31 January, 2013

We are all Rainbow Makers: by Leo G Duse





Photo credit: Pet Fantasy. Please view and like their wonderful website at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/%E1%83%A6-Pet-Fantasy-%E1%83%A6/279710602058039

We are at a juncture in our planet's timeline where everything seems to be accelerating and the contrasts of positive and negative manifestations are more jarring.

The reality of what has shaped our way of life; political, social and economic is becoming clearer to many and it is not a pretty picture.
However; being confused, afraid and overwhelmed by the tide of seemingly negative manifestations that we are and will experience as our civilization evolves will bear no fruit either at an individual level or as a society.

All the sages of the past from all major traditions, Eastern and Western, realized thousands of years ago what we as a race have collectively failed to understand: it is not raw materialism or external conditions that bring forth joy. Wealth, power and position have severe limitations.

We may hold high status in our circle and possess great wealth and influence but if we are always argumentative, fearful, envious and dissatisfied something is wrong.
Many accept this as a way to cruise the river of life. However for those that pursue this path, most of their legacies are the opposite of what they seek to achieve. Their tenure is characterized by a feeling of lack of lasting fulfillment, divisions (family and co-workers), petty competition and disillusionment or apathy around them.

Attachment and aversion characterize their existence.

Since ego reigns supreme they have no genuine feedback mechanism and few realize what their life has been about.
One way or another we are now being forced by the many great changes and difficulties that are surfacing to confront our choices, past and present. We need to remember. What is it that made us smile spontaneously, forgetting for a moment our crafted armor of ego. There are moments in all our lives when we let go, perhaps even for an instant with a feeling of genuine love, compassion or joy...but to then inevitably return to Ego's call: the sword is drawn yet again and we march into our habitual war zone.

More and more people are beginning to question their experiences. Feeling their way back to feeling?
Creating altruistic joy by sharing whatever we can, with the intention of giving without expectations, is something that everyone can do. Even the stingiest person can send a free beautiful picture to someone via the web and bring a smile and perhaps create a moment of wonder in someone else.

We can teach what we know or help where we can with whatever we are professionally good at. Or we can write, smile and be helpful to people, send inspiring and heart felt photographs, support causes, free an animal's life (intelligently), sponsor a child or a meal for a school...the list of what we can do whatever our means is endless.

One thing that I have seen in many countries in Europe and Asia is that those with the least means do a better job at giving than many people with great means. We can often find many poor people feeding animals, caring for those in need, helping their neighbors.
Although this is more evident in rural areas, these feats also occur within the confines of urban jungles.

I have seen many wealthy individuals (there are exceptions thankfully) who give company's funds to charitable causes to accomplish their means, mostly for reasons of enhancing their visibility and prestige. It is OK to use someone's else' s money if they sign up for this, sometimes even this kind of generosity has its place on the giving spectrum.

While it is still of some benefit the effect on those giving in this way is quite different from that attained by those giving with a pure intention. People around the former sense this and the accompanying ceremonies are somewhat mechanical events rich in ego, logos and smiling photo's but rather lacking in sincerity and joy.

This is a time where we can and must act: every kind deed counts and it DOES NOT matter what cause you support: as long as it uplifts others in some way. We can all manifest beauty, We can all learn to be more humble, to share more genuinely. We are seeing many expressions of this now and it is encouraging: new artists emerging with a higher resonance and expressiveness, singers, painters, positive change activists, photographers, scientists, doctors, healers, bloggers.

Every grain of sand is needed to produce a great Mandala. Every one counts towards building up an entirely new reality around us.
The way to create a better world is to accept Being that grain of sand. Those who understand that what we intend becomes what WE SEE and EXPERIENCE are very fortunate and already know for themselves the truth of this.



Photo credit: Sacred Art. Please view and like their page:

http://www.facebook.com/SacredArt9

Invest in your heart and in sharing whatever you are most suited for: there is no other investment out there that can yield such high long term returns.

You see material things are subject to change and although they help a great deal, at some point they will decay and be replaced by something else. A loving imprint left in someone's heart however will always remain throughout their entire life.

And for those that believe in a hereafter, in all those that will follow.

Leo G. Duse

Leo is currently working on a network research project and paper regarding manifestation and 2012 provisionally titled the “2012 Frenzy”.











.










Apocalypse Calling: a poem teaser by Zen




Apocalypse Calling
Saturday, April 28th, 2012. 

by Zen Gardner

Strange sounds abound
While quakes shift the ground
As the earth sheds its shadowy veil

A world now deranged
As things rearrange
Will now enter the steed colored pale?

Mankind awaits
At eternitys gates
To see what will surely unfold

The narratives written
Say man will be smitten
Or so goes the story were sold

The changes are real
Its something you feel
Yet we know not just what will transpire

Will humanity waken
Its overlords shaken?
Or like sheep will be led to the fire

There will be a revealing
The layers are peeling
The Truth will become known to us all

Just how we respond
Or submit to the con
Is our test and the clarion call

30 January, 2013

The importance of mindfulness

Photo credit: New Love
http://new-love.org/2012/08/simplicity-patience-and-compassion-those-are-our-greatest-treasures/

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
~Lao Tzu

27 January, 2013

Dhammapada - Age: by Julian Colgan



When confronted with the dualism of youth and old age,
why pass one's phenomenal existence in
the merriment and happiness that is born of ignorance.

When the world is set ablaze with the fires of suffering,
why pass one's phenomenal existence in
the darkness of repeated birth and death
when one can spend it pursuing the light of Nirvana.

The physicality of one's body
is as real as any painted depiction of Reality,
giving only a rough outline of what dwells within one's body.

Spending one's time on thoughts
that are just as unreal as a self,
one's body slowly withers away
till there is no external covering and no self
to fill the void that once occupied one's body.

What is known as the network of the senses
is like a well built house
in that the conceptions which uphold
the various levels of the senses
eventually loses all of its glamorized strength,
thus causing one's well built house to collapse
before one knows that it is in the process of collapsing.

Goodness, unlike the externalized goods of Samsara,
does not need to be reborn
since goodness is one of the major qualities of a Buddha.

Without reflection upon the governing principals of Life,
many grow physically but do not grow mentally,
for the mind is seen as a tool
and not so much as a necessity.

Reflecting upon one's numerous lives
spent in Samsara's net,
and having found no self
within this house of a body,
one's house shall never be built up again,
for once the beams of illusion are cracked in half,
all of one's accumulated negative merit will run for shelter elsewhere.

Like worn out bows, the minds of those who
do not enter into the other stream of Nirvana
fall to the wayside, having no one call their own.

by Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood



26 January, 2013

Silence



“There is a thread from the heart to the lips
where the secret of life is woven.
Words tear the thread
but in silence
the secrets
speak.”
~Rumi

25 January, 2013

New link for students of Dharma

Photo courtesy of  Osel-Shen-Phen-Ling
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Osel-Shen-Phen-Ling/57578679680

It is with great pleasure that a new link to Julian Colgan's remarkable works on Buddhism has been included. This is a great site produced by a young, prolific and highly spiritually aware writer whose understanding of consciousness is consistent with and spans across all original spiritual traditions.
We cannot thank him enough for his contributions that continue to move and inspire many of us.
Since links are often forgotten our admin will still post some of his great blogs on our main page.
Love to all

The Obsession To Be In Control by Julian Colgan

The conditioned consciousness is always looking
for someone or something to dominate
either through the use of subtle intelligence or brutal force.
When brutally honest, control is the name
of many a game and many a social encounter.
Making a good first impression is never as it seems,
for the conditioned consciousness is afraid
of showing its weaknesses and faults.
Planning for success at all costs,
the controller is controlled by the need
to appear to be in control.
Like a drop of water that is hanging onto
the back of a fresh leaf or piece of vegetation,
every moment is a moment of inward suspension.
Suspended between all of the world’s victories
and downturns, when will the drop of my existence
fall back into the nothingness of time.
Losing control is paramount to emptying the self
of all that it has experienced, sensed and tasted since
it has entered the cyclical continuum of repeated sufferings.
Building an empire out of sand and stone,
everything begins to crumble and shake
within less than one lifetime.
A king and a prince for a day, old age
makes every royal pleasure next to nill.
Having a surplus of guards and defense mechanisms,
the desire to suffer in ignorance of the buddha nature
weakens one’s hold over the reality of Reality.
Outwardly controlled and dominated by the
fortune of the race, racing to the finish line
will meet in never reaching that overly glamorized
point of departure.
Lifting one leg at a time, the sage is somewhat cautious
over trying to cheat the natural unfoldments
of life’s wavering processes.
A fish one day and a demon the next,
the wheel of conditioned consciousness offers
a wide variety of sensory phenomena to try to take control of.
Controlling nothing but one’s desires,
everything else is left up to the decisions
of rotating stars and slowly moving galaxies.
Washed over by a million and one desires,
the conditioned consciousness is a bucket
of mixed and conflicting emotions.
At war with birth and death, one should aspire
for a life that is empty of control issues.
Bringing everything to life,
one is controlled in every other possible way.
In a universe of polarity, each time the planets swing,
one is swung another time around one’s own deceptions.
Grounded in the terrestrial abode or mandala of human desires,
the happiness of others is enough to make one irritated.
Fed up and fuming with smoldering rage,
the desire game is the only game where one keeps
losing on a consistent basis.
Inheriting nothing but one’s mind,
death is the enemy and chastiser of 
one’s overly needy life expectations.
Practicing the mahamudra,
liberation is the non dualistic experience of self control.
Mounting the mountain of nothingness,
elements, demons, and the life airs
are all fictions of one’s running imagination.
A buddha for a day, extend the length of that day
into an infinite day of unending merit and unrivaled integrity.
In control when no longer in control,
the life of a buddha is the life that one is meant to
calmly breathe into until mastery is mindfully born.
 
by Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood
http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca

22 January, 2013

Getting Out Of The Corners Of The Self by Julian Colgan

Boxed into a corner with the rest
of forgotten humanity,
the self, which is a hollow illusion,
takes up much space within one's mind.
Neatly categorizing every phenomena
into a reduceable object of inquiry,
the self does much to work
against its own undoing.
Emerging from the void,
non-emergence is better than re-emergence.
When emerging from something,
it is believed that something
is being left behind for good.
When staying in a state of non-emergence,
everything that the void has consumed
abides in the infinity of space.
The self, which is a product
of the causal chains of nature,
is the result of this re-emergence
into formed conceptions of formed realities.
The difference between being formed
and formless is the difference that exists
between perceiving the self
as being either full of something
or empty of everything.
No self is a characteristic of enlightenment
only because the deluded mistakingly 
believe that there is a gap
between being full and being empty.
Infinite in consciousness and omnipotent
 in wisdom, morality and compassion,
the great seal of liberation
is nothing other than a supremely lucid mind.
Shifting from a formed state to a formless one
in a matter of seconds,
every thought about reality loses itself
in the immanent immensity
of the void of primordial being.
Getting out of the corners of the self,
the self is every corner of space
until there is no more space to conquer.
Dismissing buddhahood,
which is ultimately another impermanent identity
to latch onto, there is no need to take on
another type of self when formlessness
is paramount to freedom from extremes.
Observing a rippleless ocean in full action,
every extreme which manifests as another identity
is silenced by the magnitude of something
that transcends every faculty of divine contemplation.
As smooth as an unblinking sky,
the self crystallizes into a formed entity
when focused on and evaporates
like a fading star when the mind
abides in the formlessness of nature's ways.
Self or no self; the choice is yours.
One brings pain; the other brings bliss.
Blissfully formless,
the limitless forms of existence
peacefully slumber under the night's sky,
bringing a type of neutrality to all
who traverse Mara's deadly path.
Not having to be submissive to any
traditional notion of selfhood or buddhahood,
be who you are when you are who you are.
Rising from one's lotus position,
the buddha is ready to surmount
his past attainments in order to realize
the emptiness of all strivings and attainments.
Lifting a finger, perfection naturally unfolds.
by Julian Colgan (Copyright)
Awake to Buddhahood
http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/2013/01/getting-out-of-corners-of-self.html

21 January, 2013

Gaia Shrugs by Zen Gardner

Please visit this inspirational and wonderful author at: http://www.zengardner.com
sadness_gaia

Gaia Shrugs

by Zen Gardner
From spacious skies to hazy lies her hue keeps growing dimmer While oceans blue churn toxic goo as species types grow thinner

She waits and takes and gives us life while resting in her station A regal loving entity that lives for re-creation

Till marauders came to rape the plain, the mountains and the sea And when they came ’twas Gaia’s bane, so plain for all to see

Yet scrape and rape and plunge and burn, their greed cannot be quenched Though Gaia’s own inhabitants’, their lives are being wrenched

From harmony and unity and oneness with the land To selfish toxic death wish games, as reptoids lead the band

The day will come and very soon when Gaia shrugs the pests
It isn’t much in cosmic realms to purge these nasty nests

Until then conscious visitors, we all should now unite Our Gaia and good forces dear expect a righteous fight

All we have we’re given, nothing’s lacking as we’re told Our purpose here’s to manifest this Love and live it bold.

Gaia’s taking punishment for giving selflessly The backwards upside down insanity lies relentlessly

But you and I are living now, awake and well aware It’s time for restoration…will you come, and will you dare?
+++
ZenGardner.com

20 January, 2013

10 Things for Conscious People to Focus on in 2013

 We encourage you to visit this wonderful site which covers highly relevant articles for well being and developing higher awareness.

10 Things for Conscious People to Focus on in 2013

January 17, 2013
(Image credit: Cyril Rana)
 
 








Dylan Charles, Editor
Waking Times
The long anticipated and prophesized year, 2012, has come and gone, yet, the problems and challenges facing mankind and planet earth remain. Those who have put stock in the idea of conscious evolution are now faced with the burden of proof: is there any legitimacy to this idea of a ‘shift?’
Some human experiences prove too extraordinary and too far outside of the purview of science and intellect to effectively put into words. Because of this, many people who have felt ‘the shift’ taking place in their lives in recent years, such as I, find it difficult to convey the significance of what we feel taking place in the realms of our own psyches and amongst the collective human consciousness. As a result, we are often at odds with family, friends, and colleagues who view conscious evolution as some sort of quackery or ‘new age’ jargon that has no practical value in a turbulent world where autocrats and a malignant elite are becomingly increasingly cancerous to prosperity, liberty and the eco-systems of planet earth.
Straddling this dichotomy, we must find actionable ways to demonstrate how the betterment of mankind is possible amongst the tidal wave of disasters and bad news confronting us all. In this challenge lies the greatest opportunity of our lives, yet if we rise to this challenge, our efforts will naturally combine with the efforts of other conscious people to assist in the betterment of our households, communities and nations.
But make no mistake, we are tasked with an overwhelming contest of will power and perseverance.
In order to help steel your resolve and open up your heart, I’ve compiled a short list of 10 things for conscious people focus on in 2013 that will give you a framework of daily action so that you can better engage the world in your understanding ‘the shift,’ and better exemplify the positive qualities of the human race.
So, let’s get to work.
  1. Dispel fear from your life.

    Kill it, once and for all. Bury it and never look back. The greatest force working against the rightful destiny of mankind is fear. Fear is the prime component of the control matrix and this human emotion alone is a more effective prison than even the gulags of Guantanamo Bay. We hear it on the radio, we see it on TV shows. Fear is king in the modern world and this king must be violently overthrown.
    Death is the ultimate fear of man, and reckoning with your own death is paramount to being an agent of positive change in the years to come. Behind death, we are programmed to fear pain of any kind, including physical pain and the pain of adverse economic conditions, the pain of perceived insecurity and the pain of feeling different amongst our peers.
    Stop running from pain. Stop masking it with material balms and mind-numbing medications and intoxications. Pain is your greatest teacher, and your greatest ally in your confrontation with fear. Use it, live with it, and let the pain of your broken expectations re-season and invigorate your life. Only once you have moved beyond being a pawn to fear can you truly make a difference in this cauldron of souls we call life.
  2. Improve the total self.

    We are sick and immature. We are unenlightened, apathetic and selfish. We are overweight, dumb, cruel and sensational. Yet we are simultaneously radiant, compassionate and capable of amazing acts of love. So what is your true, rightful nature? Where is your soul most alive and inspired? The total health of the individual is mandatory in addressing these questions. Become what you should be, alert, alive, awake, and happy.
    The physical body is the vehicle for the mind, which is an expression of the spirit. Yet without the foundation of a healthy body, the mind and spirit languish in decay. Start here, with a solid foundation. Purify, detoxify, and re-evaluate what you put into your body. Then feed the mind, nourishing it with ideas and positive thought, so that your spirit may flourish, inspiring you to move on to bigger and better things in life. Grow up and individuate, tackling your personal demons and honing your will power. In no time at all, with effort towards your personal improvement, you can complete revolutionize your personal reality for the better, regardless of any adversity that stalks you in life.
    The world needs people who are whole and healthy, within and without. Be this.
  3. Reconnect with this great Earth.

    Greater than any political crisis or national tragedy, the suffrages being waged against this planet will lead to more devastation and disruption than the mind can fathom. It’s time, right now, to engage yourself in goodwill towards our eco-systems and the life they support. You are nothing without a healthy planet and the responsibility for a shift towards sustainability lies squarely on your shoulders. No longer can you fall for the empty promises of the elite to steward a healthy environment, you must act now in protest to the failed materialistic systems that extract, deplete, frack and burn the very substance of life. Disengage with materialism, and dig deep into the soil for relief from the madness consuming us all.
  4. Abandon conflict.

    The sickness of conflict is an obstacle to all things positive. No longer is it acceptable to violently argue with your friends and family about the intentions of the ruling class, and no longer can you allow your energy to be sucked into battles of opinion or want. Learn to observe, learn to listen, learn to give rather than solely take. Your opinion matters, but, in the great scheme of things no one’s opinion is more valuable than another’s. Try living with this philosophy in your daily life and watch and see just how much easier it is to influence other people.
  5. Practice gratitude daily.

    Gratitude is love in action. Love is the antithesis of fear and casts light upon all of the dark parts of life. Cherish your time with those you know and love, and say thank you daily to whichever God you worship, taking the time to specifically mention the things in your life that that make life richer, fuller, more beautiful, no matter how small. The transformational power of gratitude is unparalleled, and all those who engage in fulfilling acts of appreciation are rewarded with happiness in even the most adverse of situations.
  6. Adopt a spirit of charity and kindness.

    The greatest achievement of an accomplished person is to abandon selfishness and live in service to others. Small things make a big difference in this world and the clearest path to happiness within is to engage in kindness without. Employ this idea any chance you can find and the goodwill you demonstrate to others is guaranteed to return to you ten fold, affecting your own prosperity and well-being.
  7. Be creative.

    The human race is endowed with unbelievable ingenuity and curiosity, which offers us unlimited possibilities in creating worthwhile lives and correcting our collective mistakes. Yet conditioned to operate in patterns and habit, human beings are prone to growing stale in life and moving only within self-restrictive boundaries.
    Learn to break your own mold by trying new things, exploring new ideas and taking risks. Creativity is a tool for the thoughtful and evolution exists as a function of our ability to act upon the fantasies of our imagination. Problems persist when solutions are scarce, so put your whole being into the employment of creative solutions to any problems you may find, big or small. The old ways of thinking, acting, and doing have run out of promise, so, do your part in creating something new.
  8. Explore consciousness and cultivate spirituality.

    There is so much more to our existence than the physical reality we accept as our material universe. Beyond that lies a vast infinity of awareness and surprises that can be accessed by various means, adding a richness and fullness to everyday life, which is incomprehensible to our scientific minds. Explore this and you will discover a limitless source of inspiration, which will allow you to look at the material world with a renewed curiosity and calm passivity. The unexplored realms of your consciousness is where peace resides, and the cultivation of individual spirituality is the gateway to this peace.
    If you are bold enough to pursue the revelations offered by plant medicines, then this may offer you a unique opportunity to break through our collective cultural programming and better understand your role in this crazy world. Spiritual cultivation is the noblest of personal endeavors and the path to total revolution.
    Spirituality and inner peace is your true nature, use it or lose it.
  9. Get prepared.

    The world is sadly on the edge of all out war and for many nations this already far too real. Here in the United States we are facing systemic crises of biblical proportions as the depression deepens and the economy is completely hollowed out by the elite. Our food supply is compromised by corporate insanity and fascistic controls, and frighteningly we are facing the very serious prospect of civil war in America as the government advances its long predicted agenda to disarm the American public.
    Preppers are not crazy, they are prudent, and will be the saving grace of many when the inevitable collapse materializes in a flash. Don’t be foolish enough to mistake this calm before the storm as business as usual. Put together a plan and provisions for at least a basic level of readiness for yourself and your family. This is not just a good idea it is your responsibility.
    It is a sign of good conscience to consider the worst case scenario, plan for it, then move on to focusing on the other areas of your life which bring you happiness. Being prepared materially and mentally is a key part of dispelling fear from your life.
  10. Practice what you preach.

    People love to talk and share information, which is beneficial up to a point, but, the dire nature of our global situation demands that you set an example with this knowledge so that others can learn directly from your actions, not your ideas. Right now, today, this very moment, is the time to be bold and become the type of person who makes positive things happen in this world. Make a note of your interests and passions and get to it as though your hair was on fire. With every breath you take, you are closer to death, whatever that brings, and the value of your waking life is immeasurable, so make it count.
This list is offered as a guidepost so that you may have the most amazing and transformative year of your life. Practicing each of these ten things will help you to develop more love for yourself, your community and the living organism we call planet earth, while helping to cultivate a demeanor of poise and fearlessness in these waking times. It is your calling in 2013 to rise to the challenges we all face and play a part in revitalizing our shared world.
Namaste.
Do you have anything to add to this list? Please share in the comment section below. 

About the Author
Dylan Charles is a student and teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, a practitioner of Yoga and Taoist esoteric arts, and an activist and idealist passionately engaged in the struggle for a more sustainable and just world for future generations. He is the editor of WakingTimes.com, the proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, a grateful father and a man who seeks to enlighten others with the power of inspiring information and action. His remarkable journey of self-transformation is a testament to the power of the will and the persistence of the human spirit. He may be contacted at wakingtimes@gmail.com.
This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

19 January, 2013

21 Ways to Raise Your Vibration

We encourage you to visit this wonderful site which covers highly relevant articles for well being and developing higher awareness.

21 Ways to Raise Your Vibration

January 16, 2013 
Christina Sarich, Contributing Writer
Waking Times
According to the numerous wisdom teachings, Lao Tzu, Edison, Gregg Braden, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, the Buddha, Ken Wilber, Louis Hay, the Dalai Lama, Paramahansa Yogananda, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and a thousand other experts, both ancient and modern, our inner world affects the outer world. This is the great secret that every other culture knows except the West – Egypt, Bolivia, Tibet, Polynesia, China, Japan, Peru, villages in the Andes mountains, etc. – until now.
Our past scientific assumptions have been erroneous more than once. The first wrong assumption is that the space around us is empty. It isn’t. It is full of a living essence, which we are just beginning to understand. This essence is like a conduit that is affected by our thoughts. Nuns and Monks know this. That is what they use prayer and meditation for. It charges thought to interact with this essence. We call it miracles, but it is getting in touch with this conduit – this empty space, which carries our mental frequencies out into the field of possibility. The second wrong assumption is that our external circumstances just happen. They don’t. We create them. Like oscillations of a bowed string, the notes we play do matter.
You’ve been hearing it everywhere. Your vibration, or the pattern of your thoughts, attitudes and actions, is what creates your reality. If you want to change what you experience then you need to change your vibration. There are a million ways to do this but here are just a few:
  • There is a learning curve. You can’t give up the first time you try to change your thoughts, and thus your vibration. You have to practice it – over and over again. So take out a journal and write your new thoughts – the ones which reflect your experiences as you would like to see them happen, not necessarily that which your current vibration is creating. There are thousands of neurons, which are recruited to physically write down a thought, instead of just typing it into a computer screen.
  • Find something of beauty and just appreciate it. It can be a flower growing from a crack in the sidewalk. It can be the glint in a lover’s eyes. It can be your child’s smile, or a newly organized shelf of books. Just one thing. That’s all you need.
  • Make a list of all that you are grateful for. The reason gratitude journals and thankfulness lists work is because, just like cognitive behavioral training, you can make neuro-pharmacalogical and neuro-biological changes with a shift in your focus on gratitude. Start with a few things: I can take a breath. I am here, now. I have at least one friend. I am able to change myself with my own will. Then expand to make your list your own.
  • Meditate. Think of nothing. This is more than likely a more neutral and therefore more positive place to take your vibration.
  • Do something for someone else. Giving to someone else shifts your thinking from “I don’t have enough, to I have more than enough to give to others.” Abundance is a high vibration.
  • Listen to music you love. Music shifts your frequency by making you happy.
  • Stop complaining and gossiping. Are the things you are talking about bringing you more of what you want? Stop complaining, and start finding ways to rejoice.

  • Move. Exercise. Get active. Dance! Not only does movement change your perspective, it also creates endorphins which help you to feel happy. The happier you feel, the more you will draw happy experiences to yourself because you are operating at a different frequency.
  • Do something a little crazyHave you always wanted to go sky-diving? How about learning to dance? Have you always wanted to try public speaking – find an open mic night and go for it. You probably feel like you have nothing to lose – so dive right in. Just doing something new rewires your brain.
  • Listen to the ancient chants from Buddhist and Gregorian monks. They are designed to shift your frequency.
  • Not sure where you are vibrating? Just check in. How do you feel right now? Just observe it and then you can change it. Perception starts with awareness.
  • Do mental reps. Say to yourself 100 times a day. I am happy or I am prosperous, or I am unafraid of change. You may not believe it yet, but with practice you will. Your 100 repetitions could just be, I can change my mind.

  • Realize that you have more control over your life than you thought. You are not a victim to circumstance, past, family upbringing, trauma, or anything else. You can change your life in an instant. Just realize this. In many wisdom traditions this is called “total responsibility.” No one is responsible for how you feel right now but you. It isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing because it gives you your power back.
  • Breathe. Just sit and try to make your breath longer, fuller, and more relaxed. It has a direct affect on your nervous system and helps to calm you down. A calm vibration is a high vibration.
  • Drink energy charged water. Dr. Masaru Emoto made this practice mainstream with his pictures in Messages from water. But it is also a practice from Chinese healers from ancient lineages. You can hold your water with the thumbs and middle fingers touching on either side of the bottle (heart Mudra) and send the water love. Then drink it.
  • Practice Mudra. Mudras are ancient hand gestures that redirect energy, or prana, back into the body in much the same way that light is refracted/reflected from a cliff face or glacial wall. By learning specific ways in which to hold your fingers, you can direct positive energy into your body.
  • Jump up and down. It is said that the simple action of jumping excites the cells in the body and makes them healthier. Have some fun on a trampoline.

  • Practice Ho’oponopono. The ancient Hawaiians believed that sadness, depression and dis-ease only occurred when we perceived ourselves as separate from the Oneness, the Divine. One of the practice’s main themes is forgiveness. Forgive yourself or someone else and raise your vibration.
  • Hug someone. The American Psychosomatic Society published a study saying that just 10 minutes of positive physical contact with another human being can greatly reduce stress. Vibration. . .raised.  
Raise your vibration with an unbelievable program.
About the Author
Christina Sarich is a musician, yogi, humanitarian and freelance writer who channels many hours of studying Lao TzuParamahansa YoganandaRob Brezny,  Miles Davis, and Tom Robbins into interesting tidbits to help you Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World.
This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

18 January, 2013

On The Nature Of Emptiness - Julian Colgan

Emptiness cannot be realized
because there is nothing to realize
that is beyond your own diamond forged mind.
Emptiness cannot be seen
because there is nothing that is intrinsically
representative of formless formlessness.
Emptiness cannot be defined
because the nature of defining something
means that there is something that can be defined.
The middle way is not the middle way
when there is a mind to divide and label
something that appears to be extreme as being extreme.
The lotus is empty of a buddha
when the buddha renounces his or her buddha nature.
By saying that a buddha is a buddha,
buddhahood is lost.
Though losing something is empty of meaning,
making senses of emptiness is a meaningless task.
Working for what does not exist,
what does exist is beyond the mountain range of nirvana.
Sitting in a lotus position,
what you are sitting on
is sitting in you.
Every time an argument is made,
a counter argument is nowhere to be heard.
Seeing a rainbow encircled around your mind,
the rainbow of benedictions
is always there because there is nothing there.
Reading many sutras,
the only sutra that is never read
is the sutra of spontaneous 
relinquishments of all destructive desires.
Never looking into future or past lives,
the eternity of buddhahood
rings as clear as a silver bell
when placed in a high location or atmosphere.
Nirvana being a stream
and samsara a bridge,
not one step is needed to cross
that bridge of illusory apparitions.
Already there without being there,
the nature of emptiness is no better than samsara,
for samsara points the way to what is in need
of being seen as empty.
Neither found in the dharma or in the sangha,
emptiness is the perception of non-perception.
That which is eternal is always changing
and that which is stable is always fading.
Governed by the karma of no karma,
set yourself free of needless worries.
Anxious over what does not exist,
what does exist is the union
of a particular nature with no particular nature.
A simple and complex puzzle,
the mind is all there is to know.
 
Julian Colgan (Copyright)
http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/2013/01/on-nature-of-emptiness.html

On Emptiness - by Julian Colgan


15 January, 2013

Another stunning article by Zen Gardner: Change Ain’t What It Used To Be

I encourage all readers to seek out Zen's articles at http://www.zengardner.com. We have trawled through many "wisdom/illumination sites" as part of our research and this stands out as one of the best qualitative and consistent content focusing on spiritual wisdom and awakening.

Change Ain’t What It Used To Be


by Zen Gardner
I’ve been realizing lately that things change more than we think. Way more and in more ways. Even when we’re aware of the underlying reality of constant change, we reference new changes by our memory and perception of old changes. And those are based on previous reference points.
The point is, we’re judging change by points of attachment. That cannot be very accurate. Nor fully conscious.
I was shocked to realize how attached I am to my various “points of view” while I thought I really wasn’t. But that’s how the mind is wired.

The Subtle Reflex

Simply put, everything’s shifting. And in shifting ways. In a shifting perception of change. What I realized I was comparing to was an emotional imprint. I was looking back to different periods of time in my life in comparison to what I’m going through now. Consciously conjuring up old impressions in contrast with a current experience.
For whatever reason. Understanding, nostalgia, encouragement, comparison. There’s so much that flows through our minds as we seek meaning and definition.
And that really struck me. I realized how I frequently use old imprints to gauge comparative changes. Not necessarily bad in itself as there’s no doubt something to learn, but I shouldn’t compare to times in my life when I was relatively unconscious.
And on top of that, these current vibrational changes are completely new, as am I. Recalling old imprints only reinforces my attachment to them.
Looking in relation to an old perceived set point will only let me see so far. It’s sort of like comparing apples to oranges when it comes to perception shifts. They don’t compare.
Another analogy might be a rock climber who won’t fully let go of his gear attached to the lower rungs he made in his ascent. He’ll only get so far. As you go higher your perspective shifts phenomenally, but it won’t get to those really inspiring views if he won’t let go of those lower footholds that got him started.
And psychically these memory reference points are embedded in emotions and memory clusters. Very similar to the crystalline knots a massage therapist works out of muscle tissue that then have to be flushed from the system.
Memory can be an anchor. Beware.

Letting Go in a Shifting Reality..or Not

It’s all good…if we let go into this shifting reality. A lot of people are fighting it. I’m seeing it in people I’m close to, and hearing this happening to folks from many sources. We knew the shift was hitting, but as we get further into it and our noses are closer to the details it starts getting very personal.
I should hope so. But when it hits it can be a stinker.
It’s again like the mountain analogy where it’s easy to see the full mountain range from afar but up close to the big climb and vast range of mountains you get all caught up in the foothills and the real climbing work begins as you bear down on the climb ahead. A total change of head.
It’s really a lifestyle shift. Or it should be. That’s what grabs the stubborn souls by the throat. If someone doesn’t budge and they keep refusing to acknowledge the evident Truths around them and then yield to those Truths by consciously making the needed changes in their lives, it can be pretty tough. These include disengaging from the system more, letting go of unfruitful and hindering relationships, adopting a healthier lifestyle both physically and mentally, and preparing spiritually and practically for the upcoming economic and social storm.
Those who refuse to see this will not be peaceful people or happy campers. You can spot them by their stress levels, and a fundamentally angry, confrontational attitude. They also vigorously put down anyone pointing out these evident Truths being made manifest.
You know who they are. Hopefully this will help spot them faster and better, as we don’t need to be subjected to their demeaning behavior.

Defying the Control System

There’s really no reason not to disengage from the matrix, at least in stages. Those imaginary handcuffs of the mind are weaker than cooked spaghetti. It’s the habitual fear programming that keeps people from doing the obvious.
That’s the design, to paralyze humanity.
One of the real toughies has to do with relationships. There are many a couple who have diametrically opposed attitudes and perspectives, leaving very lonely and isolated individuals feeling lost in spiritually unfulfilling situations that wear on them pretty heavily. People do wake up all the time, but that type of situation I find particularly saddening and I know it’s taxing on the collective consciousness.
There’s no blanket solution, everyone has to go according to how they’re led. But if you’re in one of those relationships, always do everything you can to keep strengthening your spiritual convictions and conscious awakening. Some local meet up groups can be very encouraging. The internet of course is the meeting place for most of us. I’m very blessed with an amazing mate who has gone through much of the same stages of awakening as myself and we now share every nuance together and can really talk about anything and everything.
I’ve also developed many wonderful relationships via the internet that’s an expanding, amazing community of awake, aware and loving souls that I’m so very privileged to know. I know that’s the case with many other people.
Our little email communities are the seed and fruit of the awakening.
Keep on and keep growing!

A Time of Change and a Time to Choose

But overall, it’s a challenge, especially for those caught in compromised situations. Reach out to those in need. Don’t necessarily meddle, but be there for their encouragement and a listening ear.  Just letting someone know you understand and care is so very powerful. As things take shape in people’s lives more choices present themselves and as consciousness raises we’ll all know what to do, or not to do.
The awakening cannot be thwarted.
More often than not ours is to simply defy the system programming…disobey, disconnect, disengage, from anything they throw at us.
The rest will follow.
No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it is not the same river, and it is not the same man.
There is nothing permanent except change.
- Heraclitus
Much love, Zen
www.zengardner.com