The spirit makes life-changing choices within seconds. The mind would then spend years later rationalizing those choices.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Desires and Rationalities
The Spirit desires without regard for reasons; but the Mind must reason and justify all desires.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
What Our Children Are Not...
They are NOT your...
...personal punching bag.
...patches to cover your inadequacies.
...trophies to impress to your friends.
...troublesome burdens from which you must abandon.
...personal 401K account.
...lifelong free domestic help.
...second chances to recover your unrealized dreams.
What they are is...
...a reflection of you and all your weaknesses and strengths.
...one of your most important spiritual teachers.
...a unique, one-of-a-kind creation from God.
...personal punching bag.
...patches to cover your inadequacies.
...trophies to impress to your friends.
...troublesome burdens from which you must abandon.
...personal 401K account.
...lifelong free domestic help.
...second chances to recover your unrealized dreams.
What they are is...
...a reflection of you and all your weaknesses and strengths.
...one of your most important spiritual teachers.
...a unique, one-of-a-kind creation from God.
Love...what else is there? (part 2)
Love is Awareness.
You can't truly know something unless you love it. And you can't truly love something unless you feel like you've known it since forever.
You can't truly know something unless you love it. And you can't truly love something unless you feel like you've known it since forever.
Amazing Life
I've learned the hard way that you cannot expect to have an amazing life without making some spectacular choices.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Where do you live?
Most people would tell you the name of their city or state when asked the above question...but the question did not ask what geographic locations in which their bodies are located.
Where you live is wherever your mind happens to be. Some live in the future with all the worries of what might happen versus what should happen. Some live in the past with their pain and trauma, unable to forgive or unable to let go. Some live inside their anger, bitterness, and resentment. And some live cowering in a deep cave where they can be left alone with their fears.
Where you live is wherever your mind happens to be. Some live in the future with all the worries of what might happen versus what should happen. Some live in the past with their pain and trauma, unable to forgive or unable to let go. Some live inside their anger, bitterness, and resentment. And some live cowering in a deep cave where they can be left alone with their fears.
Jing, Shen, and Qi
Jing and Shen are like protons and electrons in atoms. Jing stays in the nucleus while Shen orbits around it. What connects them is Qi. The vast "emptiness" between Jing and Shen is Qi.
When you expand your awareness, you expand the orbit in which your Shen inhabits. The larger the orbit, the more Qi is required. The more Qi is required, the deeper you must enter your Jing.
This is why when a person truly practices the art of spiritual awareness, she must often "retreat" from the people in her life every so often. The larger the extent of her Shen orbit, the more centered she must be over her Jing. The more awareness of the world she chooses, the deeper she must cultivate her Jing.
Awareness is an expression of Love. It is an energy-requiring process. Being centered would let her access her Jing more readily while maintaining her awareness.
This process is not much different from the conversion of matter to energy as described by Einstein in the famous equation E=mc2. Here Jing is the matter, Qi is the energy, and Shen the manifestation of that energy.
Jing = essence
Shen = Heart, Spirit, or Mind (also applicable are awareness, mindfulness, love)
Qi = energy
When you expand your awareness, you expand the orbit in which your Shen inhabits. The larger the orbit, the more Qi is required. The more Qi is required, the deeper you must enter your Jing.
This is why when a person truly practices the art of spiritual awareness, she must often "retreat" from the people in her life every so often. The larger the extent of her Shen orbit, the more centered she must be over her Jing. The more awareness of the world she chooses, the deeper she must cultivate her Jing.
Awareness is an expression of Love. It is an energy-requiring process. Being centered would let her access her Jing more readily while maintaining her awareness.
This process is not much different from the conversion of matter to energy as described by Einstein in the famous equation E=mc2. Here Jing is the matter, Qi is the energy, and Shen the manifestation of that energy.
Jing = essence
Shen = Heart, Spirit, or Mind (also applicable are awareness, mindfulness, love)
Qi = energy
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
A Healer's Role
Each clinical hour should begin without memory, without desire, and without understanding. The intentional remembering of the previous session (holding to who the patient was in the past), the desire (to cure or to influence), and the illusion of understanding, all contend against the kind of receptivity that allows something entirely new to arise. A healer's role is to be there, but out of the way.
-from One Continuous Mistake by Gail Sher
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence... is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle
-from One Continuous Mistake by Gail Sher
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence... is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle
Opposites
If your mind is full of Fear, there is no room for Love.
If you want Guarantees in life, then you are not Living.
If your future is Secured, then you have surrendered all of your Freewill.
If all you see in your life are Obligations, then you have blinded yourself to your Opportunities.
If all your answers are from Sages, then you have already stop listening to your own Intuition.
If you seek to cheat Death, then you have already forgotten that you are Immortal.
If your chosen path is garnished with Approvals, then you are walking away from your True Self.
If your happiness must depend on someone, then let that someone be you.
If you want Guarantees in life, then you are not Living.
If your future is Secured, then you have surrendered all of your Freewill.
If all you see in your life are Obligations, then you have blinded yourself to your Opportunities.
If all your answers are from Sages, then you have already stop listening to your own Intuition.
If you seek to cheat Death, then you have already forgotten that you are Immortal.
If your chosen path is garnished with Approvals, then you are walking away from your True Self.
If your happiness must depend on someone, then let that someone be you.
Dulling the Sensitiviy
Acupuncture is essentially an art. The needles are our paint brushes and the patients our canvases. But that's where the analogy stops. What is so readily visible in art is invisible in acupuncture. The medium that acupuncturists use is energy, something that even science has difficulty quantifying.
Recent experiences have led me to the conclusion that there is a choice every acupuncturist has to make: to be sensitive or to be dull. It's a personal choice and one that requires a certain amount of soul searching.
Before getting into acupuncture and practicing Qi Gong, I was essentially a "dull" individual. I had a normal amount of intuition that let me know if someone is happy or sad...which is to say not much at all. This "dullness" immunized me against most "toxic" energies. Back then being in the same room with people with repressed emotions had no effect on me. I was clueless but happily immunized in the unspoken emotional world.
As I gain sensitivity, I gain insights without the need to communicate directly with people. I stop listening to "what is said" and more to "how things are said", which speaks much more clearly and loudly than "what is said" can ever could. However the sensitivity comes at a cost. Any energy that is perceived must also be interpreted. And that means it has to be internalized. This is why daily practice of Qi Gong (or any other form of breath control and meditation) is so important. A sensitive acupuncturist has to have a method of releasing these toxic energies from this own being in order to remain healthy.
A "dull" acupuncturist need not worry about any of this.
Recent experiences have led me to the conclusion that there is a choice every acupuncturist has to make: to be sensitive or to be dull. It's a personal choice and one that requires a certain amount of soul searching.
Before getting into acupuncture and practicing Qi Gong, I was essentially a "dull" individual. I had a normal amount of intuition that let me know if someone is happy or sad...which is to say not much at all. This "dullness" immunized me against most "toxic" energies. Back then being in the same room with people with repressed emotions had no effect on me. I was clueless but happily immunized in the unspoken emotional world.
As I gain sensitivity, I gain insights without the need to communicate directly with people. I stop listening to "what is said" and more to "how things are said", which speaks much more clearly and loudly than "what is said" can ever could. However the sensitivity comes at a cost. Any energy that is perceived must also be interpreted. And that means it has to be internalized. This is why daily practice of Qi Gong (or any other form of breath control and meditation) is so important. A sensitive acupuncturist has to have a method of releasing these toxic energies from this own being in order to remain healthy.
A "dull" acupuncturist need not worry about any of this.
10 Things I Learned from my Autistic Son
10. Autism is NOT a disease.
9. I don't need to keep the house neat and clean ALL of the time.
8. Forget about ever "being in control" again.
7. Other people's opinions don't matter much anymore.
6. The answers to the question "What would God have me do now?" becomes obvious once I replace the word "Love" for "God".
5. I no longer have expectations about anything.
4. Patience...unbelievable amount of patience.
3. There is nothing I cannot accomplish if I start with Love.
2. He is "stubborn and unyielding" because that is his purpose. How else could a child change his father?
1. He is here to change me because deep down I had been yearning for that change but just did not know how to get there.
9. I don't need to keep the house neat and clean ALL of the time.
8. Forget about ever "being in control" again.
7. Other people's opinions don't matter much anymore.
6. The answers to the question "What would God have me do now?" becomes obvious once I replace the word "Love" for "God".
5. I no longer have expectations about anything.
4. Patience...unbelievable amount of patience.
3. There is nothing I cannot accomplish if I start with Love.
2. He is "stubborn and unyielding" because that is his purpose. How else could a child change his father?
1. He is here to change me because deep down I had been yearning for that change but just did not know how to get there.
Theft and All its Variances
“there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every
other sin is a variation of theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life... you
steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you
tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal
the right to fairness... there is no act more wretched than stealing.”
from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
It's been a decade since I last read those words, but it's only now that I fully realize its full impact. All trespasses committed by one being over another are essentially unauthorized abductions of another being's energy.
It could as simple as a theft of a bag of chip from a convenience store or as complicated as Hitler's war crimes during World War II. Theft involves not only the obvious like things, ideas, or lives; but also the not-so-obvious like trust, faith, and love.
When a father forces his son into the family business, he is stealing son's freedom of choice.
When a mother forbids her youngest daughter to marry so that she can have a caretaker in her old age, she is stealing her daughter's future.
When a man cheats on his wife, he is stealing her love and loyalty.
When a Teacher withhold certain knowledge because he fears his disciples might surpass him, he is stealing their chances to grow.
When a woman monopolizes her friend's time so she can indulge herself in her own drama, she is stealing her friend's patience and sympathy.
When a priest asserts his position of power over his altar boys and girls in order to satisfy his own sexual needs, he is stealing their innocence.
When a father gets drunk and threatens his family with a knife, he is stealing their peace of mind.
And when a person loses Faith in God, he is stealing faith from himself.
from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
It's been a decade since I last read those words, but it's only now that I fully realize its full impact. All trespasses committed by one being over another are essentially unauthorized abductions of another being's energy.
It could as simple as a theft of a bag of chip from a convenience store or as complicated as Hitler's war crimes during World War II. Theft involves not only the obvious like things, ideas, or lives; but also the not-so-obvious like trust, faith, and love.
When a father forces his son into the family business, he is stealing son's freedom of choice.
When a mother forbids her youngest daughter to marry so that she can have a caretaker in her old age, she is stealing her daughter's future.
When a man cheats on his wife, he is stealing her love and loyalty.
When a Teacher withhold certain knowledge because he fears his disciples might surpass him, he is stealing their chances to grow.
When a woman monopolizes her friend's time so she can indulge herself in her own drama, she is stealing her friend's patience and sympathy.
When a priest asserts his position of power over his altar boys and girls in order to satisfy his own sexual needs, he is stealing their innocence.
When a father gets drunk and threatens his family with a knife, he is stealing their peace of mind.
And when a person loses Faith in God, he is stealing faith from himself.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
The Power to Change
What would you do if you have superpowers? It's a fantasy that most of us have indulged at one time or another. However, the reality is that none of us will ever need to follow through those fantasies. And the consequences of those superpowers will never leave the confine of our imagination.
A more relevant question would be: How would your power defines you? All of us makes decisions, and those decisions have consequences. Whatever type of power a person has, it amplifies those consequences and it exposes the person holding the power. A person with superpower is a person living under a magnifying glass.
The movie Chronicle examines this question. And it does a nice job of showing how power reflects the person that wields it.
Fortunately having superpower is not a prerequisite to know a person. Each and everyone of us has certain amount power within the confine of our own world. Some are power over others and some are over ourselves. These powers maybe not superpowers, but they are enough to be revealing to others.
The power to choose is the power to either (1) reinforces our true nature or (2) denies our true nature. The choices we make are from only one of two places: they are either love-based or fear-based decisions. Because the true nature of human beings is Love, only choices that reinforces our true nature are acceptable to our souls.
Ultimately all choices made in denial of our true nature will be recognized as such by us. These choices will be offered to us over and over again until the time when we choose to make them in accordance to our true nature. No choice is ever "right" or "wrong", of course. But the choices that denies our true nature would never sit well with us for long. Human beings will find a way to correct all fear-based decisions and transform them to love-based ones. This process may take a whole lifetime or it may take 100 lifetimes. There is no time limit.
How I arrived at the above conclusion is not only from abstraction. I have many personal fear-based experiences...some of which have been corrected to love-based ones and some are still in the process of being transformed. And of course, I am still making fear-based decisions on a daily basis. The big difference, however, is that now I KNOW they will all be corrected eventually.
Love...what else is there?
Jing is the seed of Love.
Qi is the energy of Love.
Shen is the expression of Love.
Qi is the energy of Love.
Shen is the expression of Love.
Personal Journeys
Each of us is born to make 2 journeys: one as far outwardly as possible and one as deeply inward as possible.
Miracles
Some of us are meant to be angels and some are meant only to see angels. But both are equally important in the making of a miracle.
The Motorcycle and the Trucks
Two 18-wheelers were car watching by the side of the road. They saw a motorcycle entered a 20 mph curve while traveling at 50 mph. The motorcycle exited unscathed. One truck turned to the other and said, "That looks like a lot of fun. I want to try it!" The other truck enthusiastically agreed.
The first truck took off and began to accelerate toward the curve. As he approached the entrance of the curve, he suddenly realized that he was NOT going to make the turn safely and slammed on his brakes. He screeched to a stop just before hitting the side railings.
The second truck scoffed at his friend‘s cowardice. "I am not going to chicken out," he said to himself. He sped toward the curve with abandonment. Before he realized that it was a mistake, he was already flying off the cliff and heading quickly into the ocean below.
A third truck was watching the whole thing from atop another bluff. He remarked to himself, "It does look like a lot of fun...if you are a motorcycle."
"If you know yourself and nothing of your enemy, you will win 50% of the time. If you know your enemy and nothing of yourself, you will also win 50% of the time. If you know nothing about yourself nor of your enemy, you will lose 100% of the time." Sun Tzu from Art of War.
"If you know yourself and nothing of your enemy, you will win 50% of the time. If you know your enemy and nothing of yourself, you will also win 50% of the time. If you know nothing about yourself nor of your enemy, you will lose 100% of the time." Sun Tzu from Art of War.
Perception and Reality
A documentary about a man who saved hundreds of Jewish children during WWII made me realized something today. It doesn't matter if the human race could ever eradicate wars or any other human atrocities in the future. What matters is HOW those atrocities create changes in ourselves.
On the same night, another documentary was aired about a different subject (Music in the Congo). Although the circumstances are entirely different, the theme of finding light among darkness is the same.
The world is full of human atrocities if you look hard enough. However, WHERE you are, or WHEN your are, or WHAT your particular situation may be matters very little. These factors cannot determine WHO you are. What matters in the evolutionary game of raising consciousness is how will YOU respond when facing something you know to be "wrong". Can you step up at the right time to do what needs to be done like what Nicholas Winton did? Will YOU be able to look pass all the poverty and misery of the Congo and BE happy like the musicians of the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra?
In the game of being human, each of us has a unique path to find that ray of HOPE and LOVE in the dark corners of our lives. This is how we change our individual perceptions of the world. And when perceptions of the world is changed, the reality of the world is also changed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/saving-the-children-during-world-war-11-60-minutes/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/producer-finds-musical-sweet-spot-in-the-congo-2/
On the same night, another documentary was aired about a different subject (Music in the Congo). Although the circumstances are entirely different, the theme of finding light among darkness is the same.
The world is full of human atrocities if you look hard enough. However, WHERE you are, or WHEN your are, or WHAT your particular situation may be matters very little. These factors cannot determine WHO you are. What matters in the evolutionary game of raising consciousness is how will YOU respond when facing something you know to be "wrong". Can you step up at the right time to do what needs to be done like what Nicholas Winton did? Will YOU be able to look pass all the poverty and misery of the Congo and BE happy like the musicians of the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra?
In the game of being human, each of us has a unique path to find that ray of HOPE and LOVE in the dark corners of our lives. This is how we change our individual perceptions of the world. And when perceptions of the world is changed, the reality of the world is also changed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/saving-the-children-during-world-war-11-60-minutes/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/producer-finds-musical-sweet-spot-in-the-congo-2/
Choices
Each and every one of us has a choice. We can choose to be the best version of ourselves or we can be anything else. Whatever we choose, God would still love us the same. But if you choose to be the best version of yourself, you would be a source of unimaginable power, unlimited love, and infinite wisdom. Isn't the choice kind of a no-brainer?
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