tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18746815291242122212024-03-14T01:29:14.661-07:00Kaye's UniverseGlimpses into the things Kaye Lee gets up to. Trading, Economics, Law, spirituality, human potential, martial arts, qigong, Feng Shui and others!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-17029442697239690622015-09-30T20:09:00.003-07:002015-09-30T20:10:26.618-07:00The Real Miracle<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1443665738490_2077" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px;"><i>People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle. </i><br /><br />-</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1443665738490_2076" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px;">Thich Nhat Hahn</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-32490571183149281582014-12-05T16:57:00.001-08:002014-12-05T16:59:12.291-08:00Give, Give, Give...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZuZbjhmfstb3RpIy-BF_5SZqBLAweTuCNkWWZk2-MuIj2_-pK81ophyxonmDWRqw04KSkoJ134G9LiiOYWXgIWlQ1sl3XeKhbNyMRqmgEKJdC0WeBjDDe8oXRWnW2Gl_jVGd2saPioWz/s1600/Give+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZuZbjhmfstb3RpIy-BF_5SZqBLAweTuCNkWWZk2-MuIj2_-pK81ophyxonmDWRqw04KSkoJ134G9LiiOYWXgIWlQ1sl3XeKhbNyMRqmgEKJdC0WeBjDDe8oXRWnW2Gl_jVGd2saPioWz/s1600/Give+love.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source/Copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:00516_Lebkuchen_Weihnachts_Sanok_2012.JPG">Silar</a></span></div>
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Give, give, give -- what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't give it away?<br />
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Of having stories if I don't tell them to others?<br />
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Of having wealth if I don't share it?<br />
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I don't intend to be cremated with any of it!<br />
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It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine.<br />
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***Isabel Allende***Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-46797533399432055612013-10-08T21:14:00.004-07:002013-10-08T21:17:10.460-07:00Spacious Mind<div align="center" id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6039" style="text-align: center;">
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6037"><span id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6036"><span id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6035">"Noticing the space around people and things provides a different way of looking at them, and developing this spacious view is a way of opening oneself. When one has a spacious mind, there is room for everything. When one has a narrow mind, there is room for only a few things."</span></span></span></div>
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<strong id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6102"><em id="yui_3_13_0_rc_1_1_1381281911437_6101">- </em>Ajahn Sumedho<em>, "Noticing Space"</em></strong><br />
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It is also worth mentioning that noticing space around our own thoughts is a very worthwhile exercise. We habitually only grasp thoughts in a fixed way, from a certain angle. To get angry, we have to grasp it in a very personal way. Noticing the space around the thought is one way to step back from it, making us more aware. Who is thinking the thought?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-33526321664626599042013-09-03T19:30:00.003-07:002013-09-03T19:30:37.565-07:00To Manifest: The Mind Power Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCBZRQFgaM3SxS-I3M1VVkOqr9GmOq5sAs7zLt8eyu0O8n_OpEgjgOAVkj5pFt2h1hs8Z-txLw7nKpefy9lWHKfUxmfUDvyII5NYTulKMy5ahrIOX5MPhYWTT-1hMuxf4-QqAKaKZxOnu/s1600/800px-F5_tornado_Elie_Manitoba_2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCBZRQFgaM3SxS-I3M1VVkOqr9GmOq5sAs7zLt8eyu0O8n_OpEgjgOAVkj5pFt2h1hs8Z-txLw7nKpefy9lWHKfUxmfUDvyII5NYTulKMy5ahrIOX5MPhYWTT-1hMuxf4-QqAKaKZxOnu/s320/800px-F5_tornado_Elie_Manitoba_2007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source/Copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F5_tornado_Elie_Manitoba_2007.jpg">Justin Hobson</a></span></div>
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It has been awhile since I wrote this series, but I wanted to complete the post on ego and identity in programming. Essentially, I have made a new discovery in this area - that of "spheres of influence". It would appear that the awareness of our minds are free in nature, but it habitually interacts with different levels of our being in different ways. For example, a person who does not like his body may not particularly care to settle his mental awareness within it much of the time. The side effects of this is the lack of communication between the body and the mind include the mind's relative lack of effectiveness in affecting it. Thus, when two people sit down to meditate on their health, they may have different levels of effectiveness depending on how much the body (or whatever subject they care to work on) falls within their "sphere of influence", as I have chosen to call it.</div>
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The nature of the sphere is not limited, except by habit and resistance. Awareness can go everywhere if we let it, after all. Thus, the limitations are emitted by ego and identity. As the previous posts have hinted - ego and identity form around points of fixation. Eliminate these fixations and you would experience your emotions as clarity and wisdom. It is a little like the tornado above. Raging though it may be, it has a still point at its center. The ego is a little like that. It requires a lot of activity to maintain. The moment the conditions of its existence are removed, the tornado is no more. Thus, the tornado of ego bustles about, maintaining itself. </div>
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Yet, if we spread our awareness in an experiential way, we would discover much of interest. Without resisting or forming fixation points, we may discover that the blocks are within our own minds. More interestingly, we may also discover that we are holding those blocks by habitual clinging, or attachment. There is much material here which I could pontificate on, but suffice it to say that the application of awareness will reveal the resistance. What does remain is to note that just because a tornado may dwindle into nothingness does not mean the air which formed it also is eliminated. If a tornado could think, the great fear of non-existence would probably exist because the tornado thinks of itself as a tornado. If it realised that it were air and would not be destroyed, the existence of a funnel-type formation would bother it not. <span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;">. U. </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-58632897460446927532013-09-03T19:02:00.004-07:002013-09-03T19:02:38.863-07:00Wisdom is Inherent in Emotions<div style="position: absolute; z-index: -5;">
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"One night years ago I came upon my
boyfriend passionately embracing another woman. We were in the house of a friend
who had a priceless collection of pottery. I was furious and looking for
something to throw. Everything I picked up I had to put back down because it was
worth at least ten thousand dollars. I was completely enraged and I couldn’t
find an outlet! There were no exits from experiencing my own energy. The
absurdity of the situation totally cut through my rage. I went outside and
looked at the sky and laughed until I cried. <br /><br />In vajrayana Buddhism it is
said that wisdom is inherent in emotions. When we struggle against our energy we
reject the source of wisdom. Anger without the fixation is none other than
clear-seeing wisdom. Pride without fixation is experienced as equanimity. The
energy of passion when it’s free of grasping is wisdom that sees all the angles." <br /><br /><b><i>Pema Chodron</i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-10811393697062646662013-09-01T19:34:00.003-07:002013-09-01T19:34:42.616-07:00The Need for Constant Okayness<div aria-label="Message header" class="y-module message-header collapsed-header" data-action="toggle-msg-header" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1378089083328_1700" role="complementary">
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1378089083328_1843"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1378089083328_1842"><i>"</i>It's not impermanence per se, or even knowing
we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught.
Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our
discomfort arises from all of our effort to put ground under our feet, to
realize our dream of constant okayness."</span></span></div>
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<b><i>- Pema
Chödrön, "The Fundamental Ambiguity of Being Human"</i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-44724346582714910442013-03-18T19:28:00.003-07:002013-03-18T20:23:50.920-07:00To Manifest: The Mind Power Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFc6NVkJtr3MeXiCKIl-QiUNqRsZj8mR9euW82FW7p8LCIe4Q3qhFCNtTcIU0WWv7yMWvghSkB9_M4l2BxPA6ttHQPoWHwLF69vOVf-6_85jVHTkarf1wphi9BE08Ilpm-KyjAZ3pGb9k/s1600/Mind+Power+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFc6NVkJtr3MeXiCKIl-QiUNqRsZj8mR9euW82FW7p8LCIe4Q3qhFCNtTcIU0WWv7yMWvghSkB9_M4l2BxPA6ttHQPoWHwLF69vOVf-6_85jVHTkarf1wphi9BE08Ilpm-KyjAZ3pGb9k/s320/Mind+Power+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Source/copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peacock_Pansy,_Burdwan,_West_Bengal,_India_31_01_2013.jpg">JDP90 (Joydeep)</a></div>
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<b>THE BASIS OF SUBCONSCIOUS PROGRAMMING</b><br />
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There are very few tricks that practitioners of different approaches use for programming the subconscious. Essentially, it is important to note some basic points before examining the tools:<br />
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1. Your subconscious blueprint or program is what runs by default. It consists of habitual thoughts, deeply impregnated memories, assumptions/presumptions, beliefs, emotional experiences, values, fears etc.<br />
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2. The programming can be changed either<br />
(a) Gradually, by adapting existing beliefs and thought systems<br />
(b) Radically, by creating a completely new system<br />
(c) In a blended approach of the previous two, where you reach as far as you can within certain confines of the existing system which are either too difficult to change, or conveniently positioned to achieve certain results.<br />
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Admittedly, this is a very technical way of describing the process, but it is the basis for tying many different methods together in a coherent and powerful way.<br />
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3. Regardless of tradition, there have been very few variations in terms of how the subconscious is affected. The how-to part of this post attempts to boil these variations down to their most basic form.<br />
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4. An important distinction must be made between an "open" versus a "closed" thought or concept. An example of a closed concept is "money". Most people have a very specific idea of what they think money is, although the notions probably differ very widely. It is closed in the sense that ordinarily you would not expect your opinion of what it is to be challenged. An open concept would be "abundance". There is less certainty around what that means, and there is room for contemplation and expansion. That means that open concepts are easy entry ways into the existing system, because through them, you can introduce changes both gradually and radically. It is no coincidence that the Touchstone Words are all open concepts. Of course, they are coloured by existing presuppositions, but they are openings nonetheless.<br />
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5. Essentially, changes in subconscious programming are achieved by<br />
(a) Reducing the mind to a state of quiet and suggestibility, where existing "noise" due to the current blueprint is at a minimum. Relaxation is usually a key component of this.<br />
(b) Deliberate stupidity or a devil-may-care attitude. This is where there is some component of the blueprint active, but relatively minimally so.<br />
(c) Openness or curiosity, where contemplating possibilities allows previous viewpoints to be dropped or changed.<br />
(d) Intense feelings or experiences, which change the blueprint by their very force.<br />
(e) Bedazzlement, such as via ritual or exhibitions, where a person's belief is temporarily suspended as they are hypnotised by a process. It is interesting to note that this may not necessarily be relaxing - all that is required is that belief is temporarily forgotten and unenforced.<br />
(f) Repetition, which is the key to embedding a new blueprint. Practically all forms of programming have this component in some shape or form.<br />
(h) Using a strong concept already present in the person's mind. For example, a strongly religious person would have very strong concepts (positive or negative) of God. Programming that would create effects more quickly than for an atheist, who has little reference one way or another.<br />
(i) Deliberately phrasing the programming in such a way that existing programs and thoughts will offer it minimal resistance, like getting a bug into a system. (Only in this case, it is a positive one!)<br />
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6. How identified the thought is affects its prominence in the blueprint. This is why visualisation and imagination techniques involve the practitioner imagining an event as already past, or currently happening. The more the subconscious mind perceives it as actually happening or having already happened, the more powerfully it accepts it, and the more energy is subconsciously poured into its manifestation. Most such attempts by unsuccessful meditators through the ages occur because they manipulate the meditation too much - always tweaking this or that, without actually entering into the experience of it. The act of analysing it or over-directing the process automatically removes one from a first-hand experience, and instead enforces the paradigm of <i>not </i>having (since if you had something you would hardly be orchestrating an experience to get it). The degree of "first-handedness" is thus vital.<br />
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7. Touchstone Words essentially build strong new thought patterns (see 5(h)) by contemplating open concepts (see 4). By using single words, personal issues are sidestepped (see 5(i)), since most blueprints will not react to a single word. Repetition on a daily basis gives this time to build (see 5(f)), especially at bedtime when the mind is drowsy and more suggestible (see 5(a)).<br />
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In this article, we increase the power of Touchstone Words by using intensely deep relaxation methods (5(a)), increasing the energy of the word through the contemplation of related concepts and how they relate to a situation (5(c)), becoming fully infused sensation with the word so that it can become more effective (5(d)), being willfully ignorant (or playing dumb) when encountering resistance from the existing programs (5(b)), increasing the amount of attention paid to a thought until complete absorption to the exclusion of all else is achieved (5(e)) and finally increasing the feeling of the goal achieved (6).<br />
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With that as a theoretical backdrop, the following methods become logical and acceptable.<br />
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<b>HOW TO TAP THE FULL POWER OF TOUCHSTONE WORDS (AND OTHER SUBCONSCIOUS PROGRAMMING METHODS)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>The methods of increasing programming effectiveness all have to do with how real or accepted the programming is perceived as. (See 6 above.) Here, several attitudes and states are suggested. As one puts on the attitudes suggested, the receptive state becomes available. Obviously, although I call these different "minds" they do not really exist per se. They are simply a useful model for understanding the process.<br />
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<b>The Simplistic and Accepting Mind - Child-Like Faith</b><br />
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This is where the meditator intentionally pretends to have a childlike mind, deliberately ignoring what he "knows" (which is nothing more than past programming, whether it is actually true or not), and instead pretending he is a child, being told something and accepting it completely, having no reason to believe otherwise. This is one of the most powerful and receptive states, provided it is used properly (and not abused). The meditator recalls a time when he or she was innocently accepting, or when he saw this child-like faith, and imagines that he himself has it this very moment.<br />
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The <i>simplistic</i> part of the equation is very important - if attempts to analyse or monitor the situation are made, the analytical mind becomes engaged, and there is again a divorce between the perceived reality of the programming.<br />
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<b>The Don't-Know Mind</b><br />
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Occasionally, the issue is so embroiled in the meditator's awareness that it is difficult to think about it and not have thoughts come up. This may activate existing beliefs. In Touchstone Words, we avoid this by actually simply focussing on the word and building its power until it naturally filters into different parts of our lives. However, as the meditator becomes more skilled, it is possible to contemplate how a particular word could relate to finances, health, or relationships. (See the Contemplating Mind below.) When he or she does this, beliefs could arise unasked. If the child-like mind and composure is affected, it is wise not to deny the thoughts their existence, for that very resistance can create more negative programming. Instead, approach them with a "don't know" attitude.<br />
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The "don't know" can be done in different ways. One way is to adopt an "I don't know how" methodology. Pretend the thoughts arising are simply another person asking you questions and you are calmly saying "I don't know". This acknowledges the thought, but allows you not to engage, instead keeping the focus on the positive programming which is being accepted. Another form of "don't know" is simply to pretend you do not understand the thought that is arising. It is like someone calling up on a telephone, except you imagine the line is garbled and the words are distorted. It is just a collection of sounds. This is an excellent way of staying present.<br />
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<b>The Contemplating, Curious or "I Wonder How" Mind</b><br />
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As one contemplates the Touchstone Words, one's experience of them changes, becoming richer and richer. Notice that at least initially, we say "Abundance" rather than "I have abundance". This is to avoid any blockages related with the idea of whether "I" can have abundance. It conveniently sidesteps issues of deservingness, adequacy, "should"s and other value judgements that may be hidden in the psyche. The contemplation of abundance in pure form is more than sufficient to bring up associations which will positively impact the subconscious mind. Only when our programming of this one word is strong enough should we attempt to spread its influence to different areas of our lives.<br />
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In doing this, we adopt a curious attitude. We ask, "I wonder how abundance may arise in my relationships?"<br />
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This is clearly an open attitude, as opposed to a closed notion of what abundance is. It uses thought to stretch our notions of what is possible. This is slightly and lightly invading the space of existing programming, and is done very gently, tiptoeing in so as not to activate the guard dogs of the current blueprint. Eventually, the benevolent influence spreads. When meditating in this way, other Touchstone Words will naturally arise in our minds as related concepts.<br />
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It is very important to be gentle in this process. Over time, the associations will become stronger, richer and more powerful.<br />
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<b>The Engrossed, Distracted or Bedazzled Mind</b><br />
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This is really a form of the Contemplating Mind, but one so curious as to merit its own section. Certain ritualistic, meditative or even technological methods avoid the need to confront the existing blueprint by essentially overloading the mind. By forcing the mind to perform different tasks of such complexity that it is completely engrossed, it is temporarily unable to pour any energies into activating the existing blueprint. At this time, the new programming is introduced. There are both intuitive and manifestative methods of this class, although they are relatively rare. Practices of divination or magic that require highly intellectual analysis, such as certain forms of the I Ching and Taoist methods also fall within this class. They work by distracting the intellect of the practitioner with complex theories - to the point where it forgets to object to the new programming.<br />
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<b>The "Can't Help It" and Bliss Minds</b><br />
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This is one way of checking to see if resistance is still there. The meditator relaxes into the experience of, say, abundance. Then, he allows abundance to become his very nature. He then looks about and relates to his environment as though he can't help but BE abundant. He can't be anything else even if he tried. This is similar to the practice stage hypnotists use when they tell audiences to pretend their hands are glued together and that they are unable to separate them. This process is similar, but it is used to lock in the state.<br />
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The Bliss Mind is related to the "Can't Help It" Mind. Once the meditator is convinced that he cannot escape a state of abundance, he instead sits down to experience it and enjoy it. Enjoying is the way to bliss, and indeed a way to powerfully lock an experience into it. This is a powerful state - imagine thinking "I am healed, and there is nothing anyone can say, do or think to change that now. I might as well see what this experience of being healed is like. Oh, it's quite pleasurable!" Of course, this happens within one's mind before it pervades to reality, but this is the inner experience of it. The outer senses are shut out temporarily for the purpose of installing this positive programming.<br />
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<b>The Mind in Repose</b><br />
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As the mind becomes accustomed to the bliss, it gently relaxes and the programming is embedded even more deeply. In this form, it becomes the Mind in Repose. It is no longer necessary to interact with the new programming - it is there and taking hold on its own. In fact, this is a stronger form of the "Can't Help It" Mind, because you truly can't help the new programming being there. This comes as trust and familiarity with the new state increases and resistance melts away.<br />
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<b>The Conquering or Don't Care Mind</b><br />
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The Conquering Mind is one I have doubts about describing, as its misuse can lead to all kinds of problems. Essentially, the techniques related to the Conquering Mind methodology eschew the gentler pervading methods of the earlier minds, but instead plunge directly into the core of old programming, forcefully changing it. Where the "Don't Know" Mind acknowledges but does not engage, the "Don't Care" Mind bulldozes ahead with little regard for what the previous blueprint says. It is an act of will to remain focussed, willfully so (pun not intended), to the point of exclusion. This Mind does not tiptoe - it charges.<br />
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Performing methodologies of this type using closed concepts and assuming "I know best" can be dangerous and cause severe damage to the sanity. It is far safer to combine them with techniques of the Inspired Mind (see below). I will not go into the methodology of the actual conquering here, save to note that it actually exists for the sake of completeness. It is not an ideal path for most people, and ultimately it is unsustainable on its own - it is only used in very extreme situations, where the will of the person involved is very strong, but the inner noise levels are so high that they are difficult to quiet. When it is over, the meditator should revert to one of the other methods.<br />
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<b>The Inspired, Surrendered or "Thy Will Be Done" Mind</b><br />
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This is a very unique type of stance, which tends to exist among the very devoted, the faithful and practitioners of mediumship (for better or for worse - this is a neutral document). This method is seldom if ever described, because again many things can go wrong. In essence, the practitioner quiets his mind and focusses on some version of "Thy Will Be Done". For the purposes of subconscious programming, it matters not to whom the appeal is done, so long as the practitioner perceives it as some form of benign Infinite Intelligence. A discussion of spiritual beings is outside the scope of this study, so it is sidestepped.<br />
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The practitioner then practices complete surrender to the Higher Intelligence in question. Note that this is essentially the use of an open concept to allow a hole in the current programming into which Higher Intelligence may pour inspiration and create changes. Again, details of the method will not be shared here.<br />
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<b>The Awakened Mind</b><br />
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As the practitioner skates through these states and becomes more adept at them, he will inevitably come to contemplate the nature of mind itself. This is a life-long study, but suffice it to say that manifestation is but the painting - the contemplation of the canvas on which that painting is created is also important. Both are required in order for the fullness of life to be experienced.<br />
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In the next part, we look at the role of ego and identity in programming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-90489811800769899552013-03-16T00:25:00.003-07:002013-03-16T00:28:25.113-07:00To Manifest: The Mind Power Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source/Copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mostar_Old_Town_Panorama_2007.jpg">Ramirez</a></span></div>
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<b>THE ACTIVATING TRIUMVIRATE: THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS AND RELAXATION</b><br />
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Regardless of the particular mix, most traditions use thoughts, emotions and relaxation in differing components to achieve manifestation. Their applications are as follows:<br />
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<b>Thought: </b>Whether through words (affirmations and the like) or imagination and visualisation (whatever the particular sense emphasised), thought is used to give specificity to what is desired. This is beneficial in focussing the mind in a given direction. It can also be harmful to the extent that there are hidden blockages in the meditator's psyche. For example, meditating on "I am rich" is fine for someone who has no worries in that direction, but more often than not, it creates problems due to the subconscious beliefs of the person. Thus, at least at first, the trick is to use just enough specificity to create effects, but not enough to trigger these blockages.<br />
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<b>Emotions: </b>Where thoughts cannot penetrate, or where a specific outcome cannot be created through imagination or words, emotions can be substituted. The feeling of satisfaction and happiness programmed deep into the subconscious will cause it to create situations which duplicate this feeling. Feelings are more pervasive than thought, and can be used to subvert inner issues.<br />
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<b>Thoughts and Emotions; Yin and Yang:</b> If thoughts are specific and penetrating, emotions are pervasive and supportive. Whilst one powerfully breaks new ground, the other nurtures and supports it. It is worth noting that whilst we cannot <i>think</i> a specific thought all the time, we can in fact accustom ourselves to feeling a certain way a lot of the time. This is an influential method at this time, which shows up notably in the Abraham-Hicks material.<br />
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<b>Relaxation:</b> Relaxation is the shutting down of thought into silence. It is the silence in which the subconscious can be effectively programmed. To the extent that relaxation can be achieved, internal blockages are temporarily deactivated, and the potential for new possibilities to manifest arises.<br />
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<b>ACTIVATION: THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLE</b><br />
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The easiest way to bypass many issues is to simplify the meditation to a single word. Choose a single word upon to meditate, which will slowly condition and permeate into the subconscious. There are many applications for this method, and indeed one could consider it a complete method on its own. Yet, it is incredibly simple.<br />
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For example, choose from the words "Highest Good", "God", "Health", "Abundance", "Peace", "Happiness", "Success", "Harmony", "Perfection" and "Vitality". It is not an exhaustive list, but what these words have in common is the fact that they are higher virtues. They have an element of pointing to something more elevated or inspirational. As we relax and meditate on these words, inspiration fills us as new ideas about (let us say) abundance fill us. It becomes an ideal to which we automatically align as we relax in quiet contemplation. The mind slowly begins to savour the word and absorb its essence. Within it is the sum total of every concept of abundance in all aspects of life. If we can relax a little before doing this, by focussing on the breath, this is even better.<br />
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Do not attempt to relate this to yourself or your life specifically in any way. That may cause blockages to arise. Simply meditate on the <i>principle</i> of abundance. Allow the mind to be curious as to what that means. Also allow yourself to feel what abundance is. The new thoughts and ideas will permeate the thought level of programming of the subconscious, and automatically will implant new pathways in different aspects of your life. The emotions will give it sustenance, as you move to higher levels of vibration in your feeling.<br />
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If thoughts arise about how specific areas of your life could be abundant, just acknowledge them and allow the process to continue with no particular effort. Remain meditating steadfastly on the concept of abundance. If nothing arises, simply sit in the feeling of abundance, not caring about particular issues you may have or different aspects of your life.<br />
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By building the founding principle in such a way, it becomes a touchstone of power. The mind begins to build a platform as the subconscious downloads ideas of abundance from Infinite Intelligence (or the Universe, if you so prefer). The trick is to relax and be open to new notions of abundance, and not stubbornly repeat old ideas. In this way, you gently nudge the mind in a new and positive direction, harvesting fresh ideas and programs from pure potentiality.<br />
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Let this be the first exercise to which the meditator devotes himself, and he will harvest many benefits. In further articles, the methodology will be expanded upon to achieve more specific results. Nonetheless, if this is the only practice, the meditator will experience much benefit even if he spends just five minutes in the morning upon awakening and five minutes at night just before drifting off to sleep whilst meditating upon his Touchstone Word. Incidentally, there is no need to do many words. Simply find a word that easily attunes the meditator to his highest ideal, and that will suffice. Similarly, a very short phrase such as "everything is perfect" may be used.<br />
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In the next article, we will focus on how to deepen and enhance the power of this programming of the subconscious mind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-84869321042790238172013-03-15T20:24:00.003-07:002013-03-15T23:55:30.645-07:00To Manifest: The Mind Power Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source/copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pair_of_Merops_apiaster_feeding.jpg">Pierre Dalous</a></span></div>
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It is often said that if the bumblebee knew physics, it would realise that it cannot fly - it is aerodynamically impossible. On researching this, I found that the particular calculation on which this allegation is based is faulty, but it is nonetheless an inspiring thing to point out, as I have here. Similarly, it is inspiring, as always, to study the inner workings of the mind and its powers. This has been the study of nearly a lifetime for me, and certainly as far as the metaphysical field is concerned, a good eighteen years. This article is not one of my crazy projects to summarise all that has ever been written, but to bring things back to basics, which are often the things most forgotten and yet most useful when push comes to shove.<br />
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Here, then, is the "Cliff Notes" version of the subconscious which one has to know if operating within a western bicameral model of the mind. It is a very old model, but bullet-pointing it allows a basis for us to begin some study on it:<br />
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<b>THE ATTRIBUTES</b><br />
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1. <b>The normal stuff. </b>The subconscious is not conscious i.e. it is our store of long term memory, deep impressions, desires and fears, mental programs etc. It is the blueprint for our behaviour and involuntary reactions. It also controls our body's maintenance, such as the heartbeat as well as the healing and renewal process.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> The self-help industry is mainly interested in this aspect for behaviour modification, success habits and self-mastery. It also applies to maintaining emotional balance and removing trauma.<br />
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2. <b>The supernormal stuff.</b> The subconscious also, within the western model of the mind, controls the events of our experience. It guides us into various events depending on what orders are given to it, regardless of whether those orders are intentional or not. It is attributed powers of synchronicity, miraculous healings, encounters fortuitous or otherwise, deep insight, inspiration, intuition etc.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> The more metaphysical side of the self-help industry is interested in this aspect for manifesting wealth, health, good relationships, romance, business success and the like. Lately, this has become the focus of teachers of "The Secret". It is also used to overcome issues and challenges encountered in daily life. Furthermore, it is of relevance to those interested in healing themselves and others.<br />
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3. <b>The supranormal stuff.</b> This is probably the least-explored aspect of the subconscious in the mainstream, which is how it connects to Higher Intelligence. Some say the subconscious itself contains this intelligence, whereas most think it connects to a higher source. Either way, all agree that it is possible to connect to a form of higher intelligence through the subconscious. There are those who posit the existence of a superconscious, in addition to the conscious and the subconscious. This is notably a core subject of Huna, amongst several other disciplines.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> This is the domain of the spiritual. It is about how we may gain insight and a connection to some degree with higher truths. It is probably the least interesting to the average person because Truth (in the ultimate sense of reality) usually is of little concern in daily life, unless one makes it so.<br />
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<b>THE GOAL: WESTERN VERSUS EASTERN PERSPECTIVES</b><br />
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4. <b>Contents of the subconscious mind.</b> The subconscious is filled with impressions, comments, thoughts and habits of a lifetime (some say lifetimes). These constitute its orders. It becomes a blueprint of manifestation into normal experience.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> If this is true, then a substantial part of our daily experience is but a reflection of something deep within us. More importantly, it is a part of us that we can potentially do something about.<br />
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4. <b>Programming the mind.</b> This is a very prevalent trend in Western thought. It is thought that the subconscious is perfectly submissive - it will obey any order given to it without question. Thus, much dynamic type meditation focusses on how to embed suggestions of wealth, health and the like into the subconscious.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> If this is true, and there has been substantial evidence that it is, at least at the normal level (and there has been quite a bit of anecdotal evidence at the supernormal and supranormal levels, too), then it is a tremendous tool for achieving results that is vastly under-utilised by the majority of the population.<br />
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5. <b>Transcending the suffering and finding peace.</b> This tends to be the primary focus of Eastern methodology, particularly Buddhism. Instead of engaging with the content of the subconscious mind, it instead focusses on transcending this content and finding peace. This also has parallels in the West, such as The Work of Byron Katie and the releasing methods of Lester Levenson, which have been written about elsewhere on this blog.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> It is suggested by proponents that true peace only comes from transcending the thoughts we struggle with deep in our own psyches. When peace is found, realisation also naturally arises, and suffering ends. It also ends the need to "manifest" anything, since one does not experience pain any more. Even if one were to emphasise the Western concepts, it is still an important aspect of ultimate happiness, since endless goal-chasing in itself is unlikely to bring contentment.<br />
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6. <b>Finding a balance.</b> It is suggested that the answer lies in between the two perspectives. Becoming too wrapped up in the materialism of using the mind is an unhappy dead end. In fact, due to the programming mechanism of the mind, it is likely that one's ability to manifest will also diminish if this is abused. Similarly, eschewing all physical phenomena is also likely to lead to nihilism, or a deep rejection, which is unwholesome to say the least.<br />
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<i>Why we care:</i> If we can balance achievement with inner peace, and gain some kind of realisation into the nature of life whilst we are at it, then the study of the mind is truly invaluable. The aim is to get to a point where we are achieving, but in harmony with higher intelligence. On the peace side of the equation, we aim to be in balance within ourselves and with our external environment.<br />
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<b>HOW TO: NEXT STEPS</b><br />
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This is the subject of the next article. I hope to lay out a pathway so that no special training is needed to achieve at least some results (and with any luck, much more) in one's life. This article provides the foundation of what is to follow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-8796402898480883432012-10-31T21:08:00.002-07:002012-10-31T21:13:50.523-07:00The Present Moment<br />
<span font="" style="color: white; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,times,times new roman;">If we are mindful when we start our car, we will know how to use it properly. When we are driving, we tend to think of arriving, and we sacrifice the journey for the sake of the arrival. But life is to be found in the present moment, not in the future. In fact, we may suffer more after we arrive at our destination. If we have to talk of a destination, what about our final destination, the graveyard? We do not want to go in the direction of death; we want to go in the direction of life. But where is life? Life can be found only in the present moment. Therefore, each mile we drive, each step we take, has to bring us into the present moment. This is the practice of mindfulness.<br /><br />When we see a red light or a stop sign, we can smile at it and thank it, because it is a bodhisattva helping us return to the present moment. The red light is a bell of mindfulness. We may have thought of it as an enemy, preventing us from achieving our goal. But now we know the red light is our friend, helping us resist rushing and calling us to return to the present moment where we can meet with life, joy and peace. Even if you are not the driver, you can help everyone in the car if you breathe and smile.<br /><br />A number of years ago, I went to Canada to lead a retreat, and a friend took me across the city of Montreal. I noticed that everytime a car stopped in front of me, I saw the sentence, <i>"Je me souviens"</i> ("I remember"), on the license plate. I did not know what they wanted to remember, perhaps their French-speaking origin, but it gave me an idea. I told my friend, "I have a present for all of you here. Every time you see a car stop in front of you with the line <i>'Je me souviens,'</i> you can see it as a bell of mindfulness helping you remember to breathe and smile. And you will have plenty of opportunities to breathe and smile while driving in Montreal."<br /><br />My friend was delighted! He liked it so much that he shared the practice with more than 200 people in the retreat. Later, when he came to visit me in France, he told me that Paris was not a good place to practice driving, as there were no signs <i>"Je me souviens."</i> I told him that he could practice with red lights and stop signs. After he left Plum Village and went back to Montreal, he wrote me a beautiful letter: "Thay, practicing in Paris was very easy. Not only did I practice with red lights and stop signs, but every time a car stopped in front of me, I saw the eyes of the Buddha blinking at me. I had to smile at those blinking eyes."<br /><br />The next time you are caught in traffic, don't fight. It is useless to fight. If you sit back and smile to yourself, you will enjoy the present moment and make everyone in the car happy. The Buddha is there, because the Buddha can always be found in the present moment. Practicing meditation is to return to the present moment in order to encounter the flower, the blue sky, the child, the brilliant red light.</span>
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<span font="" style="color: white; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,times,times new roman; font-size: x-small;">Taken from <i>Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living</i>(1990) by Thich Nhat Hanh. Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-82220520526448139682012-09-02T17:08:00.002-07:002012-09-02T17:08:21.629-07:00Pain and Consciousness<br />
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"There is no coming to consciousness without pain, People will do anything,
no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not
become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness
conscious."</div>
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<div style="font-family: garamond, 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<i>~Carl
Jung</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-87712412304645347252012-08-15T02:51:00.001-07:002012-08-15T02:51:21.209-07:00A Reminder: Re-release<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzyCvlirQ8rSuxGe3aerOcpgHoyEmQTw96iqk4xslglmFnhZoycN4EFIp_t3LnY9-HQFAhfOlB-oFKVa1YEgw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-43146063166081923712012-04-17T20:10:00.001-07:002012-04-17T20:12:27.102-07:00The Dignity of Fearlessness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sra4Td7XK8YWwclmtbH0EVmMp68D7uzrCDkV_2gog3Nyse5ED7f0xL034yLwHIKe4jUzWVz_MF9mzsmxqSWs7zAEIZdDfCJ8TYusRB7WhDdcZimya-FGQd1JKFgMnoIpYE4ReyQP5qXU/s1600/Fearlessness.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sra4Td7XK8YWwclmtbH0EVmMp68D7uzrCDkV_2gog3Nyse5ED7f0xL034yLwHIKe4jUzWVz_MF9mzsmxqSWs7zAEIZdDfCJ8TYusRB7WhDdcZimya-FGQd1JKFgMnoIpYE4ReyQP5qXU/s400/Fearlessness.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732573084622603666" /></a><br />There is more to fearlessness than merely having overcome fear. Beyond that, when we speak of fearlessness, we are describing a positive state of being full of delight and cheerfulness, with sparkling eyes and good posture. This state of being is not dependent on any external circumstances. It is individual dignity. This joy and unconditional healthiness is the joy, the basic virtue, that comes from being what we are, right now.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />- Chogyam Trungpa</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-54916678808318953872012-03-14T07:49:00.004-07:002012-03-14T07:54:50.580-07:00An interview<span style="font-weight:bold;">How might we (or I) experience more connection, oneness with the Universe, with people, objects all things all of the time?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Be still. You are already one with the universe. Shhh! Be quiet and notice. Sit and notice. Behind the facade of our thoughts is a stream of running energy. Beyond that stream of running energy is an even deeper fabric. People ask how to reach this. Be still! Then notice. Then feel. Not in the urgent sense of feeling, of needing to feel something. But become open and drop your preconceptions of what the feeling is like and just feel. Put your foot in the water and see what sensations arise. That is connection in contemplation. But wait! Who says connection must be contemplated? When you look around, noticing the colours is connection. Smelling a flower gives us connection. Greeting the next person you meet with a smile and really seeing them as though for the first time, and not just seeing what we think is there is connection. Listen! Really listen to the wonderful words, the nuances, the tones. When you take focus away from yourself and go into primary sense, that is connection. Connection can be lovely and wonderful, and it can also be turbulent. Connecting is not about repressing thoughts of emotions. It is about letting them be heard, to hear them, to feel them, and to face them for what they are. When you ask a question, listen for the answer. When you feel sorrowful, notice! Feel! Connection with others also begins with connecting with ourselves. It all starts with being honest. This state of connection is about honesty and truth, within and without, always.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What of allowance of all people – as opposed to being in judgement, polarity, fear, resistance, agreement? Are there any ‘tools’ or processes to help?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />There are plenty of tools and processes. All of them bring you to presence, to the moment, to the now. All of them ask you to stop taking yourself so seriously for a moment, to stop running the movies about what is so scary, so hateful about the world, to take a look out there. All of them ask you to notice what is in your awareness, then realise that it is what it is, and there is a bigger picture. Allowance is not about tolerance. Tolerance assumes that you are right, but out of your “goodness”, you are “allowing” them to go on. That is not allowing – that is merely putting yourself in a space capsule of even greater conceit to avoid feeling resentful.<br /><br />Perhaps the question that people miss is why it is so hard to allow. And the answer is us. We do not want to feel vulnerable. In fear, we do not want others to push certain buttons. In anger, we have raised so much energy in a given direction that when the course of our expectations is interrupted we have to express this energy violently, without knowing how to efficiently rechannel it. And between fear and anger, there are all the myriad transformations. Learn about yourself. When you willingly experience truth with an open heart and a humble soul, allowance will follow. Compassion will, too, for when you awaken you cannot help but be compassionate when you see how much torture people put themselves through, all for the sake of ego.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />For example if I work with someone who is always irritable or angry how might he encourage me to turn my attention towards the energy of love and self acceptance and not be drawn into this energy?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Firstly, resisting anger or irritation is exactly how to get into trouble with it. If you are going to be angry, be angry! This may not be the response some might expect me to give, but how else can you start being honest with yourself? If you’re mad, you’re mad! Pretending you’re just “put out” or “long-suffering” is just another story. You can’t deal with an emotion you won’t allow yourself to feel. The same goes for fear, by the way. Now notice the anger, and notice where it comes from. Anger is always, in my experience, an interruption of a flow of energies, usually channelled by some subconscious structure of how things should be, or towards a goal. Notice what has been challenged in your personal paradigm. And question that. One might, for example, think a co-worker should not always push work on them. Or that an employer should be more reasonable and not demand extra time. Well, why? And spare yourself the “it’s the right thing to do” reasons. I won’t debate their accuracy with you, but they won’t help you. If you are really interested in liberation, then look at the part of you that wants those reasons to be right. Notice how you cling to them like a baby clings to its safety blanket. Notice how distressed you feel when someone like me dares to tell you to observe and question those thoughts. Begin with honesty, and you will have a good start.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Also, sometimes sensitive people experience other people’s realities deeply inside their own body and it can feel deeply uncomfortable and feel like a bigger challenge to stay happy or at peace in one’s self. What tips to help bring oneself back to my soul, my higher self?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Make the decision not to feel that. Empathy is great, but oversensitivity is useless. There are plenty of visualisations to help yourself with that. The famous white light meditation is one. Has it occurred to anyone that if someone is indeed so sensitive, and so talented at connecting with someone, they could just as easily connect to the universe? Instead of connecting with others’ suffering (which incidentally does that person not one whit of good and doesn’t help you either), connect with the patience of the saints, the joy of children, the compassion of Buddha, the peace of Lao Tzu, the love of Jesus, the benevolence of the universe. If you are good at that, you will become a truly awakened being. Then empathise with people if you so choose, and the light will naturally spill over.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Some communities talk about ET’s and a specific race of ET’s having interferred with our earth and humans – any knowing or opinion on this and is this something we should be afraid of and if not, why not? How can we NOT panic about an unseen force?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />I do not claim any knowledge where this subject is concerned. As I connect with the universe, this answer arises: There is nothing mightier than the universe. There is nothing greater than God, and by that I mean the God of your understanding. There is nothing that can be almighty forever. There is nothing that cannot change. This is the nature of existence. The only thing constant is change. To understand all the permutations of the changes possible are likely beyond any single human being. However, to develop the view of the fabric of reality is possible, and very achievable. If you so choose, these realities will respond to your touch, but only when you have a deeper awareness and recognition of it. And to do that, you must first drop the obscurations of the emotions. Note that I did not say to drop the emotions. There’s that honesty thing going on again. Experience whatever is your truth. But instead of trying to hold your head above water, relax into them and see how they feel. Learn to function in them. Then, when you feel ready, you can look past them and get on with your path. When you connect with the view and really know (as in recognise) how everything is a movie, then the movie becomes a lot less scary. Try that if you want the next time you are watching a really scary movie. Notice the screen and let your awareness go onto the fabric, and the surroundings. When you move your awareness away from its involvement with the colourful projections, it becomes a lot less threatening.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What of Fate and Destiny? Do we arrive with a Soul’s purpose and if so why does that idea feel so significant and heavy? What’s true and untrue about this idea?<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br />Lots of masters of various levels are likely going to be upset with me for saying this, but I believe it’s time to put this one to rest. Do you have a fate and destiny? Insofar as you enter the earth experience with certain energetic tendencies, yes. Insofar as energetic patterns will influence your psychology in (usually) predictable patterns (because we human beings make it so easy for the cosmos, being unaware and all), yes. Are you bound by your fate? Nope. If you do some kind of spiritual practice, it usually allows liberation from the dictates of those tendencies. That process is more famously known as purifying karma.<br /><br />Is there a purpose? In a relative sense, yes. There is a purpose to this lifetime. There is a reason why you’re here. If it feels heavy, it is because you don’t want to pick that up. You might be afraid to fail, perhaps. You want to do it your way, perhaps. You’d just as soon not have someone else tell you what to do, thank you very much. Goodness knows, I empathise! So, yes, you have a purpose, but each lifetime is like diving for pearls. You might get carried away one of these dives by the beauty of the fish, and forget to get the pearl until you come up for air. You know what? Dive again. Or not. There is always choice. The content of our awareness is a reflection of our choices.<br /><br />That said, nothing is written. From an absolute viewpoint, you have absolutely no purpose. The universe is not so small that it needs us to be this or do that. It contains all the permutations, remember? Do you think the sea cares if a turtle to eat a fish? Fish, turtle, sea. All are one mass. It is just another conversion of energy, another play, another flourish of the pen, another flash in the pan. And once we get over ourselves being offended that “we” the identity means so little, we can find that the whole play is actually rather meaningful. And beautiful. Let’s not forget beautiful.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What about this talk of Acsension? What does it mean and how is it relevant to us?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Ascension is very specific to certain traditions, and they will have specific responses to it. It usually has to do with raising vibrations. I do not specialise in the light body that these traditions have and so cannot comment on it with authority. I will say that “ascending”, as far as I’m concerned, has more to do with be-ing, than do-ing. We ascend and we descend to different depths of reality. Whoever gave us the idea that up is better than down? From an absolute viewpoint, there is no difference. There would be no up without down. When we realise this, and examine our motives for going in a certain direction, we often find that really, right where we are is just fine. And if we don’t like it, we are free to choose a different direction at any time.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What is your experience of G-d?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />I can answer this question from two viewpoints, that of a theological God or even gods, and that of my experience of the Highest Truth. Because of the phrasing of the question, I will go with the latter.<br /><br />God for me is an experience of truth and of oneness. When I reach for God, I release my preconceptions of what is, was or should be, and open my mind to What Is. As the sense of self drops away, “I” stand naked and vulnerable before the ultimate structure of existence. I feel myself reaching into the expansiveness of this existence, becoming aware of the minute and subtle fabric upon which life plays itself out. It is beyond words, but more like a subtle something in the back of my mind.<br /><br />Within this great expanse I see potentialities playing themselves out, even as my own awareness shines on and picks up on different patterns of energy and vibration emerging from within this great sea. The sea itself is unfathomable, but with every heartbeat, I feel God emerging into physical existence. With every thought, I feel God expressing a perspective. With every emotion, I feel the rush of energies as God plays with existence. Yet God as an “it” does not work. No one word describes this something which contains everything, and without this there would be nothing. We do not have the language for this description. It is a sublime experience not because of love or kindness or even compassion, even though they are there. It is a feeling of ultimate openness and permissiveness.<br /><br />In a society which has individualised God, we have many gods of our understanding. Within many traditions, there are various practices for connecting with these gods as a step into truth awareness. I have learnt these methods myself, but I think if we could return to our little children’s minds and see the wonder of a sunrise, or a dewdrop on a blad of grass, we would have come much closer to the most fundamental expression of that which sustains and thus governs all life. In that moment of wonder, in that heartbeat when the universe stands still as an eagle takes flight, we sense for a moment the larger wisdom that governs all these. It overwhelms me with wonder, and humbles my usually oversized sense of ego. And if I let the facade of who I think is me really drop and surrender into this strange vacuum emptiness from which so many wonderful things arise, I glimpse the essence of my own awareness, and how it is perfectly placed within this universe, functioning perfectly, and a sensation of overwhelming contentment arises. That is my experience of God.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />I would be interested to find out what meditation technique he would recommend to channel chi!!<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />The interview was over when I received this question, but it offers such a unique opportunity to point out a couple of issues that I could not resist. Chi, or qi, as the Chinese call it, is generally known as life energy. It permeates life forms and leaves imprints on inanimate objects. Masters of qigong are basically masters of qi (energy) – gong (work), or energy work. However, when the average healer or even master talks about energy, they fail to distinguish between primordial energy emanating from the emptiness that is the canvas of life and the “relative qi” experience of daily life. Primordial qi is what we are interested in if we are looking to affect life on a fundamental level. Relative qi is the qi that has already gained form and some more physical characteristics. Like everything else on the relative level of existence, this qi has an illusory quality to it, although it may produce very real physical effects.<br /><br />When asking what meditation would channel qi, it is necessary to first consider what qi you are talking about. Relative qi is moved largely through thought processes, will and intent. It can also be directed through hand movements, sound and colour, amongst other things. Feng Shui is the process of guiding such qi forms in a harmonious manner. At this level, there are things like “blockages” and “stuck energy patterns”. Most healing systems are largely concerned with this level of qi.<br /><br />If you are truly channelling primordial qi, there is very little will, and faith and gratitude become larger components, for there is much more intelligence as the qi goes towards its primordial state. It becomes more an issue of “traversing parallel realities” and less and issue of “raise energy and pump”. One simply chooses the experience of existence one prefers. Ironically, the more neutral one is (read: detached) between the choices available, the greater one’s ability is to choose effectively. This may seem like a non-answer, but at this level any technique or method simply defeats the purpose, for it is a restriction on that which cannot be restricted. For that reason, many practitioners begin and end with relative qi channelling, and over time develop a maturity which then, if they are open, allows them a glimpse of a deeper reality. Such was certainly the case for me.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />My question would be what advice would he give to someone who is trying meditation but feels that they are not making any progress, and that it is all leading to frustration? Why do some people manage an hour and others always seem to struggle with 5 minutes (which can seem like an hour)?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />It depends on the type of meditation you are trying. Most meditations quiet the mind in some way, but some actually make it active in others. Depending on how active your mind and energy usually are, meditations may not be your cup of tea. Although I began meditating when I was twelve, it was very functional and practical. I never meditated for meditation’s sake in those days. It was always to apply my mind for some specific purpose or to gain some specific result. Meditation was a business transaction, so it’s hardly surprising I didn’t really meditate for long. However, I was fortunate enough to have a relatively quiet mind, and so I got my results.<br /><br />Over time, as my spiritual awareness matured, I began to become aware of specific types of meditations. Frankly, the purpose-based ones still bore me! But I began to realise that I usually couldn’t sit still because I felt I had to contort my mind to “do” a certain specific thing, so although some parts of it were relaxed, other parts were subconsciously tense, and still preoccupied with the idea of moving on to the next thing. That’s why I have begun to stress the power of relaxation and love so much. It doesn’t matter how powerful a meditation it is, provided you relax and open up fully to all aspects of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. Meditation is first and foremost an exploration of self, so if we do not relax and open, we sort of miss the point. Love is important because we open up to it. If one could meditate like a cat basking in the sun, or a dog lying quietly by a bubbling brook, one could do much. Love yourself – just the love would heal so much. Become sensitive to how you are feeling and acknowledge that. It is no use trying to fight a busy mind. Just love it and breathe with it. If it is going to run, it is going to run, but enjoy the sensation of the mind running away, and eventually you will see what it is running away from, and then it will quieten itself.<br /><br />“Progress” is a relative phase. I’ve been gifted with amazing and life-changing experiences in meditation, but when I plunge into meditation, sometimes my mind wants to run away too. That’s okay. That’s me for now. Waiting for it to slow down is also a kind of progress. If you move your mind to the rat race of the world, where I sometimes play too, that is what the mind does to survive. Asking it to switch between states immediately is like asking a train running at full speed to come to a full stop. Cooling down is a part of the process too. If the meditation has steps, take your time on the steps. You don’t even have to do all of them at once. To thy own self be true.<br /><br />Time is also relative. I rarely sit for hours in meditation except when I am in deep retreat or transformation mode. I’m just not that kind of guy! But if I want to feel my place in the universe, it can be done in an instant. Time has nothing to do with it – many meditations make time-related recommendations because the mind adjusts to what is comfortable, so the theory is to train the mind to stretch to a new default. If your mind doesn’t work like that, forget it!<br /><br />Some useful things that might help:<br /><br />- Meditate first thing in the morning or last thing at night, or just after lunch. That is when the mind is usually at its quietest. <br />– Do some light exercise or qigong before meditating, to work off excess energy. I sometimes do some qigong with my eyes closed. That produces alpha brainwaves automatically and so I segue conveniently into meditation when I get tired of moving my arms around. <br />– Bouncing in place also helps to work off excess energy. – Avoid caffeine prior to meditation.<br />– Do a walking meditation. Now THOSE I’ve been known to do for hours on end. I must have walked through most of central London in full meditation mode at one point or another. <br />– Take some time off to a relaxing place for a weekend where you meditate multiple times in a day. How long doesn’t matter – it is the number of times you get the mind to slow down that matters. Ask a monkey to sit down a thousand times and eventually it will get the idea. – Really focus on physical, mental and emotional relaxation and openness. Notice any hidden tension or worry and keep relaxing that and then going on, then coming back again to relax it. <br />– Get a massage. Sometimes meditation literally becomes difficult when there are physical knots in the body. If you have that, a good physical massage session will give you a good night’s sleep and also become the ground for good meditation sessions.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Could you please ask for ways to break down old hidden belief systems?<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br />All belief systems start out as a path the mind takes. It is sometimes not even thought, just mental stance of convenience for the situation at hand. Other times, of course, it is a very well fleshed-out thought process, for better or for worse, that is either developed by us or handed to us. The key is to realise that beliefs are hidden only because we let them hide from us. And so a good starting point is to ask ourselves why they are so hidden. The fact is, most erroneous or disempowering beliefs evaporate when they are truly recognised and acknowledged. There are several beliefs (there’s that word again) about why our minds seem to hide our belief systems from us. Some say the mind protects us from the software that has kept us alive. Others say that we do not see it until it is time. Ultimately, the basic denominator is that beliefs are defended by fear. Whether it is the ego defending itself or the mind trying to preserve us, we do not see our beliefs because they are hidden by urges and emotions that almost force us to look the other way. We want to be right. It is safer for the world to remain the way we think it is, or at least so we think. So, open-mindedness is the first step. If we go in with something to defend, we have by default made some of our territory off-limits. Unfortunately, the belief may be so deeply ingrained that we may unwittingly defend it and prevent it from detection. Secondly, we must be willing to deal with the fear. It is not easy, and people do this with varying aptitudes until they come to the spiritual “test” of level 3.5. But that is a subject for another time.<br /><br />Willingness is the key. There are many emotional technologies out there which will support this process, but all require honesty and a commitment to honesty. Most only come to someone else for help with their beliefs when there is too much pain not to change them. Otherwise, they’d just as soon keep their paradigms, thank you very much. If they are really ready, they will let it go once they actually realise how much damage it has done to them. If they are not, they won’t. There is no real guarantee that beliefs will change – they do or they don’t. Byron Katie’s Work is one avenue I recommend for those who are looking to question their beliefs about reality. Of course, for those who are spiritually ready, I’d recommend my training too, but you’d not be surprised at the gratuitous self-promotion! Seriously, though, rooting out deep beliefs can be painful work…I should know. I’ve given enough relationship coaching over the years to know you want not to be in the same room when you tell someone they may not be in the right!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I am becoming more and more aware of helping to hold a light space for 2012, which was actually a question I was going to email you about for the interview. What should we be doing for 2012 and what can we expect?<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />As I look at 2012, I see the energies going quietly until March, where there is a ballooning of light within the universal consciousness gridwork. It is not threatening or harmful, I am somewhat relieved to say. In spite of what most people say, 2011 has been the bulk of the shift predicted for 2012. I see, to my surprise, the resilience of the human spirit. I must emphasise surprised, because 6 months, or even 3 months ago, it didn’t look that way. The energetics were chaotic and even those with the ability to see had their abilities clouded. This was true for practically everyone I know in the circle. There is now an energy grid in place that is supporting humankind, and indirectly the earth with it.<br /><br />This was always going to be a transition period, but we are over the chaotic bit. It is far from over, but conscious awareness has started to adjust. I sense so much less fear in the overall system. And even better, I sense quiet dignity and optimism, even in spite of the economic unrest much of the world is undergoing. Subconsciously, people have shifted. They may not even have recognised this subtle change in stance. However, many have accepted the environment and adapted, and are showing signs of movement in the correct direction.<br /><br />Personally, I rejoice at this change, for there is little more masters of my level can do to aid this period specifically, although I suspect a few will be reluctant to admit that. Right about the beginning of 2011, many of us who were called to teach and to help this transition stopped hearing the call, and I believe I am right when I say that about that time, the energetic level of humanity was locked in, as it were, for this period. In other words, you would ride out the storm with whatever level you were at. Some may accuse me of being fatalistic about this, but I simply report my experience. Throughout the period since then, the overall level of understanding of humanity has progressed relatively slowly, but the energetic overtone of maturity has changed much. I believe people are instinctively finding and getting what they need to make it through. Being true to yourself and maintaining stability of awareness are the themes of importance.<br /><br />During this period, aim not for earth-shaking lightning bolts of enlightenment, in spite of what ancient prophecies may say. Aim instead to stabilise yourself in feelings of love and light and gentleness. This is a period of the return of the feminine principle. For generations we have worshipped the masculine principle and developed a society based on the concepts of power and strength. We are now returning to a period where feelings, intuition and grace are the guiding light. Look for what is good in your memories, in your imagination, in your vision and in your personal life. This is Christmas-time, and whatever your calling, it is a good time to get in tune with your inner light. The more you ground your awareness in what you really feel, in the core of your being, the more easy you will find the coming period. In 2012, as the earth grid stabilises to a new default, so too should you. Look for stability and what means “home” to your soul, and look for it every day.<br /><br />I realise I may sound Pollyanna-ish in what I am recommending, but those who know me also know that I call ‘em like I see ‘em. We have developed into a very cynical and jaded generation, with all the technological advances of the past 30 years. The internet has opened our eyes, but also to an extent it has made a very fresh reality seem old. That is pretty much all I want to say about 2012 at this point. Astrologically, it is better than 2011, some may be shocked to hear, although it is far from good news from that perspective. Frustrations will certainly arise as we adjust to the new mean, but if we can keep our minds steady, the future is looking rosier than expected. Finally, when responding to situations, do not respond mindlessly in the way you have always responded. Always reground in inner light and choose your actions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-91945516546884972512012-03-09T20:33:00.000-08:002012-03-09T20:34:14.225-08:00Conceptual Thinking - Friend or Foe?<span style="font-style:italic;">It is often mentioned in the scriptures that without theories, without concepts one cannot even start. So start with concepts and then build up theory. And then you use up the theory and it gradually gives way to wisdom, to intuitive knowledge, and that knowledge finally links with reality. So to start with, one should allow and not react against things. And if one wants to help a person, for example, there are two ways of doing it: one is that you want to help him because you want him to be different, you would like to mold him according to your ideas, you would like him to flow your way. That is still compassion with ego, compassion with an object, compassion finally with results which will benefit you as well -- and that is not quite true compassion. This plan to help other people may be a very good one, but nevertheless the emotional approach of wanting to save the world and bring peace is not quite enough, there has to be more than that, there has to be more depth. So first one has to start by respecting concepts and then building from there. Though actually in Buddhist teachings, concepts are generally regarded as a hindrance. But being a hindrance does not mean that it prevents anything. It is a hindrance and it is also the vehicle -- it is everything. Therefore one must pay special attention to concepts.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chogyam Trungpa</span>, "The Manure of Experience and the Field of Bodhi," Meditation in ActionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-48479633607665171152012-02-29T18:40:00.006-08:002012-02-29T19:22:52.029-08:00Ho'oponopono - Meeting the Big Kahuna<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqtKj9ISmx6yD9rrNHKsQtSOLbel6U1cGmrXmwTEdzyewrGtrEQXBkGAb-8B1ao2Y5j5u-GEP2hQRY5UBNd7iNZP6DfsF1Tyywsbeumqk6KeaWtE4Y4ZmseeC3DhZOArVJfHgvRQJLBxt/s1600/The+Touch+of+God.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqtKj9ISmx6yD9rrNHKsQtSOLbel6U1cGmrXmwTEdzyewrGtrEQXBkGAb-8B1ao2Y5j5u-GEP2hQRY5UBNd7iNZP6DfsF1Tyywsbeumqk6KeaWtE4Y4ZmseeC3DhZOArVJfHgvRQJLBxt/s400/The+Touch+of+God.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714754047888405810" /></a><br />In the last post I discussed the application of ho'oponopono relative to using it to other people. Since liberation is largely about well, being liberated, any practice that increases your personal freedom and relationship to the universe or the god of your understanding counts, in my book, as a good idea. <br /><br />So, we now look at the ho'oponopono approach of getting into a relationship with God. In this form, the technique is closer to confession. The idea is that the more open you are with Him, the better. That's why, in my opinion, so many religious adepts and spiritually realised masters write accounts that are almost sexual in recounting their experience of God. Meeting the universe is about vulnerability. Infinite vulnerability. And love. Leave us not forget love. We are left with faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love, if you remember your Corinthians. <br /><br />So, it's about taking responsibility for different aspects of your life and accepting that somehow, somewhere, you have created these situations. Whether you actually did or did not is a matter of metaphysical debate of Jedi-Sith continuum proportions, and I am currently throwing my chips on the side of "you probably did most of it, if not all of it". Nonetheless, taking responsibility for it is still a good idea from a personal empowerment viewpoint. Then, you basically sit before your God, and do the ho'oponono mantras.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you."<br /></span><br />And the more open you can be the better. I personally find that I am too lazy to think about exactly what I did wrong, so I just start with the mantras. Eventually (well, actually pretty soon) things and events tend to come to mind, and I apologise for those. The lean in this particular version of this technique is in the "I'm sorry." The more willing you are to accept that your position may not have been the only right one, or even the right one, the more flexible your ego stance is, and the more can be achieved. In this open confession, you let go and let God. <br /><br />Oh, and one word of warning - do not use the "please forgive me" part to do a mental ego flip. The ego is quite willing to do an insincere apology if it knows that it will be forgiven. All that is is what Paul Scheele used to call finessing. It goes through the motions to get to the desired result. Unfortunately, it does not go through the E-motions. And that is what gets it uncomfortable. <br /><br />This is a very useful version for difficult issues and situations too, but I would use an adapted mantra setup:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Please help me. Your Will be done. I love you. Thank you."</span><br /> <br />The confession bit (don't underestimate confession - there's a reason why most, if not all, major religions have it in one form or another) remains the same. There is a request for help, but again, the final mantra cuts at the ego bit of the equation. The ego is quite willing, again, to go through the motions if it thinks it can wheedle something out of God. What God thinks of that probably differs through the traditions, but what I can say with a lot of certainty is that the ego gets away intact if it is done in that way. It has to accept (with faith, which implies uncertainty, which is something the ego NEVER likes because it fears one or more outcomes that it views as unfavourable) that the best will happen, and it may not like the result. <br /><br />Basically, in other words, use surrender. Openness. Everything that implies vulnerability and discomfort. It's not easy. But then again, who said liberation was easy? As for the last bit - saying thank you is always about gratitude and appreciation. From the heart. It's just a nice thing to say when you ask someone for a favour (even if that happens to be your Higher Self), don't you think?<br /><br />There are, of course, other nuances to the ho'oponopono approach. More to come.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-78068978464922013112012-02-29T05:55:00.006-08:002012-02-29T06:29:22.343-08:00Ho'oponono - the Kahuna Way to Awakening<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtagr8cYSsBmTYIJrSBjQMCJctfjQUTRPb3J00NJ2MsW25wmsaTpGF6-9nSX-SrersuBxf3IUje_olKfxZ049gzlSN3dQKqbRSoSGOdghVl6MAJEQzVTL5vU5h_bmdLC6lRlZ0DuBtV45t/s1600/Hooponono.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtagr8cYSsBmTYIJrSBjQMCJctfjQUTRPb3J00NJ2MsW25wmsaTpGF6-9nSX-SrersuBxf3IUje_olKfxZ049gzlSN3dQKqbRSoSGOdghVl6MAJEQzVTL5vU5h_bmdLC6lRlZ0DuBtV45t/s400/Hooponono.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714556271207129906" /></a><br /><br />Right ho. So I haven't really posted much original material here for a bit, and now that I've found a topic I feel like getting my teeth into, I've decided to change that. The once obscure art of ho'oponono is pretty famous these days, thanks to Joe Vitale and Hew Len. I for one happen to think that is a good thing. There are, however, quite a few versions of these mysterious art, which have to do largely with reconciliation, forgiveness and karmic clearing. Those who know me will know that it is the last of these three categories that would catch my attention. It is not my practice to do an expose of other people's techniques on my blog, so I will proceed to do what I usually do, which is to present MY version. Or versions. It's no secret I usually find at least a few different proverbial nails to use the same metaphysical hammer on. Live with it. <br /><br />So, the now somewhat-famous four-sentence mantras associated with this technique of Hawaiian clearing are:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you."<br /></span><br />Awww. Ain't that sweet. It sounds like a particularly dear child with blue eyes and golden locks apologising to mumsy for spilling sugar on the table. Well, har de har har. The last time I checked, mumsy wasn't in charge of the karmic balance book. Or was she? I nearly titled this post, "Who's the matter with me?" Maybe at least some of our troubles can be traced to her. And definitely to someone or other. So, just to get my writing momentum in order again, here's a metaphysical technique for purifying health and situational (e.g. money) issues. <br /><br />Relax. Meditate. Go to your alpha level. Breathe deeply. All that jazz.<br /><br />When there, consider the issue you have in mind in a relaxed and oblique manner (no need to get all emotional and swingy about it). Ask yourself, "Why am I experiencing this particular issue?" You could also ask yourself variations of this, such as "Why is this happening to me?" or "What is the cause of this problem?" I could go on a whole diatribe...er...discussion about why people don't use their common sense when selecting the terms appropriate to them, but let's just leave that for now.<br /><br />Anyway, relax and allow a person to come to mind. Whoever this hapless individual is, you apply the four sentence mantras to. And mean it. It may be someone you know. It may be someone representing someone you wronged. Or even a group of people. An uncle representing all uncles, perhaps. Or maybe you said Blarney the purple dinosaur was a disgrace to his race and now have to apologise to dinosaurs everywhere for comparing him to them. It's amazing what sort of karma shows up these days. Anyhow, try and mean it as much as possible. And if someone else shows up, keep doing it. It feels painful at first, but it allows you to open pathways that were previously blocked by guilt and resistance. <br /><br />Perhaps you have no idea why you should be apologising. Perhaps you think the person should apologise to you. Well, play with it. Disagreements and grudges are really two-way things. And maybe YOU should apologise to you for holding that grudge in your mind for so long when someone else may have long moved on. Keep going until you have some kind of release.<br /><br />Now, sometimes interesting characters will show up. Your higher self, perhaps. Or you in the past. Or a you in the future. Or your subconscious or shadow selves. The nonconscious mind has a way of producing interesting imagery. You might even end up apologising to a child version of yourself for not living up to your dreams and expectations. <br /><br />Keep digging. I don't want to go into the whole deep explanation of why this works, but it's important. I do want to point out that in the traditional Hawaiian model of the selves, there is the conscious mind, the subconscious mind and superconscious mind. This kind of trains the conscious mind to act in a more open and humble way, whilst probing the subconscious for past hurts. Keep that model in mind. I may well post a series of techniques that dance around that. Also, it is useful to remember the in spite of the more popular Ho'oponono, there were other very important Hawaiian magical secrets, such as the Rain of Blessings, which are relevant to ways of living. Until next time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-25193498638488335252012-02-15T23:18:00.000-08:002012-02-15T23:22:08.292-08:00Falling in Love is Elemental<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW9LvCK0f3IOIGMf5wTDw3bdeIMKOQNjKgmK2QaB1l8rzHLsCJhKxW1lb0ETgNfnmg9M7ersNYbK7vbC1BFGp5wzgdlwRuGx9FfPFev_lBbMaByFmf4ApVu1AmnNNij8zWrsLYkKJ94Mc/s1600/Love+is+Elemental.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW9LvCK0f3IOIGMf5wTDw3bdeIMKOQNjKgmK2QaB1l8rzHLsCJhKxW1lb0ETgNfnmg9M7ersNYbK7vbC1BFGp5wzgdlwRuGx9FfPFev_lBbMaByFmf4ApVu1AmnNNij8zWrsLYkKJ94Mc/s400/Love+is+Elemental.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709629839381563794" /></a><br /><br />The conditions causing you to fall in love with somebody are not because your partner is a wealthy person, has a lot of intelligence, is a good breadwinner, or would be good for you. If you don’t have those accessories and you begin to like somebody as another human being and appreciate him or her as your mate, then you are operating from a square-one point of view; whereas if you have been talked into it, it is operating from square thirty-three. However, if it is genuinely felt and personally experienced, falling in love is like the elements: fire burns, water is moist, air moves, space is spacious.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">~ Chogyam Trungpa</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">- from Ocean of Dharma quotes</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-31924919390340720132012-02-14T21:55:00.001-08:002012-02-15T23:21:11.191-08:00An Open Heart<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoIphaBJQLtxP00wOiyxxh54xl0lB8aFIfOho3PCaLRH-OMeqALVbnkpsp2IBZwrCx1gkqTfnIISAKrC0Do191tjojIwaBUxBeTaIiTGNPi2207u1UTRN0Q2dvHPRr6KqqqnAbNm94phN/s1600/Open+Heart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoIphaBJQLtxP00wOiyxxh54xl0lB8aFIfOho3PCaLRH-OMeqALVbnkpsp2IBZwrCx1gkqTfnIISAKrC0Do191tjojIwaBUxBeTaIiTGNPi2207u1UTRN0Q2dvHPRr6KqqqnAbNm94phN/s400/Open+Heart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709237153286208194" /></a><br /><br />As we become more inwardly free from our conditioning and our fears, the love and connection that are possible in relationships tend to flow through us more naturally. As our defences are lowered, our heart opens, and there is a natural desire to give from the generosity of the heart. We discover that genuine happiness in relationships is not a product of having our expectations met or getting what we want but rather it is the consequence of freely giving in order to bring happiness to another.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ezra Bayda</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-83407188387194891162012-02-13T18:05:00.000-08:002012-02-13T18:48:06.895-08:00Holding Awareness Steady and Connecting to Different Levels of Intelligence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycXCUzn7B_O2HSxMC9x0Ru-f49DiYLDvyeQnEWW3pwttOjL92MT8KtQQWyvv2X_x4_AcsjpUF2rn_CFERL8uXzzwHlRQCQXaM5hlRqfCsCgvASlzBDlvMQXEFtRl_FTrVsJIrCQBbGncD/s1600/Steady+Awareness.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycXCUzn7B_O2HSxMC9x0Ru-f49DiYLDvyeQnEWW3pwttOjL92MT8KtQQWyvv2X_x4_AcsjpUF2rn_CFERL8uXzzwHlRQCQXaM5hlRqfCsCgvASlzBDlvMQXEFtRl_FTrVsJIrCQBbGncD/s400/Steady+Awareness.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708807421911196850" /></a><br />Source: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cistothorus_palustris_CT.jpg">Cephas/Wikimedia</a><br /><br />I recently had the privilege of speaking at a Silva Method Graduate Meeting. It was an event that I had not anticipated participating in, as I have not been active within that community for quite some time. It was a lovely experience to be speaking to people of that particular mindset again, and in my own way, I was reminded of some key points regarding manifestation.<br /><br />In particular, one person had 30 years' experience of using the Method and was very successful with regard to manifestation. Unsurprisingly, I was interested in his specific internal arrangement. It seems he only focussed on one particular technique - the mental screen. If you want to learn that particular technique, just buy the Silva Method book by Jose Silve and Philip Miele. It's in there. Most visualisation techniques are similar so I will not get into the details of the how. I was more interested in the nuances of application.<br /><br />I discovered something particularly interesting - he has close to, if not 100% success, and it comes from just repeating the same process over and over again. This is almost a complete counter to my approach, which involves more open awareness and flexibility in application. I have my reasons for doing it the way I do, some of which are in parts of this blog, but that is not to say there is no merit to the other approach either. In his mind, he would simply hold the image of that which was to be manifested. Based on pacing his language patterns and metaprogram structures, I deduced a number of things of interest.<br /><br />Firstly, he could hold the image remarkably steady. His personality was one that was steady to begin with. This is not to say that he was without fear, but rather that he sat naturally in his awareness within a place of relaxation, and thus power. I can only imagine that this power deepens when he actually meditates. And he meditates thrice a day, so it is quite possible that he is naturally in light meditation most of the time anyway. When he visualises sitting at that level of awareness, he can hold an image steady.<br /><br />Secondly, he could project that image very well. You might think that this is essentially the same thing. I have come to suspect it is not. Jose Silva called his work Psychorientology, and every graduate will recognise the phrase "entering deeper, healthier levels of mind". This and many other nuances of the Silva Method suggest that different aspects of living function at different levels. It also means that you might, in fact, be holding a perfectly viable image in your mind, but because you are not connecting and projecting it into the relevant level of intelligence, it becomes less effective. Because this person had few or no mental blocks in the areas in which he exercised his abilities, the image communicated very well.<br /><br />Some would accuse me of making a simple thing complicated. Indeed, the explanation of the process is probably more complicated than necessary. In practice, it is a matter of relaxing and connecting with intention to the level of existence and then trusting the subconscious to continue the work. Nonetheless, I find that three things need to be taken note of as a result of this: openness, steadiness and connection. This also interplays with the expectancy factor in the desire-belief-expectancy trio forming faith within the Silva Method system. Expectancy is more open than expectation, and that openness comes from having mentally connected to the level of intelligence/existence necessary and having already created the end result at the relevant level. <br /><br />Finally, this gentleman differed from me greatly in one aspect. He was very specific in his visualisations. He would visualise, for example, the price he wished to sell his car for, and did indeed get it. He would put timelines on his projects. I have in the past pointed out the specificity also limits the extent of the manifestation. Nonetheless, in his context, one can see that using a model of steady projection, it would be of benefit to him to have greater objectivity. I am not quite convinced that these levels of specificity are ideal, but certainly it emphasises the importance of steadiness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-353928910554557892012-01-28T18:35:00.000-08:002012-01-28T18:44:09.322-08:00Prayer to Grandmaster Wong for the Pacification of Negative Karmic Connections<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQngiQmMcjqgrTbWAn0IaOfbqMLHL8MvqikMue4Lznu0V9ioe9OMyvdxF9byjGxSWFpC1i8fwwmOmzxm5aNOC-YpbF3RWZ4jn227VbVrj2iK4aO-e4vmgQjkxx4ctAp1yUGm-KPRNO_j6/s1600/wts2+182.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQngiQmMcjqgrTbWAn0IaOfbqMLHL8MvqikMue4Lznu0V9ioe9OMyvdxF9byjGxSWFpC1i8fwwmOmzxm5aNOC-YpbF3RWZ4jn227VbVrj2iK4aO-e4vmgQjkxx4ctAp1yUGm-KPRNO_j6/s400/wts2+182.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702878026990834642" /></a><br /><br />Dear Divine Grandmaster Wong,<br /><br />I, _____, humbly and sincerely prostrate myself before you in your great compassion and wisdom.<br />Regardless of what I have done or how many prayers I may have offered,<br />I clear my mind now and appeal to You with great reverence, love and amazement as though for the first time. <br />Please hear every sincere cry of Your humble disciple.<br />Although it may not seem so to me, I know that:<br />Compared to the obstacles of others, my obstacles are small;<br />Compared to the problems of others, my suffering is tiny;<br />Compared to the great issues of existence, my issues are non-existent;<br />I am greatly blessed compared to others.<br />May I truly realise this, and with great determination and compassion in my heart, may I quickly pacify all my own obstacles and suffering so I can play my part to relieve the suffering of all beings.<br /><br />Dear Divine Grandmaster Wong,<br />Please heal, repair and purify my karmic connection with __(all people/group of people/person)__.<br />May all parties confess, even as I now confess all my own karmic errors.<br />May all parties regret and repent, even as I realise, regret and repent my own errors against everyone.<br />May all parties forgive, even as I forgive all wrongdoing against me,<br />I now realise all these wrongdoings to be an illusion of my own deluded mind,<br />For life is like a dream – form is emptiness, emptiness is form.<br />I realise now all the suffering I have created for myself and others through this deluded state. <br />May this forever be forgiven, pacified and purified.<br />I generate to my greatest ability the deepest gratitude and love towards the compassion of __(people in general/group of people/person)__ for manifesting in this form to teach me this lesson.<br />May this connection attain its highest form,<br />Full of love, forgiveness, compassion and Light.<br /><br />Through the power of these words, actions and realisations, which continue to deepen long after this prayer is complete,<br />May this connection be truly pure and made whole, in Your Wisdom. <br />Whatever outcome is best, I rejoice and trust in Your Wisdom and Compassion.<br />Whatever time is best, I accept with gratitude.<br />Whatever happens, my faith is steady, my devotion is complete, my compassion is strong and my realisation is intact. <br /><br />Reflecting on myself,<br />I realise all attachment creates suffering, so I willingly release and let go.<br />I realise ego and judgment create attachment, so I let illusory stories and false logic dissipate.<br />I realise fear compels us to commit karmic errors, so I clear my heart.<br />I realise karmic error perpetrates karmic error, so I ground all my actions in pure compassion and motivation.<br /><br />All form is a reflection of the universe, <br />So all beings are my fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters.<br />Sitting in this realisation, I generate compassion and pray:<br />May _____ and all beings always be safe,<br />May _____ and all beings always be healthy,<br />May _____ and all beings achieve great wisdom,<br />May _____ and all beings be truly wealthy,<br />May _____ and all beings always be blessed,<br />May _____ and all beings enjoy positive conditions,<br />May _____ and all beings receive beneficial and timely help,<br />May _____ and all beings give and receive great love and compassion,<br />May _____ and all beings effortlessly release attachment and attain enlightenment,<br />For the greatest benefit of all.<br />Through these meditations, realisations and prayers,<br />I can finally lay down heavy karmic burdens and purify ignorant thought,<br />I breathe a sigh of relief and let my mind relax into pure emptiness, <br />I now realise the mirror-like nature of the mind, <br />No matter what happens, may I always be united with the great Dao.<br /><br />Dear Divine Grandmaster Wong,<br />May every prayer I have respectfully and sincerely made that is True and Correct be heard by all appropriate Buddhas, bodhisattvas, deities and beings;<br />May all incorrect prayers be nullified and forgotten,<br />Please multiply the merit of these prayers for the greatest benefit of all.<br />I offer this prayer with the deepest gratitude to You, <br />and continue to learn as Your humble disciple,<br />And trust in Your great Compassion and Wisdom.<br />May all beings benefit from this prayer.<br /><br />OM! AH! HUM! <br />OM! AH! HUM!<br />OM! AH! HUM!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-89775804124402493402011-12-31T18:41:00.000-08:002011-12-31T18:51:08.596-08:00Wisdom of Atisha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQI6a87LwymcMh7lMon_bNBPE74q63UsIveBts6nKvJdiQ2_82MF3Ffvr34yLyLKzdP8VH84q9l4Sm2zZvbngZT5GTaEsxbE-P_2Kp7WTk0t0c-mwJCwUDEPbpCuKfaxozoVxEEBQ2I7ny/s1600/Peace+Candle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQI6a87LwymcMh7lMon_bNBPE74q63UsIveBts6nKvJdiQ2_82MF3Ffvr34yLyLKzdP8VH84q9l4Sm2zZvbngZT5GTaEsxbE-P_2Kp7WTk0t0c-mwJCwUDEPbpCuKfaxozoVxEEBQ2I7ny/s400/Peace+Candle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692490276653080162" /></a><br /><br />The greatest achievement is selflessness.<br /><br />The greatest worth is self-mastery.<br /><br />The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.<br /><br />The greatest precept is continual awareness.<br /><br />The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.<br /><br />The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.<br /><br />The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.<br /><br />The greatest generosity is non-attachment.<br /><br />The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.<br /><br />The greatest patience is humility.<br /><br />The greatest effort is not concerned with results.<br /><br />The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.<br /><br />The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.<br /> <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Atisha<br />(Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana 980–1054 CE)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-17175992569659467682011-06-30T22:03:00.000-07:002011-06-30T22:05:00.242-07:00SoundSimply focusing on the sound and resting one-pointedly on it is shamatha meditation. Recognizing the nature of the sound is vipashyana meditation. Focusing on the sound, looking directly at the nature of the thought apprehending the sound, then letting go and relaxing into the nature of that thought is mahamudra meditation. Resting in a state free from the duality of perceived and perceiver - an object of sound and a thought apprehending - is meditation according to the chittamatra approach. But if you are really skilled, it will become mahamudra meditation. It all depends on your level of skill. If you recognize that sounds, like dreams, are the expressive power of mind's abiding nature, mahamudra-luminosity, and if you look directly at their nature and relax within it, that is mahamudra meditation.<br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, from his commentary on <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Profound Inner Reality</span> given at Karme Choling, Vermont, 2000 (p. 154). Translated by Elizabeth Callahan.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-76609986233606563442011-06-05T00:42:00.000-07:002011-06-05T00:47:41.379-07:00Notice Space<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycP9NYmeAS5X4HSDLLHBlmwfTR66lmzRLlD2_TDlT997H1ryYl9EKn1pgshO4A7BH5bNOftT6r0YFL6rJuRsTg99wxb8gFpjVFGVsWqRdOdxLeU5cOMCJpFfcOoSJupZw1UZBha_JLtDn/s1600/Open+sky.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycP9NYmeAS5X4HSDLLHBlmwfTR66lmzRLlD2_TDlT997H1ryYl9EKn1pgshO4A7BH5bNOftT6r0YFL6rJuRsTg99wxb8gFpjVFGVsWqRdOdxLeU5cOMCJpFfcOoSJupZw1UZBha_JLtDn/s400/Open+sky.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614639178951629890" /></a><br /><br />Image source/copyright: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clear_sky.JPG">Wikimedia/Suguru Musashi<br /></a><br /><br />Noticing the space around people and things provides a different way of looking at them, and developing this spacious view is a way of opening oneself. When one has a spacious mind, there is room for everything. When one has a narrow mind, there is room for only a few things. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ajahn Sumedho, “Noticing Space”<br /><br />Sunday 5th June 2011<br />Tricycle Daily Dharma<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874681529124212221.post-12041745985716113812011-05-15T18:33:00.000-07:002011-05-15T18:34:46.837-07:00Genius<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8g27AI9XYSJ-ep28fyVFYgSGtz9e_-6gAqQ75hgYkdwKNzUKbhlwC0TA8yw_oK0zzI5AkhGst5u47powt2aFHiV3eJLc0r8zG6YqobRNF4PWC1WlaL4vOowu6BWjNQaP3-FWPMy1t27A/s1600/Apollo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8g27AI9XYSJ-ep28fyVFYgSGtz9e_-6gAqQ75hgYkdwKNzUKbhlwC0TA8yw_oK0zzI5AkhGst5u47powt2aFHiV3eJLc0r8zG6YqobRNF4PWC1WlaL4vOowu6BWjNQaP3-FWPMy1t27A/s400/Apollo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607121085168272146" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see. </span></span><br /><br />- Arthur SchopenhauerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0