Inner Peace On Friday

I never expected to be on this path as a teacher. I prefer a quiet life as a Hermit.. and hidden I kept for such a long time.

I remember in college when I was told by some people I would become a guru and I just laughed at that. Guru just means teacher... and here I am today teaching people how to release into inner peace.

It's strange having students around the world... and what do I teach... I show each person how to accept their heart, how to follow a smile, to chase not expectations but life itself, to act in kindness to receive kindness...


Life is the true teacher, guides like myself assist a little. This isn't something you find in a book, in a sermon, from preaching etc... it's a process shared simply in heart, to take a moment, to connect fully and show how to release back into heart.


I am rambling a little this morning. I woke up with a few spiritual aches, and new emails have spiked a little the past day. This tells me something is happening in the larger weave. Spiritual earthquakes so to speak. I am not sure what... nor is it to be worried over, some shifting occurring and if it needs attention then it will make itself clear without much poking now.



This year has been one of potentials... So much potential for change has built up... and it is continuing to build up. It isn't for us to measure the potentials or try to shift them. The potentials are so huge.. anyone foolish enough to try to take advantage of them will simply get swept away once they do release.

I was talking with a student last night , teaching patience, awareness and showing how this is a time to live fully, to be strong in one's heart and being... So as it does shift we can shift with it and grow in kindness.

These are great times and that doesn't mean good or bad... Good and bad are labels that will get applied later depending on how the potential is manipulated later.

I will go wash in the Wailuku river later today to be at peace, Don't fear or worry about the future. Live your life well and trust your heart in these times of potential...

Peace to you today and in your journey

Namaste

Karma Simplified

What is Karma?

A quick Webster definition:

Results generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence.

Say Whaaaaat?

OK: Here is the quick and dirty Karma truth...

Karma is all about relationship

many different types and yet all the same

But simply put...

we are all one...

Karma is a reflection of us all being one, in unity, BUT living to consequences of actions thinking that we are all separate...

From this statement you can discover many powerful truths on how to live life both simply and easily. In Taoism we teach Karma depends on you and your personal relationship to the larger universe. So I teach karma slightly differently to each person so they can better connect to the world while leading a more fulfilling life.

As a Taoist we live to kindness.

In this truth my Karma is harmony, being at one with life and the Tao.



Namaste

Freedom

In the larger sense, what I teach is to help free others to live to their heart. Freedom could be discovered sitting under a tree or even flying 10,000 feet over corn fields upon a moon lit evening. It's not that we need a teacher or to be shown.

A truth about the nature of freedom: once you experience freedom, part of the very experience is to share and pass it along to others in your life.

Freedom is to be shared, if it's to be had at all.

But tread lightly when guiding others to be free: to prevent disturbing the very thing you are assisting to occur.

While freedom is shared: it is also based upon release not forced definitions or practices.

Namaste

Enlightement

Enlightenment:

Isn't to be turned on,
Isn't a destination
Isn't so many things people insist that it be...


Enlightenment is fully being in the light

How can one not shine: if basking to the warmth of their own heart.

Take a sec to connect the dots. If you do, you will shorten a journey and have time to enjoy something most people rush on to pass by...

My friend Chantal sent me this quote to highlight this truth:

"The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart."

--Sioux Legend

Namaste

Invoking Hawaii

Invoking Hawaii
Is to breathe Mana

Clouds brushing Mauna Loa
Strokes of wind define
A calligraphy of trees
Outlining her slopes

Fires stoke
The spirit of Pele
To come dancing
Towards the sea

Coming ashore to find home
I commit my life
to Ohana of the islands

First Draft
5/23/2008 on the slopes of Manua Loa


Namaste

Privacy : Part II

Between the 1950's and today, Corporate America refined how it could manipulate a large majority of the population simply with peer pressure.

The side effect was also to erode personal privacy:

If you follow the Jones, then you are the Jones and we know everything about you since you have given up your inner nature to be the Jones.

Now with so many people kicking it out, deciding enough is enough, its time for a simpler life. It almost seems as if following the Jones is a thing of the past. But it's not, the general public to a large degree still follows trends and fashion.

Additionally with large amounts of data about each of us, it becomes easier and easier to target, watch and manipulate smaller sub and splinter groups.

We want our privacy and yet people give up their privacy so easily.

So what is privacy?

In the end privacy is the ability to choose and determine how to live without interference.

This is important: privacy isn't to be left alone, it's the protection to be capable of personally deciding one's very inner nature without interference shifting that inner nature to be something else.

In other words, we all have an inner space, we all shape that inner space from the inside, from our heart to create our form.

When our shape has been forced upon us from the outside rather than the inside, then you have lost your privacy of being true to your nature.

Think about this for a bit. This has profound implications for people who are trying to transform their life. Since when in the process of transformation: you are trying to truly become the shape that gives you joy: working to the reflection of your heart. However, all too many people discover to their dismay they are shaped by others or even trends to be something that doesn't fit their heart.

This is why people who are experiencing Mid life Crisis go away for privacy... so they can listen to their inner voice, so they can shape their life to their nature rather than be molded by others.

Do you hear your heart's song ... or is it overwhelmed by culture / pressure from others?

Taoism as a practice respects privacy since it concentrates on living to heart.

Namaste

Privacy

What is privacy?

I used to have a secret clearance. It was an eye opening experience, since to have a secret clearance means to lose all forms of personal privacy to the government. I sat down before getting my secret clearance two decades ago to ponder this.

I realized privacy wasn't what people thought it meant. Since amazingly little of our life is truly private.

From the larger spiritual angle: think about this, if we are truly all one, part of the universe: then everything we do can be known by others.

It's more to the truth: we are ignored by others, as ego rushes about to play. This provides a shadow within which people find privacy.

But this is a side topic for later.

In this day and age: information is being interconnected, so deeply mined, controlled and then monetized (with draconian copyright law and marketing based on our habits) that it isn't very difficult to discover or unveil a person's life.

Ironically the only true privacy you have is your inner space:

How one finds and defines their own internal inner nature.

If you try to hide your information, that also shows up as a lack of data and ironically can also be mined to reveal great details about a person. So for "privacy sake" people still will wear public faces, create accounts that can get mined in order to protect your inner privacy.

The newer generation is getting this and changing the way they use the internet and project images of their nature. To have a public face , a private face and "an inner face".


So start here as you ponder your own privacy. Discover the only true privacy we have is based upon our inner self...

Yet so few people truly live as their inner self! The ultimate irony becomes: most people in following mass culture for their inner pleasure... lose their own personal inner identity.

Think about this:

What privacy does a person have, if they don't live to their own inner truth?

None...

Hence so many people already don't realize they have lost their privacy altogether today

Just by not living to their own life.

Namaste

Our Taoist Life

Some wonder what my temple is like. I converted a sun room to be the start of our Taoist temple.

I sit here next to a small glass table with my laptop, seated on a yoga ball. I start my working day here around 6 ish to see who has called or emailed for help.


At my left foot, the chickens usually sleep or are busily catching what they may.



To my right, a once stray cat adopted us, He has earned the name Bodi Zen Rose Flower. He sleeps in a wicker basket next to me .


The wind and breeze come in from the screen and this is where I let my essence stray as I type away.



Our life is the temple, When living fully: life responds: to the point that chickens, cats, geckos, students and others you will love, come, help out and join in to full fill the space which in turn truly creates a temple: by living openly and fully to spirit.

Temple isn't place alone, it's life embraced: reflecting to show one how to become full and capable of accepting wholeness.

When needing to dip into spirit. Find a tree, a place to sit, to hold time as a gift: to just be present.



In kindness, I practice Taoism and help others. Take a moment, be kind to yourself, connect to life by being alive. This is Taoism and it isn't more complicated than living your life with acceptance.

Namaste

Another Monday Post

Monday rolls into morning
cresting to afternoon,
crashing evening release
Another day, Another wave
meandering tides of life.

---

Peace to your day, week and tides


Not sure why Monday has been in my thoughts of late,
like spring but on a weekly schedule

Namaste

Release and Answers: part 172

When working to resolve an issue

People often chase answers

Release doesn't require answers to work, it's instead a process of letting go.

Chasing answers often will cause additional problems to crop up. Yes at times knowing an answer can help a person resolve an issue. However, most of the time it's easier and quicker to just release and move on.

Another issue that wraps up into this is: when a problem is something that has evolved over time from multiple sources.. It morphs into a seemingly complex issue requiring experts to untangle.

But again release is often a shortcut... letting go of a whole entangled mess at once is often easier than untangling a long chain of events that were in the past and no longer matter. Looking to the past means holding on to problems that simply aren't relevant in the now anymore. In other words: it's common for a person to keep alive and energize their problems by trying to solve it with knowledge and holding onto the past.

If you want an expert to help I am more than happy to assist: but release only requires you to hold true to your heart and let go of burdens chaining you down. You don't need a locksmith of the heart to unlock the chains binding you: It's a matter to stop carrying the chains limiting you.

People then get worry that releasing their issues will cause another mess elsewhere. Release is to let go, you deal with side issues one step at a time when releasing. Otherwise you are just projecting fear and actually creating new problems for the sake of fear alone. You release with kindness to minimize problems while always letting go of fear to reduce issues later.

Understand this is a generalize post, but also understand the ramifications are profound

Release is both a powerful and quick manner of personal healing

Provided you don't limit the process with fear.

Namaste

Taoist Lineage

A question I hear as a Taoist Teacher

• What is your Lineage...

Lineage is of the heart...

In that we are all of and meld into the same Lineage.

You should never have to ask or need to say more: if you are true in Taoist practice.

Namaste

Ideas of Note.

I had a most excellent idea for a blog post, one which would touch life in a heartfelt manner

and it all slipped away....

Oh well life is like that, you touch upon a concept that could solve the world's problems, and the world not wanting change :), instead sweeps you up into other streams and paths. I got caught up in taking my daughter Mina to school and then unexpectedly reading a story about Guinea Pigs to a dozen 4 year old school kids.... To later get home and with the idea long gone.

Losing the idea was worth the price of watching my daughter and a bunch of young children smile. Exchanging one heart felt idea for one heart felt moment.


Let life meander as it needs to: It's easier on the soul and still makes a huge difference.


Namaste

Relationship Release: Part 3

I talked about release in the previous post. But I was asked this question regarding when the partner in question is also experiencing a mid life crisis.

Do you think staying close with a person shifting in transformation helps the process, or hinders the process?

This is the line where counseling happens and I cannot give a generic answer. The balance shifts for each couple: Every relationship has a different balance and set of answers.

To know the right / or best answer for a relationship requires that first I have to feel / know the spirit of the situation. To test and understand the dynamics and tenor of the relationship and partners. Additionally, the answers always also shift as a person in mid life crisis is in a state of change/ flux. So you always have adjust answers accordingly and often during the process. As a result I work with people in an active manner so the assistance stays in sync with life's changes.

What can generally be said is this:

• Your heart is a guide, but it is your guide not theirs.
  
  
• Know that your actions have to balance out in reflection which means you have to observe and be aware. Don't judge or try to change their course... In other words you let your own actions and life be the way to shift the situation to best work for everyone.
  
  
• Don't let fear drive your actions since otherwise you make your fears real.
  
  
• Make sure you take care of yourself. Do yoga or Qi Gong or similar practices to help keep your mind and body sharp. This will help balance out the interactions better as a result.
  
  
• Know that you will make mistakes and that is fine, we work with mistakes to turn it around and make a better life
  
  
• Discover this is also a process of personal forgiveness and as a result it will lead into unexpected insights and directions when least expected.

The way to work with release and mid life transformation is to allow your life to also change to be match and reflect the needs of everyone involved. That what is best isn't based on past expectations but rather what is required in the here and now to let people grow.


Namaste

Taoist Students

I was just checking in on a stray student today. That made me think about an interesting tidbit.

Most religions or practices work hard trying to prevent their students from straying off the path.

In Taoism we teach: it's all of the path and at times heavily encourage straying.

Straying is part of the fun of living ... at times.

Namaste

First Steps

When helping others, I assist a person to live: to the heart of their nature.

What does this mean?

The answer literally varies from person to person. The Taoist practice I teach shifts with each person to uniquely but fully find answers that center their life. I often like to start with a simple question:

"If you had to take

an animal, a force of nature, and a mythical reference:

How would you write a sentence to describe yourself?"

As an example many years ago I answered:

"A breeze wrapped around a dragon who is a cat sleeping in the sun."

It's usually best to answer this question two times.

• First in terms of where you are now, what you feel like you are now.
• The second time I would like you to answer in terms of your dreams, where you envision or would like to be.

It's a helpful question to reveal a person's inner nature and to where it flows.

I hope you enjoy answering it for yourself. You are welcomed to share answers here. It's in sharing the heart does open up to grow more fully.

Namaste and Mahalo

Waking up to Heart

Too many of Corporate and US Government actions are point blank criminal in nature.

As our government kills innocent people, steals resources to empower the rich and I am not just outraged at this current news: our government has been responsible for killing 100,000's over the past few years within wars of terror. It doesn't stop here in the United States, look around the world to other governments: to find additional examples of heartless actions tearing down the best aspects of humanity.

I could for hours list links and resources showing problems and issues and on and on and on and on...

Other sites and resources have been doing this, alerting people to all of this for years. So I don't expect to write some magical post here that awakens people to work towards heart and resolve these issues.

I have written this blog post 4 or 5 times over the years and deleted it every time... as it wouldn't serve a deeper truth, wouldn't engage hearts that have been dis-engaged for so long.


I have held a dying man in my arms on the streets of New York City. I don't need to be told how to make a difference

Everyday we awaken...

So

Wake up, live and reach out

a person at a time

Or you can live to headlines and without heart

It's a personal choice everyone makes

every day

The battle isn't to save the world

Instead

The challenge is to connect to one's own heart. The rest will follow.


Namaste

Relationship Release: Part 2

From those with relationships in trouble, I get a very common question:

Can you help my partner who is suffering a crisis?

A person asking me for help in this manner: usually does so to recover a relationship that has gotten beyond their grasp. When a partner in a relationship is experiencing a crisis, then in reflection that crisis often reflects back to affect your life in a similar manner.

• A truth of help:
  
  You can usually help a person who asks directly for help, but rarely directly help those who don't ask.

This means I help 90% of those who directly ask me for help. Not by helping the partner but by helping the person asking: to shift and find centering out of the chaos they are adrift within. I am not a marriage counselor, I am a spiritual guide helping people discover kindness and to peacefully resolve transformation. I help people transform and guide by heart.

While I have saved marriages, The point isn't saving a relationship, It's assisting the person asking for help discover personal change; teaching how to build up inner strength they never suspected could exist on their own.

• It's always up to you to take control of what happens now.
  
  If you do nothing, when living in relationship of crisis:
  
  then the reflection of crisis does define you.
  

I rarely see people lead "happy" lives when letting crisis control their destiny. But this is a choice many people take. But we also have to keep in mind that the history of many families often cause individuals to play out more complicated journeys. We have to respect each person's journey. So at times crisis is part of a person path to embrace.

• Everyone does have this option: Turning personal earthquakes into a personal transformation to make life better!

By helping the person who asks for help, grow so much, in reflection the partner in crisis often wants to come back. That in growing to become fuller: the renewed personal strength calls to the partner who left. The ironic truth is:some times by growing so much, the person I help will choose to not take the partner back, because of opening into a new life which is better. Yet in all cases, helping the person who first asked to find new strength and move to what is best for them.

The simple truth is this:

If you want to keep a partner you have to be willing to accept and let them go fully now. This requires looking into your heart, learning from the mistakes made , making corrections so life more closely follow the heart and begin living fully.

Some people don't seek help: they value relationship more than their own personal happiness: unconsciously knowing to be personally whole is to let the relationship be over. Instead trying to find wholeness within a broken relationship over a personally whole heart. This is a very hard choice to make since by definition you will not find wholeness from a broken relationship.

I counsel the person asking for help since by asking for help, they have stepped up to be ready to work upon their side of change. In this manner I know for sure I can help them find their heart. This is the seed to start making a larger difference and then in time improve, repair or find fuller relationships.

Things don't magically become easy. Yet I know from experience those who accept their heart always grow to live fuller lives. It's a most amazing path to explore and this path of kindness is my personal choice how to teach and show others how to find wholeness.

Release is the key to unfolding into true relationship.

Release is accepting and moving with heart.

To do this means releasing your own heart to also be free.

Namaste

Monday again

Noticing it is Monday again

days circle around

in the orbit of my life, doesn't matter which day it is, when you live:

it is always today.

Yesterday now... well that is another story. Mina tried to climb the plumbing, ( a strange ladder like towel heater device, which came with the house, that no one liked at all). Anyways it snapped off the wall, spewing water to flood the back of the house.

I could paint a fabulous story of the confusion in the first few minutes of the new fountain in the bedroom. I supposed it could have been fun to surf in this for a bit before turning the water off.

It was a standard timeless moment of chaos as the family sorted out details.

5 hours later it finished off swimming under the house rather than surfing in the bedroom to finish fixing plumbing.

Another quiet Sunday of chores.

Days are like that, they like to remind of us patterns in our life.. Which is why I don't give much attention to the actual day. The chaos of not knowing the day is more enjoyable than the chaos of a Day trying to impose into you how it should flow and then ordering you about to fit accordingly...

---

Tomorrow well... it will circle around. Supposedly it claims to be Tuesday but I suspect it might be Thursday in disguise...



Namaste