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Remembering the One Sowing the Seeds for Change
Quote for 2009
"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
Thomas A. Edison
New Year's Message for 2009 given to BK's but a good message for the whole world:

"Everyone celebrated the New Year. Continue to celebrate every day as the day for self-transformation and world-transformation. Each day is new for transformation every day of this year. Every day is for new service, every day is constantly for new zeal and enthusiasm. Not a single day is for worry or other thoughts. Let every day and night be spent in zeal and enthusiasm. In this New Year, you definitely have to do something new each day for the self, for the world and for service. Have such a determined thought, bring time close, become perfect and, becoming equal to the Father, fly and continue to make others fly. Good night. Achcha." - Avyakt message, 31 December 2008

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heather*



Last Updated: 11/23/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: Married
Age: 43
Sign: Aries

City: Cambridge
State: East
Country: UK
Signup Date: 1/19/2006

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Thursday, January 28, 2010 

Current mood:  hopeful
Category: Religion and Philosophy


When I grow up, I want to be...

Last night, I was watching my daughter's ballet dress rehearsal, and I was really touched by a particular scene.  It's early in the show of Pinocchio - Geppetto has just carved a new wooden boy puppet and has shown his work to the town children.  But when the children say goodbye, the childless Geppetto begins to sob, because what he really wants is to have a real boy of his own.  Geppetto cannot be comforted and the music is that of grave disappointment of having lived so many years childless.  

Next enters the blue fairy.  The blue fairy with her graceful, calming music offers a complete contrast.  Where Geppetto is full of sadness, the blue fairy is overflowing with happiness.  Where Geppetto is burdened with disappointment, the blue fairy is light and elevated, on tip toe - carefree.  Where Geppetto can only see his current situation, the blue fairy appears to be unconcerned as if she knows something or at least is convinced that nothing is wrong at all.  Having experienced Geppetto's dark sadness, it's a relief when the blue fairy enters because she gives such a knowing, loving smile that you suddenly feel like everything will be ok.  

One could ask, Why is the blue fairy smiling when she enters?  It almost seems heartless.  It would seem heartless, except that you get the feeling that the blue fairy is genuinely good, and safe, and perhaps she just knows something we don't.  So instead of hating her for showing no empathy, we trust her and love her.  

So, when I grow up, I want to be a blue fairy.  I want to be able to enter a room and bestow such blessings that people feel comforted, at ease, carefree.  I can't think of a better career than that!

Meanwhile, I'm off to India on Monday for three weeks to get some blue fairy training.  ;D  I'll catch up with you when I get back.

Lots of love and good wishes,
heather* (blue fairy in training)
1:55 PM 
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Inside vs. Outside: The Contrast
The main purpose of this model of the box (see my previous blogs if you haven't already) is to give us the opportunity to see the contrast between the world outside the box and the world we see inside the box. Just to recap, the world outside the box is the eternal world. Here no one is under threat. The eternal beings that exist here cannot be harmed or destroyed. They are eternal. And so they are constantly safe and secure. They have no fears. They are fearless. They have no worries. They are carefree. They don't require insurance or doctors or lawyers. For them the eternal nature of their existence and of their world is obvious. Inside the box is the entire physical world. It is like a cartoon drama. There is all sorts of activity happening, but the parts in the drama are just parts. The eternal beings know that the characters are not real, but just part of the script. So if one character loses her sweater or another crashes his car, the eternal beings don't have sorrow for those characters. That would be like us feeling sorry for James Bond when he totals a vehicle. James Bond is a fictional character, he doesn't exist, why would we feel sorry for him. In the same way, the eternal beings do not identify with any of the characters in the box. Those characters are just playing a script, a script of bizarre behaviour. However, the eternal beings realize that other eternal beings are pulled into this drama. They have started to identify with certain characters and now have certain desires for their characters. Not only have those eternal beings forgotten they are eternal, but now they believe they are the character they identify with. It's as if they are asleep in a very long dream. And because of this, they fear the death of their character. They want their character to live forever. They want the character to have good health, to be safe, to have plenty of wealth. So they need insurance, and a high paying job. When we see the contrast between those who are awake to those who are asleep, then we begin to understand the usefulness of remaining awake and outside the box.
3:38 PM 
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Friday, December 11, 2009 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Thoughts from Outside the Box

Lately I keep thinking about the box. If you don't know what I'm referring to, please read my previous blog. It seems to be the most workable, usable model I've come across - so much so that I believe it to be true - not just a model! And why can't it be?

Inside the box is the physical world. And inside the box is where we have experiences using the five senses. As the world outside the box is not physical, it is impossible to measure it, or prove it using the 5 senses. So, those requiring such proofs will never acknowledge that there is a realm outside the box. Science is always discovering new things - planets rotating around the sun, curved space, even those in mathematics have set out to prove that time is not linear, but circular, and it's only a matter of time before science catches up. But at some point, science will hit a boundary and it will never be able to take us further than the walls of the box.

So, it's altogether possible that a realm outside the physical world exists. One cannot prove that it does and one cannot prove that it doesn't. Isn't it worth exploring though?

Thank you for reading. For more information on Raja Yoga philosophy see www.bkwsu.org.
11:17 PM 
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Thursday, November 26, 2009 

Current mood:  amused
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Outside the Box

I'm imagining a place where all is serene, peaceful, calm. There is no sorrow, no vice, no fear, no anxiety. Everyone there is loving and cooperative. In this place you feel like you're part of a family. You feel safe, happy, light and carefree.

It's a virtual paradise. Just take a few minutes to rest in this place. It's a place you will want to come back to often.
Now, imagine a box that exists in this place. The box is closed. Nothing inside the box can come out of the box. But the sides are transparent. You can view inside the box. And inside the box is the entire physical world. Can you imagine this? ;D

The world exists inside this box and is completely contained in the box. It cannot affect anyone outside the box. It cannot cause any harm. But it is quite dangerous. Why? Because as you view the scenes in the box, it is easy to get drawn deeper into the stories. You want to wait and see what happens next, you start to prefer a certain character, you want your character to do well inside the box, you want him to get the girl, the job, the house. You want your character to be happy, popular, etc. If someone insults your character you get annoyed and you don't like that character, the one who offends your character. You begin to urge your character to fight back. You urge your character to get tougher, and to be wary, and to be very careful who he befriends. And then your character is about to lose his job so you've got to help him keep it. Then he's about to lose his wife so you've got to sort that out too. Then the teenagers are kicking up and the dog has run away and pretty soon you're so anxious, for your character, that you nearly have a nervous breakdown.

What has happened? Here you are sitting in paradise, watching a scene in a box and you nearly have a nervous breakdown? At some point, you knew who you were and where you were. Then you got involved in the game inside the box and you forgot. You got so involved in the game, that you lost your true identity.

This is the story for us all. We have lost track of our true identity and have started to identify with characters in a box, characters in a scene of the world drama. And this has caused us to forget our true origins, our true selves. All we need to do is to come back to that paradise, spend a few minutes sitting there reminding ourselves of who we are and where we belong. Eventually, the memory is restored and we live the happy, healthy lives we were meant to live.
It's time to start thinking outside the box.

Thank you for reading. For more information on Raja Yoga philosophy see www.bkwsu.org.
4:37 PM 
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Monday, November 23, 2009 

Current mood:  content
Category: Religion and Philosophy


Cats and Dogs

It's been raining off and on today - and when it was raining, it was raining cats and dogs. Which got me thinking. About cats and dogs.

I used to have cats myself. One got ill. And ended up in animal hospital. And didn't get better. I had to make a decision - keep paying the high costs of the hospital in hopes that he might recover or put the poor dear to sleep.  I let my partner make the decision.  We put the cat to sleep and paid off the debt that had racked up in the first couple weeks of care.

I love animals.  I grew up with horses, chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats.  We also had at one time hamsters, fish, parakeets and hermit crabs. But one thing I learned through all of this is that their life span is shorter than ours.  They come and go.  And sometimes they go sooner than you would expect.  And I have suffered sadness as a result.

At the time, I didn't realize I had a choice.  People get so attached to their pets.  And when the pet dies or gets ill it creates a terrible sadness for them.  It's as if they are creating, fostering and nurturing their eventual great sadness just by getting a pet in the first place.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  Instead of getting attached to the animal, remain loving yet detached.  In other words, know that the animal is with you for a short time and that they could leave at any moment.  If I had seen my pets in this way, then I would have suffered less and enjoyed them more.  Doesn't that make better sense?  

I can see this clearly now with pets (I'm not sure if any other animal lovers can - I hope so), but we can also apply this principle to everything.  Wealth (if you have it) is only here temporarily - use it wisely now.  Family and friends could go any time - enjoy your moments with them now.  My house might not be standing tomorrow - enjoy the warmth and comfort now.  

Walking in the rain (which was like cats and dogs) I felt so fortunate that at this very moment, I have a daughter and she is in a good school, and I have a house to sleep in, and food in the fridge, and a family, etc.  Today, this very moment, I have so many blessings.  And I am appreciative.  Tomorrow, I may have none of these things, but I will have had them. And that is precious.  

It is a myth to believe I own anything.  I don't.  It can all be gone tomorrow.  But what I do have is my self (the soul), my place in the family of souls and my relationship with the Supreme Soul (God).  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  And right now it's beautiful.  
4:12 PM 
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 

Current mood:  determined
Category: Religion and Philosophy
 

Learning from the Best

When you decide to learn a profession, like barrister, doctor, etc, you study under an expert, someone for whom you have high regard.  But it's not a case of just reading his papers, or reading about him.  No, you get to know everything about him - you learn how he thinks, how he looks at things, how he reacts.  You study his nature, his qualities.  You imbibe those qualities so that you, too, can be an expert.

In Raja Yoga, we say, why should it be any less when studying under God? It's not enough to read about Him.  No, we examine His qualities and nature and aim to copy them. We learn His vision and adopt it.  Only in this way can the children emerge their true nature as God has intended it.

2:45 PM 
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Monday, October 05, 2009 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Religion and Philosophy

In Getting Unstuck - Standing Tall

In my last blog, Stuck, I describe a condition I often find myself in - that of knowing what is good for me, but being unable to act on it. I can list many methods for getting past this obstacle, but really, these methods turn out to be temporary at best. It's just a means of using smoke and mirrors to trick ourselves into doing what is good for us. What we really need is something that works consistantly.

I mentioned a shift in perspective. This, I believe, is the key. When I shift perspective, I can get a true assessment of what action is required, and then it's up to me to act. I can do this if I have a clear vision of where I want to be and where I am right now.

For example, I am at my happiest when I am serviceable. This may or may not be an active type of service. It may be that I'm merely a support. However, if I'm feeling discontent, I don't feel like being serviceable (I don't feel like making the effort). So, if this is the case, am I an active support?  When I'm in a slump (in quicksand), am I able to be serviceable?  To be my happiest? The answer is obvious, but worth confronting. 

To be a support, I need to be more like the mast of a sail boat. Flexible enough not to snap. Rigid enough to provide strength and support to the sails so that they can perform their function. I am no good if I'm hanging about below deck or getting involved in navigation - I am most useful when I stand tall. If I lose this vision of myself and start trying to be a rudder or a center board, then I create problems for everyone. My perception is wrong.

So to overcome obstacles, I have to remind myself of my true vision, my passion, my purpose. And then the pieces should all fall into place - effortlessly.
5:34 PM 
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Monday, October 05, 2009 

Current mood:  determined
Category: Religion and Philosophy


Stuck

There are phases I go through where I feel really stuck.  It's like slowly sinking in quicksand, I've got a rope tied around a tree, but I've got no interest to grab it and pull myself free.  

Perhaps I expect some sort of super-hero to fly down and rescue me.  Or maybe I don't have time to pull the rope, I'm still organizing the floaty sticks or categorizing the fallen leaves or making up my todo lists.  Or perhaps I've got one more email to send, one more blog to write, one more status to update before I can leave this muck and mire.  

Or, perhaps, I decide to try the rope, but I choose a bad day and my arms tire quickly. I get disheartened and I give up.  I decide I'm not strong enough to do it.  So I eat a box of doughnuts instead.

Do you ever experience the same?

Whatever the reason, at some point we just have to wake up - snap out of it - break the downward spiral and start moving upwards again.  It requires a healthy dose of reality and a major shift in perception, i.e.  it's more important to pull myself out than to have nicely organized floaty sticks AND time is of the essence - why waste time in muck and mire when I can be enjoying the sun and sea?




6:00 AM 
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Friday, September 11, 2009 

Current mood:  happy
Category: Religion and Philosophy


Why Can't I Just Be Happy? (Why Do I Need a Reason?)

I left a status in Facebook suggesting I was extremely happy (I believe I used the word 'intoxicated').  My nephew asked me what I'd been eating.  And a few asked my why I was so happy.  But I didn't have a reason, it was just one of those blissful moments that sprang on me. 

If I could  bottle that happiness, I'd be a millionaire.  I mean, isn't everyone looking for happiness?  And this is what keeps sales and marketing types in business.  They keep promising happiness, and we keep buying into it. 

So, what happens when someone stumbles onto happiness?  The world can't accept that.  They want to hear that happiness came from a product or event or situation - it gives them hope at achieving their own happiness.   If happiness only comes like a winning lottery ticket falling out of the sky, what chance have I got?  

Raja Yoga teaches that happiness is one of our original qualities, it is something that we already have, but something that has been buried for so long.  It's the necklace that the princess lost and could not find, only to discover it had been around her neck the whole time.  And this is why we get glimpses of this happiness.

When we recognize that happiness is already ours, then we can start to emerge these feelings.  We can start looking at the obstacles that keep us from feeling happy - such as fear, anger, insecurity - and remove them.  Eventually, those glimpses come more frequently and last longer. 
11:17 AM 
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Sunday, September 06, 2009 

Current mood:  cheerful
Category: Religion and Philosophy


Let the sun shine out!

My teacher often jokes, 'It's supposed to be sunny today, so my happiness level will go up.'  Hmm, maybe he's not really joking - maybe he means it!  But the idea is that we should NOT allow our happiness to be dependent on the sun - especially if you live in England! 

There was a song I learned as a child - Let the Sun Shine In.  But what if there is no sun?  Instead, we should be introverted, cultivating that little sun within, giving it power, letting it grow, so that we can let that sun shine OUT!  And by letting that sun grow and glow within us, we benefit ourselves, but we also benefit others. 

So take some time out today and everyday to cultivate that internal sun - then it won't matter what the weather is.



9:05 PM 
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