AnandaNam

Grace is with me. Love is my identity. It has been here all along, to sustain me, and will never leave, as it is the essence of all things, like clay to a pot or water to an ocean.

Being Human is a Guest House (Rumi)

"This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of it's furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent as a guide from beyond."

-Rumi

It came out of nowhere! Finding the way home.

"O pleasures, salutations to you; you have indeed sustained me all these years and even made me forget the self. O sorrow, salutations to you; you spurred me on my quest for self-knowledge, and it is by your grace that I have attained this self-knowledge; hence you are indeed the bestower of delight."
"When obstinately clinging to a fancy and therefore abandoning a thorough enquiry into the nature of truth, one apprehends an object with that fancy - such apprehension is described as conditioning or limitation."
-Yoga Vasistha

"What is the most common thing people say after they've been hit? He came out of nowhere!"
-Bernard F. (Owner, Defensive Driving School, NYC)

Bernard's words bring pause. Does any situation really come out of nowhere? After all, isn't it easy to focus attention on what is enjoyable (passenger, radio, phone, daydream) or on what isn't (kids arguing, bills, work)? Distractions act as tunnel vision, easily creating fantasy worlds built on individual preferences.

Sometimes it's painful to see the truth. Maybe some of us resist accepting that other cars may not observe the rules of the road. But if we can't truthfully locate ourselves on the map of life, how can we safely steer our way home?

A crash with reality, whether physical or symbolic, creates space, an opening to see truthfully. The question is, are we there yet?

The Gain in Pain

Pain provides a valuable opportunity to stop, look and listen. Let's start with the grossest level of pain, physical pain: for example, a leg cramp. Notice any resistance you may feel to the pain: feelings of dread, sadness or dislike. Now stop: let go of the resistance, and just observe. Note the changes in the physical sensations. Observe the lingering sensations, if any, and describe them to yourself:

is pain deep or shallow?
where is it exactly?
is it stable or does it move?
sharp or dull?
does it radiate?
it is hot or cold?
does it have a color?
does it remind me of an object?
do I sense constriction in the area/areas?

Listen to the answers, attempt to understand. Now breathe into the areas of pain. Can you make space with the breath for the pain to move? Does the pain move? Do you give it permission to move? Can you accept it if it does not? Can separate your awareness from your body, so you can observe it without reacting (without attachment to any one outcome)?

This practice can also be applied to emotional pain. First is stop: can you stop wanting the pain to go away? Can you let go of your resistance? If so, then look: observe any changes in the quality or intensity of the emotion merely by letting go. Then ask yourself: what emotion am I feeling exactly? Does it fall under fear, anger, or sadness? What am I afraid is going to happen? What do I want to keep from happening? What couldn't I keep from happening? Is this something within my control? Listen to the answers, and just observe them. What are your emotions trying to tell you? Are you listening openly? Can you let go of the desire to like what the pain has to say? What is your relationship to the truth? Can you accept whatever you are thinking for the purpose of simply seeing? Then breathe deeply into the part of the body that you feel the emotion the strongest. Can you make space for it to move? Can you create space between your awareness and the emotion, so you can observe it without reacting?

What this all leads to is friendship with yourself - pain as a gateway to unconditional love and support.

I offer you this tool with great respect and love, so you may use it in your inner explorations and arrive at your own conclusions. Happy travels!

My inner teacher

Energy is the source of life.
Energy comes from a higher power than this "I".
When my mind disassociates from this higher power, my energy depletes, life dissipates, unsupported.
A higher power is my source, an endless well of wisdom and strength.
"I" am never alone.

Notes on the journey

"The way is long and difficult for everybody; and to change the physical nature is a big job - but it has to be done.
The only way to make it quicker is to keep an unshaken faith in the Divine and a great intensity in aspiration - the rest is done for you."

- The Mother [p-167, White Roses, Sixth Edition, 1999]

In love, there are no opposites

Opposites such as like/dislike, mine/yours, joy/sadness do not exist in love.