Some glad morning
when this life is over
I'll fly away
To that Home
on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away

I'll fly away
Oh Glory!
I'll fly away
in the morning

When I die,
Hallelujah by and by!
I'll fly away!

Whenever I catch sight of others,
By thinking, "It is through them,
That I will reach awakening,"
I'll look with sincerity and love.

- Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva

"The soul is bound to the body by a chain of desires,
temptations, troubles, and worries, and it is trying
to free itself.
If you keep tugging at that chain
which is holding you to mortal consciousness,
someday an invisible Divine Hand will intervene
and snap it apart,
and you will be free."
-Paramahansa Yogananda

Two days ago,
I was in a bad mood
at work
and
my boss quoted Shakespeare:
'There is nothing either good or bad, but only thinking makes it so.'

Minutes later he was so angry
that as he pounded the soap dispenser
with the bottom of his palm
it fell off of the wall
into the sink
and bubbles flew everywhere.

But Id like to remember the quote.

Essentially,
that quote
is saying that
.there is nothing.

and only
thinking
makes it so (apparent).

And the part of me that wants to be apparent
wants to exist
hates the idea
that I too am nothing.

But I know that it is the truth
I know
that
the Infinite
is one of those
somethings out of nothings;
never began and wont enders.


We are the deciders
We are the creators
We get to take nothing and make it something!
and then cry over it
or get elated about it
say its good or bad.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

The only trouble is
often
we forget we are
in possession
of that sacred choice
and become victims of our own doing.


but that wont last forever, I dont think!


"Man has falsely identified himself with the pseudo-soul. When he transfers his sense of identity to his true being, the immortal soul, he discovers that all pain is unreal. He no longer can even imagine the state of suffering."

-Paramahansa Yogananda

I carry a torch in one hand
And a bucket of water with the other
With these things, I will set fire to Heaven
And put out the flames of Hell
So that no one worships God
Out of fear of Hell
Or greed of Heaven.

-- Rabia, Sufi Muslim

none of this has to exist.
its not like anything would stop if this didnt exist.
cause then there wouldnt be anything.

THIS IS SUCH A GIFT!
a special special thing.

and I am so grateful
to feel and struggle and worry and wretchedly wonder why
why
why
why
why am I here?

As if Ive been somewhere else before or am heading to some new place.
Im here because this exists,
Because I exist;
Im here because I exist.

You gotta dig it baby.
thats how it is.
its simple.

And there are moments
like this one
where i understand that.
and it resonates
deep
within me.

And then I get absorbed in my life
Or something happens
and I fall into a state where simple answers
piss
me
off
because I have let myself believe that I am not a simple being.
That I have
desires,
needs,
things that must be fulfilled.

and I get all righteous.
"I have a right to be happy!"
"I deserve to understand this!"

and then Ive taken the Gift for granted.
taken life for granted.

Hah!

------------------------------------

"The yogi...is ever conscious inwardly of the sole Reality, Spirit, and sees maya and avidya - universal and individual delusion [separateness]- as merely a tenuous web holding together the atomic, magnetic, and spiritual forces that give him a body and mind with which to play a part in the cosmic drama of the Lord's creation."

Paramhansa Yogananda: God Talks with Arjuna: A Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita

-----------------------------------

rain comes down.
some romantic types love the drama.
"I just want to cuddle up with a hot chocolate
and watch sleepless in seattle"

neat!

and our dear friend,
Pisces, loves this drama too;
she glides through the grey gallows
giggling because she knows its not the rain
oh no-
its the 'It' in "it is raining"
the game we are all playing
the veil that is fraying!
and flapping in the winds
of a Heart
swinging open.

fame, shame, loss, gain, pleasure, pain its all the same
its all a game.
its all part of It.
but not It, necessarily.
and who's to blame?
you.
The game continues because we reinforce each others paranoia.
which to me, is beautiful!
(im a romantic type who likes to write witty poems on rainy days)
but I also know that due to the nature of who were are,
we cant be paranoid forever.
because when It stops raining,
It starts sunning.
And when we stop coming up with excuses of why
we
are
not
IT
then we become It.

------------------------------------------

feed your faith and doubt will starve to death

------------------------------------------

ॐ नमः िशवाय

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ooh thats a heavy one
thats a mind bogglin, brain cloggin
knock to your noggin
Giggle with me. or curse me. or
dont do anything at all.

its me meeting Me.
all the time, every time, anytime-
.and time is a trap.
and if we werent trapped we couldnt play this way!

Buddha meeting Buddha
over goat cheese and gouda with crackers
and the faster I allow this to past
the more I realize how shortly it
lasts

life is finding a way to build a house
that is in the water and on the land
at the same time.
its not being at birth or death;
but knowing there is a place where
they are both happening
NOW
and hanging out there.
That's the vantage point...

the more I see the paper and put my pen to it
the more I allow
the Infinite
to touch my heart and come into it
to calm my thoughts and help me sit.
.and there is a clinging to this understanding.
And thats okay! because the whole
"I get it"
is just as impermanent as the
"I dont"
and HERE we ARE!!
whether we understand or not.
it doesnt really make a difference:
cause if we do
well forget.
and when weve forgotten
we'll joyously remember,
and come home into the
silent understanding of
concentric circles.

भक्ति

You just love

until you

and the

Beloved

become One.