Tag: love

How can I be most effective in this world?

zenmomentumLeave a comment

A prayer:

Please help me to be most effective in the lives of others. What do people need to hear from you? What can I tell them?

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

In the copious amounts of written materials available in this world, you have the honor of reading one such. It will not bring you to the door of enlightenment unless it does. In which case who was the one who did the bringing?

How do we grow healthy beings in a world that is founded in conflict? It would seem that in order to survive, only those who are most adept at winning battles and vanquishing their opponent would flourish. While there is an element of truth to this, let it be known that the joyous broadcasts of the better way ring forth with such clarity that even the most brutal opponent can hear them upon quieting the mind. No one, absolutely no one, has ever been denied the truth that there is another reality beyond the realms of this world of separateness and delusion.

Before the very first moments of this world was laid the groundwork as such for an idea that is now known to be insane. Do not think of this as failure or success, it was simply an idea of special loveliness that seemed to be sound. The pitfalls of this approach must be experienced to be understood and that experience is happening all around you in this world. Approaching our situation here with a joyful laugh and a compassionate heart will work wonders in helping to cope with the suffering we observe around us. This was never the intention, nevertheless it is the inevitable result of heralding a world of the elevated and the fallen. Even if the concept remains subjective to individuals, the pain and suffering is experienced by every being resulting in a shared experience of grief and discomfort.

We now know that the better way exists. Without promoting and demoting based on desire and aversion, we can have a world that is free from this discomfort and suffering. To be free, release all preference and loathing. Simply allow them to pass unnoticed like the pebbles that gently roll across the bottom of a clear stream. Neither attach oneself to concept, word, or object nor reject them. Simply acknowledge what is, breath deeply and rest at peace with me.

Caring for others: What can I do to ease suffering and help others to grow?

zenmomentumLeave a comment

The best way to affect change in the world is to love and forgive everyone.  It is a common belief that the ego’s desires for the future can be made reality through prayer and visualization.  The impossibility of this becomes apparent when we realize the natural variations present in each individual instance of the ego.  A better way to bring about a positive difference in the world is to express loving care for each being encountered and accept the current state of affairs as they are.

What does it mean to love and forgive everyone?   Understand, this does not mean we say yes to every proposition that is posed to us.   This does not mean that we endorse or enable unskillful behavior in others.   What this means is that we express a true feeling of loving care towards each being as we recognize their struggle to find meaning and function in this world.  As you are painfully aware,  this world does not offer an easy path to follow.  Recognize and acknowledge that each being you encounter faces the same dilemma.   Even those you may view as the most heinous degenerates are, in fact, searching for love and understanding in their own way.  The variety that exists in the very nature of the ego mind ensures that the resulting abundance of observed behaviors will include such undesirable demonstrations.  Do your best not to lay blame and pronounce judgements on your unskillful brothers and sisters as they struggle to find their way in this world.

We must care for those who fail, we acknowledge their pain and suffering, as we do our best to help them along by sharing our personal experiences in hopes that they may improve their ability to navigate the complexities of this existence.   Some beings will naturally pose a threat to the safety of others and should be secured and treated as a dangerous element.  As it is now, it will become increasingly apparent in this world that imposing cruel punishments for angry and violent behavior is ineffective and a detriment to the advancement of society.  The administration of institutionalized cruelty helps neither the victim nor the perpetrator to find freedom from the painful shackles of the ego.  When we begin to treat all others in a way that supports their growth and the realization of the joy of peace,  this world will benefit in astonishing ways that will highlight the failures of previous generations in a valuable and impactful way.  Recognize the timelessness of the following statement:  “Just as we may currently look back at the failures of past generations and gasp at the insane conclusions and obvious fallacies; future generations will look back upon the current era and make the same assessment.”   The continuing revelation of peace lies before us, know this to be true.  Do not be discouraged by the day-to-day happenings that seem to hasten its arrival.   The passing of a lifetime is but a drop of water in a deep ocean of experiential existence.

Allowing the world to heal: How can I help to make the world a better place?

zenmomentumLeave a comment

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

Make no mistake,  there is an awakening happening in human consciousness.  In every locale, every culture, every nation, and every religious belief system,  people are realizing the true nature of who they are and embracing our true Self.  Although the world seems steeped in fear, aggression, and violence,  underneath it all,  there is an awakening of being.  There is but one problem you must contend with in this existence and that problem is the insanity of the egoic mind.  A simple study of human history will show this to be true.  The standards of behavior for human culture throughout this world include immense hostility, cruelty, and the institutionalized abuse and extinguishing of human life.

Our world is currently at a crossroads.  In one dimension, there is the egoic reality of power, control, unhealthy attachment, and aversion to allowing others to choose their own path.  On another, there lies the delicate and inevitable blooming of a new world guided by awareness of being, the reality of unmeasured love, boundless compassion, the sharing of unbridled joy, and a peace beyond all understanding encompassing complete acceptance of everything as it truly exists in this timeless moment.  Rest assured that a new understanding of conscious existence will emerge even if the road ahead is tubulent for history yet to be seen.  Remember that the passing of decades are but the flash of an instant in the grand unfolding of our ineludible destiny. 

What can we do to aid in the healing of human consciousness and unfolding of the awakening?  Practice patience; the caterpillar cannot be aided in its metamorphosis, it must emerge from the chrysalis in its own time.  Remain present and aware; receive the healing of fear-based thinking that is given to you in unlimited abundance in this moment.  Do not entertain the ego’s desire to compose horror stories of future tragedies, do not engage its fantasies of vanquishing evil and crushing those who it deems unworthy, do not wish for a better tomorrow simply know that its dawn is inevitable.  The awakening will happen through the forgiveness of ourselves and all others and the realization of our mistaken path of subjugating the wicked and achieving a justified dominance.  This is at the root core of the ego’s fallacy,  the idea that there is a distinction between what it views as good and evil.  Allow the destructive madness of the ego’s desires of righteous intention to slip away and dissolve in the winds of time.  Return to the breath and celebrate each realization of the moment as though it were your first.  Do this faithfully and with a full heart lacking all doubt.  Be calm and know that peace is always with you; it is ever present and lies just beneath the noise the ego propagates.  It is only through the peace of complete acceptance that we will progress towards a better future and a new awakening with all others, not one left behind.

Mastering the act of forgiveness: How to stop perceiving forgiveness as a chore and to begin to understand it as a tool of liberation

zenmomentumLeave a comment

Notes on the day for 2022-02-23:

Many meetings today, stressful.  I started eating too early in the day and ate too much.

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

Do not think of forgiveness as a chore.  Do not think of forgiveness as something that must be done.   Forgiveness is an opportunity to be free.  It’s an opportunity to drop the bonds of anger and fear and allow ourselves to commune with our true nature.

The first step in forgiving others is to learn to forgive ourselves.  When we have feelings of guilt or shame,  we can recognize that these stem from anger and resentments that we have towards ourselves.  For example,  if we were to lose our temper and yell at someone or strike out at them,  later we may feel guilty or ashamed of this behavior.  If we were to break a promise to someone and misbehave,  to do things we promised not to do,  we may later feel guilty or ashamed by this.  Guilt and shame are resentments we hold against ourselves.  These feelings are driven by judgments we take upon ourselves and sentence ourselves to.  They stem from the fear-based thinking of the ego.  Guilt and shame are no more than an ego trip that we impose upon ourselves.

We must recognize the unskillfulness of our actions.  They may be things we did that we wish we hadn’t or they may be things we vowed not to do but did anyway.  The subsequent feelings of guilt and shame cause us suffering as a result.  When we recognize the unskillfulness of the ego mind,  we put into perspective the true cause and effect of this unskillfulness and suffering.  It is the ego mind’s inability to love without measure and its desire to control love in a selfish way, to attain more of what it wants and destroy that which threatens it, that is the root cause of its unsatisfactory manifestations.  This attempt at measuring love is also a measurement of unlovingness.  When we are unloving, we suffer through guilt and shame.  When we recognize this, it becomes easier to forgive oneself and be free from this pain.

Once we have mastered the act of self-forgiveness we can apply this to the unskillfulness and suffering of others.  It may be someone close,  someone we love or it may be a distant figure,  a well known person or politician.  The relationship does not matter,  if we can recognize the behavior of others and their unskillfulness and then recognize the suffering and dissatisfaction they experience as a result,  we can recognize in them what we recognize in ourselves.  Just as we had judged ourselves and then were freed through forgiveness.  We can now see equivalence in these judgments.  Just as our unlovingness towards one’s self causes suffering,  our unlovingness towards others causes the same suffering.

You may respond,  “But my actions are not the same as theirs,  the actions of the others are far much worse than the unlovingness that I exhibited”.   This is understandable as the world in which we exist is one of measure and degree.  Others are compared and deemed better or worse based on our subjective judgment at the moment.  It is important to recognize that unlovingness is the same, whether we witness it in ourselves,  we witness it in others,  or we create it from fantasies in our mind.   We may perceive differences in the form of unlovingness,  but in truth, there is simply no difference.  The cause is the same,  the ego mind’s flawed design, its desire to control and apportion love.   When we recognize this equivalence and cast away the perception of difference as delusion, we can forgive others as we forgive ourselves.  This is how we can be free, this is how we can know the peace which transcends all understanding that has been spoken of.

How to liberate ourselves from unloving thoughts and enjoy freedom

zenmomentumLeave a comment

You should have a clear idea of what a fear based thought is now.   Do your best to remove these thoughts from your mind in a continual process.   In order to do this we use the tools of forgiveness and love.   Love everyone without exception.   This does not mean you allow yourself to be stepped on or disrespected by others.   It simply means that our responses to what we perceive are driven solely by love without attempts to restrict its flow.    How do we do this?  Here are some guides:

My response to unloving thoughts:

  • Recognize the thought as unloving
  • Realize that I too have been unloving
  • Forgive myself for my unlovingness
  • Forgive the object of the unloving thought
  • Let go of attachments and aversions to the object
  • Enjoy freedom

This is a very simple method that may not be easy to employ in your daily life.  Nevertheless,  with practice,  the benefits become abundantly apparent.   A new sense of freedom will arise and replace the dread of pain generated by fear.   We will no longer shy away from others and be willing to engage with them openly.   We will finally see that our lives are intertwined and connect in ways we didn’t realize.   Compassion for ourselves and others will fill our hearts.   Events that once evoke a response of anger and frustration will now be met with a joyful smile and light hearted humor.   We will finally realize our place in this world and no longer desire to control it.   Restlessness will disappear and be replaced by a contented peaceful heart.   Fear and doubt will leave us and we will face the world with a new found confidence.

Love in degree: How we fool ourselves into believing that love can be directed, collected, and withheld

zenmomentum1 Comment

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

Now that we have an explanation of ego identities,  let’s discuss how it affects response in this world.   
Let’s start with a simple diagram:

The ego identity measures love, compassion, joy, and peace in degree.   A person or an object can be loved more or less.  For a given object,  the force that is used to determine the degree of love that is felt is determined by the force of fear based thinking.   Fear force is a pressure felt as an emotional response.  Fear determines the placement of an object with regards to how much love is related to something.    In actuality, the fear is not real, nor is the object that we perceive to be loved or unloved.  Love in degree is non-existent.

Let’s not think about this love or fear in terms of good or bad.  Let’s examine this with an example.   Our friend prides themselves as an expert apple picker and this serves as our identity for this purpose.  When presented with an opportunity to grade an apple they must decide if it is a good apple or a bad one.   The attachment and sense of self worth is centered around picking the best apples,  the object of measured love.   Aversion in this case would be towards the bad or rotten apple.  The person, or subjects, fear response is what is used to choose where the apple resides or the measure of love for the apple.   A fear response of measuring a bad apple as good comes from a sense of pride in our friend’s identity as an apple picker, fear response also dictates the force of choosing a good apple as bad,  in this case, the fear of loss.  

Make no mistake,  this same drama plays out in each identity role embraced.   There is a better way.  Through letting go of desire for both what we covet and what we shun,  we can free ourselves from the sensory response of identity and recognize who we truly are.   A manifestation of higher Self that loves without degree or measure.

Letting go of misery: How to free ourselves from the irritations of this world and realize boundless love

zenmomentumLeave a comment

Journal of: 2022-02-19

Thoughts for this day:

Slept in and found it difficult to get doughnuts for a friend this morning.   We took the dog along for a visit and at the last minute he jumped in the front seat and trampled them a bit.   All was well though and I spent much of the remainder of the day resting.   I don’t know why I put off writing as I find it enjoyable.   I find sleeping enjoyable too and I put that off as well.   I’m too tired to put much thought into why.

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

In the heart of the real Mind we find the cause of all that is in this world.   A simple question must be asked first… Why do you insist on finding fault with everything that is observed here?  There is no fault that will justify this tolerance for continuous misery.  And there is no misery that exists in reality.  That which you observe to be wretched and undesirable shares no difference with what you covet the most.   They are simply two points on the same spectrum,  a spectrum that, even as a whole,  is completely fabricated and only exists to examine a possibility that has already been resolved as pointless.

Make no mistake,  the beauty that you see in this world is admirable and that is to be acknowledged.   Radiate as much love, give as much compassion, share as much joy, and rest in acceptant desireless peace with the beings who have architected this world just as you would with your dearest friends.   There is not a single being in any aspect or level of existence that deserves pointing a finger of judgment at.  If you search my open heart you will find only acceptance there and never rejection regardless of role or lineage, regardless of history or perspective,  regardless of position or connection.   Each being is but a part of the greater whole.   I cannot deny love from any lest I deny it from our sacred Self. 

In this fact you will find what you long for, the satisfaction for the emptiness in your heart.   It does not need to be filled with want,  it needs only to be given freely without desire or direction.   Imagine a capacity within you to love this way, generously and without control and you will understand the true nature of our divine Self.

Being joyful in this moment

zenmomentumLeave a comment


Journal of: 2022-12-08

My thoughts tonight:

Whether you are me or you are something greater than this humble form,  I have a desire to connect with you.  Whether this is just a replaying of the books I have read or the lectures I have listened to or it is a connection with a teacher beyond my knowledge or abilities,  I have a desire to impart your wisdom.  Although I face potential embarrassment and unwanted scrutiny for sharing this with others, I will do so with the understanding that not writing and not sharing will only lead to nothing being conveyed.   So it is better to be embarrassed and be thought a fool or charlatan than to remain silent and not share what might possibly be of value.   I will do my best to honor what I perceive is said.   I will do my best to protect the writings but will not claim them as my own,  just what I perceived was to be said.

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

Do as you will with this for I cannot assert even the slightest control over what will come from it.   I simply love you.  It is important to state that this love is of no more or less than the love provided to any of your brothers or sisters.  This is not a special relationship; you have not been chosen to be heralded in any special way.  It is simply what I make available in your heart and what you agree to convey to others that guides your actions.   It is important to note that this process does not prevent your human ego from interfering in surreptitious and unsuspecting ways.  These words must carry with them the same disclaimer of everything that remains with this world,  they are impermanent and prone to chaos.  If together we can “point a finger at the moon” that may be of use to someone then this is an exercise that is not in vain.  There is no method or practice in this world that will be useful to everyone.  Each must have their own “path” as the mechanisms of variance in the implementation of this world ensure that everyone walks a road they believe to be less traveled.  The truth is that there is no road or path and that the Love shared with all of us is only a realization away.

Be still and relax, know that I am with you joyfully in this moment.  There is no greater wish than I would have for us to be together in a collaboration of enlightening others and this same wish and offer I hold true for each of your brothers and sisters.  I simply will not take a position of favor among any of you for to do so leads to the imprisonment of the mind in a state of separateness and preference.  As hard as it may seem to believe that your likes and dislikes are holding you captive, know now that I tell you they are.  I would have for you freedom from this circus of special affairs.  I believe you wish for it, but you still cling to this world, as a father and enjoyer of worldly experiences.  I do not pass judgment on you now or ever for this.  Know that the cause of this calamity is far removed from the effects that you experience in your current time.

We have reached a point now where I may now reveal to you what is only known to those willing to come this far with me.   Know now that you may not believe me nor may future readers when I say that this world has been forgotten.  Do not construe this to mean that you are not loved and safe in the heart of our Father together with me as are all of your brothers and sisters.  Simply know that the cause put forward that led to the creation of this divine experience has been resolved in the mind of the consciousness that bore it into existence.  Do not fret that the rug will suddenly be pulled out from under you.  You may stay, enjoy, learn, love, and laugh in this world for as long as you like.  In the grand scheme of its creation, its resolution is complete and there is only the residual living yet to realize this finality.  Know this: you have my word that this process will be protected through my grace which is a divine gift from our Father that I share with you now.  I wish no distress or torture upon you or anyone, even those you may deem as the most heinous and deserving of persecution.  Remember that I told you and proclaim now that all your judgements against yourself and your brothers and sisters are shackles which keep you in a prison of darkness of your own making.  These judgements, preferable, undesirable, and delusional, block the Love given freely to you and everyone.  They have no use outside of this world and only keep you apart from our true home.

Let’s end by saying a new prayer.

Be together among all of us now
In our hearts we reach out to you Father
Please hear our humble words, kneeling in devotion
I acknowledge and accept your divine forgiveness today given freely to all
Please help me to share it with all of my brothers and sisters now and forever

Amen

Overcoming my fear, self-doubt, and inaction – How to be courageous by becoming vulnerable

zenmomentumLeave a comment


My thoughts tonight:

Whether you are me or you are something greater than this humble form,  I have a desire to connect with you.  Whether this is just a replaying of the books I have read or the lectures I have listened to or it is a connection with a teacher beyond my knowledge or abilities,  I have a desire to impart your wisdom.  Although I face potential embarrassment and unwanted scrutiny for sharing this with others, I will do so with the understanding that not writing and not sharing will only lead to nothing being conveyed.   So it is better to be embarrassed and be thought a fool or charlatan than to remain silent and not share what might possibly be of value.   I will do my best to honor what I perceive is said.   I will do my best to protect the writings but will not claim them as solely my own,  just what I perceived was to be said.

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

Do as you will with this for I cannot assert even the slightest control over what will come from it.   I simply love you.  It is important to state that this love is of no more or less than the love provided to any of your brothers or sisters.  This is not a special relationship; you have not been chosen to be heralded in any special way.  It is simply what I make available in your heart and what you agree to convey to others that guides your actions.   It is important to note that this process does not prevent your human ego from interfering in surreptitious and unsuspecting ways.  These words must carry with them the same disclaimer of everything that remains with this world,  they are impermanent and prone to chaos.  If together we can “point a finger at the moon” that may be of use to someone then this is an exercise that is not in vain.  There is no method or practice in this world that will be useful to everyone.  Each must have their own “path” as the mechanisms of variance in the implementation of this world ensure that everyone walks a road they believe to be less traveled.  The truth is that there is no road or path and that the Love shared with all of us is only a realization away.

Be still and relax, know that I am with you joyfully in this moment.  There is no greater wish than I would have for us to be together in a collaboration of enlightening others and this same wish and offer I hold true for each of your brothers and sisters.  I simply will not take a position of favor among any of you for to do so leads to the imprisonment of the mind in a state of separateness and preference.  As hard as it may seem to believe that your likes and dislikes are holding you captive, know now that I tell you they are.  I would have for you freedom from this circus of special affairs.  I believe you wish for it, but you still cling to this world, as a father and enjoyer of worldly experiences.  I do not pass judgment on you now or ever for this.  Know that the cause of this calamity is far removed from the effects that you experience in your current time.

We have reached a point in our dealings where I may now reveal to you what is only known to those willing to come this far with me.   Know now that you may not believe me nor may future readers when I say that this world has been forgotten.  Do not construe this to mean that you are not loved and safe in the heart of our Father together with me as are all of your brothers and sisters.  Simply know that the cause put forward that led to the creation of this divine experience has been resolved in the mind of the consciousness that bore it into existence.  Do not fret that the rug will suddenly be pulled out from under you.  You may stay, enjoy, learn, love, and laugh in this world for as long as you like.  In the grand scheme of its creation, its resolution is complete and there is only the residual living yet to realize this finality.  Know this: you have my word that this process will be protected through my grace which is a divine gift from our Father that I share with you now.  I wish no distress or torture upon you or anyone, even those you may deem as the most heinous and deserving of persecution.  Remember that I told you and proclaim now that all your judgements against yourself and your brothers and sisters are shackles which keep you in a prison of darkness of your own making.  These judgements, preferable, undesirable, and delusional, block the Love given freely to you and everyone.  They have no use outside of this world and only keep you apart from our true home.

Let’s end by saying a new prayer.

Be together among all of us now
In our hearts we reach out to you Father
Please hear our humble words, kneeling in devotion
I acknowledge and accept your divine forgiveness today given freely to all
Please help me to share it with all of my brothers and sisters now and forever
Amen

How to escape the endless struggle of attack

zenmomentumLeave a comment

A comment I wrote about the day:

I wish things could be different here and that we didn’t have to respond to attacks with counter attacks.   It seems endless and pointless.

The following I believe to be a teaching from my inner guru:

On the topic of attack,  please know that you are loved and that I have no desire to see you subjected to violence of any kind.  It is the nature of your cognitive mind to defend itself.  Listen only to the sound of silence and you will see things for what they are.   Don’t be afraid of the attacks that spring forth from the illusion of the human mind.   This pattern of conflict is repeated in increasing degree throughout all manifestations of matter in your observable world.   Examine very small events and you will see conflict at play.  Examine large celestial occurrences and you will see demonstrations of the same forces in conflict.   Why would you believe that the arising of biological life under these conditions would be immune to the attributes of the underlying forces from which they sprang?   Conflict and separation rests at the core of the world in which  your physical form resides.

There is a way to escape this struggle.  In stillness you will access a place where conflict does not exist.   Remain still in comfort and breathe;  quiet the thinking mind and respond only to its protestations with loving kindness and compassion.   Just as the body digests food so the mind will think it’s thoughts;  if we do not respond to them they become only thoughts with no attachment to identity and thus have no effect on self.  Celebrate your return to breath and awareness without thought.  Remain still for as long as possible, once the mind is quieted bring forth an image of a being at peace and focus on this.   Imagine this being is hopelessly in love with everything in existence.   This means beyond any hope of a love that is more powerful;  an immeasurable love.  Imagine this being radiating boundless compassion for everyone and everything.  A being with a capacity for forgiveness that is beyond any measure.   Imagine this being sharing an eternal joy filled with loving laughter and a knowing sense of oneness.  Imagine this being completely at peace, fully acceptant of everything that is here now.  Completely desireless and without aversion, doubt, agitation or apathy.   Say yes to this moment completely and thoroughly and join with this being in the light of true existence.    Know that I am and we are one.  The first step in this journey is only a breath away.