A Little Story

Here is a story just for you. It happens to be about a little girl. She could have been anyone’s child. She could have been you.

A BOUQUET OF LOVE

One bright sunny day, this little girl was picking wild flowers in a meadow. Feeling like she was the warmth of the sun, she gathered her bouquet of purple and gold brightness and ran to her father, offering him this bundle of spontaneous love. Her father saw only miserable weeds that set off his miserable hay fever. He shouted at her to get them out of the house, asking how could she be such a stupid little girl, and where was her consideration?

The little girl did not know what consideration was, so she had no idea where hers could be, and she was afraid to ask. She was sure that if she had any, she would not be stupid. She ran outside, no longer feeling like she was the warm yellow sun. Her brightness faded, she sat under a tree with her flowers, consoling them, assuring them they were in no way stupid, or else how could they be so beautiful? Then she planted each one in the earth again, telling them she was sorry she had taken them from their homes, and promised never to do so again. 

The little girl pondered this event as the years passed and somewhere in the angels’ singing, since angels are always singing to little girls and big girls and people of all ages, she heard a song of wisdom: You are not the doer. The fruits of your actions belong not to you, but to God. And the little girl, who by now lived in a bigger body, hugged that song to her, and it comforted her way back to the time when her father had shouted at her and into the future when her own and other people's songs would be shouts.

As the years passed, she learned from these shouts. Sometimes people shouted loudly, sometimes silently. Deep within the angels’ whispers, she discovered that all shouts come from fear and ignorance. People were afraid to feel, so they shouted. People were afraid to tell the truth, so they shouted. People were afraid to love and be loved, so they shouted. People were afraid, so they hid behind shouts that were loud and shouts that were silent, wearing the disguises that pass for love and intimacy. 

Time passed, as time has a way of doing, teaching what it teaches to those able to listen with their hearts. Time taught her to sing gentle songs, giving them away like candy. Once they were gone from her, she never looked back, knowing that gifts with strings attached were no gifts at all. 

One day, when the little girl lived in a body with skin that showed the passage of many lessons learned, she found she had become the bouquet of flowers. And people came from everywhere to catch the scent of her love. 

The angels will leave you to gather your own bouquet from this story, the way the little girl did. The joy of stories comes from listening with your heart. In this way, the story awakens the truth that lives inside you and that truth becomes your own. 

Be kind, gentle, and compassionate with yourself. Give to yourself that which you wish others would give to you. Remember that others are only mirrors, reflections of yourself. When you treat yourself with respect, you will see this reflected in beautiful shining mirrors all around you. 

Paul Gauguin

 In case the sun is not shining where you are today, or you can't find it in your heart and soul (even though it is always there)...here is a blast of light and color to remind you...

Paul Gauguin
By the Stream,Autumn, 1885.

Lin Chi, Zen Master Story

One of the greatest of Zen masters, Lin Chi, used to say, ”While I was young I was very fascinated by boating. I had one small boat, and I would go on the lake alone. For hours together I would remain there.

”Once it happened that with closed eyes I was in my boat meditating on the beautiful night. One empty boat came floating downstream and struck my boat. My eyes were closed, so I thought, ‘Someone is here with his boat, and he has struck my boat.’ 

"Anger arose. I opened my eyes and I was just going to say something to that man in anger, then I realized that the boat was empty. Then there was no way to move. To whom could I express the anger? The boat was empty. It was just floating downstream, and it had come and struck my boat. So there was nothing to do. There was no possibility to project the anger on an empty boat.”

So Lin Chi said, ”I closed my eyes. The anger was there, but finding no way out, I closed my eyes and just floated backward with the anger. And that empty boat became my realization. I came to a point within myself in that silent night. 

"That empty boat was my master. And now if someone comes and insults me, I laugh and I say, ‘This boat is also empty.’ I close my eyes and I go within.”

A Story from Monthly School Lesson "TOGETHER AS ONE"

THE LITTLE BROWN BIRD

Once upon a time there was a tiny brown bird hopping around in Mother Nature, eating little seeds and ruffling its feathers in the wind. And it was happy. 

It watched the grey bunnies, the striped chipmunks, fat earthworms, and bustling black beetles that were part of its world. And it was happy.

It listened to the birds singing, the leaves rustling in the wind, the squirrels chattering. And it was happy. 

One day, it heard a strange new sound and it looked all around with its tiny black eyes. What was that sound? Then the little bird saw it—a huge bird blazing with blue, turquoise, violet, green, and golden feathers with many eyes shining from its long tail. 

"What are you?" asked the little bird from its perch high above. 

"I am a peacock," the colorful bird replied. 

From that moment on, the little bird knew no peace, even though it lived in the center of beautiful Mother Nature, even though it was never hungry, even though the soft wind still blew and ruffled its tiny brown feathers. 

Finally, in despair, it went to Mother Nature and said, "Oh, Mother Nature, why did you make me so brown and small and ugly? Why can I not shine like the blazing peacock? Why do I not have many eyes glowing from a long feathery tail? Why must I be so unhappy?"

"Your unhappiness has nothing to do with the peacock, little brown bird," replied Mother Nature. "Do not act like a silly human being. You are unhappy only because you compare yourself. Stop comparing and your unhappiness will end. Be yourself. Be happy being you."

And the little bird listened very carefully with its little bird ears and opened its heart very wide so it could catch every word deep inside. 

And it went back to eating little seeds and ruffling its feathers in the wind. And it was happy. 

Thank you for being there so that I can be here.

Love now and always,

Indira & the angels

A GUARDIAN ANGEL STORY

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

The angel had been bound to earth for hundreds of years, yet the angel lived in patience where time did not exist. For eons the angel had been speaking to humans, whispering words of love and encouragement into their ears. Most of the time, no one heard, though now and then, the angel saw in someone's eyes a glimmer of understanding.

    This angel was presently guarding a small child, whose skin was white as snow, though it was no fairy tale, for the child had been sick with some earthly disease for a long time. The child lay in a bed, blending into white sheets, surrounded by family members who were trying not to cry. And the child, who knew what courage was, whispered, “It is okay to cry because I am going away.”

    And the angel smiled and wrapped its love around the boy and touched the hearts of his parents, grandparents, and little brothers. As the angel touched their hearts, it knew the anguish in those hearts. The angel could have moved away, spared itself this pain, but it only moved closer, giving of its strength. The child's father forgot not to cry. Tears fell down his unshaven face. 

    The little boy wanted to reach up and touch that face one last time, but he had no strength. Sensing this, the unseen angel helped the boy raise his arm. As the child touched his father's scratchy wet face one last time, father and son felt a great peace, for the truth of tears is better than the pretense of smiles.

    Then the mother cradled her child in her arms. The grandparents cradled their own children, this mother and father. And the angel of God bound them all together with its love and spoke to the child, saying, “It is time.” The child heard a voice like bells and looked upon the face of the angel for the first time. The family could not see the angel, but they saw the years of pain and fighting the disease fade away as the child's face began to glow.

    “I will show you,” smiled the angel, forgetting everything now except the child. “Look!” The angel pointed to the light. Seeing the Light, the boy breathed a last sigh and closed his eyes in peace. 

    The angel departed with the soul essence of the child, guiding him to the Light. And the family was not alone. The room was alive with angels, embracing the family, whispering words of love, holding the sorrow, taking what pain they could unto themselves.

    As the angel guided the child to the Light, the angel felt the power of the Light, and longed to return to the Light, but its task was upon earth. The angel did not linger in pain or longing. It lovingly watched the boy merge into the Light, then turned and made its way back to earth.

    The angel did not stop to ask why, did not hesitate, did not question the way of the world or of God. It simply went on to its next task. It was just in time to catch a young teenager as she fell from a speeding car whose door had become unlatched.

    The girl would later tell a wondrous story of a being of light that caught her in its arms, saving her from the hard pavement of the road. And the angel was already gone, onto its next task, fully present in the moment.

    This story came to me in its entirety following the death of my young nephew, Sean, from leukemia. I was on tour in Europe at the time. When I received word that he had died, I sat down and wrote this story. It was a gift I received at his passing into another realm. When I returned home, I was told that although his father, my brother, was unable to make it to the hospital before Sean died, the nurses insisted, “But we saw you there, holding your son's hand and talking with him.”

AWAKENING

 AWAKENING

I shall lie my body down

Upon the soft warm earth

Now while I am alive!

I shall give my spirit birth

Now before I die! 

I shall fold the sky

Over my head

And let the stars 

Enter my eyes

Now while my blood is still red!

I shall not wait for my last breath

Before I lay me down to sleep

Forever, to die, to cry, to lie 

Beneath the deep 

Deep firmament

I shall kiss the earth and repent

In whispers to her alone

I shall sacredly atone

Hail Mary full of Grace!

Let me see thy holy face!

Now we see through a glass darkly

But then we shall see 

Even as we are seen

Tear away the holy veil!

Let me sip from the holy grail!

Spread a table before mine eyes

Of frankincense, gold, and myrrh

I shall anoint the child I AM with Light

And give her second sight

Wrap her in swaddling clothes

And lay her in a manger

There I shall kneel and honor her

For she is me and I am her

There I shall surrender

Both past and future

At the moment of my birth

At the hour of my death

My body shall desert me

And my spirit shall fly free.

A Grandfather Tree spoke to me...

While in the mountains, I once met an ancient and gnarled Grandfather tree. We spoke a long time, often in whispers, so no one else could hear. He told me tales of wisdom. He said many trees are dying now, their roots are not deep enough to reach water because the earth has grown hotter. His roots are so deep, he can always drink, so he sends healing energy to the earth and other trees, but he cannot save them all. I thanked him and promised I will not forget him and that his stories will continue to grow within me

St. John of the Cross

Perhaps you will find this as beautiful and meaningful as I do...

Verses on the Ecstasy of Deep Contemplation

Translated from the Spanish poem

by San Juan de la Cruz (St. John of the Cross) 1542-1591

I entered where I never knew,

and I was left without knowing,

transcending all knowledge.

I never knew where I was entering,

but when I found myself there,

without knowing where I was,

I understood important matters.

I don’t say what I felt,

for I was left without knowing,

transcending all knowledge.

It was the perfect knowledge of peace and piety,

a straight road well understood in deep solitude.

It was something so secret that I was left babbling,

transcending all knowledge.

I was drawn into it,

so absorbed and taken out of myself,

that my feeling was left devoid of all feeling

and my mind was endued with an understanding

by not understanding,

transcending all knowledge.

He who really reaches that point

faints away from himself, he scorns

all that he formerly knew;

and his knowledge increases so much

that he is left without knowing,

transcending all knowledge.

The higher one rises, the less one understands

what the shadowy cloud is

which brightens the night;

therefore he knows

it remains ever unknowing,

transcending all knowledge.

This unknowing knowledge is of such great power

that the scholars can never overcome it by arguing:

for their knowledge does not extend

to this non-understanding

transcending all knowledge.

And this highest way of knowing

is so completely superior

that there is no university

or science that can attempt it:

he who can overcome himself

by a knowing non-knowing will always be

transcending.

And if you want to listen, this highest knowledge

consists of a heightened perception of

the Divine Essence; it is a result of His mercy

to leave one not understanding,

transcending all knowledge.

Original name Juan de Yepes y Álvarez, (born June 24, 1542, Fontiveros, Spain—died December 14, 1591, Ubeda; canonized 1726; feast day December 14), one of the greatest Christian mystics and Spanish poets, doctor of the church, reformer of Spanish monasticism, and cofounder of the contemplative order of Discalced Carmelites. He is a patron saint of mystics and contemplatives and of Spanish poets.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-of-the-Cross

The Colors we need...

The Moone Toone, Hirth Martinez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBCLJ754qc0

Full Moon of Guru Purnima

Composed Sunday, July 29, 2007

Yesterday I washed my soft pink towels with something blue. Oops. 

Now I have soft blue towels. It must be what I need just now—to wrap myself in blue softness.

How perfect life is when we can accept what is. No resisting. 

No thinking pink should be pink when it is clearly blue.

Life is a painting that gives us just the colors we need.

Song of Solomon, Poetry for the Soul

 

Book of Hebrews

1. Song of Solomon 2:8-14
   Look! Listen! There’s my lover! Do you see him coming? Vaulting the mountains, leaping the hills. My lover is like a gazelle, graceful; like a young stag, virile. Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate, all ears, all eyes—ready! My lover has arrived and he’s speaking to me! 

   The Man

   Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir—and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet strains. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Come, my shy and modest dove— leave your seclusion, come out in the open. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing.

Gurdjieff

Bee Keeper

Free will is the function of the Master within us. Our ‘will’ is the supremacy of one desire over another. —Gurdjieff

Be Fascinated with the Light

"It is my responsibility all alone to work on myself, to change myself, to uplift myself, regardless of how that affects any other human being. It is my responsibility to be true to truth alone, not to any other human being and not even my own elementary immature nature.

If it is possible for a human being to invite a divine power into his life, into her life, in which the human being could go through life without bumping into things, without getting hurt, if that is possible why isn't everyone in the world eagerly seeking this power in order to have it do the work for him so that their life might be peaceful?"-Be Fascinated with the Light, Vernon Howard talk.

Enduring HUMILIATION

HOW HUMILIATION HEALS 

Are you aware of your ability to make decisions in favor of yourself?  Decide to end inner conflict, then give no thought to the consequences of the decision. It is strange how a turn towards trueness arouses uncertainty. We insist upon fearing our own freedom! What we fear is the humiliation of all that has given us name and position, but it is the very crumbling of name and position that sets us free, for they were unconscious chains. 

Humiliation can be compared to an actor suddenly caught by the audience without his costume. It hurts for a moment, but then he remembers the man under the costume. By permitting total humiliation, we permit it to destroy the fantasy, leaving only the liberating fact." 

If we will repeatedly suffer the humiliation of admitting that we really do not know what we are talking about, eventually we will.—Vernon Howard

Susanne Sundfør songs

Susanne Sundfør - Reincarnation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4cpyFAHEmI

Do you believe in reincarnation? 'Cause I thought I saw your soul Flashing and dancing on the horizon Shades of jade and emerald Oh, I'm a bad girl 'cause I turned the bad world Into a crystal pearl And we were loveless, oh, it was pure bliss Something I've never felt before I might be crazy, but baby, lately I don't believe the news They say it's ending to stop pretending To start looking for the clues A glass cylinder where we can linger Let me take us to the stars I won't be missing your tender kissing 'Cause the light will wipe out all the scars.

Susanne Sundfør - No One Believes In Love Anymore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSRUxacE9nU

No one believes in love anymore They throw away the keys, no one knocked on the door No one knocked on the door, knocked on the door You reap what you sow, no one knocked on the door Pain is pleasure and then just pain Chasing the thunder and lost in the rain You are lost in the rain, lost in the rain Yourself to blame, you are lost in the rain The skin so enticing, the thrill of the sting Then drops the stinger and the spinning begins Oh, yes, the spinning begins, the spinning begins The world has gone off the hinges, and the spinning begins A downwards spiral, punctured balloon Disfigured and pale looking up at the Moon Looking up at the Moon, up at the Moon We’ll all get there soon, looking up at the Moon.

Susanne Sundfør - Undercover (Live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-uRyOu4YV4

Don't trust the ones who love you 'Cause if you love them back They'll always disappoint you It's just a matter of fact Don't love the ones who trust you It's just not in your heart You're a teasing little twister and They're dancers in the dark, oh, but I wish I had a lover who'd keep it undercover We could live our dreams, we'd sail on golden wings I wish I had a lover, someone who wouldn't bother To tell me what to feel, to tell me what is real It's not a lot I'm asking for They'll kiss you in the evening, devils in disguise, and Love you till the morning then vanish before your eyes A walking disaster can also master A graceful posture, but where's the dignity when...? I wish I had a lover who'd keep it undercover We could live our dreams, we'd sail on golden wings I wish I had a lover, someone who wouldn't bother To tell me what to feel, to tell me what is real It wouldn't even matter If you didn't even bother To be more than a lover It wouldn't even matter If I didn't even bother To believe in a forever, no It wouldn't even matter If you didn't even bother To be more than a lover It wouldn't even matter If you didn't even bother To be more than a lover, no, no, no.

YOU SHINE LIKE A DIAMOND

Diamonds by Rihanna (written by Sia) | Cover by One Voice Children's Choir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIeKy8mD-1khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIeKy8mD-1k

Susanne Sundfør - Music For People In Trouble

 

This song and video kind of beautiful. Perhaps you will enjoy it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abet-OycQpE