October 20, 2007

  • My Guru told me;”Trust me. I tell you; you are divine. Take it as the absolute truth. Your joy is divine, your suffering is divine too. All comes from God. Remember it always. You are God, your will alone is done.” I did believe him and soon realized how wonderfully true and accurate were his words.

    -Nisargadatta Maharaj

    These are words people don’t want to believe.  Maybe that is because if they believe these words, then they have to act more divinely–more like the loving, caring spirit they believe or have faith God, know by many names, is. 

    Just some thoughts.
    M


  • My mind is clogged with wherefore’s, inasmuches, suchs and saids as I help prepare another for trial.  I sit through each day in this week before we all appear suited and appropriately shod in front of a judge in mind numbing depositions hearing attorneys ask questions that are less not more focused on the issues at hand.  Emotions are starting to run high, mine too.  Generally the learning curve brings focus as the case enters this phase of experts; I am tired of the endless line of new lawyers who forget to study the law content to have the “facts.”

    The facts are emotional and saddening, not because my client did anything wrong, which she didn’t, but because in this situation there is very little one can do.  Severe autism coupled with severe mental retardation spells a sad sad story for mom and dad, who are suing my client.  I have learned a lot about autism and how the schools help kids who are autistic.  I sense how a classroom should be organized and the desperation the parents feel as the hard realities set in.  We talk in terms of cognitive ages, biting, kicking, screaming, running as communicative techniques, and final terms like then or never. 

    This is a trial that cannot “fix” anything against the very people who subject themselves to being bit, kicked, screamed at; the people who “run” against all odds behind these kids to catch them before that time when they can be caught ends.  

    Why we as a society allow our tax payers dollars to be spent on lawsuits like this one troubles me.  Even though a trial lawyer, I do not believe the answer is in suing. I have never really seen much fixing by suing.

    May we pray using whatever words are “right” for you that the incidents of autism’ and its spiraling upward frequency end.  May we pray for these parents as they struggle with this dreaded dis-ease.  May we pray for the valiant school teachers who give their lives to these kids–may not one walk away because of this suit and suits like this.  We need you!!!

    Namaste`

    May Love Enfold You

    Mara

October 17, 2007


  • Everywhere, truly,

    those of integrity

    stand apart.

    They, the good,

    don’t chatter in hopes

    of favor or gains.

    When touched

    now by pleasure,

    now pain,

    the wise give no sign

    of high

    or low.

    -Dhammapada, 6, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.


  • Flow with whatever may happen

    and let your mind be free;

    Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.

    This is the ultimate.

    -Chuang Tsu

October 14, 2007

  • HAPPINESS


    Be happy!
    For you are joy, unbounded joy.

    You are awareness itself.

    Just as a coil of rope
    Is mistaken for a snake,
    So you are mistaken for the world.

    -Ashtavakra Gita 1:10


    Interesting, “So you are mistaken for the world,”  I am sure i could study Masters analyzing and expounding on what this phrase means.  But for me it means I cannot define your happiness, only mine.  When I try to define yours I am more often mistaken than not because only You can do that.   

    That realization draws me closer to You as I allow You to be You, not who I think You should be.

    Namaste`

    May Love Enfold You
    Mara


    Hidden
    Under prose

    Unseen
    Secret

    A
    Man

    Come
    Out

    Or
    Not

    Now
    You
    BE

    For
    Me

October 10, 2007

  • THE DELUSION: DISCONNECTION


    Today I am
    saddened by the way people treat one another–their brothers and
    sisters.  I hurt when I believe gentle words of friendship only to be
    forced to see their purpose was to extract information.  I hurt when I
    see anger wanting recognition for promises not delivered.  I  hurt when
    I see judgment one of the other to justify mean spirited behavior and
    comments instead of people leading out in love.  I hurt to read of
    nooses left on college campuses.  I hurt to hear of retailers categorizing their customers on who is worthy of what treatment.

    Nothing seems to change as humans embrace the dark to prove
    they are each enough, yet that is a given–an immutable truth–the delusion is you are not enough.

    “When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous.”

    - Albert Einstein

    A name is imposed on what is thought to be a thing or a state and this
    divides it from other things and other states. But when you pursue what
    lies behind the name, you find a greater and greater subtlety that has
    no divisions. Atoms of dust are not really atoms of dust but are merely
    called that. In the same way, a world is not a world but is merely
    called that.

    -Visuddhi Magga


    There are many writings leading us to the same place: The delusion is that we are anything but each other.  The confusion that reigns from that gives dark and light meaning.  May You chose Light knowing that should you not, you can again. 

    The invitation of life is to see through the delusion and see your connection to ALL THAT IS and to each other.

    May Love enfold You.

    Namaste`
    Mara

October 7, 2007

  • MY HAPPINESS–IT’S MINE ALONE


    There are no promises of life without struggle or disappointment, but I have finally accepted life does not have to be my way in order for me to be happy at times and at peace most of the time. 

    Plugging along in life doing what I believe is the “right” thing even if in love can create struggle.  Frankly my “right” thing might aggravate the hell out of her or him or you.  Once we get the personalities roiling chaos ensues as everyone struggles to be “right,”  King or Queen of the Hill.

    Don Miguel Ruis in The Four Agreements says

    • give up being “right” for peace,
    • don’t take things “personally,”
    • don’t “ass-u-me” you know all of the facts; and,
    • do your “personal best.”  

    Experience has shown me if I get judged wrong often enough even though I am acting what I believe is “nice” and “right,”  I turned mean and Don Miguel flew out the window. 

    But today and really for a few days now,  after looking back on myself, fourth stepping style, for the first time I understand becoming mean was a choice.  In saying that I am not saying I haven’t said or written that before, but sitting here today I do not think I could use the word “understand” in that sentence before.

    Now that I embrace choice as real, I could sit next to Satan–the D’evil– himself, and not give up my happiness or peace.  Some might say I did and failed, and they would be right about my giving away my happiness and peace anyway.  So what is different? 

    I had to face who I am not with eyes wide open to know who I Am.  For the most part, before I allowed my eyes to move from me to others.  I stopped wanting peace more than being “right,” I took everything personally, I assumed facts that did not exist and in turn my personal best was corrupted by my outward, as opposed to inward, focus.

    Now, I do the opposite:

      1. I want peace, being right is transient; peace is forever;
      2. I ask questions and accept answers which I do not
        personify; if other people have issues those   issues are theirs not
        mine–they get to sort them out without me;
      3. I only know about my life and what you tell me about
        yours, I do not spend time trying to figure out what’s really going on
        any more;
      4. I set each step down in love with the idea of showing
        my love, even if that makes me look weak or confused or … if I fail I
        start over; and
      5. I accept I do not have control over others and am powerless over the choas others invite into their lives–I have power and control only over me and how I act and think.

     and I choose to do what I do cheerfully.

    Cheerfulness must accompany right action.  When you feel sad or are in a negative mood, you get out of that state if you make up your mind to be cheerful.  Gurudeve used to say, “If you make up your mind to be happy, nothing can make you unhappy.  But if you make up your mind to be unhappy, nothing can make you happy.”  So make up you mind to be always cheerfuul.  When conditions are unfavorable, keep the mind  positive, remembering that trouble is only temporary and will pass away.

    –Sri Daya Mata in Only Love Living the Spiritual Life in a Changing World.

    It is possible to live in a world predominated by violence, hatred, meanness and not become less than you are by leading out in love. It is a choice each of us makes when we are embroiled in struggle, chaos, pain and suffering.

    Even if you were mean once, even if for a long time, you can  now decide that mean spirited person is not you and choose to be someone else.  That “mean you” then becomes a mental boundary showing YOU who You ARE NOT. 

    Sometimes we slip and in those times if you truly desire to let go of that You, the boundary will become more pronounced in your thinking, until one day it is indelible and you reflexively recognize it. Then the next time you are near crossing the boundary you will recognize the signs and will be able to deliberately evaluate whether to cross and sacrifice Your peace or not.  Those moments when you allow another to keep their thoughts, without sacrificing who you are and how you act, will carve the boundary deeper into your soul until you recognize the futility of anything but love, even though others will judge that too–No matter.

    Trust me, taking control of your thinking, your attitude and your behavior puts you  on the road to knowing the One— the All that Is.  Then You can sit by the D’evil, as we all do everyday, and know the peace of the Light enfolding you.


    Peace on Your Journey

    May You feel Love’s [God] Omnipresent Embrace

    Namaste`

    Mara

October 5, 2007

  • WHAT’S GOING ON-n. . .


    In the scheme of life I could answer that question, everything and then again nothing.  On some level I have come to place everything in nothing.  No, I’m not losing my mind but reclaiming it. 

    I recognize in me a pattern You may share.  I am going along great, feeling smooth and at peace, then I reach out to invite another’s chaos into my life thinking I can make a difference.  In saying chaos I am not judging and in fact am sure to others my life looks a little, if not a lot chaotic, at times.  I sense that is because they are not in control and vice versa. 

    For me peace comes from allowing things to just be and reflects restraint, control of one’s self.  So until recently I thought that when I reach out I have to be discerning about what I allow in.  But today I recognize true enduring peace comes from allowing it all in plus allowing it all to be just what it is without need. 

    When I allow the silence to draw me to that place where I can feel my connection to all that is,  I am learning to define myself by that connection rather than by my interaction with other humans. 


    I am learning to be enough al-one.

    I am learning to allow You to be You without judgment and assumptions.

    I am learning to focus my mind on how I live my life, not how you live yours.

    I am learning to be at peace in chaos taking ownership of mine but not yours.

    Be at peace my friends–ALL WILL BE WELL because ALL IS WELL.

    May You Feel Love [God] Enfold You

    Namaste`

    Mara

October 4, 2007


  • Do not just memorize sayings, recite words, and discuss Zen and the way based on books. The Zen way is not in books.

    Even if you can recite the teachings of the whole canon and all the
    masters and philosophers, they are just useless words of no avail when
    you are facing death.

    -Chien-ju

October 2, 2007

  • Do you want to know what my body is? My body is the same as the whole earth.

    Do you want to know what my mind is? My mind is the same as space itself.

    Do you want to know what my vision is? I see there is nothing to see.

    Do you want to know what I hear? I hear the unheard.

    Since I have been seeing and hearing, why then do I speak of the unheard? “If you listen with your ears, after all you cannot understand; when you hear through your eyes, only then will you know.”

    -Ssu-hsin