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"If you don't like something,
change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
- Maya Angelou.
7 July 2002.
If you send enough light,
little-by-little it will build up and may then manifest or be used as something
positive.
Train yourself to respond to
negativity from others with positive speech and action. You don’t have to feel
or think positively to do that. It’s just a tool, an act, with desired results.
Buddha’s advice to Ananda regarding
How to treat evil-natured people (Bhiksus - devotees):
“The Buddha said, ‘That is no
problem at all. Simply be silent and they will go away. Fight evil people with
concentration power. Don’t be moved by them. If they are evil, don’t be evil in
return. If a mad dog bites you and you bite him back, you’re just a dog
yourself. Evil-natured people are born with a bad-temper. All you can do is
ignore them and they will soon lose interest and leave!’“ - Tripitaka Master
Hua (A General Explanation of the Buddha
Speaks of Amitäbha Sütra, Sino-American Buddhist Association, Inc., CA,
U.S., 1974, p.54).
The spider (gentle person) does not
give you any benefit directly. The benefit is indirect. The gentle person leaves you alone, lets you feel free
and happy, does not add to your struggle to feel happy. The spider’s
benevolence is such that it does not harm you and allows your inner nature to
flow and your light to shine easily...but it depends on you, living in
sunshine.
The mosquito (aggressive person)
gives you grief directly! The aggressor confronts and threatens you, even harms
you. The mosquito’s very presence is menacing because it instinctively wants to
bite you! Not necessarily to attack you but to release its own fury and craziness.
It also, however, tried to challenge and restrict your freedom and happiness so
you don’t have more than it does. You must make an effort to make your inner
nature flow within you and shine your light. It is a test. Like, in a cold,
dark climate, you must use your will to shine and be positive.
So, accept and love the spider and
mosquito equally. You can’t love spiders and invite them round to tea and then
hate mosquitoes and instantly kill them! (Er, which tends to be my deep-rooted
attitude, hence the learning curve!). You don’t have to invite trouble, but if
it happens, be strong, no matter what happens in the realm of illusion.
Retrospective
inserts.
I went to India loving all creatures
including mosquitoes until I was bombarded by them. I was a vegan at the time
and living in relative spiritual purity. By the end of my seven-month trip, I
hated mosquitoes and didn’t give a second thought to killing them. When I
arrived at Sai Baba’s ashram in Puttaparthi it was very late and there were no
spaces left for me to sleep but a girl told me one might be available
somewhere. She went off to find one. I sat beneath a staircase and meditated
for about three hours, expecting to still be there in the morning. Eventually,
the girl did actually return having found somewhere for me to sleep for the
night. While I sat on the concrete floor wearing a lunghi, with my back against
the wall, I was bitten by mosquitoes constantly but just remained in deep
meditation and ignored the assault. After a couple of hours, Sai Baba entered
my mind, telling me not to be afraid. I don’t recall him saying anything else.
All I remember is receiving the most powerful, magical degree of divine
love-energy imaginable for some time, which cannot be put into words. Quite an
incredible and very special experience.
“Sometimes
your thoughts fly around you like mosquitoes irritating you, stirring up fear
and wanting to draw your strength from you. Let your thoughts be more like
butterflies coming to the flower of your heart; expressions of beauty drinking
from the nectar within.” - Sananda (channelled through Christopher Sell, ‘The
Chambers of Your Heart,’ 22 March 2012, www.heaven-on-earth.co.uk).
I moved to London loving all people of all races and, by
the end, after my encounters with selfish, hateful and resentful people, I grew
much less tolerant of younger souls living in areas like this. Certainly, with
the mosquitoes living next door, there have been times when I would not have
given second thought to killing them. Yet, I find myself stuck here, just as I
was beneath the stairs in Sai Baba’s ashram, again having to rise above
irritation, and wickedness. The difference is that it is psychological torment.
Also, I cannot be in deep meditation all the time! I have had to explore the
situation from various angles.
I have never seen so many flies as
there have been around in the summer for the last few years (about 2005
onwards). They fly around frantically, buzzing loudly and lay eggs in my cat’s
food! If you kill a fly - or, indeed, engage in any act of aggression you deem
necessary, the least you can do, out of respect for all life, is resist any
temptation to derive pleasure from another creature’s suffering or death. It is
not a question of morality but of necessity. One day, all forms of killing will
be abandoned but, in the meantime, we can develop a love of all nature and, if
we so choose, kill (or eat animals that have been killed) with loving
responsibility.
Personally, I adore spiders so much
that I get slightly upset if ever I accidentally maim or drown one. I give the
creature an immediate mercy killing, removing its suffering. With spiders, I
sometimes bless them or send them love on their way. However, I will crush a
snail out of physical existence if I have accidentally trodden on one in the
dark on the way home or something. What that says about me is that I am
compassionate but respect death more than suffering which I perhaps do not
value enough. I do not really feel that being in a physical body is ‘sacred.’
I’m certainly not a pro-life Christian (or any other kind!) and I am distinctly
against the use of medical science to keep people alive even if they are
suffering so much they would rather leave their bodies. I am a keen advocate of
passing assisted death laws. There is only so much one can take and, in my
hubris, I simply do not care if even the gods see it differently. Basically,
death is no big deal, suffering is, in my view. That is because there is no
real death, only a shift from one state of consciousness to another.
"I'd
rather write about laughing than crying, for laughter makes men human, and
courageous. BE
HAPPY!” - François Rabelais (1494-1553).
Much that I have suffered in my life
has resulted from being very sensitive and feeling pain intensely. The despair
I have experienced at times is suffering on a very deep level. On a positive
note, it shows that I am strong enough to undergo such challenging conditions. I
am aware that all suffering is there to promote growth of the soul towards
perfection. It is work. A prospector pans and digs for gold. Yet, he is not
rewarded until his long, arduous sacrifice has paid off. And, then, when he
finds just a tiny little nugget, others look to him either in hope of
increasing their own chances of making a fortune. Often, they fear his presence
in their midst, as he himself is a ray of golden light, a reminder of that
which they have yet to discover within themselves and which they therefore seek
to banish. Unless he is able and careful to conceal it from other people, he
becomes a target for others’ greed and jealousy as well as a whole range of
fears and insecurities. It was hard enough finding the gold when he was left to
his own devices. Now, the world wants his blood and the only way he will get to
find and keep more gold is if he receives support both from those who wish to
buy it from him (along with the authorities). In addition, he needs support
from people who are happy for him and are prepared to help out, perhaps for a
small share or because they belong to the same community and have a common
goal. Thus, all of a sudden, the solitary figure of the gold prospector has to
stand up and be counted, revealing his light to the world. [Retrospective note:
Indigo starseeds like myself were, in fact, hidden from the world until the
year 2009. This was for our own protection but it meant that we were unable to
express our potential in the world or shine our light fully. Now that the Light
has returned to Earth and is growing daily, we are all set to move forward with
the accelerated frequencies and gradually unravel the truth of our
multidimensional being].
“Like all
strong people, she suffered always a measure of loneliness; she was a marginal
outsider, a secret infidel of a certain sort.” - Anne Rice (Interview With
the Vampire).
Although one might be growing rich
in spiritual energy, one’s relationships with other people could get more
tricky. You have something they want and if they cannot have it they might seek
to take it from you by scaring and hurting you. That way, they can continue to
feel superior because you are nothing without your spiritual treasure. Where
there is a bright light, the darkness will often pounce on it. There is a war
going on between those who identify with the conscious part of the Creator’s
mind and those who have rebelled and taken refuge in the darkness and chaos of
its unconscious. Everything is God’s fault. All suffering can be traced back to
God because, in reality, there is but one Being. It is difficult for us to
appreciate that our suffering is a blessing, that it is an opportunity to
become individually conscious of God’s Being. We are little more than fragile
seedlings in a moist seed tray. Having freed ourselves from complete darkness,
we are now able to see the world of the Creator-Gardener but we don’t think
much of that either! Everything seems so pointless. We are reminded that
ignorance was bliss when we were mere seeds. Yet, we should realise that such a
perspective emerges because we have yet to express our full potential and
cannot even see over the edge of the seed tray. So, it is no wonder we are not
impressed and consider our suffering to be in vain. We all chose on some level
to be part of this ‘garden show.’ We could not resist the temptation to end up
in the Chelsea Flower Show. Yet, unlike the gardening experts, we growing
seedlings do not remember the original decision or desire to take this path
which seems to involve so much suffering. It seems too much to bear but at last
part of the reason is that we have forgotten where we have come from and where
we are going. Yet, the taller we grow, the more we can see of the world over
the tray walls, the more peace and joy fill our hearts and we understand that
our temporary (and illusory) suffering is for the glory of God which is ours to
savour for eternity.
One must have a disciplined mind and
perform the task of killing an insect as efficiently and quickly as possible,
without any feeling unless it is that of love. One needs to let go of any
subconscious projection seeking to come out, some emotion that may cause one to
delight in violence, to get off on negative energy which, whether one knows it
or not, comes from within the unconscious and feeds on the dark forces which
draw near. Those forces seek to increase destructive emotion in order to feed
of the energy it produces. They revel in our ignorance in the hope of receiving
further writhing morsels of shitty behaviour. Refuse this process. Eat the
apple when it is fresh. If you allow your mind to linger and indulge in the
body’s savage instincts you will open up a whole can of worms in your
unconscious - or you will find yourself eating a rotten apple filled with
satisfied maggots which live and breathe at your expense, at the expense of
your higher nature and, consequently, your divine right to be at peace and
experience joy. It is not a game or an opportunity to prove something or feel
powerful. It is regrettable to feel the need to take such action.
“You know, I think they were trying
to make a point with that sketch.”
“What’s the point?”
“You’re right, forget it.”
-
Waldorf and Statler from The Muppet Show
box (Season 2, Episode 9, created by Jim Henson).
The Dhammapada. Path
of Truth - Wisdom of the Buddha. Translated from Pali
by F. Max Muller (Clarendon
Press, Oxford, U.K., 1881).
1. All that
we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it
is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain
follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.
2. All
that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our
thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure
thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
3. 'He
abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,' - in those who harbour
such thoughts hatred will never cease.
4. 'He
abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,' - in those who do not
harbour such thoughts hatred will cease.
5. For
hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an
old rule.
6. The
world does not know that we must all come to an end here; - but those who know
it, their quarrels cease at once.
7. He
who lives looking for pleasures only, his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in
his food, idle, and weak, Mâra (the tempter) will certainly overthrow him, as
the wind throws down a weak tree.
8. He
who lives without looking for pleasures, his senses well controlled, moderate
in his food, faithful and strong, him Mâra will certainly not overthrow, anymore
than the wind throws down a rocky mountain.
9. He
who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed himself from sin,
who disregards temperance and truth, is unworthy of the yellow [robe].
10. But
he who has cleansed himself from sin, is well grounded in all virtues, and
regards also temperance and truth, he is indeed worthy of the yellow [robe].
11. They
who imagine truth in untruth, and see untruth in truth, never arrive at truth,
but follow vain desires.
12. They
who know truth in truth, and untruth in untruth, arrive at truth, and follow
true desires.
13. As
rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an
unreflecting mind.
14. As
rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break
through a well-reflecting mind.
15. The
evil-doer mourns in this world, and he
16. The
virtuous man delights in this world, and he delights in the next; he delights
in both. He delights and rejoices, when he sees the purity of his own work.
17. The
evil-doer suffers in this world, and he suffers in the next; he suffers in
both. He suffers when he thinks of the evil he has done; he suffers more when
going on the evil path.
18. The
virtuous man is happy in this world, and he is happy in the next; he is happy
in both. He is happy when he thinks of the good he has done; he is still more
happy when going on the good path.
19. The
thoughtless man, even if he can recite a large portion (of the law), but is not
a doer of it, has no share in the priesthood, but is like a cowherd counting
the cows of others.
20. The
follower of the law, even if he can recite only a small portion (of the law),
but, having forsaken passion and hatred and foolishness, possesses true
knowledge and serenity of mind, he, caring for nothing in this world or that to
come, has indeed a share in the priesthood.
[Note: I originally included a shorter and simpler translation by Thomas Byrom (1976) but the current publisher, Shambhala, wanted to charge me $55 for the privilege! I recommend reading it though if you get a chance. You could try this link: www.angelfire.com/ca/SHALOM/dhammapada.html].
[Note: I originally included a shorter and simpler translation by Thomas Byrom (1976) but the current publisher, Shambhala, wanted to charge me $55 for the privilege! I recommend reading it though if you get a chance. You could try this link: www.angelfire.com/ca/SHALOM/dhammapada.html].
“But what
is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?” -
Albert Camus.
“As you think so shall you be! Since you cannot physically experience
another person, you can only experience them in your mind. Conclusion: All of
the other people in your life are simply thoughts in your mind. Not physical
beings to you, but thoughts. Your relationships are all in how you think about
the other people of your life. Your experience of all those people is only in
your mind. Your feelings about your lovers come from your thoughts. For
example, they may in fact behave in ways that you find offensive. However, your
relationship to them when they behave offensively is not determined by their
behaviour, it is determined only by how you choose to relate to that behaviour.
Their actions are theirs, you cannot own them, you cannot be them, you can only
process them in your mind." - Dr. Wayne Dyer, PhD.
“Good
humour is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and
depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens
human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.” –
Greenville Kleisser.
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