Archive for February, 2013
Swaying In The Breeze
We all have our individualized mental tapes that we play over and over in our heads. All too often they are really judgments from other people that we have personalized, and then begin saying to ourselves. My subconscious mental mantras usually say things like:
“Why aren’t you doing something? You are wasting time that could be done doing something productive! You could be interviewing for another job, auditioning, writing your book, composing music, working out … anything … do something!”
… and then they get a little more vicious and start in with,
“You are never going to amount to anything. You’d better get your act together and start working so that you have something to show for yourself. You are a failure.”
Really startling how nasty we can be to ourselves, isn’t it?
Today, as I was meditating, there were various points where these thoughts came into my head. I could feel my heart chakra close reactively … and so I calmly coaxed it back open. I was reminded of the Bible story of Mary and Martha, where Mary was doing absolutely nothing “productive” by the world’s standards … all she was doing was adoring Jesus. Her sister, Martha complained to Jesus about this and asked him to have Mary help her … and Jesus very calmly replied that what Mary was doing was of far more importance.
So I sat there in stillness and calmly replied in kind to the abusive negative tapes that have dominated my life for so long. I said,
“There is absolutely nothing better that I could be doing with my time than to sit here spending time with my Creator.”
After a little while I noticed the beauty of the blue sky, and the breeze gently caressing the eucalyptus leaves around me. My mental tapes started in again,
“You are so lazy; sitting there admiring the swaying eucalyptus leaves when other, more productive people are working their asses off!”
Again my heart chakra closed reactively. Again I smiled, opened my heart back up, and calmly replied,
“There is absolutely nothing better that I could be doing with my time than admiring my Creator’s creation, and sharing that moment from a space of open-hearted Love with God.”
Eventually my mental tape got the clue and went away … my heart was relieved that it could be so open as to allow happiness to seep in and then spill out into the world.
We get so caught up with these lives that we have built all around us … and with the expectations other place upon us as well. We tell ourselves that there will be time to connect with God in the future … or we do it only when we need to; when we’re desperate. Anything else almost gets looked at as if it is lazy.
It is NOT lazy to connect with God. In fact, for many people it takes more courage and discipline than they care to admit they are capable of … and so they hide their lack of a spiritual connection with outward business. Don’t allow them to rob you of that.
Truthfully, there is nothing better that you could be doing with your life than connecting with your Creator under a tree and watching the branches sway. God will guide you if you listen. More good will come about from that than anything we could possibly make happen with our hands or minds.
Peace and Love.
~~~~~~~
– this post was a result of meditating on my prior post; “We Have Only Today – Mother Theresa“.
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
We Have Only Today – Mother Theresa
My words for meditation today:
~~~~~~~
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
– Mother Theresa
~~~~~~~
“Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person. They accumulate experiences, memories, things, other people’s ideas, and it is more than they can possibly cope with. And that is why they forget their dreams.”
– Paolo Coelho
~~~~~~~
“An authentically powered person lives in love. Love is the energy of the soul. Love is what heals the personality. There is nothing that cannot be healed by love. There is nothing but love.”
– Gary Zukav
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Come Forth Anew In Splendor
My words for meditation today:
~~~~~~~
“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
~~~~~~~
“Distance does not make you falter.
Now, arriving in magic, flying,
and finally, insane for the light,
you are the butterfly and you are gone.
And so long as you haven’t experienced
this: to die and so to grow,
you are only a troubled guest
on the dark earth.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
~~~~~~~
“Love taught me to die with dignity that I might come forth anew in splendor. Born once of flesh, then again of fire, I was reborn a third time to the sound of my name humming haikus in heaven’s mouth.”
– Aberjhani
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– pic by Kalim Saliba
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Maturity – Osho
My words for meditation today:
“Falling in love you remain a child; rising in love you mature. By and by love becomes not a relationship, it becomes a state of your being. Not that you are in love – now you are love.”
~
“Listen to your being. It is continuously giving you hints; it is a still, small voice. It does not shout at you, that is true. And if you are a little silent you will start feeling your way. Be the person you are. Never try to be another, and you will become mature. Maturity is accepting the responsibility of being oneself, whatsoever the cost. Risking all to be oneself, that’s what maturity is all about.”
~
“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.”
– Osho
~~~~~~~
– pic from PhotoStaud
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
A Many-Headed Monster
There is no such thing as sin; not really. The various, and multiple, never-ending aspects of sin are simply an invention of mankind in an effort to structure, and for some to actually gain power over, the rest of mankind.
Before you get upset and label me a blasphemer, let me explain myself. There really are only two states of being: being connected to God, or being shut off from God. When you are connected to God you are not sinning … it is impossible. When you are shut down on a spiritual level, you will eventually end up doing something, or many things, that the various religions label “sin”. Really all you are guilty of is being shut down to God.
When you are connected to God, your heart feels open … like a child gazing at their successfully flown kite on the perfect sunny/windy day. When you are shut down to God your heart is closed; the world starts to feel small, suffocating, threatening, and full of fear … predatory. Very frequently we shut our connection to God down in reaction to the actions of others. This happens over and over again until you eventually get to the point where your entire life is lived in a shut down place … your heart is permanently closed.
Some people actually like being in this place; it makes them feel as if they are in control … it makes them feel powerful. For these people there is no hope. For the majority, however, there is a longing for something more … a knowledge deep down that something within is missing and unfulfilled.
This is the reason behind why Jesus spent all of his time with everybody BUT the acknowledged religious experts of his day. He spent his time with the open-hearted … or those who longed for open-heartedness. The people Jesus spent time with might have been labeled “sinners” for not following all of the rules of religion; for not fitting into the structure. They were, however, people who were searching and longing for openhearted connection with God. No religion has exclusive rights to an openhearted connection with God. There are many people in religion, and out of religion as well, who have such a connection. There are also a great many people in religion who have no such connection; while professing to be pious. Look at the “fruit” of many of their actions and you will See: abusing children (or covering up the abuse), condemning others, hoarding money, starting wars, hatred, killing … the list of their “fruits” is long, and none of it is the product of an open heart; of Love. They point out everybody else’s sins, and tell you to fight with all your might against your evil heart.
Your heart is not evil … it just needs to be opened.
If you are striving to be free of sin, you will be perpetually fighting a many-headed monster … that battle will never end. If you are simply striving to maintain an open-hearted connection with God? Life becomes easy. You begin to allow yourself to be Led, instead of trying to impose your dominance over an unbeatable foe. That is true freedom.
Many are threatened by this occurrence because they no longer can control you. They therefore strive to shut your heart down again with their actions. Do not let them; don’t get distracted. Simply BE in an open-hearted place, and follow the Divine guidance that comes naturally from being in that place … and everything will be as it is supposed to be. You only lose when you close your heart … so never close it.
This is where the Journey begins … living every moment of life with an open heart; allowing Love to guide you and spill out of you.
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Open-Hearted Vision
These words have special importance … the focus of my meditations:
~~~~~~~
“You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to teach anything. You just have to be who you are: a bright flame shining in the darkness of despair, a shining example of a person able to cross bridges by opening your heart and mind.”
– Tsoknyi Rinpoche
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“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
– John Lennon
~~~~~~~
“I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”
– Maya Angelou
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pic from superconsciousness.com
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Allowing your Self to Spill
My words to consider in meditation today:
~~~~~~~
“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.”
– Albert Camus
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“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me … Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
– Shel Silverstein
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“Life is too short, or too long, for me to allow myself the luxury of living it so badly.”
– Paolo Coelho
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
A Challenge: “In order to not be judged I have …”
In meditating on my prior post today, “In Order To Not Be Judged“, I came up with a challenge for myself that I think could be ultimately helpful for anyone to undertake. I began thinking of all the things I have done, and decisions I have made in my life, based on the fear of being judged … or the desire to gain approval (the flip side of that same coin).
As I allowed the mental chatter in my brain to die down I started working it through; using the following line to begin each new sentence:
“In order to not be judged I have …”
The challenge, should you choose to accept and participate, is to go back through your life … even all the way back to when you were a child … and think of how many ways you have acted based on the desire to either not be judged, or to gain acceptance. Some of the instances are insignificant, I found for myself … and others were completely life altering in scope.
What is the reason for this? Well, you cannot let anything go in your life, without first acknowledging its existence. If you are not aware of it, how can it be released? Acknowledge, Accept, Let Go, and Move Forward as your True Self … that is the process that has been revolutionary for me in my own life.
Being a singer/songwriter … if I repeat ANYTHING for a long enough period of time I will find some sort of rhythm and tune to put it into ;-). So, after spending enough time in meditative thought (about a half hour or so), I began writing down my list in the form of a song. Pardon the poetic simplicity … I heard it as a rock song in my head and so I just allowed the melody in my head to bring out the fitting words rhythmically in line with what I was hearing.
Here is my own endeavor into this challenge … in the form of a new song:
In Order To Not Be Judged
By: Religion4All
In order to not be judged
I have cheated;
I wanted acceptance.
In order to not be judged
I’ve repeated
the lies that I knew
tore apart at the fabric
of souls that I loved;
mine included.
In order to not be judged
I’ve avoided
the person I’ve always been
meant to become.
In order to not be judged
I have given away
all my dreams
on the hope that one day
I will gain
your acceptance.
Have I really … have I really?
I explode my lies
and let go my secrets
bursting through the ties
that have bound my
obedience
to all of the things
that you think I should be.
In order to not be judged
I’ve been a bully
and I’ve been a coward.
In order to not be judged
I have altered
my daily existence
all based on
projections of
what you would think.
In order to not be judged
I’ve rejected
what has the most value.
In order to not be judged
I have shut down
my True Self
so that you’re only
judging
my illusion.
Have I really … have I really?
I explode my lies
and let go my secrets
bursting through the ties
that have bound my
obedience
to whatever you think
I should become.
I’m a Warrior of the Light
not some stranger’s delusion
I call forth my right
to be Loved and
a Lover.
There’s no need for me to fight
in my heart is the answer
I’ve sought all this time.
In order to not be judged
I acknowledge;
your actions run right through me.
In order to not be judged
I’ve accepted;
let go of the need
to control my own fate.
I move forward …
and I am free.
~~~~~~~
pic by Bronwen McInerney
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
In Order To Not Be Judged
Judgement is a dangerous thing … not only for those doing the judging; but for those being judged as well. If you are being judged, how does that make you feel and then respond? Very frequently we respond to judgement with an attack of our own … as Osho said, in a quote I posted a few days ago (“It Depends On The Fight“). It takes a very great strength to simply let go, and give Love in return … even the strongest physical specimen in the world falls under this weight … but when you do it? You are free.
My words for meditation today:
~~~~~~~
“People hasten to judge in order not to be judged themselves.”
– Albert Camus
~~~~~~~
“The highest form of human intelligence is to observe yourself without judgement.”
– Jiddu Krishnamurti
~~~~~~~
“Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?”
– Harper Lee; “To Kill A Mockingbird”
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Love is the ultimate and highest goal – Viktor E. Frankl
The topic and words for my meditative thoughts today:
~~~~~~~
“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”
~
“For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth – that Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.”
~
“Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Let all of life be an unfettered howl
My words for daily meditation:
~~~~~~~
“When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
– Paolo Coelho
~~~~~~~
“Let all of life be an unfettered howl. Like the crowd greeting the gladiator. Don’t stop to think, don’t interrupt the scream, exhale, release life’s rapture. Everything is blooming. Everything is flying. Everything is screaming, choking on its screams. Laughter. Running. Let-down hair. That is all there is to life. “
– Vladimir Nabokov
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“Simplicity is practicing a lifestyle that is increasingly free of excess, greed, covetousness, and other forms of dependence on the things of this world. The Holy Spirit works through simplicity to release spiritual gifts such as hospitality, mercy, and giving… to live free of anxiety, and to better take care of this Earth.”
– Siang-Yang Tan
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Just as a snake sheds its skin – Jack Kornfield
My words for meditation today:
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“Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.”
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“The knowledge of the past stays with us. To let go is to release the images and emotions, the grudges and fears, the clingings and disappointments of the past that bind our spirit.”
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“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice. Only in this moment can we discover that which is timeless. Only here can we find the love that we seek. Love in the past is simply memory, and love in the future is fantasy. Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.”
– Jack Kornfield
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– print by Lena Sokol
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Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
It Depends On The Fight – Osho
My words to meditate upon today:
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“Nobody can say anything about you. Whatsoever people say is about themselves. But you become very shaky, because you are still clinging to a false center. That false center depends on others, so you are always looking to what people are saying about you. And you are always following other people, you are always trying to satisfy them. You are always trying to be respectable, you are always trying to decorate your ego.”
“The moment mind disappears, you also disappear — because you exist in the struggle. The ego exists in the tension. For the ego, a duality is needed. It cannot exist with a non-dual reality. So just watch: whenever you are fighting, your ego becomes very sharp. Watch twenty-four hours and you will see many peaks and many valleys of your ego, and many times you will feel that it is not there. If you are not fighting with anything, it is not there. It depends on the fight.”
– Osho
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– pic from flowingzen.com
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Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Equality: How We Get It All Wrong
I’ve been meditating on the issue of equality for the past couple of days; what exactly it means to us as human beings, and how we go about living that in our daily lives. The following are two definitions of equality according to Merriam Webster.
Equality:
1 a (1) : of the same measure, quantity, amount, or number as another (2) : identical in mathematical value or logical denotation : equivalent.
2 : regarding or affecting all objects in the same way : impartial.
In analyzing the differences between these two definitions, it is my personal opinion that the problem is rooted in how many of us perceive equality in today’s world.
Most of us measure ourselves, in comparison to others, in a manner of whether or not we are equivalent, or greater than equivalent, to them. Do you have the same fame or acclaim as a peer or counterpart in your chosen career? If not, you work toward evening the playing field, and hopefully surpassing them.
Since we so ruthlessly judge ourselves in this fashion … we also tend to judge others that way as well. Who is greater and who is less than? Who is popular and who is unpopular? Who is wealthy and who has no money? Who is dominant and who is passive? All too frequently we base our life decisions on these perceptions : who is the best friend to seek out for what we want personally, who is best suited to elevate us at work, or in a relationship – who is the one who gives the most to the relationship? In some facets this helps us succeed (career) and in others is our greatest downfall (relationships).
The primary problem, on a spiritual level, is that when we view each other through the filter of equivalency it leads us to judgement. Judging others, or harshly judging yourself, causes your heart to close. When your heart is closed you are no longer connected to God. This might not sound so bad on a case-by-case basis … the real issue lies in the fact that, for many of us, this is how we live every day of our lives. That means we are closed and disconnected from God virtually ALL the time. The times when you let go of this pervasive mindset of judgement (toward self and others) feel wonderful … like a spiritual high you experience once or twice a week. That is how you are supposed to be every day, all day … open-heartedly connected to God.
The true meaning of equality, in terms of how we as humans interact and live our lives, is revealed in the second Merriam Webster definition … synonymous with the word “impartial”. When there is no “greater than” or “less than”, we all have meaning and importance in the world. We each have something important to give to the world; something special that nobody else can duplicate. That is priceless.
Each one of us is unique and perfect as our True Selves … we just have to let go of the equivalency exams we feel that we either must personally pass, or unjustly impose on someone else.
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Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
The Ego is a Veil
The words I have been meditating upon (infused with a bit of doggie humor): 😉
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“People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn’t bother me. It’s other people doing the calling that bothers me.”
– Octavia Butler
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“As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don’t think you are the most important being on earth. Rich or poor, you then can look anyone in the eye and say, ‘I’m probably no better than you, but I’m certainly your equal.”
– Harper Lee
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“The Ego is a veil between humans and God.
In prayer all are equal.”
– Rumi
~~~~~~~
Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.
We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!
There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.
By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.
In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.
Southern California, Northern California, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Long Beach
Religion4All 