Posted on

Looking for Love?

There’s a saying that prostitutes (often having hearts of gold) look for love in all the wrong places. That might be true, but if it’s true of the women who work in the “oldest profession in the world,” it’s also true of many others. Social Media has brought this to light big time. 

What’s coming into center stage is the importance of truly loving ourselves in the right way. Because if you look at some of the postings and photos, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of true self-love and a healthy dose of self-respect out there. Many people are unable to even look in a mirror and say these five words: “Hey you, I love you.” Why can’t they say this simple and lovely sentence to themselves? It’s obvious, isn’t it?  And it’s sad. It’s sad because it impacts most areas of life. Whereas, if it were the other way around, if when waking up every morning, looking in a mirror on the way to the bathroom, and saying and believing, “Hey you, I love you! Let’s get ready for an extraordinary day today.” Life would perk up and begin to be different from that day on. Of course, it would perhaps start slowly as most love affairs do, the momentum has to build, love has to take hold, and energy has to shift. Then one morning on the way to the bathroom, a feeling  creeps out of the blue, with a look in the mirror, there’s an overwhelming sense that something is indeed different, and the words “Hey you, I love you” are no longer painful when said; they no longer bring tears laced with sadness to the eyes. 

Happily and gratefully it doesn’t end there for we are ever unfolding just as the the Universe is. The collection of a unique set of tools for a journey that has many stops and goes has begun. The hum-drum of an ordinary existence has been replaced. We’re no longer looking for love in all the wrong places, just as the women with hearts of gold are. We have found our first and true love, and from there the Universe shows us how to love the world we live in.

  
Imagine that!

Posted on

ilie cioara -the silence of the mind

Recently on  facebook.com/silencebook  was posted the following quote by Osho:

“Unless a person decides that ‘Whatever the cost, I want just to be myself. Condemned, unaccepted, losing respectability – everything is okay but I cannot pretend anymore to be somebody else’…

“This decision and this declaration – this declaration of freedom, freedom from the weight of the crowd – gives birth to your natural being, to your individuality. Then you don`t need any mask. Then you can be simply yourself, just as you are. And the moment you can be just as you are, there is tremendous peace that passeth understanding.”

I  like Osho’s way; he had a brilliant mind and often said to take off the mask and return to the original self,  and Ilie Cioara reminds me of Osho.

Ilie Cioara deeply affected the writer of the article I read, and the energy he felt came through in the article, and that prompted me to want to know more about the enlightened Romanian mystic called Ilie Cioara.

 He was born in 1916 and died in 2004. He lived at a time in Eastern Europe when the secret police was everywhere, hence, no freedom. And so Ilie Cioara was mostly in complete isolation for twenty years, occupied with his own way of seeking enlightenment – twenty years by himself – exploring, searching, meditating, discovering.

Petrica Verdes whose life was completely changed by the mystic, was the translator of his books.  He has much to say at batgap.com/petrica-verdes-ilie-cioara

I’ve taken passages about Ilie Cioara from the THE SEER, SHARING SPIRITUAL AWAKENING to the truth of who we really are, a very interesting website by Peter and Pearl Sumner at peterspearls.com.au/cioara.htm :

“If I had to sum his teaching in one sentence, it would be: when the mind is silent our inner divinity is revealed.

“Witnessing our thoughts is a practice that can be done in any circumstances, throughout our waking hours, 7 days a week. Remembering not to give energy to the mind, knowing that when the mind is resting, a higher energy takes over, and it guides us through flashes of intuitive understanding.

“From the moment you wake up in the morning, until you fall asleep at night, realize you’re not the mind. Just witness it. Whatever you do, whichever the circumstance. You get up, go to the bathroom to brush your teeth — this witnessing continues. You get dressed to go to work, witnessing is there, in the background. You get in the car and start driving, you keep on witnessing.” And this:

” . . . Until the age of 55, when Ilie awakened spiritually, he hadn’t written a single page, and never tried to be a teacher. Because he lived in almost complete isolation, his words have a freshness and a direct simplicity, devoid of any spiritual jargon. Ilie felt the impulse to share his experience and insights using short verses which could give the reader a taste of no-mind. The verses were followed by prose explanations (see example below).
“Most of these writings had to be hidden in the apartment of a friend, until 1990, when the iron curtain fell, so as not to be confiscated by the communist authorities. They describe the practice of ‘Self-knowing’ using all-encompassing Attention. Like Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle and Adyashanti etc, his is a simple message of discovering our inner divine nature through the silence of the mind.”

The Silence of the Mind was the first of Ilie Cioara’s books published by o-books.com to read some of the comments on this site is to get a glimpse of the way the book affects its readers.

With the world needing a balance, ourselves included, it’s helpful to understand that, no matter the situation, we human beings are resilient beyond anything we can imagine. The enlightened Romanian mystic, among others, proved this to be true.

 

It was a lovely, sunny day in Cuenca today. I hope the same for you wherever you are.

Posted on

Murder, mystery, writing

My bedtime stories are murder mysteries. It started with the British writer Dorothy Sayres and her Peter Wimsey series – Lord Peter Wimsey, a debonair style and an easy manner – gracefully transporting a reader back to another era. Because I live in Cuenca, Ecuador, when I reached the last page, I had to rely on a traveler bringing a book into Carolina Bookstore and wanting to exchange it – and hoping that book was written by Dorothy Sayres. One day I almost did a dance around the store when I spied the name Dorothy Sayres; because, yes, there on a bottom shelf was a thick Peter Wimsey hard cover book with a number of short stories. Never mind that I was already carrying three bags of mostly fruit – pineapple, papaya, mangoes, avocadoes, tomatoes, along with a few pounds of onions, I’d no intention of leaving that book behind. It turned out that it was worth the extra burden. I can’t imagine how anyone could write a more gentle murder mystery than Dorothy Sayres did. sayers.org.uk

So then, the time came to choose another mystery writer. And it was when I visited Otavalo that I came across a small shop with a smattering of books, and only a few written in English. Though there stood out one book by the writer Dorothy Gilman – one book from her Mrs. Pollifax series. I always need a book – not just any book –  so I took a chance on Mrs. Pollifax, and she was a delight. Well, imagine a widow in her sixties, bored with garden clubs, and one day becoming so utterly bored that she somehow manages  to get a job with the CIA. Dorothy Gilman has Mrs. Pollifax traveling around the world (this writer  was a world-wide traveler) as a CIA special agent. And that she has a brown belt in karate adds to her charm. Neat, eh? And so, little by little, I managed to find five Mrs. Pollifax books at Carolina Bookstore in Cuenca. Good bedtime murder mystery reading! But, all things come to an end, and the getting of more Mrs. Pollifax books, or any book by Dorothy Gilman, in Cuenca reached that end.  mrspollifax.com

And in lieu of not finding any more of Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax, I decided on the well-loved and respected murder mystery writer P.D. James., and her Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series – it was time I introduced myself to him. She, P.D. James, is a descriptive writer, and every step of the way, a detailed one, and very quickly the reader gets pulled into Inspector Adam Dagleish’s life and . . . job. P.D. James, I like her style! randomhouse.com

I’m now on the hunt for another murder mystery writer – one having that certain indescribable something. Here in Ecuador I’m slowly developing the fine art of patience! – but, when it comes to finding a great murder mystery writer, patience thins quickly!  ; – )

_________________________

Posted on

mother earth and us

 

I‘ve been thinking about some of the postings on Facebook and Youtube by people obsessing over the negativity in the world. Many people are churning out videos trying to figure out who exactly is responsible for the mess, and some are asking what can be done to turn things around.

Definitely there are problems on our Planet. Mother Earth is disgusted with the way we have been abusing a beautiful Planet that gives us limitless resources for our well-being – a Planet we are completely dependent on for our lives. It’s insanity, is what Eckhart Tolle and Steve Taylor, and countless other people are saying. Is it true that we’re all insane to allow this to happen? – It does look that way, doesn’t it?

We have opinions about the people we think are responsible for causing the havoc, and we have a right to wonder and to know the who and why of it. Although believing this ‘n that and not having a course of action amounts to, well, – nothing.

There’s a sense of helplessness, even hopelessness, judging from the world-wide anxiety and depression. There are questions needing answers, for instance: There’s an abundance of food, but a lot of it is wasted; this being the case, how do we get it to the great numbers of people starving to death every day? And why so many wars? – the maiming, violence, killings, destruction. And why the ongoing raping of beautiful Mother Earth for the benefit of a few? And why the endless brands of packaged foods in supermarkets causing obesity and sickness? And why not transform our archaic educational system and replace it with what’s really relevant in terms of body mind spirit? – giving all children a better chance of becoming happy, fearless, fully-functioning, creative adults. And why the many trashy magazines on newsstands? And why the medicines produced by Big Pharma having side effects at times worse than the diseases? And why the half-truths that keep us “dumbed down.” And then there’s politics as usual – if there wasn’t so much at stake, it would be laughable. The last I heard, a presidential candidate spends billions of dollars trying to get elected, and we know where that money comes from. Still. . . . 

Many of us have great hope for our Planet, and want to be part of helping it heal. We understand that we are visitors, so to speak, to this Planet, and we will continue on after. So perhaps in lieu of not having a brilliant idea as to how to help save Mother Earth and ourselves, we can turn within and get our strength, courage, peace, fearlessness from a part of us that knows, and when the time comes to take action, we’ll be ready.

It’s been said that we’re much more than what we’ve been taught to believe, and we need to know and remember this because at this time in the world’s history we can’t falter, no more coming up with excuses; we go beyond, we don’t cringe; we accept and work with what’s happening in the world, and we become powerful human beings working together. The answers will come at the right time, and whatever they are, we’ll accept them and work with them.  

 Imagine that!

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******

“All is always well even when it seems unbelievably unwell.”  – Adyashanti

It’s a fascinating world, and it’s a pleasure and honor to be part of it, eh?

Posted on

otavalo

I’m in Otavalo, Ecuador, a city surrounded by three volcanoes; it’s a vibrant city, with a 70% indigenous population, and I want to add, it’s quite a sophisticated small city.  

On Saturday people come from many different countries for the market; it’s quite a happening. Many people come to import large quantities of scarves, hammocks, hats, pants, fabric in luscious colors, bags, jewelry, paintings – it goes on and on. Here is just a small sampling of what you can feast your eyes on should you come.



Being in Otavalo is a lot of fun. I’m learning to negotiate – the art of negotiating Is a must here, and is interesting to observe.

From a very young age children help their parents. When you’re from a different culture, it’s eye-opening to observe another way. Love it!

Posted on

“we all bruise too easily”

After reading this I thought you might want to also, so I copied and pasted and here it is.

By Mark Gilbert
consciousbridge.com

“There’s an old line in the Simon and Garfunkel song that goes “I bruise you, you bruise me, we all bruise too easily”. How true! Of course we’re not talking about physical bruises per se, but more about mental bruises.
It seems that more and more people seem to care less about the destructive power of their words. Social discourse seems more concerned about making our point even if it ruffles others’ feathers. Sometimes it looks like we even like ruffling the feathers.
On the other hand, it seems like people are waiting to get bruised. It’s like we’re sitting around waiting for someone to say something that upsets us or we disagree with so we can fire back our verbal rockets.
The interactions of people on TV and on the Internet all too often follow an ever upward escalating course of bruising, being bruised, and bruising back. How can we stop this cycle?
One, it starts with each and every one of us becoming responsible for our words and actions. Each of us individually must set an intention to be, in the words of Don Miguel Ruiz, “impeccable with our words”. That is, we choose wisely our words so that they both communicate our meaning while maintaining our relationships. We can say what we need to say while being mindful of how it’s going to be received. We can choose to be kind in our language always. We can choose not to bruise others.
Two, we can toughen our skin and not be bruised so easily by the words of others. Again as Don Miguel Ruiz says, “don’t take things personally”. Someone else can state an opinion that’s different from you and they’re voicing that opinion takes nothing away from you. You can choose to disagree verbally or not. If you do choose to state your opinion, then again be impeccable with your words… communicate your meaning while maintaining your relationship.
Third, by you not bruising others and not allowing others to bruise you, you become a model for others and how they can break the cycle of negativity. By beginning with yourself, you expand your sphere of influence. By everyone taking responsibility to be impeccable with their words and to not take things personally, we can change the direction of social discourse to a positive direction.”
Mark

IMG_1156.JPG

Posted on

comings and goings in ecuador

20140510-110124.jpg

In the nine months I’ve lived in Cuenca, I’ve heard stories about expats trying to decide whether to stay or leave, and at Stateside stories of people trying to decide whether to move here, or elsewhere in the world.

It seems more than a few people base their decisions on other people’s experiences; they think that what works for that person will work for them. That’s not necessarily the case. Why would we want to plan our lives by what another person does? Their energy, experiences, memories, likes and dislikes are completely different from our own.

Questioning the lay of the land, etc. is important, then if it seems the right fit, we continue with the lay of the heart. This is another way of pondering what to do . . . because the within has its own wonderful methods of arriving at decisions. Sitting still for a while will welcome an all-important decision-maker – one that knows, one we can trust, one who is eager to assist – if we would just let it play its part, too.

When I look back at the times in my life when I followed someone else’s line of reasoning, and put my own aside, things didn’t flow. Of course it’s a different story when we’re in a helpless state, and unable to figure things out ourselves, on the whole though that’s not usually the case.

Learning self-love is a crucial part of the process, and from there we can go on to learning to trust ourselves. Then we learn to trust Life. It’s a nice way to live.

20140510-180248.jpg Look at the usually tranquil Rio Tomebamba with its waves of water rushing pass – thanks to rain, rain, rain. I like it; it’s so alive.

Posted on

ancient secret of the fountain of youth book 2

20140426-124149.jpg

It could be that some people might consider not buying ANCIENT SECRET OF THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH because of the title. Though once the book is opened, a treasure trove is revealed. Book 1 tells of how it all began. It’s a marvelous story, almost in the category of a delightful fairy tale. It’s a story that you’ll want to read before picking up Book 2 “A companion to the book by Peter Kelder.”

It’s written in Book 2 about Book 1: “. . . It is not essential for you to read it, but it is highly recommended that you do so. In Kelder’s book you’ll find inspiration and magic that can’t be duplicated here. Many people who read the book cherish the experience and return to reread it again and again.”

There are amazing stories of those adventurers who dared to wander into territory most people thought they could only dream about. And then there are the amazing five rites which are fairly simple to do and which have innumerable benefits. The only way to discover their power is to practice them yourself. It’s one of the few books I took along with me to Ecuador. That’s how much I like the book.

To give you a glimpse of what the five rites do, I’ll quote the inside cover:

“In this book, readers were introduced to the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, a series of exercises developed over centuries in the monasteries of Tibet and credited by thousands for everything from increased energy to better memory, weight loss, and just looking and feeling younger. Almost as quickly as the books filtered across the globe, letters began to pour into Harbor Press requesting more information on these mysterious rites. Now more than ten years and two million books later, comes a comprehensive companion volume that addresses the unanswered questions of so many readers.”

It’s good to know what’s in the marketplace so that we can choose what works for us, right? Now, if I could find a normal yoga mat in Cuenca, I’d be on the floor practicing those Five Rites:-)

*******
Someone said, “Have a happy day.” I am; you, too?

Posted on

the magic of some words

20140225-113437.jpg

I’m retweeting . . . my way . . . these words want to be shared . . . they speak to the heart, to the spirit, they have their own kind of magic – they show us another way of understanding ourselves and each other.

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******
@Soulseedzforall: Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie.

@PanacheDesai: Every one of us embarks on this journey from the Divine and every one of us is returning to the Divine. So what are you worried about?

@soniachoquette: You cannot breathe deeply and worry at the same time. Breathe. Let the worry go. Breathe. Allow the love and intuition in.

I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance. ~Reuben Blades

@james odea: The world is also facing a lot of new problems, most of which are man-made.

@james odea: A great Tibetan teacher of mind training once remarked that 1 of the mind’s most marvelous qualities is that it can b transformed.

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******

We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. – Marcel Proust