For who ? For ourselves. Did we do something, some ritual that affirmed our faith today ? In what ? In ourselves. Our ability to connect with our inner selves. For if we do not, who is this person that is working, loving, talking etc. It’s certainly not you.
It’s an everyday search for me. For that something that can put me in touch with myself. My connection to consciousness. My connection to loving nature.
Of course many people have faith. Which is a wonderful ability. I don’t have blind faith. I am more of a searcher. Questioner. Good, bad ? I don’t know. No value judgements on any faith or the question of faith. Or on myself.
Some people do it with meditation first thing in the morning. I have never been able to do that. I have to connect to something, however small, however little, to loose my sense of individuality. That’s the daily struggle. Against my own exaggarated sense of myself. I am so used to it. I have relied on it for so many years. So tough to let go now. Not that I have never questioned it before. But now, it is really important for me to be truly ‘active’ rather than ‘reactive’, which is what I have done most of my life. And how do I know what that ‘true’ action is ? Unless I am constantly in touch with something larger, more immense, more universal than myself ?
Yes I know. By letting go. By allowing yourself not to be addicted to the result of your action. By allowing chaos to invade your life. Yes, I agree. All of that. I do allow chaos to prevade in my life. I am impeteous (spelling). But then the individual in me fights back hard.
It’s an everyday battle. This battle to let go of one’s addiction to one’s sense of individuality.
Yet, the smallest of things can provoke the sensing of my flowing into something much much larger. Something infinite.
This morning it was my 5 year old daughter waking me up with a loud ‘Peekaboo’ and the tinkling of an early morning laugh.
Sometimes it;s just getting up early enough to watch the first shades of dark blue brush across the sky. Something deeply stirring about that.
Sometimes it’s unexpected gestures of affection that were not sought. Or given so instinctually that you were not aware of them.
Sometimes, it’s writing a poem. But only if the words are coming from somewhere else. As if something is flowing through you, a river of emotion you can physically feel that flows through your being.
But it is always so unexpected. So much that I am constantly aware now. My senses hightened. Waiting for that unexpected moment.
When something deeper will reach out and engulf me, and give my life, and all my actions, however small, a deeper and all encompassing context. On a daily basis.
So say a prayer for me. And for yourself.
Shekhar
~~~snow~~~
stillness
I am beyond group beliefs or the calendar. I am free from all congestion and influence.
I freely take in divine ideas…this is a new moment
om shanti shanti shanti…hari om, thank you
In meditation, don’t expect anything. Just sit back and see what happens. Treat the whole thing as an experiment. Take an active interest in the test itself, but don’t get distracted by your expectations about the results. For that matter, don’t be anxious for any result whatsoever.
-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, “Mindfulness in Plain English”
“We humans should never forget our capacity to connect with the collective spirit of animals. Their energy is essential to our future growth.”
-Shirley MacLaine, 1985
~~~Jesus~~~
om shanti shanti shanti
Happy Holi
“Let Reason, not impulse, be your guide.”
-Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
When we reside in the moment, change comes naturally.
Even as a great rock is not shaken by the wind, the wise man is not shaken by praise or blame.
-Buddha
I am beyond group beliefs
or
the calendar.
I am free from all conjestion and influence.
I freely take in divine ideas…
this is a new moment.
L.Hay
here’s to leaving a ~~~space~~~
I’m the one who has the body,
you’re the one who holds the breath.
You know the secret of my body,
I know the secret of your breath.
That’s why your body
is in mine.
You know
and I know, Ramanatha,
the miracle
of your breath
in my body.
-Devara Dasimayya
~ even when i don’t feel like coming here…i come ~
The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
so it is
…for vicky and lynden, enriching and influencing the lives of those who come close to them
om shanti shanti shanti
A king asked a sage to explain the Truth. In response the sage asked the king how he would convey the taste of a mango to someone who had never eaten anything sweet. No matter how hard the king tried, he could not adequately describe the flavor of the fruit, and, in frustration, he demanded of the sage “Tell me then, how would you describe it?” The sage picked up a mango and handed it to the king saying “This is very sweet. Try eating it!”
-Hindu teaching story
Between husband and wife there should be no secrets from one another. I have a very high opinion of the marriage tie. I hold that husband and wife merge in each other. They are one in two or two in one.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1940
~clarity~
…to the family and friends of Unice, who passed on recently.
May her family find comfort and strength for healing and peace
om shanti shanti shanti
Shekhar,
I will say prayer for you
May you direct more films so that I can learn
May the unknown give you unexpected moments when you least expect them
May you never become old and live for ever
my prayer is
if god and you permit, i wish to learn from you just by observing you direct a short film or even paani…is the prayer of
yours truly
Koizen
…you have the energy of the universe within your reach
who ever says prayer in this blog may all their prayers be answered if they are with ABSOLUTE
Hello again, Shekhar and all.
So busy here at work but hoping I will have time soon to read more here. Wanted to share this with you, however.
SOMETHING INVISIBLE
Hafiz
Translation by Daniel Ladinsky
Once I asked my Master,
“What is the difference
Between you and me?”
And he replied
“Hafiz, only this:
If a herd of wild buffalo
Broke into our house
And knocked over
Our empty begging bowls,
Not a drop would spill from yours.
But there is Something Invisible
That God has placed in mine.
If That spilled from my bowl,
It could drown this whole world.”
I believe in that Something that cannot be grasped by the mind but is connected with Love and releasing one’s heart.
…thank you
…a prayer for the family and friends of Govin…may they find peace and comfort and healing.
May the spirit of Govin soar with the angels…om shanti shanti shanti
Just as a monkey roaming through the forest grabs hold of one branch, lets that go and grabs another, then lets go and grabs still another, so too that which is called “mind” and “mentality” and “consciousness” arises as one thing and ceases as another by day and by night.
-Buddha, “The Connected Discourses of the Buddha”
A new species is arising on the planet. It is arising now, and you are it!
Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth)
Thankfulness…serenity….
my prayers are answered…but thou can give me wisdom what to ask?
~~~contentment~~~
A Letter from Deepak
The divine mother is an essential nurturing, life-giving energy. She represents the power of beauty, the power of intuition, the power of creativity, the power of compassion, and the power of love. In many Eastern traditions, this dynamic, potent energy is known as Shakti, which means feminine power. This power doesn’t reside only in women, however; Shakti is the divine spark and the flow of God’s love within each of us.
Etymologically, the word Shakti is related to the word Shekinah, which in Hebrew means “the feminine face of God.” For thousands of years, human beings have largely ignored or denigrated the feminine aspect, while focusing on domination, struggle, and ego. As we continue our evolutionary journey, it is absolutely important for both men and women to embrace feminine power. In fact, this may be our best hope for inspiring global change. Gandhi and Lincoln were markedly feminine in their image and vision; so were Jesus and Buddha. Their love, forgiveness, and wisdom transformed the lives of millions.
We can begin at an individual level by recognizing and cultivating the qualities of the divine mother within ourselves:
Understanding. Shakti goes beyond the illusion of separation and sees the unity behind all diversity.
At the deepest level, we are all aspects of the same infinite Being in different disguises. Instead of imposing, Shakti communicates and seeks to understand.
Patience. Rather than forcing an answer or solution, Shakti has patience and waits for the solution to emerge. In this willingness to accept uncertainty, answers spontaneously emerge from the confusion and chaos of any situation.
Compassion. Instead of ignoring or suppressing emotions, Shakti pays attention to the emotions and signals of her body and can tell when someone else is ready to listen and act. She allows love and compassion to guide her.
Peace. Shakti is peaceful and allows herself and those around her the freedom to be as they are. No situation ever requires force. She accepts each moment as it is, knowing that the whole universe is as it should be.
Creativity. Shakti creates solutions where none were seen before. She knows that she has the ability to fulfill all her dreams because her essential nature is pure potentiality.
Wisdom. Shakti is wise. She sees the cosmic perspective, which always comes from love. She lives from the domain of spirit, which asks, “How can I help, how can I serve?”
Since most of us are conditioned to believe that we are separate, limited beings who have to fight and compete to survive in a hostile world, fully embracing our divine feminine may be a slow, gradual process. But it is an essential one. Shakti is the life force itself, the hidden power that turns matter into life, and the source of all passion and creativity. When we honor the feminine energies inherent in all of us, we can achieve anything.
Love,
Deepak
Too Busy for Prayers?
Written by rudra
Thursday, 08 February 2007
Introduction
It is said that the “Great Indian Middle-class” is on a roll, with India’s burgeoning Economy, and an ever-growing Middle-class, India is finally Happening!
But there are several dark counter-reactions occuring in the Indian context, that I only thought about after reading a couple of articles that my friend Nitin Bhai pointed out to me.
The first was an article on the BBC about Indians new-found interest in spirituality. The second was a poem written by a terminally young little girl. Read on…
Prayer for my god, my mother
I never seen god, but ma because you are there I dont need god…thank you for everything
my deepest respects and love
In memory of my Mother, Chan Mary Raymond (Ma), who passed on May 20, 1997
Footprints
One night a woman had a dream.
She dreamed she was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from her life.
For each scene, she noticed two sets of footprints in
the sand,
one belonging to her the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of her life flashed before her,
She looked back at the footprints in the sand.
She noticed that many times along the path of her life there was only one set of footprints.
She also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in her life.
This really bothered her and she questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The Lord replied,
“My precious, precious child. I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”
~~~
The word compassion and what its essence is, resonates clearly with the memory I have of my Ma.
and…
I love you Ma.
Nani loves Anjalee…nani loves Anjalee…nani loves Anjalee
On this day, 66 years ago was born
His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji, of Mysore India
Om Shanti shanti shanti hari ommmmmm
In spirit, awareness and love
namaste
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
~~~
http://www.dattapeetham.com
healing…
It’s a shame, how many people don’t stop to look around them.
How they come up with little things to call weird.
Laying on a bench, sittin on grass, talking to yourself.
It’s very possible to pass 5 things when you think you’ve passed only one.
They say “if trees could talk . . . ”
Trees CAN talk.
Everything has a form of expression, if not composed of sound,
then of movement, taste, texture or smell.
I don’t want to limit my understanding to humans alone, or even animals.
It’s everything.
The shape of the leaves, the smell of rain, the texture of soil,
the colours of the sky . . . the taste of precipitation.
*People look like walking, talking pieces of art.
— And then there was light — (literally, right now/when I was writing)
A soft light, after a smile.
You can analyze, observe in amazement, but don’t judge.
You can not tell them what to do . . .
or rather, make them do anything.
Putting people aside again;
when I look at a wall, I see more than a wall . .
when I hear a voice, I hear more than a voice . .
when I taste food or liquid, I taste more than what’s in my mouth . .
when I touch a person, I feel more than skin, hair & temperature . .
when I smell you, I smell more than cologne/perfume or body odor.
Most people don’t.
I need a break from that mindlessness sometimes,
and it’s usually alone.
Anjalee J-Raymond
uvula
If there is to be Peace in the world,
There must be Peace in the nations.
If there is to be Peace in the nations,
There must be Peace in the cities.
If there is to be Peace in the cities,
There must be Peace between neighbors.
If there is to be Peace between neighbors,
There must be Peace in the home.
If there is to be Peace in the home,
There must be Peace in the Heart.
—Lao Tzu
~quietening the thoughts~
…we said a prayer today…
This close …and still a distance lies between us
I feel the movement of your breath
Reaching the depths of my soul
Taking in the essence of what is
And releasing it to eternity
The taste of you, becomes…me
This is how we meet
In every whisper
In every thought
I hear your voice calling out to mine
Our lips have pressed gently upon each other
It is then we come to know, in the flesh,
We are one
And when we part and walk our separate ways
It is in the breath we find ourselves again
This is how we are drawn to each other
As an inhale
And in the letting go again
We find our oneness…every breath
becomes sacred
happy Father’s Day…om
for shirley hynes…peace and contentment
om shanti shanti shanti
…staying in touch with stillness…
chaos is opportunity to grow spiritually…do we always remember this?
school is almost over…loving healing prayers to all those in need
to all those affected by the Air India crash 23 years ago…
a prayer of comfort and healing
om shanti shanti shanti
~~~zen~~~