We are all Rainbow Makers

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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.



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











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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

http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/

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

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 Obsession To Be In Control

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

Getting Out Of The Corners Of The Self by Julian Colgan

Getting Out Of The Corners Of The Self

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

Gaia Shrugs by Zen Gardner

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

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

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.

On The Nature Of Emptiness - Julian Colgan

On The Nature Of Emptiness

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

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

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012. Filed under: Activism Alternative Knowledge Amazing Universe Consciousness Esoterica Inspiration Preparedness Spirituality The Awakening

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

An Arhat's Dream - by Julian Colgan

An Arhat's Dream

Climbing the ever winding

steps of Mt.Sumeru,

this arhat's dream

is to develop the vision

where everyone is my good master.

Climbing out of my lotus flower encasing,

this arhat's dream

 is to conquer the world

 of conditioned reactions.

Climbing out of my former 

mind and livelihood,

this arhat's dream

is to arise to the occasion

whenever that occasion does arise.

Climbing out of my prior 

engagements with others,

this arhat's dream

is to create a new mental space

where everyone can feel comfortable in.

Climbing out of the

world's anxieties and affairs,

this arhat's dream

is to chant and meditate with

the bodhisattvas of ancient antiquity.

Climbing the musical scale

of a compassionate heart,

this arhat's dream

is to sing the pure buddha dharma

to all who abide in the nothingness of space

and in the grounded qualities of the earth.

Arriving at this arhat's dream,

the lotus flower of this buddha's mind

sprinkles forth the essential extract

of a purified nature; which is

the state of bodhichitta.

Generating the stage of world enlightenment

for all sentient beings, may everyone

become a perfected buddha

who is a master of this arhat's dream.

 

by Julian Colgan (Copyright)

Awake to Buddhahood

http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/2013/01/an-arhats-dream_9.html

  

Lotus Sutra - Ray Of Light - by Julian Colgan

Lotus Sutra - Ray Of Light

(Invocation To Manjusri)

O Manjusri,

why does Lord Gautama

emit from His forehead a brilliant

white light that covers all

directions of space simultaneously?

Shaking the entire earth

with His transcendent wisdom,

the ray which now illuminates

our auspicious consciousness

gladly shows us a sign of

the nearness of nirvana.

Spanning the six rounds of rebirth,

Lord Gautama liberates

the imprisoned minds of those 

who are suffering in the hellish states

and in the deceptively heavenly states.

Mystically spectacular,

many gandharvas and holy persons

softly emanate in pure voices

of celestial realization

the numberless teachings of the Buddha.

Each having a different level

of meditative penetration,

their knowledge

makes all creatures rejoice

without knowing why.

Delivering a particular message

to each sort of ailing being,

the diseased are given

the medicine of the four noble truths,

whereas the accomplished ones

are given the medicine of ultimate enlightenment.

For those who are supremely attached

to the supreme wisdom of Lord Gautama,

the purest of ways is pointed to

as quickly as a flash of lightning.

Peering into the infinite realms

of the infinite varieties of practitioners,

every gem of consciousness

blends into the overall atmosphere

as grains of sand lose themselves

on the limitless banks of the Ganges.

Endowed with riches and natural resources,

many give alms as a way to

embark upon the glorious Buddha Way.

Some, extending this principle

even further, selflessly offer themselves

as vehicles of enlightenment for other sentient beings.

O Manjusri,

great kings and princes

abandon their palaces and

positions of power in order to

shave their attachments away

through putting on the varying robes of renunciation.

Entering into the emptiness

of mountains and other secluded spots,

holy persons constantly dwell

in the profundity of peaceful meditations.

Others, taking to an active life

of preaching, extol to the masses

the virtues of the Buddha Way.

Transforming minds by

declaring war on Mara's armies,

bodhisattvas calmly reduce

the haughtiness of the bewildered 

by pronouncing the merits of

one who never sleeps in the coils

of a hellish consciousness.

Taking to the path of austerities,

the misguided become

as pure as pearls are

and laugh and play for

millions of future lives.

As abundant as a flower garden

that extends indefinitely,

may I offer these flower like verses

to the buddhas and bodhisattvas

of my perpetually bleeding heart.

Like the neutrality of space,

a buddha's mind

sees everything in its completion,

whereas others only see parts

of an intricately unsolvable puzzle.

Taking to the path of worshiping

a buddha's relics and adornments,

majestic stupas are built

in order to demonstrate the

most wonderful accomplishments

of a purified life stream.

Having all of the members of the six realms

pay homage to Lord Gautama,

a fully blossoming heart is the reward

of not thinking of rewards.

Emitting a ray of light,

He is the Truth of Reality.

Being the Truth of Reality,

the four noble truths are His most noble of sons. 

 

 

 

by Julian Colgan (Copyright)

Awake to Buddhahood

http://emptinessofmind.blogspot.ca/2013/01/lotus-sutra-ray-of-light.html

Extraordinary Article: The Heart of Unity Consciousness: Zen Gardner

The Heart of Unity Consciousness

Monday, January 7th, 2013. Filed under: Consciousness Esoterica Spirituality The Awakening

AugureyeExpress

by Chautauqua, Contributor

 So, here we all are in the afterglow of what should have been a celebration on a planetary scale, humanity’s coming of age party at the end of the Mayan calendar.  Was it everything you expected, or were you disappointed?  It depends.  If you viewed things intellectually thru the brain, you may well have concluded it was just another non-event like Y2K, or a dozen other such doomsday scenarios of the last couple decades.  If however, you viewed the recent pinnacle of the shift of the ages thru your heart, an entirely different reality was revealed, and is still unfolding around you.

Have you noticed that people are more polite and courteous just recently, and maybe even a bit happier?  Have you had a really significant recent spiritual experience or vision when you least expected it?  Has your inner voice been advocating a letting go or releasing of restrictive old interactions which no longer serve your growth?  Have you been increasingly aware of this being the perfect time for new beginnings?  Congratulations if you answered yes to some or all of those questions, as you are operating from your heart, and bringing the brain along for company: as it should be.

Another thing that’s becoming more apparent all the time is that we are now definitely out beyond the reach of history.  What does that mean, you may ask, well it means that unlike the ‘before times’ we cannot look back to or fall back upon history to guide us in this new epoch we’ve entered.  It really is the dead past!  People everywhere are awakening to the harsh cold reality that all the old edifices are crumbling under the weight of their own corruption, at the precise time when those Piscean energies which supported them have disappeared under the brilliant dawn of the Aquarian age!

 Our hearts are full of this wonderful buoyant new energy which at times can give the impression of being ready to just burst out a set of wings and take flight…we get that taste and feel…and we want more, we want it to expand and carry us along with it, yet we find we are still tethered to that old dead paradigm through emotions, memory and programming.  Lots and lots of old, obsolete, limiting programming.  Lots of memories too, both good and bad, and with the emotional charge still attached to them.  Yes, we have lots of attachments, and there will never be a time when those lines of tethering energy are easier to sever than right now.  Many of us are naturally reluctant to cut those ties for in a way they have helped shape who we have become, yet in order to become more, we must cut away the ties that bind.  If this is something you are currently dealing with, it may help to remember that when you sever those energetic and emotional ties to another person both of you are free from that ‘contract’ and liberated, whether you remain in each others lives or not.  What a wonderful gift to give someone, and yourself.

 We have left behind the formative chrysalis of third dimensional reality to discover we are no longer the caterpillars which entered but are now a free and beautiful winged entity…well nearly free, still a few more strands to cut before flying free; but with that new found sense of beauty and serenity, there is no going back.  We are on our way.  Maybe we don’t have a rand McNally road atlas, but we’ll all figure it out together along the way.  Unfortunately all that is vile, ugly and evil about this world didn’t magically disappear overnight two weeks ago.  Although that would have been acceptable to me, I really didn’t expect it to happen.  We certainly seem to have an awful lot of cleanup work ahead of us.  Those who have used humanity as a renewable resource for so long are on their way out, I think even they can see that now, which is going to make them more dangerous and unpredictable to be sure.  Rest assured “they” will continue to attempt to hijack this great awakening, just as Hitler vainly attempted to save his Third Reich even when he knew Germany was defeated.  After all, “they” are all psychopathic sycophants and dilatants so don’t expect them to go down without a goodly amount of chaos, but go down they will even if it take a decade, or a generation, their day is done.

I believe that unity consciousness is our destiny as evolving, spiritual beings, and that the gateway is through the human heart.  We’re learning things about the heart we never knew or suspected, like the fact the heart sends more information to the brain than vice versa!  How about the fact that the heart creates its own electromagnetic field which can extend out to fifteen feet and influence the emotions and energy of those around us, a kind of morphic field, and a new way to communicate!

We Are All One

Unity consciousness is so much more that embracing the concept that we are all connected to the collective consciousness of humanity.  It is embracing the reality that we are one with the universal mind, the source.  When we look into the eyes of a lover, friend or enemy we are not seeing our brother or sister, we are seeing ourselves; reflected and deflected thru filters and layers of understanding and remembering.  The ultimate goal in all this, I believe, is for all of humanity to remember that all there really is, is Love.

I always find it oddly ironic that the master plan of the psychopaths in power is really just an evil distortion of unity consciousness.  While we envision a peaceful future where humanity has embodied the spiritual resonance of heart centered unity, co-operation and love; “they” would eagerly turn us into the Borg collective with their transhuman agenda.

I am reminded of an old butter commercial where the tag line was, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!”  The powers that be are now in the process of learning that lesson.  In their utter arrogance they actually thought they could use an assortment of high tech scientific hardware and other pacification technologies to put humanity in a state of arrested development, below the threshold of evolution, and keep us there as perpetual slaves.  Just how deranged do you have to be to think you can derail a process you don’t understand and cannot control?  As for the rest of us, well we are learning an important lesson as well…about blindly allowing a band of criminal psychopaths to rise up and take control of this world as we waited for someone to save us.  We’re learning that we are the ones we’ve been waiting for!

 The system now crumbling down around us does not contain the mechanisms of reform. This system was never meant to be equable, its very structure precludes fairness and equality in favor of enriching the select elites and their slavering followers who always seem to think their co-operation will be rewarded.  The whole thing is just a house of cards, ready to collapse.  The elites are currently propping up the facade for a little longer as they attempt to wring every ounce of treasure & resource possible out of it before stepping away, and letting it all crash down for good.  None of these people are the least bit invested in ‘saving’ their system…or us.  They intend to be safely tucked away somewhere when the final crash happens, believing the rest of us will be too consumed with survival to form a posse & hunt them down.  They are so very pleased with themselves.  They think they will never be held accountable for their crimes against Earth and her passengers; and they might just be right.  However, if they are wrong, and one day must face us and answer for their actions, how we deal with it will define us, and our destiny as a race.

 If the Neocon war crimes trial ever begins we had better be ready to embrace them with unconditional love, forgiveness and compassion, after all, they are very sick in the head.  If we fail to do so, and instead favor treating them as they have treated us, then we have learned nothing, and failed our greatest test as a species.  If we have truly embraced unity consciousness then we will just know in our hearts how to best deal with the situation.  It must begin here and now, in our hearts.  We need to cultivate and explore the resonance of unity consciousness, to make it a fundamental part of our souls.  We need to remember that we are all one, that separation is an illusion, and revenge is never sought by a loving, compassionate heart.  There is an old saying that seeking revenge is like drinking poison believing that it will kill your enemy.  I wonder, have we come far enough down the path to see that, to really understand it?  As Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”  Certainly, those who would stand trial need to be held accountable for all they have done.  Their souls are contaminated, distorted, and decidedly dark.  Instead of punishing them with pain & deprivation we must seek to re-habilitate these souls, to save them, as it were, and ourselves.  The reason is really simple, we all came here together, a group soul complex, and as we continue our sojourn back home to source, we must return as a unified whole, with no one left behind. (1)  That alone kinda makes the case for unity consciousness, it isn’t just a choice or option, it’s a requirement, and the sooner everyone “gets it” the sooner we all can return home.

 I believe we each have the cellular or genetic memory of being in unity consciousness.  Before the great experiment that brought us here, we lived in that very resonance, we know it…it’s us!  We have forgotten, on purpose, we agreed to it as part of the experiment; and now that we are beginning the group soul migration back home, we must remember that being in unity consciousness is our natural state of being.  I wonder if the reason some people are so irritable and negative is because deep in their heart they remember being in unity consciousness, and they don’t remember how to get back into the flow of universal energy which is unity consciousness.  That’s why its so very important for the rest of us to be pathfinders and way showers right now, to help with this great awakening every way we can.

Think for a moment about that electromagnetic field your heart generates, extending several feet in all directions…it can and does affect the thoughts and emotions of those in proximity to us.  Suppose we fill our hearts with the vibration of unconditional love and unity consciousness and pass that along silently to everyone we meet as our hearts communicate with the hearts all around us.  Now imagine that spreading from person to person…all around the planet, like a wonderful virus called love, sound good to you too?  If it helps, just think of it as homework: the work we must do to get all of us home.  Perhaps where using words doesn’t get the message across as we’d like, maybe filling our hearts with love & unity will convey the message faster and better, not unlike that new smart phone app that lets you instantly transfer data to another phone simply by being in proximity.

 It is no longer just a brave new world we are living in; it’s a brave new universe as we begin to understand that indeed, we are the universe.  The atoms that comprise our bodies and brains were created billions of years ago in a supernova explosion, so in every sense of things, we are star stuff, as Carl Sagan put it.  To put it another way, we are the universe trying to understand itself by expressing as human life.  So, the next time you perceive that the universe is holding you back and telling you how small and insignificant you are, just wink at the universe and say, “Dude, I AM You!”

That is the Heart of Unity Consciousness.

Welcome to the World of the Fifth Sun.

…and please be good to each other!

 

 

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