Times Up! Time to sign off. Time to prepare for the pathway ahead over the next few days. Tomorrow is my very last day in employment in New Zealand. Thursday is our last day in New Zealand. Tonight is my last stint at blogging for a while ....
Transcript
The ancients knew of an astral or "starlike" substance which underlies physical matter. The Hindus call it akasa, "brilliant, shining." The Stoics spoke of aether or quintessence, the mysterious spirit-substance which is the protean source of all forms. Theosophists call it the astral light.
The most material stratum of the nonphysical energies surrounding our planet, analogous to the soul of the world, it functions as a complete reservoir of memory containing the record of every impression and event that has ever occurred on earth. Filled with potential prototypes of all thoughts, forms, and beings, its operations are outside the space-time reference that applies to the physical plane. The physical world is in fact an extension of the astral, which latter contains a range of potencies and emanations, thoughts and beings, either benign or inimical to life on earth.
In the cosmos there are many physical, psychic, mental, and spiritual fields -- self-organizing, whole, living systems. Every such field is holographic in that it contains the characteristics of every other field within itself.
Rupert Sheldrake's concepts of morphic fields and morphic resonance, for instance, are in many ways similar to some phenomena attributed to the astral light. All terrestrial entities can be considered fields belonging to our living earth, Gaia, and forming part of her constitution. The higher akasic fields resonate with every part of nature. Various happenings within the earth's astral light are said to result in physical effects which include all natural and human phenomena, ranging from epidemics and earthquakes to wars and weather patterns. Gaia, again, is part of the fields which form the solar being and its constitution, and so on throughout the cosmos.
Like the earth, human beings each have auric fields and an astral body. The fifty trillion cells in our body, as well as the tissues and organs they form, each have their own identity and memory. Our mental and emotional fields influence every cell and atom of our being for better or worse. How we think and act affects not only humanity but Gaia as well through the astral light, the action of which is guided by active creative intelligences. For example, the automatic action of divine beings restores harmony, balancing the inner with the outer throughout nature. We must take responsibility for ourselves, for this reciprocal karmic process is continually at work, and the various circumstances of our lives are the results of its just and impersonal operation in relation to our own activities.
How do the brain and the mind relate to consciousness in these astral or nonphysical fields? Certainly there are different levels of operation of mind and memory reflected in the structure of the brain as well as in our other organs. Pythagoras referred to the brain as the principal organ of consciousness, and in some respects it acts as a switchboard for the physical body in conjunction with the soul. The mind acts on subtle or astral matter in contact with the brain and nervous system. Behind this physical operation, however, is a programmer -- intelligence, mind -- with will power and desire.
As human beings, we draw upon a huge range of frequencies of consciousness. In the theosophical system, mind is the fifth in the scale of seven principles that form our being. As the active focus of our self-consciousness, mind organizes and awakens matter. The higher aspects of consciousness can be described as threefold: atma, divinity; buddhi, intuition or compassion; and manas, intellect, our self-conscious center. The lower aspects are formed of kama, desire; prana, life energy; and the astral and physical bodies. Each of these seven principles is itself sevenfold. Our everyday awareness is generally centered in desire linked with mind.
In the brain, the intellectual aspects of consciousness we are most familiar with are centered in the large cerebral cortex, which is considered the distinguishing feature of the human brain. There are lower and higher attributes to all the brain's layers, corresponding to the frequencies of consciousness. Strangely, one of the highest chakras or centers of consciousness is said to be the pineal gland, a very tiny organ in the center of the brain which Descartes called the seat of the soul and others call the third eye of spiritual vision.
We are all familiar with the lower or primitive human mind connected with the physical animal self of desires and passions. Parts of the brain are associated with various aspects of the entire range of emotional states and mental activities because the brain acts as a receiver-transmitter of thoughts. The brain is controlled by the mind acting through astral and physical matter via the sympathetic vibrations of the chakras and senses. Spirit, with its mental vitality, also works through all these aspects of our nature and can illumine even the physical brain that is in tune with it.
Each human being is a unique individual, with various mental qualities, abilities, and combinations, whether intuitive, analytical, creative, artistic, or psychic. Our mind has stamped the organs of the entire physical body with its individuality. No two brains are exactly alike, no two fingerprints are, just as no two leaves on a tree, or two patterns of stripes on zebras, are. The mind expresses many qualities of our being, but everything depends on where our desires are based and on the overall orientation of our mind, for the intellect alone and uninspired can be selfish, cold, often cruel, even dangerous.
How did human egoity come about? There is a clue in the recapitulation of the human embryo, which reveals a development representative of the lower kingdoms of nature. It implies that the human monad evolved through these kingdoms, developing its soul and individuality, unfolding qualities of mind and free will not exactly like ours but essentially present. Looking over the kingdoms briefly, we see that the mineral begins with very uniform beings sharing a unified consciousness which may form anything from liquids like magma or the oceans, and gasses like the air, to endless varieties of crystals.
Like all beings they have a divine monadic consciousness, and are also overshadowed by higher intellectual agencies. Plants are similar, but their vitality and growth show more intelligent individual expression. They create beautiful forms in leaves and flowers with surprising ingenuity. They, too, as a kingdom are following ancient patterns of memory or instinct. Darwin commented that in some respects the tip of the primary root ``acts like a brain of one of the lower animals,'' while other researchers believe that plants possess the equivalent of a nervous system. That they react to human emotions and thoughts, and respond to other beings and plants, was suggested by Cleve Backster's experiments with the polygraph in the 1960s. There appears to be a telepathic connection that links plants with all other beings; they even seem to remember those who have harmed them or other beings near by.
And what of instincts, those individual and collective patterns of experience of all creatures? There are prototypes of all possible plants and animals, all beings, in the astral light. But look at the marvelous examples, the endless designs that have materialized: not only bodily forms, but also behavioral instincts such as in the bees, adaptations and behaviors like mimicry, or migrations of birds covering thousands of miles. These activities are not simply automatic, they involve spiritual intelligence.
All beings share the same divine potentials, but the higher in the evolutionary scale we go, the greater the intelligence, the greater the emotional range and individuality that beings possess, and thus the more powerful their impact on the astral light. There is also marked increase in the size of the cerebral cortex in the higher animals. Animals and humans share emotional and psychic expression. The emotions are a part of the desire principle. But animals do not possess self-reflective mind able to contemplate its own status in evolution: the dog doesn't ask itself why it is a dog.
We might ask, where does mind individually, and consciousness ultimately, originate? In the cosmos there is only one life, one consciousness, which masquerades under all the different forms of sentient beings. This one consciousness pierces up and down through all the states and planes of being and serves to uphold the memory, whether complete or incomplete, of each state's experience. This suggests that our self-conscious mind is really a ray of cosmic mind. There is a mysterious vital life essence and force involved in the interaction of spirit or consciousness with matter. The cosmos has its memory and follows general pathways of formation based on previous existences, much as everything else does. Aided by memory, it somehow selects out of the infinite possibilities a new and improved imbodiment. When the first impulse emerges, we have cosmic ideation vibrating the first matter, manifesting in countless hierarchies of beings in endless gradations. Born of the one cosmic parent, monadic centers emerge as vital seeds of consciousness, as germs of its potential. They are little universes in the one universe.
Theosophy does not separate the world into organic and inorganic, for even the atoms are considered god-sparks. All beings are continuously their own creators and recorders, forming more perishable outer veils while retaining the indestructible thread-self that links all their various principles and monads through vast cycles of experience. We are monads or god-sparks currently evolving throughout the human stage. The deathless monad runs through all our imbodiments, for we have repeated many times the processes of birth and death. In fact, birth and death for most of humanity are more or less automatic, unconscious experiences as far as our everyday awareness is concerned. How do we think? We can start, for example, with desire which provides the impulse that causes the mind through will and imagination to project a stream of thoughts, which are living elemental beings.
These thoughts take various forms which may result in different kinds of actions or creative results. This is another arena of responsibility, for in the astral light our thoughts circulate through other minds and affect them, but those that belong to us have our stamp and return to us again and again. So through these streams of thought we create habits of mind, which build our character and eventually our self-made destiny. The human mind is an ideator resonating with its past, selecting thoughts and making choices, anticipating and creating a pattern of unfolding. Perhaps we are reflecting in the small the operations of the divine mind which acts as the cosmic creator and architect. Some thoughts or patterns we create are limiting; others are liberating. The soul grows, and thoughts are reused and transformed by the mind, perhaps giving them a superior expression. Plato was right: with spiritual will and worthiness we can recollect the wisdom of the past and unlock the higher mind. We have the capacity of identifying with all beings, experiencing the oneness we share together in our spiritual consciousness, that continuous stream that is the indestructible thread-self. All that it was, is, or is becoming is our karma. Mind and memory are a permanent part of the reincarnating ego or human soul, and of the universe as well.
Awareness of oneness is the most natural condition of our inner consciousness. Intellect and reason are also necessary, but must be illuminated by compassion, spiritual insight, and intuition. The intellect or brain-mind in its association with physical desires is self-centered and enforces our separateness. Most of the harm done to others comes through trying to assert our personal will over them. Our lower egoity must be evolved and transformed through a perception of our oneness in essence with all, which is the key to harmony and brotherhood in action. When we exercise self-conscious free will, there are no guarantees of achieving spiritual growth. Yet the higher self is not corrupted by the activities of the lower mind or by other actions of its vehicles here on earth, and our evolution is part of Gaia's and the gods' evolution.
Developing our higher faculties and receptivity to the inner light are essential to our progress, but doing so means removing all impediments of a personal nature. Our transformation improves all of nature, including the astral light. Indeed, the bodhisattva ideal of selfless work for the benefit of all beings demands expression of our noblest qualities. The supreme self is the center of all faculties and enables each human being to become a god in future cycles. This is the destiny that awaits us all.
(From Sunrise magazine, February/March 2004; copyright © 2004 Theosophical University Press)
Most of us have the feeling that we are here to accomplish something big in our lives, and if we haven’t done something that fits the bill we may feel as if we are waiting. We may feel incomplete, or empty, as if our lives don’t yet make sense to us, because they don’t line up with our idea of major accomplishment. In some cases, this may be because we really are meant to do something that we haven’t yet done. But in most cases, we can let ourselves off the hook with the realization that just being here, being ourselves, is enough.
People who don't pick up their dogs' addition to the environment in the park may be risking more than a fine - they may be putting their souls at risk of damnation, according to a new Vatican list of seven deadly sins for the 21st century. (Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 11th March 2008)
As the seven ancient wonders of the world were matched by seven modern wonders, the seven deadly sins have been given a modern version for a globalised world, announced by a Vatican official yesterday.
Polluting, genetic engineering, obscene riches, taking drugs, abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice join the original seven deadly sins defined by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and sloth.
Gianfranco Girotti, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, responsible for absolving Catholics from their sins, named the new mortal sins in an interview with the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, yesterday.
He did not spell out details but said the original seven deadly sins had an individualistic dimension, while the new seven had a social resonance and showed worshippers that their vices affected other people.
"New sins have appeared on the horizon of humanity as a corollary of the unstoppable process of globalisation," he said.
God was offended not only by stealing, blaspheming or coveting your neighbour's wife but by ruining the environment, conducting immoral scientific experiments and genetic manipulation.
Traditional Catholic doctrine divides sins into mortal and venial (lesser) and holds that mortal sins, if unrepented, lead to eternal damnation. The Catholic catechism says "mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law", while venial sin allows charity to subsist but offends and wounds it.
Mortal sins are not officially listed, but include murder, abortion, perjury and adultery. They can be absolved after confession, and Monsignor Girotti has acted to make this more palatable, launching a course to teach priests to be less aggressive in the confessional booth.
He wrote in the newspaper last week that many Catholics found it hard to be open about their sins to their priest, and the new course would help priests to be ministers of reconciliation.
The course includes instruction on "special cases", such as divorcees and homosexuals.
Daily Mail Headline 'Frogmen resume search of reservoir where lawyer claims Madeleine McCann's body was dumped': Tuesday 11th March 2008 says: Divers yesterday began a fresh search of a reservoir where it is feared the body of Madeleine McCann could have been dumped.
It follows an underworld tip-off that Madeleine, aged three at the time, was raped, murdered and dumped in a lake within 48 hours of being taken from her parents' holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal, last May. Lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia received the tip-off and paid for the first search of the reservoir near the town of Silves in the Algarve five weeks ago. The Portuguese Society of Engineering and Construction is helping fund the latest search.
Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, both 39, say they still believe their daughter is alive.
Thousands were left stranded, flooded or without power yesterday as 95mph hailstorms lashed Britain. (Daily Mail Tuesday 11th March 2008)
Amid widespread travel chaos, more than 10,000 families were plunged into darkness when trees crashed through power lines.
Homes in Wales, Cornwall and Devon were deluged.
Emergency services were at full stretch for the "perfect storm" - a combination of gale force winds and the high spring tide.
Winds reached 82mph at Berry Head in Brixham, Devon, between 3am and 5am and peaked at 95mph at The Needles on the Isle of Wight at 1pm.
Despite structural damage, organisers of the Cheltenham Festival said the racecourse was undamaged and promised events would begin today as planned. Last night, Britain braced itself for more misery as forecasters predicted there could be more severe gales on the way. The whole of England could once again face winds of up to 80mph and disruption is set to continue on railways and roads.
When we look at a giant sequoia tree, it is hard to imagine that it grew from a tiny seed no bigger than a flake of oatmeal. Conversely, to hold such a small thing as a seed in your hand and comprehend that contained within it is the blueprint for an entire forest of trees that will surpass the human lifespan by centuries is enough to stun the mind into silence. As small as that seed is, we are somehow even smaller.
The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and Nature herself. Represented by Virgo, the Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. This is not a time for socializing; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. Nor is it a time for action, discussion or decisions. It is a time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent during this time of withdrawal. But such times lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.
In regards to people, the Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist, someone the Querent usually sees alone, someone the rest of the Querent's friends and family may not know about. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing. They will help the Querent find what it is they are seeking.
The Hermit is a card of connections and enlightenment. Combined with a desire to just "be alone," the Querent who gets this card is probably feeling impatient with people who disturb their peace or who can't see what they're seeing ("Are you blind?" might be their refrain, or, more typically, "You just don't get it, and I can't explain it to you."). In typical Virgo fashion, they're likely to be grumpy and anti-social. But for the Querent (if no one else!) this is a special time. Like an artist who hides for days then emerges to paint a masterpiece, this quiet time allows all the pieces to fall into place. So go ahead and encourage them to go on late night drives, long walks, hide in their room or go on retreat for a month. When they come back, they'll see everything in a brand new light. It'll be the best thing for them, and for everyone else in their lives.
Well ... Canberra is firmly on our minds now. Had our 'tearful goodbyes' with our home for the last twelve months earlier today. Keys handed over ... now in a hotel room for tonight and tomorrow night ...
A form of 'shapeshifting' ... whereby a physical medium is observed being overshadowed by the face of another seperate entity.
This is a very serious connection with Spirit, and not be undertaken lightly. It has been used in recent years as something of an ‘entertainment’, where certain people are taken onto a stage by a medium, and Spirit is brought through... if undertaken in the right setting, usually in a small intimate group, this can bring real benefits and blessings to the relatives of the person who has passed over. But on large-scale in a huge hall with hundreds of people, this can often be confusing and inappropriate to many of the people taking part.
From a personal perspective, transfiguration can induce a very intense and uplifting state of mind. It requires a specific and dynamic energy level to occur. More often than not the achievement of this energy level is somewhat hit and miss. The phenomenon of transfiguration can fluctuate between a definite recognition of a 'loved one' including the medium's own eyes being replaced by the eyes of the 'spirit'; to that of indistinct shadow like details on the face which cannot clearly be discerned by witnesses.
Almost always there is the experience of a 'spiralling out of the body' as the consciousness of the medium is sensed leaving the physical body. This can result in bi-location ... whereby the awareness of the medium is both within the body and outside of the body simultaneously. The part of the awareness remaining in the body will then experience the physical symptoms and characteristics of the occupying spirit.
More often than not these physical traits will be confirmed by those who the 'loved one' was linked to on the earth plane. The part of the awareness outside of the body will more often than not be completely unaware of what is taking place with the physical body.
Transfiguration is a serious undertaking which can have major psychological effects on mediums not totally prepared for the experience. There must always be an agreement between the medium and visiting 'loved one' .... in one sense of the word, transfiguration is a form of 'possession'. Theoretically speaking, if the visiting spirit is a stronger energy than the medium, then it may be possible for the visiting spirit to refuse to leave the physical body after transfiguration. It has never happened to me personally ... each and every time an 'agreement and understanding' has been forged with the visitor to vacate the physical body on request ....
Shapeshifting is the ability to change the shape of a specific energy field which may pertain to a physical object or something that is intangible. This term is most often used in reference to your ability to change the shape of your body. It is broader sense, it also includes changing your environment.
For most people, shapeshifting may trigger out images of werewolves and cat-people, perhaps because these were most popularised through various stories and movies. While you can shapeshift into anything, throughout history people had most often shapeshifted into different animal forms. The purpose of shapeshifting has never been impressing others, but rather partaking of strength, wisdom or power pertaining to the specific animal and for the sake of gaining some learnings.
All shapeshifting occurs on an energy level. However, depending on the density of the vibration of a specific energy field, the shapeshifting event may be more or less obvious to physical senses. When a complete physical transformation occurs, a shapeshifting is said to be physical. Vast majority of shapeshifters do not undergo a complete physical transformation and may outwardly appear pretty much the same i.e. they will still look pretty much as any human being, and even though they may be some more or less obvious behavioral changes, other people will be able to sense the change.
According to the degree of transformation, shapeshifters are generally divided into two categories: energy shapeshifters and physical shapeshifters. With some, the ability to shapeshift has occurred spontaneously and they may have had a challenge learning how to control it. Others may have invested some time in developing this ability.
To a certain degree we are all shapeshifting all the time because our thoughts and emotions affect our energy field - the energy we project and the energy others perceive. Sometimes we do this intentionally for a specific purpose and sometimes because something affected us greatly and we lost it (just think of a time someone you know has undergone such a transformation that you'd swear he or she is an animal, and the best place place to leave such a person would be at a zoo).
If you look at how your body changes over the years and if you look at people around you - a physical change will be obvious. Not only that people age, but also that you can read their life-story from their bodies, as their bodies have over the years shapeshifted in accord with the thoughts and emotions they held dear. You may even know people who have lived together long enough that they have started to physically resemble each other as their energies synchronized. You may also know people who have over the years began to resemble in some way their pets.
Different styles of kung fu martial arts have been developed based on observation of movements of different animals. To the best of his ability, a martial artist becomes inwardly (on an energy level) an animal whose movements and particular skills he desires to emulate. He doesn't just imitate the postures outwardly, but identifies with the essence of the animal he desires to express.
Your physiology will, on the other hand, also affect your neurological response. For example, standing like a gorilla will tend to activate your reptilian brain and will create an optimal state if you have to engage in physical combat.
In Scandinavian countries, there was a special group of fierce Viking warriors - berserkers. They went into battle "without coats of mail and acted like mad dogs and wolves" (Snorri Sturluson. Heimskringla: History of the Kings of
Kveldulfr in Egils Saga Skallagrimsonar was spoken of as a shapechanger (Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards, trans. Egil's Saga. NY: Penguin. 1976. p. 21), and Hrolf's Saga tells of the hero Bjarki, who takes on the shape of a bear in battle:
"Men saw that a great bear went before King Hrolf's men, keeping always near the king. He slew more men with his forepaws than any five of the king's champions. Blades and weapons glanced off him, and he brought down both men and horses in King Hjorvard's forces, and everything which came in his path he crushed to death with his teeth, so that panic and terror swept through King Hjorvard's army..." (Gwyn Jones. Eirik the Red and Other Icelandic Sagas. NY:
Another quality possessed by berserkers is immunity to weapons. The berserker sometimes inherently possessed this immunity, while other times performed spells (that's hypnosis) to induce it. Some berserkers also had special powers to blunt weapons by his gaze. Many tales say of their berserkers, "no weapon could bite them" or "iron could not bite into him." This concept of immunity may have evolved from the berserker's rage, during which the berserk might receive wounds, but due to his state of frenzy take no note of them until the madness passed from him. A warrior who continued fighting while bearing mortal wounds would surely have been a terrifying opponent. On the other hand, if you're familiar with "iron shirt" and "iron body" practices from kung fu, you may want to compare the development of such immunity. You can also compare the development of such immunity with the practices from other traditions (e.g. yogis, dervishes, etc.)
The purpose of shapeshifting is, of course, not restricted to physical combat. In daily life you can benefit even more from using shapeshifting to gain internal strength, wisdom and many other qualities which would have a healing effect on your mind, emotions and body - the ultimate purpose being to experience greater inner balance rather than to wrack havoc.
You may already feel a particular affinity to a specific animal. For example, a cat-loving people would most likely feel affinity for shapeshifting into any kind of "big cats", while dog-loving people would most likely feel affinity for shapeshifting into "wolf-like creatures".
Shapeshifting is not restricted to animal forms, not to any creatures existing in the physical realm. Depending on your needs and desire for learning, you may choose different God-forms. In esoteric circles, this is more often referred to as "God-form assumption", rather than shapeshifting. The purpose here is to obtain learnings and to help you develop qualities and attributes within you which are characteristic of a specific deity. You may also experiment with shapeshifting into fantasy creatures, if they possess attributes you'd like to experience and/on enhance within yourself.
With your eyes shining bright, you penetrate through obscurities and recognize what is happening on the other side of the mountain. You swallow your sound and eliminate your traces, without leaving behind anything whatsoever. Yet you can set in motion waves that go against the current and employ the ability that cuts off the flow. You are swift as a falcon that gets mistaken for a shadow as it soars into the air with its back to the deep blue sky. In the blink of an eye, it’s gone. Point to it, and it comes. Press it, and it goes. It is unstoppably lofty and pure.
This is the way this true source is put into circulation, to serve as a model and standard for later generations. All those who would communicate the message of the source must be able to see through a person’s false personality without blinking an eye; only then can they enter into it actively.
People with the will to reach the Truth must be fully developed and thoroughly polished to be able to go beyond conventions and transcend sects. They can only be seedlings of transcendence when at the subtle level they can see through every drop, and at the expansive level the thousand sages cannot find them.
Old Master Zufeng used to say, “Even Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha are servants of the Way. Ultimately, what is the Way?” How can this admit of arbitrary and confused probing? You will only get what you are aiming for if you realise the Way
In general, a good Zen teacher will energize the indomitable spirit of the great person inside a student and cause them to move ahead into the superior stream so that they cannot be trapped or called back. As a teacher helps people respond to their potential, the process should all be clear and freeing. If the supposed teacher uses contrived concepts of “mysteries” and “marvels” and “the essence of truth,” how can this produce any genuine expedient teachings? If they put a gleam in their eye and strut around uttering apt sayings of doctrines they claim to be absolute reality, this is just one blind man leading a crowd of blind people further into confusion.
When you make contact with Truth, then it covers heaven and earth. Always nurturing it and putting it into practice, you discover an extraordinary state. Only then do you share the understanding that comes from
Who says that no one perceives “the priceless pearl?” I say the black dragon’s pearl shines forth wherever it is.
Yuanwu (1063-1135)
— Excerpt from "Zen Letters - Teachings of Yuanwu"
Trans by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary
"What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult." -- Sigmund Freud
Why is this so?
Young children possess what Zen calls ‘beginner’s mind.’ They are awed and fascinated with the wonder of the world, open to discovering and experiencing new things. Anything is possible. Life is a great adventure.
For almost all of us, the systems that ‘educate’ us to be adults stifle our natural joy and curiosity. We lose touch with our innate appreciation of life. We forget how to dream.
The blessing is that with attention, patience and love, we can reawaken our sense of wonder. We can again dance with life.
"The mind WILL be free, or it will be dead."-- Grace Llewellyn
Winds of more than 80mph have ripped through
Trees were uprooted and buildings damaged across the country after a night of gale-force winds. Forecasters warned the extreme weather will continue across southern
The highest recorded wind speed so far is 82mph in Berry Head in Brixham, south
The winds were making their way towards
When we are going through a difficult time, we may hesitate to call even our best friends because we don’t want to burden them with our troubles. This can be especially true if we’ve been going through a series of challenges, and we’re starting to feel as if we sound like a broken record. It is important to remember that at times like these our friends sincerely want to be there for us whenever they can. We can always check with them to make sure it’s a good time for them before we start talking, and if it’s not a good time, we can call back at another time, or call another friend.
The Eight of Chalices card suggests that my power today lies in space.
'Insights based on the image of "The Shining Star" ... projecting awareness towards her locality at this moment in time to glean anything of significance ...
The natural, real Buddha nature is always inherently complete and luminous; it was thus before our parents gave birth to us, it is thus right now, and it will always be thus forever.
Originally there is not a single thing. Since there’s not a single thing, what is to be called original? If you can see into this, you will save the most mental energy. When divergent thoughts arise, adamantly cut them off yourself. This is expediently called concentration and insight, but it is not reality; this mind itself is inherently concentrated and at once insightful.
Huang-po said, “This mind is always intrinsically round and bright, illuminating everywhere. People of the world don’t know it, and just recognize perception and cognition as mind. Drop perception and cognition, and the road to mind comes to an end. If you want to know the mind, it is not apart from perception and cognition; and yet original mind is not limited to perception and cognition either.”
When you come to this, it is really essential for you to look into yourself; it is not a matter of verbal explanation. The more the talk, the further removed from the way. Those who are successful at introspection know for themselves when the time comes and do not need to ask anyone. All false imagination and emotional thoughts naturally disappear. This is the effect of learning the Way.
A thousand falsehoods do not compare to a single truth. If you are not thus, even if you consciously apply your mind, seeking effectiveness daily, it is all in the realm of impermanence, becoming and passing away.
Generally speaking, on this path it is important to work on real truth. When real truth stamps the mind, the path becomes self-evident. If the mind is not true, then even if you attend lectures everyday and discuss the path constantly, this just provides topics of conversation and is ultimately of no benefit on the path.
So what is the real truth? It is just a matter of looking back into the purity of your own mind in the course of daily activities, not
But when the mind has been settled, so that it merges back into oneness, and all traces of birth and extinction disappear, then you naturally realize basic subtle illumination, thoroughly empty, yet uncannily penetrating and effective.
The spiritual light shines independently, transcendentally liberated from organs and objects of sense. This statement has said it all. If you can understand this, how could I presume to talk a lot?
If the light is not revealed, you need a method. The method is not asking someone to explain; it is not studying scriptures; it is not doing a lot of charitable acts; it is not closing the eyes and sitting as if dead. Just look intently into the question of what your original face is in the course of daily life. Don’t think about whether it is hard or easy, or remote or near; and don’t worry that your own faculties and potential are slow or dull, or that you are too heavily obstructed by past habits. Just go right ahead and do it; after a while, eventually you will bump into it all of a sudden.
Excerpt from Teachings of Zen Translated by Thomas Cleary
We are born with a source of energy that potentially gives us the power to cleanse and purify our energy bodies, remove karmic debris and helps us to attain enlightenment.
This energy powerhouse has been referred to as the fire serpent, inner heat, holy spirit, sacred flame and inner fire by different spiritual traditions. It has been universally recognized as a potent spiritual force. Although we are all born with this hidden power, in most people the Kundalini remains dormant.
Awaking the Kundalini is important for your spiritual growth because it helps unite you with the Oneness of All-That-Is.
This source of energy is located at the perineum, near the base of your spine, and when awakened the Kundalini rises through your sushumna, the main energy channel in your spine.
It cleanses and purifies your chakras, sushumna, nadis, and other energy channels. By cleansing your energy channels, the Kundalini dissolves negative energies, blockages and other impurities that impede raising your vibrations and bringing in Light.
Removing negative energy from the heart chakra is an important step that allows you to activate and open your spiritual heart and enter the realm of the Sacred Space of the heart. The Kundalini is a crucial element in this cleansing. Serious spiritual practitioners often spend decades of concentrated practice just to awaken their Kundalini because of the spiritual benefits an awakened Kundalini brings.
It is possible for the Kundalini to awaken spontaneously. This may happen when a person does intensive meditation, even if the meditation is not intended for Kundalini awakening. Kundalini has been awakened in women during childbirth and it can also awaken as a result of a fall, especially if the coccyx area is injured. (Know that one personally. It is what happened to me as a child MJ).
Spontaneous Kundalini awakening may result in Kundalini syndrome, a constellation of physical, emotional and mental symptoms created by the powerful Kundalini energy that becomes stuck in areas where the person has blockages. For this reason, it is important to prepare the energy channels properly before any Kundalini awakening is attempted.
Usually the awakening process of the Kundalini takes many years and, if not done properly, Kundalini awakening can be dangerous. In order to be safe, Kundalini awakening requires that the sushumna be opened from the root to the crown chakras and the knots of the major chakras need to be broken through. This allows the powerful Kundalini energy to flow unimpeded through all the energy channels.
If the Kundalini is awakened without preparation, the powerful Kundalini energy flows upwards and becomes stuck in different areas of the body because the sushumna and the knots in the main chakras have not been opened. The Kundalini cannot push through and is misdirected into different parts of the body creating pressure, discomfort and sometimes pain.
Disease, when looked at clairvoyantly, takes on very specific shapes and sizes in the muscles, glands and organs of the physical and energetic body. Although diseases can be classified as being similar or under the same "umbrella," they carry very distinct energetic patterns that are instantly discernible to a keen observer.Multiple Sclerosis (MS), for example, has been medically diagnosed as a neurological disorder. Energetically, it appears as if electrical wires (the nerves) have been cut and are flailing around like fire hoses with no one at the control. These energy patterns appear where the sufferers are manifesting the disease in their bodies. For example, if they are having problems with their vision and speech, the nerves appear cut in the head and neck area. If they are having problems walking, the nerves will appear to be cut in the legs.
Lupus, also diagnosed as a neurological disorder, has a similar look and feel to MS. In the body, however, Lupus energetically appears as if the nerves are giant rubber bands stretching and moving, almost with a life of their own. There is no "tension" to the nerves and individuals with this disorder often feel as if they have little or no control of their muscular functions.
Parkinson's Disease is also medically classified as a neurological disorder. Unlike the cut or flailing nerves of MS or the loosey-goosey non-control of Lupus, Parkinson's Disease appears in the body as if the muscles of the arms and legs are in constant contraction. It is this contraction that causes the extremities, i.e. the hands and feet, to shake. Try contracting the muscles of your arms and hold them as tight as possible. Look to see if your hands start to shake. This is the energy underlying Parkinson's Disease.
Some diseases such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) energetically appear external to the physical body and are typically seen attached to or in close proximity to a chakra (an energy centre within the body). Although CFS can affect the person as a whole, the effects seem to come and go, and are first felt in the area of the chakra that is affected, moving through the rest of the body from that location.
For example, if the 7th chakra is affected (the energy centre on the top of the head), the person will typically first feel confused and dizzy, and experience blurred vision and an alteration of mental processes. If on the other hand, the 4th chakra is affected (the energy centre located near the heart), the individual tends to feel the effect of the CFS in the lower parts of the body and to feel tired or worn out while their mental activity is not impaired.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), on the other hand, does not appear in the muscles, glands or organs of the physical body nor does it appear in association with a chakra. It instead appears in the aura (the electromagnetic field around the body) as a degradation of the aura. When seen energetically, the aura of an individual with AIDS is typically seen as being yellow to yellow-brown in color and lacking in luster. When the disease moves into its more advanced state, the aura appears to have developed holes or looks as if it is disintegrating. With the natural protection of the aura compromised, individuals with AIDS are energetically more susceptible to contracting contagious illnesses.
This is just a few of the many diseases common in our world today. When looked at, the energetic cause of all disease is a holding on to energy within the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies that is not in harmony with us, while healing is experienced as a letting go of disharmonious energy. An individual can choose to hang on to the issue(s) that are causing the disease, or choose to let it go. It is this letting go that can dramatically reduce the symptoms of the disease, or potentially cure the individual of the disease.
Remember, healing is all up to you!
Police have found the body of a Spanish girl who disappeared less than two hours' drive from where Madeleine McCann went missing. (Sky News Sunday 9th March 2008)Mari Luz Cortes was discovered floating in an estuary near the southern city of Huelva, 120 miles from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz. The five-year-old vanished on January 13 when she went out to a newspaper stand.
DNA tests will be carried out on the badly decomposed remains, which were identified by her clothing.
Madeleine's parents have offered their prayers and sympathy to the girl's family. Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, sent Mari Luz's parents messages of support after her disappearance. The couple had also planned to include her in their poster campaign in Spain.
The Star (or Daughter of the Firmament) is numbered seventeen and is probably the most optimistic and beautiful card in the deck. A beautiful young woman, often naked, is depicted pouring water from a jug into the ground or into a pool by her feet. There are stars in the sky above her. Stars have long been seen as symbols of hope, regeneration, vision and new life. When this card appears, you know somehow that life is just about to become easier and brighter. Life's forces combine to assist rather than hinder.
Here is the truth about our power - we can join the solid earth of material existence with the flowing waters of spirit and create within ourselves a Universe. We have removed self-criticism and concentrated instead on our skills and strengths. When we regard ourselves with love, humour, tenderness and sympathy, we access the God and Goddess within and we are transformed.
"Every man and woman is a star" A. Crowley
In order to succeed, you must first believe that you can. The only true limit to your realization of tomorrow will be your doubts of today. The only thing that stands between you and what you want from life, is the will to try it and the faith to believe that it's possible. The moment you carry the conviction of belief, in that moment your dream will become reality. If you think you can, you can. 
New Zealand's unheralded seam attack consigned England to one of their most ignominious defeats in recent history, winning the first Test by 189 runs. (BBC Sport Sunday 9th March 2008)The Kiwis declared on 177-9 to leave England needing 300 from 81 overs but Kyle Mills stunned the tourists with four wickets in his first six overs. With the score 36-4 at lunch, England tried to salvage a draw but Chris Martin (3-33) had other ideas.
England totalled a pathetic 110 on a flat track, with Ian Bell 54 not out.
After starting his England coaching career with four Test wins on the bounce, Peter Moores has now presided over a winless streak of seven matches, including losses to India, Sri Lanka and now New Zealand - a team England were expected to beat in this series. But only two Tests remain, the first of those starting on Thursday, for Michael Vaughan's men to salvage something from a tour that is turning into something of a nightmare.
