Monday, June 29, 2009

The Enlightenment Business

Too many people are pushing to save others, offering enlightenment... So many screaming "read my book for enlightenment" or etc etc...And it seems to be intensifying a bit of late.

It drives me batty that people push for personal enlightenment by shoving it. Or that people rush into buying into the latest Fad for mass enlightenment. I don't understand at times why people can't see that enlightenment by consumption, leaves no enlightenment to be had. Like a meal, while it might taste good in the moment, it leaves your spiritual belly empty pretty quickly, since you must then rush out to buy/sell into more...

Enlightenment is never a commodity, it's a heart embraced moment of connection... that isn't taught but released into.

Oh sure you can teach basics of release... but in the end: release is a personal step into faith for each person.

Namaste

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Force

By using force, the government of Iran is forcing its people to react against it...

In spite of all the threats, the overwhelming show of force and the nighttime raids on private homes, protesters still flowed into the streets by the thousands on Sunday to demonstrate in support of Mr. Moussavi.

The only solution is to accept it's own people: unless the Iranian government accepts it's own people, the people will be forced to reject it's government...

Namaste

Friday, June 26, 2009

Pause







Times pass, Surf is up and so goes life...

Pause in it once in a while :) to move it along.


Namaste

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Taoism

Here is a quote from Dr. David Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School

The Chinese medical system is based primarily on Taoism, which claims that it's not just your physical well-being that determines your health, but also your behavior toward others. The doctor was part priest, part martial artist, part scholar, and part empirical scientist. But most of all, he was a teacher. And he not only taught you about diet and exercise, but also guided you psychologically and spiritually to become a better person, because that would shape your health. The doctor tried to teach people the best way to live their lives.

When a westerner asks me what is it that I do.

I say: Help a person live to kindness and heart.

But the work I do is as Dr. Eisenberg states. It's a blending of many elements, but most especially teaching in a way to help a person discover kindness towards their own life.


Namaste

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sharing in Neda's Time



It doesn't feel real anymore. Watching the news, so many stories designed to confuse and take us away from our own humanity.

Yet Neda touches us to heart: to show us fully our humanity.

We each exist as potential, a dance of life. It's hard not to feel your own heart stop when seeing Neda's potential cut down by the dictatorship in Iran.

This is a bullet to all of our hearts.
On Friday, The Iranian leader said blood would be on the demonstrators hands. I can't see how such leaders can wash the blood from their own hands from their own sins. Yet they do, leaving it to the people, us, to wash away by our tears.

She wasn't a demonstrator, only an innocent person shot down by an inhumane government.

None of us are innocent when any government dictates how you live and die.




Taoism teaches very clearly that government should let it's people be free. To live to the Tao is to live to full potential of one's life.

We are one, connecting out to share. I share Neda's story since we are Neda.

No words can express this story since it's of life and passings. Acceptance to Neda's family and friends. Acceptance to our own life. To give us strength to witness, acknowledge and truly live freely.
We might live a world away, but it's for us to still stand up here, as it's together we become humanity otherwise divided we fall, one by one as innocent bystanders.

How should we remember her?



When the protests started, before she died she said: If she were to be killed now, she would desire that all people, live to freedom.

To honor her, is to acknowledge our connection and live to freedom.

Namaste

Monday, June 22, 2009

Student Questions: Not enought time...

Here is today's Student Question:

I know that there are many lessons still to learn, many achievements still to realize and many goals still unfulfilled. It’s just that time IS getting less and less.
The answer:

Time is not less and less...

Time represents relationship

The truth is we are eternal, we live without end yet within our lives fully.

You only have less time if you don't connect out in life. The goals are not the reason nor purpose, just a guiding light to help us find direction. The real purpose, the real ful-fillment, is how we travel in the path towards goals, how we reach out and share connections in our life.

Do this... that is enjoy the path and share in kindness.

Kindness to yourself and others...
not only to others...and
not only to oneself

People seemingly always forget to be kind fully and only live to kindness in half steps.

Most people I work with forget to be kind to themselves... and that's often the main reason there never seems to be enough time, since if you forget yourself... you never have time to complete yourself.

If time is relationship and if you never connect to your heart: you then miss the most centering relationship of all and hence lose time as you get older.

So take the moment to be within your heart. In the rush of reaching out, trying to finish goals... we can lose touch to our own heart also.

A strange contradiction but true.


Namaste

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Next Steps

Steps of faith can be the hardest to recognize as such since the mind thinks it can resolve everything... but not all steps are in mind.. Just as not all steps are of faith either.  

We are human, some steps are to mind (free will), some steps are to heart (spirit / body) and some are into faith (To Acceptance, to Allah / God, within Tao, )...

This is the beauty of being human we are a mixture of all three

Namaste

Friday, June 19, 2009

Potential is releasing

This is the one image that will stay in my mind from Iran.




Not of the conflict but of honest people trying to save each other towards a better place.

The future is facing off



For the first time in months I now feel the waves of potential that have been building up ... releasing... This is just the start.

People look for landmarks, events that define transition from one time to the next great time of being...

This is it...

In Taoism we find the Tao not defined to the times... but to the heart of living now...

If these are to be great times, it's becuase we live it as great times...

The choice doesn't belong to politicians, leaders nor media...

It is ours, the vote isn't one based upon paper ballot nor bullets, but rather actions of the heart here and now...


Live it well , live it truly and then the times bend to that since we are the Times.


Namaste

Student Questions: How to Just Live?

Today's question from a student is this  

How do I just live sometimes it is hard.
 

Over the years I have answered this many times. Sometimes we have to answer the same question from many angles, becuase the issues come in from many angles... I have been getting many variations to this question of late from emails, as a result many of my blog entries have been writing about this. If this answer repeats parts of recent previous blog entries, I must apologize, but at times it's worth repeating the better answers to remind students how to live well. 

Ironically living is hard becuase: Human nature requires challenge. Look at how many people live. No matter how well people have it, you discover people often still find some complaint, to purposefully (but most often unconsciously) do things in a way to make their life harder. If you do this, catch yourself and flip it around with acceptance of the good parts also to balance out life.

The Meaning of life is how you live, not the destination, to live well is a question of style. We each have a manner which fits to our core being.

Body: To be young, is to explore life, try things out , test and poke about. Make sure you have an exercise routine, martial arts, walking, jogging, yoga, qi gong... something just to keep a person in shape and exploring your body.

Mind: We need something for our mind to explore.... poetry, writing, reading, play, art, music...

Spirit: Take mind, body mix it up, and then in motion we discover our spirit to be alive and invigorated .... Mixing the mind with body together to understand then accept what it is to be our nature.

This isn't about answers ... but people seek "an answer" thinking that the answer is what fills life... Discover it is connection that fills life, a smile shared, laughter joined, friendship explored...

Don't make life hard, that's honestly optional... Society makes life hard to keep people running so they don't notice that society is a rigged game...

Take the time to discover what life is ... from your eyes, not from what society or others tell you it should be.. but to simply what feels right. This is how the smile leads you to explore heart.

Play with this a bit as you have time, don't worry about getting it right, It's not about what is right, it's about what fits inside and you can only figure that out in playing the role of You... in due course you will be a star and it's simply enough to be, not to shine for others but to bask in the warmth of your own heart, connections and whimsy of what may happen... Then in a few decades you take all of that experience and merge it into something new... but that's for later... right now take the time to experience play of being you.

Even when being a Master, when you have peace and calmness of being, being human doesn't go away.

And that's good since...
that harder edge is a safe place to climb as it keeps us ...

Human


Namaste

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Stay true to Heart

To those in Iran right now. I wish not peace but Inner Strength to hold true.  

I extend hope to those standing up: stay the course of heart.

Flowing with life means, once committed, to move with full presence and prevent half steps from shattering more life later. 



People believe peace is the goal.. Peace and conflict are of the same coin. Push peace too hard and you then end up resolving in conflict. No this isn't about peace, it's about true acceptance of being human and living to one's heart. The ruling elite have lost touch to the heart of the people. Simply stated: the people are standing up to reclaim their hearts. 

The goal is inner acceptance, a step beyond peace or conflict. Iran is at a cross roads seemingly.

But the cross road isn't between peace and conflict, remember they are the same coin. The cross road is between continuing to pay the high price of peace/conflict or moving beyond that to truly create something one step beyond that pattern.

Picture of protester saving policeman


How to do that? Well that is the trick indeed. Not to be directed from the outside. Instead, right now people are uniting following together. The protesters don't want conflict, they want resolution to a more equal society, they want acceptance of their lifestyle from their leaders, not dictates, nor morality, nor something measured out and priced to the same old coin that we were taught was the only way...

It's a step at a time, but if this stays true to the resolve of accepting personal humanity, It can turn out to be very surprising indeed, perhaps something new, not seen before.

Addendum 1: Mir Hossein Mousavi is beginning to get labeled now as "the Gandhi of Iran." Of course, he isn't Gandhi, but in the now represents the ideal of Gandhi - Acceptance

Addendum 2: Examples of how what is happening
is different.... This isn't about peace nor do they want conflict, people want acceptance and to move on with a better life. They are resisting government attempts to create more violence, yet the overall response of actions are not peaceful either. This is all about Acceptance of Humanity. Acceptance can seem to be peace, but as shown over the past few days people are more than open to use non peaceful ways to respond (note: non peaceful doesn't mean conflict either...).

The Tao teaches us the answer is not to be defined before it happens, the answer needs to evolve in real time in response to the heart of being...alive and present. It's possible for all sides to change course to something better.

Addendum 3: Further Shifts where groups
join together in release.... This isn't about how we expect a revolution to occur, by its very nature: revolution is a time of fundamental change. This isn't the past... It's real time: As the saying goes the revolution will not be televised... but it sure the hell will get twittered and connected all the same.




This is a lesson for the world, as communication opens up to be more and more equally shared: eventually it will blossom out and people will stand up to establish a social structure more balanced to acceptance over dictates.

Addendum 4: Ayatollah Khomeini takes the stance of a
morally corrupted dictator.... In his statements today, Ayatollah Khomeini is pushing people to violence. So know any blood that happens will be directly on his hands, his soul. He is trying to force the situation into Conflict to obtain Peace. He isn't standing behind truth of Allah, he is acting as a Dictator. He is repeating the patterns of the Shah and has become a reflection of the Shah. We just reached the turning point, this wont become something new, instead Khomeini has set the stage for history to repeat itself. If not today very soon, the people in Iran will over turn a dictator again. The pattern has been set. Ironically it is the leader Ayatollah Khomeini who has defined how he will fall. It's a shame. If he rose to acceptance, he could have averted conflict and been part of creating something new and better.


I wish Inner Strength to everyone in Iran standing up to be in their life fully right now. If you hold true, there is a chance.

Namaste

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Words

Words are both my bane and love at times.  

I just love how poetic some are: like nigh.  

Nigh to release towards heart,  
while tides of potential peak  
times ebb back  
Atlantis circles to sight...  

Its just a cool word: nigh  

But words being models and representations: words are also my bane... people take them too seriously, attach and judge life to them. So many people literally build prisons and dungeons based solely on the words bantered about. As a Taoist teacher, I work with patience as students trip over the words rather than releasing into the poetry of no meaning and multiple meanings at once.

We are taught to define words (Webster's greatest achievement is his greatest sin also) and that is the trap: as in once we begin to define those pesky words we think that reflects back to define our own life, our own shape.

The Tao is the Tao...
No definitions please,
release into the Tao simply as...
discovering how to swim
with the poetry of your life.

Words will cascade down waterfalls
Don't tumble after such meaning
But do dive into it also
coming back up wet
refreshed with most ironically
new meanings each and every time.

It's nigh time indeed to release.

Namaste

Monday, June 15, 2009

Knowing Release

Looking to the sky  





And we find so much to wonder upon.  


Looking into the heart 



And our life unfurls as the flower.  

It all completes in circle. The path of knowledge takes us to the stars, the path of release opens up our heart.

Knowledge and Release meeting, merging so we may then discover our life.



Namaste

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Growing up

I watch Mina and our friends children grow. Our friends are staying the next few weeks with their children. It's all mixing around and swirling about with the children, the children finding their shape in life as they play.  

The illusion is to think we do grow up: the limitations we place on ourselves becomes the very definition used to make ourselves into an adult, with fixed jobs, habits and duty.


On a side note: have people noticed yesterday : Saturday June 14th... was a particularly stressful day? Just doing an informal poll. The past few weeks have been busier than normal and yesterday seemed to be particularity at odds to calmness.

Namaste

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Power

Power represents the ability to define oneself. 

That power comes out from how we act, To a Taoist it becomes clear we should treat others with respect through kindness. That reflection of respect will have the power to allow others to treat us back with respect.

However, this isn't a Taoist culture, instead it appears this current culture uses fear instead.

To live in fear based society, is a culture of legalism which was a particularly brutal time in China's history. People end up finding power by defining others in order to define themselves. Hence in reference to my last post, we find police who end up tasering grandmothers, since they have been taught to use fear to define and control the world around them. The bantering of Tasers about actually ensures that they get used and used wrongly much of the time. Since they are not being used as defensive devices but rather as "weapons" to project power. Using fear to drive actions of others.

Yet the real problem isn't about rogue policeman: it's a far larger problem of the society using fear as the source of power. History in Legalism has already shown: this tact doesn't work and leads to a corrupted culture.

I don't want to keep repeating my mantra: don't live to fear, live as yourself.

Instead I will simply state: be aware, make your own choices and I wish each of you the best of life.

Good Night and Good Luck... and always remember to stand up for your truth.

Namaste

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Police State and Disrespect to Elderly

It says much, that police instead of using patience, reason or kindness, instead quickly resort to tasering grand mothers.  

Having helped people on the street I have seen first hand how the system works. People wouldn't believe the stories of police brutality, that the homeless experience. This video is only one of many that show how a culture of fear and abuse truly behaves. But showing truth is never enough: 

What this video reveals is nothing new...

Don't think: oh it's worse now than before. No it isn't worse, it's just easier to bring to light abuse of power.

What's new is we can more quickly reveal truth to each other.

What anyone does with truth is always a personal choice. But I personally believe it's a time to live kinder not to fear and not to use power in forcing others.

You see showing the truth isn't enough, since people also have to act to truth to make a difference. Such action is as simple as living kinder now.
The system can change since the system is us...

Don't let a few force you to live to fear. It's time to be strong but kind in how we live life now.

Namaste

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Art in Life

My friend Peony just shared this link to Japanese man hole covers.  



Art is the expression of exploring our souls. We live in search and ful-fillment of that soul. While the soul might be the core of who we are... it's how we live that expresses and reveals the soul.

So why not create beauty in even the mundane, as art... rather than so busily rushing on by...

I am not looking for answers, I can give dozens of reasons why people rush past life rather than embrace it as art. These answers only distract a person away from releasing into their nature.

So instead of looking for answers, experience this truth: It's more important to occasionally pause, to embrace, to take the time to express beauty in: life, your work and how you move in living. Be it a carpenter, office assistant or even iron monger: it's always possible to add a little flare of style in how you connect to the world... to always reflect back, to illuminate nature & your inner self further than you might guess.


Namaste

Monday, June 08, 2009

The Tide of Tao

I once wrote that the Tao is a Tide of Tides...  

In Taoism we practice living to potential. As the tide of Tao shifts: Potential increases. That increase of potential can be felt in your life. Everything starts shifting, in all sorts of ways from good and bad. Being potential, it will take a form to better compliment your life. This isn't a logical process, For example things will break when least expected, when pushing oneself too hard, since by pushing too you hard you also create the need for release. 


The difference with the Shifting of Tides, potential is shifting in ways that cannot be predicted by past lessons learned... the subtle shifts of potential create vast differences in how life can unfold. This is the time when a butterfly effect turns the breeze into a hurricane, since potentials pile up in such a manner to amplify seemingly small effects.

We will notice in personal lives first, more relationship turmoils, things breaking unexpectedly, connections out of the blue, whimsical coincidences that seem improbable, occur more frequently. It's a time to listen to one's life to better flow with your own life.


As the song goes Times are a changing




So how is this any different than anytime before?

Quite simply the answer is this:

We are living it :)

As the subtle tide shifts, this is a good time to practice awareness, to flow with life, rather than get caught in a riptide against your nature.

This isn't a time to watch the larger world or news: instead this is a time to pay closer attention to home. Our home is always a reflection to the larger universe... Our inner life always contains all the connections needed to reach out. So now, here, pay close attention to look inward to home. Looking outwards means to miss what is transitioning now... inside... heart.

Do you feel this?

Julie and I are now taking time to simplify, not to push, but be strong in life... Slowing down into heart... Change is always most subtle at the start of the process, but the most profound truths are to be had now, in the pause, as the tide of tides now starts to shift again.

Namaste

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Teaching and Truth

Teaching is a meandering conversation  

It never has to be more complicated than that, but people often make it so... for the challenge not for the truth...

Namaste

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Termites

Around dinner time, Julie looked up to the light and asked: "Are Those Termites?" 

Sure enough a few termites were flying around the kitchen light. So as a family we go into Termite mode. We started by turning off all bulbs, except one, to concentrate the termites in the house to a single spot. However, it quickly became apparent there were, not one or two, but dozens appearing out of no where... (normally it's only a few coming in from outside) 

Our home is a older wooden home, and termites are a fact of life in Hawaii. We are slowly organically removing them, but it is taking some patience to do so with orange oil and finding the nests.

Ok, we go into stage two of our termite dance. We get out a little floor lamp to attract them to the floor to make it easier to remove them. Julie and Mina went off to get the termites at the floor, I was busy finishing off a hundred or so termites on the ceiling. Mina was shouting "die you little f*ckers" and doing a very good job at removing the menace... Julie and I were both quite proud of her style. 

It was clear something was very wrong... normally this only should have been 5 or 10 termites not hundreds... So I begin to search around inside the house... Sure enough, there was an active nest in one of our walls, releasing flying termites into the house and I might add onto me: which is helpful since it's easier to catch them when they are on you... 

Julie being brilliant, went into stage three: She mopped the floor and the wet light reflecting off the floor would cause the termites to get stuck. Then we could just mop them up dozens at a time. I went off to inspect other walls to make sure no other swarms were happening. 

I went outside gather a few geckos and I released them to the wall. They went off happily eating all they could. 

That was 3 hours ago. The termite witching hour is over... 6:30 to 9pm is the time flying termites swarm in rush hour for their work day. 

Termites on the wing, are like flying angels fluttering in the air. Then they land, lose their wings and become worm like demons, intent on devouring your entire home... That's life, good and bad all rolled into one simple wood eating package. 

Off to bed now... hopefully I can get the termite people here in a few days to orange oil the walls again... 

We are still learning to pace our life here. Life on the Big Island of Hawaii, is not life on the mainland, its home for so many, including us... You quickly learn to let go of all attachment except that of family here. House and material goods just fade away here, but family and friends are ever present and eternal. 

It's home, you can't help but love home, even if you deal more often with termites... 

Addendum: no swarms tonight :) back to normal

Namaste. 

Friday, June 05, 2009

Simple post ...

A Simple Smile :)

have a fun weekend.



Experiment, follow the potential from a smile,

Just on a whim, you might be surprised if you don't let fear twist it away...

Namaste

Thursday, June 04, 2009

At Times We Shake Off What We Were

It is not time to be a warrior, magician nor a priest  

Those are older stories of our past in Taoism  


Coming full circle  

it is time again to be true  

truly human
  

Namaste

Economy of Heart: The Truth of Changing Times

Having wandered and helped people on the streets I was always most amused by street preachers. Shouting out their truth only to drive most people away.

Preaching is not an effective tool to push truth, becuase most people use it to "PUSH" truth. If you push a person, you push them further away from you.

We are living in times of change. This means many many people are actively trying to push their change, their truth onto others. Street preachers have moved to the news and papers. Western Media is a shouting match where "truth" gets lost in the din of everyone pushing their core values outwards.

  • Shouting out truth is a poor method in transmitting truth.


I am surprised at several simple truths.. the most important truth of our economic times being...

The economy isn't about truth, it's about power and manipulation.

We can display the truth all we want about the economy, it won't change people's minds when they are following larger economic trends.

We can show people the light... but it just blinds people who insist upon embracing darkness.

We sort through all the information to help us understand trends... nothing more. Trying to use truth to change the world ... just pushes others away from the truth in their discomfort of the truth, their discomfort of change itself...

The reality is yes it's all messed up... But at some point if you want to change it, ironically you just have to walk away from it so it can crumble and allow new growth to occur.

That is where we are now. Profits will be made in understanding this, and investors will bankrupt themselves thinking they can change the system from the inside out. Change will come but after the "truth" of today crumbles into being the past.

The other point is money is power, money is how people in this culture define themselves. People are 90% emotions 10% truth... so it only takes a little emotional arm twisting to have huge negative impact to one's statements... Don't fall into the trap of using negative emotions to push for positive change, Negative fear / emotions drive people to act in fear and produces negative results... which drives the money straight to those who wield the power in this case...

Just be aware of the unintended side effects of how "truth" is presented since being extra vocal right now may not help as we think it does. I mention all of this, since living in change, it is easy to get tempted and shout a little, trying to compete with all the street preachers in Western Media.


Let other's do the shouting, for they are just driving people back to the heart.

You see the easiest way of getting the word out on the truth of living to heart, is to live to an economy of the heart. This is not something we shout, it's something we live. In kindness , one person at a time we do create our new world.

As an aside here is a fun little video well done on how to help shift truth to a way people can embrace it

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Namaste

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Know yourself, to Transform into yourself

As a Taoist I teach

  • The nature of potential
  • How to activate and flow with potential
  • How not to limit oneself
Since we live in times of high potential: what does that mean for you?

We are at the peak of a large wave of change, soon to crest. A wave of change rippling out to shift society and how people live life.

It means

  • Will you let yourself be changed to outside forces...

    OR

  • Will you follow your own inner potential...

    allowing yourself to Blossom as yourself?

Know yourself so you can transform into yourself

What does "know" mean ?

I use know in a larger sense of Accepting oneself fully.

This translates into three aspects of acceptance

To understand the "facts" of who you are

To anchor oneself in personal "faith" of your true inner nature

To be aware and use "perception" to guide how change flows in your life


Few people take the time to listen to their inner voice. Like it or not, as a culture we are at a place of crux, of change. That means as individuals we too are being forced to take a look at who we are. While many people will flow as the wave goes...

It's also possible to be aware of your inner nature, to personally channel potential and flow change of oneself to heart, to your core nature.

Many people I know are taking advantage of this fact to drop out of the mainstream culture, to live better and healthier.

  • If enough people do this: then this becomes the wave of potential that becomes reality.

What matters is this, we are at a place now, to take advantage of the time to be in heart. Heart represent connections to others and your life. Being in heart, in your nature and sure of oneself, is what makes the difference later for grounding and how one shifts their life to live well during times of change.

The destination is not the goal, it's how we use the times to transform, to be oneself fully... That is the challenge and joy of being alive today. Possibly and I would argue these are indeed the best of times now... These only become the worse of times if you don't live as yourself.

The destination becomes transformation and the transformation is one of being your full potential in these times of greatest potential...

Also know, in transformation you have many potential forms to take, many being good choices. It's not the final form that matters, as much as making sure the process of transformation matches to your nature. Some people might be surprised at where they end up, but they will discover joy as the process followed their heart.

It's a personal choice no matter how others may try to take your power away, take your choice of what you are to be away. Just by living and living well now... this is enough to discover and know yourself now... and follow your life truly, One step at a time in these times of potential.

Namaste

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Being a Teacher, Being a Student

Lately I have been getting more students, Here is an introduction to how I teach remotely (which is different than teaching at a retreat). I don't teach in a western style, I am a Taoist, having developed a style that works with students scattered all over the world. My methods are simple and don't overwhelm me from working with too many people at once.

It's a meandering process. You have actually started now, by sitting down and working on yourself, from your heart. It's not about the teacher. It's about you the student.

Yes I provide guidance, but I am thousands of miles away and you are at your center.. You are taking the right steps now, Understanding you must live your life, take actions of personal kindness and Just do. In this mix my part is making sure to teach how to remove fear, how to extend awareness so each student can take their own steps more easily.

Most questions are worth releasing rather than chasing.

First it is about listening to how the heart accepts your life, how your own breath connects out to touch the world, how your own voice, speaks with joy as you.

I can't count how many students I have anymore, nor can I answer all the questions that fall as rain. I have boundaries to how much in kindness I can share lest I myself fade as rain to steam in the tropical jungle at midday. I answer as required to teach release and trust to your heart to fill in the rest, as it should ... since it's your life.

The process can only begin if you accept Life is your teacher. I, an occasional guide, to share a smile and chat with.

This is all about awareness and kindness mixing over time: together, in friendship, to explore what it is to breathe, to stoke up the heart, to wonder, ponder, to know what life is : by living it as ourselves.

This is how as a Taoist I teach. To get a degree, to shore up ego, then go to the University. If you want to be a Taoist: then live life. Occasionally, as you need: guides, teachers, friends will come and go.. But always to remain connected within heart. Once this process starts not much needs to get said, since in connection you can discover both acceptance and understanding.

This might seem too simple to some. A question or two once every few months is typically what a student will ask me... But it's enough to change and recenter an entire life.

  • Consumer based societies like ours train people to always want more ...

  • I re-teach, you already have enough. That in heart you have fullness already.

Namaste

Monday, June 01, 2009

Down By The River


I spent some time this weekend crawling around on the cliff behind my home and retreat. Here is one shot nearer to the base. At this point the cliff gets undercut by the river and so its a 40 - 50 foot straight drop to the water.

It was a nice spiritual experience for me. At first scampering down the first 150 feet down.. Our exploration typical starts as a struggle, going against tropical heat, jungle, scree, places requiring trust / instinct to get around and down to. It's a matter of letting go into the pace.

Boundaries are by definition are a challenge to pass through as they offer resistance between two states of being.
Then it opens up and to discover a wonderful grassy rocky knoll from which it's possible to take a breather and take it all in... to simply bask in joy of being present in the moment.

At this point: part of the desire is to get down that last 40 feet, But instead it all opens up to just being one with the river.. no matter where one moves and meanders with life.

  • The joy is enough to simply be present
Learn it isn't the destination outside of your life that is the goal. It's the one inside, being present and aware with life, which forms the first boundary to what many call the light.

Peace in your path as you find your own true steps to enlightenment.


Namaste.