The Box

so god is everywhere. got it.

and i am here .. but where ?  there seems to be no place for me if god is taking up all the space.

so let's say, god makes a box ( out of himself since he is the All ) and he puts me ( again, created out of Himself ) into the box.  i can see other people and other things ... so i have to assume, they are in the same box and they too, are made out of the All.

so i am now a content of creation ( creation being this box i am in )  interacting with "the others", who have  as their core, the same Source as myself.

now it gets really complicated - i feel i am independent - a universe unto myself - and everything else is, hence, not me.  this induces me to pull certain things towards me and repel others - we spiral downwards into the pit of likes and dislikes and suffer the resulting pleasures and pain completely oblivious to the fact that there can be no "other" for the building blocks for all creation is one and the same.

so why all the stress ? why the isolation and fear ? why the anguish and pain ?

what we need is an active form of deconstruction ... the way forward is to progressively move back.

there are no others
i am part of That
there is no place other than Him
i am already at the Source
i am nothing but the Source

the box is now not only empty, but in truth, there is no box.

simple directions, but where do we start ?  we expand our vision, open our hearts and completely encompass all around us ... feel, in your heart of hearts, FEEL, there is only ONE... once that first step is taken, the rest follows, like the river to the ocean..

live well.

The Looking Glass

doing something religiously forms a pattern of repetition .. the tenants of all Religions.

this would, hopefully, prepare one's mind to step into the philosophy which may extend even past the boundaries of the Religion itself.

the churning of these concepts in a given philosophy, if seriously undertaken, will weed out most of the grime and will distill your essence to a point where your mind will feel as if it has to choose; are there 2 or is there only 1...

a path of duality will aways keep you one step away from god while a non-dual "belief" will leave you wondering, "so if there is only 1, then 'who am i ?' "

these two paths are not to be debated for such a mental duel is the last snake on the board upon which, if you slip, you end up at the beginning of the game and the entire journey must be undertaken again.

if you are truly prepared and earnest in your quest for the truth, having dropped off all other vestiges of life as you know it, seek out one who knows ... not "about" what you seek for that would require him to utilize his mind to express a concept and hence you are once again operating from a platform of duality  but who "Is" an expression of what you seek. in such a presence; surrender - that lingering sense of self will vaporize and that final question no longer needs an answer for there is none left to ask it .. what was perceived to have emanated from silence, is now Silence itself.

a journey that never was, can have no destination.

Life

life is a curious expression of our Mr. God

take me, for example.  i am a bundle of existence, desires, hopes and fears and of course, as is the nature all that is, this particular bundle will eventually cease to be part of life though life will go on without even mourning the loss of me !

so i float like a twig, bobbing and swirling, upon the unceasing river of life... life, which moves on, in utter disinterest of my achievements or plights and which will eventually wash away all traces of my personality as it crashes against its 2 banks of time and space ! 

yes, there are those who have left their mark ( some good, some evil ) for such is how the force of life expresses and unfolds itself - the contributions of such may be remembered but what about the sadness felt or all the thousand other ups and downs they went through ?  what of those intimate emotions left unexpressed, of the myriad dreams not lived and hopes not fulfilled ? 

wild stallions may be tamed, saddles fastened and the creature mounted but that does not seem to work with life...

so... life... given it's infinite span and our limited one, how best to live it regardless of the conditions one may find oneself in ?

perhaps grasping its very nature is the all important first step - an accurate perspective is essential in all endeavors; shouldn't the same apply to your existence ?

perspective of what is real and what is not, of what is time well spent or simply squandered and of the value of today for there may not be a tomorrow.  just doing is not living, and simply being alive is not a life.  planning guarantees nothing while ambivalence leaves one in limbo allowing life to simply ebb away.  

ask the right questions and if you have the courage and believe in the answers, the bobbing twig may transform into a solid bridge and perhaps instead of being swept down the river of life, one may cross it with the peace borne of wisdom and experience what lies on the other side.

live well.

The Absolute Truth

truth, as with all things that exist within a temporal framework, is incapable of being "absolute".

at best, those aspiring towards the Absolute, try to tune their concept of truth into greater resonance with those of the Masters who have walked through the portal of their own conceptualizations and emerged resplendent - bathed, as it were, in God-Hood itself.

every other truth is an interpretation of a given mental framework - seen from any particular standpoint, every truth may be argued and that in itself, is a glaring declaration that it is not such. 

how does that help us?  well, it doesn't - you will see what you see, continue to do what you do and Life will simply go on.

that is not a condescension - all life is an expression of one singular Spirit, undivided and comprehensive - you are already what you most yearn to experience.

there is no wrong way, long way or lost along the way scenario - there is only Spirit reveling within It's own expression of Itself, seeking only Itself and ultimately merging within Itself.

the rest is simply academic 

the rest is mental noise; co-incidental and fleeting - for that which never was, can never be.

the rest - well, in Truth, there is no such thing.

live well.

Performers.

we all love to watch a good show and there are no better performers than those whose entire lives are dedicated to being watched - everything they do is geared to evoke a response; whether it be they way the wish to appear, the names they drop or the social calendar they mold their existence around.

of course, what would be the point if they were no spectators and here is where most of us fit, we are the vast crowd - we clap, we cheer -  we watch life pass us by like a parade while standing on the side lines.

still, there is a third - the observer; the one on a totally different path.  

a spectator looks outwards whereas the observer looks inwards trying to fathom who is watching what ?

the eyes can see only if life is present, a corpse may have eyes yet there is no power of sight. 

so who is truly seeing ?

if you get lost in what you are seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting or touching, then you are mere spectator.  if you can raise your awareness towards the consciousness that allows your senses to do so, hold on that essence, then you are approximating towards the One.

reflect : "One" presupposes that there is no "other" 

so here is an interesting formula ; there is no doing of anything but rather a shift in awareness of everything that is being done - the observer, thus, slowly dissolves into the One and the others cease to be.

it is not that you now stand alone in a world of empty structures - quite the opposite; you now exist in a plane where all that is observed is seen as a reflection of Him, like the full moon reflected in every ocean, sea and puddle.

hence, one no longer needs to feed the ego by performing, one no longer needs to fill the void by hanging on others - one is simply at peace by tuning into the Universal Consciousness by which and in which all appears to be happening.

here, finally, the ancient declaration  "That thou Art" unfolds its truth.

live well.

Notions

I love car shows .. but not to view the cars that are being made, but for the concept cars - futuristic, fantastic   and inspirational.  most, of course, will never be made.  the car makers are simply showcasing their skill for their potential; what they could do if they wanted, but as economics are invariably factored in, these concepts are simply not viable.

we see this, too, in our daily living. all the scriptures of every philosophy, religion, sect and cult have their concepts - what they deem as the bedrock of their prescribed way of life. and if one was to objectively compare them, many of the notions overlap - honesty, love, charity, faith, prayer, etc. 

and again, many a times, these concepts are put back on the shelf and the appropriate vehicle to navigate us through life's twists and turns is unavailable... they remain as notions, buried in the back our minds, known yet unapplied. 

why do we do this ?  

why say life is complicated, but take no steps to simplify it ?

why say i want to know what god is, yet not walk towards god ?

why say i want to understand life, yet not study or practice the path prescribed by your faith ?

is it fear of the unknown ? 

would it not be acceptable by your peers ?

are you just lazy ?

many may say they are happy the way they are, that is wonderful - let them continue to be happy and we should, indeed, be happy for them.

the rest of us all have our personal set of notions, and are ready to debate them over dinner - but  of what use are they if they bring you no peace, have no practical application in your existence and simply burden you with guilt?

i love concept cars, but life - i'd rather have a real one... let's put all the parts together and take our being from the notional to the ultimate Experience.

live well.

Show and Tell.

( Picture courtesy of The Chimaya Mission ) 

Kids will be kids.  they will come and plop themselves on your bed and suddenly blurt out "show me god!"  so loving parents will spin a wonderful tale and indicate to the child all the miraculous acts of nature and say "that is how we know there is a god..."

actually, we are all pretty much still in the same boat.  we can take up any religious text, and we are lead by  inference to a point where, if one wants to pursue the search, a need to move forward into a subtler realm is required.

one can have direct experience of heat, not by reading about it, but by suspending your hand over an open flame.  this sort of gross experience is easy.  however, for a sincere seeker, the path forward does not end in reading and debating a text.  if the experience of an elevated plane of existence is not exhibited in daily living and one is still overcome repeatedly by distress or pleasure, then there is hardly any difference between the "educated" man and the fool.

a subtle truth that supersedes mental cognition requires a different path.

words cannot signify that which is beyond the concept of words.  

hence, terms like God, Truth, Consciousness, etc. are simply for the child in us.

from knowledge, enlightenment must ensue.  one must, of course, apply that knowledge - sorry, but there are simply no shortcuts.

there is no "Show and Tell" when it comes to Self Realization - you study, you practise, you withdraw your senses, you discriminate, you detach, you sit in silence, you disengage your mind, you meditate, you dissolve and you know you are... a complete experience - true, immediate and continuous; an existence beyond time and space, omnipresent and omnipotent.

then, well - then it's up to you :)

live well.

Pictures on the Wall.

i like taking pictures.  then i will come home and edit them; crop, straighten and enhance them - sometimes to the point where they look nothing like the subject matter !  this is my vision of the way it should have been - all the while in complete forgetfulness of the fact that the image is not the reality - it is simply a snapshot - a pale reflection of the subject; it no longer possesses the capacity to evoke the same sense of joy, wonder or pathos that i felt while in its presence.  the memory of those emotions slowing fading over time to a point where eventually all i can say is "i remember that day..."

here is a clear delineation of the essence and the image - and it is in our nature to do this.  we are obsessed with the image while oblivious ( most of the time ) of the underlying essence.

existence vs form is where most lose their perspective; for while the form may indicate a truth, it is NOT the truth. at best, it is a shadowy reflection of the same.

we have a basket a concepts that we balance precariously on our heads and we trudge through our lives trying to pander our wares to all who cross our path, yet finding no joy in the very concepts we are so desperately trying to market; still needy, scared and ultimately alone - trying to fill a void that we cannot even define.  we have walked into our own picture - the Essence now photoshopped to our distorted view of the Original Subject.  

enjoy the pictures, they are lovely - BUT, always be aware of the underlying Truth... and this takes practise.

awareness of Him, will take you to Him.

getting lost in the images will merely leave you standing alone in the gallery and no matter how lovely the pictures, you will eventually tire of them - for they are not real.

live well.

Sum of the parts..

i have often heard it say that "the sum of the parts is greater than the whole".

does that apply to a given philosophy or belief system ?

if all stems from One Source, then if we add up all the manifestations of that One, does it exceed the One ?

probably not.

so we have a bit of a mathematical conundrum - for millennium, sages and seers, prophets and sufis have declared, He is within, search and you will find, etc., etc., etc.   so everything outside put together is not equal to Him, yet a hitherto unknown force within me ( which is incidentally also a part of the everything outside ), can lead me to all of Him ?

how delightfully curious :)

this driving force is an integral self knowledge, an intuitive truth - a sort of base code in our programming; we evolve to a certain point and the software is auto-activated. we are almost compelled to know... who am i !  

hence, for those in whom this urge has not been activated, they cannot be forced to search for, nor to believe in any concept of a god - let them be, their time will come when it comes.

for those in whom this urge is blossoming - assist and encourage them if you can. it is not the path but the destination that is of importance so let not over-zealousness dampen their curiosity, let them choose their own path.

for those in whom the urge is overwhelming, who have made their life a journey inward and have found the Source - they are Masters and now exist in Awareness of the One at all times. sit by their feet and learn from them.

ultimately it is never about the logic of existence for that will always be limited by the constraints of the mind - this Wisdom stands at the threshold beyond the boundaries of conceptualization : the finite cannot ever equate to the Infinite whereas the Infinite can "contain" within itself and exude from itself all of finitude and yet ever remain complete and Infinite - again, how delightful :)

live well.

Who Knows ?

here is a fascinating quote from Sri Aurobindo's commentary on the Isa Upanishad:

One transcends confusion of Ignorance, but not limitation of Knowledge.

a man who knows he knows not can pursue a line of study, he can overcome his ignorance of his chosen subject, but someone who feels he already knows all that there is to know, in what direction would he be motivated ?  his conviction of his genius, his assumed mastery of all that is there to be learnt, form the knots of the noose from which he will hang in limbo - unable to move forward, he simply dangles ... informed yet unenlightened.

the process of spirituality springs from the mire of misery, one walks down a lonely road, evolves and then reads - guided properly in his study, his knowledge is to be his springboard, not his destination - here is where most falter, established in a supreme ego sense of " i know ".

knowledge "of" is not the same as being established "in" ..

ignorance and knowledge : one leads you to the sense that something more exists and the other assists in its ultimate accomplishment - both are His, from Him and leading to Him alone...

live well.

The Dream...

if one is to start from death and division ( as in where we are now ), the goal must ultimately end in an absorption and dissolution into Unity and Immortality whereby what was "brought forth" from the source must end in The Source... full circle.

that is a truly expansive concept to wrap one's head around so let's use a well know example : the dream.

from whence does it draw it's truth ? obviously from the power of your mind.  and where do all the characters, scenery and activities in that dream eventually find their salvation, in your waking up from that dream.  

do the characters in that dream know they are in a dream ? do they feel they are real and what is happening to "them", while you dream in bed, important and of consequence ? are they lost in the void of an inexplicable death when you wake ?

so within your mind lies the truth ( that it is only a dream ), that all the becomings ( the ongoings of life of those within the dream ) and all the possibilities and eventualities of every aspect of that creation is simply your dream - your expression - borne of you and eventually to be absorbed back into you.

your Being within the dream is comprehensive,  all is you at all times while you dream, and not piecemeal; you do not give life or extend of yourself to different parts of your dream at different times.

this is an example indicative of the thought at hand and is not a comprehensive explanation of it...

Now:

if we are to accept that there is a God, then we must naturally stem from such a Being for there is no other Source.

there is nothing to be gained by Him since all is Him already.

so this is a journey ever homeward bound - an apparent free will of thought which finds its expression in a fate that is to eventuate in Him alone, as there can be no other destination.

therefore, despite the appearance of events either clashing or balancing within an infinite realm of possibilities, none are truly effective - as in, nothing we do can happen outside of Him; in as much that no character in your dream can walk out of your projection and choose to be something else in some other reality or function with it's own set of "laws of being".

this does not give you license to do whatever you want cos "God made me to do it" - rather, this is to inspire you to see His Expression in every sight, sound, being and action - Live as a witness to His Glory and most importantly, live in Peace... everything is as it should be.

Pleasant dreams :)

Mirror, Mirror...

they say the eyes are windows to the soul ... not sure about that since the eyes will close one day and the window will shatter but not so the soul... but that's a discussion for another day.

what about the eyes that are vibrant, your eyes ... what do they see ?  well obviously the world, but perhaps i should re-phrase - HOW do they view the world ?  the images are static, totally irrelevant, in fact.
how they are interpreted by the bundle of what makes up your personality is what's pertinent.

i see a porche, i get excited !  you may see the very same porche and get extremely agitated !  it reminds you of the argument you had with your wife about whether the dashboard should be yellow or not, or a million other disagreements ... the porche is as it was, parked on the curb, uninvolved and without blame for either my excitement nor for your agitation ...

this illustrates one very simple truth - what one experiences within, that alone he experiences outside.

observe how you react to situations as you would watch a movie ( this requires a certain amount of courage ).  if you want to truly progress in life, you must first make progress within - an angry person deals with a world full of conflict and discord; a moderate person has his fair share of ups and downs while the one who has found true inner tranquility finds peace everywhere in the world - he need not run to the caves of the himalayas to hunt for that elusive experience of nirvana for he lives it daily in his core being.

his expression of peace is natural - not merely for public show.
his lives not through fear of loss nor anxiety for gain - he lives established in the truth that there is no Other, so what is there to gain or lose - this is equanimity of mind - an enlightened soul.

enhance this peace within, and watch your world - for that is truly the mirror of yourself.

just as the scent of  a flower extends in all directions, your world is simply an expression of your scent... whether it is uplifting and magical or whether it is putrid and nauseating is completely up to you.

live well.

Ruins...

i rotate my vacations: beach side, adventure, nature and historic.  historical ones are my favorite - there is something about being able to touch and be absorbed into an ancient past ... and those magnificent ruins; if they are so moving now, imagine their potency when first created.

unfortunately, we are not so lucky - we do not get more majestic nor awe-inspiring the more ruined we get.  fractured personalities do not evoke a sense of romanticism in others; most are simply pitied.

but isn't everyone broken in some way?  emotionally scarred with open wounds from the past and becoming ever fearful of the shadows that may pounce upon us in the dark alleys of an unknown future - entities, living yet in ruins ...

it doesn't get easier  the older one gets for the senses weaken and feed increasingly incorrectly perceived  data to a mind that is losing its grip of its own sense of self... all this steadily becoming the decoration of your personal garden of ruin.

a mind knows only its own point of view - to this mind, its point of view is the only truth - all else is hearsay; one may take it into consideration, but it can never be true to you if you do not know it for yourself.

this is so important that there is simply no way to over emphasize it !

hence, practice what you claim to believe - live it - live it - live it... it has to be true to your own mind.  no one else can get in there !  no one else can make it true for you - so practice whatever it is you believe in; live it diligently, live it daily, live it completely.

liars, smokers, gamblers, alcoholics practice diligently and proudly wear their labels :
"hi, my name is Tom and i am an addict !"

why is the opposite so hard ?  "hi, my name is Susan and my life is glorious !"

if a truth is not ingrained into you through a life time of living it, how will it help you when you need it most ?

it may be a long process:  build the canoe, learn to paddle, practice the motion until you are skilled at it, choose the river you wish to travel, take the canoe there, get into it, start paddling and then and only then, will you be able to navigate that river and its unexpected dips or falls and yet enjoy the experience and thrill of getting to your destination.

today is a good day to start - your mind, your truth, your strength, your journey...

live well.

Way of Life.

i find that to be a fascinating phrase !

you are alive, you have a life ... now what to do with it ? get a job, make money, buy stuff, vacation from that life that you have made, and then repeat ...

that's the big picture of each one's life.  yet within that framework, you have all that daily stuff ... the things that end up defining who we are - whether it is charity or crime, yoga or drugs, meditation or abuse - the label tagged onto us due to our "way of life"

so why do we do or not do something ? why smoke if it's gonna kill you ?  why help those you have never met ? why have faith in a god you cannot see ?

most things or persons are first brought into your peripheral awareness and if your senses are attracted or repulsed by tickling of the senses, the mind will linger upon it. this lingering then finds an intellectual acceptance or rejection - at this stage, a choice has been made and this will be imprinted upon your psyche - you may accept a philosophy or reject smoking, etc.  Presto! you now have a addition to your bag of goodies, the sum total of which becomes YOUR way of life.

one can intellectually rationalize anything !  this means you can defend any lifestyle ... even one in which you know yourself to be miserable - yet you persist in your way of life to perpetuate that misery.. why ?

should anyone try to engage you in an intellectual debate upon the merits of an alternative way of life, it will probably be deflected without consideration for now, from a mere peripheral lingering, your way of life has transformed into your very nature and we all know how we can be pitiful victims of this deep rooted core being.

it's in my nature, i can't help it !  i didn't mean to, i'm sorry, i don't know what came over me... too late, damage done !

way of life... who knew each seemingly benign step could pave such a long road of unending repercussions.

this could be really wonderful if it is in your nature to help or be positive or even to evolve but what if it's just the opposite ?  what if you have forged your "nature" into something so dark, so self-destructive that the "you" inside is screaming to stop and break free but unfortunately you are imprisoned in this chamber of horrors, cemented by your own intellectual justifications ?  

be mindful of that mind of yours and tread very very carefully.

Raindrops.

i love looking at the rain when i am cosy in bed, in a cool room.  big drops falling from incredible height through a vast expanse of space.   from my vantage point it's all very wonderful and romantic.

however, let's step into the shoes of one single raindrop for a minute - imagine life from his point of view...

an undifferentiated part of an unimaginable vast ocean - immersed in the whole and encompassed by the whole - complete within the resting place of all water.

then one day, a part of that vast rises as vapor; condensation at high altitude, compression into clouds, but roaming the skies in joy and then - it all changes..

suddenly a tiny droplet forms out of the whole, and in time, it falls - perhaps back into the ocean to merge instantaneously back into the whole or perhaps into to pigsty !  it may take years of further rains to lift that one drop out onto a tiny string of liquid dirt - it gets caught up into innumerable blockages before joining a stream that may one day join a river where it may get sucked into a vortex which may perhaps only release it after several storms.  this little raindrop then flows finally to the ocean - back home now and part once again of the whole.  

yet at which part of this journey was it not water ?

had it know that from ocean to vapor to drop and then stream to river and back to ocean, it's apparent trauma was only due to its forgetfulness that it was merely various expressions of water and water, itself, pervaded it at all times, it could have enjoyed the entire experience, secure in the truth that its source, goal and various manifestation in between were all one and the same in essence.

non apprehension ( understanding ) of the Truth lead to misapprehension and all the ensuing misery.

Know you are That and That alone - then rest in Consciousness...

live well.

Consent form

have you noticed that almost all aspects of living today revolve around a " terms and conditions " consent form ?

you will fill in all your personal details, credit card details, expiry date, etc.,  press submit and then that annoying little box will pop up - you did not tick the box to verify that you consent ....

now who actually reads all the terms, all the conditions, all the sub paragraphs, all the exclusions ... anyone ?

of course, inevitably, something will go wrong; and then all the fine print become the focus of your given situation: pre-existing conditions, within 30 days, loss of data, original box, 24 month contract...

none of it matters if things are going great, but every single word is critical when things fall apart.

consent : do you agree to ... ?

"God" works on a similar system - in fact, He probably drafted the first one !

Most tend to ascribe to a belief depending on the family they are born into ... some convert,  some linger on, some pursue, some ignore .. whatever may be the case, there is a consent form for that religion, philosophy or premise of disbelief - most of us, however, never bother to read it or those who do, can't get past the jargon and say " whatever! "

then one day ( regardless of your station in life ), things go wrong and one will turn to that "god" and say "i don't understand"...  and herein lies the key - understanding is a function of the intellect whereas the consent form you signed states "all parts of your being must consent; that to perceive with the intellect is not enough"... the heart must consent to universal love ( we are One )  and the mind to the concept of universal life ( not a single particularity but rather a Cosmic Whole )  and once this is accepted ( ticking the box ) one offers to extend one's own consciousness to embrace the Multiplicity and draw it into the folds of Unity.

This expanse of Unity embraces even your own sense of self and hence, anything done to anyone,  you inevitably do to yourself - every vulgar word, every vile action, every insidious plan, will lay its fruit at your own doorstep - you place the crown of thorns on your own head... and with each violation of those terms & conditions, you push it deeper into your ulcerated scalp.

you ticked the box - now please follow those terms & conditions !

live well.

It's Personal

ever use the phrase, "Me, Myself and I !"  
it is usually used when either doing something only for oneself, or by oneself - stating unequivocally that only 1 person is being considered, me !

however, there is a fundamental philosophical truth therein.

if one ever decides to take that first step ( of a thousand steps, as it were ), where do we start ?  with "me", of course .. not us, but me !

each of us has to walk our own path .. we may bump into other people once in a while ( they come, they go ), but essentially, it is a solitary path taking us to an ultimately solitary Goal.

now i have me, but what do i do with me ?   "me" may be not think myself to be God material ... may not even have a grasp of the fundament concept of what "god" is ..


here we have to take an unabashed, brutally honest look at myself - who and what comprises this creature named "john" or  "paul" ?  peel off the layers that are merely dust covers of the rich content that is so vigorously  protected ... am i my name, am i my attributes, do i exist on a purely physical or animalistic level, do i spend a lifetime seeking to satisfy an emotional need , do i wander aimlessly in a smokey mind of inexhaustible thoughts - who am i ?  and why am i not happy in the pursuits i, myself, chose to undertake ? or am i happy wallowing in my misery ?  do i want more than what my life comprises of right now ?


and then the "I" - the ultimate Goal ... there has been enough said of this so repetition is unnecessary .. 


apply this "me, myself and I" philosophy in a new light : whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we all walk alone .. best to know who we are walking with and even more importantly, where we are going :)


live well.  

Head for the Hills !

Today marks the day my Master left his physical expression.

He studied under conditions that we would consider difficult. He then circled the globe countless times in his effort to share what he had "experienced".  He could have easily stayed put in the lap of the Himalayas, isolated from all this daily chaos, suspended in His Bliss but He didn't... His was a life of tireless activity.

yet there are so many today, despite their valiums and prosacs, that constantly bleat out their misery and scream their longing to run to the thousand and one ashrams where they hope to find nirvana.  

they say they are tired of the world, they want peace, they see no purpose in their work and it goes on...

ashrams are good - one can get recharged, inspired to continue .. but they are not to be regarded as spas !

they are institutes of learning - study, understand, practice and evolve ...

to come back and seek delight in an object of desire will find you constantly void of a sense of fulfillment - the joy in not in the object itself but in having the vision of seeing the Absolute expressing Itself in that object - this perception of Unity is essential... for nothing exist outside of Him !  once this is established within as a truth, then we hold the whole universe in the palm of our hand - we no longer "need" anything and objects lose their sway over our salivating minds.

those who Know and walk amongst us do so not for any personal gain - they are already complete -  there is no desire prompting their "action";  theirs is an experssion of the merging of the once individual will into the total Cosmic Will.

hence, there is no need to head to the hills to avoid action, act you must - but do so without identifying oneself with the act - know Him as the Doer and the power that enables the Doing ...

Witness Him in all and then surrender all "your" actions and the fruits thereof at His feet ...

live well.

Installment Plans

what is this fascination with the the phrase "one day..."  why not "NOW!"

it seems even god is now a lay-away plan ... i will offer this, and pray there and vow this and one day, i hope to know god...

i can understand if we are talking about a disease; i will avoid fatty foods, drink less alcohol, not smoke, exercise more and hopefully void cancer !  this, i can get ... but why not feel the urge to know god right here, right now !

i will go to church next sunday, i will go on pilgrimage when i am 60... huh ?

the future will eventually become today and then what ? what would have changed ?  aside from the fact you will be older, more frail, less attentive and closer to death... a bucket punched full of holes, oozing out your essence at every moment - eyes darting around for more acquisitions, ears glued to your cell phones, tongues waging out rumors - all your senses seeping out Life until you are empty and dry.

so why not now ?

in truth, there is nothing to do.  perhaps you feel the effort towards god is too much - a herculean task for which you are ill prepared - but what do you have to do ?

in Silence, His presence is simply to be recognized ... not gained, for it was always there;
the sun does not wait for you to open your eyes before it sheds its light - it is ever present - open your eyes, and voila - instant illumination

Doing is an external act which requires exertion whereas Being is an internal experience of Silence - where is there to go, what is there to do ? simply witness Him - flowing through what you consider to be you, into what you consider to be "other than you" - both are Him alone... just know this to be true and you dissolve into Him, your life now His expression and your Peace, complete and perpetual.

there is no installment plan for God - He is the ultimate cash and carry deal !

live well.

Commentary

i was watching tv and heard an interesting statement;
everything said about us is simply a commentary on the way our life is perceived by others ...

now that may sound like a " well, of course ! " type of statement, but let's review the implications ...

what most deem as "life" are the experiences we pile on to our sense of being, breath after breath after breath ..  and then we die.   this is what we call life ... a hoarding of memories - we plan tomorrow so next week we can look back and say, i remember the day i did that...

if we get famous, earn a phd or become bad parents then all the praise, accolades or judgement is commentary from others .. but doesn't part of our precious life then go in producing commentary on someone else's life, and doesn't part of his go on judging another's existence and so on and on and on ...

therefore, between growing up, sleeping, falling ill and fading away, we seem to be left with precious little time to actually live and of course, everyone has a different definition on what it is to truly be alive; action junkies, entrepreneurs, philosophers, scientists and men of god - all claim to have life "figured" out !  and then, they die.

so all we really only know is this : we are blessed with life - right now we are experiencing the greatest miracle in all of creation - right now, this instant, we are oozing with an unknown, undefinable power of being self aware of our own right to share in this universe.

don't waste it !
don't worry about the commentary of your life and live it instead ..

live it on your own terms: either with abandonment or within your own beliefs - in any way you choose and be ready to face the consequences that your choices may bring..

but most importantly, live it with the awareness that you are alive and as such, you are blessed.

Inspiration...

If one is given a map of the United States and requested to plot a course to Las Vegas, the first question would naturally be " where am i on this map ?"  for if you are in San Francisco, you head east while if you happen to be in New York, you have a long journey westward.

before any sincere spiritual journey may be embarked upon, this self evaluation is critical and only you can truly evaluate yourself - you may present any picture of yourself to the world but the real you is known only to yourself.

next, you need to be aware of the goal - while books may use every adjective conceivable to describe what you think you want,  seated at the feet of the Master, you may, should you be sincere, glance at what Is through His eyes for He exists within what you seek.  He Knows and He will be the inspiration to sustain you on your journey.

there may be 5,000 years of knowledge, commentaries and words directing you but words alone cannot place salvation on a platter for you.  they cannot even adequately describe a sunset, what is there to speak of when it comes to the creator of the sun itself.

the sieve of all this data has to be your guide; the one who understands not only your capacity but the circumstances within which you will begin this journey of self discovery.  he may, himself, be a master or an advanced seeker...

having found a direction, do not get trapped by the words for on their own, they are useless - bring them into your life; live them, breath them in, let them find their expression in your every act... this is study - not reading and memorizing simply to quote back - there is no one to impress here - this is your journey back to your Self .. and it is a solitary path.

there should be no anxiety, over zealousness or fanaticism ..  you are heading home - stroll leisurely and smell the flowers along the way - let there always be a smile ... leave others be .. they will find their own way home when the time is right.

once you are ready, He will come again - for His forms are infinite and it is He alone that flows through every Master ... He may look the same or He may look different ( depending on how long it took you to get ready ) - and in His Presence, through His Inspiration, you will take flight ... rising past the craving for objects, unfettered by the tempest of emotions and dropping the shackles of intellectualizing - you recognize you are what you seek.  you are now All that Is.

live well.

Hate and other Negativities

quote:
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
Michelangelo 


standing in front of The Pietà one can only marvel at God's hand working through Michelangelo's.. it is sublime ... i must have stood in front of it for 45 minutes and still, still it was not enough ... there are not enough adjectives to adequately communicate the experience - and that is what it is, you do not simply view this masterpiece, you experience it.


understanding that the good is God's expression is easy for you are uplifted and your soul soars !  


but what about the not so good, the horrors, the unadulterated evil ... to whom do we attribute that ?


Christian belief has its concept of Satan and his temptations
Hindus have Karma and those who do bad must reap their consequences so bad things happen to bad  people ...


there is a common adage, one cannot understand the ways of god.  in fact, there are probably a million adages in every religion, sect or system of belief and non-belief ...  but how does that help us ?  platitudes are just that, little pats on the back and a gentle, " it's ok .. " They are of no real use !  


so let's start with a "given" that can apply universally and take it from there:


SOMETHING must have started it all.   even for those ascribing to the chaos theory, the materials to have been thrown into chaos must have first existed somehow.
Every effect has a cause.
for ease of communication, and since words are all we have at our disposal, i will use the term Consciousness.  again, words like "start" etc are all limited in their ability to express an infinite concept so don't get hung up on the words... just flow with the concept...


now, Consciousness as the substratum or Source, "creates" out  of Itself, for there is no "other" to draw from.


flash forward to today and we are bogged down in the mire of "our" "own" thoughts - we, each one of us, tries to objectify the very Source from which we have sprung and to add to that folly, upon That, we impose our concept of right and wrong, love and hate, etc.   slowly now, who is this "we", what powered the process we call "thinking" and by which power did that thinking transform into any concept whatsoever...


the conceptualization or objectification of Consciousness is like the bulb in the torch trying to describe to a dark room the design of the batteries that power it.  take out the batteries and lay them bare in front of that tiny bulb and in an instant, the lights go out .. how is the bulb ever to illuminate that which powers it ?


so go back to step one.


all that is, is Consciousness - it permeates in and through all that is and all that can be ever be imagined - there is naught else - period !


what "we" view, are all merely "modifications" interpreted by "our" minds - all that we assign to ourselves and to "others" is also just Consciousness - hence, who is hating whom ?  who is afflicting evil upon what ?  within Infinitely, an infinite variety expresses Itself - there can be nothing "outside" of It.


if a drop of blood is transported from my foot to my brain, have I lost any blood ?  it is all contained within me ... 


Division is a function of the mind which has wrapped itself up in delusion.  like the schzophrenic that sees danger everywhere, we live is this concept of the other, no longer aware that there can be no "other" - ONE alone Is.


it is God's game, played within Himself ...  play your role, without ego or a sense of do-er-ship ... without volition nor apathy ... feel Him flow through you, doing what comes naturally and judge not.


be aware, and be free ..  let not anything have a hold on you for you are an expression of the Infinite itself, as is everything else :)


live well.

Everyday

i have been questioned on several occasions, "Oh, you didn't write anything today ?"

well, if it wasn't posted, i guess i didn't ... so i stay silent and then within seconds the next question is fired off :
"How come ?"

let's pause for a bit and review the process:

a page from a book is read.
the words tickle the mind, it expands and inspiration blossoms forth - now, i wish to share this joy while in the moment; so i try to wrap up the expansiveness of the concept into a little bite-size "food-for-thought" piece of candy that i hope will be attractive enough for you to want to taste ...

the source of all inspiration is timeless ... it's expression is infinite.  however, the point of writing is never to impress the reader, it is to share in the glory of the source.

hence, in my own little vernacular, think through a thought until it is totally thunk !

this may, sometimes, take more than a day... sometimes, more than a lifetime.

so take it slow....

read - think - question - understand and then live it ... every day, every moment; live any 1 truth ... that's really all it takes.

1 truth lived truthfully.

Where do i find me ?

have you realized how we are constantly doing stuff ?  all the time, non-stop ... but hang on, who is doing the doing ?

i can see my fingers typing right now, sensations of the keypad texture being carried to my brain... i am aware of that... and now my intellect is trying to phrase the next sentence, i am aware of that too... so .. i am not in my fingers, not in my brain ( mind ) and not in my intellect as i am aware of all three... and an object of my awareness cannot be me .. so where am i ?

how strange, i am lost to myself !

my fingers type, not me.
my mind is pondering, not me
my intellect is rationalizing, not me

i can see it all happening ... i am aware of it all ... so what component of this awareness of all this other "doing" is me ?

so not only do i not know where i am, i don't even know who i am !

obviously without life, we cannot function.. but it seems that while we function, this Life principle does not get involved... electricity is prevalent, one may plug in a microwave or a microscope, the results produced are of no concern to the electricity - it empowers both, lends itself to both and yet is not involved in the results produced by either.

how does this information help us ?

if one can be aware that Consciousness IS ( like electricity in the example above )  and that without it, no thing can happen or be, then the way in which we do things will change.

we can work with an awareness that supercedes our need to worry about the fruit of our actions and revel in the experience of that Consciousness;  here, work itself turns into worship.

to gear ourselves to "see" that expression of Life in every moment is to truly tune into that Consciousness and then, in every instant, do you know Who you are and Where you are -


live well.

Right AND Wrong

here is a fun one !

every one has his own set of parameters of what falls into this category .. so who is right and who is wrong :)

if you follow a religion, sect or even if you are your own god; guide lines are set out both explicit and implied.. so if right is right and wrong is wrong, why the dispute and unending controversy ?  why do the lines blur even within our own "belief" framework ( evidenced through our sense of guilt ) and ultimately, why do we fail ourselves ...

let's start with the broad strokes :

we are all different; true as we obviously we have different bodies, our mental make ups differ and our intellectual concepts that steer us through the waters of our individual lives vary greatly.

we are all one; again true since the "I" who know knows the above 3 are different seems to permeate from the same source and we all seem to feel that sense of "I Am" the same way.

now, equating the above two, the ONE expressing through the many seems to exhibit an infinite combination and permutation of what comprises everyone's individual sense of "me" or of " who i am-ness " : what  an apparent mess !

now, back to right and wrong.

so you have a base line and an infinite set of variables emanating from this base line ; hence, each one has a shared inkling of what is right and wrong without any need of justification for the same ; many times you will say, "I just know this is wrong" or "..but it's the right thing to do!"

however, what about the times it's not so clear - when it's not just black and white ?

here, if you have developed the courage to be honest with yourself ( forget all the "others" and "buts" ) - just the You tapping into the One; dissect the motive of what you are about to do -  for an action by itself can never be considered good or bad : a doctor may slit you down your chest (to save your heart) , a madman may also slit you ( to torture and kill you ) - the act of carving up your body is the same but the motive?  quite different !!

herein lies the secret : do not evaluate an action on mere face value, there must be an honest, sincere investigation of the principle behind its execution ( hopefully by tapping into the ONE spirit that you sense truly pervades all  )  - this is where the right or the wrong of the action rests.

live well.

Passions..

many declare with great enthusiasm " i live life with a passion ! " : that is just awesome !  bravo !

only problem is that it opens you up to a whole universe of agitations and disappointments for to be passionate about anything ( noble or base ) is to subject yourself to a heightened involvement of the mind into a world of tremendous flux and the chances of your circle of passion falling into synchronicity with the tangent line of the happenings of world is exceeding fleeting, if at all.

it is like throwing a cube of salt into the ocean and trying to dictate where is should land on the ocean bed.

hence it is easily observed that "these men of passion" are also men who never seem to be happy the morning after ... they are looking for the next "high", the next event or the next "cause".... always the next, for the now is not a place they can exist -  passion and contentment are two every different goals...

one who is lost in watching the drama projected on the silver screen is totally unaware of the screen that it is being projected upon.  to "see" the two as distinct requires tremendous discipline - not just as a fleeting awareness but as a constant truth, one being the substratum and the other, simple images born of a coalesce of dancing light which, in essence, have no reality.

a personality, whose mind has been educated and  has then gained a discipline through continuous discrimination and dispassion, does not get disturbed with the highs and lows, is not drowning in a sea of unmet expectations and above all, can live in a constant awareness of the Substratum, is the one to be applauded for he has seen the Truth ; he is equipoised and serene, ever with a smile for all.

the man who is ruled by mere passion should simply be pitied : his passion is, in fact, his poison.

live well.

Everywhere is Everywhere

it is all well and good to say God is everywhere... but why do we not experience this ?

we all know that to see anything in particular, we need a specific type of vision; with objects illuminated by sunshine, our eyes are enough... however, there are special add-on's for infra-red, heat emanations, night vision, etc.

the same applies to this concept of "seeing" god ...

so how do we experience his omnipresence - this everywhere ?

if you hold the seed of an apple tree in your hand, all you tend to see is the seed itself.  few have the capacity to expand their vision to encompass the potentiality of the seed ; to visualize the sapling, then the tree, the flowers, the fruits and their seeds leading to the entire apple grove.

to expand this further, within every atom, there exists this expression of Infinite Consciousness - and as this Consciousness is indivisible, there is, in essence, no diversity.  Time, Space, Motion and Action are all just aspects, as branches are aspects of the tree...

hence, if every particle is pervaded by God, then what is laid out in front of you are just varying aspects of that one single Consciousness with the potentiality to express itself as anything and everything !

all you need to do is to be aware of it ...

currently we see through the lens of our muddied mind filled with pre-conditions and judgement - we are using the wrong equipment and hence, are unable to see what we seek just as you cannot see infrared with dark sunglasses - it would then be foolish to declare " there is no such thing as infra red ! "

purify the mind, all the methods have been laid bare in every religion - practice them, elevate yourself  and with an enlightened vision, verily all you will see is God Everywhere... Omnipresent, Omnipotent : for all of creation is totally permeated with this One Infinite Consciousness !

live well.

Moods

Pain can be pretty painful and when i am in pain, i am cranky.

pleasure is definitely pleasant, and what a great feeling that is ...

i know i am stating the obvious, but there are questions to be pondered here:

why:  why when i am holding a burning match to the very end and my flesh is being seared, do i not feel it if i am thinking of something else ?

my mind is elsewhere !

so it is not WHAT is happening that is the basis of my mood , it is WHERE my mind is that will determine my reaction to the happenings around me.

and life is simply that, a series of happenings ...

since everything is filtered though this incredible mesh of the mind, trying to affect change on the outside happenings to maintain a "good mood" is futile - things will go on happening till the end of time !

your mental disposition is the key.  here is where change can be affected - however, like any discipline, diligence, awareness, self-control and practice are essential.

you will fail - many many many times ... but endure...

once you can see life through the crystal clear vision of the true understanding of what encompasses our perception of the nature of life can you truly start living your life.

to be swayed by the moods of the mind is to be steeped in a life of misery interlaced with fleeting moments of apparent joy and that is no life at all.

spend time with yourself, untangle your mind, allow the tempest of wants, aversions, fears and longings to  subside.

sublimate, don't suppress;  get to know the difference of what is true and what merely appears to be so .. as the mind regains its equipoise, your "mood" shall be one of perpetual joy and life takes on a whole new meaning...

live well.

My Master

there is an ancient tradition in most cultures to have a Master once one chooses to embark on the journey towards enlightenment ...

today marks the day of when the student pays homage, although the teacher neither asks for nor needs any such validation - it is simply the student's way to express his love and gratitude for what else can a student offer to One who is established in the All.

books may contain words which describe the goal but the Master is an expression of that goal ... like a power socket that we can plug into and instantly feel that surge of exquisite bliss. He provides, by his sheer presence, the inspiration to move forward in our quest and within the aura of His Silence can one dissolve into the expanse of Godhood.

My prostrations to He who shared Himself with this foolish child.

Witness

here is a wonderful metaphor i read this morning:

cease to interfere in the shadow-play of nature on the Silver Screen of God.

how marvelous :) and how poetic - unfortunately, that is where most will stop, and the day goes on, in complete forgetfulness of this gem of instruction - the reason ? because few will be able to grasp the subtle nuance of what is being advised and towards what end.   it is a lot easier to do something when you know why you are doing it - don't eat fatty foods; why ? cholesterol = heart attack = misery and death.  simple and easy.  thank you but i'll take the salad instead !

however, what is it that is being advised here?

one must, by diligent cultivation, garner a vision of the Whole Picture ( keeping in line with the metaphor ).

the individual spark of Consciousness is within us all.

that same Consciousness appears to "create", "sustain" and  "dissolve" all in conjunction with their "nature" or what is termed in vedantic philosophy as their "guna".

hence, there is an apparent double feature for all to enjoy ...

he who is able to see past the shimmering images, the song and dance, the surprise plot twists and the sad ( or happy ) endings will be able to sit back and truly enjoy the show!  it is happening is a very different attitude from it is happening to me !   


work and live joyously but within, be established in Truth ; therein lies a life free from likes/dislikes, pain/pleasure : witness it all in silent awareness.


be aware of the string of Consciousness through it all ( as the wire that runs through a string of pearls ) : the same substratum finding expression as you the individual, the same substratum unfolding as the world as we know it :  know it to be all One and then truly enjoy His Magnificence ...

on the outside, act and be dutiful to your role in life; inside see His Play - not with suppress or repression but with an established understanding : soon the show will end and you will go Home.

live well.

Not-happiness

Odd phrase, i know.

i associated unhappiness, sadness, hurt, etc as feelings associated with an individual entity.
for those who believe in their own personal god, most will jump on the "god is everywhere" bandwagon, which will inevitably lead you to one day ask, why am i unhappy or why did i get hurt, etc., for if god is everywhere and god is supposed to be bliss absolute, why am i not bathed in that bliss ?  shouldn't every atom of my being ooze happiness and bliss since i am part of that "everywhere" !

hence, my use of Not-happiness; as in, how does the phenomenon of a perceived state of imperfection on a cosmic scale arise within a framework of bliss ?

this is a really tricky, slippery slope to be tackling on blog and i am pretty sure whatever is written below will be subject to an avalanche of criticism but be gentle and kindly remember, the purpose of the blog is to rekindle an enthusiasm to study and move forward on your chosen path - it is not to preach a method, but to encourage you on your own journey of self-fulfilment so interpret the concept with your own faith and apply whatever may be useful, discard whatever you consider rubbish :)

back to Not-Happiness ...

if you are a hindu, you can fall back on Karma
or a christian can revert to original sin and god's mercy or wrath
and every other faith has their reasonings for why bad things happen.

but all this is ultimately an interpretation of an observed phenomena by our minds.  but what happened before the mind even was - what "started the ball rolling" as it were...

if He is All, then that All has within Itself, the potential and as its very substratum, a capacity of infinite diversity of which our being / sense of self, is an infinitesimal expression.   ( words are very limiting so pause and try to grasp the sheer magnitude of such an Expression of the Absolute )

hence, you do not belong to yourself.  this "yourself", itself, belongs to Him expressing within the framework of infinite diversity ( good AND evil, happiness AND sadness ).

if one can look within, through the grime of your personality ( likes/dislikes, wants and expectations ), and glimpse this very Substratum, then, in a flash, everything changes !

then you "see" God and once that vision has been bestowed upon you, Bliss becomes your nature and Not-Happiness, too, is seen as His Expression while he plays this cosmic game.

yes, He is Everywhere, all you need to do is actually SEE HIM EVERYWHERE !

live well.

Ask...

i believe myself to be fairly intelligent.

so i take up some wonderful philosophical texts and claim to be "studying" them and pretend to be seeking God

now, this may sound like the braying of a person lacking self esteem but not so...

see, i have one severe limitation - i can only function within the  confines of what my mind can comprehend.. while i may be intelligent, i cannot go past the total capacity of myself.... my mind itself will be the interpreter of what i read - i will come to a point when the sum of what i understand does not equal to what i want to KNOW ..

the flippant answers of the self proclaimed prophets will ring false - for they, too, do not Know.
where is God ?  he is within - great ! where within, i don't see him ... do you ?
he is everywhere -  really, but everywhere else is without and you said he is within - and who is this me that god is supposed to be within ?
and why do i even want to know god ?  what will i do once i know him ?
the unqualified answers only further expand the waves of our confusion to a point where most will just give up and say these "men of god" are all fools !

all this noise primarily stems from a basic impurity of the mind - for such impurities will make it impossible for non-temporal and spatial experiences or to put it simply, god cannot be a "by-the-way" hobby !

humble yourself - be ready to sit at the feet of a Master who Knows, that Divine principle manifesting Itself as the Guru or Master/Teacher ( call him what you want )  -  allow yourself to be guided and forged - only one who Knows can truly bring you into the folds of what you so desperately seek.

so prepare yourself, that is the sole purpose of study, reflection and meditation - to purge our pre-conditioning : likes / dislikes, sense of egoism; need for recognition, etc.

ask questions, seek clarifications, ponder, then ask again - ask ask ask till some clarity emerges and you inch slowly past your own massive ego so that you are available to the Master.

THEN the Master will come and He will push you past that seemingly impenetrable barrier  and the peace "that passeth all understanding" becomes your own complete experience.

the knower, knowing and known are now merged into a state of Being;  Godhood

live well.

The Man in the Mirror

to judge others seems to be a universal flaw within the matrix of the mind.

we seemed compelled to comment or impose our value system on others, and conversely, be the object of assessment as well ...

here is another leaky pipe in our life force - this mental dissipation; drying out our potential and leaving us as withered, fractured personalities.

why do we do this ?

simply put, we lack vision - there is no higher calling to serve humanity as a whole or to evolve beyond our petty confines of our body, mind, intellect make up.

the path of least resistance is always downwards and so too is it with ourselves.

if we were to pause, and actually assess ourselves against the measures we so easily impose on others, we would undoubtedly fall painfully short !   but who has the courage to do this ?  who will stand naked in front of the mirror of his own soul and truly look at that mangled mess that makes up our tortured persona ?

it is far easier to belittle others -

the few who do possess that mental stamina to engage their own personalities are able to forge forward in their search for what truly matters.   the natural question to follow would be "so what truly matters" ?
but that would be putting the cart before the horse.

personality integration is the first step.  look within, look long and look hard.
are you ok with what you see ... do you feel content, do you feel lost, are you capable of loving, is there an emptiness, are  you constantly just trying to fill time, are you ok when you are alone ( just quiet - not reading or on your ipad )

lots of questions - and this is important !

question yourself - spend time with yourself

only when you know where problem lies, can a solution be sought.
only when you are whole, can you move forward...

the paths are many, the goal is one - but to take that critical step, to even have the motivation to take that first step, YOU must be available to yourself... so ask yourself, are you worth the effort ?

live well.