Kundalini Splendor

The surest sign of spiritual progress is a total
lack of concern about progress.  There is an utter
absence of anxiety about anything like liberation
and a sort of hollowness in one's being, a kind of
looseness and involuntary surrender to whatever
might happen.

~Ramesh S. Balsekar
via Along The Way


"There is no greater inspiration and no greater courage than the intention to lead
all beings to the perfect freedom and complete well-being of recognizing their
true nature.

Whether you accomplish the goal isn't important.

The intention alone has such power that as you work with it, your mind will become
stronger, your mental and emotional habits will diminish, and you'll become more
skillful in helping other beings.

In so doing, you'll create the causes and conditions for your own well-being."

~Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

From the book, "Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom,"
published by Three Rivers Press.

Yes

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon.  It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know.  That's why we wake
and look out -- no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

~ William Stafford ~

(The Way It Is)

First, this explanation from TED

The debate about Rupert Sheldrake’s talk
Posted by: Tedstaff
March 19, 2013 at 12:01 pm EDT

At TEDxWhitechapel on January 13, 2013, Rupert Sheldrake gave a provocative talk in which he suggests that modern science is based on ten dogmas, and makes the case that none of them hold up to scrutiny. According to him, these dogmas — including, for example, that nature is mechanical and purposeless, that the laws and constants of nature are fixed, and that psychic phenomena like telepathy are impossible — have held back the pursuit of knowledge.

TED’s scientific advisors have questioned whether his list is a fair description of scientific assumptions — indeed, several of the dogmas are actually active areas of science inquiry (including whether physical ‘constants’ are really unchanging) — and believe there is little evidence for some of Sheldrake’s more radical claims, such as his theory of morphic resonance, and claim that the speed of light has been changing. They recommended that the talk be should not be distributed without being framed with caution. Accordingly, we have reposted his talk here, with the above cautionary introduction. We invite scientists, skeptics, knowledge-seekers and supporters — and Sheldrake himself, if he’s willing — to join in a conversation over this talk.


(from Dorothy:  This conversation is now closed, but it is possible to view many comments online at the TEDX site.  For more information, check out Sheldrake's own website, as well as that of Graham Hancock, whose talk was also removed from the mian TED site.  TED claimed that they took down the talks on the advice of a board of anonymous scientists, who insisted his views were "pseudo-science".  This is interesting because the purpose of the Whitechapel conference was to investigate challenges to the mainstream scientific paradigms.  Apparently, they did repost the talk but under a different category--TEDX.  Rupert Sheldrake called this being put in "the naughty corner."

Rupert Sheldrake himself is a highly credentialed scientist, whose unorthodox theories have circulated for many years.  Right or wrong, his theories have provided interesting materials for consideration and discussion.  Like all innovative thinkers, his views have sparked much controversy in orthodox (establishment) circles.

As Sheldrake himself pointed out, the act of suppression proved his point--that "science" as a field is tied to certain dogmas (beliefs that cannot be challenged) and thus will not tolerate any questioning of these dogmas.  Somehow, for me, the whole controversy is strongly reminiscent of the famous case in earlier centuries when Galileo was punished by the Church for claiming that earth was not in fact the center of the universe--only today the "establishment" is science itself which is intolerant of any challenge to its enshrined belief systems.

This dispute is of special importance to all of us who experience or believe in the reality of Kundalini --an experience totally outside the purview of mainstream science, which ignores its actual presence and, if confronted, would, I suspect vigorously deny that Kundalini exists.  In the meantime, those of us blessed with the pleasures and pains of Kundalini, experience in our own bodies its constant presence in our lives.)

Themes for Operas

(dedicated to all who have ever suffered a broken heart, for whatever reason)

The broken heart:
how many ways
the motif plays over
and over
in its myriad forms,

The deceitful lover:
that is one of the favorites.
First the trusting partner,
the adoring mate.
Then the surprise of
a ship wreck,
an overturning
of expectation,
someone left
abandoned
on a deserted island,
a voice sobbing
uselessly
in the night.

Who knows why it happens?
Inadequate DNA,
the deceiver
filled with bravado
leading to excess,
the deceived
not sturdy enough
to play the game?
Naivete punished for its
own sake?
Are our lives nothing
but themes
for operas,
for ballads
of lost loves?

Dorothy Walters
April 13, 2013

ACCESSING THE SUBTLE SUBTLE ENERGIES

FIRST OF ALL, LET US ASK, “WHAT ARE THE SUBTLE SUBTLE ENERGIES?

Yoga, of course, when properly done, deals in the “subtle energies” of the body.   These are the “feelings” of the bliss currents within, the sometimes gentle, sometimes intense waves of ecstasy and rapture that can accompany the asanas themselves.  Many today imagine that yoga has a totally different purpose—to relax the system, or to tone and make more supple and athletic the muscles and other structures that make up what we think of as “who we are.”  The asanas can, of course, achieve these ends, but such is not its essential purpose.

The original and ultimate purpose of yoga is to give us connection to the divine—yoga translated means “yoke” and hatha yoga is but one aspect of this sacred system.

But for some—perhaps suddenly, perhaps after years of practice—there are even other ways of awakening the “bliss currents” within.  Some do it with music, when dedicated listening brings forth the streams of sweet rapture.  This is a definite physical sensation, occurring in and through the recognized subtle network (the yogis speak of these many inner channels as the “nadis” and there are many thousands of these.)

Others pursue other  modalities,, such as aromatherapy, gentle movement (t’ai chi, chi gong and the like), free form movement, dancing, crystal magic, sexual pleasure—all of these can awaken and circulate the sacred currents.

Some employ these subtle energies for more “outward” pursuits—such as observing the auras surrounding the body, energy healing, channeling, artistic endeavors, creative outlets of many kinds.

But—beyond the awakened muscular self and the sweet  and often delicate inner energies that may accompany such awakening, there is yet another, even more subtle, even more delicate energy system—this is what I call the “subtle subtle energy body.”

Over the years (say, about 30), I had explored many of the practices mentioned above.  But I had never really explored aroma therapy, and it was through this gateway that the energies I am describing made themselves known.  I  had already reached a point in my practice when I  felt the delightful flow through extremely gentle movement, perhaps by circling my hands over my arms and torso; sometimes I could move these currents simply by imperceptibly flexing my fingers or even by moving my eyes back and forth.

But it was when I discovered a bottle of tinctures from Australia and—after a few deep inhalations-- held this vial  as I moved my hands in circles over, across, and around my body-- that I seemed to reach yet another level.  First my face and ears opened, then my scalp, then—as I moved my hand downward—each chakra in turn was awakened into bliss.  I held the bottle several inches from my body—it was my “subtle body,” not my physical body that I was sensing.

Recently, I seem to have discovered yet another subtle subtle response.  My wonderful craniosacral practitioner recently showed me a very gentle, easy set of neck and shoulder stretches to alleviate the upper back pain that I have carried for years.  I have discovered that not only do these movements help to relieve the pain, but each often produces a special opening into the blissful channels of other, often unrelated parts of the body.  As I turn my neck toward my shoulder, I sometimes feel the currents moving up my spine in delightful ripples.  Sometimes a similar feeling awakens in some major chakra.
And this morning, there was yet another novel sensation.  I often perform gentle hip rotation as I do this set of moves, and I discovered that merely by moving my hips in gentle, small circles, I could in fact send delightful energies across my upper back (the place of previous pain) and shoulders.

These are what I call the “subtle subtle eneriges”.  They arouse feeling well beyond the familiar bliss of hatha yoga, operating as it does generally through the major chakras.  Such  diffuse pleasure offers a source of joy to many who can no longer perform the traditional asanas (perhaps because of age or physical limitations).   There is no end to blissful awakening.

Are these responses well known in the yoga community?  I have no idea, but I have never heard them discussed or read of them in spiritual journals.  And, unfortunately, I have no way to “teach” these practices to others.  I think each of us is on a solitary path where we must make our own essential discoveries, albeit we can often learn from more advanced teachers or guides.

I call my own journey that of the “sacred pathway.”  I call what I feel Kundalini bliss, for I believe that Kundalini is the ultimate source of the creative energies of the universe, and that we are extremely blessed when we tap into its amazing capacities to give us a taste of its boundless delight.

I also believe (with Gopi Krishna) that these are the energetic awakenings that—through Kundalini (creative energies of the universe, sacred union , holy spirit, god power) will bring us all into a new level of consciousness, universal awakening into a state where matter (humanity) is infused with divine essence.

P. S.  In all honesty, I also must confess that even after I do these delightful exercises, even after I feel the exquisite energies flowing in virtually all the places in my physical body, my muscles are still sore later on.  I know energies heal when they are sent through the places that ache or hurt, so I am puzzled as to why the bliss currents are replaced by soreness or pain once I stop.  Maybe the fact that the weather is cold and rainy has something to do with it.  Wish I could do the energetic movements all day some time and see if that helps.  But, alas, I must be about my business in the world and be grateful for the half hour or so of joy that comes my way.

P. P. S.  When I wrote the above paragraph (several days ago), there was indeed snow on the ground and chilly temperatures.  However, when I posted it on this blog, the weather had turned around--the snow was long gone and the thermometer read 86 degrees--far too hot for comfort.

Dear Friend

In a world of constant change and stress the wisdom of the Tao is a calm refuge for the mind and heart.

One big positive change that is happening for Anam Cara is that we are relocating back to Westchester County, NY this summer. We'll miss our friends here in Cincinnati even as we look forward to finding a new home in New York where we can offer weekly programs, courses and retreats as we did in the past.

We'll be having the monthly Saturday evening meditation program at Katonah Yoga in Bedford Hills, NY on May 18th at 7pm. Everyone is welcome! Then we will begin again later in the summer after we've completed the move. Please stay in touch for information on our new location and new programs.

 Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu
 Stephen Mitchell, translator and editor

8

The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

When you are content to be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.
9

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
11

We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

 Meditation Programs
 Anam Cara Meditation Foundation

Everyone is welcome to our non-denominational meditation programs. No experience is necessary.

Katonah, NY Monthly Meditation Sessions
Saturday May 18th: 7-8:45 pm (No June program, please stay tuned for July & August schedule) Fee: By donation. Suggested donation: $20
Location: Katonah Yoga is generously hosting us once again! We're delighted to be back at the Katonah Yoga studio with their expertly trained yoga teachers and great programs.
39 Main Street, Bedford Hills, NY 10507
Everyone is welcome!

Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D.
Founder and Director
Anam Cara Meditation Foundation
ll newsletter contents copyrighted 2013

email: le@anamcara-ny.org
phone: 513-439-9668 or 845-304-4965
web: http://www.anamcarafoundation.org


(Note from Dorothy:  I have been offline a few days because of computer problems.  A good friend solved these, and I am once more back in business.
The wisdom of the Tao Te Ching is timeless--it lifts the spirit each time you read it.)

Thank you,
Mr. Bus Driver,
Sir,
for not waiting
at the corner of
Sacramento and Octavia
even though you
must have seen
me running across
the street towards you.

For,  behold,
arriving on foot at the corner of
California and Gough,
Grace overwhelmed me with
such love
for San Francisco,
for its moist air and dazzling light,
its hills and architecture and
above all, its humanity,
that suddenly everything
and everyone, including you,
especially you,
was transformed into a messenger of
mercy.

                           Jan Elvee

Shakti is Kundalini, Kundalini is Shakti.  Each is the energy of the divine mother, the creative life force of the universe.  Sounds like a wonderful gathering.


Discount Tickets for Shakti Fest
Joshua Tree, CA
May 17 ~ 19


Pre-Shakti Fest Offerings
THESE GATHERINGS ARE NOW FULL
SEE YOU AT SHAKTI FEST!
Long Beach, CA
May 10 ~ 11


Dear Yoginis and Yogis,

The yoginis of the Kali Kula are on the move! A small group of courageous and dedicated practitioners are making their way on pilgrimage to Long Beach and to Shakti Fest to drink in the nectar of the Kali Practices in community. Join as we dive deeply into the richness of Kali sadhanas and rituals under the night sky.

There is such joy in community! There is such joy in Kali's lap!

Sending all my love and fierce blessings,

Aditi




Shakti Fest
                                 May 17 -19                                     Joshua Tree, CA

Use the discount code 2013aditi
and receive $50 off
your weekend festival pass!

Day passes and student tickets are also available

http://bhaktifest.com/book-ticket-2/


Shakti Fest is a more intimate version of our September Festival, Bhakti Fest.  It is celebration of the Divine Feminine in all.  Shakti Fest is a three-day music festival celebrating devotion through chanting, yoga, meditation and community. All of our presenters embody the spirit of Bhakti-deep devotion.

We gather on 450 acres of inspiring desert land to express our love and devotion as one community through an enchanting array of activities, including:
Constant Kirtan Concerts
Yoga Classes
Private and Group Meditation
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Vegan Cuisine
Fire Ceremonies (Pujas)
Hanuman Chalisas
Eco-Friendly Vendor Village
Camping, Cottages and Cabin Accommodations
Wellness Sanctuary: with massage, reiki, channeling, and other unique healing sessions.
A substantial portion of the festival's proceeds are donated to charitable organizations

I'm honored to once again be part of this weekend of Shakti-infused devotional offerings to Ma. It is an opportunity for us to dive deeply into the devotional embodied practices of the Divine Mother through kirtan, yoga, workshops, and reuniting with our practice community.

There will be a late night Kali Puja and I'm also part of a the Shakti Circle, a conversation with yoginis Shiva Rea, Dawn Cartwright, Mirabai, and Laura Amazzone.

please check schedule upon arrival for most up to date timings

Kali Puja
Saturday 1:30am (late night Friday)

Come honor the ecstatic and blissful Goddess Kali Ma through ritual, music, and dance. This is a gathering of devotees under the late night/early morning sky to practice our fierce devotion to the loving and nourishing Mother. We gather up the energies, make offerings, suffuse ourselves with them, and then send the blessings out into world. This is a highly inclusive and intimate form of ritual and offering; everyone may participate to the extent that they wish. Aditi Devi Ma, an authorized Shakta pujarini, will lead us in the puja offering to invoke the radiant presence and grace of Kali Ma. We are joined by Shakti Fest musicians. Your dance offering is welcome.

Shakti Circle Workshop
with Dawn Cartwright, Shiva Rea, Laura Amazzone, and Mirabai
Saturday 5:30pm

THE LONG BEACH GATHERINGS ARE NOW FULL.

SEE YOU AT SHAKTI FEST!

Pre-Shakti Fest Offerings
Long Beach, CA

Kali Kula Practices

Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11

hosted by
Nisha Bhairavi and Geanna Gonzalez Wood

THESE GATHERINGS ARE NOW FULL. SEE YOU AT SHAKTI FEST!
Registration ~ Space is limited ~ Your paid donation is what reserves your space. Please email Nita at embodyshakti@gmail.com with which modules you will be attending and the amount of your donation for each module. You will see the suggested donation scale beneath each description. No one turned away for lack of funds. You will then make your donation via paypal or by handing Nita check or cash in person or via snail mail.

All details such as address, what to bring, info on our lunch and snack breaks will be given upon registration and as we move closer to the weekend.

Women's Yogini Circle: The Yoga of Union
for Women
Friday, May 10            
7pm ~ 10pm

We come together in sacred circle with other women to explore the nature of sacred relationship. How does the Feminine live as the love offering that she truly is? What is the nature of Union? What is the Radha of existence? We will explore the Yoga of Union as it manifests in our bodies through discussion, pranayama, movement, and other yogas to move love and awareness through our open bodies. We will celebrate embodiment in the female body, with deep relationality, in a tender and nourishing circle of sisterhood.

Suggested Donation Scale $20 ~ $40


The Faces of the Goddess: The Song of the Hundred Names of Adya Kali
for Women and Men
Saturday, May 11
10am ~ 4pm

Do you love the Dark Goddesses and want to go deeper in your relationship to Her? In this daylong gathering, we will immerse ourselves more of in the embodied practices of the Goddess Kali. Along with learning more about the lineage of the Kali Kula and the worship of women as the divine, we focus on the sadhana of the recitation of the hundred names of the Dark Mother Kali (aadyaa kaalikaadevyaah shatanaama stotram). This practice can be done alone as the foundation of one's daily practice, or in community. The recitation of Her names is a form of embodied devotion, where the deity and the devotee become one. Join us in this blissful exploration of the faces of Ma Kali.

Suggested Donation Scale $80 ~ $125


Kali Fire Puja
Saturday, May 11
7pm ~ 10pm (or later?)

Come honor the ecstatic and blissful Goddess Kali Ma through ritual (and possibly music and dance). This is a gathering of devotees under the night sky to practice our fierce devotion to the loving and nourishing Mother. We gather up the energies, make offerings, suffuse ourselves with them, and then send the blessings out into world. This is a highly inclusive and intimate form of ritual and offering; everyone may participate to the extent that they wish. Aditi Devi Ma, an authorized Shakta pujarini, will lead us in the puja offering to invoke the radiant presence and grace of Kali Ma.

Suggested Donation Scale $30 ~ $60
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I received the following from my friend Barbara Whitfield and am passing it along to anyone interested:

Barbara Whitfield
bhw11@me.com
www.barbarawhitfield.com

Sharon Cormier and I are giving the Kindle version of our new AFGE book away starting tonight at Mid-night through Monday night.

Here is the link to our new book:


http://www.amazon.com/AFGEs-Guide-Self-Awareness-Change-ebook/dp/B00CF8GCO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367673901&sr=1-2&keywords=afges+whitfield

 Please feel free to pass this along to anyone on your list that may be interested. [If you don't have a Kindle you can download the free Kindle App to your computer or iPad and read the book on that.]



The Back cover carries strong endorsements by Bruce Greyson and Kenneth Ring, but for some reason I cannot paste them onto this site.  Sharon "spends much of her energy developing new ways to apply yoga and Buddhist philosophy to her own life and sharing this knowledge with others in workshops and classes.  Barbara is especially known for her work in the fields of NDE as well as healing repeated childhood trauma.

IVAN GRANGER'S BOOK SIGNING

I received the following note yesterday from Ivan Granger, someone many of you are familiar with as the creator of the internet site Poetry Chaikhana, which publishes some of the finest poets in the spiritual tradition.  Ivan's new book, called "Real Thirst," is available from Amazon and also from this site.  I was honored to write the introduction to this volume, Ivan's first published book.  (Longmont is near Denver, for those of you not familiar with the location.)

I am going to be doing a book signing this Saturday at a coffee shop in Longmont.  My day is going to be full, so I can't offer any rides, so I realize you may not be able to make it out here, but I'd love to see you if you do have a way out to Longmont.  It will be on Saturday, between 1:00 and 3:00 pm at La Vita Bella coffee shop, on the corner of 3rd and Main in downtown Longmont.



PERFORMANCE BY ANDREA GIBSON

Last night I attended an outstanding poetry performance by Andrea Gibson, a local artist who performs nationally and has won several awards for outstanding poetry slam presentations.  She combined fire with insight, dedication with talent.  It was an electrifying evening for her enthusiastic audience of over one hundred listeners (mostly lesbians, these mostly under the age of 40.)  To me, she seemed to be a wonderful combination of Sylvia Plath (lots of pain poems), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (plenty of anti-establishment fervor), and Lily Tomlin (great comic sensibility).  It was deeply inspirational, to find an up and coming poet of such talent ready to share her creative work with a live audience.  The fact that this audience was totally receptive was also encouraging, in a time when many have simply "tuned out" poetry.  As a long time teacher of poetry and a poet as well, I was much heartened by the entire process--poetry is not dead at all, but still lives in a vibrant way through voices such as Andrea.  I expect to hear much more from her in future--talent such as hers will take her far.
She has a website that you can google and also several pieces on Youtube which you can check out to get the full flavor of her work.
(She also had a wonderful musical buddy who offered great selections along the way, but unfortunately I did not catch her name--she is also is someone with impressive talent.)

Say I am You

I am dust particles in sunlight.
I am the round sun.

To the bits of dust I say, Stay.
To the sun, Keep moving.

I am morning mist,
and the breathing of evening.
I am wind in the top of a grove,
and surf on the cliff.

Mast, rudder, helmsman, and keel,
I am also the coral reef they founder on.

I am a tree with a trained parrot in its branches.
Silence, thought, and voice.

The musical air coming through a flute,
a spark of stone, a flickering in metal.
Both candle and the moth crazy around it.
Rose, and the nightingale lost in the fragrance.

I am all orders of being, the circling galaxy,
the evolutionary intelligence, the lift, and the falling away.

What is, and what isn't.

You who know, Jelaluddin,
You the one in all, say who I am.
Say I am you.

- Jellaludin Rumi
(translation by Coleman Barks)
____

                                        HOLY COMMUNION


    all at once I was there     the Presence

    a torrent of ecstasy seamlessly pitched
    beyond our range of hearing    a Light
    too blindingly pure--unseeable by eyes

    I don't know why it descended on me
    abruptly  out of nowhere  everywhere
    splitting me open like a milkweed pod
    piercing straight to my defenseless soul
 
    snowy seeds of awe and pain   rapture
    and longing  spilled into the drastic air

    they're numberless   the names of God
    who can say one's right   one's wrong?
    each is born from ravished awakening!

    the name that now    unerringly struck
    transfixing me, was this: Infinitely Holy

    I felt this loved this died this knew this
    This is what I am   you are   everything
    no matter how outrageously we forget

    I wept at human folly     the difference
    between how we live and what we are


                                ***

                                                                        Bob Savino

This beautiful poem by Bob Savino captures in a very special way the moment of awakening to divine presence.  Many who undergo spontaneous Kundalini awakening undergo such experience--unexpected, rapturous, and nearly overwhelming.

(Note: the above picture is what I am (again) seeing from my window today.  Once again, we are having substantial snow, even though it is now May.)














 

I have not read the above book, but it caught my eye as I was browsing the Amazon site. I was especially interested because I have long been fascinated by discussions of the evolution of human consciousness, and this one seemed to be especially pertinent.  You can look it up and if you are interested you can purchase a kindle version for a modest price.  And, of course, I feel that Kundalini is a major force for the evolution of human consciousness, for it leads us into new awareness and new capacities.  Many of the abilities described in this book are those which arrive with Kundalini awakening.

Book Description
Publication Date: February 12, 2013
Quantum-Touch 2.0—The New Human endeavors to significantly enlarge the possibilities of what humans can be and do. In clear, step-by-step instructions, the reader will learn to easily demonstrate that human limits are as yet unknown.

Readers can learn to do healing on multiple people at once to reduce their pain in minutes, work on multiple conditions at once, help people shift their own beliefs with the use of energy, and work across time and space. Readers will even learn to safely and visibly adjust the posture of multiple people simultaneously without touching.

Science assumes that we are separate, and that our thoughts don't affect the outer reality. This notion is something that each of us can now clearly demonstrate to be untrue.

The originator of the Quantum-Touch energy healing method and a popular workshop leader and speaker at conferences and holistic health institutes, Richard Gordon has been developing and refining Quantum-Touch since the publication of his best-selling Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal. Gordon shares his discoveries in this new book, which takes Quantum-Touch to a far more powerful level.

To enrich the book with scientific insights and commentary, Gordon sought out coauthors Vickie Wickhorst, PhD, and Chris Duffield, PhD. As academics investigating the convergence of science, technology, and the power of the human energy field, Wickhorst and Duffield serve as perfect guides to help readers, even skeptical ones, uncover their own process of discovery.

This book is a must for all world travelers!

Today's DailyOM brought to you by:
http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/adspolink.cgi?iid=123&aid=9579

April 29, 2013

Enlightenment at Home
Right Where We Are

by Madisyn Taylor

Not everyone will feel the need to travel afar to become enlightened as that can happen right where you are.

Many spiritual seekers feel called to far-flung places across the globe in the interest of pursuing the path of their enlightenment. This may indeed be the right course of action for certain people, but it is by no means necessary to attaining an enlightened consciousness. Enlightenment can take root anywhere on earth, as long as the seeker is an open and ready vessel for higher consciousness. All we need is a powerful intention, and a willingness to do the work necessary to moving forward on our path.

In terms of spiritual practice, at this moment, there are more tools available to more people than at any other time in history. We have access to so much wisdom through the vehicles of books, magazines, the Internet, television, and film. In addition, the time-honored practice of meditation is free, and sitting quietly everyday, listening to the universe, is a great way to start the journey within. There is further inspiration in the fact that the greatest teachers we have are our own life experiences, and they come to us every day with new lessons and new opportunities to learn. If we look at the people around us, we may realize that we have a spiritual community already intact, and if we don‚t, we can find one, if not in our own neighborhood, then on-line.

Meanwhile, if we feel called to travel in search of teachers and experiences, then by all means, we should. But if we can‚t go to India, or Burma, or Indonesia, or if we don‚t have the desire, this is not an obstacle in terms of our spiritual development. In fact, we may simply be aware that our time and energy is best spent in our own homes, with our meditation practice and all the complications and joys of our own lives. We can confidently stay in one place, knowing that everything that we need to attain enlightenment is always available right where we are.

The pot is a God

By Basava
(1134 - 1196)

English version by A. K. Ramanujan



The pot is a God. The winnowing
fan is a God. The stone in the
street is a God. The comb is a
God. The bowstring is also a
God. The bushel is a God and the
spouted cup is a God.

Gods, gods, there are so many
there's no place left
for a foot.
          There is only
one God. He is our Lord
of the Meeting Rivers.




-- from Speaking of Siva, by A K Ramanujan

Sonnets to Orpheus, Part One, XII

Bless the spirit that makes connections,
for truly we live in what we imagine.
Clocks move along side our real life
with steps that are ever the same.

Though we do not know our exact location,
we are held in place by what links us.
Across trackless distances
antennas sense each other.

Pure attention, the essence of the powers!
Distracted by each day's doing,
how can we hear the signals?

Even as the farmer labors
there where the seed turns into summer,
it is not his work.  It is Earth who gives.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~


(In Praise of Mortality, translated and edited by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy)

(Image from internet, hellogiggles.com)

You are...
(by Birrell Walsh)

Ungraspable wind,
my hand comes back empty,
my eyes fill.

You are space,
a hint of musk,
cooling grace
in the warm dusk.

You are a wind
though these woods
making the leaves move
shaking the space...

Translation by Christiane Bozza:

Vent insaisissable
mes mains reviennent vides
mes yeux se remplissent

Tu es l'espace
une touche de musc
rafraîchissante grace
dans le chaud crépuscule

Tu es le vent
à travers ces bois
qui fait bouger les feuilles
agitant l'espace

(Photo by Margherita)

(The above picture is one I took this morning as I watched this squirrel munch on the new buds of a slender tree outside my balcony window.  This clever creature had a very filling breakfast before departing for other venues.)

The following is from the website of Gary Zukov.  Here, Gary is speaking of the nature of the soul, something which goes beyond sensory perception.  His ideas are arresting, but I   would have to add that this presentation, as effective as it is, ignores the role of Kundalini, which is, I think, the engine by which soul expresses itself in spirit, our nature as embodied intelligence while on earth.   Gary equates multisensory perception with intuition, and, though there is great merit in this idea, I believe that multisensory perception also involves a total overhaul of the nervous and sensory system, so that we literally feel with new sensitivity, hear with new ears, and know with new awareness.  (The ability not only to see auras but to feel them is one example of this new consciousness.)
As we mull over these arresting notions, we also are struggling to determine how such perspectives fit in with the disturbing happenings in our world today.  
On Wednesday evening, Gary and two other spiritual leaders will discuss this conundrum--that though we are moving toward a world of ever expanding love, the world at present is also marked by acts of extreme violence and aggression.  Gary has pointed out that the same day that the tragedy occurred in Boston, there were bombings in Iraq that killed 55 and injured 300.  Innocent civilians continue to be killed by American drones seeking "possible terrorists" in other countries.  I cannot figure out how to direct others to the sign up site for this talk, but you can begin by going to the website for the Shift Network at http://theshiftnetwork.com/main   You can join this network there and perhaps discover how to register for this significant talk.
  
Explore Multisensory Perception and Spiritual Partnership
With Gary Zukav

Gary Zukav is the author of The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics and The Seat of the Soul. He has been on The Oprah Winfrey Show numerous times, and as you will see, there is good reason so many people are grateful for his work.

GZ: We are experiencing the birth of a new species. From an evolutionary point of view, it’s happening very fast. It will be complete within only several human generations. Now is the beginning. The only other event in the history of humanity that matches this one in its magnitude is the first genesis – the creation of humanity. We are now experiencing the creation of a new humanity. This new species is being born inside you, inside me and inside the readers of this interview. It is emerging inside each of us, one by one.

There have always been authentically empowered multisensory humans. Every religion is named after one. And there have always been cultures based on multisensory perception. Native cultures, for example, recognize the relationship between the seen and the unseen worlds. But never before has our entire species shifted from one that is limited to the perceptions of the five senses to one that is not. Multisensory perception (the ability to see more than the five senses can detect) is emerging spontaneously in every culture, age-grouping, both sexes, and at every economic level.

“It is the birth of a species that is no longer limited to the perception of the five senses and that understands through the heart, rather than the intellect.”

G: What is a multisensory human?

GZ: A multisensory human is a human that is not limited to the five senses. The five senses together form a single sensory system. The object of detection of that system is physical reality. That was sufficient and appropriate for our evolution until this point. Now we are developing a second sensory system. That second system is intuition. Intuition and multisensory perception are the same. Multisensory perception is a more accurate term because the word intuition for many people only means having hunches.

Multisensory perception is the voice of the nonphysical world.
- Gary Zukav
Multisensory perception is more than that. It is also resonating with the idea that you are more than a mind and a body, that you are a soul, and that there is a difference between your personality and your soul. Your personality is your mind, your body and your intuitional structure. Your soul is that part of you that existed before you were born and that will exist after you die. It is that part of you that longs for harmony, cooperation, sharing and reverence for life. As you create your life with those intentions, you align yourself with your soul. Your experience becomes one of continual gratitude and joy, even when things are difficult. Multisensory perception is awareness from a soul level.

From the perspective of a multisensory personality, you can see your life in the context of a larger, unfolding picture that includes experiences that occurred before you were born. You can see, from this larger perspective, that your life is attempting to lead you in the direction your soul wants you to move – toward greater awareness and freedom.

Multisensory perception is realizing that the experiences in your life are not random. They are purposeful and meaningful. Each one holds an enormous potential for the expansion of your consciousness. Each one is tailored exquisitely for you. Every circumstance that you encounter is the best circumstance possible for your spiritual growth, given the wisdom of the choices that you have made. And, every circumstance serves equally all involved. You will never find, for example, people acting as stage props solely to assist you in your spiritual growth. All are served equally.

Every time you make a decision, you create consequences, whether you are aware of them or not.

Children, everybody, here's what to do during war:

In a time of destruction, create something.
A poem.
A parade.
A community.
A school.
A vow.
A moral principle.
One peaceful moment.

from "The Fifth Book of Peace "- Maxine Hong Kingston - 2003

(Picture found on google)

What Happened, or the Difficulties of Communication

First it happened,
but of course
you couldn’t talk
about it.

It was as if a plant or a sapling tree
suddenly sprang
out of your forehead,
invisible to everyone
but you.

You knew it was there,
sending its green root
down into your dark places,
demanding that you water it
in spring,
trim it back
in fall.
And you did,
for by now
you and it were one
entity,
indivisible
and growing closer
every day.

And then there were the
musical interludes:
flutes and mandolins
vying for attention,
each wanting to be
solo, but reduced again
and again
to sheer accompaniment.

The melody was, of course,
beautiful,
like a chorus
of angels
or the choir in Grace Cathedral,
at midnight on xmas eve,
only you were the only one
who heard it,
and as much as you loved it,
you knew better than
to mention it
to outsiders.

There was in fact
the inner mantra:
Don’t tell, don’t tell,
going round and round
in your head
like a spinning flywheel,
the hub of a chariot
sparking gold
as it ascended
into the clouds.

Dorothy Walters
April 14, 2013