Free To Be

Too much thinking?

2008-03-06T09:17:00.001Z

Have you ever been confronted by your own thoughts when they are travelling at absurd speed? This past Friday evening, running late for a talk, I was walking really fast and thinking really fast about everything that had happened during the week. And lots happened, both good and not so good, depending on how one sees it. In any case, this tsunami of thoughts was flooding my mind at incredible speed - and my steps were going in the same pace, as I was almost running through Covent Garden to arrive on time.

The moment I stepped into the hall, where people were seated immersed in a completely different atmosphere, it felt as if my thoughts had collided with a wall of quietness. Everyone was chilled out, in a good mood, and quite relaxed. More importantly, there was a "silent space" around, which highlighted to me the speed of my thinking. And, just as a giant wave eventually calms down, this silence started to ease my thinking, until my mind was finally almost still. They were meditating. And that meditation was like medication for my mind - suddenly there it was: my week, my many thoughts, now dissolved like a small spray absorbed by the sand.

love in action

2008-03-01T22:16:00.001Z

It’s so special to see love in action. I love to witness the moments when people show their greatness in everyday life. I live in London, and the other day I was on the bus in the morning going to my meditation class. It was a cold morning in February, and an old man went to get on the bus, his bus pass didn’t work properly (it lets out an odd bleeping sound – which means you don’t have any money on the pass, it was bleeping and everyone could hear it). The bus driver tried to tell the old man that was hard of hearing that his pass didn’t work, the old man didn’t really get it but he knew something was wrong and so innocently and quietly went to get off the bus. My heart went out to the old man at that moment, seeing his frailty and vulnerability. The bus driver called him back, and said, it’s OK Come, come. It was only 6.20 in the morning and I’d already seen love and greatness in action. As I got off the bus, the friend that I was travelling with also noticed it and commented on the bus driver and his ability to discriminate, how he was so clear at that moment what was the right. It could sound a minor thing, but the reality is actions like this stand out like pure gold.

My Story

2008-02-29T13:45:00.001Z

I was recently on a retreat and in one of the classes the person spoke about how we each have our own stories inside our own minds – he took up this idea of holding different images in our mind which stop us from experiencing newness in a situation or interaction. He went onto say that when we speak to each other we are infact only telling each other our own stories and those stories are simply the things we’re attached to…whether it’s our ideas, what someone else should be doing, what we would like to do or what we have done. He ended saying that there might come a point when our stories will come to a closure and we won’t have any more stories to tell each other but there will only be silence – but a quality of silence that is filled with newness and power.

It has got me thinking as we all like to tell stories☺ I have some wonderful stories☺ but where do they take me…and you?

Letting go of telling these kind of ‘stories’ will enable me to be humble…just yesterday I heard that if you want to practice humility…speak less and let someone else be in the limelight…when speaking to another practice these two words ‘you’re right’…it’s a bit like just saying ‘yes’ instead of coming into unnecessary debate or disagreeing with the person before they’ve even started to explain. Which links into something else that I’ve been thinking about…if you want to serve at a time of need then put your opinions about others/a situation to one side.

Moral of the story 1

2008-02-27T13:04:00.011Z

故事：
有一个人，经常与邻居发生争执，彼此之间嫌恶。有一天，这个人的牛丢失了，于是便怀疑是邻居偷了。他左想右想，越看邻居越像是偷牛的人。过了几天，牛居然自己跑回来了。于是他再看那位邻居，样子好像又不是偷牛的人了。

Story 1:
There were two neighbours who constantly fight and argue and this created negative feelings for one another. One day, one of the neighbour lost his cow. He instantly cast his suspicion on his neighbour whom he fought a lot. He pondered over this and the more he observed his neighbour, the more he saw the neighbour as a 'cow-thief'. A few days later, unexpectedly his cow returned home to him. After this incident, whenever he observed his neighbour, he begun to see his neighbour less of a 'cow-thief'.

寓意：
你也许从来没有丢失过牛，更没有偷过牛，但是，这个故事却告诉你两件非常重要的事：
第一，作为人，绝对不能心有成见。当你假设一个人会偷牛，越看他就越像偷牛的人，直到有一天牛回来了，他的嫌疑才会被洗清。
第二，不幸的是，在我们的一生中，常常会被人冤枉成为偷牛的人，但牛又永远不会自己回来，所有，就有可能一辈子会被人视为偷牛贼。
因此，每个人对自己都要有信心。如果你不是偷牛贼，即使别人硬说你是偷牛的，也不应该影响自己对整个世界的认识。

Moral of the story:
You probably never lost or stolen a cow before. However, this story is to remind us of two things in life i.e:

Never pass judgement about people. We see what we want to believe. If we want to see someone as a 'cow-thief', unless the cow return, we'll always see them as a 'cow-thief'.
During our lifespan, there might be times when we ourselves are judged as the 'cow-thief' by others and the cow might never return to prove our innocence. Therefore, develop such faith and trust in ourselves that as long as I didn't steal the cow, even if someone falsely accused me of stealing the cow, I'm not going to change my stand (i.e. principle/value).

Every little counts...

2008-02-20T22:14:00.004Z

A friend whom I briefly met at university 10 years ago was in contact last month. We lost contact after his return to his home country. Both him and his wife have been tracking me down for a while. We weren't exactly close during our uni days but we hung out because we had mutual group of friends and one of my friends were his then-girlfriend-now-wife. So, it was one of those friendship which could have easily fizzled out with time.

Anyway, we met up last month for a cup of coffee and tried to compress our life story of the past 10 years in an hour. He shared news of his wife and his cute little son. During our conversation, he asked me whether I knew why he still remembered me after such a long time and I answered no. He went on to explain that I was the only one who called him and his wife when they left the UK for his home country and that left an impression on him. Funny thing is, on my side I had no recollection of this - I don't remember no phone calls or bidding them farewell before they left.

When thinking about this later on, I was amazed how something so small left such impact on him. So, our every little gesture - no matter how small they are will always leave an imprint in people's heart. One sincere act or thought goes a long way - it might even change the course of someone's life forever.

Hey ME, talk to ME!

2008-01-17T12:57:00.000Z

I heard this meditation experience from someone a while ago and it really struck me. Here it is:

' I made a mistake and my conscience was really going for it, biting me hard! So I spoke to someone whose advice I trust and after listening to her take on the event I was clear in my head and I could completely forgive myself. But oh boy, the next day I heard this critical voice in my head and I started to feel guillty again. Hang on a minute I said, I was feeling okay, where is this voice coming from?
So in meditation
I said: Hey voice, can you personify yourself so that I can dialogue with you?
An image appeared in my mind's eye. An image with a pointing finger.
I asked: Why do you exist?
It replied: To point the finger at you
I said: Why?
It said: Because you make mistakes
Me: Why do I make mistakes?
It: Because you don't trust yourself
Me: Why?
It: Because you are not in your truth

Wow! I said, what a useful piece of information on the journey of knowing myself!

Who else would be able to give you such a clear info about yourself? Nobody but your own self. I rarely do this 'talking to myself' business but I tried this and it is quite powerful. Suddenly you have a feeling of care and love for yourself 'from yourself '- a source which you can let the taps open as long as you want. All is in your hands. No need to rely on anyone! I like it!

Angel quotes

2008-01-16T16:25:00.000Z

These are a few angel quotes I've enjoyed... Hope you'll enjoy it too!

How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porch light on? ~Tom Waits, "Mr Siegal," Heartattack and Vine
Anyone can be an angel. ~Author Unknown
A baby is an angel whose wings decrease as his legs increase. ~Author Unknown
If you can't hear the angels, try quieting the static of worry. ~Valentine Sterling
Angels are messengers, but sometimes we misunderstand their language. ~Linda Solegato
You'll meet more angels on a winding path than on a straight one. ~Daisey Verlaef
I'm no angel, but I've spread my wings a bit. ~Mae West
If a man is not rising upwards to be an angel, depend upon it, he is sinking downwards to be a devil. ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge
If we were all like angels, the world would be a heavenly place. ~Author Unknown
In Heaven an angel is nobody in particular. ~George Bernard Shaw
I feel that there is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking. ~Jean Cocteau
Philosophy will clip an angel's wings. ~John Keats
Never drive faster than your angel can fly. ~Author Unknown

Monday Spiritual Joke #30

2008-01-07T12:55:00.000Z

A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age.

The group surrounded a dog. Concerned lest the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked "What are you doing with that dog?"

One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."

Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."

There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

Monday Spiritual Joke #29

2008-01-07T12:52:00.000Z

Challenging Golf Game

Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. The ball landed in the fairway, but kept rolling directly toward a water hazard. Moses quickly raised his club, the water parted and the ball rolled to the other side, safe and sound.

Next, Jesus strolled up to the tee and hit a nice long drive directly toward the same water hazard. It landed right in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped the ball back onto the green.

The third guy got up and sort of randomly whacked the ball. It headed out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounced off a truck and veered toward a nearby tree.

From there, the ball bounced onto the roof of a shack close by and rolled down into the gutter, down the drainspout, out onto the fairway and straight toward the aforementioned pond. On the way to the pond, the ball hit a little stone and bounced out over the water onto a lily pad, where it rested quietly.

Suddenly a very large bullfrog jumped up on the lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth. Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog screamed with fright and dropped the ball, which bounced right into the cup for a hole in one.

Moses turned to Jesus and said, "I hate playing with your Dad."

New Year Resolutions vs The Hoodies

2008-01-03T17:26:00.000Z

Just got back to work after being on a little retreat. A retreat for a meditator is the best holiday you can give them, it was an opportunity to go deeper into the self and to emerge more positivity, to see what's really in there and to enjoy the beauty, but you can't stay on a retreat that's not real life. It's full of power to really get those positive inner cycles spinning, get the determination in place because...... when we get back to work guess what happens, we go into an atmosphere that empowers negativity ("The Hoodies", worries, attachments, desires all of that stuff that is just buzzing in the atmosphere its as if it's magnetic and pulls you, especially if you have been a regular contributor as it's all lined up with your energy, ready to pull you back!)

OK so New Years Resolutions lets get them up here, the Hoodies aint gonna beat me, are they gonna beat you?

To take more "delight" in my attitude and my own awareness of my chosen state of being - happy, peaceful and loveful in relationship in my mind with what is a sticky word for some G-O-D, so I'll call him "my abundant companion the source of peace love and happiness" (so my mind stays absorbed in being happy and enthused all the time instead of happy and enthused about what's going on externally and all the ego of it, because when the chips are down, I'll go down! And to be honest I find it can be a bit too repetitive dull and boring without an injection of real happiness. This is when I feel at my best and it in that allows my mind to stay free.

To stop getting caught up in stuff I don't need to as it's a waste of energy and pulls me away from the energy I want to be with (that controlling things outside - it's all part of that). This is a big project just to recognise the stuff (like a whole bunch of additictions) then I need to keep applying a full stop in my mind and stepping back with a firm "No, that's the past."

To really, really go for creating and linking in with only positive thoughts - realisations to deepen are that I have everything inside me, so don't have to worry about anything. Then to get sewing and reaping, sewing and reaping to smooth over those negative cycles of worry, concern, subtle tension about stuff - it's only a habit! A fear of loosing, I have nothing to loose so my challenge this year is to apply that full stop to it so I can remain free from the Hoodies!
Choose do everything with love, because that's when I feel at my best
Choose to say Yes to change, to "Be" so I am free to "Do" more! It's all about what I sew I reap, and I want to realise this more and more so I reap the good stuff only!
Choose to make time to revise my notes more after my morning meditation class, this is one of the most beautiful parts of my day, so to really extract the butter will be the most nourishing thing I could possibly do for myself.
Choose to give this particular attention to what I am thinking in the evening, to make it powerful. I know what I can be like and I don't know if you have noticed for yourself if you meditate but those Hoodies come out in the evening so it's a time to create light and spread it so they all run away!

And finally!

To stop and revisit my aim again and again, during the day!

To stay on track got to keep a check:
What direction am I moving in? Is it positive, umlimited? If not...
Change direction to that of delight, aligned to my best and to my abundant friend and to the wonderful vision I know I am seen in and want to create for myself and everyone else, to create magnificent thoughts.

Ultimately I want to sparkle from inside out and to experience a lot, lot, lot of happiness that doesn't have any limits!!!!

2008 has a beautiful ring to it doesn't it!

To all the Hoodies out there, nothing personal it's an anaology for the dark side of ones character (Got the Hood up so can't see!)

2007-12-18T09:49:00.000Z

this is my season's greetings card that i've sent to different people around the world...& i just love it - it's joy, wonder, innocence, simplicity, celebration all in one!

Free to be!

2007-12-07T17:02:00.000Z

Today I was just thinking about how our energy can go in 2 places, trying to controll what's happening ouside of ourselves or what's going on inside us. The latter always being the most fruitful.

Have you ever found yourself, not listening properly to someone, or listening in such a way you put words in their mouth and finish off their sentances. I suppose the extension of this is where we try and control the way others go about doing something: Don't put that there put it here! ...... Don't do it that, do it like this....

I was reflecting in moments like that we cannot live our own uniqueness or let others live their's - we're too caught up with what's happening trying to control, for numerous reasons and often to do with fear of loosing something or just trying to be perfect. So today, I had to check myself and see am I enjoying being in this moment, being in my own space, in my own feelings and making that really special, positive and peaceful and powerful? Try it while your on the phone it's so enrichening, just letting yourself just be. Today I noticed in each of the interactions that I gave myself this special inner attention to, that I had such a laugh with the other person in a really natural way. I was really myself and I also felt like they were really themselves. It's so nice not to be provoking anything from any space of force, and just being with another. It felt very innocent and clean - incredibly special!

Breathe. Easy.

2007-12-04T10:09:00.000Z

One of the first relaxation techniques I ever heard about, went something like this: "Take a deep breath, and breathe out your tension." Simple, easy and, sometimes, quite effective. One of its enduring appeals is that it appears to use the body's natural rhythms to help us turn around our everyday challenges.

Recently, our Teacher at meditation class was telling us about the natural reservoirs of peace, love and joy all human beings have deep within them, and it struck me that there may be a small problem with this simple breathing exercise I and many others take for granted.

In a world filled with anger, tension and frustration, it occurred to me that we may be adding to these with each breath, if all we ever do is exhale these into the environment around us.

Yet, every breath we make is as beneficial to our world as the breath we take from the air around us. We breathe in oxygen, produced by plants as a by-product of their natural cycle, and we breathe out carbon dioxide, which plants use to make sugars for their own growth, and oxygen for us!

So, if I physically benefit my world with every breath, what if I could do it spiritually too? What if I could breathe in the world about me, then breathe out the peace and joy I have within me? What if we all did the same?

I have a new relaxation technique now: take a deep breath, and breathe out your peace. See how it works for you.

Ever had the thought that you are a walking tape recorder?

2007-11-28T15:25:00.000Z

I’ve been entertaining this for sometime and it was really interesting that my morning meditation class took up this subject. Wanted to get it out there as I feel it is a ticket to freedom and a way of creating a life that we want to live.

It’s interesting to ponder on this, not just to ponder but to live by it. I do and will continue to. At every moment, even while you are reading this, you are recording every single thought and feeling in your mind, depending on the quality of your thoughts you could be experiencing the good, the bad and the ugly! Your experience creates an impression in your mind, that becomes your life. And like any old impression that’s made the first or the last, you will come back to it in given a similar set of circumstances. We have probably had similar thoughts and feelings millions of times before it’s a bit like being on auto pilot.

The ticket – when I realise that I am the one who is creating the recordings through the way I think and feel I am in a position of influence and power, (I can choose my responses, my life). All of the past recordings will try and get in the way. This is where the meditation comes in – I need to come back to experiencing my inner qualities (the peace, love and happiness – we all have it, even if we don’t feel like we do, it will just that the other tapes are playing and creating a lot of noise.) The trick is, as you enter each moment to step back from it and become aware of the new recording you are making (now you are in control). The more light and easy and good you feel (from deep within, not just because life is going well, that's where you being influenced by the old recordings) the more lovely your life will be, the more trusting of you will become of yourself. I've noticed the process get’s more and more subtle.

Whatever I wrote will be effective if you can answer how you use the following buttons to access your potential: Pause, Play, Record, Rewind, Fast Forward – have fun.

It’s all about context, transformation made easy!

2007-11-20T15:33:00.000Z

Recently I went on a retreat in India. It was such a “treat”, to be immersed in classes about spirituality, to practise meditation in a place that is like a launch pad for the soul. Since I have come back I have been reflecting on my own spiritual development and how to move forward with ease, I have always liked the easy life! I’ve noticed as I pass through old habits I often see how attached or even how I am addicted to these old patterns of behaviour. As the saying goes old habits die hard! I’m questioning this; does it have to be this way?

It could be said that a path of self transformation is natural, you cannot transform into anything that you do not have the potential to be. Just as a caterpillar will be a butterfly, an acorn into a Oak Tree. I believe we all have the potential to be our best, it’s natural. Getting there - that’s where the mastery lies.

The place I went to has an incredibly pure atmosphere, it’s a bit like a mirror when you are there – you see what is happening inside you, (if you are willing to look) very clearly, as if it has been magnified – which is great if you are feeling good and very interesting if you are feeling otherwise.

The way it became easier to look at was accepting the context of my own situation, and the interesting thing is the same applies when I look at others and how I see them and relate to them. I had to accept I have been going through life, just like most people, taking from external circumstances, moving along with expectations, this should be like this, they should be….Out of touch with my own inner happiness, and that’s understandable – because I thought it was dependent on the things external to me. I didn’t realise that it was inside me; it’s only since I have been doing meditation that I have really become aware of this (around 6 years now). Now I have set the context, their’s an observation I would like to share. If I hold the awareness that my mind has become like a computer and it automatically switches into old habitual responses and behaves in a certain way and it’s been doing that for around for a very, very long time – even beyond this birth (that’s if you consider reincarnation as a possibility). Well just like any old habit – it takes time to change, you just have to keep reminding yourself to do it and not feel bad when you don’t change immediately, quite the contrary, I found if I see this in context of 100’s of years, I can start to give myself a break – no need to feel guilty, just get on with it. And transformation will then become easy. I really found this useful to work with for myself and also being light when being in relationship with everyone else. Whether we are aware of being on a path of personal growth or not, we are all in the same boat and so it’s interesting when we become aware of each others idiosyncrasies, and the context of this - life has shaped each one through time and what those circumstances have been – God knows! It’s as if each become a “Picasso” of life, from a perfectly sculptured, mini god like, fully blown life sized sculpture – you might have a sculpture in mind, Michael Angelo came to mind. It’s good to see it all in context. Pressure off – creativity and understanding switches on!

First blog

2007-11-20T09:28:00.000Z

Joining the Free 2B crew. This is my 1st ever blog. Sorry 4 the short sentences and the poor english. Reason: can't be bothered and also am at work and have only 6 mins 2 do this.

I thought of starting off in a different way. Actually - I am The God of plagiarism, so this is not my idea - nicked from a great site (can't mention it).

Here's a photo taken from Tate Modern.

This is one of the many great views in London. There's that feeling of standing back and looking through the eyes, through the windows of the soul and into the world. A slight trace of being disengaged from what's around you - and for me it's in that moment that you can really appreciate and love life.

I'd like to know from you - how this image touches / affects / inspires you.

Thanks. Oh yeah - why Mr. Burns - I have great side burns and I love being nasty - just like Mr. Burns in The Simpsons. :D

the present is all I have...

2007-11-18T19:51:00.000Z

For the past month I've been meaning to blog about this but not quite ever getting to it as I'm not sure how to put into words without belittling it. But here goes...I have had an amazing insight that I now work with all the time so that I easily let go of any waste/negative and not allowing it to dwell in my mind and then grow into a problem which is what used to happen. I've really realised that the only moment that exists is now - it in fact doesn't matter if you've done something good or something bad in the past - if you are good right now in the present that is the only freedom you have...

So whenever something bad happens i.e. if I am careless - if I hold it in my mind and not live in the positivity, the awareness, greatness, potential of this moment - it becomes a burden which not only i carry into every moment but it's also how others will respond to me. Fix the present, be present, be positive, be the change and live enlightened. Like an alchemist that molds and transforms that which is negative into something that is empowering.

I remember reading a saying years ago and that was 'if you truly change in the present noone will remember your past'.

'Change' and the way the world responds to you will change - the world will in fact reflect who you are and what you think and feel.

For me this insight has been like a key - to unlock the present and release the past.

What's my inner filing system like?

2007-11-02T11:31:00.000Z

I notice that when I do my filing in the office or even if I take myself back to when I did my art degree - my process of working would be one of going from extreme chaos to extreme order...interestingly enough my desktop also looks that way - when it has too many files and it all gets a bit much, I clean it all up and put everything into relevant folders. It does make me think what my inner filing system must be like. What do I save on the desktop of my mind?...in fact I am seeing a thread of benefit in my madness of filing:) that I am selective (when I eventually get to filing) in what I choose to save in the hard drive (of my subconscious). But meanwhile I am sure I hold on to lots of data that is not needed and either should be filed or deleted.

An image came to me of my mind like a desktop with lots of post-it notes on it and I thought my mind is actually an unltd space...how much information (post-it notes) can it actually hold? why can it not hold more than it does? why can I not remember more things? I thought about the different things that I save (even if just temporarily on my mind - what someone said, how someone said something, a document of regret) - big, heavy files that clog up my mind and slow down the system.

I like this idea of constantly having a clean desktop with only the essentials saved on it - essentially the main folders linked to necessary documents and then uptodate post-it notes (as many as are needed) - so that my mind can work with clarity, ease & stays fresh with uptodate info that's needed for today.

I think I'll start with my computer desktop and see where it takes me:)

We are not alone...

2007-10-31T17:44:00.000Z

Yesterday, a friend of ours came back from a couple of weeks' retreat, and what an experience it was just listening to her speak about it. She had been part of a large number of people who had gone away to study, meditate, discuss, and study some more; our friend had come back visibly transformed. Was it the rest, the tan, the chance to get away for a while, or something more? She gave me such inspiration, not just because of how she was, but because of the way I felt about how she was.

We all live our thoroughly modern little lives in our thoroughly modern little silos, blinkered and bunkered with our own fears, hopes, and petty likes and dislikes about ourselves and the world around us. If by some twist of fate we find we are no longer happy to accept our sorry lot, and, stumbling and groping in the murk of our modernity for glimmerings of what seem like knowledge and truth, then we are still left with one further mountain to climb: how are we supposed to really change anything, ourselves or our world, when there is just so much to change, and so little time in which to change it?

Our friend seemed to be showing me a way: don't think you can do it alone; don't even try.

We live in a world that seems, almost by design, to be driving us apart with its every attempt to bring us together: Religion preaches brotherhood, yet practices fratricide; Politics promises unity, yet delivers division; and Science offers answers to questions it clearly does not even understand.

Life seems to constantly provide us with only microscopes that, as one poet wrote, ‘deify one razor blade into a mountain range’; yesterday, our friend seemed to be showing a way to transform life's mountain ranges back into mustard seeds.

If we have spent all our lives thinking it's just oneself that we can rely on, just number one that we have to look after, just me here all alone, then, understandably, we may find it hard to think there is anything outside of our own intellect and effort to which we can turn to achieve anything.

Western philosophy has perhaps put too much store in the gnarly old epithet: "I think, therefore I am", a phrase that sounds less brilliant and more desperate with every passing war, technological disaster, and economic slow-down.

If we stopped thinking about ourselves for just long enough to look at each other properly, then we may be part of the way to getting ourselves out of our solipsistic little holes. After that, what if we could take the best of what we saw in others and make that part of our own make-up? What if we could then pass that on to others too?

Our friend, after spending a few short days in the company of other enlightened and illuminated souls, was able to bring back some of that light and illumination for me, just by being her own enlightened self. Everything seems possible when you are prepared to accept that you are part of something bigger than any mountain range in your way, and that the people around you are lighting the path to your own illumination.

Hole in the World

2007-10-29T12:30:00.000Z

I heard this song from a friend's ipod and went looking for the lyrics (see below). This song truly reflects the condition of the world and all that's happening around us. Forget about fighting for peace, forget about fighting for freedom - all we need to learn is to love one another.

Before we can enter the arena of love, we need to break down the barriers of race, gender, nationality, culture, religion, ideas, opinions and beliefs. Until we learn to accept one another as human beings, as living beings, as feeling beings and nothing more, can the cloud of fear and sorrow disperse and there'll be hope in the world.

The beauty of it is that it can all start from you and me...

Eagles: Hole in The World (lyrics)

There's a hole in the world tonight.
There's a Cloud of fear and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight.
Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.

They say that anger is just love disappointed.
They say that love is just a state of mind,
but all this fighting over who will be anointed.
Oh how can people be so blind

[Chorus:]
There's a hole in the world tonight.
There's a Cloud of fear and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight.
Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.

Oh they tell me there's a place over yonder,
cool water running through the burning sand,
until we we learn to love one
another we never reach the promise land.

[Chorus:]
There's a hole in the world tonight.
There's a Cloud of fear and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight.
Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow

In Partnership with Life

2007-10-23T11:15:00.000Z

Response Able
We now know that the true meaning of responsibility is response able or ability to respond. Whatever we may think, say, do, or feel - these are our responses for which we, and no one else, are responsible. This is easy to see but hard to live, for we have been taught to believe and think the opposite. So we don't consciously choose our response, we react instead, and then we blame others for our reaction. No wonder we feel imprisoned by others and our circumstances. The enlightened, on the other hand, have broken the spell, they see the illusion. They take full responsibility for their response abilities and as a consequence, they always hold their own destiny in their own hands. They are free spirits. From www.innerspace.org.uk

Today I read this and thought, I want to be a free spirit. But sometimes I get trapped. As you know I have been looking at all the different things happening with me at work and my responses to them. Recently I have been working on a compassionate view towards myself and everyone else, it feels good and helps me see the best in everyone and in life and allows me to open to healing rather than what can feel like an addictive nature that has wanted to take from external sources to feel good about itself (someone put it very well recently at a lecture I attended - lustful, anxious nature - it's not so gross as it sounds a bit more subtle but still the same stuff going on). So with this compassionate view point I've been thinking how good like is and how benevolent it is, helping me face that false satisfaction that I can get from the identities that trap me like - "being good at my job". When I Identify with this I'm in big trouble, my ego is inflated and anyone can come along and pinch me and pop it the bubble, with some negative feedback - OUCH! The question of the day is where do I place my value in life?

So at the moment, I'd like to grow a relationship of trust with life, give the best of myself to it - because the best is in me, let life help me learn to see it more and more of the best that's below the surface - the real diamonds, pearls and wonder of ones nature. I'll do my work life and you do your work life and we will get there. Today if feels so nice to be in Partnership with life. I'd like to beat life to it though, I wonder how I can do that?

"loves the jobs you hate"

2007-10-23T08:26:00.000Z

I was sitting in meditation this morning & out of the blue - in my minds eye I see a pool of rubbish - not a pleasant sight to wake up to I know...but in fact it was quite a pleasant experience as I somehow I didn't identify with it. I then thought meditation is like plumbing - when the drain is clogged you use a suction tool to pump out whatever is blocking the drain...when finally you see the rubbish coming up you're almost happy to see the drain being cleaned. That was the feeling this morning - it felt like I was the drain being cleaned and quite happily seeing the rubbish come out and to be honest it was quite liberating to see it, not to identify with it and end up with a clean drain (well, fairly clean that is - still some more work to do:)). The drain for me can be likened to the Intellect - so long as it's clogged, stagnant, not functioning properly it won't be able to hold wisdom and strength. Aha so I have an idea - they say that if you want to keep the drains clean - occasionally use bleach to keep the drains clean and odour proof...so the Mr Muscle cleaning agent is for me daily meditation where I remove any slight residue that's creating a blockage - in fact I wonder if not God is the true Mr Muscle that daily cleans the soul:)

Ask the Cosmos?

2007-10-16T16:07:00.000Z

It's interesting to see what happens when you pose a question to life and just watch what comes back - right now so many different options seem available, a week ago the answers were not so clear. My recent question was "How can I be stronger and stonger, more resilient - fearless!" The answers have been raining down from many directions - here's a few splatterings in essence - "take all your energy from inside yourself and from your connection with the divine, don't take expect praise from anyone, if you do life will find it's way of teaching you that you have everything you need inside yourself and what you need to do is stop looking for it". Do everthing with love and let go of expecations of anything coming back, that way you don't cause any sorrow and you face everything (you can't kid yourself, it's like an arrow that has to strike the target. It either does or it doesn't!). But the best of all - was be like a little child and anything that is causing you any obstacles in your mind give that to the Divine. So for me it was the pain I had caused myself for making mistakes and taking sorrow from it (yes it's taking time) give it like it's something smelly (we've all seen children when they don't like something and they say, yours, yours...don't like it ....) feel the Divine taking it and in return all the love of the Divine coming back to you, see that you have everything inside and you need nothing.... As you can see my last post was about facing the gremlins inside with love and forgiveness - so it was great to get all of these other wonders sent my way this week! Finally check this out it was a recent Thought for Today it really struck me, I got it from www.innerspace.org.uk

Everything's Fine
To a truly contented and enlightened soul everything in the world, which means the way the world is right now, is just fine. To the unenlightened and discontented soul this will sound like a massive avoidance. But think about it. Does the masterful actor go to the theatre for their evening performance, and on entering the stage start shifting the backdrop, altering the scenery and moving the props around? Of course not, they are totally concentrated on the role they need to create and play to the best of their ability. And so it is with the world. The backdrop to our life is the way things are at this moment in time. The props are exactly where they are meant to be at this moment in time. Many people spend their whole lives trying to change the backdrop and move the props around, little realising the futility of the exercise. Yes they may succeed in altering an angle here, a minute part of the picture there. But all at the cost of the focus and the energy needed to put on their best performance. Little did they realise that if they had fully focused on their performance and achieved their own highest standards of excellence, not only would those around them be immensely enriched, but the backdrop and the props of their life would have changed automatically, as the invitations roll in to perform their life elsewhere. Excellence is a much more powerful influence in the world than discontent. So everything is fine out there. No one said it's perfect. But it is exactly the way it should be ...at this moment. So here is the paradox of effective change - if you want to influence change for the better, then the most effective way to begin is with contentment with the way things are. The way things are, are the way things are meant to be!

My Negative World...

2007-10-15T13:53:00.000Z

I was remembering recently when I was very young, and discovering the afterimages one could make on one’s eye-lids, by staring at objects intently, then closing one’s eyes tightly. It was like having an internal camera, I thought, with you developing strange pictures from the photographic negatives in your mind. I remember being amazed that you could ‘see’ something so differently, just by looking at it another way.

A few years later, the first documentary I saw on the Turin Shroud reminded me of that same experience; an ordinary-looking piece of ancient linen revealed startling images, when, with the newest technology of the 19th Century, photographic negatives were first made of it. The sensation these negatives caused reverberated well into the next century; the shift in perception it triggered in some is no doubt reverberating still.

It made for fascinating, if slightly hallucinogenic, viewing; a plain object visually inverted, which in turn inverted my idea of that thing. Is it not strange when we are shown a familiar object in an unfamiliar way? It struck me how easily we fool ourselves into thinking the world is just as we perceive it, when we may hardly ever perceive it accurately in the first place, be it with our eye or our intellect, our science or our philosophy, our culture or our religion.

As a child, I was never struck with unease by the inversion of colours and shapes that these mental ‘negatives’ created; the bliss of ignorance is no proper explanation for my being able to thrill at it all then, because age has brought only a widening of my horizons with no automatic increase in the wisdom needed to understand those horizons. Indeed, until recently when I began to actively practice daily meditation, mounting unease and fear had begun to cause me to want to stop looking to my horizons quite so much, or quite so anew.

A need to cling to the familiar, to crystallise perceptions and ideas, to polarise intellectual and political positions, to accept a little dogma and other ‘received wisdom’; all this seemed to be a necessary and intrinsic part of growing up, settling down and getting on. Limit your horizons, don’t look too closely or too differently, and the unease might, well, ease.

I’m finding there may be another way to see the world again; rather than reduce my horizons, how about I just reduce my fear? If I can keep remembering how it felt to see the world inverted when I was young, then I am also remembering who I was then and what I could be again in future, if I just stop getting in my own way.

Because it may be that fear is also just an afterimage, a photographic negative of my world; If I keep in mind that when I was young I had nothing to fear from seeing the world differently, and only wider horizons to explore, then I may have begun to make my whole Negative World a place of positive beauty and wonder once again.

2007-10-12T15:27:00.000Z

What an amazing experience it was this morning walking through the streets of London. It was early, everyone busily walking to work, drizzling with rain - I couldn't help but to keep looking at the buildings and aware of all the construction work - literally everywhere you looked - the City in constant change.

I remember when I used to go skiing as a child and we would be at the bottom of the mountain and all you could see were tiny dots moving up & down the mountain...my father used to say that we look alot like ants - almost stating how insignificant we are when you look at the larger picture. I suppose the City this morning wasn't much different - like workers - each one having their destination, their task, their purpose for living...it felt good to be able to watch it all without being part of it. And there I come around the bend, looking at this most unusual building which had almost all its foundation removed and just the top part of the building remaining and then I see a huge banner 'be the change you want to see in the world'.

And for a moment, I did wonder how many people live by this...it's usually when our environment or a relationship changes that we feel the impact of it and we get molded by those changes and we might complain in the process. Is it possible to think of myself bringing about change and leaving an impact. I remember someone sharing something quite insightful - extroverted people taking their inspiration and resources from the outside, whereas introverted people draw it out from within themselves.

The banner itself was like a flag of insight, of creativity, of individuality amidst the blurred rush of the City...