“Learn to live a natural and spontaneous life, contentedly.”
These quotes from pop culture felt worth noting. It just goes to show, if your listening, you can find truth anywhere.
“It’s not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is…living with your self, forever.”
-Captain Jack Sparrow’s Father-
“Where ever you are, that’s the place to be.”
-Mike Demone-
As I was writing an essay today, the follow two sentences came out.
“The common misconception is that the truth is an answer to a question. In reality, truth is a state of being.”
II.3 “Countless have been the universes that have come into being and dissolved. In fact even the countless universes that exist at this moment are impossible to conceive of. All this can immediately be realized in one’s own heart, for these universes are the creation of the desire that arises in the heart like castles built in the air. The living being conjures up this world in his heart and while he is alive he strengthens this illusion; when he passes away he conjures up the world beyond and experiences it- thus there arises worlds within worlds just as there are layers within layers of a plantain stem. Neither the worlds of matter, nor the modes of creation are truly real; yet the living and the dead think and feel they are real. Ignorance of this truth keeps up appearances.”
The universe and all experiences within it are sustained by the intentions and desires created through the thoughts of living beings. Pure consciousness is the heart of every being. By returning attention to pure consciousness, one can realize the source of creation and the root causes of experiences within creation. Identifying with one’s pure conscious nature, rather than the personality and external circumstances in life, Self-mastery is possible.
Knowing that experiences are the results of thought patterns enables one to come to terms with the causes of present circumstances and to thereby take responsibility for the future. Current experiences are the result of past intentions. Future experiences are the result of current intentions. The world one experiences and the world one will experience in the future can be directed through observation and regulation of thought patterns.
If one is not accepting of the fact that enlightenment is as natural as the wind blowing or the sun shining, one can observe the thought patterns that support that lack of acceptance and with gentle intention change the thought patterns. The essence of every person is whole, clear, serene and enlightened. When this is accepted as truth, one can then begin acting appropriately as an enlightened person.
“The mind cannot kill itself. So, your business is to find the real nature of the mind. Then you will know that there is no mind. When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind.”
– Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Today as I read Vasistha’s Yoga, I was happy to find some very to the point information, useful to those on the path to liberation of consciousness.
Rama is a main character in the text, representing you, the student interested in enlightenment. Brahman represents the state of complete liberation of consciosness.
IV: 53 “Even if one engages oneself in every other sort of spiritual endeavor, and even if one has the god’s themselves as one’s teachers, and even if one were in heaven or any other region, liberation is not had except through the cessation of all notions.”
IV: 62 “Rama, you are already a liberated being: live like one!”
V: 5 “All this (everything that can be observed) is but the reflection of the truth. Nothing but the one Brahman exists. ‘I am different from this’ is pure fancy: give it up, O Rama. The one self perceives itself within itself as the infinite consciousness. Therefore, there is no sorrow, no delusion, no birth (creation), nor creature: whatever is, is. Be free from distress, O Rama. Be free of duality; remain firmly established in the self, abandoning even concern for your own welfare. Be at peace within, with a steady mind. Let there be no sorrow in your mind. Rest in the inner silence. Remain alone, without self willed thoughts. Be brave, having conquered the mind and the senses. Be desireless, content with what comes to you unsought. Live effortlessly, without grabbing or giving up anything. Be free from all mental perversions and from the blinding taint of illusion. Rest content in your own self. Thus, be free from all distress. Remain in an expansive state in the self, like the full ocean. Rejoice in the self by the self, like the blissful rays of the full moon.”
I found the following writing from Sidney Poiter’s book, The Measure of a Man, very good.
Quote from a woman he knew named Louise on page 78:
“We’re going to have to decide ourselves what we are and what we’re not. Create our own image of ourselves. And nurture it and feed it till it can stand on its own.”
The author’s words on page 90:
“Balance is what he was looking for, but he hadn’t yet learned its name. In time, he will come to know it as a state of being. It can only be found at a place that is widely believed not to exist. Truth is that there is a place of space that does exist between two opposites everywhere, and somewhere therein dwells a point at which balance can be found.”
“ Start playing loud when you’re young, and you’ll be one step ahead of the game. If you start off playing soft, it will get you into a lot of bad habits. Terrible, terrible, habits. Look at these jazz people. Of course they play soft. It’s a trick so you can’t hear them.”
One of the things I particularly liked about EFT and the Yuen Method was that everyday was an opportunity to become clearer and stronger.
Imagine all the crap in your life is just an accumulation of garbage not dealt with in the past. So when a trouble arises in your consciousness you can simply apply these methods to clear it and be free of one more burden! In a while, you are a lot lighter than you ever remembered and also a lot stronger both physically and mentally.
I’m not sure how I missed it earlier, but I also see how the Kriya Yoga meditation I’ve been practicing for the last 6 years has the same effect. Through observation of the disturbances that arise in the field of one’s consciosness, they are dissolved.
So I now say, “Let your self become stronger every day!”
I got a fortune cookie from the Asian Garden (an excellent restaurant by the way) in Morgantown that read, “I’m not afraid of storms, because I’m learning to sail my ship.” Now that’s not much of a fortune, but I see its applicability to life. Dr. Yuen has said to be fearless. Yogananda and Roy Eugene Davis and countless others have said the same thing. When fearless, I feel free. It is fear that causes much difficulty. What is there without fear?
Maybe you could try some kettlebells if you are afraid? I just got a 35 pounder for Christmas from my parents. That is an upgrade from my 26 pounder. I’m looking forward to using it. Those iron balls with handles really do wonders from what I’ve seen. Here is a link to a chiropractor friends new blog. http://profile.xanga.com/docenergyPJ
He will be sharing his kettlebell routines and experiences as well as some odd thoughts he has in his head. (Disclaimer: His thoughts do not necessarily reflect my own. Although we are friends, we are both individuals and often times see things differently. However, that usually is more fun than not. That said, read his blog at your own discretion.)
Melissa and I have driven Tai to the Pittsburgh airport today after picking her up from there on Thursday. It was a great workshop over the weekend with great friendships strengthened throughout her visit. I’ve not had time to write much and am still processing all I’ve seen and learned.
Earlier last week my friend Stephanie sent me a quote. It felt very much in line with the experiences I’ve been having in life, so I’ll share it with you now. Read the rest of this entry »
From Vasistha’s Yoga IV.46:
“He who is not attracted by the pleasure of either this world or of heaven (whether or not there is body consciousness in him) is liberated, even if he does not specifically desire or strive for such liberation.”
By turning away from worldliness only to desire after heaven, nothing has changed accept the name of our salvation. By wanting heaven we indicate something is wrong at place we are in life, indicating a lack of peace. Peace does not come from seeking heaven. It does not come from seeking escape in materialism. It comes when we accept that it is of our own choosing. Read the rest of this entry »
