Hello friends,
This morning I woke up before the alarm and before the sun. There I was, sitting up in bed: alert, calm mind, energetic. I decided to go for a run in the park. I jumped out of bed before any thinking began. If I allowed my brain any input on my decision, I would have laid back down to "think it over". The moment my head hit the pillow, I would have been slapping the alarm hours later with a belly-full of disappointment in myself. Fortunately, that wasn't the case...
Pre-run stretching in the dark silence of the morning is liberating. I love the feeling of being the "first one awake" in the neighborhood. Then, I hear my neighbor downstairs as he slams the door and staggers to the street -- he drinks pretty heavy every night and wakes up early. Kind of a bad combo. I feel for him. I lived that pain through my twenties. Now, I'm spending the latter part of my thirties accepting the karma of my past. Such is life...
30 Seconds to Mars streams through my headphones as I breath the morning air, focused on the path ahead (the running path, that is). As I round out the first lap, I notice a man lying in the grass -- a bald head sticking out of a tightly rolled blanket -- he looked like Elmer Fudd wrapped in a burrito. I felt for him. I have an apartment with food in the refrigerator. If I want a hearty breakfast, I'll make it. If I want hot coffee, I'll brew it -- an instant return on my desires. He has nothing but a blanket.
I pushed him out of my mind and focused on the music in my hears and the runner's burn in my legs and chest. But as I rounded my second lap, something came over me -- a reaction I associate with viewing climactic scenes in emotional movies like Schindler's List or Sophie's Choice. When I saw the man again, I got choked up. My eyes welled with tears. It wasn't sweat, I checked. I honestly felt sincere compassion for this man. I knew what to do. I stopped at my car and grabbed all the change I could find in the center console and under the seats. I finished the contents of a water bottle and poured the change inside. I was feeling good... until my brain got involved. I could have run back to the man and set the change on his blanket -- good deed complete! Instead, I decided to finish my 3 laps and bang out some crunches... all the while, clankity-clanking along with a water bottle full of coins.
As I neared the end of my run; I probably resembled a gazelle scanning for predators as I searched for the man in the grass. My mind raced: "I don't see him. Did he leave? How could he leave? I'm trying to help him! I'm trying to give...thoughtlessly! Oh. Damn. I'm thinking too much." Elmer was gone.
At that moment, all the text I've been reading, all the techniques I've put into practice returned to the forefront of my mind. Of course he left. That's how the universe works. What started as a sincere gesture, ended as a self-cherishing act. I wanted to give something to this man so I could feel better about myself. I wasn't putting others before myself. I paraded around the park with "my offering". I should have simply "given" when the moment was genuine. Sorry Elmer. And thank you. I witnessed something so profoundly in myself: my ego. I will work on this. Hopefully, when my emotions call to me with such intensity next time, I'll be able to follow through.
Have a peaceful day... try to keep ego from leading the way.
August 8, 2012
July 25, 2012
Film: "I AM" by Tom Shadyac
Hello friends,
Tom Shadyac is a successful Hollywood director who came to the realization that his increasing WEALTH did not increase his HAPPINESS.
Many Americans have realized this to be true, but have been too attached to their external possessions, ego.. etc. to actually let go and be honest with themselves -- Tom followed the feeling in his heart and documented his quest for the truth. Here is an interview with Tom about the concept of his film.
"I AM" (documentary film) Directed by Tom Shadyac
David Wilcock is awesome!
Hello friends,
Since I was introduced to the teachings of David Wilcock (thanks Nicole!), I've been hooked!
David deeply examines the science behind spirituality and higher consciousness through research findings in archeology, astronomy and biology -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg!
THIS VIDEO: "The 2012 Enigma" was the first of many that hooked me! Enjoy!
For more videos from David Wilcock, visit his official website: www.divinecosmos.com
Thanks!
Since I was introduced to the teachings of David Wilcock (thanks Nicole!), I've been hooked!
David deeply examines the science behind spirituality and higher consciousness through research findings in archeology, astronomy and biology -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg!
THIS VIDEO: "The 2012 Enigma" was the first of many that hooked me! Enjoy!
For more videos from David Wilcock, visit his official website: www.divinecosmos.com
Thanks!
July 22, 2012
CHERISHING ALL LIVING BEINGS
Hello friends,
Cherishing all living beings. This is a hard pill to swallow, at first. Certain individuals may come to mind at this moment, people who you feel you'd have a difficult time cherishing. Well, in order to cherish all living beings, we need those people in our lives who irritate us. They help us develop patience, tolerance, love and compassion for others.
In the book Eight Steps to Happiness, Gyatso explains how anger and attachments are delusions of the mind. If a friend of ours was suffering from cancer, we would not blame him for his disease. In the same light, we should not blame jealous or self-cherishing people for their disease of the mind.
What is self-cherishing? It's the act of putting your needs before everyone else. It's when we think of ourselves as superior over others and our happiness and freedom is more important than anyone else's, that our wishes and feelings matter more, that our life and experiences are more interesting. (Gyatso)
Each one of us is guilty of possessing attachments to material things. We've all felt anger and jealously towards others. We are all guilty of self-cherishing. So, this means we're all suffered from several diseases of the mind? Yes. Does this mean that we are all delusional? Yeah, sort-of, according to Buddha's teachings. But this is not our fault. We live in a country that penetrates our minds with the notion that self-worth is the key to happiness. We live in a highly self-driven and competitive society. We cannot blame ourselves. When common mantras in our country are "The one with the most toys wins" and "Keeping up with Jones's"; we're taught to see the world through rose-colored glasses. We are a prideful nation. There is nothing wrong with pride, if you feel pride from helping others. You should not feel pride in yourself if you helped someone for selfish reasons. Our nation's citizens are quick to become "heroes" when the stakes are high, but would our so-called heroes sacrifice their comfort for a homeless man tomorrow? This is the conflict in our thinking and nature. We pick and choose when to cherish others. I'll admit that I'm conflicted with this mentality too, but I can honestly say that I'm doing everything in my power within to alter this way of life. It will not come easy, but it will come, eventually, with much practice.
How can you cherish others when they do not cherish you? They don't have to cherish you. If people treat us with kindness and respect and place us on a pedestal; it only reinforces our delusions and depletes our merit. If someone criticizes you and you are able to look past the delusions in their mind and only see the good qualities in that person, you earn spiritual merit. Gyatso explains how this works. In Buddhist beliefs "our spiritual realizations are our inner wealth because they help us in all situations and are the only possessions we can take with us when we die. Once we learn to value... patience, giving, love, and compassion above external conditions we will come to regard each and every living being as supremely precious, no matter how they treat us. This will make it very easy for us to cherish them."
Thank you. I cherish you for reading my thoughts.
All positive comments, insights and questions are welcome.
Cherishing all living beings. This is a hard pill to swallow, at first. Certain individuals may come to mind at this moment, people who you feel you'd have a difficult time cherishing. Well, in order to cherish all living beings, we need those people in our lives who irritate us. They help us develop patience, tolerance, love and compassion for others.
In the book Eight Steps to Happiness, Gyatso explains how anger and attachments are delusions of the mind. If a friend of ours was suffering from cancer, we would not blame him for his disease. In the same light, we should not blame jealous or self-cherishing people for their disease of the mind.
What is self-cherishing? It's the act of putting your needs before everyone else. It's when we think of ourselves as superior over others and our happiness and freedom is more important than anyone else's, that our wishes and feelings matter more, that our life and experiences are more interesting. (Gyatso)
Each one of us is guilty of possessing attachments to material things. We've all felt anger and jealously towards others. We are all guilty of self-cherishing. So, this means we're all suffered from several diseases of the mind? Yes. Does this mean that we are all delusional? Yeah, sort-of, according to Buddha's teachings. But this is not our fault. We live in a country that penetrates our minds with the notion that self-worth is the key to happiness. We live in a highly self-driven and competitive society. We cannot blame ourselves. When common mantras in our country are "The one with the most toys wins" and "Keeping up with Jones's"; we're taught to see the world through rose-colored glasses. We are a prideful nation. There is nothing wrong with pride, if you feel pride from helping others. You should not feel pride in yourself if you helped someone for selfish reasons. Our nation's citizens are quick to become "heroes" when the stakes are high, but would our so-called heroes sacrifice their comfort for a homeless man tomorrow? This is the conflict in our thinking and nature. We pick and choose when to cherish others. I'll admit that I'm conflicted with this mentality too, but I can honestly say that I'm doing everything in my power within to alter this way of life. It will not come easy, but it will come, eventually, with much practice.
How can you cherish others when they do not cherish you? They don't have to cherish you. If people treat us with kindness and respect and place us on a pedestal; it only reinforces our delusions and depletes our merit. If someone criticizes you and you are able to look past the delusions in their mind and only see the good qualities in that person, you earn spiritual merit. Gyatso explains how this works. In Buddhist beliefs "our spiritual realizations are our inner wealth because they help us in all situations and are the only possessions we can take with us when we die. Once we learn to value... patience, giving, love, and compassion above external conditions we will come to regard each and every living being as supremely precious, no matter how they treat us. This will make it very easy for us to cherish them."
Thank you. I cherish you for reading my thoughts.
All positive comments, insights and questions are welcome.
MEDITATE DAILY ("no time" is no excuse)
Hello friends,
We lead busy lives. We can think of one hundred excuses to skip daily meditation practice. An employer once told me, "The better you get at making excuses, the worse you'll get at everything else." Our most prevalent excuse is "time". We are at its mercy. We've allowed ourselves to believe that time controls us. We're always "running out of time" or "can't find the time". This is silly if we look at the meaning of "time".
Time is a concept of the mind. It can be controlled. There are two perceptions of time: the physical and the psychological. We keep clocks, calendars and day-planners to remember appointments, birthdays and future plans. These are simply physical reminders, in coordination with our lives and the rotation of the Earth. Our psychological perception of time is much different. We tend to obsess over unreal predictions of events and the unrealistic consequences we'll experience when we're not in control of time. These are delusions we manifest in our minds. The irony is: when we meditate daily, we train our minds to exist in the present, where time does not exist. Set aside some time everyday to practice the absence of time.
DAILY PRACTICE: You do not need to plant a Zen garden, or visit a spiritual temple to achieve a Zen-state of being. There is a simple phenomenon: Where ever you go, there you are. All you need is a peaceful place where you feel comfortable: in your home, a park, the parking lot at work, any place where you can sit comfortably and tune out all distractions. Once you establish this place, and commit to your daily practice; you are on your way to greater fulfillment! When we are juggling kids, career, school and other activities; we often convince ourselves that there is no moment of peace in our day. We ARE PRESENT during all of our daily activities. We are living, breathing, feeling beings. Instead of listening to the insignificant chatter our minds generate throughout the day, we can easily turn our focus inward. While you're "stuck in a long, boring meeting", you can focus on the positive energy around you. First off, you are employed while many people struggle to feed and cloth their families. Finding opportunities throughout your day to calm your mind and focus on positive energy will enhance your awareness, your patience and view of your surroundings and situations.
CLEARING THE MIND is sometimes easier said than done. Sadly, this factor seems to be the main deterrent in Western Culture to commit to meditation. We are active, imaginative, mufti-tasking creatures. We hold our thoughts in high regard. The only problem is: thoughts are only thoughts. They do not exist. We cannot download the pictures in our minds and upload them on YouTube. And if you could, how many views do you really think you'd get? Placing value on the constant flicker of thoughts in our heads is pointless and a waste of precious energy. They are illusions. They are not "brilliant" or "creative". True imagination, creation and vision occurs when the heart and mind are connected. This is when you have an opportunity to influence the world. Meditation opens the frequency that connects heart and mind. We are bombarded by images that suggest how we should view the world and ourselves. The Western mind is racing all the time. It's exhausting and destructive. We need to refocus our energy and find our inner strengths. When we attain that focus, our minds see past the influences around us because we are comfortable with ourselves.
When you sit comfortably, ready for meditation, sometimes we find it very difficult to let go of self and everything that is going internally. We fidget and squirm, trying to wipe our thoughts away, but the harder we try, more thoughts appear! Allan Watts (American author/Zen teacher) described thoughts as ripples in water. You cannot smooth out the ripples with a flat-iron, you only create more ripples. If you leave the water alone, it will calm on its own. In that regard, there's a simple technique that helps me. Image that your thoughts are images that are projected onto a movie screen. Do not judge what you see. It doesn't matter if the images are dark in nature. They are part of you. Just observe them. When you focus on them as they arise, the images will eventually subside. You will be left with a blank screen. You will have exhausted your thoughts, by letting them happen naturally.
FOCUS ON BREATHING. With every inhale, image bright, cleansing light is entering your body. With every exhale, image black, negative smoke is leaving your body. Sometime I see plus (+) signs in the white light and solid, black minus (-) sighs in the smoke. It doesn't matter what we see as long as we have the same goal: calming ourselves, body and mind to achieve higher consciousness.
"Time" takes the blame for much of our inconsistent behavior. That's not fair. It cannot defend itself! It only exists because we made it up! If you allow you mind to not be effected by time, time will not effect you. So, if you spend some time everyday to forget about time, over time, you will find yourself free from the grasp of time... and you'll miraculously find yourself spending more time on the positive elements of your life.
Thank you for your time :-)
All positive comments and questions are welcome.
We lead busy lives. We can think of one hundred excuses to skip daily meditation practice. An employer once told me, "The better you get at making excuses, the worse you'll get at everything else." Our most prevalent excuse is "time". We are at its mercy. We've allowed ourselves to believe that time controls us. We're always "running out of time" or "can't find the time". This is silly if we look at the meaning of "time".
Time is a concept of the mind. It can be controlled. There are two perceptions of time: the physical and the psychological. We keep clocks, calendars and day-planners to remember appointments, birthdays and future plans. These are simply physical reminders, in coordination with our lives and the rotation of the Earth. Our psychological perception of time is much different. We tend to obsess over unreal predictions of events and the unrealistic consequences we'll experience when we're not in control of time. These are delusions we manifest in our minds. The irony is: when we meditate daily, we train our minds to exist in the present, where time does not exist. Set aside some time everyday to practice the absence of time.
DAILY PRACTICE: You do not need to plant a Zen garden, or visit a spiritual temple to achieve a Zen-state of being. There is a simple phenomenon: Where ever you go, there you are. All you need is a peaceful place where you feel comfortable: in your home, a park, the parking lot at work, any place where you can sit comfortably and tune out all distractions. Once you establish this place, and commit to your daily practice; you are on your way to greater fulfillment! When we are juggling kids, career, school and other activities; we often convince ourselves that there is no moment of peace in our day. We ARE PRESENT during all of our daily activities. We are living, breathing, feeling beings. Instead of listening to the insignificant chatter our minds generate throughout the day, we can easily turn our focus inward. While you're "stuck in a long, boring meeting", you can focus on the positive energy around you. First off, you are employed while many people struggle to feed and cloth their families. Finding opportunities throughout your day to calm your mind and focus on positive energy will enhance your awareness, your patience and view of your surroundings and situations.
CLEARING THE MIND is sometimes easier said than done. Sadly, this factor seems to be the main deterrent in Western Culture to commit to meditation. We are active, imaginative, mufti-tasking creatures. We hold our thoughts in high regard. The only problem is: thoughts are only thoughts. They do not exist. We cannot download the pictures in our minds and upload them on YouTube. And if you could, how many views do you really think you'd get? Placing value on the constant flicker of thoughts in our heads is pointless and a waste of precious energy. They are illusions. They are not "brilliant" or "creative". True imagination, creation and vision occurs when the heart and mind are connected. This is when you have an opportunity to influence the world. Meditation opens the frequency that connects heart and mind. We are bombarded by images that suggest how we should view the world and ourselves. The Western mind is racing all the time. It's exhausting and destructive. We need to refocus our energy and find our inner strengths. When we attain that focus, our minds see past the influences around us because we are comfortable with ourselves.
When you sit comfortably, ready for meditation, sometimes we find it very difficult to let go of self and everything that is going internally. We fidget and squirm, trying to wipe our thoughts away, but the harder we try, more thoughts appear! Allan Watts (American author/Zen teacher) described thoughts as ripples in water. You cannot smooth out the ripples with a flat-iron, you only create more ripples. If you leave the water alone, it will calm on its own. In that regard, there's a simple technique that helps me. Image that your thoughts are images that are projected onto a movie screen. Do not judge what you see. It doesn't matter if the images are dark in nature. They are part of you. Just observe them. When you focus on them as they arise, the images will eventually subside. You will be left with a blank screen. You will have exhausted your thoughts, by letting them happen naturally.
FOCUS ON BREATHING. With every inhale, image bright, cleansing light is entering your body. With every exhale, image black, negative smoke is leaving your body. Sometime I see plus (+) signs in the white light and solid, black minus (-) sighs in the smoke. It doesn't matter what we see as long as we have the same goal: calming ourselves, body and mind to achieve higher consciousness.
"Time" takes the blame for much of our inconsistent behavior. That's not fair. It cannot defend itself! It only exists because we made it up! If you allow you mind to not be effected by time, time will not effect you. So, if you spend some time everyday to forget about time, over time, you will find yourself free from the grasp of time... and you'll miraculously find yourself spending more time on the positive elements of your life.
Thank you for your time :-)
All positive comments and questions are welcome.
July 15, 2012
Introduction: The Goal
Hello friends,
Welcome to my blog. This is the medium I have chosen to document my journey towards Enlightenment. Through meditation and self-awareness, I will go to whatever lengths necessary to seek true happiness. I understand that the days, weeks, months and years ahead will be amazing and scary and sometimes painful, as I delve into the depths of self to discover what lies within. To attain bliss, I must cleanse myself of the fears, doubts and anger that clog my perceptions of life and hold me back. These are the bitter truths, the vinegar in my life.
As I gain insights into achieving personal bliss, I will share articles, websites, books, quotes, everything that has helped me (and others) achieve their spiritual goals. I am prepared to share ALL my thoughts and experiences with you, the reader, without abandon.
I believe that every human has the potential to experience pure love and happiness in their life. Since I was young, I've had a deep respect (obsession) with Eastern Philosophy. To be honest, I've experienced feelings of jealousy towards individuals who have found peace, and everything that comes with it: a still mind, an open heart, a moral foundation and a joyous outlook of the world around them. As they say, "No time is like the present!" Nothing is stopping me from pursuing this, now. Of course, how many times have we said that, but didn't act on it? Myself, like many others, have the exceptional ability to start a project we feel passionate about, but eventually that spark of excitement fades. We may beat ourselves up for never completing anything or seeing anything through. Well, for me, the solution lies within. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses, without delusion, will help me to focus on everything sacred in my life. With a pure and intense focus such as this, I hope to release the uninhibited, enlightened being in me.
Spirituality has been "popular" in Western Society for centuries. We (Americans) have memorized phrases like, "You can't love someone, until you love yourself." and "Treat people the same way you want them to treat you." but how many individuals meditate on these concepts and practice them daily, rigorously, without compromising their virtues? Very few "holy" figures in America have proven to the world that they're the "real deal". In recent years, we've seen more spiritual leaders fall (hard) from their throne of evanescent light when corruption and abuse is revealed when the saintly veil is stripped from our eyes.
There seems to be a hole in America's consciousness. Society (as a whole) has a feverish need to fill this hole with external possessions, money, alcohol and drugs. Why do we live with so much pain? If I had to finger the culprit, I'd address the greatest obstacle that stands in our way of achieving absolute inner peace: The American Dream. As clique as this may sound, it's the truth. It's the vinegar we swallow each and every day. What was once an optimistic view for a thriving nation, has become a vehicle for laziness, self-worshiping and delusion. Americans are repeatedly violated by ideas and misconceptions of how we should feel, look, act, live and see the world. I am tired of seeing music being used as a tool to implant insecurities and fairy-tale dreams into young minds. I've grown tired of the collective attitude we Americans have towards each other. I'm sick of responding to negativity with more negativity. I'm exhausted from my mind being in control.
There is a lot of work to be done, so I turn to you. I cannot do this alone. All I ask is for moral support and wisdom. Please share positive feed-back and I will return the favor.
Thank you.
Ryan
Welcome to my blog. This is the medium I have chosen to document my journey towards Enlightenment. Through meditation and self-awareness, I will go to whatever lengths necessary to seek true happiness. I understand that the days, weeks, months and years ahead will be amazing and scary and sometimes painful, as I delve into the depths of self to discover what lies within. To attain bliss, I must cleanse myself of the fears, doubts and anger that clog my perceptions of life and hold me back. These are the bitter truths, the vinegar in my life.
As I gain insights into achieving personal bliss, I will share articles, websites, books, quotes, everything that has helped me (and others) achieve their spiritual goals. I am prepared to share ALL my thoughts and experiences with you, the reader, without abandon.
I believe that every human has the potential to experience pure love and happiness in their life. Since I was young, I've had a deep respect (obsession) with Eastern Philosophy. To be honest, I've experienced feelings of jealousy towards individuals who have found peace, and everything that comes with it: a still mind, an open heart, a moral foundation and a joyous outlook of the world around them. As they say, "No time is like the present!" Nothing is stopping me from pursuing this, now. Of course, how many times have we said that, but didn't act on it? Myself, like many others, have the exceptional ability to start a project we feel passionate about, but eventually that spark of excitement fades. We may beat ourselves up for never completing anything or seeing anything through. Well, for me, the solution lies within. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses, without delusion, will help me to focus on everything sacred in my life. With a pure and intense focus such as this, I hope to release the uninhibited, enlightened being in me.
Spirituality has been "popular" in Western Society for centuries. We (Americans) have memorized phrases like, "You can't love someone, until you love yourself." and "Treat people the same way you want them to treat you." but how many individuals meditate on these concepts and practice them daily, rigorously, without compromising their virtues? Very few "holy" figures in America have proven to the world that they're the "real deal". In recent years, we've seen more spiritual leaders fall (hard) from their throne of evanescent light when corruption and abuse is revealed when the saintly veil is stripped from our eyes.
There seems to be a hole in America's consciousness. Society (as a whole) has a feverish need to fill this hole with external possessions, money, alcohol and drugs. Why do we live with so much pain? If I had to finger the culprit, I'd address the greatest obstacle that stands in our way of achieving absolute inner peace: The American Dream. As clique as this may sound, it's the truth. It's the vinegar we swallow each and every day. What was once an optimistic view for a thriving nation, has become a vehicle for laziness, self-worshiping and delusion. Americans are repeatedly violated by ideas and misconceptions of how we should feel, look, act, live and see the world. I am tired of seeing music being used as a tool to implant insecurities and fairy-tale dreams into young minds. I've grown tired of the collective attitude we Americans have towards each other. I'm sick of responding to negativity with more negativity. I'm exhausted from my mind being in control.
There is a lot of work to be done, so I turn to you. I cannot do this alone. All I ask is for moral support and wisdom. Please share positive feed-back and I will return the favor.
Thank you.
Ryan
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