Walking the Middle Spirtitual Path

There are as many spiritual paths to the top of the mountains as there are seekers climbing the mount. It is a trap to believe that any one is valid for every seeker. The Universe revels in diversity - just look at the planet we are riding on. Now, think of the diversity of the life, the landscape, and the environment. Imagine that there are billions of other planets out there, and every single one is completely unique, and completely diverse as well.

It's a little humbling right? It may be easier to let go of any belief that you have the answers about anything for anyone but yourself.

Traditionally, in spirituality there are two main paths. The path of the renunciant - the left hand path. And the path of indulgence - on the right hand. Again neither is better, and neither worked for all beings.

The archetypal renunciant gives up worldly possessions, becomes a hermit, or moves to a monastery. They essentially reject the world around them. And some find enlightenment. The problem with this path is that many who follow it get caught up in aversions. They are so focused on pushing the world away that they don't let go of it and just let it happen.

The archetypal indulgent seeks all knowledge, immersed in the world of the senses, surrounds the self with trappings of spirituality. They gather all things on their path to them. And some find enlightenment. The problem with this path is that many who follow it get caught up in attachments. They get so focused on holding on to things that they lose control.

The middle path is the path of no attachments and no aversions. Lester Levinson of the Sedona Method described it as hootlessness - where you no longer give a hoot. It is also described as imperturbability. Nothing can disturb you because you are peace. It is a beautiful floating where you can dip into and out of the world as you wish. You become easy with the world, unattached and not pushing.

The middle path may not be for you, but it's worth your consideration.

Celebrating the Winter Solstice

It is no coincidence that Christmas come so close to the Winter Solstice, despite the fact that there is no given date for the actual birth of Jesus. The Roman emperor merely chose an appropriate date which would also coincide with the festival of Saturn (Son of the grand-god Jupiter).

It's surprising to many who identify as Christians to find out how many of their traditions and beliefs are borrowed from earlier pagan roots. The Iconography and stories of the virgin Mary and Jesus are borrowed from Egypt (Isis and Horus). Certainly the Christmas tree, Yule log, and mistletoe are wonderful symbols of our pagan past. Wassailing, giving gifts to children, and feasting are all Solstice traditions.

The message of Christ is that of rebirth, renewal into the spirit. How appropriate a time to celebrate. For thousands of years, almost every human culture on earth has celebrated the solstice. It is a time of renewal, when the days grow longer and the winter cold wanes. It means spring and new life are coming.

As metaphysicians, we should celebrate our rebirth into the God-self we already are. Take in the wonders of the season, and remember that happiness and love are our natural state.

What Is the Christ in Christmas?

With just a few short days until Christmas, even if you don't identify as a "Christian", it seems appropriate to examine the meaning of the word "Christ".

Many Christians falsely believe that Christ was Jesus's last name. No, sorry. Jesus's name was probably Ieshua bar Iosef.

Instead of a surname, "Christ" is a title. It comes from the Greek and means anointed or slathered with oil. Believe it or not, we get words like cream, grease, and gristle from the same word origin. However, like all things biblical, it's literal meaning is not as important as the metaphysical and symbolic meaning.

For example, if I told you that Julius Caesar wore purple robes - that wouldn't mean much in itself. However, if you knew that, traditionally, emperors in Rome were the only one's allowed to wear purple, you might understand some of the symbolism and deeper political meaning behind this type of dress.

So Jesus wasn't just being described as "Joshua the greasy." In ancient Israel, anointing with oil was reserved for the holy, the priests and ritual objects. And there is a deeper meaning of equating Jesus with the prophesied messiah.

This is a bit of sensitive subject for some, but it's important to understand what is meant by messiah. The messiah was meant to be a military AND spiritual leader who would reclaim Israel from the Romans. In that sense of the word, it doesn't really fit well with Jesus - although some scriptures paint Jesus as trying to start a military revolt.

The metaphysical sense of Christ is anointed, not just with oil - but with consciousness. Think of enlightenment and one as synonyms for Christ. New Thought movements refer to Jesus as "Jesus the Christ". They refer to the movement towards Unity with god as Christ-consciousness.

Although his lessons have been perverted to reinforce un-enlightened power-bases, Jesus taught that we are all "Christ". He said, quoting Psalms, "I said ye are gods." he also said, "the kingdom of heaven is within you." And furthermore in john he said, "he that believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also: And greater things than these shall he do."

But the problem with ego is that it tells us we are limited, that we are not one with god but separate. We need someone to intercede with god on our behalf. We need priests and a savior because we are filthy and imperfect. Hogwash.

The kingdom is within us. This is truly something to celebrate over the Holidays. Let's celebrate our Unity with Christ-consciousness. let's celebrate the birth of one of the enlightened masters who showed us that we are all immortal gods.

Can A Limited Mind Conceive of an Unlimited Self?

No.

Pretty simple eh?

The so-called conscious mind (the one we usually identify with) can hold between 5-9 pieces of information at any given time. The subconscious mind processes millions of bits of data a second. And this is nothing compared to the vast wealth of information that makes up the Universe.

Because the conscious mind is the only one we're aware of, we give it more credit than it is due. The subconscious is the true powerhouse of our physical existence.

I'm sure you can remember a time when you were sitting in a restaurant or other crowded location, all the conversations around you faded into the background. Perhaps someone spoke your name or said something else and you heard it and shifted your attention to listen. Let me ask you this: If you weren't aware of every word of every conversation in that crowded restaurant, how did you pick out your name, or that one word that sparked your attention?

Your subconscious mind was processing every single word of every conversation in that room, and forced you to shift attention. Think about trying to consciously follow 20 simultaneous conversations. You couldn't do it.

And, while it was doing that it was keeping you breathing, your heart beating, your temperature regulated, stuff moving into short and long term memory, and processing every other sensory input you're capable of. When you really think about the every-day capabilities of the subconscious mind it is truly astonishing.

However, that's nothing compared to the unlimited nature of Self. The subconscious mind is simply an automaton, part of the mechanical out-projection of the self. It merely follows orders.

Whose orders does it follow?

A ha! - That's the root question isn't it. I'm not going to answer that question - sorry. Instead I am going to leave you with a few questions for self-inquiry. You may silently ask yourself these questions during the day and especially during meditation. Who knows, they just may open your consciousness and show you who you are.

The questions:

• Who chooses the thoughts I am having?
• When I observe my thoughts, who is the observer?
• If I am not my mind, and not my body, who am I?

Good luck.

How You Are Sabotaging Your Abundance

The mind is a creative organ. You can use it to create anything you wish. Why then aren't you getting your desires manifested.

There is only one reason that everything you desire doesn't appear before you - you are preventing it. "Nonsense," you say, "why would I do that?"

Let's say that you set the intention to create a million dollars tax free. If you truly set this intention with belief and feeling, the Universe will start to move itself to produce it for you. The problem is that the monkey-mind meddles.

Before the million bucks can show up in our limited awareness of time and space, we start to have negating thoughts and intentions. We think: "I don't think this is working." "How am I going to make that million bucks?" "I need it now or never." and eventually we give up the belief that it can happen.

Consistent and unwavering belief is the key to producing everything with conscious control. Another definition for this is faith. However, faith takes discipline. You must work to let go of self-negating thoughts and feelings.

I have mentioned a couple of tools that are amazing for doing this - the Sedona Method, and the Release Technique (abundance course) are two of the finest.

Remember that your mind is your slave, not vice versa. Do not let your mind run you, you run your mind. Show that monkey who's boss.

Try Softer

A friend of mine who teaches jujutsu in Japan frequently signs his emails with the imperative - "try softer." This is obviously a play on the cliche "try harder" but it carries a lot of meaning.

As a martial art, jujutsu focuses on yielding to an opponents energy instead of directly conflicting with it. Let the energy do what it wants, stop resisting and it will diffuse itself. This is a perfect metaphor for the Universe (but then again, everything is a perfect metaphor for a holographic Universe).

Did you ever notice that the harder you try to control things, the more frequently you lose control. It's the grasping of attachment that pushes things away, and the scrambling energy of aversion that holds them closer. Instead, let the energy do what it wants and step out of the way.

Just like people, the more you push against the Universe, the more it pushes back. As an infinite being, you can just relax and float in the sea of beingness that you and the Universe are.

Why Meditate?

So meditate? What's the point after all?

First, meditation is a direct path to your undying Self. Your God-self. What keeps you from direct realization of Self is the ego which falsely identifies as Self. It's your monkey mind with all of it's attachments and aversions tearing you away from the very freedom you already are.

Think of your mind as a turbulent pond. Your thoughts, the wind, whipping the pond into a frenzy of waves. Meditation is like calming that wind and settling that pond. Eventually the pond becomes crystal clear and you can see what's underneath.

Meditation is fantastic for that body you're using to explore the world you created. A myriad of studies have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals touting the health-benefits of meditation. Lowering cholesterol and blood-pressure, lowering the stress hormones like cortisol, lowering stress. When you stop allowing your mind to beat yourself up - the body follows.

Meditation should be fun, and never a chore. And it's also counterproductive to look at it as an escape. You do not need to spend 7 hours a day in formal sitting meditation to reach enlightenment - you're already there.

Don't know how to meditate? Here is a simple, yet profoundly powerful method that you can use for just 3-10 minutes a day.

The Most Powerful Word In The English Language

Metaphysically speaking, the most powerful word in the English language is not love, or God, or even cookie - although cookie is up there on my list. The word is "allow".

First, you are an unlimited being that creates the Universe with your consciousness. Your beingness created a mind which thinks it's a body. However, you are unlimited.

So let me pose this question: What does an unlimited being have to do to create anything, any situation, any experience in the Universe? The answer is merely "allow" it.

In the Sedona Method and the Release Technique, goals are usually phrased as such: "I allow myself to ....". Think about that. In order to achieve any goal you merely need to allow it. Let go of resisting it.

The entire Universe is yours now, but you are holding away the things you think you don't have. Your mind thinks you are this limited body. What do you desire now? what is preventing you from allowing it to happen? Let that go.

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."
-Yoda

The Metaphysical Lesson of Difficult People

Do you have people in your life who drive you crazy. We have those "difficult" people, or people who are always negative, or people who just bring you down.

Metaphysically speaking, these people are out-projections of your own unconscious mind. We create the "difficulty" as a way to expose our subconscious programs.

Let's say that I have a relative whose addiction to alcohol bothers me. Why does it bother me? I might create all kinds of rationalizations about how his alcoholism is affecting me. The truth is that it can only affect me to the extent that I allow it. There's something else going on here.

Usually the things that bother us the most are reflections of our own inner state. Perhaps I have other addictions - to food, sex, or television. The relative's alcoholism is an out-projection of something I am uncomfortable with in myself. It reminds me of something that is a threat to my self esteem. This is why it bothers me so much.

Think of something that people do or say that bothers you. Consider, at least for a moment, how that reflects on you, how that may be a projection of something you don't like about yourself.

Self examination will help you get clear of your aversions, and speed you on the path to freedom.

On The Concreteness Of Time

"Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
-Albert Einstein

The metaphysician knows that the world around him is the fleeting creation of his own consciousness. That time, space, and everything else is as flexible as that consciousness. Change your consciousness, change reality - it's that simple.

Let's take time. In the West we believe time to be a linear progression, a constant, it never changes. Yet many other cultures outside the West, most notably the Aborigines of Australia, have entirely different consciousness of time and thrive. Their model is not delusional because it differs from ours - it works perfectly for them. Their consciousness is different.

Our awareness of time is very flexible. Compare the time you observe while sitting in a dentist's chair to the time you observe when having fun with friends. I'll bet that your experience of time is very different. Which experience is valid and which is invalid? And as you begin to see your experience of time as flexible, you may also realize that space and matter are all tied up in the same stuff.

Experiments conducted at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Labs (and other places) have proven that the cause-effect relationship is tenuous. Sometimes the effect happens before the cause. This would be impossible if time were always linear.

Quantum physics is beginning to discover the workings of time, and the fact that our world is made up of many different dimensions. The world, as we know it is brought into being when our awareness collapses waves of probabilities into reality. Our consciousness creates reality.

Scientists have know for years that the very act of observing or measuring particles in experiments changed their behavior. Einstein called this "spooky science". Our observation, awareness, and consciousness affects all light and physical matter. This has been proven experimentally.

So science and spirituality are beginning to come together. They are approaching the same problems using different vocabulary and methods. Both are valid.

The very few scientists who are atheistic and believe only in a mechanical Universe are holding a belief system as impoverished as the religious fundamentalists who think that their creation myth is literal truth. However, both of these creatures are increasingly rare.

Allow the knowledge that you are creating your reality to grow and be careful what you will into existance.

Save the Drama For Your Mama

From time to time many of us get caught up in our stories: "I lost all my money; I grew up in an abusive household; I have a disease." And while these things may seem true to you, the more we dwell on our "poor me" stories the worse things get. After all the Universe just gives you more of what you ask for with your dominant thoughts.

Why do we love this drama when it moves us away from what we truly want? Metaphysically we are each the embodiment of the Universe. The Universe creates a sense of ego in order to observe itself. Then, like a doctor pressing on parts of the body to find out what hurts, we create tension and resistance as a form of exploring our nature.

However, the ego likes to believe it's separate from the Universe. Nothing is separate from the Universe. We are an integral part.

Sometimes our stories become a launching board to a downward spiral away from the consciousness of our god-selves. They become false "becauses". I can't do that because I am not smart enough. I'll never be happy because my spouse left me. On, and on, and on.

There is no such thing as "I can't because." Very fat people have become healthy and in shape. Homeless penniless people have become millionaires. People with terminal diseases have gone into complete remission. If someone has done it at least once, then you know it is possible for you now.

Our stories and our drama do not serve us. they do not protect us from anything - they only prevent us from the realization of our unity. Snap out of it. If you find yourself lost in your drama, stop yourself right there. Find a positive focus, meditate, or reframe and shift your thinking.

Remember that the law of attraction states that like attracts like. If you are lost in negative thought - you attract more negativity to you. Shift to the positive any way you can, right now.

Does God Want You To Be Rich?

There's a lot being written right now about whether or not God wants you to be abundant. So far, everything I have read missed important points.

First, I believe that anthropomorphising God is unnecessarily limiting our idea of God. We are still laboring under the impression of a bearded man who lives in the sky and randomly acts in mysterious ways. God is the unlimited, omnipresent soul of the Universe, of which we are all a part. God wants us to be whatever we desire - rich or poor. Above that, God wants us to realize our unity with the Universe, and that we are the outprojections of God and not separate beings.

So, should we take a vow of poverty, or go for the gold? The answer is: whatever makes you happy and brings you closer to God. For most people that is abundance, for some it is not.

Some people use the manifestation of abundance as a spiritual practice. Money and things are just symbols of the energy they are learning to attune to at will. They build an unceasing awareness of God as the only source of everything. This is great.

Some people join monastic orders and take vows of simplicity and poverty, spending all day in meditation. They gain experience connecting consciousness with their inner God-mind. This is great too.

Problems ensue when people lose sight of God. When money becomes their God, or when they are overcome with pride and fundamentalist attitudes. It's great to be rich as long as you are using your inner God-consciousness to do so. It's great to live austerely as long as you are becoming more in tune with your God-mind.

Both paths can bring you to the realization that you are manifesting the Universe with your consciousness. There are many traps along the way, but they all come in two flavors - attachments and aversions. Attachments are those things we cling to, and aversions are those things we push away. God, the Universe, is a great teacher and has a way of taking away the things we are attached to, and giving us more of our aversions. Giving up our attachments and aversions, we manifest everything a will.

Seek what material things you will, but remember that God is the source.

What is Sin?

I know that this post may offend the sensibilities of some, and you're welcome. If hearing things that conflict with your beliefs offends you - then you need to be offended a lot. It is time to break down the walls you have built around insecurity.

Today I want to talk about sin since the entire planet seems to have this concept all wrong. This is funny, because the real definition of sin is wrong thinking, or ignorance.

Most people with a concept of sin believe that god has a rule book, and when you break his rules "HE" is offended. What an incredibly impoverished concept of a divine being. How could you possibly offend an infinite, omnipresent, and omnipotent entity that created the entire universe? That's just nonsense. God is way cooler than that.

The other HUGE problem with this idea is that nobody agrees on the rulebook, and everybody thinks their rulebook is the one true rulebook. We start wars and torture each other over who has the "real" rulebook. This is the ego in action, and is about as far removed from the true experience of God as we can get.

To understand this a little better we need a very brief history, civics, and sociology lesson. For thousands of years of human history, in order to survive, most people needed to be content with gathering or producing food. Before the industrial revolution, if everybody went to college to become doctors or philosophers we'd all have starved to death.

In order to keep people "in their place" and to ensure good social behavior, people were promised a reward at the end of your life. Suffer now, and you will go to heaven. Upset the rules and you will go to hell. It's the old carrot and the stick philosophy.

All religions formed sets of rules to keep social order. No killing, no stealing, no coveting, no sex for pleasure. Some religions also created dietary restrictions to keep their people from getting foodborne illnesses. In order to enforce the rules, fear and the promise of future reward were used - after all the rules came directly from God (wink wink).

The rule-makers became very powerful and wealthy, and those they ruled over very poor and humble. Remember the dark ages?

Since God is omnipresent, you are not separate from God ever. It would be impossible to be separate from God. You are a very direct extension of God, an integral part of God. How could you do something that offends God when you are part of God?

Heaven and hell are not planes you get to after you die, they are right here. Correct thinking creates your heaven on Earth - right now. Incorrect thinking brings hell on Earth.

My wise Granny once told me her concept of heaven and hell: "When I do nice things for people, I am happy inside and I am in heaven. When I am angry I am tortured and in hell." What a wonderful idea. The control rests with us, as God intended.

Creating negativity in your thoughts and emotions puts you in a hell-state. The good news is that the opposite is also true - you can create the heaven state as well. Our thoughts are things, and they create the Universe around us. What kind of Universe do you want to live in? Think it so.

The Power of Forgiveness

A few years back I had the pleasure to watch a friend's three year-old daughter playing with a friend. Some kind of dispute ensued, and they each pushed each other. Both girls cried and yelled to their parents about the injustice caused by the other.

Five minutes later, the girls were hugging and playing again. You see, forgiveness is god-given capacity we all have from birth. We are not meant to carry around painful emotional burdens forever. Somewhere along the line we create the belief that, in order to protect ourselves from future harm, we must armour ourselves with grief, anger, and fear.

There is an old story of two Buddhist monks who were on their way to the monastery. They come upon a woman who is stuck, unable to cross a stream. The older monk picks the woman up and carries her across the stream and the two monks go on their way. The younger monk is disturbed and frets the entire journey. When they reach the monastery the younger monk asks, "how could you carry that woman across the stream when our vows forbid us physical contact with women?" The older monk replies, "I put that woman down on the other side of the stream, you continued to carry her all this time."

Every major spiritual tradition includes lessons of forgiveness. Sometimes they are wrapped in parable, but they are there. Why? Because forgiveness is a spiritual practice that moves us closer to the state of perpetual love.

The only thing stopping you from forgiving your perceived past wrongs is you. Maybe you get lost in your stories - "my mother did this to me, that man did that to me." The truth is that your stories are no less serious or relevant than the three year-old's.

Perhaps you feel that if you forgive past injustices that you will become vulnerable. That's fear lying to you. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you lose your good sense. On the contrary, getting rid of your emotional baggage means that you are free to discriminate and make better decisions. Fear of reliving past pain does not make us wiser.

That fear is a tightening, damming-off of he natural flow of love that would otherwise naturally pour forth from you. Look at how easily children love. The law of attraction states that like attracts like. The more love you pour into the Universe, the more you get back. Love will create abundance in every area of your life.

Here is an exercise to get the flood of love flowing.

• Hold an image in mind of someone for whom you hold other than 100% feelings of love.
• Notice any tightening or clutching feelings.
• Now think of just one positive thing about that person. Maybe it is the color of their eyes, or the fact that they are passionate about politics. Anything will do.
• Merely allow yourself to feel as much love as you do for that person in this moment (even if it is not much).
• Now keep asking yourself, "can I feel in more love for this person now?" and let that love feeling grow and grow.
• You may notice that, instead of rewarding that person for the injustice, you begin to move towards a feeling of bliss, love and acceptance of that person.
• Once you have powerful feelings of love for this person and you are in bliss, ask yourself, "can I now let go and forgive this person, and allow them to be just as they are now?"
  

If you love this exercise, why not try it with every person in your life. You can even try it with people that you have mainly positive feelings for. It's a great way to deepen love that you already have as well.

Responsibility And So Called Negative Intentions

"If I think the entire Universe into existance, then why isn't the Universe exactly the way I want it. Why don't I have everything I want now."

Well dear-one, if you are experiencing that which you do not desire, it is because your thoughts to the contrary are dominant. I know it's a tough pill to swallow but you are indeed responsible for everything you experience.

"But that's crazy. Why would I want to experience a lack of abundance, or unhealthy relationships, or poor health?"

That is a slightly more complicated matter. I'm sure that much of the time, consciously, you do not desire any of the things you think of as "bad". However, there is some part of you - conscious or otherwise, that is bringing these things into existance.

Firstly, the Universe does not interpret negative thoughts negatively. It doesn't know or care about good or bad, it only responds to your thoughts. If you are worried about being in debt, your dominant thought is debt - and the Universe will bring you more.

Isn't it wonderful to have such an obedient servant?

Metaphysically, you must take full responsability for your Universe right now. Then, you must train your mind to only hold that which you desire, not that which you would avoid.

If money is your problem, having poverty consciousness is not going to help. Instead only think about wealth. Some egos might say that this is a form of denial, but the true denial is hold on to the victim mentality. For now it may be more confortable to blame others and the Universe for your problems when you brought them about. This is the mindset of a victim.

Adopt instead the mindset of the victor. Take full responsability and consciously create your Universe at all times. Eliminate negative intentions and replace them with only thoughts about those things you really want to bring about. You can be, do, and have anything you want now.

Cultivate The Attitude of Gratitude

One of the most important lessons in the metaphysics of abundance and manifestation is being gracious and showing gratitude. By being genuinely grateful for the things you have, you send a signal to the Universe to send you more wonderful things and experiences. Spend time daily thinking of those things you are thankful for.

You may also try this experiment. Think of something you'd like to manifest in your life. Close your eyes and imagine, as vividly as possible, what life will be like when you have manifested it. Put yourself into a moving scene, feel the sensations, smell the smells, hear the sounds. Now, simply allow yourself to become as grateful as you can be to the Universe for producing Exactly what you desired. Be grateful now as if you already have the thing that you are now manifesting.

This is the essence of conscious creation, and you will amaze yourself the first few times your dreams become reality. Keep the gratitude and all good things will be yours.

Another great practice is to remember to say thank you. My twin girls were born prematurely and wound up spending a few weeks in Intensive Care. Every day I thanked the Universe for our little gifts and how well they were doing. The nurses were simply amazed at how well our girls were doing, and how quickly they grew.

Every day, when we visited the hospital, we thanked the nurses for taking such good care of our children. Even though many of them said, "it's our job," every one's face would light up. Over time, the nurses became a second family to us. Many of them would try to switch assignments to be able to work with our girls. The nurses would even afford us special 'perks' - letting us stay past designated visiting times.

When you thank people and the Universe (same thing really), you must be genuine and mean it. An off the cuff "thanks" when a waitress brings you a glass of water has little energy behind it. "Thank you, I can see how busy you are," goes so much farther.

Be specific, be genuine. Everything in the Universe is rightfully yours for the asking, as long as you play by its rules.