Today I Had A Strange Observation...

 

Today I had a strange observation from Great Nature. 

I have been sitting outside 

making an effort to Be present 

and Observe the beauty of this season. 

And a beautiful yellow golden leaf fell on my lap. 

I made an effort 

to observe it a little more intentionally. 

And then I realized that it is a dying leaf. 

Letting go. 

And how strange that it is so beautiful. 

And the colors it gives to the senses. 

So Rich, so Objective in its beauty. 

It seems like a lesson, perhaps, 

for me to learn about death of the physical existence, 

not sure, but it was a shock to digest more. 

A lesson Great Nature is trying to convey perhaps.

~S

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I Was Once...

John Melhuish Strudwick

R: I was once told that Mervyn 

was determined to stay present 

when he was a struggling Man No. 4 . 

Desire or determination is intentional, 

not mechanical.

Mervyn talks about desire. 

We aren’t awake 

because we don’t desire it enough.

How can we get more desire - 

more Eros?

C: I’m reminded of making one’s environment 

conducive to self-remembering 

with beauty and music; 

the I of intentionally taking in the beauty

of art, people, etc., to build desire.

~From Illuminations

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The Heart Leads The Mystic Way

Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. - St Theresa of Avila & St John of The Cross

To be like mystics stay with them awhile,

For even if you should be made from stone,

Through mystics as a jewel you'll soon be known;

Plant love of saints now firmly in your heart,

Submit your soul to those who'll never part,

While there's still hope don't wallow in despair,

Why choose the dark when there's a sun up there?

Your heart will lead you to the mystic way,

Your body drags you to its cell of clay,

So give your heart food from those in accord -

Seek fortune from the ones who know their lord!

Rumi - Extract from The Masnavi

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Nature Is...

 

Nature is more intelligent than you; 

she knows better than you 

which are the best conditions for your work; 

and if you work, 

Nature calls on conscious spirits 

who will arrange for you the conditions you need. 

For ordinary man, 

for the man who does not work, 

there is nothing but chance. 

But for the man who works, 

Nature gives him through conscious spirits all that he needs.

~ G.I. Gurdjieff

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An Interesting Happening...

 

ShamPow20

An interesting happening has entered my life recently. 

As many of you know 

my personal interests in an active life and training 

started after living the first half of my life 

caring little for my body. 

I've experimented and utilized 

many different training systems, 

forms of exercise, sport and activity.  

Recently the desire to move better 

became an aim since having felt my body slowdown 

in the last couple of years. 

It will be 50 in July.

It seems C influence has sent into my life 

a form of training without heavy weights 

or anything traditional. 

It focuses on the nervous system 

and utilizes extreme isometrics, 

holding positions for a long time 

and using all of your might 

to pull yourself deeper into positions. 

It hurts a lot and is quite difficult. 

So, the point is, after having held these positions 

last Thursday there was an increase in vitality, 

perception, connection from my nervous system to the world. 

My plan was to not attend the meeting here in Vallarta 

because mu son was with me 

and no help to babysit. 

We happened to be close to the meeting site 

ten minutes before it started and my heart wanted to go. 

So, listening to that, 

what now is understood 

to be the voice of my consciousness 

springing from the heart, we went. 

And there it was the best meeting we've had yet. 

Very high states, 

the original moderator was an hour late, 

and we explored many questions and angles 

in the work related to new students. 

It was a verification 

that when we heed the call to serve, 

the table is set and will be fed by the Gods.

Secondarily, the suffering of the body 

in that exercise woke something up in my system. 

Kundalini yoga does the same, 

where we go past our limits and endure pain. 

Rodney also documents it, and Gurdjieff - 

the holding of arms out for extended time 

to master pain in service to something higher is a form of payment. 

~O

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