YOU DO NOT EXIST

YOU DO NOT EXIST

You are either of the Kingdom of Heaven or you are not. Sickness is not a part of wholeness.

Don’t believe in people. No human being exists at all! I don’t, you don’t. Labels exist, but no people exist.

You have a name, a body, the tone of your voice. You have education or none. You are American or British. All these are attributes but your attributes are not you. It is because you believe they are that you have every grief you have.

And I know you don’t understand this at all.

I know right now while I am talking to you that you are not you. You still think you are “you,” a distinct, separate person. You are not.

When you understand that all you are is a temporary vehicle for the expression of life, then things become clear to you. And you cease to ask wrong questions because you already have the answer.

Life, God, the Whole expresses itself for a certain period of time through a physical body. Then, after a while, when God ceases to express Himself, to send energy through that temporary time-body, it ceases to walk around. But at no time did God say that you are you, distinct and opposite from the people in the next house.

Wholeness, Oneness, is life without names. Please don’t believe names are anything but a temporary convenience. To have a body is only a temporary convenience which is animated by cosmic energy. When this is withdrawn, “you” don’t die because “you” were never born!

A body came into the world, but it wasn’t you. Because you were unenlightened, you thought it was you. And everybody else said it was, so you swallowed it. Cosmic energy came into the world, but it wasn’t you.

You swear you were born, so therefore you think you are going to die; you fear that “you” are not going to continue. The purpose of this class is to withdraw such false information that you have about yourself, which causes fear.

You fear for the extinction of this temporary house you walk around in. You thought that your house was real, that when your physical body was no longer animated and walking around, you died. “You” didn’t die. “You” were never born, except in imagination which you wrongly think is Reality.

You thought your name and experiences were real. Upon the extinction of the energetic animation of your physical body, all that you called yourself disappears. But it was never anything more than a collection of beliefs that your body housed for awhile; you don’t take it into eternity.

There’s no way you can die because you were never born. “You” don’t die because there’s nothing to go into eternity. Eternity has no birth or death. 

The only reason you are afraid is because you’re identified with your name and experiences and want them to continue. But you know they won’t. 

You’re sure that you are you. You are not.

The fear of death will vanish—and can only vanish—when you know that you were never born! Understand this. You will then know who you really are.

 — Vernon Howard

meditation on taking yourself as lightly as angels do

Is there anyone in your life who says “mean” things to you, “pushes your buttons,”? If so, you are invited to visualize that person standing before you right now, saying the things that usually upset you.

Where does that person’s power over you—the power to make you feel bad—come from? Can you see that you are the one who gives power to that person’s words? You are the one who gives that person power over your state of being.

Observe your breathing. Observe your thoughts and your emotions. Do you really see the person—or do you see your thoughts about the person?

Imagine yourself fully involved in the drama, the way you sometimes are with this person. Give yourself the starring role. Put yourself at center stage—and watch the drama unfold . . . 

The person slings arrows at you in the form of words. You glare and open your mouth to shoot an arrow back—when suddenly—you hear laughter emanating from somewhere. You stop, mouth still open, and look around you.  

You gaze in amazement! You are surrounded by angels. An audience of angels. Laughing angels. Why not? Angels know you are not the drama you take yourself to be.

You look back at your friend/enemy and realize that he (or she) cannot see the angels. He hurls another insult at you. It hits you square in the solar plexus and instantly you feel heavy and serious again. You glance sideways at the angels. They are still laughing! You scowl indignantly. How can anyone laugh at a time like this?

You feel stress and tension building in your shoulders and in the room. You scowl harder. The harder you scowl, the harder the angels laugh. Soon the angels are rolling on the floor, bubbling over with angelic laughter. You gaze with wonder at the laughing angels. You see love beaming from their eyes. You see endless patience. You see light. 

You turn to the person you have been arguing with. You are astonished to see that he looks just like you! You move your hand and he moves his. You scowl and he scowls. As you gaze at this person who looks like you, he begins to metamorphose right before your eyes... 

He is turning green—lime-green! He is turning into jello. Before your astonished eyes, he turns into lime-green jello, talking, gesturing, and scowling—a quivering sparkling blob of lime-green jello, translucent, that the light shines through—like a halo!

You look down at your own body. It has also become a blob of lime-green jello, translucent, that the light shines through—like a halo!

You peek at the angels. They are standing still and serene. They encompass you in a circle of light. Smiles quiver on their faces. Suddenly you understand their laughter. You turn your attention back to the blob of jello wobbling before you, talking very seriously, unaware of the angels. All you see is light shining like a halo through sparkling lime-green jello.

You can breathe again! You can take a deep breath of fresh air and let it go. You see what the angels have always seen—you are free! You have always been free. The light shines, radiates, and sparkles around you. The light shines, radiates, and sparkles around the other person.

 Words continue to come out of his mouth, only now everything is moving in slow motion. You can see each word. You can grasp each word and hold onto it, if you like. Or you can let the words go, let them flow into the atmosphere, and dissolve somewhere in space. You are that free!

You smile upon the person. You breathe deeply. You are that free! You always have been. You turn toward the angels. You wink at these heavenly messengers. The angels dissolve into laughter. Or maybe jello—jello of all colors—strawberry, lime, grape, and cherry, translucent, that the light shines through, like a halo!

With love, light, and laughter,

your teacher & the angels

Worry Rosary

Daniel in the Lions Den, painting by African American, 

painter Henry Ossawa Tanner (1857-1937).

Worry is a way that some people mull over problems and arrive at solutions. Some people think worry is the same as love. They think if they are not worried about you, it means they do not love you; conversely, if you are not worried about them, it means you do not love them. Worry is a habit many people have, a way to fill up time and space until a problem is resolved, a way to connect with someone they love, especially when they feel helpless. 

Nevertheless, long-term, excessive worry, with no end in sight, creates stress and the hormones released with stress. If you are in the habit of worrying excessively, you may want to ask yourself this question, “Is this worry serving or hurting me and those I love?”

worry rosary

When you are worried, you can ask God to give you faith. You can ask the angels to protect and guide your loved ones. You can remind yourself to relax. Breathe in love. Breathe out love. Visualize love as a soft golden light in your heart. Visualize love as a soft golden light surrounding the person or situation you are concerned about. Energy is real and energy is shared, even when you are physically absent from someone; so do your best to share the energy of love that supports and nourishes.

♥ Kindness Meditation ♥

 

POEM TO MYSELF

When in doubt, be kind

I can be firm and still be kind

I can be honest and still be kind

I can tend the little seeds of kindness within me

I can shine when the world seems dark

so the tiny seeds

are not afraid

to grow

I can close my eyes

and breathe in kindness

I can let kindness fill me

There is no benevolent reason

for meeting hostility with hostility

no kind reason for perpetuating little wars

God knows there's more than enough war

out there 

already.

©2022 all rights reserved

♥ Kindness Meditation ♥

Place the palm of one hand on your heart with your fingers wide open. Hold it there and just feel. Feel what is. Be soft. Open. Receptive. Feel the energy between your hand and your heart. 

Remove that hand and place your other hand over your heart. Be there with the energy. Notice if there is any difference between the two hands.

Which hand to you prefer to hold over your heart? Notice this and place that hand over your heart. Then place your opposite hand over that hand. When you can, close your eyes for a moment and give your full attention to your hands on your heart. 

Feel the exchange of energy, from hand to heart, heart to hand. Feel the energy circulating. Notice how your breathing becomes deeper and more relaxed as you continue this meditation. Your heart is the real container for your spirit. It’s where your spirit resides, like a pure bright crystal, emanating light and love and life. In your heart is Life. Is Love. Is Light. 

Life. Light. Love.

WORRY ROSARY

WORRY ROSARY
   
When you are worried, you can ask God to give you faith. You can ask the angels to protect and guide you and your loved ones. You can remind yourself to relax.

Breathe in love. Breathe out love.

Visualize love as a soft golden light that fills and surrounds you. Visualize love as a soft golden light surrounding the person or situation you are concerned about. Energy is real and energy is shared, even when you are not with someone. So let yourself feel the love that supports and nourishes not only others, but also yourself. The angels lovingly remind you that the peace of your own being is a wonderful gift to share, not only with others, but also with yourself.

Fire Meditation

This is from your school lesson: Relationships, which some of you have read by now and some of you will read it in a future lesson Here is an important meditation from that lesson, which you might like to read and practice—even if you do it only in imagination. The first paragraph under Coming Into Harmony In All Your Relations (below) is important to understand. I am posting this now for all of you, since relationships comprise a vital part of life on earth and your happiness.

Questions You May Want To Ask

(1) Are my words and actions routinely those of a foolish or a wise person?
(2) Do I spend more time perpetuating arguments and conflicts than I do resolving them?
(3) Is my goal to win or to effectively communicate, no matter what the outcome?
(4) Am I willing to give up trying to control other people’s stories about me? 
(5) Am I willing to experience peace in all my relations?

The answers to these questions may help you become more aware of both your strengths and weaknesses and bring more peace to your relationships.

Coming Into Harmony In All Your Relations

It is not necessary to have another person’s permission, physical presence, goodwill, or agreement in order for you to experience inner peace. Healing and resolution can take place completely within you! You are that free!

Yes! When you cannot come to terms with another person, despite your best efforts, you can still find inner resolution! The following meditation can help you heal relationships, particularly when another person is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to work things out with you. You may choose to practice this meditation with someone who is alive now or who has passed on. It's can be useful to practice before discussing a difficult topic with someone. You may then find that the issue simply resolves itself, or at least that you are able to converse calmly, without a strong emotional charge. You may work with any problem or situation, in which case, change the words to suit the situation.

Please be open to letting go of any preconceived idea of what healing should look like. Your idea may or may not be part of the greater picture. If you are busy with your own ideas, you may miss the resolution right before your eyes. Can you be open to the possibility that healing may have nothing to do with what you think should happen? It takes courage to be open to such a possibility, because egos have very strong opinions. It is threatening for egos to let go of thoughts and ideas, because egos are defined by these. The fire meditation is not about trying to impose your ideas over what is—it is about Seeing what IS. You are simply invited to show up and be available for healing.  Higher Conscious knows what you need. The small mind knows only what it wants. When you show up and make yourself available for healing, all the angelic and cosmic forces of the universe show up for you. 

Conscious Ritual—Fire Meditation Conscious Ritual is a way to honor yourself. There is a place within each human being that responds to the magic of fire, of ritual, of a special context within which to heal.  Make your fire ritual as sacred as you are. Follow your own pace and stay with each step for as long as you need to before moving on to the next one.

For this exercise you will need a candle, a quiet place, and most importantly a willingness—be willing to give the whole matter into the care and keeping of the angels. It is nice, though not essential, to practice this Meditation in a darkened room, to avoid distractions. You may also practice it within imagination, but actually doing the meditation will give you a deep healing experience. It's your choice. Burn fragrant incense if you like. If you have an appropriate setting you may choose to build a fire circle under the night sky.

There are two parts to this meditation. The second part of the meditation is for expanded healing, once you have resolved and come into acceptance with What IS, in your first meditation. You are encouraged to repeat the first meditation as often as necessary until you come to a point of inner healing and acceptance. This may happen right away. If the pain or anger is very deep, you may need to repeat it many times. When you feel complete with Part I, move on to Part II.

Fire Meditation Ritual: Part I

Step 1: Prepare you space with a candle and a comfortable private pace to sit.

Step 2: Enter into the safety of your private sanctuary. Gather yourself into the stillness of your heart. Consider your holiness. Silently light the candle within your sacred space. Center yourself. Breathe in the light of the fire. Let its warmth and power fill you. Observe the flame dancing before you. Let yourself experience gratitude for the magic of fire that has enchanted and served humankind for so long as warmth, as fuel, as light, and as ritual. Let yourself feel safe in the presence of the fire—safe to be soft, vulnerable, and open.

Step 3: Think of a relationship that you would like to heal. In your mind’s eye, picture the other person as clearly as you can. If you are not sure on whom you want to focus, observe the flame and wait to see who appears. Gaze into the flame and allow the image of the person to manifest before you. Let yourself see the color of that person's eyes, the shape of the person's face. When the image is clear, when you feel ready, look deeply into that person’s eyes. Give yourself permission to safely experience whatever arises within your consciousness.

Thoughts come. Thoughts go. Breath remains. You remain. Safe and serene. You are the eternal sky through which clouds pass. Clouds come. Clouds go. Sky remains, unaffected by transitory movements in consciousness.

The fire burns. Let it burn through your thoughts, body, and emotions, burning away the past, burning away the future, leaving only now . Let the strong radiant energy of the fire burn through you, purifying and cleansing. Breathe in its energy. Let healing warmth and relaxation infuse every cell of your being.

Step 4: Now ask the angels to let you see this person or situation at the individual ego or personality personality level. Ask that their flaws and weaknesses, the limitations of their ego be shown to you—not so that you might judge or condemn—but so that you may learn, grow and understand how to protect yourself. Ask that anything you need to know be revealed to you.
  
Give yourself permission to experience whatever is between you and the other person, without thinking you must control, direct, or change anything. Let whatever feelings arise—arise. Do not fear feelings, just notice them. If fear arises, notice that. Acknowledge feelings and let them pass through you and away. Your only task is to gaze into the light of the candle, breathe, and experience what is, whatever is.

Breathe through whatever feelings and thoughts arise. Be present with yourself and your experience. Be present for yourself. If there is something you think you need from this person, maybe now is a good time to ask. If there is something you think you need to give to this person, maybe now is a good time to offer it.

Step 4: Stay with process for as long as you need to. If it becomes too intense, consciously breathe and relax. If you feel you cannot complete this process right now, let yourself stop. Return to it later, but be sure to start from the beginning. Tell yourself: I am safe. I am protected. I am surrounded by the healing love of angels. Just keep breathing through this experience, remembering you are safe. You are in control. You can stop anytime. The other person or situation is not in control of you.

Step 5: When you feel complete, thank the fire for its service. Thank the other person for showing up. Thank yourself. Thank the angels for their assistance.

Please repeat this meditation as often as you need to, until you feel ready to go on to the next meditation. Take your time and do NOT try to complete Part II until you are sure you have worked through your feelings in Part I and come to a sense of inner resolution and safety. Then let Part I gently lead you into Part II.

Fire Meditation Ritual: Part II

You may now choose to repeat the entire Part I first and let it move you gently into Part II. Otherwise, repeat Steps 1-3  then begin Part II, using the same image of the person or situation you were working with in Part I.

When you feel ready, open, and receptive, invite the energy of Unconditional Love to surround you, this person, and the situation. Say this prayer: “Dear Angels, I do not know what Unconditional Love is. I do no not know what Love is. Please help clear my mind of all wrong thoughts about love so that I may know Divine Love—Love without expectations and demands—the Love that is always here. Thank you.”

Step 1: When you feel ready, open, and receptive, invite the energy of unconditional love to surround you, this person, and the situation. As you continue looking into this person’s eyes, begin to see the light that comes from God shining through. See the love that comes through from God shining there. If you cannot see these yet, pretend that you do. See any problems or pain between the two of you as nothing more than clouds—wisps of smoke. Passing by. Passing away. Insignificant next to the unconditional love that surrounds and fills you.

This is a love that needs no action, a love that simply IS. You do not have to do anything to express this love. It surrounds you in the warm light of the fire. It fills you with peace. You can see this peace shining through the eyes of the person before you. You can feel it in the firelight. You can experience it within you. It is you. Remain here for as long as you like, letting the fire of Unconditional LOVE burn through you, burning away any pain, burning through any anger, burning away everything that is not you, not Love.

When you feel complete, thank the fire for its service. Thank the other person for showing up. Thank yourself. Thank the angels for their assistance.

You are welcome to repeat this process as often as necessary. Please do not be discouraged if you find that you must repeat these meditations many times before healing feels complete. If you stay focused on your intention to heal and be healed, healing will come. Remember that reading the meditations with the intention to heal is healing in itself. Doing the fire meditation offers a deeper dimension of healing. It means making the effort to show up for yourself in a very real way. The small place inside you responds when you show up for yourself with unconditional love.

Healing

Healing often happens in layers, like peeling an onion. Instead of becoming discouraged when you find another layer, be grateful that you are moving closer to your Center where no healing is needed, because here you are whole. In wholeness—holiness—there is no separation, no enemy, no friend, no animosity, and hence no forgiveness is necessary.

Expanding your Fire Meditation Experience

1. Practice with another person: If you are in relation to someone who is willing, you may like to practice this meditation together. In this case, place the candle between you, sit across from each other, and gaze into the fire. When you are ready, look into each other’s eyes, and follow the procedure outlined above.

2. Practice with yourself: You may also practice the meditation by visualizing yourself in the light of the flame. In this case, imagine that you are looking into your own eyes, willing to see yourself as you are, willing to heal the conflicts you have with and within yourself.

Copyright ©1997/2018 Judith Ann Parsons, MSW aka Indira
May not be shared or copied in any way, except for your personal use, without written permission from the author. If you want to share it, please request permission to do so. Thank you for honoring my work, as I honor yours.

Slow Down

Slow down

Slow down is always a good exercise. If you are someone who runs here and there, slow down. Take a breath. Sit on the sofa for 5 or 15 minutes and do nothing but watch your thoughts. Watch your mind instead of trying to run from it. Sit quietly and watch the way your mind tries to distract you from watching it! Watch your mind try to draw you away from your sitting, back into the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlW4bEjB5A

Be Where Your Body Is

Accidents happen to people all the time because their minds are not coordinated with their bodies. The mind is off on a safari in Africa while the body is right here. Be where your body is!

Be Where Your Body Is

Be present in your body. Breathe. Relax. Now. Right now. Take a breath. Let relaxation flood your body. Feel yourself being here now.

Sand Mandala

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2PQg6mws4k

Time lapse of a traditional sand mandala created by Tibetan monks from the Gyuto Wheel of Dharma (Life) Monastery in Minneapolis for the 2014 MAYDAY! Peace Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College

What is the POINT?

When you read your daily messages, or spiritual -- what is the point?

The point is to read as a contemplation, a meditation. Allow the words to allow your mind to open, expand, and think in new ways.

"The person whose glance is like an x-ray sees through a person. This person will find more faults, lacks, wants in human nature, but it is this person who will be less affected by them or overlook them and rise above them. The reason is that he sees the cause, and when he sees the cause he sees the effect." - Hazrat Inayat Khan

This says finding faults in "human nature" -- not in human beings. We are part of human nature. When we see into human nature, we see into our own nature. We must not worry, harshly judge, or condemn. We must SEE what is. We cannot heal from our own faults if we cannot see them. 

Your lessons are not meant to adhere to any particular rules of writing. They are meant to wake you up—take you out of your ordinary mindset, create new neural pathways in your brain and guide you along existing pathways of creativity and enlightenment. They are designed to free you from the prison of mechanical thinking.

Thanks for the winter rose, JP

Meditation

To gain energy, practice this exercise of sitting still and making your muscles dead. Only when everything in you is quiet for an hour, then make your decision about your aim. Don't let associations absorb you. --G.I. Gurdjieff

Today's quote

Try Meditation

Meditation is calming. It helps you contact your Inner Teacher, your Inner Healer, your Inner Everything. There are so many worlds we can inhabit. In our school we want to inhabit the world of the Self, the Primordial One. We want to live in a world of  deep and profound simplicity, which is happiness. It is possible. I am here to tell you: It is possible. No matter what you have gone through, no matter what you are going through. You are not meant to suffer. You are not meant to go through life suffering from a feeling of lack, loss, fear, and limitation. You can have all the energy you need when you let Something Higher live your life for you. The body grows tired after a long day, after hard physical work. This happens. And you do not have to lose your mental clarity. You do not have to become spiritually tired. All the energy you need exists for you. Here. Now.