What Have We Lost?

What Have We Lost?
by Bob Fergeson

"When Freud coined the phrase that the ego was 'the true seat
of anxiety,' he was giving voice to a very true and profound intuition."
~ C.G. Jung, Psychological Commentary, Tibetan Book of the Dead

We come into this life complete unto Ourselves. Helpless in body and mind, and a bit forgetful perhaps, but still possessing faith in our Self-sufficiency. As we begin to look around us at the fascinating play of form and feeling, we slowly begin to lose our innocent Self-absorption and begin to be seduced into the present dimension. We can't help it, being terribly naive and still somewhat innocent (though carrying an unconscious package deep inside, the basis for our arrival here in the bardo of life). This regretfully changes, as we are soon permeated with an unseen fog-like state of mind we inherit from our newly chosen home environment. Constantly battered by moods and emotions we do not understand and cannot question, we find ourselves facing a daily onslaught of conflict and stress, followed by relief and pleasure, all designed to hook our attention in the outer world. The unconscious tendencies we have waiting patiently inside soon enough find their counterparts in the willing environment. Our mind is eventually set in concrete by the pattern of action-reaction with the world as we have encountered it, leaving little freedom of movement. We become hopelessly outer-oriented. With every passing year, the pattern becomes more fixed, and we ourselves become more convinced that the solution lies in more of the same. More control, more action-reaction, more identification, until we finally conquer and become master of the very environment that made us, or so we think. As someone once pointed out, this a good working definition of insanity. But here we are.

We have become hypnotized by the world. Our mind, and the minds of those who taught us from birth, have convinced us that we are an individual, a separate "thing" in a world of separated things. This sooner or later creates the unquestioned, complete identification with this illusory "thing," this knot between the sentient Self and the world. This knot is called ego, nebulous at best, though it calls itself "I." Because we have transferred our very sense of being into something unreal, which must be continually created and enforced, we feel an underlying anxiety, a longing for something, something stable and inherently self-sufficient. We, as ego, mistakenly transform this anxiety into a hope and belief in fear and desire, and we turn again and again to the world for the solution to our own mind-made problem. The Tibetan Book of the Dead gives us a hint at how serious this transference of meaning from the real to the unreal can be. Death of the body may not break the spell. Even in our dreams and fantasies, we are continually wandering, looking for safety and fulfillment in ego-building and unquestioned belief in our desires and fears. We have lost our Selves, and can only react to the creations of our own now desperate minds.

As we continue through life, becoming more and more engrossed, our thoughts and actions reinforce themselves and the driving forces behind them, leaving less and less chance for any meaningful change. Just as in the world of the after-death Bardos, where at every step of the way the mind becomes more and more sensually oriented, more and more emotionally strident and confused, where in desperation, the wanderer eventually returns to life and the world of bodies and things in order to manifest its unconscious fears and desires, so is it also in this life. We wander from one game of desire to another, encouraged by success and pleasure, and driven by fear and our growing anxiety: the carrot and the stick that deny us any rest. We become obsessed with our health and possessions, and when faced with death, will do anything for even one more week of existence. We continue to turn towards life, bodies, and emotional highs and lows, making the same mistakes over and over, never guessing that the solution lies within, not in the manic, repetitious attempt to control the outer environment.

The world is change. Any hiding place or fortification we crawl into, or pleasure palace we build, will fail us, someday. All form is subject to this never-ceasing change. Only in the Formless can we find the road Home. This wandering from bardo to bardo, dream to dream, gives no peace or true understanding. The true cure for our anxiety and longing is the death of the ego, not the body. We have lost our connection to our Inner Self, not some thing, or some needed control over things. Instead, with non-attachment and great attention, look at the world, at the little life you think you love and hate so much, and at your anxious fear of it, at your coming death. Question everything, especially your self. Then, hopefully this dream of existence will be seen for what it is: a never-ending play of form upon emotion, a wandering through desire and fear that never ceases. Turn your attention back to your Source, to the Love within, and find peace for the wanderer, the lost traveler in the endless bardos of life, death, and dreams

Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You




Siddhartha Gautam roamed in search of the secret of sorrow and suffering. At Gaya, a village on the banks of the river Niranjana in Bihar, he sat in silent contemplation under a banyan tree.



He attained enlightenment there, and became known as the Buddha. The spot began to be referred to as the Throne of Wisdom, and the banyan tree is now known as the Eternal Wisdom Tree, the Akshaya Bodhibriksha .



The tree stands for inexhaustible life, and is therefore a symbol of immortality. With its roots underground and branches rising to the sky it symbolises heavenward ascension.



The branches that hang down to take root in the ground symbolise the continuing support of merit through earnest devotion.



In ancient India the acharya and his disciples would sit together under a tree, mostly a banyan tree, and endlessly discuss the mysteries of the universe.



The Upanishads emerged from such disputations. In Shankaracharya's Hymn to Dakshinamurti , the following verse describes this tradition: "I bow down to Dakshinamurti, the Teacher of the three worlds, who, seated on the ground under the banyan tree, grants knowledge to all the learned sages who have assembled around him. How strange! The assembled disciples were all aged, and the guru was young. The Guru's sermon was conveyed through his silence, and all doubts of the disciples were cleared up."



Ultimate wisdom is be-yond the reach of mind and speech. Yamaraj explains to Nachiketa in the Kathopanishad: "This atma is not realised through long lectures nor through intellectual effort nor through listening to many sermons."



The Buddha experienced the truth of this saying in his own experiments. The Truth dawned upon him in silent contemplation on the Throne of Wisdom under the eternal Tree of Wisdom.



To western travellers, however, the banyan appeared as a tree shrouded in dark mystery. Pliny, Raleigh and others have commented on the evil nature of the tree. Thus, for them, "the proliferating tree is a tree of error... As this tree, so did man grow straight and upright towards God until such time as he had transgressed and broken the Commandment of his Creator. And like unto the boughs of this tree, he began to bend downwards, and toward the earth, which all the rest of Adam's posterity have done, rooting themselves and fastening themselves to this corrupt world." After the Fall, as Milton described in Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve tried to hide their guilt and shame "under a pillared shade, high overarched, and echoing walks between".



The tree is still echoing the warning: You grow straight and upright until such time as you transgress the limits prescribed for you. As soon as you transgress, you begin to bend downwards rooting yourself in corruption. Like the banyan, the peepal tree ashwattha (that which does not last till tomorrow), also represents a great truth in the Indian tradition.



The Gita (XV.1-4) says: "They speak of a Cosmic Tree. It is the ever-changing tree of the phenomenal world. Its roots go up, and its branches go down. He who knows it is a man of knowledge. Its form is not visible here, neither its end, nor origin, nor its basis. After cutting down the firmly fixed tree by the mighty sword of non-attachment, one attains the goal from which there is no return."



This idea of the cosmic tree is found in several other traditions also. For the Hebrew tradition states that the Tree of Life spreads downwards from above, and is entirely bathed in the light of the sun. Dante too portrays the pattern of the celestial spheres as the foliage of a tree whose roots (origin) spread upwards.

Monkey stuff..are you a monkey?

MONDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In recent studies, scientists tracked the behaviors of shoppers and investors as they spent money snapping up things on sale or investing in low-risk transactions.

And when these same consumers noticed that one shopper was getting a special deal, they reacted in a very human way: by flinging their money back in the seller's face in a righteous show of anger.

But these study subjects weren't human -- they were a troop of capuchin monkeys, native to the jungles of South America.

Scientists say the capuchins' "animal behavioral economics" are bringing new insights to everything from the stock market to the tit-for-tat reciprocity of daily human life.

"You can't explain everything that happens in economics by market forces -- you have to look at the human animal. And as soon as you look at the human animal, you notice that we have a lot in common with other animals, too," said Frans de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University and director of the Living Links Center at Emory's Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

Until fairly recently, economists believed the marketplace worked on a simple principle: everyone was out to maximize their own personal gain. But that theory doesn't quite fit with reality, according to Yale University primate researcher and professor of psychology Laurie Santos.

"For example, there's the curious problem of why humans don't put as much money into stocks as they do into bonds," she said. Over the long-term, stocks always outperform bonds, even though short-term dips in an individual stock's value are common. With stocks "you're more likely to look in your portfolio and say 'Oh, I lost $1,000 this month' -- even though you still make more money over the course of a year than you would with bonds," Santos said.

So why don't humans make the rational choice and play the stock market more?

The answer lies in the "reference point" -- an irrational habit that humans have of gauging economic performance against what happened yesterday or last month, or by the type of success or failure a neighbor might be having. Many economists have suggested that this illogical tendency is simply a product of human society, easily changed.

"Is this really the case?" Santos wondered. "Or is it something that's much more deeply ingrained?"

She turned to our primate cousins for help.

Working with a group of capuchins in her Yale lab, Santos and her colleagues first spent a few weeks training them to the concept of "money" -- in this case aluminum tokens that were exchangeable for food. "Even though we trained them, the monkeys spontaneously understood on their own that the market was 'fungible' -- that they could buy anything with the token -- grapes, apples, whatever was offered," she noted.

What's more, they also spontaneously latched on to the simple rules that drive the human marketplace. For example, if the researchers started swapping a token for one piece of apple but two grapes (essentially a "50 Percent Off All Grapes!" sale) the monkeys immediately chose to spend their money where it bought the most -- grapes. "It's what an economist calls a 'shift in consumption,'" Santos said.

The capuchins were also in tune with the "reference point." In one experiment, monkeys were given two options in spending their token: one researcher who offered just one piece of apple but sometimes rewarded the monkey with a "bonus" second piece; or a second researcher who initially showed the monkey two pieces but sometimes delivered just one apple slice in exchange for the token.

Either way, it was a gamble: the monkey was guaranteed at least one slice -- but might get two.

However, the capuchins overwhelmingly rejected transacting with the researcher who presented them with the two apple slices. The reason? "If they think they are going to get two pieces of apple, one piece just doesn't seem that great," Santos said. "But if they think they are going to get one piece, then getting two pieces seems really awesome."

This behavior -- a disproportionate fear of loss versus gain -- is exactly the reason humans prefer bonds to more lucrative stocks, she said. Her team plans to publish the study results soon.

Experiments conducted at the Yerkes lab and published in 2003 in Nature were even more intriguing.

A team led by Dr. Sarah Brosnan found that capuchins quickly understood that humans would accept pebbles (money) in exchange for cucumber slices. Monkeys swapped pebbles for cucumbers happily. Then, one day, a researcher suddenly rewarded just one of the monkeys with grapes -- a much more desirable commodity.

The result was pandemonium, de Waal explained. All of the monkeys who had not received the grape "suddenly got very agitated, they got obviously mad at us, the experimenter, the situation." The capuchins essentially went on strike, hurling both pebbles and cucumber slices -- which they had been greedily munching just a minute before -- out of the test chamber.

According to de Waal, this type of "outrage" against apparent inequalities in the marketplace influences human financial dealings every day. "It's irrational, and the monkeys were showing a similar irrationality -- of course a piece of cucumber is better than no piece of cucumber. But when a neighbor gets grapes, the cucumber is rejected," he said.

The capuchins are highly social animals, but it's pretty clear they're not acting from a sense of social injustice. "They don't understand the long-range implications for themselves, their society or their position. But in the same way, we probably don't either, most of the time," de Waal said.

Among capuchins and humans alike, the resentment primates feel when they think they are getting less than their neighbor is, "does, in the long run, have an effect on the level of cooperation you get from others," he said. "You're making sure that you get the right amount of reward for the right effort."

In the end, then, the capuchin studies suggest that "irrational" human economic behaviors may have logical roots in our evolution as highly social animals.

According to Santos, "It suggests that to really convince people to overcome these biases, we may have to dig a little deeper before we can get them to behave a little more rationally on their own."

Juanita will unchain your heart

Shania Twain Lyrics Juanita on Allspirit
Juanita
Shania Twain - Album 'Up'

She is the restless river
running through my veins
She rides without the reins--
her name's Juanita
She lives in the heart of every
woman in the world
Within the reach of every girl
who wants to meet her

(She's gonna be ridin' through)
Her name's Juanita
(She's gonna be ridiin' free) She's ridin' free
(She's gonna be inside of you, gonna be
inside of me) She's inside of you
and inside of me, yeah

Oh, go with her--flow with her
Dream with her--scream with her
Let her take over, or just get to know her
Be everything you can be
If you can find her and free her
Juanita will unchain your heart

When someone tries to take
away the freedom of your choice
To take away your voice--
that's when you need her
She's there if you dare to give
your broken wings a try
C'mon and take a leap and fly,
and you can be her

(She's gonna be ridin' through) Oh, Juanita
(She's gonna be ridin' free) Ridin' free
(She's gonna be a part of you, gonna be a
part of me) She's a part of you and a part
of me, yeah

Oh, go with her--flow with her
Dream with her--scream with her
Let her take over, or just get to know her
Be everything you can be
If you can find her and free her
Juanita will unchain your heart

[Instrumental Solo]

Oh, go with her--flow with her
Dream with her--scream with her
Let her take over, or just get to know her
Be everything you can be

Oh, go with her--flow with her
Dream with her--scream with her
Let her take over, or just get to know her
Be everything you can be
If you can find her and free her
Juanita will unchain your heart

Edgar Cayce On The Christ Consciousness

Edgar Cayce On The Christ Consciousness


Edgar Cayce On The Christ Consciousness

Part of the A.R.E. art collection - donated in 1975 - artist unknown
Oftentimes, when individuals hear the terms "Christ" or "Jesus," right away they may fall into preconceived notions based upon their upbringing or particular religious background. Throughout history, the perspectives people have had on the life and teachings of Jesus have been varied, oftentimes even at odds. Sometimes individuals involved in so called "new age" philosophies or comparative religious studies have decided that Jesus was "just a teacher." Was he only a prophet? Others have decided to disregard him altogether. Members of non-Christian faiths may have ignored his life and ministry. Was he a man who committed blasphemy by thinking himself a God? Others may have said, "Well, Christians have been cruel to me and therefore I'm not interested in Jesus." Even among those who call themselves Christian there is not complete agreement about the meaning of Jesus' life and work. These disagreements have resulted in dozens of denominational factions, charges of heresy or breaking away from the faith, and countless wars. The Edgar Cayce material, however, offers an approach that suggests there is a way of looking at Jesus' life in a manner that unifies all of humankind rather than dividing it.

Because of our focus on the material things in life, much of humankind has forgotten its true birthright as a child of a loving God. From Cayce's perspective, we are not simply physical bodies, instead we are spiritual beings who are having a physical experience entailing personal growth and development. Many individuals have incorrectly assumed that the goal of being in the earth is to simply reach heaven, find enlightenment, or somehow "get out of the earth." And yet, this is a perspective quite different from that contained in the Cayce material. Instead, Cayce believed that as children of God, our mission was to somehow bring spirit into the earth.


The dynamics of our deep and literal connection to God can be found throughout scripture, beginning with Genesis when we are told that God made humankind in the Creator's image. But our relationship with God as our Parent is perhaps no more clearly illustrated than in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24). This parable describes the journey of the soul: we were with God in the beginning, through the power of our free will we were able to make choices that were not necessarily in perfect accord with the Creator. And, at some point, we will "arise" and decide to return to God, regaining our inheritance and experiencing our true relationship with Him. One of the readings beautifully describes the spiritual nature of humankind in this way:

"For ye are a corpuscle in the body of God; thus a co-creator with Him, in what ye think, in what ye do."

Edgar Cayce reading #2794-3

The readings state that God desires to be expressed in the world through us. The example set by Jesus is apparently a "pattern" of wholeness for each and every soul.
Regardless of an individual's religious or personal beliefs, this Christ pattern exists in potential upon the very fiber of their being. It is that part of each of us that is in perfect accord with the Creator and is simply waiting to find expression in our lives. This Christ pattern was further described as "the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul's oneness with God" (5749-14), and its manifestation is the eventual destiny of each and every soul. With this in mind, the readings present Jesus as our "Elder brother," a soul who came to show each one of us the way back to our spiritual Source by perfectly manifesting the laws of the Creator in the earth.


Just as an older sibling can sometimes provide insight and counsel into some of life's difficulties ( because he or she went through them first ) Jesus as Elder brother can assist us in facing life's challenges. What may surprise individuals is that this fact has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with spirituality and discovering our true relationship with God - a relationship we share with Jesus. The readings not only affirm that Jesus was the Son of God, but they also state the same thing about each and everyone of us. In other words: Jesus was like each one of us and, ultimately, each one of us is destined to be like Him.

I and my Father are one. Then they took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of these do you stone me? They answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, "I said, Ye are gods."

John 10:30-34

Although many of us may be repelled at first by such a suggestion, evidence for this premise is found in both the Bible and the Edgar Cayce material. When speaking of humankind, Jesus, himself, states, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," (John 17:16). Surprisingly, perhaps, a Jewish businessman came to this very conclusion in questions that he posed in a Cayce reading:

Q. Jesus was made perfect, God came into His Own. We are men not yet perfect, god not yet equal to God. He represents our so-called future, the path to the Throne?

A. Correct. He is the path to the throne, in that we, man, must become as the One as directs the way.

Q. ...Like us, Jesus was both God and Man until He became God alone?

A. Correct.

Reading 900-100



Before becoming offended by this incredible possibility, shouting out charges of heresy, or believing the idea to be the work of the devil, we need to look closely at the life of Jesus. Not only will we find that He was charged with blasphemy for this very claim, but we will find that He stated this truth for each and every one of us:


For indeed in Him, the Father-God, ye move and have thy being. Act like it! Don't act like ye think ye are a god! Ye may become such, but when ye do ye think not of thyself. For what is the pattern? He thought it not robbery to make Himself equal with God, but He acted like it in the earth. He made Himself of no estate that you, through His grace, through His mercy, through His sacrifice might have an advocate with that First Cause, God; that first principle, spirit...

Reading 4083-1



The law Jesus is referring to is the Old Testament, specifically the 82nd Psalm which asserts that not only are we God's children, but we are also "gods" (to be sure in-the-making), as well. Although some individuals may be offended with the statement that everyone is a part of God, in recent years more and more people working with esoteric spiritual traditions have come to that very conclusion. Unfortunately, oftentimes those individuals who accept this premise have forgotten the appropriate attitudinal stance that should accompany it. In reality, this claim is not so much true as a verbal statement made about oneself. Instead, it is only true as we become god-like toward one another:

For the Master, Jesus, even the Christ, is the pattern for every man in the earth, whether he be Gentile or Jew, Parthenian or Greek. For all have the pattern, whether they call on that name or not; but there is no other name given under heaven whereby men may be saved from themselves.

Reading 3528-1

When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life,"(John 14:6) it was not a call to religious conversion; but rather an opportunity for us to realize that His life could serve as an example for each one of us. Regardless of our religious background, in Jesus' life we can find a pattern of how to live, enabling each of us to overcome our personal weaknesses, our shortcomings, even our problems. In the language of the Cayce readings:

Q-5. What is the main purpose of this incarnation?
A-5. To glorify the Christ Consciousness in the earth . in the lives of those with whom ye come in contact, and to live the same thyself.

Reading 2441-4

On one occasion, a thirty-eight-year-old male who primarily desired additional information on how he might better manifest his life's purpose, asked Edgar Cayce for clarification on these words "Jesus" and "Christ":

Q. What is the meaning and significance of the words Jesus and Christ...?
A. Just as indicated. Jesus is the man . the activity, the mind, the relationships that He bore to others. Yea, He was mindful of friends, He was sociable, He was loving, He was kind, He was gentle. He grew faint, He grew weak . and yet gained that strength that He has promised, in becoming the Christ, by fulfilling and overcoming the world! Ye are made strong . in body, in mind, in soul and purpose . by that power in Christ. The power, then, is in the Christ. The pattern is in Jesus.

Reading 2533-7

This transformative power of the Christ Consciousness is awakened as individuals act in accord with the pattern set by the example of Jesus' life. In fact, this awakening is the essential purpose for which each soul enters into life:

In terms of how this Christ Consciousness could unfold in an individual's life, one person was told:

What [then] will ye do with this man thy elder brother, thy Christ, who . that thy Destiny might be sure in Him . has shown thee the more excellent way. Not in mighty deeds of valor, not in the exaltation of thy knowledge or thy power; but in the gentleness of the things of the spirit: Love, kindness, longsuffering, patience; these thy brother hath shown thee that thou, applying them in thy associations with thy fellow man day by day, here a little, there a little, may become one with Him as He has destined that thou shouldst be! Wilt thou separate thyself? For there be nothing...that may separate thee from the love of thy God, of thy brother, save thine own self!

Reading 849-11

From Cayce's perspective, Jesus is the Elder brother for all of humankind, deeply committed to assisting all souls in reawakening to the awareness of their oneness with God. This Jesus is not interested in religious conversion, denominationalism, or even mighty personal accomplishments. Instead, He is simply interested in how we treat one another. With this in mind, even in the midst of our diversity as a human family, we share a common spiritual heritage. We are all Children of the same God. We are all part of the one spiritual Source. And, we are all destined to return to our Creator, our Mother/Father, our God.

F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real

: Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.

2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a commitment to make many of life's decisions, and capacity to follow them through. The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to care for each other unites us.

3: Truth is not truth out of timing- yet it remains truth. We are the timing to recognize truth.

4: The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus sage. Imagination is the key to the unknown- positive, uplifting imagination.

5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving your self reveals your truth.

6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are- right now.

7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room, illuminating it. Live accordingly, think thoughts of light.

8: F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real

9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.

10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Understand this and you cease to be a victim.

11: Love responds- fear reacts. Love connects- fear separates. Love uplifts- fear deflates. Love creates- fear destroys.

12: There is no such thing as a mistake- only experience. There is no such thing as failure- only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success- only people's approval. Let life live through you.

13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life, allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness.

14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.

15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.

16: You hear with your ears- but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes- but you see from the heart.

17: Consciousness is not contained in your body- you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself form through which to express

18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW. True freedom is a state of consciousness.

19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how you become a participant.

20: Practise seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.

21: Your mind does now know the difference between what you do want or what you don't want, it only knows what you focus on. Many people focus on what they don't have, what they are incapable of doing and their sicknesses.

22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.

23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why? Because there is no difference.

24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.

25: Live these principles and you will be practising reality. Practise reality until you overcome the illusion.

Let it Be

The Beatles Lyrics Let it Be
Let it Be
The Beatles (Lennon/McCartney)

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,let it be,let it be...
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.

And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

* You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you.
* A star is shining within us and that is our spirit..
* Either you lead a life which is luxurious on the material level or you lead a luxurious life of god's blessings - one of the two you have to choose, the time has come.
* The enjoyment of life is only possible if the world could get connected to the spirit... You become the spirit as Christ has said in simple words that you have to be born again.
* You are not this body, you are not this mind, - you are the spirit... This is the greatest truth.
* Self realization is the first encounter with reality.
* Divinity is not a fashion. It is the way of life. It is the need of your being. You have to become that.
* Blossom time has come and many ancient seekers are today getting their self realization.
* You have to know your spirit... For without knowing your spirit you cannot know the truth.
* Now the stage today is to know that self realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened faith.
* Self realization makes us humble... Replace temper with compassion... The more innocent you are, the more blissful you will be.
* Freedom is when you really get your own powers which are within you. In your central nervous system and in your conscious mind, you must feel the existence of the spirit.
* Innately, within us resides the spirit which wants to enlighten you, to give you the peace, the bliss and the joy of our being.
* Kundalini cures you, she improves you, she bestows all the blissful things upon you. She takes you away from the worries of grosser level.

* Meditation is the only way you can grow... Because when you meditate, you are in silence. You are in thoughtless awareness. Then the growth of awareness takes place.

"UK - December 2, 1979 "But today it is the day I declare I am the One who have to save the humanity. I declare I am the One who is Adi Shakti (Holy Spirit) - who is the Mother of all Mothers, who is the Primordial Mother, the Shakti (i.e. power) of the Desire of God - who has incarnated on this Earth to give meaning to itself, to this creation, to human beings, and I am sure that through My Love and Patience and My Powers I am going to achieve it. I was the One who was born again and again. But now I have come in My complete Form and with complete Powers. I have come on this Earth not only for salvation of human beings, not only for their emancipation, but for granting them the Kingdom of Heaven - the Joy, the Bliss - that your Father wants to bestow upon you."

"Sydney, Australia - March 21, 1983 "I am the Holy Ghost. I am the Adi Shakti. I am the One who has come on this Earth for the first time in this Form to do this tremendous task. The more you understand this the better it would be. You will change tremendously. I knew I'll have to say that openly one day and we have said it. But now it is you people who have to prove it that I'm that."
-Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi-

...........................................................................

Martin explains Shakti(interesting stuff)

9 Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996
From: hyperATNOSPAMhmt.com (HyperMedia Technologies)
Subject: Kundalini / Shaktipat, etc.

Hey there.

The Shakti compels me to share the information below with you. The intent
of it is to dispel confusion. The information is not empirically verifiable
at this time but is 100% verifiable through personal experience.


1. Kundalini Shakti = Pure Conciousness = Chi = Ki = Prana = Holy Spirit
= etc.

2. Kundalini is not only energy, it is highly intelligent. It is the
dynamic aspect of Pure Conciousness. Your Kundalini is identical with the
Universal Kundalini, only in most people it's in a 'contracted',
conditioned state.

3. Pure Conciousness has two aspects; Static and Dynamic. Kundalini Shakti
is the dynamic aspect of pure conciousness.

4. Kundalini has a worldly aspect, active in everyone. Kundalini's
spiritual aspect is dormant in most people.
-
5. Spontaneous Kundalini awakenings are extremely rare. usually only as a
result of Kundalini having been awakened in the previous life, and the
unfoldment process not reaching completion.

6. It is extremely difficult to awaken the Kundalini through self effort
alone, using yogic techniques such as bandas (locks) prananyama
(breathing), or any other unusual practices.

7. Forcible attempts through self effort to awaken the Kundalini usually
end with bad results. If the Kundalini is irritated beyond a certain point
or fails to rise properly, it could prove to be harmful to both mind or
body.

8. Yogic techniques are for strengthening and purifying the body to make it
a worthy vessel for Shaktipat. After Shaktipat, the techniques are used to
'fan the flame', through self effort.

9. Kundalini can and does cause profound kriyas (cleansings), but they
won't happen in public. (except during group Shaktipat, and only because
the environment accepts it and it is expected to happen) Kundalini Shakti
is intelligent, gentle, and kind. It knows you, how much you can take. It
can cause emotions and other impressions in your subconcious to rise to the
surface of your being, where they are experienced, then burned off. Gone
for good.

10. If you are wondering if Kundalini is awake in you, then it's not. When
it is awake in you, you have no doubts.

11. Kundalini will always allow you to do whatever you do in life and give
you the ability to do it even better. Whatever your profession or niche is.
Doesn't matter. You will do it better. You're supposed to take your
understanding out into the world and play your part.

12. Receiving Shaktipat from a Shakti master is the safest, easiest way to
awaken the dormant aspects of Kundalini. Not only is the Kundalini awakened
naturally and spontaneously, all blocks to it's rising through the Sushumna
(central channel) are removed, allowing the unfolding to be a safe, natural
process.

13. Shaktipat is literally the 'descent of Grace'. All spiritual traditions
have some form of it, although it may be called by different names. In
Tibetian Buddhism it is called Abisheka. Enlightment is transferred to the
'empty vessel'. One flame lights another without the first flame being
diminished in any way.


14. Shaktipat = God's Grace = Amazing Grace = etc.


-
How to distinguish a Shakti Master

a. must be able to awaken Kundalini permanently in others

b. must be able to give you a direct experience of at least one of
the following:

1. God living in you as you

- 2. God living in you as the witness

3. The unity of all things

4. yourself as THE SELF, pervading all things and existences


There are 4 ways to receive Shaktipat

1. Sparsa Diksha By the touch. Usually in the Ajna (forehead) Anahat
- (heart) or Muladhara (base of spine) chakras

2. Drik Diksha by look (eyes of the Shakti Master appear to look
outward, but gaze is directed inward, toward the SELF.


3. Mantra Diksha by word. The Mantra is charged with Shakti and is
Chaitanya (alive). It resonates within the seeker
on gross, then subtle levels with time. If not
charged with Shakti, a mantras are mere syllables.
-
4. Manasa Diksha by thought and will. Time and distance no object.



The Shakti Master DOES NOT have to be in the presence of the seeker.

Most Shaktipat is given by living masters, directly, but Shakti masters who
have left the body have appeared to seekers in visions during meditation
and given Shaktipat.
-
Although Shaktipat is given at one radiant intensity, (just as the sun
radiates the same energy to all) there are 27 different intensity levels of
receiving, depending on the temperament and capacity of the seeker. Each
receives according to his nature. The larger the container you bring, the
more you will take away. Shakti is actually taken during Shaktipat, not
given.

The most intense receiving is called Shambhavi diksha, or the great
initiation. Very few people can bear the force of the impact of this
initiation. Immediate and permanent self realization is obtained.

Some teachers are able to effect a partial awakening of the Kundalini, but
the Kundalini soon goes dormant again. A true Shakti Master's initiation is
the start of a self sustaining process which can be fanned like a flame by
the seeker.

The first direct experience of the self is almost always of transient
nature due to personal karmic tendencies (mental momentum). You will always
'come down'. But, you will be more evolved as a result of your experience
and your priorities will completely re-orient, with Sadhana taking the
forefront in priority of importance. It will not interfer with your daily
duties, family, or work.

One lady who experienced the true nature of the Self during Shakitpat later
proclaimed excitedly, "I really hadn't expected to be here so soon!" She
sold all her possessions, moved to Hawaii, and was going to spend the rest
of her life living on the beach. Six months later she was once again her
small, contracted, finite perspective, little self. Oops!

After the first experience, at least there is an idea of where you're
heading, and it then becomes your duty, through daily practices and self
effort, to eventually become seated permanently in the understanding of
THAT, which you have just experienced. It's a perspective. A mental
posture.

Shaktipat and the unfolding of the Kundalini affect each person
individually, due to differences in each seeker's temperament, background,
predispostions, prior beliefs, etc. People are as individual as snowflakes.
There are, however, many commonalities in both the experiences and the
kriyas.

Sorry folks, but sex is just sex and nothing more. Really has nothing to do
with any of this, good or bad. Sex energy is just part of the Kundalini's
worldly functions. The first 3 chakras are open and active and full of
worldly contracted Shakti in everyone. That's why we're up and about,
active, and procreating.

The dormant spiritual aspects of the Kundalini Shakti, which is awakened
through Shaktipat, and rises from the first chakra to the crown chakra,
doesn't involve sex. Sex is just part of the outer world activities. It is
neither good nor bad. It just is.

Celebacy is advised by teachers to conserve one's energy during intense
yogic practices and austerities. It is not manditory unless the seeker is a
disicple and is chosen by the Master to be given the great gift and
treasure of the ability to give Shaktipat to others. In this case, energy
usually used for reproductive processes and reproductive cycles is
diverted into the Sushumna and mixed with the Kundalini Shakti. The
focusing of all energies, mental, physical and spiritual, 100%, appears to
be required to be able to give permanent awakening in others.


THE PROCESS OF UNFOLDMENT:

After Shakitpat, Kundalini unfoldment proceeds naturally, and at a pace
that is perfect for that particular individual. The Kundalini proceeds
slowly up the Sushumna Canal (Main nadi {spiritual nerve} in the subtle
body) piercing the 6 chakras one by one. Different rates for different
folks. After Shaktipat, it can be completed within this lifetime, with
enough self effort.

Once Shaktipat is given, and the awakening takes place, the process
proceeds on its own, spontaneously, to completion. The individual is able
to slide effortlessly into meditation at will. Spontaneous Yoga asanas,
mudras (hand gestures), and visions during meditation, etc. occur
frequently, but always in private and usually during personal spiritual
practices.

During meditation, lights, visions, subtle and strong physical sensations
are common. Pressures on the chakras are most common, especially the heart,
forehead, and crown.

At some point, usually after the Ajna (heart) chakra is pierced, the 4th
body (supra-causal) is seen during meditation (and sometimes out of) as a
radiant blue pearl the size of a sesame seed. This is the prize. The jewel,
you might say. It's the seat of the Self and resides in the crown chakra at
the center of the thousand petaled lotus. It's your vehicle to all the
other planes of existence in the multiverse. You never have to leave your
living room chair.
(that's how many it's said there are) are cleansed by the Shakti. As the
Kundalini rises in the Sushumna canal, Samskaras (impressions left from
previous lifetimes, which are the seeds of future karmas) are burned away.

During the process, the 720,000,000 nadis, or spiritual nerves of the
subtle body are cleansed.

As the Kundalini pierces the higher chakras, the siddhi's (8 powers) appear
and lower levels of Samadhi is achieved. Many seekers are side tracked here
and get stuck. But the powers are not the point. They are merely Yogic
phenomena. Lelas. Miracles for the non-spiritually oriented, used to
re-orient them.

At the final conclusion of its journey, the Kundalini merges into the
center of the Sahasrara chakra and the seeker experiences Nirvikalpa
Samadhi occurs. Body conciousness is usually not possible. (except for
great souls such as Aurobindo, Nityananda, Ramakrishna and a few others).

When the seeker becomes firmly seated in the final understanding he/she can
either leave the body willingly and merge with the absolute completely
(mahasamadhi), or he/she can walk about the world appearing perfectly
normal to others, except that he/she is now a 'Jivamukta'. (awake in the
body)

These Jivamuktas can seem and act very strange as far as regular folks are
concerned, or they may appear perfectly normal and be your neighbor. They
are not bound by any conventions or rules of behavior. Just being in their
presence, one can receive Shaktipat. From their few possessions, even the
dust under their beds, one can receive Shaktipat.

Nothing changes in the world as a result of your transformation. What
changes is your perspective on the world and how it affects you.


With Shaktipat, it is possible to accomplish this task within this lifetime
and become liberated while still in the body. Once started, the process
goes to completion on its own.

Being shown that understanding by a Shakti Master and maintaining that
understanding yourself are two different things, as the woman who moved to
Hawaii found out.

Sitting and standing with straight posture all the time takes some
time,effort, and practice, but eventually it becomes comfortable and you do
it naturally. It's the same with mental postures. Maintaining a balanced
mental relationship with the outer world and the inner worlds also takes
time, patience and a lot of effort. (for most of us, anyway.)


Other tools:
-
As you think, so you become

The human being is a minature cosmos. Just as you can know the ocean from
a spoonful of it, you can know the cosmos by looking inside yourself.
(fractal)

You have almost no control over what happens to you or what is done to you
by others. You do have 100% control over how it affects you and for how
long. Exercise your power!
-
Everything you need is already contained within you. Like an acorn
containing a mighty oak tree.


A Cosmic Analogy:

hydrogen gas and oxygen gas is to Pure Conciousness
as
water vapor is to mind
as
water is to energy
as
ice is to matter


Pure conciousness, mind, energy, and matter are the phases of spirit. It is
a vibrational continuum.


The two wings of the 'Hamsa' bird are Grace and self effort. Without the
Grace, even 24 years of self effort can yield only marginal results.
(personally proved)


When you say, "my body" the body is a field and YOU are the knower of the field.
When you say, "my mind" the mind is a field and YOU are the knower of the field.

Both fields are extensions of the SELF. Used for creative expression. But
neither are YOU.
-
You have very little control over what happens to you or what people do to
you, but you have 100% control over how it effects you. Both in intensity
and duration.

************


I would be interested in hearing of your Shaktipat experiences as it is my
current area of interest and study. Although the experiences would be
individual to each person, it would be interesting to cross compare
Shaktipat experiences and Shakti masters.

I would share my personal experiences with the two Shakti masters I have
encountererd if any of you were interested. One was male and the other
female.

Perhaps we might learn something interesting in the process.

One last thing....
-
Shaktipat initiation is a one way ticket. There is no going back. So keep
that in mind before you do it.


Best to all of you.


Martin

Let Your Light Shine

Let Your Light Shine
May the season be a time for inner awakening of the living spirit, rather than simply practicing the outward form of our faith.



Years ago, I attended an A.R.E. conference about Jesus, where one of the speakers made a statement that frequently comes to mind. Herbert Puryear, then director of research for A.R.E., told the audience: “For 2,000 years we’ve been trying to make a man out of Jesus when His whole purpose was to make gods out of us.” Although some might take offense at this seemingly sacrilegious remark, a little personal inquiry demonstrates the biblical and Cayce readings’ basis for such a claim. This idea also underscores much of the conflict in today’s world – conflict that exists because too many individuals may be focused on attempting to make themselves and others) live their religion rather than attempting to come more into alignment with the living spirit contained within their personal faith.

An often-overlooked statement in the Bible occurred when a group in Jerusalem threatened to stone Jesus. The group declared that in spite of His good works, He was committing blasphemy by making himself a god. Jesus answered them, saying, “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (John 10:34) The law Jesus is referring to comes from Psalms in the Old Testament, and states: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” (Psalms 82:6) This suggests that all of us potentially share the same relationship with God as Jesus.

From the perspective of the Edgar Cayce readings, “salvation” does not come from belonging to a specific religion, from meditation, or from any such activity; rather it is only ours as we manifest the spirituality of the Creator in the earth. This process of growth and unfoldment is clearly described in the New Testament (Matthew 13:31-33) when Jesus discusses the nature of Heaven in parables: “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.’ Another parable spake he unto them; ‘the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.’”

Too often, it seems, we may try to impose our personal religious beliefs outwardly onto others and our society, rather than trying to direct them inwardly as a means of awakening ourselves to the same living spirit that inspired individuals like Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, and others.

While giving the sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained to the multitudes that His mission was not to change a religion, or even to start a new religion, but rather to demonstrate the fulfillment of God’s plan in the earth: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17) During the same sermon, He encouraged His listeners (and perhaps us, as well) to begin living the light that was within them:

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

ayce once described this internal awakening process to a 34-year-old physicist: “In giving does a soul grow, even as a tree, even as a rock, even as a sunset, even as a world grows in its influence upon that about it. So has that force grown that we find manifested in the earth that we worship as constructive influence of God, as to the All-Wise purpose, or as to the Holy Spirit, or as to those influences that make alive in giving, in making itself manifest. So are ye gods in the making, saith He that walked among men as the greater teacher of all experiences and ages.” (699-1) And a 46-year-old lawyer was told: “For we all – and ye are as others – are gods in the making; not the God, but gods in the making! For He would have thee be one with Him.” (877-21)

Regardless of our religious heritage, let us use the season as a time to encourage our own inner awakening of the living spirit rather than simply practicing the outward form that our personal faith takes. After all, the Cayce readings remind us: “For you grow to heaven, you don’t go to heaven. It is within thine own conscience that ye grow there.” (3409-1)

EAGLE-2

EAGLE
Chapter I

“The School of Life”

It was Fall again in the desert southwest; the air cool and crisp, a spark of static easily shocked the hand when touching metal. Galen glanced out at the majestic red rock setting from his new home in Sedona, Arizona. His dream home was a modest A-frame built of pine. Large windows stretched from floor to a high cathedral ceiling, allowing a panoramic view of this mystical place in the canyon. He could see Bell Rock in the distance, site of one of Sedona’s legendary power spots: a vortex of subtle energy swirling skyward. You couldn’t see the energy, but standing inside or even nearby one of these power spots gave a noticeable lift to body and spirits. This was the perfect place for a writer to practice the fine art, the energies were both creative and uplifting.

Two years had gone by since his amazing discovery and transformation on the mountain. He’d thought about his mentor Rufus often, and could even hear his voice sometimes, correcting and guiding. In fact he was almost sure it was Rufus who had inspired the book that was doing so well, providing a surprising source of income. Galen had become semi famous... as famous as most faceless writers could become in the public mind. But fame and its many trappings were not what he sought, though it came with the territory. At least he could walk about and not be noticed.

New talents were surfacing. Writing was one of its expressions. He’d always been creative but now the energy was free flowing and testing itself in new forms. Words and descriptions came to him seemingly out of the air with little effort. They almost wrote themselves. The book he had written was a fictional version of his transformation, an effort to convey a sense of the elusive Truth. The dark side, the illusions of life, were still winning though. As he watched from his elevated perspective, people were literally “lost in thought,” going through life hypnotized to the true reality that surrounded them. They needed to wake up! Only the truth could free them from their self-imposed prisons of thought, and a book was the only way to reach people and make a difference.

Galen’s personal life had also been transformed, thanks to the teachings. The once probable brain tumor and its symptoms were gone, cleared away by right thinking. It was like a gyroscope had been set in motion inside; it quickened his senses and gave an inner sense of stability. Few things could remain out of balance with such a stabilizing force inside. His mother had remarried and was living happily with her new husband, a man ten years younger than she. But that was alright; he was practical and kind, a good provider, and completely devoted to her. Now it didn’t matter what his real father thought or even threatened. Galen could see his grandfather, the old chief, whenever he liked.

Their first “physical” meeting was memorable. Galen had just got word that his book was going to be published, and with time to spare, he set out for the Reservation to discuss it with Grandfather. The chief was as Galen recalled him from their out-of-body visit. Tall and regal, skin smooth and bronze red, his eyes were ablaze with wisdom; his hair was long and white, kept by a braided headband.

The little house he lived in was ordinary. The white paint peeled in places and the roof was missing a few shingles. But inside, the feeling was cozy. A fireplace glowed with a single pine log. There was nothing like pine embers to take away the chill and sweeten the air.

They met and embraced, and talked of their first meeting at the oasis which was Grandfather’s sanctuary. That had been about a year ago. Unlike then, they now talked of trivial matters, physical things instead of lofty spiritual concepts. Galen told him all about his mother’s new husband and the fancy ranch they lived on just outside of Albuquerque. He told Grandfather about his move to Sedona and of the wonderful energies that swirled like dust devils through the canyon. Then he spoke about the book he had written.

At first the old chief listened with head bowed, nodding occasionally. He seemed interested but noncommittal. But then he raised his hand slightly, signaling for Galen to pause. Something was bothering him.

“I’m concerned,” he said, looking down, “about how the white man will receive such a heavy dose of Truth. He will fear it without knowing why, reject it, simply because it is bitter to his understanding. I’m not sure the time is right... And what of our tradition of silence?”

Galen related that the book had been “inspired,” almost like channeled material, and that Rufus himself had even hinted that he share the concepts with those who -- by Law of Attraction -- were ready to receive. The book seemed to flow naturally, he explained, in consequence to a higher plan. “Times were changing rapidly,” he said, “and the old traditions of silence had protected the truths until this very time could arrive.”

Grandfather nodded a reluctant agreement. Change was inevitable and ultimately the Truth was meant for everyone. Spiritual recovery belonged to all humanity ... though he was sure only a few would be receptive. Even so, his senses swayed to caution, and he told Galen so.

“Anyway,” Galen suggested, “my book will have to prove itself. If it catches on in the mass consciousness as a success in the marketplace, then we will know if the time is right.” He watched his grandfather squirm from foot to foot -- the idea was still uncomfortable to him. It was then that another of those subtle insights flashed into Galen’s receptive mind.

The Keeper had said that every man had his own truth; Rufus had hinted there were layers of truth, depending on the level of understanding. Grandfather was so much a part of the old ways, that even he in his lofty wisdom was stuck, temporarily at least, to one of those levels. There was resistance to change even among the enlightened!

This experience was yet another lesson from life about life. Galen had learned to be receptive, watchful of everything around him, because there were lessons in all people and experiences. Life itself was a school, forever teaching us about it and about ourselves.

He spent the night, then left the next morning for Sedona. He promised to keep the old chief informed about the book’s progress -- and of any new psychic adventures that might come his way. Grandfather predicted that another quest could be on the horizon.

That had been about a year ago, and so far no new spiritual experience had come to pass. This made him anxious; once you’ve had an authentic encounter in the spiritual realm nothing else was so important as to have another. Some writer had called it “divine anxiety,” and that was a good enough description.

He was out hiking one morning, enjoying the bubbling waters of Oak Creek below another vortex site called Cathedral Rock. The birds were singing and the air was heavy with earthy smells, it was a morning that could thrill a child to the wonders of nature. But that thought was a little premature. The wild screams of two young boys pierced the enchantment like the blade of a machete. Oh great, he thought, more tourists and their kids! He caught himself in judgment -- kids were just a bother, about as necessary as a toothache -- then he tried to reverse it with a positive thought.

They were getting closer, racing down the narrow streamside path yelping and screaming. When they appeared he saw two mischievous creatures, both under ten, waving sticks and swearing like sailors. They scampered by, nearly knocking him down, quite oblivious to anyone in their way. It was hard to keep a cheery thought, so he indulged himself by wondering at the kind of parents who could ignore such savage inclinations.

Close behind, the parents followed. They held hands and both wore starry-eyed smiles, they were in another world. Dressed in scrumpy camping clothes, Galen guessed they had an RV parked in the campsite about half a mile away. They saw Galen approaching. “Good morning,” they said with customary politeness. “Hope the boys didn’t disturb you,” the mother said, “they’re just wonderfully playful.”

Galen didn’t really express what he was thinking but said instead, “I guess they’re in their own world.” Greetings made, they engaged him in small talk. Are you from around here? Had any mystical encounters here? Seen any spirits or UFO’s? All were frequently asked questions by newcomers. The place (Sedona) had developed quite a reputation recently.

He answered their questions matter of factly, not wanting to open the door to his personal life. He’d found that people could be very intrusive, given the opportunity. It just wasn’t his nature to be chatty anyway.

The boys were returning. The noise level increased with their approach. “Mommy, Daddy,” they screamed, “an old Indian man scared us! He stood on the path and said, go back to your parents!”

The parents looked at Galen, mouths opened in astonishment. He told them that Indian spirits indeed wandered here, that the noise had likely disturbed them. The bewildered family took the hint and quietly retreated the way they had come. Peacefulness returned as the sounds of nature were predominant again.

Galen wondered at the meaning of this episode, an intrusion into the harmony he was enjoying ... there was a lesson here, meant for him, if only he could find it. ‘Levels of truth,’ he reminded himself, every event carried layer upon layer of truth, meant as a lesson to anyone it touched. It was like a multi-track tape recorder in a professional sound studio, where different layers of sound were combined. The finished version was whole and complete. Any event could be unraveled and analyzed by a good technician of Life.

First, there was the irritation with the kids. He had to admit to himself a forbidden truth, something considered abhorrent to usual adult attitudes: he didn’t like kids. Why all the fuss to fill a household with these noisy, messy, fussy little savages? Was it part of the madness of the mass mind? a ploy to keep people’s attention outside of themselves? If there was true joy in what parents professed as joy, why were their kids such a source of stress?

This was an area he had avoided exploring, but there was something important here. A lesson.

Life was a mirror, he had learned. It reflected back what was inside ... and most of that “inside” was hidden from conscious awareness. The people, places, events and circumstances you encounter in life are trying to teach you about yourself. Once, Rufus had told him: “What you like in others you like in yourself; but what you reject in others you reject in yourself. This was a truth that could be relied upon to uncover what you were hiding from yourself.”

What was it about kids that annoyed him so? Psychologists had warned that people were suppressing their “child within,” that unpleasant memories from childhood were buried deep inside, still festering and unresolved, sometimes causing ugly reactions to otherwise normal events… But no, this didn’t feel right. Not in his case.

What really bothered him about kids, was their noise. The constant chatter, the whining, the screaming and yelling. It tore at his insides like the blade of a dull knife. But why? Noise was in harmony, he reasoned, it was something sensed as being out of order ... discord. The Truth told him that this was a marker of spiritual development though, a sure sign of progress. When peace and harmony were valued above noise and distraction, the soul was settled on the proper path home.

So what he disliked about kids -- noise -- told him there was still discord of some sort hidden within his nature. The Law of Attraction had brought this experience to his attention to tell him about himself, to make him aware of something that needed exposure. But what? To the outer mind, the ego self, he was in complete control of life ... he had money and freedom, even great success by mortal standards. His life was effortless, no problems, no senseless obligations to family and friends. The Universe was his friend. It offered unconditional love and insight into the truth of its workings. But something was still missing...

He pondered for minutes and finally decided the answer would reveal itself in the right place and right time. There was still more unraveling to do with the preceding incident however, more layers of truth to expose to consciousness.

The two parents were typical of most people. They were cordial and well meaning, adoring of their kids, probably more focused on the needs and happiness of their children than of themselves. Society had brainwashed them to believe that their own lives were now less important than their kid’s. No sacrifice was too much, for the children came first. Why couldn’t people see the fallacy of this self-denying attitude -- the focus always turned away from self? It would perpetuate even in the children’s lives when they were adults. No one was ever centered in the place they needed to be: the inner, the now. They lived in a cocoon of false beliefs and values, asleep to the real world of life that flowed about them. This, he concluded, was why he avoided most people: they were asleep to themselves and provided little stimulation to one living an aware life in the here and now. But wasn’t this a judgment?

He was placing himself on a higher level than those he saw around him. If we were all one, as he truly believed, why judge anyone for being at a different level of understanding? Just as the children were on a different level of understanding from their parents, did they judge their kids for being less aware? Of course not. They felt a oneness with their offspring and understood that a child’s awareness, and understanding level, would grow as they grew. This was a lesson and an understanding he needed, to avoid the pitfalls of an ego-centered viewpoint. It was one that too many so-called spiritual people had fallen into before him.

There remained one last piece to the puzzle of this episode. The old Indian the boys had encountered on the path...

He heard leaves rustling and faint footsteps approaching from behind. He turned around, but saw nothing. A strong gust of wind blew past him sending a chill through his body. A vapor of shimmering light, some ten feet away, began to materialize into human form. As the form became distinct he recognized the familiar features of his friend and guide, Rufus. His heart beat wild, the long awaited spiritual adventure predicted by Grandfather had surely arrived.

“We meet again, my eager student. You have done well since then.” Rufus stood there with his familiar grin, eyes glistening with the light of immortal wisdom. He wore the full feathered headdress and animal hides of an early Indian chief. Now Galen knew him as both Rufus and the Keeper of the Cave of Secrets. “The wait was long, good friend. I have hoped for your return,” he said, nodding slowly to show respect for his mentor.

“Not so formal, my son. I am still the Rufus you knew before. But now your understanding of my nature has grown. We are all more than we appear.”

The episode on the trail was turning into far more than Galen expected. There were so many new questions that needed answers -- and old answers that needed new clarifications. The Truth was not a book of finished facts, but an ever growing entity with a life of its own. A guide who understood its nature was a necessity. One thing was certain though, the Truth had never turned away a sincere seeker, it had never once let anyone down, and at every new level of understanding: “When the student was ready, the master would appear.”





Chapter Two
“The Dark Twin”

Rufus came right to the point, “There is still more work to be done. Truth is beginning to blossom in the mass consciousness, the book is a grand device for stimulating awareness, but the greater work must be done within each individual self.” He looked straight into Galen’s eyes. “Even you need more work, son.” A smile moved across his lips. “You were receiving my ideas as you wrote your book, aware of my intrusion in your consciousness.” He knew that Galen had wondered about the source of this inspiration. “Very perceptive. However, the words and creative energy came from your own being, the work itself was your own creation.”

“It’s good to know we are always in contact,” Galen admitted, “I’m not very sure of my own conclusions sometimes.” He paused to think. “Like now, for instance. I’m confused.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Rufus said with a reassuring smile.

“There’s still something missing in my life.” His eyes looked down and he shook his head. “I have complete freedom, the ability to get anything I want, my life is problem free... Yet, I sense an irritating void inside.” He raised his head and looked at Rufus. “Today I learned there’s something inside of me that just doesn’t feel right. It’s like discord, an inner irritation that’s always there. It won’t let me alone. What is it really?”

“It’s a common menace, an age old phantom that haunts every human being regardless of how happy or successful he thinks he is,” Rufus began. “It is good that you sense this presence, it means you are ready for a leap to the next level of understanding. Always remember that each step upward gives you power over what is below. Like flying with the eagle, the higher you go the more you see and understand. Awareness is the key to all power.” He paused for emphasis then began again. “You have learned before that there are two sides to everything: a positive and negative, a right and wrong, a good and bad. Therefore each human being has a good side and a bad side: a good self and a bad self. On the physical level these opposites are a fact and cannot be avoided.

“But rather than call it a bad self, let’s call it the false self. This false self is in every human being, it is the phantom I mentioned. As all phantoms are, it is very cunning and deceptive. It works invisibly behind the scenes and is rarely noticed, even by the person it haunts. This is not a real being; it has no life of its own … but it makes you believe that without it you have no life either. Now listen carefully, you will not believe this at first: but your thoughts are not your own!” He looked deep into Galen’s eyes. “This is one of its deceptions. Your thoughts and the emotions they evoke come from the false self.”

Galen’s mouth opened wide in disbelief. He groaned and said, “What? You make it sound like we’re all possessed.”

“That’s probably a good way to look at it. You see, the truth is, everyone is under the spell of this cunning phantom that delights in making you think that you are it. That’s the void you sense inside, the something that feels out of place. It is discord itself, because it doesn’t match the harmony of the real you. All along it has conned you, by doing your thinking for you. You have so fully identified with its presence that you can’t tell the difference.”

“What do you mean by identified?”

“Ah!” he said boldly, “it’s a fine word, heard often, but little understood. Have you ever lost yourself to a character in a movie? so fully identified with his problems that you forgot about your own? That’s a simple example, but it happens like this in many ways every day of your life. Take the sports fan. They run around screaming they’re Number One, though they’ve had nothing to do with a win by their local team. They have glorified themselves by identifying with the team. How about a friend who comes to you, shy at first to share a problem. Within a minute, do you not feel that it’s your very own problem too? Do you not feel obligated to help solve it?

“That’s identification. It is to lose your own identity by placing it falsely in something else or someone else. And that is how the false self deceives you into thinking that you are it, and this has been happening all your life, so you just can’t tell the difference anymore.”

“You said that it thinks for me. How?”

“Identification again, and distraction,” said Rufus, making his point. “By keeping your mind occupied with noisy, senseless thoughts it keeps you distracted. This chattering monkey mind, as I like to call it, diverts your attention from one thought to another, from one reaction to another; it keeps your mind swimming in circles like a dog chasing its tail. It’s gone on like this for so long that you don’t realize something else is thinking for you. Very few people actually think for themselves; there are many who have never had an authentic thought of their own in a whole lifetime.”

Galen asked, “Where did it come from? I mean, how were we possessed in the first place?”

“It comes out of the past, like all ghosts do. Let’s be very practical. The Now is the only reality: it is all there is and it is all we have. The past exists only in memory, and that is where this phantom false self comes from. It possesses each person because it can, it is allowed to do so by the person himself. You recall that the subconscious is like a huge memory storehouse, it holds all your beliefs, your past memories, and experiences,” he paused, “and all the ideas you hold about yourself.” He looked up with a twinkle in his eye. “In other words it holds your identity -- you! But this you is not real, it is based on mental pic­tures of who you think you are, based on the past. The you that you identify with is only an illusion of mental pictures from the past. And because it is fed by the wellspring of lifeforce, and has taken lodging alongside all conditioned thoughts, it takes on a life of its own -- stealing from the real You.”

This revelation was shocking and Galen looked stunned. He gathered his thoughts and his voice turned monotone. “If I’m not the me of my past, then who or what could I possibly be?”

“That, my son, is the ultimate purpose of life: finding out who you really are! Life itself is on your side throughout this ordeal; it is your teacher. It tries to reveal to you the real you. All the negatives in life like pain and suffering, fear and guilt, any and all negative emotions, are trying to teach one thing: you are out of har­mony with the true and the real! These little jolts of reality try to wake us out of our psychic slumber, out of this spell of illusions. The trick is to switch your awareness on whenever you encounter a jolt. Don’t take it like a bolt of lightening then run and hide. Instead stand your ground and come awake. Be aware of the pain, exactly where it is and how it feels. Study it like a detective would study the clues in a mystery.

“Now listen closely. I’m going to reveal the secret of coming awake to Reality. It will break the spell of the phantom false self and put you back in touch with the real you. This secret has been used by the greatest shamans, mystics, and enlightened teachers of the past. Rightly used, it provides the only authentic means of spiritual recovery and true awakening.”

Galen had been listening intently. It all made perfect sense. He was standing there, lost in thought to Rufus’s explanation of the false self...

All of a sudden a mental shift took him out of his body. He was looking down at Rufus, his feathered headdress and buckskins looking so out of place, and he saw himself too, tall and willowy, lengthy hair flowing in the light breeze. Frogs were croaking with content along the banks of the creek; birds were singing from the branches of the leafy water oaks. He could see and feel with total awareness all around him without turning his head or gaze. This was odd, he thought. It reminded him of the experience two years ago, when his conscious mind merged with the eagle. From that higher perspective he could see and understand everything below. But just as suddenly, like then, he came back to himself and was looking at Rufus through his own eyes. “Wow!” he said, “What was that?”

“An object lesson for what I’m about to describe,” said the gentle mentor, taking off his headdress. “Translated to your language, we call this process self-watching. Remember, awareness is the key to all power, and also part of your own true essence: the Aware Will. The real You is a bubble of awareness with its own free will, living in the sea of consciousness of the All-Consciousness: God! Awareness makes you conscious, while your will directed outwards gives you motion and activity. Will without awareness (without direction) is chaos. But that is another teaching in itself. The important thing to remember is that awareness is the most magical, the most priceless gem that could ever be obtained – it is the prime essence – but the least appreciated or understood. Because it is so much a part of you, it is rarely thought about or even felt. Once understood, however, it is a power and law unto itself.”

Galen saw the importance of this immediately and understood the power of his own budding awareness. He nodded his head in agreement.

“So self-watching uses the awareness of the real you, but as you will also discover it takes a fair amount of will-power too. There is a discipline involved and a continual need for self-reminding. It does not come easy at first but with continuous practice you will find the unclear and confused thinking of the false self gradually fading, along with the false self itself. This is the only way to rid yourself of this devious phantom and reclaim your own thoughts.”

“Great!” Galen said. “I’m ready to begin.”

Rufus pointed to fallen tree branch. “Take a seat there,” he instructed. “Close your eyes and clear your mind.” He waited as Galen got comfortable, then further instructed: “I mean really clear your mind! Try, try with all your might to keep your mind clear of any thoughts.” He smiled to himself, watching the inevitable struggle of the nearly impossible task.

Galen’s face would smooth as he relaxed a little, holding his mind still … then a wrinkled forehead told his difficulty in holding off intruding thoughts. He tried again and again, and finally opened his eyes. “I can’t do it,” he admitted. “I thought my powers of concentration were nearly perfected, but I see there’s still more work to do.”

Rufus smiled. “There’s a big difference. Concentrating on something is much more difficult than focusing on nothing. The false self can be entertained with doing something, but trying to keep it quiet is a whole different thing. Stillness and quiet are like death to its jittery, chatterbox nature. It will resist and intrude, one way and then another, until it finally breaks your will to be silent. And this exercise should be all the proof you need. If YOU were running your own mind, then wouldn’t it respond exactly as YOU intended?”




Chapter Three
“Self Watching"

The first signs of dusk were fast approaching. The two of them, or at least the one still visible, was looking quite out of place sitting alone in the woods. Rufus suggested they meet later at Bell Rock, one of Sedona’s better known power spots. {Most people who visit here can feel the powerful vortex energy spiraling skyward as they stand anywhere within the vicinity of this small mountain. It is regarded by locals and spiritual pilgrims alike as the portal to “extraterrestrial” energies.}

As Galen approached the power spot, the sun had fallen an hour before. The night air was cool and dry, and the stars above were like brilliant diamonds. The thin air and high altitude of Sedona made the stars seem especially close, and again that special feeling of “divine anxiety” was returning, making his heart race faster as he approached the first level of this impressive megalith.

To climb Bell Rock, one has to weave back and forth looking for just the right pathway among the crags and crevices that lead to higher and higher ground. The rare energies here are so buoyant however that you almost feel you’re floating instead of climbing.

Although it was dark, Galen could still see. Whether it was his second sight now activating or the light from the stars, everything seemed to glow in a subtle light. Even the occasional cactus bushes stood out with a light of their own.

Suddenly a much brighter light farther up the trail caught his attention. He looked up and could see an oval entrance of some sort, maybe a cave that was definitely not visible in the daylight. As he approached closer he could see clearly, it was a cave entrance, and it emitted the most wonderful scent of fresh earth and burning wood. An incense like he’d never smelled. Then to his delight Rufus appeared, his arms gesturing a welcome to enter.

“A tricky climb for a physical body, huh?” Rufus commented as Galen entered. He turned and led the way to a deeper part of the cave. The walk was eerie. Something about the energy here was quite ‘alien’ though exciting to Galen’s senses. They kept going deeper … Rufus was silent as usual as they traversed the curious passageway.

Finally they entered a rounded cavern. It was perfectly shaped, something like an upright egg, and smoothly formed. It seemed like the heat of the sun had somehow burst into this room, creating smooth glass-like walls. And like the Cave of Secrets in Albuquerque, it emitted a soft white light with no recognizable source. The buoyant energy here also reminded Galen of that wonderful place. He was about to soar from his body again when Rufus grasped his arm. “Ground yourself,” he cautioned.

Rufus made a sweeping motion with his hand and arm. The room changed suddenly. It was like a holographic image of an alien world, appearing out of thin air. Then he felt a rush of consciousness, a sure sign of traveling, and they were standing on a ledge overlooking a deep gorge. A hazy sun was overhead, shrouded by thick layers of multi-hued clouds. Pastel colors of charged ions changed the atmosphere overhead and made the air between him and Rufus seem alive with changing colors and shadows. It was magnificent!

“Wow, where are we!” asked Galen. His eyes were full and round, trying to soak up as much of the wonderment as possible.

“Call it another world, or another dimension -- in God’s glorious kingdom, does the name really matter?” He looked at his student and saw the smile fade to uncertainty. “If you must know,” he relented, “it’s the invisible world that surrounds the planet Venus. The Earth and Venus are linked together in a spiritual bond. Earth is ground; Venus is spirit. One is visible, and the other is invisible. The two parts make a whole. But this link is little known, and even less understood in the worlds of science and common knowledge. Most will not learn of this until their passing to the afterlife. But again, this is a lesson for another time.”

“So this is where we go when we die…”

“I didn’t say that specifically, but yes, some make it this far. A few go even farther. But the reason I brought you here was to let you feel the pureness of your spiritual Being -- without the encumbrance of your false Nature. You see, when you truly die and become a spiritual being again, the false self and all its habits, attitudes, desires, and conditionings are left behind. It’s like shedding a heavy and worn out suit of clothing. Stripped of this burden, your awareness becomes clear and pure, free of all self-punishment. You are no longer distracted by memories, or by heavy thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow. You live truly in the Now moment, born anew in a world of beauty and ecstatic energy.”

“Does this mean we lose all memories of our past life?” Galen asked.

“No it doesn’t. But memories are not as important here as they are on earth. Here, you use pure awareness as the basis of thought and action, instead of conditioned memory. Awareness lets you act on facts in the Now moment, while memories cause you to re-act by relying on previous conditioning. This is the true enlightened state that seekers seek while on earth. It can be sustained while earthbound, but only after specific training and continuous work. This specific training includes the “Self Watching” technique I spoke of earlier.”

Already the burden of the false self was being dissolved and Galen could feel its imposing heaviness lifting. It was an odd feeling. His mind was focused, instead of distracted by annoying thoughts, but his awareness seemed to expand to limitless proportions. It was like all his senses had become integrated into a single sense while expanding to any limits he chose to explore. For sure, awareness was quite a different sense than he’d ever imagined or expected.

Rufus guided him through several experiences that showed beyond all doubt that he was considerably more than a part of All That Is – in fact, at the core of his being HE WAS the ALL! The sensing of this was beyond all words and descriptions. It was a profound experience that lifted a mere human to the level of a God. So great was the impact, it would change his basic consciousness forever – at least until the veil of physical memory again shrouded the experience with confusion and feelings of limitation. It was the price he’d have to pay for being human again.

They returned to the earthy cave in Sedona and Rufus motioned that he take a seat in the sand; he then began instruction for the “Self Watching” technique. Galen felt the burden of his phantom intruder (the false self) again settling into consciousness, returning him to the normal human level.

“The only way to detach yourself from the false self,” Rufus began, “is by exercising the awareness of your true self. You must watch everything that goes on, both within yourself and outside of yourself. Be especially aware of your reactions to people and to the things that happen to you. Do nothing but watch, just as if it were happening to someone else. Your identification with the false self is so complete, that normally you don’t see yourself attaching to its emotional reactions. So don’t personalize. Don’t be carried away by what you observe.

“You judge nothing as good or bad, right or wrong, pleasurable or painful, favorable or unfavorable. Simply watch, as if you had no personal connection with whatever you observe.

Self-watching is passive detachment. You don’t try to change the things that you see – change happens by itself, inside, as you become aware – you interfere with nothing, without attitude, judgment, or comment. You simply look.

“It’s quite an experience to stand aside and watch a fear, an embarrassment, or any other punishing emotion pass right through you without personalizing it. Keep your awareness focused on the disturbance, give it some time to unravel, and watch it disintegrate right before your eyes. This is mental magic that gradually changes things, without effort, without having to do something. Do you see the difference?”

Galen nodded yes but somehow it seemed too easy. Surely you have to do something…

“I see the skeptic in your eyes,” Rufus said, clearly reading his student’s hesitancy. “Try to picture the awareness as a bright light that shines on the dark phantoms within. Left on their own to play their tricks in the dark, negative thoughts and negative emotions are free to punish you at will. But train the power of your attention – your focused awareness – upon each of them as they begin to torment, and watch them flee the light like a vampire caught in the headlights. They fear the light because it robs their power. Catch them enough times and they just wither away. So there’s really nothing to do but watch.

“And one more thing,” added Rufus. “By withholding judgment, refusing to label them as good or bad, you are able to detach yourself. It’s only by struggle and judgment that you bind yourself to these troubling vampires, granting them attachment to you. I want you to always remember this infallible Truth:

“The surest way to keep something in your life – is to fight it! You empower whatever you resist. Real magic happens when you suspend all judgment of good or bad, and detach with conscious awareness.”

“Yes,” said Galen, “I can see the wisdom in that … it’s like allowing.”

“Exactly. It is the essence of allowing and non-resistance. Do you see how easily these Truths blend together?”

Galen nodded in agreement. Rufus continued—“If you’ve followed along this far, and you understand what I’ve tried to relate with words, you now have the basis for understanding the secret…

“Behind all things you experience in life, there stands an Invisible Witness. It is a projection of the true self, always present, witnessing all that happens and witnessing your reactions to all that happens. It is really you, but the part of you that you’ve always ignored because you have been mis-identified with the false self. Our task is to detach from (discard) the false self, and reclaim the lost powers, abilities, and joys of the true self. To do this however we must re-identify with the Witness aspect within.

“To identify with the Witness is to capture the essence of Awareness. It sees all but judges nothing. It allows. This is a knack that will take time to cultivate because you’ve been conditioned to judge everything. From childhood to present you’ve been taught to classify all things as either good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair … black or white. By being on one side, you must do constant battle with its opposite. This has created an imbalance which is not natural. It’s part of the void you described earlier.

“The Witness remember is unconditioned, pure awareness; and it sometimes needs the assistance of its active ally, the will. You will need the will, not only to steer the awareness, but also to hold its focus on what you’re observing. In the beginning it will tend to wander, like the curiosity of a small child. Realize that this is only natural and not to be scorned. Simply lead it back and re-focus. This is much like meditation … however instead of sitting cross-legged, breathing slowly, concentrating on something (or nothing), you will be using the raw material of everyday circumstance to center yourself and wake up. We could call this a waking meditation. Keep in mind the objective: You want to detach from the illusory life of the false self, and re-identify with the real self and the real life you were meant to enjoy. To do this you must shake the semi-hypnosis of normal consciousness and re-awaken the aware state of real consciousness. The training of the Witness is key.”

{Do not assume this to be an idealistic philosophy that sounds good but does not work. This is a practical, workable process that changes simple observations into meaningful realizations -- and leads to higher and higher levels of awareness. It is progress you can see and feel. However, you must work with patience and perseverance. If you can convince yourself that this is the most important work in your life – that nothing, no matter what, will grant you more enduring rewards, you will then have the proper attitude to succeed. And besides, you are using the everyday material of your own life to progress. Imagine, your own life is your best teacher! Now that’s natural … it’s the way it was meant to be.}