Inter-Connectedness

there seems to always be some chatter on "Karma". whether it is at the ballroom table or the yoga centre, the ashram or on the sofa at home... it is the buzz word on everyone's lip and yet the concept seems vague to most...

most things operate on a simple cause and effect basis. wood, tools, carpenter - fiddle around with the variables and you can work out how that lovely coffee table in your living room came about.

Existence is a little more complex. the Supreme Cause, as it were, does not stand apart from the effect. unlike the carpenter who is NOT the table, one cannot extricate the Cause from the effect when dealing with the manifestation of creation as a whole because the Cause is verily infused and interwoven as a hidden presence into every effect. hence cause and effect are connected organically.

this vital connection lends a certain precision to the mechanism of universe. so much so, that standing at a single point in time, one can place a star at a particular vector three hundred years ago or predict the time of tomorrow's sunrise. the past-present-future mechanics principle works from the universal down to the individual; it is all a single connection of the Supreme Intelligence expressing Itself within Itself ( as there can be nothing "outside" It ).

hence we tie up the transcendental, the universal and the particular.

with this invisible link pulsating within this magnificent cosmos one realises the potency of action ( of word, deed and thought ) and the inexorable fruit of action. 

the Causal Potency permeates everything. do one thing here, something there WILL happen.

there is no good or bad in this - it is universally impartial, supremely just and it will never change.

simply be aware of this String of Consciousness - what is there is here ( in you ) and what is here is everywhere... it is this awareness that elevates your being, your life, into something sublime and resplendent.

live well.

Individuality

i am... how magnificent that sounds.

i am young, i am smart, i know this and i can do that, and i.. i.. i..

i am just wonderful !

so if i am so wonderful, why do i sometimes feel like i am drowning in a sea of insecurity and grappling  so fervently to hang on to... that which i am unable to even define.

i am free, yet i feel so entangled. i do so much, yet i feel indebted. i know so many yet there is a unfathomable loneliness. 

you can follow a path, give in charity, read inspirational quotes and yet... yet, there is a hole that seems impossible to fill.  

we seem to be limited by the very individuality we hold so dear.

somewhere in the recesses of our consciousness, we know... we are acutely aware that we are incomplete... that there is more. it is that restlessness in not only wanting more, but in wanting it all  that pushes us to want to go beyond ourselves.. to hold infinity in the palm of our hands.     

but how ?  and where does the error in our perception lie ?  obviously we are doing something wrong for we are no where close to experiencing infinity.

it seems we trying to catch the moon that is reflected in the shaky waters of the lake.

we try to learn more ( with our mind )

we try to understand the why ( with our intellect )

and still we are stuck. still here. 

in our frustration we say there is nothing else.. nothing beyond us. we are the final frontier .. 

and yet, still... we feel incomplete. 

how do we stop "learning" how do we fall into the ecstasy of "being" ?

perhaps this "i" is not so wonderful after all...

live well.

Explanations

i have written my perception on various thoughts i have read and the primary reason i write is so that I will not forget.

reading a sentence somewhere may start a chain reaction which may link passages in other texts and thus i have a train of thought in that instant - but it may slowly fade away like the morning mist; so i try and put it down and give myself the opportunity to review it later and perhaps add a further link into that chain.

reading an "explanation", however, does not remove ignorance. things are still exactly the same after simply reading an explanation. 

and what is ignorance ? is it not just our own apathy towards facing the truth. i have no ignorance of hunger - i know the condition completely and have learnt how to conquer this state of being. so ignorance is not "i have not been taught" but rather "i am turning away from learning"

life is always presenting us with the opportunity to learn. choosing not to do so is ignorance.

all this, of course, happens within the frame work of time and since i am not outside the time stream, i must float along - sometimes right at the very top and sometimes, drudging the muddy bottom.

one must be vigilant, for change is perpetually ongoing. never use "time" as an excuse.  if you know its nature, apply it as an opportunity to be prepared for when the change comes. hence, removing this ignorance is ultimately in your own best interest and while it is natural to do so for primarily material gain, those who are floating at the top of that stream always seem be gazing out at the horizon... what are they looking for ? don't they have it all ? who can explain it to them ?

even then it is not too late. time thrusts forward unceasingly - it is never ever too late.

once you recognize a state of non-comprehension of the "how & why", muster up your courage and seek out the answers. this must be done by you and for  you for none can learn for you. lift your veil of ignorance with the strength of your own wisdom.

understanding of what is True ( That which is not subject to "Time" ) is the slow flame that cooks us to perfection so that we may emerge forth as the delicacy that nature intended : all the varied ingredients merging into a delicious whole.

yet it all seems so daunting : learning !

we get one tube of ointment from the doctor and off we dash to the Net to learn every possible side effect of the drug and within a month of treatment, we are veritable experts regardless of how complex the explanations ..  and all this for a swollen toe.

you can get swept down the river or you can navigate it to some degree and enjoy the expanse that Time shares with you.

either way, there's no getting off this ride for now.

live well.

Petit four

i enjoy reading larger texts and trying to wrap myself around the Consciousness that wraps Itself around me... it's like a child rolling around the bed and getting lost in the voluminous fluffy quilt.

but sometimes, i find seeds of contemplation in the simpler aspects of life.

for those who may wish to share those little flashes, drop by and savor the softer Musings at: http://www.facebook.com/TheIrreverentsMusings

do comment and share your thoughts

live well.

Questions.

" i have a question .. " 

how many times have you uttered these words to a priest or holy man? more importantly, how many times have you listened to the answers ( a good way to gauge would be if you can remember the answer ) and then how many times have you applied the answer to your life : life, not the series of tomorrows to come but the relentless happenings of the right now.

take a moment to ponder. jesus, buddha, krishna - none of them stopped sorrow. sorrow and confusion were in abundance even at their time and has multiplied exponentially since...

so what was their greatness ? 

they had a faith; a system to approach life and they applied that system to their own lives - it is not something they could impose upon anyone so they lived it themselves and as it worked, they tried to share their faith or knowledge with those around them out of their sheer love of humanity and creation as a whole.

but how many listened ?

yes, i may quote the bible or gita or any other venerable text but those are just words - if i speak them without the fragrance of truth emanating from my life then those words are merely propaganda - they simply add to the chaos.

so what's the answer? in fact, where does the question stem from?

if you are aware you are confused, it must be a immediate awareness - you cannot ask a question based on a future emotion or frame of mind - you perceive your current state of mind instantaneously. hence, if you are open to the answer - having put aside your own barriers of prejudice and ego - the antidote to your sorrow must also be applied to your immediate happenings, the sum of which equate to your life, and from this application, a Truth is discovered within yourself - a revelation !

listen, ponder, adopt, live and discover the glory of the christ way of life, the buddha way of life, the krishna way of life...

Truth cannot be given to you. there are no answers to your questions.

it is only in the living of the Truth that all questions are finally laid to rest.

live well.

Recognize

it was a good day.  i paid my eyes $2,000 for showing me a morning rainbow. i paid my legs $3,500 for getting me to and from work and the rest of my body earned $9,300 for its share of the day's labour.

doesn't sound right ?  isn't that the way you interact with your body and the services it provides you ?

strange... yet that is how we view every other transaction, every other act ( noble or otherwise ).

yes, even with noble acts we anticipate a deposit into our "good deeds" account - a definite payout due to us at some future date - all of us keep accounts with the Universe.

tragically, this very consideration wraps the noose of time tighter around our being.  

ponder : we declare a belief in "God" who is accepted to be beyond time and space and yet with every breath in which we barter our actions against future gain, we are imprinting a time stamp on our continued existence ... the two seem to be an antithesis of each other ... how does one bask in the Timeless when we are constantly cementing our being into the very fabric of time itself ?

yet we must all act ... quite a quandary - what are we missing ?

perhaps it is our failure to recognize the Universal Principle that binds the cosmos together; that Force is accepted to be Eternal and all Pervasive which would indicate that nothing is really ours - our very existence is borrowed from That ( as is the rest of creation ) and hence, as with our body parts, we are to act in harmony with all other aspects of the universe with no expectation of payment, reward or merit - we do it because we are an expression of that One Existence just as our legs take the rest of our body where it wishes to be.

recognize the Universal in the particular and then act... to the extent this recognition takes hold in your psyche, to that extent shall you be at peace for your essence gradually falls into synchronicity with the Source of all ( within which even this expression of "you" exists )

live well.

Clichés

the self help religion seems to be gathering momentum; we read the best sellers, you-tube the talks and google the sites so reverently...

the irony, of course, is that we keep looking outwards for someone to help us without wishing to lift a finger to help ourselves!  an odd self help technique indeed... a twisted belief that simply reading something will make it so.

we wish to change inside; stop the pain, empower our being, raise our consciousness but all through an immersion in the external phenomena of researching the miracle-method of the month.

the magnificent phrases and cliches that roll off silvered tongues are truly to be admired. but how do those magic catch words intrinsically help us ?  

even a caterpillar knows it has to first withdraw itself totally from the external, spend some time in silence and then emerge, resplendent and transformed ... how is it, that after reading, watching and hearing so much, we refuse to do the same - our rush outwards is unceasing and ever accelerating towards an ultimate frustration that engulfs us in a stupor of  self pity until we start all over again with a new "system" ; pinning all our hopes of redemption on a new secret revealed..

when viewed from the vantage point of serenity and wisdom, those who KNOW have laid out the path in every age... there simply is no new way, merely the correct understanding in contemporary times of what it takes to walk the road that has already been so lovingly paved in anticipation of your arrival.

align yourself to something that stirs you, live it, surrender to it, be devoted to it without compromise - merge your being into its essence.

if perfection is what you seek, only you can find it.

live well.

Who, What, Where ...

ever feel like you're not sure whether you're coming or going ? or even why you continue doing all the things that seemed so important when you started and now simply don't .. 

all that time gone, all that energy spent and yet somehow, you feel like you haven't moved at all... like a fly suspended in amber.

sure, you may have more things; wealth, homes, status and so many friends... now you are "somebody" .. yet, somehow, you wonder... does anyone know the real me?  do i ?

in truth, who am i ?

what did i really want out of life ? did i find it or did i try to obscure it with my self-imposed value system on the things that i did find instead ? 

did i look in the right places... did i even know where to look for what i did not know i wanted through this  person called "me" whom i do not even know ?

wow - what a mess !

but that's not me, you say. what's the touchstone ? it's really very simple... are you happy? not a sometimes happy, not a "i'm in a good mood" happy - the happy, blissful, continuous peace that you long for but are painfully aware you lack.

now, naturally, the question presents itself.. so where do i go from here ?

well, as with most pursuits that have gone off-track... you need to go back to the basics ! re-visit the Who? What? Where? and if the search is sincere, the How? will present itself...

life has a way of presenting crossroads... which path you choose to take is yours alone...

live well.

Internal Vs External

"look within" : how many times has someone said that to you ?

what exactly are they referring to ? and given the expanse of the universe vs the tiny me contained with my 5 foot 10 framework, wouldn't it be more logical to look for whatever it is i am seeking out there ?

unfortunately, the outside ( relatively speaking ) will always be conditioned or governed by its primary elemental factors.. it simply cannot function past its nature and will always be limited as such. if we were to seek anything in such an arena, the result of our efforts would, thus, also confined to the outer limits of its intrinsic conditioning - just as a pet on a leash can only wander as far as the length of the leash would permit.

what about this "inside" ? 

ever try to communicate with yourself while you are dreaming ?  can the you, lying in bed, step into your dream and have a little heart to heart with the you who is having a bad day in the dream world .. no ? 

everyone dreams, and yet you cannot communicate within your own distinct levels of consciousness which you experience intimately every night; so how does one tap into an "inside" that most have no experience of whatsoever, add to which our ongoing surge outward constantly repels us ever further away from that core, within which, all we truly seek is already contained.

the fallacy lies in our perception : we see the two as distinct and exclusive - yet the source is One. every wave contains the ocean's water.  

alter your perception so that this One is recognized in everything we experience. as the "outside" is bathed with the waters of singularity, we start to truly see that one is merely a reflection of the other.

ultimately we comprehend that our mind is our personal hall of mirrors - if dissipated and frantic, we get lost in the mutilated visions "outside";  but, if we train ourselves to be centered in silence ( KNOWING there is nothing other than That )  and then allow that which IS to simply fill our being - we automatically exist as we are "inside" - Infinite and Non-Dual.

so look within, and make your world beautiful. 

live well.

Square slot, Round peg

try as you may, the two simply cannot make a perfect fit..

so you do your pooja in the morning, go to the mosque on friday or church on sunday - what about the rest of the time? your underlying core finds its expression in its daily interaction with the world as you know it... this is who you are.

whether these are days of excessive indulgence or quiet contemplation, how you live on a daily basis is what defines you... chanting a mantra for 2 minutes in the morning is not going to stop you from wanting that glass of wine by 6pm ... the call for happy hour is way stronger than that!  you may praise god and say he is all love and ever present but the guy who is driving you to work is an imbecile - where did the love go? did god decide that this particular cab driver was suddenly not part of his "everywhere"?  is love suddenly not the answer?

so what's the problem here?  Nothing at all if you are honestly being yourself - the issues arise when the way you project yourself is intrinsically not who you are or who you could be ... when what you say is your faith is something you have no faith in, for you do not practice it and it finds no expression in your life.

this fracture ultimately leads to repression, shame and frustration .. a ticking time bomb, the repercussion of which will not only be deadly to yourself but also to those around you.

if you want to go out every night, do it. exhaust yourself, drain your life force and waste away - there is no judgement - its your life to do as you please.  why make excuses for it ?
if you want to study, evolve and keep a marginal social contact with the world, that is fine too.
if you manage to find a balance, apply what you study and help those around you, you may try to do so.

there is no right way or wrong way for all water finds its way to the ocean.

the point is this... if you feel the need to pray, a part of you wants more - more than what you know your life to be. but what is this more and why do you forget that you want it once you step out of your silence? what pulls you into the chaos again and again?  the same clubs, the same indulgences, the same need to be praised and admired, the same need to show the world who you are, the same need to accumulate more and more, the same insecurities, the same fear of being invisible, the same, the same, the same  ... how exhausting to be perpetually stuck like a fly in amber ...

and again in that silence, the same emptiness...

so what am i selling here? nothing! your life is your own - it has absolutely nothing to do with me - all i am doing is holding up the mirror - look closely and ask yourself : " do you like what you see ? "

live well.

The Lighthouse

Life is simply not long enough to make every possible mistake – so it is best to learn from the mistakes made by others. How best to stay together, how best not to lose heart, how best to stay strong in the face of the insurmountable and most importantly, how not to get lost in the dark. These lessons are usually learnt in hindsight, when it is too late to be of any use… here I build my lighthouse for you to avoid some of the rocks i crashed on.. build your own for those are walking a similar path to yours so that they, too, may benefit from your experiences...

• The ultimate motivating force is usually self preservation : acknowledge it – never pretend to be better than you are but always strive sincerely to evolve.
• Greed brings with it both ambition & accumulation while hand in hand, it may cost you everything you hold dear.
• Always ask yourself, “why am I doing this ? what will it cost me ? is it worth it ?”
• Expectation is usually met with disappointment.
• There is no escaping the fruits of your action or intentions. Tread carefully.
• You will grow old and you will die .. make your life about more that just hoarding and consumption.
•  Remember you are not as smart as you think you are… Ask for advice if you need it.
• Words, once spoken, will never be forgotten.
• Let those who are important to you know that they are loved.
• Allow yourself to be loved.
• Learn to forgive - it lightens your own soul.
• Pray everyday – not “for” anything but in gratitude and humility.
• Share with those in need.
• Be gentle with the young and patient with the old.
• Never forget, everything changes - including what you think will make you happy.
• Know that all will unfold the way it is meant to - watch and accept with grace and courage.
• Find your peace and live in harmony with all of creation.

Live well.

Let's do the Math

here are the variables we have to work with :

who i am and what i want
the things out there and what makes them desirable
the medium of interaction : time and space
the method of interaction : life

life, simply put, is an expression of the Infinite Universal Principle.
time and space seems to split the universal into structural differences
these particular manifestations attract us only if we perceive their effects upon us to be pleasurable
the objective of happiness or pleasure drives us in our unending pursuit of these objects
and ultimately we have no idea who we are or why we can't find perpetual joy or bliss.

how does one work this puzzle out ?

the problem stems from the fact that we are trained to spot differences and not the underlying unifying principal ...

there are a million different "things" out there ( and these include the people we interact with ) but it is not the things that interest us, we are looking for their ultimate effect ... the hope that we will derive joy / happiness from such a union ..  yet infinite joy is not possible by mere addition of finite items.

however, multiplicity does not negate the essential One - the interfering vapors of time and space upon the Universal gives us the shimmering mirage of life as we apprehend it - fractured, stressful and empty.

yet time and space borrows it's power from our very consciousness ... in deep sleep, where is your city, child or empire - where did time itself go ?

so we come back to Consciousness ... the original source, the ongoing substratum and our ultimate goal.

an applied cognition of this Principal brings the particulars back into the fold of the universal - that is, nothing is abandoned but rather absorbed back into our essential Being and when seen from this standpoint, no desire remains - all that is, I AM.

So the final equation for a happy life ?

RECOGNIZE and TRANSCEND ( careful now: this is not the same as reject and suppress ! )

use your life, with a vision fine tuned to see past the distorting lens of time & space, to understand that true joy and bliss lie beyond the scope of the accumulation of finite objects but rather in dissolution of the individual entity and myriad objects into the cosmic whole.

You Are All That You Behold - what, then, is left to want or need !

problem solved :)


live well.