Living Light

I know the Divine Beloved Loves me Because S he just kissed me  with her tough love! 

We were offered and agreed to take this job, To travel from the land of the soul to be born on Earth. O ur job came with a purpose, and so our life was given purpose. The job we took was simply living life, and it is very hard work! It is work that lasts a lifetime, however long that may be. It is guaranteed work. It presents us with many challenges to be navigated, and problems to be solved.  These challenges and problems were not given to us haphazardly, t hey are intimately tied to the purpose of our job and life. They could not be avoided. In return for our effort, our job gives us many rewards, they are n ot always monetary rewards. Sometimes the rewards are for the soul and are given in ways the mind does not understand. Finally, sooner or later, we are allowed to retire! We have accomplished many things at our job of living life, and nothing is labeled good or bad. This is a time of joy, it comes with ...

There a few Breathing Techniques that are very simple to use and yet very powerful for restoring balance and vitality when disrupted by Negativity. Why can we use our breathing to restore balance?   Because it is breath that connects body, emotions and mind. Therefore if we can regulate our physical breathing we also influence the state of our emotions and mind. If we are caught in a negative mood our breathing becomes reflective of the mood – it becomes erratic, rapid, or out of balance. Lack of balance in our breathing, while not creating negativity, makes us susceptible to its influence and can even maintain it. So, to help break a bad mood or negative ‘mental-emotional habit’ a breathing practice is probably the easiest way to do it. Poor Mental-Emotional habits, like poor eating habits rob us of our balance, vitality, perspective and the happiness inherent within our heart, any of the following breathing techniques, if practiced regularly, can restore balance and h...

There are good moods and bad moods, states where we are enveloped in emotions. If these do not give us a sense of Love, Harmony or Beauty they are "Bad Moods". They totally influence our perception of life events, and they are stressful, creating unwanted thoughts, speech and action!  They are like a spell cast upon us, usually arising from past trauma, fear, or anger over situations which we can't yet seem to make peace with and let go. We don't want to repress these moods and we don't want to act out but we can hardly stop ourselves from doing so - we feel trapped, even held prisoner by them.   What to do? First, we have to break their hold, then find a way to step out of them, to step above them so we can see from another perspective, with a different light not clouded by their influence. In short we need to find a way, to find the strength to be able to acknowledge them, yet watch them and not react. When we do this, they do not go away but n...

Within every moment there is freedom, a moment not tied to past, present or future, but steeped in eternity like tea ready to drink. To drink this tea you need only relax and become present to the stillness between the gentle flowing of your breath.

Because There is No Reality But God, You simply can't Lose!     

The measure of our Enlightenment is found in our desire to serve. As I have continued to meditate, the fantasy of seeking to become "Enlightened" has gradually given way to the daily work of seeking ways to be of service in life. Each morning asking: "Oh Beloved, show me how may I be of service to day", has become one of my mantras.  

The awareness of our inter-connectedness has been sub-consciously dawning upon us for quite some time. Outwardly we see it expressed in technology such as the Internet and the explosive use of Social Media; we see it in the impact of the global economy, and even the way in which “The News” brings tragedies of world into our living rooms. We are at a point where cannot escape each other any longer – there is nowhere we can hide. So this sub-conscious awareness is becoming consciousness, whether we like it or not. We are also collectively finally beginning to see that we are ecologically and biologically interconnected: The Gulf Oil spill, reactor melt downs at Chernobyl and Fukushima, the impact of Fracking, GMOs, mass destruction of forests and progressively the deterioration in the Ozone Layer will teach us that we are part of one big biological being living on this planet.   There are what we call ‘Natural Disasters’: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Volcanic Eruption...

The New Awakening is not as we imagine, it is not the exclusive “spirituality” of ‘spiritual teachers and spiritual students’, of ‘spiritual leaders and spiritual groups’ of ‘spiritual orders’. It is a new “Inherent, natural spirituality” – a natural awareness of the spirit of Oneness connecting all things. It is an inherent awareness of existence as that ‘which it is’, and so it is really ‘nothing special’, it is simply a clearer perception of life’s dynamic Oneness and interconnection. The “forms” of the ‘old way’ are really not very relevant to those in tune with this new Spirituality. This is because the buildings which the ‘old forms’ were creating, have now been built and the new spirituality does not need those old forms anymore; they can be taken down so new forms can be built upon them.  Yes, “forms” are necessary for manifestation, and what the New Spirituality needs is new forms – this is spiritual evolution! This natural, inherent awareness of being interc...

Inspired from the first three verses of The Heart Sutra of Great Perfection The Venerable Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, When carrying out the profound Prajnaparamita career, Penetrated through the five aggregates And saw that they are Shunya in their nature. Here, Shariputra, Form is Shunyata; Shunyata is Form. Form does not differ from Shunyata; Shunyata does not differ from Form. That which is Form is Shunyata; that which is Shunyata is Form. The very same applies to feeling, idea, formations and consciousness. Here Shariputra, all Dharma’s are marked with Shunyata; Neither originated nor destroyed; neither defiled nor undefiled; neither decreased nor increased. Therefore, Shariputra, in Shunyata, no form, no feeling, no idea, no formation, no consciousness… Contemplation #1 Why seek emptiness?  Because in becoming empty we become All in All . Yet how can you seek that which cannot be sought?  Surely emptiness cannot be found by see...

We bear witness to the Light of Oneness by remembering and cultivating light in our lives. This is done by becoming aware of and consciously noticing light in all its many forms; but it is also done by taking care of and loving ourselves so we can take care of and love others. We, as human beings will find both joy and purpose in this. Light will always manifests as Love, Harmony and Beauty; in acts of compassion, service, respect, and consideration of others. Acts of ignorance, are acts taken without realization of our interconnection with all life. We all act in ignorance at times but the more we try to remember and/or act with Love, Harmony and Beauty the less this occurs. Thus will our lives be transformed!

Humanity is at a point, because of free-will, self-awareness and the power of co-creation, given to it by the One Reality, to be able to override the natural programming designed to protect and nourish us. Yet, there are many people in the world who are ignorant and asleep to the Light of Oneness.  These individuals, unfortunately, are not awakened and therefore not responsible for their actions at this time in their evolution - because they simply just don’t know any better.  They are caught up in personal, self-centered actions. The law of Karma will still hold them accountable in its own way. Also, most unfortunately, many of these individuals are in positions of power and influence within the societies of the world. This places a burden of service and responsibility upon those who are awake, and who do have the capacity to bear witness to the Light of Oneness in manifestation. Unfortunately, for those who have no capacity for Love, Harmony and Beauty, who are S...

Surely Life is meant to be a great Alchemical Cauldron of transformation, where evolution, growth,and continual awakening are to take place. All beings born on earth are born for this purpose, yet at the individual level we cannot expect all beings to be awake to the same degree at the same time – but all beings can and will awaken in time, if we who strive to stay awake will uphold the Light of Oneness by witnessing it manifest in all things.

Humanity, due to the gift of Self-Awareness has been singled out from the rest of the life forms on Mother Earth, and given the power of free-will and co-creation. These are the greatest of all gifts to be given to a species but we also NEED to realize that they come with the responsibility of determining our fate and destiny: and when I say “our”, I am not talking about you or me individually; I am talking about the whole of life on Earth.   Although the overall programming of the Universe is robust and ever renewing, humanity and the biosphere which supports all life on Earth is very, very fragile. Like a beautiful garden, life on this planet needs our benevolent care and attention.   The Divine Reality and Nature itself will assist us, but we need to act in ways that enable and allow it – this is what it means to be Co-Creators with God. It means humanity can advance, retard or over-ride the natural programming of the Universe designed to help us evolve and self-preserve....

Existence is endowed with the capacity to purify itself from poisons, self-heal and self-correct from imbalance; it can regenerate when damaged and renew itself when depleted. As a whole, existence is programmed with the capacity to right itself from damage – this is the principle of Harmony. Yet how does this capacity apply to Humanity and the Biosphere within which it lives on Mother Earth?   Humanity, as an integral part of the One Reality, is programmed with this capacity to heal and right itself, as well as the capacity for complete self-awareness.  The attribute of Self-Awareness gives rise to two additional gifts which set humanity apart from other species: The power of Free Will and Co-Creation!  However, these two powers, perhaps the greatest of all power, come at the price of great responsibility. The power of Free-Will, coupled with the power of Co-Creation, allows humanity to influence and even change how the self-righting capability of the Universe will...

While driving to give a retreat in Cleveland Ohio a marvelous gift was given to me, this Thanka of White Tara. I knew instantly she was to become a part of my life ... she is living in the center of my Meditation Room and she has become an important part of my prayers. She and I, We are still becoming aquatinted but already I feel a deep connection and her presence has already brought protection and blessings into my life and heart. She is Compassion, Kwan Yin, born of Avolkitishvara's tear and as it is her nature to give, I wish to give her to you. You can connect with her through her image and reciting her mantra 21 times. White Tārā, known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity; also known as The Wish-fulfilling Wheel. White Tara is a female Bodhisattva who embodies the motivation of Compassion, being known as Compassionate Mother of Long Life. Her function is to bestow long life, good fortune, and wisdom. It is said that living beings receive T...

These binding threads: Attachments, responsibilities, expectations, aversions;  woven so subtlety  into our consciousness,  Are released, wh en for one moment we sit  in surrender to Shunyata, Enjoying the limitless clear sky.

Oh Dervishes, in wandering life's material deserts, i f you happen to get caught in one of its arid valleys, v oid of the Water of Sp irit, Recite the words of our Confraternity Prayers for they are like the sweet water of an Oasis where you will be replenished and renewed. Prayers of the Confraternity of the Sufi Message