“false evidence appearing real”

Fear – “false evidence appearing real” – could entrench itself within our whole being if we let it. The stories of killings, poverty, attacks, abuses, bombings, muggings, etc., they won’t go away, even for a day. It would be so easy to set up a case for fear. So easy to bring fear into our every day lives. But many of us know that that would serve no purpose, that fear has never worked; it paralyzes. We are all brave souls, so much braver than we realize – I would call us warriors – wise in the way of the world we live in. And we won’t let fear have its way in our lives!

We live in a kind of world where many children, who, during their entire childhood, have experienced killings, rapes, starvation, lack of love, guns placed in their small hands, hate, neighborhoods destroyed by “the enemy.” Why are we surprised when these children become people having hearts of stone, and now able to destroy without blinking an eye? Can it be more obvious that wars don’t work?

The so-called leaders of the world (that’s anyone wielding the kind of power that’s destroying our world, and pretending it’s on our behalf) could put an end to wars (of course they could!), but instead spend billions upon billions upon billions of dollars keeping them going. Is it really all about empty souls lusting for power and money? Is it all about greed? No judging here, simply longing for leaders who are truly for the people.

It’s safe to say that the majority of people are sick and tired of what’s happening, and know in their hearts that there most certainly is a better way. Planet Earth belongs to no one. Though we know there are those who seem to believe that they created and own the universe.

Ahh yes, the world – how wonderful it could be!

RIP, All those who died this weekend in Paris, and all who suffer at the hands of ignorance.
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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I keep in close touch with what happens in the world. And there are times when I feel deeply grieved by the suffering I read about, and wonder why life has to be this way. But I never despair. At those times I go deep, deep into meditation until I reach the very source of love and wisdom that exists in each of us.

“So what I would tell all of you is this: meditate every day, throw yourself into some form of selfless work, and use your sense of suffering to relieve the suffering of others. It is a wonderful gift to be able to give.” – Eknath Easwaran
Read more from the Spring 2015 journal, in which Easwaran gives his views on violence, and how our meditation helps the world, easwaran.org/blue-mountain-journal.html We’re repeating our mantram for the people of Paris.


 

 

The new cathedral

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I frequently walk pass the New Cathedral in front of Parque Calderon on Benigno Malo. Though today as I passed by I looked at the two women who sit the entire day in front of the Cathedral selling candles of all sizes, on a makeshift table that also holds a large selection of rosary beads, and prayer books. I backtracked, bought two tall white candles. then went up the few steps leading to the Cathedral.

Cuenca was especially noisy today; it felt good to be inside. I stood in the back for a few minutes. People were kneeling and praying, or walking around and admiring. It had been years since I lit a candle in a church. However, I know someone in dire need of prayers, and I believe in miracles. There were quite a few statues along the two sides of the Cathedral, and in front of every statue stood an old-looking tin table holding candles in various sizes and stages of burning. I walked around looking for a statue of Jesus. Found! – it was the last statue on my walk; I lit the two candles and placed them carefully so they wouldn’t fall. Then I prayed for a healing.

After that I walked around. And as I walked I heard the lovely voice of a woman singing loud and clear. I couldn’t detect the direction it was coming from, but I agreed with myself that entering this beautiful Cathedral today was a smart move on my part.

As I was about to leave, I saw a confessional — the one in the photo above. It looked weary and the paths leading to the doors — one for the priests, the other for lay people — were well-worn. I stood there thinking of all the people who entered that confessional, burdened with feelings of having sinned and heavy with guilt. And I thought of the priests who listened, and I wondered how they responded.

I think it’s time to step out into the lovely sunny day.

a quiet presence

This sweet, sweet babe was carefully bundled, and tied to the mother’s body. They were walking in front of me, and I wanted to take a picture of the beauty of this tiny face sleeping so tranquilly.IMG_1907.JPGSo I gently tapped the mother’s shoulder. I was careful when I did this because I can tell it’s sometimes a bit disconcerting to turn around and be face to face with a gringo. I smiled and asked to take a picture of them. The mother was shy, she hesitated, then shook her head yes, and motioned to the baby; she turned her face away from the camera as I took the picture. Muchas gracias, I quickly said, as the mother walked away. I wanted to capture their quiet presence.

That’s all I have to say about those lovely few minutes.

Enjoy a day that’s extraordinary.

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“Eating leisurely is especially important where children are concerned. They are not only assimilating their oatmeal; they are absorbing everything they see and hear. It is a great disservice to try to hurry them through a meal. We need to give them time to ask questions that cannot be answered, to tell stories punctuated by long pauses while they search for a particular word, even to upset a glass of milk, and still get off to school on time; all this is part of a loving breakfast.” – Eknath Easwaran from the Summer 2009 issue of the Blue Mountain Journal, “Learning to Love

by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller

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Once in the head, it seems to stay for hours . . . easy singing . . .

“Let there be peace on earth
and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father,
brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother in
perfect harmony.”

I’m wishing everyone a full-of-laughter kind of day.

for different reasons, these are the things I’m pondering this week

“To embrace the power of your Spirit, it’s up to you to support rather than attack your Spirit. Remember that Spirit is not an invader, an interloper, or a lesser god to be dismissed and ridiculed. Spirit is the holy essence with all the Divine breath of life that makes consciousness possible. Understanding that is the most intelligent and enlightened discovery you can make in life. To humble yourself to Spirit is to humble your mind to its true master – your Divine nature. In doing so, both mind and Spirit enter into the Sacred marriage of mind and heart, and profound personal peace begins.” – page 68, The Power of Your Spirit: A Guide To Joyful Living by Sonia Choquette”

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“As human beings we are made to surpass ourselves and are truly ourselves only when transcending ourselves.” – Huston Smith

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“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” – Albert Einstein

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“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” – Bob Marley

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@paulocoelho: When we least expect it, life tests our courage. Accept the #challenge

@BradWarner: Real cooperation means being true both to yourself and to those with whom you share a purpose. You share a purpose with everybody.

the peace prayer

What would happen if many of us recited the Peace Prayer tonight? -I’m thinking maybe a big shift in mass consciousness. Maybe?

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

 

What do you think, would it work?

 

 

anita moorjani

A few months ago I subscribed to Anita Moorjani’s website so that I could “be informed on upcoming events, new insights and understandings” The first email came this weekend, and should anyone want to connect with her, and other “like-minded people,” on Facebook for a chance to ask questions and/or read about questions asked about her book DYING TO BE ME, this is a good opportunity.

I read DYING TO BE ME once and today reached for it again, because a book having this kind of information needs more than one reading. I began reading page 113 since I had turned down a corner of that page, and it said that one of the messages given to her by her father, and her friend in the other realm was the strongest and the one that keeps repeating within her; it’s this: “Go back and live your life fearlessly!”

Many spiritual teachers tell us to let go of all the fears we’ve been collecting, and now we’re hearing it from “the other realm.”

The reason I’m writing about Anita Moorjani again is that what she has to say can change the way we think about life and death. And that can be a good thing, right?

about us


In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist wrote: “Mother Teresa once noted what she called ‘the deep poverty of the soul’ that afflicts the wealthy, and had said that the poverty of the soul in America was deeper than any poverty she had seen anywhere on earth.'”
www.soulofmoney.org

On her blog, 3 Keys to Living the Life You Want, Jean Houston wrote, “. . . But now there is an open moment in history where you have the chance to tap into the soul of your purpose. . . .” and she wrote, “Most people hold on to old, limiting beliefs of themselves and our human story. . . .” and, “The third key gives you the means to break free from unconscious, habitual ways of reacting to life that were born thousands of years ago, and embrace higher ways of being for a new era. You will discover ways to move through life with ebullience in your bones and an appetite for celebration –seeing everything as an expression of the creator. You will move through life, motivated not by guilt or obligation, but by gratitude and an abiding zest for doing the things that are called forth by living out of your higher purpose.”
www.DestinyandYou.com

In the book, The Healing Power of Mind, Tulku Thondup wrote, “If we habitually dwell on and struggle with the negative side of our situation, our whole mentality, perception, and experience will inexorably become negative and filled with suffering. Seeing a problem as negative, constantly thinking and talking about how awful or painful it is, makes even minor problems insurmountably big and solid like a mountain, sharp like a knife, and dark as night. . . .”
www.tulkuthondup.com

In the book, Your Life Is Your Message, Eknath Easwaran wrote, “. . ., in order to live in inner freedom, you have to learn how to slow down your mind, bring it to a restorative stillness, and park it anywhere you like – in patience, say, or compassion, or love.”
www.eknatheaswaran.org

In the movie, The Burmese Harp directed by Kon Ichikawa, are these words, “. . . Why must the world suffer such misery? Why must there be such inexplicable pain? As the days passed, I came to understand. I realized that, in the end, the answers were not for human beings to know, that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world, To have the courage to face suffering, senselessness and irrationality without fear, to find the strength to create peace by one’s own example. I will undergo whatever training is necessary for this to become my unshakable conviction. . . .”

In the CD, The Flowering of Human Consciousness, Eckhart Tolle said, “Humanity has come to the end of suffering. As a species we have suffered enough. To be free, no other suffering is necessary.”
www.eckharttolle.com

In the DVD, How to Know God, Deepak Chopra said, “When we are attuned to our soul, which is the same as deeply going inward, we are able to listen in the silence to the subtle messages of wisdom and guidance. When our minds merge with God’s mind, we become aware that God is in all things – that we are eternal.”
www.deepakchopra.com

In the book, Everyday Karma, Carmen Harra wrote, “Once you bring a problem to the surface, and face it, healing can begin. I also think that healing takes place when a person begins to put order in his life, when he restores balance. One of the most effective ways to restore balance and maintain a sense of wholeness is by resolving your karma in your daily life. You will find that restoring your karma will make you feel better and prevent many types of illnesses and physical complaints. Resolving your karma strengthens your immune system! When people get enmeshed in emotional drama, their energy field becomes vulnerable and that is when they can get sick.”
www.carmenharra.com

In the book, As a Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstnace.”

In the book, The Advent of the Cosmic Viewpoint, Bryant Reeve wrote, “. . . But as we rise to higher levels of consciousness – as we attain higher viewpoints of life then the very laws of nature tend to change. Also, the electrical phenomena of life change, the energies of life are different, the norm of living changes. The actual realities of life are different. The limitations become fewer. The very “facts of life” change as we rise in consciousness! This is why miracles are possible. They are manifestations of higher laws which become available to higher levels of consciousness.”

In the book, Divine Transformation, part of the Soul Power Series, written by #1 New York Times Bestseller Author Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha – trained as a conventional medical doctor and a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Grandmaster of many ancient disciplines, including tai chi, qi gong, kung fun, I Ching, and feng shui and an expert in the most advanced cellular healing science now occurring in China – wrote, “. . . In all seven books, the Divine has continued to offer divine treasures to every reader. Why is the Divine doing this? We are in Mother Earth’s transition period. Mother Earth’s transition is the purification process of Mother Earth. The root cause of Mother Earth’s transition is the bad karma of humanity and Mother Earth. . . . The one-sentence secret of karma is: Karma is the root cause of success and failure in every aspect of life.”
www.drsha.com

I hope your day is as wonderful as you want it to be.