drink alcohol, become workaholics, take drugs, do crazy things and a million other escapes in order NOT to feel this nagging emptiness. However, this nagging emptiness cannot be avoided because it is not something bad, it is a warning (karma) that we are not being honest with ourselves, we are lying and deceiving our truth of being. Did you know that very very few people actually know that true feelings are joy (inner peace, contentment or inner fulfillment)?
So, growth is dealing with emotional suffering through awareness until only pure feeling remains. Pure feeling is the voice of God within. It ‘talks’ to us through silence and shows us (through its light) how everything IS!! This is the Inner Silence that all masters talk about.
To understand what I have written to you, is to begin to ‘FEEL’ inside you what is beyond words. The extent that you ‘FEEL’ (not emotional) what is being said here is called heart-understanding. It is spiritual understanding.
With love,
Burt
http://members.shaw.ca/burtharding/feelings.html
Emotions ( Wayne Dyer )
Your emotions are the inner experiences that tell you how much of the divine energy you're summoning for the manifestation of your desires.
Feelings can be measuring tools that gauge how you're doing in the manifestation process.
An exceptionally positive emotional response indicates that you're summoning the divine energy of intention and allowing that energy to flow to you in anonresistant manner.
Feelings of passion, pure bliss, reverence, unmitigatedoptimism, unquestioned trust, and even illumination indicate that your desire to manifest success and abundance, for example, have an extremely strong pulling power from the universal Source to you.
You must learn to pay close attentionto the presence of these feelings.
These emotions aren't just facets of yourlife that are empty of energy--they're agents that are in charge of how you clean and purify the connecting link to intention. These emotions tell youp recisely how much of the life force you're summoning,and how much pulling power you have going for you at that moment.
-- Wayne Dyer
Feelings can be measuring tools that gauge how you're doing in the manifestation process.
An exceptionally positive emotional response indicates that you're summoning the divine energy of intention and allowing that energy to flow to you in anonresistant manner.
Feelings of passion, pure bliss, reverence, unmitigatedoptimism, unquestioned trust, and even illumination indicate that your desire to manifest success and abundance, for example, have an extremely strong pulling power from the universal Source to you.
You must learn to pay close attentionto the presence of these feelings.
These emotions aren't just facets of yourlife that are empty of energy--they're agents that are in charge of how you clean and purify the connecting link to intention. These emotions tell youp recisely how much of the life force you're summoning,and how much pulling power you have going for you at that moment.
-- Wayne Dyer
29 January, 2007
What blocks connection?
What blocks connection?
"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges."
-- Joseph F. Newton
We experience soul when we really connect with life -- when we stop and consciously experience what is happening.
We lose soul with: - resistance - to anyone or anything- superficiality - we avoid depth of experience- control - we try to control the relationship- selfishness - we remain self-centered.
Each of these attitudes fosters separation rather than connection. Once again, soul lives in relating. Take time to become aware of, and perhaps journal on how you relate to other people and things in your life.
"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges."
-- Joseph F. Newton
We experience soul when we really connect with life -- when we stop and consciously experience what is happening.
We lose soul with: - resistance - to anyone or anything- superficiality - we avoid depth of experience- control - we try to control the relationship- selfishness - we remain self-centered.
Each of these attitudes fosters separation rather than connection. Once again, soul lives in relating. Take time to become aware of, and perhaps journal on how you relate to other people and things in your life.
"We have to decide for ourselves what’s nourishing to our souls,
and do those things over others."
-- Thomas Moore
17 January, 2007
Relationships
"It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others." -- Sydney J. Harris
Relationships are such a challenge because life pulls us in opposite directions at the same time. Our personality feels the need to be unique and special and so our focus lies on how we are different from others. Differences hold the potential to create conflict. At the same time, our souls live through connection with others. We are challenged to rise above our personal preferences to discover how we and the other are the same. Our overall need lies in balancing these two tendencies.
"The purpose of relationships is not happiness, but transformation." -- Andrew Schneider
Relationships are such a challenge because life pulls us in opposite directions at the same time. Our personality feels the need to be unique and special and so our focus lies on how we are different from others. Differences hold the potential to create conflict. At the same time, our souls live through connection with others. We are challenged to rise above our personal preferences to discover how we and the other are the same. Our overall need lies in balancing these two tendencies.
"The purpose of relationships is not happiness, but transformation." -- Andrew Schneider
16 January, 2007
Becoming in touch with your personal sources of power
Becoming in touch with your personal sources of power can be a way for you to feel effective and empowering.
Reflect upon the strengths you possess, which could help you use your influence in a positive and supportive way.
Ask yourself :
Some clues that can lead you to uncover strengths and resources:
Think about the things in which you are weak, and what you have done to overcome those challenges, for these triumphs are your strengths.
Uncovering the gifts that you have, can give you greater confidence and increase the feelings of self-worth that are required to positively impact others.
Once we understand our strengths, we are able to affect positive and lasting changes in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Consciously examining our talents, brings our strengths to the fore and helps us to gain confidence in what we are able to achieve.
By knowing your strengths today, you will inspire, encourage, and influence others through your strong sense of self.
Reflect upon the strengths you possess, which could help you use your influence in a positive and supportive way.
Ask yourself :
" What assets do I have that others admire in me ? "
Some clues that can lead you to uncover strengths and resources:
Think about the things in which you are weak, and what you have done to overcome those challenges, for these triumphs are your strengths.
Uncovering the gifts that you have, can give you greater confidence and increase the feelings of self-worth that are required to positively impact others.
Once we understand our strengths, we are able to affect positive and lasting changes in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Consciously examining our talents, brings our strengths to the fore and helps us to gain confidence in what we are able to achieve.
By knowing your strengths today, you will inspire, encourage, and influence others through your strong sense of self.
Accepting change
"We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the programme of life's morning; for what in the morning was true will in evening become a lie."
-- C.G. JungLife continually evolves.
We’re always moving into new experiences, new possibilities. This constant change unsettles the personality, which finds security in stability. But with life always in flux, that security is an illusion. We experience pain by trying to hold on to things that are not solid.Life becomes joyful when we can open to the constant flow and ride freely with it. This requires us to let go of the need to control. We need to learn to trust."Can it then be that what we call the ‘self’ is fluid and elastic? It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath."
-- Wayne Muller
http://www.thedailyguru.com/higherawareness.htm
-- C.G. JungLife continually evolves.
We’re always moving into new experiences, new possibilities. This constant change unsettles the personality, which finds security in stability. But with life always in flux, that security is an illusion. We experience pain by trying to hold on to things that are not solid.Life becomes joyful when we can open to the constant flow and ride freely with it. This requires us to let go of the need to control. We need to learn to trust."Can it then be that what we call the ‘self’ is fluid and elastic? It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath."
-- Wayne Muller
http://www.thedailyguru.com/higherawareness.htm
09 January, 2007
Life on the Train
Life on the Train
(Text of a slide show)
Life is like a train ride,
Life is like a train ride,
We get on.
We ride.
We ride.
We get off.
We get back on and ride some more.
There are accidents and there are delays.
At certain stops there are surprises.
Some of these will translate into great moments of joy,
some will result in profound sorrow.
When we are born and we board the train,
we meet people whom we think will be with us
for the entire journey.
These people are our parents!
Sadly, this is far from the truth.
Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them.
They too have journeys they must complete.
We live on with the memories of their love,
affection, friendship, guidance and their ever presence.
There are others who board the train and who eventually
become very important to us, in turn.
These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and
acquaintances, whom we will learn to love and cherish.
Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour.
They will just go merrily along. Others, will encounter
many upsets, tears, losses on their journey.
Others still, will linger on to offer a helping hand
to anyone in need.
Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off....
Some will get on and get off so quickly, they will
scarcely leave a sign that they ever travelled along
with you or ever crossed your path....
We will sometimes be upset that some passengers
whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment,
and leave us to travel on our own,
Then again, there's nothing that says we can't seek them
out anyway.
Nevertheless, once sought out and found, we may not
even be able to sit next to them because that seat
will already be taken.
That's okay....everyone's journey will be filled with
hopes, dreams, challenges, setbacks and goodbyes.
We must strive to make the best of it....no matter what...
We must constantly strive to understand our travel
companions and look for the best in everyone.
Remember that on any moment during our journey,
any one of our travel companions can have a weak
moment and be in need of our help.
We too may vacillate or hesitate,even trip....
hopefully we can count on someone being there
to be supportive and understanding....
The bigger mystery of our journey is that we don't know when our last stop will come.
Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop.
Not even those sitting in the seat next to us.
Personally, I know I'll be sad to make my final stop--
I'm sure of it!
My separation from all those friends and
acquaintances I made during the train ride will
be painful. Leaving all those I'm close to will be a sad thing.
But then again, I'm certain that one day I'll get to the
train station only to meet up with everyone else.
They'll be carrying their luggage - most of which they didn't have when they first got on this train.
I'll be glad to see them again. I'll also be glad to have
contributed to their baggage....and to have enriched
their lives, just as much as they will have
contributed to my baggage and enriched my life.
We're all on this train ride together.
Above all, we should all try to strive to make the ride
as pleasant and memorable as we can,
right up until we each make the final stop
and leave the train for the last time.
All aboard!
There are accidents and there are delays.
At certain stops there are surprises.
Some of these will translate into great moments of joy,
some will result in profound sorrow.
When we are born and we board the train,
we meet people whom we think will be with us
for the entire journey.
These people are our parents!
Sadly, this is far from the truth.
Our parents are with us for as long as we absolutely need them.
They too have journeys they must complete.
We live on with the memories of their love,
affection, friendship, guidance and their ever presence.
There are others who board the train and who eventually
become very important to us, in turn.
These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and
acquaintances, whom we will learn to love and cherish.
Some people consider their journey like a jaunty tour.
They will just go merrily along. Others, will encounter
many upsets, tears, losses on their journey.
Others still, will linger on to offer a helping hand
to anyone in need.
Some people on the train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off....
Some will get on and get off so quickly, they will
scarcely leave a sign that they ever travelled along
with you or ever crossed your path....
We will sometimes be upset that some passengers
whom we love, will choose to sit in another compartment,
and leave us to travel on our own,
Then again, there's nothing that says we can't seek them
out anyway.
Nevertheless, once sought out and found, we may not
even be able to sit next to them because that seat
will already be taken.
That's okay....everyone's journey will be filled with
hopes, dreams, challenges, setbacks and goodbyes.
We must strive to make the best of it....no matter what...
We must constantly strive to understand our travel
companions and look for the best in everyone.
Remember that on any moment during our journey,
any one of our travel companions can have a weak
moment and be in need of our help.
We too may vacillate or hesitate,even trip....
hopefully we can count on someone being there
to be supportive and understanding....
The bigger mystery of our journey is that we don't know when our last stop will come.
Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop.
Not even those sitting in the seat next to us.
Personally, I know I'll be sad to make my final stop--
I'm sure of it!
My separation from all those friends and
acquaintances I made during the train ride will
be painful. Leaving all those I'm close to will be a sad thing.
But then again, I'm certain that one day I'll get to the
train station only to meet up with everyone else.
They'll be carrying their luggage - most of which they didn't have when they first got on this train.
I'll be glad to see them again. I'll also be glad to have
contributed to their baggage....and to have enriched
their lives, just as much as they will have
contributed to my baggage and enriched my life.
We're all on this train ride together.
Above all, we should all try to strive to make the ride
as pleasant and memorable as we can,
right up until we each make the final stop
and leave the train for the last time.
All aboard!
Safe journey!!
B O N V O Y A G E !
08 January, 2007
on meditation
I've been neglecting regular daily meditation lately , but I intend to change that. From now on morning meditation first thing and last thing at night rather than here and there during the day.
Last night's meditation felt good 23 :30- to midnight. Woke up at 4 am with the moon on my face and the sound of my painting falling off my story- board on my bedroom door.
This morning's meditation wasn't easy- got lost in thoughts several times but felt stillness towards the end . I know it's not supposed to be any way - just observations- keeping notes.
Funny how what you focus on grows- this came to me today in an email:
Why meditate?
"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."-- Buddha
Meditation is considered an essential practice for those who seek self-knowledge and self-mastery. Why? Basically, meditation brings awareness of how our minds work. Over time, we become watchers, able to detach from the thoughts and emotions that play out in our minds.With this detachment, we gain the freedom to choose whether or not to act on our thoughts and emotions. We learn to distinguish between objective reality and our mental and emotional dramas."
Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."-- Hans Margolius
Last night's meditation felt good 23 :30- to midnight. Woke up at 4 am with the moon on my face and the sound of my painting falling off my story- board on my bedroom door.
This morning's meditation wasn't easy- got lost in thoughts several times but felt stillness towards the end . I know it's not supposed to be any way - just observations- keeping notes.
Funny how what you focus on grows- this came to me today in an email:
Why meditate?
"Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom."-- Buddha
Meditation is considered an essential practice for those who seek self-knowledge and self-mastery. Why? Basically, meditation brings awareness of how our minds work. Over time, we become watchers, able to detach from the thoughts and emotions that play out in our minds.With this detachment, we gain the freedom to choose whether or not to act on our thoughts and emotions. We learn to distinguish between objective reality and our mental and emotional dramas."
Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."-- Hans Margolius
26 December, 2006
Trust Life's Rhythms
Trust the rhythms of life.
There are slow times and there are fast moving times.
Release the need to control.
There are slow times and there are fast moving times.
Release the need to control.
21 December, 2006
Happy Solstice.
Happy Solstice.
21st December , Winter Solstice. The shortening days and longer nights are most intense here in Sweden, but from today onward our days start getting longer. Blessed be.
21st December , Winter Solstice. The shortening days and longer nights are most intense here in Sweden, but from today onward our days start getting longer. Blessed be.
The pagan in me feels the need for ritual to mark this occasion. I’ve just had a solstice nourishing breakfast and now savouring the chocolate darkness of my coffee. Will light candles as the sun sets ( it is actually beginning to set now as I write this , 2.35 pm )
In neopaganism, the winter solstice sabbat is often called Yule. – which is also the Swedish word for Christmas. Lots of pagan rooted traditions here . Perhaps that is why I am here too. This is really a time for introspection, and planning for the future, I know I keep saying this. I tend to write and reflect more around the new moon and the full moon.
Yesterday , 20th , marked the new moon which isa time for new beginnings. The moon is waxing now and supporting our festivities and gatherings until the full moon , 3 rd January.
Magpie came to me today ; caught my attention as it landed on the branch of the pine tree outside the kitchen window and swung up and down for a while, proud of its accomplishment.
Magpie's Wisdom Includes:
Understanding of the balance of light and darkness
Seeing in darkness
Use of ritual in everyday life
Communication
Understanding messages from Spirit
Prophecy
Intelligence
Use of voice
Good luck
Magpies are related to ravens, I think. Thanks for the visit, magpie .
Happy Solstice, everyone , blessed be ! love love love in all dimensions.
Magpies are related to ravens, I think. Thanks for the visit, magpie .
Happy Solstice, everyone , blessed be ! love love love in all dimensions.
11 December, 2006
You have the power to live your dreams
The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses,that's the day you start moving down the road to success.
No one else can do it for you.
Only you can make it happen.
You're the only one that has to live your life.
Accept responsibility.
It's up to you to choose the thoughts and actions that lead to success.
Your life is what you make it.
No one else can do it for you.
Only you can make it happen.
You're the only one that has to live your life.
Accept responsibility.
It's up to you to choose the thoughts and actions that lead to success.
Your life is what you make it.
10 December, 2006
Slightly Less Common Latin Phrases ( from Deborah )
Slightly Less Common Latin Phrases
Die dulci fruere.
Have a nice day.
Mihi ignosce. Cum homine de cane debeo congredi.
Excuse me. I've got to see a man about a dog.
Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinus alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!
If you can read this sign, you can get a good job in the fast-paced, high-paying world of Latin!
Sona si Latine loqueris.
Honk if you speak Latin.
Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum!
Don't you dare erase my hard disk!
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.
Gramen artificiosum odi.
I hate Astroturf.
Furnulum pani nolo.
I don't want a toaster.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
I think some people in togas are plotting against me.
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.
I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult.
Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.
Don't call me, I'll call you.
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules.
If I were you, I wouldn't walk in front of any catapults.
Canis meus id comedit.
My dog ate it.
Illiud Latine dici non potest.
You can't say that in Latin.
Vidistine nuper imagines moventes bonas?
Seen any good movies lately?
Nullo metro compositum est.
It doesn't rhyme.
Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema.
I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't a poem.
Fac ut gaudeam.
Make my day.
Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!
Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!
Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio.
Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway.
Re vera, potas bene.
Say, you sure are drinking a lot.
Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
May barbarians invade your personal space!
Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!
May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!
May faulty logic undermine your entire philosophy!
Radix lecti
Couch potato
Quo signo nata es?
What's your sign?
Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerunt.
You know, the Romans invented the art of love.
Spero nos familiares mansuros.
I hope we'll still be friends.
Mellita, domi adsum.
Honey, I'm home.
Tam exanimis quam tunica nehru fio.
I am as dead as the nehru jacket.
Ventis secundis, tene cursum.
Go with the flow.
Totum dependeat.
Let it all hang out.
Te precor dulcissime supplex!
Pretty please with a cherry on top!
Magister Mundi sum!
I am the Master of the Universe!
Fac me cocleario vomere!
Gag me with a spoon!
Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.
Prehende uxorem meam, sis!
Take my wife, please!
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Nihil est-in vita priore ego imperator Romanus fui.
That's nothing -- in a previous life I was a Roman Emperor.
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.
Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.
Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem!
Stand aside plebians! I am on imperial business.
Oblitus sum perpolire clepsydras!
I forgot to polish the clocks!
Vescere bracis meis.
Eat my shorts.
Sic faciunt omnes.
Everyone is doing it.
Vacca foeda
Stupid cow
Fac ut vivas.
Get a life.
Raptus regaliter
Royally screwed
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
Let's all wear mood rings!
Insula Gilliganis
Gilligan's Island
www.deb.bz
Die dulci fruere.
Have a nice day.
Mihi ignosce. Cum homine de cane debeo congredi.
Excuse me. I've got to see a man about a dog.
Si hoc signum legere potes, operis boni in rebus Latinus alacribus et fructuosis potiri potes!
If you can read this sign, you can get a good job in the fast-paced, high-paying world of Latin!
Sona si Latine loqueris.
Honk if you speak Latin.
Ne auderis delere orbem rigidum meum!
Don't you dare erase my hard disk!
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.
Gramen artificiosum odi.
I hate Astroturf.
Furnulum pani nolo.
I don't want a toaster.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare.
I think some people in togas are plotting against me.
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.
I'm not interested in your dopey religious cult.
Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.
Don't call me, I'll call you.
Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules.
If I were you, I wouldn't walk in front of any catapults.
Canis meus id comedit.
My dog ate it.
Illiud Latine dici non potest.
You can't say that in Latin.
Vidistine nuper imagines moventes bonas?
Seen any good movies lately?
Nullo metro compositum est.
It doesn't rhyme.
Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema.
I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't a poem.
Fac ut gaudeam.
Make my day.
Braccae illae virides cum subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!
Those green pants go so well with that pink shirt and the plaid jacket!
Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio.
Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway.
Re vera, potas bene.
Say, you sure are drinking a lot.
Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!
May barbarians invade your personal space!
Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!
May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!
May faulty logic undermine your entire philosophy!
Radix lecti
Couch potato
Quo signo nata es?
What's your sign?
Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerunt.
You know, the Romans invented the art of love.
Spero nos familiares mansuros.
I hope we'll still be friends.
Mellita, domi adsum.
Honey, I'm home.
Tam exanimis quam tunica nehru fio.
I am as dead as the nehru jacket.
Ventis secundis, tene cursum.
Go with the flow.
Totum dependeat.
Let it all hang out.
Te precor dulcissime supplex!
Pretty please with a cherry on top!
Magister Mundi sum!
I am the Master of the Universe!
Fac me cocleario vomere!
Gag me with a spoon!
Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.
Prehende uxorem meam, sis!
Take my wife, please!
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Nihil est-in vita priore ego imperator Romanus fui.
That's nothing -- in a previous life I was a Roman Emperor.
Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est.
Yes, that is a very large amount of corn.
Recedite, plebes! Gero rem imperialem!
Stand aside plebians! I am on imperial business.
Oblitus sum perpolire clepsydras!
I forgot to polish the clocks!
Vescere bracis meis.
Eat my shorts.
Sic faciunt omnes.
Everyone is doing it.
Vacca foeda
Stupid cow
Fac ut vivas.
Get a life.
Raptus regaliter
Royally screwed
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
Let's all wear mood rings!
Insula Gilliganis
Gilligan's Island
www.deb.bz
08 December, 2006
Four Ways to Wisdom
Four Ways to Wisdom BY ANGELES ARRIEN
As Alvin Toffler points out in his visionary book "Future Shock", we must become more capable of handling change than ever before if we are to survive and thrive in the twenty-first century. Toffler observes, "We have the opportunity to introduce additional stability points and rituals into our society, such as new holidays, pageants, ceremonies, and games. Such mechanisms could not only provide a backdrop of continuity in everyday life but serve to integrate societies and cushion them somewhat against the fragmenting impact of super-industrialism."
Although Toffler writes about introducing new techniques to help us handle change, indigenous and Eastern cultures have long recognized that the only constant is change. Among tribal peoples, medicine men, chiefs, shamans, teachers or seers are called "change masters." The shamanic traditions practiced by agrarian and indigenous peoples remind us that, for centuries, human beings have used nature and ritual to buffer the effects of change and to support a life event, rather than denying or indulging in it. Although individuals in industrial cultures can help themselves embrace change through dreams, images, play, relationships and acts of creative work, we suffer from the lack of cultural support as we face the ever-increasing demands of change. In the introduction to Arnold Van Gennep's Rites of Passage, Salon Kimbala observes that "one dimension of mental illness may arise because an increasing number of individuals are forced to accomplish their traditions alone and with private symbols."
In cultures like ours where we are alienated from our mythological roots, renewal requires a return to the basic source where all personal and cultural myths are ultimately forged the human psyche. To guide our renewal we can look to cross-cultural research that reveals how shamanic traditions have consistently accessed four archetypal patterns to maintain connections to the mythic structures that support creative expression, health and adaptation to change. These four archetypal ways are The Way of the Warrior, The Way of the Healer, The Way of the Visionary and The Way of the Teacher. The four Ways reflect a pervasive belief that life will be simple if we practice four basic principles: Show up or choose to be present, pay attention to what has heart and meaning, tell the truth without blame or judgment, and be open, rather than attached to, the outcome.
THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
The task of the warrior is to show up, to be visible and empower others through example and intention.
Through the archetype of the warrior an old-fashioned term for leader indigenous societies connect to the process of empowerment and to the human resource of power. Universally there are three kinds of power:power of presence, power to communicate, power of position. Shamanic societies recognize that a person who has all three powers embodies "big medicine."
Every human being carries the power of presence. Some individuals carry such presence that we are drawn to and captivated by these charismatic people even before they speak or we know anything about them.
A warrior or leader uses the power of communication to effectively align the content, timing and placement to deliver a message at the right time in the right place for the person involved to hear and receive it.
A warrior demonstrates the power of position by the willingness to take a stand. Many politicians have great presence and great communication, but lose power when they allow constituents to wonder where they stand on specific issues.
Examples of individuals who carry all three powers and who access the mythical structure and archetype of the Way of the Warrior are Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Each has been committed to aligning the power of presence, communication and the willingness to take a stand in arenas that have heart and meaning for them.
Cross-culturally, the posture of standing meditation in one position with arms at sides and eyes open for at least fifteen minutes is used in the martial arts, spiritual practices and in the military as a way of reinforcing and coalescing the three universal powers and of connecting the practitioner with the greater being of who he or she is.
Most native peoples attribute the Way of the Warrior to the direction of the North, the home of Father Sky and of all the winged creatures. The belief is held that during challenging times, it is essential to face our challenges with the grace, power and dignity of the "winged ones." It is important to remember that when challenges present themselves, it is the warrior's way to embrace them with full-bodied presence rather than to constrict in fear.
THE WAY OF THE HEALER
The task of the healer is to pay attention to what has heart and meaning and to access the human resource of love. We express the Way of the Healer through attitudes and actions that maintain personal health and support the welfare of our environment.
The archetype of the healer is a universal mythic structure that all humans experience. Every culture has ways of maintaining health and well-being. Healers in most traditions recognize that the power of love is the most potent healing force available. Effective healers from any culture are those who extend the arms of love gratitude, acceptance, recognition, validation and acknowledgment.
Probably the most powerful contemporary example of someone who demonstrates the healing power of extending love is Mother Teresa. In shamanic traditions she would be called a medicine woman.
The posture of lying meditation is often used for healing work. In "journey work," which is lying down on one's back with closed eyes to the accompaniment of the drum, individuals in shamanic traditions access spiritual guidance and healing. When individuals do a journey, they open themselves to the possibility of removing the blocks and obstacles to receiving and giving love.
Most native peoples attribute the Way of the Healer to the direction of the South, with Mother Nature and all the four-legged creatures. Across cultures, there are four universal healing salves: singing, dancing, storytelling and silence. Native cultures transmit their values, ethics and spiritual beliefs through the oral traditions of stories, songs, dances and silent rituals and prayer. It has long been recognized that these healing salves reawaken and sustain the divine child within human beings and return to individuals the qualities of wonder, hope and awe. It is how we pay attention to our life story that allows us to experience the human resource of love, the most powerful healing force on Mother Earth.
THE WAY OF THE VISIONARY
The task of the visionary is to tell the truth without blame or judgment. Truthfulness, authenticity and integrity are essential keys to developing our vision and intuition. We express the Way of the Visionary through personal creativity, goals, plans, and our ability to bring our life dreams and visions into the world.
All cultures regard the importance of vision and its capacity to magnetize the creative spirit. Shamanic societies use Vision Quests, extended periods of solitude in nature, as a way of remembering their life dream and of accessing the four ways of seeing: intuition, perceptions, insight, and vision.
Many native American cultures hold a belief that each individual is "original medicine," nowhere duplicated on the planet and that therefore it is important to bring the creative spirit and life dream or purpose to Earth. Since we are "original medicine," these native people see that there is no need for comparison or competition. The work is to come forward fully with our gifts, talents and resources and to powerfully meet our tests and challenges. The Visionary is one who brings his or her voice into the world and who refuses to edit, rehearse, perform or hide all ways we can feed the false-self system of denial and indulgence.
Among most indigenous peoples, the direction of the East is associated with the home of the Great Spirit, the place of the rising sun and the place where we come home to our authentic self. Archetypically, the bell or conch shell serves as a sonic voice that calls people together and calls us as individuals to remember our authentic purpose.
The human resource of vision is the container that magnetizes the creative spirit to bring one's original medicine into the world. It is the Visionary within that inspires the voice to share what it sees. Rollo May states what shamanic traditions have practiced for centuries, "If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself."
THE WAY OF THE TEACHER
The task of the teacher is to be open, rather than attached, to outcomes. Openness and non-attachment helps us recover the human resources of wisdom and objectivity.
Every culture has traditional and non-traditional means of education. Shamanic traditions believe that wisdom is flexible and fluid. The teacher's way is to be open to outcome and access wisdom by learning how to trust and be comfortable with states of not knowing. Trust is the container out of which the qualities of wisdom grow clarity, objectivity, discernment and detachment.
The opposite of trust is control. The trickster figure found in many shamanic traditions functions to present surprises and the unexpected as a way of waking people out of their routines and shocking them into seeing their attachments.
Among many shamanic traditions, the Way of the Teacher is associated with the direction of the West, the home of Grandmother Ocean and all the water creatures. The ocean is nature's mirror for indigenous cultures to learn how to be malleable and fluid.
BALANCING THE FOUR-FOLD WAY
Even though these four archetypes are emphasized in most shamanic traditions, it is important to understand the they are universal and easily accessed by all humans in a variety of different contexts, cultures, structures and practices. To maximize well-being and to be adaptable to change, indigenous peoples consider it important to be equally balanced in the areas of leading, healing, visioning, and teaching work.
If you numbered these archetypes from one to four, with one being the most developed in your nature and four being the least developed, what would you discover? Most cultures recognize optimum health as having a balance in the expression of all four of these ways. Independent of the culture we come from, we can follow the warrior's way to access power, the healer's way to access love, the visionary's way to access vision, and the teacher's way to access wisdom.
Through the resource of power we are able to choose to be present. Through the resource of love we are able to pay attention to what has heart and meaning. Through the resource of vision we are able to give voice to what we see. Through the resource of wisdom we are able to be open, not attached to, outcomes.
the above essay is Copyright 1995 by Angeles Arrien
As Alvin Toffler points out in his visionary book "Future Shock", we must become more capable of handling change than ever before if we are to survive and thrive in the twenty-first century. Toffler observes, "We have the opportunity to introduce additional stability points and rituals into our society, such as new holidays, pageants, ceremonies, and games. Such mechanisms could not only provide a backdrop of continuity in everyday life but serve to integrate societies and cushion them somewhat against the fragmenting impact of super-industrialism."
Although Toffler writes about introducing new techniques to help us handle change, indigenous and Eastern cultures have long recognized that the only constant is change. Among tribal peoples, medicine men, chiefs, shamans, teachers or seers are called "change masters." The shamanic traditions practiced by agrarian and indigenous peoples remind us that, for centuries, human beings have used nature and ritual to buffer the effects of change and to support a life event, rather than denying or indulging in it. Although individuals in industrial cultures can help themselves embrace change through dreams, images, play, relationships and acts of creative work, we suffer from the lack of cultural support as we face the ever-increasing demands of change. In the introduction to Arnold Van Gennep's Rites of Passage, Salon Kimbala observes that "one dimension of mental illness may arise because an increasing number of individuals are forced to accomplish their traditions alone and with private symbols."
In cultures like ours where we are alienated from our mythological roots, renewal requires a return to the basic source where all personal and cultural myths are ultimately forged the human psyche. To guide our renewal we can look to cross-cultural research that reveals how shamanic traditions have consistently accessed four archetypal patterns to maintain connections to the mythic structures that support creative expression, health and adaptation to change. These four archetypal ways are The Way of the Warrior, The Way of the Healer, The Way of the Visionary and The Way of the Teacher. The four Ways reflect a pervasive belief that life will be simple if we practice four basic principles: Show up or choose to be present, pay attention to what has heart and meaning, tell the truth without blame or judgment, and be open, rather than attached to, the outcome.
THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
The task of the warrior is to show up, to be visible and empower others through example and intention.
Through the archetype of the warrior an old-fashioned term for leader indigenous societies connect to the process of empowerment and to the human resource of power. Universally there are three kinds of power:power of presence, power to communicate, power of position. Shamanic societies recognize that a person who has all three powers embodies "big medicine."
Every human being carries the power of presence. Some individuals carry such presence that we are drawn to and captivated by these charismatic people even before they speak or we know anything about them.
A warrior or leader uses the power of communication to effectively align the content, timing and placement to deliver a message at the right time in the right place for the person involved to hear and receive it.
A warrior demonstrates the power of position by the willingness to take a stand. Many politicians have great presence and great communication, but lose power when they allow constituents to wonder where they stand on specific issues.
Examples of individuals who carry all three powers and who access the mythical structure and archetype of the Way of the Warrior are Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Each has been committed to aligning the power of presence, communication and the willingness to take a stand in arenas that have heart and meaning for them.
Cross-culturally, the posture of standing meditation in one position with arms at sides and eyes open for at least fifteen minutes is used in the martial arts, spiritual practices and in the military as a way of reinforcing and coalescing the three universal powers and of connecting the practitioner with the greater being of who he or she is.
Most native peoples attribute the Way of the Warrior to the direction of the North, the home of Father Sky and of all the winged creatures. The belief is held that during challenging times, it is essential to face our challenges with the grace, power and dignity of the "winged ones." It is important to remember that when challenges present themselves, it is the warrior's way to embrace them with full-bodied presence rather than to constrict in fear.
THE WAY OF THE HEALER
The task of the healer is to pay attention to what has heart and meaning and to access the human resource of love. We express the Way of the Healer through attitudes and actions that maintain personal health and support the welfare of our environment.
The archetype of the healer is a universal mythic structure that all humans experience. Every culture has ways of maintaining health and well-being. Healers in most traditions recognize that the power of love is the most potent healing force available. Effective healers from any culture are those who extend the arms of love gratitude, acceptance, recognition, validation and acknowledgment.
Probably the most powerful contemporary example of someone who demonstrates the healing power of extending love is Mother Teresa. In shamanic traditions she would be called a medicine woman.
The posture of lying meditation is often used for healing work. In "journey work," which is lying down on one's back with closed eyes to the accompaniment of the drum, individuals in shamanic traditions access spiritual guidance and healing. When individuals do a journey, they open themselves to the possibility of removing the blocks and obstacles to receiving and giving love.
Most native peoples attribute the Way of the Healer to the direction of the South, with Mother Nature and all the four-legged creatures. Across cultures, there are four universal healing salves: singing, dancing, storytelling and silence. Native cultures transmit their values, ethics and spiritual beliefs through the oral traditions of stories, songs, dances and silent rituals and prayer. It has long been recognized that these healing salves reawaken and sustain the divine child within human beings and return to individuals the qualities of wonder, hope and awe. It is how we pay attention to our life story that allows us to experience the human resource of love, the most powerful healing force on Mother Earth.
THE WAY OF THE VISIONARY
The task of the visionary is to tell the truth without blame or judgment. Truthfulness, authenticity and integrity are essential keys to developing our vision and intuition. We express the Way of the Visionary through personal creativity, goals, plans, and our ability to bring our life dreams and visions into the world.
All cultures regard the importance of vision and its capacity to magnetize the creative spirit. Shamanic societies use Vision Quests, extended periods of solitude in nature, as a way of remembering their life dream and of accessing the four ways of seeing: intuition, perceptions, insight, and vision.
Many native American cultures hold a belief that each individual is "original medicine," nowhere duplicated on the planet and that therefore it is important to bring the creative spirit and life dream or purpose to Earth. Since we are "original medicine," these native people see that there is no need for comparison or competition. The work is to come forward fully with our gifts, talents and resources and to powerfully meet our tests and challenges. The Visionary is one who brings his or her voice into the world and who refuses to edit, rehearse, perform or hide all ways we can feed the false-self system of denial and indulgence.
Among most indigenous peoples, the direction of the East is associated with the home of the Great Spirit, the place of the rising sun and the place where we come home to our authentic self. Archetypically, the bell or conch shell serves as a sonic voice that calls people together and calls us as individuals to remember our authentic purpose.
The human resource of vision is the container that magnetizes the creative spirit to bring one's original medicine into the world. It is the Visionary within that inspires the voice to share what it sees. Rollo May states what shamanic traditions have practiced for centuries, "If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself."
THE WAY OF THE TEACHER
The task of the teacher is to be open, rather than attached, to outcomes. Openness and non-attachment helps us recover the human resources of wisdom and objectivity.
Every culture has traditional and non-traditional means of education. Shamanic traditions believe that wisdom is flexible and fluid. The teacher's way is to be open to outcome and access wisdom by learning how to trust and be comfortable with states of not knowing. Trust is the container out of which the qualities of wisdom grow clarity, objectivity, discernment and detachment.
The opposite of trust is control. The trickster figure found in many shamanic traditions functions to present surprises and the unexpected as a way of waking people out of their routines and shocking them into seeing their attachments.
Among many shamanic traditions, the Way of the Teacher is associated with the direction of the West, the home of Grandmother Ocean and all the water creatures. The ocean is nature's mirror for indigenous cultures to learn how to be malleable and fluid.
BALANCING THE FOUR-FOLD WAY
Even though these four archetypes are emphasized in most shamanic traditions, it is important to understand the they are universal and easily accessed by all humans in a variety of different contexts, cultures, structures and practices. To maximize well-being and to be adaptable to change, indigenous peoples consider it important to be equally balanced in the areas of leading, healing, visioning, and teaching work.
If you numbered these archetypes from one to four, with one being the most developed in your nature and four being the least developed, what would you discover? Most cultures recognize optimum health as having a balance in the expression of all four of these ways. Independent of the culture we come from, we can follow the warrior's way to access power, the healer's way to access love, the visionary's way to access vision, and the teacher's way to access wisdom.
Through the resource of power we are able to choose to be present. Through the resource of love we are able to pay attention to what has heart and meaning. Through the resource of vision we are able to give voice to what we see. Through the resource of wisdom we are able to be open, not attached to, outcomes.
the above essay is Copyright 1995 by Angeles Arrien
02 December, 2006
Interested in accessing the secrets of your unconscious ?
The Tarot is a tool that can help you access the secrets of your unconscious. I’ve finally set a few dates for a Discovering Tarot Workshop :-) The details are at
http://www.maraemma.blogspot.com.
http://www.maraemma.blogspot.com.
New beginnings, and new adventures. It is in this spirit that I am happy to offer this Discovering Tarot Workshop. One whole day plus a follow up session; approximately, 12hours altogether . The first day is a Saturday ( 10:00 – 18:00 ) and the follow up days are weekdays,(18:30 – 21:00 )
Many have been asking, well now I’ve finally set a few dates for a Discovering Tarot Workshop .
And so it is done as I said before , details are below and at http://www.maraemma.blogspot.com/ .
Discovering Tarot Workshop
Saturday 16 December 2006
Saturday 20 January 2007
Saturday 3 February 2007
What is the Tarot ?What do the cards mean ?How can I use the Tarot ?
This is an exciting journey of discovery introducing the Tarot as a tool for personal and spiritual development.
Gain insights into yourself, your life , work and relationships.
Learn how to consult the Tarot for yourself and others to gain clarity, insight, guidance and direction along your life-path.
We work experientially. The exercises and activities are designed to develop and improve your intuition, to increase your awareness and to help you get in touch with the treasure chest of your subconscious.
* Each participant receives a mini reading.
* Small intimate groups of 4-6 participants.
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