The Sacred Space

Invoke Your Inner Authority

Sala — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:54:44 +0000

The evolution of affirmative prayer brings it into a realm parallel to the usage of a mantra. The word mantra means “that which protects the mind”. That which protects the mind from negativity, or protects you from your own mind is mantra. It is important to use the word prayer to describe this Invocation of the Infinite Indwelling to emphasize the Sacred power of the words spoken. Yet, the word may allude to a practice of supplicating to powers outside of yourself. Many resist the term for this reason and it for this reason I wield the word so that we can re-cognize, or change our understanding of, the power of prayer.

The power of your tongue can be a magical tool for alignment with the Infinite Kingdom of the Divine that you are. When you are feeling nervous, disoriented, or emotionally fragile, inspired chanting of an affirmative prayer can shift the state of your mind completely bringing you into alignment with little effort. Often, experiences that resonate as discord, confusion or limitation can be dissipated and disintegrated with the use of your authority to call forth that which is always harmonious, fearless and utter certainty within you.

I am in Flow as this day unfolds; all is cared for as I stand whole and Complete.
Creativity flows forth and I allow for my gifts to be given.

In The Sacred Space today, we re-cognized prayer. We began experiencing prayer as a calling forth and a declaration of the Truth. This practice of prayer allows you to move from the conceptual understanding of yourself as the Infinite into the actual experience of the One Life Principle working in and through you. With the power of your tongue, you unite the mind with your highest vibration of peace, poise, power and plenitude.

The alignment excercise I introduced today is one that should be custom-made for each individual. The very words you use have a vibratory effect on you and should be chosen by the way they resonate with you – the way they make you feel. As a vessel used for guidance, I offered words and phrases that others chose to use or refine to suit their own unique invocations and mantras. Here is an example to begin the energetic flow of Inner Authority:

As I believe in my heart so it is done unto me in all things. My peace is found at the heart of God and the heart of God is at the very center of my being. Nothing can keep my good from me for I am one with the Universal Essence of Life, or Spirit,and It’s substance will manifest in my experience as I believe. Within myself is that which is perfect, wholeness, completion and peace; that which is Infinite. All the power that there is and all the presence that there is, and all the Life that there is – The Essence of Life- is this Spirit within me. I am wholeness, happiness and completion. Infinite Peace is within me and it is perfect in me now. There is nothing for me to fear for I am an inseparable part of the Infinite. I live in It. It lives in me and I draw upon It’s perfect peace in this very moment. I am the I am. And so It is.

As you see, the words can be both an invocation of the Indwelling Kingdom as well as a Law of Elimination to any hindrances or obstacles you may perceive. As you fine-tune your new prayer, be sure to balance the elimination with powerful invocations.

Understand that this is far more than mere affirmation. The usage of these words is not psychological self talk but vibrational alignment. You are speaking a Truth that will resonate with your deepest knowing and allow you to have a greater and more dominant experience of your Infinite Indwelling as you use it everyday.

Prayer is evolving with humanity. As more awaken to truly understand that the Christ, the Buddha, the Prophet and the Angel is already within, our usage and recognition of that innate power is evolving as well.

Enjoy wielding the magic wands of your co-creative power and see the power and authority you call forth materialize right before your very eyes. When you are done with the novelty, the Infinite will ask what you want, and, with a new experience of the All, you may actually know the answer. You will also know that your asking is in the realm of the heart- not the head. And you will never again want for anything less than precious vibrational alignment with You. Namaste.

Enjoy the Sacred Sounds of a song to invoke the Power of Peace within:

I am Peace

What is a “Sacred Space”?

Sala — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:48:53 +0000

Let it be known, and entirely transparent in this moment; The Sacred Space is not, nor has it ever been, a physical location, a rented room, a beautiful set of candles, incense or any other trappings seen with the body’s eyes. The Sacred Space we share and revere together is an inner kingdom of the Infinite Essence. It is the space in which we are all one and the same and the words you speak reveal the meditations of my heart. This is the holy spirit we speak of. It is where we receive insight and unconditional love, and the wonders of life can be revealed.

“Tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just
found a bunch of folks hoping for [God] to show. Any God I ever felt in
church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too.
They come to church to share God, not find God.
– Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”

Indeed, every molecule of creation holds the sacred and, yet, it our awareness of truth, not the revelation, that restores awakening in each of us. It is my contention that this stage of human evolution requires more declaration and awareness of the Sacred Omnipresence rather than a dismissive, mundane nod. Why the resistance? Simplicity is often met with suspicion. Yet, the very creation of our community, the service and intention is so simple, so pure and natural- the sacred is being is all of its nameless grandeur wherever we are.

We bring this majesty and reverence to The Sacred Space community regardless of which physical location we choose to utilize. In this community, the ony requirement is your willingness to enter the nameless, formless Essence within yourself and Be in conscious contact wherever we gather. Why is this necessary? No one of us is an island or a Being unto ourselves. The element of community, of support and being witnessed is simply integral to the human experience.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

John Donne

I was once told that the creed of this community, to return, remember and rejoice in the Sacred, seems childlike. To this I responded with a smile in the heart. If the simplicity of reverence without doctrine or dogma, the power of truth that defies a label, the absence of hierarchy, judgement and socio/political agenda – if theses elements constitute something childlike, it is a job well done. It is a tremendous complement to our community to have expressed our truth with the pure vulnerability, unabashed love and fearless joy that parallels the juvenile.

I look forward to fulfilling the great and honored duty of inviting you to Be in The sacred Space community. In the physical space we utilize for our Sunday service, it is our commitment to hold the pure vibration of the Divine Essence of Love such that you may hear the bell toll in yourself ever more clearly on Sunday morning. Remember that we have moved but we have not changed. The Sacred Space lives within each of us and I am honored to witness you each and every time meet.

Enjoy Cece Winans’ invocation of the Sacred Indwelling!

Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place

Namaste family!

Sala

Are you listening to the sun?

Sala — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:22:39 +0000

The sun, life sustaining force of light, lives in each of us as talent, enthusiasm and the deep longing for expression that pulls the soul forth. When listening to the Life nurturing force of light, we can hear the call to shine our light and release our potent gifts in the world. The Sanskrit word for humanity means ‘divine gifts’. Our innate talents are these divine gifts- a doorway to our daily experience of the divine. And so, within our truest talents, are the many light rays, hues, and faces of God. In our talent, we each express the essence of the Divine to one another. They are here to help us illuminate, and transcend, anything less than the bliss that we are meant to live – and be. The radiant gifts we hold are there to co-create a true, heart-filled, cosmically-conscious community. By shining our light with the grace and assertiveness of the sun, we beautifully create the magic, bliss, and grace that we so desire in our daily lives.

“The spiritual is not something that descends from above, rather it is an illumination that is to be discovered within.”-Ajit Mookerjee

When we tune in to the exquisite joy and organic nature of our amazing inner talents, we rise into the experiential truth of that pure light within us. How? Practice everyday that which lights us up, engage the work that feels so fulfilling we would do it for free and in so doing, we find ourselves flowing in a magical life force stream of well-being and the indescribable feeling of already being the essence of God’s infinite good! We do not have to look outside ourselves to find the magic, bliss, joy, light, prosperity, or well-being that we seek.

With the inner eye, you can see the magic of innate gifts and true talents that have been within you since birth, we already are that which we are seeking to be. ~Sala Saran

We really are amazing, brilliant, and very talented beings. The journey in this earthly realm is to simply remember! Isnt it marvelous that our talents make every one of us incredibly unique, radiantly distinct, and yet collectively one - all at the same time? Amazingly beautiful. So, the same perfect Source essence that shines brilliantly and distinctly bright in one person – who is perhaps expressing a writing talent is the same perfect Source essence that shines brilliantly and distinctly bright in another person – who is perhaps expressing a healing talent. The core energetic thread of every talent is the same amazing core Source essence. Expressed perfectly and uniquely through each one of us, we are like individual rays of the same shining sun.

It is time to share our hearts once again. It is time to live and to be the magic that lives in every one and every thing – again! It is time to honor and to live our truest talents, and to simply allow the natural flow of the cosmic cycles – of true giving and receiving – that magically manifest the Universal truth for the good of All . And that state of being is the essence of pure streaming love and light. This is the message of our radiantly shining sun. Are you listening?

With Infinite Love,

Sala

This week’s Sacred Sounds:

The Gayatri Mantra is often called the “mother of the vedas”. Powerful and transformational, the words translate to mean: “May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path”. The mantra is also a prayer to the “giver of light and life” represented by the sun (savitur).

Enjoy:)

Your Car Goes Where Your Eyes Go

Sala — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:26:14 +0000

Sound like a silly and simplistic anecdote? Perhaps to the mind that insists on complication rather than the revered simplicity of truth. My 93 year old grandfather has taught me that we do not need intellectualization to have a direct experience of Truth. In this, entire scriptures are revealed in utter simplicity. You are the driver, the force is in you, your life is the car, your world is the road. In our benevolent Universe, we are blessed with absolute freedom. Thus, your car is going wherever your eyes are focused. This is the spiritual muscle that burns out lower vibrations and becomes the dominant force of your life allowing bliss to effortlessly emerge.

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”- Joseph Campbell

One of the most efficient of race car drivers shared this wisdom noting that, as in life, there are several twists and turns on the course and, at the outset, a driver determines the tone of the race by the focus and direction of his gaze. If, at the very beginning, a driver’s eyes focus upon the wall, he shall meet that wall. However, for the driver who is present in each moment while anticipating the road ahead, that which he has manifested will be before him. This is the magnificent feeling of “having your hands in the clay”. The sensation you feel in the moment of powerful focus, the sails turning and being propelled by the wind of Source Energy- this is effortless bliss our natural state of being. No paddling or rowing necessary. We simply enjoy the active participation of steering the course, and the very moments of molding are indeed Heaven on earth.

Bliss is the natural state of being of all Life, and all Life Forms return to it. Highly evolved Life Forms move in and out of this State at will. It is the cyclical movement in and out of bliss that propels Life Itself, and causes it to be. – Neale Donald Walsh, “Tomorrow’s God”

Truth is the impetus for examination here. Are there areas in your body of affairs that are out of alignment? If so, you can re-examine where your eyes are going in these areas. Spiritual practice? A gaze upon the knowledge of your innate well-being and fundamental inner peace can approach such practices like a knock upon the door of your soul. Whether or not you receive the answer right away, keeping your eyes on the road requires, “I’ll wait, I know you are home.” Effortlessly, the door is opened to this patient, positive expectation. For those whose eyes have been hitting the wall in this area, I do hope that this simplicity resonates in a way that can return you to your practices with ease. And relationships? Perhaps your eyes can be directed to a focus that says,”I’ll be here focused, clear and creating with positive expectation. All is well. There is bounty, beauty and natural bliss present within and I see and speak to the same in those I interact with.” The beauty of Life is such that in doing this, the journey becomes a blessing. It is the experience of driving not the finish line. Feeling every thing shift as you focus on Source deepens your soul with delight.

Let us focus our gaze upon Source and see clearly that the “things” we think we want are mere re-sources. The objects of desire are simply products of abiding in Source. Focus upon the Source and the re-sources that appear are boundless in direct proportion to the consistency of your gaze. I offer a singular simple prayer for all today-May we remember that we have only one true goal and that is to abide in Source. Your car goes where your eyes go. And so it is.

Chanting is an invocation. Invoke the direction and manifestation of your Source today:

I am The Light of The Soul

What’s Your Focus?

Sala — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:12:15 +0000

My husband is a rajasic soul and business man. In his line of work, he is often seen gathering otherwise disengaged, absent-minded employees with the pointed question, “What’s Your Focus?” Without scorn, his remark simply pulls others back into alignment with the tasks and intentions required from the collective. It is a simple and admirable awareness he holds- we always have point of focus and we are always in charge of deciding what the point of attraction will be.

I see that, similar to disengaged absent-minded workers, in our daily lives, we are like fish swimming in an ocean of marvelous life sustaining water, yet,completely oblivious to the water, The Source of our loving sustenance, until it appears to be scarce. We, humanity, are now becoming increasingly aware of the water. This is called evolution. Awakening from the unconscious fish dream, a universe of total givingness of God is revealing itself to us as we choose to become aware of it- to shift our focus to Reality. To maintain this point of attraction consistently we can ask ourselves, “What is your focus?” The thrill of abundance or the seduction of scarcity? Bountiful blessings of all shapes and sizes or petty grievances and mis-perceived flaws? Your own holiness or errors of mindless thinking? Focus, focus, focus… And you will see.

As we awaken to the Living Energy Universe it is inevitable that we uncover the elements of personal storytelling that resist ever present good. Now we decide which parts of the story serve the revelation of truth and which restrict the flow of grace. We can begin to see group and ancestral stories we have unconsciously agreed to. We can indeed break the entire ancestral line of such familial and group agreements and vibrational discordance that has become a subconscious area of restriction or resistance to the fullness of Life.

As a child, I distinctly remember entering a protest rally with my mother and chanting the Frederick Douglas incarnate ” If there is no struggle, there can be no progress.” What’s my focus? For me, this indoctrinated the idea that pain, suffering and hard work is a necessity-the key to a good, prosperous or progressive life. Yet, such a mantra continues to resist any possibility of harmony and peace for the individual or the collective. This group agreement refuses to “let in” peace and happiness. Whenever peace, prosperity, happiness and ease rear their beautiful heads we said “It’s too good to be true”, ” I don’t trust you”.

“All adverse and depressing influences can be overcome, not by fighting, by rising above them.”- Charles Caleb Colton

I am taught by the hawk who, when confronted by crows much smaller, weaker and louder than she, simply flies higher than they are capable of flying. She never dignifies their cackling with resistance. She knows that her direction will be determined by the focus of her energy. What’s her focus?

“If you decide to make someone the enemy and you’re pushing very hard against them, you don’t affect them at all, but you disconnect yourself from the Stream.”-Abraham

As a family, a community, an individual, if we continue to say that there can be no progress without struggle, strife, resistance and fight, we are refusing to shift focus to that which we truly desire. Instead of wasting our energies pushing against the oil spill, the racism on some commercial television station or the neighborhood shopkeeper’s ungracious attitude, we can powerfully determine the point of our focus and manifest that which we truly desire without feeding resistance.

Our pure power lies in developing strategies to manifest and maintain peace rather than using energy to speak about war. Ask and it is given. If our eyes are fixed on war or poverty, we do indeed meet disharmony and lack over and over again until we discover and rejoice in knowing that it is indeed the focus chosen that determines the fate we meet. Not an unkind Universe, not a deaf, mute God -simply the freedom to focus.For 24 hrs, let’s practice what we say we believe . Let’s speak the truth we have come to know, acknowledge the Life giving water and see the ancestral chains be dissolved, the group incarnation eliminated or transmuted forever. Our legacies are going wherever our eyes are going. Whether we are aware or not, whether we acknowledge the water or not, thanks be to the Source of all Life, we are indeed the masters of our fates, the captains of our own souls.

”Whatever the present moment contains, accept is as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.” – Eckhart Tolle

This week’s Sacred Sounds are here for your nourishment:

Ishq Allah by Miten

Translation: We are love, lover and the Beloved. God is Beauty.

Embrace by WAH!

Returning to the Mother of Us All

Sala — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:54:06 +0000

Before religion, before Buddha and the bodhi tree, before there was any “good book” to claim, humanity across the globe revered the sacred feminine principle. We came together in circles, we chanted and gave thanks to the waters of creation. From Norway to Nigeria, this universal connection bore many names. Whether Yemaya, Yawo or Tarah, essentially we have always known the river, the fountain from which all nourishment came. Today, we can return to our ancient love for this presence.

“I found God in myself and I loved her… I loved her fiercely.” ~ Ntozake Shange

Amidst a global paradigm that has previously relished fear based dominance, the gift of the sacred feminine celebration is a re-emergence of individual and collective wholeness. Our Mother’s Day celebrations are borne of this ancient understanding of balance. In remembrance of this element we are returned to a respect of the yin aspects of creation as we endeavor to create or expand our individual spiritual practices and allow the benefits of those practices to be transferred to more compassionate, patient and simplistic ways in which we build our business models, community and global relationships.

So, how do we allow more of the sacred feminine to emerge as the balancing element in the new paradigm we are co-creating together? It is my contention, as always, that we begin individually. The global consciousness merely mirrors the waters within. Therefore, in our daily existence we can commit to nurture the water element, metaphysically, the oceans and rivers of our own souls. This manifests physically as we are better able to go with the flow of life in any given moment or to keep a personal sabbath whereby we turn within, tap into the strength to be receptive, opening the heart and mind to a broader perspective that is not attached to the stress or chaos that is presented- this is Yemaya. We must care for our own souls in order to have the energy and strength to care for our families, our neighbors, and the earth. Though our material resources are enormous, much of humanity withers from soul starvation, the Western cry for sacred feminine nourishment.

“Women who choose to love must be wise, daring, and courageous. All around us the culture of lovelessness mocks our quest for love. Wisdom is needed if we are to demand that our culture acknowledge the journey to love as grand, magical, life-transforming”- Bell Hooks

Bell Hooks simply reminds us that our sacred feminine is far from passive or weak. Lao Tzu, author of “Tao Te Ching”, remarked that his only lessons to humanity were simplicity, patience and compassion. Thus, it is the patient force of the ocean that effortlessly creates sand from the rocks that once composed a mountain. In touching our yin natures, she tells us, we have the power to make the greatest obstacles mere sand beneath our feet. To know and embrace this part of ourselves is the true celebration of Mother’s Day. We are all a part of the Mother of Creation.

Enjoy the sounds of the sacred feminine:

Yemaya Assesu by Deva Primal

Om Tara by Jennifer Berezan & Friends

Spiritual Practice: Walking Through the Open Door

Sala — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:20:49 +0000

If hearing, reading and learning sacred lessons lead us to the open door of a new paradigm, spiritual practice is the way we walk through that door. It also the way we ensure continual growth and expansion and mitigate the hypnotism of the lower vibrations of our environment. Many of us spend time wondering why we are still plagued by the lower thought forms of doubt, fear and worry. Spiritual practice is the modality you can use every day to dissolve and transmute those lower thought forms and the others that congregate and attract to it such as scarcity, envy, insecurity and limitations. By committing to actively engage in a spiritual practice of your own, you are elevating your self into a higher vibration, a frequency that aligns with your true Self. You do not have to know how you will walk through the door- spiritual practice is your declaration to the Universe that you will take the first steps and that you are committed to the evolution of your soul. You will be whisked through that door by Grace and that experience alone will propel you to new heights of insight and revelation.

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As we practically explore practices that can be effortlessly incorporated into our lives, I am reminded of the Navajo blessing “May you walk in beauty”. Beauty is both a path you travel and what surrounds you on the path. Beauty enhances simplicity and pleasure while balancing clutter and habitual ways of living. This Navajo blessing catches the essence of this spiritual practice acknowledging that in the beautiful the splendor of Creation, we see its outer forms. In morality and benevolence, we recognize its inner expressions. You can start or expand this practice with the assumption that beauty is everywhere just waiting for you to notice it. Allow yourself to feel its effect upon your soul.

“May you walk in beauty.” - a Navajo blessing

There is one unmistakable message in the spiritual practice of reverence: because everything is touched by the sacred, everything has worth. This practice, then, is invaluable to building a true experience of Soul-esteem. Reverence is the path of radical respect. It recognizes and honors the presence of the sacred in everything — our bodies, other people, animals, plants, rocks, the earth, and the waters. It is even an appropriate attitude to bring to our things, since they are the co-creations of humans and the Creator. Yet, it has to be demonstrated with concrete actions. We commit to respect our bodies with nourishment, exercise and rest. We commit to revere the Earth by using her gifts wisely and gratefully. Reverence is also a kind of radical amazement, a deep feeling tinged with both mystery and wonder. Approaching the world with reverence, we are likely to experience its sister — awe. Allow yourself to be moved beyond words.

What if we took note of each moment of fleeting happiness and wished, in those moments, for all people to have access to such happiness. ` Pema Chodron, Buddhist Nun

Finally, I hear the voice of Native American ancestors whispering, “Speak only half as much as you listen.” Listening enables us to tune in to others and our own inner voices of intuition and conscience. The “listening heart,” as this attitude is called, leads to a deepening of relationships and a greater sense of self for all parties. And this kind of communication isn’t limited to human interactions. It is wondrous to listen to an animal, the waves on the beach, or the roar of a city neighborhood, and come to a greater appreciation of your place in the universe. It has been said that prayer is speaking to the divine while meditation is listening to It. Meditation can be a spiritual practice of listening- a path through that particular open door.

Indeed, the participation in a sangha or spiritual community is a practice all its own. Being taught by others is often necessary engagement that crystallizes the path. Then, we must each commit to individual practice to come upon the threshold of pure Existence where we return to the Supreme Teacher. We declare “Wahe Guru” every day.

No man can reveal to you aught but that which
already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. -Khalil Gibran

Wahe Guru by Seal & Friends

Will you say a hearty ‘Yes!’ to your adventure?

Sala — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:43:14 +0000

‘Hineni’ is a heart-felt declaration of surrender to the wonderful mystery of the All. A bow to the force that upholds the mountains, it is the heart’s absolute proclamation to yield to that which serves the highest good. Translated for me by my favorite rabbi, Roger Ross, Hineni is a Hebrew word which means “Here I Am” and is said to have been uttered by Abraham to indicate his readiness to follow the Divine call on his life. We can utilize this mantra to surrender to the flow of our lives and open to the divine intelligence within that illuminates the highest good.

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.” ~ Joseph Campbell, famous mythologist and author

Hineni manifests on this physical plane by declaring “Yes!” to whatever ‘is’ right now and allowing it to teach, show, shape and reveal to me. To marry this deep surrender to the Life Force with the hearty declaration of ‘yes’ is an inner choices of peace. Peace is indeed an inward choice in every circumstance that is presented. We can discover a lasting friendship with peace when we gift ourselves the time and space to bask in it. These are the moments of joy sipped and savoured the morning’s stillness felt deeply, pondered and playfully fingered.

“Trade your cleverness for bewilderment.”~Rumi, Sufi poet

Similar to the Buddhist “don’t know” or beginner’s mind, when we utter “Hineni” we see that the master must know nothing in order to have any truth revealed at all. Here I am, Hineni, requires beginner’s mind from us and simultaneously allows us to rest in the space of not needing to know what comes next. Essentially we are saying, “Come what may, here I am Loving Presence, work in and through me that I may reveal Presence in this personage on earth.” The beauty of beginner’s mind is the trust that we will be shown the truth and given the answers needed when such tools serve our greatest yet to be. Here, we experience the ground of being, trust and surrender become real pathways to inner peace.

Manifesting inner peace is the starting place for the global and social harmony we seek. We see again that we can not give that which we have not received. To abide in an absence of resistance, we begin in our own hearts and minds. We begin by rising to this day, saying “Hineni “with our hearts and “Yes!” with our minds. And, with this start, we are co-creating inner peace, an infinite field of positive vibrations, swimming in this ocean of Love.

Positive Vibrations by Bob Marley

Let us Hear Your Song

Sala — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:57:50 +0000

In Africa, there is a culture that acknowledges every person’s age from the moment they were a thought in the mother’s consciousness. This is because when a woman decided to become pregnant or would like to, she goes into a period of quiet solitude until she can hear the song of the child she will carry. When she returns, she sings this song to her partner as well. The child’s song is sung during the birth, naming ceremony and even as the child grows, when he or she falls, someone from the village will help the child up and sing his song to him.

As we commit to awakening and celebrating the Presence of creation within us, it is my vision that we become attuned to our own songs most intimately. Ultimately, we will also hear the songs of our children, our loved ones and even those we have never met before. May we meet on the plane of our spirit song and communicate with one another there.

Although I speak of the realm of the invisible and physically inaudible, I am not referencing a way of being that is “airy fairy”or meant to transcend this plane of physicality and negate it. Instead, I envision our ever evolving ability to bring our eternal selves into this plane, light up the darkness imminently and descend. It is our job to become most fully embodied spiritual beings so that we may be of boundless earthly good.

Sometimes it is easy to sit in meditation and leave the body. We can become entranced by the states of still euphoria. The consequence of such practice is that it does not embrace this current human incarnation. It does not embrace the feeling of what is present. As we become present, we become adept at seeing the Presence in what is here and now on earth, allowing the fullness of Love to be expressed through the incarnation we have chosen.

“When we come into the present, we begin to feel the life around us again, but we also encounter whatever we have been avoiding. We must have the courage to face whatever is present / our pain, our desires, our grief, our loss, our secret hopes our love / everything that moves us most deeply.” Jack Kornfield, Vipassana Meditation Teacher

Most of you know that I do not sermonize about lofty goals and ideas without first practicing them myself. You know that these words are born of presence- I have been seduced by the idea of leaving this earthly plane. I have been lulled by the profundity of Samadhi, the comfort of silent stillness. Though essential to our wholeness and integration on this plane, transcendence does not fully exemplify the job I’ve descended into human form to do. The job here is to hear the divine in the noisy shuffle of my children’s feet. Being of earthly good is to see the perfection of the spiritual being whose words of fear appear to irritate my ego and to descend so fully into the embodiment of love that I can see God’s face in the maniacal voice that screams war.

Cultivating this garden of beingness is as simple as listening with the great intention to hear your soul. What does It love? What wants to be expressed and what makes It weep tears of truth?

Perhaps you can begin to listen to your soul as you sip from the cup of today’s delights. Might you allow yourself to be with whatever is present trusting that you already have within you every tool of discernment, wisdom and strength needed to use it all for your highest good? Perhaps, today, you can simply listen until you can hear your own song. Then, you can let us hear it too.

Alleluja! by Ricki Byars Beckwith

If you ‘spot’ the Light, you’ve got the Light!

Sala — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:43:03 +0000

Are there wonderful qualities and attributes you notice in other people pretty often? Do you look up to another person’s seeming success or personal achievements and beauty?

Well, I’m here to tell you that the greatness you are noticing in someone else is only a mirror of what lies within you. It is not only the stuff that you abhor in others that you must own within yourself. In the wholeness of the Divine embrace is equally our beauty, grace, intelligence and grandeur. So, if you are spotting that loving intelligence in someone else’s being, it is speaking to you- it is asking to be revealed in and as you in more ways than you can imagine.

After embracing the full spectrum of our humanity in the darkness these past few weeks, it may be tempting to become comfortable with this awareness and identify more with this side of ourselves. The physical environment often agrees with smallness and mediocrity. Yet, to revere the Love in us all is to wholly embrace and reveal the brilliant, ingenious, creative, gorgeous and charming Being that you truly are. There is a tendency to shrink and downplay the light qualities of greatness that are waiting to be expressed through us. Sometimes we believe that to do so would be a show of false pride a display of grandiosity. This may be a legitimate concern for some. To help discern the difference between your grandeur and possible grandiosity Marianne Williamson offered this pearl of wisdom:

“It is easy to know the difference between grandeur and grandiosity because love is returned and pride is not.”

Similarly, we must also be wary of any egoic notions of humility whereby we justify hiding or containing our gifts and beauty by claiming that we are being humble. On the contrary true humility is to inwardly bow to the Source of your grace, intelligence power and beauty and allow it to be expressed and revealed in all of It’s glory through you. Our impulse to thwart or withdraw this grand Loving Intelligence is not humble but arrogant. We must set It free to be expressed in our lives everyday. The moments that we step out of the way and set our fear and limiting beliefs aside- these moments are our sermons lived not preached.

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

When it comes to the wisdom I teach, it is my commitment to “not talk about it but be about it”. Emphatically embodying this wisdom right here and now in the midst of ordinary and extraordinary days is my transparent devotion. As I am living the sermon of our Divine wholeness and grandeur, it is now free to be taught- the great giveaway in gratitude to the Supreme Teacher.

Ashe,

Sala Saran

This song is a wonderful, light-hearted mantra to encourage stepping out of the way of your light and letting go of fear of the unknown ahead.

Just for Today by India Arie: