Be kind to the earth

Visit http://www.embracingtheworld.org/indeed to learn more about 6 small things you can do to make a big difference for our planet.

The angels of nature are being pushed further and further away as cement, buildings, and pollution take over our world. This is only because of unawareness. An aware person knows to treat the earth kindly. A person who treats the earth kindly knows to treat all beings kindly.

Earth is a being with feelings--a sensitive being of love. It is alive.

The way we interact with earth is the way we interact with ourself, with all living beings. When you want to change yourself, change the way you interact with the earth. Realize that you are in constant relation to earth. Resolve to be more loving towards the earth. The earth will love you back. You will actually feel the vibrations of sensitive mother earth. She will teach you, and when you are open, you will learn her lessons.

This time I have different words than last time: love, popularity, intelligence ...  MONIKA

Talking about pain

Dear classmates,
Here's something I'd like to share with you:

In December, One of my cats disappeared... In the first night of her absence I tried to contact her from heart-to-heart and so came to know that she was trapped somewhere and that she was struggling and feeling cold and afraid. Starting in this moment, I got in touch with a huge pain that did not leave me a second for the following days. I just could not stop crying. Of course, I was afraid for my cat - but that wasn't the pain. It was bigger, seemingly endless... I couldn't even say "my" pain, it seemed the pain could be "bigger" than me. I didn't  know what this pain was about, but soon I realized that my cats were the band-aids, the soothing balm on this pain.  And I promised to look at this more closely - to be able to take the responsibilty to myself instead of laying the duty onto others, animal or person. I am grateful to my dear caring cats to help me where I still need to learn.

So I asked myself what this huge, huge pain might be. I dare say that it isn't this or that old pain of this or that experience - although, all awkwardly stirred up... I couldn't really say for sure. It didn't feel that way, though. I don't know. But when the soul, the essence can never be hurt - which, personally, I found true for me - then That cannot be in pain, so left is only the Ego, isn't it?

What about the pain that is not "my" pain alone? Is there my pain, your pain, our pain? Hm, I don't really know. I couldn't call that pain "my" pain. But can pain be anywhere else but in "me", can it be any other than "my"?

What about these pains of generations, of families, of  nations or women / men / animals,...? We find these, somehow inherited, in ourselves sometimes for things we didn't experience in this lifetime... What is that? Is there sort of a common, united ego that holds this pain up? Or what else is that, how is it different from the pain ego holds up in myself?

Or, regarding when I started and stopped actually being in touch with the pain... may it be the pain of separation, that is said all of us carry somewhere since when we left the One-ness? I don't know.

I ask myself about "the huge pain" since then... And I still don't know. I keep wondering.

My cat luckily made it home, by the way, a few days later. and from shortly before that, maybe an hour or half before, I started surrendering, feeling that whatever would happen would be all right and then I didn't feel the pain anymore, actually Sunshine came through the clouds just that Moment - since then I only remember the pain. And the memory starts to fade away...

I would like to invite YOU to ask yourself about pain with me here in the classroom... Let's heart-think TOGETHER, shall we? - I would love to hear what your hearts say....

Just as I say this, my heart says "what is pain? I don't know that"... but that's not what I felt then... I have a memory of deep heartache... pretty confusing...

So, dear classmates, thank you for listening...
Sending love...
Petra

Rainbows

Dearest Students,
I have written before (and on my website) about eating rainbow foods. Doesn't it sound exciting to think of eating RAINBOW foods? You could ask yourself, would a rainbow eat this? Just kidding. Sort of. What does a rainbow shine over? All the natural beauty of earth. So take a clue from the enchanting beauty of rainbows and do your best to add rainbows to your life -- cherries, apples, pomegranates, lettuce, kale, swiss chard, pumpkins, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage. And since you need rain for a rainbow, pure fresh water. I am not saying you must become a vegetarian, just be aware of what you put into your body. 

I was talking just yesterday to a student about thinking of the body as a field. When we want a field to produce optimally, what do we do? We nurture the earth with organic compost and pure water. We rotate crops. We take care of the earth. Then the earth is nutrient rich. Those nutrients become part of the food we eat. With the right care, even bad soil can become healthy soil that will grow food and flowers.

Nature is our Teacher. Our bodies are composed of the same elements as the earth. Just as the earth can be healed with loving care, so can our bodies. It is true you are not your body and all bodies die one day, but why not live as healthy as you can for as long as you live? 

Your body is a field. How your body grows depends on how you treat it. So treat it well. Feed your body rainbows. Love and nurture the body you have been given so that you might complete your spiritual journey here on earth. The body is the temple of the spirit. Treat it like a temple. It will make your spirit vibrate with happiness. Love to you today and always!  

Welcome Tanya!

I noticed your new picture, so wanted to be the first to WELCOME you to the open classroom. Have fun here. It's a great place to visit when you can't sleep at night--someone on the other side of the world is always awake. I like that about the classroom--that there are students from across the ocean who are coming here when I am sleeping. Speaking of sleeping, I hope I am waking up more and more here in school. Sometimes it feels like it. Other times I am sure I am still fast asleep, dreaming I am real. I remain grateful for the school. Even if I haven't been here for a while to write.

Poetry

Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
that for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love.
And in my soul am free,
angels alone, that soar above,
enjoy such liberty.

Richard Lovelace (1618–1657), 1642 The Poems of Richard Lovelace. London: Unit Library, Ltd., 1904. 69-70, To Althea From Prison, iv.

TODAY!

      Just as we care for the physical body, it is important to care for the spiritual body. If we want the physical body to serve us well, we must serve it well. This also applies to the spiritual body. We nurture the spiritual body by taking time to commune with God today—while we can—while our mind still works— while we can take a deep breath and let it go—while our senses still function. There may come a time when the mind does not work so well as today, when our senses grow dim, when even our breath fails us.

Happy New Year to all of you

Hi everyone here in the classroom and a  VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR !

I have been absent for some weeks, following the Happenings in my life and being pretty much absorbed by the lessons presented to me... I am glad to be able to take the Time to come here again. Have already done some catching up on posts and, as always,  found some truths for me. :-)

As a little "hello" let me share my personal "Story of the Day" with you:

About 3 weeks ago I bought my friend a puzzle with a herd of zebras that I came across, since I know she loves puzzling.

Having it at home, it somehow stayed on my mind... Then I realized:

Ah, black-and-white does Not exclude uniqueness! Good! (Especially when we think of people of whom we think only think that way, you know?)

It still stayed on my mind... and some days later  I thought: Ah,  when we think there's only black or white (and in some ways I guess most of us do at times), we might want to remember that white contains all colors! To me, in other words: whatever it may look like, everything is possible!

And it still stayed on my mind... And today I thought happily: And aren't we all a bit zebra - all a little black-and-white somewhere somehow... all definitely unique... and all a great deal color-blind for the many colors of ourselves and others... :-)

I gave the present to my friend today and thanked her for being presented the many lessons by giving a very simple present to her. And we happily started puzzling (although, to stay with the facts, the puzzle of knitting - she showed it to me and I started knitting a scarf)...  :-)

So, all the best to you rainbow-colored zebras !

Ah you know, now I understand: they don't sell kitchy sparkling colored toy ponies in the toystores! These are zebras whose colors have been unveiled  ;-))

Petra

(Preview doesn't work, I hope this will be ok....)

Praise and Blame

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.  --Norman Vincent Peale

The Supreme Reality stands revealed in the consciousness of those who have conquered themselves. They live in peace alike in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, praise and blame. -- Bhagavad Gita 6:7

Who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same . . . such a one is said to have transcended the modes of nature. -- Bhagavad Gita 14:25