We are ALL anxious, afraid& confused! The most important difference among us is how aware or conscious we are - a major determinant in how we deal with ouranxiety, fear & confusion.
There are still populist politicians / dictators, CEOs, & less visible sociopaths who seem to befull of aggressive conquering bravado but are actuallyrunning SCAREDandUNCONSCIOUS. Amazingly, they cling to a certainty that by following a few simple (-minded) rules they're guaranteed to emerge a 'winner' from (the rest they regard as) losers. 'Grab what you can!' 'Anything goes!' 'Winner takes all!' And only 'winners' deserve & getthe spoils of war. After all, it's 'survival of the fittest,' 'law of the jungle,' and 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!' Sadly, more and more countries are democratically electing such 'strong men' (sociopaths). This trend has historically lead to catastrophic wars. And despite annual Remembrance Day ceremonies, most world leaders, & those who elected them, fail to learn from deadly mistakes from history. At least a bitmorecuriosity, courage, imagination, energy and, perhaps above all else, good will towards our fellow humans, other life forms and the Earth itself, would really help!
“The government you elect is the government you deserve.” Thomas Jefferson
"... the external world that humans have created is a reflection of egoic patterns in the human mind. So that is your function, to be a midwife tohelp bring about the birth of the new consciousness ..." Eckhart Tolle
PRACTICAL alternativestotoday's spiritually-bankrupt populismAREWISE, CONSCIOUS, PEACEFUL ways of managing our 'anxious quiver of being.'
For thousands of years, people from every part of the world & every culture, have been devoting their lives to finding answers to ourmost important questions: who we truly are; how we deeply relate to ourselves, each other, to life itself; what is the meaning of life; and most importantlyhow can we live meaningful lives.
These mystics - ancient to current Shamans, Yogis, Taoists, Monks & Nuns of all wisdom traditions, but mostly anonymousserious individualseekers of Truth- evolvewell beyond religious customs for the masses, to directly experience profound understandingsbeyond words & concepts. And yet, there's a striking commonality to their insightsbecause these are the pinnacle of human understanding, hence the term, 'perennial philosophy' :http://www.johnlovas.com/search?q=perennial
“The real question is: Are you willing, whether your experience is tranquil, turbulent, ecstatic, tragic, opulent, or austere, to give yourself wholeheartedly to what is truly alive in you?” Amoda Maa. “Embodied Enlightenment. Living Your Awakening in Every Moment.” Reveal Press, 2017. HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED WISE, VALUABLE BOOK
"I've been asked many times whether this is the Aquarian Age, and it's all just beginning, or Armageddon, and this is the end. And I have to admit, I don't know, but whichever way it goes, my work is the same. My work is to quiet my mind and open my heart and relieve suffering wherever I find it. May that be the work for all of us.” Ram Dass
“Deeply rooted in the present moment With a clear open spacious mind Seeing beyond doubt and fear Abiding in the luminous heart of equanimity The way unfolds before me.”Atum O’Kane
John McDermott's cover of Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
A few nights ago, shoulder pain woke me around midnight. I got up & meditated on the meaningof the chronic, day & night pain, versions of which has been tugging at me for attention for at least three years. Soon after sitting down to meditate,I became immersed in a very complex, beehive-like buzzing - a manifestation of energy. And the pain & suffering melted away. This insight was a wonderful reminder of how everythingis complex, intelligent, loving energy, and that pain is only one, tiny, insignificant, transient manifestation of It. I found this quote the day before, with the same message: “The center of every man’s existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege & often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel.” G.K. Chesterton I understood his word 'dream'to meanMystery - our actual identity, dreaming up what we assume to be reality when we forget that we are the Dreamer, not the dream.
“Everything changes once we identify with being the witness to the story, instead of the actor in it.” Ram Dass
'Witness' is easier to understand for our personal mind than 'writer-producer' - the One dreaming all of this.
“It is said that awakening is an accident, and when we keep practicing, we becomemore accident-prone.” Nikki Mirghafori “chance only favours the mind which is prepared…” Louis Pasteur
Zen teacher Henry Shukman concisely describes how - IF we're INTERESTED - we doevolve / grow / mature: "Broadly speaking, there are two approaches in human spirituality: gradualist and 'subitist.' The gradualist approach says we need to painstakingly, gradually improve our states of mind & heart, and we need long term training to do this. ... you work systematically ... reducing negative mind states, then eliminating negative mind states so they don't arise again, and gradually reducing & eliminating the causes of negative mind states. ... The subitist approach ... means 'sudden.' The idea here is that we're already whole, perfect & pristine, but we don't realize it. We actually are, but don't see it. Therefore, the logic of the practice here is to realize it, and suddenly see that that is indeed the case. We are already whole and okay, as expressions of a blessed empty boundless unity that all things belong to. Some call this 'pure consciousness,' others 'buddha nature' or awakened nature. The reason this kind of practice is known as sudden is that it’s a matter of finding what is already the case. Nothing really changes, except that we have a revelatory moment when we realize that all has been well all along, so to speak. This might sound extremely counter-intuitive, when the world is manifestly on fire, with war, oppression, cruelty & suffering. But actually, the logic here is that the world is only this way because we haven't realized how okay things actually already truly are. If we only see that, then our behavior will no longer be guided by our illusory way of seeing things, based on a separate sense of self, but by the reality of a larger wellbeingpreviously unnoticed, but always right here, which all things share. So one question is: are these two views and approaches reconcilable? And is it possible they're both right? The answer is surely, yes. It could be that by temperament some people are more drawn to one or the other, and that we may change our orientation as we change through practice. And it could also be that one without the other is incomplete. ... Either way, we are slowly & incrementally becoming more aligned with the underlying order of things, the fundamental wellbeing that is unfolding as this world – and which, paradoxically, we have always been expressions of anyway. But what a world of difference it makes to realize it. Yet, at the same time, on another level, it makes no difference at all. So on we go, down the pathless path." Henry Shukmanhenryshukman.com
"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff … and it's ALL Small Stuff!"
LISTEN to Eckhart Tolleclearly & humorouslysummarize, in 14 minutes, the heart of what I've been trying to say in over a thousand blogs: "The Mind's Limitation in
Understanding Awareness" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrjHWpBQcFw
The vast majority of us would like to be far happier. Most of us gradually realize that how we pursue greater happiness - chasing after more & better possessions, experiences, friends, lovers, physical health, longevity, etc - is frustratingly useless. Ourdefaultmind (ego, small separate self, personality) has
evolved to quickly find advantage(Albert Szent-Györgyi) - to optimize our chances for survival, notto penetrate deeply meaningful Truth. What takes most of us a lifetime to realize, is that the bigger & louderour ego, the shallower, more meaningless our life becomes. Even under fairly low-levels of stress, the noise of our egohides from usourdeepest, most peaceful, contented, joy-filled human levelof consciousness.
“The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not'the thinker.' The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyondthought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence.” Eckhart Tolle
“Pain is inevitable as long as you are identified with yourmind.” Eckhart Tolle
We are called “to servenotour limitationsbutwhat’s whole & unbreakable, our true Self. It’s easy to identify with all the places we’ve been hurt & abandoned, but can we identify with the timeless wholeness that weathers every condition?If we can’t, we may spend this life protecting ourselves and never risk really living.” Bonnie Myotai Treace “The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to abandon superficial prejudices & preferences, to expand understanding to a global scale, integrating the totality of living, and to become aware of thewholenessof which we are a manifestation." Vimala Thakar
We are extremely fortunate to have numerous wise, evolved teachers & their guidance instantly available on the web. Most recently I've deeply re-connected with Helen Hamilton's guidance. She gently helps us see how we're far more than the stories we keep telling ourselves (self-talk) about ourselves. When we learn to take our self-talk very lightly, we let go of the idea of being a small, isolated, insignificant accident of nature, struggling to survive in a hostile, meaningless universe (atheist dogma). When not lost in this dark cloud, we can directly experience our Oneness (Unitive Consciousness) which is radically more life-affirming. Most mystics & saints of all different traditions & times; serious meditators & contemplatives around the world; near-death experiencers (NDE); those who've journeyed with plant medicines (entheogens); astronauts who've experienced the "Overview Effect"; and many who've had spontaneous awakenings eg Eckhart Tolle; all seem to share some version ofpantheism - the direct mystical experience & understandingthat "reality, the universe, and nature are identical to divinity or a supreme entity. The physical universe is thus understood as an immanent deity, still expanding and creating, which has existed since the beginning of time."
“We are one, but we will only feel that when we love everything.” Ram Dass
"Treat everyone you meet as if they were God dressed in drag." Ram Dass
"To be enlightened is to be intimate with all things." Zen Master Dogen
“The only real purpose of being here on this earth is to learn or to re-remember our original natural state of no limitations.” Lester Levenson
“The only service you can do for anyone (including yourself) is to remind them of theirtrue nature.” Stephen Levine
IF you devote quality time, deeply listen, & integrateHelen Hamilton'spositive suggestions into your days, your quality of life will progressively improve. Here are 3 of her many excellentfree YouTube videos. To read along, just click the CC button for text:
Helen Hamilton guides listeners to discover & rest in this natural awarenesswithin all of us. We CAN experience it directly. Other descriptors: Silence, Stillness, Awareness, Equanimity, Love, Joy, Freedom, Presence, Ultimate Reality,Vastness, Emptiness.
"Earthrise" - photo by Apollo 8 astronaut, the late William Anders
At first, we're afraid & feel alone in a seemingly hostile world. Newborn babies probably feel this way, but to highly varying degrees, visceral fear & estrangementcan weigh heavily for a lifetime. To prevent this, it's absolutely essential for us to be nurtured in safety & unconditional love at the very leastin the first few years of life: http://www.johnlovas.com/2021/10/whats-this-all-about.html . We desperately need to have that primal fear, insecurity & isolationloved & hugged out of us! At least one caregiver needs to be dependably safe, holding us, and loving us unconditionally.
“Not knowingwe are loved & lovablemakes the heart grow cold. And all the tragedy of human life follows from there." John Welwood. "Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships. Healing the Wound of the Heart." Trumpeter, 2006. EXCEPTIONAL!
Gradually, we all need to evolve into becoming dependable sources of nurturing, safety & unconditional love. Without a nurturing recipient phase, the provider phase is at best very challenging, or drastically worse - "and all the tragedy of human life follows from there."
Some of us mature, grow up, evolve into who we're meant to be - adults who are spiritually fit to welcomebabies and the growing numbers of severely traumatized children & adults into the world. Inter-generational trauma is the natural result of spiritually unfit parents. I strongly suspect that none of us had philosopher kings & queens, saints or mystics as parents. And no matter how hard we tried to be model parents, probably none of us were always instantly there to pick up our crying babies, comforting them back to sleep. That's the baby's first taste of the frightening fact that external circumstances are NOT completely controllable.
The older we get, even the control we did have over our physical life in our prime, progressively starts 'slip-sliding away.' We have 2 choices, ageunsuccessfully - OR -successfully.
“The easy path of aging is to become a thick-skinned, unbudging curmudgeon, a battle-axe. To grow soft and sweet is the harder way.”James Hillman
"Aging is inevitable; becoming wiser with age is not. Researchers, theorists, and clinicians have noted that older adults approach their lives in one of two ways: Either they draw on their strengths & live life to the fullest, or they magnify their weaknesses & restrict their lives to succumb to life's inevitable end. Rigidity is a tendency to resist change, while flexibility is the ability to adapt to change. The conscious aging theory espouses late life as a period of deeper meaning & personal growth. As long as one remains engaged late in life, personality continues to develop. One's sense of self changes as one negotiates the conflicts proposed at each stage (of psychological development). The conflict assigned to 'old age' is that of integrityversusdespair."Giblin JC. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2011; 49(3): 23-6.
“Spirituality for me means ‘aliveness.’ It comes from the Latin word spiritus, which means 'life' or “life breath.” So, spirituality is our full aliveness — particularly the aliveness to that mystery with which we are confronted in life. As human beings, we are confronted with mystery — that which we cannot grasp. We cannot get it into our grip. But, we can understand it by letting it grasp us. That is the longing: to find opportunity to let yourself be gripped & grasped by this great mystery. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a great medieval mystic, says, 'Concepts give us knowledge. What we can grasp gives us knowledge. Whatgraspsus gives us wisdom.' Every human being longs for that wisdom — longs to be touched by that mystery. A good example is music. We can’t grasp music. Nobody can grasp music. But, we can understand music. How do we understand music? When it grasps us — when it does something to us. Then we understand. That is a big, pretty accurate image for what it means to be to be in touch with what I call mystery.” David Steindl-Rast: Grateful Living in the ‘Double Realm’ – Tami Simon interview https://www.resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/david-steindl-rast-grateful-living-in-the-double-realm/
The ancient Asian greeting, "Namaste" (the Divine in me, recognizes & honors the Divine in you) intended or said while bowing with palm of hands held together, is beautifully expanded upon:
“I honor the place in you where the entire Universe resides. I honor the place of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us” Ram Dass, on the meaning of Namaste
"What I ultimately encounter in any You, I can also encounter in any tree: Mystery. This happens, as Buber says, ‘through decision & grace.’ Both are necessary: I must decide toopen my heart widefor this experienceand receive it as a gift. ‘All is grace,’ said St. Augustine, all is Life’s gift. And Life is the story of our adventurous encounters with that ‘Secret,’ of which, so far, we only know from Robert Frost that it ‘sits in the middle & knows,’ while ‘we dance in a ring & suppose.’ Draw out the line of any relationship into infinity and it will lead to that ‘Secret’ – theMystery, which we encounter in & through all that exists.
Even the most jaded hearts “are
longing– whether or not they are aware of it – to
be liberated fromtheir love of powerby the power of love.
But how can we have reverence for human dignity
unless we stand in awe before the Mystery? Human dignity is rooted in Mystery.” David Steindl-Rast. “You Are Here. Keywords for Life Explorers.” Orbis, 2023. DEEP & POWERFUL
Meditation teachers often repeat Ajahn Chah's guidance: “No one to be, nothing to do, nowhere to go,” reminding us that during meditation, we have the opportunity to assume the spacious awakened perspective of witnessing awareness, by simply letting go of the role of a separate "doer." Our conditioned mind constantly wants to be someone, do something & go somewhere. Completely identifying with the content of our conditioned mind (from "noisy ego" to narcissism) is very common & problematic. Just for the time we set aside to meditate, we can gently accept our conditioned mind's chatter, allowing thoughts to settle down (like mud settles in a jar of water), until the clarity & freedom of our mature, peaceful, joyful true naturespontaneously emerges.
"The only thing that makes us suffer, is resisting what is." Helen Hamilton
"Everything yearns to resolve itself in love – that love being the open space of acceptance, of allowing, of staying resolutely present, & unconditionally open to every nuance of your inner experience. In that way, awakeness can filter into every aspect of your life." Amoda Maa. "Surfing the Heart of Darkness: Suffering as a Doorway to Liberation." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXlUsBYbv0w
“We are one, but we will only feel that when we love everything.” Ram Dass
"To be enlightened is to be intimate with all things." Zen Master Dogen
“The only real purpose of being here on this earth is to learn or to re-remember our original nature state of no limitations.” Lester Levenson
“The only service you can do for anyone (including yourself) is to remind them of their true nature.” Stephen Levine “… there is one, indivisible, unborn, ultimate reality beyond time & space, name & form. The discovery of this reality as our own true nature is the real opportunity, possibility and purpose of human existence. … suffering & delusion (is) caused by ignorance of the real Self.” Mooji
Helen Hamilton skillfully incorporates the above in her meditation instruction: “The separate sense of self is really obstructing our peace. It’s not an entity. It’s a movement, a habit, an energy, a vibration. And when we look at what it is really, it’s trying to change this moment in some way, isn’t it? And it will say, ‘I’m not how I’m supposed to be. You’re not how you’re supposed to be. This moment isn’t how it’s supposed to be. This meditation isn’t how it’s supposed to be. This contemplation isn’t going the way it’s supposed to be.’ It’s not always so overt, but it’s kind of this one-track, very single-minded pushing against what is. And if you’re sitting in meditation, getting nice & deep, and this thought comes up, ‘I should be doing something different.’ What we really experience is the meditation & the thought, and that is all there is. There isn’t a separate being thinking. There isn’t a separate being meditating. If you can just let that thought happen in its fullness. Just let it happen, not being at war with your mind for just a second, not saying it should or shouldn’t be this way – which is also mind. What happens when you just let that thought happen? Even if your attention goes with it for a certain amount of time, it comes back eventually. And the more you fully go with that thought, let it exist. Whatever wants to exist in this moment can. I’m not going to try & police that at all, most of all my own thought process. What happens when you do that? Because the essence of this ‘should & shouldn’t’ is a trying to control, isn’t it? Trying to keep this moment in a way that’s going to make me feel better, or keep me safe, or something like that. And if I don’t have any thoughts, and don’t allow my thoughts, mind says then I’m more awakened; and if I have lots of thoughts, I’m less awakened. What if that’s not true? What if it’s what I’m doing with those thoughts, or perhaps more importantly not doing, when they come up? The essence of awakening is really just being with what is, and not really being able to, or wanting to do anything other than that. So you’re sitting in meditation or just having a happy moment with your family, some real resistance comes up. What do you do with that? If it’s, ‘OK now, there’s resistance,’ - that’s a very awakened way of being with it. If instead we go, ‘Why is this here? What do I need to do to get rid of it? I thought I got beyond this. Why is it happening again?’ These are all very subtle ways of trying to push against that resistance and going to separation in relationship with it. And then by doing it, we’re trying to change ourselves, change this moment, change reality – all those are the same. Myself, this moment, reality – they’re all names for you. Have a meditation session where ‘I’m just going to let it happen.’ Even if ‘this shouldn’t happen, I’m going to let that happen too.’ Love sees these thoughts as its creations, arising out of it like steam off of hot water. And the water isn’t trying to control how the steam is going, is it? It’s just arising, whichever way it wants to arise. We can be like that with all phenomena, just this is what is in this moment. Some of them you might like better than others - some thoughts, some emotions. Of course we like bliss better than physical pain, or we like joy better than sadness. We like a self-loving thought better than a self-critical thought. But we still have the ability none-the-less to be with that. You can actually feel a deep sense of peace, contentment, & eventually bliss, if you just let your mind be how it is right now. If it’s running rampant, just stop trying to control it completely. Abandon all attempts to change it, and you’ll feel extraordinarily peaceful, even before it stops talking. You won’t even need it to stop talking. You’ll begin to feel bliss and some deep, deep sense of joy. This isn’t my work to manage my own personal universe.” Helen Hamilton. “I am alone but not lonely.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zCrl6a5HEA
"When the bullet hits the bone," even the young wake up. Serious illness, severe pain & other major trauma instantly evaporate our cherished illusions of control, and perhaps allow a glimpse of ultimate reality, usually hidden behind 'a veil.' Whenjoyful, "boring,"and equally so whenblood-curdling - reality asks us to love ALL of IT unconditionally! But we hate discomfort, are horrified by pain & suffering, & label death "unacceptable"! So we do a lot of screaming, pleading & arguing with reality. From our self-centered, narrow-minded, short-term perspective, accepting & lovingly embracing all of realityappears as extreme, impractical altruism, absolute craziness! HOWEVER, we do finally realize that it's the only approach that works. Therefore,it may take us many lifetimes to evolve the open mind-heart & spaciousness necessary to "part the veil" between physical reality & ultimate reality, when we finally remember & stabilize in our true nature - the loving source AND manifestation of all.
“We are one, but we will only feel that when we love everything.” Ram Dass
“To go from form (this physical reality) to formlessness (the spiritual realm or ultimate reality), is done by acceptingwhatever form arises in the present moment, whatever form this moment takes. With the acceptance of form, the formless opens up in you. And the ultimate truth of that is in the image of the crucifixion, which I see as going beyond religion. Some people dislike it. They say it’s all to do with suffering, and it’s unhealthy, and so on. But there is adeep meaning there, that for a long time, perhaps could not be expressed in an abstract way. That meaning is that here you have the image of complete suffering of a human. He is nailed to the cross, which is a torture instrument, and this human is able to surrender & accept, ‘Not my will but thy will be done,’ and then suddenly the torture instrument becomes a symbol of the divine. Isn’t that strange? The torture instrument has become a symbol of the divine. So through acceptance, whatever looks like an obstacle, or even a dreadful thing, becomes transformed. Every situation that’s accepted deeply – and if it’s a very big thing like a crucifixion, there needs to be very deep acceptance – and immediately, there’s a transformation. So grace is hiding also in that which looks dreadful. The dreadful sufferings we see all around us - they are there, butgrace is hiding there. And you can only see the truth of this in yourself. I’m not saying anybody should believe in that. You have to find out for yourself that grace is hidingin what the seemingly dreadful things – even in little things that go wrong – but even more so in big things that go wrong. And ultimately you see it’s not wrong, it didn’t go wrong – what it looked like in the moment when you judged it. So that’s inviting grace into your life, through bringing this deep yes to the present moment. Then your evolution accelerates. And the more you do that, the less you need the disasters, because you can operate with the flowering of consciousness. Consciousness wants to flower into this dimension, in this dimension. So it’s really welcoming what is. With acceptance of form, the formless can open up in you.” Eckhart Tollehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPmgTJGPzlg
“I am a lover of what is ... because it hurts when I argue with reality.” Byron Katie
"... both are true: there is suffering, and it is our job to try to end it; and the perfection of things as they are is already here around us. We cannot escape from perfection, we cannot escape from suffering, most of the time. And they are not separate. How we feel them is the weather of this moment and the spiritual tenor of who we are at this moment in our lives. But I hope there is no human being who has not had one moment, at least, when they stood in the world, undone by awe and radiance, and the small self vanishes, and you understand the world as immense and yours, and not yours." Jane Hirshfieldhttps://onbeing.org/programs/jane-hirshfield-the-fullness-of-things/
"The beginning of spiritual awakening is the realization that you are not the voice in your head but the one who is aware of the voice. You are the awareness behind your thoughts. As this realization grows, you begin to derive your sense of identity increasingly from the space of awareness rather than from the narratives in your mind. You are letting go of the identification with thought. Thought is no longer imbued with self!"Eckhart Tolle
Meditation practices "can begin to soften our stance toward our self, toward life in general, and open us to what transcends the habitual. They are invitations to become intimate with the wisdom of silence and stillness.” Dorothy Hunt. “Ending the Search. From Spiritual Ambition to the Heart of Awareness.” Sounds True, 2018
"… accept simultaneously the world you see and the world that sees you. There is you and then there is the world. If there is even a small gap between them, we fill it with thought. As long as we create this gap, we will never understand. But in Truth, there is no gap between you and the world. To become one with your object is true openness of heart. This is why we do zazen." Dainin Katagiri. “You Have to Say Something. Manifesting Zen Insight.” Shambhala, 1998.
It's not that "I" hear the birds, it's just hearing the birds. Let yourself BE hearing, seeing, thinking. It is the false "I" that interrupts the wonder with the constant desire to think about "I." And all the while THE WONDER is occurring: the birds sing, the cars go by, the body sensations continue, the heart is beating — life is a second-by-second miracle. But dreaming our "I" dreams we miss it. Charlotte Joko Beck
“The thinking mind is always thinking about things – it’s always one thought from where the action is. It’s far out to realize that when you’re completely identified with your thinking mind, you’re totally isolated from everything else in the universe.” Ram Das
“When we truly live each moment, what happens to the burden of life? … If we are totally what we are, in every second, we begin to experience life as joy. Standing between us and a life of joy are our thoughts, our ideas, our expectations, and our hopes and fears. It’s our judgment about what we’re doing that is the cause of our unhappiness. Charlotte Joko Beck. “Nothing Special: Living Zen.” HarperCollins, 1995.
