Topic: Spiritual Coaching
A Short Story: The Food Is Good Here
A man had been working very hard for a couple of days and had successfully finished a project. He realized that he had worked so hard that he had forgotten to eat. So deciding that having a great meal would be a wonderful celebration of his accomplishment he went to a restaurant that was the talk of the town.
Arriving at the restaurant he paused outside and spent some time studying the menu. The way the chef had described the meals and the combinations of dishes looked very tempting. The chef’s biography highlighted that he had studied at one of the best cooking schools in the world. Framed rave reviews from the city’s most noted critics convinced the man.
“The food is good here,” he said to himself.
And so with his mind made up he entered the restaurant. When greeted by the host he was given good and bad news. The good news was that because he was alone they could fit him in. The bad news was that the restaurant was so busy that he would have to wait an hour for his meal to be prepared. Accepting this as the cost of good food he nodded, and was seated at a table.
After placing his order with the waiter he took the time to look around. It was not long before another waiter passed close by carrying plates of delicious looking food. The smells were divine, aromas tugging at his hunger like a fish-hook. The expressions and conversations of those eating clearly communicated their enjoyment and delight at the tastes being put in front of them. After a while of seeing this throughout the restaurant he spoke to himself.
“The food is good here,” he said.
Just before the hour his waiter approached with his meal and placed it gracefully in front of him. Without hesitation he helped himself to the first bite of his meal. With explosions of gourmet excellence still flooding his senses he looked up to his waiter and smiled.
“The food is good here,” he said.
* * *
This story highlights the three stages of wisdom. The first stage of wisdom is exemplified by the man reading the menu and determining that the food is good. When we are told something is a truth, or read a truth according to someone else, this is like walking into a religious environment and being told that their way is the only way. We can accept this at face value.
This first stage of wisdom, where we accept a truth without questioning because someone else tells us it is the truth, is like blind faith. Without further enquiry this is not a good wisdom, and has resulted in many travesties of consciousness throughout history. The greatest extreme of blind faith can sometimes be found in the ideological and fanatical mindset of terrorism and fundamentalism.
The second stage of wisdom is exemplified by the man reasoning as he studied the environment about him. After seeing the well-presented food, smelling its’ aromas, and hearing the comments of those eating the food as well as their expressions, he determined that the food was good.
With the second stage of wisdom we have delved deeper into a matter. We use our intellectual reasoning to decide that a truth is relevant for us, is wholesome, and that we agree with it. However, without further enquiry this kind of wisdom has a limitation. Certainly, we can speak about how good or true something is, but we have only come to this conclusion in our minds and through our imagination. We don’t know goodness or truth with this stage of wisdom; we can merely talk about it. With the prowess of an actor, and a healthy measure of charisma, we might even convince others without such experience that we have more wisdom than we actually do. I believe that many settle for the second stage of wisdom in their lives, and with a little effort evidence of such shortchanged wisdom can be fathomed in many aspects of life.
One of the most profound examples includes religious leaders caught abusing congregants. The ability to speak artfully about God does not necessarily mean that you really know God. It just proves you can talk about God. In my opinion, any religious leader that has fully revealed and directly experienced their spiritual magnificence would have transcended the insecurities that led to their abusing another living being.
It was only when the man actually tasted the food did he have a direct experience of how good the food was. He did not have to draw upon the conclusion of another. If pressed to defend the foods’ quality he could have drawn upon his own recollection.
With the third stage of wisdom we truly know how good or true something is to us. We can not only talk about it, but we can relate to how the experience felt and what it means to us. When we directly experience something we are opening ourselves to a greater possibility of wisdom than could be attained through blindly agreeing with another or coming to some sort of intellectual position on the matter.
Sudden Awakening, Harsh Lesson
From time to time I have bumped into someone that has had a sudden realization of truth. They have come to directly experience and know God so clearly in their life in a sudden flash that it is all they can do to tell everyone about it.
And as you can imagine, the momentary transition of being unawakened in one moment to fully knowing God in the next does not always go so well. One urge that often results is the desire to tell everyone about your experience of God, and how if they’d only see things the way you see them everything would be wonderful.
I sometimes wonder if some people considered as manic or insane have been misdiagnosed following a mystical experience they were not prepared for. Obviously, this is not about challenging medical wisdom, so much as suggesting that if mystical experiences have not been incorporated into the medical body of knowledge, how could a western doctor be qualified to diagnose symptoms relating to such a cause? I am sure that many people diagnosed as manic are indeed manic. However, someone that is in going through an intense process of awakening may just being going through something that looks very manic, but that is really just an intense process of awakening that they were not ready for.
Whatever the case, the truth I’ve come to realize is that not everyone is ready to hear what you know. And for anyone on the metaphysical path this can be an agonizing realization, until you learn what surrender actually means.
Whether we awaken in one mystical rush, or over years in a gradual process of revelation we will inevitably be confronted by the lesson of surrender. Surrender means many things. It means giving up control, because amidst the appearence of chaos you know God has it all under control. That includes lovingly and completely accepting everyone that is not ready to hear what you know to be the truth. People spend lifetimes coming to terms with this experience on Earth so that they can finally return to the One. We need these experiences of being asleep, or partially awakened, so that we can work this all out for ourselves. We need to be lost in cravings and aversions so that we can come to directly experience what harmony and liberation is. We need to work it out for ourselves so that we can fully and completely choose our own path to awakening. No one can relate their experience to us. We must directly experience Eternal Presence for ourselves. Your uniqueness is the most precious aspect of existence that I know.
I think the defining opportunity for anyone that has awakened and revealed Eternal Presence, or God, in their lives is to focus on simply being. Be the God you know. Let your peace and harmony guide your every thought, word and deed. Notice those moments when you slip. Meditate upon the gaps you know that exist between constant expression of the Divine and what you are today. Embrace your spiritual practice, and build a foundation that will allow you to fully function as a liberated and awakened being in this world.
In this way we bring ourselves to being the change we wish to see. Telling someone else the conclusions we have arrived at through our own direct experience will never take them to enlightenment. Our example can inspire others, and our words guide them. But, the journey to truth has to be taken by each individual, in their own time. I can’t carry you across the river to the promised land, just as you can’t carry me. And if you’re not ready to hear me, it doesn’t matter how much I tell you, the fact is, you’re not ready to hear me. This is why surrender and acceptance are so valuable, and is one of the central reasons in my humble opinion as to why religions have gone so terribly wrong throughout history. People insisting that their path to God or enlightenment is the only way is not acceptance. Insistance on “my path is the only path” is a form of arrogant fundamentalism that assumes your audiences’ individual experience is secondary to the doctrine of truth you are preaching from.
What if sudden mystical awakenings occur to open us up to fully embrace and embody surrender? Perhaps learning how to see the God in others regardless of where they are at in their journey allows us to fully embrace a peace of our own, a peace where we see that God is in each step, in all journeys? And perhaps, this is the precursor to learning how to give up separation, where we so clearly know that God is in everyone and everything? It is my belief that we need to journey through these stages of awakening so that we can finally come to that place where, when “you see me you see the Father.”
Experiencing a sudden awakening can be a harsh lesson. An intense Nirvanic Dip can take you to giddy heights very quickly. But it can also show you that the point of spiritual practice is to prepare oneself. For as long as we are in this world, we need to be able to function in this world. This means we need to be able to be truth in an accessible way. Our conviction of God is based on our own direct experience. No amount of words will convince others of what they need to work out for themselves. And this paradox is actually a lesson for those that have begun to awaken, a lesson in giving up control and any sense of separation.
Awakening to Eternal Presence is invariably but a step, a dip into the infinite mysteries. After that you need to surrender to the truth that God has it in hand, and knows full well that everyone else will awaken in their own sweet time and way.
Know the Flow and be happy.
"Thank You for Noticing" – Accepting a Compliment with Grace
A couple of years ago I was on a retreat and had the delight to spend some time with a teacher called, Kabir Helminski. Along with participating in a Zikr led by Shiekh Helminski I also had the opportunity to sit with him for over 90 minutes as he dissected some of Rumi‘s passages.
To this day I remember his insightful and loving stare, his gentle passion and eloquence as he explored the inner meaning and mysteries contained within Rumi’s prose and poetry. Like a master locksmith he was unlocking hidden meaning for us, bearing the mechanics of the lock and its’ secrets, and expressing living evidence of the product of decades of studying and contemplating Rumi’s Divinely inspired poetry. And that is what a teacher can be; a key to a lock within life. However, even in such moments of teaching it is for us to turn the key.
At the end of the session I went up and thanked this teacher. In a few words I noted how much I had enjoyed his clarity, the benefit of his contemplation that had laid bare such hidden meaning for me and the joy he clearly had for his task in this lifetime. When I was done he bowed his head, touched his hand to his heart and said, “Thank you for noticing.”
We parted ways and I have not seen him since. But above and beyond all of the teachings and sharing of that day, the manner in which he acknowledged my compliment has had the most profound impact on me. I shall explain why.
At the time I was struck by the profound quality of such a response. In contemplating the choice of these words I have come to deeply appreciate their beautiful truth and elegance. I realized that in the past I have tried to deflect or lessen a compliment when it has been shared. I might have said something along the line of, ”it wasn’t a big deal”, or “it was nothing.” But in truth, these statements were, I believe, my way of averting taking ownership for my part in the events leading up to the compliment. I believe that in the past I had less than a sense of perfect self-worth, and when using a deflecting statement I was unconsciously putting up a block to fully owning my part in the exchange. I may even have been influenced by a cultural belief that we should be modest in the face of compliments lest our head become so big that we cannot get through doorframes. But regardless of the cause of such responses, by trying to deflect a compliment I was in effect averting a wonderful recognition of my worth in that moment.
My contemplations also revealed another aspect of truth. When he said, ‘Thank you for noticing’, I believe that Kabir was also acknowledging that in being able to observe his clarity, his expression of Truth and his joy, that I, as the observer, must also have a conscious grasp of these qualities. In effect, he was subtly paying me a compliment. Have you ever heard, ‘if you spot it, you’ve got it’? Have you heard of the idea that what we see in others is a reflection of what is in us? Thus, when we observe truth, joy and clarity in others, that must mean we have a conscious grasp of these qualities. By saying, “thank you for noticing” he was acknowledging in some way that in order to have observed these wonderful qualities in him that I too was embodying these qualities at some level.
I was changed by this event. Since that exchange and my subsequent contemplation I have found myself responding to a compliment by saying, ‘thank you for noticing.’ What a wonderful subtle practice of Truth this is! When I speak these words I am both consciously claiming the work that I have done to reveal this Truth as well as acknowledging that the other person also has these qualities. With such an awareness I am equalizing the exchange. For in spite of being the one receiving the compliment, I am paying one in return. I am acknowledging that the person offering the compliment must have the awareness to appreciate what is within me and thus is my equal. How could it be otherwise?
This is a subtle practice. With a conscious and deep understanding I can accept a compliment without inflating the ego because I am clearly establishing the value of everyone in the exchange.
Claim your Divine authority! In changing your awareness, accept that there will be times where you will have a positive impact on the world around you. When someone in the apparent reality compliments you, accept these words with a knowing that, even though they are responding to the Eternal Presence expressing through you, you were the one who did the work to reveal the Eternal Presence. And as you accept the compliment be aware that the one paying the compliment must embody these qualities by being able to recognize them in you.
Know the Flow and be happy my friends.
Revealing Eternal Presence Meditation: A Practical, Relevant and Simple Spiritual Practice
It is my experience that I am surrounded by people with intelligent and enquiring minds. It is also my experience that there is a growing realization that simple faith and worship are no longer enough in this day and age. There is an increasing intensity of enquiry when it comes to spiritual teachings that are relevant to daily life. The typical process of enquiry for me runs along the lines of: Is it relevant, is it practical, is it simple? If these three questions of enquiry yield a ‘yes’ for me then I will invariably dig deeper into said teaching. And I suspect that, even if many people are not aware of this kind of process going on within their minds, any teaching that is relevant, practical and simple will find significant appeal to our present-day society.
And so like many others in this world that have encountered a personal moment of profound spiritual transformation, I’ve been seeking teachings to help me understand what is going on and what my purpose in life is. I’ve been a seeker of Truth for about 15 years now. I wanted to use this blog to introduce an idea that has come to mind that I have called, the Revealing Eternal Presence (REP) Meditation. But before I share more about REP Meditation I will provide the necessary context for this idea that comes in the form of two teachings that I’ve been working with for a while.
The first of these teachings is one I’ve been studying for the past 6 years. Arguably the most notable of Dr. Ernest Holmes prolific writings was a book he authored in 1926 called, the Science of Mind. The Science of Mind is both a philosophy and a way of life. After much contemplation, reading of spiritual texts, and building upon the ideas of great thinkers before him, Dr. Holmes presented us with a number of significant ideas, a few of which I would like to introduce.
Firstly, he proposed that there is a Power for Good in the Universe that is always contemplating and expressing. You might call this Power God, Spirit, the Cosmos, Oneness, or whatever label that best defines the idea of Creator to you. Secondly, that within this Infinite expression known as Spirit is the Creative Medium, or Soul. And Thirdly, that Form results when an idea is impressed upon Soul by Spirit. One of the more common analogies is that when I think or feel, I plant a seed (thought) in the soil (Soul), which in turn manifests as a sprouting plant (Form).
To put it more simply, Dr. Holmes proposed that effects are what we see around us. Thoughts and feelings are what cause effects, and because we are an individualized aspect of God our thoughts and feelings are the cause of effects. And the Law is always obeying us by making manifest our thoughts and feelings as forms. The idea of Spirit, Soul and Form were not new, but what Holmes did do was to get very clear about a process called the Affirmative Prayer, that one can use to repeatably manifest through conscious and intelligent use of Soul, or as he called it, the Law.
The second teaching I’ve been enquiring about of late concerns the Buddha. Specifically, I’ve been studying Vipassana meditation. It is argued that the Buddha had no interest in a religion (that would go on to be called Buddhism) but focused on a process for enlightenment, that he called Vipassana. Vipassana is about observing the sensations that arise in our body. The central idea of Vipassana meditation is that if we can learn to observe sensations, know them for what they truly are and neither crave or avert those sensations we will become liberated. In other words, we come to know true peace, where we are liberated from attachment to sensations and break the cycle of suffering. This is what the Buddha meant by the ‘middle way’, neither craving nor averting sensations, being liberated from the apparent reality and thus being able to know the Ultimate Reality. I like to think that this is what Jesus meant by, being in the world but not of the world.
Obviously, both the teachings of Ernest Holmes and the Buddha go well beyond what is practical to cover in this blog but I did want to share my experience around them. When I discovered the Science of Mind it struck me as practical, relevant and simple. If I can change my thinking I can change my conditions. So much so that through the use of a tool called Affirmative Prayer, I can repeatably demonstrate changes in my conditions. This is extremely relevant and practical (although not, in my experience, always simple).
When I discovered Vipassana meditation I was immediately struck by how compatible the Buddha’s ideas were with the Science of Mind. I was deeply moved by the idea that by observing sensations that arise in my body, old mental conditionings (or Sankhara as they are known) would be released. And Vipassana meditation is also a repeatable process that is simple and realistic (although going on a 10 day course to discover this is not necessarily practical). I realized that the potential of this idea given the creative process of Affirmative Prayer was huge. In short, a repeatable process that will inevitably help one clear away the old stock of conditionings (or what I consider to be beliefs, values, attitudes that no longer serve me) would be invaluble, particularly to a Practitioner of Affirmative Prayer.
For you see, after some 6 years of study of the Science of Mind and its related teachings I had never encountered any reference to a repeatable process for clearing the old ‘stuff’ out of the way. Of course, through various techniques and tools for self-enquiry we could reveal old causal beliefs but the process is lengthy. It is not simple. And there’s certainly no page or chapter in any book that I’ve read that has really shown me how to shift into a feeling of complete and total peace. That is until I discovered Vipassana.
And what is the idea I promised to write about earlier? Well, it goes along these lines. We can use meditation to be aware of the effects, the sensations, that arise in our experience. At the same time we must be aware that they are caused by the Eternal Presence, Spirit (this is where my idea begins to diverge from Vipassana). In this state of awareness we can know that effects pass away because they are effects in the changable, apparent reality. We must be aware that effects are the product of the Law and ultimately of the Causal Spirit that created them. In short, we can use meditation to practice being aware of both the Cause (Spirit) and the Effect (sensations and feelings). This approach results in a most complete Revealing of Eternal Presence.
What stands out for me is that every effect, every sensation is a product of contemplation. In becoming aware of the Cause and Effect we liberate ourselves from effects, of attachment to them, particularly when we see Spirit as their Cause. When we tie together this realization we can more fully experience the Cause, we are practicing being attuned to Spirit and liberate ourselves from changing nature of Effect. It is my experience that this approach to meditation empowers Affirmative Prayer because, as a repeatable process, it clears the baggage beneath the surface that impacts our affirmation work.
As you can imagine one blog entry is nowhere near enough space to fully explore this idea with you. I will be using future blogs to continue sharing my contemplations and enquiries about Revealing Eternal Presence. However, if you are in Edmonton this Thursday June 16 at 7pm, then I would like to invite you to come to an evening of meditation where I will be exploring this idea through guided meditation and discourse. If you would like more information then please email me at carmien_owen@shaw.ca. You can also check out the event on Facebook event.
Ultimately, writing about Revealing Eternal Presence Meditation is like someone telling you the food is good. Practicing this technique, like any spiritual practice, is where you get to know for yourself that the food is good. If you can’t make this event you can connect with me on Second Life where I lead meditation every morning and evening. Alternatively you can connect with me and enquire further with me through Facebook. So what are you waiting for? Don’t take my word for it; connect with me and experience this meditation for yourself!
Know the Flow and be happy.
The Humbling of Purpose, the Insight of Visioning
After the last blog about my story of getting clear on my purpose I was struck by a number of conversations with some readers. During the ensuing conversation one comment really jumped out at me and reminded me of something I’d forgotten about in my own journey; how overwhelming it can be to start the journey of working out what one’s purpose should be. I was reminded that when we start delving past the ego into the Truth of who we are, to that part of us that is Source, we may begin to experience all sorts of resistances, subtle or gross.
Doing work on purpose is not an exercise that should be taken lightly. On one hand, we may find ourselves experiencing the flow of inspiration as we effortlessly pen our purpose. On the other hand, we may sit down only to stumble upon a pile of blank rocks blocking the way. Now that I think about it I believe I had quite a lot of rocks to move before my purpose revealed itself. And as I indicated in the blog on purpose when you find your soul’s purpose you’ll know. It’ll move you in a beautiful way.
When looking to clarify my purpose I uncovered resistance that was about worthiness. Some lofty ideas had started to reveal themselves through the process and it wasn’t long before feelings around self-worth started to emerge. This is not to say that everyone will face this same challenge, just that my journey has involved significant doses of low self-esteem. A number of people in my younger years got me to agree that life is hard, that I wasn’t worth much and that I would always struggle. But then I am far from being alone in having heard such beliefs and, in the innocence of youth, making an agreement with them.
And so when the conversation turned to a sharing about reading the blog on purpose and feeling overwhelmed I was reminded of more details in my own experience. I remembered that before I had come to a realization of purpose I had tried visioning.
Rather than delve into the thinking or history around the process of visioning I now offer it for your consideration. Don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. If it works, and you get clarity around your purpose, then let us know. And if it doesn’t work for you, then set it aside. Please leave comments regardless of the outcome. There can be much we can learn from the shared success or differences of others.
Meditation and Visioning
You will need to get your journal (or some paper) and a pen for this. Writing is an important part of visioning.
Begin by making sure you are physically comfortable. Now focus on your breathing through the nose. Maintain this focus on your breathing. Observe the breath as it enters your nostrils, as it pauses at the peak of full lungs, and then continue observing the breath as it departs your body. You may notice that your breathing softens and becomes lighter. However, do not try to control your breathing. Just observe your breath exactly as it is.
Do not be concerned with thoughts that enter your mind. If you should realize you’ve forgotten to focus on your breathing smile to yourself; for in this realization you have now gifted yourself the opportunity to return your awareness to your breath.
This focus of the breath can be a great way to soothe an agitated mind. Do you feel relaxed yet? Excellent, then continue. When doing work on visioning it is important that we have a relaxed state of mind. When you feel at peace, with a calm and relaxed mind then continue. Spend as much time as you need to reach this state. There is no time limit to meditation and if you need to come back to this another time that is perfect as well.
Now shift your focus to your heart. Instead of focusing on the physical sensation of the breath focus instead upon the physical sensations around the heart area, at the centre of your chest. As you proceed through the following questions be aware of any sensations, emotions, feelings, images, sounds, memories, ideas, visions or even smells that arise. Open your eyes and write down whatever comes to your awareness.
- What is the highest vision or Divine idea for the expression of my Soul purpose?
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What must I become to be an avenue through which this vision manifests?
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What must I release?
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What must I embrace?
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What must I commit to, in order to live this vision?
- Is there any other information that wants to be revealed in this moment?
After asking each question return your awareness to your breathing for a few minutes (I liken this to the equivalent of tasting the ginger in between sampling a sushi cucumber or tofu roll – this brief focus on breath will be like cleansing your mental palette and clearing the path for the next question). Once your mind is still once more, return your focus to your heart area before asking the next question. Repeat this process for each question.
Like any practice it is pointless to predict if this will work for you. My only advice is to try this visioning exercise. If it works for you, if it conjures inspiration and ideas then that is wonderful. If you try this exercise and have questions then please feel to comment below or email me at carmien_owen@shaw.ca. And if nothing seems to happen then do not be concerned. In fact, during my first attempt at visioning nothing much came up at all. I seem to recall feeling a discomfort in my body and nothing of note. If you really feel this doesn’t work for you then set it down. However, if you can I suggest that you keep trying and regardless of the apparent success or failure. And if you do find something in this tool that works for you then know that visioning is more than a one-off exercise. It can be something you do several times a year.
Know the Flow and be happy.
What’s My Purpose? A Way to get Clear on Why
If you’ve ever asked yourself, why am I here, did you fail to come up with a meaningful answer? Are you currently struggling to manifest an experience that lines up with what you know you really want? If the answer is yes to both questions you may want to read on.
Have you ever read a vision statement and been confused by it. A high level and long-term vision that’s hard to understand doesn’t strike me as a good foundation for inspiring myself each day. But I think a vision is more than simply a pie-in-the-sky paragraph. For me a vision should clarify why I’m here, how I’m going to go about living my purpose and how I will think, speak and act as I go through life. In this blog I am going to focus on the first step of building a personal vision by answering the first question, what’s my purpose?
In my experience, one of the great challenges to creating a life that really excites us, a life that pulls us out of bed and turns work into pleasure, is knowing what we want. Even if we do get clear on what we want, what happens if our desire turns out to not be quite as satisfying as we originally thought it would be when we get it? Personally, I want to be inspired about the life I live and the work I do. I want to be clear about what I do and why. I want to have a vision for myself that clarifies all this.
Perhaps the challenge is that on a personal level we need to get clearer about why we are doing things rather than where we are going? Perhaps this is why visions so often end up clouded and unclear? A couple of years ago I went through the process I’m about to share with you. The result was my purpose statement:
My purpose is to inspire and serve the transformation of knowing Love.
How did I get to that? Well, I started by thinking about what I really wanted to do in life, my self-determined reason for being in the world. In my case I had begun training to become a Licensed Practitioner (RScP) with the Centres for Spiritual Living and was very clear that I wanted to do two things. Firstly, I wanted to get my own life in spiritual order. And secondly, I felt a deep yearning to serve others in doing the same. I realized that I needed to get clear on an overarching reason for being. It wouldn’t do to have someone else tell me this, or to read about it. I would have to delve into my experience to get to the heart of it.
The first realization was that with spending so much time focusing on spirituality I needed to define what spirituality meant to me. After some contemplation I came to the conclusion that spirituality for me is about the transformation of knowing Love (and note the capital L – this refers to unconditional love, the Love of the Divine). In that moment it became clear; all my work, all the classes on the path to becoming a spiritual coach, were all about transforming my knowing Love in my life.
As I dug deeper into my own purpose I realized I came back to the yearning I had to serve others. As you have no doubt already experienced as we deepen in our spiritual awareness we begin to realize that we’re all connected. In turn, this connection reveals compassion and a deep-rooted desire to help others. For a long time I have been driven by a feeling of compassion as I see the suffering of others and have committed to a lifetime of service in a spiritual capacity. I arrived at the realization that I would love to help others realize what I’ve discovered for myself. And so the idea of inspiring and serving came to mind. It was a simple step to bring these two ideas together and in turn my purpose statement was born.
It’s been some two years since I developed my purpose statement. I did make one minor change recently, tweaking the word support to serve. Your purpose may evolve over the years, but if it changes quickly or radically then maybe you’ve got work to do.
In closing, get clear on what you really want to do with your life. Is this something you yearn for? When you think of this it should make you smile, make your heart leap, or both. Once you’re clear then finish the sentence, ‘My purpose is to…’ When you’re done and you read it you should feel your heart move or a smile appear on your face. Reading your purpose statement should leave you with a feeling of excitement, of certainty, and a knowing that you are clear on why you are here. And you’ll know you’ve got it right when you look at it a year or two later and it still moves you.
The Equanimous Impact of Vipassana Meditation
I recently attended a 10 day Vipassana mediation course. This experience was inspiring and peaceful. However, there are no words that can possibly come close to expressing what Vipassana is to me. I could try and tell you that with Vipassana one learns how to break the link between sensations and how one reacts, and that deep, deep healing work occurs. That said these are just words; they may be truth to me but until you experience Vipassana for yourself at best you could only draw an intellectual understanding from these words.
I am reminded of a bad habit I used to have as a newlywed. For some reason I would leave my dirty cereal bowl on top of the dishwasher. After a short while my new wife, having so sweetly allowed me a few transgressions, decided that it was time to communicate that this action was impacting her peace of mind. And so she informed me that, particularly in those situations where the dishwasher was empty, she would appreciate it if I would put my bowl in the dishwasher. I laugh at myself now. What madness it was; I was not even being asked to wash the bowl! After some time, and a number of events where I forgot to put my dirty bowl in the dishwasher, I eventually realized how to change this behaviour. At first I reasoned that if my wife wasn’t happy, there would be disharmony in the household. And then once I started to put my bowls away my wife had the opportunity to thank me for being so thoughtful. In that moment I gained wisdom of knowing, understanding, and most importantly of experiencing.
I shall explain the analogy. When I was leaving the bowl I had no knowing. Then my wife informed me of a practical truth for peace and harmony. I now had an understanding. I then went through a process of reasoning to conclude that it would be the moral thing to do to put the bowl away, and over time (and with many sweet, tender reminders – bless her heart 
I changed my behaviour. And only then could I actually know the benefits of putting away my bowls at the experiential level.
And so it is with Vipassana. I could try and explain to you what this practice as taught by Gotama the Buddha is, but until you experience it for yourself any words you hear will only be an intellecual knowing at best. It cannot be a wisdom you know at the actual level. For such a wisdom around Vipassana one has the option of attending a 10 day course.
Rather than explaining what Vipassana is to me I shall settle for explaining its impact; what has changed for me concerning meditation? I have taken a vow to practice only Vipassana meditation for the next year. I suspect it will be a lifetime practice, but a year is a time span I can relate to given my limited experience with the technique. This is certainly a change for me. Over the past 5 years I have wandered from meditation technique to technique, sometimes staying with each one for months, weeks or even days. I must have tried, and even shared with others, over 20 different techniques. But now, there is just one meditation practice for me – Vipassana. Yes, it is ‘that’ good. As a side note I have begun a project related to Vipassana that, for now at least, I will call my “great Mind experiment.”
The next change concerns my having led meditations over the past year. In particular I have been leading a meditation circle every night in an Internet based virtual world called Second Life. Before I went I remember saying to my friends in Second Life that I looked forward to bringing new knowledge to share with them. By day three of the course I knew I had a dilemma. Firstly, it was plain to see that the practice is deep. If I were to teach this I would require much more experience. Secondly, as a basis for my Spiritual practice and service I have made a number of moral commitments, one of which is, abstaining from taking what is not given. And lastly, I have not been given the instruction to teach this practice. In short, I will happily direct you to www.dhamma.org and even speak with you to support you on making the decision to go. But at the experiential level I know that I cannot supply the level of support or guidance required, that one gets through a dedicated 10 day course, at this time to anyone in Second Life. So what does this mean for my service in Second Life. Well, I am not entirely sure but as is a central truth through Vipassana, “this will change.”
I started this particular meditation circle a year ago (at the beginning of February 2010 as it happens). The intent at the time was to provide guidance and support around both meditation and spirituality. I consider myself fortunate to have touched hundreds of people through this practical service and to have witnessed some incredible transformations in those that have come regularly (you know who you are 
However, there has to be change in all things. In this case I am recognizing that this experience is shifting, albeit subtly. And so what will this mean is:
- I will be meditating twice per day as per my personal vow for 1 hour. I will meditate at 5-6am (4-5 am SLT) and 10-11pm (9-10 pm SLT). This means that I will have 6 hours in between these times for sleep. At the end of each meditation I will have to leave promptly. It is also possible that life will mean I occasionally have to meditate earlier or later from time to time.
- I will strive to log on and meditate in the same place during the above times. If you are present I will include you in my Metta portion of the meditation (the final five minutes where a Vipsassana meditator shifts to a focus outside the framework of the body and offers their merits, peace, harmony, loving-kindness, compassion, and a wish for hapiness and liberation in all beings)
- If I can log in early for spiritual discourse and discussion as a (very soon to be) Professional Practitioner I will do so. However, if you desire a dedicated Practitioner session with me please send me an IM.
And so in closing, my role in Second Life has changed. I will still be around and seeking to inspire and support the transformation of becoming Love in action. However, I am setting down the role of meditation ‘facilitator’ for now. That said I am also a Vipassana meditator now, and the reality is I am more aware of the law of change and impermance than I have ever been. Not only has a portion of my ego been shed but I have spent 10 days intimately observing the nature of this change for myself.
Becoming One with that which I Meditate Upon
For years now I’ve been hearing the same thing again and again. It doesn’t seem to matter where I hear it, or the setting I hear it in, but whenever someone asks what makes the difference in our spiritual journey most teachers will invariably say the same thing; you must meditate daily.
The interesting element of all this for me is that for years I’d hear this and really want to believe it. There’d be classes during which I’d start off with the best of intentions. And after about week 3 or 4 I’d have lost the habit. Fortunately, I also came to discover for myself a couple of years ago that such words were trying to capture an idea so much more profound than could possibly be contained in the words themselves. And since then I’ve been meditating at least once a day.
In fact, it’s gotten to the point that I now meditate at various points in the day. Sometimes I’ll take a full 30 or 60 minutes and at other times I’ll snatch a few minutes of clearing my mind. Regardless of how I might feel about all this, the result is something that cannot be expressed through this blog in words. And the irony of all this? If you’re reading this and do not have a daily practice, or have not discovered what meditation means to you, then these are just words. No amount of intellectual positioning will cause an internal shift for you. You alone must make the decision. You may be influenced, but in the end you will have to come to this place for yourself.
And yet, if you are curiously reading on or have already discovered this practice for yourself then you might have a care to read about what meditation means to me and what I am coming to discover on this particular aspect of my journey. Perhaps the most fundamental impact of this spiritual practice is that it has been an integral part of what it is to open my eyes and to be conscious. Being conscious of what I am doing has helped me to look critcally at those parts of me that had become so well-versed at listening to instinct. Much of my life was filled with a lack of knowing what it was that I wanted. Meditation has been instrumental in helping in this regard.
But don’t be fooled. This has been far from an easy journey. For a long time I meditated and believe I did not get the results I might have. In my experience the time I spent meditating was significantly more than compared to the time being taught, or reading, about it. I’ve never found a ‘guru’ to teach me or had the opportunity to spend any time with a master. For the most part I’ve had to work it out as I’ve gone along. If the saying ‘when the student is ready the teacher will appear’ is true then clearly I’ve not been ready. And so until I’m ready I’m going about it all as best as I can.
I think I’ve had hints at what to look for but another challenge is that there so much information out there. Yesterday I Tweeted that, “we hear the same spiritual teachings ceaslessly because such repetition pales against the number of teachings from the noise of instinct.” In short, there are so many teachers and aspects of the Truth out there because it’s needed. The amount of unconscious noise in the world is so loud that it’s causing the need for Truth to be ever clearer. You only have to consider how many millions of moments you have acted unconsciously to realize that millions of conscious choices will be required to replace old habits with new ones. This is the essence behind the need for daily spiritual practice. We have many bad habits of our sleep-walking to overcome. However, for all the noise I believe some elements of Truth around meditation have managed to make it through. And God knows I’ve put enough in the way in the past.
At the heart of what I have heard is a realization about what it is to be alive. Within me there is a force for good, that is steeped in Light, joy, peace and a profound sense of mystery. The more aware I become of the mysteries of life the more I realize that I don’t know. Yesterday I also Tweeted that, “any path I take to Truth will bring me to ‘I don’t know’. Words, like any belief I have of my identity, will never be what I must become.” In short, I have come to believe that the more I surrender to the mysteries of life, the more faith I place in that sense of alive-ness within me, the more I realize how little I know. I cannot explain why it is I know that at certain points within meditation I am one with everything. I cannot explain how the Universe created everything that I know and have yet to discover, yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt. It is a paradox to both know and to not know. And within that paradox is faith.
Central to all of this has been a discovery of meditating upon a vision for my soul’s purpose. I have come to realize that I must ask myself what I want to be. What do I want to experience and to realize in my life? But asking what I want to be has always required faith. I cannot count the number of times I have thought about wanting to be a metaphysical Minister or to change the world of business through the collaboration consulting that I do only to hear a part of me express, or feel, doubt. And so, in the face of not knowing how it could be done I have taken off smaller bites. I have opted to settle for smaller goals, smaller reflections of what I wanted to realize. I have come back again and again to such visions. I have worked hard at critically assessing my doubts and beliefs. The spending of this spiritual coin has yielded a change in my conditions and I have in turn witnessed a manifestation of my vision. Over time I have come to build my faith in how things work. How they work is simple; God takes care of it all. I once heard a great teacher remind me that no matter what difficiencies I have it will only take one rain shower to fill in all the ditches.
Not knowing when it will rain is insignificant when compared to my making a simple choice to examine the ditches of my psyche. I might not be able to conjure rain from the sky but I can look at them and focus on filling them with love, joy, and a peaceful knowing that they I am willing for them to be filled. For me meditation has been instrumental in my journey, and again and again I have turned to it only to realize how important it has been. I am becoming clearer upon the meaning of meditation for me; it is the practice of looking at those ditches and seeing the gaps are God, that the rain will come and fill them, and that in time the rain will eventually cause the ditches themselves to change shape.
But beyond all this is a simple realization. Meditation is becoming a training ground in being alive. I am coming to realize that when I meditate I must focus on the Truth that I AM, the Light and Source within me and everyone. Each meditation is a moment where I stop and apply myself wholly to the purification of my heart. Every deep inhalation is becoming a physical cue to deepen my faith in all my needs met, my trust in not knowing, and my desire to embody God in every thought, word and deed. In essence, I am coming to realize that meditation is my cue to focus on Source.
I do not meditate to become anything or to attain a goal. I meditate to become one with that which I meditate upon. I meditate upon my being the drop in the ocean and know that it is the ocean. I meditate upon my being the ray of light and know that it is the light. Any sense of self, or ego as it is so commonly termed, must be embraced to the point of surrender. If there is a goal in meditation it is growth, where my sense of self grows to a sense of One, where an instinct to plan, analyze and worry become an indescribable urge to merge my awareness with the Allness of the Creator.
If you have read these words and are not certain what to do with them then I cannot help you; only you can decide for yourself what your journey must be. But in the meantime, until you discover what meditation means to you, I would suggest that you start by focusing on your soul’s purpose, what you want to be, mix in some honesty and humility, and then meditate to be what it is you are meditating upon. Close your eyes and try to imagine Infinity. Be awed by it. Imagine yourself a ray of light within the Great Light. As you do so, merge your sense of soul’s purpose with this awe-inspiring sense of that which is beyond the beyond, and pay homage to it.
Connection and Service
This morning I had the pleasure to be in service with the Practitoner Team at the Centre for Spiritual Living, Edmonton. I have to confess that I love arriving at 9am and beginning the setup for meditation. By the time 9.30 am comes I feel beautifully aligned and ready to serve.
For this morning I had an intuition to introduce the mantra I blogged about yesterday. I wrote the phonetic words on the white board and then proceeded to spend a minute or two explaining about meditation and mantras in general. After that I invited them to either use the Buddhist mantra or to say God Is, or I am that I am. This felt right as it offered people an option depending on where they were.
However, in the interests of it being a 15 minute meditation and that mantras are not normally done in this setting I invited them to focus on this mantra mentallly before starting the meditation with one round of chanting this mantra out loud.
Specific feedback was not needed but I felt very connected after that meditation. The exchanged glances were of peace and joy, and I was left with the sense that we had all been moved.
After that the service was a delightful blur of awareness and peace. My Practitioner-Intern friend who had recently been in hospital (and for whom I’d been visiting and offering affirmative prayers for) had sent a testimonial letter to the Practitioner team, which Reverend Patrick then read in both services. I have to say that I cried as he read her letter. There was something so very real. Perhaps it was my state of mind, perhaps it was the simplicity of a story of healing where someone who, according to the surgeon, was not supposed to live through this experience? But then I don’t think that knowing the answer to this question is what matters.
Today I was reminded of what beautiful connection and service are. I touched in with the Divine today and I will confess the day has been a wondrous morphing of smiles, tears, and mantras. Awakening is truly a delight.
My New Favourite Meditation
Over the couple of weeks I’ve been leading a series of meditations through Second Life and focusing on sharing thoughts about different practices and approaches. Over the past few years I’ve enjoyed many meditations but this one was quite exceptional. I can still feel the resonance and the vibration through my body.
Not only will I be including this meditation in my ‘heavy rotation’ list but I thought I’d come and blog about it with you. It is a Buddhist mantra that goes, “Gate Gate Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha” It is pronounced:
GAH-TAY GAH-TAY PAH-RAH GAH-TAY PAH-RAH-SAHM GAH-TAY BOW-DEE SWAH-HAH
The meanting is, “Beyond, Beyond, the Great Beyond, Beyond that Beyond, to Thee Homage.”
I am not certain why I had waited all this time to lead a mantra meditation but I am delighted that I did. There is something very special and yet I am thankful to the teachers in the books I’ve been reading of late for introducing me to this particular meditation practice.
Know the Flow as you go, brothers and sisters in Light.
