Self 2

In my opinion, acting according to the Love and peace of the true Self that I have spoken about for the last couple of days is the best way to defuse or calm virtually any life situation. This includes situations like are going on at Standing Rock or potential problems coming from the decisions of our president-elect. Behaving in that way requires strength and focus but responding to fear and violence with love can change things, is magical. Living within that Love has changed me and it can change the world.

Self

As I commented yesterday "The true Self, the "I am" within me and every person has power strength and wisdom." The Self is eternal and rooted in the Absolute of Love, not the drama, fear and anxiety of everyday life. It is the part of each of us that is connected to the Source, Love or God. I find it possible to reach that part of me through meditation and then I can live that part during the day if I keep my focus there.  If I do that I go through my life with a sense of love, peace and enjoyment.

I Am

As Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj says "Get to know that "I am" without words which arises in the morning. Knowing the Self, abiding in the Self-knowledge, is not a mere intellectual knowing. You must be that, and you should not move away from it. Remain firm." The true Self, the "I am" within me and every person has power strength and wisdom. It started out with me as "that small quiet voice", which I usually ignored. That voice got louder the more I listened to it, usually through meditation. At the present time I know that Self but still find it easy to become lost in one of the many distractions (T.V., internet, the drama of life, etc.) provided every day.

Light or Love

I lead a life based on love or light, which comes from a source I call God. It seems important to know that the love or light does not come from me. That love or light is a force which can change the world, as it has changed me. This reality is summarized very nicely in the words of Dillard: "I cannot cause light [love]; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam. It is possible, in deep space, to sail on solar wind. Light [Love], be it particle or wave, has force: you rig a giant sail and go. The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind. Hone and spread your spirit till you yourself are a sail, whetted, translucent, broadside to the merest puff."

Sacred Time

I have developed the habit of getting up, contemplating, praying and meditating between twelve and one in the morning, then staying up at times until four. I also do my best writing and reading between those hours. At around four I begin some deep meditation or "zoning", which resembles sleep. At that quiet time I feel most connected to God and my true being, a sacred time for me. When I was working full time it was five then four. As I worked less my getting up spontaneously got earlier. I have heard something similar from other spiritual seekers and leaders. "In the stillness, you will find your true being. In the silence you will hear the breathing of your soul ---- and of God.

"I have told you many times, and I tell you here again: You will find Me in the stillness."

Dealing With Pain

Today I have been dealing with pain, which I do quite differently than most people. In this case it is lower back, nerve pain and minor sciatica. Rather than taking medication to reduce or eliminate the pain so I can continue whatever activity I was involved in, I purposely avoid taking medication so that I can "listen" to the pain and act accordingly, usually halting the behavior that I was doing and that caused the pain. I was doing a lot of raking and other strenuous activity and the pain was telling me to slow down, take it easy and get more in touch with my emotions (fear of possible outcomes after the election, in this case). As a result my behavior changes and the pain diminishes, going from a 4 or 5 to a 2.

Coping

On the one hand I fully recognize the problems and disaster that we could be approaching with our president elect. When I focus on that I feel the fear of anticipation - my human side - and it is important for my balance to be aware of that feeling. On the other hand, through my meditation I feel the Absolute of unconditional love and know that everything is just perfect. That is my God or love side and is the other side of the balance. "Once you’ve had such a magnificent experience, it can be very difficult to go back to "real life" in a way that blends well with what other people are calling "reality". That is because your reality has shifted. It has become something else. It has expanded, grown. And it cannot be shrunk again. It’s like trying to get the genie back in the bottle. It can’t be done."