Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Susan Boyle
I have not been blogging much lately. I am moving, and busy with work in the three dimensional world. So I am taking the easy way out and posting - oh, well - linking you to - a YouTube Video today - of Susan Boyle - who else? - her first appearance and then her semi-final performance of Memories. Maybe old news, but enjoyable to listen to any day, or if you missed this.Such an amazing phenomenon - our world village where a little old lady from Scotland can be heard all over the world thanks to a TV show and the Internet, humbling everyone and their prejudice at the same time. So fast even, that nobody could figure out in time how to make money from the 250 million clicks on YouTube.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Veiled Truth
Q: What exactly is this truth you mentioned that Jesus speaks about when he says: "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free"?
MM: It doesn't matter. Don't concern yourself at all about what it might be, or might be like. Just know - deep down, and with your complete trust and all the love in your heart - that you will indeed know it. Accept that this is a 100% reliable source making this promise to you. Then you become ready to receive it. That is all that matters, that you become receptive. Don't concern yourself with this truth in any other way. You will not need your intellect, your understanding, or any past experience to recognize this truth to be The Truth. It will be self evident and beyond doubt. It will not be a thought, an idea, an image, a feeling, or anything else you are used to or could possibly imagine. That all has to get out of the way.
That is what meditation is - just practicing getting all thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings, images...out of the way, so that the veil can get lifted from your eyes.
MM: It doesn't matter. Don't concern yourself at all about what it might be, or might be like. Just know - deep down, and with your complete trust and all the love in your heart - that you will indeed know it. Accept that this is a 100% reliable source making this promise to you. Then you become ready to receive it. That is all that matters, that you become receptive. Don't concern yourself with this truth in any other way. You will not need your intellect, your understanding, or any past experience to recognize this truth to be The Truth. It will be self evident and beyond doubt. It will not be a thought, an idea, an image, a feeling, or anything else you are used to or could possibly imagine. That all has to get out of the way.
That is what meditation is - just practicing getting all thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings, images...out of the way, so that the veil can get lifted from your eyes.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A New Drug
Now that people have dropped the idea of original sin, and feeling guilty about anything is just so yesterday, people have been afflicted with a new condition - for which there now is a drug to take care of things - Thank Goodness!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday's MeditationMom Moment - Karma
Q: The more I think about the idea of karma, the more I get confused. Isn't cultivating good karma for oneself in itself selfishly motivated?
MM: Forget cultivating good karma. Instead cultivate a calm mind. The calmer the mind, the more you will become who you truly are and go beyond dual concepts like selfishness and unselfishness, good karma and bad karma, etc. Once one is truly oneself one can neither be called selfish nor compassionate. Just like the sun which causes both skin cancer and makes our food grow - we become who we are and move beyond worry. To become oneself does not mean the Western idea of "do whatever you want". It means peacefulness, serenity and full presence in which all things get done that need to get done - no more, no less.
Strangely enough, Buddhism which teaches about Karma, the cause and effect of good and bad deeds over lifetimes - also teaches about non-dualistic thinking. When non-dualistic thinking is fully attained there is no karma. At that level time and space also disappear. Therefore, without time and space, whatever is happening now, is happening all throughout time.
One way to reach to non-dualistic thinking is through contemplating the idea of karma. The idea of karma, if followed logically, eventually turns into a koan and can free the mind.
Until then - think of karma as "you shall harvest as you sow". Tend your garden with awareness.
MM: Forget cultivating good karma. Instead cultivate a calm mind. The calmer the mind, the more you will become who you truly are and go beyond dual concepts like selfishness and unselfishness, good karma and bad karma, etc. Once one is truly oneself one can neither be called selfish nor compassionate. Just like the sun which causes both skin cancer and makes our food grow - we become who we are and move beyond worry. To become oneself does not mean the Western idea of "do whatever you want". It means peacefulness, serenity and full presence in which all things get done that need to get done - no more, no less.
Strangely enough, Buddhism which teaches about Karma, the cause and effect of good and bad deeds over lifetimes - also teaches about non-dualistic thinking. When non-dualistic thinking is fully attained there is no karma. At that level time and space also disappear. Therefore, without time and space, whatever is happening now, is happening all throughout time.
One way to reach to non-dualistic thinking is through contemplating the idea of karma. The idea of karma, if followed logically, eventually turns into a koan and can free the mind.
Until then - think of karma as "you shall harvest as you sow". Tend your garden with awareness.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Atheist And The Bear
An atheist was walking through the woods.
'What majestic trees'!
'What powerful rivers'!
'What beautiful animals'!
He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!'
Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. 'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer'?
The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian'?
'Very Well,' said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:
'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'
'What majestic trees'!
'What powerful rivers'!
'What beautiful animals'!
He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!'
Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. 'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer'?
The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian'?
'Very Well,' said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:
'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.'
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday's MeditationMom Moment - Katrina's Flowergirl
Q: I saw a lot of horror during Hurricane Katrina. Horror of what human beings do to other human beings, because I worked in a flower store that supplied funeral homes. I can't get over it. I disdain human beings now and have lost all desire to marry and have children even though that was my dream, always. I feel like it is wrong to have such disdain for people, but I can't help it.
MM: Your mind is feeding this disdain by bringing up the memories. Why? It is because you want to see something about yourself you don't see. You are a very spiritual person. The thing your being wants you to see about yourself is your own cruelty.
We usually don't think of young girls in flower stores as cruel people. But, think about it. All those beautiful flowers. They, too have been killed in their prime, to be bundled and sold for temporary pleasure, or carelessly trampled on if they fall on the ground in the flower store. Once you see this fully, your humility will return and the world will once again look like it is filled with flowers, instead of just florists and customers.
Like I said - you are a very spiritual person to want to realize such a subtle thing about yourself. It takes an extreme situation like Katrina to point out something this hidden. Go home and grow some flowers and nurture them.
MM: Your mind is feeding this disdain by bringing up the memories. Why? It is because you want to see something about yourself you don't see. You are a very spiritual person. The thing your being wants you to see about yourself is your own cruelty.
We usually don't think of young girls in flower stores as cruel people. But, think about it. All those beautiful flowers. They, too have been killed in their prime, to be bundled and sold for temporary pleasure, or carelessly trampled on if they fall on the ground in the flower store. Once you see this fully, your humility will return and the world will once again look like it is filled with flowers, instead of just florists and customers.
Like I said - you are a very spiritual person to want to realize such a subtle thing about yourself. It takes an extreme situation like Katrina to point out something this hidden. Go home and grow some flowers and nurture them.
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