December 2014

Only seven of us today first we looked at three short videos one on speaking, another on fears are an illusion and a rather daft one on slowing time. Still we have to keep an open mind maybe it does work. After our tea and cake. Jennie treated us. We looked at this answer to a question that intrigues me.

Question
The ONE may well in fact be the absolutely brain based reticular activating system that also may be the source of awareness. 
This process naturally precedes thought and therefore cannot be known by thought. It is also individually based. Identification with this pre-cortical awareness seems to me to be equivalent to the SOURCE that you describe. Perhaps its characteristics are sat/chit/Ananda. 
Is it not possible that all this spiritual searching is just plain silly? 
Response: An interesting question Joe. Spiritual searching may be called silly for many reasons, but for the seeker it probably is not. If I need my glasses and look for them, I don't consider this silly, but if you see them perched on top of my head, you probably do: It's a matter of perspective. 
We could say that the brain-based reticular activating system is instrumental to the functioning of human consciousness, but to conclude that this system is the One Source seems like declaring part of the radio to be the source of what we hear on it. We could remove a certain component of the radio and thereby silence it. This may then be taken as evidence that the music we heard, originated in the part we removed. 
Is it not just as unlikely that consciousness is the outcome of some random chemical interaction as it is that Bach's music originates in a transistor? Could it be that 'something' animates this manifestation just like the airwaves 'animate' the radio? We could call it 'intelligent energy', 'Life' or 'Beingness'. Without this 'force' even a fully intact body does not function; just like an intact light bulb will not produce light without the animating energy of electricity. 
Here, Life or Beingness and whatever appears are not seen as two, but for the sake of metaphor let's say that Beingness 'uses' the reticular activating system to express AS 'human-self-reflecting-consciousness' in the same way a musician may use an instrument to express his musicality. Seen in this light, the reticular activating system is the instrument 'played' by Life-It-Self and 'awareness' is the melody. 
There is no way I know of, to prove what I say here, yet there is now way I know of to disprove it. There are of course NDE's and OBE's, which are difficult to fit with awareness being purely brain based. To be sure, they do not prove anything conclusively, but neither have they been explained satisfactorily. Within the commonly accepted idea that time is real and humans and their brains have evolved through a lengthy process, it may indeed seem possible for dead matter to have sparked into brain based consciousness, just like it might be possible for a million monkeys pressing keys on a million typewriters to come up with the Encyclopedia Britannica. However this is not what is seen here: No past, no future, only THIS timeless presence appearing right now, including memories and theories. One Timeless Unborn Source - One Energy- expressing AS apparent diversity. 
To approach this mystery of 'Self Origination' through 'cause/effect reasoning' may lead to the idea that the reticular activating system is what has given rise to the idea of One Source. But could it not as well be the other way around? However, if we decide to use 'cause/effect reasoning' to get to the root (or source), then why stop there? If we really want to explain it, it seems we now have to come up with 'something' as the cause of this 'reticular activating system'. And so on…… 
It seems this chain of cause and effect ultimately requires a 'first cause.' This 'first cause' would have to be 'uncaused' for it to be the first. I only put this in to illustrate that from 'my' perspective 'cause/effect theory' merely provides answers within its own limited scope. Eventually it either seems to 'pitter out', or it gets pushed back forever and ever, or it leads back to the mystery of 'Self Origination.' 
Here splitting ONE in cause and effect is seen as a purely mind generated abstraction, very handy in day to day interaction, but an abstraction nevertheless. Such dividing logic may convincingly tell us of the cause -the brain based reticular activating system- and its effect of 'it being interpreted as Source.' Such reasoning wins on its own terms, but perhaps there is the option of an intuitive insight, a sudden 'seeing through' where this whole manifestation is perceived as nothing but 'the Single Source' appearing presently AS consciousness and its apparent objects -as a single, many faceted, self-shining diamond. As such IT may be re-cognized as the Timeless-Uncaused-Presence-You-Are. 

The Taoists call the appearance of the world and its unchanging background "Mutual Arising." We could say that Awareness is the 'generator' of the manifest world because all appears in awareness, but the split between awareness and its object is purely conceptual. Again, 'Mutual Arising' seems a great pointer. Can we conceive of something that does not appear in awareness, can we find a difference between hearing and a sound? Can we find colors separate from the seeing of colors? Perhaps it is obvious now that splitting 'the generator of the world' and the world itself is purely an idea. The generator and the generated -the dreamer and the dream- are not two. 
When the scissor of the mind, which divides this manifestation in 'this and that' in 'you and me' in 'up and down' is quiet for even just a moment, when all labels are gone; THIS is just AS IT IS. 
There was never a point in time when IT was created or 'generated' as time itself is part of 'the generated appearance'. Here IT IS, appearing (or 'being generated') presently. This is the Unborn Mystery of 'some-thing' out of 'no-thing. 'You', as a character, will never get closer to IT, nor can 'you' get away from IT. IT is all there is and -as said in the Upanishads- YOU Are THAT. 

But the real proof of this concept is INSIDE of us. Anybody who meditates can see, sense, feel and know that there is something there. That there is more there than just going to work each morning, making money to buy a house or a car, shopping, sleeping and eating. If we think that this is our purpose on this Universe, we are making a mistake. Sooner or later, our Higher Selves will give us lessons that will lead us back to unconditional love and harmony.

November 21st

Ten of us today and all impressed with two video's on on why our brain goes haywire when under pressure and how to stop those emotions that stop us from thinking clearly. The other video on how cancers are dependent on blood supply, the treatment to remove the blood supply to cancers and the right foods to prevent it in the first place.
We then read this which is good advice.

“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.” ~Unknown

For almost all my life, I have lived in my head.

In my head, there was a utopia. And that utopia was named “someday.”

“Someday” I w ould have my degree, have the perfect relationship, become successful in business, own a beautiful home near the beach, be more athletic, and of course, be completely fulfilled with every aspect of my life.

For me, “Someday” was both a place of refuge and a place of torment. Because although in my mind, it gave me something to hope for, it also made every moment of every day feel… empty.

Nothing I did or experienced in the moment was ever enough. I lived life as a means to an end that never seemed to come.

Each day I would wake up and jump from one thing to the next. When brushing my teeth I would think about breakfast, at breakfast I’d think about my commute, and so forth until I reached the brief moments just before I fell asleep, so I could promise myself “ Don’t worry, it’s all worth it—you’re getting closer!”

I felt like I had to rush against some invisible clock to pack my life with the fulfilment I thought I needed.

Milestones were passed and yet, I never stopped to appreciate any of it. I rushed head first into a serious relationship that wasn’t right for me, moved across the country to find myself, and launched a business.

After years of working hard, I finally woke up one day to realize that I was “there.” I was engaged, living in a five-bedroom house, working as a high level marketing consultant, and had everything I thought I had wanted “someday.”

And yet… I was still completely unsatisfied.

While outsiders saw an amazing life, I was stuck comparing “someday” to my current life, and lamenting on how it didn’t stack up.

Then, something amazing happened. I lost it all.

And I mean lost. It. ALL: My relationship exploded, I had to leave my home, I was let go from my high paid consulting gig, no longer had a car, and to top it off, I lost the two closest members of my family. All while being stranded thousands of miles away from any loved ones.

In the space of two weeks.

At the time I didn’t think it was such an amazing experience. It felt like I was standing at the top of a mountain while it crumbled under my feet, and I saw the fall I was about to take.

The amazing part came over the next couple of years, while I nestled in a humble little cottage working to rebuild my life.

At first, I felt sorry for myself. I started to sink into a deep “why me” pity party, and everyone was invited.

Then I realized, I was standing over the edge of a deep, bottomless hole. I could fight life and keep sinking deeper and deeper. Or I could decide to find a reason to step away from that edge and keep going.

I decided to look away from the edge. And it changed my life. Here’s what I discovered:

Love the present moment.

Fully accept it and fully love it. It took me a long time to understand that you can want to change or move towards a goal, and still love where you’re at now. Life is about living and embracing each moment, not looking to some future that will never come.

Find the blessings in the current situation.

No matter how dark your situation seems, there is a jewel hidden somewhere inside it. You can make up your mind to see only the bad stuff, or you go find the beautiful stuff and be grateful for it.

Understand that there is no magic moment that will save you—and rejoice!

We’re all looking for that thing that will give us deep fulfilment. But it’s not outside of you. It’s not hiding in a job, in cars, in a house, in a relationship, or anything else. Those are all nice things to have. But that deep fulfilment will not come from any of those sources.

You’re already a full and complete person. And part of connecting with that deep fulfilment is simply infinding the joys in the current moment.

These three simple steps broke the hold that “someday” had on me. I realized that “someday” was every day. Every moment of our lives.

I started to enjoy every day. And to my surprise the fulfilment I thought that I had to work for was right there all along—even though I had nothing that I thought I wanted!

The funniest thing is that once I let go of that search for fulfilment, everything that used to live in the world of “someday” manifested into my life with ease. I have since found my soul mate, live next to the beach, run my own heart-based business, and although I’m no athlete, I’m definitely much healthier.

However, I always remember that regardless of whether these things stay with me or go, I will always have fulfilment in my life.

Sotake on any challenge or go after any goal with a clear conscience knowing that you don’t need it to become completely fulfilled right now.

You are already complete.

As Lao Tzu said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

“Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.”  ~Iyanla Vanzant

17 Oct 2014

Have you ever pondered why is there something rather than nothing? That was the question I posed the small group after several phone calls apologising for not coming depleted our numbers. We then viewed a Ted program on the same question. According to that nothing exists to everything and we are in the middle like Goldilocks just right. We saw a short video about dreams then read and discussed the following.

The Lightness of Being
As a long-time friend and student of the Dalai Lama, Surya Das tells the story of how he received his first teaching about Being Light from this great spiritual leader.

An American guy stood to ask the Dalai Lama the following question: "What is the meaning of life?"The Dalai Lama answered, "To be happy and to make others happy."

At first, Surya Das admits, this seemed a superficial answer. Today, he appreciates the wisdom of those simple words.Julia: For many of us, the spiritual path has been difficult. And yet we know there must be a place where it becomes lighter — where the struggle becomes less arduous and we begin to experience that lightness of spirit we knew as children. Can you speak about this, please?Lama Surya Das: Part of lightening up is letting go of some of the burden. We take spirituality, religion, identity, and the big questions in life very seriously. And they are serious. But they shouldn't be too serious. It's important to wake up to the funny sides of things, and not believe so much in our self-importance, our prejudices, our heavy opinions, perspectives, and beliefs.
If we take ourselves too seriously, life isn't much fun.Julia: I hear you saying that our beliefs and opinions are part of the burden we need to release in order to be Light.Lama Surya Das: The Buddhists say to cherish the truth, but not to cherish your opinions.
Of course, we all have opinions and preferences. That's only human. But we don't have to hold them so heavily. We can wear them more lightly. For example, I'm a Buddhist, but I don't take it that seriously. I'm sure that Buddhism is not the final word.
We need to realize that we will lose some of our opinions as we travel the path. We need reality and truth, not just opinions. And truth has to be personal experience. Whether or not we decide to believe or join or sign on to some outside system, we have to find reality and truth within ourselves.Julia: And what about the opinion we have of who we are?Lama Surya Das: We need to let go of that. The lightness of being or joy begins with authenticity, and this means letting go of who we think we are, leaving more room in present time to find out who we really are — and letting that new identity emerge.
The extra baggage from the past is something we have to pay for, just as we have to pay for every extra kilo of baggage on a flight. Living in the moment is really the ultimate, and when we can get into the moment we can free ourselves from the burdens of the past.
In Eastern mysticism, there is a lot of thought about returning home — coming back to who we really are, finding something outside of ourselves, or even within the next life after we die. But it is important to realize the joy or buoyancy of being right now, here in this world. There is an updraft of joy and buoyancy to the spirit of Being Here Now.
This awareness of the moment frees us from our karma. It actually frees us from our karmic conditioning, and then we can let go of who we used to be. We are actually free from the voices of the past and past conditioning.

How do we live more in the Now? This is the question. Of course, the Now is where we are. But we need to be aware of this, and for that we need practices — like meditation or exercise We need a place in which we are aware of the time and space we are in now, but simultaneously aware of the timeless Now.
We have to connect the eternal Now with the present now — not the spaced-out presence of watching television, or mindlessly completing tasks.
We need to be connected in a sane, healthy way to the timeless Now — the moment — as well as the past, present, and future. I'm talking here about clarity and balance, and not going over the deep end. In this place, we are free. We are of the world and living in it. We don't have to negate the world, we don't push anything away — but we are also not overly vested in it, either. We become One with it. This is the Buddhist teaching of the Middle Way.
There is a balance, a freedom, a lightness, a joy in this place. Spirit is joy, Spirit is freedom, and Spirit is bliss. It is not a chore, a dogma, or a mental belief. It is like rest, because it is born every minute.
And there is joy in the transparent quality of Light, not just in its degree of brightness. Instead of just seeing things "out there," we begin to see through things. And when we reach this point, we start to see that everything — not just human beings, but all beings, all parts of creation in every moment, every molecule of the Universe — takes on the appearance of Light.
Lightness is joy. Life is a delight. Life is a joy.Julia: I think for me the greatest heaviness comes when I focus on the need to change someone else in order to be happy. Can you give us some advice about this habit of thinking?Lama Surya Das: There is something that we never learn in school, an incredible secret teaching: Whenever we change, everything changes.
Just realize that when we fight with reality as if we are going to change it, all we do is stir up more dust. The situation wouldn't be there if we weren't supposed to see the Divine in it. If we can't see the Divine — or the joke — in it, we have to keep living through it and be reborn until we get it.
We always want to change our mates, change our present circumstances, change our child or colleague. But when we change ourselves, the world looks different.
Moreover, the more we love and accept ourselves, the more others will love and accept us. And when we accept our mate, for example, this creates a transformational magic that completely changes our relationship.
It's counter-intuitive, but we should accept this as a great spiritual magic.Julia: My own feeling is that we cannot really accomplish this lightness of being until we change our habits.Lama Surya Das: That's absolutely correct. Spiritual practices come into play here, because they help us ultimately detach ourselves from our conditioned responses. Starting new spiritual practices and better eating, exercise, and work patterns definitely makes us more joyful and brings wonder and lightness into our lives. This is the way we connect to the Divine on a daily basis.

The bad news is that we really are heavily conditioned with the old habits, patterns, or karma. But the good news is that these habits, patterns, and karma are just ruts we are in, and new, lighter ruts can be made through spiritual practice and discipline. So we can recondition ourselves through better habits and thus detach from our old conditioning.

There is a great deal of freedom and joy in changing our habits and doing spiritual practice, a lot of wonder and joy in freeing ourselves from our old patterns. There is reinvigoration and refreshment from this. It is actually like having a second or third youth!

Meditation One of the shortest and most effective meditations is to take a short breath and smile. This only takes five seconds, but it can be repeated for one minute. This can be done either sitting or standing, eyes open or closed. This is one of my favorite American meditations. It's short, easy, and you can do it anywhere.

September meeting

Ten of us gathered together to seek enlightenment or or more likely to have a good natter amongst friends.
We viewed a video showing how the mind makes up what it thinks is out there. How far we are from being observant. The conclusion that reality is an interface for what is really out there. Then we  viewed a meditation video a 10 minute blue skies contemplation. After that we read and discussed the following.

Spontaneity: Why Its Better than Having a Plan

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us” – E.M. Forster

Be born, go to school, get a job, get married, have kids, have grandkids, get old, die. That’s the plan right? Well, so we think. Unfortunately so many get stuck in this cookie cutter idea of what life is supposed to look like, only to live in constant frustration and disappointment that their life looks nothing like the standardized version. Life may drift them more and more off course, and they keep trying to control the helm by bringing it back to the life they think they should have, like the characters on TV.

Unfortunately much of their life is spent in the struggle trying to get back “on course”, or what they believe is “on course.” So much time is wasted in this struggle to no avail. Only when a person just gives up, surrenders to the tides of their life are they able to see that their idea of how things were SUPPOSED to go was causing them a constant frustration because they were never actually enjoying anything about the present moment, or the way things WERE going. Who says things have to go exactly like that? If things aren’t going exactly like the social norm does that means that things have gone “wrong”?

The fun and adventure lies in the spontaneity, in the suspense, in the uncertainty. Of course it’s fun to have goals and aspirations, things that we envision ourselves doing and ways that we can offer our gifts and talents to the world, but in order to become more open to possibilities and opportunities that are awaiting us, ones that we never expected were possible, the most important thing we need to do is stop planning our futures so rigidly. We must allow ourselves to relinquish the need to have absolute control over every single situation, small or big. We must let something else take over, something that knows way more than we do….

“When I finally learned to let go of having to totally control everything around me and let my life unfold, I was stunned by the results. How could I have ever thought I could outsmart the Universe?” – Geri Larkin

The problem with trying to control how every situation will go is that we cannot always see the bigger picture in every situation. We have no idea why we didn’t get the job we applied for, or why our partner decided to leave us, or why the car wouldn’t start on our way to work. All the ego knows is that this situation was “bad”, we experienced some sense of sadness or pain, and because it does not desire to feel uncertain, or pain, sadness or vulnerability ever again, it must plan. It must control how everything in the future will go, so as to never feel out of control or open to chance ever again.

However, so much of our life is dependent upon things that we cannot control completely. The weather, traffic, how other people behave, whether or not we get the big promotion, who we meet and how we meet them, are all things that we cannot control 100% of the time. But the question is, why would we want to? Having total control over every single situation is not only an exhausting endeavor for us but is also a stifling experience for the people in our lives. The result of this fear of losing control is that we limit the universe in being able to direct us to paths that we may not have ever thought of on our own.

As soon as an opportunity or possibility is presented to us that doesn’t fit into our box, or rather our plan of what our life is supposed to look like, we turn away from it and label it “bad idea”… bad idea because it’s not what we think life is supposed to look like.

But if we look at our life from a broader view, from the big picture perspective, and openly accept the fact that we didn’t get the job, or we were dumped by our partner, or our car breaking down made us late for an appointment, we may in fact realize a better job opening was coming along, a new healthier relationship was just around the corner, or our car breaking down prevented us from being involved in a huge accident on the highway.

So just because a situation is not what we WANTED to happen, or what we planned on happening does not necessarily mean that it was bad. We can look at life in two different ways, one is that things don’t go as planned and that’s a bad thing, or we can look at it as if we live in a universe that always conspires for our greater good, so when something goes “wrong” or unplanned, we trust that it was for our greater good, always, even if we never see exactly why. The first option leaves us in constant resistance, and angry, bitter and stressed out constantly… and the second one leaves us grateful, accepting, and excited everyday about what that day may bring.

“At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey” – Lemony Snicket

If we envision anything for our future selves it should be that we are the best version of ourselves possible. We are healthy, and happy and doing something that we love to do and surrounded by people that love us. If we make the main focus health and happiness we leave ourselves open to all the many paths and roads and trails that one might take to achieve these goals, instead of getting too attached to exactly how we think life should happen.

Think of the universe like the navigational system in the car, we know the end destination (us being the best version of ourselves), but the HOW we get there is always up in the air. We may take a million left turns, take the scenic route or we may take the shortest route possible, only to find a happier more fulfilling destination mid-way through. The one thing that we can depend on though is that the universe never lets us get completely off course.

There is never too many “wrong turns” that the intelligence of the universe cannot re-route us back to being on track to our final destination. In fact, there is no “wrong” turns at all, there are only routes that allowed us to enjoy the view a little longer and take things a little slower, or routes that got us to our destination very quickly. Either way, we realize the fun was in the unexpectedness of the adventure.

August meeting

I put on a video about improving eyesight through natural methods mainly learning to relax not just the eyes but the mind. Then a short video on encompassing the oneness with the separateness of the ego as an expression of the Self. OK they struggled with that one. Then we read the following which they did like a lot.

When ‘Thinking Positive’ Doesn’t Seem to be Working
Nikki Sapp
“Life is not about being perfect, it’s about being real” – Unknown
Emotions are an inevitable part of the human experience. They can have us on top of the world or in the depths of despair, but if nothing else, they remind us that we are alive. Usually, “good” emotions are welcomed with open arms into our life experience, while perceived “bad” emotions are avoided at all costs. People use anything from drugs & alcohol to denial to avoidance to blame, all just to protect themselves from having to feel anything.
Very often we are given the advice to just, “think positive”, “be happy” or “stay optimistic” when we are experiencing hard to deal with emotions. While this advice may sound wonderful in theory, (because, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to just be happy and upbeat ALL the time?) it may not always be the healthiest option. In order to successfully move through a tough emotion, the emotion itself must be not only acknowledged but actually FELT.
How ironic. The one thing that people try to duck, dive and avoid at all costs (feeling the emotion) is the one thing that will set them free and resolve it. Denying the emotion is happening will keep it bubbling just under the surface, while observing it without judgement and feeling it to completion will actually make it subside.
It sounds simple, “just FEEL the emotion and it will go away,” but it can be a little bit trickier than it sounds and it’s also important to look at the role of our emotions and how “bad” ones can actually help us to grow as a person.
“Is suffering really necessary? Yes and no. If you had not suffered as you have there would be no depth to you as a human being, no humility, no compassion. Suffering cracks open the shell of the ego and then comes a point where it has served its purpose. Suffering is necessary until you realize it is unnecessary.” – Eckhart Tolle
Many have people have spent decades not feeling ANYTHING, it is literally how they run their lives, so when a negative emotion pops up they immediately jump to their preferred line of defense (avoidance, blame, addiction etc…). When a person spends all of their time not feeling anything, they run the risk of overcompensating by excessive DOing.
They jump from job to job, from one relationship to another, new hobby to new hobby, all to avoid the reality of ‘what is’, which is that there is an emotion that never got dealt with just under the surface. Over time they become human DOings instead of human BEings which means they are never quite comfortable to just BE.
This causes them to become so disconnected with themselves that they stop knowing how they truly feel about things and instead focus on how they think they should feel and act, which prevents them from being honest with themselves. The most important thing to remember here is that emotions should not be avoided, nor should they be wallowed in. Emotions, when used properly can be wonderful guideposts for our lives. Even though it’s not healthy to see our emotions as the 100% absolute truth of a situation, we can use them as indicators as to when it’s time to move on from an unhealthy relationship, or a going nowhere job, or they might even signify a deeper rooted issue that is begging to be dealt with.
As long as we don’t start identifying with the emotions themselves as our sense of self to the point that we are addicted and attached to them for our ego’s survival, we can use our emotions in a healthy manner. There are many methods to help us process emotions and move through them more quickly, which include: Meditation, yoga, hypnotherapy, counselling, energy work (chakra balancing/clearing, reiki, etc…), the tapping method, and so many more.
“The ego says, ‘I shouldn't have to suffer’ and that thought makes you suffer so much more. It is a distortion of the truth, which is always paradoxical. The truth is that you need to say ‘yes’ to suffering before you can transcend it” – Eckhart Tolle
Feelings and emotions are a part of the human experience, and when used properly can become wonderful tools for us. To only focus on being positive and feeling good is to deny part of our life’s journey, which will consequently inhibit us from being able to feel true joy. The happiest and most peaceful of people are the ones who have made it through their tough times, by actually going through their suffering instead of denying it was happening in the first place. Once a person has gone through the rough patches & dealt with emotions to completion, they are able to come out happier and wiser. They literally come to the light at the end of their tunnel.
The fear of feeling emotions starts to go away with practice. Soon, feeling an emotion, instead of avoiding it, becomes an automatic response. When we move through feelings more quickly we will always have continual growth which allows for true happiness, joy and inner peace.

18 th July Meeting

Holidays, working and funeral brought numbers down to six attending. Still an interesting morning where we first watched a video of images taken by the Hubble telescope .After studying a small patch in the sky for eleven days it revealed thousands of galaxies. The second video was about full enlightenment when realization that turning a full circle brings us back to ordinary reality which is what we seek. But it is now a unified rich phenomena.
As they intend to come to next month's meeting it can't be too way out to grasp I hope.

Then we read this tract from various articles found on the web pages.

In Buddhism one of the ‘Three Characteristics’ is No-Self (the other two are impermanence and suffering which are closely associated with this).
This refers to the illusion of reality having a permanent and separate self.

There is this notion that there is a permanent “I” or “me,” which is a separate entity that can be found. The obvious assumption of we are our body sounds good until we look at it and say “this is my body,” which implies at that moment that whatever owns the body wasn’t the body. The observer and the observed; duality denies our body being what we are. It is also in a state of impermanence, and at a sensate level it is made up of energy flickering at a similar rate to reality.

Perhaps thoughts are the “I.” They may seem more like the true “me” than the body does. But they come and go and are changing constantly too, as well as the majority of them not being under our control at all. They too aren’t something solid enough to assume they are the “I.” The ego is a process of identification with reality (physical and mental phenomena), not a thing in and of itself; it is like a bad habit. Not being a thing, it cannot be destroyed as some people say, but by understanding our bare experience, our mind, the process of identification can stop.

There is also something frequently called the “watcher” or “observer,” which is observing all of these phenomena. Strangely, the watcher can’t be found either, as it seems to sometimes be our eyes, sometimes not; sometimes it’s images in our head; sometimes it seems to be our body and sometimes it’s watching the body. It seems odd that this watcher to which all of this is being perceived by, which seems separate from reality and which seems in control of “us” is constantly changing and completely unfindable.

One of the biggest clues in solving this mystery is that if we are observing it, then by definition it isn’t us. Reality is made up entirely of sensations, and to begin to unravel this mystery is to begin to awaken. Reality with a sense of a separate watcher is a delusion. So who or what is it that awakens?

In short, it’s all of this transience that awakens! Here’s an explanation, keep in mind this is an attempt at summarising something quite complicated.

No-Self teachings directly counter the sense that there is a separate watcher, and that this watcher is “us” that is in control, observing reality or subject to the tribulations of the world. These teachings stop the process of mentally creating the illusion of a separate self from sensations that are inherently non-dual and utterly transient.

There are physical phenomena (everything we perceive with our senses) and mental phenomena (thoughts, feelings, emotions). These are just phenomena, and all phenomena aren’t a permanent, separate self as they are completely impermanent and are intimately interdependent. These phenomena arise and pass as we venture through reality, i.e. the sound of a bird singing comes into existence and then dissipates.

There is also awareness of these phenomena, but awareness is not a thing or localised in a particular place, so to even say “there is awareness” is already a large problem, as it implies separateness and existence of it where none can be found. Awareness is permanent and unchanging, and it is said that all things arise from it, and all things return to it. It could be called God, Nirvana, The Tao, Allah, the present moment, the Buddha nature or just awareness.

While phenomena are in flux from their arising to their passing, there is awareness of them. Thus, awareness is not these phenomena, as it is not a thing, nor is it separate from these objects, as there would be no experience if this were so.

You Can Transform Your Own Consciousness, It’s Your Choice

The weather seems like a poignant reminder of how if we change ourselves, then we change the world.

A lot of conversation I’ve been privy to recently has revolved around how bad or terrible this hot weather is. There seems to be an air of irritation and non-acceptance of it; wishing it to be different.

But do we have any control over the weather? Do we even have any control over how the body reacts to this temperature? The ‘hotness’ and ‘uncomfortableness’ of the body occurs all by itself. We don’t control a single thing. All we can ever do is change how we relate to ‘what is’.

The weather is hot, the body gets warm – it’s actually a really interesting sensation to experience. Delving into these experiences lets us explore the depths of our being. Why run from it? Do you notice that most of the uncomfortableness comes from wanting this feeling to go away, wanting it to change, rather than the experience itself?

This is the beauty of impermanence. This will all fall away, and nature will reveal to us contrast in all its cooling glory. The scorching sun subsides. Clouds emerge. Day turns to night. Temperatures drop. Then the body cools.

Pure acceptance is the end of this illusory separation between “me” and the weather. Subject and object. Without the narration or evaluation of this experience, there is just the experience; just the warmth. We can either use the mind to create that gap, or we can merge with the experience. We can be the mind commentating about it, judging it, or be the experience of the warmth in our body. One is dual, the other is non-dual. One gives us the feeling of identifying as the mind, the other gives us the feeling of being a universe of sensation. This is our choice, and it’s only through conditioning that we identify as the mind.

So, we can use this principle for everything. We can get annoyed at the dog barking at night, we can get frustrated with red traffic lights, we can be depressed over a pay cut, we can harbor non-acceptance of how our body looks or feels…. or, we can merge with it all. We can become it, and see it for what it is in this present moment. We can even completely accept feelings of deep emotion that arise, and let them run their course without resistance. Express, rather than suppress.

This is the transformation of consciousness; the alchemy.

June Meeting

Low on numbers just eight of us on a beautiful morning, not the weather for viewing videos or discussing mysticism but we did and it was entertaining. Gave rise to a lively discussion that often strayed into politics and football. Showed two videos one on quantum theory and the other Anthony Robbins' interview with Deepak Chopra. After a break we read this article on finding heaven here and now.

Finding Heaven Here A Psychologist’s Spiritual Journey

To become a clinical psychologist. I spent nine years in college and graduate school studying the nature, causes, and treatment of psychological disorders and three decades working in the profession in numerous settings and capacities. Although I learned a great deal about the psychological basis of human suffering, my understanding always felt incomplete. In my heart of hearts I knew there was something missing -- something fundamentally spiritual about our suffering and our joy, a dimension of reality as important and verifiable as anything psychology studied. Only recently did I realize that this spiritual dimension was the experience of Heaven on Earth. Let me explain how I arrived at this realization.
As a child, I sensed a pervasive, radiantly beautiful, living mystical reality shining all around me. Running in summer sunshine, bare feet on grass wet with morning dew, myself and all things bursting with the energy, consciousness, and joy of Creation, life felt too full to contain. Spirit filled the world with implicit love, its light illuminating natural beauty like a colorful stained-glass window, its presence a great invisible tide moving through everything. Though at the time I couldn’t express these sentiments in adult words, I remember the joy of this experience nearly lifting my feet off the ground.  Meandering through grassy fields like a mystical explorer, I touched rough-hewn bark, studied daffodils and smelled the subtle fragrances of earthy flowerbeds in the noonday heat. Birds’ songs virtually hypnotized me with their sweet melodies. Everything appeared precious and timeless, and I had no thought of yesterday or tomorrow. I adored -- almost worshiped -- my mother and father for their magnificent beauty, natural charisma and angelic presence. Everything seemed fascinating, perfect, spacious, and complete and I unquestionably assumed this wonderland would be mine forever. Then, gradually, insidiously, but insistently, beliefs and expectations from the World of Man descended upon my bright and colorful existence. Adults had little or no interest in the divine world. Busy with tasks, schedules and conversations, they rarely stopped to appreciate the inexhaustible beauty I witnessed everywhere. "Why is this happening?" I wondered, as I watched adult concepts about behavior and personal value infect siblings and friends like a contagious illness.  Over the ensuing years, I felt repeatedly saddened as those around me exchanged the divine world for these new worries about self worth. A protective numbness, however, soon moved over my soul and I shut down emotionally and spiritually. Looking back, of course, I realize that my experience represented the universal fall from grace -- the magic of Creation -- into the World of Man with its conceptual grid of beliefs, rules, and expectations.

The years I spent in middle school proved an especially hard period for me. As old friends tried on new identities, competing in games of popularity and discarding undesirables like trash, I felt alone and naked. I didn’t want to wear an identity but felt vulnerable without one. During the same period, I suffered the unexpected trauma of open-heart surgery to correct a birth defect. When I awoke from the anesthesia, I wondered, "Where was the joy of the bright world now?"  Years passed. Then, one evening in midlife, I read the following account of one man’s mystical experience in William Stace’s "Mysticism and Philosophy": "The room in which I was standing looked out onto the backyards of a tenement. The buildings were decrepit and ugly, the ground covered with boards, rags, and debris. Suddenly every object in my field of vision took on a curious and intense kind of existence of its own … And every object, seen under this aspect, appeared exceeding beautiful. There was a cat out there with its head lifted, effortlessly watching a wasp that moved without moving just above its head. Everything was urgent with life … which was the same in the cat, the wasp and the broken bottles, and merely manifested itself differently in these individuals … All things seemed to glow with a light that came from within them… I experienced a complete certainty that at that moment I saw things as they really were, and I was filled with grief at the realization of the real situation of human beings, living continuously in the midst of all this without being aware of it. This thought filled my mind, and I wept. But I also wept over the things, themselves, which we never saw and which we made ugly in our ignorance … My immediate reflections on the experience at the window were as follows: I saw how absurd had been my expectations of a vision of God … For I had no doubt that I had seen God … it turned out to be the world that I looked at everyday … As Blake put it, 'all life is holy' and that is enough; even the desire for more seems to me more spiritual greed. It is enough that things are, a man who is not content with what is simply does not know what is." I put the book down and stood by the bedroom window for a long time, stunned and speechless, as if the Earth had suddenly stopped spinning. Then I understood. In his mystical experience, this man had actually witnessed the divine world: radiantly beautiful, literally alive, and always present despite our failure to see it -- and the place he described was the place I had known as a child.  The search for Heaven on Earth now consumed me, but, as a result, gifts of guidance, insight and revelation began arriving daily. When you knock on Heaven's door, it opens. As if guided from above, I kept creating what I later called "experiments in consciousness," processes meant to sharpen our natural mystical sensitivity for God’s Presence. Since the mystics from across traditions consistently have said God lies beyond ideas and beliefs, I developed one experiment that involved examining reality with intentionally heightened and thoughtless awareness. Wide-eyed and wide awake, I would stare intensely at something -- a book, a lamp, a flower, my hand -- until its sensory qualities became hyper-real, exquisitely detailed and beautiful, exceptionally bright and colorful. I saw how the ever-present lens of thought had in the past filtered out the object’s captivating beauty and said to myself, "The world is completely different than what we think and far more amazing." This observation confirmed the man’s mystical account I had read in Staces’ book and suggested to me that anyone could learn to see the divine world intentionally.

 I could hardly believe my eyes. The beauty, perfection and wonder of my childhood divine world had returned. Once again I walked in a bright wonderland of extraordinary sights, colors, smells, and sounds. For me, such things as green leaves in speckled morning light shining through dusty windows now held all the hushed holiness of a magnificent stained glass window in a cathedral.  Astonished and enthralled, I practiced these experiments at home, in stores, at work, and outside. I understood that this omnipresent consciousness belonged to God and marveled at its power to transfigure reality before my eyes, peeling away the ugliness I normally saw in the world like old paint to reveal a radiant paradise beneath. Now Heaven on Earth appeared everywhere. Is Reality  All in the Mind? Real as it my seem, our sensory experience is but the brain's reconstruction of the physical world. Moreover, modern physics reveals the world "out there" is very different from our experience.

May meeting

Just nine of us today to learn about body language mainly the signals we giver when shaking hands and the indication of the power of a person when holding the hands palm down while calling instructions. Very useful knowledge. We then watched a Bruno Groening video.

Bruno Groening: Powerful healer with a simple message - his story reminiscent of a modern day Jesus?

Bruno Groening was born in Gdansk, Poland, on May 31, 1906. He moved to Western Germany as a refugee after World War II and became a sensation practically overnight in postwar Germany. It all began in 1949 when Bruno successfully healed a young boy, suffering from muscular dystrophy. Around 5,000 people gathered in front of the Huelsmann family home, and many thousands more gathered in various places after that to hear Groening speak and to receive the power of his spiritualhealing.

During his 53 years of life -- Bruno died in 1959 -- Groening healed many. People had spontaneous healings wherever he was present. Groening's healing powers brought a powerful light into the darkness: in a country where evidence of destruction was rampant, mass gatherings named “armies of the wretched” were said to be transformed. Sick individuals became well again, the suffering and depressed became happy, the lame could suddenly walk again, and the blind would gain their eyesight back. People who had lost all hope gathered around Groening for help, and “what had been unimaginable before was suddenly becoming a reality.”

There was much controversy over this healer, and public opinion varied greatly. Some called Groening a ‘miracle doctor;’ others called him a ‘charlatan.’ He was a humble man with no medical training nor theological education. He was a simple workman  Before the war he had various occupations: carpenter, factory and dock laborer, Post Office worker, and electrician. “”I am not to understand by mind, just by heart,” Groening stated. He helped anyone who asked and refused any kind of payment. He only asked for a written report of the healing.

Groening always insisted that “It is not me who heals; it is the Divine force that helps and heals. This Divine power is free of charge, costs nothing at all and can be used by anybody…. I am not telling you anything new.”

This remarkable healer taught that the human body is constantly embraced by healing waves which only need to be absorbed and that, like batteries, our bodies require this divine energy. When depleted, the body experiences fatigue, exhaustion, nervousness, anxieties and eventually, illness. He constantly talked about the "Divine force," "life force," and "healing stream" – or "Heilstrom," as he termed it -- that anyone can take in very readily. "According to him, no illness is incurable, and this has been confirmed."

(The follwoing is taken from this site.)

Absorbing the Heilstrom  

"In a quiet room, sit on a chair, free of the backrest if possible, both feet on the floor, and open hands palms-up on your thighs. Do not cross legs or arms. Open your heart and mind and ask for the energy to come. Think of something pleasant and positive (i.e. a beautiful landscape, a happy event…) Disengage all negative thoughts -- of illness and worries.

"The Heilstrom moves into the body via our antennas -- our hands, feet and head, and can completely fill it with new energy. Sit and absorb the energy daily, even if for just 15 minutes, for health maintenance and longer for healing.

"Heilstrom generates a “process of purification,” which Groening called Regelungen. A Regelung can last for weeks, months and sometimes years. It depends on how serious the illness is, how far a person can open up to the Divine energy and the influence of surroundings. It may be experienced as pain, tickling in parts of the body, warmth or cold areas, swollen limbs or by emotions. If you need to weep or laugh, then let it happen. These sensations are temporary.

Positive Thoughts Only

"According to reports, once you have absorbed the Heilstrom, it is very important to give up the illness in your mind, and don’t pay any attention to it any more. Most importantly, stop believing in the illness. Focus your complete attention on the healing. Believe that whatever you feel in your body belongs to the healing, not any more to the illness!

"Groening said, 'Thoughts are energies which will come true! If now you take up the firm intent in your mind to regain your health and the belief that this is possible with God’s help, you have built up the right mental attitude for healing to begin.'

"Groening always invited people to convince themselves of the truth, with their own bodies. 'Watch carefully if you feel the Heilstrom, if Regelungen occurs or if you just feel better after regularly taking up the energy.' It is claimed that improvement in all areas of life occur from regular absorption of this Divine energy."

Before his tragic and early death in 1959, Groening helped create groups of people to gather and absorb the healing stream of energy on their own. In 1979, the “Bruno Gröning’s Circle of Friends” was organized. This organization passes on Bruno's teachings; reports of miracle healings of just about any imaginable illness continue to take place. At least 1,200 "Circle of Friends" meet worldwide to absorb and heal from receiving the Heilstrom together.

We finished the session by trying his method of tapping into the divine. We know Eastern philosophy has always assumed the power was self evident calling it Prana or Chi. Mixed feed back some

tuned in and others didn't.

18th April

We first viewed a video of  the inspirational speaker Louise Hays then followed by a quick demonstration of Acupuncture, tapping points on the body without needles. Not too impressed but you never know it can't harm. We then watched a tribute to a man who is now no longer with us after a lifetime of seeking. Quite sad but uplifting to see the strength of the human spirit.
We then reviewed the following. 

Do you truly know who you are?

It seems the mind can comprehend everything except for the mind itself. Yet, in essence the mind is all that is, therefore without knowing your mind you know nothing. He who knows others is learned; He who knows himself is wise. -- Lao-tzu, Tao te Ching Life is simply the process, or journey, of knowing yourself. The ultimate reason for life is self-discovery. Yet, many people spend their entire lives getting farther and farther away from their own true, inner nature. Most people are constantly distorting their own idea of themselves, only because they do not know what they truly are.
They are not even aware that this identity they hold of themselves is false. The self that you must come to know is not an artificial creation of the mind. Rather it is the mind itself. We go through life projecting who we think we are. Even though you may have lived your entire life thinking of yourself as a false identity, you still have your inherent power to come to know yourself. In fact, we must all eventually come to know our own true inner nature. Most people spend their entire lives running away from their true selves, only to come crashing back to knowing themselves through the transition that we call death. As a side note, your false self is the only thing that dies in death. It is the reason we fear death, because our true selves are unknown. All we know is our false self and we know that one day we will lose this false sense of self. On the other hand, the true self cannot possibly die, nor could it ever be born. It has always been. The true self is the Infinite Being at the heart of your soul. It is your Essence. God has always been a symbol of the true self. Modern society is made up of distractions.

These distractions consume our lives. They ensure that we remain oblivious to our true inner nature. Almost every pastime or activity that you can name is a distraction! This even includes working and accomplishing goals (when the purpose of the accomplishment is not the process of accomplishing the goal, but the reason behind it is to get you somewhere you think you want to go). Even most spiritual growth or personal development information is a distraction. When you are holding a false sense of self, this information feeds it. Although, these distractions may help to give you clues as to your true nature, they cannot directly trigger self-realization. The only source of truth you have in your life is your own inner nature. Although these information products may guide you, the path to knowing yourself is a personal and intimate journey.

March 2014

Ho'oponopono - Ancient Method Changing Lives

As a practitioner, I am always looking for new ways to help people, help themselves. Learning and studying ancient methods of healing is especially interesting to me. From Oriental Medicine to Polynesian Medicine there are so many interesting and effective methods which is only now making it's way to the western world. Most of the techniques/methods used is directed towards others but when Ho'oponopono was introduced to me little did I know I had much work to do on myself before this technique would be effective.

I was in England studying and working upon my area of specialty when this woman first mentioned the Ho'oponopono method. I was joined by 24 other students within our program and one day we were instructed to speak on a topic we knew well. We had a 20 minute time slot and we were to fill in that time with important points and findings. It would be that day a woman introduced to us this incredible, yet simple, method I had to learn more about when I returned home. After that time, and upon researching this ancient method, I began to implement this ancient healing method with others. Result? I have to say it is without a doubt truly effective/affective.

It's a transformational technique that anyone can use. There are no needles, no touching, no music, no instruments of any kind and it can be done anytime and anywhere. Let me give you a bit more background before jumping into the this powerful self-transformational technique.

As was introduced, Ho'oponopono originated from Hawaii and was originally used by families to help correct their errors in thought, word and deed. To help 'make things right' amongst family members. Eventually this ancient and sacred opportunity for cleansing and clarification was introduced to other groups of people so that they too could benefit from this powerful method. It was Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona, a healer, who first began to widely instruct other doctors, colleges/universities and even to the United Nations personnel of this method in 1983. She founded "The Foundation of I" in order to promote and make widely available these principles of Ho'oponopono around the world, a method Hawaiian Natives understand all too well. Then came Dr. Hew Len (trained physician) who was an avid student of Morrnah Simeona and who not only incorporated the Ho'oponopono technique but received wide recognition on the effectiveness of such a method.

Dr. Hew Len eventually worked as a staff psychologist for Hawaii State Hospital (between 1984-1987) overseeing a maximum security unit housing male criminally insane patients. These men were not small time thieves, they were killers and rapists. Men would never be allowed release under no condition. Violence was common in the facility as aggressive and violent behavior toward other inmates and staff was a daily occurrence. Once Dr. Hew Len began using the method, within 3 years of his dedicated service at the Hospital, the inmates no longer needed restraint (wrist and ankles), staff took less 'sick days', staff turn-over rates began to drop and staff eventually began to enjoy working there. So, violence dropped considerably which was seemingly an impossibility: Almost non-existent amongst the inmates with the exception of new inmates just arriving. With great success, eventually other 'out reach' programs were introduced to these now non-violent men outside the ward which would have been impossible before this time. The whole unit eventually closed and these men where re-assigned to other minimum security programs where they continued to flourish.

As was witnessed by other staff members, Dr. Hew Len did not see any of the inmates (one-to-one sessions), no direct therapy or counseling with any of the men, he did not attend staff meetings, nothing to show he made direct contact with anyone in the ward during his time there. He wanted only an office and their charts/files. That's it. How did he do it? What's the Ho'oponopono Method all about?

Ho'oponopono method consists of a strong philosophical base and mediation. Without learning more about the philosophy, the intent/desire behind the treatment can be lost. Ho'oponopono starts with you. Here's a little insight into the philosophy, a way of seeing life, necessary if one is to understand this method...

In part, it is about clearing toxic energies within you, energies that block you from advancing, healing, living. All the negative emotions, hurts, experiences are lodged in you on all levels. We are not separate from one another and what affects you, affects me. So if others have blocks and energies that need release in order to flourish in life, so do you: The main concern is to unblock mental obstacles to allow a new flow of energy through words, deeds, actions within oneself so that others too will benefit from you healing YOU. So the idea, philosophy, begins with a need not to start with the idea of saving others but to practice working on oneself. We heal ourselves, the world around us heals. So we are responsible for people who enter our world with problems and a less than satisfactory life. By shifting our energies, other energies will also be effected. There is much more to the philosophy behind Ho'oponopono.

 The process of clearing and forgiving is about incorporating 4 statements which initiates the flow of healing, processing and clarification. This is what Dr. Hew Len used within his office as he focused healing upon himself, and indirectly, helped these men in the ward.

The magic 4 are as follows:

1. I'm sorry

2. Please forgive me

3. I love you

4. I thank you

It is to be repeated with full intent and feeling.

February meeting

Only seven of us today to view a video about two worlds the one where we are the creator and the one that is the creation. To live in one world is a recipe for disaster. Becoming and being is another way to express it.
Then we discussed the following a mixture of wisdom from the internet.

Few people realize it, but there really are great spiritual secrets. They exist. In fact, your whole life has been a journey to find them. Once you do find them, you'll hold the key to a life unimaginable

The first point is to know how to be here and now. Second point is that when I dream, I don’t have control over my dreams. You have no conscious control over your dreams, over that part of mind which dreams. You have no control over that part of mind which sleeps. The vast part of mind remains buried, remains unknown. Only a small part of mind is being cultivated by you and you are puffed up with pride that, “I have a Ph.D., a D.Litt., I have education, I have money, I have a car, I have all this.” What is my point of view? Human beings are members of a fools’ paradise. I go around the world and I see many, many intellectuals. But I find none of them practical and I cry. I don’t say that you should accept whatever I tell you. I’m just making you aware that a vast part of the mind remains unknown to you. Now there is a third point. That which you consider peace, happiness, and bliss, where does it live? Where does it exist? If it was anywhere in the world, Americans would have found it first. They have even gone to the moon. Where is it? If mind is within, peace should be in the mind, or known by the mind, or known by understanding the mind. What is mind? Now let me tell you something. All of the body is in the mind, but all of the mind is not in the body. How will you know that part of mind which is not in the body? Therefore, to know mind is very important, not to know God because He is already there. You don’t have to know Him. Body is already there, you don’t have to know much about it. But you have to know the mind. By understanding the mind you can be free from all bondage.

Freud likens the unconscious mind to a bag. You do not know, you are carrying a bag all the time. It is like your shadow. Wherever you go, your shadow follows and will not leave you. You are always carrying that huge bag with you. Anything that you think goes into that bag. You do not know that part of the mind. You are trying to understand your mind, only a small part of the mind. You don’t know the totality of your mind, both conscious and unconscious. If you know how to train the vast part of mind, the totality of the mind, you can do wonders on the earth. Anybody who has done wonders on this earth, anybody who was considered to be a great man, was great because he knew his mind. You do not have to know the soul because it’s already there. In all conditions, the soul is there. What you have to know is your mind, and that’s why you are called hu-man, your own mind. And the moment you know the mind, you can go beyond the mire of delusion created by your mind.

We have to find out the secret of polishing, taming, or learning to have perfect control over the mind which is the finest of all instruments. But only a small part of the mind can be grabbed. The totality of the mind doesn’t come under our control because a vast part of the mind remains unknown to us. Many Easterners, those who have not studied Western psychology and philosophy, say, “Oh! Western philosophy is nothing, Western psychology is nothing.” They are stupid. Freud says something very definite. Freud says that if the unknown part of mind is known, then you know all of the mind. Adler, James, all these psychologists tried to understand the mind. Whatever they understood, in a scientific way, is remarkable. What I learned from both, the interaction of East and West, is that the unconscious mind is like that iceberg which is hidden beneath the water, not known to us. The tip of the iceberg that is seen floating above the water is called the conscious mind, that which is hidden is called the unconscious mind. When we get closer we find that it is not actually the mind, it’s a vast reservoir.

You say the mind is roaming, let it roam. Why are you bothered? It will never go anywhere. It will come back to you. Let it go, don’t follow the mind. I once asked my Master, “How to practice?” He replied, “Mind tells you to go there, but you don’t go. Tell mind, ‘O mind, if you want to go, you’re free to go. What can I do? But I am not going there.’ ” Fighting with the mind is never considered to be control. Therefore learn to lead the mind, make a certain route for the mind to travel and that is called learning to have control over the mind and it’s modifications.

Now I’ll tell you something about the kinds of problems that arise when you try to know the mind. A friend of mine once told me, “On this trail there is a ghost.” It was at night but I did not believe him and I said, “I don’t care. I’ve not seen it and I’m not curious to see it.” We forgot all about this. After one or two months, I passed that way and it was a dark night. Suddenly I remembered that my friend had said that a ghost lived here. Even though I did not believe, why did I remember? Because anything that comes into my conscious mind finally filters down to the unconscious mind which is vast. The totality of mind should be understood, not only a small part of mind, the conscious mind, that we cultivate in our daily life.

The human body has potential to cure its own ailments provided you know about your body. I don’t discuss religion, No matter from which religious background you come from, I want to give you something which you need in your daily life. All the great bibles of the world say one and the same thing—be still, be still. For a few minutes in the morning and the evening, every human being should learn to be still. Why, because you will meet God? No, that’s not necessary. You will be healthy. For your mental health it’s important for you to understand quietness, stillness. During that time, those muscles which do not get rest even in sleep get rested. The voluntary system you can control. You can exercise and develop all of your gross muscles, but you don’t have control over your involuntary system, the subtle set of muscles.

Please remember, all of the body is in the mind, but all of the mind is not in the body. This is accepted fact. The Upanishads, the final and best part of the Vedas do talk about it, do discuss it, do explain this. Confucius, Buddhists, Zen, Zazen, they all explain it. Everyone found the same problem created by the mind. My mind does not create a problem for you. Your mind doesn’t create a problem for me. Your mind creates a problem for yourself.

The Secret Place of Peace

Within each of us, in our hearts and in our minds, there lives a special kind of light. In truth, it is everywhere. We can look at our thoughts as particles suspended in this silent, illuminated space. But, instead of seeing the beautiful stillness -- the source of that which reveals the movement of these passing thoughts and feelings -- we grab onto each thought that passes through it. Why would we do this?