Budding Writer!

A few days ago, I dared to call myself a "Writer".  I am not a professional writer, but I love scribbling about my personal spiritual journey. I feel so full up with this deep desire to change that it needs to be written down somewhere so that I can read it back to myself.  I am quite convinced we are all extremely generous people. We love sharing because it is a creative impulse within us. If we don't share, there's no circulation happening, and, for something to come back to us more fuller in experience, the sharing bit is necessary. Its like the blood circulation that happens in our bodies. We are not conscious of it while it is happening, but the moment it stops, life comes to a standstill. 

For me writing is like that. I have to write something, somewhere, always, and everyday. I think that qualifies me for the title of "Writer"!! (smile! smile!) Besides that, it is a healing and deeply spiritual pastime for me. I adore all those people who have their fingers on the pulse of life, who have the appropriate words to explain the rhythm of life and who take me to a higher and better dimension than the one I am experiencing right now! Wow! just thinking about it fills me with awesome gratitude.

So, like I was saying ... I dared to call myself a "Writer" after reading some interesting quotes on writing encouraging the budding writer to start even if you never ever publish a book in your life. (THANK YOU! THANK YOU!) That made so much sense and as I worked through the fear of giving myself that label, I realised it was not the fear of writing ... it was the fear of being judged. And so, to overcome this big fear, I kept repeating to myself that "I am a writer" and imagined myself to be the most successful and inspired writer. It sounded like music to my ears that tingled magically in every cell of my Being. And so, having had such an inner magical experience, I awarded myself with a lovely mug which had an appropriate message for me (above photo). Well, the mug is not mine. I saw it online amongst other writing encouragement stuff.  I decided to do myself the honors! :))

I feel more and more comfortable with this new idea of calling myself a writer.  And so, I have decided this is how I will continue to pass my precious time. It does not matter if I am popular or not. All that matters is that my fingers do the talking! And while my fingers talk, my little personal life is dropping away making way more and more to experience "The Impersonal Life". WRITING IS ONE OF THE SPIRITUAL TOOLS FOR INCREASING INNER AWARENESS. 

All is well and all will always be well.
~ Lavina ~

Going into the Silence

Meditation and Silence are key factors for developing an Impersonal Life.  There is a beautiful description of what that means in The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling.  This book has been one of my favourites and I have learned much from it. I am always open to learning new ways in which to connect with Spirit and so, each day as more and more new things come into my life, I am eternally grateful. I hope, dear Reader, this lights up your soul. Life is always flowing, its never stagnant. The moment stagnancy sets in I notice how rigid I become in my opinions and immediately I fall out of alignment with my Higher Self.  Keeping my heart open and engaging in new thoughts and ideas helps me to expand.  This chapter always blows my mind. I hope it does something incredible for you too.

Chapter 40

Jesus teaches the magians.  Explains the Silence and how to enter it. Kaspar extols the wisdom of Jesus.  Jesus teaches in the groves of Cyrus.

NOW, in the early morning Jesus came again to teach and heal. A light not comprehended shown about, as though some mighty spirit overshadowed him.

2. A magus noted this and asked him privately to tell from whence his wisdom came, and what the meaning of the light.

3. And Jesus said, There is a Silence where the soul may meet its God, and there the fount of wisdom is, and all who enter are immersed in light, and filled with wisdom, love and power.

4. The magus said, Tell me about this Silence and this light, that I may go and there abide.

5.And Jesus said, The Silence is not circumscribed; is not a place closed in with wall, or rocky steeps, nor guarded by the sword of man.

6. Men carry with them all the time the secret place where they might meet their God.

7. It matters not where men abide, on mountain top, in deepest vale, in marts of trade, or in the quiet home; they may at once, at any time, fling wide the door, and find the Silence, find the house of God; it is within the soul.

8. One may not be so much disturbed by noise of business, and the words and thoughts of men if he goes all alone into the valley or the mountain pass.

9. And when life’s heavy load is pressing hard, it is far better to go out and seek a quiet place to pray and meditate.

10. The Silence is the kingdom of the soul, which is not seen by human eyes.

11. When in the Silence, phantom forms may flit before the mind; but they are all subservient to the will; the master soul may speak and they are gone.

12. If you would find this Silence of the soul you must yourself prepare the way. None but the pure in heart may enter here.

13. And you must lay aside all tenseness of the mind, all business cares, all fears, all doubts and troubled thoughts.

14. Your human will must be absorbed by the divine; then you will come into a consciousness of holiness.

15. You are in the Holy Place, and you will see upon a living shrine the candle of the Lord aflame.

16. And when you see it burning there, look deep into the temple of your brain, and you will see it all aglow.

17. In every part, from head to foot. are candles all in place, just waiting to be lighted by the flaming torch of love.

18. And when you see the candles all aflame, just look, and you will see, with eyes of soul, the waters of the fount of wisdom rushing on; and you may drink, and there abide.

19. And then the curtains part, and you are in the Holiest of All, where rests the Ark of God, whose covering is the Mercy Seat.

20. Fear not to lift the sacred board; the Tables of the Law are in the Ark concealed.

21. Take them and read them well; for they contain all precepts and commands that men will ever need.

22. And in the Ark, the magic wand of prophecy lies waiting for your hand; it is the key to all the hidden meanings of the present, future, past.

23. And then, behold the manna there, the hidden bread of life; and he who eats shall never die.

24. The cherubim have guarded well for every soul this treasure box, and whosoever will may enter in and find his own.

25. Now Kaspar heard the Hebrew master speak and he exclaimed, Behold, the wisdom of the gods has come to men!

26. And Jesus went his way, and in the sacred groves of Cyrus, where the multitudes were met, he taught and healed the sick

Be Still and Know I Am God

Spirit Is the Only Cause

We cannot be in peace until we know that the Spirit is the only cause, medium and effect in our lives. There is no past, present and future to It. Evil has no history and has never entered in to the being or the experience of Reality. The mind must come to know and to realize all these truths if it is to have real and lasting peace. A [spiritual mind] treatment [or affirmative prayer] such as this will be of great service in acquainting the mind with the truth of its being:

Be still and know that I am God. I am the Christ, the Son [or Daughter] of the Living God within me. I am the Principle of Peace within me. I am the manifestation of Love within me. My mind is poised in peace and beauty. All sense of fear or doubt is gone. I rest in calm trust and rely on the Law of Spirit to bring good into my experience.

I contend with none, argue with none, and I am filled with wonderful peace and light. There is no uncertainty about my future and no fear as a result of my past. I live in an eternal Now which is filled with good alone. Goodness and beauty follow me. Peace and joy accompany me. Happiness and wholeness fill my entire being with the realization of love and perfection.

~ Dr Ernest Holmes / Excerpt from The Science of Mind ~

Life Is Fun!

Life is fun, enjoy it! Let go all of the serious stuff, the judgmental stuff, the painful, stressful, and what-not stuff!! We are too caught up with all kinds of conditioning and false beliefs. There are many techniques to overcome emotional issues and heal, but here's one that helps me a lot .....

Sadhguru says :

"What could be a barrier within yourself? The main problem is you attach too much importance to your thoughts, emotions, ideas and everything else that you consider as “me” – all the ingredients that make you a person. You make them too important because these are the things that build your personality.

The most fundamental thing is your likes and dislikes. Everything else is based upon this. Who you can be with and who you cannot be with, what kind of food you eat and what you don’t eat, where you go and where you don’t go, what kind of ideas you ascribe to and what you reject – everything is fundamentally rooted in your likes and dislikes. If you can take away this one thing, the spiritual process won’t happen slowly, it will explode in you.

Right now, your problem is, “this” is sacred, “that” is nonsense. Now you’re lost. Life will not work like this. No growth will happen.

There are two ways to approach this. One way is to see everything in the existence as sacred. Your work, your wife, your child, your husband, your dog, your mother, your god – everything, including going to the toilet – see it as sacred. Or, you see everything as utter nonsense – with absolute disdain – including your God, your own body, your spirituality, meditation, everything. Both will work wonderfully.

Right now, your problem is, “this” is sacred, “that” is nonsense. Now you’re lost. Life will not work like this. No growth will happen. The basis of your karma itself is your like and dislike. That’s the only bondage you have really. When you are in a mode where you love this and hate that, you are setting forth a duality. Once you establish duality, there can be no spirituality because yoga essentially means union. If you do not like this part, how can you become all-inclusive? It is a self-defeating process. You just have to work on that. There is no such thing as liking or disliking. Everything is sacred or everything is utter nonsense – which way do you want to walk?  If you see everything as sacred, it is much easier".

Source: http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/the-two-ways-to-speed-up-your-spiritual-process/

How we look at life simply depends on our perspective. Here's another amusing story about spiritual teacher, Bentinho Massaro's experience. It is quite hilarious.

*Call room service to have a meal

*Finish meal

*Call room service to pick up the tray

*Room service says to put the tray outside my door

*Get lost in a what's app conversation with a beautiful woman

*Get undressed to my undies to go take a shower

*Remember about the tray right before stepping into the shower

*Walks tray outside in boxer shorts

*Forgot key card to room, door unfortunately closes behind me

*Locked out of my room at the 19th executive floor of a luxury hotel

*Rings own doorbell just to try and see if anyone would open knowing very well this is a stupid thought

*Consider only other thinkable option: take elevator down to the lobby and walk out proudly in tight and tiny undies to the front desk to tell them the good news

*After mustering courage and walking over to the elevator, find a telephone

*Call reception tell them I'm standing in the hallway on the 19th floor in my undies

*Manager comes up, doesn't seem pleased

*Leaves me standing there while he's looking at me

*Takes his time with a skeptical look on his face to ask how come I locked myself out before he lets me back in.

*Get back to room with a huge smile on my face--loving life and the humorous nature of being human

Source: Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/bentinhomassaro/?fref=ts

Love, Peace  & Blessings,

~ Lavina ~

A Very Inspiring Story

"The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. 'I love it,' she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. 'Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.' 'That doesn’t have anything to do with it,' she replied. 'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind.

I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.” She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.'

And with a smile, she said: 'Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less"

Source: Facebook

Story and Photo courtesy of Amber Brown

May 2016 usher in Waves of Peace through Radical Self Change

 The one thing I am certain about my life here and now, is that healing and transformation are ongoing, and will keep going till I finish with this form. I do not have to "aspire" to become Christ Consciousness - I Am already that, except that it is still hidden and out of my present awareness - not completely, but by and large yes. The potential for Christ Consciousness lies within every Soul. It is just a matter of opening up to it and releasing all that acts as obstacles and blockages to Its illuminating Presence. Once every block is removed, every truth restored and every resistance dropped, the veil will completely part and make way for a Born-Again Being. We are not "born-again" by virtue of religion, but by virtue of Self Realization where we begin to SEE Oneness and Unity in every aspect and particle of Life. A "Born-Again" sees no separation, exclusion, specialty or self privilege of being a "chosen one". Everyone is invited to partake of God's Life, only few choose to do so through Awakening, Awareness, Enlightenment and Self Realization. 

I Am.  What I add after the "I Am" is what enhances me or brings me down.  What I believe about myself is what will create the "story" of my Life going forward. I Am the only caretaker of myself and I Am the one who knows exactly what my body, mind, and spirit needs. And it is in my very own interest to really learn to love myself unconditionally, completely and fully  

My life is eternal. Its not spiritual or material. It is just Life. I Am Life ... Boundless and Eternal. It is all about my 'Beingness" from moment to moment that really enables me to live fully through every emotion and experience. To heal our emotions, we must be able to look at all of them - even the most painful ones, with the eyes of Love. To love something or someone is to be in total acceptance of that thing or person unconditionally without the need for any adjustment or change. It is not easy, but it is possible as we make a decision to live with the purpose of just Being and Seeing another exactly as he/she is. Not expecting any changes or wishing if only this person was different ..... that is only wishful thinking and puts one in a complete state of resistance.  To BE and allow everyone else to BE not only creates space for miracles but more importantly, it is total freedom.

EckhartTolle explains "Beingness" .....

"Even a stone, and more easily a flower or a bird, could show you the way back to God, to the Source, to yourself.  When you look at it or hold it and let it be without imposing a word of mental label on it, a sense of awe, of wonder, arises within you.  Its essence silently communicates itself to you and reflects your own essence back to you.  This is what great artists sense and succeed in conveying in their art.  Van Gogh didn't say: "That's just an old chair."  He looked, and looked, and looked.  He sensed the Beingness of the chair.  Then he sat in front of the canvas and took up the brush.  The chair itself would have sold for the equivalent of a few dollars.  The painting of that same chair today would fetch in excess of $25 million."

No matter what religion, teaching, guru or master one follows, the message is the same: Love.  Love everything and everyone including yourself.  Even while engaging in self inquiry, I find that unless I see myself with love and compassion, self inquiry becomes meaningless and just a mind thing, but when infused with Love, the dynamics change and the result is always deep and profound change. 

"I must love the very thing I am studying" says Jiddu Krishnamurthi.

"The what is is what you are, not what you would like to be; it is not the ideal because the ideal is fictitious, but it is actually what you are doing, thinking, and feeling from moment to moment. What is is the actual, and to understand the actual requires awareness, a very alert, swift mind. But if we begin to condemn what is, if we begin to blame or resist it, then we shall not understand its movement. If I want to understand somebody, I cannot condemn him, I must observe, study him. I must love the very thing I am studying. If you want to understand a child, you must love and not condemn him. You must play with him, watch his movements, his idiosyncrasies, his ways of behaviour; but if you merely condemn, resist, or blame him, there is no comprehension of the child. Similarly, to understand what is, one must observe what one thinks, feels, and does from moment to moment. That is the actual. Any other action, any ideal or ideological action is not the actual-it is merely a wish, a fictitious desire to be something other than what is.So to understand what is requires a state of mind in which there is no identification or condemnation, which means a mind that is alert and yet passive. - Krishnamurti, The Collected Works, Vol. V",50,Choiceless Awareness"

May 2016 be the Year of Radical Change ushering in waves of  Peace and Wellbeing.  May all find it worthwhile to live from their I AM PRESENCE and may each Soul Be at Peace. Shalom!

Love Always,

~ Lavina ~