Be Patient with Your Awakening

We are all in the process of spiritual awakening. Except for a few exceptions, awakening is a gradual process whereby our consciousness slowly dis-identifies from total identification with form and realizes itself as pure awareness. True patience arises from our realization that we are eternal beings in the midst of our own awakening.Be patient and give yourself all the time you need to wake up until you realize that you don't need time anymore. Be patient through your suffering until you realize that you don't need to suffer anymore. All paths lead to this moment!!!

Direct Connections

Laughter is our direct connection to the joy of Being. It is the central place of the Divine. Through this connection we can feel the One Life that we are all connected to.
This becomes the base for realizing unity and peace in the world. To get there however , most of us need a stepping stone . This is the breath. The Breath is the direct connection to the essential life energy of the Divine. It is our connection to Life itself. Without it , life ends in this world! Through highly conscious, deep breathing we can feel the robust energy of our life force and reconnect to the Source. Once reconnected we can feel the Joy of Being from which cleansing , liberating, divine laughter will spring forth from the depths of our souls. This Divine laughter is the energy that can heal the world. It's power is greater than any religious dogma or new philosophy. It is greater than any government or political system.
Through the breath and laughter we can recognize the Divinity within us all!!!

Monasticism

Some attempt to find God through living a monastic life of self denial and self sacrifice. They seclude themselves either mentally and emotionally, or in some cases even physically in a monastery or ashram, in an effort to become pure and selfless. However noble and righteous this may seem , it may be more destructive than helpful. It really depends on the motive for their monasticism. If it arises from fear or an attempt to escape the evil world, then they are just creating another hellish prison for themselves. The hell in their minds will just follow them into the seclusion. The only way back to the source or Tao is through the world. The Tao is our transcendent reality. We therefore should embrace the duality of the world and ultimately transcend it. This is what Jesus meant when he said that he had overcome the world. He did so with a transcendent embrace not through fighting or resisting evil. He taught us to turn the other cheek. God created all things of the creation. If we deny any of it, we deny the source. We came to this world to discover the parts of our inner self that still do not know God. You won't find your shadow in a monastery. It will be revealed to you by life itself , our greatest spiritual teacher. Be Alert!!!

What is really permanent?

Most of us are looking for stability, security, and some sense of permanence in life. But , what is really permanent? The only "thing" that is permanent is "no thing"
No thing is the basis or ground for all things. All manifested things are fleeting and constantly in a state of change ultimately returning to no thing. In other words we are born from the primordial purity of nothing and return there when we die, back to the source. In that sense enlightenment is nothing. If you make enlightenment into a thing or object to achieve , you will never find it because all things are fleeting and impermanent. The enlightened state is your essence which cannot be found or lost! It is who you really are , pure divine essence beyond any form yet hidden in the forms of life!

Letting Go

Letting go is the place of transition between samsara and nirvana. It is the narrow pass through neck of the hour glass. But, can we really let go totally? Can we let go of all our pleasures and all of our pain? Can we let go of all our security blankets we feel that we must cling to for our very survival? It seems simple, profound, challenging, yet it is ultimately unavoidable. How long it takes is up to each one of us. In the end it simply is, no doing , no future. Embrace it!!!

The Face of God

Last night I saw the face of God !!! No it was not a vision during deep meditation, nor was it a pillar of fire or burning bush. It was a simple look on the face of my friend as she gazed at her young son who was earnestly begging for a pet rabbit. As the young boy repeatedly petitioned his mother with gentle caresses on her hand and melodic tones of asking, her gaze and countenance became a glow with radiant peace and love that new no opposite. An intense yet profoundly gentle smile which she was totally unaware of hit my spiritual antenna with a jolt . If we could all see that gaze the way I did last night in each other, heaven would magically appear in front and all around us!!!

The Medicine Buddha

In Tibetan Buddhism there is Buddha referred to as the Medicine Buddha. His committment is to heal all sentient beings from physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual afflications leading to their liberation and enlightenment. He is the King of medicine and is the color of lapis lazuli. He sits in the vajra lotus position with one hand in the mudra of supreme compassion and generosity holding a myrobalan plant of great medicine. In his other hand he holds a begging bowl full of long life nectar. The different hand positions represent the profound paradox of life. One hand is giving with complete compassion while the other is a begging bowl representing one that may be in need. Finding the balance between giving and receiving is the key to health on all levels. Most people who would find themselves in the position to have to beg for survival may not be capable of compassionate giving . These mudras represent a profound trust in life that if one is truly giving in any circumstance without regard to themself, life will fulfill all their needs and more!
If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, Their own health and powers of healing others will greatly increase. It is also said that even upon just hearing the name of the Medicine Buddha one will avoid re-birth in the lower realms.

Looking in the Mirror

What do you see when you look in the mirror in the morning? Do you see yourself as you truly are or do you focus on the things you don't particularly like. Do you only see the wrinkles, pot belly, sagging this and aching that. Your body is the temple of your life energy. It has an inherent intelligence that has developed over two billion years. It regulates all the extensive and necessary functions that allow you to live and enjoy life. No matter what you see , be kind and loving to your body. It is a miracle of existence. Loving and caring for your body is the foundation for loving and caring for others. It never stops caring for you no matter what attitude you bring to it each day. In essence your body is not your possession. It belongs to and comes from the earth and is made up of the basic earth elements. Your physical health is the basis for your emotional health!