The Great Ones

At any one point in history, great men and women walk the planet thoroughly steeped in the consciousness of Love. Sometimes their prominence shines publicly as thousands flock around them for inspiration, healing, and evolution towards enlightened mind.

Others emanate their refined vibrational presence within a small circle of fortunate individuals who cross their path. I recently encountered such a teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, privileged to experiece his unceasing dedication to prayer, meditation, and wise counseling. His healing presence transformed my aching heart with a hand mudra that he effortlessly displayed .

Could we not also lead a life following the example of this miracle of mankind? And possibly, with this life-affirming love, create a heaven on earth?

One obvious answer: someone must be a manager, a worker, or an organizer of a society. No matter how simple a social structure, nonetheless people need to eat, build shelters, and clothe themselves. The logical person might also respond that not everyone has the karma or the innate inclination to spend their life in prayer and meditation; humans are party-animals and social gatherings make for a certain joie de vivre.

Yet, at the very least, we could spend part of our day in mindful awareness, a trend that is spreading in slow motion throughout this land. Even 60 Minutes had a segment on this meditative practice, with Anderson Cooper spending a weekend learning how to meditate. Probably a more useful segment than the ones where he swims with sharks and alligators, he says it was a "life changer."

If a busy anchorman can do it, so can we. Anger management classes teach people to count to ten before responding and that pause seems to mitigate a destructive response. So if every person on the planet took a minimum of 15 minutes day, and much more if possible, then image how much more conscious and careful our thoughts and actions might be.

Many of us are somewhat cynical, giving the cycles of war and violence that have plagued civilization since the dawn of recorded history. Nonetheless, the dream of an evolved mankind must not be lost in the melee of conflict on a personal or national level. If enough people begin to practice mindful awareness and expand those moments to saturate waking moments, then anything is possible.

 

Press-urgh

Repeat "Press-urgh," rapidly like a tongue twister, and the tongue defaults to the familiar word "pressure." Either way, this little gimmick holds within it a metaphor for a trend hotly debated in the media.

Many news outlets have refused to air the new cover of  Charlie Hedbo, which depicts the Prophet Mohammed holding a sign that says, "Je suis Charlie," and a phrase above his head, "All is forgiven." The inclusion of this phrase is remarkable under the circumstances and the consciousness of the cartoonists who created it should be lauded.

Alas, there was pressure from within the ranks of CNN, MSNBC, Al Jezeera and other international media outlets not to show this new cover for fear of more reprisals from the true infidels (the terrorists).

There is some truth to both sides of the argument:

1) Insane fanatics can't take a joke, so why provoke more acts of gratuitous violence (which have already occurred in some parts of the world)? Would you deliberately stick your hand in a hornets' nest?

2) Respecting the wishes of madmen can only lead to more madness. For example, the appeasement of Hitler at the onset of his incursion into Europe was blunder of colossal proportions.

It is easy to pass an armchair judgement, but one detail is undeniable. Defenders of human rights and freedom of speech often become martyrs for the cause, but because of their heroic and fearless stand, pave the way for the rest of us.

Not every person has the courage to demonstrate when the consequences could be life-threatening (as is the case in many parts of the world today) but thank the All-That-Is for those people.

Fearlessness and discriminating wisdom are the two sides of the coin. Which one is the winner in this coin toss?

Alone Versus Together

The parents of teenagers often hear a refrain from their offspring: "Leave me alone!" Conversely, this age group craves the company of their peers; the result of merriment by these developing hominoids can be chaotic.

So why do creatures sometimes want to be alone and at other times cling to the presence of like-minded souls?

In the relative world, we actually have two worlds - the inner world and the outer world - although in reality they form a continuum with dividing line (molecular love-making). Creating a harmonious balance between alone time and social time can be an art form.

Having been habituated to "together time" in a marriage of thirty years, where my husband and I had home offices, I am finding it an interesting challenge to appreciate "alone time." When Michael was alive, it was nice to occasionally have the house to myself for a few hours. He was not a noisy fellow but had high octane brain power; the electricity generated by this 3 pound organ was palpably felt throughout the house.

Now, quiet time more resembles the stillness of a home hastily evacuated by its occupant in anticipation of a military offensive...eerily the same yet absent of the person who helped create the nest.

If everything exists as a perception in the mind of the observer, then my daily task is to reframe "alone" and "together." Today, I am together with the plants, the fresh air, and the internet that provides me with links. While some might think the company of plants a bore, well, try planting and growing them and they will speak! Today Mother Earth is my companion and she is indeed sweetas the incarnation of a Southern California 70 degree Farenheit day.

As long as perception is malleable, then "alone" and "together" become relative concepts. May we be alone when we want peace and may we be together when we want nourishment. And the outward appearance makes no difference.

Fearlessness

There have been controversies swirling around the behavior of religious leaders of all stripes for centuries. Leaving aside those who have clearly forgotten that killing is a sin against Love, another kind of violence has cropped up amongst  spiritual teachers.

Called "sexual misconduct," this phrase applies to gurus, rabis, roshis, rinpoches, imams, priests, ministers etc. who grope the faithful or have the faithful grope them. While it is illegal for a therapist or a school teacher to behave thus, the lines are more blurred in the private sector (no pun intended).

Of course anyone can sue anyone for sexual harrasment or worse. But in the enlightenment profession, seekers are more likely to be confused about the motives of the spiritual teacher than if their therapist hit on them whilst on the proverbial couch.

Many students involved in religious/spiritual traditions claim that their teacher is enlightened, but this seems a suspect assumption. If the student is not enlightened, how do they know that their teacher is -  aside from the PR generated by the teacher's inner circle? That assumption of infallibility is where the trouble begins.

Leaving that question to be decided by some other innocent, there is only one barometer with which to check to the motives of your teacher; the gut feeling.

It might be hard to trust your intuition if you never listened to it before, having muted it to survive in the material world. However, fearlessness in tuning in, and listening to what you hear, is the only way to see a red flag and change course.

Fearless is usually associated with soldiers in battle, or fireman running into a burning house to save people. Those external manifestations may be true, but real fearlessness lies in the ability to check your intuition, check your logical thought process, and then act according to the information.

The Odor Mystery

If you have ever entered a small public bathroom where the previous occupant has either 1) emptied the stomach's contents violently, or 2) emptied the colon's contents mightily, we would all agree that the smells evoke repulsion and a strong desire to exit that room posthaste.

Multiply that experience to every foul smell emitted by man or beast on the planet and the extent of the stench could reach proportions imaginable only to quantum physicists.

There is surely a scientific explanation why smells seem to be purified as they circulate the globe so that "fresh air" is still a viable concept in many rural and uninhabited places.

In the meantime, this uninformed blogger simply chooses to muse about this mysterious planet upon which we park our carcasses, in all its wondrous facets.

Boko Haram Who?

The wall to wall news coverage of terrorist attacks in Paris has been touching, especially the sight of 50 world leaders walking boldly, arm in arm, at the Unity Rally. (Did the USA think it unimportant to have our President or Vice-President there because France is outside our ethnocentric sphere, despite being our oldest ally?)

I learned from a French friend living in the provinces that in addition to the 1,500,000 strong in Paris, another 2,500,000 people marched in other areas of France, only to be ignored by the international media. She had hoped that the massive outpouring nationwide would be the hot topic, and not just enchanting Paris.

But then again, the pecking order lives on, firmly in place. At the bottom of newsworthy topics was the massacre of 2,000 villagers by the Boko Haram in Nigeria during a 6 day spell of hell. Is this not by sheer magnitude more horrific? 

It first came to my attention as my gaze was fixated on a gargantuan puppet of Lady Liberty floating through the Parisian throngs like an angelic vision. In small ticker tape going across the bottom of the TV screen, the Boko Haram massacre was being reported. While 24 hour visuals were being aired around Paris, there was nary a photo of what was taking place on "the dark continent."

There can only be one explanation. There still exists the notion of the superior "civilized" white man, while the tribal peoples in the heart off Africa seem less worthy. What else can explain this radical disparity in the reporting of human atrocities?

The Boko Haram represent the same insanity as ISIS, Al Queda, and the US army obliterating foreign lands to secure oil.

Once again, hard as it may be, the truth must one day peek through the clouds and shine the light upon us. Kindness, compassion, oneness...no other values can save us from the alternative.