May 16, 2014

ALL IN THE MIND

“To search for enlightenment or nirvana beyond this mind is impossible.” – Bodhidharma

This quote reminds me of one of my first posts and favorite stories that illustrates there is no place that God is not. Searching for God outside of ourselves never works because we are the common element no matter where we go.

We have the power to create Heaven on Earth through our thoughts alone.

This all seems easier said than done, but it’s really as simple as we make it. When your mind starts wandering back to the past, your thoughts alone can create a physical pain response…or its opposite when you access happy memories. Similarly, thoughts about the future can cause anxiety if we are worried about something…or a flutter of excitement if we are expecting something positive. Again this is all as a result of our thoughts.

It is for this reason that we must choose and monitor our thoughts carefully.

If you feel a pull to shift your thoughts to the past, immediately correct it by focusing on the moment at hand. Perhaps you needed to access a previous lesson to help you with a current problem, but that does not mean that you need to stay in that past moment. The key is to get back to the present moment and deal with what’s directly at hand.

A similar shift back to the present must be done if we wander into the future as well. While it can be great to bask in the joy of future expected happiness, the problem is that it robs us of enjoying the present. Worrying is also a direct result of creating thoughts about the future that may never happen (please also view another previous post which addresses this: Why you should not worry). If we focus on the present moment, we are able to focus on what we need to do now to have the future we want.

There is always only one thing we can do at a time. As we live more in the present, spirit guides us to do the one thing we need to do at a given moment to be free from worry and to live in joy.

:)

Photo source: Streets of Edinburgh by Thomas Bisset

 

May 15, 2014

JUDGEMENTS ARE EXHAUSTING

judge – verb – to form an opinion or conclusion about.

Since birth, we have been given direct and indirect guidance about what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong.’ This led to our beliefs about what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’…in ourselves and others. Religious beliefs, societal rules, and parental guidance  are all sources of these beliefs. Over time, these definitions may change, but the fundamental act of judging typically stays with us.

So as we grow older, our typical day may consist of waking in the morning and judging one’s reflection — “I need to lose weight”… walking to the kitchen and judging a spouse — “Why didn’t he take out the trash yesterday?”… walking in the living room and judging children — “Why didn’t they put their toys away?”…back to judging yourself — “I’m such a terrible parent”…to judging  your parents — “If only my parents were better parents, I wouldn’t be in this situation”…to reading the newspaper and judging others — “These celebrities don’t know what real problems are…they have too much money and take too many drugs…and oh my goodness, what is she wearing?!”

Before breakfast, it is possible to have spent a lot of energy with a continuous stream of judgements. If you consider how that might expand as you drive to work and judge the driving of others…not to mention a day of judging the actions of others at work…plus the customer service you receive at restaurants, coffee shops, etc… and before you’ve even returned home, you’re mentally exhausted by the accumulation of these judgements. With reality TV, Facebook, Twitter, gossip news, etc. we have created even more opportunities to see people to judge and share our judgements.

At the end of the day, all of our judgements are based on our expectations. This is the basis upon which we consider something to be right or wrong. No two people will ever agree on every single thing.

So what do we do with all of this? Is it wrong to have and share opinions?  Fundamentally, I don’t think having an opinion is that big of a deal. The danger can come when we become attached to our opinion. When we believe that only our view is correct, we can set the stage for disaster. Our thoughts influence our behaviors. Wars are started this way because one person believes their God to be different than another person’s God. Or because one person’s skin color is judged to mean something different than another’s. Even more simply, when someone does not live up to your expectations, there is a tendency to take that personally and respond negatively to that person.

The reality is that most of what other people do and say has no effect on you. Making judgements about how other people live their lives is a convenient distraction to keep you from living your life. If you sit around all day talking about what other people are doing, you don’t have to focus on what you should be doing.

When we are able to move past constantly judging right and wrong, we clear mental space to hear our spirit guiding us to share our gifts. And we are left with more energy to do what we need to do. :)

 

Photo source: by Steve McCurry

April 30, 2014

I CANNOT BE FOUND

Just as a man shudders with horror when he steps upon a serpent, but laughs when he looks down and sees that it is only a rope, so I discovered one day that what I was calling “I” cannot be found, and all fear and anxiety vanished with my mistake.

-The Buddha

 

 

Photo source: Where’s Waldo by Eitan Vexman

April 24, 2014

5 CONTROLS

I have been blessed in my life not only with wonderful family and parents, but also absolutely amazing extended family. This evening I had the pleasure of speaking with my second mother/Auntie, who I love dearly!, and we had a beautiful spiritually based conversation. She taught me about the five controls that we all have should have over ourselves:

1. Money control

2. Time control

3. Thought control

4. Control of Senses

5. Self control

—

Money is a resource we must respect as it can be used to benefit others (e.g. food for the poor) or harm ourselves (e.g. gambling). By being stingy with ourselves (by avoiding using the resource for things we really don’t need) and generous with others, we are able to share God’s blessings.

Time is a resource that we can never get back. Through spending our time wisely, we can make the most of life and limit our regrets.

Controlling our thoughts is so incredibly important. Our thoughts become our reality and influence how we perceive the world around us. By focusing on cultivating positive thoughts, we create a more positive world.

By have control over our senses…especially what we eat and say and how we use the sense of touch, we create a path for our health that can be either positive or negative. Through eating fresh foods and saying kind things, we create a healthy state. However, negative speech, processed foods, and promiscuity can dramatically alter our lives in a negative way.

Through exercising self control, we allow ourselves an opportunity to reflect and ensure we are making positive and healthy choices. For whatever energy we put into the world is what we will get in return.

Thank you for these beautiful lessons, Auntie!

Photo source: Chichen Itza, Mexico by Monsoon Photo

Author note: This post is dedicated to the beautiful union of S&S with hopes that they may continue to love and support each other, with these controls in mind, to have a healthy and happy union. <3 :)

April 18, 2014

A MAN LOST HIS AX

A man lost his ax and believed his neighbor’s son had stolen it. The more he thought about it the more convinced he became, and every time he saw the boy his manner and expressions made his guilt beyond doubt.

Then the man came across the ax when he cleared out his manure pit. When he met the boy again he appeared obviously to be the most honest young fellow anyone could hope to meet.

-Lieh-tzu

—

This story is a great reminder to me that things are not always what they seem.

While in Germany, I had the opportunity to visit the incredible Neuschwanstein Castle. During the visit, I learned about King Ludwig II, who commissioned the castle (and several others). He became king at the age of 18 and lived in a bit of a fairytale world that many believed was removed from reality. King Ludwig II did not have the kind of autonomous rule that monarchs before him enjoyed and was more of a figurehead than a ruler. While he was building his castles/palaces, the Bavarian government was badly in debt and wanted to put an end to Ludwig’s castle building. [Neuschwanstein was never completed (there are only about 10 completed rooms in the castle)] Soon after, the government declared Ludwig insane and took him into custody. The next day Ludwig (and the psychiatrist who declared him insane) were found dead in a shallow lake near one of the palaces. The deaths have remained a mystery.

There have been more than 50 million visitors to the Neuschwanstein Castle since the days of King Ludwig II…and the castle is said to have been the inspiration for the Disney castle. Who can say whether Ludwig II was insane or not. As always, it is a matter of perception ;)

Photo source: Neuschwanstein

April 12, 2014

TRANSFERENCE OF STRESS

I am so incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with amazing friendships! As I have the privilege of spending time in Europe now with one of those friends, I’m reminded that often there is nothing better for the spirit than a good laugh with a great friend! However, this morning I spent some moments considering the effects of transferred stress…for instance, an angry parent can transfer stress which may create an angry child who goes to school and becomes a bully. Or manager with a large goal can transfer stress to an employee who anxiously tries to determine how to achieve that target and returns home to transfer that stress onto their family.

Essentially, we can become conductors of negative energy and carry it over to other situations and people. However, we can also serve as a grounding influence for that energy and refuse to transfer it. We can stop it in its tracks. The choice is always ours.

As with most things, I think the answer lies in living intensely in the present moment and removing those past memories and avoiding the alluring future trap….the trap that causes us to worry about what will happen if we don’t return an email right away. I believe that life gives us opportunities to correct. ;)

 

Photo source: Wiener Staatsoper #2 by Damien Tachoires (Vienna Opera House)

March 29, 2014

FEELING TIRED

It’s almost 1am…I am in my hometown of Austin…and I had the realization that it’s been weeks since I wrote a post! Since my last post, I’ve been to Ohio, New Jersey, New York, briefly LA, El Paso, and now Austin!! I’m tired but still very happy that I’ve been able to see family and friends throughout these travels. They were my primary motivation to continue on. Otherwise I  might have gone back home a long time ago lol

I’m not sure that I really have any profound thoughts at this time of night…but I keep reminding myself of the Zen wisdom: “When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep.”  I believe more and more that all of the wisdom of the universe is contained within that simple phrase haha

Today I also went to one of my all-time favorite bookstores (Half Price Books!!) and found some gems to add to my Zen collection :) When paging through one book, this quote caught my eye and was a great reminder to get more into the flow of things and not get caught up in plans and such:

You don’t make anything happen. Events happen by themselves. -Lao tzu

 This statement is quite freeing to me. It reminds me to relax! I hope you feel those vibes too ;)

 

Photo source: feeling tired by piet flour

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