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Chris, thanks for sharing your rambling thoughts. :) I just found a site you might be interested in. It contains the opening paragraphs from The Fabric of Reality. Enjoy. Keep on rambling. Oh yes, the link is here - I almost frogot.

On the recent theme of the nature of love, I thought I might share this excerpt from Emissary of Light. It's rather a long excerpt, so I'll set the scene for why I'm posting it. I read this book about a year ago and it was the most effortless reading experience I have had. It was as if my mind (and soul) had 'merged' with that of the writer, James Twyman, as he recounted his extraordinary experiences with the Emissaries. Most ofthe time I was not aware that I was actually 'reading'. I would read 40 or 50 pages in what seemed like 5 or 10 minutes.

I had goosebumps reading this section of the book and a phenomenal 'rush' of euphoria swept over me as I thought, "Hey! That's it!" I'd never heard love, especially 'unconditional love' described so wonderfully. It opened my eyes and my soul. I read this book at a point where I was very open and receptive and I read it in little over a day. So, I can't guarantee anyone else will have the same reaction to this passage - there are no guarantees in this life. :)

Here's the excerpt from Emissary of Light by James Twyman

"The final lesson is about the true meaning of love. I have said before that fear is the self-imposed block to the awareness of love's presence. When fear is released, love is revealed. And yet the true experience of love is beyond anything you can now imagine. It lies past all the images and symbols you have made to obscure love's call. And yet it is closer than you know, closer than your breath or even the silent whisper of love's longing for itself. And what is the secret that love has whispered into your half-closed ear, the distant echo that has haunted you so? You are the very essence of Love. This very moment, just as you are, in spite of all the preconceived ideas you have of yourself, love claims you and accepts you."

"You have forgotten who you are because in your fear of losing love you have witheld that which is your foundation. Love by its very nature is a gift that is freely given. And yet this gift is know only as it is given again. Only when love is breathed from one heart to another is it fully experienced. When love is witheld it is forgotten, and because you and love were born together, you are forgotten with her. She lies hidden within you beside the still forgotten memory of your truest Self. Though asleep and dreaming, she awaits the dawn when her name is called and she is again brought back to life. And the awakening of love is your awakening as well, so intimately linked, all from giving freely that which you are: the full awareness of love's presence. But this awakening process requires that you give up all the ways you have tried to limit and contain her."

"True, or unconditional, love is unaware of the strange demands you impose on your relationships. Love is the same for all. Your attempts to reserve love for specific relationships and then withold it from others is the very thing that has blocked your vision of love's presence. Give as love gives - just as the sun that gives its light to all who ask, or the sparrow that sings not for the one who listens, but for the song itself. When you give love, love is your reward. When you judge some people as worthy of your giving and other people as undeserving, then it is you who is undeserving; not because you have been judged by love but because you have forgtotten love's law."

"You, in your essence are the foundation of unconditional love. The water you give refreshes the whole universe, for you are not separate from one part of the universe but are intimately linked to all. Let your gift be free, then. Let it flow from you and wash over all those you see, all those who cross your path. Do not think that you cannot still have relationships that are more involved than others. Involvement has nothing to do with love. There will always be those in your life with whom you share the deeper pulse of your thoughts and those whom you do not. But the love you give is the same for each of them. It is but the recognition of the very same life of which you are continually reborn."

"Love is a knowing, a pure understanding. It knows that all things are whole, regardless of their appearance or delusion, and it gives itself wholly, without judgement, without recognizing the difference between this relationship or that. It understands that there is only one real relationship and it is the one we all share, the Self that is beyond the thought or the idea of Love, the holy encounter of life with life. The secret of unconditional love is that we are all the same, holy beyond imagination. This is what the release of fear reveals. This is what you are all looking for. And this is what you will find when you open your heart to every element of creation."

We sat there for a very long time without saying a word. The silence was overwhelming. I looked up at Teacher and thought I noticed a change. His face began to glow, I was sure of it. The Light radiated from him and all around him. Then it extended to include all of us. We were engulfed in the Light. I cannot describe what this is like because it is beyond anything the world can understand. Several of the women and attendants stood up from their chairs. One of them started jumping up in the air and another began laughing out loud. Soon we were all laughing and dancing, moving with the energy and sharing the Light. I could no longer tell the difference between myself and the others. In that instant I understood everything. I was teacher. I was the Light. I swam in the ocean of sameness and knew I would never leave again.

You can read some further excerpts by clicking here

Salaam & Peace - Please could you pass this message to Dr. Chopra. I first heard/ saw you on a TV programme discussing your ideas whilst I was on exchange in Canada in 1995. I liked what you had to say. Then in the summer of 1999 I found a copy of your book - 7 Spiritual Laws to success - in an old book whilst I was on holiday in Pakistan. I read the book cover to cover in one night. I was blown away but I did not put your ideas into practice. Then I returned to England where i Live and in October 1999 I had a vivid dream and I SAW YOU SMILING AT ME. What this means I have no idea but any insight from you would be welcome. Last week I picked up your book again and i began to Read and what struck me this time was that I knew all this before, appart from the initial read in 1999. The laws that you expound are also mentioned in the Quran in other guises. The more I read, i understand that all religions / belief systems have a common thread. I feel that the challenge for this new millenium is not decoding DNA but getting mind , body and soul to work in harmony / tandem at the personal molecular level and eventually at the macro/ governmental level. As a Muslim your book taught me to appreciate & love Islam even more because the fruition of the 7 laws (ultimately with DHARMA) you expound are are available to all regardless of religion in a potentially short period of time as long as the wisdom of the Quran & Sunnah are practiced 25 hours aday / 8 days a week. I FEEL PROUD THAT I HAVE A HINDU / VEDANTA TEACHER IN YOU. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS & PLEASE REMEMBER ME IN YOUR MEDITATIONS ! Faisal Sheikh.

"have" eyes to see. Sorry

Pegasus........."those that eyes to see, and ears to hear"........

Great question.............more later.

Namaste'

Some of us disagree on action amd inaction. I do believe in the power of prayer and of silence and meditation. But what is it that we are expecting to happen when we pray for a solution to earthly problems? Will the relief come through every enlightened person in the universe taking action to end the problem? Or do we expect manna to fall from heaven and lush valleys to grow where there is desert? How do we know who is responsible for taking action and who is not?

Just trying to reconcile the differing opinions...

Arundhati, have you tried traditional Western medicine? Even if you have already seen a specialist, it wouldn't hurt to get a second or third opinion. Also, there are people who specialize in pain management. I hope that you are soon returned to a state of perfect health.

D2, sounds like you have found the Garden of Eden. Be sure to try one of those apples. ;-)

A brief return to my old soapbox:

The psychiatry jokes are just that. I can laugh with you but since a "the silent eyes" of others may be reading here, I wanted to add a word.

There are times when psychiatry and a good psychiatrist are needed. There is no shame in that or in taking the medications that relieve the pain. My psychiatrist and the medications that he recommended literally saved my life.

With that said, Geoff, I agree with you about the label of schizophrenia being used too much. Most of the saints would have been diagnosed. That's why it is important that people choose their doctors carefully.

Have a good one, everybody!

.........chuckling.......

Hello all,

Geoff, thanx for the psychiatry quotes, Szasz, and the New Paradigm. I'll read your excerpts with interest.

See Geoff, your story has really touched many chords and it's creating a fellowship. Thanks to you.

Hadi,

thank you for your thoughtful analysis. Reading between the lines, I cannot escape the conclusion that you are an astute reader with insight.

So many psychiatry jokes. I can't stop laughing!

Namaste

"When I have a toothache, I discover that not having a toothache is a wonderful thing."

~Thich Nhat Hanh.

Enjoying the discussion. Men around a camp fire.

Denis, congrats to the in-laws. That name just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Geoff: "Trance-end" - nice one.

Jeremy Wiljan Groot Enzerink arrived here in earth school at 11:38 this morning weighing a large almost 10 US pounds, (4,300 grams for the metric world). I was in Amsterdam and heard the scream - ouuuch ! Born at home to my wife's sister. All are doing well.

Harvested three of the sweetest and ripest pears from the tree, next to the overloaded and bursting walnut, apple and plum trees. The grapes on the windowsill are looking vintage in nature, corn is amazing and the first of the homemade wine is availible for uncorking in October. Life on the farm is good !

Thanks Peggy. Not much else one can say.

Geoff, a theory on how we got those "bothersome egos". We got them when parts of us separated from ourselves and we disowned them. Robert Bligh (or is it Bly) the poet, said in an interview that when we are younger, we will do anything in which we are perceived as cool or groovy by a broad mass of people. It is during that time period of youth we dis-own the "slow" parts of ourselves. Some of us then spend a lifetime building an ego to keep those slow parts buried.

It also partly explains why kids can be so cruel to special needs or "different" kids, because in them we see reminders of the parts of our own being we choose not to own. As we grow older some of us begin to re-assimilate those slow parts of oursleves into ourselves and this may be why we appear to "mellow" with age. We simply let those slow parts of ourselves back in. During the so-called "death of the ego", I think we just sort of learn to relax a bit and bring those parts back in...

Hey to, right on about the darkest nights. No desire to debate with Hadi on interpretation. Just know from experience that until one sees darkness, light is also difficult to see. Thanks man.

In "A Course in Miracles" it talks about the ordinary human experience as being like a dream. Everything we experience is illusion (maya), and the secret to enlightenment isn't to fix the "dream", but to wake up from the "dream". There is nothing we can do in the dream to do this, as everything we do only reinforces the "reality" of the dream. Only by quieting the "dreamer", or by some flash of "insight" from beyond the dream can we become aware of the "unreality" of all "this".

My perspective of this (assuming it is true) is that actually waking from the "dream" for more than fleeting moments is next to impossible for most people, but becoming aware that it IS a dream is very possible. Once we are aware that all of "this" is just a "dream", our reactions and interactions within the "dream" change subtly. Just like a regular dream, once we are aware that it is "just a dream" the experience of the events in the dream changes. We still may play along with our roll in the dream, but all along the perspective is one of an actor in a play. Even though we may not be able to change the script of the dream, we can still enjoy the experience of the dream from a "safe" or "detached" perspective.

Just some rambling thoughts sparked by Terrys and Geoffs posts. I thought I would share. Enjoy!

Hi, i'm 19 yrs old and seem to have a problem which is incurable.Doctors diagnose it as writer's cramp but none of them are too sure themselves.My problem started manifesting itself two years ago.It was mild at first, creating a mild difficulty in writing.Withing two years the problem aggravated so much that presently i can hardly write a page at one go.I also can't type or perform certain specific activities like changing channels on TV, playing golf, billiards, tennis etc.I have undergone all sorts of treatments like allopathy, homeopathy, ayurvedic, tibetan as well as reiki but without any result. I experience excrutiating pain in my hand, shoulders and back while writing as well as at other times. I am desperately seeking a solution to this. Eagerly awaiting your response. Thanking you in advance, ARundhati.

My damn "ego" took me to where it did, and for lack of a greater expression, the "Grace of God" "woke" me up.

My teacher has a saying:

"Once your "awake", you can't go back to sleep.
You can try, but...........(laughter)".

There just isn't anyway to go back to that "ignorance is bliss" state. (L)

BTW Geoff, "I" think the "darker" the night of the soul.............the "brighter" (greater) the "light".

Very happy for you ("Your" story). Thanks for sharing it.

"I" bow...........

In fact, I've been running some scenarios thru my mind that would tell about what would be necessary for a person on this level (physical form) to even come close, and I "pictured" a person (monk/nun?) in a cave or monastery, and meditating all their "waking" moments.

Now.......... contrast that scenario with the life you lead at this moment. Could (would) you do it?

"I" think that the best we can do in our society (world?) is reach a point of balance between the "inner" and "outer" world.

That means coming into understanding (peace) with our "given" Karma as well as our created Karma.

"Created" Karma meaning what we attempted to have based on "worldly" programming/conditioning.

When that "place" of equanamity is reached (Aum), because we're still "here" "I" think that all there is to "do" is pass on what we've learned.

Sorta like "Buddha" did ya know. That's a decision he made after his enlightenment, as there just wasn't anything else to do.

Namaste'

Not to worry Geoff------reference "when/if we're all fully enLIGHTened".

"He who sees ("knows") the action
that is in inaction

and the inaction that is in action
is wise in-deed."

........................Bhagavad Gita

"Nobody" is doing anything, at "One" level.

Neurotics build castles in the sky.
Psychotics live in them.
And Psychiatrists collect the rent.

A psychology professor in college told me that. Have a great Friday everyone!

Isn't it the Talmud that says something along the lines that IT IS NOT WHAT WE SAY OR INTEND, BUT WHAT WE DO?!
What am I being, if I just be - but not realize that "being"?!
Isn't it about our deeds - rather than our words?!

Geoff, you have probably heard this joke.

What's the difference between God and a psychiatrist?

God doesn't think he is a psychiatrist.

Nor is he a shill/hooker for the pharmaceutical industry.

Namaste'

Had a funny old day. All manner of thoughts and questions strolling through my consciousness. For instance -

* If we are all "One" then who are we really loving? Ourselves? Isn't that a bit narcissistic? :)

* If we all had precisely the same depth and clarity of understanding, we'd have nothing to talk about. Thank God for diversity. :)

* How did we get these awfully bothersome egos in the first place? Not to mention all our fears and insecurities and obstacles to "transcend"?

* That word "transcend" - sounds a lot like "trance end"

* What will we all talk about if/when we're all fully enLIGHTened?

Do feel free to answer in any way you see fit.

Phoenix, I have just started reading Cave In The Snow in earnest (as opposed to opening it at 'random'). I can see why you posted such rave reviews! I thought I knew a bit about the history and practices of Tibetan Buddhism but Tenzin Palmo brings it to life in a way which is only possible when you've "been there and done that".

It's a phenomenal book on many different levels. and I'm only half way through it. Truth is indeed far stranger than fiction. One insight I did get is that we misuse the word "reincarnation". The way the Tibetans use it there is a vast difference between 'rebirth' and 'eincarnation'. Rebirth is commonplace but true reincarnation or tulku is when the stream of consciousness continues from one lifetime till the next in such a way that a person can be firmly identified as the latest incarnation of the previous lama or guru or teacher. I might not have explained that terribly well. See what happens when you use your own words. :) May post more next time.

A better question might be 'What am I being here?' or even 'Am I really being here?'. :)

Ravi, I've been transcribing some stuff from the latest issue of New Paradigm which you might care to read. This is an Australian publication that focuses on mental health issues. The writing in this edition was quite onederful. It even included a portion of one of my poems. A lot of the writing was about spirituality and 'mental illness'. I too believe many 'schizophrenics' are misdiagnosed. There's a joke that if you ask ten psychiatrists for a definition of schizophrenia, you'll get eleven different answers. :)

I also like the words of Thomas Szasz, who said "If you talk to God that's praying. If God talks to you then you have schizophrenia." Many cultures view the situation very differently and these views are well articulated in the link. The Buddhist perspective is particularly interesting. According to their view, most of us are 'mentally ill'. :)

Oh, yes, the link to New Paradigm - click hear

I would like to thank Dr. Chopra for introducing me to the Bhagavid Gita--it has changed my life.

What am I doing here?
What is spiritualism?
Vanity or Humanity?
Building an "ego" or transcending one's "self"?
I want to know: what am I doing here? I want to know where I am going.
Actually, does it really matter?
I guess it does for those who seek.
What is "seeking"?
Escapism or a determintation to find God?
Ah, what am I doing here?
Anyone has a good answer??!

And the "beat" goes on..........and on, ...............and on...........

Love 'IT'!

Crown/Harmony Books

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