If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.
Buddha
I've read a lot of Buddhist books. Before Ascension I would read in them about unconditional giving, how the most powerful giving is that done without concern or regard for the result, without interest for getting anything. This threw me, because I looked at my giving at the time and saw how I always gave to get.
I couldn't understand how someone could actually give unconditionally. Nevertheless, I tried really hard to act in an enlightened way, I attempted to give like Buddha would. Don't think it worked terribly well... I've seen since that trying to act like the enlightened never does.
Ascension has been great for me - its given me an experience of what all those great teachers have taught throughout time. The more I gently choose for the Ascendant, the more I understand what they are talking about.
I find myself living a life that is lining up with Truth. Grace is in the driving seat, and a willingness to stay open and submit to the timetable of God allows her to get on with the job without me tugging on the handbrake.
I now see myself giving without wanting to get something from the other person, and now I understand. I love to give because it makes me feel joyful, it expands my experience of life.
Its a funny thing - some people give love so they can experience more love. Or they give money so they can get more money. The joy contained in the act of giving is more than enough. So, if you really want to get pedantic, its not unconditional, but as it makes me feel free I don't really care anymore.
I love how you make one choice for the Ascendant, now, and your life naturally lines up like a compass naturally seeks north. You don't have to try and replicate an enlightened life, but you start living it because thats what brings you the most joy.
You don't have to guess what is right action, right action becomes you.
You might remember a few years ago there was a fashion for wearing wrist bands which had WWJD? on them - standing for What Would Jesus Do?
But I imagine Jesus (and Buddha, for that matter) might ask: What Would You Do?
Those tricky fellows, they're always pointing the finger back at your own heart.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Fishy Giving
Do you give to get? Or do you give unconditionally?
Perhaps you may give with the expectation that you should give, because that's what you think is expected of you. Perhaps you give because it's good karma - that by giving you'll be in heaven that much quicker? Perhaps you give because then it sets up a flow that means the universe will give to you much more?
In other words: Is giving all about you, and the recipient is only a means so that you can benefit?
Have a look at this because giving is something that is not about you at all. Actually what happens when you give freely is that you lose yourself: The small, fearful, limited you.
When you Ascend you have this opportunity to give absolutely.
You are giving your attention away to the largest of experiences, giving small you up for the vastness of the true you. Its completely unselfish, because you are letting go of the grip on the part of you that is fishy.
Give yourself to this moment, to the Attitude, to the Ascendant, right now. Have no expectations. Make no demands of it. Be humble enough to accept the experience exactly as it is. Let go of any need to make this experience different.
There is the essence of giving.
Not so you can get, but so you realise that you never actually needed. You are giving your attention to the fullness of experience, not the lack. And what you put your attention on consistently grows beautifully in permanence.
Ascend to give, not to get. Tell us what you find out...
Perhaps you may give with the expectation that you should give, because that's what you think is expected of you. Perhaps you give because it's good karma - that by giving you'll be in heaven that much quicker? Perhaps you give because then it sets up a flow that means the universe will give to you much more?
In other words: Is giving all about you, and the recipient is only a means so that you can benefit?
Have a look at this because giving is something that is not about you at all. Actually what happens when you give freely is that you lose yourself: The small, fearful, limited you.
When you Ascend you have this opportunity to give absolutely.
You are giving your attention away to the largest of experiences, giving small you up for the vastness of the true you. Its completely unselfish, because you are letting go of the grip on the part of you that is fishy.
Give yourself to this moment, to the Attitude, to the Ascendant, right now. Have no expectations. Make no demands of it. Be humble enough to accept the experience exactly as it is. Let go of any need to make this experience different.
There is the essence of giving.
Not so you can get, but so you realise that you never actually needed. You are giving your attention to the fullness of experience, not the lack. And what you put your attention on consistently grows beautifully in permanence.
Ascend to give, not to get. Tell us what you find out...
To Live Or To Die Slowly?
“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice”.
Anon
At the end of the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, where the Private Ryan, now in old age, goes to visit the graves of the men that died rescuing him. He breaks down in tears and asks his wife: “Tell me I’ve lived a good life”. He wants recognition that his life has been worthwhile. He’s saying that he knows he was given the chance to live by men who died, and wants to know that he made the most of it.
The scene touched me on so many levels. What it boils down to is this: I don’t want to get to the end of my life and not be sure. Or worse, I don’t want to get to the end and know that I missed something through fear or laziness.
Death is a big prompt for many to question what life is all about. Typically the mind also comes fully to the fore with regret for things said and unsaid, done and undone.
Living a rich, meaningful life for me is living without regret – experiencing the full purity of the Ascendant so that regret has no hold on this moment, and at the same time doing all that I can to fulfil my role in each moment, to make sure no seeds of regret are sown.
The beauty of knowing the Ascendant is that each moment can die cleanly, leaving no trace, so that this moment can be truly lived, fresh and new.
Anon
At the end of the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, where the Private Ryan, now in old age, goes to visit the graves of the men that died rescuing him. He breaks down in tears and asks his wife: “Tell me I’ve lived a good life”. He wants recognition that his life has been worthwhile. He’s saying that he knows he was given the chance to live by men who died, and wants to know that he made the most of it.
The scene touched me on so many levels. What it boils down to is this: I don’t want to get to the end of my life and not be sure. Or worse, I don’t want to get to the end and know that I missed something through fear or laziness.
Death is a big prompt for many to question what life is all about. Typically the mind also comes fully to the fore with regret for things said and unsaid, done and undone.
Living a rich, meaningful life for me is living without regret – experiencing the full purity of the Ascendant so that regret has no hold on this moment, and at the same time doing all that I can to fulfil my role in each moment, to make sure no seeds of regret are sown.
The beauty of knowing the Ascendant is that each moment can die cleanly, leaving no trace, so that this moment can be truly lived, fresh and new.
Compromise and Success
One of the most powerful moments in my life was at the end of the First Sphere when the Ishayas suggested that I ask myself:
“Where in my life am I compromising?”
It absolutely blew my socks off because compromise was the last thing I wanted to do, yet when directly examined under such a spotlight I saw my life was riddled with compromise.
It was a powerful motivator to move, to go beyond my cosy situation and start to realise what I really wanted to do in life. It remains a potent guide.
This question requires knowing where you are heading - what you consider to be success. Success could mean making a million pounds, or simply getting out of bed every morning. I love that because it’s completely personal, is different depending on which part of your life you are talking about, and changes over time.
So: How do you personally know you are compromising? What is compromise to you? What is success? How do you know you are living a full life?
“Where in my life am I compromising?”
It absolutely blew my socks off because compromise was the last thing I wanted to do, yet when directly examined under such a spotlight I saw my life was riddled with compromise.
It was a powerful motivator to move, to go beyond my cosy situation and start to realise what I really wanted to do in life. It remains a potent guide.
This question requires knowing where you are heading - what you consider to be success. Success could mean making a million pounds, or simply getting out of bed every morning. I love that because it’s completely personal, is different depending on which part of your life you are talking about, and changes over time.
So: How do you personally know you are compromising? What is compromise to you? What is success? How do you know you are living a full life?
Seriously Simple
Why, when it comes to spirituality, do people get so serious and vexed and bent out of shape?
There's plenty of examples in the traditions of the world. Dozy Zen monks being beaten with sticks, guilty Christians whipping themselves, Bodhidharma supposedly tearing off his eyelids so he wouldn't lose awareness when meditating, the predominant image of Jesus being one of pain and suffering, Hindhus doing silly things to their bodies in the name of God.
I've taken things veeeery seriously in my pursuit of joy and peace. I have tried hard to be joy. I thought that I had to fight and strain against my mind, struggle and lock it down in order to experience peace.
I'm so grateful I met the Ishayas. I could quite easily still be starving myself, waking early every morning to do my yoga, criticising myself if I ever wanted to sleep in, or felt the urge to eat an icecream or a meat pie. I made myself sit cross legged and with a straight spine for an hour every day, even though sometimes my whole body cried out for relief.
Weird.
When I met the Ishayas I thought they were simple people. Simple as in stupid cos they were laughing all the time. I thought they might have something with this Ascension business, but obviously they didn't know what they really had because they didn't even take it seriously.
Makes me laugh now at my absolute arrogance. At least I gave Ascension a go because all that arrogance and harshness melted in the face of what the attitudes enlivened in me.
Ascension has given me an experience of complete presence, a beingness that simply takes over any limitation or self violence. There's nothing to do except choose for it and live. Its given me the ability to laugh at everything. Its given me total contentment of what is, exactly as it is.
The Truth requires no seriousness or hardness or processing or guessing or anything to experience it. It also needs no diet or exercise regime or any change whatsoever.
You need nothing else, except right now, choose an Ascension Attitude and live your life.
It is that simple.
You can just let go and trust that that is all that is required.
You can let go and trust that now is enough. Because now is not enough. It is everything.
I'm so grateful for that simplicity, I can't tell you.
There's plenty of examples in the traditions of the world. Dozy Zen monks being beaten with sticks, guilty Christians whipping themselves, Bodhidharma supposedly tearing off his eyelids so he wouldn't lose awareness when meditating, the predominant image of Jesus being one of pain and suffering, Hindhus doing silly things to their bodies in the name of God.
I've taken things veeeery seriously in my pursuit of joy and peace. I have tried hard to be joy. I thought that I had to fight and strain against my mind, struggle and lock it down in order to experience peace.
I'm so grateful I met the Ishayas. I could quite easily still be starving myself, waking early every morning to do my yoga, criticising myself if I ever wanted to sleep in, or felt the urge to eat an icecream or a meat pie. I made myself sit cross legged and with a straight spine for an hour every day, even though sometimes my whole body cried out for relief.
Weird.
When I met the Ishayas I thought they were simple people. Simple as in stupid cos they were laughing all the time. I thought they might have something with this Ascension business, but obviously they didn't know what they really had because they didn't even take it seriously.
Makes me laugh now at my absolute arrogance. At least I gave Ascension a go because all that arrogance and harshness melted in the face of what the attitudes enlivened in me.
Ascension has given me an experience of complete presence, a beingness that simply takes over any limitation or self violence. There's nothing to do except choose for it and live. Its given me the ability to laugh at everything. Its given me total contentment of what is, exactly as it is.
The Truth requires no seriousness or hardness or processing or guessing or anything to experience it. It also needs no diet or exercise regime or any change whatsoever.
You need nothing else, except right now, choose an Ascension Attitude and live your life.
It is that simple.
You can just let go and trust that that is all that is required.
You can let go and trust that now is enough. Because now is not enough. It is everything.
I'm so grateful for that simplicity, I can't tell you.
"Why God, Why?"... When Life Hurts
I had the belief that the more spiritually advanced I got, the more my life would become free of challenge and sadness.
The challenges of life, big and small, haven't stopped. People I love die, grow old, get sick. I still have to pay the bills, I have to clean the toilet. Life in all its colours and shades continues. But my reaction to it has changed.
From what I have lived through, I can tell you this: Peace is possible in any situation. Painful events may be there, but ongoing, soul questioning suffering is, when it comes down to it, a choice, optional.
This is the invitation of all the world's teachers, and it's true: There is salvation.
When my mum died of cancer, I was surprised to find myself responding in the way I did. Rather than see it as a loss, the overwhelming response was of fullness, of celebration for her life. I was grateful for the time I did have with her, the fact that in no small way she helped make me what I am today.
It was an amazing experience, and one that came because of my Ascension practice.
When life hurts, it means we aren't accepting what is. We're fighting, we're struggling, we're shaking our fist at God and asking "WHY?". As Eckhart Tolle pointed out, the answer is always this:
If you can't change or leave a situation, the only solution is to allow and accept. Anything else is torture, and nothing or no one can stop the pain until you stop struggling. Everytime.
Ascension gives you this acceptance, just by your willingness to set aside the cares of the moment, step into presence and say an Ascension Attitude.
The more you gently immerse yourself in the Ascendant, the more you become non-resistance itself. God sees fit to place you here, and remove this person to here, so be it. No longer do you question and fight, but you find it simpler and simpler to allow, involve yourself in presence again and do what you can do. Life becomes free.
Of course, it is easy to make the choice for seeing the glass half full, to accept, to see the positive when everything is going well. Its a different kettle of fish when its not.
If its not easy, its time to get help. You don't need to do this alone.
It's worth getting that help. It's worth doing everything you can to be at peace. It's worth re-committing to your practice.
By making the choice now, you set your future ahead of you. This choice becomes easier and easier to make, no matter the situation.
Lao Tzu once wrote: "Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you".
You want that?
The challenges of life, big and small, haven't stopped. People I love die, grow old, get sick. I still have to pay the bills, I have to clean the toilet. Life in all its colours and shades continues. But my reaction to it has changed.
From what I have lived through, I can tell you this: Peace is possible in any situation. Painful events may be there, but ongoing, soul questioning suffering is, when it comes down to it, a choice, optional.
This is the invitation of all the world's teachers, and it's true: There is salvation.
When my mum died of cancer, I was surprised to find myself responding in the way I did. Rather than see it as a loss, the overwhelming response was of fullness, of celebration for her life. I was grateful for the time I did have with her, the fact that in no small way she helped make me what I am today.
It was an amazing experience, and one that came because of my Ascension practice.
When life hurts, it means we aren't accepting what is. We're fighting, we're struggling, we're shaking our fist at God and asking "WHY?". As Eckhart Tolle pointed out, the answer is always this:
If you can't change or leave a situation, the only solution is to allow and accept. Anything else is torture, and nothing or no one can stop the pain until you stop struggling. Everytime.
Ascension gives you this acceptance, just by your willingness to set aside the cares of the moment, step into presence and say an Ascension Attitude.
The more you gently immerse yourself in the Ascendant, the more you become non-resistance itself. God sees fit to place you here, and remove this person to here, so be it. No longer do you question and fight, but you find it simpler and simpler to allow, involve yourself in presence again and do what you can do. Life becomes free.
Of course, it is easy to make the choice for seeing the glass half full, to accept, to see the positive when everything is going well. Its a different kettle of fish when its not.
If its not easy, its time to get help. You don't need to do this alone.
It's worth getting that help. It's worth doing everything you can to be at peace. It's worth re-committing to your practice.
By making the choice now, you set your future ahead of you. This choice becomes easier and easier to make, no matter the situation.
Lao Tzu once wrote: "Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you".
You want that?
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