Author: ildiko
Safety thru Meditation
“Man can never exercise dominion until he knows who and what he is and knowing, brings froth that knowledge into the external by exercising it …” “If in your path towards the light you have fixed a point of achievement that attainment of which you think will satisfy you, you have made a limitation that you must eventually destroy.” “You can never be what the Father want you to be until you recognize that you stand alone, with Him as your sole and original guide, just as much alone as if you were the first and only man.” “It is your privilege to be as free as the birds, the trees, the flowers.” “In our communion in the silence with the light within us, the bondage of the higher to the lower is made clear to us, and the true way of release is indicated.” “This understanding is attained through mediation and study in the silence … learning to know God face to face.”
All quotes are from The twelve powers of man by Charles Fillmore (Unity Church founder)
As we observe Easter and Passover, this year, we may want to take the time to contemplate the above. What does it all mean in simple terms?
Well, it is simple: Go within and be free.
Let me elaborate a bit. Instead of following man-made rituals of any kinds, you can sit in the silence and wait on God yourself. In the silence of meditation you can evolve by becoming aware of yourself (higher-self, God-self, Divine-self). There is a magical touch to every meditative practise and that lies in the ‘non-achievement’ nature of it. We do not seek anything in meditation, we let go and wait. We wait until God comes ‘face to face’ and we recognize ourselves in that face. As we let go our attachments to the world, in the silence we find peace.
All of that I have said above can be a real experience as long as you DO IT! No words can give you the experience!
Easter indicates a time of ‘rebirth’ and an overcoming of hardship. Hardship means something different for everyone. This past year has been hard on many of us in some way or another. We felt challenged at best and broken-down at worst.
I look at our responses to the Pandemic and it seems to me that we still try to fix the world out there instead of finding our answers within. We are still looking for the one fix that will erase all the scary monsters our of the world so we can finally live in ‘safety’ and at peace.
There is not such fix.
The world is a scary place because it is ever changing, uncontrollable, and merciless. No matter where you are at in your life, the world always offers something to be afraid of: losing your job, falling ill, dying, loosing a loved one, going bankrupt, and many more. It is in its nature.
In meditation, I can find peace, I can replenish, I know that I am safe. In the Divine Light and Sound I find comfort and I am consoled. This meeting place, where the Divine meets the earthy is inside of me. God is not a father figure hanging above from the clouds. I can meet God ‘face to face’, I can step into the Love of Spirit inside of me by aligning myself with IT.
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By calling upon the Divine Spark, the I AM, inside of me, I can tune into the Loving and a sense of ‘all is well-ness’. As I am holding myself in the silence of Meditation, I allow myself to be nurtured and renewed in the everlasting Loving Presence of the Divine.
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A Mandala Story
Giving thanks can make you happier
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I am not one of those people for whom being thankful comes easily. I grew up in an environment that implanted constant criticism and an attitude of never-good-enough in me. It took me a long time and a lot of conscious effort to develop an attitude of gratitude towards my life.
Running the Gratitude Journaling Class derived from my great need to express my gratitude daily. I know from experience now, what a difference it makes in my well-being when I consciously focus on finding things in my life that I am grateful for. It changes my whole outlook on life.
“The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.”
ENG8
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Yesterday I watched a film on the life of James Brown, ‘Get on up”. James Brown was an ENG8w7. His life was a sadly great example of an unhealthy ENG8. He was an extraordinary musician. As a man, however, displayed many of the characteristics of a person with unresolved or ‘unhealed’ issues.
He grew up in great poverty and was eventually deserted by both of his parents. He was given to a woman to raise him who run an alcohol den that eventually led him to prison at the age of 17.
Originality
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What does it mean to be ORIGINAL and how to live it? As I child I remember having an odd effect on other children that made them run away from me. Most of my classmates and teachers did not like me very much. Apparently, I was too intense to be around.
There was only a handful of kids who were willing to play with me. Most of them are still my friends today. We were never a gang or a group but we spent time with each other during breaks or after school, mostly one on one. 🙂
What are you grateful for?
WEEKLY GRATEFULNESS JOURNALLILNG CLASS
The CLASS runs every Wednesday at 7PM CET (Central European Time)/ 6PM GMT (UK)/ 1PM EST (USA)
Easter Rebirth
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The origin of Easter is rooted in an ancient pagan tradition, the celebration of the goddess, Eostre, who heralded the beginning of spring. While the name “Easter” is used in the English-speaking world, many cultures refer to it as “Passover” or “Pascha”. Early Christians chose to celebrate the resurrection of Christ around the time of Passover because Jesus died during the Passover festival and his followers believed he was resurrected from the dead three days later. So. it was logical to commemorate these events in close proximity.
More importantly, however,
each of these traditions is rooted in a story of OVERCOMING and BECOMING.
These stores depict the overcoming of ‘exile’ or ‘death’ and of being renewed. And this is the key. Resurrection (according to the Christian tradition) is a time of renewal and becoming of Spirit. So, as we approach the Easter festivities,
we are asked to contemplate on blossoming and becoming of the ‘I AM’.
Very truly, I tell you , the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these
John 14:12, NIV
Imagination
Stretton Smith in his 4T class tells of the experiment at the University of Chicago many years ago. The directors of the experiment divided a group of students into three groups and were going to test them on the ability to shoot hoops through a basket. None of the students were basketball players.
The first group was tested to shoot from the foul line and then told to go home and forget about the test. The second group was tested and told to go home and actually practice shooting baskets for an hour each day for the next 30 days The third group was tested and told to go home and imagine shooting baskets for one hour each day for the next 30 days.
After thirty days, all three groups were tested again. There was no change in the first group, the ones who were told not to practice. The second group who actually practices improved by 24%. And the third group which tried to improve by just imagining shooting hoops, improved by 23%.
Dream vs Experience
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In Pixar Animation Studios’ feature film “Soul,” Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. A single unexpected step sends him to the cosmic realms where he finds the “You Seminar”—a fantastical place where Joe is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul.
In Pixar Animation Studios’ feature film “Soul,” Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. A single unexpected step sends him to the cosmic realms where he finds the “You Seminar”—a fantastical place where Joe is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul.
So, I watched the film.. (Must see, by the way!) In my understanding, the film depicts the Soul’s journey into and out of the physical realm as well as shows the kind of choices we make to experience the soul’s journey. Beyond all that, it personally talked to me about Passions and dream. I am not sure that my interstation is what the makers intended. Nevertheless, it made me contemplate on Life, Dreams, Passions, Fulfilment, and the Greater Journey called Life.
This animation reminded me that Life is not meant to be about pursuing dreams and passions but about experiencing the journey. Our Dreams are only signpost of what maybe or what’s possible.
I do not want to suggest that we float though life. I am talking about releasing attachment of what should be. Wishing to express and fully be present to the I AM within is not the same as pursuing a dream.
The Divine Spark within wants to express itself with the help of our EGO self. Often, however, the EGO self takes over and wants to run the show. And when it does, it is never satisfied. Nothing is ever enough. This is when life becomes an endless pursuit of happiness.
Personally, the film was a powerful reminder of how I waste my life away by constantly being fixated on something to ‘get’. My mind is endlessly occupied with what needs to be done. It is locked in the grip of ‘wanting’ and ‘needing’ until it gets what it desires.
In the film, there is a moment when the main character, Joe, says after his most precious dream has just come true: ’ Is that it’?
OMG, countless times have I experienced the same! As soon as I get what I so wanted, it dissipates and in the vacuum immediately a new dream pops up. I can pursue dreams until the cows come home because I have the stamina to do so. I have manifested most of my crazy ideas but sadly in the meantime I have mostly forgotten to just walk the journey. I can be so fixed on the end result that I forget that the journey, the way I get there is much more important than what I get at the end of it.
We are all hooked on a dream or a goal that keeps us busy until we reach. But as soon as we do, we are on to the next dream without noticing the journey, the living, the I AM. Maybe, it is time to stop and remember these great quotes from the film:
Life is full of possibilities. You just need to know where to look. Don’t miss out on the joys of life. Like, uh, Pizza… Get ready, your life is about to start!
Joe Gardner (SOUL)
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