Who Are You????

To understand who you are, you must understand who you are not! In other words life will and must dismantle your own self image. The self image is the raw material out of which the masterpiece is carved. The masterpiece is that which remains when all illusion and confusion is dropped or stripped away! It is there within you longing to be revealed.

Chasing the Illusion

As we grow up in this culture we are taught that it is our right to pursue the American Dream! WE are then taught and programed by our teachers, politicians, religious leaders , and especially the media what the exact details of our dream should be. Is that dreaming or is it conforming to the societal system? Are we masters and creators of our life,or have we been brainwashed into believing in Illusion? Is our true creative genius being cultivated and nourished ,or is it being stifled and suppressed? Are we courageous enough to really allow that which wants to creatively manifest through us blossom, or have we given control of this over to those who would take it from us? In the act of ceding this power to others, we have lost our true freedom and creativity. True Freedom cannot be legislated! It is not a gift from the government or society as a whole. It is not attained or bought through financial wealth and success. It doesn't come from seeking or chasing or becoming anything. True freedom comes as we turn within and discover who we are ! It comes from knowing our inner reality not from chasing illusions. If you chase the American Dream you just might find the American Nightmare !!!

The Tao & the Intellect

The intellect can only know "about" the Tao. It is indirect knowledge. At best a rode map to realization. At its worst a source of confusion and conflict with another's knowledge "about" the Tao. The intellect can talk about it forever without getting any closer to it. Direct knowledge comes through the conscious mind located in the heart center, and the awareness mind located in the being center just below the navel. The mysterious gate starts from there into the eternal Tao!!! So study, but do so with this awareness! Once you have the map that is right for you, drop it!

Pain is not Pain

Pain is only painful because the mind labels it as so. If you remove the conceptual label, it reveals itself as a form of energy. It then becomes easier to allow it to be as it is. If your allowance is total it can be transmuted into spiritual energy for your growth! This process is not necessarily easy, however it does present an opportunity to make progress on the spiritual path. If you can transcend resistance to pain or attachment to pleasure, a deeper dimension within you will open up!This is called the path of tantra. The middle way is not a fixed position in the middle. It is realized through experiencing and transcending the polar extremes resulting in true balance. This is the door to the middle way. The Buddha within is on the other side of that door!

From Success to Samahdi

Most of us live for the dream of success or, because of failure , are just trying to survive. In either case, success and failure are not mutually exclusive! They are like the light and shadow sides of our selves. The same is true for pain and pleasure. This is the stuff of samsaric existence. What is Samsara? When we live in samsara we live on the periphery or circumference of life. We do not know our center!The circumstances of life have us firmly in there grip much like a tornado. Because of this we seek certainty or security by attaching to those things that we believe will protect us. Our hearts become closed and fearful of being hurt. In other words, we exist in a defensive posture trying to hold on as the Bull of life takes us for a ride.This is why no matter how much success we have, we are not content or satisfied. Out of a sense of lack or fear we always want more.
If we can somehow break this samsaric cycle and move to our center, like the center of the tornado or eye of the hurricane, we can find stillness and peace. This is Samahdi. From the peace and bliss of samahdi , we can witness our life without getting caught up in the circumference. From this place our hearts can truly open and live without fear. Samadhi is the doorway to Nirvana and liberation. The path from success to samahdi is through the fear and hell of the tornado to your center. In samahdi, you are not!

The Practicality of Our Oneness

Unitive Consciousness is the state of awareness describe by many sages , mystics , and enlightened masters of the past and present. In this state of spiritual awakening, you clearly perceive and feel the total oneness and unity of humanity and the universe. It is a remarkable experience that is felt at the core of your mind , heart , and being. It dramatically changes or transforms you forever!
However, most of humanity has never experienced this profound state of consciousness.Instead, they focus on the things that seemingly separate and isolate us turning our perception of life into a struggle to "get the most Out of life" even if it is at the expense of others!
Let us focus on the practical aspects of our oneness , or what I would call our common ground . This is not dependent on a spiritual experience or change in consciousness. We all share and walk the same earth . We all sleep and dream at night. We all have to eat and breath to survive. We all must put our clothes on and off, and use the restroom in basically the same way. We all feel the warmth and light of the sun in the day, and gaze at the moon and stars at night. We all see the beauty of the flowers in spring, and the brilliant colors of the trees in the fall. We all have a mind, heart, soul, and spirit. In essence we are all energy and basically the same. We are all one humanity! When we miss this reality, our minds are turning our perceived differences from the beautiful tapestry and variety of life into a conceptual illusion of seeming separation. This literally takes the life energy out of life. So instead of getting the most out of life , you separate yourself from the tremendous flow and energy the universe was created by and with. It is a sad state of affairs the we unconscuosly and literally turn ourselves into the walking dead in the spiritual sense. Look at this one more time and try to see our common ground!!!

The Transcendent Dimension

In Life we always have a choice. We can resist, fight, avoid, run from, attach to, enjoy, or transcend our circumstances. How we relate to Life is up to each of us. True freedom ,however, is only possible thru transcendence. How can we be transcendent and free? Transcendence is only possible in the place where there is no resistance and no attachment. It is the door into our eternal dimension, where our authentic self lives. And how do we find that door? Meditation is the path to find that door.It is the only path to Freedom!!!

Eternal Life

Eternal Life is not a gift from God for good behavior on the earth. Eternal Life is our birthright. It cannot be earned or taken away! All forms are born and die , temporal and everchanging. However, we arose from that which is never born and never dies. We arose from the Eternal Tao and we are Eternal. Even scientists confirm that energy cannot be destroyed , it can only be transformed. We are essentially energy that can and will be transformed , but will never die. Eternal Life is our birthright!