Carlos Barrios, a Mayan elder and Ajq’ij (ceremonial priest and spiritual guide) of the Eagle Clan, initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating. Carlos along with his brother Gerardo studied with many teachers and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan elders to widen their scope of knowledge.
“Anthropologists visit the temple sites,” Mr. Barrios says, “and read the steles and inscriptions and make up stories about the Maya, but they do not read the signs correctly. It’s just their imagination… Other people write about prophecy in the name of the Maya. They say that the world will end in December 2012. The Mayan elders are angry with this. The world will not end. It will be transformed. The indigenous have the calendars, and know how to accurately interpret it, not others.”
Aside from the obvious lesson of being careful in our interpretations of sacred writings and beliefs…the message here is one of TRANSFORMATION, not fear. It sounds like the world as we know it may be coming to an end…The new birth of Transformation is not an easy one, but it is a necessary part of an evolving life on the home planet. And an exciting time to be alive.
The New Year has potential to be a very GOOD thing! Make it so.
Puddle Prediction on New Year's Day (Photo by Maggie Begley)
The statement in question is bound to evoke a response: the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent. In this post I’m attempting to address the ‘elephant in the room’ of my work, and my life. It may, or may not, look like what you were supposing…
In society, labels are what (simply) put us in our respective (or irrespective) place. We are naturally prone to such, for that I am not proud. In some ways, I am the person I once judged. Once you live a little, and get a few life-experiences under your belt, you realize that neither you, nor anyone else, is perfect. (I’ve learned to ‘Never say never’! Such a stand will come back and bite you in the butt!). In spite of that, I can humbly say, ‘What I’m most proud of today is…ME’. I am more accepting and compassionate of myself, and therefore of others, than I ever have been.
My association with Christianity is, and has been, good, bad, ugly, AND indifferent. The topic still makes me nervous and uncomfortable. You know what they say, if you want to keep the peace in the family, don’t mix business with pleasure, and never discuss religion or politics. Sometimes silence gets stuck in your throat. You eventually have to cough it up, and deal with the consequences, rather than die of suffocation! I know the realities, and they are many. Being the hugger that I am, they get all squished together…
Rosary Prayer Beads (Photo by Maggie Begley)
I was raised not just Christian, but Catholic. I attended daily mass, prayer meetings, catholic school, ducked into the confessional, said the rosary, grace before mealtime and bedtime, wanted to be a nun. All I really understood was the goodness, and the rules (though not the dogma, not in the larger context). That goodness is what shaped me. It’s what I have so many fond memories of, and gratitude for. My upbringing afforded me a sense of stability, community, routine, tradition, faith, hope, love, compassion, caring for the needy, believing in something bigger outside of my little self, and having a friend in Jesus 24/7. It was kind of like belonging to a special club. I still find that when I come across a fellow person who was raised Catholic (still practicing, disavowed, or not), there is an instant unspoken camaraderie. No matter where I’ve been in the world, I can go to a Catholic Mass, and feel at home. (Not to be sacrilegious, but It’s like going to a chain store, you know generally what you’re going to get, the only discrepancies are based on demographics and location).
Jesus is someone I still consider a guiding Light and guide. I’ve just broadened and added to my list of supporters, my spiritual family of beliefs, none of them contradictory. Energy is dynamic, not static. The energetic heart of spirituality is unchanging, constantly beating, always and forever. Religion and it’s followers, must grow and change, like it or not, we ARE of this world too. Thus change, in that way, is unavoidable and imminent. Religion is a man-made institution (literally), thus it is imperfect because WE are imperfect, not God! The common denominator that everyone can agree on, theoretically though not in practice, is Love. That concept gets lost in the cultural details of human-created time and space. (Give mysticism a chance, it’s message has been a part of every religion throughout time).
I grew up to study anthropology and to travel. Such endeavors were bound to open up new worlds, previously unknown to my sheltered self. (This is precisely why conservative fundamentalists avoid letting their kids do such things). This is the where the ‘indifferent’ part comes in to play. It made me realize more of who I was, how I fit in, and that the entire world wasn’t Catholic (!) and that it was okay. It was a shock at first, but I became more indifferent to what others thought of me (at least that’s what I thought, though not necessarily what I felt). This is the time I became a temporary hairy-legged hippie, but a lasting liberal, vegetarian with an Indian Teacher. But I was always a good girl; never smoked anything (not so much as a cigarette), done any drugs or drank more than a half a glass of alcohol, and have only ever had two boyfriends (one of which I married).
As I went along through life, I began to notice more of the ‘bad’. I began to see how the more severe Christian rules did scar my mind (puritanism, denial of nature/physicality, views on birth control and the role of women). Also, Christians have done so much good around the world, but why do they always feel the need to try to convert everyone along the way? Isn’t just doing a charitable deed sufficient, in and of itself, no strings attached? Today that means that you get a dose of Christianity along with your English language lessons, or a knock at your door. Historically, it meant punishment, imprisonment, torture, and death. It still means war.
Being made aware of the violent history of the church was beyond my imagination, as was the recent exposure of sex scandals in the Catholic Church. I had to come to terms with that. This is the ‘ugly’ part. It doesn’t seem fair that a few bad bits of fruit have the power to contaminate the entire bunch. So, I decided not to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’. Most of what happened had nothing to do with Christ, nor was it condoned by Him, I’m sure. What is conveyed in the Bible is up for interpretation; is it literal, allegorical, or both? Divinely inspired or not, it had numerous authors over time, and it must be duly noted in it’s cultural and historical context. Like so many other Catholics around the globe (the numbers of which are dwindling), after careful consideration, I’m going pick and choose what I feel is best for me, and then keep it to myself. (Shhh).
Now that I’ve become an Energy Medicine Practitioner, I am faced with labels again. The Fundamental Field (of Advanced Energy Medicine) is the name of an actual energy field, a universal atom-like pattern of life-energy, which my mentor, Dr. Metz discovered. We address it therapeutically in our work with clients. We have been asked why we decided have the descriptor, ‘fundamental’, in the title. Several folks have suggested that they didn’t think it was a desirable name because, “You don’t want to people to be confused and think you’re a group of fundamental Christians!!” I’ve replied by saying, “I DO have a problem with fundamentalist zealots of all kinds (religiously, spiritually, politically, socially…). But I don’t have a problem with Christians, and in my opinion, they needn’t have a problem with me.”
In liberal, new-age circles, ‘conservative‘ and‘Christian’ have become bad words, as have ‘liberal’ and ‘new-age’ among Christians (as I’ve spoken about in a previous post). I AM also proud to say that my friends are comprised of about 1/3 Christian, 1/3 agnostic, and 1/3 new-age metaphysical types. I manage to relate to, and respect, all of them. I AM all of them in some way or another.
The Highest Command (Photo by Maggie Begley)
One meaning of the word, ‘fundamental’, is ‘a return to the original tenets’. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. It’s when people expect and demand that everyone else be like them, or suffer consequences, that situations rapidly deteriorate and become deadly. I think that’s more a function of dogma, ego and fear of long-held traditions breaking down. It’s a classic case of xenophobia. (That, and the imbalance of power and resources which exist worldwide, resulting in various individuals/groups trying to (re-)establish a sense of control. That is a whole other critical topic unto itself…The natives are getting restless…).
I’m a semi-rebellious traditionalist, uncomfortable with change and not being able to predict or have absolute control over my future (thank God). So, I can understand fear as a personal and cultural phenomenon. However, from a spiritual standpoint, fundamentalism is good if it means a return to the foundations of a basic truth. That’s where Dr. Metz’ Fundamental Field of Life-Energy and Advanced Energy Medicine comes in. We named it such, because we believe that the very basis of life is pure love and light…Spirit as expressed through the laws of science and the fundamental forces of nature. To me, that is fundamentalism of the highest order!
Fundamental Field Theory/Therapy has its basis in traditional medicine modalities, combined with modern science, such as physics and systems theory. Traditional indigenous societies didn’t see spirituality and nature as separate from medicine and health, but as one in the same. Nowadays, science is catching up to spirit, and is able to explain a lot of what traditional societies already knew, while at the same time, is able to rule out things that were based more on cultural taboo and superstition. It sounds like a good union to me, an obvious one that is finally and slowly becoming a part of mass-consciousness. Fundamental Field Theory/Therapy is an equal-opportunity health care provider. You can come at it in whatever way suits you best: spirituality, science, both/none, and it will still work.
Mother Mary Come to Me - A Family Heirloom (Photo by Maggie Begley)
I have come to a time in my life where I want to embrace the roots from which I grew, AND the branches which have grown up in me. I want to return to a place of innocence, of a belief that all is loving and good. Not to a place of naive innocence, rather to one of informed innocence.
“Through our own recovered innocence we discern the innocence of our neighbors.”
(Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, pp. 346-347, Houghton Mifflin (1906).) More quotations from: Henry David Thoreau
I’m going to give you a disturbing example of my early innocent naiveté (aside from the obvious one of finding out that my parents had been lying to me about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny). I used to think that if it was in writing it must be true, because NO ONE would ever LIE, especially in print for everyone to see. There must be someone that oversaw to that fact. I also realize now that a lot of the world still feels that way: unquestioning of the history, the politics, the power, money, greed, and ego from which so much is generated. Unfortunately most of the world doesn’t have access to learning, or the willingness to practice, those kind of critical thinking skills. (The advertisers, et. al., see to that, and play into it).
There are as many biases as there are people (and frighteningly, world population estimates are approaching 7 billion!!). Every one of us starts out at the mercy of all the subcultures we are a part of in our tiny corner of the planet (family, friends, school, church, town, state, nation). It is part of the human design to take in and process information, based on our own personal ‘wiring’. (In this regard, the recent book by an acquaintance of mine, Rio Olesky, Manual for the Modern Mystic, would be an interesting read). It is part of our human responsibility to at some point reflect and question those biases, and at least become aware of what we would like to keep, let go, and change.
Bible Verse ~ 1 John 2:9 (Photo by Maggie Begley)
True happiness also comes from realizing and accepting that we all have our place in the grand scheme. Whether one considers themselves aChristian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, faith-based, rational-minded, atheistic, agnostic, any or all of the above…it don’t matter ’cause we’re stuck here together, so you better get used to it! If you continue to work the puzzle, things add up from all points of the equation. Everything fits together somehow, some way, even if we don’t see the whole for the pieces. At the end of class, the whole lot of us are destined to find out the answer…who was REALLY right?
It is good to question, even if we never find the answers we seek. When we listen to others, we don’t have to agree with them, but we just may learn something about ourselves, and the world in the process. How can that be a bad thing? Unbelievably (even to me), I can get behind what both of these men are debating on this particular clip. I can hold these views at once. I know for certain my OWN truth. As Bill Maher says, “No one really knows anything for sure.”
Individual uniqueness is something that we all share, yet it’s precisely what sets us apart from one another. This is something to be celebrated, not squashed. But non-conformance makes people anxious, such a thing would be chaos! There must be some kind of social order! (They kind of have a point ). Sadly we don’t live in an egalitarian world, if we did, we’d have heaven on earth.
Fortunately, uniqueness does have the appear to be in fashion these days, and leave it to the artists to start the revolutions. Michael Jackson was the icon of his day, one of the first musicians to bring people together, of all ages and backgrounds, onto the same dance floor. His legacy lives on. The torch is being carried by the responsible reigning queen of theatrical self-expression and social harmony, Lady Gaga. How exciting! (This video interview with her is worth watching all the way through). Michael Jackson was raised a Christian, Jehovah’s Witness surprisingly, and Lady Gaga, not unlike her predecessor Madonna, is Catholic. (When Catholic girls rebel, they tend to do it in a big way).
As the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. We are most at peace when we decide what we believe, and then work to have our internal and external worlds be in sync. (I wish it was as uncomplicated as connecting my iphone to my computer, just plugging in and clicking ‘sync’!). That is true happiness. It’s not that easy though, especially if you’re a sensitive sort. Being in this world is like walking on broken glass. We must have sturdy souls (pun, fully intended). To protect ourselves, we’ve got to be tough…too calloused and we have the opposite problem on our hands. Tread softly, but don’t be afraid to stand your ground (even if it’s a hand-stand!), and carry a big stick…(just don’t use it on anyone!).
‘Totally tubular‘. Okay, I’ve like SO outed myself as an 80′s chick. Couldn’t pass up a valley-girl colloquial ‘punny’, a sociolinguistic phenomenon, a title that fits. I used to be a pretty good valley-girl impersonator in my day. ‘Oh my gawd, like nooooo way’ you say? “Way!’ I AM a California native, after all, though not a southerner.
I decided to join the crowd and make a list of 23, like totally rad, YouTube videos that I viewed during the last year. Of course, they are of my interests, befitting myself and the themes of my blog. Hopefully you will enjoy them too. Some have been widely circulated, and you might have seen a few in past posts of mine. For future reference, I have a YouTube account, called Maggie’s Picks @GentleBalancing, linked under YouTubin’ on my menu bar, where they and others, reside. It’s all set up so that someday, hopefully, I can post more of my own content (along with my cohorts Dr. Metz and Christina)…artistic, silly, serious, informative…Whatever 2012 has in store, I will buy. I’m such a sucker.
Something you love rarely gets tiresome. Though, I admit technology has spoiled me, and now I have attention deficit — see my ‘Funny (but technically true)’ pick below. Can’t seem to hold my attention for one video, let alone 23!! If you’re like me, you may not be able to absorb all this stimulus at once, but I highly recommend coming back, bit by bit. I’m biased, but I think the content is worth the time. You never know when something is going to ‘speak to you’.
Each video seems to represent all my interests at once. Even so, I’ve conveniently separated them into individual categories, cuz, well, I can’t help it. I just like to, like organize stuff and stuff. Dude, it’s like so TOTALLY bitchen.
Weight-Lifting, or Up-Lifting?!
(Photo by Maggie Begley)
“God is a fraud; Love His facade.God called me by name. He had me at hello. He cast me, into a vat; not of heaven, but of hell. Stuck, a prisoner of my own misery. In solitary confinement, rebellion is just a game I play. I am the fraud. I am the facade…
‘Existential Angst’. Sounds like a sweet-eating yeasty, an infection to which some sad sap succumbs. Uprising unbalance leads to soul-sickness, purification by fire, call me Phoenix.
This one’s a jawbreaker, not going to sugarcoat it. Life is no Candyland. The only cavity, a deep inner void, filled with grit. Waiting for a pearl. Feasting, but not satiated. Starving, but not hungry. No luster.
All ‘flowers and rainbows’ while shacking up with thorny weeds and blackened storm clouds. Wearing rose-colored glasses; basking in gratitudes and platitudes. Bit by a snake-in-the-grass; rendering me a bifocaled realist.
In a power-struggle to the finish, Higher and Lower Self. The former, constantly vigilant, patiently on the watch. The latter, threatening to move in and assume permanent title. Bankrupted. A temporary take-over. Sold out from under myself. The writing is on the wall, graffitied, scarred, tattooed.
A personal challenge, where darkness casts its shadow beneath my own roof?! An unwelcome, ungrateful guest bends below the smoky spotlight. Chase the gross-polluter round and about, out of town? Let ‘em stay, succumbing to potentially toxic fumes? An ‘either-or’ proposition? Or ‘both-and’? You know where I stand.
Spiritual growth and personal healing, is a fight to the birth, not for the faint of heart. My brave fellow angsties, be forewarned: ‘Embrace yourself, wherever you’re at! God willing, you will never go too far astray, for too long, alone.’
Upon my platform I must belt out: ‘Compassionate Integration!’ That, is the winning blow.
But for His amazing grace…
Thank you God for being my life-line, and never letting go, even when I lose my grip, and bite the hand that feeds me.”
Just like this slide show, our life here is over in the blink of an eye: This is a little reminder, that although we go on and on, and on, in this lifetime we are not immortal! Like it or not, … Continue reading →
Several months ago, as I often do, I tuned in to my local PBS station to watch their Saturday night double-feature. I came in a little late on the first feature and I wasn’t particularly impressed with the dialogue, but it was better than anything else on TV that night. I find that older black and white movies are kinder and gentler, which is often their draw for me. So I hung in, and about half way through, things took a turn. Our main character was headed to India on a quest for meaning? This, from a movie likely filmed in the 1940′s? Now that got my attention. It wasn’t till after the movie ended that I learned its name was The Razor’s Edge. The name was familiar to me, as a friend had recommended the more recent version, filmed in the 1980′s, when it first came out. I never did see that one. This whole thing piqued my curiosity, so I looked it up on the internet. Thus, this, from today on Wikipedia:
The Razor’s Edge is a book by W. Somerset Maugham published in 1944. Its epigraph reads, “The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard.” taken from verse in the Katha-Upanishad.[1][2]
The Razor’s Edge tells the story of an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The novel is supposed to be based on the life of Guy Hague, an American mining engineer.
The story begins through the eyes of Larry’s friends and acquaintances as they witness his personality change after the War. His rejection of conventional life and search for meaningful experience allows him to thrive while the more materialistic characters suffer reversals of fortune. The book was twice adapted into film, first in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, and Herbert Marshall as Maugham, and then a 1984 adaptation starring Bill Murray, with Tibet replacing India as the place of Larry’s enlightenment (the monastery to which Larry travels in the 1984 movie adaptation is in Ladakh, an Indian-ruled region sometimes called ‘Little Tibet’).[3]
How very interesting…I know that this is an age-old quest, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. The surprising bit was more at seeing it portrayed on the movie screen from this time period (I doubt it would’ve been made without the inspiration of Somerset Maugham’s book). The following clip is from one of the later scenes in the movie, when our main character ended up in India…Although this Holy Man seems more like a Jewish Rabbi, or a Catholic Priest, from my perspective…Maybe so Westerners could relate to him a little better? Or perhaps it was just the constraints of movie-making, etc., at the time:
This caused me to reflect on my own spiritual journey, a search for answers that were more satisfying than the ones I had been given. I think perhaps I always had spiritual leanings? Or maybe it was after my dad died, an event that changed me, even at my tender age of 8. We were a Catholic family, and the church was my saving grace in many respects. It anchored me. I enjoyed the community, the ritual, the quiet reflection, the music, the stories from the Bible. I liked it so much, I wanted to become a nun. I went to Catholic school and attended 7:00 a.m. mass every morning with my mom before classes. I think I was a seeker early on, and I’m glad I had this foundation of Catholicism.
One of my favorite parts of Sunday service was the singing. Guitars were popular in the 1970′s, but I was too shy to be up in front of everyone. So, I sang boldly from my seat in the congregation. The lyrics from one of my favorite songs were taken from this bible verse, and popularized by the Kingston Trio:
Matthew Chapter 7: 7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If you are a seeker and you know it, clap your hands! And I did.
Of course I didn’t KNOW I was a seeker at the time, my Path found me. I was happily Catholic, though some of the beliefs left me questioning. When I started attending college, I was fascinated with what others thought. Who knew that some people thought of Catholics in a disparaging way? Not me! I had led such a sheltered, insulated life, which, as I said, I feel was a good thing. I took classes in cultural anthropology, world religions, philosophy. I loved, loved, loved it. What stood out to me was that humans have been mulling over these ideas since the beginning, and that there was a thread running through all the major religions, even though the dogma details were different. Of course they were, different cultures, different times. But I believe there IS a common Truth to everything. The dogma and its details, come from humans, and their particular cultures. What would happen if Jesus appeared today? I imagine a lot of folks would be skeptical, to say the least. I so wished I had been alive when Jesus was. It didn’t seem fair that only one group of people at that point in time and place got to be with him in the flesh. Just like the game of telephone, I’m sure so much has gotten lost, misinterpreted, or buried, along the way…power plays and politics usually take over.
Robert Lee Haycock: “The four Gospels weren’t written until a hundred years after Jesus ministry. Can you write a gospel of MacArthur or Ho Chi Minh a hundred years after their work without recourse to electronic media that did not exist in Palestine BC 33 and vouch for its veracity? Truth is not Facts. Truth is Truth.”
Soul Dipper: “Do not believe anything simply because it is spoken or rumored by many…found written in your religious books. …Do not believe in traditions just because they’ve been handed down to you…but after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” ~ The Buddha
I naturally was fascinated with this expansion of my world, and I couldn’t get enough. To me, what connected East and West, different places and time periods, was that all religious/spiritual traditions have within them some form of Mysticism. Mystics place their value on direct experience of God, and that God is within in all of us. From the Bible:
“The kingdom of God is within you.” ~ Luke 17:21
“Ye are the temple of the Living God.” ~ II Corinthians 6:16
That is the ultimate Truth. I believe this is why enlightened beings, sons and daughters of God, have graced this creation since its birth…to offer us inspiration and guidance. (Little is spoken of women mystics, but they do exist!) The teachings from the East actually made the most sense to me, such as the ideas of Karma and Reincarnation. Once you get past the cultural associations, possible judgements and fears you have around these notions, they actually are quite reasonable. Also included in these belief systems are the practices of Vegetarianism (you’ll be astounded by these list of famous vegetarians from throughout history, I was! Nice to know I’m in such good company ) and Meditation. I practice a devotional form of meditation, but there are many different reasons and ways to meditate, and they ALL have benefits. Unfortunately, there are many common misconceptions floating around which can make some folks shy away.
Back then my best friend was also instrumental in opening my eyes to other possibilities (the early twenties are indeed an exciting age of exploration). He was exploring a spiritual path that he learned of from a fellow classmate, in photography class. He saw her developing photos she had taken in India, and wanted to know her story. She said she followed a spiritual path, based in India, where her Spiritual Teacher lived. If you are curious about it, here are two links: Radha Soami Satsang Beas and Science of the Soul Research Centre.
She suggested several books to him that he (and I) could most relate to, given our fiercely Catholic background. Such as the book, Yoga and the Bible, by Joseph Leeming, 1963. Here is an excerpt about spiritual seeking (pages 5 & 6):
“For most people the first step is the search of which Jesus spoke, a seeking for something in which one can believe without a doubt; something that does not have to be accepted on blind faith alone; something that will not only uplift and spiritualize the heart, the mind, and the soul, but will also satisfy to the fullest the most rigorous demands of reason and intelligence.
As a consequence, there are many who can no longer find satisfaction in the tenets of the organized religions. Evidence of this fact can be found in the very great numbers of people — many thousands in all of the major nations of the world — who have been moved to search for spiritual knowledge and a way of salvation that they cannot find by conforming to the doctrines and rituals of organized religious bodies. In the world at large, the seekers are not numerous…
The seekers have realized that the material world is not the only world. They realize that the unaided intellect of man alone can never provide answers to their questions. They sense that what we see is only a fraction of what really is. Glimpsing the truth, haunted by the pettiness and emptiness of life, they are driven to search for the spiritual reality and purpose behind the seeming lack of meaning in ordinary human existence.”
Another suggestion by her was the book, Light on Saint Matthew, by Charan Singh. This excerpt (pages 64-65) is in reference to one of the most well-known Christian prayers, the Lord’s Prayer. It is now my favorite version:
“Oh Father, You are in heaven. I just want to merge in You, to live in Your Name, in Your Will. In whatever way You want to keep me in this world, I am happy. What I want is just Your love and devotion in my heart, that is all I need. Give me what You want to give me. Take from me what You do not want me to have. I have absolutely and unconditionally surrendered to You, because you have eyes and I am blind. I do not know what is best for my soul.”
My friendreluctantly shared this new and “radical” information with me, said he was interested, and that there was a local chapter of this group nearby. Intrigued and upset, I knew immediately that it was for me, but I wasn’t quite ready to change just yet, though I was winding up. My underpinnings were completely knocked out from under me, which was very disorienting. I eventually started to attend meetings with him and we slowly began making new friends, but kept it quiet with most of our other friends and family. We were lucky enough to see the head of the Society, the Spiritual Teacher, here in the States on his annual visits, numerous times. I then was able to travel to India on three separate occasions thereafter. I feel so fortunate to have realized my dream: To have the rare opportunity to see for myself, first hand, a Holy Man, to feel what it was like, and to hear what he had to say. He was like a father-figure, the best role-model you could ever imagine: Wise, loving, patient, realistic, relatable, firm, funny, jovial…the very best of what humans have to offer, never mind God . What made my friend and I comfortable on this path is that this lineage of Teachers is, and has always been, entirely self-supporting. There was NO money asked of us at anytime, for anything. Food and gatherings with him are provided free to the masses. Selfless service is encouraged and desired. Charitable contributions are made in the occurrence natural disasters, and free healthcare is provided at their hospitals in India. There was no self or group promotion. There was no ritual, no ceremony. It was well-organized, neat, and clean. It sounds cliché, but most of all, there was definite and enveloping LIGHT and LOVE.
This form of yoga, called Surat Shabd Yoga, teaches that God is an Energy that consists of Celestial Light and Sound (also called the “Word,” or the “Holy Spirit” in the Bible.) I appreciated these associations, not only with the Bible, but with science. We have all heard, from the study of physics, about the principles of light and sound waves. Energy!! It’s everywhere, in everything. This is where spirituality and science can agree, no? Not yet, I guess, but it seems so straightforward to me.
I had found all the answers that I wanted and needed, and they made perfect sense to me. And I had experienced the first step, with my own being. This was quite a shock for me, remember, I wanted to be a Catholic nun?! “Shoot, this really complicates things!” In a worldly way, it did seem rather complicated, but on a deep level, “What a relief!! No more seeking!” (Although my Spiritual Teacher says, “We are all seekers until we make it [to the top]. Now the hard work begins…Self-realization before God-realization.”) Initially, it was hard wrapping my head around what would be perceived as crazy New-Agey stuff. It was hard enough for me, let alone most of my friends and family…just like the character in The Razor’s Edge had experienced. No wonder my friend had recommended that movie to me those many years ago. Knowledge of this Path didn’t prohibit my Catholicism, it enhanced it for me.
I feel I need to point out that even though it might not seem like it, I am NOT making this, or any post, to try to convert anyone to spirituality or religion in any way shape or form. Rather, I simply wanted to tell my story. My wish is to promote understanding, acceptance, tolerance, for the right of each individual to hold and to practice his/her beliefs, whatever they may be (unless against their will and/or destructive to others). I also wish to offer support for those who CAN relate to my experiences in any way, and who wants to hear them. That being said, just so you have an idea of the things he might say, the following quotes are some helpful advice that I’ve heard over the years from the Spiritual Teacher, paraphrased by me. They are words that any wise and enlightened Soul might speak. Like anyone knows who has ever been to a live event of any kind, there is no substitute for being there, amidst the energy that is generated and exchanged when people gather for a shared interest and purpose. So of course, hearing the words directly from his mouth, in that sort of setting, has a special power all its own. And like anyone who’s ever been in love, that makes it all the more special. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.
We are our own worst enemy.
We fight against ourselves instead of letting go.
Everything has a purpose in life, even if we don’t see it.
Relationships are not defined by words and labels, but rather by the intensity of emotion and experience.
Be a good friend, if the other is nice to you, reciprocate double.
We need more objectivity and introspection, instead of reactivity.
The further we get from nature, the more out of balance we become.
Be Natural. Be Yourself. Focus on your strengths. Everyone is different. There is so much pressure internally and externally, but don’t compare and try to be like someone else. We need to relax. We need more balance. We are intellectualizing too much.
None of us are worthy, but He loves and accepts us, so why worry about anything else?
All we need is a pair of clothing, two square meals, and a roof over our head. Everything else is extra.
Practice gratitude. Be happy, don’t worry. Just enjoy yourself. Accept yourself.
We are all links in the chain. One missing link compromises the whole chain. The person who cleans the toilets and mops the floors, is just as important as the CEO.
Experience makes the old feel young, and the young feel old.
Prayer is for inspiration and putting you in touch with the Divine. Meditation is about experience.
Practice makes Perfect.
The Giver is also the Knower, so why doubt, or have to ask?
My answer can’t be a precondition of your question.
Surrender = Freedom.
Gather Knowledge => Develop Concept => Take Action => Gain Experience => Leads to Understanding => The Strength and Confidence to Handle Anything.
Speaking of the love,I have also been in the presence of other such Holy Men (and one Woman), attended ceremonies, and visited other Holy Places revered by Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Baha’i, and Hinduism, both in the U.S. and abroad.The love, beauty and devotion I saw was the same, in all. Every place I went I was welcomed with open arms, as it should be.
“God has made different religions to suit different aspirations, times, and countries. All doctrines are only so many paths; but a path is by no means God Himself. Indeed, one can reach God if one follows any of the paths with wholehearted devotion”. ~ Ramakrishna
However, also recently, I wasn’t quite “feeling the love.” It was brought to my attention that some folks might not only think I’m New-Agey, but that I am engaging with the Devil?! Another eye-opener. They think this about ME?! I could see people thinking I’m crazy…but evil?! (From my own kind, no less: Catholic perspective on Energy Medicine, and how some interpret what the Bible says about Energy Healing. But, here’s a nice rebuttal by an M.D., who is also an Episcopalian minister, speaking in defense of Energy Medicine).
Just for the record, I understand that people take umbrage with the fact that a lot of practitioners of energy therapies do call themselves healers. I for one was never comfortable calling others, or myself, such a thing. I always say that I am more of a facilitator, using the gift that God gave me, not attached to ego results, asking God that my client and I be receptive to their highest healing good, direct from the Source. We are all servants of God, angels on earth. Just like in this story about the man and the flood.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and there are many. We just have to take it in, investigate, and figure out for ourselves what we will call ours. I think I’ve pretty much covered my position in this rather long-winded tale…But I’m not finished yet! In addition to this, just the day after The Razor’s Edge was on I tuned into an ABC television episode of Primetime Nightline on modern day exorcism. The discussion amongst the interviewees led to comment that, “Entities possess all of us and we invite the Devil into our bodies with the activities we involve ourselves with.” I would agree with that, but I have a different way of viewing it and describing it. There was a Baptist preacher, who conducts deliverance exorcism as part of every service. He said that things like mediation and martial arts open the barn door to evil. Hmmm…I do all those things, so by association, I am evil? My Spiritual Teacher also says it can be treacherous to meditate without a Guide (as all the Masters were, Jesus was one), to lead and protect you. I believe that. But to make a claim, as the preacher did, that things he doesn’t understand are evil? I don’t like that. Or, maybe he understands (?), but just doesn’t agree? Either way, he has no right to make such a presumption. I think once we start making generalist claims like this, out of fear and wanting to control, it is a dangerous and slippery slope. I can see why he feels that way; it’s because we obviously have different world views, but I am a lover of God, AND Jesus, as well!
What was happening here was obviously disturbing, and had a darkness to it, but it seemed to me that the exorcisms the Priest was conducting were releasing energy patterns of trauma, from the unconscious mind. I have experienced this personally, and with my work. It is more psychology and spirituality, than religion, and it is best to have someone, who is supportive, with you when you are going through it. I don’t have judgement around what the preachers and priests do, as they feel it works for them, whatever they call it, and however they go about it. However, I do have my own insights and opinions as to what’s going on. (You saw that one coming, didn’t you? ). My view on this is slightly different, as I feel that none of us are healers per se…But, we can heal our self, in fact that is our mission, with the help of God, the Creator, the Energy Source of Love…Along the way, we lose track of our own Divine Essence. It’s no wonder to me that it is such a crazy-making adventure to find our way back. And our Western culture doesn’t do a very good job of supporting this process, I think because it is so mysterious, and therefore scary, to most. The evils that they are wanting to expel, are all a product of our mind. I don’t think we are necessarily “possessed” by any outside entities, but rather by the constraints and traumas, the energy fields of our own poor minds. Although, I would agree that our individual energetic make-up can make us more vulnerable to certain outside entities, as with the energy fields of other people, places and things we encounter — such as a stressed-out partner, a frenetic traffic jam, a flu virus, certain foods or medications — which can destabilize and disrupt our own weakened systems in the process. So I suppose, why not other more psychic and/or spiritual entities? Regardless, I think the same would hold true, you do have to be an energetically receptive host in the first place for anything outside of yourself to take hold. That’s why you have to see things in a bigger context of your life.
We are our own worst enemies. In the end, our own internal demons are part of us, not something to be exorcised away, but understood. And forcibly removing any part of the system, without knowledge/understanding of the whole, leads to problems. Not just in this instance, but also with cases of sudden smoking cessation, extreme weight loss, cleaning up the hoarder…When someone else swoops in to solve these problems for us, out of a larger context, the problem will inevitably return, or manifest itself other ways. There is no getting around healing ourselves into authentic completeness, from the source, via a mind-body connection. By mind-body connection, I mean UNCONSCIOUS MIND-Body connection. Most people describe the mind-body connection as more of a conscious one, that we can control. Our unconscious mind and emotions, our psychology, is tied up in our bodies in more dramatic ways than we know. The pain is energetically held in cells and tissues, until it is healed from all angles, not just the conscious mind angle. It is a very necessary and important component, as it’s a beginning towards self-empowering behavior and being mindful of how acting and reacting effects our body.
Here’s what my Energy Medicine mentor, Dr. Richard Metz, had to say on the subject of exorcism:
“Exorcism is ultimately not in the best interest of the person. It is driving the dissociated traumatized and difficult aspects of the personality deeper into the unconscious. The person may feel relieved initially, but the problem will manifest in a different more pathological way that usually appears unrelated to the original problem. This manifestation could be revealed in a health problem (such as cancer), and accident, trouble at work, school, relationships. In order to see these hidden cause-and-effect associations one must have a sense of the deep connectedness of all aspects of the person and their life. The more complex the system, the further away cause-and-effect are in time and space, making it hard to see these associations. And we ARE complex systems. Traumatic experiences, and difficult aspects of the personality, don’t need to be expelled, and they really can’t be anyway, they need to be integrated and resolved, coming from a place of love and acceptance, not of judgement and fear. This acceptance does not mean denial of negativity, or the need to control it, it means holding the person accountable as the problem being a part of them. They have to realize it’s a part of them and they have a part to play in dealing with it.”
The healing process, our “Soul-work,” cannot be forced, but allowed to unfold with intention and attention. As Mae West said about growing older, this process is not for sissies.
SoulDipper:“If spiritual work does anything, it challenges and disturbs with just as much force and surprise as it illuminates and enlightens. In fact, if our spiritual work does not challenge what we know, if it does not disturb our habitual patterns of thought, perception, and action, then, it is not spiritual work at all; it is merely a form of self-medication.” ~ Robert Rabbin, contemporary mystic and founder of Radical Sage
“Healing is a spiritual experience. The word health is related to the word holy. Healing is the return to wholeness.” ~ Deepak Chopra
Each path is unique to each individual, that’s why tolerance and compassion are called for, from all of us. I didn’t appreciate the “guilt by association” and ignorance from whence the blame of fraternizing with the devil came, but it did get me thinking again about what I believe about evil and the devil. Again, I tend to agree with the Eastern version of darkness and light. There is an opposite to everything that exists, a polarity. We have higher mind, and lower mind. And it is all a part of a bigger context. Every one and every thing in the universe has its role to play.
This concept is further explained in the following link from Wikipedia:
“The lord of the lower three regions of Creation is in Hindi referred to as ‘Kal’. This is a Soul that spent a great deal of time in meditation and achieved a very high level of Spirituality, and was appointed as lord of the three lower regions of Creation [the Causal level, the Astral level and the physical plane] by God. Kal is often called the devil or Satan, but in point of fact Kal is the administrator of the Law of Karma, and the administrator of the MIND realm…of which each Soul has an aspect of that MIND as a personal MIND.
The nature of the MIND is duality, and the Soul requires a MIND to enable it to explore and experience duality. The Soul is itself Neutral Spiritual Energy [in my opinion since this will never be proven by anyone on any plane other than the Spiritual plane] and thus, God and ones Soul are absolute energy and thus permanent, unchanging and Neutral. The MIND is ‘negative’ in that it is not actually Spiritual Energy, and thus it it ones own MIND that directs ones negative thoughts and actions for ones ultimate growth.
The only ‘Satan’ there is, is Kal, and this is the role of Kal, not the nature of Kal.”
Source: The Path of the Masters, by Julian P. Johnson.Read more.
Viewing the Primetime Nightline segment brought up some personal issues for me as well. With all due respect, it dawned on me that both science AND religion had failed me, in terms of my health problems. Doctors always told me they didn’t know what was wrong with me, wanted to give me pills or surgery, or that I would outgrow it. And my religious community, of progressive Catholics, just wanted to pray over me, as if enough prayerful begging would do the trick. Both mindsets were coming from their own worldviews, separate from one another, and separately could do me no good. The sad part is that both approaches were well-meaning and had my best interest at heart. As I’ve said before in this Blog, my only relief came when I became a patient of Dr. Metz, whose Fundamental Field of Life-Energy theory and therapy is founded on BOTH. In our work, we see the human body as an interface between science and spirituality, in real, practical ways. Spirit follows the fundamental forces of nature as it manifests in the creation. Nothing is separate from one another, and this is how we should view ourselves, our life, our health. That I know for sure. The path that one takes to that end is individual, and one of free-choice. In the end though, we each are our own responsibility! No one can do our work for us!
Ona final note, the following quotes further illuminate that in dealing with ourselves, our world, and one-another, everything really begins and ends with us:
“The divine purpose is that men should live in unity, concord and agreement and should love one another. Consider the virtues of the human world and realize that the oneness of humanity is the primary foundation of them all. Read the Gospel and the other Holy Books. You will find their fundamentals are one and the same. Therefore unity is the essential truth of religion and, when so understood, embraces all the virtues of the human world.” ~ Baha’i Faith
“If there is light in the soul, Therewill be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, Therewill be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, Therewill be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, Therewill be peace in the world.” ~ Chinese Proverb
As I am often want to do, I’m going to take us out with music, thanks to the lyrical stylings of artists, India Arie and Idan Raichel:
Making this slideshow posed a question for me: “Do I have actual memories of actual memories? Or just photographic memories of photographic memories?” After all, I’ve poured through family albums for most of my life. One snapshot I know for … Continue reading →
