1927: You can then be guided by that one Law, you can then walk along that one solitary path. We are all walking along the same path, to the same goal, obeying the same Law. 

Aug-Sept 1929: I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. You must climb towards the Truth. It cannot be 'stepped down' or organized for you.

1933: I feel that no one can lead another to truth, because truth is infinite; it is a pathless land, and no one can tell you how to find it. No one can teach you to be an artist; another can only give you the brushes and canvas and show you the colours to use.

1948: You cannot discover the path, because there is no path, Truth is a thing that is living, and to a living thing there is no path - it is only to dead things that there can be a path. Truth being pathless, to discover it you must be adventurous, ready for danger; and do you think a guru will help you to be adventurous, to live in danger? To seek a guru obviously indicates that you are not adventurous, that you are merely seeking a path to reality as a means of security.

1957: There is no path to reality. Reality is a pathless land, and you must venture out and discover it for yourself. It is because you are frightened inwardly that you depend on something, on the priest, or on a belief, and so you get caught in the net of an organized religion.

Comm. on Living III: There is no path to that which is beyond all the paths that men have made and trodden. To find that pathless reality, you have to see the truth in the false, or the false as the false. If you perceive that the path you have trodden is false - not in comparison with something else, not through the judgment of disappointment, nor through the evaluation of social morality, but false in itself - then that very perception of the false is awareness of the true.

Only Revolution But truth is not (an accumulation); it is really a pathless land; it may be at the next curve of the road, or a thousand miles away. You have to keep going and then you will find it beside you.

1976: But as truth is a pathless land, you can't lay down a line, a direction, a path to it and practise it, discipline yourself, learn a technique. It is immovable. There is no technique to truth.

1982: So one has to be totally free from all that because truth has no path to it. It is a pathless land, like a ship that has no rudder. You have to walk out of darkness, out of your own chaos, out of your own confusion, out of the forest of ignorance and come to that by yourself, your own comprehension of perception.

1982: Because if there is any form of conditioning, psychically, inwardly, truth cannot be found. Truth is a pathless land, and it must come to one when there is total freedom from conditioning.

1984: Because self-interest is very small, very petty, very narrow and unless there is complete freedom of that, truth becomes impossible. And truth cannot be through any path, it is a pathless land. You can't go through any system, through any method, through any form of meditation to reach that.

- Jiddu Krishnamurti

BB, Ani 

Thanks Ani,
I really liked this one:

"I feel that no one can lead another to truth, because truth is infinite; it is a pathless land, and no one can tell you how to find it."

Bliss masters speak their own truth so all truth is known. - APK

bb, ani 

"I am never unhappy.  You can achieve that as well." 

"An unquestioned mind is a world of suffering."

"I’m very clear that everyone in the world loves me. I just don’t expect them to realize it yet."

bb, ani  

"You can ravish your woman so deeply that her surrender breaks your heart into light."

"You'll never get what you really want. All you can do is give what you really want."

"Anyone who separates being and doing is still enjoying separation."

"Good artists are skilled, but great artists convey an immense depth of feeling through their expertise. The same goes for the art of sex. A good lover knows how to make the body sing. But a great lover, a superior lover, evokes a vast choir of bliss."

"If your purpose is to liberate yourself and others into love and freedom, then you should do whatever magnifies the love and freedom in your life and in the lives of whom your actions affect."

"The word "surrender" is often interpreted as giving up, as weakness, as admitting defeat. Although this is one way to use the word, we will use it in a different way. Surrendering means letting go of your resistance to the total openness of who you are. It means giving up the tension of the little vortex you believe yourself to be and realizing the deep power of the ocean you truly are. It means to open with no boundaries, emotional or physical, so you ease wide beyond any limiting sense of self you might have."

"The amount of consciousness with which you can ravish your woman--the size of your 'spiritual penis,' so to speak--is determined by how fully you have surrendered as openness and love. Practice opening as free being, as unbounded love, even as thoughts come and go, fears clench and pass, and desires ebb and flow."

"Successfully completing a lesser purpose doesn't feel good very good for very long, because it is simply preparation for advancing toward a greater embodiment of your deeper purpose."

- David Deida

BB, Ani 

The Mystic Jesus

 by Ethan Walker III
The Mystic Christ is an ancient tale of mystic union, salvation, and enlightenment. It is the careful uncovering of a lost treasure of immeasurable value, long buried in the suffocating darkness of conventional orthodoxy on one side, and blind fundamentalist extremism on the other. From the viewpoint of the world’s mystical religious traditions which includes Gnosticism, the brilliant light of the Master’s way is revealed as a penetrating radical non-duality unifying all people and all of life. His path to this all-embracing unity is the spiritual practice of pure selfless love. Love God intensely, love our neighbor as our own Self, bless those that curse us, and pray for those that mistreat us. Love has been lost, becoming nothing more than a word in the dictionary and, yet, it remains the foundation of Jesus’ message.

The Mystic Christ is also a compelling story of the ego, the personification of ignorance, and how it has distorted and subverted the sublime sayings of the Master, twisting reality into unreality and light into darkness. The ego is the Antichrist in this ancient drama that has gripped every culture for all time in its talons of self-centered perception. The ego is anti-love.

Adam and Eve were not the first people, the nature of man is good, scripture is not infallible, Jesus is one of the ways, all religions are paths to God, reincarnation is in the Bible, the resurrection as a personal spiritual awakening, and the error of eternal damnation are all carefully and lovingly revealed in the life and sayings of Jesus.

The Mystic Christ is thoroughly punctuated with quotes from Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu and other masters of the mystical traditions. But, most importantly, over 230 scriptural references from the Old and New Testament are used to illustrate the harmony that exists between the life and teachings of Jesus and the world’s great religions.

With the skill of a surgeon and the wisdom of Socrates, the author removes 2000 years of ego-centered bindings that have hidden the brilliant light of the Master from the world. The Mystic Christ is at once profoundly fascinating, deeply historic and electric with the vibration of the mystical experience.

The Nag Hammadi Scriptures

Finally, a pivotal new translation of the Nag Hammadi Library – in its entirety – has arrived! Dr. Marvin Meyer has masterfully produced a volume that is certain to become a standard source for studying Gnosticism. Since the original publication of the Nag Hammadi Library in 1977, religious scholars have greatly matured their understanding of these Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi. This refinement is fully reflected in the “scholarly ear” of both the spiritual tradition that is preserved in these Gnostic Coptic texts and the ancient forgotten tongue. This publication of The Nag Hammadi Scriptures represents a landmark in the contemporary understanding of Gnostic tradition in every way possible. Elaine Pagels, the author and professor who has paved the way to understanding Gnostic Gospels for many, fittingly composes the introduction to this milestone book. This comprehensive and crucial translation proves a much better way for Gnostics and Gnostic scholars to enjoy and understand the Gnostic scriptures. While every scholar of Gnosticism will want a copy of this edition, we recommend studying the smaller introductory books listed below before delving into this large volume. Visit our bookstore for more information, including how to purchase it through our website.

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The Gnostic Gospels
      by Elaine Pagels
This new edition provides the perfect starting point to any Gnostic reading program. Pagels produces a popular classic that has been celebrated by novices and scholars alike. While this book is now slightly dated (published in 2004), readers will be hard pressed to find a better introductory book that covers classical Gnosticism and the discovery of the Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi. The combination of this book with Hoeller’s introductory work (Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing, listed above) provide a sound and thorough introduction to Gnosticism. Additionally, many readers follow this work with another one of Pagels’ groundbreaking books Beyond Belief. Visit our bookstore for more information, including how to purchase it through our website.

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With another book destined to become a classic, Pagels revisits the themes she initially introduced in her breakthrough study, The Gnostic Gospels. In Beyond Belief, Pagels blends ancient history with a subtle telling of her personal struggle in an effort to reveal the intimacy of spirituality. The novel is a journey, guiding the reader with meticulously argued steps to a remote spiritual Christian tradition that was regarded as heresy and later ostracized and forgotten by what would later become an orthodox creedal faith. Pagels reveals to her readers her compassion for this forgotten Christianity through her majestic book.

Written before The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels investigates the Valentinian Gnostic reading of the Pauline letters which present a new perspective on Pauline studies. This exegesis of Paul is composed in a high scholarly fashion.

In her trademark intellectual style, Pagels examines the initial three chapters of Genesis and their impact on the political thought and development of Christendom. While each chapter of the book is important, the chapter titled “Gnostic Improvement on Genesis” is of particular importance to Gnostic readers.

"Where there is faith, there is love; where there is love, there is peace; where there is peace, there is GOD/DESS; where there is GOD/DESS, there is bliss."  -Sai Baba

BB, Ani 

BB, Ani 

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.  

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This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

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I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed.

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I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.

/>

I am a simple Buddhist monk.

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Human beings are of such nature that they should have not only material facilities but spiritual sustenance as well. Without spiritual sustenance, it is difficult to get and maintain peace of mind.

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From the viewpoint of absolute truth, what we feel and experience in our ordinary daily life is all delusion. Of all the various delusions, the sense of discrimination between oneself and others is the worst form, as it creates nothing but unpleasantness for both sides. If we can realize and meditate on ultimate truth, it will cleanse our impurities of mind and thus eradicate the sense of discrimination. This will help to create true love for one another. The search for ultimate truth is, therefore, vitally important.

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I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever

I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.

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Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human “brain” with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human “heart” with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.

/>

I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.

BB, Ani 

WoW great thread, and lots of people I recognise and many I do not, thank you so much for the info. big hugs and love Jenna

  TY Jenna...more to come, of course. 

bb, ani 

BUDDHA 

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

Siddhartha Gautama, a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the historical founder of Buddhism, lived from about from about 563 BC to around 410 or 400 BC. He is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. Siddhartha Gautama was not the only Buddha, but the first of 28 Buddhas.

Westerners commonly misunderstand Buddhism by assuming that Buddha is the Buddhist counterpart to “God”; when in fact the Buddha is merely a teacher who guides and directs people towards Nirvana. A Buddha is any being who has reached Nirvana; who has become fully awakened to the truth or enlightenment on their own, without a teacher to lead the way. Any Buddha famous life quote here could be from any of the twenty-eight. It is still offered as a quote from Buddha.

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha)
Some Buddhists contemplate the Buddha as having nine characteristics:
1. A worthy one
2. Perfectly self-enlightened
3. Stays in perfect knowledge
4. Well gone
5. Unsurpassed knowledge of the world
6. Unsurpassed leader of persons
7. Teacher of the gods and humans
8. The Enlightened One
9. The Blessed One or Fortunate One

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him”.

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 27, 1910, of Albanian descent. At the age of 12 she felt called by God to be a missionary. She became a nun at 21 after three years in a convent in Ireland, and went to teach at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. She never saw her mother and sister again. She was affected her so deeply by the misery and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls that in 1948 she received permission to leave the convent school and dedicate herself to working among the penniless, destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she started an open-air school for slum children, and her life’s work began. In 1950 she started her own order "The Missionaries of Charity", which became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI in 1965. The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world with the principal task to love and care for those nobody else was prepared to look after. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

BE THERE..ALOHA...

www.jkrishnamurti.org

BB, Ani 

Not quite certain if all of these "iconoclasts" would be viewed as bliss masters by some, but since they all appear to be living their bliss, I thought we might introduce them.  TY Robert Redford for your continued, beautiful vision.  TY 4 living your bliss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABAHR0oNusM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xEu8MAgOgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePAZ_RiRGgo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Vmmo47ucU

Blissings, Ani

TY Jennie P...

Earth-Sky-Heart. Message from Drunvalo.

For twenty-two years, the angels have asked that I teach people in a direct manner through workshops, lectures, seminars, and books. It has been a wonderful, spiritually-loving period of grace for me. Hopefully my experience has helped many of you in the world to remember your original connection to God and all life, everywhere.

In that time, I have looked into the eyes of tens of thousands of people and always - I see the same Divine Spirit looking back - a different personality, but the same Spirit. We have different skin color, eye color, shape of our bodies, and languages, but we truly are all the same. Although we are separated by physical distance, and by our talents and interests, in our hearts we are One with the Creator who is the Source of All.

Long, long ago we humans were quite different. This oneness we all share was once understood and felt by everyone - but things changed on this planet and we came to believe that we are separate from each other and from the Source. Before that belief took root in our consciousness we could communicate and experience in ways that only a few in today's modern world would even begin to understand. We could use a form of communication and sensing that does not involve the brain whatsoever, but rather comes from the sacred space within the human heart. From the Heart we could create and heal anything because in that place we humans are one with the Spirit that lives and breathes and moves through everything.

The Light that this universe was created for lives in each one of us - and within us lies the answer and solution to the world's problems. The Earth-Sky-Heart Workshop is about finding the way back to the sacred space within the Heart. It is about remembering who you truly are and returning to the place where you and Great Spirit are intimately one.

By remembering and living who we really are we can change the Dream we are living into one of great beauty, harmony, and ease. We do not have to experience this transition we are all in as turbulent and chaotic. In Unity we can do anything. Working as one, we can share our experiences and our wisdom - and open to each other in ways that bring trust, harmony and healing in our lives so that ultimately the whole world can come into balance. It is your choice. It begins with you and me.

Once you have experienced what it means to live in the Heart your life will change forever. May all those who choose to participate in this workshop find what they truly need to know in order to keep on growing closer to the Source. And may all of our lives be uplifted in a healing way, both for our selves and for all life, everywhere.

Together, from that place, we can consciously co-create a new and better Dream.

It is a joy for me to work with you and I am deeply grateful for your support. Please accept my heartfelt appreciation for who you are and for your commitment to creating a new and better world, 'From the Heart'. Thank you for being alive and thank you for allowing me to serve you until now. In the future may the Earth-Sky-Heart Workshop be a blessing in your life and that of Mother Earth."

In Love and Service,
Drunvalo Melchizedek

www.drunvalo.net and www.floweroflife.org

Am a member of the order of Melchizedek, but haven't been active in too many years.  DM's books are incredible, but very demanding, and require determined commitment.  Workshops are FABULOUS.  Enjoy!

Blissings, Ani 

Interesting review - sorry it pasted so badly - of our current "gurus."  from www.energygrid.com

blissings, Ani 

The Face of Truth is covered

with a brilliant golden orb.

Remove it, O Sun,
so that I who am devoted to the Truth
may behold the Truth.

The Face of Truth awakens us.

The Eye of Truth feeds us.

The Heart of Truth builds us.

lovely jaylena...thank you so much...smile. 

blissings, ani

A Discourse for  Devotees, by Michael Goldstein M.D.

My dear Brothers and sisters:

Sai Ram to you all.

I am happy to be with you and very grateful to Swami for this opportunity to speak to you. We are in a good place today, and in fact, we are here together on this planet Earth, living our human lives given to us by God, for the purpose of loving and raising one another to the experience of pure love.

Spiritual realisation is the constant realisation of divine consciousness. That is the reason why we are here together today and why we live these human lives which God has given us.

As devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, as sincere spiritual aspirants, as people with common sense, we recognise the importance of time, the time spent in this good place and the time which we spend embodied in these human lives, given by God. This time is limited.

Hence we focus on the most important: “The nature of God and man, our spiritual purpose and our plan, and time, time, time.

Now is the time to amplify our perspective and contemplate the human passage from birth to realisation, from the entrance into this world and its obstacles, to the transcendence which goes beyond the illusions of maya! Now is the time to move towards becoming aware of our innate divinity.

Today I am speaking to you about these themes, but I must ask myself, “Am I prepared, and am I worthy?” What do &lsquorepared’ and ‘worthy’ mean?

Recently, our beloved Swami gave me a profound and poignant lesson on the significance of being prepared and being worthy, a lesson which is applicable to all of us, in every moment and in everything we do.

I was in Prasanthi immersed in a conflict which was the result of my own attachments. I had serious differences of opinion with my brothers of the organisation. Unresolved differences of opinion breed conflicts.

Conflicts breed bitterness and deception. Bitterness and deception breed anger. Anger is the antithesis of spirituality.

This particular day, Swami had planed to give a discourse. He came out to give Darshan; he walked among the multitudes and exuded his Divine Love. We were all seated there, waiting to hear His discourse.

Generally, His discourses are a preceded by one or two orators pre-selected by Swami. That day, I did not have the privilege of being pre-selected. Swami came to me and to my great surprise he asked, “Goldstein, are you going to speak?” I answered, “Swami did not give me instructions to speak today, but if it is Your will, then I will do so.”

Swami then asked, “Are you prepared?”  I replied, “If it is Your will, then, Swami, I am prepared.” He moved away and continued to give Darshan.

A little later He returned and once again he asked, “Are you prepared?” I repeated to Him, “If it is Your will, then I am prepared.”

He entered his room for some moments, and came out again walking among the devotees. Before sitting in His chair for the Divine Discourse, for a third time He came up to me and asked. “Are you prepared?”

This time full of eagerness, anticipating the happiness to have been selected by Swami to speak in His Divine Presence, I said, “Yes Swami, I am prepared!”

Swami then leaned close to me and said softly, “To be prepared… Is a state of the inner self.”

Instantly I knew the significance of His words!!! “PREPARED AND WORTHY ARE ONE” I had thought I was prepared to speak, but

Instantly I knew the significance of His words!!! “PREPARED AND WORTHY ARE ONE” I had thought I was prepared to speak, but I was experiencing inner unrest. Your words must reflect what you think, feel and do.

Then you will be prepared and you will be worthy. I was feeling uneasiness and conflict with respect to matters of the Sai Organisation and so was not prepared to speak of peace and love.

My interior world was not in peace nor in harmony. “To be prepared is a state of the inner self” and obviously I was not prepared, and I must tell you that I did not speak that day. For us, Sai devotees, to be prepared and to be worthy are one and the same.

With a simple word or phrase, Swami teaches us many lessons at many levels. That is the nature of Divinity. One of the reasons for telling you this story in particular is that I know that many of you have bad feelings about our Sathya Sai Organisation.

Now I beseech you to search deeply within yourselves and ask your conscience, which is your master, if these sentiments are noble, spiritual, free of all egoism and worthy. As always, we want a spiritual experience! So let us look as the result of those meetings and programmes offered by the Organisation, the true spiritual experience and not only mundane achievements. 

Now I must repeat my mantra for today, the nature of God and man, our purpose and plan, and time, time, time.

And God?

When the Lord allows himself to manifest himself among Man, it is to ennoble him and allow him to understand the Divine Essence and the purpose of human life. The Lord, to make Himself known, allows Himself to manifest Himself to Man in many ways. God has created nature for us, that we may find our own divinity. It is like playing ‘hide and seek’. Being the omnipresent Lord, He hides everywhere. Candidly we look for Him outside of ourselves, as we mature spiritually we look within, in our own hearts. There we find our true self, our divine self, our self…. free of all egoism.

The knowledge of God is immanent in all the experiences of life.

In so many ways the Lord allows himself to be recognised by man. Unquestionably, the greatest of all is when he takes the form of man, embodies as Avatar, as God-man and walks amid us. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us that this occurs when civilisation suffers a spiritual and moral downfall, to the point that darkness befalls us. The Lord comes to the world as a divine light, loving and enlightening, and he enables us to recognise the outstanding characteristics of true humanity, of nobility, of character, of excellence. He manifests himself in the universal human values; Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, Ahimsa; truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai has embodied for this purpose. Contemplate and rejoice! The lamb and the lion of God are amidst us!!!!!

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our Beloved Sai, is merciful and compassionate, peaceable and loving. He is the Lamb of God.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our beloved Swami, is all powerful, omniscient, omnipotent. He is the lion of God.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our beloved Swami, is the divine synthesis of sweetness and strength, of innocence and of knowledge, of attainability and of invulnerability. 

He is both the lamb and the lion of God.

Frequently, through the years, many people have asked why I travel to India, being so far away and so often. Before answering the question, I contemplate my experiences with Swami in the last 25 years and I ask myself the same questions, which I have just mentioned.

Who among men, knows all that we have thought, felt, said, done and also dreamt?

Who among men, knows all that we have thought, felt, said, done and also dreamt?

Who among men, is not limited by the law of time and space, nor matter nor energy, as our scarce knowledge allows us to understand God’s creation?

Who among men can comfort the ignorant, or the suffering, with a look, a smile, a simple touch and so many other imperceptible ways?

Who among men has given his life for the good of humanity so magnanimously, and so free of all egoism, always giving and forgiving, never taking and forgetting?

Who among men spontaneously speaks the eternal truth with fundamental authority?

Who among men can inspire the pure and innocent love of a child in the hardest and most cynical of hearts?

According to my experience, Sathya Sai Baba does all of these things. For me, that confirms His Divinity. Ironically, Swami himself has said that only an idiot goes out into the world to look for God, because God resides in the heart of every man and woman. So, perhaps I have made so many journeys to India because of stubbornness and being hardhearted.

But I feel a great unprecedented love and rejoicing, when I am in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba.

The life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba demonstrates Divinity and inspires our own spiritual transformation.

The message of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches us the nature and paths of Divinity and inspires us to look for the spiritual purpose of life.

The work of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba exemplifies the omnipotence of Divinity and inspires us to emulate Him to transcend our imagined limitations.

The nature of God and man, our purpose and our plan and time, time, time.

What about time?

Bhagavan Baba has said, “Don’t waste even one moment of the span of life which has been granted to you. Time is the body of God”

Swami is like a divine clock. The hands of the clock, whose movement we cannot see, represent the changes that He is making in the world. The minute hand represents those movements that we can almost see. They represent the changes that He is making in each and every one of us. The second hand, whose movements are almost imperceptible, represent those glorious occasions when Swami intervenes directly in our lives and we know it without any doubt whatsoever.

I remember an incident in which a devotee, who had been behaving incorrectly was reprimanded by Swami. The devotee, mortified by Swami’s reproach, said to Him: “Swami, I will stop my incorrect actions from this moment on.” Swami responded, very severely, “ From this moment on--no, but from right now!”

Without a doubt, Swami wants us to understand that time is life and that no one knows what awaits us ahead. How can we squander the most priceless which cannot be replaced, and which cannot even be measured …? The time of our lives! Only Swami knows what is awaiting us.

The presence of Bhagavan Baba amidst us, here and now is the will and work of God. In fact, it is the Lord himself that has come to keep us from the precipice of auto-destruction. That He is with us here and now, in the human form of our beloved Swami-- that is the will and work of God.

The advent of the millennium is the will and work of man. Man has divided time into various units, according to the movement of the celestial spheres, in order to be able to act and interact in an orderly way in this world. Man has created the distinctions in time: second, minute, hour, day, w

orderly way in this world. Man has created the distinctions in time: second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year, century and millennium.

An unfortunate consequence of our useful classification of time in these divisions has been the development of the possibility of the power to &ldquoostpone”, as a form of life, amidst humans.

Only man delays and postpones. Animals, birds, ants and other forms of living beings do what they are meant to do at any given moment, only we leave for tomorrow that which should be done today.

We are punctual for the frivolous divisions, but we are out of time to study and apply the Divine Teachings of Bhagavan Baba in human nature.

The nature of God and man, our purpose, our plan, and time, time, time.

And what of man?

Swami indicates that we should repeat to ourselves, “I am a man, not an animal”. What does this mean?

I am a man, not an animal.

A great philosopher once said, “ Knowledge is not enough, we should apply it. Will is not enough, we must do it”.

The will of God will be done.

Our bodies are the tools which fulfil the work of divinity.

Our minds are the artisans which use the tools to fulfil the work of divinity.

Our conscience is the light of the Lord within us, which guides our minds, which are the artisans that use our bodies, which are the tools, to fulfil the works of Divinity.

Repeat slowly…… (repeat the above, beginning with “Our conscience is the light of the Lord….)

Repeat slowly….. (repeat the above, “The conscience gives….)

Through our conscience, our minds and bodies become instruments for the demonstration and the preservation of the glory of the Divine Conscience, which is Love, and Love is God. Love all, serve all. These are the works of Divinity.

         Will we adhere to the spiritual path of life?

         Or will we succumb to the squandering of mundane life?

         The choice is ours, truly it is!

         I am a man, not an animal.

Swami has described the spiritual anatomy of man, using the analogy of a carriage. He tells us that the horses represent the indriyas or senses; the reigns represent the manas or the mind; the carriage represents the body; the coachman represents the buddhi, or intellect, and the passenger in the coach represents the atma, or spirit.

Let us ask ourselves in this context, if we journey through these lives as divine passengers, or will we be driven through these lives as beasts of burden?

The choice is ours!

I am a man, not an animal.

We should never allow our lack of control to limit the Divinity within.

We aspire to experience Divinity from the height of divine wisdom and the attitude of unconditional love.

Our mind is a reservoir. We must maintain the contents clean. Our conscience stirs up the dirt and the detestable, and drowns the conscience of God. The torrent of purity draws the cardinal enemies of man; lust, anger, greed, pride, attachment, and jealousy. They submerge and then the clear waters of pure love, free of egoism, water the ground of our humanity and allows our sprits to flourish.

We must have confidence in our conscience and in the conscience of others, Then society will become a gracious game, rejoiceful and of amorous interaction between the Lord, Our Beloved Baba, and His creation, humanity. We are really brothers and sisters in the family of humanity. Are we prepared to live in confidence of our own conscience and in the conscience of others?

The choice is ours!

Our lives are a crossing of the illusion of reality, of the fears of the darkness to the light and to clarity, from the poverty of ignorance, to the opulent treasure of the knowledge of oneself.

To arrive at our divine destiny, we must look at the map, which is engraved in our hearts, that is self- inquiry.

To see the map within us, and to know love free of all egoism and to navigate these lives in this exterior world with wisdom, we need light, Divine Illumination.

The Lord provides the light of His love to everyone. It is within us and around us. It is everywhere. Swami so often tells us that He is in us, beside us and around us. Swami is the light of the Lord that allows us to experience the unconditional love and see the map of the self-knowledge inscribed in our hearts.

Swami is the light.

The light is the loving divine consciousness.

The loving divine consciousness is God.

The nature of God and man, our purpose and our plan, and time, time, time.

What is the purpose of our lives?

First is there is creation.

Then there is civilisation.

Then there is self-realisation.

First there is creation. God dedicates himself to humanity.

Our past actions determine our genetic predisposition and the circumstances of our birth. We are born in a situation that allows us to learn the spiritual lessons we need, to obtain the spiritual recompense we deserve, and to repair our past transgressions. This way we truly reap what we sow.

Then there is civilisation. Men and women recognise that the quality of life improves with peace and love. Men and women search for a purpose in their lives. There is self-inquiry. Our character determines our level and place in civilisation. If we are generous and compassionate, sincere and unconditional, we are free and noble. If we are mean and indifferent, false and egoistic, we are enslaved and we are ignoble men. The ignoble person is enslaved by one’s ego and body. The desire of power over others and sensual pleasures contaminate and enslave the ignoble person.

Th

Then there is self-realisation. Men and women experience and become one with their innate divinity. They live in constant and everlasting consciousness of their divine reality. That is self-realisation. This is the divine purpose of our human lives.

First we are born and we see the light of day.

Then we learn and experience the light of love and wisdom.

Then we identify ourselves with our consciousness and we become one with the light of God.

We see!--------------we experience! -------------we become light!

The purpose of these human lives, then, is to become constantly conscious of the loving divine consciousness which saturates all creation. The nature of this consciousness is unconditional love.

The nature of God and man, our purpose and our plan, and time, time, time.

WHAT IS OUR PLAN TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL?

Heaven is a mental state, a state free of egoism. Heaven is a mental state in which we experience and live So Ham: I am That. We become that. That is divine consciousness which saturates all our experience of infinite bliss. The absence of ego, being free of attachment is a state of infinite bliss. It is a state of self-realisation. That is heaven. Swami assures us that we can reach heaven in these human lives. We can live in heaven now. All we have to do is to search within ourselves and find heaven.

From this it comes that hell is also a state of mind and we can convert our lives into hell if that is what we choose. Hell is characterised by incessant desires. As each desire is satisfied, this gives origin to another desire to obtain more. Desires of power and of pleasure. Desires which can never be satisfied in an everlasting manner. This gives origin to deception and frustration, to pain and discouragement. We become frenetic and foolish, running madly around the desert chasing every mirage which appears in the exterior world.

Heaven or hell. The choice is ours.

Suppose we all choose heaven. We make a decision. We choose heaven and we repel hell. What do we do next?

Spiritual transformation is the awakening of our latent divinity. Our Lord, Bhagavan Baba, transforms us in many ways. The Lord is inscrutable and mysterious. We cannot understand his way of working with our lean mental capacities. We can understand, up to a point, through our intuitions, when He inspires us. Then the attained knowledge is experienced knowledge, not knowledge learnt by memory. This distinction between learnt knowledge and experienced knowledge is very important.

When we really know, we do not accept the knowledge, we are the knowledge. This is true knowledge. That is wisdom.

Swami has taught us that God is consciousness and that the nature of consciousness is unconditional love. He advises us to dig deep into our hearts and that this is how we can find this consciousness. How do we do this?

We are all very different as individuals. But our differences are superficial. We are brothers and sisters of the divine mother and father. That is the unity of our essential nature in spite of the diversity of our appearances and external circumstances. For each one of us the most efficient method of moving us spiritually will be something different. Although, do whatever we do, and however we do it, this must be compatible with the divine teachings. I will explain a simple example. It is based on my own experience with Swami and his teachings.

I have talked about this before. It is important to have a spiritual plan. To make a plan for oneself which embraces Swami’s teachings, which satisfies our needs and is befitting to our lives. Have a spiritual plan. Then you can dedicate yourselves to your spiritual purpose.

This plan consists of 9 points. 3 points are about perspective, 3 points are about attitude, and 3 points are about actions. The perspective, the attitude, the action. What we think about things, how we feel about them, what we do with them.

It is necessary for each of us to determine his perspective, his attitude and his actions. We must examine what we think, how we feel and what we are doing to move in the right direction. I don’t want to give you the impression that we can make a package deal of spirituality. But you can think about this and put it into practice in an orderly manner. I will describe the nine points. I will give you examples of experiences with Swami wherever possible.

Firstly, the nine points are:

In the category of perspective: 

• 1 - do not worry about the past, but learn from the mistakes made.

• 2 - do not worry about the future, but make appropriate plans to achieve one’s objectives.

• 3 - do not worry about what other people are thinking about you or about events in the world around us. Consider everybody as divine brothers and sisters and all the events as God-given opportunities to serve.

In the category of attitude:

• 4 - Be loving with all, always.

• 5 - Always be happy within.

• 6 - Always be silent and pacific within.

In the category of action:

• 7 - remove all unworthy thoughts from the mind before they make an impression causing emotion or action. Allow noble thoughts to mature till they become uplifted actions.

• 8 - Follow the conscience and act without delay with complete confidence upon the base of the conscience.

• 9 - focus upon Swami, His name, His form, His love, His words, His actions, in all of Him, for He is all.

Now we examine each of these points with examples of Swami wherever possible.

Point 1 is to forget the past, we must live in the present.

We must learn from the past, but not be worried by it. We must learn to live now, in this moment. We must not let sadness nor past errors contaminate the present nor the future.

We must learn from the past, but not be worried by it. We must learn to live now, in this moment. We must not let sadness nor past errors contaminate the present nor the future.

In my first journey to India I knew I would be a devotee of Swami for the rest of my life. I knew that I had met the love of my life, the fountain of the realisation of my life. This happened more than 26 years ago. I knew I would always follow Swami.

What does `follow Swami’ mean? It means that one will follow a spiritual path. What is the final result of following a spiritual path? It is union with God, self-realisation.

I had lead a very mundane life and I worried that my past transgressions could prevent my spiritual progress. The last day of my first visit to India, I was sitting in the Mandir for morning Bhajans, just before leaving the Ashram.

Whilst sitting in the Mandir listening to the Bhajans I started to worry about my past errors. I felt useless and without hope because of my past. I felt that although I knew I would always follow Swami, my past would not allow me to reach the end of the spiritual path. I thought past – past – past, an unsurpassable obstacle. Then suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Swami. He had entered the Mandir by the back door, coming up to me from behind. He simply put his hand on my shoulder, looked at me in the eyes and said. “Forget the past”, he then carried on walking. He left me and I cried. I felt redeemed.

The Lord said, “Forget the past”. The heavy load of past errors, the sadness and the guilt were removed.

That is the power of the Lord!

Point 2 is do not worry about the future, live in the present.

A long time ago there was a Sai devotee who had cancer. His doctors had given him chemotherapy. Then his cancer regressed.

He was a devotee of Swami and he used to go to see Swami periodically to ask for his divine intervention. The man lived many years more than the doctors had given him. One day this man came to me and he said that he had just arrived in India and he had refused to be treated with chemotherapy prescribed by the doctors.

He pleaded that I ask Swami to intervene. As Swami had spoken to the man on many occasions, I told Swami that this man was in the Ashram, and that he was afraid of dying and I asked Swami to intervene and to save his life.

Swami then said to me, “This man has had cancer for twelve years. Each time that he came to Swami during the last twelve years he has been thinking about the cancer and death. Swami has given him twelve years of life, but he has not used this time that Swami has given him to live. He has only been thinking about death during those twelve years”. None the less, Swami received the man and he continued to live.

We must not worry so much about the future that it stops us appreciating the present. Swami tells us to live in the present, the omnipresent.

Point 3 is we must not worry unduly about the events in the world or about other people’s reactions towards us.

Swami teaches us that we are three people. The one we think we are, which corresponds to our body; the one others think we are, which corresponds to our mind; and the one we really are, which corresponds to our spirit. We are not the body, we are not the mind, we are the spirit of God, enclosed in this human form. So, our emotions and actions must not be based on other people or on exterior facts. Our motivation, direction and destiny must be governed by the owner, our conscience.

The three points 4,5 and 6, under atti

The three points 4,5 and 6, under attitude are: be loving, be happy, and be silent and pacific within.

Point 4 is be loving

Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, our beloved Swami, has come to light the lamp of love in the heart of humanity. The qualities of light are purity and the absence of egoism. The powers of light are redemption and transformation.

To love spiritually is to love without egoism. This means love without desire. Love without the need to possess the object of love. That is pure love, unconditional love, divine love. We learn to love as humans in our diverse relationships to be able in time to love God as he loves us. This is the most important of the nine points. If we are really loving, everything else will be given to us.

All creation is like God’s thought and life is like God’s dream. Our chosen form of God is the thinker that planned the universe and the dreamer that conceived life. The Lord has all his creation and is immanent in all. But God is bigger than the creation that has originated from Him. In the same way, divine love contains and includes the feelings, which we are capable of harbouring as human beings, such as affection, respect and veneration.

But as God is greater than his creation, in the same way divine love transcends, and is greater than, our human family expressions and our experience of love. The qualities of divine love are purity and the absence of egoism. The powers of divine love are redemption and transformation.

As Sai devotees, how do we love Swami? How should we love Swami?

Most of us have some hardness in our hearts. Some of us have enormous blocks of granite and others, only grains of sand. We must open our hearts and soften them.

On a superficial level, we are delighted with the beautiful form of Bhagavan Baba, and fascinated by his divine personality. Is this not love? Yes, it is, but it is not sufficient, On a deeper level, we feel inspired by the noble words and actions of Bhagavan Baba, and we aspire to emulate his heroic actions. Is this not love? Yes, it is, but it is not sufficient.

Finally we recognise Swami as the Embodiment of the most uplifted, noble and true aspect of ourselves. We turn our minds within, and we see the divine light of truth and love. We understand that this, our spiritual heart, is our true identity, and it is one with the Lord. We reach the absence of egoism. The duality of God and us no longer exists. We fuse with the Lord. We must make an effort to love God in this way.

To love God has a dramatic effect on our lives. To love God is like diving into the ocean of the absence of egoism. When we dive into these waters of absence of egoism we give origin to waves which expand and embrace everything,  concentric circles of sacredness which eventually include all creation. When we dive into these waters of the absence of egoism, we submerge ourselves profoundly in a purification process which changes us forever and uplifts all who know us. Such is the nature of unconditional love. It transforms.

Point 5 is be happy.

Happiness is contagious. When we smile, or show a happy gesture, we shine light in the minds and hearts of our brothers and sisters. We make others happy. And so they make us happier than ever. And so on successively. Happiness generates joyousness. The realisation of our own divinity is perfect bliss.

Swami has a marvellous sense of humour. When He smiles and laughs, this makes our hearts glow and one cannot help but feel very happy. One day I found myself in the house in Kodaicanal with Swami and a group of students. Swami was talking to them in Telugu. I could not understand what he was saying. Then he looked at me and mentioned my name and the boys laughed. I sensed the boys were laughing because Swami had made a joke about my excess weight.  I was sitting facing Swami and Swami looked at me and laughed with all his heart.

I watched him laugh, I watched his eyes and then I was filled with happiness and joy. I also started to laugh, even though Swami’s happiness and laughing made me so happy that I also laughed. Then suddenly Swami stopped laughing. He looked at me and asked, “”Why are you laughing?” I answered, “I am laughing because Swami is so happy that it makes me happy”. Then Swami became serious and said to the boys,

“Goldstein is happy because Swami is happy. He is laughing because Swami is laughing. That is true devotion.”

This apparently simple event which I have related is the way in which Swami often teaches us important lessons. He created this little drama in that which the joke was about me, but I was happy because Swami was happy and I love him so much. In this incident Swami used me to demonstrate devotion to the students. To be happy is very important.

Point 6 be silent within.

To be silent within is to be in peace. Peace is the absence of turbulent emotion. To be silent within is essential to hear the interior voice of God. Respect and preserve the interior temple of silence.

The last 3 points, points 7, 8 & 9 are all about our actions.

Point 7 is to cleanse de mind of all unworthy thoughts.

Do not allow these to create an impression which causes emotion or action. At the same time, always accommodate noble thoughts and allow that these cause uplifted actions.

Swami teaches us that we should consider bad thoughts as devils, which enter into our minds to sidetrack us from our spiritual path. We should not let them enter. Bad thoughts generate emotions and actions, which then cause bad tendencies and bad habits.

Our conscience must sift thoughts and determine if a thought a worthy of entry into our mind. This results in a good character and spiritual progress.

 In one of my visits to Prashanti many years ago, I played a little game with my thoughts, whist I was sitting in the Mandir. Every time an unworthy or distracting thought entered my mind, I shook my head lightly and threw out the unwanted thought. At first I shook my head so often that I feared the brothers sitting near me would think that I had developed a neurological affliction. While I practised this exercise, I discovered that unwanted thoughts came less frequently. Since then I have learned that physical gestures are not necessary to control the mind.

Point 8 is to follow one’s own conscience. To act without delay and with complete confidence based on the dictates of the conscience.

One day another devotee and I were sitting at Swami’s feet. Swami started to talk to me. He told me that this man was a good devotee. Swami said that each time this man had to make a decision he looked within and looked for an answer within his own conscience. The man never doubted the answer which came. Swami said that this man asked, ‘Is this correct or incorrect, is it good or bad, what would Swami do?’ And then the man acted according to the answer he heard in his own conscience. Swami said that the answer did not always come at once. But the man persisted in his enquiry until he received an answer. Swami put great emphasis on the importance of this process in spirituality and said that this man was a good devotee because he had faith and always followed this process.

We must recognise that our conscience represents God within us. The commanding morals which come from our conscience must be respected.

Finally, point 9 is to focus oneself in Swami, to focus oneself in the Lord, His divine name, form, love, teachings and actions.

The constant focus on the spiritual is essential to be able to reach our spiritual purpose. We can focus ourselves in one of His names and forms, we can focus ourselves in the great spiritual principles, in those on which all religions are

The constant focus on the spiritual is essential to be able to reach our spiritual purpose. We can focus ourselves in one of His names and forms, we can focus ourselves in the great spiritual principles, in those on which all religions are based. We can focus ourselves on the generosity and sacredness which we see around us. They are all expressions of the loving universal consciousness which is God.

The spiritual movement is that movement which has the purpose of taking us to the realisation of our inherent divinity. To move in the correct direction it is important that we consider our own perspective, attitude and actions. I have given you a formula which consists of 9 simple points.

Our perspective should also include living in the present and not to be worried about the past nor the future, the reactions of people nor the events of the world. Our attitude should be loving, happy and silent within. Our actions should include discarding unworthy thoughts, following our conscience and focussing on Swami.

I advise you from my heart to draw up your own spiritual plan to reach your spiritual purpose. Your own plan will be adequate for who you are and where you are in your spiritual understanding.

Swami has given us another spiritual tool. He has put his name to a spiritual movement, the Sathya Sai Baba Organisation, so that we, His children, can learn to love one another and bring unconditional love and service to the world.

Humanity has no life without universal consciousness. Swami teaches us that universal consciousness is the omnipresent divinity, it is divine love. This universal consciousness resides in the heart of each man and woman and provides life to the mind and body. Universal consciousness is realised and appreciated by each one of us by way of our conscience.

The Sai Organisation, or any spiritual organisation, has no life without the conscience of each man and woman in that organisation. It is not spiritual, it is not of God, nor from God, if it is not immersed in, and if it is not saturated by, the universal consciousness, or unconditional love. This can only happen if the organisation is guided by the conscience of each man and woman acting together in the spirit of unconditional love. It is for this reason that Swami has given His name to the organisation.

Swami repeatedly says that He is a source, not a force. He is a spiritual source. The Sai Organisation should also de a source, not a force. It should be a source of light and love. In everything we do, people should feel an unconditional love and obtain spiritual benefit, they should feel uplifted. That is the nature of a genuine spiritual movement.

As members and co-ordinators of the Sathya Sai Baba Organisation we should consider ourselves servants of the people whom Swami has already called and of those he will call in the future. We should have a solid faith in the divinity of our Lord, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and believe that he will motivate and touch the hearts of everybody that they may commence the spiritual path.

The spiritual path of a particular individual can include, or not, the name and the form of our beloved Bhagavan Baba. That is between the Lord and every individual heart. But all the names and forms of God are one. The eternal spiritual principles are one for all the religions and everybody.

We in the organisation should consider ourselves spiritual doorkeepers. What are the duties of a spiritual doorkeeper? We greet with love those who come to the door. We open the door and thus we provide access to Swami’s teachings and programmes. And what is more important, we provide access to Swami’s love if the organisation is functioning correctly. Finally, as spiritual doorkeepers, we protect the establishment. We protect the sacred name of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. We do this assuring that everything that happens within the Sai Organisation, under the name of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, is worthy of His Divinity.

We should remember that He is the omnipresent witness and we should trust that all  we do and everything that others do as part of the organisation will obtain His approval.

My beloved brothers and sisters,

In conclusion, we are

In conclusion, we are all apparently different. Different in names, forms, experiences, nationalities, races and religions. These differences are the clothing that our spirits wear to act and interact in this world, to be able to play the rôle in the divine drama of the creation.

Although, having said our lines, having sung our songs, having danced our dance, we take off our makeup and our fancy dress. We return to our solitary beings. And here we discover that we are all part of the one, of the loving universal consciousness, which is God! Our beloved Bhagavan Baba is the incarnation of this divine universal  consciousness. He is constantly reminding us that we are all divine consciousness. We are all divine love.

Today we have reflected upon the nature of God and man, upon our spiritual purpose and our plan, and time, time, time.

Now is the time for you and for me, and for everyone everywhere, to advance towards the realisation of our innate divinity!

Jai Sai Ram

Michael Goldstein, M.D.

From the Mayan perspective...enjoy!

http://www.13moon.com

Blissings, Ani 

Ani, I have read each and everyone of these and I am inspired by all that you have posted. Thank you so much for all you do here. You truly are a woman of love and much Bliss you give to others so freely..Bless you dear sweet friend..Jaylena

dearest jaylena...

you too are such an inspiration.  your heart is true.

with each post you contribute your heart, your love, your devotion is evident.  thank you for being such a wondrous host here at BBB.  you are a blissing!

blissings, ani 

Am reading a beautiful book now called "Zero Limits," and a website came to my attention that I wanted to share with you:

www.hooponopono.org

Blissings, Ani

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?
Buddha

Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.
Buddha

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.
Buddha

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.
Buddha

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
Buddha

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
Buddha

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.
Buddha

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Buddha

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
Buddha

Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more drunkards than thirst, and perhaps as many suicides as despair.
Buddha

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.
Buddha

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
Buddha

Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.
Buddha

Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.
Buddha

Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.
Buddha

He is able who thinks he is able.
Buddha

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Buddha

He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.
Buddha

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
Buddha

H

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jeca3isOoW4

Blissings, Ani 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oNfXMMdBNU

Was difficult to decide where Margo belongs - everywhere, in my opinion.

Blissings, Ani 

MY FAVORITE ZEN MONK.  Smile.

When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable.

We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love.

People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

Training is needed in order to love properly; and to be able to give happiness and joy, you must practice DEEP LOOKING directed toward the other person you love. Because if you do not understand this person, you cannot love properly. Understanding is the essence of love. If you cannot understand, you cannot love. That is the message of the Buddha. [True Love. A Practice for Awakening the Heart.]

So if we love someone, we should train in being able to listen. By listening with calm and understanding, we can ease the suffering of another person. [True Love. A Practice for Awakening the Heart.]

Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it's clear that to love oneself is the foundation of the love of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truely a practice. [Shambhala Sun March 2006 ]

The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves "inside the skin" of the other.  We "go inside" their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering.  Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their suffering.  We must become one with the subject of our observation.  When we are in contact with another's suffering, a feeling of compassion is born in us. Compassion means, literally, "to suffer with."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Blissings, Ani 

Smile.  I always smile when these Bliss Masters are around.

Blissings, Ani 

Blissings, Ani 

Adapted from Unconditional Life, by Deepak Chopra, M.D. (Bantam, 1991).

There is a state of true unity. The rishis called it Brahmi Chetna, “unity consciousness,” and declared that it was the goal toward which all other states of consciousness are evolving. Anyone who has a speck of self-awareness is heading, however haltingly, toward it.

The difference between me, a man who lives in ordinary waking consciousness, and a man in unity, is that I see the world dominated by differences: Billions of separate fragments cluster together to form my reality. A man in unity sees these fragments, too, but underneath them he perceives wholeness. To him, the world with all its diversity is just one thing.

A world made of only one thing sounds strange, but the rishis found it glorious, because what they beheld in all directions was their own awareness. Creation became a mirror showing them themselves. The objects seen by the eye were no longer made of inert matter. They breathed with life; their being flowed seamlessly into the rishi’s own. Although usually invisible, this living consciousness could shine forth at times making a table or tree seem to glow from within or filling the air with a shower of golden sparkles.

Visible or invisible, a world suffused with awareness becomes indescribably intimate to a person in unity. There are no separations anymore. Without stretching out a hand, one can feel the texture of a distant wall. The heave of the earth as it turns on its axis can be felt under one’s feet. Even touching a star becomes a direct experience. “Since everything is made of consciousness alone,” the Upanishads jubilantly declare, “there is nothing in creation that is not myself.”

The mind’s shift into unity is as radical as the change from walking to sleeping, or sleeping to dreaming. We are speaking of a natural unfoldment of the mind’s deeper layers. The rishis claim that wrapped up inside us is the capacity to command every force of nature, to influence every atom in the universe.

Blissings, Ani 

ONENESS MOVEMENT - extremely powerful and important work.  Smile.

Sri Raniji, (as she is affectionately known within the Oneness Movement), is a teacher who has dedicated her life to healing, uplifting and transforming the lives of others.

She was born in Malawi into a life of privilege and ease. Despite this, she felt her spirit stifled by the awareness of suffering all around her. Her desire to find a way to transform her own suffering and that of others eventually led her to India. She first met Anandagiri, one of the major disciples of Bhagavan who gave her tremendous clarity which transformed her to a great extent.

Through Anandagiri she was introduced to Sri Bhagavan and Amma and was overjoyed to discover in their teachings great beauty, simplicity and universality. Most importantly, she experienced liberation of her spirit. Since she had the desire to dedicate her life to serving the spiritual needs of others, she stayed in India to undertake intensive training over a number of years. At length she became a “Dasa” meaning servant or lay order monk, considered one of the highest levels of achievement.

Sri Bhagavan appointed her as Spiritual Leader and Founder of the Oneness Movement in North America and made her mission to help bring the gift of awakening to the people of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Italy.

Raniji’s warmth and compassion has touched and transformed the lives of many. Her humor and loving kindness make her a teacher capable of transforming and healing students, while they feel they have found the precious gift of a divine mother’s love.

Raniji is accomplished in presenting a wide variety of workshops such as "Living in Awareness",  “Energy Transfer for Awakening” (Oneness Blessing), “Awakening the Higher Self”, “Perfecting Relationships”, “Discovering Bliss”, and “Freedom from Stress.”

Raniji is well aware of challenges we all face living in today’s pressures. As a wife and mother herself, she understands family issues and speaks to the heart of these issues involving the setting right of relationships as a foundation for lasting spiritual transformation.

Raniji has earned a Master’s degree in Economics. She has traveled and given lectures and conducted workshops throughout the North American Continent. Many of her workshops have been hosted at major universities. In addition she has worked with spiritual leaders such as Ron Roth and motivational coaches such as Tony Robbins. She welcomes spiritual seekers of all faiths; those who simply wish to enhance their existing beliefs as well as those who are ready for something new.

www.onenessmovement.org

Blissings, Ani 

www.marianne.com

Blissings, Ani

thanks Jaylena for the great Chakra work. Ani as always you are great. I do have one question to explain the Buddha further. Are you saying that Buddhism monks lineage is similar to threat of the Dalai Lama? The root word in Sanskrit "Buddh" is wisdom or as in Buddhi "wise one". Buddha as generally know is the name for Gautama Buddha ( Siddhartha) the prince who left his kingdom meditated and started the religion. Teh subsequent Buddhas that you mention I was not aware of so thanks for bringing that to my attention however in India and Asia when you see the statues icons demi gods dieties of Buddha it is of this one single person. To be "like a Buddha" as in to "make like Superman". Buddhas' story is like that of the whistle blower on Wall Street. He Buddha ( the whistle blower ) says I leave the capitalist home ( of his father ) because "if I am scared of standing outside the palace walls then what good is that, its a lie !, this cannot be humanity". So he left to find the truth. I wish Greenspan had done that 12 yrs ago when I predicted that the average American family will be $ 250,000 negative in 10 yrs in personal equity and assets.LOL! So the happiness that we are trying to resolve must be returned to us through the system with vitamin H. Vitamin M ( the "M"oney for existence ) is only a medium of exchange for Vitamin "H" ( Hinduism - Buddhism - 'H'apppiness ). The marginal utility theory and 'The New Wave of Economics' will show that changes in human physiology and occurrences and manifestations like the " grace light " the Golden age" the Aquarian age will all show that the calculations of utility will disallow greed that has been the bane of recent events and this evil age of recession and depression. Wall Street may want to study more Sanskrit ( which has been proven to be the highest form of language available for perfect computer programmming By the way ) anyway to study Sanskrit for the purpose of understanding the Golden Age of Indian History during the reign of King Vikram Aditya and Chandra Gupta Maurya (if I remember my history lessons correctly ). In fact the last time a Hindu King went
on a rampage ' Asoka' he was so sick with the blood shed and death
allover India that he banned all wars henceforth! His Iron pillars and edifices stand till this day with his inscriptions of peace and learning.
That was the ultimate peaceful and harmonious political economy in Indian History a Century or more before the Mughal invaders and the British landed and raped the land! It was a time of peace and full spiritual and social utility without the decadence of Rome.
Looks like the world may be heading there to the Golden Age with leaders like Jaylena and Ani the new spiritual forces leading the way.

What Lord Macaulay said about India in 1835 - Every Indian should read this
ShareThisNov 3 2007 | Views 918 | Comments (4)
Tags: Lord Macaulay Indian education

Lord Macaulay said the following about India in 1835 in British Parliament.

"I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation."

PS: There is a debate on whether the correct year was 1833 or 1835, but what matters for Indians is the statement itself. I am also not able to give the name of a popular website as source for this. However the statement was available in multiple websites.

From this history above a glimpse of India Buddhism and Sanskrit can be viewed by the Western world. The road to Yoga Chakras self-realization and all the above is a long and winding road. In a world that rampages through the ashes of football stadiums and Soccer fields with demonstrations of violence over sports.......lol ..... its' a longer road. Specially when a coach is blamed for a loss. Wow translate that into spiritual terms ...." a coach is fired for losing a football game "...great Role models for the youth...wow just wonderful!! sorry for the sarcasm but I would really like to Fire Buddha because I did'nt achieve my spiritual quest ! Being a Hindu I don't have to apologize for what I just wrote about Buddha. I know you've guessed why , anway here it is.....you never have to apologize for speaking the truth ! Thanks again for this wonderful thread it has been greatly aspiring !

threat of Dalai Lam should read that of the Dalai Lama
this I have to apologize for !

TY Rick for your gratitude and contribution.  Please never apologize.  We all have the right to our humanity perhaps?  Smile.

Blissings, Ani