The Sangha
Having pointed out to the five bhikkhus the truth,
the Buddha said: [1]
"A man that stands alone, having decided to obey the truth,
may be weak and slip back into his old ways.
Therefore, stand ye together, assist one another,
and strengthen one another's efforts. [2]
"Be like unto brothers;
one in love, one in holiness,
and one in your zeal for the truth. [3]
"Spread the truth and preach the doctrine in all quarters of the world,
so that in the end all living creatures will be citizens
of the kingdom of righteousness. [4]
"This is the holy brotherhood; this is the church,
the congregation of the saints of the Buddha;
this is the Sangha that establishes a communion
among all those who have taken their refuge in the Buddha." [5]
And Kondannya was the first disciple of the Buddha
who had thoroughly grasped the doctrine of the Holy One,
and the Tathagata looking into his heart said:
"Truly, Kondannya has understood the truth."
Hence venerable Kondannya received the name "Annyata-Kondannya,"
that is, "Kondannya who has understood the doctrine." [6]
Then the venerable Kondannya spoke to the Buddha and said:
"Lord, let us receive the ordination from the Blessed One." [7]
And the Buddha said:
"Come, O bhikkhus!
Well taught is the doctrine.
Lead a holy life for the extinction of suffering." [8]
Then Kondannya and the other bhikkhus uttered three times these solemn vows: [9]
"To the Buddha will I look in faith:
He, the Perfect One, is holy and supreme.
The Buddha conveys to us instruction, wisdom, and salvation;
he is the Blessed One, who knows the law of being;
he is the Lord of the world, who yoketh men like oxen,
the Teacher of gods and men, the Exalted Buddha.
Therefore, to the Buddha will I look in faith. [9]
"To the doctrine will I look in faith;
well-preached is the doctrine by the Exalted One.
The doctrine has been revealed so as to become visible;
the doctrine is above time and space.
The doctrine is not based upon hearsay,
it means 'Come and see';
the doctrine leads to welfare;
the doctrine is recognized by the wise in their own hearts.
Therefore to the doctrine will I look in faith. [11]
"To the community will I look in faith;
the community of the Buddha's disciples instructs us how to lead a life of righteousness;
the community of the Buddha's disciples teaches us how to exercise honesty and justice;
the community of the Buddha's disciples shows us how to practise the truth.
They form a brotherhood in kindness and charity, and their saints are worthy of reverence.
The community of the Buddha's disciples is founded as a holy brotherhood
in which men bind themselves together to teach the behests of rectitude and to do good.
Therefore, to the community will I look in faith." [12]
And the gospel of the Blessed One increased from day to day,
and many people came to hear him
and to accept the ordination to lead thenceforth a holy life
for the sake of the extinction of suffering. [13]
And the Blessed One seeing that it was impossible to attend to all
who wanted to hear the truth and receive the ordination,
sent out from the number of his disciples
such as were to preach the Dharma
and said unto them: [14]
"The Dharma and the Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathagata
shine forth when they are displayed, and not when they are concealed.
But let not this doctrine, so full of truth and so excellent,
fall into the hands of those unworthy of it,
where it would be despised and condemned,
treated shamefully, rediculed and censured. [15]
"I now grant you, O bhikkhus, this permission.
Confer henceforth in the different countries the ordination upon those who are eager to receive it,
when you find them worthy. [16]
"Go ye now, O bhikkhus, for the benefit of the many,
for the welfare of mankind, out of compassion for the world.
Preach the doctrine which is glorious in the beginning,
glorious in the middle, and glorious in the end,
in the spirit as well as in the letter.
There are beings whose eyes are scarcely covered with dust,
but if the doctrine is not preached to them they cannot attain salvation.
Proclaim to them a life of holiness.
They will understand the doctrine and accept it." [17]
And it became an established custom that the bhikkhus went out preaching while the weather was good,
but in the rainy season they came together again and joined their master,
to listen to the exhortations of the Tathagata. [18]
Humility...
Man knows so many things, but he does not know himself. A man has so
many sheaths in himself, covering the depths of his heart. Man
learns and unlearns all through life. It is wiser to remain a
student than to be a teacher; a student of the Mystery of Life.
A parable goes to say that a seeker of God, in the quest of Heaven,
wandering here and there, found himself perchance at the Gate of
Heaven. The gatekeeper asked him, "Who are you?" The seeker
answered, "A teacher." The gatekeeper asked him to wait, and went in
to report. After a while he returned and said that he could not let
him in, as there was no place for teachers in the heaven-world. He
was told to go back and wash the dust of dead words clinging to him
in the waters of Silence.
So many teachers are vain; they parade their learning. How can there
be a place in there for him who lives in a world of vanity?
Every day he sat in the silence and listened to the words of Saints,
and his self-consciousness began to develop, and he became humble,
and prayed to be the servant of all men, lonely and lowly ones, and
animals—a servant of God's creation. Then the portals of Heaven were
opened and he entered in and beheld the Master's face: pure and fair
beyond compare.
All the Masters of the past and the present say that, "The Kingdom
of God is for the humble of heart." So many of us, alas, are proud,
vain in ego lost; and blind to the wisdom, we do but wander from
darkness to darkness.
The God that rules millions is the ego; enthrone on your heart the
God of Love, and cease to wander—and what should be done to do so?
Become humble as ashes and dust.
The world is full of the proud of purse or power or learning.
Whereas, we should be humble and simple and empty ourselves of
all "self" that the Lord might do with us what He would.
The life worth living is life in the Spirit. Its basis is humility.
We should be reduced to a cipher and God becomes ax. "Let us be
perfect as our Father is in Heaven."
The truly humble are the truly happy. For want of humility, men and
women are leading an unbearable, miserable life. All this misery is
from within it is not a change in our circumstances, but deliverance
from the thralldom of the self, the petty "ego" that sits d tyrant,
robbing us of the bliss that is our heritage as children of God. We
are, as it were, in a cage of self-centeredness, and until this
prison is opened by the key of humility, the swan bird of the Soul
is not free and cannot swim to the regions of radiance and joy
The way to true blessedness is the way of humility and love. He who
is humble has no problems. He has God as his Guide. Significant are
the words of the shepherd boy singing in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's
Progress:
He that is down need fear no fall,
He that is low, no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
I am content with what I have,
Little be it, or much;
And Lord, contentment still I crave,
Because Thou sayest such.
Rightly has it been said that if there were no humility in is world,
everyone would long ago have committed suicide.
When the light of humility dawns on the soul, the darkness of
selfishness disappears and the soul no longer lives for itself, but
for God. The soul loses itself in God, lives in God, and is
transformed into Him. This is the alchemy of humility. It transforms
the lowest into the Highest. The great Chinese sage, Lao Tse,
expressed the thought in beautiful words:
How does the sea become the king of all rivers and streams?
Because it lies lower than them.
St. Augustine said the way to God is, "First humility, second
humility and third humility." He who is proud of possessions or of
learning or of authority will not go to any Saint unless he is
humble. Even if he goes to the Saint, but considers himself superior
to Him, he will not listen to Him. A glass which is kept above a
tumbler of water will remain empty—until it is put below the
tumbler. You know what you know; just listen to what the other says.
Perhaps we can learn something from him.
Yes, the branches of a fruit-laden tree bend of their own accord.
Even so, the man who, losing himself, finds God—finds Him everywhere
and in everyone—bends before all, offers homage of his heart to all.
This is true humility. It is not a forced sense of lowliness. Such a
one lives in unity with all. He is in others and others are in him.
It is the fake ego-self that gives rise to the sense of discord and
separation. When the illusion of ego is broken, one feels, "I am not
apart from others, but others are parts of the One—God—The Master—
and all of us are engaged in the same service of God."
Each one of us is unique in his own way. There is a divine purpose
behind the life of everyone who comes into the world; no one has
been created for nothing. We have something to learn from everyone.
This is the mystery of humility.
The truly humble person does not compare himself with others. He
knows that none of us, however evolved, is perfect; none of us is
complete in himself. The humble person does not regard one as better
than the other; he believes in the divinity of each. If one says and
asserts that he is better than others, then he is not perfect as
yet.
It is only when one realizes his nothingness that God comes and
fills him with Himself. Where man is, God is not; where man is not,
God is! God cannot enter the heart of the self-seeking person. He
who is full of himself considers himself as above others and so puts
a limit on himself. God is without limit. How can the limitless
enter the limited?
O ye who seek God: See that you do not set yourself above others.
Give up all that you are and all that you have, empty yourself of
all "self," cast the ego out, and you stand face to face with God.
Wondrous are the words of the Sufi Saint, Abur Hassan:
Brothers! This is the Law:
He who cometh nigh to God
Loseth what he hath,
Aye, he loseth himself,
But gains instead the Gift Supreme,
The gift of humility.
A man may strive to be humble, but for all his efforts, may become
all the more proud. There is such a thing as the pride of humility;
it is a very dangerous thing, for it is too subtle to be discerned
by the inexperienced. There are some who will take great pains to be
humble; they make humility impossible. How can a man be humble who
is all the time thinking of how best he can be humble?
Such a man is all the time occupied with himself, but true humility
is freedom from all consciousness of self, which includes freedom
from the consciousness of humility. The truly humble man never knows
that he is humble.
The truly humble man accepts everything as coming from the hands of
God. He knows that in him there is nothing praiseworthy. All the
good that is in him is from God, and the praise that men give him
belongs to God. When the young man called Jesus "Good Teacher,"
Jesus quietly said, "Why call me good? There is none good but God."
"Humility," says Lacordaire, "does not consist in hiding our talents
and virtues, in thinking ourselves worse and more ordinary than we
are, but in possessing a clear knowledge of all that is lacking in
us, and not exalting ourselves for that which we have, seeing that
God has freely given it us, and with all His gifts, we are still
infinitely of little importance." So the truly humble man may accept
sometimes the praise which men give him, and quietly passes it on to
God, keeping nothing for himself.
The man who is not truly humble behaves in a very unnatural manner
when he is not praised by men. He becomes upset, loses his patience
and even becomes angry. He repulses them with his irritation and
creates for them an awkward situation. Sometimes he suppresses his
feelings and remains silent; but he cannot forget the things that
are said about him; they haunt him again and again and do not give
him peace of mind.
The humble man makes no fuss. He is at harmony with himself and
others. He is gifted with a wondrous feeling of peace. He feels safe
and secure, like a ship in harbor, unaffected by howling storms and
lashing waves. He has found refuge at the Lotus Feet of the Lord and
the storms of changing circumstances have no power over him. He
feels light as air. The burdens which we carry all our life —the
burden of the self and its desires—he has laid aside, and he is ever
calm and serene. Having given up everything, he has nothing to lose,
and yet everything belongs to him, for he is of God, and God is in
him. Having broken the bondage of desire, he is as happy with a
piece of dry bread as with a sumptuous meal. In every situation and
circumstance of life, he blesses the Name of God.
He who would be humble regards himself as a student. He learns many
new things, but what is more difficult, he unlearns many things he
has learned. A scholar came to a Saint and said, "O Seer of the
Secret, tell me what I may do to live the life divine." And the
Saint said to him, "Go, unlearn what thou hast learnt and then
return and sit before me."
He who would walk the way of humility must renounce his earlier ways
of living. He must give up the opinions he has formed, the standards
to which he is accustomed. He must have a new outlook on life. The
things the world would worship are to him of no value. His values
are so different from those of other men. Rich food, fine houses,
costly dresses, positions of power and authority, the applause of
men, honors and titles, no longer attract him. He feels drawn to a
life of simplicity. He is happy in living a hidden life in the
Hidden Lord.
He is dead to the world; he is alive in God. At times he actually
behaves like one dead.
Yes, the truly humble man is, in that sense, the "dead" man. He
has "died." God alone lives in him. His self has been annihilated.
His self has vanished into God, and only God remains. God works in
him and through him, and God emits in his eyes. God speaks in his
words. On his feet, God walks the earth; and through his hands gives
His benedictions to all.
Such men are the real strength of the world—its illumination and
inspiration. To see them is to commune with God, for God dwells in
them. They are the living, moving Temples of the Lord. They are the
ones who keep the world intact, though they do not know it
themselves. The whole earth depends on them without anyone being
aware of it. Their hearts and minds are in tune with the Great Heart
and Mind of humanity. They are in complete accord with all that
lives. They give their love to all living beings, as though they
were the sons of the one sweet Mother. They have broken all fetters
and entered into the freedom of the children of God. God does their
will, because they have merged their wills in His. God fulfills
their least desire, for it is He Who desires all their desires. They
are the little saviors of humanity.
I wish each one of you to follow the lesson of humility, born of
love and simplicity.
Kirpal Singh
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
many sheaths in himself, covering the depths of his heart. Man
learns and unlearns all through life. It is wiser to remain a
student than to be a teacher; a student of the Mystery of Life.
A parable goes to say that a seeker of God, in the quest of Heaven,
wandering here and there, found himself perchance at the Gate of
Heaven. The gatekeeper asked him, "Who are you?" The seeker
answered, "A teacher." The gatekeeper asked him to wait, and went in
to report. After a while he returned and said that he could not let
him in, as there was no place for teachers in the heaven-world. He
was told to go back and wash the dust of dead words clinging to him
in the waters of Silence.
So many teachers are vain; they parade their learning. How can there
be a place in there for him who lives in a world of vanity?
Every day he sat in the silence and listened to the words of Saints,
and his self-consciousness began to develop, and he became humble,
and prayed to be the servant of all men, lonely and lowly ones, and
animals—a servant of God's creation. Then the portals of Heaven were
opened and he entered in and beheld the Master's face: pure and fair
beyond compare.
All the Masters of the past and the present say that, "The Kingdom
of God is for the humble of heart." So many of us, alas, are proud,
vain in ego lost; and blind to the wisdom, we do but wander from
darkness to darkness.
The God that rules millions is the ego; enthrone on your heart the
God of Love, and cease to wander—and what should be done to do so?
Become humble as ashes and dust.
The world is full of the proud of purse or power or learning.
Whereas, we should be humble and simple and empty ourselves of
all "self" that the Lord might do with us what He would.
The life worth living is life in the Spirit. Its basis is humility.
We should be reduced to a cipher and God becomes ax. "Let us be
perfect as our Father is in Heaven."
The truly humble are the truly happy. For want of humility, men and
women are leading an unbearable, miserable life. All this misery is
from within it is not a change in our circumstances, but deliverance
from the thralldom of the self, the petty "ego" that sits d tyrant,
robbing us of the bliss that is our heritage as children of God. We
are, as it were, in a cage of self-centeredness, and until this
prison is opened by the key of humility, the swan bird of the Soul
is not free and cannot swim to the regions of radiance and joy
The way to true blessedness is the way of humility and love. He who
is humble has no problems. He has God as his Guide. Significant are
the words of the shepherd boy singing in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's
Progress:
He that is down need fear no fall,
He that is low, no pride;
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
I am content with what I have,
Little be it, or much;
And Lord, contentment still I crave,
Because Thou sayest such.
Rightly has it been said that if there were no humility in is world,
everyone would long ago have committed suicide.
When the light of humility dawns on the soul, the darkness of
selfishness disappears and the soul no longer lives for itself, but
for God. The soul loses itself in God, lives in God, and is
transformed into Him. This is the alchemy of humility. It transforms
the lowest into the Highest. The great Chinese sage, Lao Tse,
expressed the thought in beautiful words:
How does the sea become the king of all rivers and streams?
Because it lies lower than them.
St. Augustine said the way to God is, "First humility, second
humility and third humility." He who is proud of possessions or of
learning or of authority will not go to any Saint unless he is
humble. Even if he goes to the Saint, but considers himself superior
to Him, he will not listen to Him. A glass which is kept above a
tumbler of water will remain empty—until it is put below the
tumbler. You know what you know; just listen to what the other says.
Perhaps we can learn something from him.
Yes, the branches of a fruit-laden tree bend of their own accord.
Even so, the man who, losing himself, finds God—finds Him everywhere
and in everyone—bends before all, offers homage of his heart to all.
This is true humility. It is not a forced sense of lowliness. Such a
one lives in unity with all. He is in others and others are in him.
It is the fake ego-self that gives rise to the sense of discord and
separation. When the illusion of ego is broken, one feels, "I am not
apart from others, but others are parts of the One—God—The Master—
and all of us are engaged in the same service of God."
Each one of us is unique in his own way. There is a divine purpose
behind the life of everyone who comes into the world; no one has
been created for nothing. We have something to learn from everyone.
This is the mystery of humility.
The truly humble person does not compare himself with others. He
knows that none of us, however evolved, is perfect; none of us is
complete in himself. The humble person does not regard one as better
than the other; he believes in the divinity of each. If one says and
asserts that he is better than others, then he is not perfect as
yet.
It is only when one realizes his nothingness that God comes and
fills him with Himself. Where man is, God is not; where man is not,
God is! God cannot enter the heart of the self-seeking person. He
who is full of himself considers himself as above others and so puts
a limit on himself. God is without limit. How can the limitless
enter the limited?
O ye who seek God: See that you do not set yourself above others.
Give up all that you are and all that you have, empty yourself of
all "self," cast the ego out, and you stand face to face with God.
Wondrous are the words of the Sufi Saint, Abur Hassan:
Brothers! This is the Law:
He who cometh nigh to God
Loseth what he hath,
Aye, he loseth himself,
But gains instead the Gift Supreme,
The gift of humility.
A man may strive to be humble, but for all his efforts, may become
all the more proud. There is such a thing as the pride of humility;
it is a very dangerous thing, for it is too subtle to be discerned
by the inexperienced. There are some who will take great pains to be
humble; they make humility impossible. How can a man be humble who
is all the time thinking of how best he can be humble?
Such a man is all the time occupied with himself, but true humility
is freedom from all consciousness of self, which includes freedom
from the consciousness of humility. The truly humble man never knows
that he is humble.
The truly humble man accepts everything as coming from the hands of
God. He knows that in him there is nothing praiseworthy. All the
good that is in him is from God, and the praise that men give him
belongs to God. When the young man called Jesus "Good Teacher,"
Jesus quietly said, "Why call me good? There is none good but God."
"Humility," says Lacordaire, "does not consist in hiding our talents
and virtues, in thinking ourselves worse and more ordinary than we
are, but in possessing a clear knowledge of all that is lacking in
us, and not exalting ourselves for that which we have, seeing that
God has freely given it us, and with all His gifts, we are still
infinitely of little importance." So the truly humble man may accept
sometimes the praise which men give him, and quietly passes it on to
God, keeping nothing for himself.
The man who is not truly humble behaves in a very unnatural manner
when he is not praised by men. He becomes upset, loses his patience
and even becomes angry. He repulses them with his irritation and
creates for them an awkward situation. Sometimes he suppresses his
feelings and remains silent; but he cannot forget the things that
are said about him; they haunt him again and again and do not give
him peace of mind.
The humble man makes no fuss. He is at harmony with himself and
others. He is gifted with a wondrous feeling of peace. He feels safe
and secure, like a ship in harbor, unaffected by howling storms and
lashing waves. He has found refuge at the Lotus Feet of the Lord and
the storms of changing circumstances have no power over him. He
feels light as air. The burdens which we carry all our life —the
burden of the self and its desires—he has laid aside, and he is ever
calm and serene. Having given up everything, he has nothing to lose,
and yet everything belongs to him, for he is of God, and God is in
him. Having broken the bondage of desire, he is as happy with a
piece of dry bread as with a sumptuous meal. In every situation and
circumstance of life, he blesses the Name of God.
He who would be humble regards himself as a student. He learns many
new things, but what is more difficult, he unlearns many things he
has learned. A scholar came to a Saint and said, "O Seer of the
Secret, tell me what I may do to live the life divine." And the
Saint said to him, "Go, unlearn what thou hast learnt and then
return and sit before me."
He who would walk the way of humility must renounce his earlier ways
of living. He must give up the opinions he has formed, the standards
to which he is accustomed. He must have a new outlook on life. The
things the world would worship are to him of no value. His values
are so different from those of other men. Rich food, fine houses,
costly dresses, positions of power and authority, the applause of
men, honors and titles, no longer attract him. He feels drawn to a
life of simplicity. He is happy in living a hidden life in the
Hidden Lord.
He is dead to the world; he is alive in God. At times he actually
behaves like one dead.
Yes, the truly humble man is, in that sense, the "dead" man. He
has "died." God alone lives in him. His self has been annihilated.
His self has vanished into God, and only God remains. God works in
him and through him, and God emits in his eyes. God speaks in his
words. On his feet, God walks the earth; and through his hands gives
His benedictions to all.
Such men are the real strength of the world—its illumination and
inspiration. To see them is to commune with God, for God dwells in
them. They are the living, moving Temples of the Lord. They are the
ones who keep the world intact, though they do not know it
themselves. The whole earth depends on them without anyone being
aware of it. Their hearts and minds are in tune with the Great Heart
and Mind of humanity. They are in complete accord with all that
lives. They give their love to all living beings, as though they
were the sons of the one sweet Mother. They have broken all fetters
and entered into the freedom of the children of God. God does their
will, because they have merged their wills in His. God fulfills
their least desire, for it is He Who desires all their desires. They
are the little saviors of humanity.
I wish each one of you to follow the lesson of humility, born of
love and simplicity.
Kirpal Singh
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
" You must be Born Again "...
I truly understood what Jesus said, when He said that "You must
be born again" after I achieved what the Buddhists
call "enlightenment"........many years ago, I decided to achieve
Mystical Union with Universal Mind (God) through deep meditation...I
was determined to find out what Guatama found in his enlightenment
experience...so I went into the woods and began to meditate, nothing
happened for a while, and then I became completely serious and
offered up my own life to know enlightenment. (and I was completely
serious). Immediately, after I made this sacrifice of my ego and
life, I was knocked over by the force of the energy of Love.. I found
myself as light blended with light and knowledge flowing through my
consciousness..all the time being in an ocean of energy that we call
Love.....this was the most incredible experience of my life and
assured me that God is real, and His real name is Love........after
this event , I returned to the body and felt as though, I had just
been born....this is the true meaning of "Being Born
Again"...............namaste, thomas
be born again" after I achieved what the Buddhists
call "enlightenment"........many years ago, I decided to achieve
Mystical Union with Universal Mind (God) through deep meditation...I
was determined to find out what Guatama found in his enlightenment
experience...so I went into the woods and began to meditate, nothing
happened for a while, and then I became completely serious and
offered up my own life to know enlightenment. (and I was completely
serious). Immediately, after I made this sacrifice of my ego and
life, I was knocked over by the force of the energy of Love.. I found
myself as light blended with light and knowledge flowing through my
consciousness..all the time being in an ocean of energy that we call
Love.....this was the most incredible experience of my life and
assured me that God is real, and His real name is Love........after
this event , I returned to the body and felt as though, I had just
been born....this is the true meaning of "Being Born
Again"...............namaste, thomas
Wayne Dyer Gets Down with the Tao....
The best-selling author talks to Beliefnet about inner flexibility, letting go, and the real secret behind 'The Secret.'
Interview by Valerie Reiss
You've probably caught Wayne Dyer on public television, pacing the stage, offering self-help wisdom in between the channel's fund-driving pitches. Or maybe you're one of the many millions who bought his books like "Manifest Your Destiny," "10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace," and "The Power of Intention."
The ubiquitous teacher and author has been doling out non-religious inspiration for several decades in the form of world-wide workshops and 30 books; he and Deepak Chopra, that other profitable prophet, pretty much fill the "Personal Growth" section of any bookstore. Dyer was also one of the first to popularize the "law of attraction"—the notion that your thoughts create your life—which "The Secret" book and DVD cashed in on so successfully.
Dyer recently talked to Beliefnet from his home in Maui about his latest book, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" and what he's like now that he's embraced the Tao, an ancient Chinese philosophy. He also tells us what’s missing in ”The Secret," and how we can get in on the truest secret of all.
What's the Tao to you?
The Tao is actually three words, the "Tao Te Ching." And the Tao in ancient Chinese means "great way," "te" means living the great way, and "ching" means book. So, it's the book of living the Great Way, or how to live the Great Way.
Some people have called it the wisest book ever written, sort of a blueprint for living a moral life based upon the principles of the highest levels of consciousness that we know today. It was written somewhere between 2,500 and 2,700 years ago, by a man named Lao Tzu who was a contemporary of Confucius but was very much opposed to governments and laws and rules, and fighting and killing, and really believed the way to guide your life is by staying in harmony with nature. That all the answers come from nature.
They all sound very paradoxical. Water is referred to a lot in the "Tao Te Ching" as an example of how softness overcomes hardness, that flexibility overcomes rigidness. The opening line of the "Tao Te Ching" says, "A Tao that can be named is not the Tao." So the Tao is almost like a synonym for God without the religious aspect. It's trying to describe something that's indescribable. But, if you had to describe it, it would be that which animates all of life, which is doing nothing but leaves nothing undone, which is constantly in motion, which doesn't have any requirements for anybody on how to live their lives.
And it is that divine, organizing, invisible intelligence from which all things emanate and to which all things return. It's what allows the other clouds to form, and the mosquitoes to be here, your heart to beat, and your hair to grow.
How does that notion of Tao compare to God?
Well, it's always interesting about God because, it's like all of the religions in the world say that they pray to the same God, and yet they ask that same one God to divide itself up and agree with this one and fight against that one.
Where it's different is that the Tao doesn't break it down into any pieces. It's a complete and total oneness that encompasses all and doesn't look for any kind of religious structure or organizational principles. It finds all of its strength in nature itself—a spider web is a perfect example of the Tao at work. It just takes what comes to it, and what doesn't come to it, it doesn't get itself obsessed with.
[The Tao] wants to reach out and to be creative, and to be in harmony with its own source. And yet, at almost every turn we're taught to not to trust in our nature, and to listen to other people, and to seek outside for guidance and help and sustenance.
And I think that's probably the most profound thing that you can learn from it—is that you, too, have a nature, and that those inner murmurings that you hear about what you want to do or why you should do it, those kind of things are from an inner nature.
And how has reading the Tao changed your life in a practical way?
The way that I wrote this book is that I worked on [each of the 81 verses of the Tao for] between four and five days, and really tried to live what was being taught in each one.
And then, the last day I would just sit down and write, and look at a drawing of Lao Tzu in front of me… and I would just ask. I would get very quiet and very peaceful and experience what I call automatic writing. It would just flow to me. It made me almost radically humble. I really began to see myself as just as natural as the palm trees that are out in front of my place. I began to see myself in everyone. It's made me much, much less stressful. Much less judgmental, non-interfering, almost totally. I have eight children and many of them are here with me, in fact, they're here right now. The Tao teaches us not to intervene and interfere. The things we love we have to learn to leave alone. And the people we love we have to learn to let them be. So, when my grandchildren were here, I found myself just biting my tongue rather than telling them how to behave or whatever, just letting them figure things out.
I think I've become much more non-interfering, much more patient, much more tolerant, much more peaceful. I'm in almost a total state of gratitude all the time. I've become much healthier. I've been doing yoga instead of running because it teaches us to be more flexible. One of the most famous lines of the Tao is in the 76th verse: "A man is born gentle and weak. At his death, he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and the trees are soft and pliable in life, dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death. Flexibility is a companion of life."
Flexibility and softness and pliability are associated with life. A tree that is young is flexible. The wind comes along and blows, and it'll blow, and then it'll come back. A tree that's old and hard--as the wind comes along, it'll snap it in half. So I've learned that this is true not just in our bodies, but in the way that we think as well.
What's the most common spiritual affliction that you see?
Carl Jung said that the number one purpose of organized religion is to prevent everyone from having a direct experience of God. With spirituality the implication very often is that some people have it and some people don't. And those that have it dispense it to others. And I think it's more than an affliction. It's a huge, huge, huge error to make--each and every being on this planet is a piece of God. We all came from the same source.
It sounds like you're talking about separation.
Separation from our source, yeah. In the first nine months of your life, when you were inside your mother's womb, you were doing nothing, you know? You were just being done. And you surrendered to that completely. And you didn't worry about it, and you didn't pray that your nose would show up on time, and that your fingernails would come and they would be in the right place, and all that. You just surrendered to it. And then, when you're born, we are surrounded by people who suddenly say, well, that was good work, God, but now I'll take over from here.
When We Develop the Ego
And then, we develop this ego, which is an acronym for Edging God Out. As we edge God out, we take over ourselves, and we start believing that we're not these divine creations. We start believing that we are what we have and what we do and what we accumulate, and what our reputations are, and we start really believing strongly in all of that stuff. And in the process, we lose our connection to what we really are.
How can changing your thoughts change your life?
You Can Change How the World Looks at You
They say when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Einstein once said that the most important decision you'll ever have to make in your life is whether you live in a friendly universe or a hostile universe. And if you're a person who believes that you live in a hostile universe, you're going to be looking for that. You're going to be experiencing that. You'll be seeing it everywhere. You'll become a person who's always looking for occasions to be upset or to be offended or to be hurt, or depressed, or sad, or right, or whatever.
If you live in a world that you believe supports you, and is friendly and is there for you, and is bringing you all that you need at any given moment, and all the experiences that you have are perfect, if you just really believe that, then, the things that you don't like you'll just be able to ignore, and the world looks very, very different.
Since so much of your work has been about the law of attraction, I wanted to ask what you think about "The Secret."
Why I Turned Down Filming
'The Secret'
I'm thrilled that the book sales have been so great on this thing. It's really brought people to a new awareness of the power of the mind to create what you want. The reason I wasn't in that movie--I was asked to be--is that I think too much of the emphasis is on manifesting stuff. Manifesting more things. Nothing wrong with stuff and things and so on. But to me the great secret is that when you're giving, when you put your attention on what you really want and then shift to [asking] "How can I offer this to others rather than seeking it for myself?" That's the ultimate secret—the more you give, the more you receive.
I wrote a book about the secret long before "The Secret." It's called "Manifest Your Destiny," and it's really much, much more about putting your focus on serving. Like, if you say to the universe, "How may I serve," the universe responds back with, "How may I serve you?" If you say to the universe, "Give this to me," you're coming from a position of shortage or lack. If you say to the universe, "Gimme, gimme, gimme," the universe says back to you what you ask for, which is, "Gimme, gimme, gimme." And you're constantly feeling as if you're never given enough, you know?
So, is there an ideal way to ask for what we want?
Focus on Serving the Universe
I think the best way to ask for what you want is to say, "How many I serve?" I have a rule with myself. Which is that I start out every day by doing something for somebody else that they're usually not expecting, whether it's one of my family members or, oftentimes, it's people from around the world--somebody wants me to call them in the hospital, or I send a book or a gift. And the opening words out of my mouth are, "Thank you" when I awaken. I have found that the more I'm able to offer and give as much as I possibly can, that I can't even control how much flows into my life. It just comes in bigger and bigger.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/223/story_22301_2.html
Interview by Valerie Reiss
You've probably caught Wayne Dyer on public television, pacing the stage, offering self-help wisdom in between the channel's fund-driving pitches. Or maybe you're one of the many millions who bought his books like "Manifest Your Destiny," "10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace," and "The Power of Intention."
The ubiquitous teacher and author has been doling out non-religious inspiration for several decades in the form of world-wide workshops and 30 books; he and Deepak Chopra, that other profitable prophet, pretty much fill the "Personal Growth" section of any bookstore. Dyer was also one of the first to popularize the "law of attraction"—the notion that your thoughts create your life—which "The Secret" book and DVD cashed in on so successfully.
Dyer recently talked to Beliefnet from his home in Maui about his latest book, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" and what he's like now that he's embraced the Tao, an ancient Chinese philosophy. He also tells us what’s missing in ”The Secret," and how we can get in on the truest secret of all.
What's the Tao to you?
The Tao is actually three words, the "Tao Te Ching." And the Tao in ancient Chinese means "great way," "te" means living the great way, and "ching" means book. So, it's the book of living the Great Way, or how to live the Great Way.
Some people have called it the wisest book ever written, sort of a blueprint for living a moral life based upon the principles of the highest levels of consciousness that we know today. It was written somewhere between 2,500 and 2,700 years ago, by a man named Lao Tzu who was a contemporary of Confucius but was very much opposed to governments and laws and rules, and fighting and killing, and really believed the way to guide your life is by staying in harmony with nature. That all the answers come from nature.
They all sound very paradoxical. Water is referred to a lot in the "Tao Te Ching" as an example of how softness overcomes hardness, that flexibility overcomes rigidness. The opening line of the "Tao Te Ching" says, "A Tao that can be named is not the Tao." So the Tao is almost like a synonym for God without the religious aspect. It's trying to describe something that's indescribable. But, if you had to describe it, it would be that which animates all of life, which is doing nothing but leaves nothing undone, which is constantly in motion, which doesn't have any requirements for anybody on how to live their lives.
And it is that divine, organizing, invisible intelligence from which all things emanate and to which all things return. It's what allows the other clouds to form, and the mosquitoes to be here, your heart to beat, and your hair to grow.
How does that notion of Tao compare to God?
Well, it's always interesting about God because, it's like all of the religions in the world say that they pray to the same God, and yet they ask that same one God to divide itself up and agree with this one and fight against that one.
Where it's different is that the Tao doesn't break it down into any pieces. It's a complete and total oneness that encompasses all and doesn't look for any kind of religious structure or organizational principles. It finds all of its strength in nature itself—a spider web is a perfect example of the Tao at work. It just takes what comes to it, and what doesn't come to it, it doesn't get itself obsessed with.
[The Tao] wants to reach out and to be creative, and to be in harmony with its own source. And yet, at almost every turn we're taught to not to trust in our nature, and to listen to other people, and to seek outside for guidance and help and sustenance.
And I think that's probably the most profound thing that you can learn from it—is that you, too, have a nature, and that those inner murmurings that you hear about what you want to do or why you should do it, those kind of things are from an inner nature.
And how has reading the Tao changed your life in a practical way?
The way that I wrote this book is that I worked on [each of the 81 verses of the Tao for] between four and five days, and really tried to live what was being taught in each one.
And then, the last day I would just sit down and write, and look at a drawing of Lao Tzu in front of me… and I would just ask. I would get very quiet and very peaceful and experience what I call automatic writing. It would just flow to me. It made me almost radically humble. I really began to see myself as just as natural as the palm trees that are out in front of my place. I began to see myself in everyone. It's made me much, much less stressful. Much less judgmental, non-interfering, almost totally. I have eight children and many of them are here with me, in fact, they're here right now. The Tao teaches us not to intervene and interfere. The things we love we have to learn to leave alone. And the people we love we have to learn to let them be. So, when my grandchildren were here, I found myself just biting my tongue rather than telling them how to behave or whatever, just letting them figure things out.
I think I've become much more non-interfering, much more patient, much more tolerant, much more peaceful. I'm in almost a total state of gratitude all the time. I've become much healthier. I've been doing yoga instead of running because it teaches us to be more flexible. One of the most famous lines of the Tao is in the 76th verse: "A man is born gentle and weak. At his death, he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and the trees are soft and pliable in life, dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death. Flexibility is a companion of life."
Flexibility and softness and pliability are associated with life. A tree that is young is flexible. The wind comes along and blows, and it'll blow, and then it'll come back. A tree that's old and hard--as the wind comes along, it'll snap it in half. So I've learned that this is true not just in our bodies, but in the way that we think as well.
What's the most common spiritual affliction that you see?
Carl Jung said that the number one purpose of organized religion is to prevent everyone from having a direct experience of God. With spirituality the implication very often is that some people have it and some people don't. And those that have it dispense it to others. And I think it's more than an affliction. It's a huge, huge, huge error to make--each and every being on this planet is a piece of God. We all came from the same source.
It sounds like you're talking about separation.
Separation from our source, yeah. In the first nine months of your life, when you were inside your mother's womb, you were doing nothing, you know? You were just being done. And you surrendered to that completely. And you didn't worry about it, and you didn't pray that your nose would show up on time, and that your fingernails would come and they would be in the right place, and all that. You just surrendered to it. And then, when you're born, we are surrounded by people who suddenly say, well, that was good work, God, but now I'll take over from here.
When We Develop the Ego
And then, we develop this ego, which is an acronym for Edging God Out. As we edge God out, we take over ourselves, and we start believing that we're not these divine creations. We start believing that we are what we have and what we do and what we accumulate, and what our reputations are, and we start really believing strongly in all of that stuff. And in the process, we lose our connection to what we really are.
How can changing your thoughts change your life?
You Can Change How the World Looks at You
They say when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Einstein once said that the most important decision you'll ever have to make in your life is whether you live in a friendly universe or a hostile universe. And if you're a person who believes that you live in a hostile universe, you're going to be looking for that. You're going to be experiencing that. You'll be seeing it everywhere. You'll become a person who's always looking for occasions to be upset or to be offended or to be hurt, or depressed, or sad, or right, or whatever.
If you live in a world that you believe supports you, and is friendly and is there for you, and is bringing you all that you need at any given moment, and all the experiences that you have are perfect, if you just really believe that, then, the things that you don't like you'll just be able to ignore, and the world looks very, very different.
Since so much of your work has been about the law of attraction, I wanted to ask what you think about "The Secret."
Why I Turned Down Filming
'The Secret'
I'm thrilled that the book sales have been so great on this thing. It's really brought people to a new awareness of the power of the mind to create what you want. The reason I wasn't in that movie--I was asked to be--is that I think too much of the emphasis is on manifesting stuff. Manifesting more things. Nothing wrong with stuff and things and so on. But to me the great secret is that when you're giving, when you put your attention on what you really want and then shift to [asking] "How can I offer this to others rather than seeking it for myself?" That's the ultimate secret—the more you give, the more you receive.
I wrote a book about the secret long before "The Secret." It's called "Manifest Your Destiny," and it's really much, much more about putting your focus on serving. Like, if you say to the universe, "How may I serve," the universe responds back with, "How may I serve you?" If you say to the universe, "Give this to me," you're coming from a position of shortage or lack. If you say to the universe, "Gimme, gimme, gimme," the universe says back to you what you ask for, which is, "Gimme, gimme, gimme." And you're constantly feeling as if you're never given enough, you know?
So, is there an ideal way to ask for what we want?
Focus on Serving the Universe
I think the best way to ask for what you want is to say, "How many I serve?" I have a rule with myself. Which is that I start out every day by doing something for somebody else that they're usually not expecting, whether it's one of my family members or, oftentimes, it's people from around the world--somebody wants me to call them in the hospital, or I send a book or a gift. And the opening words out of my mouth are, "Thank you" when I awaken. I have found that the more I'm able to offer and give as much as I possibly can, that I can't even control how much flows into my life. It just comes in bigger and bigger.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/223/story_22301_2.html
"The Alone"...
It is absolutely certain and quite unquestionable that consciousness is primary, the beginning of all things, the only God there could be and the only one there has ever been. If anyone doubts it, it is because he is blinded, so does not see; he is befogged, so does not understand. From what or from whom else did he derive his own consciousness, his knowing power and his thinking capacity? -- Paul Brunton RVLS I, p.388-2 unpublished
Kipling's L'envoie
When Earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two
'Till the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew
And those that were good shall be happy
They'll sit in a golden chair
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair
They'll find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.
And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the Master shall blame.
And no one will work for the money.
No one will work for the fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are!
And the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two
'Till the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew
And those that were good shall be happy
They'll sit in a golden chair
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair
They'll find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.
And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the Master shall blame.
And no one will work for the money.
No one will work for the fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are!
"From Birth to Rebirth"
If he accepts the decree of destiny quietly and obediently, if he is willing to pass, without rebellion and without fighting, out of this world when the ordained hour arrives, he achieves that peace of mind which the prophet Muhammed called "Islam"--a resignation to, and harmony with, God. It is as far as detachment from the ego can go without losing the ego itself. . -- The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Cat. IX, Ch. "Death, Dying, and Immortality"
Speed.......
The subject of speed has been put on the table, so we have to
understand why so many humans are so inflamed with this battle with
time.....many are pressured by work to produce more...many work
overtime to make more money and then are pressured more by time because
they have less of it to spend on their families and friends.....but if
you follow the teachings of Vernon Howard, then you know that time does not
exist,,there is only NOW....if you keep your mind in the present
moment, then as Alan Watts says;" It is impossible to be unhappy in the
present moment"...this must be practiced to be understood and
realized.....................namaste, thomas
understand why so many humans are so inflamed with this battle with
time.....many are pressured by work to produce more...many work
overtime to make more money and then are pressured more by time because
they have less of it to spend on their families and friends.....but if
you follow the teachings of Vernon Howard, then you know that time does not
exist,,there is only NOW....if you keep your mind in the present
moment, then as Alan Watts says;" It is impossible to be unhappy in the
present moment"...this must be practiced to be understood and
realized.....................namaste, thomas
Divine Consciousness...
"We are only an infinite, divine consciousness manifesting itself in individual forms - the individual forms that appear as humans, animal, bird, plant life, vegetable, mineral, but consciousness as form. The moment you begin to perceive this can you see eternality because when does consciousness stop appearing as form? No matter how fast the forms disappear, consciousness bursts out in new forms.
"We call this impersonalizing, and yet impersonalizing does not take away the love nature. It increases it because we can look beyond the human, animal, vegetable that today seems to be so good and tomorrow so bad, or today so alive and tomorrow so dead. And we can love because we're loving beyond the appearance. We're living the consciousness that appears as infinite form, and we are knowing that nothing can appear as form except in the nature of the consciousness that is appearing."
From: Tape 448, Side 2, 1962 Hawaiian Student Group, Tape 1,
"We call this impersonalizing, and yet impersonalizing does not take away the love nature. It increases it because we can look beyond the human, animal, vegetable that today seems to be so good and tomorrow so bad, or today so alive and tomorrow so dead. And we can love because we're loving beyond the appearance. We're living the consciousness that appears as infinite form, and we are knowing that nothing can appear as form except in the nature of the consciousness that is appearing."
From: Tape 448, Side 2, 1962 Hawaiian Student Group, Tape 1,
I AM that I AM........
I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking. "My name is'I am.'" I waited. God continued.
"When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I was.'
"When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I will be.'
"When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is 'I Am.''
-Helen Mellicost
"When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I was.'
"When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I will be.'
"When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is 'I Am.''
-Helen Mellicost
The Cognitive Scientists are approaching a Buddhist perspective.
"First, it is important to understand the central ontological claim put
forward by the Self Model Theory: No such things as selves exist in the
world. For all scientific and philosophical purposes, the notion of a
self as a theoretical entity can be safely eliminated. What we have
been calling "the" self in the past is not a substance, an unchangeable
essence or a thing (i.e., an "individual" in the sense of philosophical
metaphysics), but a very special kind of representational content: The
content of a self-model that cannot be recognized as a model by the
system using it. The dynamic content of the phenomenal self-model
is the content of the conscious
self: Your current bodily sensations, your present emotional situation
plus all the contents of your phenomenally experienced cognitive
processing. They are constituents of your PSM. All those properties of
your experiential self, to which you can now direct your attention,
form the content of your current PSM. This PSM is not a thing, but an
integrated process."
Quote from Précis: Being No One by Thomas Metzinger Johannes
Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
forward by the Self Model Theory: No such things as selves exist in the
world. For all scientific and philosophical purposes, the notion of a
self as a theoretical entity can be safely eliminated. What we have
been calling "the" self in the past is not a substance, an unchangeable
essence or a thing (i.e., an "individual" in the sense of philosophical
metaphysics), but a very special kind of representational content: The
content of a self-model that cannot be recognized as a model by the
system using it. The dynamic content of the phenomenal self-model
is the content of the conscious
self: Your current bodily sensations, your present emotional situation
plus all the contents of your phenomenally experienced cognitive
processing. They are constituents of your PSM. All those properties of
your experiential self, to which you can now direct your attention,
form the content of your current PSM. This PSM is not a thing, but an
integrated process."
Quote from Précis: Being No One by Thomas Metzinger Johannes
Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
The "Word", God........
Know that the word "God" is a tainted one, that it has been used by hypocrites and scoundrels, by brainless idiots and selfish vested interests, and had perhaps better be bypassed. Yet it comes into my consciousness at this point in time, in this particular place, when my own preference is, as often, to use the words "The World-Mind." -- Paul Brunton RVLS I, p.385-1 & & The Notebooks of PB, Cat. XXVII, Ch.1 "What is God?"
Liberation is Happiness...
If you have the courage to touch life for the first time, you will never know what hit you. Everything man has thought, felt and experienced is gone, and nothing is put in its place."
"Whether you are interested in Moksha, Liberation, Freedom, Transformation, you name it, you are interested in happiness without one moment of unhappiness, pleasure without pain, it is the same thing."
"We don't want to be free from fear. All that we want to do is to play games with it and talk about freeing ourselves from fear."
"Your constant utilization of thought to give continuity to your separate self is 'you'. There is nothing there inside you other than that."
"When the movement in the direction of becoming something other than what you are isn't there any more, you are not in conflict with yourself."
--U.G.Krishnamurti
"Whether you are interested in Moksha, Liberation, Freedom, Transformation, you name it, you are interested in happiness without one moment of unhappiness, pleasure without pain, it is the same thing."
"We don't want to be free from fear. All that we want to do is to play games with it and talk about freeing ourselves from fear."
"Your constant utilization of thought to give continuity to your separate self is 'you'. There is nothing there inside you other than that."
"When the movement in the direction of becoming something other than what you are isn't there any more, you are not in conflict with yourself."
--U.G.Krishnamurti
The twelve apostles are at Jesus' home and are consecrated to their work. Jesus instructs them. He goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath and teaches.
NOW, on the day before the Sabbath day, the twelve disciples who had received the call were met with one accord in Jesus' home. 2 And Jesus said to them, This is the day to consecrate yourselves unto the work of God; so let us pray. 3 Turn from the outer to the inner self; close all the doors of carnal self and wait. 4 The Holy Breath will fill this place, and you will be baptised in Holy Breath. 5 And then they prayed; alight more brilliant than the noonday sun filled all the room, and tongues of flame from every head rose high in air. 6 The atmosphere of Galilee was set astir; a sound like distant thunder rolled above Capernaum, and men heard songs, as though ten thousand angels joined in full accord. 7 And then the twelve disciples heard a voice, a still, small voice, and just one word was said, aword they dared not speak; it was the Sacred name of God. 8 And Jesus said to them, By this omnific Word you may control the elements, and all the powers of air. 9 And when within your souls you speak this Word, you have the keys of life and death; of things that are; of things that were; of things that are to be. 10 Behold you are the twelve great branches of the Christine vine; the twelve foundation stones; the twelve apostles of the Christ. 11 As lambs I sent you forth among wild beasts; but the omnific Word will be your buckler and your shield. 12 And then again the air was filled with song, and every living creature seemed to say, Praise God! Amen! 13 The next day was the Sabbath day; and Jesus went with his disciples to the synagogue, and there he taught. 14 The people said, He teaches not as do the scribes and Pharisees; but as a man who knows, and has authority to speak. 15 As Jesus spoke, a man obsessed came in; the evil spirits that obsessed the man were of the baser sort; they often threw their victim to the ground, or in the fire. 16 And when the spirits saw the Christine master in the synagogue they knew him, and they said, 17 You son of God, why are you here? would you destroy us by the Word before our time? we would have naught to do with you; let us alone. 18 But Jesus said to them, By the omnific Word I speak; Come out; torment this man no more; go to your place. 19 And then the unclean spirits threw the man upon the floor, and, with a fiendish cry, they went away. 20 And Jesus lifted up the man and said to him, If you will keep your mind fully occupied with good, the evil spirits cannot find a place to stay; 21 They only come to empty heads and hearts. Go on your way and sin no more. 22 The people were astonished at the words that Jesus spoke, the work he did. They asked among themselves, 23 Who is this man? From whence comes all this power that even unclean spirits fear, and flee away? 24 The Christine master left the synagogue; with Peter, Andrew, James and John, he went to Peter's house where one, a near of kin, was sick. 25 And Peter's wife came in; it was her mother who was sick. 26 And Jesus touched the woman as she lay upon her couch; he spoke the Word; the fever ceased and she arose and ministered to them. 27 The neighbours heard what had occured, and then brought their sick, and those obsessed, and Jesus laid his hands on them, and they were healed. ............from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi..
A Mystical Experience...
Once, while I was in a deep meditative state, I found myself in a place of intense white light and I was filled and surrounded by the Energy of Love.... I noticed that I could look directly into this bright light and not have my eyes hurt... I then realized that my eyes did not hurt because I had no body, just consciousness..I was thinking that I never wanted to leave this place, when a Voice asked me if I wanted to stay or return to the body...I thought of the relatives that would feel sorrow at the death of my body, so I answered that I want to return to the body, at which time, I immediately found myself in the body, fully aware....I learned from this experience that God is real and that the energy that constitutes the essence of God, which is Love, is actually the highest degree of unselfishness....this unselfishness, created us to share this joy of Love , for pure unselfish reasons...this is why we feel joy when we share with others, as we are feeling the Love of God and God's essence, which is Love..................namaste, thomas
Bhagavad Gita...grieving for the dead
The blessed Lord said,
'You grieve for those who should not be grieved for;
yet you speak wise words.
Neither for the dead nor those not dead do the wise grieve.
Never was there a time when I did not exist
nor you nor these lords of men.
Neither will there be a time when we shall not exist;
we all exist from now on.
As the soul experiences in this body
childhood, youth, and old age,
so also it acquires another body;
the sage in this is not deluded.
"'Material sensations, Kaunteya,
causing cold, heat, pleasure, pain,
coming and going are impermanent;
you must endure them, Bharata.
The person whom these do not trouble, powerful person,
pain and pleasure being equal to the sage,
he is ready for immortality.
"'The existence of the unreal is not found;
the non-existence of the real is not found.
The certainty of both of these has been seen
by the seers of essence.
Know that indestructible essence
by which all this is pervaded.
No one is able to cause the destruction of the imperishable.
These bodies have an end;
it is said of the indestructible, infinite soul
that it is eternal.
Therefore, fight, Bharata!
"'Whoever believes this the killer
and whoever thinks this the killed,
they both do not understand;
this does not kill and is not killed.
Neither is it born nor does it die at any time,
nor having been, will this again not be.
Unborn, eternal, perpetual this ancient being
is not killed with the killing of the body.
"'Whoever knows this, the indestructible,
the eternal, the unborn, the imperishable,
how does this person, Partha, cause the killing of anyone?
Whom does one kill?
As a person abandoning worn-out clothes takes new ones,
so abandoning worn-out bodies the soul enters new ones.
Weapons do not cut this nor does fire burn this,
and waters cannot wet this nor can wind dry it.
Not pierced this, not burned this, not wetted nor dried,
eternal, all-pervading, stable,
immovable is this everlasting.
Unmanifest this, it is said.
"'Therefore knowing this you should not mourn.
And if you think this is eternally born or eternally dying,
even then, you mighty armed, you should not mourn this.
Death is certain for the born,
and birth is certain for the dead.
Therefore you should not mourn over the inevitable.
"'Beings have unmanifest beginnings,
manifest middles, Bharata, unmanifest ends again.
What complaint is there?
Marvelously someone sees this,
and marvelously another thus tells,
and marvelously another hears this,
but even having heard no one knows this.
This embodied soul is eternally inviolable
in the body of all, Bharata.
Therefore you should not mourn for any being.
'You grieve for those who should not be grieved for;
yet you speak wise words.
Neither for the dead nor those not dead do the wise grieve.
Never was there a time when I did not exist
nor you nor these lords of men.
Neither will there be a time when we shall not exist;
we all exist from now on.
As the soul experiences in this body
childhood, youth, and old age,
so also it acquires another body;
the sage in this is not deluded.
"'Material sensations, Kaunteya,
causing cold, heat, pleasure, pain,
coming and going are impermanent;
you must endure them, Bharata.
The person whom these do not trouble, powerful person,
pain and pleasure being equal to the sage,
he is ready for immortality.
"'The existence of the unreal is not found;
the non-existence of the real is not found.
The certainty of both of these has been seen
by the seers of essence.
Know that indestructible essence
by which all this is pervaded.
No one is able to cause the destruction of the imperishable.
These bodies have an end;
it is said of the indestructible, infinite soul
that it is eternal.
Therefore, fight, Bharata!
"'Whoever believes this the killer
and whoever thinks this the killed,
they both do not understand;
this does not kill and is not killed.
Neither is it born nor does it die at any time,
nor having been, will this again not be.
Unborn, eternal, perpetual this ancient being
is not killed with the killing of the body.
"'Whoever knows this, the indestructible,
the eternal, the unborn, the imperishable,
how does this person, Partha, cause the killing of anyone?
Whom does one kill?
As a person abandoning worn-out clothes takes new ones,
so abandoning worn-out bodies the soul enters new ones.
Weapons do not cut this nor does fire burn this,
and waters cannot wet this nor can wind dry it.
Not pierced this, not burned this, not wetted nor dried,
eternal, all-pervading, stable,
immovable is this everlasting.
Unmanifest this, it is said.
"'Therefore knowing this you should not mourn.
And if you think this is eternally born or eternally dying,
even then, you mighty armed, you should not mourn this.
Death is certain for the born,
and birth is certain for the dead.
Therefore you should not mourn over the inevitable.
"'Beings have unmanifest beginnings,
manifest middles, Bharata, unmanifest ends again.
What complaint is there?
Marvelously someone sees this,
and marvelously another thus tells,
and marvelously another hears this,
but even having heard no one knows this.
This embodied soul is eternally inviolable
in the body of all, Bharata.
Therefore you should not mourn for any being.
Who We Really Are...
The Master listened intently to Chester's description of the event in the contemplation glade. Chester was obviously overwhelmed and seemed embarrassed. After Chester was finished he got around to finally eating lunch. As he ate the fruits and nuts the Master paced. He seemed reluctant to start. Instead Master sat down and started eating more of the carrots and celery chilled for him. "You experienced for a brief moment your Godness, your God Consciousness, your real self. You saw yourself as who you think you are and who you really are at the same time. You were blessed to see past the illusion and experience Eternity. Remember you told me science has discovered that everything is connected? God connects everything because everything is part of God. Our separateness from God is an illusion and part of our purpose is to see past the illusion and experience our connectedness to God."
Chester shook his head. "How? Why, and can I be that way again?"
"When you sat down and screamed you hated God. You, for the second time believed in him enough to hate him. If God did not exist, why do you hate him so much?"
Chester seemed puzzled, "Well, I guess, well because, your right. Why do I hate something that doesn't exist. My hatred betrayed me. I hated God because I know he exists yet I wish he didn't!"
Master held out a gold coin. Tell me why you had the experience in my contemplation glade and I will give you this gold coin." Chester's face drained of color. The Master reminded him, "You told me for a brief instant you knew everything. Certainly everything includes why you had the experience."
Chester sat up, "Not fair, I can't remember anything but feeling overwhelmed and full of intense joy." The Master seemed unconcerned and played with the gold coin. Making sure it sparkled in the sunlight. Chester gave up and said, "I give up." Chester looked up as if he was remembering something, "Wait, I remember. I was shown for a brief moment who I am so I would strive to become it again, I want it again!"
The Master stretched out the coin, "Tell me who you are and I will give you this."
Chester started with, "I'm Chessss...... No, I'm God."
The Master pulled the coin back a bit. "How can you be God?"
Chester licked his lips and closed his eyes. Straining he whispered, "I can't believe I know this. I'm the part of God that is experiencing this universe through me as me. I've been trying to remember this since I was first aware I was me."
The Master laughed and handed the gold coin to Chester. "You have spoken a truth." You have danced the Dance of Shiva.
from the book, The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion by Stephen Boston..
Chester shook his head. "How? Why, and can I be that way again?"
"When you sat down and screamed you hated God. You, for the second time believed in him enough to hate him. If God did not exist, why do you hate him so much?"
Chester seemed puzzled, "Well, I guess, well because, your right. Why do I hate something that doesn't exist. My hatred betrayed me. I hated God because I know he exists yet I wish he didn't!"
Master held out a gold coin. Tell me why you had the experience in my contemplation glade and I will give you this gold coin." Chester's face drained of color. The Master reminded him, "You told me for a brief instant you knew everything. Certainly everything includes why you had the experience."
Chester sat up, "Not fair, I can't remember anything but feeling overwhelmed and full of intense joy." The Master seemed unconcerned and played with the gold coin. Making sure it sparkled in the sunlight. Chester gave up and said, "I give up." Chester looked up as if he was remembering something, "Wait, I remember. I was shown for a brief moment who I am so I would strive to become it again, I want it again!"
The Master stretched out the coin, "Tell me who you are and I will give you this."
Chester started with, "I'm Chessss...... No, I'm God."
The Master pulled the coin back a bit. "How can you be God?"
Chester licked his lips and closed his eyes. Straining he whispered, "I can't believe I know this. I'm the part of God that is experiencing this universe through me as me. I've been trying to remember this since I was first aware I was me."
The Master laughed and handed the gold coin to Chester. "You have spoken a truth." You have danced the Dance of Shiva.
from the book, The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion by Stephen Boston..
The 5 Wisdoms of Science...
The Master waved his hands in exasperation. Chester looked up from the blackboard with his face in a classic puzzled response. The Master tried to explain, "You don't have to spend all your time trying to prove your conclusions to me. If I don't accept your conclusions I will ask questions. Otherwise just give me the conclusions." The Master smiled and gestured for Chester to continue. He paced back and forth as he played with a gold coin. He seemed to make it appear and disappear from one hand to the other.
Chester said, "Your slight of hand doesn't impress me. I have a couple of card tricks I can show you. Ok, you want conclusions and skip the reasoning process? Let me lay this on you. Quantum Reality is composed of Infinity! Its called the many worlds solution, but it describes our physical universe perfectly by allowing an infinite number of parallel universes to be part of the solution set."
The Master grinned and said, "I agree completely. An ancient Hindu Master told us that Brahma contained the infinities and all possibilities in his heart. One of the Seven Wisdoms is that the Infinite nature of God makess all things possible. I am not going to give you a gold coin for what my Master taught me many years ago. Please I'm waiting for new truth."
Chester was shocked at how quickly the Master agreed with one of the most profound discoveries of Quantum Science. "Ok, it gets more weird than that. Unless you observe something, it isn't real, it is only a potential set of probabilities that are not resolved unless observed. Aha, that should blow you away!"
The Master laughed! "My Master taught me long ago that what I call reality is just my awareness choosing one of the infinite paths that lay before me. He taught me that all life sprang from the Absolute Awareness and discovers its place in the Infinite. That sounds much like your Quantum Reality. I want you to tell me something I don't know."
Chester pointed out, "All of the material physical universe is a balance of forces. Positive and negative energy in balance in an infinite array of forms and patterns. In fact, all of reality is a zero sum game."
The Master nodded and said. "The Wisdom of Balance. You know much already. Please..." His voice trailed off as he played with the gold coin and watched Chester think.
Undaunted Chester quickly shot back. "At the subatomic layer all reality is non-local."
The Master paused and asked, "What do you mean by non-local?"
Chester smiled and said, "At the most basic level of reality there is no separateness. Everything is connected to everything else. I barely believe it myself."
The Master pushed his index fingers together and pressed them to his lips. His eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Oneness. You describe Oneness. You are sharing with me some of the Seven Wisdoms. But I understand the non-separateness of this world for nothing is separate from God."
Chester licked his lips. This was harder than he thought. He watched the Master play with the ancient gold coin. "Ok, time is an illusion. It is relative to the motion of the observer! Aha, I got ya there!"
The Master held out his hands and said, "Science is wise. You have shared with me 5 Wisdoms. I am impressed you know these. You lack but 2 wisdoms to be a Master. Your time is an illusion is most perceptive of your knowing. For time is the opposite of Eternity. Eternity is one of the Absolute Aspects of God. All that there is and always will be, is the Eternal Ever Changing Now. All the past is, is the memory of the pattern before and all the future is, is anticipation of the pattern to come. There is no time there is just now." The Master pushed the coin into his pocket. "We talk again later. It is time for lunch." ............from the Reluctant Messenger..
Chester said, "Your slight of hand doesn't impress me. I have a couple of card tricks I can show you. Ok, you want conclusions and skip the reasoning process? Let me lay this on you. Quantum Reality is composed of Infinity! Its called the many worlds solution, but it describes our physical universe perfectly by allowing an infinite number of parallel universes to be part of the solution set."
The Master grinned and said, "I agree completely. An ancient Hindu Master told us that Brahma contained the infinities and all possibilities in his heart. One of the Seven Wisdoms is that the Infinite nature of God makess all things possible. I am not going to give you a gold coin for what my Master taught me many years ago. Please I'm waiting for new truth."
Chester was shocked at how quickly the Master agreed with one of the most profound discoveries of Quantum Science. "Ok, it gets more weird than that. Unless you observe something, it isn't real, it is only a potential set of probabilities that are not resolved unless observed. Aha, that should blow you away!"
The Master laughed! "My Master taught me long ago that what I call reality is just my awareness choosing one of the infinite paths that lay before me. He taught me that all life sprang from the Absolute Awareness and discovers its place in the Infinite. That sounds much like your Quantum Reality. I want you to tell me something I don't know."
Chester pointed out, "All of the material physical universe is a balance of forces. Positive and negative energy in balance in an infinite array of forms and patterns. In fact, all of reality is a zero sum game."
The Master nodded and said. "The Wisdom of Balance. You know much already. Please..." His voice trailed off as he played with the gold coin and watched Chester think.
Undaunted Chester quickly shot back. "At the subatomic layer all reality is non-local."
The Master paused and asked, "What do you mean by non-local?"
Chester smiled and said, "At the most basic level of reality there is no separateness. Everything is connected to everything else. I barely believe it myself."
The Master pushed his index fingers together and pressed them to his lips. His eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Oneness. You describe Oneness. You are sharing with me some of the Seven Wisdoms. But I understand the non-separateness of this world for nothing is separate from God."
Chester licked his lips. This was harder than he thought. He watched the Master play with the ancient gold coin. "Ok, time is an illusion. It is relative to the motion of the observer! Aha, I got ya there!"
The Master held out his hands and said, "Science is wise. You have shared with me 5 Wisdoms. I am impressed you know these. You lack but 2 wisdoms to be a Master. Your time is an illusion is most perceptive of your knowing. For time is the opposite of Eternity. Eternity is one of the Absolute Aspects of God. All that there is and always will be, is the Eternal Ever Changing Now. All the past is, is the memory of the pattern before and all the future is, is anticipation of the pattern to come. There is no time there is just now." The Master pushed the coin into his pocket. "We talk again later. It is time for lunch." ............from the Reluctant Messenger..
The Self........by Sananda
The Self is immaculate beyond conception.
When the Self is known then Unity with God is realised.
The body is but a vessel to carry us to the other shore.
The Self does not think, because already it is the Known.
Let the Self be your Guru.
When the Self is known then Unity with God is realised.
The body is but a vessel to carry us to the other shore.
The Self does not think, because already it is the Known.
Let the Self be your Guru.
Satsanga.....by Sananda
I sit quietly to the side
of the Satsanga
overcome with emotion
at the beauty which surrounds me.
From darting glances behind
my lowered eyes
I catch quick glimpses
of this illustrious company.
There is Jesus and with him Muhammad,
Nanak sits next to Buddha,
Abraham is beside Mahavira,
and Krishna sits next to Moses.
As I look from saint to saddhu,
holyman to messiah,
I can see the face of God
in the unity of this gathering.
of the Satsanga
overcome with emotion
at the beauty which surrounds me.
From darting glances behind
my lowered eyes
I catch quick glimpses
of this illustrious company.
There is Jesus and with him Muhammad,
Nanak sits next to Buddha,
Abraham is beside Mahavira,
and Krishna sits next to Moses.
As I look from saint to saddhu,
holyman to messiah,
I can see the face of God
in the unity of this gathering.
Transform all your Actions into Sacred Actions and be Free
As long as you act with body-consciousness, that is, as long as you
identify yourself as the doer of an action, then that action
cannot be karma yoga. Any action performed with the feeling of
ego, the sense that I did it, or with the sense of attachment,
that it is my act, can only bring sorrow to you in the end.
Such actions will always result in further bondage. However,
when you transform your actions into yoga, then you become free
from bondage. How does action or karma become yoga? All actions
performed as offerings to the divinity, without any sense of
individual doership and without seeking any personal results,
will be transformed into yoga.
Numerous troubles arise when one acts with a feeling of egoism.
Inwardly, you might feel, 'This action was performed by me, so
I should derive the benefits from this action. I worked, so I
deserve to get paid. I am certainly entitled to the rewards
accruing from these actions that I have performed.' Such
feelings serve only to further strengthen the sense of ego, the sense
of I and mine. As this sense of I and mine goes on increasing,
the atma goes further and further into obscurity, and the joy emerging
from the atma goes on decreasing. To destroy egoism completely,
Krishna asked Arjuna to transform all his actions into yoga.
What is the method of transforming your action into yoga? You
must become impersonal; you must not identify yourself with the actions
or the results that accrue from them, but, instead, concentrate fully
on the action itself, remaining indifferent to the results. In other
words, you act because it is your nature to do so, offering all
your efforts to the indwelling divinity, and remaining totally
unconcerned and disinterested in the fruit. With such a feeling
of detachment, whatever task you become engaged in will become
sacred.
There is the example of King Janaka, who showed by his life that if you
perform actions without any desire for the fruit and without any
personal interest in the act, then your accomplishments can
indeed become very great. While ruling a kingdom, and bearing
all the responsibilities associated with it, King Janaka
performed all his acts with the attitude that he was only the
witness. Because he acted without any attachment to the results,
Janaka became a sacred king, a monarch who was also a yogi.
mukundan
(saibaba gita)
identify yourself as the doer of an action, then that action
cannot be karma yoga. Any action performed with the feeling of
ego, the sense that I did it, or with the sense of attachment,
that it is my act, can only bring sorrow to you in the end.
Such actions will always result in further bondage. However,
when you transform your actions into yoga, then you become free
from bondage. How does action or karma become yoga? All actions
performed as offerings to the divinity, without any sense of
individual doership and without seeking any personal results,
will be transformed into yoga.
Numerous troubles arise when one acts with a feeling of egoism.
Inwardly, you might feel, 'This action was performed by me, so
I should derive the benefits from this action. I worked, so I
deserve to get paid. I am certainly entitled to the rewards
accruing from these actions that I have performed.' Such
feelings serve only to further strengthen the sense of ego, the sense
of I and mine. As this sense of I and mine goes on increasing,
the atma goes further and further into obscurity, and the joy emerging
from the atma goes on decreasing. To destroy egoism completely,
Krishna asked Arjuna to transform all his actions into yoga.
What is the method of transforming your action into yoga? You
must become impersonal; you must not identify yourself with the actions
or the results that accrue from them, but, instead, concentrate fully
on the action itself, remaining indifferent to the results. In other
words, you act because it is your nature to do so, offering all
your efforts to the indwelling divinity, and remaining totally
unconcerned and disinterested in the fruit. With such a feeling
of detachment, whatever task you become engaged in will become
sacred.
There is the example of King Janaka, who showed by his life that if you
perform actions without any desire for the fruit and without any
personal interest in the act, then your accomplishments can
indeed become very great. While ruling a kingdom, and bearing
all the responsibilities associated with it, King Janaka
performed all his acts with the attitude that he was only the
witness. Because he acted without any attachment to the results,
Janaka became a sacred king, a monarch who was also a yogi.
mukundan
(saibaba gita)
Pride...
The word pride has been used as an admonition, but we must understand
what this word means...Pride means that we worship the false ego more
than we worship Love....most of us realize that God is the energy of
Love, therefore, we distance ouselves from the source of Love with the
barrier called pride...but to believe that we are God (Love), is the
only way that we can return to Love....since, we have "free will", we
can believe that we are separate from Love (GOD) and thus commit the
sin called pride....It is this belief in duality that keeps us
reincarnating into the material plane, life after life, until we
realize Truth....You will only be allowed to return into the energy
field called Love (God), when you have conquered your pride and become
God.................namaste, thomas
what this word means...Pride means that we worship the false ego more
than we worship Love....most of us realize that God is the energy of
Love, therefore, we distance ouselves from the source of Love with the
barrier called pride...but to believe that we are God (Love), is the
only way that we can return to Love....since, we have "free will", we
can believe that we are separate from Love (GOD) and thus commit the
sin called pride....It is this belief in duality that keeps us
reincarnating into the material plane, life after life, until we
realize Truth....You will only be allowed to return into the energy
field called Love (God), when you have conquered your pride and become
God.................namaste, thomas
Avoid fear, it grows. Face fear, it goes.
A mouse was always distressed because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But then it became afraid of the dog. So the magician turned it into a dog. Then it began to fear the panther. So the magician turned it into a panther, whereupon it became fearful of the hunter. At this point, he turned it into a mouse again saying, “Nothing I do for you is going to be of any help because you have the heart of a mouse.”
More than 95% of everything you've feared has never happened. So let us become aware of what fear is and overcome the fear of fear. Fear permeates all forms of life. The purpose of fear is to warn you of a situation that is unfamiliar to you. It pre-empts danger and initiates the physiological responses needed to face or escape the situation. Fear is actually a protector. Fear is a message, not a weakness. In fact, if you had no fear you would have been dead long ago.
Face your fears and understand them. Use your fear as a guide to help you understand and prepare for a challenge and not as an excuse for abandoning it. It is important to be brave in the face of fear and act in spite of it. Confidence is your belief that you will make it through in spite of your fear. You destroy confidence by giving in to fear, and you destroy fear by giving in to confidence. It is okay to be afraid, but it is not okay to escape. Face it. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to go ahead in spite of
fear.That which you do not face controls you, and that which controls you causes fear in you. You think you avoid public speaking because you fear it; in reality, because you are not facing the public, you develop fear of the public. You do not avoid your dad because you fear him; because you avoid him, you begin to fear him. Just because we are going to die one day, we don't stop living. Just because you fear something,don't stop facing it.
So what's the solution? If I have to kill a lion, I have to face it. Repeatedly face what you fear and fear will be vanquished. Courage is just an initiative away from fear. Go ahead in spite of fear. Take that step forward in spite of your fear. Conquer fear fearlessly.
Avoid fear, it grows. Face fear, it goes........................devi kumar
More than 95% of everything you've feared has never happened. So let us become aware of what fear is and overcome the fear of fear. Fear permeates all forms of life. The purpose of fear is to warn you of a situation that is unfamiliar to you. It pre-empts danger and initiates the physiological responses needed to face or escape the situation. Fear is actually a protector. Fear is a message, not a weakness. In fact, if you had no fear you would have been dead long ago.
Face your fears and understand them. Use your fear as a guide to help you understand and prepare for a challenge and not as an excuse for abandoning it. It is important to be brave in the face of fear and act in spite of it. Confidence is your belief that you will make it through in spite of your fear. You destroy confidence by giving in to fear, and you destroy fear by giving in to confidence. It is okay to be afraid, but it is not okay to escape. Face it. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to go ahead in spite of
fear.That which you do not face controls you, and that which controls you causes fear in you. You think you avoid public speaking because you fear it; in reality, because you are not facing the public, you develop fear of the public. You do not avoid your dad because you fear him; because you avoid him, you begin to fear him. Just because we are going to die one day, we don't stop living. Just because you fear something,don't stop facing it.
So what's the solution? If I have to kill a lion, I have to face it. Repeatedly face what you fear and fear will be vanquished. Courage is just an initiative away from fear. Go ahead in spite of fear. Take that step forward in spite of your fear. Conquer fear fearlessly.
Avoid fear, it grows. Face fear, it goes........................devi kumar
The Gospel of Buddha...chap.sixteen by Paul Carus circa 1894
The Sermon at Benares...
On seeing their old teacher approach,
the five bhikkhus agreed among themselves not to salute him,
nor to address him as a master, but by his name only.
"For," so they said, "he has broken his vow and has abandoned holiness.
He is no bhikkhu but Gotama,
and Gotama has become a man who lives in abundance
and indulges in the pleasures of worldliness." [1]
But when the Blessed One approached in a dignified manner,
they involuntarily rose from their seats
and greeted him in spite of their resolution.
Still they called him by his name and addressed him as "friend Gotama." [2]
When they had thus received the Blessed One, he said:
"Do not call the Tathagata by his name
nor address him as 'friend,'
for he is the Buddha, the Holy One.
The Buddha looks with a kind heart equally on all living beings,
and they therefore call him 'father.'
To disrespect a father is wrong; to despise him, is wicked. [3]
"The Tathagata," the Buddha continued,
"does not seek salvation in austerities,
but neither does he for that reason indulge in worldly pleasures, nor live in abudance.
The Tathagata has found the middle path. [4]
"There are two extremes, O bhikkhus,
which the man who has given up the world ought not follow -
the habitual practice, on the one hand,
of self-indulgence which is unworthy, vain and fit only for the worldly-minded -
and the habitual practice, on the other hand,
of self-mortification, which is painful, useless and unprofitable. [5]
"Neither abstinance from fish or flesh, nor going naked,
nor shaving the head, nor wearing matted hair,
nor dressing in a rough garment, nor covering oneself with dirt,
nor sacrificing to Agni, will cleanse a man
who is not free from delusions. [6]
"Reading the Vedas, making offering to priests,
or sacrifices to the gods, self-mortification by heat or cold,
and many such penances performed for the sake of immortality,
these do not cleanse the man who is not free from delusions. [7]
"Anger, drunkenness, obstinacy, bigotry, deception, envy, self-praise,
disparaging others, superciliousness and evil intentions constitute uncleanness;
not verily the eating of flesh. [8]
"A middle path, O bhikkhus,
avoiding the two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata -
a path which opens the eyes, and bestowes understanding,
which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom,
to full enlightenment, to Nirvana! [9]
"What is that middle path, O bhikkhus,
avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata -
that path which opens the eyes, and bestows understanding,
which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana? [10]
"Let me teach you, O bhikkhus, the middle path,
which keeps aloof from both extremes.
By suffering, the emanciated devotee produces confusion and sickly thoughts in his mind.
Mortification is not condusive even to worldly knowledge;
how much less to a triumph over the senses! [11]
"He who fills the lamp with water will not dispel the darkness,
and he who tries to light a fire with rotten wood will fail.
And how can any one be free from self by leading a wretched life,
if he does not succeed in quenching the fires of lust,
if he still hankers after either worldly or heavenly pleasures.
But he in whom self has become extinct is free form lust;
he will desire neither worldly nor heavenly pleasures,
and the satisfaction of his natural wants will not defile him.
However, let him be moderate,
let him eat and drink according to the needs of the body. [12]
"Sensuality is enervating; the self-indulgent man is a slave to his passions,
and pleasure-seeking is degrading and vulgar. [13]
"But to satisfy the necessities of life is not evil.
To keep the body in good health is a duty,
for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom,
and keep our mind strong and clear.
Water surrounds the lotus-flower,
but does not wet its petals. [14]
"This is the middle path, O bhikkhus,
that keeps aloof from both extremes." [15]
And the Blessed One spoke kindly to his disciples,
pitying them for their errors,
and pointing out the uselessness of their endeavours,
and the ice of ill-will that chilled their hearts
melted away under the gentle warmth of the Master's persuasion. [16]
Now the Blessed One set the wheel of the most excellent law rolling,
and he began to preach to the five bhikkhus,
opening to them the gate of immortality,
and showing them the bliss of Nirvana. [17]
The Buddha said: [18]
"The spokes of the wheel are the rules of pure conduct:
justice is the uniformity of their length;
wisdom is the tire;
modesty and thoughtfulness are the hub
in which the immovable axle of truth is fixed. [19]
"He who recognizes the existence of suffering,
its cause, its remedy, and its cessation
has fathomed the four noble truths.
He will walk in the right path. [20]
"Right views will be the torch to light his way.
Right aspirations will be his guide.
Right speech will be his dwelling-place on the road.
His gait will be straight, for it is right behaviour.
His refreshments will be the right way of earning his livelihood.
Right efforts will be his steps; right thoughts his breath;
and right contemplation will give him the peace that follows in his footprints. [21]
"Now, this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering: [22]
"Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful.
Union with the unpleasant is painful, painful is separation from the pleasant,
and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful.
In brief, bodily conditions which spring from attachment are painful. [23]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering. [24]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering: [25]
"Verily, it is that craving which causes the renewal of existences,
accompanied by sensual delight, seeking satisfaction now here, now there,
the craving for the gratifiaction of the passions,
the craving for a future life,
and the craving for happiness in this life. [26]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering. [27]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering: [28]
"Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of this very thirst;
it is the laying aside of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this thirst. [29]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering. [30]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way which leads to the destruction of sorrow.
Verily! it is this noble eightfold path;
that is to say: [31]
"Right views;
right aspirations;
right speech;
right behaviour;
right livelihood;
right effort;
right thoughts;
and right contemplation. [32]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of sorrow. [33]
"By the practice of loving kindness I have attained liberation of heart,
and thus I am assured that I shall never return in renewed births.
I have even now attained Nirvana." [34]
And the Blessed One had thus set the royal chariot-wheel of truth rolling onward,
a rapture thrilled through all the universes. [35]
The devas left their heavenly abodes to listen to the sweetness of the truth;
the saints that had parted from life crowded around the great teacher to receive the glad tidings;
even the animals of the earth felt the bliss that rested upon the words of the Tathagata:
and all the creatures of the host of sentient beings, gods, men, and beasts,
hearing the message of deliverance, received and understood it in their own language. [36]
And when the doctrine was propounded, the venerable Kondannya,
the oldest one among the five bhikkhus,
discerned the truth with his mental eye, and he said:
"Truly, O Buddha, our Lord, thou hast found the truth!"
Then the other bhikkhus too, joined him and exclaimed:
"Truly, thou art the Buddha, thou hast found the truth." [37]
And the devas and saints and all the good spirits of the departed generations
that had listened to the sermon of the Tathagata,
joyfully received the doctrine and shouted:
"Truly, the Blessed One has founded the kingdom of righteousness.
The Blessed One has moved the earth;
he has set the wheel of Truth rolling,
which by no one in the universe, be he god or man,
can ever be turned back.
The kingdom of Truth will be preached upon earth;
it will spread; and righteousness, good-will, and peace
will reign among mankind." [38]
On seeing their old teacher approach,
the five bhikkhus agreed among themselves not to salute him,
nor to address him as a master, but by his name only.
"For," so they said, "he has broken his vow and has abandoned holiness.
He is no bhikkhu but Gotama,
and Gotama has become a man who lives in abundance
and indulges in the pleasures of worldliness." [1]
But when the Blessed One approached in a dignified manner,
they involuntarily rose from their seats
and greeted him in spite of their resolution.
Still they called him by his name and addressed him as "friend Gotama." [2]
When they had thus received the Blessed One, he said:
"Do not call the Tathagata by his name
nor address him as 'friend,'
for he is the Buddha, the Holy One.
The Buddha looks with a kind heart equally on all living beings,
and they therefore call him 'father.'
To disrespect a father is wrong; to despise him, is wicked. [3]
"The Tathagata," the Buddha continued,
"does not seek salvation in austerities,
but neither does he for that reason indulge in worldly pleasures, nor live in abudance.
The Tathagata has found the middle path. [4]
"There are two extremes, O bhikkhus,
which the man who has given up the world ought not follow -
the habitual practice, on the one hand,
of self-indulgence which is unworthy, vain and fit only for the worldly-minded -
and the habitual practice, on the other hand,
of self-mortification, which is painful, useless and unprofitable. [5]
"Neither abstinance from fish or flesh, nor going naked,
nor shaving the head, nor wearing matted hair,
nor dressing in a rough garment, nor covering oneself with dirt,
nor sacrificing to Agni, will cleanse a man
who is not free from delusions. [6]
"Reading the Vedas, making offering to priests,
or sacrifices to the gods, self-mortification by heat or cold,
and many such penances performed for the sake of immortality,
these do not cleanse the man who is not free from delusions. [7]
"Anger, drunkenness, obstinacy, bigotry, deception, envy, self-praise,
disparaging others, superciliousness and evil intentions constitute uncleanness;
not verily the eating of flesh. [8]
"A middle path, O bhikkhus,
avoiding the two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata -
a path which opens the eyes, and bestowes understanding,
which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom,
to full enlightenment, to Nirvana! [9]
"What is that middle path, O bhikkhus,
avoiding these two extremes, discovered by the Tathagata -
that path which opens the eyes, and bestows understanding,
which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana? [10]
"Let me teach you, O bhikkhus, the middle path,
which keeps aloof from both extremes.
By suffering, the emanciated devotee produces confusion and sickly thoughts in his mind.
Mortification is not condusive even to worldly knowledge;
how much less to a triumph over the senses! [11]
"He who fills the lamp with water will not dispel the darkness,
and he who tries to light a fire with rotten wood will fail.
And how can any one be free from self by leading a wretched life,
if he does not succeed in quenching the fires of lust,
if he still hankers after either worldly or heavenly pleasures.
But he in whom self has become extinct is free form lust;
he will desire neither worldly nor heavenly pleasures,
and the satisfaction of his natural wants will not defile him.
However, let him be moderate,
let him eat and drink according to the needs of the body. [12]
"Sensuality is enervating; the self-indulgent man is a slave to his passions,
and pleasure-seeking is degrading and vulgar. [13]
"But to satisfy the necessities of life is not evil.
To keep the body in good health is a duty,
for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom,
and keep our mind strong and clear.
Water surrounds the lotus-flower,
but does not wet its petals. [14]
"This is the middle path, O bhikkhus,
that keeps aloof from both extremes." [15]
And the Blessed One spoke kindly to his disciples,
pitying them for their errors,
and pointing out the uselessness of their endeavours,
and the ice of ill-will that chilled their hearts
melted away under the gentle warmth of the Master's persuasion. [16]
Now the Blessed One set the wheel of the most excellent law rolling,
and he began to preach to the five bhikkhus,
opening to them the gate of immortality,
and showing them the bliss of Nirvana. [17]
The Buddha said: [18]
"The spokes of the wheel are the rules of pure conduct:
justice is the uniformity of their length;
wisdom is the tire;
modesty and thoughtfulness are the hub
in which the immovable axle of truth is fixed. [19]
"He who recognizes the existence of suffering,
its cause, its remedy, and its cessation
has fathomed the four noble truths.
He will walk in the right path. [20]
"Right views will be the torch to light his way.
Right aspirations will be his guide.
Right speech will be his dwelling-place on the road.
His gait will be straight, for it is right behaviour.
His refreshments will be the right way of earning his livelihood.
Right efforts will be his steps; right thoughts his breath;
and right contemplation will give him the peace that follows in his footprints. [21]
"Now, this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering: [22]
"Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful.
Union with the unpleasant is painful, painful is separation from the pleasant,
and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful.
In brief, bodily conditions which spring from attachment are painful. [23]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering. [24]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering: [25]
"Verily, it is that craving which causes the renewal of existences,
accompanied by sensual delight, seeking satisfaction now here, now there,
the craving for the gratifiaction of the passions,
the craving for a future life,
and the craving for happiness in this life. [26]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering. [27]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering: [28]
"Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of this very thirst;
it is the laying aside of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this thirst. [29]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering. [30]
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way which leads to the destruction of sorrow.
Verily! it is this noble eightfold path;
that is to say: [31]
"Right views;
right aspirations;
right speech;
right behaviour;
right livelihood;
right effort;
right thoughts;
and right contemplation. [32]
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of sorrow. [33]
"By the practice of loving kindness I have attained liberation of heart,
and thus I am assured that I shall never return in renewed births.
I have even now attained Nirvana." [34]
And the Blessed One had thus set the royal chariot-wheel of truth rolling onward,
a rapture thrilled through all the universes. [35]
The devas left their heavenly abodes to listen to the sweetness of the truth;
the saints that had parted from life crowded around the great teacher to receive the glad tidings;
even the animals of the earth felt the bliss that rested upon the words of the Tathagata:
and all the creatures of the host of sentient beings, gods, men, and beasts,
hearing the message of deliverance, received and understood it in their own language. [36]
And when the doctrine was propounded, the venerable Kondannya,
the oldest one among the five bhikkhus,
discerned the truth with his mental eye, and he said:
"Truly, O Buddha, our Lord, thou hast found the truth!"
Then the other bhikkhus too, joined him and exclaimed:
"Truly, thou art the Buddha, thou hast found the truth." [37]
And the devas and saints and all the good spirits of the departed generations
that had listened to the sermon of the Tathagata,
joyfully received the doctrine and shouted:
"Truly, the Blessed One has founded the kingdom of righteousness.
The Blessed One has moved the earth;
he has set the wheel of Truth rolling,
which by no one in the universe, be he god or man,
can ever be turned back.
The kingdom of Truth will be preached upon earth;
it will spread; and righteousness, good-will, and peace
will reign among mankind." [38]
Becoming One with the Lord...
So long as there remains a separate river distant from the ocean,
which is its source and its goal, then the river will retain a
separate name and have an individual identity. But once the river
merges into the ocean it gets the taste of the ocean, it gets the form
of the ocean, and it takes on the name of the ocean. If you want to
become one with the Lord, you have to acquire the feelings of the
Lord, you have to acquire the form of the Lord and you have to acquire
all the sacred characteristics of the Lord. Only then will you be one
with him.
You have to feel that all the attributes of the Lord must manifest
themselves in you. Affirm to yourself: "The broadmindedness of the
Lord is within me. All the selfless feelings of the Lord are within
me. The unbounded love of the Lord is within me." When you faithfully
live this conviction then you eventually attain the realization that
you and he are one. Then there is perfect unity.
You must continuously strive for this feeling of unity. You must make
every effort to gain it. Then you will reach that fulfillment one day.
This is the ultimate goal of human life. It is only when you reach
that place, the place from which you have originally come, that true
fulfillment will be yours.
mukundan
saibaba gita
which is its source and its goal, then the river will retain a
separate name and have an individual identity. But once the river
merges into the ocean it gets the taste of the ocean, it gets the form
of the ocean, and it takes on the name of the ocean. If you want to
become one with the Lord, you have to acquire the feelings of the
Lord, you have to acquire the form of the Lord and you have to acquire
all the sacred characteristics of the Lord. Only then will you be one
with him.
You have to feel that all the attributes of the Lord must manifest
themselves in you. Affirm to yourself: "The broadmindedness of the
Lord is within me. All the selfless feelings of the Lord are within
me. The unbounded love of the Lord is within me." When you faithfully
live this conviction then you eventually attain the realization that
you and he are one. Then there is perfect unity.
You must continuously strive for this feeling of unity. You must make
every effort to gain it. Then you will reach that fulfillment one day.
This is the ultimate goal of human life. It is only when you reach
that place, the place from which you have originally come, that true
fulfillment will be yours.
mukundan
saibaba gita
Suggestion...
In dealing with the subconscious mind we saw that the habitual liar comes to believe in their own lies. We decided that this was so because he or she had told the lie so often that it became a reality to them. This is what is meant by suggestion. A "suggestion" is a statement so repeated and enforced that it becomes for the subconscious mind a truth.
Now we can see the vicious circle in which we are. We look at the adverse conditions around us and give our subconscious mind a strong suggestion of limitation. People around us are suffering from poverty and disease and our subconscious mind assimilates the suggestion that such conditions constitute reality, and proceeds to evolve those conditions for us, unless we are strong enough to counter the negative suggestion with a sufficiently strong affirmative suggestion.
By adequate affirmative suggestion, we can alter our surroundings and a realisation of this fact is summed up in the phrase ''Nothing succeeds like success.'' This simply means that the first small success acted as an affirmative suggestion which led to the next and perhaps slightly larger success. And so on, ad infinitum.
Having read all that has gone before we should be in possession of all those facts which will provide the means to an effective practice of Mental Science on our own lives............mental-science.org
Now we can see the vicious circle in which we are. We look at the adverse conditions around us and give our subconscious mind a strong suggestion of limitation. People around us are suffering from poverty and disease and our subconscious mind assimilates the suggestion that such conditions constitute reality, and proceeds to evolve those conditions for us, unless we are strong enough to counter the negative suggestion with a sufficiently strong affirmative suggestion.
By adequate affirmative suggestion, we can alter our surroundings and a realisation of this fact is summed up in the phrase ''Nothing succeeds like success.'' This simply means that the first small success acted as an affirmative suggestion which led to the next and perhaps slightly larger success. And so on, ad infinitum.
Having read all that has gone before we should be in possession of all those facts which will provide the means to an effective practice of Mental Science on our own lives............mental-science.org
Scientist and Christian theologians both correct about Evolution
The Christian theologians have been describing the first phase of
evolution, which is God's pure consciousness evolving into matter, or
the infinite manifesting itself as the finite. On the other hand, the
scientists have been describing the second phase of evolution, which
is the evolution of matter back to God's pure consciousness.
Therefore, they are both describing evolution, just different phases.
Pure consciousness in evolution is like a passenger on a short journey
because the passenger doesn't change, just the scenery. Pure
consciousness doesn't change in evolution, one just becomes aware of
one's pure consciousness as it faces and reflects the Infinite.
Everyone has pure consciousness because in every heart there is a
secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of the soul, pure
consciousness, but not everyone is mindful of it. God's pure
consciousness doesn't change, but people change allowing pure
consciousness to shine through them.
In God's pure consciousness every spiritual element moves in agreement
with everything else in creation. There is a divine rhythm unfolding
continually because God's spiritual ideas are included in that rhythm
that we call evolution. To demonstrate in our daily lives the rhythm
and harmony that pure consciousness establishes, one needs to yield to
the presence and authority of God. At the present moment we have
forgotten our relationship with God due to our interaction with
material energy and because of this forgetfulness we face many
problems so we need to reawaken our original God consciousness, then
we will be happy. The real solution is not material advancement, but
to get out of the material condition by becoming aware of Christ
consciousness. It is imperative that we look at creation another way
from the standpoint of Christ consciousness, rather than considering
creation and life from a material perspective. We can realize that our
true existence is spiritual and that God's creation is present in pure
consciousness because Christ did it by recognizing that God through
pure consciousness is present everywhere. This pure consciousness is
active in our daily lives even though it is invisible to the material
senses. The site showing how the scientist and theologians are both
correct about evolution is thinkunity.com/page6.html
evolution, which is God's pure consciousness evolving into matter, or
the infinite manifesting itself as the finite. On the other hand, the
scientists have been describing the second phase of evolution, which
is the evolution of matter back to God's pure consciousness.
Therefore, they are both describing evolution, just different phases.
Pure consciousness in evolution is like a passenger on a short journey
because the passenger doesn't change, just the scenery. Pure
consciousness doesn't change in evolution, one just becomes aware of
one's pure consciousness as it faces and reflects the Infinite.
Everyone has pure consciousness because in every heart there is a
secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of the soul, pure
consciousness, but not everyone is mindful of it. God's pure
consciousness doesn't change, but people change allowing pure
consciousness to shine through them.
In God's pure consciousness every spiritual element moves in agreement
with everything else in creation. There is a divine rhythm unfolding
continually because God's spiritual ideas are included in that rhythm
that we call evolution. To demonstrate in our daily lives the rhythm
and harmony that pure consciousness establishes, one needs to yield to
the presence and authority of God. At the present moment we have
forgotten our relationship with God due to our interaction with
material energy and because of this forgetfulness we face many
problems so we need to reawaken our original God consciousness, then
we will be happy. The real solution is not material advancement, but
to get out of the material condition by becoming aware of Christ
consciousness. It is imperative that we look at creation another way
from the standpoint of Christ consciousness, rather than considering
creation and life from a material perspective. We can realize that our
true existence is spiritual and that God's creation is present in pure
consciousness because Christ did it by recognizing that God through
pure consciousness is present everywhere. This pure consciousness is
active in our daily lives even though it is invisible to the material
senses. The site showing how the scientist and theologians are both
correct about evolution is thinkunity.com/page6.html
Bhagavad Gita...Chapter 14
"'Those staying good go upward;
the emotional remain in the middle;
the lowest quality state, the dark, go downward.
"'When the observer perceives
no doer other than the qualities
and knows the highest, this one attains my essence.
Transcending these three qualities coming to be in the body,
the embodied, released from birth, death, old age, pain,
attains immortality.'
"Arjuna said,
'By what characteristics does the one transcending
these three qualities come to be, Lord?
What is the conduct?
And how does one transcend these three qualities?'
"The blessed Lord said,
'Illumination and progress and delusion, son of Pandu,
one neither hates their occurrence
nor longs for their absence.
Whoever is seated impartially
is not disturbed by the qualities;
the qualities operate thus;
whoever stands firm does not waver;
the same in pain and pleasure, self-reliant,
the same to a clod, a stone, gold,
equal to the loved and the unloved, constant,
equal to blame and praise,
in honor and dishonor equal,
equal toward friend and enemy,
renouncing all undertakings,
this one is said to be quality-transcending.
And whoever serves me with unswerving devotional union,
transcending these qualities
this one is fit for God realization.
For I am the foundation of God,
of the immortal and of the imperishable
and of everlasting justice and of absolute happiness.'
the emotional remain in the middle;
the lowest quality state, the dark, go downward.
"'When the observer perceives
no doer other than the qualities
and knows the highest, this one attains my essence.
Transcending these three qualities coming to be in the body,
the embodied, released from birth, death, old age, pain,
attains immortality.'
"Arjuna said,
'By what characteristics does the one transcending
these three qualities come to be, Lord?
What is the conduct?
And how does one transcend these three qualities?'
"The blessed Lord said,
'Illumination and progress and delusion, son of Pandu,
one neither hates their occurrence
nor longs for their absence.
Whoever is seated impartially
is not disturbed by the qualities;
the qualities operate thus;
whoever stands firm does not waver;
the same in pain and pleasure, self-reliant,
the same to a clod, a stone, gold,
equal to the loved and the unloved, constant,
equal to blame and praise,
in honor and dishonor equal,
equal toward friend and enemy,
renouncing all undertakings,
this one is said to be quality-transcending.
And whoever serves me with unswerving devotional union,
transcending these qualities
this one is fit for God realization.
For I am the foundation of God,
of the immortal and of the imperishable
and of everlasting justice and of absolute happiness.'
To Die........
For what is it to die,
But to stand in the sun and melt into the wind?
And when the Earth has claimed our limbs,
Then we shall truly dance.
-- Kahlil Gibran
But to stand in the sun and melt into the wind?
And when the Earth has claimed our limbs,
Then we shall truly dance.
-- Kahlil Gibran
Nicodemus visits Jesus in the night. Jesus reveals to him the meaning of the new birth and the kingdom of heaven.
NICODEMUS was a ruler of the Jews, and he was earnest, learned and devout. 2 He saw the master's signet in the face of Jesus as he talked, but was not brave enough to publicly confess his faith in him; 3 So in the night he went to talk with Jesus at the home of Jude. 4 When Jesus saw him come he said, Full blessed are the pure in heart; 5 Twice blessed are the fearless, pure in heart; 6 Thrice blessed are the fearless, pure in heart who dare to make confession of their faith before the highest courts. 7 And Nicodemus said, Hail, master, hail! I know you are a teacher come from God, for man alone could never teach as you have taught; could never do the works that you have done. 8 And Jesus said, Except a man be born again he cannot see the king; he cannot comprehend the words I speak. 9 And Nicodemus said, How can a man be born again? Can he go back into the womb and come again to life? 10 And Jesus said, The birth of which I speak is not the birth of flesh. 11 Except a man be born of water and the Holy Breath, he cannot come into the kingdom of the Holy One. 12 That which is born of flesh is child of man; that which is born of Holy Breath is child of God. 13 The winds blow where they please; men hear their voices, and may note results; but they know not from whence they come, nor where they go; and so is every one that is born of Holy Breath. 14 The ruler said, I do not understand; pray tell me plainly what you mean. 15 And Jesus said, The kingdom of the Holy One is in the soul; men cannot see it with their carnal eyes; with all their reasoning powers they comprehend it not. 16 It is a life deep hid in God; its recognition is the work of inner consciousness. 17 The kingdoms of the world are kingdoms of the sight; the kingdom of the Holy One is that of faith; its king is love. 18 Men cannot see the love of God unmanifest, and so our Father-God has clothed this love with flesh--flesh of a son of man. 19 And that the world may see and know this love made manifest, the son of man must needs be lifted up. 20 As Moses in the wilderness raised up the serpent for the healing of the flesh, the son of man must be raised up. 21 That all men bitten by the serpent of the dust, the serpent of the dust, the serpent of this carnal life, may live. 22 He who believes in him shall have eternal life. 23 For God so loved the world that he sent forth his only son to be raised up that men may see the love of God. 24 God did not send his son to judge the world; he sent him forth to save the world; to bring men to the light. 25 But men love not the light, for light reveals their wickedness; men love the dark. 26 Now, every one who loves the truth comes to the light; he does not fear to have his works made manifest. 27 The light had come, and Nicodemus went his way; he knew the meaning of the birth of Holy Breath; he felt the presence of the Spirit in his soul. 28 And Jesus tarried in Jerusalem for many days and taught and healed the sick. 29 The common people gladly listened to his words, and many left their all of carnal things and followed him................from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ...
He is Not Confined to One Religion or Place...
In Every Atom He Manifests -- He Dwells in Every Breath
0 friend, in every stone His Light is hidden;
He is not confined only to Mount Sinai;
He is concealed within the veil of thy personality, 0 Prince,
In search of Him thou dost not need to travel far and wide.
All is but a materialization of His Light,
Apart from Him nothing exists;
In every atom He manifests Himself,
And beside Him there is none here and none there;
He pervades the fourteen regions;
All the learned say He is Truth,
And there is no 'if' or 'but' in Him.
He is Christianity among the Christians,
In Islam He appears as Islam.
But He has no banner, and does not bear the shield
Of any particular religion.
Among the Hindus He appears as a Hindu,
But in fact He has no special creed.
He dwells in every object,
But He is a stranger to any partiality;
His nature is One -- without a participant,
And there is none like Him nor different from Him.
He is a river of knowledge
That has no banks, no source and no mouth!
He is Light, pure Light, in the hearts of humanity.
He is not a star; He is not the East;
Ask about His Way of the Word,
for except Truth there is no guide.
0 Nirbhaya, He dwells in every breath.
-- Nirbhayananda Ji,
A well-known monk and metaphysical poet of the 19th Century who lived in Aligarh, Northern India, in his early life. He devoted fifty years to teaching the Vedanta as a wandering sadhu. In spiritual matters what he wrote was out of his own experience.
"Indian Mystic Verse",
translated by Hari Prasad Shastri,
Shanti Sadan Books, London
0 friend, in every stone His Light is hidden;
He is not confined only to Mount Sinai;
He is concealed within the veil of thy personality, 0 Prince,
In search of Him thou dost not need to travel far and wide.
All is but a materialization of His Light,
Apart from Him nothing exists;
In every atom He manifests Himself,
And beside Him there is none here and none there;
He pervades the fourteen regions;
All the learned say He is Truth,
And there is no 'if' or 'but' in Him.
He is Christianity among the Christians,
In Islam He appears as Islam.
But He has no banner, and does not bear the shield
Of any particular religion.
Among the Hindus He appears as a Hindu,
But in fact He has no special creed.
He dwells in every object,
But He is a stranger to any partiality;
His nature is One -- without a participant,
And there is none like Him nor different from Him.
He is a river of knowledge
That has no banks, no source and no mouth!
He is Light, pure Light, in the hearts of humanity.
He is not a star; He is not the East;
Ask about His Way of the Word,
for except Truth there is no guide.
0 Nirbhaya, He dwells in every breath.
-- Nirbhayananda Ji,
A well-known monk and metaphysical poet of the 19th Century who lived in Aligarh, Northern India, in his early life. He devoted fifty years to teaching the Vedanta as a wandering sadhu. In spiritual matters what he wrote was out of his own experience.
"Indian Mystic Verse",
translated by Hari Prasad Shastri,
Shanti Sadan Books, London
OM Shanti: In the Beginning was the Sound.......
The inner Sound is the cause of the universe. Meditating upon the inner Sound leads to the Limitless Soundless State. The whole cosmos has come out of inner Divine Sound and it merges back into the Divine Sound. If one seeks to be absorbed in meditation he must give up all his anxieties and hear the inner Divine Sound with full concentration.
-- Maharishi Sant Sevi Ji Paramahans,
Quintessence of Yoga--Secret of All Success, Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat Bhagalpur-3, Bihar INDIA
-- Maharishi Sant Sevi Ji Paramahans,
Quintessence of Yoga--Secret of All Success, Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat Bhagalpur-3, Bihar INDIA
"The Intellect"
When intellect comes to understand that its own existence implies a superior existence which is its origin, it has served its highest function. When it accepts the fact of intuition and serves it by laying itself down in stilled prostration, there is born Intelligence. Then alone does truth appear and peace bless us. -- Paul Brunton unpublished works, RVLS I, p.88-1
What is the common ground of all religions?
Bhagavan: That one point where all religions meet is the realisation, in no mystical sense, but in the most worldly and everyday sense -- and the more worldly and everyday and practical the better -- the fact is that 'God is everything and everything is God'.
From this point the work of the practice of this mental comprehension begins, and all it amounts to is the breaking of a habit. One has to cease calling things 'things' and to call them God; and instead of thinking them to be things, to know them to be God; instead of imagining 'existence' to be the only thing possible, to realise that existence is only the creation of the mind (for if there were not existence the mind could not see anything) and that non-existence is a necessity if you are going to postulate existence. The knowledge of things only shows the existence of an organ to cognize. There are no sounds to the deaf, nothing to see for the blind, and the mind is merely an organ of conception or of appreciation of certain sides of God.
God is infinite, and therefore existence and non-existence are merely component parts. Not that I wish to say God is made up of definite component parts. It is hard to be comprehensible when talking of God ... True knowledge comes from within and not from without. And true knowledge is not "knowing" but seeing.
D: How can one worship God best?
B: How can you best worship God? Why, by not trying to worship him, by giving up your whole self to him, and showing that every thought, every action, is only a working of that One Life (God).
~ from A Practical Guide to Know Yourself, Conversations with Sri Ramana Maharshi, compiled and edited by Sri A. R. Natarajan
From this point the work of the practice of this mental comprehension begins, and all it amounts to is the breaking of a habit. One has to cease calling things 'things' and to call them God; and instead of thinking them to be things, to know them to be God; instead of imagining 'existence' to be the only thing possible, to realise that existence is only the creation of the mind (for if there were not existence the mind could not see anything) and that non-existence is a necessity if you are going to postulate existence. The knowledge of things only shows the existence of an organ to cognize. There are no sounds to the deaf, nothing to see for the blind, and the mind is merely an organ of conception or of appreciation of certain sides of God.
God is infinite, and therefore existence and non-existence are merely component parts. Not that I wish to say God is made up of definite component parts. It is hard to be comprehensible when talking of God ... True knowledge comes from within and not from without. And true knowledge is not "knowing" but seeing.
D: How can one worship God best?
B: How can you best worship God? Why, by not trying to worship him, by giving up your whole self to him, and showing that every thought, every action, is only a working of that One Life (God).
~ from A Practical Guide to Know Yourself, Conversations with Sri Ramana Maharshi, compiled and edited by Sri A. R. Natarajan
Stress ...
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an Audience, raised a glass of water and asked "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't Matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my Right arm. If I
hold it for a day, you'll have to call an Ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or Later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won't be able to carry on. "
"As with the glass of water, You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden Of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a Moment if you can."
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you Right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the Burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're The statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have To eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in The middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by Their maker.
* If you can't be kind , at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it Was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to Others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because Then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the
wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be The world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are Pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and All are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you Today...I did.
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't Matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my Right arm. If I
hold it for a day, you'll have to call an Ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or Later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won't be able to carry on. "
"As with the glass of water, You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden Of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a Moment if you can."
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you Right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the Burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're The statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have To eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in The middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by Their maker.
* If you can't be kind , at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it Was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to Others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because Then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the
wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be The world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are Pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and All are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you Today...I did.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET GO?
We hear the expressions `Go with the flow', `Let go and let God'
and `Surrender to Spirit'. What is it that we are supposed to be
letting go of and to whom? What does it mean and where do we start?
Words like God and Spirit mean different things to different people.
Perhaps we agree that it is a concept of creation or consciousness, a
Divine flow or the natural order of things.We probably think all our
problems could be solved if we could just win the lottery. But
perhaps, what we really want from life is more along the lines of
loving and caring relationships, joy, fun, happiness and harmony,
where we feel we are being useful. How do we ensure that we achieve
that?
First of all, you have to want to change. If you feel that life is a
bit humdrum, a treadmill and you are getting worn out trying to
control each part of it (otherwise it is bound to fall apart!) with
the odd distraction that gives pleasure - are you ready to change? By
following your intuition and `going with the flow,' life can change
for the better.
OK. We are ready. A new life is afoot. Where do we start?
As the wise old sages say `out of stillness comes wisdom,' so first
of all we need to stop our thoughts distracting us. I am sure we've
all had those sleepless nights, with a never ending stream of
thoughts going around in our head. We need to apply some sort of
discipline to put us back in control of our own thoughts, so that we
are controlling them and they are not controlling us.
Begin by finding some time in each day, even if it's just 10 minutes,
that is just for you. A quiet place in the garden is ideal. A time to
relax and be still, where your attention will not be dragged onto
something or someone.
Sit quietly and as each thought pops into your head, quietly and
firmly say no and don't pay it any attention. Don't bury the
thoughts, but let them float up and pass by like feathers on a gentle
breeze, letting them go. Release, release, release. Keep doing this
for at least 10 minutes each day, for however long it takes, until
you have achieved a permanently quiet mind. A silent mind, allows you
to get in touch with your intuitive side. You are trying to live from
your spiritual nature and not from the dictates of your mind.
Check every now and again during the day and ask yourself `Am I in my
head or my heart'? That means `am I doing what the mind is telling me
I should or must do or am I listening to my intuition, and doing what
interests and feels right to me? If you find you are doing something
that doesn't interest or excite you, stop and listen again to your
inner voice. In each minute, you will find there is always one thing
that is more right for you to do than anything else.
Following this feeling of rightness is called `being in the flow and
Divine order'. When you live your life in this way, the weight of the
world is removed from your shoulders and any struggle or suffering is
replaced by joy, happiness, love and excitement.
It may not be achieved in an instant, but with a bit of determination
and really listening to your inner voice, each moment will become a
minute and then an hour and a day. Soon you will be experiencing a
new life in all its magnificence and beauty.
You have `let go' and now `miracles can happen'.
Sandy Stevenson
and `Surrender to Spirit'. What is it that we are supposed to be
letting go of and to whom? What does it mean and where do we start?
Words like God and Spirit mean different things to different people.
Perhaps we agree that it is a concept of creation or consciousness, a
Divine flow or the natural order of things.We probably think all our
problems could be solved if we could just win the lottery. But
perhaps, what we really want from life is more along the lines of
loving and caring relationships, joy, fun, happiness and harmony,
where we feel we are being useful. How do we ensure that we achieve
that?
First of all, you have to want to change. If you feel that life is a
bit humdrum, a treadmill and you are getting worn out trying to
control each part of it (otherwise it is bound to fall apart!) with
the odd distraction that gives pleasure - are you ready to change? By
following your intuition and `going with the flow,' life can change
for the better.
OK. We are ready. A new life is afoot. Where do we start?
As the wise old sages say `out of stillness comes wisdom,' so first
of all we need to stop our thoughts distracting us. I am sure we've
all had those sleepless nights, with a never ending stream of
thoughts going around in our head. We need to apply some sort of
discipline to put us back in control of our own thoughts, so that we
are controlling them and they are not controlling us.
Begin by finding some time in each day, even if it's just 10 minutes,
that is just for you. A quiet place in the garden is ideal. A time to
relax and be still, where your attention will not be dragged onto
something or someone.
Sit quietly and as each thought pops into your head, quietly and
firmly say no and don't pay it any attention. Don't bury the
thoughts, but let them float up and pass by like feathers on a gentle
breeze, letting them go. Release, release, release. Keep doing this
for at least 10 minutes each day, for however long it takes, until
you have achieved a permanently quiet mind. A silent mind, allows you
to get in touch with your intuitive side. You are trying to live from
your spiritual nature and not from the dictates of your mind.
Check every now and again during the day and ask yourself `Am I in my
head or my heart'? That means `am I doing what the mind is telling me
I should or must do or am I listening to my intuition, and doing what
interests and feels right to me? If you find you are doing something
that doesn't interest or excite you, stop and listen again to your
inner voice. In each minute, you will find there is always one thing
that is more right for you to do than anything else.
Following this feeling of rightness is called `being in the flow and
Divine order'. When you live your life in this way, the weight of the
world is removed from your shoulders and any struggle or suffering is
replaced by joy, happiness, love and excitement.
It may not be achieved in an instant, but with a bit of determination
and really listening to your inner voice, each moment will become a
minute and then an hour and a day. Soon you will be experiencing a
new life in all its magnificence and beauty.
You have `let go' and now `miracles can happen'.
Sandy Stevenson
Gita: What Our Ideal Is, That We Become....
"The worshippers of the gods go to the gods. Worshippers of the spirits of the dead forefathers go to that, and the worshippers of the spirits go to the spirits, but those who devote themselves to Me, come to Me." (Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, selections from Hindu scriptures by Maharishi Mehi in the book, Satsang-Yoga, Santmat-Satsang Publications)
Emotions in Relationships...
Myth: "It's never as good as in the beginning."
You may be attracted to someone when you first meet but it may be on
a physical level mostly. When the excitement of that original feeling
fades, you may feel something is wrong with the relationship. In
actuality, you only misunderstood the meaning of relationships.
As in all types of relationships, the purpose of romantic
relationships is to learn who you are in relation to the person
you're with. Our potential for knowing ourselves is hidden, awaiting
discovery.
Your emotional relationships are part of the perfect process. They're
no different from experiencing peace in relation to stress, satiation
to hunger, and so on. Romantic relationships offer opportunities to
re-discover and share Love by experiencing compassion, kindness,
unity, and acceptance, as opposed to the negative feelings and
situations that you've had before or after. All experiences help you
define and re-discover who you are.
Romantic relationships also help us remember self-security. As
physical beings, we often feel vulnerable when these relationships
begin. We may feel exposed, because we don't want to lose our
new "partner". But our Spiritual Self is invulnerable, and we may
learn how invulnerability feels compared to the illusion of
insecurity.
By understanding the purpose for romantic relationships and accepting
the pain along with the pleasure, you stop placing demands on, and
judging, your partner. This allows you to enjoy each moment of a
relationship for what it brings. And, being nonjudgmental is more God-
like.
Myth: "My partner completes me."
God didn't need to create more than one human being to experience the
physical form. That would have been enough if it were the only
purpose for our creation. The true purpose is to find out who we are
and that our true nature is Love, which must be expressed to be
enjoyed. We need others to do this. Our "partners" help us share
Love, which lets us experience what that feels like.
As valuable as others are for our re-discovery, they don't "complete"
us. We don't need Love from another if we have Love within and for
ourselves. The Love we share with others helps us know what Love is,
by experiencing and letting others experience it as well.
I've heard many happy couples say, "I found the person who completed
me". I've also counseled individuals who once believed this, and now
feel "incomplete" because of a break-up. They placed the burden of
becoming whole on another rather than themselves, and felt the pain
in doing so. We are not incomplete in any way. When we look at
another as someone we need to complete us, we assume a position of
inferiority. As such, we don't acknowledge that the Almighty already
gave us everything. Feeling incomplete limits our ability to realize
true happiness.
You'll look forever if you look for true happiness outside yourself.
The happiness you think a companion brings you is no different than
any other illusion. True happiness, just like true Love, is attained
only from within. When you place demands on others to make you happy
or complete, you ask the impossible. Once you're loving and happy
with yourself, you allow others to see and share the real you, the
whole you: body, mind, and spirit.
When you remember you're whole as a spiritual being, you are secure
in every relationship. You benefit from what others bring you, but
never feel you'd "lose" something if things went wrong.
This article was excerpted from
"Relax, You're Already Perfect: 10 Spiritual Lessons to Remember" by
Bruce D Schneider, Ph.D.
You may be attracted to someone when you first meet but it may be on
a physical level mostly. When the excitement of that original feeling
fades, you may feel something is wrong with the relationship. In
actuality, you only misunderstood the meaning of relationships.
As in all types of relationships, the purpose of romantic
relationships is to learn who you are in relation to the person
you're with. Our potential for knowing ourselves is hidden, awaiting
discovery.
Your emotional relationships are part of the perfect process. They're
no different from experiencing peace in relation to stress, satiation
to hunger, and so on. Romantic relationships offer opportunities to
re-discover and share Love by experiencing compassion, kindness,
unity, and acceptance, as opposed to the negative feelings and
situations that you've had before or after. All experiences help you
define and re-discover who you are.
Romantic relationships also help us remember self-security. As
physical beings, we often feel vulnerable when these relationships
begin. We may feel exposed, because we don't want to lose our
new "partner". But our Spiritual Self is invulnerable, and we may
learn how invulnerability feels compared to the illusion of
insecurity.
By understanding the purpose for romantic relationships and accepting
the pain along with the pleasure, you stop placing demands on, and
judging, your partner. This allows you to enjoy each moment of a
relationship for what it brings. And, being nonjudgmental is more God-
like.
Myth: "My partner completes me."
God didn't need to create more than one human being to experience the
physical form. That would have been enough if it were the only
purpose for our creation. The true purpose is to find out who we are
and that our true nature is Love, which must be expressed to be
enjoyed. We need others to do this. Our "partners" help us share
Love, which lets us experience what that feels like.
As valuable as others are for our re-discovery, they don't "complete"
us. We don't need Love from another if we have Love within and for
ourselves. The Love we share with others helps us know what Love is,
by experiencing and letting others experience it as well.
I've heard many happy couples say, "I found the person who completed
me". I've also counseled individuals who once believed this, and now
feel "incomplete" because of a break-up. They placed the burden of
becoming whole on another rather than themselves, and felt the pain
in doing so. We are not incomplete in any way. When we look at
another as someone we need to complete us, we assume a position of
inferiority. As such, we don't acknowledge that the Almighty already
gave us everything. Feeling incomplete limits our ability to realize
true happiness.
You'll look forever if you look for true happiness outside yourself.
The happiness you think a companion brings you is no different than
any other illusion. True happiness, just like true Love, is attained
only from within. When you place demands on others to make you happy
or complete, you ask the impossible. Once you're loving and happy
with yourself, you allow others to see and share the real you, the
whole you: body, mind, and spirit.
When you remember you're whole as a spiritual being, you are secure
in every relationship. You benefit from what others bring you, but
never feel you'd "lose" something if things went wrong.
This article was excerpted from
"Relax, You're Already Perfect: 10 Spiritual Lessons to Remember" by
Bruce D Schneider, Ph.D.
Attachment...
Attachment is an unconscious process that occurs when our thoughts,
having formed an image of someone or something, then embrace this
image as the thing itself we have imagined. We unknowingly derive a
sense of "I" from each mental or emotional image thus inwardly
considered, and it is this sense of self that sits at the root of
attachment -- the punishment of being identified. Understanding this
inner dynamic helps us see why letting go is so difficult, because it
is never the thing, but our own prized sense of self, that must be
released.
Don't be afraid to see when something doesn't work. Learn to be
sensitive and to listen to the inner signals that try to tell you
when something isn't working. Inner aching and unseen attachments go
hand in hand. You already know some of these signals such as …
frustration and resentment. The presence of these emotional troubles
aren't trying to tell you that you can't succeed, only that the road
you've insisted upon taking so far doesn't lead where you want.
Learning to admit when something isn't working is the same as
teaching yourself what will.
www.guyfinley.com
having formed an image of someone or something, then embrace this
image as the thing itself we have imagined. We unknowingly derive a
sense of "I" from each mental or emotional image thus inwardly
considered, and it is this sense of self that sits at the root of
attachment -- the punishment of being identified. Understanding this
inner dynamic helps us see why letting go is so difficult, because it
is never the thing, but our own prized sense of self, that must be
released.
Don't be afraid to see when something doesn't work. Learn to be
sensitive and to listen to the inner signals that try to tell you
when something isn't working. Inner aching and unseen attachments go
hand in hand. You already know some of these signals such as …
frustration and resentment. The presence of these emotional troubles
aren't trying to tell you that you can't succeed, only that the road
you've insisted upon taking so far doesn't lead where you want.
Learning to admit when something isn't working is the same as
teaching yourself what will.
www.guyfinley.com
THE PATH OF THE MYSTICS By Walter Last
The recorded experiences of the many mystics in all religions is of particular interest because we can learn from these what the spiritual path looks like when it is not guided by specific verbal or written teachings. Most of these individuals in past centuries did not know that there was such a thing as a spiritual path and that others had travelled the same or a similar route. They just felt a longing to come closer to God and to feel at one with Him, to melt into Divinity like a drop of water becomes one with the ocean.
Each of them had different experiences and many of them walked only part of the way, but by constructing a composite picture from a large number of their writings we can discern a distinct pattern of the typical mystical path. Few mystics seem to have travelled all of this 'typical' path, but this may be because we can see only one life-time of a multiple-life-time journey. This typical mystical path may best be described as a five-stage journey and we may easily see its relationship to contemporary spiritual practises.
1. The Awakening
The spiritual awakening is the beginning of the mystical path and also of the spiritual path in general. It may be sudden or gradual. Often it comes as an emotionally overwhelming 'mystical experience', possibly ending a period of great emotional torment and suffering. Another frequent setting is during a spiritual initiation ceremony, such as presently during water baptism for 'Born-Again Christians'.
Others may have this awakening experience during an especially intense prayer or meditation or drift gradually onto the path by attending workshops or reading spiritual books. The latter as well as others coming to the path because of philosophical considerations turn out to become like the 'mental mystics' as compared to the 'emotional mystics' who had their mystical experiences mainly at the emotional level.
This initial peak experience may last for hours or days with gradually declining intensity. Commonly it is a combination of deep feelings, such as universal love, with profound spiritual intuition or insight, although depending on the personality traits the emotional or the mental component may dominate. Also psychic phenomena are frequently involved in the form of visions and voices.
2. Purification
After the awakening the individual does not only want to repeat the mystical experience but really wants to live in a permanent state of grace close to God. However, the aspiring mystic realises that he is not yet worthy, he becomes acutely aware of his imperfections, of the impurity of his thoughts and feelings. He starts to cleanse himself of all selfish or impure desires. Commonly this is combined with periods of fasting or food denial. Medieval mystics tended to be very severe with themselves in order to 'mortify' the body and with it the unruly senses and the desires of the flesh. Worldly pursuits no longer hold any interest. Periods of prayer and meditation are greatly extended.
While this process of purification requires strong willpower and causes much self-inflicted pain, it is also increasingly interspersed with beautiful and uplifting mystical experiences that spurn the seeker on to greater sacrifices for the sake of more rapturous experiences. This purification process continues for many years. Instead of turning the spiritual energies released by the awakening experience inward to purify, it may also be directed outwards. These individuals then become religious fanatics and may remain at this level for the rest of their lives.
3. Illumination
After the Self has been sufficiently cleansed or purified and the mind remains fully focused on the presence and the qualities of the Divine, a state of illumination may unexpectedly arise. This will be similar to the experience of awakening but even more intense and longer lasting. Again, it may be predominantly emotional with feelings of indescribable Divine love, being at one with 'All That Is' and combined with visions and voices, or it may be predominantly mental with profound insights and states of pure knowing. Commonly the initial peak experience is combined with perceiving an intense or blinding inner white light.
For many months these deep feelings and insights will keep flowing in, but gradually settle into a state of a permanently raised and more intuitive consciousness. The illuminated mystic will now always remain aware of the Divine presence in everyone and everything and radiate a presence of love and goodwill. Intuitive abilities will be greatly increased. Commonly, one will receive a spiritual gift with the illumination. This may be the ability to heal or to see or to know. By developing this ability one will become a great healer, seer or spiritual teacher.
The perception of mysticism as being incomprehensible to normal, unenlightened humans is due to the fact that most mystical writings were composed by the emotional type of mystics. They focused on emotional states of being and perceived and described their visions and experiences with emotional metaphors that remained incomprehensible to the uninitiated. This is similar to the present descriptions of reality given by quantum physicists.
Life in this state of illumination is easy and full of joy, a permanent state of great happiness and contentment. It is like living in a state of grace that can never be lost again. But sometimes it is being lost.
Each of them had different experiences and many of them walked only part of the way, but by constructing a composite picture from a large number of their writings we can discern a distinct pattern of the typical mystical path. Few mystics seem to have travelled all of this 'typical' path, but this may be because we can see only one life-time of a multiple-life-time journey. This typical mystical path may best be described as a five-stage journey and we may easily see its relationship to contemporary spiritual practises.
1. The Awakening
The spiritual awakening is the beginning of the mystical path and also of the spiritual path in general. It may be sudden or gradual. Often it comes as an emotionally overwhelming 'mystical experience', possibly ending a period of great emotional torment and suffering. Another frequent setting is during a spiritual initiation ceremony, such as presently during water baptism for 'Born-Again Christians'.
Others may have this awakening experience during an especially intense prayer or meditation or drift gradually onto the path by attending workshops or reading spiritual books. The latter as well as others coming to the path because of philosophical considerations turn out to become like the 'mental mystics' as compared to the 'emotional mystics' who had their mystical experiences mainly at the emotional level.
This initial peak experience may last for hours or days with gradually declining intensity. Commonly it is a combination of deep feelings, such as universal love, with profound spiritual intuition or insight, although depending on the personality traits the emotional or the mental component may dominate. Also psychic phenomena are frequently involved in the form of visions and voices.
2. Purification
After the awakening the individual does not only want to repeat the mystical experience but really wants to live in a permanent state of grace close to God. However, the aspiring mystic realises that he is not yet worthy, he becomes acutely aware of his imperfections, of the impurity of his thoughts and feelings. He starts to cleanse himself of all selfish or impure desires. Commonly this is combined with periods of fasting or food denial. Medieval mystics tended to be very severe with themselves in order to 'mortify' the body and with it the unruly senses and the desires of the flesh. Worldly pursuits no longer hold any interest. Periods of prayer and meditation are greatly extended.
While this process of purification requires strong willpower and causes much self-inflicted pain, it is also increasingly interspersed with beautiful and uplifting mystical experiences that spurn the seeker on to greater sacrifices for the sake of more rapturous experiences. This purification process continues for many years. Instead of turning the spiritual energies released by the awakening experience inward to purify, it may also be directed outwards. These individuals then become religious fanatics and may remain at this level for the rest of their lives.
3. Illumination
After the Self has been sufficiently cleansed or purified and the mind remains fully focused on the presence and the qualities of the Divine, a state of illumination may unexpectedly arise. This will be similar to the experience of awakening but even more intense and longer lasting. Again, it may be predominantly emotional with feelings of indescribable Divine love, being at one with 'All That Is' and combined with visions and voices, or it may be predominantly mental with profound insights and states of pure knowing. Commonly the initial peak experience is combined with perceiving an intense or blinding inner white light.
For many months these deep feelings and insights will keep flowing in, but gradually settle into a state of a permanently raised and more intuitive consciousness. The illuminated mystic will now always remain aware of the Divine presence in everyone and everything and radiate a presence of love and goodwill. Intuitive abilities will be greatly increased. Commonly, one will receive a spiritual gift with the illumination. This may be the ability to heal or to see or to know. By developing this ability one will become a great healer, seer or spiritual teacher.
The perception of mysticism as being incomprehensible to normal, unenlightened humans is due to the fact that most mystical writings were composed by the emotional type of mystics. They focused on emotional states of being and perceived and described their visions and experiences with emotional metaphors that remained incomprehensible to the uninitiated. This is similar to the present descriptions of reality given by quantum physicists.
Life in this state of illumination is easy and full of joy, a permanent state of great happiness and contentment. It is like living in a state of grace that can never be lost again. But sometimes it is being lost.
The six Spiritual Treasures ...
Krishna taught Arjuna all the qualities which make one an ideal person,
firmly established in wisdom.
1. peace of mind,
2. sense control,
3. renunciation of desires,
4. fortitude under all circumstances this means that whatever be the
test, whatever be the circumstances, you maintain a steady, undeluded
and unwavering mind,
5. a firm faith in the teachings of the scriptures, as well as in the
words of the guru and the great saints who have trod the spiritual
path before you, and
6. being contented under all circumstances and having complete
equanimity of mind.
Only when you have equanimity of mind will you be able to develop
firmness and fortitude. Only when you have fortitude will you
be able to develop firm faith. Only when you have intense faith
will you have some sacred feelings and renounce desires. Only
when you have disgust for the objects of the world will you
have sense control. Then when you have achieved sense control,
you will gain peace of mind. Where there is peace of mind there
is inner and outer purity. And where there is inner and outer purity,
patience will be second-nature to you and you will dwell automatically
in that peaceful state. Therefore, you must make an effort to develop
these basic qualities which are so vital to progress on the spiritual
path.
By reading or listening to these teachings on the Gita, or even
committing various passages to memory, you will not be able to achieve
much. Along with these activities of the mind, you have to put at least
one or two of the injunctions given here into practice. Only then will
the fragrance of the Gita enter your heart. It is Baba's wish that
all these great teachings which you have been enjoying be put into
practice by you, so that they can become your inner treasure
and be an integral part of your expression in all your
day-to-day activities.
mukundan
(saibaba gita)
firmly established in wisdom.
1. peace of mind,
2. sense control,
3. renunciation of desires,
4. fortitude under all circumstances this means that whatever be the
test, whatever be the circumstances, you maintain a steady, undeluded
and unwavering mind,
5. a firm faith in the teachings of the scriptures, as well as in the
words of the guru and the great saints who have trod the spiritual
path before you, and
6. being contented under all circumstances and having complete
equanimity of mind.
Only when you have equanimity of mind will you be able to develop
firmness and fortitude. Only when you have fortitude will you
be able to develop firm faith. Only when you have intense faith
will you have some sacred feelings and renounce desires. Only
when you have disgust for the objects of the world will you
have sense control. Then when you have achieved sense control,
you will gain peace of mind. Where there is peace of mind there
is inner and outer purity. And where there is inner and outer purity,
patience will be second-nature to you and you will dwell automatically
in that peaceful state. Therefore, you must make an effort to develop
these basic qualities which are so vital to progress on the spiritual
path.
By reading or listening to these teachings on the Gita, or even
committing various passages to memory, you will not be able to achieve
much. Along with these activities of the mind, you have to put at least
one or two of the injunctions given here into practice. Only then will
the fragrance of the Gita enter your heart. It is Baba's wish that
all these great teachings which you have been enjoying be put into
practice by you, so that they can become your inner treasure
and be an integral part of your expression in all your
day-to-day activities.
mukundan
(saibaba gita)
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