by Vaishali , author of Wisdom Rising and You Are What You Love .
One morning as I was running along the beach, I saw this semi-homeless man. He had dug a large hole that cut him off at the knees when he stood in it. The locals had assured me that the man was harmless, and there was no need to be afraid of him. I noticed he had a long stick, and he was drawing something in the sand. Curiosity got the best of me. I decided to stop by and see what he was so busy creating. Upon approaching I introduced myself. The man looked up and smiled warmly. He had been absorbed in the task of drawing stick figures with the greatest of concentration. I did not wish to appear rude, so I pointed at one of the stick figures and complimented him on how realistic his drawing looked. The man proudly smiled and informed me this was a portrait of his brother. Then the smile slowly faded and the man shook his head sadly and said, “It’s too bad about my brother.” “What happened to him?” I inquired gently. “He has a house” came the simple answer. “He has a house?” I repeated, not sure I was following the line of tragedy. “Yes,” the man replied thoughtfully. “My brother and I used to do things together and go places. Then he got a house, and now the house needs him to do things. He does not do things with me anymore, because he has to do things for the house, and he cannot go anywhere with me because the house has him.” The man continued to shake his head sadly. “I will not go into houses,” he said with resolve. “Because once you go inside… that’s it… the house has you! It will always need something, and that’s how ‘it’ gets you.”
by Vaishali, author of Wisdom Rising and You Are What You Love .
Today more than ever the effects of religious conflict can be felt in global episodes of tension and violence. Suicide bombers expect a Heavenly sponsored orgy as a reward for murdering innocent people; family members alienate family members, because their religious beliefs and expressions differ from one another, or from a traditional norm. The tragedy that clinging to a rigid “buy or die” or “my way or the highway” belief system creates, is that it disenfranchises us, individually and collectively, from the truth. And exactly what truth is that, you may ask? The 18th century Swedish scientist mystic, Emmanuel Swedenborg, said it better than any one else, when he reminded us that there is only one God. It does not matter what name you call that God, or what point in time you worshipped that God, there is only the one God. That means we are all worshipping the same God, no matter how different our expression or ritualized behavior appears to be.
In the fashion world, accessories make the outfit. The religious world is not any different. Most religious organizations share an equal passion for clinging to the accessories that make their denominational “outfit” stand out and apart from others. If you find yourself in the Catholic fashion club, then you will find that getting baptized is a religious must for your group. If you are a practicing Hindu, you are more than likely also a vegetarian. Buddhists shave their heads after making a serious commitment to their awakened Buddha Nature. Accessorize the bald head with an orange robe and tambourine, and you have haute couture of the 60’s airports. If you are a Muslim, you face Mecca to pray numerous times a day, and as a Muslim woman, you most likely also have your head covered. There’s also a good chance your daughter will not be participating in the “wet burka” contest at the downtown Islamabad Hooters. Oh, and if you are entered as one of God’s “chosen people”, that doesn’t guarantee a win either.
As 2012 blazes forward, there are a lot of endings and ultimately new beginnings to embrace.
In his time Socrates was considered the wisest man alive. He was condemned to death in 399BC after losing his trial, and died from drinking hemlock. How Socrates died is equally as important as his life. When I say how he died, I am not referring to his actual ingesting of poison. I am referring to his attitude about death and dying. Socrates firmly felt that death is a journey to be embarked on with excitement, that it is inherently a positive and liberating event. A far cry from how we view death today. So frequently we of the modern more advanced age describe death as “losing a battle,” as succumbing, as a failure. We cannot just accept it; we must fight it to the very end. I wonder what Socrates would say about our age of enlightenment?
The Eastern healing sciences, Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, refer to death as the ultimate cure. A final culmination and resolution of all that ails one. I suspect this point of view is one that would bring a delicate smile to the face of Socrates. The notion that dying is as natural as being born, an action that can be embraced with as equal a mindset as living, is not common or popular these days.
I received the following email from a close friend recently, and it reminded me of the expression, “What would Socrates do?”
Throughout time all human beings have one thing in common. We love being creative; we live for it. When your day or week was a struggle to get through, how many times did the mere expectation of a creative venture get you through the grind? Maybe you were looking forward to playing music with your friends, or going to dance class. Perhaps your drug of choice is a round of golf, or working on your classic car to cherry that baby out. There is nothing more life affirming than creativity itself. An added bonus is that creativity comes naturally to every person. We are all born knowing how to play. Creating toy horses from brooms or mops is a ubiquitous childhood experience.
So, why the collective addiction to creativity? The answer is very simple. Creating is what God creatures do. After all God’s nickname is “The Creator.” Prime Source kicked it all off by creating the Heavens and the Earth. And Prime Source created this Earthly/Heavenly something, out of a pure void, from absolute nothingness. It is in our Spiritual DNA to create. We all strongly desire that 0 to 60 creative rush. Without creativity we would not be able to reach enlightenment, which is creating Self-realization from ignorance. Once again we mimic the big “G” in manifesting “something” from “nothing.” Creativity is how we end our suffering. We all have the God given creative intelligence to create a new response to any and all limitations. Do not get me wrong. Some of us have made an art form out of re-creating our stories and limiting issues ad nausea. However, as God creatures having a human experience, the potential to create an ending to the source of all unhappiness is our birthright.
There are two elements to creativity that take us from amateur creators on a hobby level, to master creators of our own Self-actualized destiny. Those key elements are imagination and practice. Ask any inventor what is the first step to any creative project, and he will tell you that first he had to imagine the outcome he wanted before directing the flow of creative juices. Creating enlightenment is no different. You have to be able to imagine that you are capable of liberating your mind, or you will not realize that you can. You have to be able to imagine that you are one with Divine Love and Wisdom before you can create an alignment with your Divinity, value, power and worth, that no one and no thing on this planet has the power to change or diminish. You have to be able to imagine that all life is interconnected and equally God and Holy before you can create the perception of Universal Divine Oneness. You have to be able to imagine your true nature as infinite and unlimited before you can create the embodiment of that reality. Creativity has no substance or direction without imagination.
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Truth Unveiled: The Brilliance of Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks
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In elementary school, I wonder how many of us thought; when I grow up I want to be a spiritual teacher, however being a spiritual teacher is like any other calling. All kinds of people with unlikely backgrounds and talents find themselves occupying that role. Two of my favorite spiritual teachers are best known for their day jobs, actually their night jobs, or should I say their nightclub work. Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks both knew they were serving a greater purpose than merely transforming stand-up comedy into a revolutionary commentary and new way of perceiving reality. They knew they were spiritual teachers, and they were both forthcoming about stating that fact. Lenny and Bill both firmly took their stand among the ranks of those who dared to speak the Truth in the face of popular opinion and in direct opposition to a mob mentality of ignorance.
Like all good Spiritual teachers, Lenny got right up in our faces, forcing us to look at our own self-created bad faith and self-imposed limitations. Eastern Spiritual traditions encourage us to look at the charges that we have created with our own minds, with our own perceptions. Then they urge us to end the bondage that we alone have put into motion. We created the charges; only we can resolve these charges. Lenny is the greatest American Spiritual teacher of this tradition. He exposed the charges that we have projected onto words and then, with humor and wit, implored us to end that tyranny.
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The Answer to the Meaning of Life is… Multiple Choice!
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Reality. This crazy little thing called existence. What is it? Most likely, Lilly Tomlin gave the best celebrity answer in her one-woman show. She described it as little more than a collective hunch. Of course, she also described reality as a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs, and a leading cause of stress. And here I thought it was something complicated. Start with a collective hunch, throw in some drugs, and add a dash of stress. I got it! Reality is college life in the 1970s!
For the sake of this discussion, it is not important whether or not we fully comprehend or even agree upon the scientifically approved definition of reality. The mechanics of reality, quantum or otherwise, are immaterial. What is paramount is the meaning and perspective we freely give to reality. From a purely existentialist point of view, reality is an indestructible freedom – a freedom of choice. You are free to choose your attitude, perspective and the meaning of your life’s situations, challenges and relationships. The entire content of your life is completely predicated upon the imbued meaning you freely chose to give it. It is a daunting task; so much is riding on your choice. A choice most of us are not even aware we are making, much less have so much invested in.
Today it seems we are stressed out, overworked, underpaid and sleep deprived. Balance gets thrown under the bus for productivity, efficiency, getting the job done. No wonder you seldom hear people talk about the value of balance in our everyday lives. Who even knows what it is? How does one find it? Or maintain it?
The truth is, all energy seeks to be balanced. It is a natural state of rest and ease. Even the term for the carpentry tool that is used to achieve balance is called a “level.” Could it be that balance in one’s life can produce a level playing field for the mind, body and emotions? The ancient healing sciences from the East, such as Chinese Medicine and Indian and Tibetan Ayurveda, are all big on treating disease and strengthening the human experience by bring the subtle energies that comprise life back into balance.
Relatively few people seem to understand how to create and nurture a balanced existence. But we all have attained the expert level in not being level. So what exactly is balance? It is an action, a state of mind and a perspective. Balance requires a “bigger picture” evaluation of priorities, an honest inner assessment concerning energy expenditure, and a willingness to implement appropriate boundaries.
Balance is really stopping to enjoy the flowers and the view, and not simply rushing by. Balance is arresting the “just one more thing to do” tyranny that keeps us up late at night. Balance is scheduling time for family and friends with the same commitment and single-minded focus you bring to a business meeting.
Oscar Wilde said, “…we know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” It’s a great definition of balance gone awry and a brilliant place to start seeking balance in your life.
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What is the best Wholefood supplement available
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People often ask me, “What is the best whole food supplement available?” I take two products: Greens & Grains and SomaPower. These are outstanding, high quality, completely organic products. They are packed with concentrated Chi. If you would like more information or to order, go to www.So-Vim.com/PurpleV. Here is a short audio piece where I talk more about why I am such a big fan of the these organic food products.
http://www.thebusinessmuse.com/mediablog/wp-content/8mins.mp3 Press Play
by Vaishali, author of “You Are What You Love”
Imagine the value in being able to ask a dream character or image: Who are you? Who am I? What can I do for you? What would you like to tell me? What do you feel I should know? Imagine the dream interpretation problems that could be solved by going immediately to the dream character and getting the skinny directly from the source. Imagine the possibility of rapidly accelerating the amount of growth done in a single evening’s nocturnal journeys. Imagine the benefits to be had when the dream state you experience is fully “awake” to the reality that this is what you are trying to tell yourself; this is what is going on behind the closed doors of your own mind. Once lucid, what was previously the circuitous road of nonlucid dreaming could now be traveled instantly, directly and most importantly, clear to question and answer discourse. It is like the know thyself quest gone completely, psychedelically accessible in a Kurt Vonnegut sort of way!
As a hardcore dream worker I’d read about experiments at the Lucidity Institute by Dr. Stephen LaBerge on the DreamLight before this device hit the streets — or the sheets as it were. The DreamLight is a creation designed to augment the dreamer’s state of awareness from the typical R.E.M. into the hyperspace state of dream lucidity. The dreamer wears a mask that flashes when R.E.M. is achieved to signal to the dreamer that he is experiencing a dream-produced reality. Imagine my surprise when my pal, Howard Rheingold, then editor of The Whole Earth Review and coauthor of “Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreaming” with Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., asked me if I was interested in helping the Lucidity Institute refine the DreamLight.
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Vaishali’s holistic solution to daily stresses:
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How do you see yourself in relation to stress?
The question is not what issues do you label as more stressful than others. It is how do you respond to stress, because the real issue is not justifying stressful influences in your life. People can and will stress over everything from their bank account to, “Does this outfit make my hips look big?” The underlying, bigger picture concern is how do you see yourself in relation to life’s challenges? Unless you live in a vacuum, you are going to get the whole of life. Everyone does. You will have great days, good times, bad situations and horrible experiences. That is what it means to be human, and diversity is the whole of life.
There are wonderful things that happen to us that are highly stressful, not just threatening or unpleasant things: getting married, having a baby, starting a new job or career, buying a house. All are opportunities that contain exciting and joyful potentials. However, in simply moving through life, everyone will encounter some elements of strain and stress. Why? Because we all get the whole of life. We are human, and it is in our job description. (You should have read the fine print before signing up to come here.)
So how do you see yourself in relation to stress? Getting married is usually a completely different type of stress than getting divorced. Why? Because you see yourself differently when you are walking down the aisle from when you are getting dragged into divorce court. It distills down to how you relate to your value, power and worth, while you are experiencing the whole of your life. If your mind is turned against you, it will not matter if you are handed an IRS audit or a winning lottery ticket. You are going to feel it as a source of tension. There is an incalculable number of things that can stress you over the course of your life. The one thing all those stressful elements have in common is you!
When you see situations, experiences, government agencies, news reports, flu shots, traffic, African killer bees, Monday mornings or the most heinous of them all, shopping for a new bathing suit, as having more power than you do, you are going to be stressed. Period. The outer world rages on. How much confidence do you have in your inner ability to grow and be the best person you can be, no matter what?
The most difficult part may be that there are things out there that you have no control over. The liberating news is that you always have control over how you see yourself and with what attitude you choose to respond to the whole of your life. You can decide to throw yourself under the bus as a collateral casualty, if you perceive yourself as powerless, helpless or hopeless. Or you can choose to trust in yourself to do the best you can and then let the rest go.
Obviously, surviving a violent attack, car accident, major surgery or loss of a loved one is never going to be easy. Stressful things of this nature will always test the depth of your core belief in yourself and the ultimate extent of your resiliency. That is why it is essential to practice seeing yourself as having the power to grow beyond whatever life throws at you… right now. Start with the small issues. The more you practice this, the more it becomes second nature to you. Life does not come with any guarantees about what you may or may not have to grow beyond. If you start taking your power back and stop allowing most of what life delivers to you to erode and sabotage how you see yourself, you will have that fully developed skill for the truly life shattering events that visit all of us during the whole of our life.
So the question of stress really is: do you define yourself, or do you allow the things that happen to you to define you? How easily do you allow the “fear du jour” to strip you of your value, power and worth? Finally, is the relationship that you have with your mind the most stressful influence in your life or your best support system?
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