Incredibly Blessed

I am incredibly blessed
to have been given the gift
of a guru,
of many teachers

I am incredibly blessed
to have been given the gift
of receiving
life itself as teacher

I am incredibly blessed
to receive
without feeling dependent
to accept
without feeling deficient
to respect
without feeling powerless

I am incredibly blessed
to learn from another
without feeling stupid
to admire another's strength
without feeling weak
to bow to another
without feeling small
to surrender
without feeling overpowered

I am incredibly blessed
to worship at the feet of my guru
to offer deepest devotion
to receive complete munificence
to see him in me
to see me in him
to recognize the emptiness
that moves as he and I

My heart swells
with the deepest love
and infinite gratitude
for the abundant grace
that is everything

Change without fear

There is light
being light
There is darkness
moving towards light
And there is darkness
being darkness
period

If there is light
somewhere there is darkness
The brighter the light
the darker the darkness
inseparable twins
parts of a whole

The way out of darkness
is not more light
The way out of darkness
is also
the way out of light

Something holds them both
equally
light and darkness,
surrendering itself joyfully
to the play
of duality
Ecstacy and bliss result
as do death and destruction
but something indestructible
still does not die

There is no need
to demonize the dark
for that stance
simply empowers it

There is no use
in moving towards
the light
if that move is about
distancing the dark
for that stance
simply sustains it

Like the head and tail
of a dog
light and dark
are connected

Beyond darkness
beyond light
lies the ground
beckoning us
to its wondrousness

From here
springs joyful action:
being with darkness
being with light
being with things
as they are

From here
all things arise
From here
spontaneously
without force
all things change
without need
and move
simply for the love of it

This is
the most powerful
of all
Change without fear

Positive Thinking and Truth

We are encouraged
to think positively
and to be positive
especially in the face of
life's difficulties

And we can do that
by all means
if it works
till it works

I was drawn
to the positive thinking
school of thought
and it helped me
in many ways

The biggest service
it provided however
was to bring me
to its own limitations

Positive thinking
may be preferable
to negative thinking
for most people
but let us not forget
it is still within
the same paradigm
and this paradigm
has limitations

Don't believe me
check it out
in your own experience
check if positive thinking
brings you
lasting satisfaction
check if positive thinking
can ever address
negative thinking
except temporarily

The good news is
there is something
way more reliable
durable
and solid
than positive thinking

And that potent something
is truth

I am not talking
theory or philosophy
metaphysics
or theology
I am talking
of something
more real
something that we
experience directly

We try to freeze truth
and make it something
permanent like a goalpost
and so we miss it

Truth is not a static thing
but rather dynamic
flowing like a river
It is what is unfolding
moment by moment
impossible to capture
in words or images
and yet eminently available
and accessible in
direct experience

So when life presents us
with difficulties
and we feel swamped
sad, frustrated, angry or hurt
we can look to the truth
for deep contentment
and for effective empowerment

But the truth is ugly
you say
truth is cancer
and truth is death
truth is pain
and truth is misery
what good is this truth?
how could it be satisfying
or empowering?
you ask

I can't deny
that truth is not
always peaceful
and positive
and loving
and good

Truth can wear
different faces
it does not
conform to our ideas
of what it must be
that is why it is truth
and not theology
or philopsophy;
those are our ideas
of truth

Our ideas are
very important to us
we make up
our whole world of experience
from them

And it is humbling
to really see and get
that truth does not
agree with our ideas
Things that "should not happen"
happen all too frequently

But what would something be
if we could drop
all our ideas
of it
about it?

This is radical
for the human mind
for we are so used
to looking
to our ideas
to see and understand
reality

What would something be
if we saw it simply like it is
without any overlay
of idea or belief?

It would be the truth
undistorted
and this truth
dear friends
is so deeply resonant
at a cellular level
inside us
that we don't fear
anymore
how it appears
on the outside

This is the grace of truth
It enables us
to enter eternity
from this moment
as it is
It enables us
to be free
inside human experience

This is not linear
what is being spoken of
but rather
multi-dimensional
This is not leaving out
thinking mind
what is being spoken of
but rather
including and transcending it

When we are not
so invested
in our ideas and beliefs
we can recognize
this human self
to be an expression of truth
we can recognize
every moment also
as an expression of truth
and meet it
with eyes and arms wide open

Then we can address
everything
not from fear
for ourselves
but from the freedom
for everything
to be as it is

If we want
we can
open to the possibility
that this moment
is more than
what we think
and feel
about it

If we want
we can
examine the reality
of the deeply entrenched belief
that this moment
must only be good
or safe or happy
or positive

If we want
we can
stop making
the short walk
from a bad idea
to a good idea
and contact
the naked truth
instead

Perhaps it is time?
to risk being counter-intuitive
to venture into the lion's den
to embark on a most exciting adventure
to greet this moment
simply as it is

The Paradox of Unity

Our intellectual understanding of unity
simply cannot touch
its reality

The only way to know
this amazing unity
is to live it
to be it
to allow the understanding
to seep below
and around
and beyond
thinking mind

Thinking mind
makes unity,
also called oneness,
into a mere idea

Thinking mind
is brilliant
and powerful
and limited

In thinking mind
unity or oneness
can become a perspective
that seeks to include
everything

In thinking mind
unity or oneness
can aspire to be
the largest perspective
which embraces
every other

This is noble
but unity is not a perspective
not even the largest
possible perspective
It is below that
around that
beyond that

It is the same as
nothing
go figure!

It is the same as
everything
go figure!

It is the same as
something
go figure!

Or we don't go figure
we simply soak
in this unity
and let it be absorbed
into every cell
of our being

Till we can see
every unique thing
in this world
including our self
without losing sight
of its seamlessness
with everything else!

Till the I
that can see
is not other than
the seeing
nor anything seen

Till even separation
itself
is evidence
of unity
and not counter to it

And this foolish
inadequate attempt
on my part
to describe unity
is just more evidence
of the humorous
astounding
paradox of unity :)

Active Meditation

There are many ways
to meditate

There is only
one goal
of all meditation
if we could call
it that

The goal of meditation
is to let go
of the idea
of being the one in control

Not because of what
letting go brings
to the meditator

But because
of the truth
revealed in
letting go

If you have
not been drawn
to meditate
very much
see if this
appeals to you:

Whatever you are doing
give yourself wholly to it

Yes even that which
you don't want
give yourself wholly
to that too
Give yourself
to the not-wanting

Whovever you are with
give yourself wholly to them

Yes even those who
you don't want
give yourself wholly
to them too
Give yourself
to the not-wanting

If this seems too much
start simply
notice the thoughts
and feelings
that prevent you
from being present wholly

Simply notice them
without judgement
There is no need to judge
anyone or anything
for a while
And if judgment should arise
there is no need
to judge the judgement

Active meditation
is this
being present
to what is here
wholly

It is not something
we need to strive
to do
It is actually the
natural state

May we discover this
in ourselves

More truth

Too much
trying to be perfect
Too little
being truthful
about one's imperfection

Too much
value on perfection
too little
value on truth
around imperfection

Too much
struggle to feel better
Too little resting
in the natural ease
underlying struggle and ease

Maybe what we need
in the world
is less of trying to be perfect
and more truth
in seeing what we are
as we are
imperfect and perfect

Faith and reason

Faith is not about
attaching to a belief
Much less about
blindly attaching to a belief

Faith is about
suspending disbelief
even for a moment
So that old ingrained ways of looking
make room
for a new possibility

Faith is about dislodging
rigid attachment
to all beliefs
And being the wide blue sky
Open to what arises

Don't pit faith against reason
as though
they were enemies!
They are mother and child
not foes
True Faith is the openness
that allows reason
even the reason
that does not allow faith
Faith bears even
the child
that turns against
the mother.

Don't pit faith against faith
as though
they were rivals
for the attention of God!
They are brother and sister
not foes
True faith
is the wide embrace
that holds all faiths
in the lap of God

True Faith is
Presence
beyond faith
and reason

Inseparable

Hey you
apple of my eye
delight of my heart
essence of my being

There is nothing
about you
that can miss
my love

There is nothing
you can tell
that I
wouldn't hear

There is nothing
you can show
that I don't
want to see

There is no
darkness anywhere
untouched
by my light

And yet
you may remain
dark
if you wish
you may hide
if you like
you may run
if you please

There is no choice
you can make
that isn't
mine also

There is no dance
you can dance
that I won't
dance with you

Dearest one
remember this
when it is time
and know your home
as the inseparable
where you and I
reside as one