
This is a non-denominational blog for spiritual pilgrims, intended to inspire us towards "Kingdom Consciousness".
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Magdalen at Rennes Le Chateau

Saturday, October 16, 2010
Appropriate Emotion - To Be Or Not To Be - That is the Question
To be or not to be. This is the question that seems to have plagued society since before Shakespear wroe those famous words! It is at the background of all that we do.
When people get down, I hear someone proudly retort:
"Come on, put a smile on your face!" - Is it okay for me to feel unhappy in this moment? If not, then why not? Why do we put pressure on ourselves to always be happy? Does sadness, grief, fear, anxiety, depression and other such 'negative' emotions have any purpose?
"Come on, think positively" - there is a time for positive thought, and a time for honest reflection of our own situation and that of the world.
"Be grateful" - if I am feeling low, does it automatically mean I am not grateful for the blessings in my life?
There are a deluge of self help books and 'guru's' touting new ways we should be happy, which imlies that we are not happy, and that happiness is some sort of requirement in society. 50% of the population is addicted to one sort of anti-depressant medication or another. If you are one of those that doesn't take anything for your depression, please reflect, just because you don't 'do drugs' or 'take pharmaceuticals' doesn't mean you don't self medicate. Overeating, overspending, compulsive sexual habits, addictions of one sort or another to take one out of 'reality' even if for but a moment, seems to be the modern day answer to the blues. Needing to constantly be busy, whether on your cell phone or constantly needing to be busy texting, or rushing from one 'crises' to another, is a sign of either being genuinely successful in business, or being addicted to the 'need' to be busy and have the appearance of being popular. It takes one out of the present, into useless chitter chatter, that has become the norm for almost everyone I see. Distraction is the new drug. I see people taking a walk whilst talking on the phone, lunching and talking on the phone whilst in good company with their friends, texting whilst driving (not recommended!)..... it's an addiction as much as any other addiction. What is happening in society, as it speeds up, is we are becoming addicted to adrenaline, which is a hormone released when we are stressed. We live on it, and eventually learn to love it.
What is wrong with feeling your feelings fully? Why do we feel afraid to show our true feelings to one another? It's as if emotion has become the new 'f' word. Don't show it! Put on a brave face! Get botox and don't frown! Pop a pill if you are sad (avoid feeling your feelings)! Take this medicine if you have PMS (and avoid feeling your pain)! Take this drug if you are anxious or insecure (lose your ability to feel your intuiton)! Have coffee if you feel tired, have a sleeping pill if you can't sleep, distract yourself with shopping, food, or just create a damned busy life! What are we afraid of as human beings? Isn't the world perfect just as it is, with all it's ups and downs? Is this a place where we are supposed to experience only happiness at every moment? Does sadness and depression not have as much value as joy and happiness? Forgive me for saying it, but I think both have amazing value! Is there a fine tuned balance between pleasure and pain?
So next time you feel sad, without reason, perhaps it is a call from nature, for you to slow down, pay attention to the simple things in life, take some alone time away from the busy hustle and bustle of modern day life. If you have have your moon, feel your feelings fully, and take space alone. Don't be afraid to be alone. This is where God and Goddess can be found. It is not to be found in the fickle fleeting distractions of this world.
To be or not to be. That is the question. Is it nobler in the mind to suffer? Or should we put on a brave face to the world, so that we 'fit' in with a positively numbed societal structure? I believe feeling every feeling, is a natural experience of life. It is God given, for a good ultimate purpose, of bringing us to our knees, for honest introspection, and for deepest levels of healing and spiritual growth. Each emotion carries within it, the remedy and the perfect lesson for our ultimate well being. Be not afraid to ride the waves of life as it comes, there is perfect grace for us all, in every experience.
Practical Application: Next time you feel depressed, tired, rundown, anxious, overwhelmed, nervous, afraid, angry or despair, take time for yourself the next available opportunity you get. Go into seclusion, shut off your phones, shut down the computer. Gaze at the trees as they twinkle in the sunlight and watch them flutter as the gentle breeze makes them dance. Perhaps light a candle and burn some essential oils like Geranium or Lavendar. Go deep within, into the peace and quiet, using your breath to carry you away into the inner worlds. Say an honest prayers to God or Goddess, or to your Master, and ask for Them to give you help through the difficulty you are having, whatever it may be. Be as painfully honest as you can with Them, and with yourself, and then the deepest of healings can happen. If your mind is racing, forgive yourself and ask to be relieved of so many thoughts and desires. Trust that in your surrender, God will take care of your life, and it is safe to let everything go. Begin your sadhana (spiritual practice), prayers and chanting from this deep honest space, and real growth, real happiness, will ensue.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Mood of Unmotivated Prayer
The language of prayer should not be cheap. Use words full of feeling, carefully chosen in it's most sincere honest yearning. God is interested only in the love you have to offer Him. He is already taking care of your everyday existance, according to the wheel of samskara (karma lifetime after lifetime). "Please bless me and keep my mind always pure and forever fixed upon You, for I am helpless without any shelter. Please be my Guardian and Guide. Reveal within me the Kingdom which I so yearn for".
Without prayer, no advancement can be made. The Buddhists, Hindus, Vaisnava's, Catholics, Muslims and Sufi's all pray upon japa mala rosary beads to purify their consciousness so that they can be pure enough to realize the Kingdom within. We should always be anxious at every step to use every moment to advance our love for God. Here is an example of a great Vaisnava Saint's daily schedule.
8pm - 10pm - Sleep (2 hours)
10pm - 4am - Writing
4am - 4.30am Rest
4.30am - 7am - Chant on japa mala rosary beads
7am - 7.30am - Correspondence
7.30am - 9.30am - Study of ancient scriptures
9.30am - 10am - Bathe and eat 1/2 ltr milk, fruit and 2 capati's (flat breads)
10am - 1pm - Court duties (he was a Judge)
1pm - 2pm - Refresh at home
2pm - 5pm - Court duties
5pm - 7pm - Translate ancient Vedic Sanskrit scripture
7pm - 8pm - Bathe and eat dinner 1/2 ltr milk, rice and 2 capati's (flat breads)
Summary of Daily Schedule
Sleep 3 hours
Write 8.5 Hours
Japa, prayer and study 4.5 hours
Work 6 hours
PRACTICAL APPLICATION - Where do you waste precious time? On the phone? Text messaging? Drinking? Sleeping? Watching tv? Talking about nothing important with people? Shopping? Computer?
See where you waste time daily and make a concerted effort to cut down on these wasted activities. There is a time for work, a time for sleep, time for family..... where is your time for God? Is it once a week at Church or the Temple / Mosque? Or is it daily? The Muslims pray and bow to God 5 times a day, as well as spend time chanting japa mala rosary, repeating God's Holy Names. The Vaisnava's bow and pray 3 times per day and spend at least 2 hours daily chanting Gods Holy Names repetatively. Try to use the example above, of Bhaktivinode Thakura's amazing life rhythm to inspire a change in the way you spend your time. See where you leak time, and plug it up doing things to advance your consciousness towards the goal of life i.e. entrance to the Kingdom. We don't have to die to enter the Kingdom, we need to enter the Kingdom now. It is here within us now, not when we die, it is always there for us to dive deep into.
Friday, July 9, 2010
THE QUEST

If we spend our lives seeking after 'things' for our happiness, we will find ourselves disappointed, for even if we find them, we lose interest in them & evenutally want for something more. The end result does not fulfill desire and usually entails a waste of one's precious time, trying to attain it. If we choose to ignore the way reality works, we will achieve nothing but a wasted life. Krishna, Buddha and Jesus, along with every great teacher who has come to this world, all taught this essential truth. It is hard for us to recognize the nature of impermanence because our desire for pleasure is so strong. But if we are true to ourselves, we will see, that no matter how much we acquire, none of these things brought us actual happiness.
"Away with the man who is ever seeking, for he never finds. He seeks in places where nothing can be found".
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE DAY:
See where your time is being 'wasted' on the chasing of material happiness. Are you working in this moment for God's pleasure, or for your own? Will this thing you are doing bring you ultimate happiness, or temporary happiness, or sadness and loss? Be honest with yourself, and find the strength inside, to move towards doing something for your higher purpose. Try three times in a day to reflect honestly upon this teaching, and find inner strength from God and Goddess to move away from the object of your focus. Try spending time chanting, repeating God and Goddesses Holy Names, praying or meditating.


