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!

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!

A Meditative Perspective

When most people think of meditation, they have an image of sitting in the lotus position on the floor and reciting a mantra like OM or following their breath as it goes in and out. There are also many other ways to bring you to a peaceful meditative state that combine breathing , humming, and moving . Yoga , Tai Chi, & Chi Gong are also ancient practices that facilitate meditation. One of the main purposes of meditation is to learn to just watch yourself , your thoughts , emotions , & sensations etc. The reason to just watch or become the witness of these aspects of your self , is to understand how to experience your life from a non-attached perspective. Your thoughts , feelings , emotions , and experiences are not the problem in and of themselves. It is the tendency to become attached to them and let them absorb all your consciousness , thereby making an identity that is separate from who you are out of them. A non-attached perspective does not mean fighting or repressing them. It is allowing them to be as they are fully, without being pulled into identification with them !
In addition to practicing various forms of meditation, this training or experience is meant to be brought into every aspect of your daily life and not left on the floor or at the yoga studio after you are finished. This is called living with a meditative perspective. By living in this way you can bring the energy of your deepest Self into all aspects of life. This is the joy of Being!!!

Which is Bigger >

Which is bigger ? Your mind or the Universe . That is an interesting question. Often when we think of ourselves in relation to the vast cosmos, we seem very very small and insignificant. In one sense part of that is true . We are a spark of Divine life flowing in the incredible ever expanding beauty of existence. However, to you and all other human beings, the universe arises within your mind. It is so. It cannot be otherwise ! Your mind contains all of life ! So how big, vast and deep are you ? There is something to meditate on !!!

Laughter

Where does laughter come from ? What is it's nature? To quote master OSHO who said" Laughter is the only true religion , Everything else is just metaphysics " says alot. When we truly laugh, we do so from our being center just below the navel. It does not come from the intellectual mind or from analytic thinking. It explodes from our deeper self. When we laugh together with others, it reveals the common ground or oneness of life. There is no room for superior or inferior here. It also creates a space or gap in our thinking , what Zen masters call no-mind ! It is extremely beneficial for our physical and emotional health , especially the lymphatic system as well. What a gift from Life that we can laugh.
When Gautam Buddha was looking for a successor that was enlightened and could carry on his work, he gathered many disciples in a large room. After many hours of serious and deep silence , the Buddha made a gesture with a flower to give to the chosen one. All the sudden one disciple began to laugh uncontrolably. The Buddha brought him to the front of the room, gave him the flower and said "You are my successor " The other disciples looked on with utter amazement.
This is the power and beauty of laughter !!!

Healing the Ego

Throughout history the spiritual aspirant of most faiths were required to recluse themselves from the world in order to undertake the perceived necessity to annihilate the ego in their path towards God. Although this may very well have been a necessary process or stage in the evolution of human consciousness, in today's world and environment, we can no longer afford to, nor is it necessary to adopt this approach. We are now at the stage as mystic Caroline Myss eloquently puts it " to resolve the paradox for the need for a strong and healthy ego and the still fundamental need to release the ego in order to experience God or the Higher Self ".On the surface this seems like an almost impossible contradiction to reconcile. How can we both strengthen our ego and at the same time release it or transcend it. In my view the ego itself is not the problem. It is the unhealthy ego that creates the void and separation from our basic divine nature and realty. This begs the question , what is a healthy and unhealthy ego ? An unhealthy ego which perplexes 99.9% of humanity, is based on the idea that our are fundamental identity is our ego. In other words it is confused about its role in the overall functioning of the human being. Thinking that it is the be all and end all of life itself , it is attached to things and tries to control or dominate our being. It has become ,and we have allowed it, to be a maniacal tyrant over us both individually and collectively. This happens on many subtle levels and reveals this disfunction when we face minor and major difficulties or challenges in our lives. It becomes very resistant to the perceived erosion of control and creates tremendous fear in defense of its territory. The healthy ego , which was created by life is one that functions in the role of servant and supporter of our deeper nature . So instead of blocking or distorting our aspirations to know ourselves at the essential level of heart and spiritual being , it would help point the way and lead us to that ultimate place within the depths of life itself. At this point we should focus our attention and energy on educating the ego of its true role and place , and make Friends with it. This seems like a much more healthy approach than the old days of total annihilation!!

Your Finances & Your Chakras

Some may wonder how the ancient yogic system of the chakras has any relation to money & finance. Doesn't the world of money revolve around economic factors and materialism , while the chakras are focused on spirituality and the human energy field ? On the surface this appears to be, however this assumption is based on a dualistic view of life that divides and compartmentalizes reality into seemingly polar opposites that are separate and many times at odds with each other. In my view this perspective is basically flawed for a number of reasons. Money is basically a concept or symbol for the things of this world , how we control or trade and exchange goods and services. However , on a deeper level money represents energy both symbolically and literally. Most humans are extremely emotional about their finances both in today's world as well as throughout history. One can vividly imagine many people jumping out of the windows on Wall street during the severe market crash in October of 1929. Wars and other political conflicts have basically centered around the control and distribution of financial resources and what that represents , land, trade, economic inequality, import / export, etc. On the level of the individual, if you look closely at your own experience, you can feel how real this connection is. The energy of money affects our chakra system dramatically. This is espscially true for our first or root chakra, which represents our energetic metabolism of issues related to our physical survival and security. The energy from the root charka , which is connected to the earth energy that sustains all life on the planet, then influences all the other chakras , but especially the second or sacral chakra, and the third or solar plexus chakra. These first three are where the energetic metabolism takes place related to our physical bodies and human emotional health. If one is experiencing financial difficulties, working only on the mental level in devising solutions to these issues is like treating the symptoms of the disease and not the deeper root causes which usually exists on the emotional and psychological level. A more holistic solution would include therapy the integrates all aspects of healing on the energetic system of the chakras. Helping the person balance and harmonize their chakra energy as it relates to their finances could help not only with the current situation, but also help in preventing reocurrances in the future. Life and human beings are one organic system including the financial system the we have created . The health of the individual has a direct impact on the overall health of our financial system in so many ways. I believe the holistic or non-dual approach to our finances is not only important, but vital to the current and future health of our economic system.

A Separate Security

Do we really need a separate security ? Most human beings on the planet put a great deal of time and energy trying to survive and and create security on many levels. This comes from a basically flawed assumption that existence itself has not ensured our basic survival and security already. It comes from the belief that we are separate from life and live in a hostile world where we have to compete or fight over limited resources . The ancient Taoists sages had a different perspective. They taught that man/woman were the connection or synapse between heaven and earth. They taught that life is a balance of two polar energies ( yin & yang) and we are not separate from those energies . We are connected and part of the flow of life !! If existence has created us as well as all of the natural world and cosmos , which it sustains in all the abundant forms we perceive as well as those we do not, then why not so for human beings? Is this perceived separation true and accurate or is it a basic flaw in our beliefs and thinking? All of life is one ! We really don't need a separate security! It is a basic lack of trust in life that it has already and will provide for our needs that drives this flaw in our perception. It is why at all levels we see a dramatic imbalance in resources throughout the world. This not only affects the world economy, it also affects all aspects ; politics, crime , social issues , hunger , disease , etc.
Maybe the ancient Taoists masters knew something we could all learn from. Life is abundant!!
Heaven's energy is above us , Mother Earth's is below us . Hell is living only in the egoic mind!