Here is a bit of profundity that was forwarded to me by Bob Hoffmann, a longtime friend and a fellow Happy Being. Thanks Bob.
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
"Such is the moral construction of the world that no national crime passes unpunished in the long run... Were present oppressors to reflect on the same truth, they would spare to their own countries the penalties on their present wrongs which will be inflicted on them in future times. The seeds of hatred and revenge which they [sow] with a large hand will not fail to produce their fruits in time. Like their brother robbers on the highway, they suppose the escape of the moment a final escape and deem infamy and future risk countervailed by present gain."
- Thomas Jefferson
BLESSINGS
Today I had coffee with a delightful, good-spirited, and heartfelt friend. After returning home I wondered why we had been called to meet and chat. Sometimes when Cheri and I meet, I get off on a
tangent babbling drama that has arisen in my life. And in every instance in which I repeat that behavior while in her company, I end up wondering why I do that. After our little coffee get together I wondered to myself why I just blow all this crap out while conversing with her. Then I opened the email that is printed on the prior page While reading it I gained an insight as to why we were called to meet, and why, at this particular time, an appropriate email message was communicated to me vies a vie Bob, a sturdy old friend.
For two days last weekend, retreat participants were united with the frequency vibration of pure divine love. During that time in retreat, I requested that the light be brought forth, and that we adjoin in divine consciousness. For in divine consciousness the light leads the way, and the path of Reality is cleared. Through divine consciousness we were unified with the meaning of our lives and adjoined the mind of God. The messages that were spoken in the retreat were again made aware to me in during the following week.
You see, I was called to meet with my friend Cheri and receive a message from my buddy Bob because it was the Universe’s way of reinforcing my awareness of what love and life are really about. God had sent me two runners to remind me, and keep me on track. I was reminded that the intensity of my concerns and issues are fueled by my own desire to keep the fires of anguish burning. Through the presence and words of these companions I was reminded of my true reality. My mind was redirected and I again recognize the purpose this life would have me serve. These formidable friends are blessings. db¤
Friday, June 26, 2009
Coincidences ~ are they accidental?
Do coincidences just appear by chance or are there some underline invisible basis from which they arise?
I believe that coincidences come forth from our thoughts. Have you ever thought of someone then within a day or so you run in to him or her. This happens to me with such frequency when I think of someone, then see him or her I say: I thought you up.
By that I mean that I have been thinking about you and now here you are.
I believe that as we are being drawn forward by our thoughts, coincidences arise to offer us special messages and guidance that is relative to connecting thought to destiny. Coincidences arise as either a navigational or information tool in leading us along our individual way in life.
A coincidence may appear to show us how to adjust our course; it may reveal what to look out for or something that we should avoid.
A coincidence may appear in the form of information. An off-handed conversation with someone may contain information about one subject that correlates to something entirely different. We may be looking for an answer or solution, and someone else will offer what we are looking for just by giving us an update on what is going on in his or her life.
The important thing about coincidences is to use them. Pay attention to when and how they appear. Try to relate a coincidence to what is being called forth in your life. If you are moving toward a particular idea or destination, look for the message contained in the coincidence that would help you in your movement. db¤
I believe that coincidences come forth from our thoughts. Have you ever thought of someone then within a day or so you run in to him or her. This happens to me with such frequency when I think of someone, then see him or her I say: I thought you up.
By that I mean that I have been thinking about you and now here you are.
I believe that as we are being drawn forward by our thoughts, coincidences arise to offer us special messages and guidance that is relative to connecting thought to destiny. Coincidences arise as either a navigational or information tool in leading us along our individual way in life.
A coincidence may appear to show us how to adjust our course; it may reveal what to look out for or something that we should avoid.
A coincidence may appear in the form of information. An off-handed conversation with someone may contain information about one subject that correlates to something entirely different. We may be looking for an answer or solution, and someone else will offer what we are looking for just by giving us an update on what is going on in his or her life.
The important thing about coincidences is to use them. Pay attention to when and how they appear. Try to relate a coincidence to what is being called forth in your life. If you are moving toward a particular idea or destination, look for the message contained in the coincidence that would help you in your movement. db¤
Friday, June 19, 2009
Being Aware Of How You Pray
It is not infrequent that after petitioning to God we feel a let down or experience a sense that God is not listening. Or one may think that God is not responding, and has not taken heed to the request that has put before Him.
For example a petition may be raised to God asking that he present the petitioner with a suitable romantic partner. Or possibly a request is made for discovering the prospects of a better job. In either case, when the request filled prayer goes unheard, then the one making the request is left with sort of an empty and inert feeling. He or she often feels sad and experiences angst.
Instead of praying with a particular request in mind, try meeting God at the source of consciousness from which his love radiates. Ask God to intercede with wisdom and guidance. God communicates to us through love. The wishes that we hold are often not motivated by love, but rather are a reaction to something we feel that we lack. They are a result of seeing what is not really present.
A conventional way of involving God in our lives is through prayer. In doing so often we infer that God is somewhere else and we are here, and we believe that we can get his ear by praying that he uses the power that he possesses out there to quell the issues that arise here. So often it is thought that God appears from on-high to intercede in our lives.
As you know nature repeats its cycles and patterns over and over. So much so that we live our lives in part, according to this repetition. For example we know that a day passes in twenty-four hours. And, we are assured that the oxygen we require is present in the air that we breathe. Without doubt, we realize that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In our maturation, we come to know that certain laws of nature are also truths.
We can count on to them. And just as we can predict and rely on the static truths of nature, we can likewise depend on the truths of God. So by communicating to God through love we allow His will to be our guide. In doing so we are living according the natural truths of divine consciousness.
If we want to experience God’s intercession in our lives, then it is necessary to meet God though His sole way of communicating. We must experience God’s presence through love. When we do we will be led in the appropriate way. Godly or Universal truths are immutable. They are as reliable and predictable as truths of nature.
You can look toward the west all morning, and will not see a sunrise. The sun always sets in the west and rises in the east. That is an immutable truth. God always communicates through love. That also is an absolute and irrefutable truth. If you want God to appear in your life then you must intercede with Him in accordance with this truth.
Be aware of God’s presence. Ask God to be One with you as you stand in the face of adversity. God is present in your mind. You need not ask that He bring His powers from elsewhere, rather be aware that His power radiates from you. Within you is the presence of God made manifest through the power of love. So the first step in involving God in your life is to realize that through love you may tap into His mind.Then be mindful.
You are now aware that the love of God radiates from within you, so pay attention to the thoughts that are experienced when following that source of love. Avoid conceding to thoughts that originate in self-pity or the belief that you are missing something that you should have. Rather know that love is the pathway on which you travel. Like traveling through rushing, rocky river bottoms realize that the way through rocky life experiences will be made obvious. A way will appear.
God will navigate, and love is the pathway on which you travel. Like traveling trough rushing, rocky, river bottoms, realize that the way through rocky life experiences will be made obvious. A way will appear. God will navigate.
Follow the light. When you experience doubt and want to alter the course, instead surrender your concerns to the light of love that radiates from within you. When problems and issues arise say to yourself: “I am the way, the truth and the light.” Then allow that light to radiate and illuminate the way.
Meditate. Think about who you really are. Reinforce the mind’s ultimate strength with thoughts about who you really are. Know that the presence of God is within you. Know that all things in your life can be approached with that divine presence within. Know that when you see
your problems and issues through love that all matters are resolvable. – Don ¤¤
If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. ~Mother Teresa
I do believe that everything we see, everything that is in front of us is just the visible part of reality. We have the invisible part of reality, like emotions for example, like feelings. This is our perception of the world, but God is--as William Blake said--in a grain of sand and in a flower. This energy is everywhere. Paulo Coelho Quotes
For example a petition may be raised to God asking that he present the petitioner with a suitable romantic partner. Or possibly a request is made for discovering the prospects of a better job. In either case, when the request filled prayer goes unheard, then the one making the request is left with sort of an empty and inert feeling. He or she often feels sad and experiences angst.
Instead of praying with a particular request in mind, try meeting God at the source of consciousness from which his love radiates. Ask God to intercede with wisdom and guidance. God communicates to us through love. The wishes that we hold are often not motivated by love, but rather are a reaction to something we feel that we lack. They are a result of seeing what is not really present.
A conventional way of involving God in our lives is through prayer. In doing so often we infer that God is somewhere else and we are here, and we believe that we can get his ear by praying that he uses the power that he possesses out there to quell the issues that arise here. So often it is thought that God appears from on-high to intercede in our lives.
As you know nature repeats its cycles and patterns over and over. So much so that we live our lives in part, according to this repetition. For example we know that a day passes in twenty-four hours. And, we are assured that the oxygen we require is present in the air that we breathe. Without doubt, we realize that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In our maturation, we come to know that certain laws of nature are also truths.
We can count on to them. And just as we can predict and rely on the static truths of nature, we can likewise depend on the truths of God. So by communicating to God through love we allow His will to be our guide. In doing so we are living according the natural truths of divine consciousness.
If we want to experience God’s intercession in our lives, then it is necessary to meet God though His sole way of communicating. We must experience God’s presence through love. When we do we will be led in the appropriate way. Godly or Universal truths are immutable. They are as reliable and predictable as truths of nature.
You can look toward the west all morning, and will not see a sunrise. The sun always sets in the west and rises in the east. That is an immutable truth. God always communicates through love. That also is an absolute and irrefutable truth. If you want God to appear in your life then you must intercede with Him in accordance with this truth.
Be aware of God’s presence. Ask God to be One with you as you stand in the face of adversity. God is present in your mind. You need not ask that He bring His powers from elsewhere, rather be aware that His power radiates from you. Within you is the presence of God made manifest through the power of love. So the first step in involving God in your life is to realize that through love you may tap into His mind.Then be mindful.
You are now aware that the love of God radiates from within you, so pay attention to the thoughts that are experienced when following that source of love. Avoid conceding to thoughts that originate in self-pity or the belief that you are missing something that you should have. Rather know that love is the pathway on which you travel. Like traveling through rushing, rocky river bottoms realize that the way through rocky life experiences will be made obvious. A way will appear.
God will navigate, and love is the pathway on which you travel. Like traveling trough rushing, rocky, river bottoms, realize that the way through rocky life experiences will be made obvious. A way will appear. God will navigate.
Follow the light. When you experience doubt and want to alter the course, instead surrender your concerns to the light of love that radiates from within you. When problems and issues arise say to yourself: “I am the way, the truth and the light.” Then allow that light to radiate and illuminate the way.
Meditate. Think about who you really are. Reinforce the mind’s ultimate strength with thoughts about who you really are. Know that the presence of God is within you. Know that all things in your life can be approached with that divine presence within. Know that when you see
your problems and issues through love that all matters are resolvable. – Don ¤¤
If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. ~Mother Teresa
I do believe that everything we see, everything that is in front of us is just the visible part of reality. We have the invisible part of reality, like emotions for example, like feelings. This is our perception of the world, but God is--as William Blake said--in a grain of sand and in a flower. This energy is everywhere. Paulo Coelho Quotes
Friday, June 12, 2009
WHAT IS SOTO ZEN?
Soto Zen emphasizes the practice of "just wholehearted sitting" as an unparalleled way to realize universal buddha nature, and as a great teaching on how to live. It is sitting without a personal goal, letting go of the mind's usual clinging to ideas and identities, and returning endlessly to full engagement in the present moment. Soto Zen also teaches through koans, classic Zen teachings presented in dialogue and action, through the words of Zen masters, and through study of Buddhist sutras.
Soto Zen pays particular attention to making your best effort in all you do, not separating spiritual practice from the rest of your life, and thus to taking the best care you can of the daily realities of family, work, and community. Ethics in Soto Zen are based on the sixteen bodhisattva precepts that are a guide for one's practice and an inquiry into the best way to live. Ceremony and ritual observances are further ways to express people's joys and sorrows.
The universal spiritual practice offered by Soto Zen is particularly relevant to today's complex, dynamic and pressured world. As anxiety about the future increases, a sense of isolation and sadness grows with it, and it is easy to lose one's spiritual compass. Despite increasing standards of comfort, expanding opportunities for education, and the excitement of technology, people in the modern world have not found peace of mind or peace among each other.
Soto Zen is a way of bringing peace into our lives and into our world, because it is a way of awakening and caring. It is a practice based on the creative, life-force of the universe that is native to all beings without exception as their truest nature, known as buddha nature. As this is our nature we have always at hand in this moment the opportunity to awaken to the vast reality of life. We are already in the complete universe of life as it truly is, but we are all too rarely aware of this, so we are rarely able to act in accord with our true nature. Seeing into one's nature, the anxiety of the self gives way to the generosity of equanimity and caring.
~szba.com
Soto Zen pays particular attention to making your best effort in all you do, not separating spiritual practice from the rest of your life, and thus to taking the best care you can of the daily realities of family, work, and community. Ethics in Soto Zen are based on the sixteen bodhisattva precepts that are a guide for one's practice and an inquiry into the best way to live. Ceremony and ritual observances are further ways to express people's joys and sorrows.
The universal spiritual practice offered by Soto Zen is particularly relevant to today's complex, dynamic and pressured world. As anxiety about the future increases, a sense of isolation and sadness grows with it, and it is easy to lose one's spiritual compass. Despite increasing standards of comfort, expanding opportunities for education, and the excitement of technology, people in the modern world have not found peace of mind or peace among each other.
Soto Zen is a way of bringing peace into our lives and into our world, because it is a way of awakening and caring. It is a practice based on the creative, life-force of the universe that is native to all beings without exception as their truest nature, known as buddha nature. As this is our nature we have always at hand in this moment the opportunity to awaken to the vast reality of life. We are already in the complete universe of life as it truly is, but we are all too rarely aware of this, so we are rarely able to act in accord with our true nature. Seeing into one's nature, the anxiety of the self gives way to the generosity of equanimity and caring.
~szba.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
