Refusing Abuse (Sai Baba's version of the Buddha Cake Story)

From Summer Showers in Brindavan 1977

By Sathya Sai Baba

Includes an alternative version of Buddha asking what would happen if the Brahmin gave him a cake and he did not accept it (as with anger).

p.184. What is the way to immortality? Removal of mortality is the only way to immortality. Narrow and immoral ideas like being unjust and unkind, causing harm to others, must be set aside. What is the reason for this? One should accept that whatever exists in another person is also the same divine spirit which is in you. How can we then have jealousy or hatred towards another?

                When sometimes other people conduct themselves badly, then you should pray to God that they be purified and they should not conduct themselves badly. But do not subject yourself to jealousy and bad conduct. I am hoping that you would recognise the divine aspect of atma, the one aspect for which there is no parallel and that you will promote your sacred ideas.

                Divyatmaswarupas: You must all make an attempt with determination to coordinate your thought, word and deed. It has been said that the proper study of mankind is man. It is only when you do that and it is only when you recognise human nature, will you be able to understand true divinity. But today there is no proper study of mankind. This is the reason why human nature has sunk down to the very lowest depths and man is not able to live like a human being.

p.218-221. The essence of education is to recognise the truth. All branches of learning are like rivers. The spiritual learning branches of learning are like the rivers. The spiritual learning is like the ocean. All rivers go and merge into the ocean. When they merge in the ocean, the rivers lose their individuality completely. Under no circumstances should we give room to excitement, to ego and to anger.

                There is one little example for this. In one village, there was a village head who did not like Buddha. The moment he heard any words uttered by Buddha, he used to get angry. He was always suffering from uncontrolled anger. One day, he learnt the news that Buddha was coming to that village with his disciples. Since he was the head of the village, he issued a certain order. The order was that when Buddha came asking for alms, no one should give him alms and all should close their doors. Following this order, all the people in the village closed the doors of their respective houses when Buddha came. The head of the village also closed the doors and was sitting in the verandah outside the door.

                Buddha was all-knowing and he knew what was happening. With his disciples he came to the very house in which the village head was living. Great people will never be affected either by praise or by blame. Such people, having developed equal-mindedness, will go right in front of those who are suffering from jealousy and ego. This village head was suffering from such ignorance and pride and Buddha went straight to him and asked for alms. The village head, who was waiting for such an opportunity, became even more excited. A person who is sick will always want to take several medicines. Certain birds will always be wanting to look at cool moonshine. Good people will always want to help bad people and to see that the badness in them is removed and they are cleansed. It is only one who has a disease and is sick who wants a doctor. A healthy man does not want a doctor. Similarly, people who are suffering from the disease of disbelief can be cured by good people.

                With such noble ideas, Buddha, along with his disciples, went to the house of the village headman and said, ‘Bhavati, bhikshan dehi.’ ‘I have come to ask for alms.’ When he saw Buddha and the disciples accompanying him, the headman became very angry. He addressed Buddha and said, ‘You lazy man, you have collected all these people in your company, and they have become lazy. You are taking them round because they do not want to work. Not only are you ruining your own life, you are also ruining the lives of your disciples. This is wrong. In that manner, he abused Buddha and the disciples who came with him.

                Buddha smiled at all this and, smiling, asked the head of the village if he could clarify a doubt for him. The headman said in a very loud voice, ‘What is your doubt? Let me know.’ Buddha said, ‘I have come to ask for alms from you. You have brought something in order to give it to me. If I do not accept what you wish to give to me, where will it go?’ The village headman laughingly replied, ‘What a big question you have asked! If you do not wish to take what I have brought for you, I will take it back myself.’ Buddha said that he was very happy. ‘I have come here along with my disciples for taking alms from you. You have brought abuse and you want to give it to me as alms. But I have not accepted the bhiksha you brought for me in the form of abuse. To whom will it go back?’ With this, the ego of that village headman subsided. In this manner, great people and great saints go to several persons and with a view to enlighten them, adopt different methods. By such things we should not let our mind become impure. At all times, we should make an attempt to cleanse our mind and make it pure. The house which we use every day, we undertake to clean it day after day. So also if this mind of ours, which we have to use every moment, is not cleaned often, great damage will result. Our mind is like a copper vessel. This copper vessel will gather rust from moment to moment. We are using the water of repentance to cleanse this pot of our mind from time to time.

                If anyone abuses you or accuses you, you should not get excited. With equanimity, you should be prepared to take what they give you. In this sacred age of yours, excitement is a very harmful thing. If you think of the Lord for five minutes all that excitement will vanish. These states of excitement are transient and temporary and are not permanent. If anyone amongst you, with an inimical feeling, accuses others, you must be prepared to repent. One can also think of another method of understanding this situation. Suppose some friend of yours sends you a registered letter through the post. According to the rules of the postal department, if you wish to receive it, you have to sign on a receipt. If you do not agree to sign, where does that registered letter go? It will go back to the address from which it has come. In this manner, whatever others may say, yet if you feel that they are not for you and if you are only a witness, then nothing will come to you.

                Divyatmaswarupas: You are truly only witnessing persons. Not only in regard to worldly matters but also in regard to spiritual matter, you should remain as witnesses only. But you should ask the question, such of us who are only to witness, where from have we come? Where do we go? If you cannot obtain an answer to these two questions, then what is the purpose of life? We post an envelope in the post-box. On that envelope, either there must be a ‘from’ address or the address to which it has to go. If both of them are not present, where will the envelope go? It will simply be removed from the post-box and burnt. As in that analogy, if we do not know from where we have come and where we have to go, we will be discarded as useless and thrown away. If any group teacher comes and asks one of you, ‘Where from have you come?’ If you are not in a position to reply, then he asks you, ‘Where are you going?’ And if you are not in a position to reply to that also, what will the happen to you? We have come into this world which is a mithya. Everything in this world is asking you, ‘Where have you come from?’ All the Upanishads are asking you, ‘Where are you going? What is your destination.’ Upanishads tell you that you are the child of immortality. You must have a firm belief that you have come from the aspect of atma, and that you will be going back to immortality.

                Students, in order to cleanse your minds, you should promote sacred prema [love] in yourselves. To just keep talking of devotion does not fulfil the purpose of devotion. It is a mistake to think that you can control your future and go on praising yourselves that you have devotion. Love of God is the main symptom of bhakti, or devotion.

Sri Sathya Sai Education & Publication Foundation, Andhra Pradesh, India, 1977

Santhi (peace) & Udaaseenabhava (unaffectedness)

From Prashanti Vahini 

By Sathya Sai Baba

p.12-17. Become the messengers of the Santhi that has no beginning or end. Hold forth for humanity the Light of Santhi. Live the ideal life, ever contented, ever joyous, ever happy.

                The Sadhakas and Bhakthas of old reached their goal through Santhi only. Santhi gave Ramdas, Tukaram, Kabir, Thyagaraja, Nandanar etc. the fortitude needed to bear all the calumny, torture and travail that was their lot. If Sadhakas base their efforts on these examples, they will be free of anger, despair or doubt. The accounts of their struggles and successes, if contemplated upon, are more useful to the Sadhaka than the contemplation of the powers and accomplishments of the Lord. They will help him to try out in their own experience the methods which these others developed. One can attain Santhi by recalling how they overcame handicaps, bore troubles, and what paths they trod to cross over to the other bank.

                It will be found that Santhi was the main instrument which saved them from the coils of anger, pain, conceit, doubt and despair. Therefore, listen, O Sudhakas! Acquire the instrument, Santhi, by the Grace of the Lord. Direct all efforts to that end.

                Whatever trouble, however great the travail, persist and win, by means of Smarana. Remember Bhishma! Though prostrate on a bed of arrows, he bore the pain patiently, awaiting the dawn of the auspicious moment: he never called out to God in his agony, asking Him to put an end to his suffering. ‘I shall bear everything, whatever the pain, however long the agony. I shall be silent until the moment comes. Take me when it dawns,’ he said. For Bhishma was the chief among the Santha-Bhaktas. He lay firm and unshakeable.

                Santhi is essential for everyone; having it is having all; not having it takes away the joy of everything. Though Santhi is the very nature of Man, anger and greed succeed in suppressing it. When they are removed, Santhi shines, in its own effulgence.

                Man must always have calm thoughts. Then only can his mind have equanimity. It is just a question of the discipline of the mind, difficult in the beginning, but, once mastered, capable of conquering all troubles and worries. An unruffled mind is very necessary for every aspirant who is marching forward; it is one of his beneficial qualities. Such a mind gives real strength and happiness. Strive to gain it, though you may fail even in seven attempts. You are sure to succeed in the eighth, if you refuse to be dispirited. The story of Bruce who drew inspiration from a spider, and won the honours of victory at the eighth attempt is worth remembering. What is it that gave him the victory? Santhi, the unruffled mind. He did not yield to despair, cowardice or helplessness; he was calm throughout, and he secured success. Even if calamity befalls, the Sadhaka should not lose heart. The mind must ever be pure, untarnished and calm, full of courage. No weeping for the past, no faltering in the performance of the task at hand, that is the mark of a Sadhaka. Be prepared to have gladly any obstacle in the path. Only such can realise the goal.

                Elation at profit, joy and cheer; dejection at loss and misery, these are the natural characteristics common to all mortals. What, then, is the excellence of the Sadhaka? He should not forget the principle: be vigilant and suffer the inevitable, gladly. When difficulties and losses overwhelm you, do not lose heart and precipitate some action; but meditate calmly on how they ever came to be. Try to discover some simple means of overcoming them or avoiding them, in an atmosphere of Santhi.

                When the blow is directed to the head, see that the turban alone gets it; this is the mark of keen intelligence. Santhi is essential for this sharpness of intellect. Haste and worry will confuse the intelligence. Santhi develops all the beneficial characteristics of man. Even farsightedness grows through Santhi. Through that, obstacles and dangers can be anticipated and averted. Sadhakas have to pay attention to some subtle points here. He has some special problems, viz. his failings, mistakes, drawbacks, etc. The Ichchasakthi, or the Will to Feel can be so purified and strengthened that these failings will never more be recollected. If thoughts run after the failings and begin to dwell on how they came about, when they came about, etc., you are prone to commit a few more. Once they have been recognised as failings, why worry about their birth and ancestry? Allow your mind to dwell on good things, instead. Of what profit is it to spend time on things that are no longer necessary? Do not think of them anymore. The Sadhaka will find this attitude useful.

                If the Sadhaka is unsuccessful in following one discipline, he has to seek and know the cause of his defeat. This analysis is necessary. He must then see that, in the second stage, the trait is not repeated. He should try his best to guard himself against it. In such matters one must be quick and active, like the squirrel. Agility and vigilance must be combined with sharpness of intelligence, too. All this can be earned only though Santhi.

                Steady and undeviating earnestness is very important for avoiding conflicts in the mind and for overcoming them. One has to be calm and unruffled. Courage, wise counsel and steadiness, these will make the Will, the Ichchasakthi, strong and sturdy. Lustre in the face, splendour in the eye, a determined look, a noble voice, large0hearted charity of feeling, unwavering goodness, these are the sign-posts of a developing and progressing Will-Force. A mind without agitations, a joyous and unblemished outlook, these are the marks of a person in whom Santhi has taken root.

                The Bhaktha can well pray for and ask from the Lord, the gift of such a Santhi, and also Sadgunas necessary for its growth. Why, the Sadhaka has as his capital for earning any of his goals, only this one thing, Prayer.

                Some people may have doubts related to this. Of what avail is Prayer? Will the Lord gratify all that we ask for, in our Prayers? He can give us only what, according to Him, we need, or what we deserve. Is it not? Will the Lord like to give us all that we ask for in our prayers to Him? Under such circumstances, what is the use of prayer? Of course all these doubts can be resolved.

                If the Bhaktha has dedicated his all, body, mind and existence, to the Lord, He will Himself look after everything, for He will always be with him. Under such conditions, there is no need for prayer. But, have you so dedicated yourself and surrendered everything to the Lord? No. When losses occur, or calamities come, or plans go away, the Bhaktha blames the Lord. Some, on the other hand, pray to Him to save them. Avoiding both these, as well as the reliance on others, if complete faith is placed on the Lord at all times, why should He deny you His Grace? Why should He desist from helping you? Men do not rely fully and unswervingly on the Lord; therefore, though you have to be the agent and the instrument doing everything, keep on paying with devotion and faith. Faith is the product of Santhi, not of haste and hurry. For the acquisition of the Grace of the Lord and the resulting Awareness of the Reality the quality of Santhi is the prime need. Every Sadhaka is aware how Draupadi deserved the Grace of the Lord, through her Dharma and her Santhi. Though her husbands were mighty heroes, and far-famed monarchs, she sought refuge in Lord Krishna, feeling that all others are of no use. But Prahlada did not seek refuge under similar circumstances. He had surrendered all at birth to the Lord; he knew that the Lord was ever by his side and that he was ever by the side of the Lord; so he had no need to call out to Him for protection. Prahlada was unaware of anything except the Lord; he could not distinguish between one function of the Lord and another. So, how could he pray for protection, he who did not know that He punished? For all such God-intoxicated and dedicated souls, prayer is unnecessary.

                But, until that stage is reached, prayer in an attitude of Santhi is essential for Sadhakas. Prayer of this type will promote equanimity, or Samarasa...If Bhajana is sung in a sweet voice, people will be drawn towards the Lord. Gradually, it will develop into the Love for God, and his Grace will follow in due course. One should patiently wait for that Grace.

 

p.84-85. When someone whose ways you do not appreciate comes near you, there is no need to find fault with him; there is no need either to laugh at him or show him your contempt. It is enough if you continue to do your work, unaffected by his arrival.

                Let those whose behaviour you do not appreciate follow their path, leave them alone. That is the Udaaseenabhava, the attitude of unaffectedness. After the dawn of love to the Absolute, the aspirant gets this bhaava towards all worldly things. To be more exact, one should constantly be turning over in the mind, the Reality of Brahma and the Unreality of Jagath, Brahma Sathyam: Jaganmithya. One must avoid comradeship with the bad and too much of friendship with the good, even! Attachment of this nature will drag one down from the centripetal path, the Nivrittimarga to the Pravrittimarga. Give up attachment with the momentary, the things clothed with the trappings of Name and Form. Once you have achieved this Udaaseenatha, or attitude of unaffectedness, you will have unshakeable Santhi [peace], self-control and purity of mind. You will have the steadiness and stability of Aasana.

Sri Sathya Sai Books, Andra Pradesh, India, 1962

 Spring Series 3 by Miss Menace

As you come into alignment your energy fields undergo a dramatic shift

By Saul

Channelled through John Smallman, 17 February 2013

These are exciting times for humanity as the intensifying energies of the New Age swirl around you, sweeping you up into an increasing awareness of your spiritual heritage: your oneness with one another and with God. Focus on the sensations that they inspire — an awakening realization that Love is the answer to every question, to every problem, to every conflict, to every confusion, to every fear . . . because there is only Love. That realization, stirring within the hearts of even the most staunch believers in the reality of the illusion, is leading you irrevocably homewards.

Love . . . Love . . . Love is where you need to focus your attention, because It is the divine energy field in which all of creation is conceived. It is abundant, kind, generous, inclusive, utterly accepting; and It contains all sensations – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and an infinite selection beyond those – which provide the constant experience of beauty and inspiration, gift-wrapped in Love, that your Father has created for your infinite fulfillment.

You can see from the reports on the mainstream media that there is still much behavior and activity across the world that can at best and most compassionately be described as unloving. However, the vast majority of humanity is finding it increasingly unacceptable as the embers of the original flame of Love within them stir and nudge them towards the awareness that will lead them to awaken. You are on course and on schedule for your grand awakening as you release anything within you that is not in alignment with God’s infinite Love for you.

Many of you are now finding that sensations of irritation, anger, even extreme rage, are among the unattractive moods and feelings that are rising up into your awareness to discombobulate and unsettle you. Do not engage with them; they will pass, although it can be helpful to scream, bang on drums, or hammer on unyielding surfaces to help with releasing the forceful and seemingly uncontrollable energies that have been set in motion. Do not project them onto others, even though something another has done may seem to have been the trigger that roused your ire and consequently makes it seem justifiable. These feelings are invariably ones that you have suppressed, buried, or denied, either because they seemed unacceptable or because it would have been too dangerous for you to express them at the moment they originated.

This is what psychology refers to as the shadow side. Every human has a shadow side, and it has to be fully integrated if you are to release the feelings of unworthiness, guilt, and shame that have accumulated over your many life-times. In the illusion there are countless opportunities to cause enormous harm to another or others – pain, intense suffering, death. What you have done in these circumstances is illusory, but because it appears so real it brings with it intense feelings of shame, guilt, and anger – anger with yourselves, which you seek intently and constantly to justifiably project onto others. Frequently, opportunities occur that apparently justify your rage, as you observe the unacceptable and gross misbehavior of others. When this happens remind yourselves that all are one!

Feelings of anger, guilt, and shame have to be acknowledge and accepted as your own. Initially, that can seem not only impossible but quite wrong: without doubt others are to blame for the anguish you have experienced! But as you allow these intense feelings space in your awareness so that you can observe them, you will realize with amazing clarity that this area of heartache is crying out to be comforted and loved by you – it is often referred to as your inner child.

Instead of moving into those feelings of wretchedness and attacking whoever is conveniently to hand, compassionately offer yourself the comfort and solace for the suffering you have undergone which was unavailable or denied to you at the moment of your pain. As you begin to comprehend what has brought you to this state, you will perceive with the eyes of an adult, and realize that those who impose pain and suffering are, themselves, in great pain . . . and you will find compassion for them. When that happens, an opportunity opens up within you to forgive: first yourselves, for any unacceptable things you may have said or done; and then others who have hurt you, your loved ones, or humanity at large. The dawning of this realization is a moment of tremendous healing for you, and as you are healed, your ability to express compassion and love expands enormously.

This healing allows you to open your hearts ever more fully in love, as your understanding of the insanity of what has come to be regarded by so many as normal behavior enables you to offer others only love and compassion — whatever the situation. This is you coming more fully into alignment with the energies of the divine field of Love enveloping you. And as you come into alignment your own energy fields undergo a dramatic shift: compassion and love flow through you and from you without effort, assisting all who come into contact with you to bring their energy fields increasingly into alignment with the divine one. And it is precisely this that you are on Earth to do.

When you feel overwhelmed by the suffering you observe throughout the world, remind yourselves immediately that Love is the solution, that It is flowing vigorously and compassionately throughout the whole observable universe, healing and comforting all who open to It. Doing this reopens your hearts — which you were allowing to close in response to your sense of overwhelm — as God’s Love fills them once more. Remind yourselves that you are never alone and can never be alone because you are all essential and inseparable parts of God’s creation, united with Him in every moment of your eternal existence. And rejoice!

With so very much love, Saul.

www.johnsmallman.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/as-you-come-into-alignment-your-energy-fields-undergo-a-dramatic-shift

In Memory of the Associates Star Part II

In Memory of the Associates Star Part I

 
Nocturne Seven

 

~ Andy Kellman, Rovi 

It wouldn't be right to say Billy Mackenzie was merely a special talent. His voice might bear dabs of David Bowie and Scott Walker, but his soulful falsetto shoots clean through any possible comparisons. Depending on your preference, you'll either feel as if you're inside a dream or a nightmare when listening to him. Hear him once and that sound will cling to your memory bank indefinitely. With Alan Rankine as Associates, the man with a four-octave voice and mile-deep soul attained his highest level of success with a number of chart hits and Top Ten LPs. As a solo artist, he appeared to be on the brink of a welcomed return just prior to exiting. Try to think of another voice that could possibly gain the admiration of Bono, Ian McCulloch, Morrissey, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The Scotland-born Mackenzie grew up under the spells of glam, soul, and standards, veering from Roxy Music to Philadelphia Soul to Engelbert Humperdinck. While auditioning for a cabaret troupe in 1976, he met Alan Rankine, with whom he forged an immediate bond. They shared the same rabid passion for music, including Krautrock, disco, and film music. Initially, the pair worked as a duo performing standards and soul covers. They eventually named themselves Associates and set about recording their own material. By 1982, the duo had racked up chart hits and a number of other recordings that fused their influences with a naturally experimental streak rarely seen before or since. However, Mackenzie's sometimes-flaky behavior and ardent refusal to become part of the industry's machinations helped build a rift between him and Rankine; they severed ties in October of 1982. Mackenzie continued Associates with supporting musicians, sporadically recording through 1990. Two years later, Mackenzie released his first solo record in name, Outernational. Around this time, Mackenzie linked with Rankine again only to see the reunion aborted. The label they were talking with wanted Mackenzie to devote all of his energies to the reunited Associates, handcuffing him from any outside work or freedom. Mackenzie refused to cave in, so a number of demos and written songs went unrealized. It has also been said that Rankine wanted Mackenzie's full artistic attention as well.

By 1995, Mackenzie found himself financially bankrupt. Nude Records became interested in Mackenzie, who signed a deal with them for another solo record. He also signed a publishing deal with Sony, with the wheels set in motion for Mackenzie to make another return. Four days after inking the publishing deal, he died from an overdose of prescription drugs while inside the shed of his father's Auchterhouse cottage. The culmination of his nagging depression and looming sadness since the death of his mother pushed him to his breaking point. He might not have reached 40 years of age, but there's little denying that he did enough living to fill several normal life spans.

The incomplete Nude recordings were released in 1997 as Beyond the Sun, thanks to post-session help from the Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde. Friend Paul Haig (Josef K) issued a couple of Mackenzie records on his Rhythm of Life label in the immediate years following his passing. 1999's Memory Palace is a collection of Mackenzie/Haig collaborative efforts dating from several years prior. 2001's Eurocentric compiles the recordings of Mackenzie with Steve Aungle made between 1992 and 1996. The man's soulful ebullience can also be found on records by the Skids, BEF, Yello, Siobhan Fahey, and Barry Adamson

www.shazam.com/music/web/track?id=40820171#

 

Recommended

The Affectionate Punch

Quotes from 'The Glamour Chase'

(TV documentary about Billy Mackenzie and The Associates)

Pop’s Great Outsider

“There is a sense that he was left down in that life wasn’t big nough for him.” – Siouxie Sioux.

“He didn’t want to be a pop singer. He wanted to be a pioneer. And that’s why he wanted to do electronic music because he saw that as the way forward.” – Steve Aungle.

“’Club Country’ basically invented House music five years before Marshall Jefferson invented it in Detroit. And I mean the hook ‘A drive from nowhere leaves you in the cold/Refrigeration keeps you young I’m told.’ And people sang along to his, you know.” – Tom Doyle (biographer).

“To sing like that, you have to know pain, I think. To be a great singer and to sing the songs of the type that Billy sings, you have to have this tortured soul, I think. And Billy was a tortured soul.” – Marc Almond.

”He was very, very close to my mum. He adored her. And she was so much fun. And even when she was in her fifties she’d act like a 20-year-old. You know. She was just so funny and great fun. And Billy felt so comfortable with her.” - Billy’s Sister.

“His mother took ill and, after she died, he really went…he really wasn’t himself, and he just felt very, very depressed.” - Billy’s Father.

“And then he became very agitated. And then he couldn’t sleep. And he just wasn’t thinking straight at all. And then he just got very disillusioned by life. but he knew that he wasn’t going to be here any longer.” - Billy’s Sister.

“And he just went blacker and blacker…and he took an overdose.” - Billy’s Father.

 “He had a magical view on life, you know, and a very innocent look on people, and life in general. And, after my mother died, it all just seemed to come crashing down.” - Billy’s Sister.

“I’ve had a hell of a lot of laughs in my life so far but I’ve never laughed as hard as I did with Bill.” – Alan Rankine.

Update

Dundee flat fall woman was Billy MacKenzie’s sister

The Associates: Billy Mackenzie & Alan Rankine

Valentine's Day Is Over

Clever Political Ditty

By Billy Bragg

Some day boy you'll reap what you've sown

You'll catch a cold and you'll be on your own

And you will see that what's wrong with me

Is wrong with everyone that

You want to play your little games on

Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats

You've gone to the dogs again and I'm not placing bets

On you coming home tonight anything but blind

If you take me for granted then you must expect to find

Surprise, surprise

Valentine's day is over, it's over

Valentine's day is over

If you want to talk about it well you know where the phone is

Don't come round reminding me again how brittle bone is

God didn't make you an angel the devil made you a man

That brutality and economy are related now I understand

When will you realise that as above so below there is no love

For the girl with the hour glass figure

Time runs out very fast

We used to want the same things but that's all in the past

And lately it seems that as it all gets tougher

Your ideal of justice just becomes rougher and rougher

Thank you for the things you bought me thank you for the card

Thank you for the things you taught me when you hit me hard

That love between two people must be based on understanding

Until that's true you'll find your things

All stacked out on the landing, surprise, surprise

© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Monstaville Book I. Chapter 5

5

“Calamity, danger, death cannot be avoided for all time. They are inevitable factors of life and you have to learn to live bravely with them.”

- Sathya Sai Baba (Facets of the Divine Diamond, compiled by Seema Kundra, New Delhi, India, 1990, p.C-1).

A Vacation in Limitation.

“As has oft been written: ‘You are not human beings who have spiritual experiences. You are really spiritual beings who are having a human experience. You come here from a State of Being where you can, literally, do or have ANYTHING - just by thinking it. You come here to take a ‘vacation’ from all that power - in the same way the CEO of a huge business conglomerate decides to take a week ‘off’ and go work at a ‘Dude Ranch.’ You fret, you fume, you struggle, within whatever specific context of limitation you install yourself. All the while, you are having the time of your life (or lives)! Though the Veil of Forgetfulness quite effectively hides this wry motivation from your conscious mind, you are really a bunch of Cosmic Houdinis, who secretly revel in the amount of handicaps that you can overcome. When you are done with life's journey, you return to your former estate, where you will, once again, take up the divinity that is your heritage, your birthright. And my goodness! What pictures you'll have to show your friends!’ (As you can tell, the Process of Fragmentation continues, at many levels of vibration).” (Extract from ‘The Physicality of Ascension,’ a transmission from The Reconnections, www.reconnections.net/physicality_of_ascension.htm).

“Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them...they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.” - Orison Swett Marden, founder of Success magazine.

“Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.” - Orison Swett Marden.

“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture... Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.” - Norman Vincent Peale.

“Obstacles are necessary for success…victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence and thus each obstacle is a comrade-in-arms forcing you to become better…or quit. Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them, and you throw away your future.” - Og Mandino.

“Be grateful for who you are. Be grateful for who you are to become. Be grateful for the boulders placed upon your path. For they are not obstacles, but stepping stones on your journey to self-realisation.” – Joe Keane.

“Liberation means the power to transcend obstacles.” - Unknown.

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.” - Frank A. Clark.

Sai Messages for You and Me. Volume II by Lucas Ralli - received in thought from Sai Baba. (Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Andhra Pradesh, India, 1987).

Obstacles.

p.86-87. What are obstacles? They are nothing! There are no obstacles that cannot be overcome.

                Obstacles are like stones on the path: you walk over them or around them. Never let them upset you. Never become involved with them in such a way that they become part of your life. Observe them and let them pass, for they do not belong to you.

                If obstacles continue to disturb you, offer them to the Lord and he will take care of them. He knows why they have come into your life. The Lord is always there to help you, if only you ask for His help.

                Man tends to live out his life in isolation. He loses contact with God and with his own innermost soul, the divine spark of the Absolute, the real Self. It is this state of isolation and separation which allows obstacles to appear on the path and to create problems which seem insoluble.

                My children, you are divine and there are no problems or obstacles which can touch or disturb you, once you realise your own divinity.

                Observe the calmness and tranquillity of the Lord Himself. Follow His example in your own life and see everything in the same way that He sees it: transient experiences, nothing that should distract you for one moment from the spiritual path.

                Never react to obstacles; simply walk round them or rise above them. Others may have created these obstacles in your path in the hope of trapping you, just as hunters trap innocent animals. But you have risen above the level of the animal kingdom and you have much knowledge and experience. Do not be affected by the actions of others, people who are still lost on their paths, not yet ready to move away from the lower levels where there problems originate. Their minds are still underdeveloped. Pray for them and know that one day they will rise out of the darkness and shine like stars in the night sky. The light already exists within and one day it will emerge out of the darkness.

                Evolution is a continual process, and all will find liberation in the end for all are divine. Try to recognise that divinity within, even when you witness people manifesting themselves at the lower levels, people who continually create problems for themselves and for others. Remember that those problems and obstacles do not really exist, except in the minds of those who are not ready to see them for what they really are: nothing. Yes, obstacles are nothing at all!

Problems.

p.88. What are problems? Whatever they are, they are all transient in relation to eternity and of no lasting consequence.

                If only you could learn to put your trust in Me, all your problems would be behind you. Surrender everything to Me and release yourself from the worries that torment you. Let all the aggravations pass you by on the other side of the road. Do not run into them as you are doing at present.

                The way ahead is clear. Never give up your responsibilities when temporary difficulties arise. Simply change your attitude to what is taking place and see everything as it really is, just transient and of no permanent consequence or importance. Surrender the problems to me for there are no problems which I cannot solve.

                Life should be full of joy and it will be if you live your life in complete harmony with God.

"The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes." - Charles R. Swindoll.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make Heaven of Hell, and a Hell of Heaven." - John Milton.

“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.” - Richard Bach (Illusions. The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, Pan Books Ltd, London, U.K., 1977).

“Whatever the problem we have in our life, someone has faced it and overcome it.” - David DeNotaris.

“Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they're yours.” – Richard Bach.

 

Facets of the Divine Diamond by Sathya Sai Baba (compiled by Seema Kundra, New Delhi, India, 1990).

B-9. “Be like the ant. When the ant gets a mixture of sand and sugar, it selects only sugar. It neglects the sand. See only good in others. Pay no attention to the bad.”

D-15. “Do not count your tears of pain. Do not pour over your grief. Let them pass through your mind as birds fly through the sky, leaving no trail behind, or as flames and floods appear in the screen in a picture house without singeing or clamping the screen.”

H-10. “Humanity is the higher, the upper. Divinity is the highest, the uppermost level. Humility is the best credential for success in life.”

H-10. “Human society minus God is equal to a forest of brutes.”

I-19. “If anybody blames you or abuses you or hurts you, do not do the same to him in return; when a dog bites a man, he does not bite the dog in return.”

I-31. “Impress others by your sweet speech, your humility, your universal love, your steady faith, your truthfulness.”

S-18. “Strength in a good man enables him to help the weak and serve society. Strength in a wicked person encourages him to cause harm to people and harass the weak.”

S-20. “Suffering entitles you more to the Grace of the Lord. When suffering comes in waves, one behind the other, be glad that the shore is near; bear them bravely. Like cowards, do not throw the blame on some outside power or develop dislike for the Lord.”

T-14. “The Lord does not test man just for fun. He does not pile calamity on calamity because he enjoys it. Examinations are held to measure achievement and award marks and honours. You must ask to be examined so that your progress may be recorded.”

Retrospective inserts.

"We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way." - Author Unknown.

Abraham-Hicks states that when we look back at our problems we feel worse whereas when we look toward a solution we feel better. Improving our emotional condition is therefore part of the solution whereas dwelling on things gets us nowhere and is part of the problem.

“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it’s a feather bed.” - Terence McKenna.

Meador (Don Dubbins): Before I saw ya he-heaving those guards around I never seen a man handle himself like that. D-did you learn that in China?

Caine (David Carradine): Yes, and other things more important.

Meador: Like, what?

Caine: To celebrate every man’s life in my own.

                - Kung Fu (Season 1, Episode 12, ‘Superstition,’ 1973).

“When you despair at the many obstacles in your lives, switch tracks to what the future holds for you. Live the future now as far as possible and when you meet people who would pull you down, let their comments or actions leave you unaffected. They will soon get tired of your refusal to respond to their negativity. As time goes by you will find more and more you are drawn to people that are similar to your own vibrations. Soon you will only move within a specific circle of friends that share the same interests. It does not mean that you ignore others, as they may benefit from your help. Be on hand if you can share your knowledge with them, and measure it so that it meets their level of understanding. Remember that you are sailing in the same boat, but when the winds of change come some will have to change course. Your destination depends on how well you have prepared for the changes, but not everyone will move on to Ascension. The process has been in place for a long time, but now that it is speeding up you cannot lag behind if you are serious about Ascension. After all you have been through it is well worth every effort you can muster to cross the finishing line.” – SaLuSa (channelled through Mike Quinsey, 8 September 2010, www.gfbymikequinsey.blogspot.com).

“My sannyasins have to live a life of bliss - that is their meditation. They have to drop all seriousness, they have to become more playful. They have to look at life not as a problem but as a mystery. If you look at it as a problem you become serious because then a great temptation arises to solve it - and it is insoluble. It will lead you into more and more seriousness and into frustration and into sadness.” – Osho (www.oshoquotes.net/category/osho-quotes-on-sadness).

“No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys.“ - Doug Horton.

“I backed into a car this morning. So, there we are alongside the road and, slowly, the driver gets out of the other car. I couldn’t believe it: he was a dwarf! He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!' So, I look down at him and say, 'Well, which one are you then?'…and that's when the fight started.” – Unknown.