More links at end of this file ...
Your belief systems and your
thoughts manifest the experiences you have, including the quality of the
experience.
One of the greatest complaints I hear about Deepak is that he doesn't seem
to be saying anything new. He covered it in the first two or three books and
now he is rehashing it. He is becoming "stale". The truth is, in today's
society of consumerism where we always want "more", we tend to "move on" from
experience to experience to experience, from book to book, lecture to lecture,
workshop to workshop, lover to lover computer to computer and so on. We are
unable to find and realise the true potential of any single experience to its
fullest. Unable to go deeply into it because of our ego conditioning of being
"spoon fed" our beliefs, we find the experience stale. But who is it who is
finding the experience stale? Why?
The truth is, Deepak is repeating himself. Not only is the message no
different than his first couple of books, but it is no different than it has
been for thousands of years. The paradox is that it is "our" ability to go
into the original message and find deeper and deeper layers of understanding
"within ourselves" which needs scrutiny, and not the authors attempts to bring
enlightenment. No one can enlighten you, except you. If you are eating up
Deepak merchandise over and over again, you may be missing the point. You may
be looking for a Guru or a Saviour. He is neither of these things. If,
however, two years after your first experience of Deepak you find your
bookcase bulging with all manner of esoteric literature from all manner of
sources, and if you find yourself earnestly practising and integrating the
teachings of that literature, rather than just reading about it and attending
a great number of lectures, then you will be experiencing growth. Certainly,
it would be whimsical, if you have already read and heard Deepak's philosophy,
to expect any real insight from the Larry King Show! But for the uninitiated
who hasn't read Deepak, he may light a spark, and they may go and buy this
"Towel Head's" book, by going "deeper" than the limitations of a t.v.
interview with all its commercial breaks etc., and with any luck be awakened,
or at the very least, intrigued.
Deepak is on a mission, and he is taking the same message to different
groups. His books have "buzz-words" to appeal to different "types" of people.
Different needs. Look at the titles. "Affluence" and Success" are aimed at a
quite different audience than, "Quantum Healing" Spiritual Laws" and "Know
God". Yet the message is the same. But someone who is seeking God is not going
to be drawn by a book about "Creating Wealth", anymore than your average
capitalist high-flyer is going to be interested in "knowing God". I
generalise, I know, and no doubt there are exceptions, but my general point is
that he is employing marketing strategies to repackage the same goods and make
them attractive to a diverse and otherwise indifferent market.
Your comment that "I'm sure that Chopra runs out of steam like everyone
else. Not many of us go to our jobs every day with consistent enthusiasm." I
wholeheartedly agree with. Deepak must find it very frustrating going over the
same ground so often, even though he does it creatively. However, there are no
"new insights", just deeper ones, or "remembering".
Namaste'
I am glad to have been of some service. I was thinking about your question about Spiritual connections. The fact is that we are all spiritually connected, not just a few of us. There are no special connections like "soul-mates", a much hyped romantic idea. You've heard the expression, "you are not responsible for how someone else feels". By the same token, no one else is responsible for how you feel. When you feel a spiritual connection with someone it is because they have triggered and awakened "love" inside you. It was always there, but it needed something to awaken it. If they do not feel the same way that is fine. What makes your feeling more powerful and sometimes frustrating is that you are misunderstanding what this signal within you is. You think that by possessing the other person or by persuading them to feel the same way you will satisfy the feeling inside. You want them to feel the same. So what you are essentially expressing is a "lack". Yet if you understood this feeling more deeply, with greater clarity, you would come to realise that you are not lacking. So simply enjoy recognising this connection and try to maintain it with others. We fall in love when someone meets the false criteria we have set up in our "mind set". When someone fits our desired specifications we then allow ourselves to open up the wellspring of love and joy within us. But they may have different expectations and the original premis is, in any case, false. You can allow yourself to love at any time, with any one, if you can do so unconditionally.
Negative inner dialog comes into being when the fire within you
hasn't dealt effectively with the material it has encountered.
There's an insight here that's extremely important to understand. When you
are synchronized with the energy field that gave rise to you - when you are in
balance physically, emotionally, and spiritually - you possess a level of
strength and flexibility that is sufficient to meet any challenge
effortlessly. But more than simply meeting any challenge, you can transform
the "it" in such a way that it nourishes you on your spiritual journey. Though
a weak fire may be smothered, a brightly burning flame converts any obstacle
that it meets with into fuel for itself.
We are the inner dialog of the conscious energy field, -- but all too often
our thoughts take a form that hinders spiritual development that is moving us
in the direction opposite from which we want to go. Inner dialogue should help
us regain unity consciousness with the field. Positive inner dialogue helps us
move in that direction. It fosters synchronicity. It fosters spiritual
development.
There IS that "place" within that can be cultivated/established where ALL
that is happening is no different than watching a movie..........that place of
"no preferences" as mentioned in the Hsin Hsin Ming.
I'm beginning to realize that not many have the time, or inclination, to
establish that "base", just because they think it's all hog-wash.
I just read your post about Deepak's repetitive
message...and Ithink you are right on the money(:-)) I have read several
though not all of his works and have noticed that the underlying meassage is
the same...and why not--the primary message can be applied to the whole of
life...so you can do that yourself or see how he does it in the books
addressed to the different audiences you mentioned. I think he's sincere in
wanting to assist the multitude in "awakening"...of course, I don't know
him...just a feeling. And if he makes loads of money doing so, great for him!
Certainly his goal is a laudable one. Actually, it matters not to me if he is
sincere in his desires to help the multitudes--his words impart insights to
those who read them and try to integrate them vs just moving on to something
else, as you discussed. Anyway, just wanted to second your post...or third it
as the case may be :-)Thanks for sharing your wisdom...
I made some negative comments and some positive comments
about Chopra. The negative aspects I consider just an explanation of what I
personally find to be annoying.
What I would like to do is refocus my ability to think critically. I don't
want to become someone who believes everything that a teacher says without
giving it some thought. I don't want to react to beautiful words and
phrases (symbols) instead of embracing and living the principals.
You are right about the need for continuous reintroduction of ancient
wisdom. I'd never thought about it that way. I think that what I react to most
is the packaging itself -- not the teachings. And for someone else, that
package may be exactly what is needed.
The article "I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha" is about a seminar in which
packaging (in the form of a celebrity) became a substitute for heart
and substance. I don't want the form unless there is depth and
insight. (This is not to say that celebrities cannot be good teachers. But in
this particular case, the celebrity was not. The article was not about a
Chopra seminar.)
I am sorry to hear about your friend. I think all of us who have
participated here over the past months have come to recognise the deep love
and affection you had for him.
Sometimes the purpose is the experience itself. Some people come into our
lives simply to awaken these feelings. To awaken that very deep level of love
which is compassion and, through that love itself, we focus our "attention"
and we are sometimes able to see divinity in another human being. When we find
God in another being, we begin to see God in ourselves. For that Love is
coming from within and not from without. Then there is the possibility to
realise that they were a part of YOU all along. That your relationship was
only an "awakening" to these "feelings" that are actually within us and
part of our own potential. Finding it in ourselves, we realise that the same
potential resides in everyone. That everyone represents a part of ourselves,
and we a part of them. Of the Whole. Of God. Then we see how precious and
important life is. How transient. When we see The Buddha in everyone, we are
truly enlightened. Only then do we understand who it is we bow to, who it is
we embrace.
This love is not lost with your friend. It has been rediscovered,
re-membered; and that's all that matters. The message is not found in the
words and the whys of the mind, but in the fire of your heart. I think it
would be helpful to speak of him some more and to not feel embarrassed about
how you feel, but instead to try to observe what you say of him, as you honour
him. In honouring him, you honour a part of your Self. His name is as a name
of God on your lips, now. Begin there and feel his light in "your" heart.
Enjoy what you have gained through this relationship, not what you have
lost. For there was no loss. Energy can never be lost, it simply changes form.
You bring up a good "point"
actually.
That "point" being the "duality" of the "thinking mind" (ego).
I've discovered that "who"-ever says ANYTHING is right.
It may be bullshit from "where" I'm "at", but for them, it's "real".
Now.......if I "classify" them in my subconscious as full of shit I will
miss any relative thoughts (info) that I need for my journery.
I might add in here that ANY thoughts I have about God's world being "bad"
only keep ME stuck. Sure, "there are wars, and rumors of wars" (of all types),
but by ignoring (denying) these situations exist, I'm denying "my"-self.
That old saying, "I have met the enemy, and it's me" (or something like
that).
As "I" personally "manifest" in the world, yes, shit happens. Many
"Masters" have spoken to this phenomenon and that's just the way it "is". The
"secret" is to not take it personally.
"I" digress.
Ram Dass uses the phrase "standing" a lot, and he is referring to "setting
in stone" (sub-consciousness mind) an opinion, a concept, a judgment, etc.,
that then becomes another "block" in our "Consciousness" that separates us
from "God" (that "Place" within).
Sure, manifesting as the "I", personally, "I" must "stand" somewhere
on how "I" will conduct my-self in the physical world.
To love unconditionally is a risk that does involve possible negative
affects at times, but in the BIGGER picture, it's really what "IT'S" all
about.
Hope everyone is having a beautiful day.
Namaste'
I can't say whether Deepak and Gary collaborate but
I think you'll find that no matter who, or what, "lineage" you may persue,
"they" all are coming from a basic principle:....... "Oneness".
For a further description of "THAT" "we" use many words. God
Consciousness, Unity Consciousness, Christ Consciousness, Allah, Great White
Spirit, Yahweh, TOE (when they prove "IT"????), Cosmic Consciousness, and the
list could go on.
On an individual basis we can use "LOVE", which represents a "soul"
connection with another that signifies harmony, peacefulness, at-one-ness,
kindness, compassion, etc.
This "LOVE" hopefully is UNCONDITIONAL for the other, and this UNCONDITIONAL expansion of our
"heart" can include ALL of "God's" phenomenon------or everyone and everything
in physical existence.
Hopefully, every human being CAN experience this "peace that passes ALL
understanding", at least at the personal level.
I'm reminded of a song something like ".......the object of my
affection.......". It alludes to something OUTSIDE my-self that OPENS me to
the "LOVE" that is inside me. When I say OPENS me, I'm talking about my
"preferences" in my memory bank (sub-conscious) being by-passed.
For instance, I have in my memory bank that killing is wrong, BUT, my
son/daughter kills someone.
Does that stop that love (energy)? I dare say not.
The saying "Love is blind" is true, but at the level of loving ALL of God's
world, including our-selves, we do what we can to help others experience that
same love within themselves--------at least.
Namaste'
What really impressed my from seeing the show was how poorly prepared Larry
King was. He obviously wanted to tie the whole thing to the latest breaking
news story - the human genome project. It didn't seem to occur to him to
understand the subject of his interview (the Dalai Lama), or to realize that
not every well-known person is as obsessive about keeping up with the latest
news so they can comment on it. I mean, I realize the news and current events
are naturally what Larry's world revolves around, but that's not true by a
long shot for everyone else. It kinda seemed to me like a bad case of tunnel
vision.
Personally, my theory is that there has been some "stuff" about the other
times he's bumped Deepak and others because of some late-breaking story. So he
decided to combine the two.
I had this vision of, after his debacle of asking the Dalai Lama a question
that he obviously wasn't even familiar with, one of the producers maddly
calling Deepak and making sure he was prepared to talk about the human
genome project! LOL
And the other thing that struck me about the show was how much I laughed.
Because the Dalai Lama was laughing and smiling, and it was contagious.
well, one of the differences between what you "read"
on the Larry King Live transcript was the Dalai Lama speaking, not writing.
And not a prepared speech, but answers to questions. Maybe to compare his
style with anyone else's written word, one would have to read his book ;-). I
think it's called The Art of Happiness
Having watched the show, I can tell you, the speaking style (that is so
obvious in the transcript) comes from the fact that English is obviously not
his first language. Actually, I think possibly his first language is
happiness/bliss/being.
I saw Chopra and Dalai Lama on Larry King and I found Dalai quite funny.His
accent keeps me listening attentively, but the message was quite elementary.
The ideas he brought across were simple, logical and profound. I like that
Larry King has guests like Chopra and Dalai Lama, I think it is beneficial for
the collective consciousness to be exposed to the ideas brought forth. I
prefer "that" material to be on TV, but on the other hand, nothing new was
said and sometimes I wonder why people would worship anyone, but then again we
live in a society that worships Movie Stars, so I suppose there is no harm in
calling Dalai Lama "Your Holliness". I was under the impression that we were
all holy. Occassionally I feel that things get oversimplified and categorized
as bad, good, right , wrong
I was impressed also by this comment from Deepak.
"There's a distinction between anger and hostility, and anger can
sometimes be a healthy emotion. You release your emotions, you move on.
Hostility is when you seek vengeance, when you want to get even. And in fact,
it's now known as one of the predictors of premature death from cardiovascular
disease, as much as smoking or high cholesterol."
What was the Dalai Lama on?! It's transcripts like that which makes me
appreciate Osho and Krishnamurti. At least they were able to follow their own
thoughts. Begging your pardon, your Holiness.
Deepak was a bit more intelligible and when asked by Larry what God would
think of the completion of the Human genome project, he had this brilliant
answer.
"I think God is doing it. I mean, the genome, the very impulse to
study the genome, is already coded in the genome. So, you know, we are not
studying the genome, the genome is manipulating us to study itself. It is God
revealing himself through the genetic code of the four alphabets. It's the
greatest mystery.
Click here for a transcript - address or transcript may change ...
I didn't catch the Larry king broadcast, being
down here in Oz. I have read the transcript and agree that on the surface it
does seem a bit odd expecting the Dalai Lama would be up-to-speed with the
latest scientific "news".
Interestingly enough, I have been compiling a list of web resources that go
further into the Dalai Lama's views on China, anger, violence, optimism etc.
You can find this list by clicking here
And yes, I too question the use of the title "His Holiness". By implication
it does imply the rest of us aint so holy. :)
BTW, someone a while back was asking about Gary Zukav. He has a website
which is well worth a visit -
Namaste.
The material universe is the body of Nature.
Since I and the Unified Field are One in our ground state, I am the witness in the Unified Field, my thoughts or mind are just a different manifestation of the same forces of Nature that we call heat, light, electricity, magnetism, and gravity. My body is just a different manifestation of the same body that I call the Universe.
Deepak Chopra
Everyday
Immortality
www.chopra.com
What right has has anybody else to remember anything about me,
which I
myself have chosen to forget?
Ashleigh Brilliant
The important part of the focus for me is in what is understood by "attachment to" and "detachment from". Yes it is a paradox that the people and relationships we are attached to appear to be the things that make life worth living, while those same attachments can also be the things that make us the most miserable. Is it not said that "only those we love can really hurt us"?
But what is this "love"? The love most people refer to is not the love that Buddha, Christ and the other Mystics speak of. That love is for your neighbour, your brother, the good, the bad and the ugly. The love we often refer to and crave, that Romeo and Juliet type of "infatuation" which burns up our soul, that is not it. That is just a "super attachment". A kind of nuclear "want" and desire. A need to possess and control our passions.
What is meant by detatching from Ego? Does it mean living without one? I don't think so. In The Way of the Wizard, Deepak emphasises the importance of Ego. We cannot exist without one. The attachment with Ego is the "relationship" one has with one's Ego. Since most people are not even aware that they are not their Ego, then this recognition is the first step to "detachment". One must observe oneself and observe one's own thoughts, behaviour and beliefs. In this way one becomes aware of one's "Self". The observer. The witness. When one has a focus on one's Self and is able to see and hear Ego's thoughts and ideas and habits, we may be lucky enough to "awake" and realise what nonsense occupies our mind. Then detatchment comes not only naturally, but as a matter of urgency. We become almost ashamed of our own past "attachments" to such ideas as "nation" "religion" "right & wrong" "family values" "size eight figures" "blonds" etc. But, as Cathy pointed out, these things are the very things that make our lives worth living and as she says, "I am also at a loss for how things would work if we didn't have these attractions".
But are they the things that make our life worth living? Or were they once, and we are still attached to them? Or the idea of them. Is it not said that one must empty one's cup? We must be prepared to empty it before we can grasp the "new". Einstein said something like "You can't solve the worlds problems with the same mind (thinking) that created them in the first place". Your attachments are not the "things". They are your ideas, beliefs and thoughts about those things. The things, the people, the world will still be there when you have emptied your cup. And having given up your ideas and beliefs about those things, you would have given up your attachment to them, and then there is clarity, and you see them for what they are and not what you once believed they were or might be. You will be detached from your ego beliefs because the ego is nothing but a bundle of ideas and thoughts and beliefs that define YOU. Give them up and you will find room in your cup for more. There can then be growth. Only by continuing to think as your ego did before will you get more of the same. So, don't approach the problem with the same mind that likes those problems or created those problems. When you are free of your ego beliefs, even the trees in your street will seem new. And when you see them anew, they will seem to bow as you pass.
It would seem that both my
grandfather's would fit as well as any others
that have crossed my awareness. I say that mainly
because on reflection, they never said a damn
thing to me about anything. In a way like
Ghandi-----their life was their message. What
they "knew" was that life (Universe/God) would
teach me what I was meant to learn in an
un-folding, e-volving journey. If "I" lived
long enough, and was blessed enough, to "awaken"
somewhat, and "I" was in a position to "help" and
was so "moved", then "I" should do so in
whatever manner open to me. This "manner" would
also be "presented", without effort.
"I" bow............."I" embrace..........
Namaste'
More of Buddhist quote of the moment -
"Shantideva...mentions specific instances when it is advisable to remain like a mindless piece of
wood. We can do this when our mind is very distracted or when the thought arises to belittle,
slander, or abuse others. If pride, haughtiness or the intention to find fault with others arises,
we can also remain impassive until our deluded motivation fades. Feeling pretentious, thinking
to deceive others and wishing to praise our own qualities, wealth, or possessions are all
occasions when it is wise to pretend that we are made out of wood. Whenever we have the
desire to blame others, speak harshly or cause disruption we should practice this technique of
non-reaction. "
This latest thread about hermits and seclusion made me think about what I see as the big paradox of Life...it matters what we do and choose...and it doesn't! There are so many ways to go---withdrawing from the world, being involved; having intimate relationships, being celibate; the list goes on forever....I get confused quite often about what part I want to play in "creating" the world, how best to participate :-)
Anyway, I think that probably the world needs all kinds...just as some people retreat for the "wrong" reasons, so too some people don't retreat for the "wrong" reasons that maybe should have....I like to think that it is all going as planned by us at our deeper levels, though not necessarily as we might think we wish ;-)
Someone also posted about attraction and how if we loved people unconditionally, we would not really choose one "special" person...I have thought this myself, and figured it was why none of the big names--Jesus, Buddha etc..--are ever connected with a lover/a special someone. I have thought that our attractions are often a tangible replacement for the oneness with God that most of us don't recognize truly....but, I am also at a loss for how things would work if we didn't have these attractions--they add such spice to life!
Enjoying the ideas...back to lurking!
I have many unrecognised talents,
But my faults have somehow succeeded in securing wide recognition.
It's well known that men and women are different,
But it keeps being rediscovered with great excitement.
One of my greatest talents is the ability to be misunderstood by large numbers of people.
It's hard enough for me to cope with failure ~
How could I ever handle success?
Courtesy of ASHLEY BRILLIANT.
Isolation. Hmmm. I don't know. Spending time alone and being isolated are probably distinctions in my mind. I do agree that there is value to it, but the Spiritual Motive would help a great deal. As you have witnessed, it is often lacking.
I think that the Mystics in a sense did us a disservice, because their language caused not only paradoxical problems for the listener or reader, but also slighted Ego as if to tell it that The Mystic knows something Ego cannot know. You tell someone face to face that their problem is that they are "asleep", they will probably tell you that you are a "crap spewing turd". Their own experience of reality will tell them that such a statement is crap. It is in fact "patronising". So, perhaps we should look at a new defenition for the state of consciousness that humanity experiences at present on the wider scale which has previously been referred to as "sleep", and create also its counterpart which has been known as "wakefullness", "Christ consciousness", "The Fourth Way" "Self Actualised" and so on. For me, I like to think that it's not so much that humanity is "ordinary", more that humanity has not realised its grander potential yet. That a greater Kingdom awaits it. Thank you "masked one", I needed that pointed out to me.
Here's a section of that article I mentioned -
Happiness, as John Stuart Mill said, is not something you can patent or buy. There are no chemical shortcuts. We seem to have lost the art of drawing from that deep well within us ... "We in the West have everything, except what we need to survive. That's why there is such a reliance on chemicals and on filling up each moment of our spare time with chatter, loud music and television. We don't want to confront the quiet truth that we do not really know how to survive."
The great monk, Thomas Merton, who was concerned with the spiritual yearning of every human heart, thought that drug, alcohol and sex addictions arose form the fear of living with emptiness. He said we could distract ourselves forever and never really understand our true self. Merton called for more solitude - solitude that could lead to touching an inner part of the soul separate from all except the Creator.
Poet Carl Sandburg said "I go out and walk and look at the birds and trees and sky. I listen. I sit on a rock and say to myself 'Who are you, Sandburg? Where have you been and where are you going?'"
The process can be difficult because some of the answers you hear in solitude's self-evaluation can be confronting. But it can also be the place for encouraging the "soft voice of inspiration" Thomas Merton reported sometimes hearing.
"The depths of God and ourselves meet in the abyss of solitude"
The trouble with that article, is that it seems to imply some kind of conscious volition or conscious "choice" in the matter of the way we "deny" our Self. The Mystics, on the other hand, tend to think of humanity as "asleep". Therefore what they are doing is unconscious and mechanical. From the point of view of the Mystic this is a sensible interpretation because he sees humanity as if it is in a trance. Sleepwalking in an environment where the "pattern" is created by the designs of society and culture, while the "behaviour" and activity within those patterns is motivated by the simple mechanisms of "action & reaction". The principle mechanism of the human machine, the "driver" appears to be the Ego. The Ego keeps going on and on, chattering to itself, distracting its many fragmented personalities (the Ivans and Nicholas's of the mystic Gurdjieff) one minute thinking about sex, the next about cars, the next money, back to sex again, then work, onto food, then fantasy and finally chocolate. ; ) A chain of thought that continually entertains the Ego-Mind and supplies a regimen of "pleasures". There are plenty of recluses and hermits in the world, but most of these are neither "happier" or more Spiritually fulfilled. If you take all the noise and distractions away from people they will often find baser ways to fill it. Their Egos will create greater separation and they will become anti-social, or bomb makers, join other similar people forming new groups or turn to savage lower chakra instincts.
That is not to say I don't think there is any benefit in solitude. Far from it. I wish people would go on "retreats" more often. However, what needs to be encouraged most is the "Spiritual Motive". If we do not have this motive in the first place we cannot expand our spiritual consciousness. Some people go away to get away. Some people find in solitude only the fulfilment of Ivan's hobbies, or Babylon's pleasures. The spiritual motive must be present in the first place.
In addition to the Spiritual motive there must exist a unified philosophy or discipline which educates one about such things as the Ego. For the true noise of our world is not so much out there as "in here". But alas, such unity does not exist. True Spiritual thoughts and even Psychology are outside of our common educational systems. Most ordinary folk link spirituality with religion and psychology with mental illness and disfunction. They turn to a fragmented church for Spiritual guidance. That would be like someone turning to mediaeval science to make sense of the modern world they live in. For any spiritual progress to take place, it is not so much the noise of the t.v and stereo, or of traffic and barking dogs that needs to be addressed. The real distraction, surely, is the noise and false beliefs of the mind.
thanks for your points-of-view. Much to think about. I may write more when I next log on. Interesting that this discussion should turn to solitude-hermits-recluses as I have just been listening to an interview with a Tibetan nun
who spent 12 years in a cave and there is a book about her experiences called Cave in the Snow.
You can read some excerpts of this book
here
Update Feb 2006 - that link is no longer valid, so click here :)
I agree, we don't all need to go off and become hermits to awaken. Some of us have awoken in the most unusual of settings. Like a psychiatric ward for example. :)
I was taught that when I am racked with a resentment, anger, hate towards another, that is driving me nuts. All I need to do, is pray for that person for two weeks, wishing that they would have the joy, happiness, gifts/wealth that I would want to have given to me. It was hard to try the first few times, but it always works. Sometimes the resentments recur(like dandelions), but the formula will still work if used...the hard part is giving up (surrendering)...and getting on with the process...forgiveness is really wonderful, particularly when I practice it. It lets me be grateful for what I have and to live in the eternity of the present.
I loved your post about "praying for those who are driving us nuts" (or are we driving ourselves nuts?) It reminds me of something I read at the MadNation site of all places. It's the Dalai Lama's advice for the New Millennium (even though according to Buddhists the new Millennium started about 500 years ago! :)
The Dalai Lama has asked that the following practice be shared with as many people as possible. A group recently spent days visiting with the Dalai Lama focusing upon what they believe the five most important questions to be considered moving into the new millennium.
The five questions were:
1. How do we address the widening gap between rich and poor?
The Dalai Lama said all five questions fall under the last one. If we have true compassion in our hearts, our children will be educated wisely, we will care for the earth, those who "have not" will be cared for.
The group asked the Dalai Lama, "Do you think loving on the planet is increasing or staying the same?" His response:
"My experience leads me to believe that love IS increasing." He shared a simple practice that will increase loving and compassion in the world. He asked everyone in the group to share it with as many people as they can.
The Practice:
Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you. These thoughts are very simple, inspiring and helpful. The practice of cherishing can be taken very deeply if done wordlessly, allowing yourself to feel the love and appreciation that already exists in your heart.
2. How do we protect the earth?
3. How do we educate our children?
4. How do we help Tibet and other oppressed countries and peoples of the world?
5. How do we bring spirituality (deep caring for one another) through all disciplines
of life?
Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day remembering we all want the same things (to be happy and be loved) and we are all connected to one another.
Spend 5 minutes -- breathing in -- cherishing yourself; and, breathing out cherishing others. If you think about people you have difficulty cherishing, extend your cherishing to them anyway.
During the day extend that attitude to everyone you meet. Practice cherishing the "simplest" person (clerks, attendants, etc) or people you dislike.
I have been re-reading Conversations With God and have transcribed some of the material which really resonated with me.
You can find this material here -
Enjoy.
BTW, here's another couple of links people might find illuminating -
Excellent Real Audio talk by
Jack Kornfield on Equanimity.
This is part of a discourse on The Ten Perfections of the Heart
Delphi Forums
Real Audio of Ching Hai
Dear Lefty,
I'll endeavour to keep this as civil as I can as I realise insults are used to provoke an angry reaction from others. I used to do the same myself.
Just out of curiousity, what makes you say that Deepak is a "quack"? Have you read his books with an open mind (and heart) and then taken the wisdom and made the effort to apply it to your daily life? If you have done so and the quality of your experiences has remain=ed unchanged, then you might be in a position to say, "This doesn't work (for me)."
That is the only REAL test. Any other opinion or judgement is a superficial reaction. You're not alone in this - we are living in a terribly superficial culture at the moment. I wish you well and may you one day step into the light and look back on your current attitude and laugh your head off as I'm sure most of us have done at some stage along this mysterious and paradoxical journey.
I have experienced the darkness you now find yourself in. The tricky part is to truly find yourself in it. This is one of the paradoxes of human life. You don't fully appreciate the light until you've spent some time in the darkness.
Namaste.
BTW, if a quack can teach people to turn anger and hate into love and joy (I'm thinking of Deepak's The Way of the Wizard) then I'd say the world needs more quacks. A LOT more.
Deepak's Question of the Day
Monday, May 15, 2000 ~
Q: I would really like to forgive myself for past choices but don't know how.
A: Apply the same principles to yourself as you would to forgiving someone else. Remember, in every moment, you are always doing the best you can. Whatever choices you have made in the past were a reflection of your consciousness then, maybe you didn't know better. Now you are different so it's the time to let go of the past and move forward, We aren't saints, we will continue to make mistakes, it's all part of the learning process. Just try not to keep making the same mistakes. www.chopra.com
And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and
far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran
Some late additions -
When I first heard about the latest scientific discovery, I was a
little bemused at what all the fuss was about. I mean how hard can it be to
map a gnome. We have dozens in our garden and they don't really move about all
that much.
He blinked his eyes but could not open them again. There was only an
infinite, intelligent light. This light was exploding outwardly from itself in
all directions, yet it was not moving in any space and was without any time.
It did not begin or end but was present, moving.
He said: "What is this?"
And the wind said: "Behold yourself".
And he exploded into being as countless universes and worlds. It was the
fierceness and calmness of energy, measureless, boundless. It was beyond joy,
beyond word, beyond any possible expression. He was the fury of beauty
creating itself without intention, the light becoming sound and mind and
density. He was the possibility of action and the action of possibility. He
was all things on all levels, yet there were no levels and there were no
things.
He saw the same light explode and become an ocean, a tree, a cosmos, and
knew it was also himself. He saw the whole immensity of human knowledge
hovering in the spaceless, a single dot arising from the light amidst the
fierceness of moving, changing love.
And he beheld his nature as humanity and knew each one of them was himself,
his mind, a fleeting vision of his own expanding love. But they did not know
themselves as him, as his own mind expanding, learning of itself as man, as
body, as knowledge, feeling and idea. They were confused in their growth,
feeling bound by what their eyes could see. They could not comprehend the
blissful joy of light creating them without a single care. They were him, his
own love, and knew it not.
And so, his compassion dwelt among them for a season, healing himself both
with and without words. His touch, his gaze, the freedom of his unintended
love healed the fires around them, and they knew it not , for they were
seeking, hoping, searching for the light which was themselves. He smiled at
himself through their eyes, the eyes of love moving towards itself.....
That is just a small excerpt from "The
Madman" at the Poetry Shack.
Click here to
read the rest.
"In the state of passion without a cause, there is intensity
free of all attachment; but when passion has a cause, there is attachment, and
attachment is the beginning of sorrow. Most of us are attached; we cling to a
person, to a country, to a belief, to an idea, and when the object of our
attachment is taken away or otherwise loses its significance, we find
ourselves empty, insufficient. This emptiness we try to fill by clinging to
something else, which again becomes the object of our
passion."
The Book of Life
and not a genome in sight.
I enjoyed your Krishnamurti quote. However, it does raise a rather interesting question. If we hold that thought in our consciousness are we not becoming attached to the idea of being unattached? :)
This conundrum reminds me of the idea of doublethink from the novel 1984. Any George Orwell fans out there?
Doublethink:
Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory belief in one's mind simultaneously and accepting both of them. The Party intellectual knows in which direction his memories must be altered; he therefore knows he is playing tricks with reality; but by the exercise of doublethink he also satisfies himself that reality is not being violated. The process has to be conscious, or it would not be carried out with sufficient precision, but it also has to be unconscious, or it would bring with it a feeling of falsity and hence of guilt. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For, by using the word, one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink, one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely ...
Good Morning..I cannot remember who mentioned the book "Cave in
the Snow" ..Tenzin Palmo's quest for enlightment....it sparked an interest and
I was able to get it from my local library...I'm half way through it and find
it absolutely fasinating...whoever mentioned this incredible story..thank
you...I can't put it down..
I'm glad you're enjoying the book. You have a number of beings to thank. :)
A friend of mine rang me up the day that Tenzin Palmo was to be interviewed
here on local radio. I taped the interview then decided to see if there was
any info on the web. That's when I posted the link.
I have only read the excerpts at the website but would like to get hold of
the book. Tenzin is giving a public lecture here in Melbourne, Australia in a
few days time and I plan to go along and see what she has to say about her
experieces.
For those who missed the link, here it is again - Cave in the Snow
Namaste
Curiously, after posting that last comment, I'm reminded of a line
form Cosmos. "To make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create
the universe". I suppose if one is giving thanks to beings, one would have to
start with the one that created the universe ... :)
Links:
Community area at www.howtoknowgod.com
Question of the day at www.chopra.com
More highlights of the Chopra Forum 1999/2000
There are many other trancripts, webcasts, interviews, reviews ... I may include more if I remember ...
As well as the 52,400 or so archived messages at the Forum (as of June 2000)
