Shifting Reality

Muffin just resting in the Presence

The only way suffering is possible is if we are resisting
what is happening in the moment.  So simple.
The good news is that the end of suffering is within our grasp!  All it requires is for us to just "allow" what is.  That's easier said than done, only because we have so much practice at resisting everything!  Thousands of years of practice!

That's why I so much appreciate my squirrels.  They are the best teachers of just resting in the way it is. They never try to be something they're not. They are always reliably themselves and therefore content. What's their secret?

The thing about little squirrels is this...  their mind is free and without concern.  They do not experience themselves as separate from their world. They go with the flow. And they don't dwell in the past or worry about the future.  They are totally present in the now! 

So the next time you are stressed out,  
here's something you can play with:

1. Stop and take a deep breath. 
2. Ask yourself what point of view is causing your suffering.
3. Take that point of view and put it on the shelf for now.
4. Take another breath and stop thinking.
5. Look around you and find one thing you are thankful for.
Good Job!...
Now here's where you get to stretch your imagination:
6. Take the point of view that stressed you out and see if you can find one thing that's good about it.  

Now the mind is going to fight you on this... it wants to keep seeing what's wrong with the situation. The truth is that what's wrong with the situation is just one point of view. The mind would rather be right than happy. So just for fun, let yourself explore the opposite point of view. 
Be like a child and use your imagination.  
If you can think a thought and it can stress you out, 
you can certainly think the opposite thought and let yourself relax and feel good.  And if you were a little squirrel, you wouldn't bother to think at all. You'd be too busy playing.

 Remember, suffering is NOT in the fact, but rather, in the perception of the fact.  Just notice.  When you change your point of view...  your reality shifts!  

from Nisgaradatta's  I Am That:

"The mind is what it thinks.  To make it true, think true."

"The Absolute is the birthplace of perceiving. It makes perception possible.  But too much analysis leads you nowhere. There is in you the core of being which is beyond analysis, beyond the mind. You can know it in action only.  Express it in daily life and its light will grow ever brighter.
The legitimate function of the mind is to tell you what is not.  But if you want positive knowledge,
 you must go beyond the mind."

Q. In all the universe is there one single thing of value?
A. Yes, the power of love.

 A wise little squirrel recommended this book.

It Takes Courage to Wake Up!

Do we have the courage to see all that we have created as a result of our trying to save time, gratify our senses or make more money?  Some people use one of the quotes from the bible...

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the 
sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and 
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that 
creepeth upon the earth. Gen. 1:26

and misinterpret the word 'dominion' to mean 'destroy at whim'. However, they forget all about the 6th commandment,  

         Thou shalt not kill.   Exo. 20:13

    "Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given.  But up to now he hasn't been a creator, only a destroyer.  Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life's become extinct, and the climate's ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day."
                                              ~Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Can our mistakes be rectified? And where do we start?  Take a look at this amazing film about the devastating truth about what the ubiquitous use of plastic has done to Mother Earth....

Why is it so easy to close our eyes to the cruelty we inflict on our animal brothers and sisters? Hunting is no longer something done in order to survive... it is being done for "fun"... and is considered by the heartless, to be a "sport".  A human being's true essence is the natural state of a compassionate heart. To be separate from this birthright is a deplorable condition.  We were all created in the likeness of the Divine, but that doesn't mean that we still uphold that image!  If we truly acted from that likeness, our earth would still be the paradise it once was. 

That is why Awakening is so essential to the survival of Mother Earth and her creatures.  It really does take a flowering of the heart so that we no longer experience being "separate" from all the creatures. 
Many grassroots groups all over the planet are working hard to awaken the masses... one heart at a time.  The Oneness University in southern India,  the School for the Work of Byron Katie, and the Great Freedom teachings of Candice O'Denver are three very powerful groups that are working 'round the clock to wake up the "sleeping ones". 

And once awakened, there still is the task ahead... to rescue and rehabilitate our Mother Earth and all her children. 

      "Before enlightenment: "Chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water."


Music is definitely another major tool for global awakening as demonstrated with Playing For Change's "ONE LOVE" ~ 

Perhaps the music of the awakened ones will help move the planet in the right direction... Just listen to Matt Phillips as he sings his amazing song, "Little Frog":

Suffering Is Optional

  It's common for people to claim that they are suffering from a "broken" heart. Perhaps a lover leaves, a son dies, a cherished pet makes their transition. Regardless of the circumstances, if you really look at that statement and inquire, you will see that it falls apart... ie. it's just not possible.  Test it for yourself.  Go back in time to when you believed this to be true for you and locate that feeling inside.  Your heart was broken... is that true?  You might say, "well, it sure feels that way!".  It feels that way because you believe it. Belief is what makes something out of nothing. 
   Now just for a moment, in the midst of this uncomfortable feeling, just be there without the thought.  Just be there, relaxed, without focussing your attention on anything.  Are you OK?  Of course!  Everything is just fine.
  If you really look at the times when you are suffering, what's really going on is you just don't like what's on your plate in the moment.  That's all that suffering is... a resistance to what is. You are not getting your way!  
   But how else could we realize that God is everything, God is good, if we didn't get the chance to experience everything!  Maybe the problem is not in what's happening.
Maybe the problem is in labeling what's happening! This is good... this is bad.... I like this... this really sucks... and on and on.

  
   Test it for yourself. For just one day... don't label anything.  Don't label or describe a feeling or emotion, a sensation in your body, or any thought that floats in.  Just notice it and let it be there. Experience it without describing it. Just rest in the spaciousness that is always present: the awareness that includes everything. 
   If you really follow this practice, you will find out that what happens to us doesn't make us suffer, but rather our perception of what happens results in suffering.  With the story,  there's suffering, and without the story, no suffering!
   Here's Mooji's answer to the question: "What can I do to fix a broken heart?" ~  

Who are you without your story of suffering?

Just love.

YOU ARE THE LOVE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

Walk Without Crutches!

Mooji

   I am in the midst of reading a beautiful book of satsangs by Mooji called, Breath of the Absolute.

His words are so direct and pure... I think they could wake up a stone post!
     He says,

     "Life - the way you know it - teaches you to walk with crutches and yet you're completely healthy. Throw away the crutches and dance! What are the crutches you depend on? Notions such as 'I am not free' or 'I'm bound by my circumstances and conditioning'."

and

   

     "I say, remove all doubts and then you in turn can be an ambassador to your own Freedom. You take this Freedom wherever you go and are the Light unto your Self.

   Every human being speaks from a place of doubt, some crisis, some trouble, some worry. What is missed is that all of it is due to misidentification. It is you, the Beingness - the Absolute in manifestation - that appears to have fallen into some confusion. This confusion is the product of your own 'maya'. You have fallen under the spell, the hypnosis of your own projections and are suffering from that delusion. All that's required is a slap to awaken you - the Beingness - out of this stupor. This is what satsang is for."

   And even with the multitude of awakened beings sharing their experiences and pointers with others, still there are many people immersed in their suffering.
   Listen to this beautiful video taped at one of the Abraham-Hicks conferences. This one discusses this penchant some humans have for focussing on crises rather than  well-being. I personally love what she says about the maturity of the animals... (at approx. 6:45" - 7:45")

   Are you ready to wake up yet? In a blog I follow, Truthless Truth, there was a wonderful comment by a reader that refers to the role that Grace plays in this process of awakening. Her comment was:

"I would only add that while we are self-inquiring, the added element of Grace cannot be excluded - which some say is the all important element...

A final teacher works in two ways - through the transmission of Silence which is Grace which is Love which is Clarity which is Compassion, etc., etc., but also through the inquiry process...  It's not purely a mechanistic deliverance...

Many teachers can act as facilitators of awareness and many beautiful methods can be taught - yet the student's metamorphosis remains illusive...

I would argue that the critical difference here is the Grace - the Presence - the Love - that comes through Divine Mind.. when mortal mind or ego has vacated the premises.. this is the true facilitator.

    I love this comment because it supplies the missing piece... the magical and elusive gift of Grace! That is what is transmitted via the Oneness Blessing and the Oneness Meditations that are coming from the Oneness University these days!  If you haven't experienced a Oneness Blessing, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to share this Divine transfer of Grace in person!

    Listen below as one of the monks from the Oneness University explain this phenomenon. Following, you will receive a transmission of Grace from Sri Bhagavan! Enjoy! 

Watch live streaming video from peacedaytv at livestream.com

The New Paradigm is NOW

Have you noticed? 

All the amazing shifts that are happening right now on planet earth? There are literally thousands of grassroots groups making a difference in our world. My logo above describes three of the most powerful methods on the planet for "waking from the dream".

The Oneness movement includes the Oneness blessing and the Oneness meditations. This transfer of energy gives the recipient an experience of their essence~ loving presence! According to the most recent statistics, 

People Awakened are over 71,000

People living in the presence are over 130,000

People in Awakened states are over 45 million

People experiencing the presence are over 86 million

The Work of Byron Katie is a very simple process of inquiry 
that will unravel the most nagging thoughts and give you
 an experience of your true nature~ kindness!  

I love this video! A wonderful example of a woman living in the new paradigm~ nonduality!

 The third amazing leg of my logo says, "REST".

Candice O'Denver started the movement known as Balanced View many years ago after her realization.... that I already AM what I am searching for ~ LOVE! Today there are over 6000 BV communities all over the globe resting in short moments and demonstrating a peaceful way to occupy an ever changing world!  Here she is below with 

one of my favorite messages: 

Affliction - 6.28.12 from Balanced View Candice on Vimeo.

Candice talks about the "education in the nature of mind"

that is now available to everyone on the planet! Certainly there

is simply no reason to not wake up!  WOW! What an exciting 

time to be living in!  We all signed on for the "COSMIC PARTY"!

Grab your party hats and listen to this awesome environmentalist, Paul Hawken as he adresses a huge audience at a TED event:

We are the ones we've been waiting for! Party on family!  And if you're not in the party mood yet, feel free to contact me for a session!

Do You Know Who You Are?

What I love about baby squirrels is that 

they make the best gurus!

They are totally free in every moment

and never pretend to be something they're not.

They remind me of who we are!

From the very beginning, 

it's all just been a case of mistaken identity!

All the problems in the world are a result of 

not knowing our true identity...

LOVE !

Imagine the whole world getting together
in love and just hanging out
like these little squirrel brothers!
It's happening right now!
2012 is here!

Every Child Has Known God

Every child has known God,

Not the God of names,

Not the God of don'ts,

Not the God who ever does 

Anything weird,

But the God who knows only 4 words.

And keeps repeating them, saying:

"Come Dance with Me, come dance."

                                                 -- Hafiz

I Bow to the True Guru

There is an amazing Indian chant called "Aad Guray"

and sung by Deva Primal and Miten.

The translation of the words are:

I bow to the primal guru,

I bow to the guru woven through time

I bow to the true guru, the true

identity of the self.

I bow to the great guru whose great

glory will always be.

What is this primal guru?

Byron Katie calls it "what is";

Candice O'Denver calls it "clarity"

or "open intelligence";

Eckhart Tolle calls it "now",

and the Oneness community calls it

the "Presence".

Certainly there are a thousand names for this guru!

I call it LOVE....

In the following video, Candice elaborates

on the simple practice of

taking short moments~

a simple way to recognize

"the great guru

whose glory will always be"!

The true self is who we really are~

"Please call me by my true names,

so I can wake up,

and so the door of my heart can be left open,

the door of compassion".

Thich Nhat Hanh

The Ultimate Prayer

Last night I dreamt I was praying to fully know myself

as awareness. And when I was waking this morning

I heard the words to what sounded like "The Lord's Prayer",

only it was a new version... a non-dual version.

It was so beautiful that I created the lovely backdrop.

Creator of heaven and earth,

You are me,

I am you.

prayer of a Navajo girl - early 20th century

You are the love of your life!

There is a lovely poem

that beautifully portrays

the realization that

you are the love of your life!

Love After Love

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

~ Derek Walcott

from Sea Grapes 1976

Looking For Love

A strange passion is moving in my head.

My heart has become a bird

which searches in the sky.

Every part of me goes in different directions.

Is it really so

that the one I love is everywhere?

The Love Poems of Rumi

Everything is All Right!

I have been reading a beautiful text written by Candice O'Denver. It is called

"The Basic State ~ THE SOLUTION IN ALL PROBLEMS."

It is a soothing, wonderful book because

it reaffirms over and over the great truth that

we are already free;

that there is no mountain you have to climb

in order to arrive at freedom.

The many gurus that have realized this

and share in satsang

are all saying the same thing in various ways.

Here are a couple excerpts from The Basic State:

"To chase after perceptions and strive to correct them is as futile as the sky chasing the sky. All fixed descriptive frameworks appear where there is no openness to the sovereignty of the basic state. These ideologies see human beings as flawed and trapped within the determinism of contributing factors such as natural selection. Within these outlooks there is no recognition of, or support for, the natural perfection of the basic state that is intrinsic to being human."

"Yet the naturally perfect basic state is very exacting. In the basic state, there is found increasing mental stability, spontaneous empathy, sympathy and happiness. These are already present but go unnoticed when it is believed that they must be cultivated or that they simply appear at random. Compassion, clarity, perfect insight and complete mental stability are the norm for human beings rather than a rarity. To assume otherwise is tragic because it destines perception to whatever limitation or restriction is believed.

The starting point for understanding the true nature of the phenomenal world is the basic state, continually at rest in equipoise, clarity and insight. This is the exalted height of human intelligence."

We have been looking at ourselves and humanity through the lens of misperception. It's all been a simple misunderstanding...

Listen below as Mooji talks about this in the following video: