Excepts From 'Staying In Alignment'

'Staying in Alignment" is a book by Karen Bishop from 'What's Up On Planet Earth?'. If you wish to purchase this remarkable book, please visit www.whatsuponplanetearth.com.

"With Self"

Beginning With Where We Are Now

Evolution requires small and steady steps, which involves integrating a higher vibrating step at each particular level. We cannot go anywhere else until we are integrated and complete with where we currently are. This is how energy works. So then, we must begin with where we are. How can we know our specific purpose and passion? How can we be in it as much as possible? How can we identify and recognize it in others?

- Again, follow the path that feels good and right, because what feels good to us, does so because it is in alignment with our soul's intentions.

- We can spend as much time as possible in our hobbies and creative outlets. When we lose all track of time, we are truly in our element.

- Identify your patterns of interest and activities that have persisted for the longest period of time. What do you continually come back to that fits you like the best pair of shoes in your closet?

- Evaluate your home and your appearance and decide if they are reflective of whom you believe yourself to be. Are they manifestations of your own unique expression and blueprint? Surrounding ourselves with as much of ourselves as possible, greatly assists in keeping us in alignment.

- Follow your interests as much as possible. What excites you? What do you want to know more about? What do you know the most about now? What would another person be doing that would make you want to follow them around for awhile, be in their presence, or apprentice under them? What do you talk about that gets you excited and passionate when you are describing it to others? Being excited and passionate about something brings the vibration up several notches and places us in a higher vibrating space.

- What is your focus when you enter a group setting? What do you usually contribute to the whole? What energy do you naturally and effortlessly always end up emanating?

- What do you love about another? What quality does another have that always makes you feel good? When you need help or support, what is it in each person you contact, which helps you the most? Knowing what these traits are in others, and supporting and seeing them as much as possible, while allowing others to vibrate in their own unique way as much as possible, places us all in alignment.

- When you encounter another, do you ask them about themselves? Do you ask them what they want their lives to look like and what they have always wanted to create? When we know this about another, we can then support them in getting there while being on the same page with them. We can be in their space of joy. You will find, through the overlap energy of attracting energies, that when others know our passions and purpose, and when we know theirs, suggestions will be made, networking will occur, and messages will be received and given that greatly support our passions and purpose.

- If you are feeling pressured and burdened, give yourself an official day off just for you. This lets the universe know that you come first, and the universe will then get the message and jump on the program. Take a day and putter around the house or on your property and do the things you have wanted to do for a long time. Become involved with some creative projects. Tune into a different reality that is all about you and what you love to do. If you can, just let go and forget about everything else. You can tell yourself that God officially designated this time for you, and you are simply following orders.

Staying in alignment with our purpose places us in a continual space where miracles abound. At times we may feel as if we cannot manifest a thing and nothing is opening up or going our way. But when something has to do with our own individual and unique purpose, or our next step in this arena, the doors seem to fly open and literally push us through. Knowing who we are and what lights us up, always makes us oh so comfortable in our own skin. We are then right on track and in perfect alignment with Source energy. And in this way, we contribute greatly to the whole, as we assist in continuing to raise the vibration of the planet simply through being who we naturally are."

The Power Of Kindness By Pierre Ferucci

True Kindness is a strong genuine way of being. It is the result of the interplay among several qualities, such as warmth, trust, patience, loyalty, gratitude, …

Scientific research confirms that kind people are healthier and live longer, are more popular and productive, have greater success in business, and are happier than others. In other words, they are destined to live a much more interesting and fulfilling life than those who lack this quality. They are much better equipped to face life in all its savage unpredictability and frightening precariousness.

But I can already hear an objection: Suppose we are kind in order to feel better and live longer. Wouldn’t we be perverting the very nature of kindness? WE would make it calculated and self-interested, and therefore it would no longer be kindness. How true! Kindness derives its purpose from itself, not from other motives. The true benefit of kindness is being kind. Perhaps more than any other factor, kindness gives meaning and value to our life, raises us above our troubles and our battles, and makes us feel good about ourselves.

In a certain sense, all the scientific studies showing the advantages of kindness are useless – useless as incentives because the sole incentive to kindness can be none other than the desire to help, the pleasure of being generous and attentive to other people’s lives.

Heaven save us from the fakes – self-interested politeness, calculated generosity, superficial etiquette. And also from kindness against one’s will. What’s more embarrassing than someone doing us a favour out of a sense of guilt? Psychonanalysts speak of yet another type of kindness – one that hides anger, a “reaction formation”. The idea of being full of rage upsets us, so we unconsciously repress this dark side and act in a kind way. But this is false and contrived, and has nothing to do with what, in our heart, we really care for. Finally weakness masquerades sometimes as kindness: You say yes when you mean no, you go along because you want to be nice, you acquiesce because you are afraid. A person who is too good and submissive ends up a loser.

My thesis is that true kindness is a strong, genuine, warm way of being. It is the result of the interplay among several qualities, such as warmth, trust, patience, loyalty, gratitude, and many others. Without even one of these qualities, kindness is less convincing and less true. Each of these qualities alone is sufficient, if we evoke and cultivate it, to revolutionize our psyche and change our life radically. Together, their action is even more effective and profound. From this perspective, kindness is synonymous with mental health.

The gifts of kindness and its qualities are various. Why are grateful people more efficient? Why are those who feel a sense of belonging less depressed? Why do altruistic people enjoy better health, and trusting individuals live longer? Why is it that if you smile, you are perceived as more attractive? … Why do those elderly who can talk more with others have less probability of contracting Alzheimer’s disease? … Because all these attitudes and behaviours, which are all aspects of kindness, brings us closer to what we are meant to do and to be . It is so elementary: If we relate better with others, we feel better.

Kindness, as we will see, has many facets. But its essence is as simple as can be. We will find that kindness is a way of making less effort. It is the most economic attitude there is, because it saves us much energy that we might otherwise waste in suspicion, worry, resentment, manipulation, or unnecessary defence. It is an attitude that, by eliminating the inessential, brings us back to the simplicity of being.

…. We are all in the midst of a “global cooling”. Human relations are becoming colder. Communications are becoming more hurried and impersonal. Values such as profit and efficiency are taking on greater importance at the expense of human warmth and genuine presence.

.. we are going through an Ice Age of the heart … and is worrisome… it goes hand in hand with the epidemic of depression and panic attacks, probably the two psychological disturbances most linked to lack of warmth and of a reassuring and protective community, and to a weakened sense of belonging.

HONESTY: EVERYTHING BECOMES EASIER

Honesty exists in both directions – in our interactions with ourselves and with others.

To know yourself is the sine qua non of mental health. – Sydney Jourard, The Transparent Self.

But we can hardly know ourselves in isolation: We must first let ourselves be known by someone else, without bluffing or hiding. For Jourard, all neurotic symptoms, such as fear of leaving the house or depression, are nothing more than screens we erect in order to hide ourselves from others. As soon as we become more transparent, we start to feel better.

Are honesty and kindness incompatible? Honesty, at times so tough, has a lot in common with kindness, though they might seem to be opposites. If kindness has falseness as its base, it is no longer kindness. It is a laboured courtesy. It does not come from the heart, but from a fear of sticking one’s neck out, of provoking strong reactions, or of facing accusation and argument. What do you prefer – genuine kindness, ready to tell the uncomfortable truth? Or the politeness of someone who avoids confrontation, declares himself to be having fun when he is bored, says yes, when he means no, and smiles when in agony?

TO ACT HONESTLY – EVEN AT THE RISK OF SAYING THE UNPLEASANT TRUTH, or of saying no and causing distress to others – if done with intelligence and tact, is the kindest thing to do, because it respects our own integrity and acknowledges in others the capacity to be competent and mature.

TO BE HONEST ALSO MEANS TO RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM rather than pretend there is none.

If kindness has falseness at its base, it is no longer kindness.
It is laboured courtesy. It does not come from the heart, but from a fear
of sticking one’s neck out, of provoking strong reactions, or of facing
accusation and argument.

Lying has a thousand faces, the truth only one.
We can pretend to have many emotions we don’t really have, to be many people
who we are not. But if we stop pretending, all the artifices and the efforts
to hold life together fall away. What a relief!

.. Once while listening to the story of a client, I was deeply moved. She noticed and told me so. I tried to hide my emotion, but she didn’t believe it for a second. In that moment I realized how weak and awkward we are when we try to hide our feelings. And how important it is, within our limits of tact and good taste, to be honest and freely show what we feel and who we are. So when are we kinder: when we hide our warmth, our dreams, our wonder, our humour, or when we reveal them?

Thus, not only is honesty compatible with genuine kindness, it is the very basis of kindness. False kindness pollutes. As long as you are not living in the truth, you cannot relate. As long as you do not call the hard realities by name, you are living in the land of dreams. There is no room for you and me there, but only for harmful illusions. Inasmuch as we lie, we live a life devoid of reality. And kindness cannot exist in a world of masks and phantoms.

Bust of Gotama Buddha displayed in Calcutta Museum
Face of kindness, deep peace

“People often ask me what is the most effective technique for transforming their life. It is a little embarrassing that after years and years of research and experimentation, I have to say that the best answer is – just be a little kinder.” - Aldous Huxley

I believe that if we stop to think, it is clear that our very survival, even today, depends upon the acts and kindness of so many people. Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents; later in life, when facing the sufferings of disease and old age, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. If at the beginning and end of our lives we depend upon others’ kindness, why then in the middle, when we have the opportunity, should we not act kindly toward others? - Dalai Lama

10 Secrets For Success And Inner Peace by Dr.Wayne Dyer

By Andrew Khor

Last Friday, a group met at Khoracle to listen to Dr. Wayne Dyer, one of the pioneers of the human potential movement.

This man has a voice that can move mountains. He said many interesting and humourous things. But I remember a few that stayed in my mind after the talk was over.

1) Be independent of other people's opinions - that means don't cave in to what other people think. This is your life, your journey. Remember that old picture about all the lemmings marching over the cliff and into the ocean. Negative group think may be one of the most destructive things that exist on this planet. If negative group think were to have its way, the Wright brothers may never have flown, many innovations and inventions would not have existed. Have the courage to have your own independent thought - just don't be a pain in the ass about it.

2) Resentment for another person. Wayne Dyer defined resentment as "the poison you consume when you hate another person." Meaning that when you resent another person, all you are doing is hurting yourself. You get angry, you get pissed of - the only person you're hurting is yourself. Your blood pressure goes up and you become hypertensive. While the person you're angry with .... does he or she care?

3) Dance to your own music. You can't spend the rest of your life living out other people's dreams for you. Many parents want their sons and daughters to be a doctor, a lawyer etc. Wayne Dyer's daughter dropped out of university to be a singer. Another daughter after seeing the Robert Redford movie, Horse Whisperer, told her father that she wanted to be a horse whisperer. She has started a class for teaching youngsters how to ride horses.

4) You can't get new results thinking and behaving the same old way. Put it this way, thinking and behaving the same old way gets you the same old results. In other words, you can't get new results by doing the same old thing. By injecting newness or freshness in your thoughts and actions, you will inevitably get new results. And looking at the state of the economy now, there are many opportunities for people to be successful - we just have to change our points of view.

Are you filling a need or satisfying a desire? People will pay for filling a need, they will pay more for satisfying a desire.

A Course In Miracles (ACIM) in Malaysia

Imagine a life based on forgiveness of self and others ... a life based on shedding fear and accepting love ... resulting in a life of true inner peace.

That’s precisely what thousands of people are attaining through the study of this internationally recognized day-by-day self-study program. A unique blend of psychology, Christianity and Eastern philosophy, A Course In Miracles® focuses on the practical application of the power of forgiveness and guides you to the peace of mind we all seek.

In this enlightening program, you’ll discover why forgiveness is the key to universal happiness ... why love depends on your willingness to give, rather than your desire to receive ... why changing the way you see the world works better than trying to change the world itself ... and why service is necessary for personal fulfillment.

A Course In Miracles® was first published in 1975 by the Foundation of Inner Peace. Today, there are many autonomous centers where people gather to study its philosophy. Each year, new students begin using this powerful and timeless philosophy to help them bring strength and forgiveness into their lives and into the world — proof positive that these methods and concepts work.

With consistent application of its concepts and committed use of its thought system, one can begin to see that miracles are natural and can happen to anyone. You’ll discover another way to look at the world, and you will realize that judgment, fear, guilt, and anger can be released from your life. In their place, you can substitute unconditional love.

Discover the mystery behind what is considered by many to be the most divinely inspired work since the Bible ...

A Course in Miracles
• 1,500,000 copies in circulation
• In 16 languages
• For millions of believers

"Miracles are natural. When they do not occur something has gone wrong."

Find your own miracles ...

A Course in Miracles is, without a doubt, one of the most extraordinary and important documents of the 20th century. It's been read, studied, and accepted by millions of people.

It is considered by many to be the most divinely inspired work since the Bible. The wisdom contained within the Course transcends anything you've heard before. The greatest philosophers, religious writers, saints, and prophets throughout history have struggled with the same questions the Course answers:

• What is our purpose on Earth? Answered.
• How do we find meaning in our lives? Answered.
• What is our true nature — spiritual or physical? Answered.
• Why must we experience pain, illness, and suffering? Answered.
• What are joy and sadness? Answered.
• What is the meaning of our relationships with each other? Answered.
• What is our relationship with God? Answered.

Never has such a profound spiritual document been so clear, easy to access, easy to learn from, and most importantly — easy to personally benefit from. It can help you grow spiritually and emotionally and can increase your personal joy and effectiveness in every area of your life. It's a step-by-step program, a true self-help course for spiritual development. You'll find that the power of your love can literally change your view of the world around you.

A Course in Miracles is really three documents in one:

• a 31-chapter narration of spiritual answers, known simply as the Text,
• the Workbook for Students, which consists of 365 lessons — one for each day of the year, and
• the Manual for Teachers, a document that explains the roles of teaching and learning and how to manage your own awareness through A Course in Miracles.

There is truly nothing else like it. And may never be again.

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Course details:-

Course starts : Sunday 10th August 2007.
Time : 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Subsequent sessions : 7/9/2008 (1st sunday), 12/10/2008, 9/11/2008, 14/12/2008. Tentatively the 2nd sunday of the month for 2009.
Venue : Singgahsana Hotel, PJ.

Cost per session per participant: RM60.
Meals provided : Light breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea break.
Food contributions are welcome.
All excess funds will be donated to orphanage homes.

Text book required : A Course In Miracle.
Price of text book : RM129.00 (Soft cover), RM150.50 (Hard Cover)
To order book: Contact Allyssa 012-2181500
The book is also available in major bookstores.

Further information are available from any of the following:

Allyssa Yap +6012-2181500
CM Tan +6016-3398006
JC +6012-3362636
Soo Jeen +6013-3530632
Tony Pinto +6012-3000188
Wan Sin +6016-2311478
Jeremy +6012-6546029
Chooi Keng +6019-3131181
YB +6012-2063636
Winston Chew +6012-3709369
Mui Seng +6012-3343213
Katherine +6013-3621369
Kwong +6019-3388928

Reach for the Pinnacle With Transcendent Sex

By Yvonne K. Fulbright
In Fox News

If you think orgasm is the pinnacle of sex, think again.

Some people actually supersede the state of climax and reach a state of transcendent sex. Such lovemaking is said to involve a divine force, and is regarded as a path to a higher consciousness. It has been known to change one’s views on sex and spirituality. Yet this mystical, spiritual sexual experience is one of the best kept sex secrets around.

Why isn’t it well-known? Recognized by the likes of Deepak Chopra, such meaningful experiences are nothing new. Lovers have had them since ancient times. Still, people who have experienced them are afraid of being called crazy or getting mocked.

You can’t really blame them. Many would find it far-fetched to hear that their friend, brother or co-worker was transported to another realm during sex last night.

The closest I’ve ever come to such a spontaneous, divine experience involved my life-force energy shooting up from the base of my spine during an orgasm. It happened when I was with my ex-lover and I found myself blissfully lost in a purplish-turned-white light that went beyond my body.

The feelings were beyond description. Saying it was amazing doesn’t do it justice. But from what I understand, my story can be trumped by even more ecstatic experiences.

People who have been swept into transcendent ecstasy, according to developmental psychologist Dr. Jenny Wade, have reported:

— Seeing visions;

— Feeling heat, light and energy waves throughout the body;

— Reliving past lives;

— Seeing the face of God;

— Paranormal powers;

— Being visited by gods;

— Feeling possessed by spirits;

— Working with natural forces;

— Nothingness, whiteness, pure bliss;

— One with everything – there is no “me” or time;

— A lack of sensory channels;

— Time travel;

— Enlightenment.

What invites transcendent sex? While many equate it to a religious experience, you don’t need to be a person of faith to experience the sacred, transformational power of sex. You don’t need to be a Tantric practitioner or be specially trained in sexuality or transcendent sex. You don’t need to be striving for orgasm. You don’t necessarily have to be making love.

It can happen to anyone at anytime. It does not involve drug use. It should be pointed out, though, that while people have had transcendent episodes during casual sexual liaisons, these intense events tend to be triggered in a more loving context. Wade estimates that as many as one in eight individuals has had a transcendent episode.

While this path to soulful realization seems too good to be true, experts in this area warn that there are hazards. Individuals have reported being overwhelmed by intimacy or seeking out dangerous liaisons in desiring more.

In being transported to this altered, super-dreamlike state, know that things may be nonsensical. You will likely lose all sense of reality. You may not recognize your lover or feel like yourself. The experience can be destabilizing. You may be sick afterward from the intensity.

Despite its potential drawbacks, the healing, profound impact of transcendent sex has the potential for long-term effects. It can result in releasing shame and guilt around sex. It can help one to heal from sexual trauma and abuse. It can lead to a healthier life.

If you’re interested in learning more, Wade’s "Transcendent Sex" promises cautious guidance on this spiritual awakening. I don’t know about you, but I plan to check it out.

"Ask & It Is Given" by Esther & Jerry Hicks

By Tom Butler-Bowdon
In The City Wire

Most people have heard of the ‘Law of Attraction’ through the film and book The Secret, but by the time of its release in 2006 Esther and Jerry Hicks had already spent 20 years travelling America teaching the concept. It is easy to see the influence of their writings on The Secret and other books of this ilk.

Why, then, are they not the bestselling writers in the field? Part of the reason must lie in their claim to be simply ‘channelling’ information from the spiritual realm. This puts off many potential readers. Unsurprisingly, at the beginning of Ask and It Is Given they try to explain how they arrived at their unusual vocations.

The story begins in 1985, when Esther and Jerry visited a healer in Arizona. The healer was supposedly receiving spiritual communications from a spirit guide named Theo. Theo told Esther she too had a spiritual guide that wanted to make itself known. The couple were told to meditate. After some months Esther began ‘receiving’ information from this guide, who identified itself as Abraham.

Then in her 30s, Esther had never meditated and was happy with her life. But this ‘absence of opinions or angst’ apparently made her a good receiver of otherworldly information. The guides had made contact in order to remind people of ‘the laws of the universe that govern all things’, including the transmission of desires into reality through the law of attraction.

The question must be asked, are the Hicks perpetrating a great hoax, or is Esther really the voice of eternal truths from the spirit world? In his foreword to Ask and It Is Given, spiritual self-development author Wayne Dyer describes the book as containing powerful universal truths. You can decide for yourself, but it is certainly the Hicks’ most comprehensive work, containing all the basic ‘Abraham’ teachings and 22 ‘processes’ or exercises to put them into practice.

Understand the law

Simply stated, the universal law of attraction is that whatever you put your attention to through thought or desire becomes reality. Whenever you are focused on what you don’t have, that situation of not-having will also be your reality. You attract to yourself things or people that are the equivalent of your state of being, or ‘vibration’.

Abraham notes that deciding to elevate your mood or feeling in each moment is vital for increasing your vibration, which in turn attracts things, people and feelings of a like vibration. Pretending you are feeling good when you are not will not change your vibration. The idea is to choose an emotion higher than the one you are experiencing now. The more positive you think and feel in each moment, the more open is your connection to the ‘source’, or provider of all things and all love. The worse you feel, the more closed this connection will be.

Trust your emotions

If you are feeling depressed, getting angry is actually a ‘higher’ feeling, since it will take you out of your depressed state. Once you have chosen anger as a relief from depression, you are then empowered to choose another thought or emotion higher up the scale. Once you know how to raise your emotional state deliberately, you are no longer powerless before your emotions.

Because your emotions indicate your vibrational frequency, they are an infallible indicator as to whether you are aligned with the source. If you are aligned with your source, you are on track to receive whatever you want.

Behind every desire is the desire to feel joy. The objects of desire, Abraham says, are less important than the fact that you are allowing life energy to flow. When you appreciate things and people and you love yourself, you are operating at a higher vibration. This changes when you begin to criticise or find fault. The better you feel about yourself, the more you have to give others. This is not selfishness. It is only people unconnected with their true selves who are jealous or insecure.

You are born to desire and fulfil

The most common question people ask of Hicks/Abraham is: ‘Why is it taking me so long to get what I want?’ The answer is that it is not because you don’t want something enough, because you are not worthy or because ‘fate is against you’. Rather, you are not in a vibrational state matching that of your desire. What has prevented you from getting what you want is you. Whenever you ask for something it is always given, but you must mentally allow it to come.

People feel guilty about having desires, but Abraham states that desires are the very essence of being human because they make you feel who you really are. If you are deliberate about your thoughts and desires you can be more specific about the world you want to create for yourself. Life is a process of asking and receiving, and you are the creator of your own reality, whether consciously or not. You must be eager and optimistic about what is coming, while having no impatience or doubt about its coming. If you are feeling good about something you want and allowing it to come, it will.

Often, what a person thinks is a desire is not – it is a ‘resisted desire’. The key to manifesting your desires is to assume it is already being experienced, that you already have it and are enjoying it. In this way, you set up a level of vibration that can only attract its material equivalent.

Abraham observes that when people discover the law of attraction, at first they become uncomfortable with their own thoughts and what they may be attracting. But the spirits note that thoughts are not a loaded gun waiting to wreak havoc; there is always plenty of time to understand how the laws work and to begin to change your thinking, one small step at a time. There is always a buffer between having a thought and its expression in reality. Don’t be afraid of uncontrolled thoughts; instead, realise that every attempt to change your thinking toward more positive, less resistant forms brings real benefits.

Final comments

Ask and It Is Given is really a work of philosophy as it attempts to explain the link between thought and reality, and the extent to which we create or control our worlds. It says there is no such thing as ‘fate’ directing your life according to some predetermined pattern. You are a co-creator with the source (God or universal law) and can shape your life as you wish.

is really a work of philosophy as it attempts to explain the link between thought and reality, and the extent to which we create or control our worlds. It says there is no such thing as ‘fate’ directing your life according to some predetermined pattern. You are a co-creator with the source (God or universal law) and can shape your life as you wish.

Some readers will find the idea of channelled messages beyond the pale, but if you can get beyond this, it could be argued that the law of attraction is really common sense. Everyone knows, for instance, that if you think about something for a long time the likelihood of it having a real effect in your life is many times greater than if you think about it briefly. It is also common sense that desires morph into beliefs, and beliefs make us who we are. When you choose your desires and beliefs, it is logical that you can begin to master your reality.

The material on the emotions is fascinating, and in a practical sense is worth the weight of stacks of psychology books. There are intriguing chapter titles such as ‘Trying to hinder another’s freedom always costs you your freedom’ and ‘You are only 17 seconds away from 68 seconds to fulfilment’.

Read The Secret after Ask and It Is Given and it becomes clear how much Rhonda Byrne drew from the Abraham teachings. Esther Hicks was a central figure in the original film of The Secret, providing a massive boost to awareness of the Abraham teachings. However, she later asked to be edited out because she felt Byrne’s organisation was operating at a ‘different vibration’. She and Jerry subsequently released their own film, The Secret Behind the Secret, which was strongly promoted by Oprah Winfrey.

Think on: Esther and Jerry Hicks believe people can learn to guide their thought patterns in a more positive view.

Esther and Jerry Hicks

Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks met in Fresno, California in 1976 and married in 1981. Jerry had made money through Amway, a marketing and distrubution network, and attributes his success to reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. Each has two children from previous marriages. Their other books include The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent: Living the Art of Allowing and The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham. The Abraham-Hicks organisation is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

In A Similar Vein

Genevieve Behrend - Your Invisible Power
Rhonda Byrne - The Secret
Charles Fillmore - Prosperity
John Randolph Price - The Abundance Book

Deepak Chopra: A Book That Peers into Eternity

By Deepak Chopra
In The Washington Post

There's a single book that I reread every year: "I Am That" by Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981). The title is a quotation. In India the goal of enlightenment is to see reality as a whole. When all illusion has fallen away, one looks around and can say, with complete confidence, "I am That, you are That, and all this is That."

What does the word "That" mean? It means the essence of existence. What does the essence of existence mean? There is no adequate definition, and therefore a huge mystification has built up around "That." Nisargadatta Maharaj, whose name is almost totally unknown in the West, comes as close as possible to putting pure essence into words. In my experience, every reader who has discovered his book considers it magical, and those of us who treasure it feel that it opens a window into eternity, in part because of what Nisargatta says, but much more because of its astonishing ability to change the reader.

The Wikipedia article on Nisargadatta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisargadatta_Maharaj) informs us that the 1973 publication of "I Am That" made him world famous. That's a stretch, but the book did rise to the top of required reading in modern Indian spirituality. The text is made up entirely of transcripts of informal talks given above the tiny shop that Nisargadatta ran in Mumbai. He himself couldn't write, being an uneducated farm boy who moved to the big city. He reached enlightenment in a remarkable way. As he walked behind his plow in his native village, he reminded himself that he was the essence of Being, not a person with human limitations. Or to be precise, his guru told him "You are That."

It is believed in India that the liberated state, or Moksha, takes hundreds of lifetimes to attain. One supposes, then, that this illiterate farm boy must have prepared a long time for the breakthrough into enlightenment. So far as we know he never practiced spiritual disciplines. As he put it, his guru told him "You are That," and Nisargadatta believed him.

I won't give away what Nisargadatta talks about in this book -- he is never trivial, however. One is immediately transported into his extraordinary presence. Just as reading one scene of Hamlet is enough to convince you that Shakespeare is a great writer, reading five pages of Nisargadatta convinces you (if you can be convinced at all) that this untutored man is in touch with deepest wisdom -- he breathes an air more rarefied than ours. He possesses a quality we struggle to express in English-- absolute knowingness. As simply as Nisargadatta speaks -- simple enough to be understood by a ten-year-old -- the effect upon the reader is powerful enough to cause deep sympathy and trust, and in some readers there is actual transformation. Every time I reread "I Am That," I close the book convinced that the world would change entirely if everyone in it took Nisaargadatta's wisdom to heart.

A Conversation With Dr. Wayne Dyer

By Ana Hays, Maui Vision Magazine
Found In Wayne Dyer's Official Site

Life brings many opportunities and I’m grateful for the time I spent on Maui and the occasions I had to produce Wayne Dyers’ events for Unity Church of Maui while I lived there. An admirer of his for years, one might call me a groupie. Alas, what can I say! I’m a sucker for kindness of heart and generosity of spirit; two qualities Wayne has always bestowed on me; whether it was planning his events or taking time out from his day to speak with me about his latest book Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.

An internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development, Dr. Wayne Dyer has penned over 30 books and on October 26-28, 2007, he will host an intensive on Maui where he will speak about living the Tao and how to apply the wisdom of the Tao in your everyday life.

Ana – Seeing you as someone who walks their talk, I found it interesting in the preface of Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life where you stated that you find yourself still needing to change your own thoughts to transform your life? How is this? Will this always be true for you?

Wayne – Absolutely! You can’t get away from the cyclical universe. What the Tao has taught me is that no storm lasts forever no matter what it is. Nature builds calmness within its storms. That’s true in our own lives as well. When you reach the zenith of where you are going in your life, or in a relationship; the only place you can go is down or up. That’s the nature of this universe; a cyclical thing. The seasons, the moon; everything has a cycle to it.

Ana – So you think that even when you’ve come to a place of peace in your life you still have to go up or down?

Wayne – Yes! Hidden in all good fortune is misfortune. And in all misfortune is good fortune. It’s never going to stay the same as long you are in the world or unless you die while you are alive and become an enlightened Zen Master. But those people don’t exist. When you study their lives, you find that they had the same struggles as the rest of us. It’s not so much about being able to always have calm. Calmness isn’t just the absence of noise or troubles. It’s being able to find calm within yourself when other stuff is going on.

For example, at Bikram Yoga Lahaina where I do yoga, we have these people that come outside with leaf blowers. They’re so noisy. It’s the ability to find calmness in yourself even when externally there is confusion and chaos going on.

I used to think that you could find peace and it would always be there. And there is a sense of that. But even in the worst moments, catch yourself and remember that within the storm of misfortune there is good fortune. Just get in practice with what they call in Taoism the Wu-wei; the non-action and becoming the observer of it. Just notice and stay at peace with it. I must have admit, that I still have those really disrupting moments.

Ana – In Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao it sounds like you experienced a major shift while reading and studying the Tao. What changed in your life? Can you compare a before and after?

Wayne – Just before I started on this book project, the most amazing thing happened. I’d thought about it before, but the day after I turned 65, I locked the door of my condo in Florida and walked away. I gave the key to my secretary and told her to get rid of everything. I just let it go.

Ana – You didn’t even look back?

Wayne – No, I didn’t. And within weeks I began to really become involved in the Tao. Reading a Million Little Pieces and how the Tao helped James Frye overcome his addictions intrigued me. If just reading this ancient and wise book can take someone off of crack cocaine and alcohol it must have something very, very powerful to it. I began to go through it and then I called my publisher and told them I was going to take a year and read the 81 verses and write a short essay on each one of them and live it everyday. It was that leading into it, that something; that motivated me to just turn the key and close the door on a whole life time of accumulations.

Ana – Have you become a perpetual purger now?

Wayne – I don’t know. I’m less attached to stuff, I know that. You asked me about specifics, and I just find that I see that nature offers us a solution to everything that we call a problem. If you can just find your own nature and live it as naturally as you possibly can and be in a state of awe over everything, it doesn’t matter where you are. It almost speaks to you and says, “There’s no reason to be upset about anything. It will pass.” If it’s really going to pass, why stay confused by it and depressed by it. Just watch it go. It’s on its way out. That’s what I began to do. There is a line in the Tao that says that the Tao does nothing but it leaves nothing undone. That is a very hard one to get a hold of.

Ana – I know there are 81 verses but is there any one of them that stuck out more than the other for you?

Wayne – The 76th Verse really intrigues me the most. A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and stiff…I interpret this to mean, not just physical stiffness like rigor mortis, but stiffness in the way that we think rigidly. Flexibility, openness and softness are consorting with life. When you are rigid and you know the answer and don’t listen to other people’s point of view, you are consorting with death. Everything that is old and close to death is brittle and breaks apart including our thinking. So always stay flexible and soft and listen to others with caring. And truthfully, all of the verses hit me – especially when you think about them for days, and then write on them. This book [to me] is like a sacred channeling that has come to me. I’m so in love with this book. It’s thrilling to have the purpose of bringing this information to people.

About Dr.Wayne Dyer

Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s the author of 30 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.

His books Manifest Your Destiny, Wisdom of the Ages, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and the New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, and Inspiration and now Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life have all been featured as National Public Television specials.

Dyer holds a doctorate in educational counseling from Wayne State University and was an associate professor at St. John’s University in New York.

Dr. Wayne Dyer is affectionately called the “father of motivation” by his fans. Despite his childhood spent in orphanages and foster homes, Dr. Dyer has overcome many obstacles to make his dreams come true. Today he spends much of his time showing others how to do the same.

When he’s not traveling the globe delivering his uplifting message, Wayne is writing from his home in Maui.

Source: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/about/

"SPIRIT MATTERS" Wins 1st Place In San Diego Book Awards Competition

A renowned storyteller’s sometimes mystic, always adventuresome journey to awareness in the new memoir Spirit Matters (published by Mystic Ink Publishing), won first place in the San Diego Book Awards Spiritual Book Category in an awards ceremony at the AMN Healthcare center in San Diego.

Author Matthew J. Pallamary’s spiritually important message is stirring the minds, bodies and souls of readers as they follow him from an Irish Catholic ghetto in Boston to the Amazonian jungles of Peru.

Readers will be inspired how Pallamary’s travels – both physical and metaphysical – forever change his sense of reality.

What reviewers are saying about Spirit Matters:

“Matthew J. Pallamary’s Spirit Matters: A Memoir is a powerful attestation that splendidly recreates one man’s quest for truth.” -- Norman Goldman, editor of BookPleasures.com.

“An inspiring literary work with a deeper understanding of the connection to the spirit that carries us through life.” -- Amazon five star reviewer.

“Spirit Matters is an inspiring journey of healing and self transformation coming straight from the heart. Pallamary's search for truth is not only a page turner, it is energized with a blue print for evolution. Bravo!” -- Amazon five star reviewer.

Sri Rudrabhayananda In Malaysia

A REAL Guruji from India named Sri Rudrabhayananda will be in Malaysia to conduct a 2 day course on Ananth Yoga on June 14th and 15th, Sat and Sunday 2008. See bottom of post for more information about the event.

Sri Rudrabhayananda is apparently a prodigy. At the age of 10 he had already mastered what is known as the Auric Grid. Born in 1970, he has mastered various yoga disciplines and is now living a life of bhakti - service. He has agreed to come to Malaysia for the first time to attend to healing requests and conduct this two day workshop.

So, what is ANANTH YOGA?

ANANTH YOGA was devised by Gurudev Rudrabhayananda to help people work directly with the Energy for understanding the Divine. Over the past 3 years thousands of people have started understanding and gaining innumerable benefits as they practise Ananth Yoga daily.

This is the first stage towards Inner Bliss. Prana in normal parlance is translated into "breath" while the actual meaning has far more significance as it means life force. Jatragni or the fire in the belly has great relationship with the prana. In basic levels, we can talk about the energy received from the prana, which is harnessed through the Jatragni is to transform the whole life itself. This power is harnessed through the subtle energy centre known as Manipura Chakra. All the ancient cultures have accepted the fact that Manipura chakra is not a chakra relying on the mechanical process only but controls heart as well as the intelligence.

This is a powerful practical and physical method for gaining insights into the realm of Energy.

More on SRI RUDRABHAYANANDA

Sri Rudrabhayananda was born on the Spring Equinox of 1970, in the city of Delhi, the capital of India. Born in a family of educated and rich he was given the best of education and knowledge. He was given the name Venu Gopalan which means young Krishna holding a flute made of bamboo.

His father Sh. Rajagopalan was a devotee of Ganesh and was well versed in many Sanskrit scriptures. During his lifetime, he had learned from many teachers such as Swami Sivananda, Swami Agnivesh, Swami Rama, Sai Baba, Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti and others.

Sri Rudrabhayananda's paternal family comes from the Mullamutil lineage and the maternal family has a royal lineage.

From his youth he was driven by the desire for knowledge and in particular strove to find answers to three questions:

"What is God?"

"What is life?"

"Why is poverty there in the world?"

He was particular in asking questions like if God is there then it is important that he shows up, people used to find this disturbing. The search to find these answers as well as the necessity to further his lot in life lead him into various fields of endeavour, including becoming a qualified practitioner of two systems of Indian Alternative Medicines and a certified practitioner of Homoeopathy as well.

Sri Rudrabhayananda conveys his understanding of God and its through his speeches and writings Transformations.

At the age of ten he had mastered the occult science of creating the Auric Grid.

Though he was not able to gauge what he was doing but he knew the art. The transformation started soon and he was blessed to be in contact with many spiritual teachers who were interested to provide him knowledge and also make him aware of the knowledge he gained from his past lives. Rudrabhayananda was the name given to R. Venugopalan by Aghoree Baba Pinadrik ji, one of the most respected practitioners of Aghoree panth.

In 1996, Sri Rudrabhayananda formed Soul Searchers, a centre for teaching occult sciences to his disciples. Seekers have claimed that they have experienced physical and emotional healing, have been able to eliminate stress successfully and have been able to create a sense of belonging. He has developed more than 2000 meditation techniques and over 20 programs covering various fields at the Body, Mind and Soul levels. Many of these techniques have been covered in various books and Kits that he has written and prepared.

Sri Rudrabhayananda has been consistently and selflessly conducting workshops across India on Kundalini Diksha, Reiki I, II, Mastership and Grand mastership, Ananth Yoga among many other techniques that help the seekers in a manifold way.

He says, "Manushya, the term, has its origin in two words one 'Mana' meaning manas (heart+brain) and second being 'Isa' meaning the process of transcending. When the realization of this word occurs, the man in the form understands the real purpose of life and grows beyond to be Manav or humane."

Mahashunya Kriya, a form of Sadhana, developed by Sri Rudrabhayananda is at the core of the Soul Searchers course, Ananth Yoga. It is a four level course for sadhakas and disciples and all individuals. It works at three levels - Mind, Body and Soul. Mahashunya Kriya, if practised with sincere efforts, allows a person to go into the state of Samadhi.Ananth Yoga helps sadhakas in rising above the material world and desires. It reduces stress and helps balance the major chakras of the body.

Activities in Malaysia

Healing Request: June 16th and 17th at Khoracle (By Donation - limited to 5 persons per day only)

Two Day Workshop: June 14th and 15th at Clove & Clive (Refreshments and a Vegetarian meal will be served).

Early Bird Incentive for the Workshop: MYR750.00 (Registration before 30th May)

After 30th May: MYR850.00.

For registration or healing request, pls call +603 80606970 Letchumi at Khoracle or email us at myspiritualvillage@gmail.com or khoracle@gmail.com.

For more information on the workshop, please call:

Padma Menon Hp: +6017 3679570

Jaya Padamoni: HP +6019 6238797

Annie Foo: HP +6012 3310038

DVD - Women & Spirituality: The Goddess Trilogy

I didn't watch this movie nor did I see this DVD on sale over at this part of Asia yet. Since one of my pure intentions is to spread love and spiritual awareness, I am simply recommending this movie to our Spiritual Villagers who may have the opportunity to watch it or to entrepreneurs who wish to distribute this movie in Asia or other parts of the world.

Described by the Los Angeles Times as "...a massive and beautiful film...," Donna Read's classic trilogy WOMEN AND SPIRITUALITY explores the power of the sacred feminine in mythological, historical and cultural contexts. This stirring series examines goddess-based pre-historic societies, the witch-hunts of the Middle Ages and the continuing popularity of contemporary women's spirituality movements. An award-winning series never before released on DVD, WOMEN AND SPIRITUALITY is a stunning and poetic work comprised of three one-hour films (GODDESS REMEMBERED, THE BURNING TIMES and FULL CIRCLE) and is the definitive series on feminine spirituality.

As reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman:

Goddess Remembered is a 1989 feature that spans the globe while giving a perhaps over generalized review of ancient goddess worshiping practices. Intercut with then-current women's circles, the documentary provides evidence that goddess worship continues to this day and is in fact enjoying a resurgence. There are some interesting sidebars in this piece, including some female oriented takes on Hallowe'en, Silberry Hill in England and ubiquitous Maypole celebrations which occur all over the world. There's a bit of a bitter edge to some of the commentary in all three of these pieces, none more evident than when the timeline in this piece finally makes it to the Golden Age of Greece, which is herein defined as the end of goddess worship. That said, Read makes some cogent points about the shift in consciousness as Athena, once the goddess of wisdom and love, suddenly becomes the goddess of war, and that women's fallibility and subservience is codified in the archetypal story of Eve. While the intentions of this piece are certainly laudable, it may be hard to take some purported expert commentators seriously when they sport such names as Starhawk, Shekinah Mountainwater or Merlin Stone. Also, Martha Henry's narration in this documentary is just listless, with no emotion and very little inflection. That is made up for somewhat by Loreena McKennitt's beautiful and evocative underscore.

The second documentary in this set, The Burning Times is probably the best all around piece and deals with the history of witchcraft. This 1990 documentary begins with Roman Earth Goddess worship (based on Celtic deities whom the Romans appropriated when they conquered those peoples), and then moves on to show how women continued to practice ancient beliefs and continued worshiping female deities even as the world at large moved on to patriarchal practices. The witch here is defined as a healer, a woman alone fighting for her rights as a woman and non-traditional believer. There are some really interesting facts about the heyday of the witch trials, coming almost simultaneously with the Renaissance (but continuing for centuries afterward). It's fascinating to hear the experts here show how the scientific method was actually compared to the techniques of the Inquisition, and that both of these methods were used to interrogate supposed practitioners (always female) of the "Black Arts." To this piece's credit, the focus is not just on the better known European witch hunts, but also embraces other cultures such as Brasil's Ioruba "voodoo" women healers. As is to be expected, however, the main onus for witch-phobia is laid squarely at the feet of the Christian church, especially due to the influence of St. Paul, whose misogynistic tendencies are covered in some detail. Marsha Henry once again provides a curiously dead sounding narration, and similarly Loreena McKennitt offers some gorgeous music.

1992's Full Circle covers a lot of material that was frankly already dealt with in the first documentary, but which is utilized here to further make the case that modern practitioners of goddess worship are helping to bring our planet back from the brink of patriarchal-based destruction. As in Goddess Remembered, the "true believers" here are ardent environmentalists, believing that no better example of goddess worship can be found than taking care of and repairing the damage to Mother Nature. There are once again some interesting historical sidelights, such as an unnamed Greek female trinity goddess who oversaw birth, mating and death, and about whom little is known today. This piece is aided immeasurably by being narrated in first person by Donna Read, who injects a lot of life into her voiceover, something sadly lacking in the Marsha Henry voiced pieces. Following the lead of this piece's title, Read begins and ends with some personal connections to Celtic mythology, set to some glorious imagery and, once again, McKennitt's stirring music.

[Video] The Secret - Planet Earth

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

Every good thought, every good word, every good emotion, and every act of kindness, is lifting the vibration of your being to new heights. And as you begin to raise your vibration, a new life and a new world will reveal itself to you.

There is no limit to how high you can increase your vibration, because there is no limit to the good thoughts you can think, or the good words you can speak, or the acts of kindness that you can do. Other than transforming your own life through lifting your vibration, you lift others' lives too. The positive vibration of your energy emanates out like a stone thrown into water, touching our planet and every living thing on it. As you rise higher, you take the world with you.

The Secret Team has created a gift for you. This clip features our beautiful Planet Earth. As you experience this clip you will emit positive forces of energy across Planet Earth that will reach every single living thing on it. You will lift yourself, and as you lift yourself, you lift the entire world.

The magnificent music was composed and graciously gifted for this clip by composer Jo Blankenburg.

From The Secret to you - Planet Earth

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions

Article Source: http://www.thesecret.tv/planet-earth/

[Video] Cleve Backster - Plants Can Sense Human Intention

There is a video at youtube with the title "Cleve Baxter - Plants can sense human intention". The info of the video states:

This is a video of Cleve Baxter, a polygraph scientist who did the controversial experiment with plants and animal cells. In the 60s, he decided on impulse to attach his polygraph electrodes to the now-famous dracaena in his office, then water the plant and see if the leaves responded (p. 4). Finding that the plant indeed reacted to this event, he decided to see what would happen if he threatened it, and formed in his mind the idea of lighting a match to the leaf where the electrodes were attached.

And that was when something happened that forever changed Baxter's life and ours. For the plant didn't wait for him to light the match. It reacted to his thoughts!

Through further research, Baxter found that it was his intent, and not merely the thought itself, that brought about this reaction.

He also discovered that plants were aware of each other, mourned the death of anything (even the bacteria killed when boiling water is poured down the drain), strongly disliked people who killed plants carelessly or even during scientific research, and fondly remembered and extended their energy out to the people who had grown and tended them, even when their "friends" were far away in both time and space.

In fact, he found, plants can react "in the moment" to events taking place thousands of miles away. And not only are they psychic, they also are prophetic, anticipating negative and positive events, including weather.

One of the most important things that Baxter discovered was that, instead of going ballistic, plants that find themselves in the presence of overwhelming danger simply become catatonic (p. 7)! This phenomenon, the book tells us, has posed endless problems for those researchers who, unlike Baxter, do not respect the sentience of their subjects. Under such circumstances, the plants they are studying evince no reaction whatsoever. They simply "check out."

Distance healing through broadcasting of wave-form energy — called radionics — depends upon the concept that all parts of reality communicate with all the other parts "outside of time," and that a small piece of something can stand in for the whole, no matter how far away in "space" that whole thing may be — exactly as a voodoo doll stands in for the person being helped or harmed.

As The Secret Life of Plants describes in detail through several chapters, radionics practitioners totally proved as far back as 1952 that they could "treat" plant crops without actually spraying them, simply by broadcasting the waveform of the pesticide to a photograph(!) of the field itself. The results of doing this were actually better than when insecticide was applied to the physical field. And the potential, not only for nurturing our environment but for cutting the cost of food production, was dramatic.

But Monsanto and friends, with the help of our government, made sure that such a revolution in growing practices did not happen. The practitioners were ridiculed, and their published results discredited. As had been happening since the time of Nicola Tesla, yet another sustainable energy practice was wiped almost out of existence.

--------------------------------------------------

Well, after watching the video which I find totally interesting, I did some searching.

Firstly, the polygraph expert name is Cleve Backster, NOT Cleve Baxter.

Secondly, "The Secret Life of Plants" was NOT written by Cleve Backster. There were a plenty references made in the world wide web that The Secret Life of Plants was authored by Cleve Backster. Published in 1973, The Secret Life of Plants was written by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. Backster's work is discussed in his book, published in 2003, entitled Primary Perception.

Miscellaneous - Do you know?

The television show MythBusters performed an experiment aiming to either verify or disprove the concept. The tests were done by connecting plants to a polygraph's galvanometer, and then employing both actual and imagined harm upon the plants, or upon others in the plant's vicinity. The galvanometer showed some readings which surprised the researchers initially (showing some kind of reaction about one third of the time). Later experiments, which used an EEG for greater accuracy, failed to detect anything unusual. When the presenters used a machine that dropped eggs randomly into boiling water, the plant had no reaction whatsoever. The show concluded that the theory was bogus.

Stevie Wonder's Journey through the Secret Life of Plants is an album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on the Tamla Motown label on October 30, 1979. It is the soundtrack to the documentary The Secret Life of Plants, directed by Walon Green and based on the book of the same name by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird.

Support and skepticism
Article Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(paranormal)

In the scientific community as a whole, paranormal biocommunication has been subjected to much criticism, and is largely regarded as a pseudoscience. Overall, there is little concrete, universally verified evidence suggesting that there is any truth to the theory, and it is therefore apt to receive a great deal of contempt among scientific circles, often disdainfully called 'the Backster Effect'. Skeptics typically criticize the fact that many experiments into 'plant perception' are not taken in controlled conditions and that therefore their results are not verifiable evidence of its existence. Many skeptics of the theory also state that, since plants lack nervous or sensory systems, they are not capable of having feelings, or perceiving human emotions or intentions, which would require a complex nervous system. The primary emotional center in the animal brain is believed to be the limbic system which is absent in plants. However, supporters of the theory say that the fact that plants do not have a limbic system does not necessarily disprove the belief that plants have emotions.

Mindfulness

By Mitch Meyerson and Laurie Ashner

In Beach Music, Pat Conroy's semi-autobiographical best-seller, the main character sits among the splendor of Venice, anxious and unable to relax. "I do not know why it is that I have always been happier thinking of somewhere I have been or wanted to go, than where I am at the time. I find it difficult to be happy in the present."

It's easy to relate. On a beach for a week, or even with four unscheduled hours at home, many of us can't enjoy it. There's a panicky, sinking feeling of, "I should be doing more. I should be doing something else. I shouldn't have done that." If you identify, you aren't alone.

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., in Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, writes: "If you could train your mind to let go of other desires, returning to them when the actual moment has come to do the bills and make the phone call, you would be able to experience peace of mind. The road to peace of mind is through a practice called mindfulness."

A recent seminar on "mindfulness" was packed, with a waiting list. The participants were there to learn to be stop worrying about what might have been or what could be. They wanted to be here now, totally in the present. An hour into the program, the seminar leader passed out oranges. "Look at the orange. See the colors. Feel and taste the orange. Concentrate." Staring into this orange for ten minutes, half the room was thinking, "How much longer until we break for lunch? I feel so stupid doing this." Or even, "How is this going to help me make more money?"

"I feel like if I don't keep pushing, pushing, pushing, it'll all fall apart," a thirty-four year old man told us.

"A twenty-seven year old woman confided, "Sure I worry about the future too much. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, I want to be on top of problems. Trouble is, lately I think I'm trading hours of worry to avoid a lot of stuff that never occurs."

There's an illusion if we keep trying to figure it out, worry about it, obsess about it, we'll reach the answer quicker. That if we learn to do three things at once, we'll ultimately achieve more. Very often, the opposite is true. Creativity is rooted in an ability to focus. Achievement is enhanced through focus and clarity of mind.

The ability to focus on, or be mindful, of the present is what mindfulness is all about. Mindfulness is a concept that is centuries old. It's been brought to the fore by the New Age movement, based mostly in Buddhism, which is filtering into the mainstream of this country.

Mindfulness promises such benefits of increased satisfaction, reduced stress, increased ability to focus, greater capacity for intimacy, more emotional stability.

What can one do to become more mindful? Realize, first, that although our minds are capable of darting around from one thing to another, the mind can really only hold one thing in full focus at a time. Trying to do several things simultaneously wastes time, creates stress and ultimately makes you feel less alive and vital.

Choose one activity to be more mindful about. It can be something as routine as shaving, or taking a shower. It can be taking a walk or making love. When you do the activity, immerse yourself in it fully. If your mind wanders, expect this. Be observant about where it wanders to. With a non judgmental attitude gently guide it back to the present experience. Breathe deeply and enjoy the moment. See how good it feels.

As renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn says, "While washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance that may seem a little silly: why put some much stress on a simple thing? But that's precisely the point. The fact that I am standing there washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I'm being completely myself, following my breath and conscious of my presence and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There's no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves."

If you find it hard to stay present focused, you may ask yourself: Is there something I'm running from? Is there something ahead I need to deal with?

Do you feel you'll lose something if you decide that you can only be here, in this moment, and no where else? You might want to decide to deal with those issues squarely, for once and for all, and finally let them go. As someone once said, "It may be better to lose our minds and come to our senses."

Article Source: http://www.power-surge.com/headlines/sk_mindfulness.htm

Channeling, A New Age Fad or An Ancient Practice? Part 1

An original article by Andrew Khor.

If you surf the net today, you will undoubted comes across many sites which have messages from angels, ascended masters, saints who supposedly died a long time ago and even extra terrestrials.

The channeler Ronna Herman is closely associated with the messages from Archangel Michael. Doreen Virtue, another well known light worker has spoken of talking to angels.

Paul Ferrini in his famous series of books on the Miracle of Love channels the teachings of Jesus. Two psychologists claim to have also channeled the teachings of Jesus in their world famous book, A Course in Miracles.

Personally, I have friends who claim that the living saint Satya Sai Baba visit them in their dreams and visions and communicate to them mind to mind, that is, the message sounds like its coming from inside the mind.

And another friend, an Englishman named Brian has been visited by Ezekial, a prophet from the Old testament.

And you wonder, is all this humbug or is it true. Talk to some of these channellers and they appear to be normal. Okay, even if we discount half of the cases that we read about and then half that again, we still end up with some genuine cases of channeling which cannot be humbug.

Alice Bailey

In the 20th century, three clear cases of authentic channeling stand out for the sheer volume of work that has been churned out. The first is channeler Alice Bailey whose prodigious work resulted in various volumes of esoteric information which has transformed the lives of thousands of spiritual aspirants who fled from the rigid orthodoxy of mainstream religion.

The second case of authentic channeling was the work of Jane Roberts. Jane a poet, writer and ESP teacher from the seventies onwards channeled an aspect of her higher self who called itself Seth. Seth was a humorous teacher who is his channeled material covered all aspects of creational history and practice. He said, “You create your own reality according to your beliefs. But many of your beliefs are to be found in your subconscious.”

The volumes of work contributed by Seth have revolutionized how we look at ourselves and our world. His concept that we are multi-dimensional beings has helped explain that we are not alone in this universe. Seth claimed that our consciousness straddle both time and space in linear and non-linear terms. That is, we do have a past, a present and a future but all three concepts of time can also take place simultaneously. Seth channeled novels about Oversoul Seven, an individual soul who was learning how to become a higher self is a microscopic story of the spiritual evolution of the 3D human. Oversoul Seven is eventually who we will become in a higher plane of existence.

The third clear case of channeling is that of American Lee Carrol. Lee an engineer by profession was not an airy fairy new ager but a very grounded skeptic who was astounded by reams of information from Kyron, a higher form of consciousness who channeled material on how the individual could prepare himself or herself for the coming shift of the ages through spiritual rediscovery.

The recent works of Lia Shapiro, Barbara Marcinak, Barbara Hand Clow and Amorah Quan Yin reveal ancient connections to the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. Stories about the Seven Sisters are surprisingly found in ancient natives text throughout the world.

Soluntra King and Patricia Cori, amongst others reveal mankind’s connections to the Sirian constellation. Their messages from Sirius claim that the Earth will soon become part of the Sirian constellation and the Sirians are now making themselves known to us. For believers of extra terrestrials, the messages from the Sirians ring true.

I have encountered many other sites where channelers receive messages from fairies, dolphins and whales. In a book about his escape from Japan during the end of World War Two, Lobsang Rampa, controversial Tibetan monk wrote about communicating with guard dogs who protected him. Padma Menon a friend communicates with animals particularly house pets who tell her how to heal them.

For those who do not practice meditation in any form or are not born with the ability known as clairaudience, channeling or mental telepathy is rather new. But this ability has been around for as long as man has existed.

Through meditation practices, the spiritual aspirant has quietened his mind to the point where he can telepathically connect mind to mind with other forms of consciousness who exist side by side with us but remain invisible to our physical eyes.

Until we raise our vibrations though, we cannot tune into their frequencies. It is like a radio station. Humans communicate on one frequency. To communicate with other beings, we just have to switch to a different frequency. To be able to do that, we have to sincerely love everything around us, that is, we have to begin the journey of unconditional love.

In Part 2, we shall explain the dos and don’ts of channeling.

First Annual World Fairy Festival This Weekend

An Email from Doreen Virtue

World Fairy Festival, May 3 and 4, 2008

This time of year has long been regarded as a sacred holy celebration in Celtic traditions. Beltaine is a time of honoring Mother Nature, of heralding springtime, and celebrating the spirit of the environment. So it’s fitting that we are linked internationally for World Fairy Festival on Beltaine weekend, connecting with the nature angels . . . also known as the fairies.

The fairies represent the pure power and life force energy of Earth and all of her inhabitants. Think of them as the Knights and Guardians who protect Mother Earth. The fairies are the overseers and healers of the air, land, water, and beings of the Earth. The more of us who believe in the fairies, the more power they have to heal and protect our precious planet.

In the past, fairies have been feared and maligned as untrustworthy or filled with mischief. Well, the fairies ARE fun-loving, with the emphasis on the word LOVING. The fairies remind us that our inner child is fully alive, and needs to come out and play.

There is nothing fearful about the fairies. They are beings of high integrity with an important purpose. They are just as much God’s creation as are the celestial angels and you and me. They ARE trustworthy and safe divine beings of light and love.

Let us all commit together today to help the fairies’ sacred mission of environmental healing and protection by doing our part. Let us all promise to recycle and to use earth-friendly cleaning and personal supplies; to treat animals, birds, and fish with compassion and love; to play, laugh, sing and dance; and to spend daily time outdoors in nature.

Thank you fairies, for your gifts to the earth! Thank you for watching over the Heavenly Creations. We now commit to being conscientious stewards of this planet.

With love,

Doreen Virtue

To find a World Fairy Festival event near you, please visit: http://worldfairyfestival.com/

First Annual World Fairy Festival - Message From The Angels

In conjunction with the upcoming First Annual World Fairy Festival, here is a message from the angels by Doreen Virtue. Remember to mark your diaries and be there!

Clairaudience: Hearing Your Angels' Messages
Monday, 31 March 2008 21:30
By Doreen Virtue

From the angels:

We aren't that difficult to hear if you will listen for us with an open heart. Most of the time, we are closer to you than you can imagine. A whisper, a thought, is the only signal we need from you to get a conversation started. We have enormous respect for what you're going through here on planet Earth at this time. We never seek to interfere with your lives, only to bring you blessings of insights and new ways of looking at yourselves.

Not everyone "hears" angelic voices as an audible sound. Many people receive divine messages through nonverbal means such as visions, feelings, or a knowingness.

Hearing the voice of God and the angels is called "clairaudience," which means "clear hearing." The voice may sound like your own or it may sound different. The voice can emanate from within your body, within your mind, or sound as if it's outside your head. When an angel warned me that my car was about to be stolen, his voice sounded as if he were talking through a paper towel tube just outside my right ear. An hour later, when I found myself in the middle of a car-jacking, the same angel guided my life-saving actions by speaking to me through an inner voice.

While receiving the angel messages in my book, "Angel Therapy," I heard the words both inside and outside my mind. You might hear a faint voice and wonder what it said. In such cases, go ahead and ask your angels to repeat their message. Say to them, "A little louder, please." The angels appreciate your feedback, as they want to deliver clear and understandable guidance.

At first you may believe that the voice is your imagination and wishful thinking. This is especially true when you begin consciously interacting with angels. You think, "This is a fantasy. I wish it were true that angels would help me, but I'm probably doing something wrong and the angels won't notice me."

We heal this type of thinking through faith, trust, and practice. If your faith in angels is uncertain, ask God to help you. Pray, "Please help me to have more faith. I am willing to release all of my fears that keep me from having full faith." The Divine universe always fulfills requests for more faith.

Angelic voices are consistently loving and supportive, even when they warn us of impending dangers or wrong turns. As a psychotherapist, I was trained to believe that hearing voices was a sign of insanity. Yet, the voice of the ego is the only source of "insanity." Ego voice messages are always destructive, abusive, and impulsive. For example, the ego may try to convince you that you'll fail. The ego also changes its mind constantly, so it will tell you to do one thing Monday, another thing Tuesday, and a completely different thing Wednesday. If you listen to the voice of the ego, your life will be chaotic and fear-filled.

Angelic voices, by contrast, patiently repeat the guidance to us day after day until we finally follow it. You may hear your angels tell you for years that you would be a great healer or author, for example. Or your angels may repeatedly ask you to take better care of your body. You know that guidance comes from angels when it is loving, focused, not hurtful to you or your family, and consistent.

Clairaudience is just one of four of the ways we receive angelic assistance, however. Your angels may speak to you in pictures and visual mental images. We call this "clairvoyance" or "clear seeing." Angelic messages may come to you as single snapshot images, either in your mind or outside your mind. Or, you may see miniature scenes, as if from a movie. The images may be black-and-white or full color. Angelic visual messages can be symbolic, such as seeing a stop sign as a signal that you should take a rest, slow, or stop what you are doing.

Intuitively, you might readily understand what the visual images mean. For instance, you might see an image of a trophy and instinctively know this means that success is ahead for you. If you have trouble understanding your angelic visual guidance, be sure to ask for assistance. Ask your angels to clarify their message, and continue asking for clarification until you are completely certain of their meaning.

Sometimes we shut down our angelic channels of communication because of fear. You might see an image of your future that frightens you, and turn off your clairvoyance by shutting the third eye's eyelid. One of my clients shut down her clairvoyance when, as a young girl, she saw a visual image of her parents divorcing in the future. Another client closed her third eye because she foresaw herself having an affair with a married coworker, for she wanted to continue her interactions with him while wearing blinders to the truth. One of my other clients was trying to ignore a steady angelic voice within that counseled, "It's time to look for work at a different place," because she didn't trust God to fulfill her material needs during the job transition.

You might also shut off your clairvoyance if you are afraid of what you might see. As much as you want to see your angels in person, you might harbor a deep-seated fear that seeing a "ghost" would be terrifying. Your angels honor such fears, and you won't see angelic apparitions until you feel confident that such a vision would comfort - not frighten - you.

The third way we receive angelic guidance is through our emotions and physical sensations. We call this, "clairsentience," or "clear feeling." Clairsentients get divine guidance through bodily sensations, such as a tightening of the jaw, fists, stomach or sex organs. They intuitively know the specific meaning of these tightening reactions. A clairsentient feels air pressure and room temperature changes that warn him of negative situations. Each of our five senses has a corresponding spiritual sense. Clairsentients receive angelic guidance through an etheric sense of smell, taste, and touch.

You may know that your beloved deceased grandmother is near when you smell her perfume or favorite flower fragrance. An angel may shower your room with the aroma of orange blossoms to tell you of an impending wedding.

Clairsentients receive a lot of guidance through their intuition, gut feelings, and hunches. Much of our intuition comes from the stomach region, and the stomach flutters, relaxes, and tightens according to the angelic guidance. Instinctively, the clairsentient interprets the meaning of these gut feelings and a wise clairsentient follows these internal directives without hesitation.

Clairsentients get angelic messages through their heart and love emotions as well. If a thought of doing something swells your chest with warm feelings of joy, this is a directive from God and the angels. You may think, "Oh this is too good to be true; I am just dreaming," but the joy that your thought has brought you is a road map leading you to the life you are meant to have.

We call the fourth means of angelic communication "claircognizance" or "clear knowing." Men are frequently claircognizant, and may not even realize they naturally receive detailed and accurate information from God and the angels. You can ask a claircognizant a question on almost any topic in the world. Within minutes, he will give you an accurate answer, completely supported by facts and figures. You might say, "How did you know that?" and he'll answer, "I don't know! A few minutes ago, I didn't know that information."

A claircognizant knows without knowing how he knows. Consequently, he may doubt the validity of his knowingness. This is a mistake, because when divine wisdom enters our minds, it is a gift we can use to improve our lives and to serve the world.

We all have access to all four channels of communication. Usually, we have one primary means of receiving angelic guidance and one secondary or lesser channel of communication. With practice, you can become adept at receiving messages in all four ways. In the beginning of speaking to your angels, though, most people concentrate upon their natural means of communication.

Naturally visually oriented people will want to pay attention to their mental visions. If you tend to focus upon sounds, then listen for inner or outer words, voices, and auditory messages. If you tend to be a touchy-feely type, your emotions and bodily sensations are the instruments that relay divine guidance to you. And if you are intellectually inclined or a person who constantly searches for hidden meanings in situations, then you'll want to monitor your thoughts for those heavenly moments of "knowingness" that bring you certainty in guiding your actions.

Doreen Virtue is a spiritual psychologist who holds Ph.D., M.A. and B.A. degrees in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University, a leading private university in Orange, California. She is the author of twenty-two books about mind-body-spirit issues. Read more at: http://angeltherapy.com/