The Greatest is LOVE

1 Corinthians 13 

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Over the past few days I have been experiencing different intensities of mini-earthquakes in my Soul.  I know this is all part of the cleansing of Karmas brought about by Shaktipat and also by intense meditation, however, there are certain circumstances that are just too minute but become full blown just because of senseless trysts with the Self.

The path to higher consciousness is not easy especially if the seeker is not ready; and it could be more difficult  if the seeker doesn't have faith, easily loses hope, and vehemently disregards love.  I must admit that even though I have learned how to harness the fears that I have within me, I usually struggle to keep things stable.  Any kind of "Soulquake" I encounter no matter how intense, usually brings forth a big change in me that I usually am not ready to partake of.  However, since I must constantly live in the NOW, I must learn how to go with the shakes and Master all the realities of my physical and spiritual Self.

Love is such a very difficult subject to understand.  It is not just a word, it is an action word, a verb.  To know Love is done by Loving not only the people around us, but most importantly, Loving OURSELVES.  

I may still have no idea on what Love really is, but for sure, the Scriptures say so, that Love is the greatest of God's gifts.  

I remember the Guru saying this in the forum: "Love is the highest Wisdom."  So I guess once I'll learn what Love is and how to Love unconditionally, it will follow that I will become Wise.  No use if I try to wisecrack my brain through all these Soulquakes, I must go with the flow and learn how to let the Divine shine through my Heart.

Divine Love

Yesterday was one of the most memorable days of this year.  The Guru came over here in our beloved City of Golden Friendship and we had our Shaktipat!  Though it was not my first time, I am so glad about everything that has transpired yesterday.  If only I could go into detail about everything I would, but I choose not to as to not spoil the good stuff.  Sorry if it may seem selfish but I just want to enjoy the grace for now.

I just feel so happy right now and I do hope the rest of the year will be full of immense Joy.

Life, Light, and Love!  <3

Two

Terrible Two?  Could be but I beg to disagree. :-D

What I am aware of is that I have started this blog two years ago when I stepped into the world that I have always yearned for, the world where I will discover that the Light I have been searching for can't be found anywhere but within myself.  

Now in my second year in the V Order, I am so grateful that my life has taken so many unexpected turns.  I am grateful for all the lessons, experiences, events, and people who have become part of my life and I am looking forward to more and more lessons and blessings in the years to come.

Clean Slate

A few more days from now and this blog will be celebrating is 2nd blog birthday.  I know I have placed too many ramblings, insights, and what-have-you on this site for the past 2 years yet I feel that there are more important things that should go here.

Clean slate.  Why a clean slate?  I have been yearning for a fresh start for too long and this may be such an opportune time to do just that.  No, I am not going to delete my previous posts because they are still important--they have lead me to where I am now.  I just feel like starting anew and making more productive and hopefully more inspiring posts that may help any spiritual traveler.  

NO, I won't be revealing purely personal mystical experiences but I might share some insights which are commonly experienced by anybody who's on the path.  I won't say I am an authority in such stuff because I am only an authority on my own Self.  

Today I have realized that I know nothing and as I go on with my spiritual journey, I may be able to realize that indeed, I know NOTHING... 

Peace profound!

Wake Up!!!

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. 
- Swami Vivekananda

Wake up!

Again. 

Wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

For the past few months, my Soul has been stuck in a certain kind of stupor that is akin to being in deep slumber - unconscious, lethargic, slothful and on the brink of failure.  I have been living every single day of my life for the past few couple of months trying too hard to go back into that state of grace which I have deliberately shunned in exchange for temporal zings and the only effect that has manifested in this plane is the domino effect -- one tile was pushed down, then everything else just collapsed.

I am being true to myself -- I am honestly in denial of the black hole I have pushed myself into.  The brilliance of my star is being sucked by the black hole yet I push through the days with minimal effort in order to keep things in order or at least appear in order to those who are not completely aware of the real situation.  I am happy and grateful that there had been wonderful things happening for the past few months but the inner recesses of my Soul does not want mere happiness; it misses the pure light of joy that used to dwell in it not too long ago.

animation from Wikipedia

I do not need to write down all the gory details of my self-inflicted kamikaze black hole demise because it would take too many adverbs and adjectives to fully grasp the scope of the destruction.  I have not been okay but I continually meditated and visualized that I was okay hoping that the wheel of fortune will turn and things will work out to my favor. However, since I have not fully accepted the sorry state that I have driven myself into, I have not fully recovered and I am still in constant struggle with the inner demons I have longed to vanquish. As I am writing down the words on this post, I can say I have finally accepted the reality of my situation and I am embracing every bit of it with all of my heart.  Acceptance is among the first steps toward true liberation.  

I am not perfect. I am marred, flawed, grotesque and far from the beauty of the spark I originally came as on this plane.  However, I am striving and I am trying to fulfill the duty I have made an oath on as a bearer of the Light.  This current existence is not something that should be spent on suffering but should be wisely revered for the Awakening that awaits.  All circumstances that may not seem too favorable must not be seen merely as obstacles but challenges that bring lessons that lead to the mastery of the Self and to the liberation of the Soul.

Image source

I am moving away from the black hole.  I will rise and not stop until I reach my goal -- Illumination!!!

So mote it be!

Learn From Your Own Experience

Learn from other people's experiences, BUT learn more from your own....

I remember I once told that to one of my friends.  The line just crossed my head again after reading old posts from this blog.  I had been (and in some ways, still am) influenced by others and I am thankful for what I have learned and still am learning from them.  I believe that at this point, I just have to learn more on my own and find my real purpose.

Mysticism requires effort and experiences on the Self in order to know God.  It's better that I learn more from my own experiences, right?

The Star

Angela's Personal Tarot Card for Monday, September 19th, 2011:

The Star

This Tarot Deck: Sacred Rose

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the Star card is about reconnecting one's Soul with the Divine -- the transcending of personality, family, community and reputation. It has to do ultimately with the freedom to be one's Self. The Soul is responding to celestial influences -- forces that can provide the personality with a stronger sense of purpose. The Star card helps us to remember our exalted origins and our attraction to a Higher Union.


This card could also be called the "Celestial Mandate" -- that which refers us back to our reason for being, our mission in this lifetime. The Star reminds us that, in a sense, we are agents of Divine Will in our day-to-day lives. If we let go of the idea that we are supposed to be in control, we can more easily notice and appreciate the synchronicities that are nudging us along. In this way, we become more conscious of the invisible Helping Hand, and we better understand our place within -- and value to -- the larger Cosmos.  from Tarot.com

 Another week is up ahead and I got an aching head.  Jeez...I'm rhyming am I not? If it is the mandate of the Cosmic that I must pursue my so-called mission, then I guess I must go on with what I got in mind.  It's not going to be easy but the stars are on my side and "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"

I Am Your Rose

Meditative Rose (Rosa Meditativa) 1958 

by Salvador Dali

I am closest to You my Beloved when the rest of the world shuts me out.

Every verse of a poem I ponder on, every stroke of a painting from my brush, comes to life with Your breath.

Forgive me for forgetting that I am your co-Creator and it is my duty to fulfill Your creation by using what You have bestowed upon me.

Forgive me for treading on paths which are not mine to tread yet thank You for helping me get back on track through the help of other co-Creators like me.

I am humbled by the challenges You have placed on my path; however, I am grateful for them since they bring out the best of You that is in me.

I am still but a bud, wary of what is to come when my petals unfold; but when I become a rose in full bloom, even if it will only last a moment, I know I will experience joy unsurpassed since I will know then that I am Yours forever.

- AMP

1: The Magician

Angela's Personal Tarot Card for Monday, September 5th, 2011:
The Magician
This Tarot Deck: Cat People

General Meaning: Traditionally, the Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic -- as in healing, transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine 'gold' within her or himself.


At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.


Waite's image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements -- with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures -- is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It's best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.

I AM The Magician.  I AM in control of MY game... My Will is powerful, I can do anything I desire.

Selective Amnesia

If You Forget Me 

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

- Pablo Neruda

It is the first day of September and I am not sure if I am really glad it has finally arrived.  I want to go into a deep slumber but the circumstances surrounding me require me to be more alert.  I want to forget some things that I wish didn't happen but since I can't get rid of what has already transpired in the past, I might as well deal with them NOW in the PRESENT so they wouldn't bother me anymore in the future.

I was only looking for a certain file in my folders when I came across a copy of this poem.  This is one of my favorites from Neruda and it seems like it's the Cosmic's reply to what's going on in my head.  My dearest friend Memory is speaking to me through these lines.  Maybe she doesn't want to be put in the recycle bin of my otherwise junk-infested brain.  Yes Memory, I will never forget you and all your little friends whom you always carry with you in your bosom.

Who Am I?

If I were an alien I'd look like this! hahahahaha!
Made this drawing more or less 5 years ago.

Who am I?  I dozed off and had a weird dream.  I dreamt that I looked into a mirror and what I saw was a reflection of a being that is too grotesque to be human.  Are aliens real after all?  Am I one of them???? Hahahahahahaha!

Are you one of us?

Invincible?

There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within. 

-Morihei Ueshiba

Invincibility could be just a droll imagination for souls that thrive on bloated egos.  True, we are Immortal and Invincible in more ways than one yet there are certain points in life when we just throw in the towel and literally walk on a highway, silently wishing a speeding vehicle will run us over so that we could instantly meet our demise.  I did that the other day, walked on the road and was at my wits end but it seems the highway crammed with air polluting automobiles was a lonely highway to search for Death.

Death is the easiest escape from this mundane existence.  When one tires of this life, death is the only way out from here.  However, for somebody who has been seeking the Light of Truth for almost three decades, lunar phases and hormones could be way too much too handle.  Though there were no real intentions of dying, the wonder of cheating death was such a major turn-on and had become a motivation to try out those so-called powers of Invincibility.  I guess my stupid non-plan backfired because an easy death would mean that this life had been indeed lived in vain.

Illusions, ignorance, suffering, and all the problems in the world could only be dispelled when one achieves Inner Peace.  It's so easy to write that down but it's so difficult to grasp and apply.  I know I had been quite lousy with my practices and I am not proud to say that I always have a relapse whenever I stumble, but I admit to myself that I do try to be humble and admit that I am not perfect, and I do make mistakes.  

I have always had doubts on a person's invincibility, more often my own.  I am aware that the body could deteriorate and all but I have always wondered about the invincible capabilities of the Soul.  They said we are all made of Light, but the darkness plays a really gruesome role while we try to reach that state when we shine the brightest.  When darkness seeps in, our hopes and dreams of becoming invincible could start to fade and blend into the void that leaves us in an unprecedented state of vacuum.

Most great teachers and even that 3D animated red panda believe that Inner Peace is the key to breaking all the bonds of darkness and weariness and could even lead to moksha or liberation.  Try as hard as I might, I still have a hard time grasping what is really meant by that term.  I believe I am invincible but there are just days that I flop like a tree that has gone limp.

I want to achieve that perpetual state of peace.  Pax profundis is the goal...  When I will reach that state, I will be truly Invincible!

Hail Artemis

Like a lone wolf in the wilderness, I shamelessly howled at the moon and my canine brothers and sisters howled too...

O Artemis, Moon goddess,
I adore You.
Your luminescence swept away all worries,
Your roundness strengthened my belief in Immortality.

I offer my blood,
I offer my soul.
Let no secret remain in the dark.
Let every hidden remark be revealed in Your light.

O Great Huntress,
Let your spear pierce my heart,
Let your arrow bore a hole in my soul
Let your light fill me with delight.

Capture my thoughts and emotions with your bow,
Shoot them up to the Cosmos
Make them the stars to adorn Your background O Moon,
And together let's reveal the Light tonight.

- AMP

Idasal Mo

IDASAL MO
by
PINIKPIKAN

walang hangganan ang lakbay ng diwa,
wag mo nalang piliting alamin pa.
tama na ang naka apak sa lupa,
isipan mo naman ang siyang gagala.

may gagawin pa tayo sa mundo.
pagmamahal ang sasagip sa'yo.

at kung sapat na ang pagibig,
ang mundo ay lilipad kasama tayo.


at makiramdam sa paglalakabay, ingat lang.
sakaling ikaw ay maligaw banggitin mo Siya.

idasal mo, idasal…
buhayin ang pagmamahal.

Idasal Mo is a Tagalog/Filipino phrase and I don't really know how to translate it.  It's something like "you put it in prayer" since dasal means pray.  

I have read somewhere that if you want to talk to God, you pray.  However, if you want to listen to God, you meditate.  I will do both.  There's so much going on in my life right now I am so overwhelmed I have never expected these things are happening....

My Cup Overflows

Two of Cups - Love
Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot

What is LOVE?

Oh my, why did I type that down?  That very short three-word question could seem harmless but it could spew out more than a billion answers from more or less seven billion souls that are existing in this mundane plane.  Each answer varies depending on the soul's age, background, experience, location, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.... I don't know what made me ask such a question, it is actually a no-brainer... It doesn't need to have an answer because whatever answer every soul may present, there is Truth in each answer.  

A couple of weeks ago I was in my "other" sanctum (where more magickal and mystical "revelations" spark up from nothingness) when something hit my info-overloaded brain.  The sight of flowing water and an overflowing pail got the alarms in my inner ears whining and just made me realize about what Love is to my understanding.  My comprehension of what Love is may seem mundane since I have not attained anything much because I am such an indolent practitioner of the techniques which are supposed to help me evolve into a better Soul.  Nevertheless, I do believe that some things and realizations reveal themselves to us whenever we are ready to digest them in the way they are supposed to be understood.

My cup overflows....

I never expected that my three-word question of the day would be countered by a three-word "answer" and to my surprise, it is a line from a verse from the Bible's Psalm 23.  I don't know the whole 23rd Psalm by heart but I knew that "my cup overflows" or "my cup runneth over" are among the words to be found in it.  I never really connected the whole Psalm to be the answer of what Love really is but now as I am writing this and as I am re-reading it, I think they could be connected after all. (My goodness, I got a feeling this is going to be a loooong post...)

Love has no expectations...

I have mentioned in a previous post that since this year started, I have tried to live my life with no expectations.  I TRIED but since I am still full of attachments, there are times I do have my lapses.  However, every time I fall down and fall prey to my own illusions, what my friend Ai told me way back always resonates in my head -- "If you don't have expectations, you will not have disappointments." (or something like that.)  I do agree and that could be applied on all aspects of a Soul's existence.  Following that line of thought, it could also be applied on the topic of Love (what ever kind of Love that may be... Love in any form is still LOVE.)

Many a Soul have said or written that Love is unconditional.  If Love is indeed such, then it has no expectations right?  I don't know if it it may seem shallow or maybe I am just too ignorant of what I am writing about but I believe that giving Love is even greater than receiving Love.  I have read somewhere that Love is a verb - a word that signifies an action.  In order to know what Love really is, one must put it into action and comparing the giving of Love to the receiving of Love, I feel better in the giving part.  I don't know if it works the same for other people but then I am aware there are more who feel happier or so when they are on the receiving end.

I may or may not be fully aware that Love should be received too.  I want to think that I am not expecting anything but since I am in a constant cycle of looking within myself, maybe in a way, I am expecting too?  Am I?  I am still on the process of finding out but I want my answer to be: I am not expecting anything in return because I find more joy in giving than receiving.  Bahhh... I don't know.  I feel dumb for writing that down but I am not going to delete or strike through what I have written down so far.  

Is Love really selfless?

For those who have become illumined Souls, the answer would be a resounding YES.  However, for somebody who is still crawling out from the dark, an amalgam of conflicting emotions could not formulate an unambiguous answer.  The trappings of a mundane human existence could cloud up the eyes of any seeker when it comes to a point that a crystal clear affirmation is required of such a creepy question.  Yes, creepy.  It is a magnanimous question that requires a genuinely humble answer and at this state, I could not say that Love is indeed selfless.  

The world is more complicated now than it had been before.  People of ancient times were more intelligent than us even though they had simpler lives.  Nowadays most of us have made our own lives complicated and some of us are too stupid to figure out that we have the power to change our lives and our Selves.  Change is the only constant thing in this world and we can't escape from it however, some of us love clinging on to our old ways and selves, we'd rather stay in the dark than become enlightened.

One challenge for somebody who has been in the dark for too long is to accept change and to embrace the light and everything that comes with it whether they may be good or bad.  Shakespeare's Hamlet said that "there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so," and I agree with that.  How one thinks or processes perceptions makes something good or bad.  For somebody like me who still has not "slain" the Ego, anything overwhelmingly humbling is not good on my list.  I believe I need to get my Self straight because I am not drunk at the moment.  Oh well, maybe I am drunk -- with the most recent blows and arrows I have received from the Cosmic.

When you are full due to your own efforts, you will never be empty when you are by yourSelf...

Let's revert to the main reason why I am typing the minutes away composing this post instead of finishing my articles.  The realization that when one learns to Love oneself in spite of one's faults and imperfections has been very humbling.  A lot of people nowadays are seeking Love from outside of themselves.  Every Soul having a human experience must have been programmed to feel that way.  I have felt that way too and I am trying no to be like that anymore but there are times in deep meditation when I am confronted with the faults within myself that I have been trying to throw out as junk.  Well hello, hello!  I am so stupid to forget that whatever junk I throw out to the Cosmic will surely come back to me and hit me in the face!  

A striking "revelation" it was when I saw the pail overflow with water.  A pail is a vessel, like a cup, it holds in water.  Water is the element that is usually associated with emotions, compassion, healing, psychic abilities and intuition as well as Love.  In magick, the tool or weapon that accompanies water is the cup.  In Tarot, the Suit of Cups is associated with water.  

If  I am allowed to use the symbolism of the image of the Two of Cups above, I could somehow connect it with that "realization" a couple of weeks ago.  We people are the cups, and water is Love.  Since most of us live a rather "empty" existence, we'd be glad if somebody would fill up our cups for us.  We can't deny it that some of us would just want to receive Love from others and not do our parts.  That's the problem; whenever there will be nobody to fill up that emptiness, we run dry and become parched, and become discontented with everything that comes our way.     

The quest for restoring the Self begins...    

When we have run dry, we could not stay too long in that state.  We become unsatisfied and time will come when we will search for water.  Only the dead would not want to quench that thirst.  Those who still cling on to dear life would want redemption from such a sorry state and try to LIVE.  But then, what is life if Love is not present?  Should we go on searching for other people to fill in our cups in order to make us feel alive again?  NO.  Not really... Maybe...

The answer really depends on every person.  However, the realization that hit me on this long and arduous process of putting some sense into mySelf made things a bit clearer than they were.  The answers to my questions are at hand all along.  What most people say is indeed true that we don't need to look far away for the answers to our questions; sometimes, the questions themselves are the answers!  

Self-Love is not a new concept but it breaks the barriers to the old notions that selfishness brings.  Loving the Self does not necessarily mean that you shut yourself out from others because you are better off on your own.  Loving the Self could mean giving the Self a chance to have a human existence that could help the Self learn and become free from ignorance.  The purpose why we are here in this world is to LEARN and through learning, we burn old karma, and eventually liberate our Souls from another round of crap.

We fill our own cups but we must first tap into The Source...

Yes, that is the sad reality that we must face - we fill our own cups!  If we don't learn how to Love ourSelves, who would bother sharing their Love to us? Accepting our own faults, transgressions, and imperfections and learning to Love who we really are is one step towards Self-realization.  The best friend and worst enemy we could ever have in this world is the outer Self and it would take a lot of pride-swallowing in order to make amends with that Self we consciously and unconsciously destroy so the real inner Self could emerge.

When we learn to Love ourSelves and we learn to fill our cups with the waters of Love, we will not be empty anymore.  Now where or what is this fount, this source of Love that we could get the water from to fill our cups?  Others may react to what I am about to write down or say but well, this is how it came to me.  This is the "answer" I have painstakingly repressed:  GOD.  The Source.  The Creator. Divine Love.  The Cosmic.

I have distanced mySelf from The Source for the longest time and when that day came when I have asked if I am still a part of all this Creation, I have been welcomed with a warm embrace.  Like a lost lamb, I have been led back into the fold and given the chance to appreciate the grace freely given to those who seek it.  

Following this stream of consciousness, this is where some lines of Psalm 23 come in as relevant.  

"He leads me beside still waters, He restores my Soul."  The waters are there, so still and my Soul will be restored, I need not seek for anything else... All I need to do is drink and have my fill!  It's so easy but most of the time I falter and become lazy, I fail to put water in my cup!  

"In the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows." As I have mentioned above, the worst enemy one could have is the outer Self or to put it bluntly, the Ego.  Our Egos are very powerful and strong in keeping us away from The Source and from our real inner Selves.  It is quite a struggle to accept our "enemies" but whether we win over them or not, as long as we try to let our true Selves come out and become who we are supposed to be, The Source will still give us grace and Love, and with that grace and Love, our emptiness will be dispelled.  All we need to do is do what we are supposed to do, and fill our cups on the process so that we don't need to search for that Love and grace from other sources.  

Let it flow...

Now, since I have typed down that Love is supposed to be Selfless, then it has become a challenge that must be recognized and put to test as I walk the path to higher consciousness.  Love is a verb and to give love is challenging enough but receiving Love is far more difficult to muster for somebody who still has too much pride to swallow.  There's so much love in the world and if there are a lot who are willing to give, there should be people humble enough to receive Love.  Most of us are scared of receiving Love because we are wary that it may have conditions or expectations attached with it.  Why do we think that way?  Is it because we also give Love away but we have expectations attached to it?  Maybe...maybe not...  

The flow of Love goes both ways.  If we don't realize it, we will become stuck.  We just don't need to expect that the kind of Love we give will be returned in the same form.  Romantic Love, filial Love, Divine Love, whatever kind of Love that may be, it really doesn't matter... it is still Love and our duty as cups is to hold in enough of that water/Love for ourselves and we let it flow out so that others' cups will overflow too.  

If there's more Love in this world, surely there will be little or no room for hate and other negative emotions.


So, what is Love???

I don't know.  Love doesn't need to be defined.  Some say that Love is the greatest force in the Universe.  Some say that Love is the Law.

I DON'T KNOW...
I DON'T KNOW...
I DON'T KNOW...
I DON'T KNOW....  I would just have to let my cup overflow!       

Chanting Om mani padme hum triggered all these stuff to flow out from my fingers.  I want to write more but I guess I'll save that story for another post...


Om Shanti Om!

    

       

Paradise Found

I love music and this video features the music of Aeoliah.  For over a year now, I love listening to the enchanting melodies he had composed for more than twenty-five years.  Aeoliah (Ay-oh-lee-yah) just makes wonderful music and this piece, Garden of Eternal Spring, is paradise found for me.

Here's more info on Aeoliah from his website:

For over 25 years, Aeoliah's music continues to have a wide appeal to many health professionals around the world. His healing music is known for its therapeutic qualities which has benefited many people throughout the world who work with his healing and meditation music privately, in hospitals, hospices and in-care centers. To date, Aeoliah has created over 30 musical recordings . He has also produced several self-help recordings consisting of guided imagery that is complemented by his meditation music.

Aeoliah's music is also well-known among many celebrities for his effective healing techniques.

His belief that sound and light are spiritually energized, allows Aeoliah to compose many diverse rich musical compositions that bring so much joy, comfort, healing, and inspiration to millions of his fans.

"For over 30 years, I have studied the effect that different sounds and music have on the nervous system and how these affect our emotions and state of well being. This allowed me to develop a special system of harmonic tones and sound frequencies that correspond to different parts of the body and brain, helping greatly to reduce stress and imbalances in the body and nervous system.

I was able to create and perfect a very specialized sonic therapy that is the quickest and most effective means not only to de-stress, but to revitalize, harmonize, and rebalance our energy system mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I was starting to get letters from hospitals, clinics, chiropractors, yoga teachers, massage therapists, wellness centers, spas, and many people in general stating how much this music was helping them in ways they have never experienced music before. Not only did they love the music, but it also touched their inner core.

"Pure sound therapy at its best is music that helps us to refocus our attention on more positive thought forms by reducing high levels of stress and tension in our bodies and minds, harmonizing our emotions, and by increasing the universal life force essence, also known by the ancient Chinese as 'Chi'. This helps to enhance the function of our immune system by rebalancing our endocrine system. It also helps to enrich our lives by allowing us to experience healthier feelings and thoughts. It helps shift our attention from the mundane world of habits, addictions , and conditioned behavior which have become limited and constricted, to a world of inspiration, beauty, inner peace, harmony, love, and freedom." Aeoliah

Courtesy of Music For Healthy LivingTM

No Expectations

One thing that I have been continuously learning since the first day of this year is how to live a life with no expectations...

IMPOSSIBLE, most people would say.... I even doubted if I will be able to live a life like that, never expecting anything for every action done and effort exerted.  Expectations make us vulnerable since most of us imply that our lives will solely depend on them.  We expect that with every action, there should be a reaction.  We expect that with every seed we sow, we should reap something out from it.

Expectations are good in a way that we tend to do things better so that the outcome of our deeds are more rewarding.  However, most of us tend to focus more on the expectations and the outcome instead of the intentions why we do our acts.  

Do we do things for the sake of rewards?  Do we help others because we expect them to help us too when the time comes that we will need their help?  

There are some people who have become detached from the mundane things in this world and do selfless acts because they know that they could become better people by making other people's lives better ---- and they never expect anything in return!

So what's the bottom line?

The bottom line actually varies for every person.  I don't know what is the exact bottom line but for me, I have come to realize that in every thing that I do, I should do it wholeheartedly....and never expect anything in return....

The Angel With The Flaming Sword

One night while walking through the forest, the band of seemingly lost travelers finally found three portals surrounded with ivy and vines. As they were arguing on which threshold they should pass through and end a phase of their journey, an angel suddenly appeared.

As what most angels are perceived to be, the angel was garbed in robes and was glowing with a light that emanated from within. The angel spoke and said he (or was it a she?) has a message for the travelers.

The angel was tight lipped and spoke only through the mind; never did it open its mouth but its voice was loud and clear.

"The left hand path and the right hand path are extreme paths. These are very challenging paths and those who choose to go through them should be prepared for the best and the worst that they could ever experience in their whole existence. Total indulgence and total renunciation could be very dangerous for those who would not be able to withstand the obstacles on the way.

"The middle path is the path where the best and worst of the two other paths meet. However, the middle path is not as easy as how many presumed it to be. There are more obstacles and challenges on the middle path than in the other paths; and these obstacles are the ones that could push you either to the left or to the right.

"In order for you to survive the perils of the obstacles on the middle path or any path you choose, you must have the Warrior's Sword with you." The angel then pulled out a flaming sword out of thin air. The travelers were so amazed with the sword, their eyes glowed with glee.

Then the angel spoke again, "The real Warrior's Sword is not a physical sword. You cannot find it just about anywhere. You could only find it within yourselves. The Warrior's Sword is your WILL. Your will is more powerful than any tool or weapon that you could use to get through anything that hinders your path. Use your will wisely so that you can continue walking the path towards your goal."

The angel then lifted the flaming sword and pointed it to the heavens. The travelers just watched in awe.