Love and Praise

Gratitude

2011-11-25T18:41:00.000-05:00

I am Love.

God God God ...

Be still, and know that I AM God.

I am open to receive Divinely appointed Love.

Jesus Christ is in charge of my life in each and every ways.
I'm in love with everything and everyone.

I feel Infinite Joy.

Infinite Light, Infinite Life, Infinite Love.

I love myself, no matter what.

Dear ONE, thank you for the insight and support. Thank you.

Dear God within, Dear God without, Dear Angels everywhere - Thank you for our Oneness. Thank you for the insight. Thank you.

Dear God, I love you.

Dear God, thank you for this perfect moment.

Dear God, thank you for this perfect day of joy.

Dear God, thank you for my perfect life.

Dear God, thank you for merging with me.

Dear God, thank you for my perfect FREEDOM.

Divine Love, thank you for being Perfect.

Divine Love, thank you for expressing Perfection.

Divine Love, thank you for my freedom.

Dear Father, thank you for helping me to demonstrate your Perfection in all ways and always.

Monk Diet (Evening Fast)

2011-11-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

To witness fullness and hunger.
To witness pleasure and pain.
To witness polarity.
To have time to communicate and resonant with the Soul.
To have time for body to rest and recover.
To practise physical, emotional, and mental discipline and control.

(Evening fast can start at 1 PM, 3 PM, or adjusted to personal requirements.)

Raw Food Again & Again

2011-11-05T08:06:00.004-05:00

Coming back once again to raw.

Always refreshing and always healing.

Perhaps the key is percentage and not perfection.

Warrior Diet

2011-09-28T18:13:00.000-05:00

Under eat during the day

Minimise food consumption to mostly raw fruit and vegetables, soups, and small amounts of light protein foods.
Exercise regularly during the under eating phase.

Eat your main meal at late afternoon

Start with subtle tasting foods and move to more aggressive foods i.e. salad, vegetables and proteins first, then finish with carbohydrates.
Introduce all tastes, textures, aromas and colours possible in your main meal.
Stop eating when you feel much more thirsty than hungry.
Rotate between days of high protein, high fat and high carbohydrates.

Excerpt: The Warrior Diet
By: Ori Hofmekler

Eating: Affirmation

2011-08-18T18:11:00.002-05:00

Dear Food, you are lovely, and I love you.

Dear Body, you can eat anything, anytime, anywhere
And keep no extra fat.

Dear Body, you can eat anything, anytime, anywhere
So you need not store any extra fat.

I can eat anything, anytime, anywhere
And feel maximum aliveness, clarity, and light.

pH Level, Baking Soda, Cancer Cure

2011-06-17T22:38:00.002-05:00

The Urantia Book: Paper 5 - GOD'S RELATION TO THE INDIVIDUAL

2011-05-08T00:08:00.004-05:00

3. TRUE WORSHIP

5:3.1 Though the Paradise Deities, from the universe standpoint, are as one, in their spiritual relations with such beings as inhabit Urantia they are also three distinct and separate persons. There is a difference between the Godheads in the matter of personal appeals, communion, and other intimate relations. In the highest sense, we worship the Universal Father and him only. True, we can and do worship the Father as he is manifested in his Creator Sons, but it is the Father, directly or indirectly, who is worshiped and adored.

5:3.2 Supplications of all kinds belong to the realm of the Eternal Son and the Son's spiritual organization. Prayers, all formal communications, everything except adoration and worship of the Universal Father, are matters that concern a local universe; they do not ordinarily proceed out of the realm of the jurisdiction of a Creator Son. But worship is undoubtedly encircuited and dispatched to the person of the Creator by the function of the Father's personality circuit. We further believe that such registry of the homage of an Adjuster-indwelt creature is facilitated by the Father's spirit presence. There exists a tremendous amount of evidence to substantiate such a belief, and I know that all orders of Father fragments are empowered to register the bona fide adoration of their subjects acceptably in the presence of the Universal Father. The Adjusters undoubtedly also utilize direct prepersonal channels of communication with God, and they are likewise able to utilize the spirit-gravity circuits of the Eternal Son.

5:3.3 Worship is for its own sake; prayer embodies a self- or creature-interest element; that is the great difference between worship and prayer. There is absolutely no self-request or other element of personal interest in true worship; we simply worship God for what we comprehend him to be. Worship asks nothing and expects nothing for the worshiper. We do not worship the Father because of anything we may derive from such veneration; we render such devotion and engage in such worship as a natural and spontaneous reaction to the recognition of the Father's matchless personality and because of his lovable nature and adorable attributes.

5:3.4 The moment the element of self-interest intrudes upon worship, that instant devotion translates from worship to prayer and more appropriately should be directed to the person of the Eternal Son or the Creator Son. But in practical religious experience there exists no reason why prayer should not be addressed to God the Father as a part of true worship.

5:3.5 When you deal with the practical affairs of your daily life, you are in the hands of the spirit personalities having origin in the Third Source and Center; you are co-operating with the agencies of the Conjoint Actor. And so it is: You worship God; pray to, and commune with, the Son; and work out the details of your earthly sojourn in connection with the intelligences of the Infinite Spirit operating on your world and throughout your universe.

5:3.6 The Creator or Sovereign Sons who preside over the destinies of the local universes stand in the place of both the Universal Father and the Eternal Son of Paradise. These Universe Sons receive, in the name of the Father, the adoration of worship and give ear to the pleas of their petitioning subjects throughout their respective creations. To the children of a local universe a Michael Son is, to all practical intents and purposes, God. He is the local universe personification of the Universal Father and the Eternal Son. The Infinite Spirit maintains personal contact with the children of these realms through the Universe Spirits, the administrative and creative associates of the Paradise Creator Sons.

5:3.7 Sincere worship connotes the mobilization of all the powers of the human personality under the dominance of the evolving soul and subject to the divine directionization of the associated Thought Adjuster. The mind of material limitations can never become highly conscious of the real significance of true worship. Man's realization of the reality of the worship experience is chiefly determined by the developmental status of his evolving immortal soul. The spiritual growth of the soul takes place wholly independently of the intellectual self-consciousness.

5:3.8 The worship experience consists in the sublime attempt of the betrothed Adjuster to communicate to the divine Father the inexpressible longings and the unutterable aspirations of the human soul—the conjoint creation of the God-seeking mortal mind and the God-revealing immortal Adjuster. Worship is, therefore, the act of the material mind's assenting to the attempt of its spiritualizing self, under the guidance of the associated spirit, to communicate with God as a faith son of the Universal Father. The mortal mind consents to worship; the immortal soul craves and initiates worship; the divine Adjuster presence conducts such worship in behalf of the mortal mind and the evolving immortal soul. True worship, in the last analysis, becomes an experience realized on four cosmic levels: the intellectual, the morontial, the spiritual, and the personal—the consciousness of mind, soul, and spirit, and their unification in personality.

Group Prayer for Earth

2010-09-28T05:26:00.002-05:00

Let’s invite Divine Mother, Jesus, Archangel Michael, Archangel Uriel, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Gabriel and all the angels who are here to help us with our prayer.

Please sit comfortably. Let’s relax and take a few deep breaths. Slowly relax our bodies. Starting from the toes, slowly moving to the legs, stomach, upper body, shoulders, arms, fingers, neck and head. Feel every cells in our body breathing along with us. Feel the inner peace and calmness.

Now we see the world as it really is.
Everything we see, turn into Infinite Light.
Everything we see, turn into Infinite Energy.
Everything we see, turn into Infinite Love.

We now see ourselves as we truly are.
We rest in Oneness.
We are Oneness.
We are Infinite Light.

Our light body has no boundaries, and we are joined in light.
We now see the world with the eye of Oneness.
All forms disappear in our body of Infinite Light and Oneness.

With the eye of Oneness, we observe Earth from a distance.
With the eye of Oneness, we see everything on Earth clearly.
With the voice of Oneness, our declaration is uttered with true Authority.

From above Earth, we look down onto Earth, into this very room.
We see our reflections in this room holding hands, forming a circle.

With the eye of Oneness, above Earth, we see Divine Love pouring down from heaven to the head of our reflections.

With the eye of Oneness, above Earth, we see the light glowing above our head flooded with loving energy. It is slowly flowing from the crown chakra down to the spine and extending outwards.

With the eye of Oneness, above Earth, we see our reflections flooded with love and light.

Through light, we connect with everyone and become a circle of love.

With the eye of Oneness, above Earth, we see loving energy extending outward flooding the entire room, the entire building, continuing onto the streets, and covering the entire city.

With the eye of Oneness, above Earth, we see loving energy extending outward flooding the entire nation and the Earth.

The energy merges with Divine Love and becomes Oneness. The whole universe is in the presence of love and light.

Now, Divine Love is working perfectly. Divine Love harmonizes everything. Divine Love adjusts everything. Divine Love heals the Earth. Divine Love heals humanity. Through Divine Love, miracles happen.

Let Divine Love strikes the heart notes of everyone loud and clear,
and we hear the heart songs of humanity reverberating far and near,
The rhythms and melodies of our heart songs wash away unnecessary structures, and express God's perfection on Earth.

Divine Love, thank you for your perfect manifestation!

Dear God, Divine Mother, thank you for arranging all the details of my life.

Dear Jesus, Archangel Michael, Archangel Uriel, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Gabriel and all the angels participated in our prayer. Thank you for our Oneness and thank you for your guidance!

Thank you, everyone! Please release your hands and open your eyes.

Think Only God ~ A 21 Day Experiment (Please share your story.)

2010-08-28T12:10:00.006-05:00

God is within and without.
To think only God is to express the deepest part within, the truest Self.
Why think only God continuously and unceasingly?
So that we may continuously and unceasingly remember our True Self.
So that we may continuously and unceasingly express our True Self.

Why

Experience continuous peace.
Experience total absence of loneliness.
Experience perfect satisfaction.
Practise and experience perfect discipline in feelings and thoughts.
Let go of all criticisms and comparisons.
Imbue each moment in life with value and meaning.
Endow life with aliveness and direction.
Behold, enjoy, and unfold the perfect blueprints for all things.
Experience continuous blessing and grace.
Experience incredible miracles.
See the real world.
Experience True Self.

How
At least once every minute, gently direct your attention and emotion toward God.
You may sweetly utter “God” or quietly feel Him.

Samadhi is Equal-Mindedness

2010-07-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

The experience of that bliss has been referred to as the state of samadhi. What is the meaning of samadhi? Samadhi is ordinarily mistaken to be an emotional state in which a person acts abnormally, as if in a state of high excitement or trance. You may think that samadhi is something different from the waking, dream or deep-sleep states. But, truly, samadhi is something common to all three states. The meaning of samadhi is inherent in the word itself. Its root syllables sama or equal, and dhi or mind, together mean equal-mindedness. To be equal-minded in cold or in heat, in profit or in loss, in praise or in censure... that is samadhi. Therefore, a person who is immersed in samadhi, whose mind is in equanimity, will always be in a state of bliss, whether he is in the waking state immersed in his every-day life, or whether he is in the dream-state or in the deep-sleep state. Everyone yearns for such a beatific state. To attain it, a great deal of spiritual practice is necessary. You also have to earn the grace of the Lord by living a life replete with the virtuous qualities that are pleasing to him.

Who will be surprised to hear that fire is accompanied by heat? Burning is the natural state of fire, just as cold is the natural state of ice. So also, everyone who is born will die. This should be considered as totally natural. Anyone who recognizes this truth will not be subjected to sorrow. In all places and in all circumstances, develop an equal-mindedness. Whatever happens, always keep your mind firmly fixed on the divinity, which is your true self.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Food Pyramid

2010-06-22T22:39:00.003-05:00

Stargate Atlantis

2010-03-28T14:41:00.005-05:00

Season 1, Episode 13: Sanctuary
Season 2, Episode 12: Epiphany
Season 3, Episode 14: Tao of Rodney

Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching)

2010-01-29T19:26:00.004-05:00

World Peace version

This is the most clear and beautiful translation of Dao De Jing.
Please enjoy.

ROSARY: Bible Reflections in Stained Glass by Fr. Barry Martinson, S.J.

2009-08-23T07:32:00.001-05:00

Go Where Love Goes

2008-11-30T20:25:00.003-05:00

I can fly in my mind
To a place peaceful and
Full of grace come with me
You will see love is there

To make us whole again
A love that only love knows

Go where love goes
Go where your heart leads
Angels are pleading with you
Go there, go where love dares

Gather me in your arms
Hold me close like Lazarus
To rise again like a bird
To fly again in flowers dreams

So love can feed your soul
Love will make you whole, so

Go where love goes
Go where your heart leads
Angels are pleading with you
Go there, go where love dares to go

Love makes the rainbow
Love is the dawn's glow
Love makes the rose grow
Reaching for Heaven so

Go where love goes
Go where your heart leads
Angels are pleading with you
Go there, go where love dares

Dream how love dreams
Love feeds the dreamers
Angels are calling you to go there
Go where love dares, go

~ Sung by Andrea Bocelli, Holly Stell

Nada Yoga Postures

2008-11-07T17:32:00.001-05:00

(http://www.yoga.dk/artikler/alle_numre_af_bindu/bindu_26/nada_yoga)

Nada Yoga

2008-10-26T10:14:00.003-05:00

By: Swami Satyananda Saraswati

From lectures to students of the first International Yoga Teachers Training Course at Munger, 1967-68.

Any practice or technique of meditation that brings about complete cessation of consciousness is called laya yoga. There are many sadhanas recommended in laya yoga and nada yoga is one. The word nada is derived from the Sanskrit root nad, meaning 'to flow'. Hence the etymological meaning of nada should be a process or a flow of consciousness. Ordinarily the word nada means sound. There are four stages of manifestation of sound according to frequency and subtlety or grossness. The four stages are: (i) para, (ii) pashyanti, (iii) madhyama and (iv) vaikhari. These four stages of sound should be understood scientifically.

Para nada

Para means 'transcendental, 'beyond' or 'the other side'. It is beyond the reach of the indriyas, or sense organs, and the mind and other means of cognition. Hence para nada is the transcendental sound. It is indicative of a truth that there is a sphere of super-consciousness where the sound is heard in different dimensions.
Students of classical music are aware of the fact that every note is made up of different numbers of vibrations per second. They vary in length, speed and pitch. In Indian music these vibrations are called andolana. In one second a sound may make many thousands of vibrations. Above a certain level of high frequency, sound becomes inaudible and can only be perceived subjectively. The ears cannot receive such sounds that are vibrating at a very high rate. Therefore, we are not aware of all the sounds that are present in the cosmos. Sounds having a very high frequency are transformed into silence. Beyond a certain limit, the ears do not have the capacity. No one can hear or understand a sound like that even if it is present.
Para or transcendental sound has the highest vibration frequency. This intense vibration faculty makes para inaudible. Various texts mention that para sound has no vibration. It is a sound that has no movement and therefore no frequency. It is a still sound, but we cannot conceive of a sound that has no vibration, no movements, no motion. When a sound goes to its maximum pitch, it attains a sudden stillness, and that is para nada.
In the Upanishads, the sound of Om is said to be the manifestation of para. The audible chant of Om which we produce is not para because it is physical, subject to our hearing, understanding and logic. Therefore, the audible Om cannot be called the transcendental Om. Para is a cosmic and transcendental sound devoid of all movement. It is both still and infinite. It has shape and light too. Its nature is jyoti (light). It is different from all sounds usually heard or conceived. The Upanishads clearly state, "That is Om, that sound is Om."

Pashyanti

The second stage of sound, which has less frequency and is more gross than para, is pashyanti. It is a sound which cannot be heard, but it can be seen. Pashyanti in Sanskrit means 'that which can be seen or visualized'. The ancient scriptures maintain that sound can also be perceived. How does one see a sound? Well, have you ever heard a piece of music in a dream? This particular dimension of sound, as it is in dream, is called pashyanti. It may be called a mental sound, which is neither a conscious sound nor a semi conscious sound. It is a subconscious sound pertaining to a quality of mind and not belonging to the quality of the sense organs, like the tongue or ears.
When I say out loud "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama," it will be called vaikhari, but when I close my eyes and mouth and go in and repeat mentally the sound of Rama, visualizing its colour and form with the inner eye, it is known as pashyanti. When the word or the sound is heard in a sphere where one is not aware of the outer surroundings, it is called pashyanti. When every outer sound is extinct and you hear a new sound altogether unlike the nature of audible sounds, know it as a special sound or the nada of pashyanti.

Madhyama

A form of sound having lower frequencies than para and pashyanti, but still subtler than the audible vaikhari form of sound, is known as madhyama. It is a sound produced in whispering. No audible effect is produced in it. Madhyama produces very minute vibrations in the act of a whisper. In an ordinary sound, two objects strike against each other in order to produce sound. But in madhyama no two things strike violently so as to produce audible sound. For example, when a sound is produced like 'thuck, thuck, thuck', it is called a gross sound. The word madhyama means 'in between' or ' middle', so madhyama means a middle sound, a whispering sound or the sound of a whisper.

Vaikhari

The fourth and gross stage of nada is called vaikhari. Vaikhari sound is audible and producible. The spoken sound is vaikhari. It is produced by friction or by striking two things against each other. Its frequencies of vibration are conducted within a certain limited range.
To sum up, vaikhari is the gross quality of the vocal organs, madhyama is the subtler quality of the same physical organs, pashyanti is the quality of the subconscious or unconscious, and para is the quality of the soul.

The universe and nada

According to nada yogis and the scriptures dealing with the subject of nada yoga, the nada brahma, or the ultimate and transcendental sound, is the seed from which the entire creation has evolved. A nada yogi believes that the world is but a projection of sound alone. The whole macro cosmic universe is a projection of sound vibrations. From that sound the whole world has evolved. In the Bible there is the reference: "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God." This word is called the nada or the shabda. Sufis in India call it surat. Surat or shabda yoga is another name for nada yoga practice. The Sufi saints of philosophical temperament also believe that out of sound and form the world evolved. The nada yogis believe that the five elements, five karmendriyas, five jnanendriyas, the fourfold mind and the three gunas have evolved out of one eternal sound. It means that prakriti, the material, mental, psychic and intellectual universe, is all an outcome of nada brahma. This is the ultimate belief of all nada yogis. So a nada yogi believes in a reality which has manifested itself in the form of vibration. It is a vibration that either does not vibrate at all or at such a high frequency that it is beyond the reach of the human faculty.
The eternal or original nada has the highest rate of frequency and vibration. When any object vibrates at a tremendous and unimaginable speed, it becomes still. It means that the highest point of motion and vibration is stillness. And that nada appears to be the creative principle of all matter and the entire material substance.
Nada yogis contend that everything in the universe originated and evolved from the eternal and infinite nada. In this context a study of the Upanishads is recommended, with special reference to Nada Bindu Upanishad and Hamsopanishad.
Music is also a materialized form of nada and the movements of prana in the body are also nothing but the expressions of nada. The purpose of nada yoga sadhana is to find out the primal, the finest, the ultimate inner sound - the word or shabda. In order to discover this transcendental and non-empirical sound, the process starts from the external gross sound. From there the ultimate form of sound is conceivable only through going into the deeper realms of our consciousness.

The centre of nada

There are different centres where the transcendental nada is said to be situated. Bhaktas try to find the centre of their ishta in anahata. Yogis try to find the centre of intuition in ajna. Vedantins try to find the centre of hiranyagarbha in sahasrara. Likewise, nada yogis locate the centre of nada in bindu. Bindu is the centre where the continuous, eternal, inaudible, unbroken and unbeaten sound goes on. For the purpose of the discovery of nada, it is true that the bindu has to be discovered primarily and finally.
Before venturing into the depth of this science, it would be better for the aspirant to locate or discover the mental, astral and psychic nature of the sound of nada. Different nada yoga practices are introduced in order to help the aspirant to get through the different psychic and non-physical sounds, before the consciousness can finally be attuned with the real nada.

Practice of nada in bhakti yoga

The practices meant for bhakti yoga are also included as practices of nada yoga. When a bhakti yogi performs mantra japa, in the first stage he tries his best to maintain awareness of the sound produced by the mantra. After having developed a deeper awareness of the sound of the mantra, he stops producing an audible sound vibration and in the second stage tries to intensify his awareness on the basis of the mantra repeated in whispered tones.
When this task is accomplished satisfactorily, he stops whispering and repeats the same mantra mentally. He tries to hear the mental and subtle notes which, though inaudible, can be visualized through a deeper form of awareness. Sometimes at this stage, it is possible to actually experience hearing the same mantra internally. The bhakti yogi will feeling as if he has really chanted the mantra in an audible tone. When the awareness of mental mantra chanting is absorbing and the mind is completely fused in a deep realm of awareness, mantra or nada is transformed into a constant inaudible repetition which will appear to the aspirant on the plane of consciousness as audible; but it will be imperceptible and inaudible to others. This is the way to experience the nada in the practice of mantra yoga by bhakti yogis.
A few kriyas combined with bandhas and mantras should also be included in order to stimulate the dormant psychic regions. The aspirant should begin the task of discovering the first sound or nada by plugging the ears and listening to the inner sounds. When the practice is fairly advanced, the ears need not be plugged in order to commune with the different dimensions of sound. Instead one should try to commune with the inner sound during the stillness of the night without closing the ears. It is easy to apprehend the inner sounds at midnight or early in the morning.

Diet of a nada yogi

The diet of a nada yogi should be light and easily digestible. Any food that sends quick influxes of blood to the brain is undesirable. Food which causes hypertension or high blood pressure should be avoided. The normal nutritional supply required to maintain normal functioning of the body should be provided.

Music and nada yoga

Music is also nada yoga, where the music is rendered absolutely scientific and classical in order to experience the nada. The development of musical systems in the past was done strictly in accordance with the views of nada yoga sadhanas. The well-known and most ancient Sama Veda is always sung with a scientific exactness and in accordance with nada yoga sadhana.
At different stages of conscious awareness, the mind is easily attracted by different waves of nada. Certain vibrations of nada seem to be agreeable at a particular time, while others are disagreeable at a particular time of the day. Certain combinations of nada are agreeable to some people and disagreeable to others. In music these nada vibrations are known as raga or musical notes. A raga having short vibrations is not relished by some. The morning music of India, like the Bhairava or Bhairavi raga, is appealing to a few, but not to all. I like the midnight music of India, the Malkos, the Durga or the Jogia ragas. The evening raga, like Bhimpalasi, is also popularly appreciated. Generally, girls and boys of a tender age prefer Bhairavi. This shows that the mind reacts differently to different sound waves at different times.
Music can be taken up as a spiritual sadhana, as a preliminary practice, or just as a pleasant, interesting and inspiring sadhana of nada yoga, through which the mind can be attuned to the subtlest vibrations before proceeding to discover the last transcendental sound of nada.

Time for practice

One can practise nada yoga whenever one is free. A beginner should practise between midnight and two a.m., the period free from the disturbing influences of external sound. Absence of light in the atmosphere also aids the practice. These help to introvert the mind.

Precautions

Some precautions should be borne in mind because nada yogic sadhana can bring about a manifestation of any sound. Sometimes, if the practitioner has a weak state of mind, there may be a buzzing in the ears throughout the day. Sometimes he may hear the sound of a bell or various other sounds. Manifestation of these different sounds disturbs the peace of the aspirant. If the sound continues to agitate the mind, the nada yoga sadhana should be given up. It is sure and certain that by correct practice of nada yoga, inner sounds are developed by stages. They are not heard at any other time during the waking period.
The nada yogi is capable of hearing a voice in the waking state if he is at a very advanced stage. It appears as if someone is whispering into his ears. This is a kind of Siddhi; a power to hear a sound from an unknown.

Preparation for nada sadhana

First of all, the nada yogi should practise moola bandha, vajroli/sahajoli mudra and yoga mudra. These are important. When these have been learnt, one should practise kumbhaka and focus the consciousness on bindu. Pranayama also forms an important preliminary and essential part of this sadhana. There are many pranayama practices that can cause nada to manifest. One is moorcha. Brahmari should also be practised, with the ears plugged, and the eyes pressed with the fingers as in shanmukhi mudra. The upper and lower teeth should be kept apart, the jaw unclenched. Then the actual practice of nada yoga should follow.

Practice for the manifestation of nada

Sit down on a firm pillow in a squatting position, placing the soles of the feet on the ground with the elbows resting on the knees or thighs. For some a lower pillow will be comfortable and for others a higher one. The most important point here is that the coccyx and the perineum should be pressed against the pillow at the point of mooladhara, and therefore the pillow should be round and hard. Thus, without contraction of the anus, the mooladhara chakra should be pressed by sitting on a high and hard pillow.
After practising moorcha pranayama, shanmukhi mudra, moola bandha, vajroli/sahajoli mudra and brahmari pranayama first for a few minutes, start the practice of nada yoga in the following manner. Plug both the ears. Take the consciousness to bindu and try to find out or be aware of any sound that is internal. This internal sound may resemble anything. It may be like a cloud passing or a stream flowing, the sea roaring or a bell ringing. It may also be the sound of a flute, the rhythm of a guitar or the sound of birds chirping in the evening at the time of sunset. It might be in the form of an awareness of the distant ocean or the sound of a thunderbolt. Or it might even be the vision of a starry night devoid of any sound. These internal sounds are to be discovered by the aspirant.
If it is difficult to discover a sound in bindu, circulate your awareness in sahasrara or ajna, or in the centre of the brain, or in the right or left eardrums. Or focus your mind at chidakasha or at the centre of the third eye until you are sure to get the sound. The method of discovering the sound is simple. Instead of imagining a sound, make your mind one-pointed, then discover the first sound and pursue it up to the end. One inner sound of nada should be followed to the extent where it becomes more and more clear and prominent. As soon as it is clear and prominent, another sound (a different sound altogether) is heard and felt in the background.
When you discover the second sound, give up the first one and follow the second. For instance, close your ears and listen to the first sound, for example, the evening sound of birds. Keep on listening to it. When it becomes completely clear and distinct, find another sound manifesting behind, like the sound of a nightingale. Now continue to follow your consciousness up. Move on from the sound of the evening song of the birds. Let the music of the nightingale become clearer until the first sound has gone. When that is completely distinct and clear to your consciousness, another sound will be heard in the background. The forthcoming sound may be like the sound of crickets going 'chin, chin, chin, chin, chin'. When this sound also becomes very clear to you, reject the previous one, the singing of the nightingale, and pick up this new one. This will also become clearer after some time, and will be replaced by a fourth one. This process continues until the consciousness is completely lost, or the consciousness is completely devoid of the contents of the mind.

Nada in the koshas

These sounds which are heard are true. They are the symbols of the content of the mind and of consciousness. The mind rests on these symbols and it goes in quickly with their help. These sounds are experiences of the deeper layers of consciousness belonging to annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha and manomaya kosha. These sounds are not imaginary. They may be understood as the vibrations of different spheres of one's existence. The physical, pranic, mental, supra-mental and the ananda or atmic are the five spheres of one's existence. In different spheres of existence different sounds are heard. There are physical sounds first, but when consciousness becomes fine and transcends the physical plane, it will come in touch with the subtle sounds of the movements of pranic consciousness in the physical body.
The entire range of human consciousness is divided into three, or subdivided into five parts. The conscious state consists of the annamaya and the pranamaya koshas, and these two bodies are made up of food and of prana. The second sphere of the personality is comprised of manomaya and vigyanamaya koshas and mainly contains mental and astral matter. The third dimension of consciousness is the realm of anandamaya kosha, which is full of bliss.
In the practice of nada yoga, the manifestation of nada takes place in accordance with the relation established between the mind and the other spheres of consciousness. For instance, if the mind or consciousness is rooted in the physical body, by closing your ears you will hear the sounds or vibrations produced by the movements of the heart, lungs, brain, blood circulation and the process of metabolism and catabolism that are going on inside the body.
If consciousness has penetrated the pranamaya kosha, you will hear many more sounds. And if the mind has gone deeper into the anandamaya kosha, then all other sounds will disappear and in its place the effect of nada yoga will remain.
It is difficult to tell which particular nada belongs to a particular sphere. In India, illustrations are given in the form of symbolic stories. The individual consciousness, which keeps on soaring high and discovering the transcendental notes, is symbolized as Rishi Narada in Indian mythology. Without denying the historical existence of Rishi Narada, the esoteric significance of the word Narada should be understood. Narada is supposed to be a rishi who has a veena in his hands. In nada yoga, the sound of the veena is considered to be the music of a very high sphere. According to all the traditional nada yoga cults, the nada of the flute and veena belong to that sphere of consciousness where dwaita bhava, or the duality of consciousness, ceases to exist.

Nada yoga in the Bhagavata

Nada yoga is illustrated in the great book entitled the Bhagavata (different to the Bhagavad Gita). A symbolic and allegorical description of nada is given in the form of the story of Krishna. It says, "Lord Krishna left his place at midnight and went into the jungle. It was the full moon night of the first month of winter. He began to play the flute. The echo of the flute spread in the calm and undisturbed atmosphere. Music rose from the jungle and was heard by the gopis (the village cowherd girls). When they heard the sound of the flute, they immediately left their houses and their husbands, forgetful of all that was taking place. They ran, without consideration, to the place from where the nada from the flute was emanating. They started dancing about the flute player. After some time, it so happened that each one found herself dancing individually with Krishna."
The story seems fantastic, but in fact it is not properly understood by people of the world. It is understood only by nada yogis. They consider Krishna to represent that higher sphere of consciousness where the nada of that sphere emanates during the deepest state of nada sadhana. When the emanation of flute music takes place, the senses, the indriyas, or the sense-consciousness, forsake their respective objects and withdraw from their respective centres of pleasure and perception. They recede and go back to the place from where the flute sound or the nada is emanating. There the senses dance around the nada. In that state, the senses completely withdraw from the outer objects. In other words, a yogi may say that dharana has taken place and dhyana is about to dawn.
In Sanskrit the word krishna means, 'that which draws' or 'that which attracts'. It is derived from the root word karshan. So the word krishna means 'the puller', 'the with drawer', or 'the attractor'. It also means 'farmer', and, the word gopi means 'cow'. In Sanskrit, go means 'senses', 'cow', 'poor', 'humble' and the 'whole perceptible universe'. Ordinarily, the word gopi means 'the daughter of a cowherd family'. Symbolically, gopi means 'senses'. And who are the husbands of the senses (the gopis)? It may be said that for the eyes, the form is the husband and for the ears, sound. When the music of a flute is heard, the sense of hearing leaves or withdraws itself from the outer audible sounds and merges itself in the inner nada. This process is called pratyahara.

Nada yoga and Kabir

A famous nada yogi named Kabir says in one of his poems: "Who is there playing upon a flute in the middle of the sky? On the confluence of the Ganga and Jamuna, the flute is being played, and the confluence of three rivers - Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati - takes place in trikuti. Oh, this is a meeting point of Ganga and Jamuna. The sound emanates from the north! Cowherd girl, hear the sound of the flute and lo, they are all hypnotized by the nada."
The ultimate experience in nada yoga is a sound higher than the sound of the flute. The music of the highest sphere is not of the flute, veena, thunderbolt, clapping or any musical instrument. It is not even similar to the classical music of either east or west. The music of the highest sphere is 'anahad nada'.

Anahad nada and anahata nada

What is anahad nada? No one has been able to tell even till this day. Some say that is the cosmic sound of Om. Others say it is like brahmari, a sound resembling the unceasing and unbroken sound of the honeybee. Some say that it is the beat of the heart.
Some people call it anahad, while others call it anahat. These two words convey two different meanings. Anahatderives from 'an' + 'aahat'. 'An' means 'no', 'aahat' means 'that which is striking, hammering or beating'. Therefore, anahat means 'no beating or striking of two things'. Usually a sound is produced by two things striking against each other, but anahat is a sound which is not produced by striking. It is spontaneous and automatic. Some scholars say that the nada is anahad. 'An' means 'no' and 'hada' means 'boundary' or 'compound'. Hence, anahad means 'without any limit, without any boundary,' or 'without any specification'. It is a sound upon which no limits can be put. It can be any sound.

Nada yoga and Gorakhnath

The great guru Gorakhnath, disciple of yogi Matsyendranath, gives a description of nada yoga. He writes, "Oh sadhu! Do japa of Soham. That japa should not be done through the mind. It should be done through the consciousness, so that even when you are engaged in your day-to-day activities, you should be aware of 21,6000 rhythms of your breath throughout the 24 hours of the day, at the rate of 15 or 19 rounds per minute (which means 900 and more breaths per hour). Anahad nada will emerge and will manifest on its own." He says further, "There will be light in the spinal cord. The solar system of the surya nadi will be awakened. You will feel an indescribable vibrating sound from every pore of your body and that will be like Om or Soham."

The ultimate nada

The ultimate nada that manifests in the highest sphere of consciousness is indescribable. It is a sound coming from the sphere beyond the anandamaya kosha. A nada yogi believes that the actual point where the individual consciousness fuses with the cosmic consciousness is in the highest state of nada. The aspirant or sadhaka realizes his higher consciousness in nada and sees the whole universe in the form of sound.
(http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2004/fdec04/nada.shtml)

Anahata Sounds

2008-10-26T08:47:00.006-05:00

(Excerpt from Meditation and Mantras, By Swami Vishnu-Devananda, p. 239-243)

Anahata sounds (or the melody) are the mystic sounds heard by the Yogi at the beginning of his cycle of meditation. This subject is termed Nada-Anusandhana or an enquiry into the mystic sounds. This is a sign of purification of the Nadis or astral currents, due to Pranayama. The sounds can also be heard after the uttering of the Ajapa Gayatri Mantra, "Hamsah Soham", a lakh of times. The sounds are heard through the right ear with or without closing the ears. The sounds are distinct when heard through closed ears. The ears can be closed by introducing the two thumbs into the ears through the process of Yoni Mudra. Sit in Padma or Siddha Asana, close the ears with right and left thumbs, and hear the sounds very attentively. Occasionally, you can hear the sounds through the left ear also. Practise to hear from the right ear only. Why do you hear through the right ear only or hear distinctly through the right ear? Because of the solar Nadi (Pingala) which is on the right side of the nose. The Anahata sound is also called Omkara Dhvani. It is due to the vibration of Prana in the heart.

Ten Kinds of Sounds

Nada that is heard is of 10 kinds. The first is Chini (like the sound of the word Chini); the second is Chini-Chini; the third is the sound of bell; the fourth is that of conch; the fifth is that of Tantri (lute); the sixth is that of Tala (cymbals); the seventh is that of flute; the eighth is that of Bheri (drum); the ninth is that of Mridanga (double drum) and the tenth is that of clouds, viz., thunder.

Before thou settest the foot upon the ladder's upper rung, the ladder of the mystic sounds, thou hast to hear the voice of thy inner God (Highest Self) in 7 manners. The first is like the nightingale's sweet voice chanting a song of parting to its mate. The second comes as the sound of a silver cymbal of the Dhyanis, awakening the twinkling stars. The next is as the melodious plaint of the ocean-sprite imprisoned in its shell. And this is followed by the chant of Veena. The fifth sound of bamboo-flute shrills in thine ear. It changes next into a trumpet-blast. The last vibrates like the dull rumbling of a thunder-cloud. The seventh swallows all the other sounds. They die, and then are heard no more.

LIGHTS IN MEDITATION

Various kinds of lights manifest during meditation owing to concentration. In the beginning, bright white light, the size of a pin's point will appear in the forehead in the Trikuti, the space between the two eyebrows, which corresponds tentatively to the Ajna-Chakra of the astral body. You will notice, when the eyes are closed, different coloured lights, white, yellow, red, smoky, blue, green, mixed lights, flashes like lightning, like fire, burning charcoal, fire-flies, moon, sun, stars. These lights appear in the mental space, Chidakasa. These are all elemental lights. Each element has its own specific colour. Prithvi (earth) Tanmatra has a yellow-coloured light; Apas (water) Tanmatra has a whitecoloured light; Agni (fire) Tanmatra has a red-coloured light; Vayu (wind) Tanmatra has a smoky light; Akasa (sky) Tanmatra has a blue light. Yellow and white lights are very commonly seen. Red and blue lights are rarely noticeable. Frequently there is a combination of white and yellow lights. In the beginning, small balls of white light float about before the mind's eye. When you first observe this, be assured that the mind is becoming more steady and that you are progressing in concentration. After some months, the size of the light will increase and you will see a full blaze of white light, bigger than the sun. In the beginning, these lights are not steady. They come and disappear immediately. They flash out from above the forehead and from the sides. They cause peculiar sensations of extreme joy and happiness and there is an intense desire for a vision of these lights. When you have steady and systematic practice of two to three hours in the morning, and two to three hours at night, these lights appear more frequently and remain steadily for a long time. The vision of the lights is a great encouragement in Sadhana. It impels you to stick steadily to meditation. It gives you strong faith also in superphysical matters. The appearance of the light denotes that you are transcending the physical consciousness. You are in a semi-conscious state when the light appears. You are between two planes. You must not shake the body when these lights manifest. You must be perfectly steady in the Asana. You must breathe very, very slowly.

Triangle (Light) in the Face

One whose food is moderate, whose anger has been controlled, who has given up all love for society, who has subdued his passions, who has overcome all pairs (heat and cold, etc.), who has given up his egoism, who does not bless anyone nor take anything from others-such a man during meditation obtains it (the triangle) in the face.

Light from Sushumna

"Vishoka Va Jyotismati" (Chap. I, Sutra 36. Patanjali-YogaSutras).
"You can attain Samadhi by meditation on the Effulgent One Who is beyond all sorrow."
Sometimes, during meditation you will see a brilliant dazzling light. You will find it difficult to gaze on this light. You will be compelled to withdraw your mental vision from this light. This dazzling light is the light emanating from the Sushumna (central psychic-canal) in the heart.

Forms in the Lights

You will see two kinds of forms (1) lustrous forms of Devatas, (2) physical forms. You will see your Ishta Devata or tutelary deity (guiding Devata) in handsome dress and with various, valuable ornaments, flowers, garlands, with four hands and weapons. Saints, Sages, etc., appear to encourage you. You will find a huge collection of Gods and celestial ladies with various musical instruments in their hands. You will see beautiful flower-gardens, fine palatial buildings, rivers, mountains, golden temples, sceneries so lovely and picturesque as cannot be adequately described.

Dazzling Lights

Sometimes, during meditation, you will get very powerful, dazzling lights, bigger than the sun. They are white. In the beginning, they come and fade away quickly. Later on, they are steady, they become fixed for 10 or 15 minutes or half an hour according to the strength and degree of concentration. For those who concentrate on the Trikuti, the space between the two eyebrows, the light appears in the forehead in the Trikuti, while for others who concentrate on the top of the head, Sahasrara Chakra, the light manifests on the top of the head. The light is so powerful and dazzling sometimes, that you have to withdraw yourself from looking at it and break the meditation. Some people are afraid and do not know what to do and how to proceed further. They come to me for instructions. I tell them that this is a new sensation which they have not hitherto experienced. By constant practice, the mind engaged in concentration will be used to it, and the fear will vanish. I ask them to go on with the practice. Some people concentrate on the heart, some on Trikuti, and some on the top of the head. It is a question of personal taste. It is easy to control mind by concentrating on the Trikuti. If you are used to fix on the Trikuti, stick to it always. Don't make frequent changes. Steadiness is very necessary. The beings and objects with whom you are in touch during the early period of meditation belong to the astral world. They are similar to human beings minus a physical overcoat. They have desires, cravings, love, hatred, etc., just as human beings have. They have fine bodies. They can move about freely. They have powers of materialisation, dematerialisation, multiplying, clairvoyant vision of an inferior order. The lustrous forms are higher Devatas of mental or higher planes who come down to encourage you.

Various Shaktis manifest in lustrous forms. Adore them. Worship them. Do mental worship as soon as you behold them. Angels are beings of mental or higher planes. They also appear before your mind's eye.

Sometimes, you will feel an invisible help, possibly from your Ishta Devata when you are actually pushed from the physical body into the new plane. That invisible power assists in your separating from the body and going above body-consciousness. You will have to mark carefully all these operations.

Don't waste your time in looking at these visions. This is only a curiosity. These are all encouragements to convince you of the existence of superphysical, metaphysical realities and the solid existence of Brahman. Drive these pictures. Fix yourself on the goal-Lakshya. Advance. Proceed seriously and energetically.

As soon as you retire for sleep, these lights manifest themselves without any exertion on your part. Just when you are going to transcend the physical consciousness, just when you are drowsy, these lights appear without your effort. Also in the morning, before you get up, in the transitional stage, half-asleep, half-awake, you will get again these lights by themselves without attempt.

Sometimes, during meditation, you will see an infinite blue sky, ethereal space. You will see yourself in the blue space as a black dot. Your form will appear in the cerAre of the light sometimes. Sometimes, you will notice highly vibratory, rotating particles in the light. You will see physical forms, human forms, children, women, adult males, Rishis with beards, and lustrous forms. Visions are either subjective or objective, your own mental reactions or of realities on finer planes of matter. Universe consists of planes of matter of various grades of density. Rhythmical vibrations of elements in various degrees, give rise to the formation of various planes. Each plane has its beings and things. Visions may be of these things or beings. They may be purely imaginary. They may be crystalisation of your own intense thinking. You must discriminate in Yogic practices. Reason and common-sense must be used throughout.

Oprah's Soul Series Webcast

2008-08-09T00:38:00.001-05:00

It's uplifting, enlightening and truly powerful. Oprah's Soul Series is "the most exciting thing that ever could have happened," Oprah says. Each week on her XM Radio show, Oprah sits down with leading spiritual thinkers, teachers and authors to talk about matters of the soul, and shares insights into her own life. Plus, she invites listeners to reflect on their own spiritual journeys.

Videotaped sessions of Oprah's Soul Series will be available on Oprah.com every Monday evening at 9/8c. Catch up on previous guests using the webcast on-demand archive—watch the videos online, or download them and take them with you. Plus, get exclusive resources, questions and important notes each week. And, connect with others who are looking to evolve and enrich their souls.

http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/pkgoprahssoulserieswebcast/20080512_oaf_oss_archive

Eckhart Tolle & Oprah: A New Earth

2008-03-27T18:31:00.005-05:00

A ten parts discussion based on Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth.
View Free Web Events

Be Still

2008-02-24T18:08:00.003-05:00

I open my heart to the blessings of life.

Inner Voice: How to Listen (II)

2008-02-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

I see the white light in my heart
I dive into the light and fly to its core
The white light becomes brighter
The white light becomes stronger
Smoother than silk and lighter than snow
Warmer than sun and prettier than pearls
It calms me down deeper and deeper
As I come closer and closer to its core
Sounds and vibrations emit from the core
Touching me, washing me, holding me
In the brightest of bright
In the whitest of the white
In the centre of the light

I see the Divine Child within
Divine Child in my heart
Divine Child innocent
Divine Child full of love
Divine Child wise
Divine Child, the Inner God

Divine Child talks to me
Tells me everything
Tells me I am God.

Manifestation: Expectation

2008-01-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

With Love, I expect the highest and the best
Beyond my wildest dream

Hope is whishing for things uncertain.
Belief is conviction in qualities.
Expectation is welcoming of things physical already owned.

Every seconds of every day
You are manifesting by your expectations
With or without your conscious consent.

Would you take charge to manage your expectations
And manifest Heaven on Earth?
Or would you let unwholesome expectations
Dictate the details of your life?

You have the right to give more,
So you have the right to expect more.
In order to give better,
Expect to receive the best.

Without abundant expectations,
You expect scarcity.
In scarcity, you act with fears,
Troubling yourself and others,
Wounding the environment and the earth.
For the sake of everything and everyone,
Expect abundantly and manifest accordingly.

At this moment, what do you expect?

With Love, I expect the highest and the best
Beyond my wildest dream

Merging

2008-01-26T00:44:00.001-05:00

May I see what you see
May I hear what you hear
May I feel what you feel
May I know what you know
May I say what you say
May I do what you do
May we be One

The World's Most Unusual Therapist

2008-01-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

by Dr. Joe Vitale

Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.

When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane?

It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.

However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more.

I had always understood "total responsibility" to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does. The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility.

His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist. He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.

Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.

"After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely," he told me. "Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed."

I was in awe.

"Not only that," he went on, "but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed."

This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: "What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?"

"I was simply healing the part of me that created them," he said.

I didn't understand.

Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life - simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.

Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life.

This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy--anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to change them, you have to change you.

I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono means loving yourself. If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone--even a mentally ill criminal--you do it by healing you.

I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?

"I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again," he explained.

That's it?

That's it.

Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, your improve your world. Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message. This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying, "I'm sorry" and "I love you," I didn't say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.

Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by saying "I love you," I somehow healed within me what was creating him.

I later attended a ho 'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He's now 70 years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive. He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.

"What about the books that are already sold and out there?" I asked.

"They aren't out there," he explained, once again blowing my mind with his mystic wisdom. "They are still in you."

In short, there is no out there.

It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves. Suffice it to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there's only one place to look: inside you.

"When you look, do it with love."

This article is from the forthcoming book "Zero Limits" by Dr. Joe Vitale and Dr. Len

Do I Love Myself?

2007-10-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

Q: I asked myself, “do I love myself?” Yet I do not know the answer.

A: Perhaps your real question is: "Who am I?"

Am I the body?
Am I the mind?
Am I the son?
Am I the husband?
Am I the friend?
Am I a man?
Am I the fluctuating emotions?
Am I the wondering mind?
Am I the seeker of Truth?
Am I the soul, the Higher Self?
Am I the Sacred Heart, the Spirit, God?

Spiritual growth is a process of redefining oneself.
Each definition entails different embodiment of love and insight about love.
Decide who you are first, and you will love yourself accordingly.

Two Paths to God

2007-10-13T07:02:00.001-05:00

Letting Go

The sadhu let go of everything,
His belongings and relationships,
His desires and attachments,
His pleasures and pains,
And the roles he played.
He forcefully chooses God over everything else.
For it’s either God, or no God at all.
He purges his subconscious and meditates only on God.
By and by, he has nothing left except his self.
By and by, he even let go of his self.
By and by, he has nothing except God.
Then by the grace of God,
Self made His Presence known.
He sees Self in the self,
And then Self in all.

Sublime Taste

He follows his bliss.
He follows his heart.
He follows the path of joy and the feelings of love.
In all possible situations and relationships,
He contemplates scenarios and follows complete satisfaction.
He aims to choose the best and experience the most aliveness.
By and by, he passes from experience to experience.
By and by, his taste becomes subtle and sublime.
By and by, only God satisfies him.
At the perfection of his taste,
He naturally chooses only God and nothing else,
And then God appears everywhere,
And he sees the Self.

Ownership

2007-09-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

To truly own is to be One.

To Love is to become One.
Love determines ownership.

Simple Gifts

2007-08-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

an 1848 Shaker song by Elder Joseph Brackett

Listen: Sung by Bryn Terfel

Bryn's link

Dear God, Thank You for this Perfect Moment

2007-08-06T07:11:00.000-05:00

Declare “Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment”,
And attain Perfect Vision
With gladness and ease.

Declare “Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment”,
And see all times return to their womb,
And all space races back to infinity.

Declare “Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment”,
And see all thoughts transform to perfection,
Bursting with immense joy.
And feel all feelings change into lovely lights,
And all worries subside.

Declare “Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment”,
And be in Peace unimagined
With every particles of your being
Singing glorious praise
And dance in ecstasy.

Without this Perfect Moment in love and gratitude,
All creating would simply be
The desperate grabs for incredible lacks.

So Declare
“Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment”,
And see the calm and enchanting air
Gently gathering and surrounding you
Embracing you within a bubble of pure sanctity
Pulsating with sumptuous and opulent delight.

Within this bubble of Perfect Moment,
See the perfect blueprints of things divinely meant for you and all.
Breathe it! Wear it! Live it!

And see undulating waves of this Perfect Moment
Vibrating and radiating outward in a perfect sphere
From the very centre of your knowing and being,
Unstoppable and sure.

Dear God, thank you for this Perfect Moment.

Happy Yogi: Shining Stars

2007-07-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Yogi

2007-07-16T20:35:00.000-05:00

For more, please see Unassuming Beauty.

Effortlessness

2007-05-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

There are two phases in one’s life: inward and outward, subjective and objective, one’s direct relationship with God, and one’s relationship and service to all of God’s creatures. These two must be in balance. When there seems to be no obvious next step to take based on one’s inner prompting, then slow down, relax, and be in tune with God. If the occasion calls for outward service, then go forth freely without hesitation.

Do not dwell pointlessly upon the past and future. Remain constantly in tune with your indwelling spirit. Thinking about the “futility” of past effort and the long road ahead and dreading it is not a positive use of your energy. Thinking that you are not “special” to God is also futile because you and God are one. You are already in him.

In moments of mistaken perception, be still, and be with God. Regroup all your scattered energies back to the centre, and be in peace. Listen to and behold God, and lay aside this material world.

You were in pain because you yearned to know yourself deeper and to be the highest you can be. It was a time of growing and it was the right time for new experience, and that employment was no longer conducive to your spiritual unfoldment. Your staying there out of fear was conflicting with the Divine Will of spiritual evolution, and you suffered because of this. Your struggle and pain were not due to the perceived difficult task itself; it was never about the particular task itself.

Your lesson is not to be so attached to the form. Flow and trust and surrender to God’s Will, no matter where it leads you. The lesson to be learned is to trust in Divine Will, and flow where you are led. In a way, you did not have to suffer had you had sufficient trust in God and Divine Will. You suffered because of your lack of trust.

Have trust that when God’s Will led you away from your work despite of your fear and mistrust, it will unfailingly lead you to your next destined point again when the time is right, and hopefully, with your fuller cooperation and deeper trust. For in trust and conscious cooperation lies your peace of mind.

With a mind in peace, knowing no lack and with the deepest trust in God, all you do would be a praise and prayer to the Lord. In so doing, you will not find unrest. So fear not. Trust that you will be taken where the Plan meant to take you. Surrender and trust. We are all One, and God is you. You just have to become aware and be able to see with God’s vision, and then you will see that there is neither contradiction nor exaggeration.

As long as other’s freedom, rights, and life are not taken away by you, and as long as your mind and heart are on God and doing God’s Will, you need not worry about any ungodly opportunities. You will not experience them in your life because there are no ungodly will in your mind.

Your job there was neither to save nor to teach, but it was to make peace. Whom had you not forgiven there? Whom did you still hold a grudge? With whom did you not have free flowing feeling of love and brotherhood? You were there to make peace with each and everyone of them. While being there, your job was to realize the love again with all whom you had met, and to reestablish your own place in the Kingdom of God.

Until you have erased all attacks from within, you cannot see with the eye of God or know Oneness. You know whom you needed to forgive, and you know what you needed to forgive. You have to forgive the atmosphere, the organization, the structure, the building, and the world. You cannot blame the world for your feeling of entrapment. You have to forgive them all, and when you leave the place physically behind, you will leave them filled with love within your heart. That is your mission and task and lesson. Heed it well, and fulfill your part. All experiences are indeed appropriate for the current phase of learning.

It’s best if you focus first on the issue of love and trust. Once they are mastered, others will swiftly follow. As you have learned to go where you are invited, you should also learn to leave when you are released. These are two sides of the same expression of Divine Will in practical life. By doing so, you will always ride on the current of Divine Will, and will not be in struggle and pain.

There is no battle for you here. You need not fight or struggle to prove anything to anyone including yourself. Your place in God’s kingdom is secure, and your only duty and right is to maintain your own sense of peace and joy. When you are rejected by a situation, if you decide to stay, then you are choosing to learn the lesson of conflict and struggle, and eventually to see their futility. If you no longer desire conflict and struggle in life, then you only have to walk away in peace from the rejecting situation, and have trust that a new invitation will be forthcoming. It is as easy and simple as that. With these two processes in place, life could indeed be lived in trust and without effort.

Give All

2007-05-26T06:58:00.001-05:00

Q: How can people be practical and realistic when you ask them to give all?

A: For people whose faith is not yet strong and stable, and whose bodies are not yet totally aligned, they must proceed with “practicality”, so that they would not overwhelm their personality, which will be in a state of shock and agitation. Such condition of non-equilibrium is to be avoided, since it will only further confuse the life of the disciple. For those who are ready and quite aligned, and are ready to take full advantage of the law of supply and demand, and who has their fear under control, it is quite safe for them to “give all”, since by doing so, they do not go into emotional turmoil, and will see the law of supply and demand work out beautifully.

The advice of being practical and realistic has also to do with the “skillful use” of resources. Even though it is quite safe for the aligned personality to “give all”, the personality should still do it with good common sense and practicality, which will result in the skillful use of the resources at hand. We are not encouraging the disciple to throw out all the resources at hand for the sake of unrealistic emotionalism or glamour or fanatic devotion. Again, the sense of proportion and timing must be there; hence the need to cultivate oneself diligently through meditation and such devices, so that right action may be undertaken at the right time and with right attitude.

When encountering the atmosphere of fear, do not attempt to fight it by brute force. Simply close your eyes and become totally aware of it. Be not afraid of it. Analyze it and be familiar with it. Soon it will change its shape and become something else. But you must have the courage and balanced attitude of an open-minded scientist to do such a research.

Pleasure and Pain

2007-05-25T05:35:00.000-05:00

Q: What was that? I got such a dirty feeling in my gut; it’s a kind of dirty and disgusting feeling. I feel as if my astral sensory has been opened more, and I’m sensing more clearly about the emotions of others. What’s the point of such unpleasant energetic experience? I do not know her nor can I help her much. Also, she did not ask for help.

A: This is the way of the world. All people are at different stages of understanding and mastery. When people are not happy about their lives, and think they are the victims of circumstances, they could do nothing but react thusly. For one could not dispense happiness, when one feels victimized and trapped. To her, you are just one difficult customer, who is there to make her already boring and painful day more annoying. You mean nothing else to her. Under such circumstance, what can you expect from her?

Q: What does it mean to me then?

A: To make your life easier, you can consciously choose to only associate and work with people who are happy or who has already found their own bliss. Do this as much as you can, then you will have less to worry about in your life. Know that life is a big duality school. See it as such, know it as such, and do not swing your emotions strongly between the two poles. Learn to remain centered, and know that everyone has to go through her own process of growing. You must have the responsibility to make your own life work. So it is your responsibility to associate with people of like vibration. For the sake of specific aid to be rendered and sanctioned by your higher self, you then must carry on the work without regard to other people’s level of spiritual understanding. For then your feeling of pleasantness is not the point. Yet, when you are just doing your daily business, you do have the right to associate with blissful people. For in the encountering with no specific mission or task outlined, you serve nothing by spending energy counteracting negative people and energy. Your strength must be saved and carefully used on people to make an important shift in their consciousness. Also, the banding together of many positive people will give a more potent opportunity to change the world positively on a larger scale. So do so with these in mind.

Above all else, remain connected to your highest self at any moment to give yourself the benefit of clear vision and understanding.

Q: Thanks. Also, I am recalling the experience at the restaurant back in July. That also gave me a bad feeling in my whole being. Guidance please.

A: It is not important to know why others react in a certain way mentally, emotionally, or physically, when you are not directly involved in their spiritual guidance. So your responsibility is to work on your own astral field, and to remain in deep connection with your highest self, in order to carry out the Divine Will the best you can, and to grow the fastest you can. That’s all.

Take this as an opportunity to go beyond the swing between emotional pleasure and pain.

Blessing

2007-05-23T05:28:00.000-05:00

Love is who you are
Love is who I am
In love we are one
Perfect, you are

Manifestation

2007-05-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Q: There is this question in my mind about manifestation. Some people say that the intensity of one’s emotion is helpful in bringing forth the manifestation, but then I read somewhere else, which says that during the process, one should remain impersonal. Which one is correct?

A: When you have a strong intention to have the object, you are in fact identified with the object, and therefore at the same level as the object. Since you are vibrating at the same rate, you would not be able to do anything to affect it, and hence, ineffective. To be a true creator, you must be at least somewhat higher than the object you are creating. That is why to be an impersonal witness will ensure that you are not entangled with the object of your potential creation.

Q: What about feeling oneness and know that I and the object of my desire are in fact one? Would this attitude not help in the manifestation process? If it does, then how can I remain impersonal, which indicate a sense of separateness?

A: In so far as making you understand that you have the creative potential within you to achieve such a choice in experience, the sense of oneness is helpful. Should you truly feel the oneness, there is then really no point for you to talk about bringing it into manifestation. Hence, since you are not truly feeling a state of oneness, you desire to experience something other than yourself in order to know yourself. Under such a paradigm, it would be helpful to think of yourself as an impersonal witness, whereby you can act effectively as a creator, and yet know that you possess the creative ability as endowed within all the One’s in the world.

Songs of Prayer

2007-05-09T22:15:00.000-05:00

Dear Fr Barry,

Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful life of your mother with us. Her resourcefulness and faith are inspiring, and her simple yet extraordinary life would be a comfort to us all in our own hours of need.

Not everyone is ordained to a life of urgent heroism, but there are lives though by nature quiet and unassuming, which nonetheless exude spectacular impact and positive influence over time, just by being there, continuously and patiently taking care of whatever is at hand.

To such people who lead such a life, we praise God in sincere gratitude that they are made available to us and are amongst us. Their lives are the continuing songs of prayer that shines where needed unbeknownst to them. And we selfishly ask God to keep them with us for as long as possible, so that we will not feel alone, so that we may enjoy their innocence and radiance and derive the strength to continue.

You are and always will be in our hearts.

Sincerely yours,
Arthur

Last Choice

2007-05-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Our future is very much in our hands. Your every decision will change your future instantly, and that is the gift from God and the “sweet sorrow” we have. We must experience the result of our choosing in life. Until one day, we understand the Will of God, and then we will understand that there is really -- no choice at all.

Until the day when you finally choose God, you must make the best effort and learn to enjoy the process of choosing in your life. For a life shy of choosing would cause inertia and implosion. That is also why it is so important to know what is your priority in life. If you are to die tomorrow, what do you must do today? Do them now, and leave no regret when leaving this physical life.

As for the general direction of your life, you must learn to enjoy and exercise the process of designing one for yourself. So I’ll not intervene in your learning experience. You can only feel the empowerment afterward if you have done so yourself. However, should you have specific decisions that require insight, I’ll be able to help.

TV and Eating

2007-04-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

In your never-ending, nearly obsessive pursuit for the ideal body shape, you never thought much about how your TV watching was very much part of your eating ritual.

Perhaps over the years, you unconsciously related eating and watching TV as one and the same thing. Observe that TV watching and eating is very much alike. One is the consumption of images, sounds, and concepts, and the other is the ingesting of foodstuffs and liquid. None of them is always beneficial or detrimental, but both are processes of making something external into part of us.

The problem is that your awareness tends to be rather one-pointed. That is to say, if you are watching TV and eating at the same time, you can only be totally engage with and aware of one of them at any time. In your case, TV usually got the upper hand. As a result, you would be paying more attention to the TV, and be quite oblivious to the food that you are eating. You would be unaware of its texture, smell, and taste, etc.

The unfortunate thing is that if you are watching TV for two or three hours, you would also be continuously eating for that same duration. It is just a habit that you never questioned. Why you would watch so much TV would be another article for another day.

The funny thing is that you attempted all kinds of diets and exercises, while leaving the TV-eating connection intact. You would force yourself to eat less or follow a very rigid schedule, or do a new kind of exercise, but you would still eat and watch TV at the same time. Of course, as you can guess, the attempts were quite futile.

Without disconnecting the association between TV watching and eating, your attempt for health and fitness would be in vain.

Simple Guidelines on Eating

2007-04-28T18:09:00.000-05:00

Freedom to eat anything, anytime, anywhere, aiming for maximum aliveness, clarity, and light.
Eat in Peace without TV and other distractions. TV watching and eating should be separated by 10 minutes interval.
Constant Vision of your body as light and love in perfect and ideal shape, especially when you begin to worry about your body shape.

Freedom and Binges

2007-04-28T18:07:00.000-05:00

You have always been puzzled by the uncontrollable binges that are plaguing you to no end. Please understand that your binges are caused by a lack of freedom you placed on yourself. You have never allowed yourself the freedom to eat whatever, whenever, and wherever so that it would be appropriate for your body and the particular condition in which you found yourself.

Such lack of freedom, of course, comes from your sincere but misguided desire to be physically perfect by controlling your diet in all ways conceivable. From this lack of freedom, your mind is constantly fearful of being starved of energy or some particular types of food, be it sweet or oily or otherwise. Hence, your mind is constantly looking for opportunities to stuff itself with all kinds of food, which might be prohibited by you in the next moment. This translates very literally into what you would call the Binges. All binges are caused by a fearful mind weary of scarcity and uncertainty.

As binges caused discomfort and guilt, you immediately force yourself into starvation mode by food type, portion, or by time. So you swing between starvation and binges, and you become the diet yo-yo, which is most detrimental to your well-being.

What is the only way to stop this pointless and desperate cycle? You must allow yourself the freedom to eat whatever, whenever, and wherever, unconditionally. Only in such total freedom and assurance, would your mind disengage from the ever-fearful grasping, and allow your physical body to have a say in what, when, and where to eat. From this lack of freedom, you have totally lost touch with your natural biological need in terms of nutrition, and you have totally lost the ability to listen to your body’s guidance on the diet most suitable to you under different circumstances.

It is now time to free yourself. You have always wanted freedom, but you never gave yourself any freedom to eat. Let this be the first freedom you give yourself, and there will be many more hereafter.

Freedom and Control

Whenever you have forgotten about your freedom to eat anything, anytime, anywhere, you invariably slip into insecurity and fear without your slightest knowing. As a result, you begin the hide and seek with food again, not knowing when to stop, and constantly wanting more, stomach stretched beyond capacity, but mind starved as forever.

Why is this so? Why is the mind unable to hear the utterance of the body? Why does it constantly want more?

It is because the mind is fearful that it might not be able to have anything the next moment. You must always remind yourself, “I am free to eat anything, anytime, anywhere.” Let this thought live deeply in your mind, and live there forever, so that the mind will cease controlling pointlessly, and allow your body the freedom to respond appropriately.

Purpose of Eating

2007-04-28T18:04:00.000-05:00

You have never really thought about the purpose of your eating, and you have frequently used food and eating as means to stimulate, numb, distract, and binge. To you, eating occasionally serves the purpose of physical nourishment, but mostly for the purpose of unenlightenment. Your regularly aimless eating had made you restless most of the time.

Without clear and well-defined purpose, your activity will bring you equally chaotic result at the end. Your purpose for eating should be positive, upward and forward looking.

Remember that you do not eat in different ways to be thin or full, but you eat in the right way so that you will feel maximum aliveness, clarity, and light. Observe your body and be aware. If your body and mind do not feel maximum aliveness, clarity, and light from your eating activity, then take a timeout, so that you can feel your center again and return to your sense of aliveness, clarity, and light.

Then when the time is right, try again.

Eating: Books that Help

2007-04-28T17:55:00.000-05:00

One Bowl: A Guide to Eating for Body and Spirit
By: Don Gerrard

Think Yourself Thin
By: Dr. Frank J. Bruno

Think Yourself Thin
By: Debbie Johnson

Light is who you are

2007-04-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

God

2007-04-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

I Am God

To reach the principle of Godhead, which is the goal supreme, you have to start your journey with the first stage of the path, wherein you consider yourself to be the servant or the messenger of God. This is the stage of dualism. Gradually you enter the stage of qualified non-dualism, the second major step on the spiritual path. Here you experience the divinity within yourself, in your own heart. At this stage you identify yourself very closely with the Lord. You will have the feeling, "God is within me. He is the one I truly am. I am he. I am he." Then, as you continue still further on the spiritual path, all duality will disappear completely and you will be left with only the I, the pure self, without any modifications or limitations.

If you develop within yourself the sacred and lofty idea, "I am God", you will not be bothered by anything; nothing can come in your way. Of course, it is of no use to merely utter these words. You must first overcome your body consciousness and maintain a firm control over your senses. At the same time, you must develop an intense love for God and live it by continuously identifying yourself with the divine. This will lead you to the supreme wisdom. Or, you can express your love for God by following the path of the servant. This will quickly remove the egoism from your heart and fill you with bliss.

Wherever you look you see your One Self

When you declare, "I am he, I am God," there is still some duality, because there are still two entities, I and God. So, this is still not complete non-dualism. At the very beginning, when you say, "O Lord, I am your servant," the Lord is separate and the servant is separate, and their status is clearly different. On the other hand, when you say, "I am God," although there is still a trace of duality, the distinction is not one of separate subject and object but more like seeing the reflection or image of yourself in a mirror.

Whenever people are different, when there are many separate entities, then there will also be many different images or reflections. But in the stage of qualified non-dualism, you see only your own image everywhere, because you are all there is. You are the one self being reflected as many images, just like the one sun is seen as separate images in a number of different water-filled pots. So, in the stage of qualified non-dualism, you are alone; there is none other. The only thing that still comes between you and the divinity is the mirror. You constantly perceive your own reflection, and so you see yourself as very near and very dear to the Lord - face to face with him.

But when you perceive only the one God who is all-pervasive, then where is the need for any image or mirror at all? Can there be a place where he is not? When the entire world is the mansion of the omnipresent Lord, then where should you look to find the door to enter his mansion? If there were a separate street and a separate house then there would have to be a door which opens onto the street; but in truth, there is no street at all. When the all-pervasive Lord is everywhere, how can there be any special place where you must seek him to find him? No, there is no special place where he resides.

Once you realize that he is everywhere at all times, then the true perception of the divinity is not that of an object whose reflection is seen in various places but the realization that there is only you, the one immortal self, abiding everywhere, present in everything in all its fullness. This all-pervasive perception of the divinity as the one without a second, is called non-dualism.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita

Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

God Within

2007-04-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

The Indwelling God

From time immemorial, the inquiry has been going on whether or not God exists. Once you have convinced yourself that he exists, the next step is to find the way to reach him. Just as was true in ancient times, this problem of how and where to find God has become a perplexing question for mankind today. To solve this problem, numerous sages made a determined effort to use all their skills and their penance to find the solution. These sages revealed where they searched and how they came to know about the existence of the effulgent Lord. They declared to the world at large:

"O citizens, we have been able to perceive the transcendental principle which exists beyond this visible and created world. It will not be found in the external world or in outer space, but only within your own inner self. It is there in your inner vision within your soul, in the sacred heart inside your deepest self. It is there that the blissful Lord resides."

This was their great discovery, that God dwells within the body itself. God is the imperishable one who lives within the perishable body. The body is inert; it does not know itself. God has been called the knower of the body and the one who gives consciousness to the body. To penetrate through the veils of ignorance that hide your truth, you must make a determined effort to discover the immortal Lord residing resplendently in your mortal body. Not only must you find the Lord installed in your own body and the bodies of other creatures, but you must also find him installed in every object, in every thing. He is the indweller of all the five elements, space, air, fire, water and earth. He is the very basis of the creation.

To find a diamond you must dig deep within the earth. You will not find it hanging outside on a tree. In the same way, you will not find this most valuable diamond which is the Lord, lying around somewhere outside, easily visible to all. With the help of the teachings of great souls you will have to make the effort to find God within. The body is not an ordinary thing. It is the temple of God, it is a chariot which carries the Lord. In the world, which can be thought of as a grand village, the Lord is being taken in procession everywhere in this chariot called the body.

Seek the Lord inside your own Body

All spiritual practices can only be done with the help of the body. All the education that you have acquired has been obtained by means of the body. The magnificence and extraordinary characteristics of God have been learned through the facility of the body. Taking the body as the basis, you have to make an all-out effort to see the Lord inside it. Do not keep thinking that God resides somewhere, in another world. He actually is present in the body itself. Sin does not exist in some distant world far away; it depends upon the actions that you perform with your body. Both your merit and demerit are the result of the actions you performed with the help of your body. You have to make an incessant search, a serious attempt, to find God inside your own body.

Only when you knock at the door will the master inside open it. Even your own mother will serve you food only when you ask her for it. Therefore, you will have to ask and go on asking, knock on the door and go on knocking, search and go on searching, seek and go on seeking. If you search for God within you, with all earnestness, you will surely be able to find him. If you go to a room where a great number of articles are stored, it is only if you search carefully that you will be able to find the particular article for which you are looking. Without searching you will never find the article you want. Therefore, it is said, 'Seek, seek, and it shall be found; knock, knock, and the door shall be opened.'

Perhaps you feel that you have already been knocking at the door for a long time and it has not opened for you. But find out if you have been knocking at the right door. Are you knocking at the door of liberation, or are you knocking at the door of attachment? Whom are you approaching? In whom are you taking shelter?

No doubt, you are praying to God, but you are asking for petty material things and worldly things. You have to pray for transcendental principle which will fill you forever with eternal bliss.

Your devotion must go on increasing and progressing, keeping in mind the firm belief that God is residing inside your own body. If you want to seek and search for the Lord who is residing inside you, you have to turn your vision inwards. This is how you should pray to the Lord, full of devotion, longing to realize his presence within you.

Your Body

In your day-to-day life, you refer to your body as my body. In other words, you acknowledge that you are not the body, but that this body is yours; it belongs to you. When you say, "this is mine", then you are declaring that you and the object are different. When you state, "this is my handkerchief", you are asserting your separateness from the handkerchief; it is something different from you. When you say, "this is my body", it means that you are distinct from your body.

The body is given to you in order that you may realize who you truly are, in order that you may recognize its indweller. Without a body you would not be able to know him; you would not be able to perform any activity and follow any spiritual path. All your work, both worldly and spiritual, can only be performed with the help of the body.

You can experience God through Love alone

If you want God, you will have to realize this sacred quality of love. Only through love will you be able to experience him, who is love itself.

In order to see the moon, there is no need for you to shine a flashlight on it. By the light of the moon itself you can see the moon. If you want to see and perceive God who is always love itself, then only through love will you be able to see him. Fill yourself with love and you will surely succeed in acquiring God. But as long as this love has not yet become clearly established, there is a need for spiritual practices such as devotional singing, repetition of the name of God, and other forms of worship. Once pure love has developed these spiritual practices are no longer necessary.

Yet, even when the moon shines brightly, you will not be able to see it if your eyes are closed. In the same way, if your eyes are still closed to the loving presence of God within you, then good actions, including the various spiritual exercises, will help open your eyes and clarify your vision, so that you can see and enjoy the Lord.

However powerful a light you shine on a blind man, he will not be able to see the light. As long as you have bad qualities, the divinity which is very near will not be perceived. When you are free of jealousy, when you are free of egoism and hatred, you will be able to directly experience the effulgence of the divinity. A person who has opened his eye of wisdom will shine with the God-presence. A person who has closed his eyes with ignorance will not be aware of God. By closing your eyes you will have to search all over for a towel which may be directly above you on a shelf, very close by. If you open your eyes you will be able to place your hand right on it. The wise person whose eyes are open to the divinity and who is not beclouded by ignorance, directly perceives God and reaches him.

Only when you listen to great teachings, and only when you understand them clearly, and only when you practice them, will you be able to reach your divine goal. Set aside at least one hour per day to study these teachings and incorporate them in all your daily activities. In so doing you will be using your time wisely and you will be sanctifying your life.

Fill your Heart with Love and Faith

God is always full and complete; to reach such infinite fullness you must have full faith. When God is full and complete and you are not full and complete, there cannot develop the necessary vision that will allow you to experience God. To reach the full and complete love that is God, you must also have a full heart, full of love and faith. If, instead, you are filled with doubts, you will undermine this pure principle of love which is your true nature; your doubts will blemish your heart and blind your view from the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent Lord, who is aware of your every thought.

Whatever thoughts you have, fill them with him. Think of him with a full heart saturated with love and faith.

All the noble human qualities are already there in their fullness in every human being, but very few people are making any effort to become aware of them. They are wasting their time in pursuing only outer activities in the world. But you must also engage in inner activities which will help you to reach your goal. For example, you perform your worship using external rituals, but you must perform your worship internally, as well, offering God the flowers of your heart. Then there will be unity and harmony in your life. Once you achieve such unity in all your activities, both inner and outer, your life becomes sanctified and you will experience fulfillment in whatever you do.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

God Without

2007-04-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

True Renunciation is Turning your Mind towards God

When you let your vision roam in the temporary and transient world, your spiritual path spirals downward into inertia and stasis. When you concentrate your vision and your awareness on the permanent God, then your spiritual progress leaps ahead. If a door is locked and you want to open it, you must put the key inside the lock and turn it towards the right. Then it will open. But if you turn the key to the left, the lock remains closed. It is the same lock and the same key. The difference is in the way you turn the key. Your heart is that lock and your mind the key. If you turn your mind towards God, you get liberation. If you turn it towards the objective world, you remain in bondage. It is the same mind that is responsible for both liberation and bondage.

True renunciation is turning your mind towards God. It means constantly bringing your mind back from other thoughts to dwell on the permanent entity. Such mental detachment and sacrifice must be developed into a very intense feeling. You should not keep on postponing the practice to the next day, and then the day following that, and so on.

Suppose you expect to go to a marriage; you would keep certain clothes ready several days before the occasion. Or suppose you had a chance to go to the movies; then you will get ready very fast. Even for just going for a walk you make yourself ready in a trice. Well, if you cannot go to the cinema today you can easily postpone it to another day. If you do not go for a walk now you can always go another time. But the Lord's journey cannot be postponed or canceled. You must always be ready to accept whatever comes your way. Time waits for no one. Time does not follow man. Man has to follow time. Time flows on continuously and takes everything with it.

You may enjoy the various objects of the world, but while enjoying them you should not get yourself attached to them, thinking that you possess them. This feeling of renunciation or detachment is one of the most essential aspects of the spiritual philosophy.

Constant Practice

Detachment or non-attachment is the first important discipline that should be undertaken. The second is constant practice. What kind of practice can be called constant? One kind is austerity or penance. The moment people hear this word austerity they get a little frightened. They inevitably associate austerity with going into the forest, eating whatever fruits and roots are available there and exposing themselves to all kinds of risks and sufferings. Truly speaking, that is not austerity; that is just putting the body through some suffering and punishment.

It is not the body that must undergo the suffering, but the mind. The mind tends towards either sloth and chaos or endless activity, and is filled with the sense of doership and possessiveness. Austerity is putting such a mind with all these negative tendencies that cling to it, through real torture, until all these tendencies let go their hold. Austerity also means removing the defects that are inherent in the sense organs. This is the real austerity. There are three types of austerity. One is the physical austerity of the body, the second one is the vocal austerity of the tongue and the third is mental austerity of the mind.

Keep your Concentration unwaveringly on God

Many of you are following a meaningless path and living a meaningless life. You cry when you are born and you cry when you die. In between, through your whole span of life, you go on crying for useless things. Do you cry when you see the decline of righteousness? That is what you should cry for, that is what you should use your strength and abilities for, to correct the decline of righteousness and to help heal the wounds that follow its decline. What is right living? It is the constant remembrance and uninterrupted contemplation of the Lord. It is discharging your daily duties thinking of the Lord. You are not taught that you should give up your family, that you should give up your wealth and property, and then go to the forest. No! Take care of your family. Do your duty. But keep your concentration constantly on the Lord. Whatever you do, do not forget your goal. If you give it up, you will get lost and stray onto the wrong path. Your divine goal must be solidly set in your mind. Keeping your goal in view, perform your daily duties.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Three Kinds of Vision

2007-04-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

External Vision

Mankind today has three types of vision. The first is body oriented vision, which is totally superficial. When you have this kind of vision you see only the external appearance of others, such as the clothes and the ornaments they wear, their facial features, their body characteristics, their peculiarities of speech, etc. This type of vision is oriented only towards the phenomenal world.

Inner Vision

The second kind of vision is insightful vision. Instead of focusing on the external characteristics of others, you focus on their inner feelings, particularly as it is reflected in their behavior and expressions. You gauge the thoughts in another's mind and the feelings in their hearts by carefully watching what they say and do. When you have this kind of vision, you become concerned primarily with the deeper feelings and motivations of the other person.

Sacred Vision

The third kind of vision is integral vision. With this kind of vision, you do not concentrate on another's external features or even their inner feelings. When you have integral vision you see the divine consciousness that pervades everyone, the inner unity that prevails everywhere despite body differences and differences in expression and emotional makeup. You realize that feelings, thoughts and behavioral characteristics all undergo change and transformation. But, you are not interested in characteristics that change with time. With integral vision you are wholly oriented towards the unchanging, indwelling divinity. Such a deep inner vision is a sacred vision. When you have this you are in the hands of God. More than that, not only are you in the hands of God, but verily you become God himself.

The truly wise say that one who knows God becomes God. As you perceive so you become. Therefore, when you gain integral vision, you take on the sacred nature of the divinity itself. To become a person of the highest wisdom, you must develop integral vision. You must steadily abide in the inner unity that is at the core of all the outer diversity. It is for this reason that you should maintain this vision at all times, under all circumstances.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Near Death Awakening

2007-04-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

By: Mellen-Thomas Benedict

The Road to Death

In 1982, I died from terminal cancer. My condition was non-operable. I chose not to have chemotherapy. I was given six to eight months to live. Before this time, I had become increasingly despondent over the nuclear crisis, the ecology crisis, and so forth. I came to believe that nature had made a mistake—that we were probably a cancerous organism on the planet. And that is what eventually killed me.

Before my near-death experience, I tried all sorts of alternative healing methods. None helped. So I determined that this was between me and God. I had never really considered God. Neither was I into any kind of spirituality. But my approaching death sent me on a quest for more information about spirituality and alternative healing. I read various religions and philosophies. They gave hope that there was something on the other side.

I had no medical insurance, so my life savings went overnight on tests. Unwilling to drag my family into this, I determined to handle this myself. I ended up in hospice care and was blessed with an angel for my hospice caretaker, whom I will call "Anne." She stayed with me through all that was to follow.

Into the Light

I woke up about 4:30 am and I knew that this was it. I was going to die. I called a few friends and said good-bye. I woke up Anne and made her promise that my dead body would remain undisturbed for six hours, since I had read that all kinds of interesting things happen when you die. I went back to sleep. The next thing I remember, I was fully aware and standing up. Yet my body was lying in the bed. I seemed to be surrounded by darkness, yet I could see every room in the house, and the roof, and even under the house.

A Light shone. I turned toward it, and was aware of its similarity to what others have described in near-death experiences. It was magnificent and tangible, alluring. I wanted to go towards that Light like I might want to go into my ideal mother's or father's arms. As I moved towards the Light, I knew that if I went into the Light, I would be dead. So I said/felt, "Please wait. I would like to talk to you before I go."

The entire experience halted. I discovered that I was in control of the experience. My request was honored. I had conversations with the Light. That's the best way I can describe it. The Light changed into different figures, like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, archetypal images and signs. I asked in a kind of telepathy, "What is going on here?"

The information transmitted was that our beliefs shape the kind of feedback we receive. If you are a Buddhist or Catholic or Fundamentalist, you get a feedback loop of your own images. I became aware of a Higher Self matrix, a conduit to the Source. We all have a Higher Self, or an oversoul part of our being, a conduit. All Higher Selves are connected as one being. All humans are connected as one being.

It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was like all the love you've ever wanted, and it was the kind of love that cures, heals, regenerates. I was ready to go at that time. I said "I am ready, take me." Then the Light turned into the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen: a mandala of human souls on this planet. I saw that we are the most beautiful creations—elegant, exotic...everything.

I just cannot say enough about how it changed my opinion of human beings in an instant. I said/thought/felt, "Oh, God, I didn't realize." I was astonished to find that there was no evil in any soul. People may do terrible things out of ignorance and lack, but no soul is evil. "What all people seek—what sustains them—is love," the Light told me. "What distorts people is a lack of love."

The revelations went on and on. I asked, "Does this mean that Humankind will be saved?" Like a trumpet blast with a shower of spiraling lights, the Light "spoke," saying, "You save, redeem and heal yourself. You always have and always will. You were created with the power to do so from before the beginning of the world." In that instant I realized that we have already been saved.

I thanked the Light of God with all my heart. The best thing I could come up with was: "Oh dear God, dear Universe, dear Great Self, I love my Life." The Light seemed to breathe me in even more deeply, absorbing me. I entered into another realm more profound than the last, and was aware of an enormous stream of Light, vast and full, deep. I asked what it was. The Light answered, "This is the River of Life. Drink of this manna water to your heart's content." I drank deeply, in ecstasy.

The Void of Nothingness

Suddenly I seemed to be rocketing away from the planet on this stream of Life. I saw the earth fly away. The solar system whizzed by and disappeared. I flew through the center of the galaxy, absorbing more knowledge as I went. I learned that this galaxy—and the entire Universe—is bursting with many different varieties of life. I saw many worlds. We are not alone in this Universe. It seemed as if all the creations in the Universe soared past me and vanished in a speck of Light.

Then a second Light appeared. As I passed into the second Light, I could perceive forever, beyond Infinity. I was in the Void, pre-Creation, the beginning of time, the first Word or vibration. I rested in the Eye of Creation and it seemed that I touched the Face of God. It was not a religious feeling. I was simply at One with Absolute Life and Consciousness.

I rode the stream directly into the center of the Light. I felt embraced by the Light as it took me in with its breath again. And the truth was obvious that there is no death; that nothing is born and nothing dies; that we are immortal beings, part of a natural living system that recycles itself endlessly.

It would take me years to assimilate the Void experience. It was less than nothing, yet greater than anything. Creation is God exploring God's Self through every way imaginable. Through every piece of hair on your head, through every leaf on every tree, through every atom. God is exploring God's Self. I saw everything as the Self of all. God is here. That's what it is all about. Everything is made of light; everything is alive.

The Light of Love

I was never told that I had to come back. I just knew that I would. It was only natural, from what I had seen. As I began my return to the life cycle, it never crossed my mind, nor was I told, that I would return to the same body. It did not matter. I had complete trust in the Light and the Life process.

As the stream merged with the great Light, I asked never to forget the revelations and the feelings of what I had learned on the other side. I thought of myself as a human again and I was happy to be that. From what I have seen, I would be happy to be an atom in this universe. An atom. So to be the human part of God ...this is the most fantastic blessing. It is a blessing beyond our wildest imagination of what a blessing can be.

For each and every one of us to be the human part of this experience is awesome, and magnificent. Each and every one of us, no matter where we are, screwed up or not, is a blessing to the planet, right where we are. So I went through the reincarnation process expecting to be a baby somewhere.

But I reincarnated back into this body. I was so surprised when I opened my eyes, to be back in this body, back in my room with someone looking over me, crying her eyes out. It was Anne, my hospice caretaker. She had found me dead thirty minutes before. We do not know how long I was dead, only that she found me thirty minutes before. She had honored my wish to have my newly-dead body left alone. She can verify that I really was dead.

It was not a near-death experience. I believe I probably experienced death itself for at least an hour and a half. When I awakened and saw the light outside, confused, I tried to get up to go to it, but I fell out of the bed. She heard a loud "clunk", ran in, and found me on the floor. When I recovered, I was surprised and awed about what had happened. I had no memory at first of the experience. I kept slipping out of this world and kept asking, "Am I alive?" This world seemed more like a dream than that one.

Within three days, I was feeling normal again, clearer, yet different than ever before. My memories of the journey came back later. But from my return I could find nothing wrong with any human being I had ever seen. Previous to my death I was judgmental, believing that people were really screwed up. Everyone but me.

About three months later a friend said I should get tested for the cancer. So I got the scans and so forth. I felt healthy. I still remember the doctor at the clinic looking at the "before" and "after"scans. He said, "I can find no sign of cancer now." "A miracle?" I asked. "No," he answered. "These things happen...spontaneous remission." He seemed unimpressed. But I was impressed. I knew it was a miracle.

Lessons Learned

I asked God: "What is the best religion on the planet? Which one is right?" God said with great love: "It doesn't matter." What an incredible grace. It does not matter what religion we are. Religions come and they go. They change. Buddhism has not been here forever, Catholicism has not been here forever, and they are all about to become more enlightened. More light is coming into all systems now. Many will resist and fight about it, one religion against the next, believing that only they are right.

When God said, "It doesn't matter," I understood that it is for us to care about, because we are the caring beings. The Source does not care if you are Protestant, Buddhist, or Jew. Each is a reflection, a facet of the whole. I wish that all religions would realize it and let each other be. It is not the end of separate religions, but live and let live. Each has a different view, and it all adds up to the big picture.

I went over to the other side with a lot of fears about toxic waste, nuclear missiles, the population explosion, the rain forest. I came back loving every single problem. I love nuclear waste. I love the mushroom cloud; this is the holiest mandala that we have manifested to date, as an archetype. More than any religion or philosophy on Earth, that terrible, wonderful cloud brought us together all of a sudden, to a new level of consciousness.

Knowing that maybe we can blow up the planet fifty times, or 500 times, we finally realize that maybe we are all here together now. For a period they had to keep setting off more bombs to get it into us. Then we started saying, "we do not need this any more." Now we are actually in a safer world than we have ever been in, and it is going to get safer.

So I came back loving toxic waste, because it brought us together. These things are so big. Clearing of the rain forest will slow down, and in fifty years there will be more trees on the planet than in a long time. If you are into ecology, go for it; you are that part of the system that is becoming aware. Go for it with all your might, but do not be depressed or disheartened. Earth is in the process of domesticating itself, and we are cells on that Body. Population increase is getting very close to the optimal range of energy to cause a shift in consciousness. That shift in consciousness will change politics, money, energy.

The Great Mystery of life has little to do with intelligence. The Universe is not an intellectual process. The intellect is helpful; but our hearts are the wiser part of ourselves. Since my return I have experienced the Light spontaneously. I have learned how to get to that space almost any time in my meditation. You can also do this. You don't have to die first. You are wired for it already. The body is the most magnificent Light being there is. The body is a universe of incredible Light. We don't need to commune with God; God is already communing with us in every moment!

For the full text of this near-death experience:

www.near-death.com/experiences/reincarnation04.html
For Mellen-Thomas Benedict's personal website: www.mellen-thomas.com

Three Kinds of Actions

2007-04-04T17:06:00.000-05:00

Transform all Self-serving Actions into Selfless Actions

You must first remove the negative tendencies which have driven all your ordinary, self-serving actions that have kept you bound, and replace these negative tendencies with positive, noble qualities which are associated with beneficial and selfless actions. Then, when you are firmly established in the stage of selfless service, wherein you perform only good actions, you can go on to the higher stage where you renounce the fruits of all your actions. From there, you will naturally rise to the stage of totally selfless, impersonal yoga. At that stage, you make sure that all your actions are of the highest purity and then you offer them all up to the divinity, to do with as the divinity wishes.

What is the inner secret of performing work? Only through positive, laudable activities can the negative tendencies be removed. Engage only in good actions so that you will steadily purify your heart. But it goes further than that. True purity of heart can be achieved only by dedicating all your actions to the Lord. Every action that you perform must be offered to God; only then can your heart be fully cleansed.

All the many activities performed by you during the day fall into the category of ordinary actions. But when you perform these same actions, even if they are just little acts, with the intention of making them an offering to God, devoting their results not to your own pleasure but for the pleasure of the Lord, then your actions become sacred actions. In other words, your karma becomes karma yoga. It is only through such karma yoga that you will be able to rid yourself of all evil tendencies and make your heart pure.

Ordinary Actions, Detached Actions and Sacred Actions

Compared to ordinary actions which are done by thinking of yourself as the doer, actions done without any sense of doership will be much greater. It is an action that is done with complete selflessness, performed impersonally with total indifference and without any attachment. But greater still is when the action is entirely offered to the Lord, and when it becomes a holy sacrifice; it is then sacred.

In the primary stage, every human being has to perform actions and be actively employed in the tasks for which he is suited. One needs to perform action in order not to develop laziness. A lazy person is absolutely useless to the world. First, you must perform ordinary actions. Then you should enter into the stage where you perform all your actions without any self-interest. Gradually you transform these actions into yoga, you transform work into worship.

Purify your Actions before Offering them to God

What should be the qualities of the actions you offer at the feet of the Lord? How sacred should they be? Before an object is offered to an ordinary individual, you see to it that it has some utility, that it has some value, that it is pure and that it will be cherished. In other words, that it will be received with joy. That being the case in offering something to another individual, then how much more care should you take in making an offering to the Lord! How very pure and extremely fulfilling it must be! One must not offer all types of objects and all types of actions to the Lord. Before you offer anything to the Lord, you must first make it pure, you must make it sacred and great. Then it will be a fit offering for the Lord.

For example, if you want to offer a rose to the Lord, you first select a beautiful, fragrant bloom. Then you remove the insects from the flower. Next you remove the thorns and any imperfect leaves from the stem; and in a number of other ways you make your offering as beautiful and as pure as possible. Only then do you offer it to the Lord. Every action you perform should be like this flower which you offer to the Lord. Just as a fine fragrance is inherent in the flower you offer, so also your actions must be saturated with the fragrance of love and sacredness. Just as the flower that you offer is beautiful and pure, so also your actions must be good and pure. Such is true karma yoga.

You must be able to distinguish between wise action and unwise action, and for that you must understand the difference between wisdom and ignorance. You must develop your wisdom until it expands and merges with the cosmic wisdom, the divine wisdom. Anyone who wants to directly experience the Lord must develop this wisdom.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Four Types of Anger

2007-04-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

There are four types of people. The anger of a person who is of a serene nature will be very short-lived; it recedes immediately. The second type will have this anger for a number of minutes, but it will soon fade away. The third category of person will have this anger continuously, all day long. The one in the lowest category will have this anger throughout his life.

The anger of a good person is like writing on water; it is not at all permanent. The anger of the second category of person is like writing on sand, it will be washed away, one moment or another. The third type of person's anger is something like writing on stone. Over a long period of time it too will be eroded away. But the anger of the fourth type of person is like writing on a steel plate, it will never go away unless you melt it and cast it anew. Only when you put it into the fire will it get destroyed. Only through intense transformation is there any possibility of changing it.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita

Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

A Feather and a Heart

2007-04-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

There is a precious story from Egypt about the Goddess Ma’at, who is the Goddess of truth, balance, justice, and order. Upon leaving this physical world, Ma’at will take a feather from her headdress and weight it against your heart. If your heart weighs more than the feather, then it means your heart is heavy with sorrow, anger, regret, hatred, jealousy, doubts, sadness, worry, fear, and such, so the entrance to heaven is impossible. If the heart weighs less than the feather, then it means that your heart is pure and innocent, and is light enough to reach heaven.

We sincerely hope that you would cast off any unnecessary burdens in your heart and become lighter than a feather, not prior to the moment of departing this physical world, but in every moment of your life. Light up your own heart and the hearts of others, so that you may all float upward lighter than a feather and higher into heaven’s bosom without any effort at all. Truly, is there any other way to enter heaven?

The Four Types of Devotees

2007-03-31T07:51:00.000-05:00

True devotion does not merely refer to the performance of various religious rituals like singing devotional songs, repeating incantations, engaging in silent or communal prayers or sitting for meditation. Devotion refers to this deep unshakable faith in the Lord. There are four types of devotees: the seekers of boons to relieve their suffering, the seekers of blessings for a full and happy life, the inquirers into the deeper meaning of life, and the knowers of the highest spiritual wisdom.

The first type is one who prays to the Lord when he is in difficulty or undergoing trials and tribulations. It is only at such times that he thinks of the Lord and worships him.

The second type is one who entreats the Lord for the blessings of wealth, position and power. He prays to the Lord for progeny and long life and yearns to gain houses, property, cattle, gold, jewels and such things to serve his fellow man. Most people hanker after worldly boons, not realizing that true wealth is wisdom, that real property is a noble character, that the most valuable jewel is to be immersed in God's love. They are anxious to acquire worldly objects, but do not understand the subtle meaning and deeper significance of all these outer symbols of worldly wealth.

The third type of devotee is ever engaged in inquiry into truth. He constantly seeks to know, 'Where is God? Who is God? How can I reach God? What is my relationship to God? Who am I?' When you enter this stage, you become engaged in all these inquiries in order to gain spiritual knowledge. In the first place, you must try to find out, 'Who am I? Where did this world come from? What is my goal?' You puzzle over these three important queries and try to gain some understanding. You approach great people, listen to their teachings, serve them, and study the sacred scriptures. Through this process, indirect knowledge gets turned into direct knowledge, as the teachings you have heard and studied become your direct inner experience.

Finally, when you have fully absorbed the teachings within yourself, you leave this stage behind and become the fourth type of devotee, the highest knower of truth, the one of abiding wisdom. This wisdom is true spiritual knowledge, the transcendental knowledge. It refers to the experience of unity, the experience of the One without a second.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Fight No More

2007-03-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

Your physical body is not different from any other situations or relationships in this world. It can be healed with the power of love. When you think of your body as sick or unsightly, you are in fact judging it and sending it the negative image of your mind. When you devise various ways to fix your body, you are in fact avoiding the real problem, which is the imperfection in your sight. As a result, your relationship with your body could only be described as tiresome at best and at worst a battle, with you condemning it, and it rebelling against you by giving you exactly the opposite of what you want.

You easily forgive others and even some unthinkable circumstances in life, but you consistently failed to give up the habit of harshly judging and criticizing your own physical body. Loving-kindness is only true and lasting when it flows everywhere, without and within. If you can only be kind to others and are unable to be kind to yourself, then such imbalance must be addressed lest you fall heavily to the ground from the fatigue of fighting with yourself.

How can you be kind and loving to your own physical body? The same way when you acknowledge that all other people and events are LOVE in disguise, you must acknowledge that your physical body is also LOVE in actuality.

Say to your body, “Love is Who You Are.”

Especially to the blemishes on your face, the white hairs on your head, the fat on your waist, the discomfort at your back, and the countless other dissatisfaction that you have cursed and fought against ever since you were born, say to them, “Love is Who You Are.” This struggle with your very own physical body must end this moment, for you do have loftier goals awaits your visits and blessings.

When you say to your physical body, “Love is Who You Are”, you are in fact giving it the space and reason to be wholly itself again, functioning perfectly, without your constant interference. When you say to your physical body, “Love is Who You Are”, you are in fact acknowledging the Oneness in you, which sees no distinction between the physical and the spiritual. When you say to your physical body, “Love is Who You Are”, you are acknowledging your own Divinity from head to toes, and this can only be a genuine relief to you finally, after such long fight and struggle.

“Love is Who You Are”, not just spiritually, not just emotionally, but totally and unconditionally, and that, includes your physical body as well. Be at peace with your physical body today and now. Fight no more with it due to ignorance mostly your own. Now you know better, please act accordingly.

Grant your body the Love that you have denied it for so long, yet easily granted to a stranger, and release both you and your body from the fruitless fight and struggle forever. Say to your body, “Love is Who You Are”, and see it reflects the Truth in your eyes. Say to any parts of your body that seem troubling to you, “Love is Who You Are”, and hear their songs of joy. See your body for the Love that it truly is and restore your Vision back to Perfection.

Let go of the fight with the food you eat. There is no need to curse it for making you fat and ill. Say to the food you are about to eat, “Love is Who You Are.” Say to the water you are about to drink, “Love is Who You Are.” Then see them sparkle and shine with the light and energy of LOVE, awaiting your communion and loving exchange. In this way, the eating experience is truly “From Love with Love To Love”.

From now on, for every mouthful that you take, remember the food for the Love that it truly is. Every mouthful is Love meeting Love for the first time and Love reuniting with Love once again.

Anything done without Love is pale and wrong, and anything Love did not do must be done one more time, by Love. Anything not seen as Love or in Love must be seen yet again, until Perfect Vision is achieved and you would see wrongly no more.

Meditation and Devotion are One and the Same

2007-03-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

Devotion

What is devotion? It is the steady flow of love towards God. When your love flows towards individuals or towards transient, worldly things it cannot be called devotion; it is really only a form of attachment. But when your love flows unceasingly towards God, the one unchanging principle behind this world of change, then your love becomes devotion.

Meditation and Devotion are One and the Same

Another way of thinking of this highest form of devotion is as the uninterrupted meditation on God alone. In the popular understanding of the word, meditation refers to concentrating on an object, and through that object reaching a higher state of consciousness. But this is not the correct approach to meditation. True meditation is meditation on God, and only on God. Therefore, meditation and devotion are really the same; both are the process of concentrating on God to the exclusion of everything else, thinking only of him. Without such meditation or devotion it is impossible to realize the constant presence of God everywhere, in everything, and thereby, gain true spiritual knowledge.

You long to enjoy the fruit, but you will not be able to get it without first having the flower. First comes the blossom, then comes the fruit. Devotion is like the flower. Without first developing the flower of unshakable love for God and allowing it to blossom forth, it will be impossible for you to acquire the fruit of spiritual wisdom. This flower of love may express itself in different ways as the following example shows.

The Householder and the Monk

There were two devotees who both had an all-consuming love for God. One was a householder leading a family life and the other was a renunciate monk. The family man felt himself to be the servant of the Lord and always practiced the principle of total surrender to God. The great virtue of the servant stage is that through the practice of humility and surrender, the ego quickly disappears. As long as you have egoism, you will not be able to gain the sacred knowledge of the supreme self.

So, the householder started from the very humble beginning which is associated with "I am your servant, O Lord, I am your instrument", and he expressed his unshakable love for God that way. On the other hand, the monk, expressed his love for God by seeking God everywhere he went, in everyone and in everything he encountered. He would constantly repeat, "Everywhere I look I find only God. Everything I see is created by God and imbued with God. Everyone I meet is but God. I too am truly God."

Because of the different circumstances of their lives, these two individuals adopted different paths to overcome the power of illusion. The householder, by following the path of a servant became smaller and smaller, until he became so small that he slipped through the clutches of that fierce tiger maya, the terrible power of illusion, which had held him in its claws. By losing his ego he became free. For the monk, the shackles of illusion which had been binding him were broken to pieces when he transcended his ego limitations by absorbing himself in the conviction "Everywhere there is only God. All is God. I too am God. I am God." Through their deep love of God, each in his own way was able to transcend the power of illusion.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Worship of God with and without a Form

2007-03-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

The Formless takes a Form

For the sake of human satisfaction you give name and form to the Lord. But in reality he does not have any form at all. Yet, he will take on a form so that you can express your devotion to him and worship him, and thereby satisfy some of your spiritual yearnings. Whatever form of the Lord you choose to follow, worship him with a loving heart.

Devotion is not merely repeating the name of God. It is an undying and pure love for God. It is completely selfless in its nature, bereft of any worldly desires. It is pure, permanent and eternal. This divine love should be practiced constantly in your daily life.

Worship of God with and without a Form

As long as you have attachment to your body and remain steeped in body consciousness, you will not be able to understand and reach the formless aspect of the Supreme. You attain the necessary qualifications to worship the formless only after you have overcome your attachment to the body, your attachment to the world, and all your other attachments. Therefore, as long as you identify yourself with the body, and think that you have a particular form, then you must also visualize God with a form. So, you start your spiritual journey by worshipping God in a particular incarnation, having certain recognizable divine qualities. Gradually, after following this path for some time, you can change your practice to worshipping the formless aspect of the Supreme.

Many devotees base their spiritual experiences only on God manifest in name and form. The form and the formless are both essential for a devotee. It is like having two legs for walking or having two wings to fly. To reach the final spiritual goal you must have the two legs of form and formless, putting one in front of the other, with the one leg representing form, taking its support from the other, which is the formless. It is important to realize that the manifestation of the Lord with form is only transient, whereas the formless aspect of the divinity is permanent. It is everpresent and unchanging.

Only the Formless is the Permanent Aspect of the Lord

Consider another example. Suppose you want to teach the word 'chair' to a small child. If you merely utter the word 'chair' it does not become clear to him what its form is. However, you can show him a chair like this and ask him to look it over carefully. While he is doing this you repeat the word 'chair'. Then later on, whenever he sees a chair he will remember the word associated with the form you have shown him and he will repeat to himself 'chair'. The form of the particular chair you used to teach him the meaning of the word may be impermanent. That chair will change, but the word 'chair' and the type of objects it represents will remain. Unless he sees the impermanent form he will not learn the permanent word 'chair'. The permanent element is understood through the impermanent one. Therefore, though divinity is formless, you first have to associate it with a particular form to understand it.

Steady your Mind by Worshipping the Divinity with Form

Here is a pillow stuffed with loose cotton. What covers this pillow? A piece of cloth. What is the content of this cloth? Cotton. So externally you have a piece of cloth and internally there is the cotton. But, in fact, the internal and the external are both cotton. The formless cotton has taken the form of thread, and this thread has become cloth, and this cloth is covering the formless cotton. Cloth is form and raw cotton is formless. From the formless to the form and then from the form to the formless, these are the transformations that make up divinity. To have a pillow you cannot use the formless cotton alone. So, you must first convert the cotton into cloth and this cloth having form can then cover the formless cotton inside.

In the same way, the divinity in form and in its formless aspect are exactly the same. Both are essential. Through the impermanent form you become aware of the permanent formless. While you still identify yourself in terms of body-consciousness and feel that who you are is related to your body, it will be impossible for you to give up the aspect of form. As your mind becomes steady, rooted in faith, and you move beyond body consciousness, you will be able to experience the permanent formless aspect of the divinity.

Worshipping the Formless God in your Heart

Traditionally, in the worship of the God with form, you may become engaged in many types of ritual worship. You may offer flowers to the Lord, you may bathe his statue with holy water, you may burn incense or use other forms of worship. These will give you some satisfaction. Worshipping the Lord's form externally with various sacred articles yields satisfaction. But, once you establish God inside your heart, then you will worship him through the flowers of your heart. After body consciousness and the delusion associated with it is destroyed, then the divinity that you previously worshipped externally in form, with flowers and various articles of external worship, will now become established in its formless aspect in the depths of your heart, and you will want to worship it with the sweet flowers of your feelings. This will bring true unchanging joy.

As long as you are worshipping the Lord with form, you will use physical flowers such as roses, marigolds and jasmine. These are all impermanent and the body which performs this worship is also impermanent. But if you want to worship the formless God in your heart, then the flowers are different. Those flowers will be permanent. Those flowers are the noble qualities that you develop in your heart and offer to the Lord. They are the flowers of nonviolence, of sense restraint, of truth, of patience and forbearance, of perseverance, of love and compassion, of charity and sacrifice. All these flowers are meant for inner worship. To elevate yourself to the worship of the formless principle, you will have to develop these flowers of the heart and use them in your worship. Then you will experience the ineffable and unchanging joy of the spirit, and enter the path that takes you home to your divine source.

From the Form to the Formless

You commence your journey from the stage of dualism and finally end up in the stage of non-dualism. You start your spiritual practice with the very ordinary type of devotion, worshipping God with form and attributes and using rituals and external forms of worship. But then you quickly progress onto the formless, the absolute aspect of the Divinity. In this way, you initially develop yourself spiritually by being a servant of God, but eventually you become fully identified with God.

Consider, for a moment, a very big circle, and consider that just by its side and separate from it there is another circle, one which is very much smaller. The big circle may be thought of as God, the small one as the individual soul. Here the individual is different and distinct from God; this is dualism. When you bring the smaller circle in so that it lies within the bigger circle, you have qualified non-dualism; now the individual is part of the Divinity, he exists in God. What then is the meaning of the individual becoming totally merged in God? The small circle has to broaden itself and grow bigger and bigger until it has fully expanded to the size of the big circle. At that point the two circles are indistinguishable and man has merged himself into God. This is complete non-dualism.

Excerpt: Sai Baba Gita
Link: http://laluni.helloyou.ws/askbaba/saibabagita/index.html

Dear One, Don’t Cry

2007-03-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

Oh, Dear One, don’t cry
We know
We know

Sometimes we are forced to choose
Where no choice seems to be
And must take a path
That leaves us no peace

Sometimes we are forced to face
Some silly man made rules
And it seems that no one knows
And no one we can tell

What to do?
What to do?

If circumstance is beyond you
Then stretch beyond the circumstance
And soar to the edge of infinity
And embrace all sides and be at peace

Wherever you must be
Serve the best you can
But dive deeply into your heart
And hold the world therein

Forgive the silly rules
We are not separate, You and I
You are not this body
And You are not separate from anyone else
Near and dear shall we always be

Oh, Dear One, don’t cry
Let the world be as it may
Wherever you must be, then so be it
Join us in thoughts and in love
We are not separate, You and I

Three Sources of Guidance

2007-03-11T11:38:00.000-05:00

God Within

Opening Inward

Subconscious
Soul
True Self
Inner Voice
Sacred Heart
Divine Child within

God Without

Reaching Upward

Elder Brothers
Masters
Saints
Avatars
Divine Will
Divine Love

Expanding Outward

Angels
People
Situations
Nature (animals, plants, stars, etc.)
Environment (building, objects, etc.)

· One should become familiar with receiving guidance from all three sources.
· Guidance from all three sources should validate and confirm each other.
· Remember all three sources are ultimately You.

Oracle

2007-03-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

Dear God within
Dear God without
Dear Angels everywhere

Thank you for our Oneness
Thank you for the insight
Thank you

Dancing in Time and Eternity

2007-03-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

You are a being in time
You are a being of eternity
There is nothing you can do
To change this very fact

Cease struggling against time
Quit fearing eternity
They are your very source
Mother and Father

Until you learn this well
No peace shall befall you
Until you learn this well
You shall never know Yourself

Movie: Nanny McPhee (2005)

2007-02-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

Five Lessons from Nanny McPhee

Go to bed when you are told	Know when to rest, be still, passive, and wait in body, emotion, and mind.
Get up when you are told	Know when to be active and take action in body, emotion, and mind.
Get dress when you are told	Rise to the occasion: face any challenges/lessons that are placed on your path courageously.
To listen	Learn to be receptive; listen to the inner voice, inspiration, and guidance.
Do exactly as you are told	Have courage to follow inner voice’s guidance.

Memorable quote from Nanny McPhee:

Nanny McPhee: There is something you should understand about the way I work. When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. It's rather sad, really, but there it is.

Simon Brown: We will never want you!

Nanny McPhee: Then I will never go.

Questions:

1. Why does Nanny McPhee appear more and more beautiful?
2. When do the children learn the following lessons?

    - Say “Please”.
    - Say “Thank you”.
    - If you pretend to be ill, you could be ill.

Where are you?

2007-02-27T19:24:00.000-05:00

Where are you?
Where should you be?
Who should decide?
When should you move?

Time, Space Past, Future		Eternity, Infinity Now
Becoming		Being
Waves		Ocean
Relationships, Duality		One
Bad dream / story	Good dream / story	Awake / freedom
Tragedy	Comedy	Divine play
Unconscious acting	Acting, scripting	Observing
Fighting, expressing, avoiding negatives	Serving, expressing, pursuing positives	Witnessing
Hate, fear, jealousy worry	Forgiveness, gratitude, I love… prayer	Innocent perception, Pure awareness, Love is who you are.
	Active meditation	Passive meditation

Book List

2007-02-27T18:44:00.000-05:00

Paramhansa Yogananda
1. Autobiography of a Yogi
2. Whispers from Eternity

Osho
http://www.oshoworld.com/e-books/ebooks.asp

Orin & Sanaya Roman
http://www.orindaben.com/
1.Living With Joy
2.Spiritual Growth
3.Creating Money
4.Soul Love
5.Personal Power Through Awareness
6.Opening to Channel

Hilarion & Maurice B. Cook
1. Answers – from the pages of Lightline
2. Astrology Plus – the signs and houses
3. Body Signs
4. Child Light – Parenting for the New Age
5. Dark Robes Dark Brothers
6. Faces – Reading the Divine Anology
7. More Answers
8. Nations
9. Other Kingdoms
10. Seasons of the spirit
11. Symbols
12. Tapestry
13. The Aquarian Wave
14. The Mars Connection
15. The Master Plan
16. The Nature of Reality
17. Threshold
18. Vision -- Beyond the Apocalypse: A New Age Model
19. Wildflowers – their occult gifts

JESUS
http://www.svpvril.com/CATALOG/TLC1798.html
Dialogue on Awakening by Tom Carpenter
http://www.courseinmiracles.com/
A Curse in Miracles by Helen Schucman
http://www.lovewithoutend.com/
Love Without End by Glenda Green
The Keys of Jeshua by Glenda Green

Djwhal Khul & Alice Bailey
http://laluni.helloyou.ws/netnews/bk/index.html

Catherine Ponder
1. Open Your Mind to Prosperity
2. The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity
3. The Dynamic Laws of Healing
4. The Prosperity Secret of the Ages
5. The Healing Secret of the Ages
6. The Dynamic Laws of Prayer
7. The Prospering Power of Love
8. The Secret of Unlimited Prosperity
9. Open Your Mind to Receive
10. Dare to Prosper!
11. The Prospering Power of Prayer
12. The Millionaires of Genesis
13. The Millionaire Moses
14. The Millionaire Joshua
15. The Millionaire from Nazareth

Eckhart Tolle
http://www.eckharttolle.com/home.php
The Power of Now

http://www.urantia.org/
THE URANTIA BOOK

How To Maintain Perfect Health

2007-02-27T18:43:00.001-05:00

There is intelligence in every atom in your body; every organ in your physical system is governed by a mind of its own, and this mind has the power to produce any change in its own organ, within the sphere of natural law, that you may direct. To place yourself in such close connection with the intelligence in your body that you can readily direct it as you may desire, train yourself to think of every organ, every muscle, every nerve, every cell in your body, as possessing intelligence.

Then speak the truth to this intelligence. When you are giving a metaphysical treatment to any organ, do not think of the physical organ, but address yourself to the intelligence that is in that organ. Tell this intelligence that it has the power to keep its own organ well, and that you expect it to do so. The response will be immediate, and the results you desire will, in nearly every instance, be secured instantaneously.

Do not think of your body as dead matter, but as living substance, and mentally speak to every atom in your system accordingly. When you think of your body as mere matter, you separate, to a degree, the life of your mind from the life of your body; in consequence, your mind and body do not work in harmony; the body fails to respond to the direction of the mind, and you frequently feel as if the body were a burden instead of a perfectly tuned instrument, as it is intended to be. But when you think of every atom in your system as possessing intelligence, you place mind and body in perfect harmony; and as your conscious realization of this intelligence in every atom develops, your body will respond perfectly to almost anything your mind may direct.

When there is something wrong in any organ in your body, begin at once to give instructions to the intelligence that is in that organ. Speak the truth to that intelligence; give it good, strong, positive suggestions, and proceed in the faith that this intelligence can carry out your suggestions. It is perfectly in accord with exact science to speak to this intelligence as you would to any conscious mind. Science has positively demonstrated that there IS intelligence in every atom; also, that this intelligence will respond to the directions of the human mind, and carry out any instructions that may be given by that mind. You are therefore acting upon sound principles when you proceed to educate the intelligence in every organ in your body as you would educate your own children.

To speak the truth to the intelligence of any organ is not to call its attention to the presence of sickness, weakness or inharmony, but to tell this intelligence what it has the power to do. Use words to this effect: "You know that you have the power to keep your own organ well; you can so govern your organ that it will perform its function perfectly; you know that you can do this; I expect you to do it, and I know that you will carry out my wishes to the letter; you are a part of universal intelligence; you are a perfect expression of infinite intelligence; and infinite intelligence is always well; therefore you are, in yourself, always well; you know perfect health; you have within yourself the power of perfect health; accordingly, you can produce perfect health; you can produce perfect health in your own organ now; and I know that you will; I have perfect faith in you; I know what you can do, and I know that you want to do everything that you can do; this means that you will produce perfect health in your own organ at once; I leave the rest to you, knowing that you will be perfectly true to your trust."

Whenever you think of any organ in your body, think of the intelligence within that organ, and always give it the best instructions you can think of. You thus not only arouse the mind of every atom to greater effort, but you also train this mind to work in harmony with your purpose. The minds of all the atoms in your body will thus become a well-drilled army -an army of workers, working with you for better health, for more harmony, for greater strength, for higher attainments in brief, for everything that you wish to realize to make your dreams of the ideal come true.

To retain perfect health, one of the great essentials is to cause all the organs of your system to perform their functions perfectly, and this the intelligence of these organs can readily do if so directed. Think of your stomach as an organ of intelligence, and say to this intelligent organ that you expect a perfect digestion at all times. Speak firmly, but in love, as you would to a trusted servant, and speak in the tone you would employ when you fully expect your wishes to be carried out. Eliminate all doubt from those instructions and give a deep ring of supreme faith to the silent tone of your mental speech. Encourage your stomach to do its best, as you would encourage a horse or a child or some other intelligent being that is under your direction.

Intelligent encouragement, to whomsoever given, always increases results, and especially so when your words have a positive ring of confidence, trust and faith. Speak to your eyes as if they were intelligent beings, and tell them that they can see perfectly speak to your ears as if they were intelligent beings, and tell them that they can hear perfectly; speak to your heart as if it were an intelligent being, and tell it that it can perform its function calmly, harmoniously and perfectly, and that it can give a full circulation to every cell in your body without any exertion whatever. Speak to your nerves as if they were intelligent beings, and tell them that they have the power to be always serene, well poised, in perfect harmony, and in the highest state of efficiency.

Speak to all the organs in your body as if they were intelligent beings, and tell them that they can do their work right; encourage them all to do their best; tell them that you expect to get the best from them all and that you know that you will get it. Look upon all the organs in your body as constituting one great family, all working together in perfect harmony; take them into your confidence; tell them what you wish to accomplish; tell them that you need their help -their very best help in all your undertakings, and that you know they will respond as one man. Speak to all the organs in your body as if they were intelligent beings, and know that they all are intelligent beings.

Every atom is intelligent, and every organ is a being of intelligence; it should therefore be treated as such and spoken to as such. Do not think of the organs in your body as so many physical organs, but as so many minds, because that is what they really are. The idealist is right, though he does not always make himself clear. Reduce anything to its last analysis, and you will find it to be MIND. Even iron, when reduced to its last analysis, becomes a MENTAL FORCE in nature; and many scientists believe if they could reduce still further they would find it to be absolute spirit.

What we speak of as matter is simply mind vibrating in the scale of tangibility. Matter does exist, but it does not exist apart from mind. Matter is mind in tangible expression. It is therefore strictly scientific to think of the body as visible mind, and to think of all the organs in the body as being centers of intelligence. And we shall find that when we take this view of the body, the physical system will no longer be a chunk of clay, but will become a more and more highly organized instrument, responding perfectly to every desire of the ruling mind -the conscious mind, the "I Am" in man.

When the body responds perfectly to the mind, the body will be perfectly well as long as thinking is wholesome; and the stronger the mind becomes the stronger will the body become. To keep the mind wholesome at all times, however, is not difficult; nor is it difficult to perpetually increase the strength of the mind. These are things any one can do; therefore, any one can stay well, and continue to grow into more and more life and power for an indefinite period.

Know that there is no dead matter to deal with in your body; know that every cell in your body is living intelligence, and that this intelligence will readily comply with your desires for better health, greater strength and higher efficiency. It is only necessary to think of this intelligence as actually being intelligence, and then to give your instructions in the faith that every one of them will be carried out to the letter.

Have faith in your body. Expect your body to be well at all times, and make the power of this expectation so deep and so strong that it enters into the very life of every atom in your system. What you constantly expect your body to become, you give it the power to become; in brief, by constantly expecting certain results you awaken and develop the power that can produce those results. There is nothing that will help you so much to prevent all sickness as to constantly and subconsciously expect your body to be well at all times. Dwell on this expectation as much as possible, and make it a permanent part of your conscious existence.

Expect every organ in your body to perform its function perfectly; do not expect anything to the contrary, nor even think for a moment that anything to the contrary could happen. Impress this expectation upon the intelligence of every organ in your body, and expect that intelligence to carry out your wishes. Expect your physical strength to hold out under every circumstance; never expect to f eel weak or tired at any time; expect your strength to increase perpetually, and make that expectation a living power in every thought you think.

Expect your body to stay well, to stay strong, to stay young, and to continue in health, youth and vigor as long as you live. Expect your eyes to have perfect sight as long as you live; never expect to have to wear glasses; do not think of such a thing for a moment. What you always expect, you get; therefore expect only what you want: Expect your ears to hear perfectly as long as you live; expect your lungs to be sound as long as you live; expect your liver to be thoroughly alive as long as you live. Expect your stomach to digest anything. (But give your stomach nothing but that which is wholesome.) Eat moderately; eat anything you like, so it is wholesome, nourishing and properly prepared. Then expect to digest anything. You will never know that you have a stomach, so perfect and thorough will your digestion become.

Expect your physical endurance to be equal to any occasion, and expect to stand anything. Never say that you can't stand "this" or "that"; say that you can stand anything, and expect your system to "make good." But in all things use moderation. Be ready for anything; expect to be equal to any extreme that may be met, and do not hesitate to comply with any demand that emergency may call forth; however, in the ruling of your own life, let moderation be your keynote in all things. Whatever you may do or partake of, aim to secure or bring forth the best, and just enough of the best; no more and no less than enough; and let your idea of "enough" correspond with actual need properly harmonized with actual capacity. In the actual, all increase should be gradual, but in your thought, expect everything now.

Think well of your body, no matter what its present conditions may be. Speak well of your body and compliment your body at every opportunity. Never say that your stomach is "no account." One of these days it will make your evil words come true. Thousands of people die every year because they have condemned, vilified and slandered their body -this beautiful temple of the soul. But it is just as easy to speak well of the body, and there is nothing that pays better. Praise your body and every organ in your body, and you will add many, many years to your personal life, while your days of sickness will be reduced to almost nothing.

Say that your stomach is all right; not only once, but any number of times, and mean it; your stomach will appreciate the compliment by making a special effort to be all right. Speak of every organ in the body in the same way, and they will do their very best to "make good." Say that you have the best eyes in the world, the best lungs in the world, the best digestive system in the world. Say it to yourself and mean it; say it to others when you are approached as to your good health. If people think you are only "talking," never mind; continue to praise your body and it will positively prove worthy of more and more praise; continue to stand by all the organs in your system, and they will continue to stand by you.

Never say that your lungs are weak, that your heart is bad, that your nerves are all shattered, or that your system is not much good any more. Refuse to use such talk and refuse to listen to such talk; it is better to lose a friend than to lose your respect for your whole physical system. Friends that are worth keeping will think far more of you if you positively and uncompromisingly stand up for everything that is wholesome in thought and speech.

We are now in a new age; it is no longer good form to find fault with anything. To look for the best in everything, and to emphasize the virtues of that "best" in all thought and speech is becoming the "correct thing" among a rapidly increasing number; you may therefore adopt the new method without any danger of isolation, no matter where you may go in the world.

Do not underrate any organ or faculty in your possession; believe thoroughly in every fiber in your being; to underrate is to weaken, and weakness leads to disease. To think of an organ as inferior or unimportant is to decrease the life and the working capacity of that organ; and to continue to expect an organ to fail, or fall short of its functions, is to depress the life of that organ so that it actually becomes crippled in everything that it may be called upon to do.

On the other hand, to continue perpetually to expect an organ to do its best, and to believe that it can do better, is to awaken more and more life in that organ. Accordingly, there will be a continual increase of strength; and more strength leads to better health invariably. To habitually underrate your body is to decrease your strength and shorten your years; but to praise your body, encourage your body, and expect more and more of your body, is to increase your strength and lengthen your years.

Think of your entire system as being fully competent to comply with every requirement that you may meet in life; think so well of your body that you expect it to be more than equal to every demand; then make that thought a living power during every moment of your existence; in consequence, your body will serve you better and better; it will develop in health, strength and vigor, and will daily come up, nearer and nearer, to your highest expectations.

By: Christian D Larson
From: http://www.psitek.net/pages/PsiTekHTSW7.html

CHAPTER 7 -- Gratitude

2007-02-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

THE illustrations given in the last chapter will have conveyed to the reader the fact that the first step toward getting rich is to convey the idea of your wants to the Formless Substance.

This is true, and you will see that in order to do so it becomes necessary to relate yourself to the Formless Intelligence in a harmonious way.

To secure this harmonious relation is a matter of such primary and vital importance that I shall give some space to its discussion here, and give you instructions which, if you will follow them, will be certain to bring you into perfect unity of mind with God.

The whole process of mental adjustment and atonement can be summed up in one word, gratitude.

First, you believe that there is one Intelligent Substance, from which all things proceed; second, you believe that this Substance gives you everything you desire; and third, you relate yourself to it by a feeling of deep and profound gratitude.

Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude. Having received one gift from God, they cut the wires which connect them with Him by failing to make acknowledgment.

It is easy to understand that the nearer we live to the source of wealth, the more wealth we shall receive; and it is easy also to understand that the soul that is always grateful lives in closer touch with God than the one which never looks to Him in thankful acknowledgment.

The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when good things come to us, the more good things we will receive, and the more rapidly they will come; and the reason simply is that the mental attitude of gratitude draws the mind into closer touch with the source from which the blessings come.

If it is a new thought to you that gratitude brings your whole mind into closer harmony with the creative energies of the universe, consider it well, and you will see that it is true. The good things you already have have come to you along the line of obedience to certain laws. Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come; and it will keep you in close harmony with creative thought and prevent you from falling into competitive thought.

Gratitude alone can keep you looking toward the All, and prevent you from falling into the error of thinking of the supply as limited; and to do that would be fatal to your hopes.

There is a Law of Gratitude, and it is absolutely necessary that you should observe the law, if you are to get the results you seek.

The law of gratitude is the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal, and in opposite directions.

The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to which it addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.

"Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto you." That is a statement of psychological truth.

And if your gratitude is strong and constant, the reaction in Formless Substance will be strong and continuous; the movement of the things you want will be always toward you. Notice the grateful attitude that Jesus took; how He always seems to be saying, "I thank Thee, Father, that Thou hearest me." You cannot exercise much power without gratitude; for it is gratitude that keeps you connected with Power.

But the value of gratitude does not consist solely in getting you more blessings in the future. Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are.
The moment you permit your mind to dwell with dissatisfaction upon things as they are, you begin to lose ground. You fix attention upon the common, the ordinary, the poor, and the squalid and mean; and your mind takes the form of these things. Then you will transmit these forms or mental images to the Formless, and the common, the poor, the squalid, and mean will come to you.

To permit your mind to dwell upon the inferior is to become inferior and to surround yourself with inferior things.

On the other hand, to fix your attention on the best is to surround yourself with the best, and to become the best.

The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention.
We are Thinking Substance, and thinking substance always takes the form of that which it thinks about.

The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends to become the best; it takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best.

Also, faith is born of gratitude. The grateful mind continually expects good things, and expectation becomes faith. The reaction of gratitude upon one's own mind produces faith; and every outgoing wave of grateful thanksgiving increases faith. He who has no feeling of gratitude cannot long retain a living faith; and without a living faith you cannot get rich by the creative method, as we shall see in the following chapters.

It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you; and to give thanks continuously.

And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

Do not waste time thinking or talking about the shortcomings or wrong actions of plutocrats or trust magnates. Their organization of the world has made your opportunity; all you get really comes to you because of them.

Do not rage against, corrupt politicians; if it were not for politicians we should fall into anarchy, and your opportunity would be greatly lessened.

God has worked a long time and very patiently to bring us up to where we are in industry and government, and He is going right on with His work. There is not the least doubt that He will do away with plutocrats, trust magnates, captains of industry, and politicians as soon as they can be spared; but in the meantime, behold they are all very good. Remember that they are all helping to arrange the lines of transmission along which your riches will come to you, and be grateful to them all. This will bring you into harmonious relations with the good in everything, and the good in everything will move toward you.

By: Dr. Wallace Wattles
From: http://wallacewattles.wwwhubs.com/rich.htm

Why Tithe?

2007-02-27T18:33:00.000-05:00

1. To praise God as the source of our life and everything in our life.
2. To demonstrate our faith and trust in the power, wisdom, and love of God to our subconscious.
3. To demonstrate our priority in life to our subconscious.
4. To demonstrate our prosperity consciousness, the attitude of abundance and plenty by our physical actions to our subconscious.
5. To demonstrate our attitude of non-attachment to material things and physical body to our subconscious.
6. To align, join, and harmonize our spiritual life and physical life, since money is the ultimate symbol of physical existence, and the source of spiritual inspiration is the symbol of God.
7. How we treat God is how we perceive God is treating us. So if we offer our harvest to God in reverence and gratitude, we will perceive infinite blessings from God.

How to Tithe?

1. Tithe a tenth of your increase to the places or people from which you receive spiritual help and inspiration.
2. Tithe in reverence, gratitude, and secrecy.
3. Tithe systematically for systematic result.
4. Tithe while knowing that our subconscious and belief is changed accordingly.
5. When you feel you could not afford to tithe, that’s when you need tithing the most.
6. Tithing is not the same as charity work.
7. Tithing is for self-transformation.

Work as Meditation

2007-02-27T18:30:00.000-05:00

To chase after myriad forms of professions and works in order to find one that makes you perfectly happy and joyful is the same as any other futile pursuits you may have in this world. They will not give you the true sense of satisfaction at the end. Your only true joy comes from knowing your undeniable relationship with God. At your current stage of experiencing, to put your main focus on pursuing the perfect career is a diversion, and a further lingering in time. It does not solve the problem you perceived you are facing, which is the lack of joy in a world of many demands and limitations.

As you have realized in many areas in your life, that pursuing the externals would not give you inner peace and joy; now you must apply this understanding to the area of “making a living” as well.

Work is an opportunity to meditate, to practise non-judgments, and to learn to be unaffected by externals. Work is a time to practise wholeness in mind, to focus on the task at hand so totally and wholly that you lose the sense of self. Work is a time to enter the Holy Instance. It is a practise for mastery of your own mind. Work is an opportunity to think God, love God, serve God, and be God.

Without addressing and correcting the misperception of separation from God, it is almost impossible to be quiet in the mind and become a silent watcher, because the mind would be plagued by hidden fears and anxiety, or open bitterness.

To be in Zen is to be aware and living in God’s Will and Love; it is to do one thing at a time. Forget the importance of time. Let go of the watches and clocks. Pay no attention to time. Let time not be the factor of your decision-making. Allow inner sense to guide you on your journey in time and space.

Love and Health

2007-02-27T18:24:00.001-05:00

To the discomfort in this body
I repeatedly affirm, “Love is who you are”
And I see undulating light of Love
Caressing, coalescing, and correcting all ills
To bring about the original satisfying and perfect conditions.

Time to Eternity: I say YES

2007-02-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

I say YES to life

Yes to the pitiful trying, yes to the simple joy
Yes to the time of fear, yes to the overcoming
Yes to the epic triumph, yes to the humbling fall
Yes to the incessant worry, yes to the growing faith
Yes to the brave attempts, yes to the cowardly escapes
Yes to the thunderous applause, yes to the shameful rejection
Yes to the exquisite pain, yes to the stolen moments of secret pleasure

Yes to the resisting, yes to the surrendering
Yes to the call to service, yes to the chance to Love
Yes to the sweet stillness, yes to the grand experience
Yes to the gift to choose, yes to the precious viewpoint
Yes to the sordid judgment, yes to the heroic acceptance
Yes to all unwanted changes, yes to the expanding horizon
Yes to the rising of consciousness, yes to the wondrous embrace

YES to the delicious journey from God to God

God

2007-02-27T18:19:00.000-05:00

I am God, I am God, I am no different from God.
I am the infinite supreme.
I am the one reality.

In truth, I am God. I am no different from God.
I am peace itself.
I am love eternal.
I am pure bliss without end.

Everywhere there is only God.
All is God.
I too am God.
I am God.

From: Sathya Sai Baba

Odyssey

2007-02-27T18:18:00.001-05:00

What should one do when passion ceased?
What should one do when desires gone?
Is this the ultimate curse?
Is this the eternal grace?

Striving so long for such a state
In a crystal cave.
Dreaming to glimpse the final truth
In a crazy haste.

So now I am here,
But what am I to do?
Like a soldier without a cause
Wandering in great despair.

You, will you take the dive with me
To the abyss cold and dark?
You, will you come with me all the way
To the heaven’s blazing light?

None shall I promise you
But I offer you my hand.
So come.
Come.

Breathe

2007-02-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

For a few minutes,
Breathe a deep, rhythmic breath
To get yourself in tune
With the rhythm of the Universe.

Inhale to a slow count of X,
Retain the breath for a count of X,
Then exhale to the count of X.
Wait X counts before inhaling again.

When you feel the rhythm,
Discontinue the counting
And breathe naturally
By filling the lungs deeply, completely, and silently.

(Note: X is a number that makes you feel comfortable and peaceful.)

By: Hilda Charlton
From: Master Hilarion

In Time: From Blister to Bliss

2007-02-27T06:56:00.000-05:00

Hero’s Journey
Blister		Bliss
Lesson	Mastering		Service
Face difficulties	See higher meanings, values, and better ways		Share the boon

To merely follow your bliss
Is to be bound.
To cut your blister and run
Is to be bound.

From blister to bliss
Marks the Hero’s Journey
Each blister, a call to adventure
Each journey crosses lifetimes.

Refusing the lesson
And lose the chance to serve.
Know your blister
And see it changes to bliss.

Enter the sacred place
To see where true Journey lies
Follow your inner voice
To know aliveness and peace.

For lessons yet unlearned
Face them in fortitude
And follow them relentlessly
For none shall prevail thus.

For lessons already done,
Simply follow your bliss,
And share the jewels revealed to you
And serve in gratitude.

Move on, move on

2007-02-27T06:55:00.000-05:00

All will have their moments of awakening
Judgment is wholly unnecessary
Should their lessons serve you no more
Move on, move on…
To the next one that does

Dear God, How May I Serve?

2007-02-27T06:53:00.000-05:00

While most of the world has gone mad,
Yelling for help, asking for more, praying to achieve, and begging to be saved,
Some quietly ask, “Dear God, how may I serve?”

The poor will always ask,
“How can I get more? How can I achieve? How can I be safe?”
The rich will always ask, “How may I share? How may I serve?”
The question will make the man.

In order to serve,
He will move heaven and earth to learn how to serve.
Because he serves,
Heaven and Earth will rush in to aid his quest.
In serving,
He will lose himself and gain the world.

So in each and every moment,
What question do you ask?
Stand up and take your place.
The choice is utterly clear.

Be Still

2007-02-27T06:52:00.000-05:00

I love all my thoughts
Each and everyone
Count them one by one
Love them through and through.

Inner Voice: Sign

2007-02-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

Inner Voice	false voice
Peace Joy Love Clarity Flow Energy Supported by Invisible Hands	anxiety burden judgment confusion blocks fear all alone in the world

From: Listening To Your Inner Voice
By: Douglas Bloch

Inner Voice: How to Listen (IV)

2007-02-27T06:47:00.000-05:00

Loving Witness never says “I”
Loving Witness only says “He”
Loving Witness only says “She”
Loving Witness observes and speaks
Loving Witness, the Divine Reporter
Loving Witness tells the truth
Loving Witness is pure reason
Loving Witness is totally clear
Loving Witness sees everything
Loving Witness knows everything
Loving Witness rises, and ego melts away
Loving Witness clears the mind and erases all doubts

Inner Voice: How to Listen (III)

2007-02-27T06:46:00.001-05:00

What moves your heart?
What pulls on your heart?
What draws out your heart?
What engrosses your heart?
What gives your heart peace?
What are your natural talents?
Where does your heart want to go?
What makes your heart sing in joy?
What makes your heart come alive?
What makes your heart keep on going?

Inner Voice: How to Listen (I)

2007-02-27T06:41:00.000-05:00

I still myself by holding Jesus in my heart,
And seeing Jesus by my side.

I ask my question
And tune in to that spontaneous flow of thoughts,
Which is gentle, resolute, wise, and humorous.

I ask my question
And see Jesus answering them with infinite love and wisdom.

I type down everything I asked and received as they occur.
I read, enjoy, judge, and implement the answers afterward.

Inner Voice

2007-02-26T22:09:00.000-05:00

Make God your guru,
Let him tell you what to do,
Listen! He is calling, calling you
Take time to listen, have courage to obey
The inner voice is calling, calling you.
There are voices all around us,
That of enemies and of friends,
Do this, don't do that, the chorus never ends.
But I shall always listen, to that quiet inner voice,
It is still and definite, and I've made my choice.
Make God your guru,
Let him tell you what to do,
Listen! He is calling, calling you
Take time to listen, have courage to obey
The inner voice is calling, calling you.

By: Darakshan, X
From: The Hindu