WORD FOR THE DAY
Tuesday, Jun. 30 (gratefulness.org
People are like stained glass windows:
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in their true
beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Blessing must arise from within your own mind. It is not something that comes from outside. When the positive qualities of your mind increase and the negativities decrease, that is what blessing means. The Tibetan word for blessing … means transforming into magnificent potential. Therefore, blessing refers to the development of virtuous qualities you did not previously have and the improvement of those good qualities you have already developed. ― Dalai Lama XIV
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
A Vivid Description of Unconditional Love
The following quote is from Angel Miracles (Inspirational Stories of Heavenly Help)
by Brad & Sherry Steiger.(p. 63-64)
The light within, around, or generated by the Benevolent Being became even brighter
as he spoke. You are loved unconditionally,' he said. 'The Creator Spirit is not filled with wrath and vengeance as so many Earth religions have taught, but that which you call 'God' is pure love beyond comprehension. What you humans have mistaken as punishment from your fierce concept of God is nothing more than the effects of your own action.'
Marissa said that the Light Being placed great importance on the needs for humans to begin to understand the relationship between cause and effect, because it was through this understanding that human spirit evolution could occur.
'At this point,' Marissa said, 'the light coming from the Celestial Being went through me, and
I experienced unconditional love for the first time in my life. It was searing and exquisite. It was as though I was being bathed in a light that entered every cell of my body and filled everything it passed through with love.'
by Brad & Sherry Steiger.(p. 63-64)
The light within, around, or generated by the Benevolent Being became even brighter
as he spoke. You are loved unconditionally,' he said. 'The Creator Spirit is not filled with wrath and vengeance as so many Earth religions have taught, but that which you call 'God' is pure love beyond comprehension. What you humans have mistaken as punishment from your fierce concept of God is nothing more than the effects of your own action.'
Marissa said that the Light Being placed great importance on the needs for humans to begin to understand the relationship between cause and effect, because it was through this understanding that human spirit evolution could occur.
'At this point,' Marissa said, 'the light coming from the Celestial Being went through me, and
I experienced unconditional love for the first time in my life. It was searing and exquisite. It was as though I was being bathed in a light that entered every cell of my body and filled everything it passed through with love.'
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Angels Shower of Abundance
SHOWER OF ABUNDANCE
"To heal your financial situation, first give us your worries concerning money. We will guide you in order to show you how to create and accept abundance. As we work together, your financial situation will heal as fast as you'll allow."
Your prayers about finances have been heard and answered. The more you can listen to and follow your gut feelings right now, the quicker you'll experience improvements in your financial situations.
The coins that you're finding lately are loving signs from your Angels and departed loved ones. An unexpected financial windfall is coming to you. Give any financial fears to your Angels. Follow any guidance you receive, as it could be an answered prayer about your finances. Abundance can take many forms, including having more time, opportunities, or clear ideas.
"To heal your financial situation, first give us your worries concerning money. We will guide you in order to show you how to create and accept abundance. As we work together, your financial situation will heal as fast as you'll allow."
Your prayers about finances have been heard and answered. The more you can listen to and follow your gut feelings right now, the quicker you'll experience improvements in your financial situations.
The coins that you're finding lately are loving signs from your Angels and departed loved ones. An unexpected financial windfall is coming to you. Give any financial fears to your Angels. Follow any guidance you receive, as it could be an answered prayer about your finances. Abundance can take many forms, including having more time, opportunities, or clear ideas.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Unconditional love - what does it feel like?
Unconditional love - have you experienced it? Can you describe it?
What does unconditional love feel like, look like - tell me your experience?
You will wisely
extend to yourself
an unconditional
love that will
be the light
of your day,
the light of your life,
the light that will
brighten up the world.
Peter McKenna
I read this quote in "The Miracles Awaken Within":
Most of you will counterbalance your love with the ego-driven portions of your own understanding, because love to the human world does not have the purity needed to elicit the power and strength to manifest. You always send your energy into the outer perimeters, causing a perverse energy to reflect back to you. What if you didn’t have to go through all the drama? What if you could just love everything in your world that you decided was the truth? The world would be a beautiful reflection of you.To me that was the most vital part of all the writing. How does anyone learn to unconditionally love oneself?
I am assuming the more one meditates the closer one gets to this unconditional love?
What does unconditional love feel like, look like - tell me your experience?
You will wisely
extend to yourself
an unconditional
love that will
be the light
of your day,
the light of your life,
the light that will
brighten up the world.
Peter McKenna
I read this quote in "The Miracles Awaken Within":
Most of you will counterbalance your love with the ego-driven portions of your own understanding, because love to the human world does not have the purity needed to elicit the power and strength to manifest. You always send your energy into the outer perimeters, causing a perverse energy to reflect back to you. What if you didn’t have to go through all the drama? What if you could just love everything in your world that you decided was the truth? The world would be a beautiful reflection of you.To me that was the most vital part of all the writing. How does anyone learn to unconditionally love oneself?
I am assuming the more one meditates the closer one gets to this unconditional love?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Not Unconditional Lover Yet - Self-love or narcissism?
I always feel a little twinge of guilt when I hear about "self love". How do we distinguish between self love or "selfish" love? Is being an unconditional lover mean being unconditional loving to one's self also? Back in the older days of self help workshops, we were taught to look in the mirror and tell ourselves how much we loved us - that image love was narcissistic to me - you? ron
Reply by Silja Saareoks
Unconditional is never selfish and it is impossible to love someone unconditionally without having it inside first.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Ah, again, dear Silja, the perfect words in such a succinct answer. You are indeed a sower of words that are "sweet as honeycomb, soothing to the soul & healing to the bone." in gratitude, ron
Reply by Silja Saareoks
Ron, you DO know what the love is and how to show it, guess you don't need so many questions! But of course for some strange reasons we see the selfish love as well, but believe me, these people just haven't learned to truly accept and love their deeper nature. Sometimes we act in a selfish way too and then it is great when we notice it and lead ourselves back to our true nature.
The deepest human nature is pure love and it is truly unconditional. As pure as the newborn baby who is giving a smile to you. It needs a work to do to get so deep inside and this way is endless. When giving the love, we really should not leave ourselves out of it.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Ron, you DO know what the love is and how to show it>(sometimes, Silja, but have a ways to go, and I am on a good path with help from people like you and many here on this site) , guess you don't need so many questions! (No, I am full of questions and believe in inquiry as a great learning tool)But of course for some strange reasons we see the selfish love as well, but believe me, these people just haven't learned to truly accept and love their deeper nature. >(I am one of "these people"" & I love myself for the path I am on) Sometimes we act in a selfish way too and then it is great when we notice it and lead ourselves back to our true nature. (I am "noticing) more & returning back to my true nature more often)The deepest human nature is pure love and it is truly unconditional. As pure as the newborn baby who is giving a smile to you. It needs a work to do to get so deep inside and this way is endless. When giving the love, we really should not leave ourselves out of it. (Truer words could not be spoken, Silja, however I still "leave myself out of the love" quite often).More and more I am resolving this disinheritance shock from Mom, for example when a colleague asked me "what did you do to your Mom to cause her to leave you mostly out of her will" I found myself starting to get defensive, but I stopped myself and admitted I indeed did some things that would cause negativity between us.
More and more, I am seeing that she helped me with Divine Inheritance, as it has caused me to go to Love as much as possible - more meditation, more prayer, more support groups. Meditation has helped me the most as well as this magnificent site.
I purchased this bumper sticker yesterday - "The best things in life are not things." That, as well, as a shaman telling a friend that "thoughts are things."
Because I want to be more and more in mindfulness the rest of my life, I will be going to the ten day silent retreat of Vipassana, like Drmike, Chad, & Jeanne have done and benefited so greatly from. I will also be going to several other meditative retreats, and who knows, may even go on staff on one of them?
To be or not to be is the question, I chose TO BE! and you are a great teacher, thank you, Silja, ron
Lee replies:
To me narcissim is a form of self objectification brought upon by the limited perspective of our senses. The difference between what I used to call love and real love helps me see this more clearly. To say I love you into the mirror is a good measure of how well we have embraced real love and let go of old definitions that were object centered. That twinge of guilt when I say "I love you" to myself is that measure. As with the attacks we spoke of earlier it is a call for love.
Accept the divine nature at your essence, do not consider yourself an object, consider yourself the love that you profess for yourself and all that is, be the grand human that we all are without limits wrought by the need to feel limited so that we may then fully experience love.
This gets into a view I currently hold, on why we must experience duality before we can understand oneness. I think that is a different discussion except to say that narcissism is an expression of the opposite of love in the form of fear to be what it is that we ultimately are anyway. To exist as the grand human we are takes a lot of discipline and requires great responsibility, and these things I fear. I fear I will not measure up, I fear the effort required, I fear feeling alone, but these are the dualistic nature of our trip to the realization of true love. Along the way as love quashes these fears we can conceptualize its true nature and power, and eventually, maybe someday, let go of the need to conceptualize it or anything at all, and just be..........perfect..........as we always were.
As more achieve this realization a light in the direction of truth gets brighter and brighter, making the path clearer for the rest of the pieces to find their way home, and eventually all the pieces will rejoin the whole, and with them a grand, headshaking experience is welcomed into a new way of being.
Hmmmmmmm, I wonder as I read this if it is possible that this is happening every moment, that a new way of being is always coming into existence. A flow of experience transforming continually as oppossed to some event that we must wait for and then look back upon. As I ponder this an image popped into my head. Please note that this particular image does not necessarily align with any spiritual or political beliefs I have, but it gave me a chuckle, so for what it is worth I will share it here.
I imagine our recent President Bush walking down a dimmy lit path toward a much brighter light that can't be denied, but that is really not casting its own light onto his path. As he walks he considers his experience in a thoughtful way with his head looking to the ground. After some time he approaches the light, lifts his head and recognizes it as a mass of what can only be described as love. In awe he looks back, slowly looks at the light, points to his past behind him, and asks, "what the hell was that". Then shaking his head he enters the light and his experience is absorbed by love as that experience holds another piece of the puzzle that is becoming once again whole.
Reply by Silja Saareoks
Unconditional is never selfish and it is impossible to love someone unconditionally without having it inside first.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Ah, again, dear Silja, the perfect words in such a succinct answer. You are indeed a sower of words that are "sweet as honeycomb, soothing to the soul & healing to the bone." in gratitude, ron
Reply by Silja Saareoks
Ron, you DO know what the love is and how to show it, guess you don't need so many questions! But of course for some strange reasons we see the selfish love as well, but believe me, these people just haven't learned to truly accept and love their deeper nature. Sometimes we act in a selfish way too and then it is great when we notice it and lead ourselves back to our true nature.
The deepest human nature is pure love and it is truly unconditional. As pure as the newborn baby who is giving a smile to you. It needs a work to do to get so deep inside and this way is endless. When giving the love, we really should not leave ourselves out of it.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Ron, you DO know what the love is and how to show it
More and more, I am seeing that she helped me with Divine Inheritance, as it has caused me to go to Love as much as possible - more meditation, more prayer, more support groups. Meditation has helped me the most as well as this magnificent site.
I purchased this bumper sticker yesterday - "The best things in life are not things." That, as well, as a shaman telling a friend that "thoughts are things."
Because I want to be more and more in mindfulness the rest of my life, I will be going to the ten day silent retreat of Vipassana, like Drmike, Chad, & Jeanne have done and benefited so greatly from. I will also be going to several other meditative retreats, and who knows, may even go on staff on one of them?
To be or not to be is the question, I chose TO BE! and you are a great teacher, thank you, Silja, ron
Lee replies:
To me narcissim is a form of self objectification brought upon by the limited perspective of our senses. The difference between what I used to call love and real love helps me see this more clearly. To say I love you into the mirror is a good measure of how well we have embraced real love and let go of old definitions that were object centered. That twinge of guilt when I say "I love you" to myself is that measure. As with the attacks we spoke of earlier it is a call for love.
Accept the divine nature at your essence, do not consider yourself an object, consider yourself the love that you profess for yourself and all that is, be the grand human that we all are without limits wrought by the need to feel limited so that we may then fully experience love.
This gets into a view I currently hold, on why we must experience duality before we can understand oneness. I think that is a different discussion except to say that narcissism is an expression of the opposite of love in the form of fear to be what it is that we ultimately are anyway. To exist as the grand human we are takes a lot of discipline and requires great responsibility, and these things I fear. I fear I will not measure up, I fear the effort required, I fear feeling alone, but these are the dualistic nature of our trip to the realization of true love. Along the way as love quashes these fears we can conceptualize its true nature and power, and eventually, maybe someday, let go of the need to conceptualize it or anything at all, and just be..........perfect..........as we always were.
As more achieve this realization a light in the direction of truth gets brighter and brighter, making the path clearer for the rest of the pieces to find their way home, and eventually all the pieces will rejoin the whole, and with them a grand, headshaking experience is welcomed into a new way of being.
Hmmmmmmm, I wonder as I read this if it is possible that this is happening every moment, that a new way of being is always coming into existence. A flow of experience transforming continually as oppossed to some event that we must wait for and then look back upon. As I ponder this an image popped into my head. Please note that this particular image does not necessarily align with any spiritual or political beliefs I have, but it gave me a chuckle, so for what it is worth I will share it here.
I imagine our recent President Bush walking down a dimmy lit path toward a much brighter light that can't be denied, but that is really not casting its own light onto his path. As he walks he considers his experience in a thoughtful way with his head looking to the ground. After some time he approaches the light, lifts his head and recognizes it as a mass of what can only be described as love. In awe he looks back, slowly looks at the light, points to his past behind him, and asks, "what the hell was that". Then shaking his head he enters the light and his experience is absorbed by love as that experience holds another piece of the puzzle that is becoming once again whole.
The Heart as an Unending Thanksgiving Altar
WORD FOR THE DAY(gratefulness.org)
Thursday, Jun. 25
May your heart be an altar, from which
the bright flame of unending
thanksgiving ascends to heaven.
St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Embrace the World
Thursday, Jun. 25
May your heart be an altar, from which
the bright flame of unending
thanksgiving ascends to heaven.
St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Embrace the World
End of the World?
Charlene comments: Our world can look complex and is always presenting us with opportunities of growth and to see life differently, to change our mind and in the process free our selves from our past history. The World is always in flux and the threat of the end times has presented itself over and over in human history. Each time the world did end and a new phase unfolded. What if, just what if, this is really what is happening?"
Ron replies:
I remember about 15 to 20 years ago, a very distinguished looking, well dressed, well spoken Englishman went around California selling his book and giving workshops how "soon most of the state of California would be virtually destroyed by earthquake(s). He was advising people to get groups together to discuss his book, and prepare to move soon. Well, to make a long story short, some of my friends fell for his fear-based thinking and did form a group and eventually soon moved. They tried to recruit me, but I told them I "did not go where fear leads". In fact, I was learning just the opposite at the Center for Attitudinal Healing, while working there with Jerry Jampolsky. - "Love is letting go of fear."
I really loved my friends, but they sheepishly moved back a few years later admitting they listened to a "wolf in sheeps clothing."
"Our world can look complex and is always presenting us with opportunities of growth and to see life differently, to change our mind and in the process free our selves from our past history. The World is always in flux and the threat of the end times has presented itself over and over in human history. Each time the world did end and a new phase unfolded. What if, just what if, this is really what is happening?"
Nameste~ Charlene
Dear Charlene, Let go of this fear, God is Love, Love is Eternal, you are Love, and therefore you are eternal.
"Perfect love casts out all fear."
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.
- Upanishads
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
but for the heart to conquer it.
Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
but hope for the patience to win my freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet/Saint
Ron replies:
I remember about 15 to 20 years ago, a very distinguished looking, well dressed, well spoken Englishman went around California selling his book and giving workshops how "soon most of the state of California would be virtually destroyed by earthquake(s). He was advising people to get groups together to discuss his book, and prepare to move soon. Well, to make a long story short, some of my friends fell for his fear-based thinking and did form a group and eventually soon moved. They tried to recruit me, but I told them I "did not go where fear leads". In fact, I was learning just the opposite at the Center for Attitudinal Healing, while working there with Jerry Jampolsky. - "Love is letting go of fear."
I really loved my friends, but they sheepishly moved back a few years later admitting they listened to a "wolf in sheeps clothing."
"Our world can look complex and is always presenting us with opportunities of growth and to see life differently, to change our mind and in the process free our selves from our past history. The World is always in flux and the threat of the end times has presented itself over and over in human history. Each time the world did end and a new phase unfolded. What if, just what if, this is really what is happening?"
Nameste~ Charlene
Dear Charlene, Let go of this fear, God is Love, Love is Eternal, you are Love, and therefore you are eternal.
"Perfect love casts out all fear."
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.
- Upanishads
Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
but for the heart to conquer it.
Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
but hope for the patience to win my freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet/Saint
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Pure Hope
WORD FOR THE DAY
Monday, Jun. 22(gratefulness.org)
The hope that is left after all your
hopes are gone -- that is pure hope,
rooted in the heart.
David Steindl-Rast
Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer
Monday, Jun. 22(gratefulness.org)
The hope that is left after all your
hopes are gone -- that is pure hope,
rooted in the heart.
David Steindl-Rast
Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Love Truth, Love Silence
Love Truth, Love Silence
WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Jun. 20 (gratefulness.org)
If you love truth, be a lover of silence.
Silence, like the sunlight will
illuminate you in God.
St. Issac - 7th Century Hermit Monk
WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Jun. 20 (gratefulness.org)
If you love truth, be a lover of silence.
Silence, like the sunlight will
illuminate you in God.
St. Issac - 7th Century Hermit Monk
Thursday, June 18, 2009
If I had to live my life over again
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
If I had my life to live over again, I'd try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I know of a very few things I would take seriously. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would do more walking and looking. I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who lives prophylactically* and sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments; and if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, aspirin and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would go places, do things and travel lighter than I have. If I had my life to live over, I would ride on more merry-go-rounds --- pick more daisies.
- Brother Jeremiah
Thank-you Golden, for sharing this wonderful prose and to Ella (Attainment post further down) for writing it. The last line really hits home for me. I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity. Metta, Jeanne
Ron's reply:
I have been thinking about "If I had to live my life over again" on the Vegan site. I am grateful for Ella's profound thinking and for your answer, Jeane.
"I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity."
"If I had to live my live over again", I would have started meditating at a much earlier time in my life, yet possibly I would not have been ready for the joy I have in the present moment. Byron Katie, whose main thrust of "The Work" is inquiring to find the "reality of the moment", would probably tell me "that I must have not been ready because I wasn't". Or something like that
See Gratitude and Vegan groups on architectsofanewdawn.com
If I had my life to live over again, I'd try to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I know of a very few things I would take seriously. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets. I would do more walking and looking. I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who lives prophylactically* and sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments; and if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I have been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, aspirin and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would go places, do things and travel lighter than I have. If I had my life to live over, I would ride on more merry-go-rounds --- pick more daisies.
- Brother Jeremiah
Thank-you Golden, for sharing this wonderful prose and to Ella (Attainment post further down) for writing it. The last line really hits home for me. I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity. Metta, Jeanne
Ron's reply:
I have been thinking about "If I had to live my life over again" on the Vegan site. I am grateful for Ella's profound thinking and for your answer, Jeane.
"I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity."
"If I had to live my live over again", I would have started meditating at a much earlier time in my life, yet possibly I would not have been ready for the joy I have in the present moment. Byron Katie, whose main thrust of "The Work" is inquiring to find the "reality of the moment", would probably tell me "that I must have not been ready because I wasn't". Or something like that
See Gratitude and Vegan groups on architectsofanewdawn.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
How do you return to love when you are upset? Feeling attacked?
How do you return to love when you are upset? Feeling attacked?
Posted by Ron Alexander Return to Love group on architectsofanewdawn.com
In our profound in-depth dialogue group on Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, we dialogued in depth about that question.
Here is Tolle's summation: Whenever you are upset about an event, a person, or a situation, the real cause is not the event, person, or situation but a loss of true perspective that only space (I call spirit, some call beingness or consciousness) can provide. You are trapped in object consciousness, unaware of timeless inner space of consciousness itself. The words "This too, will pass" when used as a pointer can restore awareness of that dimension to you.
Another pointer to the truth in you is contained in the following statement: "I am never upset for the reason I think."Eckhart is talking about the "perception of the ego, instead of Spirit." We all agreed.
An inquiry into "what really upset me" can lead me to the inner space of consciousness where peace and quiet can help reveal the answer.
The key is to take a moment and go to Inner Peace, and transform the "attack" back to what is it all about as ACIM states "An attack is a call for love."
Linda's great question: "What if we could be grateful for everything?" can be applied here - to go inside and come back with a "thank you (for asking for my love).
Byron Katy goes further when she is being verbally attacked: "she pauses and goes inside and then states: thank you, I can find that (for example being called a "judgemental bitch"). We all have everything anyway so it really diffuses the situation if we admit it.
"In our defenselessness, our safety lies." ACIM What does this statement mean?
How do you drop your defenses and return to love? How do you respond rather than react?
Lee, that is an excellent response? Thank you, I add you as another fine teacher on this magnificent site. It sounds like you believe that "An Attack is a call for love."?I would like to add a couple of my favorite quotes from your profound writing:
I was literally trying to impress those that loved me, because productivity is the measure of my success.
...
...self, how do you want to measure your success as a human being?" The answer was loud and clear, "I want to measure my success as a human being by how well I love". Therefore I am no longer much more than an average producer, and quite fond of being just that, because it gives me a lot more of myself to share with other humans, each one grand in their own way (but none quite so grand as my daughters).
Lee do these sentences pretty well summarize your great conclusion? a cosmos of gratitude, ron
Lee replies back - "An attack may be a call for self love." This brought up an interesting dialogue about "self love vs. narcissm" in our Eckhart Tolle group.
WORD FOR THE DAY (gratefulness.org)
Wednesday, Jun. 24
All attack is a call for help. When you know this,
you begin at once to look deeply into the
question of what kind of help is being called for.
Neale Donald Walsch
Tomorrow's God
Comment by MARCELLE MENDEZ HOW DO YOU RETURN TO LOVE AFTER BEING ATTACKED? REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL FROM THE SAME SOURCE, SPIRIT; AND THOSE THAT HURT OTHERS ARE THEMSELVES IN A LOT OF PAIN. IT IS HELPFUL TO KNOW THIS AND TO TRY TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN MORE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAN MAYBE WE ARE................PRAYER IS PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY OF BEING ATTACKED. PRAY FOR THOSE IN PAIN.MARCELLE
Posted by Ron Alexander Return to Love group on architectsofanewdawn.com
In our profound in-depth dialogue group on Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, we dialogued in depth about that question.
Here is Tolle's summation: Whenever you are upset about an event, a person, or a situation, the real cause is not the event, person, or situation but a loss of true perspective that only space (I call spirit, some call beingness or consciousness) can provide. You are trapped in object consciousness, unaware of timeless inner space of consciousness itself. The words "This too, will pass" when used as a pointer can restore awareness of that dimension to you.
Another pointer to the truth in you is contained in the following statement: "I am never upset for the reason I think."Eckhart is talking about the "perception of the ego, instead of Spirit." We all agreed.
An inquiry into "what really upset me" can lead me to the inner space of consciousness where peace and quiet can help reveal the answer.
The key is to take a moment and go to Inner Peace, and transform the "attack" back to what is it all about as ACIM states "An attack is a call for love."
Linda's great question: "What if we could be grateful for everything?" can be applied here - to go inside and come back with a "thank you (for asking for my love).
Byron Katy goes further when she is being verbally attacked: "she pauses and goes inside and then states: thank you, I can find that (for example being called a "judgemental bitch"). We all have everything anyway so it really diffuses the situation if we admit it.
"In our defenselessness, our safety lies." ACIM What does this statement mean?
How do you drop your defenses and return to love? How do you respond rather than react?
Lee, that is an excellent response? Thank you, I add you as another fine teacher on this magnificent site. It sounds like you believe that "An Attack is a call for love."?I would like to add a couple of my favorite quotes from your profound writing:
I was literally trying to impress those that loved me, because productivity is the measure of my success.
...
...self, how do you want to measure your success as a human being?" The answer was loud and clear, "I want to measure my success as a human being by how well I love". Therefore I am no longer much more than an average producer, and quite fond of being just that, because it gives me a lot more of myself to share with other humans, each one grand in their own way (but none quite so grand as my daughters).
Lee do these sentences pretty well summarize your great conclusion? a cosmos of gratitude, ron
Lee replies back - "An attack may be a call for self love." This brought up an interesting dialogue about "self love vs. narcissm" in our Eckhart Tolle group.
WORD FOR THE DAY (gratefulness.org)
Wednesday, Jun. 24
All attack is a call for help. When you know this,
you begin at once to look deeply into the
question of what kind of help is being called for.
Neale Donald Walsch
Tomorrow's God
Comment by MARCELLE MENDEZ HOW DO YOU RETURN TO LOVE AFTER BEING ATTACKED? REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL FROM THE SAME SOURCE, SPIRIT; AND THOSE THAT HURT OTHERS ARE THEMSELVES IN A LOT OF PAIN. IT IS HELPFUL TO KNOW THIS AND TO TRY TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN MORE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAN MAYBE WE ARE................PRAYER IS PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY OF BEING ATTACKED. PRAY FOR THOSE IN PAIN.MARCELLE
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
...Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you. 1Cor.6:19
The Body is the Temple of God
Posted by Jeanne on June 16, 2009
During my last 10-day silent vipassana meditation retreat, I had an epiphany. In a flash, I understood the Cain and Abel story. The Bible says Cain, the hunter offered to God, meat from a kill, while Abel offered to God, fruits and vegetables. Cain was jealous of Abel because Abel found favor in the eyes of the Lord… so Cain killed him.
I used to think the Cain and Abel story was about the challenges of human relationships – portraying the first brothers - who were raised by parents who had lived in Eden – having irreconcilable differences. No doubt, there are lessons to be learned from that dysfunctional family scenario… but I realized the real issue was the finding of favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Old Bible story books depict Cain with an altar and a dead animal lying across it, while Abel’s altar is depicted with fruits and veggies. Fast forward to Corinthians and… Whoa! Paul said our bodies are a temple, therefore, what we put into our mouth (the altar?) is what we present to the Lord.
In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within.
Reply by mary rose
Jeanne, the insights you bring forth here are marvelous.
I, too have often seen my body as a temple, but not the "temple of God" as you do. I see my body as a temple of "self-realization" which holds within it the "kristed" or total universal consciousness" of which i am a particle.
with love and appreciation
Reply by Jeanne
You make a good point, Mary Rose, about the temple of God vs temple of self realization. Its good to have an understanding of the semantics involved in a discussion.
Have you ever read "Science of Mind" by Ernest Holmes? I ask that, because he starts the book with that discussion... what do we call this thing? this god? this force? this spirit? ...he concludes with calling it "the thing itself". I laughed the first time I read it... knowing that my fundamentalist grandmother would be turning over in her grave if she knew my journey had brought me to a place where I called her Heavenly Father, the thing itself.
I'm thinking that what we call it, what name we apply to it, is not the point; but rather that we know what we're talking about when we talk about the thing itself that resides within each of us.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Hi Jeanne, I had to get in on this dialogue, as today's "Daily Wisdom" by Ernest Holmes deals directly with this, and I like your (Holmes) answer about "God" to Mary Rose. And thank you Mary Rose for bringing it up. Look at all the different names for God Holmes uses here - including "It".
"...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you." 1 Corinthians 6:19
I Am Spirit Made Manifest This Instant
My body, and every part of it, is made of pure substance--God. It cannot be deteriorate. This Instant this Infinite Substance within me, which is constantly flowing through me, takes form in the likeness of perfect, whole, complete cells.
Every cell of my lungs is strong and healthy, filled with life and vitality, strength and cleanliness. My body which is Spirit in form, knows no time, knows no degree, it knows only to express fully, instantaneously.
The Divine Presence, being everywhere and filling all space, must be in me. It must be that which I am, I recognize It is within me and It is that which I am. I let this recognition of my indwelling Divinity flow through my entire consciousness. I let it reach down into the very depths of my being. I rejoice in my Divinity. I am now made vigorous and hardy. I have the stamina of the Infinite. I am sturdy and robust. I am fortified with God's perfection and right action. I am hale and able-bodied. All the life of the universe is my life. All the strength of the universe is my strength. All the power of the universe is my power. Every breath I draw fills me with perfection - vitalizes, energizes, and renews every cell of my body. I am born in Spirit, and of Spirit, and I am Spirit made manifest this instant.<
I repeat Jeanne:
In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within.
I quote Jeanne:
"In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within."
In the current Unity Magazine, there is an article "Blessed are the Eyes that See". It is an article about temples, and gets to "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth within you?" 1 Cor. 3:16 Shortly, he is writing:
Charles Fillmore had profoundly tapped into this mystically metaphysical understanding of a new way of living - from a personal consciousness to a spiritual consciousness. He wrote that the meaning of "'temple of god within you" represents regeneration. Both he and his wife Myrtle demonstrated regenerating: Charles by growing a withered leg to a nearly normal length and Myrtle with a remarkable healing from tuberculosis contracted during childhood. (This was in the early 1900's). Charles wrote that "Jesus brought the revelation of the enduring temple" and "He opened the eyes of people and showed them the way into the body temple." The then made the proclamation that "everyone of us is a high priest in his own temple." He elaborated that 'when we enter the absolute we sacrifice the personal on the altar that we may realize the Christ way into the secret place of the Most High."...
Posted by Jeanne on June 16, 2009
During my last 10-day silent vipassana meditation retreat, I had an epiphany. In a flash, I understood the Cain and Abel story. The Bible says Cain, the hunter offered to God, meat from a kill, while Abel offered to God, fruits and vegetables. Cain was jealous of Abel because Abel found favor in the eyes of the Lord… so Cain killed him.
I used to think the Cain and Abel story was about the challenges of human relationships – portraying the first brothers - who were raised by parents who had lived in Eden – having irreconcilable differences. No doubt, there are lessons to be learned from that dysfunctional family scenario… but I realized the real issue was the finding of favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Old Bible story books depict Cain with an altar and a dead animal lying across it, while Abel’s altar is depicted with fruits and veggies. Fast forward to Corinthians and… Whoa! Paul said our bodies are a temple, therefore, what we put into our mouth (the altar?) is what we present to the Lord.
In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within.
Reply by mary rose
Jeanne, the insights you bring forth here are marvelous.
I, too have often seen my body as a temple, but not the "temple of God" as you do. I see my body as a temple of "self-realization" which holds within it the "kristed" or total universal consciousness" of which i am a particle.
with love and appreciation
Reply by Jeanne
You make a good point, Mary Rose, about the temple of God vs temple of self realization. Its good to have an understanding of the semantics involved in a discussion.
Have you ever read "Science of Mind" by Ernest Holmes? I ask that, because he starts the book with that discussion... what do we call this thing? this god? this force? this spirit? ...he concludes with calling it "the thing itself". I laughed the first time I read it... knowing that my fundamentalist grandmother would be turning over in her grave if she knew my journey had brought me to a place where I called her Heavenly Father, the thing itself.
I'm thinking that what we call it, what name we apply to it, is not the point; but rather that we know what we're talking about when we talk about the thing itself that resides within each of us.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Hi Jeanne, I had to get in on this dialogue, as today's "Daily Wisdom" by Ernest Holmes deals directly with this, and I like your (Holmes) answer about "God" to Mary Rose. And thank you Mary Rose for bringing it up. Look at all the different names for God Holmes uses here - including "It".
"...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you." 1 Corinthians 6:19
I Am Spirit Made Manifest This Instant
My body, and every part of it, is made of pure substance--God. It cannot be deteriorate. This Instant this Infinite Substance within me, which is constantly flowing through me, takes form in the likeness of perfect, whole, complete cells.
Every cell of my lungs is strong and healthy, filled with life and vitality, strength and cleanliness. My body which is Spirit in form, knows no time, knows no degree, it knows only to express fully, instantaneously.
The Divine Presence, being everywhere and filling all space, must be in me. It must be that which I am, I recognize It is within me and It is that which I am. I let this recognition of my indwelling Divinity flow through my entire consciousness. I let it reach down into the very depths of my being. I rejoice in my Divinity. I am now made vigorous and hardy. I have the stamina of the Infinite. I am sturdy and robust. I am fortified with God's perfection and right action. I am hale and able-bodied. All the life of the universe is my life. All the strength of the universe is my strength. All the power of the universe is my power. Every breath I draw fills me with perfection - vitalizes, energizes, and renews every cell of my body. I am born in Spirit, and of Spirit, and I am Spirit made manifest this instant.<
I repeat Jeanne:
In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within.
I quote Jeanne:
"In deep meditation, I saw my body beyond muscles, cells, molecules and atoms. I saw a sacred place to worship - and that worship is expressed in what we choose to eat… in how we live… and how we love – ourselves and others, human and otherwise.
I had never really gotten that putting fruit on an altar thing. Now I get it. Our body is the temple and we offer the fruit to the life force/spirit within."
In the current Unity Magazine, there is an article "Blessed are the Eyes that See". It is an article about temples, and gets to "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth within you?" 1 Cor. 3:16 Shortly, he is writing:
Charles Fillmore had profoundly tapped into this mystically metaphysical understanding of a new way of living - from a personal consciousness to a spiritual consciousness. He wrote that the meaning of "'temple of god within you" represents regeneration. Both he and his wife Myrtle demonstrated regenerating: Charles by growing a withered leg to a nearly normal length and Myrtle with a remarkable healing from tuberculosis contracted during childhood. (This was in the early 1900's). Charles wrote that "Jesus brought the revelation of the enduring temple" and "He opened the eyes of people and showed them the way into the body temple." The then made the proclamation that "everyone of us is a high priest in his own temple." He elaborated that 'when we enter the absolute we sacrifice the personal on the altar that we may realize the Christ way into the secret place of the Most High."...
What would it be like to be grateful for everything?
Reply by Ron Alexander
To Be Grateful for Everything
I would have no more grievances against anyone
I would have completely forgiven everyone
I would love everyone & everything
I would be living in Heaven on Earth
It is a worthwhile goal
I am going for it
Now, how can I transform that grievance?
How can I forgive her or forgive myself?
I am grateful for the question, here is where I start...
Reply by Kari
There is no way we can be grateful for Everything and we always have grievance towards someone,someone whom I do not love and forgive.Living now on Earth,knowing that there is someone or something that bugs me...going on is easy , by if not forgiving but by just forgetting or ,because we never forget...by just letting it be a part in our minds,but just a tiny part which comes out every now and then...a pink or yellow or blue or green bubble...let it out ,burst it and go on,The bubble will appear again ,you know it,but use the needle you have in your hed and say "Screw this,it won´t bother me more than I want it to bother me".It will bother you for a time,then you will find new worries ....
by Ron Alexander
The key for me is in the question - "I am grateful for the question, here is where I start" - NOW!
Only now can I be grateful for everything & everyone!
Thanks for your post.
peace now, ron
To make a poem of this dialogue - impossible but fun for me to play with:
What would it be like to be grateful for everything?
Reply by Ron Alexander
To Be Grateful for Everything
I would have no more grievances against anyone
I would have completely forgiven everyone
I would love everyone & everything
I would be living in Heaven on Earth
It is a worthwhile goal
I am going for it
Now, how can I transform that grievance?
How can I forgive her or forgive myself?
I am grateful for the question, here is where I start...
Reply by Kari
There is no way we can be grateful for Everything
and we always have grievance towards someone,
someone whom I do not love and forgive.
Living now on Earth,knowing that there is someone or
something that bugs me...going on is easy , by if not forgiving
but by just forgetting or ,because we never forget...
by just letting it be a part in our minds,but just a tiny part
which comes out every now and then...a pink or yellow
or blue or green bubble...let it out ,burst it and go on,
The bubble will appear again ,you know it,but use the needle
you have in your head and say "Screw this,it won´t bother me
more than I want it to bother me".It will bother you for a time,
then you will find new worries ....
by Ron Alexander
Dear Kari, The key for me is in the question - "I am grateful
for the question, here is where I start" - NOW!
Only now can I be grateful for everything & everyone!
Thanks for your post. peace now, ron
hello linda
all the time is a great goal - :)
it seems that when i am in the flow of feeling grateful, appreciative of the simple beauty in my day, in my moments, that it builds on itself, it gets easier with each bit that i add...and as that is happening, my sense of time changes, so that it can feel like "all the time" for even just a few moments - wonderful to work with, to notice, to feel as a reality
and yes - incredibly freeing to be on such a path!
here's to each step being the right one, no matter what it is...building the bridge as we walk
in light
aa
To Be Grateful for Everything
I would have no more grievances against anyone
I would have completely forgiven everyone
I would love everyone & everything
I would be living in Heaven on Earth
It is a worthwhile goal
I am going for it
Now, how can I transform that grievance?
How can I forgive her or forgive myself?
I am grateful for the question, here is where I start...
Reply by Kari
There is no way we can be grateful for Everything and we always have grievance towards someone,someone whom I do not love and forgive.Living now on Earth,knowing that there is someone or something that bugs me...going on is easy , by if not forgiving but by just forgetting or ,because we never forget...by just letting it be a part in our minds,but just a tiny part which comes out every now and then...a pink or yellow or blue or green bubble...let it out ,burst it and go on,The bubble will appear again ,you know it,but use the needle you have in your hed and say "Screw this,it won´t bother me more than I want it to bother me".It will bother you for a time,then you will find new worries ....
by Ron Alexander
The key for me is in the question - "I am grateful for the question, here is where I start" - NOW!
Only now can I be grateful for everything & everyone!
Thanks for your post.
peace now, ron
To make a poem of this dialogue - impossible but fun for me to play with:
What would it be like to be grateful for everything?
Reply by Ron Alexander
To Be Grateful for Everything
I would have no more grievances against anyone
I would have completely forgiven everyone
I would love everyone & everything
I would be living in Heaven on Earth
It is a worthwhile goal
I am going for it
Now, how can I transform that grievance?
How can I forgive her or forgive myself?
I am grateful for the question, here is where I start...
Reply by Kari
There is no way we can be grateful for Everything
and we always have grievance towards someone,
someone whom I do not love and forgive.
Living now on Earth,knowing that there is someone or
something that bugs me...going on is easy , by if not forgiving
but by just forgetting or ,because we never forget...
by just letting it be a part in our minds,but just a tiny part
which comes out every now and then...a pink or yellow
or blue or green bubble...let it out ,burst it and go on,
The bubble will appear again ,you know it,but use the needle
you have in your head and say "Screw this,it won´t bother me
more than I want it to bother me".It will bother you for a time,
then you will find new worries ....
by Ron Alexander
Dear Kari, The key for me is in the question - "I am grateful
for the question, here is where I start" - NOW!
Only now can I be grateful for everything & everyone!
Thanks for your post. peace now, ron
hello linda
all the time is a great goal - :)
it seems that when i am in the flow of feeling grateful, appreciative of the simple beauty in my day, in my moments, that it builds on itself, it gets easier with each bit that i add...and as that is happening, my sense of time changes, so that it can feel like "all the time" for even just a few moments - wonderful to work with, to notice, to feel as a reality
and yes - incredibly freeing to be on such a path!
here's to each step being the right one, no matter what it is...building the bridge as we walk
in light
aa
More on Vipassana
Comment by Ron Alexander Welcome back, Drmike, thanks for posting your experience, as I am looking forward to my ten dayer at end of July. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't most meditations teach not to pay attention to physical sensations? peace, ron Comment by drmike 1 hour ago Hey folks,
I'm glad to be back and was astounded by the tool given to me by the Vipassana retreat. A real way to tap into the unconscious by observing physical sensations. To stand in indifference to aversions,and cravings, while generating wisdom from within ourselves is an incredible task. To live within this moment is a miraculous task.
Best,
Mike
Ron,
To answer the question this technique encourages you to make use of all your sensations. This will be the connection you have with that "subconscious" mind that is causing all the havoc.
But I don't want to ruin it for you. Each one will have his own experience.
This is a great overview if you want to see/hear it, but in general just allow yourself a willingness to just be taught, without anxiety regarding expectations....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSxVYp3X6Yk
Peace,
Mike
I'm glad to be back and was astounded by the tool given to me by the Vipassana retreat. A real way to tap into the unconscious by observing physical sensations. To stand in indifference to aversions,and cravings, while generating wisdom from within ourselves is an incredible task. To live within this moment is a miraculous task.
Best,
Mike
Ron,
To answer the question this technique encourages you to make use of all your sensations. This will be the connection you have with that "subconscious" mind that is causing all the havoc.
But I don't want to ruin it for you. Each one will have his own experience.
This is a great overview if you want to see/hear it, but in general just allow yourself a willingness to just be taught, without anxiety regarding expectations....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSxVYp3X6Yk
Peace,
Mike
FOCUS
June 16, 2009
The Sun, ruler of the human ego, is in harmony with Neptune, the planet of illusion and dreams. You will find focus in your life goals and make strides in the next day or two. Can you imagine being further along in a week than in the past year?
The Sun, ruler of the human ego, is in harmony with Neptune, the planet of illusion and dreams. You will find focus in your life goals and make strides in the next day or two. Can you imagine being further along in a week than in the past year?
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Colour of Illumination by Elisabetta
The colour of illumination
Back in the far away time of the universe,
a pearl of sensual pleasure falls between two
parentheses and closes the gate of the earthy
deceit leaving grow in my summer garden,
under the olive tree of peace, a sea
of orange flowers,
the colour of illumination.
Universal love to the beat of the heart that awakens.
The refrain from selfish and individual
earthly pleasure,
to collect the fruits of the universal love.
The refrain from selfish and individual
earthly pleasure,,
to give love to the whole Humanity.
Sensuality flies away from me and runs
between the grey - silver leaves dancing
with their arms out of my unlimited field.
The light returns in the hidden alleys of my mind
that echoes to the awakening of universal love.
Light of infinite that comes back to illuminate the blind
latent alleys of my soul.
Universal love to the beat of the heart that awakens.
Back in the far away time of the universe,
a pearl of sensual pleasure falls between
two parentheses and closes the gate of the earthy
deceit leaving grow in my summer garden,
under the olive tree of peace, a sea
of orange flowers,
the colour of illumination.
Back in the far away time of the universe,
a pearl of sensual pleasure falls between two
parentheses and closes the gate of the earthy
deceit leaving grow in my summer garden,
under the olive tree of peace, a sea
of orange flowers,
the colour of illumination.
Universal love to the beat of the heart that awakens.
The refrain from selfish and individual
earthly pleasure,
to collect the fruits of the universal love.
The refrain from selfish and individual
earthly pleasure,,
to give love to the whole Humanity.
Sensuality flies away from me and runs
between the grey - silver leaves dancing
with their arms out of my unlimited field.
The light returns in the hidden alleys of my mind
that echoes to the awakening of universal love.
Light of infinite that comes back to illuminate the blind
latent alleys of my soul.
Universal love to the beat of the heart that awakens.
Back in the far away time of the universe,
a pearl of sensual pleasure falls between
two parentheses and closes the gate of the earthy
deceit leaving grow in my summer garden,
under the olive tree of peace, a sea
of orange flowers,
the colour of illumination.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Oneness
These "replys" are on the Conscious Kindness group of the magnificent website:
architectsofanewdawn.com
#1 is a reply from a "Discussion Forum" about "Beautiful People" and # 2 is a reply about one called "What is Real Privilege?"
1. Reply by Walter Heath
I was the guest speaker at a Baha'i Devotional/Worship service. I did a musical presentation which culminated in declaring that small acts of service to others bring joy and unity to the world; that work done in the spirit of service to humanity is worshipping God; that there is only one race, the human race.
#2 Reply by Walter Heath
Greetings,
We all have the glorious privilege to promote and work to establixh the oneness of mankind.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Thank you, Walter!
Baha'i Writings -- Be As One Spirit
(from Ron's friend, Sally - a brilliant artist & poet and a Baha'i)
Let your hearts reflect the glories of the Sun of Truth
in their many colors to gladden the eye of the divine
Cultivator Who has nourished them.
Day by day become more closely attracted
in order that the love of God may illumine all those
with whom you come in contact.
Be as one spirit, one soul, leaves of one tree,
flowers of one garden, waves of one ocean
Joy is the realization of oneness, the oneness of our soul with the supreme love. Tagore
Be as one, as my father and I are one. Jesus
Committed to this "glorious privilege" of establishing the oneness of humankind. ron
architectsofanewdawn.com
#1 is a reply from a "Discussion Forum" about "Beautiful People" and # 2 is a reply about one called "What is Real Privilege?"
1. Reply by Walter Heath
I was the guest speaker at a Baha'i Devotional/Worship service. I did a musical presentation which culminated in declaring that small acts of service to others bring joy and unity to the world; that work done in the spirit of service to humanity is worshipping God; that there is only one race, the human race.
#2 Reply by Walter Heath
Greetings,
We all have the glorious privilege to promote and work to establixh the oneness of mankind.
Reply by Ron Alexander
Thank you, Walter!
Baha'i Writings -- Be As One Spirit
(from Ron's friend, Sally - a brilliant artist & poet and a Baha'i)
Let your hearts reflect the glories of the Sun of Truth
in their many colors to gladden the eye of the divine
Cultivator Who has nourished them.
Day by day become more closely attracted
in order that the love of God may illumine all those
with whom you come in contact.
Be as one spirit, one soul, leaves of one tree,
flowers of one garden, waves of one ocean
Joy is the realization of oneness, the oneness of our soul with the supreme love. Tagore
Be as one, as my father and I are one. Jesus
Committed to this "glorious privilege" of establishing the oneness of humankind. ron
Attainment
Attainment
Use all of your hidden forces
Do not miss the importance of this life.
And do not wait for circumstance
To mould or change your fate
In your Self lies destiny
Let this vast truth cast out
All fear, all prejudice, all hesitation.
Know that you are great.
Great in divinity.
So dominate circumstance
And enter into bliss.
Love largely and hate nothing.
Hold no aim that does not chord with universal good.
Hear what the voices of the silence say.
All joys are yours if you put forth your claim.
Once the spiritual laws are understood,
Material things must answer and obey.
By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Thank-you Golden, for sharing this wonderful prose and to Ella for writing it. The last line really hits home for me. I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity. Metta, Jeanne
Use all of your hidden forces
Do not miss the importance of this life.
And do not wait for circumstance
To mould or change your fate
In your Self lies destiny
Let this vast truth cast out
All fear, all prejudice, all hesitation.
Know that you are great.
Great in divinity.
So dominate circumstance
And enter into bliss.
Love largely and hate nothing.
Hold no aim that does not chord with universal good.
Hear what the voices of the silence say.
All joys are yours if you put forth your claim.
Once the spiritual laws are understood,
Material things must answer and obey.
By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Thank-you Golden, for sharing this wonderful prose and to Ella for writing it. The last line really hits home for me. I have been amazed when I accept that everything is exactly as it should be... and put my energies into meditation and being more fully immersed in the reality of this moment... obstacles disappear and doors open... leaving me free to serve self and others with greater equanimity. Metta, Jeanne
Thursday, June 11, 2009
NOW
Hi my dear friend Ron,
"There is a lot of time" "You have plenty of time"
These are words which I recently heard in a seminar on consciousness given by Victor Truviano from Argentina.
They really struck a deep chord with me and allowed me at that moment to experience the now. And now if I remember to (the hard part) remind myself that there is plenty of time, I can return at will to that feeling of timelessness and peace. with Love, Sandra
Hi Sandra, I really enjoy reading things about the present of the now - the gift of living in the moment. Here are some other worthwhile quotes concerning now:
The bible has "now" over 1400 times - including "Now, we live in the kingdom of heaven."
WORD FOR THE DAY
Thursday, Jun. 11 (gratefulness.org)
Today is only a small manageable segment of time in which our difficulties need not overwhelm us. This lifts from our hearts and minds the heavy weight of both past and future.
Anonymous
One Day at a Time in Al-Anon
&
The Only Moment We Can be Alive
I have arrived, I am home
In the here, In the now
I am solid, I am free
In the ultimate, I dwell
Living in the now is the closest we can come to experiencing eternity. ACIM
thanks for the present, your friend, Ron
"There is a lot of time" "You have plenty of time"
These are words which I recently heard in a seminar on consciousness given by Victor Truviano from Argentina.
They really struck a deep chord with me and allowed me at that moment to experience the now. And now if I remember to (the hard part) remind myself that there is plenty of time, I can return at will to that feeling of timelessness and peace. with Love, Sandra
Hi Sandra, I really enjoy reading things about the present of the now - the gift of living in the moment. Here are some other worthwhile quotes concerning now:
The bible has "now" over 1400 times - including "Now, we live in the kingdom of heaven."
WORD FOR THE DAY
Thursday, Jun. 11 (gratefulness.org)
Today is only a small manageable segment of time in which our difficulties need not overwhelm us. This lifts from our hearts and minds the heavy weight of both past and future.
Anonymous
One Day at a Time in Al-Anon
&
The Only Moment We Can be Alive
I have arrived, I am home
In the here, In the now
I am solid, I am free
In the ultimate, I dwell
Living in the now is the closest we can come to experiencing eternity. ACIM
thanks for the present, your friend, Ron
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Rising in Love
Rising in love lifts you from the ordinary to the extraordinary, increases your self-worth and balances your body, mind and spirit.
In this fast-paced world it seems that even love, the most precious thing in life, is often begun and over way too fast. Often either completely lost or maybe even worse, it is forgotten in a dull and meaningless relationship. When it comes to love, we don’t really want it to be fast, we want it to last. How do we create that kind of love in our lives? It seems to me that the root of the problem lies in our initial approach to love and our cultural perspective of “falling in love” as an ideal state to reach with another person. In actuality, the concept of “falling” has many facets that can lead to the ultimate demise of any relationship. What I want to share is a new definition of togetherness where we can “Rise in Love” instead, so that together we can have a world where love is never over too fast; it just lasts and lasts and lasts.
What then does define the difference between falling in love and Rising in Love?
When you fall in love, it implies a one time event; it happens and then it is over. Rising in Love is a continuous climb upwards, pulling us ever closer to our perfected nature.
When you fall in love, you lose your self to another being. When you Rise in Love you find your Self with another being.
When you fall in love, the physical attraction is usually is the most important. When you Rise in Love, the soul attraction is the most important, lifting us out of our egos.
When you fall in love, all you can think about is each other. When you Rise in Love, your thoughts reach out to embrace all of life.
When you fall in love, the ego wants to always think about you and me. When you Rise in Love you embrace an undeniable consciousness of We.
Since the movies and media already do such a good job of defining falling in love, let us now focus on Rising in Love.
One of the most rewarding aspects of Love is that it prompts awesome, important changes in a person’s life, such as embarking on a new spiritual path, finally embracing an ethical diet and lifestyle or committing more deeply to one’s ideals then ever before. Rising in love was defined more rightly by Antoine de Saint-Exupery when he said “Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” I would clarify that even further by saying that we can’t be looking in just any direction but need to turn our gaze in the direction of truth, where we can see and feel the light leading our way.
It is often said that in order to make a relationship work, we have to learn to compromise. This is true when it comes to the little things, for compromise in this context is showing an understanding of your partner, friend, parent or child. But when it comes to our ideals and values, each compromise we make diminishes our own self-worth, eroding the foundation of any relationship. Rather than sacrificing our core ideals, we can expand and deepen the relationship, by holding onto our values and encouraging our loved ones to do the same. In this way, we can lift one another into the highest parts of our selves where we know the truth, and can help each other to live it.
When people Rise in Love, they are like angels who have come to earth to make everything brighter and more beautiful. It is in these loving, honest relationships that people can feel safe to realize their own self-worth like never before. This new found self-worth promotes greater confidence inside us and in everything we do, inspiring greater kindness towards others, and a deeper understanding of our highest ideals. It also increases a natural feeling of peace and well-being, creating balance in our lives. Suddenly the eternity of NOW is all that exists and we are in that feeling of grace. These ideals of love are beckoning us homeward. As we embrace them, they help us to consciously evolve ourselves into our own angelic nature. It is here where we can see the glory of creation in each other’s eyes. It is here where our lives, our thoughts and our bodies can come together as one, in an effulgence of light.
Wow, Golden, thank you for your magnificent description of "rising in love". I am going to copy it and take it to my Men's Group (Men of Unity) this afternoon. We men appear to be behind a bit when it comes to this subject?
"Joy is the realization of our oneness, our soul's oneness with the supreme love." Rabindrath Tagore
a cosmos of blissful love, ron
Well, the Men's group went very well, and I read your essay to the group. It was well received, and then a gay couple of 42 years not only confirmed it but added to it! It was great to observe Love Never Fails- the onederfull ideas from your writing being modeled right in front of us.
That line in my first reply could have better read - "Many of us men appear to be behind a bit when it comes to "rising in love." Much gratitude, Ron
This is a short story of a friend who, when I first met her, had mostly negative judgemental ideas. She asks me to read her a "treatment" everyday. "Treatments" are really readings from Ernest Holmes Daily Wisdom. Here is a sample quote: Today my love goes out to all people and all things. There is no fear in this love for "Perfect Love casts out all fear." There is no doubt in this love, for faith penetrates all doubt and reveals a unity at the center of all things that embraces everything. This love flowing through me harmonizes everything in my experience, brings a sense of security, brings forth gladness to all and well-being to everyone. I realize that the love flowing through and around me and all things is one vast all-enveloping essence and force animating from the living God.
Anyway, this friend has always tried to recruit me for a sales position with her. I even tried it out once last year. It was not for me. That was last year, now she is describing her colleagues as a beautiful married couple - she a Russian and he an Armenian. She says they just "ooze forth a loving essence that makes her work so much easier." Her description has almost convinced me to try working with her again. Anyway, I want to meet that couple, and I am delighted that my friend has attracted such "beautiful" colleagues.
Hi Golden and Ron, (From Linda Lawson)
Rsing in love always made more sense to me as a statement of what happens to me energetically when my heart opens.Love expands , encompasses our littleness.
Each time I connect to love within , consciously let myself be there , breathe it in , radiate it out , hmmmm, yummy . .ahhhh.
Reply by Amya
thank you for this beautiful vision !
i am smiling as i imagine so many of us, arms outstretched, hearts open and alive, riding the warm air currents of all this radiating and rising light and love...
In this fast-paced world it seems that even love, the most precious thing in life, is often begun and over way too fast. Often either completely lost or maybe even worse, it is forgotten in a dull and meaningless relationship. When it comes to love, we don’t really want it to be fast, we want it to last. How do we create that kind of love in our lives? It seems to me that the root of the problem lies in our initial approach to love and our cultural perspective of “falling in love” as an ideal state to reach with another person. In actuality, the concept of “falling” has many facets that can lead to the ultimate demise of any relationship. What I want to share is a new definition of togetherness where we can “Rise in Love” instead, so that together we can have a world where love is never over too fast; it just lasts and lasts and lasts.
What then does define the difference between falling in love and Rising in Love?
When you fall in love, it implies a one time event; it happens and then it is over. Rising in Love is a continuous climb upwards, pulling us ever closer to our perfected nature.
When you fall in love, you lose your self to another being. When you Rise in Love you find your Self with another being.
When you fall in love, the physical attraction is usually is the most important. When you Rise in Love, the soul attraction is the most important, lifting us out of our egos.
When you fall in love, all you can think about is each other. When you Rise in Love, your thoughts reach out to embrace all of life.
When you fall in love, the ego wants to always think about you and me. When you Rise in Love you embrace an undeniable consciousness of We.
Since the movies and media already do such a good job of defining falling in love, let us now focus on Rising in Love.
One of the most rewarding aspects of Love is that it prompts awesome, important changes in a person’s life, such as embarking on a new spiritual path, finally embracing an ethical diet and lifestyle or committing more deeply to one’s ideals then ever before. Rising in love was defined more rightly by Antoine de Saint-Exupery when he said “Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” I would clarify that even further by saying that we can’t be looking in just any direction but need to turn our gaze in the direction of truth, where we can see and feel the light leading our way.
It is often said that in order to make a relationship work, we have to learn to compromise. This is true when it comes to the little things, for compromise in this context is showing an understanding of your partner, friend, parent or child. But when it comes to our ideals and values, each compromise we make diminishes our own self-worth, eroding the foundation of any relationship. Rather than sacrificing our core ideals, we can expand and deepen the relationship, by holding onto our values and encouraging our loved ones to do the same. In this way, we can lift one another into the highest parts of our selves where we know the truth, and can help each other to live it.
When people Rise in Love, they are like angels who have come to earth to make everything brighter and more beautiful. It is in these loving, honest relationships that people can feel safe to realize their own self-worth like never before. This new found self-worth promotes greater confidence inside us and in everything we do, inspiring greater kindness towards others, and a deeper understanding of our highest ideals. It also increases a natural feeling of peace and well-being, creating balance in our lives. Suddenly the eternity of NOW is all that exists and we are in that feeling of grace. These ideals of love are beckoning us homeward. As we embrace them, they help us to consciously evolve ourselves into our own angelic nature. It is here where we can see the glory of creation in each other’s eyes. It is here where our lives, our thoughts and our bodies can come together as one, in an effulgence of light.
Wow, Golden, thank you for your magnificent description of "rising in love". I am going to copy it and take it to my Men's Group (Men of Unity) this afternoon. We men appear to be behind a bit when it comes to this subject?
"Joy is the realization of our oneness, our soul's oneness with the supreme love." Rabindrath Tagore
a cosmos of blissful love, ron
Well, the Men's group went very well, and I read your essay to the group. It was well received, and then a gay couple of 42 years not only confirmed it but added to it! It was great to observe Love Never Fails- the onederfull ideas from your writing being modeled right in front of us.
That line in my first reply could have better read - "Many of us men appear to be behind a bit when it comes to "rising in love." Much gratitude, Ron
This is a short story of a friend who, when I first met her, had mostly negative judgemental ideas. She asks me to read her a "treatment" everyday. "Treatments" are really readings from Ernest Holmes Daily Wisdom. Here is a sample quote: Today my love goes out to all people and all things. There is no fear in this love for "Perfect Love casts out all fear." There is no doubt in this love, for faith penetrates all doubt and reveals a unity at the center of all things that embraces everything. This love flowing through me harmonizes everything in my experience, brings a sense of security, brings forth gladness to all and well-being to everyone. I realize that the love flowing through and around me and all things is one vast all-enveloping essence and force animating from the living God.
Anyway, this friend has always tried to recruit me for a sales position with her. I even tried it out once last year. It was not for me. That was last year, now she is describing her colleagues as a beautiful married couple - she a Russian and he an Armenian. She says they just "ooze forth a loving essence that makes her work so much easier." Her description has almost convinced me to try working with her again. Anyway, I want to meet that couple, and I am delighted that my friend has attracted such "beautiful" colleagues.
Hi Golden and Ron, (From Linda Lawson)
Rsing in love always made more sense to me as a statement of what happens to me energetically when my heart opens.Love expands , encompasses our littleness.
Each time I connect to love within , consciously let myself be there , breathe it in , radiate it out , hmmmm, yummy . .ahhhh.
Reply by Amya
thank you for this beautiful vision !
i am smiling as i imagine so many of us, arms outstretched, hearts open and alive, riding the warm air currents of all this radiating and rising light and love...
Gratitude
Comment by Denise Jacobs
I am grateful to everybody, everywhere (as you say so well, dear Ron) to express here these deep and beautiful feelings.
Because I am unabble to do it...My english is too limited !
Thanks to life...Thanks to beauty...And thanks to love !
Ron, you are a painter-sailer...Am I right ?
How lucky you are, it's wonderful. The little turtles are so funny..If you can see such beautiful beings, you are the most happy man in the world !
I wish you to continue to take these kind of photos and paint so enjoyed pictures !
Warm hugs and gratitude
Denise
I am grateful to everybody, everywhere (as you say so well, dear Ron) to express here these deep and beautiful feelings.
Because I am unabble to do it...My english is too limited !
Thanks to life...Thanks to beauty...And thanks to love !
Ron, you are a painter-sailer...Am I right ?
How lucky you are, it's wonderful. The little turtles are so funny..If you can see such beautiful beings, you are the most happy man in the world !
I wish you to continue to take these kind of photos and paint so enjoyed pictures !
Warm hugs and gratitude
Denise
Fear as a Friend
UNDERSTAND FEAR FOR WHAT IT IS.
"To use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves. We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is here-with its gift of energy and heightened awareness- so we can do our best and learn the most in the new situation"
Peter McWilliams
"To use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves. We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is here-with its gift of energy and heightened awareness- so we can do our best and learn the most in the new situation"
Peter McWilliams
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Listen, listen
WORD FOR THE DAY
Tuesday, Jun. 9
In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.
Howard Thurman
Tuesday, Jun. 9
In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.
Howard Thurman
Candice Wilmore's interview w/ her teacher
Her teacher is Prem Rawat - formerly the young "MaharajI"
Q: How does one best prepare for receiving Self-Knowledge?
PR: Become simple. Become who you are. Don’t come with your curiosity. Just say, “Here’s something that has something to do with me. It is already within me.” Start accepting that life is a gift. Start accepting that every breath does hold a tremendous amount of joy. Feel it. Once you begin to feel, you’re well on your way to preparing yourself to receive Self-Knowledge.
Q: Does Self-Knowledge require an effort?
PR: It does. To say: “Yes, I take the responsibility for this breath. I take the responsibility for enjoying every single breath,” takes an effort. That effort is sometimes more challenging than climbing Mt. Everest or trying to find the lowest point on the ocean floor or the furthest point in outer space. It’s a challenge. And it’s wonderful.
Q: I realize that people are different, but how long does it usually take people to prepare to receive Self Knowledge?
PR: Everyone has their own journey. It is in your time that, like a fruit, you will ripen. It is in your time, like a seed, you will sprout. It is about you. This is your journey. There have been some who have known right away: “This is what I'm looking for.” And I know of one person who came a long time ago to hear what I had to say. It didn't impress him too much, and he went on his way. Then recently, one of my videos was playing on a cable channel he was watching, and he said, “I know this man.” He listened again to what I had to say, and this time he wanted to pursue it.
Everyone has their own journey. I push no one. I'd rather have everyone proceed at their own pace and enjoy the process of discovery.
Dear Candice, I went back and read some of your "discussion" posts, and I was impressed - you do have a lot of answers and an awesome teacher, in addition. in gratitude, ron
I do have an amazing teacher. That's how I'm able to write what I do. I needed help to know and feel what's possible as human being and to say Prem (Maharaji) had little to do with it would just not be true. It's like seeing a great movie but never telling your friends, you know?
You clearly have such a true and deep desire. I'd recommend listening more to what Maharaji says he offers on series called The Keys. Great video called Introduction to the Keys at link below:
http://thekeys.maharaji.net/home/
Q: How does one best prepare for receiving Self-Knowledge?
PR: Become simple. Become who you are. Don’t come with your curiosity. Just say, “Here’s something that has something to do with me. It is already within me.” Start accepting that life is a gift. Start accepting that every breath does hold a tremendous amount of joy. Feel it. Once you begin to feel, you’re well on your way to preparing yourself to receive Self-Knowledge.
Q: Does Self-Knowledge require an effort?
PR: It does. To say: “Yes, I take the responsibility for this breath. I take the responsibility for enjoying every single breath,” takes an effort. That effort is sometimes more challenging than climbing Mt. Everest or trying to find the lowest point on the ocean floor or the furthest point in outer space. It’s a challenge. And it’s wonderful.
Q: I realize that people are different, but how long does it usually take people to prepare to receive Self Knowledge?
PR: Everyone has their own journey. It is in your time that, like a fruit, you will ripen. It is in your time, like a seed, you will sprout. It is about you. This is your journey. There have been some who have known right away: “This is what I'm looking for.” And I know of one person who came a long time ago to hear what I had to say. It didn't impress him too much, and he went on his way. Then recently, one of my videos was playing on a cable channel he was watching, and he said, “I know this man.” He listened again to what I had to say, and this time he wanted to pursue it.
Everyone has their own journey. I push no one. I'd rather have everyone proceed at their own pace and enjoy the process of discovery.
Dear Candice, I went back and read some of your "discussion" posts, and I was impressed - you do have a lot of answers and an awesome teacher, in addition. in gratitude, ron
I do have an amazing teacher. That's how I'm able to write what I do. I needed help to know and feel what's possible as human being and to say Prem (Maharaji) had little to do with it would just not be true. It's like seeing a great movie but never telling your friends, you know?
You clearly have such a true and deep desire. I'd recommend listening more to what Maharaji says he offers on series called The Keys. Great video called Introduction to the Keys at link below:
http://thekeys.maharaji.net/home/
Monday, June 8, 2009
To Be or not to be? That is the question?
Is this famous question from Shakespeare the answer?
In other words, the answer to conscious living?
If we choose to be, we have to be conscious,do we not? Of course, most of us live in the human "doing" part of us mostly just to survive in this culture. We pick activities that numb our mind to "make" a living, to "make" a contact, to "make" a lover, to "have it made." Like Thoreau said, "most men (people) live lives of quiet desperation." Can you, like me, relate, to living in anxiety, in fear of what the future may bring? To "try" to survive?
What if we lived in beingness most of the time? The feeling of peaceful loving bliss that some of us attain after meditation, prayer or a sweet affirmation of accomplishment, a creative success, or while just creating? Or mindfulness (being in the moment) - while doing the dishes, making the bed, sweeping the floor, loving your mate or friend, and feeling the love returned. Or an unconditional giving anonmously? Helping someone who is less abled? A worthwhile job well done?
Is "to be or not to be" the meaning of "free will"? Or is choosing between consciouness or unconsciousness something else. We we truly choose if we are unconscious? There is a quote in A Course in Miracles that states "need do nothing". When I am in that place of "needing to do nothing", I usually get more effective, creative work done in a more relaxed, more fun manner.
What, besides constant meditation, mindfulness or "praying without ceasing", can we do to choose being over doing?
Is inquiry itself a good way to live more consciously?
I spent some time reflecting and replying to Linda Lawson's great query above (In gratitude group at architectsofanewdawn.com): "How is your life when you feel gratitude for everything that you experience?" I get an inner smile just reflecting on the question, so I plan to spend a lot of time inquiring about it. Thanks everybody, everywhere, Ron
Our Unity speaker, Cathy Hatch, posed the questions: "What if you were that other person?" and "What if you really knew you were part of each other?
Living the questions mey be an answer to living consciusly?
In other words, the answer to conscious living?
If we choose to be, we have to be conscious,do we not? Of course, most of us live in the human "doing" part of us mostly just to survive in this culture. We pick activities that numb our mind to "make" a living, to "make" a contact, to "make" a lover, to "have it made." Like Thoreau said, "most men (people) live lives of quiet desperation." Can you, like me, relate, to living in anxiety, in fear of what the future may bring? To "try" to survive?
What if we lived in beingness most of the time? The feeling of peaceful loving bliss that some of us attain after meditation, prayer or a sweet affirmation of accomplishment, a creative success, or while just creating? Or mindfulness (being in the moment) - while doing the dishes, making the bed, sweeping the floor, loving your mate or friend, and feeling the love returned. Or an unconditional giving anonmously? Helping someone who is less abled? A worthwhile job well done?
Is "to be or not to be" the meaning of "free will"? Or is choosing between consciouness or unconsciousness something else. We we truly choose if we are unconscious? There is a quote in A Course in Miracles that states "need do nothing". When I am in that place of "needing to do nothing", I usually get more effective, creative work done in a more relaxed, more fun manner.
What, besides constant meditation, mindfulness or "praying without ceasing", can we do to choose being over doing?
Is inquiry itself a good way to live more consciously?
I spent some time reflecting and replying to Linda Lawson's great query above (In gratitude group at architectsofanewdawn.com): "How is your life when you feel gratitude for everything that you experience?" I get an inner smile just reflecting on the question, so I plan to spend a lot of time inquiring about it. Thanks everybody, everywhere, Ron
Our Unity speaker, Cathy Hatch, posed the questions: "What if you were that other person?" and "What if you really knew you were part of each other?
Living the questions mey be an answer to living consciusly?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Love Lessons . Finish this sentence...love has taught me to ...Posted by Linda Lawson on June 2, 2009 at 12:59pm in Return to Love
Back to Return to Love Discussions
Love has taught me that it is like air in its purest sense. There are no decisions to be made about who.what , when , where , why, an d how I may be so fortunate as to feel love. I may experience it in any moment for any reason and all reasons. It is like air. I must have it to live .I must.
reply by Ron Alexander
Aw, Linda, you are so good! Love has taught me to realize the more I love, the less I fear, and the more peace I have.
Reply by Ron Alexander
and how could I forget: ..."the more peace & joy I have!
In Joy
WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Jun. 6 (gratefulness.org)
How fit to employ all the heart and
the soul and the senses
forever in joy!
Robert Browning
Back to Return to Love Discussions
Love has taught me that it is like air in its purest sense. There are no decisions to be made about who.what , when , where , why, an d how I may be so fortunate as to feel love. I may experience it in any moment for any reason and all reasons. It is like air. I must have it to live .I must.
reply by Ron Alexander
Aw, Linda, you are so good! Love has taught me to realize the more I love, the less I fear, and the more peace I have.
Reply by Ron Alexander
and how could I forget: ..."the more peace & joy I have!
In Joy
WORD FOR THE DAY
Saturday, Jun. 6 (gratefulness.org)
How fit to employ all the heart and
the soul and the senses
forever in joy!
Robert Browning
Friday, June 5, 2009
Prelude to my Vipassana Retreat thanks to Dr. Mike
Prelude to the Vipassana Journ
I thought it would be useful to jot down a few quick notes--for my self and others--to gather the "Why" and "What do I want to get out" of this trip.
Background: I have had some experience in formal training in meditation. First was by a Psychiatry professor in the mid '90s, then in a religious setting, and most lately with another minister.
I have heard it said that to pray is the request of the individual for God's help and guidance.
To meditate is to listen for the response.
Why do I go?
1. My conception of God has grown away from the fire and brimstone, MichaelAngelo's cousin painting of my southern Baptist background. Today, my personal thoughts of the Creator is much more than a image or a cultural rubric. I know that that power lives within me and all peoples, and living things. It is ever-present and all powerful. People having no exposure to any of the formal religous schools of thought are as much helped by this Power than anyone in any other part of the world. I'm hoping to connect more meaningfully with this Power.
2. This will be an immersion experience, like another I've had in a group setting where we all can sense and experience this Power. Today some of my most connected feelings with this Power is with my son, on Nature hikes. That is where is see the Creator at work, with none of the flaws that I have.
3. I get to get out of this rat race for a minute and do something that I want to heal me, from the toxicity of living.
4. I've been told to live, it is "an inside job."
What do I want?
1 Simply, I want that Power to be in control of my thoughts, feelings, and actions. I have asked for this many a time, and remarkably have seen it transpire. Sometimes it may not, in my time, so at least I can seek guidance so my will be more in line with the Power's
2 I need self love. I'm hyper-critical, engage in negative self talk, and have a lot of various life traumas to overcome. At forty some say I'm mid-life and it certainly has taken it's toll!
3 I'm hoping this self love can translate into better relations with my fellow man and woman in all spheres of my existence. I would like forgiveness for those I have trespassed upon and those who have transgressed upon me.
4. I need more responsibility in living my life as a man, and the inner peace to do that in a most noble fashion.
"What an order?" I hope not.
I have expounded on these thoughts as a prelude to my journey. Please feel free to comment on anything here, or add anything that relates to your personal journeys in the question for that Power. I am not asking anyone to challenge me nor am I challenging you on your conception of God/Higher Power/etc. You may believe, or not. If you find this offensive, I can only state that this is no intention for that, and simply ignore and more on, as you have that right.
Best to all,
Mike
I thought it would be useful to jot down a few quick notes--for my self and others--to gather the "Why" and "What do I want to get out" of this trip.
Background: I have had some experience in formal training in meditation. First was by a Psychiatry professor in the mid '90s, then in a religious setting, and most lately with another minister.
I have heard it said that to pray is the request of the individual for God's help and guidance.
To meditate is to listen for the response.
Why do I go?
1. My conception of God has grown away from the fire and brimstone, MichaelAngelo's cousin painting of my southern Baptist background. Today, my personal thoughts of the Creator is much more than a image or a cultural rubric. I know that that power lives within me and all peoples, and living things. It is ever-present and all powerful. People having no exposure to any of the formal religous schools of thought are as much helped by this Power than anyone in any other part of the world. I'm hoping to connect more meaningfully with this Power.
2. This will be an immersion experience, like another I've had in a group setting where we all can sense and experience this Power. Today some of my most connected feelings with this Power is with my son, on Nature hikes. That is where is see the Creator at work, with none of the flaws that I have.
3. I get to get out of this rat race for a minute and do something that I want to heal me, from the toxicity of living.
4. I've been told to live, it is "an inside job."
What do I want?
1 Simply, I want that Power to be in control of my thoughts, feelings, and actions. I have asked for this many a time, and remarkably have seen it transpire. Sometimes it may not, in my time, so at least I can seek guidance so my will be more in line with the Power's
2 I need self love. I'm hyper-critical, engage in negative self talk, and have a lot of various life traumas to overcome. At forty some say I'm mid-life and it certainly has taken it's toll!
3 I'm hoping this self love can translate into better relations with my fellow man and woman in all spheres of my existence. I would like forgiveness for those I have trespassed upon and those who have transgressed upon me.
4. I need more responsibility in living my life as a man, and the inner peace to do that in a most noble fashion.
"What an order?" I hope not.
I have expounded on these thoughts as a prelude to my journey. Please feel free to comment on anything here, or add anything that relates to your personal journeys in the question for that Power. I am not asking anyone to challenge me nor am I challenging you on your conception of God/Higher Power/etc. You may believe, or not. If you find this offensive, I can only state that this is no intention for that, and simply ignore and more on, as you have that right.
Best to all,
Mike
Sailing Through the Stars
Sailing Through the Stars
Ron Alexander
Have you ever wondered what a blissful timeless state would feel like? One time in my career as a sailboat captain, myself & a first mate were blessed to experience just that.
We had a destination to our home base – a Marine Science field station in the Bahamas. With only 30 miles to go, there was no hurry. A good thing, as there was a very light wind. Also, there was a flat sea, no moon and clouds, so the stars really appeared to be just overhead. Added to that was a lot of phosphorescence in the water. This was caused by bioluminescence, sea organisms lit by the same chemicals that cause fireflies to glow.
If you look really closely at stars away from city lights, they are many colors – mostly white but also orange, red, yellow, & even blue stars. The bioluminescent also was many different colors. Colorful stars above and below.
Imagine with the sails whispering the wind and the bow barely disturbing the water, it felt like we were flying through the magnificent cosmos. We did not want that night to end.
reply by Greg Roach That's a nice piece Ron - and it perfectly captures that wonderful melding of inner/outer - Atman/Brahman - that deep meditation brings. On the Short Stories/ Poetry group I wrote a story called Sailing Through the Stars. There I started off with "Have you ever experienced a feeling of blissful timelessness." I forgot to mention that is what I feel after some meditations, a few of which like that night of sailing, I don't want to end.
The editor of the periodical that I wrote it for, asked me to change the title to:
"A Feeling of Oneness: Sailing Through the Stars."
If you would like to click on the second draft (without the title change) here it is:
(I hope?)(The link called "group" worked thank goodness.)
group
jkovite@juno.com writes:
Ron: Now you're making me yearn for the sea again. I've seen that many times in the Navy, but never from a sailboat. It sounds wonderful.
I read your letter to the Sun News a while ago- good writing and spot on information.
Jeff Kovite
Thanks Jeff - great to get positive feedback from the new President of our chapter, congrats, Ron
It was written for the Unity newsletter, here is what title minister suggested which, of course, I acquiesced to:
"An Experience of Oneness: Sailing Through the Stars"
lotsaappreciation, Ron
Ron,
Your story that you shared with us all is just so amazing. I love to watch the stars as well, each time they are visible I just look upon and create the feeling of the connection. I do know the timeless feeling too, at first it was appearing for some periods of time but now I feel like this all the time. Like the time does not exist at all, guess I've got used to feel this way. Sometimes it seams to be strange, as there is no difference if it is the day or night. Yes, but to feel the full power of the nature and limitless connection with everything like you described in your story - that is remarkable! Thank you so much. Silja
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sailing to the Moon
WORD FOR THE DAY
Thursday, Jun. 4(gratefulness.org)
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.
Thomas Merton
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)