War and Peace

Throughout most of our history, division has been the norm and not the exception. And so it is not surprising that it continues. Ever since human beings have walked this Earth wars have been fought between tribes and countries and in the streets. That we are bearing witness to so much disruption right now is simply a matter of technology. It is available to us in an instant.

Always, wars end and wars begin. People come together and people grow apart, with brief periods of calm and stability. Why is this? Why cannot we enjoy long periods of peace? Why must it be lost to us so easily?

In part it is because it is in our nature to strive, to get ahead, to move forward, to “gain” something, often at the expense of another person, community or country. And in this gaining those of us who are very skilled at it, move ahead. And those of us who are not remain stagnant and fall behind. The gains may be money or  power or knowledge. Those who succeed may lose their compassion, while those who are left behind lose hope and become resentful.

As long as it is our nature to “get ahead” at another’s expense and to fear those who may be different than us, these conflicts will occur.

Is there any hope? Yes. But it will take a massive shift in priorities on an individual and global level. It will require us to see the truth behind the illusion of separation. When, like the mystics and enlightened souls throughout history, we see all of creation as one living organism, one incalculable brain, it will become impossible to cause pain to another in service of our own aggrandizement – like a diseased immune system, when the body turns on itself in order to destroy an invader, and in so doing, destroys itself.

Adopting this attitude won’t be easy. The world in which we live doesn’t support it. So don’t look to the world for assistance.  Look within.

One technique I have found that has helped me to be more compassionate  toward others (and to myself!) is to simply ask  “What is the most loving action I can take in this moment? Then stop and wait for your answer. Inevitably it will come. We may not always like the answer we get.  I may prefer to eat ice-cream rather than munch on a carrot, or to walk past the homeless man with his hand out, rather than give him some change.  But with practice, taking loving action can become the norm and not the exception. And when you fail at it, which I certainly do,  be loving to yourself and begin again.

Much aloha to you!

Taking charge and letting go

If the world came to an end tomorrow it would make absolutely no difference to your Soul. Your Soul is not dependent on this creation to exist. It existed before this creation and will live well beyond its demise and throughout eternity. So I suggest that you don’t concern yourself with end of the world prophecies, including the idea that soon the believers will ascend into Heaven while the rest of you will be left to stumble and fall on Earth. It is all a game of the mind.

Our world exists because we created it. You, as Soul, created this physical reality in order to experience something new. Love, light and eternal peace was getting boring. How much bliss can one soul take! Give me a little drama for a change, some challenges that I can overcome, something I can complain about! Of course I am joking, but in a way it is the truth. You created your experiences and you will continue to create countless more.

The difficulty arises because most of you have forgotten that we create our experiences. You have been here on this Earth for so many lifetimes that you have forgotten why you chose to come here in the first place – to create and enjoy your creation. Now much of what you create, you create unconsciously. Then, when the creation is not to your liking you complain. Why is the world so mean to me? Why does that person no longer love me? Why do I feel so lost and alone?

These are excellent questions. But to answer them truthfully, you will need to drop the idea that anyone or anything is doing anything to you. Even if it’s true that people act in ways that upset you, to focus on what they are doing or why, robs you of  your power and gives it to someone else. If only they would change then you’ll be happy. Do you see how unproductive this way of thinking is?

Sure you can beg and plead or retaliate, hoping that something will change, or at the very least you will feel better. If you’re going to suffer, so should they. It’s only fair! But by thinking this way you enter into a downward spiral.

Your life becomes about seeking love outside of yourself, resisting pain, and about fighting with yourself and with others. It’s like getting stuck in an underwater whirlpool. By fighting and resisting it you remain forever stuck in its vortex. It’s only by relaxing and letting go that the whirlpool will release its grip on you. When you no longer claw and fight, but instead let go of your attachment to what you cannot control, then even the whirlpool will become bored with you. Hey you’re no fun. Why won’t you fight? Go away and be free!

And so it is with life.

Existential Pain Management

There is an unraveling in the world that cannot be stopped. Earthquakes are occurring in greater numbers and magnitude that are shaking the foundations under our feet. Yes, those of us in the United States might not yet feel the earth shaking or the seas pummeling our shores and families. Nor are we taking to the streets of Middle Eastern autocracies, risking death while demanding change.

But the world has shrunk and with social media and twenty-four news cycles, every tremor or fired rocket is felt, at least psychically, by many of us throughout the world. It cannot be avoided, nor should it be. These world events, the earthquakes and budding revolutions, are helping even the stubborn among us to understand that there is more that connects us than divides us, and that when one suffers, we all suffer.

The planetary cycles of birth and death, lands being created and lands being destroyed, have been with us throughout eternity. And unless the world comes to an end, will be with us forever more. These events are frightening and awe inspiring. Naturally, when we and our loved ones are directly affected it will feel overwhelming.

We cannot make light of this. We cannot reduce the events to some simplistic explanation.  And so we sit fearful in front of our computers and TVs hoping that the next disaster won’t happen any time soon, and God forbid not in our own backyards. We try deadening ourselves with meaningless entertainment, numbing our hearts so that we can’t feel the pain of others, or the fear that resides within our chests that our time of great suffering will come.

Rather than deaden our hearts, would it not be more life affirming to acknowledge our pain? For this is a fact. When we are unwilling to feel pain, we are unwilling to feel joy. We cannot close off one valve and not the other. A blind person does not say, I will only let you give me sight if you can filter out all that is ugly.

Look into the eyes of spiritual master.  Do you see only contentment and joy? No. In the eyes of a master you will see pain and joy and contentment. All three exist because the person has experienced them so much in his or her life that they are imprinted in the eyes. Artists understand this. That’s why they depict Jesus, not as an innocent who knows nothing of the dark side, but as a man who has experienced pain to the profoundest depths possible.

Yes, the world is undergoing profound changes and try as we might, we can neither predict nor control the outcomes. But we can control our reactions to them, not by stuffing our emotions, but by acknowledging them. Then the entire spectrum of emotions remains available to us – fear, pain, love, joy, compassion and contentment.

Finally, I would like to suggest one more step. Meditation. Through meditation we can rise above the drama of the world to a place inside of ourselves where peace and contentment dwell. It is not that we don’t feel pain or suffering. But in this place of peace that passes all understanding, we don’t hold on to the pain.  Instead, we see suffering as part of the natural cycle of birth and death, where both suffering and joy  exist.

Through meditation we can rise above this cycle and reside in the place of Oneness, a place of pure awareness, pure love, pure God. We don’t leave the world, but with practice we come to recognize that this world is temporary, and that our true home lies with the One. This is called – being in the world but not of it.

If you used to meditate, I can’t think of a better time than now, during this extraordinary moment in history, to recommit yourself to the inner search for Truth; or if you’ve never meditated, a better time to begin.

In Response to a Seeker from Japan

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It transcends all illusion, anger and hate, and most importantly, fear. The remedy for fear is Love. I am not speaking of romantic love. That too is an illusion. I am speaking about unconditional Love. The Love that exists beyond time and space, in the realms of Spirit or God. When we are touched by Divine Love, all questions dissolve. They are no longer relevant. We know Truth. We know Love.

It is very easy, in times of disaster, to ask the mind many questions, but the mind can only understand so much. It is certainly good that we have our minds. The minds of the scientists will help to mitigate the disaster of the earthquake and nuclear reactors. But the mind also created the disaster. Not the earthquake – that was a natural event. But the mind created the nuclear reactors and the limitations and dangers within them. The mind said “We need electrical power and we will take the chance that disaster won’t happen.” The mind weighs the pros and cons of the actions to take, and then we decide what to do based on what the mind tells us.

A question was asked “How can non-material forces affect the outcome of material events?” like the direction of the wind carrying the radiation. I can tell you this: I know from personal experience that  non-material entities (or angels) existing in higher realms, have on more than one occasion saved my life.

I will give you an example. Many years ago I was traveling with my girlfriend in her battered Volkswagen Beetle, on a dark, two-lane, Mexican country road.  There were no street lamps, nor the moon to guide us. Suddenly I saw a cow ahead of us, standing completely still in our lane. At the same time I saw car lights approaching us from the oncoming lane. In one split second I “knew” that if we hit the cow we’d all die and that I didn’t have time to stop. I also knew that if I veered into the other lane to avoid the cow, we’d crash into the oncoming car and that again, we’d all die.

So what did I do? I “left my body”, either that or I completely blacked out. When I returned to my body or regained consciousness, I had my hands on the wheel and was driving. Both the cow and the oncoming car were behind us.

Please understand that it wasn’t me who saved our lives, because I wasn’t there. Since this,  as well as other less dramatic events, I’ve known that what some call angels exist and that these non-material forces can and do affect physical events.

A question was also raised about ascension. I suggest that you don’t concern yourself with ascension. You will eventually ascend, not by trying to find the answers with the mind, but by moving into Love and Compassion. How do you do this? There are meditations that can help. But for now I suggest that you ask the Divine to assist you in knowing unconditional Love. Ask Spirit, with all your heart, to give you a personal experience of Divine Love. Our longing for Divine Love is the fuel that can make it happen.

Finally, I ask that you consider this: In times of great disasters like you are experiencing now, the ‘Heavens” open and the Divine or Spiritual realms become more available to us. It is not that they were not available before. But when death or disaster happens, we momentarily set aside the small challenges of our daily lives. Our inner defenses crumble and our hearts are more open and vulnerable. This is when the magic can happen. When Divine Love can enter and transform us, forever changing our lives.

Freedom is an inside job

As a cradle of civilization – Northern Africa and the Middle East, is being lifted up out of repression and light is shining on its young revolutionaries, it may be helpful to view this from a spiritual perspective. There is … Continue reading →