The First Door.

i have noted, of late, an increasing discontent among those who pursue their belief system with apparent diligence and the complaint seems to be similar in all cases - nothing has changed.  

"i am doing everything required and yet nothing in my life has improved - i am stuck in the same place."

why would that be so ? i know if i train to run, slowly, over time, there is a definite improvement in stamina and distance. so why is it that when it comes to life, i am pretty much stagnant ? i relive the same torments, the same anxiety, the same frustration and anger .. what am i doing wrong ? what am i missing ?

perhaps it may be that we all feel we are smarter than we are.  it's like downloading a new game and not bothering to read the rules - the "i can figure it out as i play - how hard can it be ?" mentality.

any philosophy will have at its core, some basic tenants and while i use the word "basic", this does not mean easy.  in fact, as most will know, if you get the fundamentals wrong, you will never master your chosen sport or skill - you will forever be stuck in the "ok" arena ... even top sportsmen will sometime take a sabbatical and announce to the world that they are going back to work on their basics... it's importance can never be overemphasised !

so what are the essential basic qualifications of any spiritual growth that must be exercised and mastered?

1.  a keen sense of discrimination ( between what is Real and what merely appears to be so ).

2.  dispassion - a detachment based on a true understanding of the ephemeral nature of all mater bound by space and time.

3.  a cultivation of noble qualities enhanced by an continuous attendance of your head and your heart.

4.  a burning urge to reach the Goal - to be that which you seek.

the "how to" for the above is available under the guidelines for each faith but perfect these you must.

there is an ocean of difference between simply understanding and actual experience of that One great Infinite.  and if the Infinite is what you seek, you must first cultivate a love for all that the Infinite encompasses, which is pretty much everything.

a philosophy without love leads to the madness of regimentation 

love without a philosophy is mere superstition 

live well.

Form Vs Formless

the hindus have way to many gods !  possibly one for every aspect of creation ... whatever for ?  isn't one enough and if you happen to be one of those that does have faith in a god or supreme being or power, is a particular image even necessary ?

let's start with a presumption that we have some sort of faith and we want be evolve into the most noble expression of man as possible. for this, we need to be bigger than we are right now and to find inspiration to do this, we need to dedicate our activities to a higher cause than our immediate personal gratification.  there is no easier way to be selfless than to do something for the one you love. a mother for her child, the lover for his beloved, the patriot for his nation...

however, you cannot love that which you do not know - there can be respect for and even inspiration to a certain extent drawn from abstract ideals but to love to the point where you are willing to lose yourself... that comes only when you have a very intimate relationship with the object of your love.

and love comes naturally. so while one devotee may fall in love with the baby Jesus, another may be enchanted by an adorable Krishna and still a third by the ascetic Shiva. there is no choice in this ... love comes in many forms so let the believer choose at which altar to offer the garland of his devotion.

the consistent purifying of one's being through devotion and selfless work towards the greater good will gradually distill our personality and prepare us for the lofty heights to be scaled through contemplation and meditation. here, as we let the world of names and forms dissolve away, we experience a complete merger into the Essence of That which Is. in this Silence, there are no "others", no "me", not even "my god" ... here, Consciousness Alone Is.

this is a Fullness that encompasses and inhabits all with no division whatsoever.

when such a man of realisation acts in the world, he leads by example so that others may easily follow. he continues to offer his life as a dedication to the Lord of his heart and so it is that we have the great prophets and sages enraptured with love for their Divine Lord. with every breath he sings his Lord's glory and with every act, he serves his Lord's will.

this is ultimately a journey of love...

live well.

Inter-Connectedness

there seems to always be some chatter on "Karma". whether it is at the ballroom table or the yoga centre, the ashram or on the sofa at home... it is the buzz word on everyone's lip and yet the concept seems vague to most...

most things operate on a simple cause and effect basis. wood, tools, carpenter - fiddle around with the variables and you can work out how that lovely coffee table in your living room came about.

Existence is a little more complex. the Supreme Cause, as it were, does not stand apart from the effect. unlike the carpenter who is NOT the table, one cannot extricate the Cause from the effect when dealing with the manifestation of creation as a whole because the Cause is verily infused and interwoven as a hidden presence into every effect. hence cause and effect are connected organically.

this vital connection lends a certain precision to the mechanism of universe. so much so, that standing at a single point in time, one can place a star at a particular vector three hundred years ago or predict the time of tomorrow's sunrise. the past-present-future mechanics principle works from the universal down to the individual; it is all a single connection of the Supreme Intelligence expressing Itself within Itself ( as there can be nothing "outside" It ).

hence we tie up the transcendental, the universal and the particular.

with this invisible link pulsating within this magnificent cosmos one realises the potency of action ( of word, deed and thought ) and the inexorable fruit of action. 

the Causal Potency permeates everything. do one thing here, something there WILL happen.

there is no good or bad in this - it is universally impartial, supremely just and it will never change.

simply be aware of this String of Consciousness - what is there is here ( in you ) and what is here is everywhere... it is this awareness that elevates your being, your life, into something sublime and resplendent.

live well.

Individuality

i am... how magnificent that sounds.

i am young, i am smart, i know this and i can do that, and i.. i.. i..

i am just wonderful !

so if i am so wonderful, why do i sometimes feel like i am drowning in a sea of insecurity and grappling  so fervently to hang on to... that which i am unable to even define.

i am free, yet i feel so entangled. i do so much, yet i feel indebted. i know so many yet there is a unfathomable loneliness. 

you can follow a path, give in charity, read inspirational quotes and yet... yet, there is a hole that seems impossible to fill.  

we seem to be limited by the very individuality we hold so dear.

somewhere in the recesses of our consciousness, we know... we are acutely aware that we are incomplete... that there is more. it is that restlessness in not only wanting more, but in wanting it all  that pushes us to want to go beyond ourselves.. to hold infinity in the palm of our hands.     

but how ?  and where does the error in our perception lie ?  obviously we are doing something wrong for we are no where close to experiencing infinity.

it seems we trying to catch the moon that is reflected in the shaky waters of the lake.

we try to learn more ( with our mind )

we try to understand the why ( with our intellect )

and still we are stuck. still here. 

in our frustration we say there is nothing else.. nothing beyond us. we are the final frontier .. 

and yet, still... we feel incomplete. 

how do we stop "learning" how do we fall into the ecstasy of "being" ?

perhaps this "i" is not so wonderful after all...

live well.

Explanations

i have written my perception on various thoughts i have read and the primary reason i write is so that I will not forget.

reading a sentence somewhere may start a chain reaction which may link passages in other texts and thus i have a train of thought in that instant - but it may slowly fade away like the morning mist; so i try and put it down and give myself the opportunity to review it later and perhaps add a further link into that chain.

reading an "explanation", however, does not remove ignorance. things are still exactly the same after simply reading an explanation. 

and what is ignorance ? is it not just our own apathy towards facing the truth. i have no ignorance of hunger - i know the condition completely and have learnt how to conquer this state of being. so ignorance is not "i have not been taught" but rather "i am turning away from learning"

life is always presenting us with the opportunity to learn. choosing not to do so is ignorance.

all this, of course, happens within the frame work of time and since i am not outside the time stream, i must float along - sometimes right at the very top and sometimes, drudging the muddy bottom.

one must be vigilant, for change is perpetually ongoing. never use "time" as an excuse.  if you know its nature, apply it as an opportunity to be prepared for when the change comes. hence, removing this ignorance is ultimately in your own best interest and while it is natural to do so for primarily material gain, those who are floating at the top of that stream always seem be gazing out at the horizon... what are they looking for ? don't they have it all ? who can explain it to them ?

even then it is not too late. time thrusts forward unceasingly - it is never ever too late.

once you recognize a state of non-comprehension of the "how & why", muster up your courage and seek out the answers. this must be done by you and for  you for none can learn for you. lift your veil of ignorance with the strength of your own wisdom.

understanding of what is True ( That which is not subject to "Time" ) is the slow flame that cooks us to perfection so that we may emerge forth as the delicacy that nature intended : all the varied ingredients merging into a delicious whole.

yet it all seems so daunting : learning !

we get one tube of ointment from the doctor and off we dash to the Net to learn every possible side effect of the drug and within a month of treatment, we are veritable experts regardless of how complex the explanations ..  and all this for a swollen toe.

you can get swept down the river or you can navigate it to some degree and enjoy the expanse that Time shares with you.

either way, there's no getting off this ride for now.

live well.

Petit four

i enjoy reading larger texts and trying to wrap myself around the Consciousness that wraps Itself around me... it's like a child rolling around the bed and getting lost in the voluminous fluffy quilt.

but sometimes, i find seeds of contemplation in the simpler aspects of life.

for those who may wish to share those little flashes, drop by and savor the softer Musings at: http://www.facebook.com/TheIrreverentsMusings

do comment and share your thoughts

live well.

Questions.

" i have a question .. " 

how many times have you uttered these words to a priest or holy man? more importantly, how many times have you listened to the answers ( a good way to gauge would be if you can remember the answer ) and then how many times have you applied the answer to your life : life, not the series of tomorrows to come but the relentless happenings of the right now.

take a moment to ponder. jesus, buddha, krishna - none of them stopped sorrow. sorrow and confusion were in abundance even at their time and has multiplied exponentially since...

so what was their greatness ? 

they had a faith; a system to approach life and they applied that system to their own lives - it is not something they could impose upon anyone so they lived it themselves and as it worked, they tried to share their faith or knowledge with those around them out of their sheer love of humanity and creation as a whole.

but how many listened ?

yes, i may quote the bible or gita or any other venerable text but those are just words - if i speak them without the fragrance of truth emanating from my life then those words are merely propaganda - they simply add to the chaos.

so what's the answer? in fact, where does the question stem from?

if you are aware you are confused, it must be a immediate awareness - you cannot ask a question based on a future emotion or frame of mind - you perceive your current state of mind instantaneously. hence, if you are open to the answer - having put aside your own barriers of prejudice and ego - the antidote to your sorrow must also be applied to your immediate happenings, the sum of which equate to your life, and from this application, a Truth is discovered within yourself - a revelation !

listen, ponder, adopt, live and discover the glory of the christ way of life, the buddha way of life, the krishna way of life...

Truth cannot be given to you. there are no answers to your questions.

it is only in the living of the Truth that all questions are finally laid to rest.

live well.