RID YOURSELF OF RITUAL

Throughout the various stages of awakening, the truth seeker will naturally experience a desire to have an adult security blanket. It makes complete sense. In a hostile environment one feels better with a bit of magic on their side. Protection, if you will. It makes one feel powerful enough to weather the storms of self-examination. 

The term RITUAL is being used here to describe anything one does on a regular basis or surrounds themselves with on a regular basis, that has absolutely nothing to do with achieving pure clarity. Ritual talisman, ritual mantra, ritual clothing, ritual location, ritual language, ritual person, what-have-you. Anything one does, has, surrounds oneself with, clothes oneself in, visits regularly etc. on a regular basis is nothing but an obstacle on the path to enlightenment.

Your only goal, my friend, is to rid yourself of all of it. Period.

There is no connection to your divine through the building called a church. Neither the human beings called Priests nor the man elected Pope can provide you with either the key to your salvation or the connection to the true source of all inspiration. Their hats, robes, incense, trinkets, candles, beads, gold and silver likenesses, etc. are for show and do not open the door to the place where God dwells.

Yes, a church is built by believers of a particular faith. Yes, religious paintings are painted by the faithful and the deeper the faith, the more powerful the representation of the object of that faith. Faith in a particular deity has led to the creation of the most beautiful works of art and architecture in human history. Writings by deeply faithful people such as Hafiz or Gibran or Kabir (must reads for any truth seeker) can easily bring tears to the eyes. 

The most amazing results of this connection to the creative source are everywhere... There is no doubt of that. My question to you, my friend, is this. What have you created FOR your divine? How do you express your love TO your god? I didn't say how will you show others that you have love for a divine, nor did I ask how you express to others your love for a divine? It's a very different and distinct use of the words to express something much more private, personal, and profound. This something has nothing to do with SHOWING anything to anyone. It doesn't involve going anywhere, wearing anything special, saying anything over and over, or aligning yourself with any human mortals you believe will bring you closer to a special power by being in their presence.

The remedy? STOP. Right now. Wherever you are reading this. STOP, BE STILL, BREATHE, FEEL, AND LISTEN. Don't wait to go to church, don't reach for your prayer beads, don't get up only to fall to your knees. JUST BE, NOW. It's one of the many books of truth, but put the Bible down. I can read and re-read the same diet book over and over, but unless I put the book down and act on the information contained in it, the diet will never work. (Of course, that was just an example. 'Diet' is a 4-letter word and is not real. I would say don't ever do it, but once you achieve clarity, it will lose it's meaning.)

Anyhow, back to stopping... Right now... I need you to introduce yourself to your god... God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Ganesh, whatever... say hello, how are you, my name is... Now, just sit and feel... Do you feel silly? Are you emotional? Are you joyful? Guess what? It doesn't matter. No one is going to judge you. In fact, no one needs to know. The only one who needs to know you're building a one on one relationship with the creator is you. The fact of the matter (the truth, in other words) is that nowhere you go, nothing you wear and no one you're hanging around with can help you to cultivate this relationship. It's all you and only you...no church, no cross, no book, no priest, no beads, no prostrations, no robes, nothing.

Your homework: Continue to vocalize your conversation with your divine until it becomes natural. Don't ask for anything, don't repent for past deeds, don't praise or thank yet, just say hey...

Thanks for being here. See you on the other side. ;-)

THE COSMIC GIGGLE

TO TRULY KNOW THYSELF IS DIVINE

What is it to know oneself? Can we truly ever know ourselves on the most deepest of levels in this hustle and bustle world? How can it be maintained? Is it possible to achieve enlightenment growing up and existing within the Matrix we inhabit? How is it possible when we are immersed in a paradigm that is seemingly the opposite of spirituality, the opposite of loving kindness and compassion. 

I would submit, my friends, that it is possible to achieve a heightened state of clarity, i.e. enlightenment within an urban environment, but that it is a fickle achievement subject to numerous pitfalls for one not fully committed to it's attainment. For, in order to maintain such a pristine state of awareness from moment to moment would require one to become a Master of focused concentration, not easily distracted by the wants and needs of this world nor swayed by the various emotions we're subject to each day.

Living in an enlightened state from moment to moment does not require one to rid oneself of naturally occurring thoughts, feelings and emotions. So from this moment forward, stop guilting yourself for feeling feelings or thinking thoughts. They are natural. It's the ACTIONS we choose to take that are destructive. The challenge for anyone from a Monk to a Manager or a Priest to a Painter is to become a Master at PACIFYING those naturally occurring processes all the time. 

I can think all I want about how I'd like to punch someone in the face, but until I actually act on it, it's simply a passing thing without substance that I can choose to bring into the material world or not. In the hands of someone with the clarity of self awareness, those thoughts, feelings and emotions are simply understood as naturally appearing and disappearing and are allowed to come and go without disturbing one's balance.

The only question one must pose oneself when deciding to embark on a journey of self-discovery is this:

Am I committed to a path that only leads in one direction?

The path of which I am referring does not involve 'quitting' anything, for how can one quit something that simply no longer has a place in one's life? It does not involve setting goals, for the path itself is the goal. It won't make you sexier or smarter or funnier and it certainly won't get you that new car, girl, guy, jewelery, house, or whatever else you've been drooling over. In fact, none of the THINGS sitting in your closet, garage, storage locker etc. that you've been accumulating for whatever reason over the years are coming on the journey. Because this journey is one of DEVOLVING, if you will. Of pairing down, of trimming the fat (literally), and of opening the window to let a little fresh air in.

If the thought that you will end up with nothing of material value in your possession with only the promise of the immaterial makes you cringe, then perhaps the time is not right to embark on such a perilous quest. As an example, a friend of mine once suggested I read a book by a well-known modern day spiritual guru to many, Eckhart Tolle. Although I've now read many of his writings, at first glance, even the word 'God' caused me to close the book immediately. I just wasn't ready for years after that...

One must first come to understand that in order for people to define something indefinable, a word must be used so that all are in agreement based on how each of us defines the feeling we get when we say it or think it. A feeling is like a relationship. None but the subject can truly define how something invisible and intangible affects them. So the WORD God is also, in and of itself, indefinable by none but the definer. IT is simply an idea, an allegory, a metaphor or what-have-you. (Maybe we should change God's name every once in a while so people don't become attached to it...) Anyhow, the specifics of that word will be discussed more another time. 

Okay, so... Ask yourself if you're ready. Nobody needs to know but you... If you are, then let's proceed, shall we?

First things first. Let me ask you this. How do you feel about God? Don't tell me. I know your first impulse was to tell me in words how you feel, but don't tell me. Don't even direct your answer at me. I asked you how you feel about God, not to tell me how you feel about God. So take a moment...take two, in fact, and really think about...oops sorry, my mistake...take a moment or two to really FEEL how you feel about God.... Wanna know a secret? That's your connection to God... And that's all you need to know, oops...feel.

Bruce Lee said it best in one of his films, "Don't think, feeeel."

Your homework assignment: Leave your phone at home and go for a walk alone to a safe place. Sit and listen to as many different sounds as you can without adding any judgement to them. Even if you hear a sound that would normally cause a reaction i.e. loud motorcycles, construction, vocal babies etc., try practicing observing things in their basics rather than with added emotion and judgement. 

For an added boost to this exercise, try switching to a focus on your breathing (don't worry, we're not getting into breathing exercises...yet ;0) and notice what different sounds you hear or how many sounds you now become aware of. 

Oh, and although it might sound silly suggesting closing your eyes is advanced, but you'd be surprised how difficult it can be to try sitting in a public park or city street with your eyes closed for any length of time without feeling like you'll be robbed. A very uneasy feeling comes over us in a very short period of time that both prevents us from relaxing and closing our eyes for too long. This might seem minor, but know that any resistance to this process must be looked at from this point forward as ego based. When they refer to interacting with the drug and not the person in cases of addiction, this is that situation when it comes to uncovering your true self. The child who wants it's blankie is what restricts your spiritual emergence. 

ACCEPT there is resistance to change that comes from a part of us we can't explain and move on... I really dislike corporations for stealing great sayings, but it's so true. The only way for you to make change is to just do it. Btw, I didn't mention the corporation on purpose and didn't cap their slogan, but if you instantly knew who I was referring to and saw a logo in your mind's eye (you know, that place in our head where we see the mind movies), then you've come to the right place... 

See you next time.

WHO IS IN CONTROL OF YOU?

Below I've attached a video from a BBC Horizon documentary about the subconscious mind; how much of it is responsible for what we do, what we see with our eyes vs. what our mind 'sees' and how we react to the things of this material experience that send our lives in this direction or that.

There is a definite path to uncovering your subconscious mind and aligning yourself with the seemingly chaotic universe (multiverse) we exist in. This I will tell you from experience, my friend. Once you connect with the sub-text of your life, amazing things will happen.

Please enjoy the documentary:

My question to you, my friend, is this... If we are really driven by our subconscious and are largely unaware of it most of the time, then who or what creates the subconscious urge that manifests itself into a conscious thought and action as a result? Is it really YOUR ACTION that results? Have you ever been watching television and when someone takes a drink on the screen you feel thirsty and reach for a drink yourself?

The trouble with the subconscious is that it's easily influenced through suggestion. The additional problem occurs when the person who's thought naturally becomes the action is not capable of seeing the connection, the origin of the subconscious seed that's been planted. This causes such a person to truly believe the thought is their own and, as such, justifies the action taken as a result.

Most in this society are not capable of seeing the forest for the trees through years of conditioning. Aggressive and manipulative advertising techniques were a part of my life since the day I was born for example...

It takes a shattering of the barriers that have been created in order to make those connections, to clearly see the origin of our potential actions and make decisions based on that understanding. We can always think before we act, but without the understanding of the origin of the urge that leads to the action, we are in a perpetual MINDLESS state as opposed to a MINDFUL STATE.

The next question is, without an external influence on our subconscious, who or what is planting the seeds that ultimately lead to our thoughts and actions? If we have the urge to buy the latest electronic gadget, for example, I'm not sure that seed was planted by the creator. But, I can tell you from experience. Once the hypnotic spell you've been under has been broken, you will find those urges will vanish into thin air. You will have a clearer understanding of the origin of your thoughts and actions by allowing the connection you already have to the creative source to be accepted as fact.

At a certain point in my life, I knew that regardless of what I did along the road to clarity, to awakening, even if it meant the end of this mortal coil, as Shakespeare referred to it, I would make it my intention to have joy and not sorrow at the core of who I am. I then identified every single thing that had at it's end, a sorrowful result such as angry feelings toward myself and others. I set out to understand those feelings, to pacify them and to know those feelings and thoughts as a permanent part of this vessel in which I'm traveling on this journey.

What I discovered in the end was that a joyful existence didn't mean killing some evil part of myself or denying myself anything. It was simply an understanding that nothing is either good or bad, it just is. 

WE OURSELVES, through external influence on our subconscious mind, color our perception of this experience. Cut the bonds of that influence and the clouds will part. All the guilt, and pain and suffering, all the anger,  jealousy and more is present due to a lack of understanding. Find the urge at it's source and it's power over you will be no more.

Seek first to understand this mortal and material experience through your five senses. Once that's occurred, other senses already present will naturally reveal themselves to you.

BARAKA AND THE QUATSI's

If you haven't see these movies yet, they are a must see for any spiritual traveler. The first is a 1992 movie by Ron Fricke that's a visual and as a result, an emotional journey from start to finish. Here's a brief definition of the word Baraka and it's origin according to Wikipedia:

Barakah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In Islam, Barakah (Arabic: بركة : also Baraka‎) is the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres as prosperity, protection, and happiness. Baraka is the continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God. Baraka can be found within physical objects, places, and people, as chosen by God. This force begins by flowing directly from God into creation that is worthy of baraka. These creations endowed with baraka can then transmit the flow of baraka to the other creations of God through physical proximity or through the adherence to the spiritual practices of the Prophet Muhammad. God is the sole source of baraka and has the power to grant and withhold baraka.

Baraka is a prominent concept in Islamic mysticism, particularly Sufism. It pervades Sufi texts, beliefs, practices, and spirituality. Sufism is a movement within Islam that emphasizes the importance of esoteric knowledge and the spiritual union with God through the heart. Baraka symbolizes this connection between the divine and the worldly through God's direct and intentional blessing of those that are most reflective of Him and his teachings.

Baraka is not a state, it is a flow of blessings and grace. It flows from God to those that are closest to God, such as saints and prophets. Those that have received baraka are thought to have the abilities to perform miracles (karamat), such as thought-reading, healing the sick, flying, and reviving the dead. However, according to Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri, a prominent Sufi mystic, the use of these miracles and the actual possession of these abilities are not indicative of a saint's status, however, the performance of these miracles by prophets is important to establish credentials.

Below is the trailer for the film:

In addition to this great film please check out Powaqqatsi:

Koyaanisqatsi:

And finally Naqoyqatsi: