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

finding for ourselves

John 14:23—KJV

23 ... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

"If we love our Teachers, we will try and keep their words. But to do so, we must see what the Teacher is made of. We must feel instinctively that the Teacher gives us food.

I am sure you would not listen to me for two minutes if you did not think I gave you food—and this is the same for all Teachers. But to give food, we must receive food, and we can only do this in the same way as everyone else—by work on ourselves—by deeper and deeper work to discover ourselves. 

Then we can pass what we have gained onto others, so that they may benefit by our finding and may go forth and find for themselves. Because this is what really teaches us—finding for ourselves—work upon ourselves."

—A Point in the Work: A Continuation of the work of G.I. Gurdjieff. Ouspensky, and Maurice Nicoll—anonymous

ACTIVELY DOING SPIRITUAL WORK

Dearest & Nearest,

When you are actively doing spiritual work—which doesn't mean just sitting in meditation once a day—it means ACTIVELY DOING SPIRITUAL WORK—then your life truly becomes permeated with spirituality, like the scent of roses or lilacs permeate the air where they grow. Then spirituality can permeate even your dreams. Even in your dreams your spiritual work towards freedom can continue.

For example, I woke from a dream the other morning. In this dream there was pain—someone was in great emotional pain—and I could feel it. And I was telling him that it was because he was focusing upon these painful thoughts. And that over here, if he just shifts his focus, is a beautiful pure white shining flower.

I can still see that flower now. It was shimmering and radiant with light.

I told him—if you just shift your focus to this flower, the pain will go away. Nothing can touch this flower—which is the radiance of your true being—not all the pain and darkness of the world. You must only shift your focus.

Isn't this a wonderful spiritual teaching. And it all came in a dream.

with love and devotion, as always...

So sweetly pure and innocent this bunny sat quietly while I took it's picture, knowing I meant it no harm.

I Release and Heal

I release my parents from the feeling that they have failed me and are responsible for all my problems today. I release myself to become a mature responsible adult, not a dependent petulant child.

I release my children from the need to bring pride to me, so they are free to follow their own path, according to the Divine Will within them.

I release my partner from the expectation that he or she must complete me so that I will feel whole. I take full responsibility for completing myself through my contact with my Higher Power.

I release my work, my job, from an obligation to do more than support my life so that I can take care of myself, my dependents, and complete my spiritual work on earth. I release my job from the idea that it is obligated to bring me great success, pride, or wealth.

I accept that my work, my job, has none of these obligations. Anything more than my daily bread is a gift—one I share freely when it is more than I need. I imbibe the true meaning of the prayer: Great Universal Energy: Give us this day our daily bread.

I release my past and the bars that bind me to memories. When I am not bound tight to the past, I have the energy to devote to this Present Moment, to be free, to know God. I use memory for rightness—for what is needed Now. I use memory to remember who I AM.

I release my clinging to objects, with faith that whatever I need will appear when it is needed, as it always has and always will. I release all objects from the responsibility to fulfill me, to make me more, to make me better than anyone else.

I release the future, knowing that when I let it go, it floats freely from me, into the great Sky of Being. I allow Creation to do what it does best—create the future for me now in this perfect Present Moment.

I release my mind from the pressure of believing it must create. It is free to be what it is meant to be: A tool for practical thinking, right use of memory, and practical actions.

I release my mind from the pressure of constantly thinking about what it has no power over, no power to do, so that it can a pure conduit through which Creativity can flow, unimpeded.

I thank and honor all those who came before me, all my ancestors and grandparents—all my relations. I understand that everyone on earth—everyone who was or will be—is my relation. We are all connected. We are all made from stardust. Everyone is my brother, my sister, my mother and father, my child, and we are One.

I release the false me, the ego—with gratitude—for what it has given me, for what it has taught me. I harbor no resentment towards it, no anger. I thank it for all it has shown me. I now let it go. I let it relax into pure being.

I release all those who have harmed me, if only in my beliefs. I thank you for what I have learned from you. I allow compassion to replace resentment and pain, for that is the pathway to healing.

I release myself from all those I have harmed, if only in my beliefs. I thank myself for letting go. I  allow compassion to grow within me, for that is the pathway to healing.

I allow myself to be transparent before God. I move and live and have my being within the Presence of the greatest Healing Force, and I am grateful. Thank you, God. Thank you Divine Mother. Thank you Father Sky. Thank you all my ancestors. Thank you world. I love you world, for you are a teacher, and I step away from you now—for I am in you, but not of you. I thank you Mother Earth—for my body comes from you, as you come from the stars, and my spirit returns to Consciousness, as masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) unite in ecstatic unity, and we are One.

It is from supreme gratitude that supreme awakening arises, moment after moment, as ocean waves arise, non-ending, from the great quiet that is the depth of the ocean, from the unity of ocean with moon which receives its light from sun; thus is formed a great circle from which all life flows over and over again. And I am grateful. Thank you.

Springtime Thoughts

Spring Daffodil I found on my walk here.

Since I am in a new time zone with changing weather patterns—including April showers and refreshing air (unlike the cities I have been living in) which I love and many people complain about—the rain and cold that is,—anxious as they are for summer sun…I often think of this angel writing, which you may have read—I first wrote it for a monthly lesson called,  'Angels Everywhere!'—which turned out to be one of my favorite lessons...

...but it was written at a very difficult time, following the death of my only sister, Sue, on a cold grey Christmas morning, from a long painful illness.

The first words of that lesson were, “Are angels with us always? Yes! Always!”

And the lesson went onto say…"Angels love all kinds of weather. Angels are not dependent on the sun for light the way we are. Angels shine with their own light. You shine with your own light too. When you are living from your heart even the most somber winter day can seem warm and peaceful—because real peace is independent of any experience. Even the most somber moment can be filled with peace—because peace is the backdrop upon which everything is written.”

Over the years, the more I write, read, and study the lessons, the more I work on practicing the teachings—the more I imbibe. Because as the lessons say, What good are spiritual teachings if you cannot apply them to everyday life? If they do not offer you personal transformation?

The more I work with the angelic teachings, the more they became part of my life. It’s one thing to adapt to the outside weather—but what about adapting to inside weather? What about dealing with the changes, not only in weather patterns, but the weather patterns of our lives?

If you are still buffeted about by people, situations, and events—remember, you have your lessons. You have the teachings of the angels to guide you and remind you to go within — that you are more than your body, more than emotions, more than passing thoughts.

Just yesterday I was given some misinformation by a government official, which meant a huge (for me) financial loss. I was shocked, but not defeated. It did not throw me into anxiety the way it once would have. I just felt  the shock and stayed with it—instead of letting thoughts add unnecessary emotional and mental suffering. I stayed with what was.

I researched and took some actions to rectify the situation, because I felt that what she had told me was not accurate. In the end, I found out she was wrong. The whole drama had been just…a drama.

The positive outcome of this is that I was given a chance to see that there was a transformation within me. Real transformation often happens so deeply and slowly that we do not realize it has taken place. It’s not like those sudden “changes” we all have had—you know—where you think you have “changed” forever. You get high about it and maybe tell everyone. You believe it is permanent. Then it all collapses and you feel like you are just the same old person in pain, which brings even greater pain.

This is because there is still a “you” there to get high. There is a “you” who believes you have “changed.” In truth, there is no “you” and never was. “You” is always thinking…thinking…thinking. But a thought of change is not change. “You” cannot change because you just don’t exist.

When true change comes, it is not “you” changing—it is a bit of you being chipped away, the way a sculpture chips away bits of rock to reveal the sculpture that was always there, hidden within the rock.

So I was enabled to see—that some of the old me was gone in that moment. I say in that moment, because if I talk about the future, then it is “me” doing the talking—putting “me” into it. There is no me and never could be. There is only what IS.

We only have this moment. When this is remembered, we can sink deep into the present moment and rise higher than whatever problem we face. This is what happened for me the other day. I could have been controlled by what the official told me. I could have let it sink me into suffering. If I had done that, I wouldn’t have felt compelled to research the information and find out for myself what was true.

Some part of me, the practical mind—the mind that works for us and is our friend—questioned what she said. So even in the midst of shock, I was able to take constructive action. I was willing to be wrong— those of you who work with me personally in seminars—may have heard me say this, as I often do when working with someone: I am willing to be wrong.

And I mean that. But…I am also willing to be right. Both have different outcomes, and both are okay because…I  am willing to accept either possibility—being wrong or being right.
 
When we can come to this place: I am willing to be  wrong. I am willing to be right. I am willing to accept either possibility—then there is inner quiet. Inner peace. The struggle to be “right” and “win” is gone. You realize that the spiritual journey is not about competition—that’s the way of the world. The way of Spirit is just to be and let life unfold—discover what is and what will be.

So the other day when I heard this shocking news, I just stayed with the shock. I noticed my mind wanting to interfere—remember that darkness attacks when we are in a weakened position—and tell me how wrong I was, how I had made a mistake, how my future was doomed, as well as my present.

But at that moment, there was sentry at the doorway of my mind, watching carefully—and I did not let those harmful hurtful thoughts in the door where they could take over and destroy my serenity.

In the end, I called back this same woman with the information I had and she confirmed that she had given me wrong information. Now, that was a relief at the financial level, since it will make life easier for me—but I felt no high, no elation—because I had experienced no low, no depression. Shock, yes, but that was an immediate reaction. What’s important,is that I did not let it devolve into a low, into depression or anxiety.

I know myself well enough to know that my “normal" reaction would have been terrible anxiety—because I would have let anxious thoughts take over. But this time…it was different. And I can attribute that to  the spiritual work I do constantly on myself. I consciously work on myself everyday. I write everyday. I hang out with angelic energy. I read other spiritual books. I read and work with the lessons.

I say this not to say how dedicated I am — but to emphasize what can happen when we are devoted to our spiritual life. I an SO grateful for the angels in my life, for all my spiritual teachers, the ancient seers who left behind great books and scriptures — that have helped release me from being “me.”

And I continue to work on myself, to read and write the lessons, to practice what I write. This is the only way I know for deep inner transformation to happen — we must put into practice what we learn, in order to let the learning deepen into the heart. I am just grateful that at least for that moment I was spared the suffering my own thoughts could have led me to. And that I was given the energy to find out for myself that what she had said was wrong, so that I could fix the problem. It is certainly a relief at a financial level, but even more so—a victory of light over darkness, which is what matters most.

George Gurdjieff

In order to be [born]... a man must die, that is, he must free himself from a thousand petty attachments and identifications which hold him in the position in which he is. He is attached to everything in his life, attached to his imagination, attached to his stupidity, attached even to his sufferings... He must free himself from this attachment. ~George Gurdjieff

Seeing

Today I was working with one of our school exercises -- "Ask to see something about yourself that you don't want to see." And I saw that behind my "niceness" is someone who wants something for being nice. Of course, I am polite to people. That's normal, and we don't deserve special credit for just being nice. But often I am nice because I want something -- if only to have that other person think that I am nice. I need to see and keep seeing the many layers that keep me from seeing/being in Truth. Anyone else have any thoughts about this? Kevin

Turn Towards God NOW

Turn towards God NOW, even when nothing is going wrong, even when you feel fine. I was reminded today of this little story: I lived on Maui for 6 years, a quiet secluded life. For some time I lived alone in a tiny house with an expanse of green fields and the ocean for my backyard. The guava trees, the banana trees, and the wind were my companions.
I used to fly to Los Angeles to work. That's where I was in my first big earthquake. I was awakened by hundreds of car alarms going off and the big double bed I was sleeping in sliding across the floor. Having never been in an earthquake before, but hearing the car alarms, I thought at first it was a tsunami warning -- because that's what it would have been in Hawaii.
My mind suddenly realized it was an earthquake, and I thought -- the house is going to come crashing down on my head, I am going to fall through to the 1st floor, and it's really going to hurt, but only for a minute, because then I will be dead. So I sat down on the floor to meditate so I'd be ready to die. And the earthquake stopped.
My years of spiritual practice allowed me not to panic -- and to prepare to die. So don't wait to turn to God. Turn to God now. Now while you still can. Now while your breath still flows. Now.

Winter Solstice

Yesterday was Dec. 21, the longest day of the year. The best known winter solstice celebration is held by druids in Wiltshire, England, at the Neolithic Stonehenge monument. Adherents to the ancient Celtic religion give thanks to the sun at the solstice for beginning its path toward the spring.
Speaking of which, let's gives thanks to the Light as we continue our path towards spring — the eternal Spring of Understanding that is within you.

True Spirituality

It is not spiritual to generate or share anxiety and fear in the world. Turn away from those who spread fear. Turn towards those who bring peace. Turn Within. Let the fear in the world of darkness lead you to True Spirituality.

Burbank, CA message today

I am writing this from Burbank, CA, where I still am for awhile longer.
http://www.theclearandsimpleway.com/
°☆★°★●*
See in new ways today. Be absolutely aware of your eyes through which seeing happens. Look into someone’s eyes when they talk to you. Focus on seeing in a new way, without your usual filters, without your mind telling you what you see, without your fears of other people, places, or things. See intently. See as if you care, really care about the other person and what they are saying. Forget about what you want  to say next and listen. Listen with your eyes. See with your eyes. Let your eyes communicate. Let your seeing tell you what you are seeing, instead of your mind. Let your seeing be intelligent. Be divinely intelligent. Divinely present.
Much love
°☆★°★●*
European Tour 2016 - Registration is now open
http://www.theclearandsimpleway.com/european-tour

Burbank, CA, See the Lemon Tree? On a walk outside with Happy the happy dog.

The Mind

I saw this and couldn't resist posting it here. Yes, an undisciplined, uncared for mind can be like cobwebs in our heads! There is really nothing wrong with the brain. The brain works fine in the rain, in the pain, keeping us safe and sane. (I feel like rhyming today). The practical mind serves us well, when we let it. There IS a space between each thought. You may have heard this before. But you may not have listened to it. Please keep this in mind. There IS a space between each thought!

Church of the Living Spirit, Lilydale, NY

New Student Enthusiasm!!!

Here is an email I just received from a new student, who begins her lessons January 8. It is nice to know that a new student is going through the archives here in Your Open Classroom and that the constant effort I put into the classroom is serving someone in a positive way. Be sure to welcome any new students, should they stop by to say hello! (This one will recognize herself when she sees herself here.) If she can keep up this same level of enthusiasm she will reap many benefits.

Email:   

"Thank you for sending the introduction. I am so eager to receive your Angel Lessons! Also, I visit the Classroom practically every day. I am reading myself through all the Messages/Lessons starting 2009...there is such a concentration of angel wisdom, so much to meditate about, that I only manage to advance very slowly. Thank you for being there for me!"

Sogyal Rinpoche

I like this quote from Sogyal Rinpoche. It is what your School says -- do not identify with and thus empower that which is false. Good words to live by...when we can remember.
 

Sogyal Rinpoche:

What does it mean to love yourself?

"It means to embrace every aspect of your being with unconditional love. On a deeper level, it means letting your buddha nature, your inherent, fundamental goodness, manifest and love the whole of you completely, including all your ordinary messy, and confused aspects. It is allowing the light to shine from within and dispel the darkness of ignorance.

Loving yourself means embracing yourself without any judgment. You do not judge your negativity and your habitual tendencies, because they are not solid or real. It is only because you believe in them and strengthen them, through constant repetition, that they appear so solid and strong. In actuality they are not strong at all. Realizing this, you see that they are not that solid and they are not that powerful."

Showing Up

Often times we stop showing up for our spiritual self, our spiritual work, when our life takes a turn for the better. This can be especially true when we have had a long 'dry' spell -- a period of loneliness or unhappiness -- followed by suddenly getting what we 'want' (maybe a new relationship, a great job, outer adoration) -- that brings us joy. Joy is great! Angels love to bring tidings of great joy, and they always do, even when we cannot heed them.

Still, times of great joy are times to stay focused upon your spiritual path. We do not want to turn to God only in times of misfortune--anyone can do that--we want to turn to God even in times of good fortune. We want to remember God in good times, bad times, all times.

Your connection with God and angels can deepen immeasurably when you remember to stay focused and grateful in times of great joy, as well as in times of despair--and all the times in between. 

Do good, feel good.

Try this. Not really as an exercise in doing good, but as an exercise in awareness -- which our school is all about -- being aware. When you find yourself complaining (in your mind) about a situation you are in, a place you are, anything at all -- ask yourself, how can I improve this? Can I say something kind? Can I just keep my mouth shut? (sometimes that is the kindest thing :)  Can I do some actual physical work to make things better? So -- basically the question is: Can I leave the place or situation better than I found it?

I tried this today. I was in a public restroom and when I walked in I saw someone had thrown a pile of paper towels on the floor. Thoughts went through my head, like -- This looks terrible! I should tell someone in charge who can pick these up!! Then I thought, why don't I just pick them up and throw them away myself? And so I did. It took me a couple of minutes. And I felt good. I still feel good thinking about it.

When we Do good, we FEEL good. That's another cosmic law. So -- try it. You'll be glad you did!

Rainbow Light

Let go of the past . . .

Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again. -Gautama Buddha

Using the Teachings

I've come to see how it doesn't matter how much I read, how much knowledge I have--the important question is--do I turn it into wisdom by making it my own? Do I find out for myself what is true, instead of mindlessly believing? This applies even to the magnificent angel lessons. Do I do practice the exercises? Do I put Truth first?

Each day I have many things I have to do, many things I want to do, and these all take up time. I make it a point to make time to sit with my school lessons each day, to do some quiet contemplations, some writing, some meditation. The other day some friends invited me to go out with them, and this time happened to be the time I had set aside for my spiritual practices--the only extra time I had that day. So the question for me was, do I use that time going out with friends or going in with my spiritual contemplation.

I was able to notice what was happening in my thinking. The very idea of going "out" was significant. My thinking was saying--I can't disappoint my friends, or they won't like me; I need go "out" and have fun. In the end, I decided to go against that thinking. I decided to stay in and go Inward.

I was glad I did. I felt a calm come over me. I saw how often I do something to please other people, but leave myself unpleased. I saw the ego trying to assert itself, trying to give me orders. I saw that often I do things to avoid facing my inner pain. I saw that I only have to, as I have read in the lessons, be pleasing onto God. That is all. I wound up doing just what I wanted to do all the time--stay home with myself and read my new lesson.