Some of you may know that many of the teachings that I offer you through this site come from a soul very dear to me. He was a man of great spiritual proportions (and as I write this, I hear him laughing that he was grand on the physical scale too!). He offered classes to those who were willing to make the effort to work on themselves. I attended one of these classes, and spent some time with him outside of the church meeting room, but mostly, my communion with him has been on an intuitive level. In any case, I have an email here, printed out in front of me, written by him to his students on what I can imagine was a beautiful evening on the 22nd of July 2002. One of his students had asked him to explain good and evil – why it exists and what the concepts are meant to teach us. I will copy below what he wrote, but before I do, I remind you to…

Treat these words as various dishes laid out on a buffet table. Pick and choose what looks and tastes good to you. It is for you to decide what food agrees with your digestive system. None of this is for your acceptance or rejection. None of us get brownie points for what we believe to be true; only for what we apply.

Dear family,

There is no good or evil except man’s mind makes it so. Meditation will help one overcome the dual expression of good, or evil. All is God!! If one believes this, then how can we believe in such a thing as evil? If we accept the concept of evil, then it must be of God also. My! What a paradox! For me, all there is, is God. The light that dwells in the center of every cell of our being is God. If one believes this to be true, then how can evil exist in anything? Light is all there is. Darkness can’t overcome Light. Light will always dispel darkness.

Why do we have such a need to live in the dual concept? Yes, we have many things that express in a dual nature, but they are an expression of God. Man is an expression of God walking on the face of the earth. Now, if one believes this to be true, then how can there be another expression of energy?

We must devotedly and passionately repeat this mantra to ourselves:

I am love and an expression of God walking on the face of the earth!
I am God, living with all that is my expression for the purpose of removing the need to express anything other than spirit in my life!

We should be repeating this several times a day, EVERY day. I know! Many of you are thinking, “How can I find time to memorize all that, and remember to say it every day?” Well, do it the same way you remember to take a breath. You plant the thought into your subconscious mind until it becomes another habit. Remember 21 days. We need to do what is necessary. You have been given all the tools needed, and you provide the God Power. Look for it, as it is burried deep within, and every day you put it off, it only goes deeper into your being. I know every one of you are capable of finding that power. You only need to want it bad enough. Do you?????

And so with that, let us meditate:

Understanding our minds is essential in order to be able to manifest in our lives. It is the key to becoming conscious co-creators with God. With the Law of Manifestation, we understand that everything is energy. If we understand this natural principle, then we get what we want in our lives by learning to use our precious energy to manifest what we desire by transferring this energy from one reality to another.

We do this with our minds. The mind is a process, not an organ in the body, whereas the brain is the sensitive instrument of the mind. Each of us possess only one mind, but it is important to recognize it as having three main levels, or aspects of itself: the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the superconscious mind.

A brief outline of what we have been discussing lately follows as a summary aid which you are welcome to refer back to as you progress in your work on the path:

The Conscious Mind

• Our “reasoning mind”
• Utilized through use of our personal power and will
• Used through physical action
• Programmer of our subconscious mind – we decide what we feed our subconscious by being aware of our thoughts 24 hours a day on a conscious level (by pushing out the negative and reaffirming the positive)
• Called the “captain of our ship”
• Referred to as the “President of our Personality”
• It’s task is to use its power of reasoning and discernment in all that we do
• Also referred to as the “gardener” who plants seeds into the subconscious and whatever is planted is what will grow!

The Subconscious Mind

• Our “non-reasoning mind”
• Operates on a more instinctive level
• Serves as a memory bank for every thought, feeling, habit and desire that we possess
• “As above, so below” – what we think and imagine in our subconscious mind is what we will draw to ourselves in our outer world
• Subconscious mind does whatever it is programmed to do
• Think of it as our “servant” – it will supply us with whatever we need as long as we program it correctly
• Most dreams are created through the subconscious mind
• Our physical body will reflect whatever we put into the subconscious. If we worry about getting an illness, chances are that we will create one through constant thought energy, manifesting in the physical.
• Stores our habits, both good and bad
• Stores our developed abilities (e.g.: how to ride a bike)
• Use of affirmations is critical in forming a positive and strong subconscious mind

The Superconscious Mind

• Our “Spiritual Mind” or “Higher Self”
• Our all-knowing mind
• Allows higher level thinking and knowing
• Is the origin of most creativity
• Attuned to Cosmic Will
• Contacted through meditation, some dreams and intuition
• Brings us inner peace and true joy
• When we focus our energies on loving, generous intentions, our superconscious mind will provide us with the continuous flow of ideas and creative energy to help move us closer to our goals

We must utilize our three mind aspects, working in harmony and in unity with one another if we are to become conscious co-creators with God!

Recently we have been discussing the various aspects of the mind. First, we looked at the nature of the conscious mind, noting it’s function as the gatekeeper of all energy that can enter into deeper levels of our mind. The conscious mind is our rational reasoning agent and it uses logic to make sense of our experiences. The subconscious mind is another facet of our mind. It is the filing system that stores all the energetic matter that the conscious mind allows to path through its gate. All energies like thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, memories and beliefs are filed away in the subconscious mind and these bits of information are pulled out by the conscious mind whenever we need to access them.

Now we turn to the superconscious mind. The superconscious mind is the spiritual mind. It is also known as the Higher Self. This mind is the all-knowing mind that can be contacted through meditation, through some dreams, through journaling, and through intuition.

When we both talk to God and also listen to God, we begin the spiritual practice of asking God for what we both want and desire and then accepting that it has been done once we have made the request. The outcome is then accepted, whatever it may be. Using the superconscious mind requires a great deal of trust and faith. God, through our Higher Self, hears and answers all prayers. How, when and in what form He answers them depends on how we adhere to the Universal Laws of manifestation in our lives. Why do it alone when we can use our superconscious mind and work with God?

It is of vital importance for us to learn to use the powers contained within our three minds in unity with each other, for then we will begin to bring forth all that we truly wish to manifest in this life. Therefore, it is important for us not only to understand how our minds work, but also how to use them effectively. We are powerful beings in control of our manifestations. We must, however, work with all that we are given and all that is available to us.

Chapter 2: Soul Consciousness

Link to chapter: click here
Length of chapter reading: 36:50 minutes

I am so deeply touched, inspired, impassioned, released by the effortlessly meticulous way in which Tagore weaves words into golden strands of the most brilliant poetry. Poetry of truth, timeless understanding, gentle compassion. These words were written in the beginning of the 1900s yet still resonate the deepest of truths for us today. Tagore’s words perform a dance, frolicking to the tunes of the aged and wise, lacking any sign of tiredness or uncertainty. To reach such a point of clarity…would be divine…

“…a truth opens up a whole horizon. It leads us to the infinite. That is the reason why, when a man like Darwin discovers some simple general truth about biology, it does not stop there, but like a lamp shedding its light far beyond the object for which it was lighted, it illumines the whole region of human life and thought, transcending its original purpose. Thus we find that truth, while investing all facts, is not a mere aggregate of facts. It surpasses them on all sides and points to the infinite reality. As in the region of knowledge, so in that of consciousness, man must clearly realise some central truth which will give him an outlook over the widest possible field.”

Is it possible that we generally tend to overestimate the impact of the discovery of a fact in the short-term, and underestimate its impact over longer periods? Does this mean that the attainment of a wider field of view can only be attained after a process of discovery of truths, rather than in the instant of one discovery? If the All is within all of us, if it exists right now, why is there a need for time to discover it? Is the experience what we really seek?

“…our soul, when detached and imprisoned within the narrow limits of a ‘self’, looses its significance, for it’s very essence is unity. It can only find out its truth by unifying it’s ‘Self’ with others, and only then, it has its joy.”

Perhaps I am learning how to build words, and sentences, and ideas out of letters. Perhaps it is my time to make sense of the alphabet. Perhaps it is time for joy.

“The chick knows that when it breaks through the self-centered isolation of its egg, that the hard shell which covered it so long was not really a part of its life. That shell is a dead thing. It has no growth. It affords no glimpse whatever of the vast beyond that lies outside it. However pleasantly perfect and rounded it may be, it must be given a blow to, it must be burst through, and thereby the freedom of light and air can be one and the complete purpose of bird’s life be achieved.”

Much of my life has become virtual. Perhaps it is due to my travels and coupled with my personality for I have left many friends behind and seem to prefer maintaining relationships from a physical distance. For whatever reason, I find myself communicating through written word more than through any other form. I have found, through this practice of faceless/bodiless connection, that deeper truths and more fulfilling relationships can be cultivated – at least this has been my truth. The lack of physical interaction has opened the door to deeper spiritual contact.

Does this make sense to you? It is as if the virtual space has allowed me to forget about the shell, and connect with a greater vastness. Yet, I remind myself that I am still in physical form for a reason. What that reason is, I haven’t much of a clue. But because it is still a fact that on this plane of existence I have a body, there must be some purpose for the vehicle. So, as I write this, I am experiencing an intense period of caring for the vehicle. I am more intent then ever to nurture it, pay attention to what fuel I give it and what activity I perform with it – all this, in the name of devotion for the chick inside the shell. Perhaps this is my way of attempting to create balance between the virtual and the physical – trying to respect both equally through the discovery of the qualities that make both states divine. Can Spirit reveal more of itself through the virtual world?

“In his sermon to Sathu Simha, Buddha says, “It is true, Simha, that I denounce activities, but only the activities that lead to the evil in words, thoughts or deeds. It is true, Simha, that I preach extinction, but only the extinction of pride, lust, evil thought, and ignorance, not that of forgiveness, love, charity, and truth.”

How often does it occur that we consciously decide from which of these we will make our next choice? How often do we watch the moment from the perspective of an observer?

I once attended a talk in which the speaker reflected on some of the beliefs held within Raja Yoga. After her resonating talk, she walked around the room and shared a sweet biscuit with each person. She also held out a small container, in which there were pieces of paper, one for each of us to take. Each piece of paper had a message written on it. I still carry the message that came to me on that day. I am grateful each time it falls into my hand. I share it with you now:

I am an observer. Being able to observe enables me to be creative, productive and effective because I have made space for true and better understanding.

“Our pursuit of truth in the domain of nature, therefore is through analysis, and the gradual methods of science, but our apprehension of truth in our soul is immediate and through direct intuition. We cannot attain the Supreme Soul by successive additions of knowledge acquired bit by bit, even through all eternity, because He is One. He is not made up of parts. We can only know Him as Heart of our hearts and Soul of our soul. We can only know Him in the love and joy we feel when we give up ourself and stand before him, Face to face.”

Many have asked what the difference is between intuition and the ego – the little voice inside of us vs the loud scream that so often disguises itself as a whisper. Perhaps through the observation of the ways in which we pursue truth – that of nature and of the soul – we can distinguish the voice of the essence.

Back in January,  I wrote a post based on an article I read in the first 2009 issue of O Magazine. This afternoon, I found a torn out page from the magazine on my desk with some of my notes on it and it reminded me that I had read something else in that issue that moved me. Timothy Hutton (p.57) was reflecting upon an aha moment he had in his life and he wrote, “…I realized I didn’t have anywhere I actually needed to be; therefore, it was time to be somewhere else.” I’m not sure I agree…

I’ve moved around a lot in the short time I’ve spent renting room on this planet, and not just the kind of moving around that backpacking adventurers do during a summer of freedom. No, the kind of moving I decided to do was a bit more expensive, emotionally arduous and uprooting – I moved my home many times, changed addresses, purchased mailboxes, rerouted phone numbers, the whole lot.  If there was a reward program for Ikea customers I’d have the international platinum account! And I’ve done it more than once.

Why am I bringing this up? Because moving around means that at some point, you’re faced with the “cliff moment” – there are either two places you can go if you find yourself on the edge of a proverbial cliff: either jump off the cliff into the unknown and just do your best to keep the faith that you made the right decision, or start retreating from the edge and go back to what you know. When faced with that decision, you may find yourself wondering what there is to gain, and what there is to loose. In the process, you might ask yourself, “Is there anything left for me here? Do I have any unfinished business left to complete?” Reading Hutton’s statement brought me back to the cliff moments in my life and got me reflecting on how I see myself and the world around me when faced with those questions.

How do you know whether there is anywhere you actually need to be? The only way I can imagine answering that question is by looking deep within myself and listening to see if you hear from that little voice – intuition – because asking myself whether I still have appointments to make or whether I’m willing to leave a good friend behind just doesn’t seem to generate the ‘right’ kind of answer.

How do we know whether there’s somewhere we actually need to be? How can we know whether there’s someone out there, either in a nearby city or in the apartment right next to ours who needs help that we are able to give? How do we know? So many of us have become so focused on ourselves and on how to survive the times that we have completely forgotten to ask how we can help. It scares me sometimes. Am I losing my faith in humanity? Or am I coming to an age where these questions are naturally on one’s mind? I don’t know…

But what I feel is that if we ask for guidance, become and remain open to divine intervention for the Highest Good and act when the Universe requests our assistance, then perhaps we will discover a purpose where we didn’t think one existed… Or perhaps not, but that process of deep reflection and openness to whatever answers come from within is important, I think. Perhaps…we might just discover a new reason for being…wherever that may be…

So tell me, how can I help?

What’s the difference between work and play? My first reaction to this question was that we inherently ‘like’ to play and ‘dislike’ working. I know that there are a growing number of you out there who like working, and there are an equal number of you who have never liked playing, whether it was sports, cards or acting. Setting the exceptions aside, let’s look at the basic aspects of work and play for a moment.

Actually, let’s not set you aside. Let’s use the fact that there are so many ‘exceptions’ as a guide to help us see what dynamic is actually functioning here. Maybe it isn’t the act that defines whether we are working or playing. Maybe it is rather the way that we perceive the act that categorizes it as work or play.

When we play, most of us have fun. We enjoy the temporary activity of participating in a game. Even though there are rules, we don’t take the game seriously because we know that ‘it is just a game’. We know that we are just playing the role of a tennis player for a short time, and then when the game is over, we go back to being ourselves. We don’t always identify ourselves with the game, or our role in the game. We derive enjoyment from the fact that we can use our creativity, instincts, intuition, rhythm and imagination to play our part in the game. So if all of these things are so much fun, then why are there some people who dislike playing sports or board games? It’s because they take the game too seriously.

Once we begin to perceive the game as something we must win and decide that failure is bad, the game then turns into work. Instead of allowing our instincts and intuition to guide us, we constantly calculate risks, evaluate possibilities of success, judge players based on their past performances and view everyone as our enemy. The game becomes a competition. The game becomes a war. Life or death is at stake; the life or death of our ego.

Allow me to give you an example. Let’s say that you are asked to walk 50 meters on the sidewalk in front of your house. The only rule is that you cannot, under any circumstances, step onto the street or onto the grass. You must stay on the sidewalk at all times. Would you be able to do it? Of course! You walk on that sidewalk everyday! You could even run or ride a bicycle on it and be able to accomplish the task.

Now, imagine that this sidewalk is 300 meters above sea level, it has no railings and it connects two mountains. Would you be able to do this without stepping over its edge? The answer is that of course you would. The difference is that you don’t take the first game seriously so you are fully aware of all of your skills and abilities and are capable of using them easily to accomplish the task. In the second scenario, you decide that it is no longer a game and that you must take it seriously. The moment you decide it is work, you loose your connection to the right side of your brain where your creativity, intuition and rhythm can be found. As a result, you only work with your left brain where you have logic, deduction, analysis and judgment. You will still be able to accomplish the task if you choose to because you have the skills to do it. The question is, will you remember that the skills are inherent in you and all you have to do is perform them without over-analyzing. In other words, will you have faith in yourself?

When we predominantly work with only one side of our brain, we paralyze ourselves. It is just as if you were to tell a bird to fly with only one wing. It is the same for all of us. When we stop taking things seriously, we allow communication to flow freely between both sides of our brain. The result is the ability to fly.

The next time you are at a job interview, or sitting in your dentist’s reception area, do an experiment and pretend that you are just playing a game. Right before you enter into a situation that you are dreading, remember the feeling of laughing so hard at something that tears stream out of your eyes and your stomach cramps up, yet regardless, you continue laughing because of the pure joy of the experience. See the pure joy and light-heartedness in every situation and you will always be a winner.

I’m going to take my own advice. Next week I have a driving test. I’ve been driving for over 10 years but for some reason, instead of seeing this test as a technicality (as a GAME), I’ve been trying hard to freak myself out about it – even though inside I feel assured and at peace that everything will be fine. So, instead, I’m going to try this experiment and see how changing my perception will effect the experience…