Changing Karma

Karma, the linkage of Cause and Effect, comes from the actions of our past and present life. Some say we are bound by Karma and thus our life is limited. The Divine Being in us is not limited by the causal flows of Karma.

We can change the impact of past Karma by asking Forgiveness; We can cut the 'pre-configuration' of Karma by making a pledge to something greater, that counters its effect; we can make new Karma by taking new action.

Also, in addition to Karma, there is our Divine Purpose and the impact that actualizing our divine purpose has on evolution.  These are bound by Karma.


 

Finding Joy in turmoil

There is a joy within us that is always present and not diminished by the trials and challenges of life.

We need to drink from this spring of joy often to keep at bay the jackals of despondency, despair, depression, anger, jealousy, fear that sneaks in and eats away at our happiness, at our sense of the sacred in life.  This can be so, so hard during times when life feels like it is crushing us with crisis, hardship, loss, chaos, threat, illness, uncertainty, lack of flow, etc.

 

Of course, these are the hardest times to turn within; either to find time, or motivation or concentration or a quite space. For some reason these are the times we need it most but feel the least like drinking from this well of inner joy.  Yet, oddly, very oddly, if we somehow manage it, even in the most tangential of ways, it seems that there are unseen hands just waiting to hold us and love on us. If they catch just a glimpse of us turning away from the turmoil and toward them, they grab us, and the light and power of upliftment is there more than normal.  You may have felt this, or not, it doesn't matter for it happens all the same.

Such a draught of joy can be had in many ways: working in a garden, going to church, reading an uplifting book, singing inspiring songs, meditating, praying, saying an invocation, being with children, going to an inspiring seminar, listening to inspiring music or lectures, serving others, walking in nature -- what these all have in common is a momentary respite, a turning away from the hypnosis of our individual perception and toward something greater than ourselves - nature, oneness, wholeness, light, spirit, compassion.

The key is we must make that small effort to tip the scale toward spirit and away from the present situation. To let go, momentarily, of the trouble, pain, grief, sadness, crises to allow spirit to arise.  It does not have to be a huge or prolonged effort; just a little bit of regular effort is enough, for that Joy is always there with us - it never leaves and it is not dependent on outer circumstances.

You may not feel the effects of such actions immediately, and to be honest, they probably will not remove the present crisis or challenge, for these still need to be handled outwardly, but they will bring a new perspective, they will break down barriers and blockages and dear beloved ones of God, this makes all the difference!

For me personally, the easiest, most effortless, powerful means to open and shift my vibration, emotions and perceptions toward spirit are:

   1. Saying an invocatory prayer (Saum for example) I feel attuned to (an invocation or affirmation will help too).

   2. Singing or saying the Dhikr: La Illaha Illa Lahu; I also especially like to say La Illaha, La Illaha, La Illaha - meaning I surrender all limitation, negativity and turmoil in light.

   3. Reciting a Mantra such as: Ya Fatah - Ya Azim; or reciting a chant to a great being of compassion such as Tara: OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA.

   4. I always offer petitionary prayers from my heart to God for help.

   5. And I find doing the elemental breaths particularly powerful.

In each of these practices I don't let the state I'm in stop me, I don't worry if I'm worthy, a total mess or doing the practice right - I just do it, that's all. When I do it, I don't think about the meaning, I often do it out loud because I need the audible sound to help me focus. So the great thing is that none of these practices truly depend on me or the state of my mind, emotions or body - they work beyond the mind-mesh, beyond the walls of my limitation! 

It is like a baby crying for their mother and the mother comes to help!

 

 

Remember Your Light

When in the company of others,
No matter who, nor what you are doing,
Simply remember your light
and will you become a lamp of Divine Light.
Remember your light is the from the Light of lights, and
Your presence will enable that light in all that is around you. 
Then you are a giver of light, which is a gift from God.


May you be filled with light every moment of the day and night!

The Divine Words of Power that enable this potential are:
(Nur - Munawwir)

(Nur - Shahid) 

 

Birthing a Sacred Civilation

My dear sister in spirit, Muhyia-Nur, eloquently speaks of the attunement of “Birthing a Sacred Civilization”:

“Birthing a Sacred Civilization is our attunement theme for 2013. I realize this sounds rather ambitious but it is true and aligned with the cosmic forces. The cosmos speaks to us of this new sacred civilization in every beam of light and every inch of soil. The teachings come directly from Mother Earth and Father Sun as they engage in the creative act of birthing consciousness in humanity. There is a more conscious way to life and we will discover it together. How can we be both the midwives and the beings who are birthed? The answer lies in our hearts, in the golden gleaming jewel of living light. We are engaged in conscious birthing into the unknown, for now. As our programming is freed up and our memories return, we'll remember how to make this journey. In one sense we move along and in another we center within to the living still point within the golden jewel of enlightenment. As you hear teachers speak this year you'll hear two fundamental teachings. "We are multi-dimensional beings living in many dimensions simultaneously" is one message and the other is, "There is only One Being and all that exists is One Being". These two messages merge into one understanding when we expand into a more ascended consciousness. It all depends on the viewpoint.”

I have found the practice of repeating and surrendering to the sacred name of God called: Ya Azim (the most high or all glorious) to facilitate within me a deep awakening of this sacredness that is behind the new civilization wanting to be birthed.

Ya Azim actualizes the divine presence. 

According to the book “Physician of the Heart”, “A most difficult part of human actualization is reaching the stage of being able to bring the structure of your inner realization into balance [I would say harmony] with the structure of your outward manifestation in the world.  This is the divine quality that is called on for this and for the accomplishment of extraordinary aims.”  

So in these times, as light bearers, we are being called upon to do an extraordinary thing - to be 'birthers' our sacred civilization.

 

Two additional practices for constant upliftment are:

In the Sufi Tradition, a practice common in the Nakshibandi Tradition is to say the name Allah with every breath thus: Inhale ‘Al’ - exhale ‘lah’ in the physical heart (Qalbia).

A similar practice in the Aramaic Tradition as given by Dr. Neil Douglass-Klotz:

Using the Aramaic name of God Abwoon (Abvwoon) meaning “Our Father”: Inhale feeling the sound ‘Ah’ – exhale feeling the sound ‘bwoon’.

As you inhale, feel all newness and nourishment coming into the heart-lungs area. As you exhale, feel everything old, everything that wants to be released, leaving with the breath. Abwoon means “Our Father” in Aramaic but is much more as it is an expression of divine creation and blessing that emanates from all parenting.

Experiencing Turbulance?

Picture by Hamida

In Birthing a Sacred Civilization, we find ourselves in the times of a pivotal evolution. Transformation  and the resulting evolution will occur inwardly and outwardly to humanity.

 

Evolutionary growth is always accompanied by a punch of energy.  This energy is required for the necessary changes to occur. This is perceived as increased turbulence and it does require active work on our part to be able to adjust; by working toward adjustment we are facilitating our own birth and evolution and we are actively birthing a sacred civilization within and without.

 

The impulse for the change is Divine, it comes from the source of Truth as it manifests.

Our planet is so very special, it may be the only one like it in the Universe. A planet where the Divine Reality has given its will and power of creation into the hands of its sentient self!

 

All beings feel this energy, all are subjected to the transformation; some have been chosen, by their very self awareness, to be mid-wives.

 

If you choose you will be given the tools to be able to adjust and the skills to be a mid-wife, otherwise you would not have been accelerated.

 

Some Words of Power to help with this transformation

 

Salaam - Shahid (the wittness), Shalom - Shahid, Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti - Peace, Peace, Peace.

To be the witness of Peace, by witnessing we bring Peace to our lives and where ever we go. This peace will give us the balance we need to keep a clear vision in turbulent times.

Ya Muhyi (the bringer of life) - Ya Mubdi (to initiate something new).
These together allow us to give birth to new life!

Ya Huk (Truth) - Ya Mawjud (Mauwjood, the Existenciator).
Make God a reality and God will make you the Truth!
 

The Servant

Amidst the crowd gathered

I was the first to take the bowl of poison offered

and drink,

Afterwards you gave me golden serpent arm bands,

I knew they marked your slaves and took them gladly,

For thus was I able to see and cast out the demons

hidden among the people.

Then I saw myself hung on the cross,

it seemed like years,

 In tears I was taken down, each nail I felt withdrawn.

 

Laying helpless in your arms

I die that I may live

Only for you.

 

 

What Abdul Qadir did not tell us about Surrender


The great Sufi Abd'l Qadir Gilani taught utter, complete and uncompromising annihilation of limited self into the Divine Perfection.  This annihilation is catalyzed buy those times when we feel we are being crucified or shattered by the pain of life.  Abd'l Qadir says about these times we should become 'like a dead body in the hands of the body washer', or 'like a polo ball under the mallet of the polo rider'.  So God the Exalted will not be with you unless all your desires and your will are smashed. And when they are smashed and nothing is left in you and you are fit for nothing but Him, God will create you afresh and will give you a new will-power wherewith to will. (Futuh al-Ghaib, 6^th Discourse, pg 28).

So then at the other end of these "dark nights" he says we will come out "reborn". 
This is the degree of 'non-self', of surrender he advocates. Here one becomes the hollow reed and our every action is divine action, not self-action. Here you become established in God's action and God's purpose without their being any movement in you or through you in God's creation unless it be with God's order and action and command. (Futuh al-Ghaib, 17^th Discourse, pg. 59)

So this is a surrender of Crucifixion and Resurrection; of a shattering of that which doggedly maintains a false perception of realty and the resulting rebirth of perception within the perfection of Allah.

La Illah Illa Lahu is the practice to bring about this surrender without the pain of annihilation, which we leave to life itself.  This is the practice to die before we die and be reborn now.

“There can be no rebirth without a dark night of the soul, a total annihilation of all that you believed in and thought that you were.” “One is never so strong as when one is broken.” Hazrat Inayat Khan

What Abd'l Qadir did not tell us [in the Futuh al'Ghaib] is the Divine Love that also comes with complete surrender in the Divine.

So, Behind this annihilation of the limited self is the force Love, Lover and Beloved. 

When Ahad, the only Being, became conscious of his Wahdat, only existence, through His own consciousness, then His predisposition of love made Him project Himself to establish His dual aspect, that He might be able to love." - Hazrat Inayat Khan

This force of Love can also shatter that part of our self that maintains an erroneous, limited self-centered perception of life.

"The condition of God and His true lover is that either the Beloved lives or the lover, not both." - Hazrat Inayat Khan

When we finally find and surrender to that Great Love, beyond the steps of personal Love, the force of Unity it contains utterly overwhelms us and we see through the eyes of love that everything is our self.  This Love carries us beyond all fear, prejudice and hatred, in this state of surrender to Love our actions are divine action!  This Love is already within our heart and soul waiting for us when we surrender to the beloved. 

The true lovers can no longer perceive either the scent or the color of their own selves. They have no interest in anything other than the Beloved. Their heart is attached neither to throne nor crown. Greed and lust have packed their bags and left their street... They no longer take themselves into account, and live only for love. They leave the raw and turn to the ripe, abandoning completely the abode of the self. Jami, Essential Sufism

Ishq Allah Mabood Lillah is the practice to bring about this surrender of oneself as the Lover into the Divine Beloved.  Other divine qualities that are embodied in this loving surrender are: Ya Wadud - Ya Wahid (The One Beloved in all things) - it is this unity and love which allowed Jesus to say: 'forgive them lord for they know not what they do."

Another beautiful practice in the spirit of Love is given by Pir Zia as follows:
ya Habib, ya Mahbub, ya Muqallab al Qulub  ("O Lover, O Beloved, O Transformer of Hearts").

 Love sees the beloved and nothing else.



The Full Moon of Love is Empty yet Full