SILENCE (MEDITATION)

February 16, 2013

One of the things that can be rare in this world is being Silent.  It used to be more common, there were longer pauses between words in conversations and the movies of old had fewer words, more innuendos. 

Though drawn to things that are of a quieter nature, that doesn’t mean that there is internal quiet.  Many times there is such gratitude that will arise for having designated times for Meditation.  Without Meditation there would be few stops/pauses during the day to put the attention on Silence/Stillness.  It is not that it isn’t always there, it is, however; the attention will be on what is going on in the world, schoolwork, thoughts about everything and anything under the sun.  And then there is a stopping that comes with Meditation, things slow down and the attention is drawn towards what doesn’t move.  The things of the world, all the problems seem to fall to the side and are not important.  As one arises from Meditation, those things re-appear yet don’t have the energy or strong pull towards them that was there prior to Meditation.

Recently, things have gotten busier, especially this week.  Yesterday a neighbor offered up a ride on his dirt bike.  We left shortly before Meditation time and when we got to the back roads it was time to sit.  Mentioned that there would be no speaking during the next half hour.  Usually, it is looked at with a strange sort of “umm ok?”  Which it was and so off on the bike we went.  There is a gift in Silence that unless one checks it out, cannot be shared. 

A Red-Tailed (Chicken Hawk) Hawk flew directly over us; which was amazing and the trees were brilliant, and the smells of Spring were in the air, there was the sounds of water running from the creek and the sky was brilliantly blue.  There were moments of fear/excitement that would arise from the sense of not having control.  The bike slid on some ice and we fell and since we were going slow, there are just bruises, but there was no ability to complain and without outward complaining, inward complaining doesn’t last long.

We dust ourselves off and picked up the bike and sat and ate some lunch.  There was listening to the stories that were shared and watching as the food is eaten and there is a sense of ease with not speaking that is not there when one is thinking of what it is they would be saying.  It is just listening and experiencing what is actually going on.

Though the preference here is to sit Silently (to not be active during a designated Mediation time), one does not have to sit somewhere alone to be Silent, you can set aside a time, at anytime to do it.  Though I would suggest that one set aside the time to sit silently in Meditation as a way to begin quieting the mind and then move into a “walking or active” Meditation, only because the impetus to speak will be very strong in the beginning and so it is best for one to begin to sit quietly with eyes closed and allow all distractions to be there and to sit in spite of the distractions.

Many times when people are around during Meditation time, they think that they must be quiet, but that is not the case, the noise is welcome, because where the attention is … is Stillness/Silence and so all noises and activity around are welcomed in it.  If you demand that the world be a certain way for you to sit in Meditation, you will not ever sit in Meditation. 

You just sit, Silently, sit and watch until the thoughts and activities exhaust themselves.

Ultimately, one will find that all of their life is in Silence/Stillness/Meditation, yet this isn’t seen while the attention is on the thoughts, actions.  So first things first … one leads into the other.

JUST PLAYIN' - THE PART

January 30, 2013

It is said that Shakespeare announced that “we are all actors and the world is our stage.”  How often to we hear words and they ring true but we just let them go by without investigation.  Do you like the saying?  Or does it scare you?  If you like it, do you believe it or just simply take it as an interesting idea?  If it scares you, is it the thought that you are not the one doing it, that brings up the fear?  For if you are the actor, who wrote the script and where are you going and what will you do?  Ever notice that you can make all the plans you want to, but rarely does it happen the way you think it will?  You go to bed the night before and have all these plans about how the day will play out and then upon waking none of them happen.

You are not in control.

Life is being lived through you.  You have been assigned a part and it is being played out beautifully no matter whether you like it or dislike it, the show goes on.  If you don’t believe this, see if you can stop it.  See if you can stop doing what you do.  All things that point to Truth can be investigated.  You don’t have to take someone’s word for it, all you have to do is see for yourself.

We are all used to Serve Life.  Your only role is actually to watch/Witness how you are used. 

Eventually, as you begin to watch/Witness as opposed to “thinking” you are doing it, you will begin to be surprised by life.  It is actually working for you and everyone. 

Most people don’t like the “thought” that they are being used, however, it happens in spite of one’s likes or dislikes. 

The more comfortable you become with it the more enjoyable life becomes.  Because that old saying “what you resists persists” is not just a saying.  As you begin to become Aware that you are not doing it … it creates a natural relaxation and then resistance goes down and you get to see what is done. 

Most people “think” they know what they will do, they think they know everything that is going to happen and how they will react to it.  But it is not true, you don’t ever know what you will do until the moment arrives for you to do it.  So many times there has been the thought that “I” will do something or will not do something and the something “I” said I wouldn’t do, “I” did and the something “I” said “I” would do … didn’t happen. 

Just begin to watch and wait and see what it is that you do or don’t do, don’t tell a story about it (or even if you do … don’t believe it so firmly).

We are all just playing our parts, we can be kind to one another while we do it, kindness comes from seeing that we are all doing the best that we can, how could we do any better than what we are doing, if we could, we would, we can only think we can do better and “better” is the enemy of good, because it is saying that the moment we are in isn’t good enough.  If there is to be a “better” it will come.

So back to being used, all things Serve.  Sometimes we serve in ways that look helpful and sometimes we serve in ways that don’t look helpful, but just know that everything helps itSelf, no matter what it looks like.  

BE WELL . . .

The other day while taking a run … there was a viewing going on of some comments that had been made by a Friend that is currently in prison.  He was talking about how he sees all his mistakes and is going to do better now … see’s that he fuct up and is going to fix everything, become a better this and do a better that.  And a vision of all the cards people send out when one gets sick went by saying “Get Well” or “Get Well Soon.”  And what appeared in response was … don’t “get well” … “Be Well.”

Such a simple twist of words however something was so clearly seen and maybe it can be relayed here.  If one is “getting well” it means they aren’t currently “Well” now.  But right now is all there actually is … so just “Be Well” in it.  Stop trying to “become” better and just “Be” Great right now.

This is where one is pointed to being a “Clean Slate.”  If there is a sense that you have done something that you must fix then do whatever it is to fix it.  However, it is much simpler and easier to just have a Clean Slate and then send out the word (from the Inside) that anything unresolved is welcome to come to you and when it comes polish it up … wipe it clean and begin where you are … right now.

Nothing can be done about the past except in the moment you are in.  So “Be Well” right now … not tomorrow … right now … stop seeing yourself as “not well.”  And just simply “Be Well” in each moment that arises.  Don’t “Be Well” for anyone else … “Be Well” for you and then everyone else benefits and begins to “Be Well” through their interaction with you.  Maybe start making new cards that say “Be Well Now” instead of “Get Well Soon.”  Heh!

This isn’t like how you usually learn things in the world … usually you must practice like with football, basketball, skateboarding or learning an instrument you have to keep doing it over and over until it is learned.  “Be Well” … is instantaneous.  This is seeing there is Nothing To Learn … it takes no practice to “Be Well” you just Are It and that is seen when one is honest and not making excuses and is reporting from the moment they are In.  Even if you are physically sick (which is the body … not you and this is not about the body), you have the ability to “Be Well” to recognize beyond/before the body … that you Are Well.

“Be Well.”

GOD AND AIR...

In Meditation, there became the obviousness of complete dependency on That and then it was revealed that the dependency is like being dependent on air.  You need air to breath, yet you do not need to think about it to know that you are dependent on it and that it is there even though you cannot see it.  That is how all are dependent on That.  It has everyone whether they are aware of it or not.  Usually one is not aware of air yet would be if there wasn't any.  So it was shared to continue to hold on … in a sense to that, as if you are holding on to Air.  You cannot touch it, or grasp it, or do anything to make it come to you or go away from you, but you can rest in that it is there, it is giving you life, and animates you with every breath.

Also similar with Air and God, you can’t put a number on it, or a description … like people will say there is only One and yet you don’t think that about that with Air … one just says Air.  That is how it is with God … it is Supreme Universal Intelligence and yet cannot be explained with the mind … can you really explain Air? 

Everyone is cared for by it (and it is not an it), you don’t earn it, you don't lose it, you can't do anything to stop it, you don’t get to use it; because it is using you :o)  That is why it is said that there is only One (less than One).  The “less than” keeps you from being misled into believing you can know what God is and yet you can Know God/That.  It is a catch 22 and a beautiful mystery that continuously reveals itSelf.  If one takes the time to pay attention to the Air you breath, then it may lead you to become more Aware of That, which you are in.

So that was a very, very welcoming Meditation.

TEAM OF ONE (Less Than Actually)...

"You are all alone surrounded by all the help you will ever need."

 ~Wayneji

The other day I put up this article (that I will cut and paste below) and put it on my Facebook page.  I received a comment from a friend of mine that got me thinking about the word/meaning “Team.”  And so I am going to put down what came up around that.

Here is the article:

“Mark used to say to me that sports was his Spirituality and that if I paid attention I would Hear and See it too. It took quite sometime to really start to see what he was pointing to. The other day I was at Family Smiles in Yreka and Kathy was making my mouth piece and I picked up a sports illustrated magazine that had LeBron James on the cover and since I really like LeBron I started reading it and I got to the last two paragraphs of the article in the picture here...and thought what a beautiful way to describe another human being, in this case being LeBron and I Hear the Spirituality that Mark would point to. :o)))))”

One of the clearest ways to see that one is on a “Team” is to first See and acknowledge how utterly and completely alone one Is.  You can spend years attempting not to See this by searching for a “team” to be on.  But if you are willing to go into the Core of Aloneness, then the window/door opens up to see that there is only One Team … one can ever be on and you are on/in It.  Everyone is on it and no one can be kicked off and so that really begins to allow one to see that we are all working together on the same Team…beyond all appearances, beliefs, dogmas, religions, there is only One Team and we are all on it.

Funny enough, over this last weekend I repeatedly attempted to watch a movie called “Cloud Atlas.”  It is a 3 hour movie and things kept coming up and I kept having to restart it.  I still currently have 45 minutes left of it to watch.  However what I have seen of it is a great pointing to what is being shared here.  That we all keep showing up for one another.

The sayings “you are only as strong as your weakest link” or “wherever you go there you are” are Great sayings and stand the tests of Time because they are True Pointings however, these sayings have been misconstrued because not many venture deep enough into the “unknown” of their Self.  They don’t go all the way to the Core of Being to discover that there is only One (actually less than One…less than Zero…but this is the limitation of words and only can one Know…through Self-Discovery). 

If one does not go to the Core of Being and discover that there is only One (less than), then they believe they are separate and although believing one is separate doesn’t get them off the Team (the Team of One)…they do not believe they are on it because it appears that there is more than One.

There is another saying, “You are all alone, surrounded by all the help you need.”  This is the closest pointing to the Truth of the True Team you are on.  Everyone has had their moment of being all alone.  Feeling they have no one to turn to, no where to go, no one that would understand…these moments are great gifts in revealing what cannot be seen or understood by the mind, because if you can look back on any moment that arrived to reveal to you that you are all Aone…you can see that something showed up for you.  Something did Hear you.  Someone did understand.  Otherwise you would not be reading this right now.  And if you went all the way…to the Core of Being…then you Know who always shows up :o)

One is wise not to run from the “fear” of being Alone…because it is your True Natural State and it is the fear/running from that that keeps you from Knowing who you Are.

Once you see that there is only One (less than) then you know that everything that is happening is perfect because there is only One player Playing…looking like many.  This is called in sports “In the Zone.”  Where one becomes Aware that they are not doing it…it is being done through them.

I was (and still am by loyalty) a Chicago Bulls fan…I was a big fan back with Jordan and Pippen and Grant, Rodman and I remember hearing them speak about being in the zone…there is also a pretty good book on it called “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. (by Phil Jackson) 

Life has all different ways to show you that you are all alone and surrounded by all the help you need.  Sometimes one is called to being physically alone.  Like there are times for me out here on the Ranch where I am completely alone (seemingly and ultimately).  This morning is a good example.  I got back late last night from bringing a friend up to Ashland and I overslept.  I went out to see the chickens and they were all ruffled and clucking…I was an hour behind schedule.  If I don’t show up for them…they don’t eat.  They begin to experience that they are all alone…though they are surround by one another they are all alone in their ability to get food and so I show up and fed them and there is a “team.”  That is what I was seeing this morning that my showing up is part of their “team” they then go on to lay eggs (which I don’t eat but I bring to those that do) which continues the team…everyone is helping each other, they help me by giving me a reason to get up and seeing the girls brings me joy (pun intended) so again all part of the team.  It is the same with the horses. 

Being on the Ranch  continually Reveals being all alone and yet being surrounded by all the help one needs.  Since I am about 10 miles from the nearest store, it can seem like one is very physically alone out here, yet it is in those moments that the Awareness of the impossibility of being alone and yet simultaneously being completely Alone appears.  It is a paradox of the Greatest of Gifts.

The owners of the Ranch are currently away and so ultimately I am by all appearances alone out here which leads to a deeper awareness of Trust / Faith that everything that is needed will appear.  And certainly from my times being physically alone…that has revealed itSelf.  It doesn’t mean there isn’t fear at times…like when it snows and I don’t know how I will get the car out or if I  can shovel it all to get to the animals or whatever the fear of the moment is…if the water freezes or it floods…there have been many fears that appear, but as those fears have appeared (being here) has shown me that everything does show up and if it doesn’t the worst that will happen is that this body will die, and it will anyway, when it’s time comes and so even that fear gets faced.

At the end of the day and at the beginning, the best one can do is face the fear of being alone, do not run from it, but let it come to you, the fear of not having enough, the fear of losing, the fear of not being good enough, the fear that you are not supported or taken care of.  And truly the only actual fear, which is the fear of death.  When these fears begin to be faced, not run from but just allowed, then you will begin to see what has been Carrying you all along and worry/fear may still show up for you, but you won’t care.