Thoughts on Relating

Indeed, it is quite possible to learn about oneself while sitting crossed legged in a dark cave all by one's self. But we learn so much more about ourselves while in relationship with others. A synonym for relating is reference, because we use the other as a reference upon which to shed light on our self. One could easily be deluded into thinking that they are the embodiment of poise and serenity, until they come into contact with another being, who happens to push the right buttons to set one of.
It is in relation to others that we find out who we are. So instead of avoiding others or erecting barriers which don't allow for true contact, i think it makes more sense to learn to dance with the different kind of ways that people will relate with us. Because different people reveal different parts of us,  and the more emotions they bring about, the better for our purposes of uncovering the depths of who we are. Although it is sometimes preferable to turn away from some unhealthy ways of relating, we must remember that it is not simply because our interaction with another, makes us uncomfortable that it is not an acceptable way of relating. In fact, sometimes when we remain in that uncomfortable space we begin to learn how to connect with this person and this also connects us with part of ourselves that we hitherto ignored. Thus our shadow has an opportunity to reveal itself. There is a difference however between being out of our comfort zone, in relation to another being, and feeling that something about how we are relating offends some deeper part of us. Although even the latter reveals something about a previously unknown part of us, perhaps in this case it helps us form boundaries informed by a deeper sense of who we are. If left to unconscious reactions to emotional discomfort and vulnerability, we risk avoiding situations and people who, if stayed with in a state of mindful awareness could lead to inner growth and an expansion of our comfort zone. The alternative would be to carry with us feelings which we will be inclined to project upon the other, blaming them for that which has risen up within our own shadow.
It is very common that the very thing that we avoid is what we need to grow and expand our level of connection with others and our very self. It helps to at least have a few people who one trusts, and with whom one can fully be oneself and safely both expose and discover the depth of one's being. But first one needs to be open to staying connected and aware while feeling reasonably out of their comfort zone until one begins to feel acclimated to what may be happening at a more subtle level. And from this deeper level of connection, deeper ways of relating begin to present themselves and thus deeper aspects of our selves become revealed.

Speaking and doing from that place

The more people realize that there is a deeper meaning to life and are connected to its more organic nature, the less they will fear expressing the inconvenient truths that they have become aware of as they dig deeper into the current realities of our society. It becomes a sort of imperative for them to reveal all the desecrations of so much that is sublime and innocent which they are witnessing and habitually observe unfolding. Under the disguise of righteousness, the gentle have been oppressed and even secretly deemed weak for not responding with sufficient reciprocity, while those who have rebelled and used the same violent means as their oppressors have been demonized as isolated emergences of evil and terror. Those who make their voices heard and speak loudly about injustices and the disregard for a dying tradition of true virtue are often ignored or wrote off as simply calling for undue attention or intending to disturb a “peace” that is truly illusory. While those who speak of true peace, harmony, and cooperation, and envision better ways to shape and grow their community into a social environment that they can be proud of are often viewed as naïve or told to seek another community given that they are not satisfied with the one they were born and raised in. But it is easy to complacently follow the course of things, even while it is heading towards a dire place. It is easy to be silent, apathetic, or worse yet, join the conforming crowd of those who seek to ridicule and discredit those who dream of a better reality for their entire community. What takes courage is to offer one’s voice and efforts towards a more sublime direction, even while one is challenged and sometimes abused for expressing truths which some do not care to see disseminated. Rebellion for its own sake or in an effort to emulate past heroes and renowned agents of change is futile and sometimes counterproductive. Only individuals grounded in the eternal wisdom that is born from love and compassion for their fellow man can bring rise to the kind of inspiration whose manifestation is capable of sublime change. Yet everyone has a innate sense of true fairness and reverence for life, if only we could tap into that intuitive knowing of what is true and right, in the absence of ideologies and learned beliefs, then we could speak and act from that place of truth which knows all mankind as the larger community in which one man’s ability to thrive in dignity is just as important as the next man’s. Because even science, our most relied upon source of truth in these modern times, has revealed to us that we are in fact all one great interconnection of beings who form a cohesive whole.

Where i am going...

I know I must be getting somewhere. Where is that? I don’t know, but it is somewhere where fulfillment of what I am searching for lies. It is an interesting adventure to be seeking something and not quite being sure what it is. I mean, if I had to be specific, I would say that it is fulfillment that I am seeking. But I’m not sure that could be considered specific. However, I am finding that it is the way to go about it. Instead of seeking power, wealth, admiration, romance or even love, I think an inner sense of contentment and wholeness is the ultimate realization worth aiming for. Part of me believes that all those other things will be met along the way. If it isn’t, that is fine too, because they are all but a means to an end after all. Yeah, now that I think of it, it is kind of a selfish pursuit. But I am okay with that because I also thing that service is also along this path. I mean, is it really possible to find the kind of fulfillment that I am thinking of without being of some service to mankind? Even if it is not in some tangible way that I would be in service, the very fact that I am in a state of joy and peace should have some positive effect on those who surround me. Also I can’t imagine anybody being in this state and being any kind of nuisance to people in general. Sure there are some people who like to see people be as miserable as they are, and will get out of their way to bring a person, who is elevated to this state, down to their sad state. But these are usually people who are resistant to surrendering to the joyful side of life and can’t be helped anyway. Ultimately, we are the only ones who can bring ourselves to wholeness anyhow, right. Anyhow my intentions are set, and I have decided that I will do, or not do, whatever it takes to come into that state of being where I flow with life and surrender to that place within where the ego has no hold of me, and is instead a servant of my spirit.

My Vision

What do you envision a fulfilled life to look and feel like? I think it is important to have such a picture in mind, because it gives us a vision towards which we can move in our life. For this reason, i have decided to create one for my self.

My life is one of freedom. I am unbound by the restrictions of health, finance or any kind of circumstances. I always feel full of youth and have all the vitality and energy that i need to do all the things that my imagination can envision, even beyond the confines of what we now know to be possible. My imagination is always expanding and is in the service of love, truth and beauty. I am surrounded by a heart centered community of like-minded and spiritually aware beings. We are all on a path of abundance, inner peace and joyful existence. Our life is one of joyful service to all of mankind. We have all the companionship, romance, kinship and friendship that a soul needs to experience fulfillment on earth. There is no vision too great for us to bring to manifestion, because we remain grounded in the practical while reaching towards the so called magical.

The Story of the Living Water

More than 3 days without posting... Shame on me!
That said, i would like to begin with a story. It is an ancient story, i believe. I am not its author, but in my telling of it, the story may take on a form that is unique to my style of storytelling. My intention is for the substance to yet remain.

Please enjoy this optional music "Secret Fountain" by David and Steve Gordon while you read ;-)

Once upon a time, life for all was wholesome and the world was ripe with beautiful expressions of this sublime state of existence that men collectively enjoyed. All men who walked the earth thrived together in peace and harmony. Underneath the earth flowed a powerful energy that manifested itself into what the people called "the living water". It would spring from a sacred place in the earth to feed the hearts and souls of all those who came to drink from it, and thus they always remained joyfully inspired and fulfilled. But one day, a few powerful and guileful men, succumbed to greed and began to wish for more power and wealth than they already had. They built a small walled city around the spring of the living water, and began to sell it to the people. Their city grew wealthy and very powerful, but it was at the expense of the rest of the people who now had to toil and work for these elite if they wished to be able to buy some of the living water. This disrupted the balance of things and created much disharmony for all. The living water, in its own wisdom, ceased to flow inside the city and bubbled up to spring in a unknown place far from the city. The few cunning and powerful men who had greedily created a well from which they could sell the water and use it for themselves, soon discovered that the living water was no longer there. Instead there remained a lifeless water with no real substance to it. But they told no one and kept it a secret amongst themselves. They used their amassed wealth to build a cosmetic life that made them seem to still possess the living water within their city and continued to sell the water from the well although it was bereft of life substance. Soon a few wise men and women took notice that the living water was lifeless, and began a courageous and painstaking search for it. It was not long until they finally found the living water's new source. Once again all people came to drink from it and thus they felt the joy and substance that it gave their souls. But soon enough a few people with great power, intelligence and knowledge of the living water's magic, succumbed to greed and sought to dominate the world by holding the water for themselves. Thus they conspired together to spread lies and make up stories which confused the majority of people into believing that they, these new elite, were the ones who should hold the living water. Soon they had most people believing that it was simply God will for it to be that way, and that they were meant to be ruled by these so called elite men. People begun to believe they needed to pledge themselves to these men and do their will, if they wished to receive some of the living water, and they truly believed that this was the way it was supposed to be. Once again the living water, in its wisdom, ceased to flow and found its way to another unknown place from which it sprang. The elite persisted with their vile ambitions and used their wealth and illegitimate power to keep the people ignorant and unaware of the truth that their well was indeed dead. They made sure that people either remained misinformed about the disappearance of the living water, or too fearful to speak about it and spread the truth. Thus the majority of the people carried on in needless suffering and misery, while their souls remained thirsty for the living substance of the sacred water, and their minds remained confused as to what the living water even tasted like. Using their ill gained wealth and the power it gave them, the few greedy elites had most folk convinced that access to the sacred water was only available for those who played by their rules. Soon the fire of truth began to grow faint in the many souls who fell victim to the ruse and believed the lies, they grew cold and lost themselves in inner darkness. Thus the misleading guidance of the elites became even more appealing to them. However, as it will always occur in dire times like these, a few courageous and true hearted people who had the wisdom and integrity to keep their inner fire lit began to notice that the water from these "elites" did not fulfill their souls and thus no longer possessed anymore of the true life substance. Using the wisdom of those before them and the strength of their communion in truth, they kindled their inner fire so as to light up their path, and took it upon themselves to begin an earnest search for the whereabouts of the sacred water. To the seeking soul, the path to the water is always shown... and thus the water is always found anew. But as the greed of man is ancient and ever present, soon the sacred water suffers the same fate, and finds itself springing to a new sacred place. And the beauty of the story is that it reminds us that the water is always flowing somewhere to be found by the courageous and true, so that all may drink from it's life giving spring.

I will leave you with this story and perhaps next time i will explain some of it's symbolism. But meanwhile please remember... to keep your heart lit with the fire of truth, find the river that is your spirit, and let it guide you to the place where fulfillment and genuine joy resides. It's in the water! =)

(Interesting fact:  The song in the video above the story was playing on my pandora station as i was writing this story and thought that the sound of pouring water was fitting, so i included it at the beginning of the blog. Turns out the name of the song was "The secret fountain")


Now please enjoy this awesome song and  video below by Kings of Leon...

The Path of Suffering, Death and Rebirth.

"Longing is the core of mystery. Longing itself brings the cure. The only rule is, Suffer the pain." ~Rumi

“It is a circle,
 there is a plan...
dead skin will atrophy itself to start again.
Look closely at the open wound...
see past what covers the surface
Underneath chaotic catastrophe,
creation takes stage.”
~Incubus – New Skin

"A decade ago,
I never thought I would be, at 23, on the verge of spontaneous combustion. -Woe-is-me.-
...So Pardon me while I burn and rise above the flame."
~ Incubus - Pardon me

"Well it's my time coming,
 i'm not afraid to die
My fading voice sings of love
But she cries to the clicking of time
Of time
(Wait in the fire...)
And she weeps on my arm
Walking to the bright lights in sorrow
Oh drink a bit of wine we both might go tomorrow
Oh my love!
And the rain is falling
and i believe my time has come
It reminds me of the pain
I might leave behind
(Wait in the fire...)
And I feel them drown my name
So easy to know and forget with this kiss
 I'm not afraid to go but it goes so slow
(Wait in the fire...)"
~Jeff Buckley - Grace

"Come on, come on
Put your hands into the fire
Explain, explain
As I turn I meet the power
This time, this time
Turning white and senses dire
Pull up, pull up
From one extreme to another"
~Thirteen Senses - Into the Fire

“I'll die
 But I will rise
 And I will return
The Phoenix from the flame
I have learned
I will rise
And you'll see me return
Being what I am”
~Sinead – Troy

"This is where your sanity gives in
And love begins
Never lose your grip,
Don't trip, don't fall
You'll lose it all;
The sweetest way to die..."
~Cardigans - Paralyzed

"Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering" ~Carl Jung

"Most people guard against going into the fire, and so end up in it." ~Rumi

"There is no coming to consciousness without pain." ~Carl Jung



"Suffering is the sole origin of consciousness"
~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

"The process of disillusionment is an unquestionably painful process at times. Genuine spiritual life has never been popular, and never will be, because most people are unwilling to open to and accept pain." ~Mariana Caplan

"In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils. And carry you a thousand steps toward your goal." ~Rumi

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding"
~Kahlil Gibran

"Sudden enlightenment comes only with exhaustion."
 ~Chogyam Trungpa

"Oh Beloved, take me. Liberate my soul. Fill me with your love and release me from the two worlds. If I set my heart on anything but you let fire burn me from inside."
~Rumi

These excerpts from various songs and poetry all share two related themes. They refer to the embracing of transformative suffering and the surrender to a metaphorical death. Although Google could not decide whether the following quote was from Einstein or Carl Jung, its wisdom nevertheless remains. "You cannot solve problems with the same level of consciousness that created them." This suggests that our existential problems can merely be solved by transcendence from a lower level of consciousness unto a higher level of being. The word transcendence points to the surpassing of one's ordinary range of perception to another dimension of perceiving and understanding. This is where the symbolism and mythology of the phoenix rising from the flames can be useful. It is through entering into the proverbial fire and remaining within it that the bird is able to rise up and become the powerful and transcendent creature which it is destined to become.  This mythological creature rises from its own ashes as it is resurrected from its death. Thus its old self is set aflame to allow for a newly improved and higher evolved self to surface from the fire. The fire itself has a strong symbolism, as it represents the alchemical process by which our old habits, worn values, ways of perceiving and much of the false beliefs which we have learned through conditioning and become used to identifying with, are burned into ashes. From these ashes, which represents the essence of who we are, comes about a higher truth and thus a greater paradigm from which we can now inform our perception of reality. The heat produced by this fire purifies its host by burning it from within, thus only leaving what is true, and essential for its rebirth. This process of burning is, thus, a legitimate kind of suffering, in the sense that it is neither sought out, nor repelled, but simply made peace with. It is a crucial part of letting go, because ultimately surrender means to give up one’s ambitions to fight off one’s experience of the living moment. Instead, one makes peace with the moment, regardless of how one feels, so as to be fully present and aware of the breadth and depth of one’s being in e-motion. Thus these feelings of the moment are neither dwelled upon past their naturally occurring presence, nor escaped before their natural course of fading away. It is the process of becoming natural, and finding the flow that represents the river which will lead us back to the replenishing source of the ocean to nurture our rebirth. This river flows along the riverbed that is created by the current that we call Love, and we know that so long as we are flowing through the stream of this path, despite the rocks and other blocks in the way, we can never be led astray. In fact, we surrender to an inner stillness and let ourselves become light, so as to be transported by the flow, around or through all the apparent obstacles on the path. This river is destined to flow towards its own death into the ocean, yet this death is not an end but is a rebirth. The river is, thus, reborn and filled with a renewed vitality which will guide the life of its new journey in the circle back to the living ocean of Love.

Regardless of how we come to this “death”, whether through the surrender to a mystical and divine love, to the transformative union of a sacred romance, or to a transcendental love for sublime truth, the result is the same. It is a rebirth, a shattering and rebuilding of one’s paradigm into a more wholesome perspective of reality, one that is ripe with the chaotic poetry of love, and what Carl Jung has famously called “Synchronicity”.

“So, let go, let go..
Jump in…
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right..
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, let go..
Just get in…
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right…
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown.” ~Frou Frou – Let go

Somethings about the Truth

Today I’d like to begin by saying that ever since my last post, in which I mentioned the lack or perhaps rareness in public displays of affection, I’ve been seeing it so much more frequently. It’s got me thinking… Is the universe trying to tell me something my bringing this to my attention? Am I a little… jaded? Perhaps, but I am not one to remain in the dark that is ignorance for long. Whenever I notice a flicker of light, I gravitate towards it, I even run, crawl, whatever it takes to get closer to the bright star of enlightenment, the shining sun that dissipates all illusions to reveal the only thing that is real; the truth. I think this is a major theme in my journey: the seeking of truth, the integration of truth, the embodiment of truth and thus the expression of truth. Now if I told you that this made me a perfect source of truth, well... then I would simply be full of “it”, and by “it” I don’t mean the truth. ;-] But I can honestly say that I make a genuine effort towards that doubtlessly unattainable goal, and hopefully this approach will get me as close to it as I can be. As many of us know, the way to the truth is not always an easy road. In fact there are many obstacles to reaching it, and most of these obstacles can be represented by the concept of the “Ego”. Many conflicts arise within us, during our search for any kind of truth. Although sometimes the obstacles are simply the limits created by our lack of self-awareness, which is ultimately the root cause of most ignorance (if you wanna be metaphysical about it and consider the Self in all it encompasses, that is). Most of the time they have to do with beliefs that have been held for such a long time and that we have invested so much into, that suddenly revealing the belief as false would create a significant blow to our ego (Ego loss can be a painful, yet ultimately beneficial process). Perhaps these beliefs have even allowed us to dismiss truths that were not convenient for us at the time, and perhaps still aren’t. Attachment to convenience can thus be an obstacle to the truth, but it would be a mistake to be so critical of one’s self so as to doubt all of one’s beliefs simply based on the fact that they are convenient. Thoughts such as “I probably only believe that because it is convenient to believe it” is definitely not a viable path to dispelling our illusions. This is because, not only are some truth indeed convenient, but ultimately, the Truth actually is convenient... as paradoxical as this may sound. In fact, Truth itself is a paradox. For example the Truth is that we are all one, and yet we are all individuals. From the greatest point of view, this is convenient, because that means there is ultimately some fairness to life, since one cannot affect another without affecting themselves in the same way. Or as they say, “what goes around comes around”. You don’t have to take my word for it, but I am sure that any diligent and genuine inquiry into the truth of existence will lead you to the same conclusion. But how does one go about seeking truth? The answer is simple. Sincerely and earnestly seek for it. This is how the mathematician discovers theorems and universal laws; it is how the scientist comes to grasp laws of physics and makes discoveries in their different disciplines; it is how the philosopher comes to conceptual and existential insights; it is how the mystic comes to spiritual realizations. All it takes is a genuine and earnest longing and subsequent sincere quest for truth, in which the ultimate obstacle that is our self (or ego) has been removed from the way to finding it. A few commonly heard quotes can, if briefly meditated upon, provide support and allow the integration of the aforementioned truth. “If there is a will, there is a way”; “Ask and you shall receive”; “Seek and you shall find”. But as far as discovering an ultimate truth after which the search is over, my hunch is that it is a foolish enterprise. Because as said by some famous physicist whom i forgot: “The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine”… and the same goes for the truth. The truth is also ever changing. Imagine trying to convince a medieval man proudly wielding a finely crafted sword, that there is such a thing as a weapon that can destroy continents upon continents in a few moments. It was not the truth then, and is the truth now. But certainly there are some truths which will never change, such as the laws of gravity, or perhaps the fact that any contact between steel and wood leads to the damage of the latter material? Well, who are we to say what the future holds? We already know that gravity does not function the same way in outer-space than it does on earth. And this may sound far-fetched (because it is, well… far-fetched into the future), but with the combination of evolution, incidental mutations from prolonged contact with radioactive or other bio-disruptive compounds, and organic engineering, who is to say that at some point in the very distant future there will not exist a kind of wood that can put a dent in steel and remain intact? Haha, perhaps that is too much of a stretch… or is it? But I’m sure you get my point. Even though the truth is… I don’t really know the Truth… which paradoxically is the Truth. =P