Faocrates

"Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come."

-- Rumi

Hey light-bearers! We remember that there are three solutions to every problem: accept it, change it, or leave it. If you can't accept it, change it. If you can't change it, leave it.

"For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love."

-- Viktor Frankl (from the book 'Man's Search for Meaning')

"The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm."

-- Aldous Huxley

I Am Me

In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically me because I alone chose it.

I own everything about me, my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or to myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears I own all my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me.

I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles. And for ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me.

If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do.

I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore I can engineer me.

I am me and I am Okay.

-- Virginia Satir

Hey light-bearers! We remember that between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. (Viktor Frankl)

"Be fair with God. Perhaps He has something better for you than what you are praying for. It is a fact that sometimes your most fervent prayer and desires are your greatest enemies. Talk sincerely and justly with God, and let Him decide what is right for you. If you are receptive, He will lead you, He will work with you. Even if you make mistakes, don't be afraid. Have faith. Know that God is with you. Be guided in everything by that Power. It is unfailing. This truth is applicable to every one of you."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda (from 'Living Fearlessly')

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

-- Elie Wiesel (Professor and Nobel laureate)

"Ask for repentance in your prayer and nothing else, neither for divine lights, nor miracles, nor prophecies, nor spiritual gifts -- nothing but repentance. Repentance will bring you humility, humility will bring you the grace of God, and God will have in his grace everything you need for your salvation, or anything you might need to help another soul."

-- St Paisios of Mount Athos (Άγιος Παΐσιος ο Αγιορείτης)

"Divine Mother, with the language of my soul I demand realization of your presence. You are the essence of everything. Make me see you in every fibre of my being, in every wisp of thought. Awaken my heart!"

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

"Here vigour failed the towering fantasy:
But yet the will rolled onward, like a wheel
In even motion, by the Love impelled,
That moves the sun in heaven and all the stars."

-- Dante Alighieri (from 'The Divine Comedy')

"Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?"

-- Marcus Aurelius

Hey light-bearers! We remember Krishna saying, "He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me."

Solitude

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air;
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go;
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all,—
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a large and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.

-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Alternate nostril breathing (also known as Nadi Shodhana) is a simple breathing technique that promotes mental and physical well-being. Several research studies have confirmed its effectiveness in lowering stress levels and increasing mental focus.

Start with bringing your right hand up to your nose, you will be using your index finder to block the left nostril and your thumb to block the right nostril. A recommendation is to repeat the steps for about 3-5 minutes:

1. Block right
2. Inhale left
3. Block left also and hold your breath for a moment
4. Unblock right and exhale right, then inhale right
5. Block right also and hold your breath for a moment
6. Unblock left and exhale left, then repeat from step 2.

"See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always non-acceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness."

-- Eckhart Tolle (from the book, 'The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment')

"When you work for God, not self, that is just as good as meditation. Then work helps your meditation, and meditation helps your work."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

Granddad's Message

My Child,
My physical body is dead while my self lives eternally in ever present joy. The system around you is much more modern than the one I saw. The way you travel, get food, information or entertainment are all different. You also see around you scientists and popular people claiming they know better and know a lot about this world, change and the advancements of humanity.

I want to tell you about a truth eternal of the existence of God, our oneness with God within a single consciousness, do not be misled into a mental state of separation and isolation. Surround yourself with nature, God's creations. They form an intelligence, information and communication network that connects you with God.

Experiment with yourself in meditation and discover the truth yourself, inside and around you. Live in inner freedom of the heart, expand and fill it with love divine, do not allow it to contract in sorrow and attachment. Choose the path to God that expresses you most and fear not, knowing that an enormous power is available to you, always one thought away.

Together in joy,
Your Granddad

"I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think."

-- Rumi

Hey light bearers! Many people call Jesus Christ the son of God. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God". Jesus didn't come on Earth to show us how great he was, he showed us how great WE ALL can be! We have such a huge potential for greatness!

"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." -- Epictetus (Stoic philosopher)

Essentially, by choosing a mindset of "I know that!" we miss opportunities and put limits on our growth.

"There is no man more intelligent than the merciful one who gives away earthly, perishable things and gathers imperishable, heavenly things. Likewise, there is no greater fool in the world than the greedy one who gathers things continually and yet is deprived continually, finally buying hell with his collected savings. Those, naturally, who are lost in material things are totally lost, for they have also lost Christ."

-- Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (1924-1994)

"The power of positive thinking is the ability to generate a feeling of certainty in yourself when nothing in the environment supports you."

-- Tony Robbins

Hey light-bearers!

"All the precious words
you and I have exchanged
have found their way
into the heart of the universe.
One day they'll pour on us
like whispering rain
helping us arise
from our roots again."

-- Rumi (Dancing the Flame)

In Transactional Analysis (TA), behaviours, thoughts and feelings are:

1. ... copied from our parents (critical or nurturing). PARENT ego state
2. ... rational responses to the "here and now". ADULT ego state
3. ... emotionally replayed from childhood (adapted or free). CHILD ego state

Check the possible transactions between two people shown in the image. Transactions across parallel, horizontal lines are complimentary and work well (i.e. P-P, A-A, C-C). Across diagonal lines things are problematic and they eventually lead to a break in communication (e.g. P-C, A-C, etc).

Hey light-bearers! We remember Krishna saying, "A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well."

Hey light-bearers! We know that a positive mindset is important in life. However, in various circumstances, some negative thinking allows us to assess what could go wrong, so that we can examine possible options and prepare accordingly. So, negative thinking has its use, just don't let it take over your life.

"Human evolution has two steps:
from being somebody to being nobody;
and from being nobody to being everybody.

This knowledge can bring sharing and caring throughout the world."

-- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

According to Transactional Analysis (TA), people adopt one of the four life positions shown in the image.

A life position is an integral part of a person's life script and games are played repeatedly that reinforce the position.

Hey light-bearers! If you want to get some further insights on your personality, a popular way is to visit '16personalities dot com', complete a simple test and review the results. This is based on the pioneering work by Carl Jung on personality types.

"I thought that my voyage was at its end at the last limit of my power that the path before me was closed, provisions were all exhausted and the time had come for me to take shelter in a silent obscurity. But I find that Thy will knows no end in me.

And when old words die out on the tongue new melodies break forth from the heart and where the old tracks are all lost, new country is revealed with its wonders. That I want thee, only thee -- let my heart repeat without end."

-- Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali)

"I left the body. Soon, I merged into a beautiful Divine light of peace and joy. I saw what looked like millions of Divine beings, angels, singing the Divine name, the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard. Peace and joy everywhere and for eternity, the only thing I wanted was to join in.

So I sang with them, peace and joy that words can't express. Some time passed. My mind started drifting. I remembered the taste of ice cream, the fun of driving a motorbike and my favourite sports team. My consciousness had shifted back. Soon I was reborn again in the material plane."

Eternity is a very long time, light-bearers. Let's focus on having the most amazing life of meaning and purpose we can have, while always keeping our Divine origin in mind.

Hey light-bearers! We remember Yogananda saying, "be in the world but not of it."

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.

As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles."

-- Anne Frank (The Diary of a Young Girl)

The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow, created a hierarchy of five levels of human needs. These are typically represented as a pyramid with lower-level needs at the bottom.

The key idea is that lower-level needs must be satisfied before we are motivated for higher-level needs. From lower to higher, we have:

1. Physiological needs (food, water, shelter, rest)
2. Safety needs (security, stability, absence of fear)
3. Social needs (friendship, intimacy, acceptance)
4. Esteem needs (respect, recognition, status)
5. Self-actualization needs (achieving one's full potential, creativity, ingenuity)

'Teach Me Gratitude' Prayer

Holy Spirit,
open my heart
to understand how precious I am to you,
how loved I am by you.

Open the eyes of my soul,
to see the gifts you have put before me this day.
Give me the grace to recognize each encounter with you.

Teach me to respond in gratitude, to grow in gratitude.
Teach me to be generous, as you are generous with me,
and to collaborate with you in serving my sister and my brother, for your greater glory.

-- Rebecca Ruiz

Hey light-bearers! We remember to raise our words, not our voice.

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

-- Aristotle (Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath)

Hey light-bearers! We remember Jesus saying, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Benjamin Franklin put together a list of 13 virtues that he considered necessary or desired. At the end of each day he would review his actions and mark a virtue in his notebook if he thought he had successfully embraced it. The 13 virtues are:

1. TEMPERANCE -- Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE -- Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER -- Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION -- Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY -- Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY -- Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY -- Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE -- Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION -- Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS -- Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY -- Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY -- Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY -- Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Hey light-bearers! We remember that we don't need to think alike to love alike.

Heart as Wide as the World

Holding me in your arms' vast embrace
Only love shining in endless space
All I need is to be with you
All my prayers have been heard
All I want is to rest inside
Your heart as wide as the world

I looked away
Your beauty too much to bear
Where could I run?
Your eyes,
I found them everywhere
All I want is to sing to you
The song that no one has heard
All my life has led me to
Your heart as wide as the world

-- Song by Krishna Das

Hey light-bearers! Remember that if you don't know to which port you are sailing to, no wind is favourable.

Marcus Aurelius wrote in 'Meditations, Book 2':

"When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I will deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil.

But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own — not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine.

And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions."

Hey light-bearers! We remember that the smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family."

-- Virginia Satir

"If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from the inside."

-- Jim Kwik

This is a very potent prayer tool given by Paramahansa Yogananda. If you are having a conflict or challenges with another person:

Close your eyes, visualize them in Divine light and pray deeply, "Lord, fill him/her with peace and harmony, peace and harmony." Repeat for about a minute.

Now visualize yourself in Divine light and pray deeply, "Lord, fill me with peace and harmony, peace and harmony." Repeat for about 15 seconds. That's it.

Do this five times a day.

Hey light-bearers! We remember Jesus saying, "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

"The knowing Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting, and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed."

-- Katha Upanishad

Hey light-bearers! The coming of Spring brings newly blossomed flowers, seedlings and rejuvenated trees. Let's absorb all this beauty with a smile that uplifts the heart.

Hope is the thing with feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

-- Emily Dickinson

Hey light-bearers! We remember to keep our eyes on the stars and our feet on the ground.

"Knock, and he'll open the door.
Vanish, and he'll make you shine like the sun.
Fall, and he'll raise you to the heavens.
Become nothing, and he'll turn you into everything."

-- Rumi

Hey light-bearers! We remember the Divine as our refuge, strength and hope.

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this illusion is the one objective of true religion. Not to nourish the illusion but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of inner peace.

-- Albert Einstein

Hey light-bearers! Open-up your own path, go a little further each time, explore it, pick up any gifts you find on the way, learn something from the obstacles you remove.

Small Actions Matter

An old man was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see.

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. The man could see that the boy was occasionally bending down to pick up a starfish and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can't return to the sea by themselves", the youth replied. "When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water."

The old man replied, "But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I'm afraid you won't really be able to make much of a difference."

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

-- Adapted from the 'The Star Thrower' by Loren Eiseley

It is said that the heart is like a mirror that reflects our deepest being. If the mirror is covered with dust, the reflection is not clear. The mirror of the heart is covered with the dust of our "stuff": selfish desires, anger, greed, shame, fear, and attachment. As we let go of these, our inner beauty begins to radiate and shine.

-- Krishna Das (from the book 'Chants of a Lifetime')

Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

-- Saint Francis of Assisi

Hey light-bearers! We remember to recognize darkness or light in someone's words. Do their statements have a foundation of fear, division, hatred? Or, a foundation of love, unity, peace?

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

-- Carl Jung

Hey light-bearers! We remember Jesus saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

(It's interesting to notice that Jesus didn't say, forgive them cause they are ... evil, foolish, sinners, unbelievers, monsters, etc. He pointed specifically to ignorance)

I Am Love - The Divine Essence Within

In the realm of souls, I softly rise,
An ethereal essence, a boundless prize.
A sacred presence, a cosmic art,
I am the whisper that ignites the heart.

Beyond the stars, where mystics roam,
In the depths of silence, I find my home.
Unseen, yet felt, in every sphere,
In unity, I conquer fear.

In the gentle breeze that softly weaves,
In the symphony of rustling leaves,
I am the force that binds all things,
The dance of life, the song that sings.

I am the dawn that breaks the night,
The beacon of hope, the guiding light.
In darkest hours, when shadows loom,
I dispel the darkness, and souls resume.

In every smile, I find my trace,
A timeless love, a warm embrace.
In every tear, I offer solace,
A healing touch, a tender chalice.

When hearts entwine, and passions flow,
In sacred union, my essence glows.
I am the union of souls in flight,
A sacred bond, two spirits unite.

Beyond the confines of mortal sight,
In realms unseen, my love takes flight.
Through endless cycles, I shall endure,
In every being, I am pure.

So seek me not in distant skies,
For within you, my essence lies.
Embrace the truth that sets you free,
And in your heart, you'll find me.

In every act of kindness shown,
In every prayer, in every zone,
In every gesture that transcends,
I am the love that never ends.

Through joy and pain, I remain the same,
A divine presence, a sacred flame.
For in the tapestry of existence above,
In every atom, I am Love.

-- Sandip Chavan

Hey light-bearers! Remember that in the unity of Divine consciousness, you are simultaneously the giver of love, the recipient of love and the love itself.

"Practice sharing the fullness of your being, your best self, your enthusiasm, your vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, above all, your presence. Share it with yourself, with your family, with the world."

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Hey light-bearers! Remember that you can discover so much more about you, by writing down what happened to you and thinking it through. Words have greater power when they are in writing.

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito."

-- Dalai Lama XIV

Hey light-bearers! We remember to pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.

In ancient Rome, Seneca described Euthymia (Greek Ευθυμία, meaning a joyful tranquillity) as having a sense of the path that you are on, with the ability to not be distracted by the paths that criss-cross yours. Especially the paths of those who are hopelessly lost !

"When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Prayer of Light Over Darkness (Hindu)

Fill the Heart with the oil of love.
Place in it the wick of single-pointed mind.
Light it with the Knowledge of Truth and remove
the darkness of ignorance around you.
Just as one lamp can light many lamps; let each
youth kindle this Light in many hearts.

Hey light-bearers! We remember that there is no division between material work and spiritual work. Any material work is either beneficial or detrimental for our spirit.

"We are travellers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity."

-- Paulo Coelho (from the book 'The Alchemist')

Hey light-bearers! Remember to let the beauty of what you love be what you do.

Good Timber

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

-- Douglas Malloch

Hey light-bearers! By carrying light for others, we naturally light our own way.

"You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love."

-- Henry Drummond

Hey light-bearers! We remember that we make a living by what we get and we make a life by what we give.

"A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves. Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in his love than in your weakness."

-- Mother Teresa

Hey light-bearers! Let's remember the importance of having a clear list of core values (writing them down helps). These are the values you stand for and live by. Do you have your list? It's a yes or no question, the world doesn't need to read your list. When we live our core values daily, these manifest anyway in our words, actions and energy.

5-4-3-2-1 grounding is a simple mindfulness exercise that helps us deal with situations in a calmer way, in support of our coping mechanisms, decision making and problem solving. Follow these steps:

1. Look around and name five things that you can see around you. e.g. a picture on the wall, a carpet, a speaker, etc.
2. Focus on four things that you can feel. e.g. the chair you are sitting on, the feel of your clothes on your skin, the air being warm or cold, etc.
3. Name three things that you can hear around you. e.g. cars on the road, the wind blowing, a computer fan, etc.
4. Notice two things that you can smell around you right now. If you can't smell anything, think of the smell of favorite things, e.g. your shampoo, a perfume, etc.
5. Focus on one thing that you can taste. If you can't taste anything, think of the taste of one of your favorite foods, e.g. a mango, sourdough bread, etc.

"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in 'just being'. Allow nature to teach you stillness."

-- Eckhart Tolle

A Chinook Prayer (Native American)

May all I say and all I think
be in harmony with thee,
God within me,
God beyond me,
maker of the trees.

Hey light-bearers! Remember that awakening is not changing who you are but discarding who you are not.

"We are generally afraid to become that which we can only glimpse in our most perfect moments. We enjoy and thrill to the godlike possibilities we see in ourselves. And yet we simultaneously shiver with weakness, awe and fear before these same possibilities."

-- Abraham Maslow (American psychologist, best known for creating Maslow's hierarchy of needs towards self-actualization)

Hey light-bearers! We remember that knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions."

-- Krishna (from the Bhagavad Gita)

Hey light-bearers! We remember that when expectations end, peace begins.

"Shame derives its power from being unspeakable."

(It may be time to find someone to talk about it)

-- Brene Brown

Hey light-bearers! We remember that creativity is the art of turning nothing into a joyful something.

Krishna described Kali Yuga (our current age) with metaphors in the four images below:

A cuckoo singing a beautiful song while tearing the flesh of a rabbit struggling to escape: Well-spoken people hiding selfishness and cruelty and exploiting the innocent.

Five wells next to each other, four overflowing with water while the fifth is completely dry: The rich amass wealth beyond measure, yet refuse to share with those in need.

A cow licking its small calf to clean it and excessively continuing to the point of harming it: Parents spoil their children excessively to the point of harming their growth.

A massive boulder breaking and falling down a mountain, crashing everything in it's path. Its descent is unexpectedly stopped by a small tree growing from a crevice: Falling spiritual values and morals in people, although even a small amount of faith can stop the descent.

Hey light-bearers! Children remind us what success is really all about, being present and joyful.

"Jung believed that the only sure way to maturation lies in our willingness to recognize and practice our disowned character traits. He called these parts of the self our Shadow. Without them we remain fragmented. With them we not only help ourselves respond to different situations, but we also become whole.

... I like that image. It's (what you consider) the dark side of you that always follows you around. Well, your Shadow, in the way that Jung means it, always stands just behind you. It's there but you usually can't see it.

Actually, it behaves in your dreams exactly the way a beach ball does when you try and hold it down under the water. No matter how hard you try to keep it under, it just keeps popping up."

-- Layne Dalfen (Have a Great Dream, Book 2)

"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."

-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Rumi

Hey light-bearers! We remember to always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.

"When the other person is hurting, confused, troubled, anxious, alienated, terrified; or when he or she is doubtful of self-worth, uncertain as to identity, then understanding is called for.

The gentle and sensitive companionship of an empathic stance provides illumination and healing. In such situations deep understanding is, I believe, the most precious gift one can give to another."

-- Carl Rogers (American psychologist, one of the founders of Humanistic psychology)

Hey light-bearers! Meditating with a pet can give a beneficial sense of calm for both. It's a great way to quiet the mind and reduce stress.

"Do not lower your goals to the level of your abilities. Instead, raise your abilities to the height of your goals."

-- Swami Vivekananda

Hey light-bearers. We remember the importance of self-care, taking the time to do things that help us live well and keep us healthy, physically and mentally.

"Nostalgia is also a dangerous form of comparison. Think about how often we compare our lives to a memory that nostalgia has so completely edited that it never really existed."

-- Brene Brown

Hey light-bearers! We remember that the minutes are more important than the years.

"The caterpillar does not become a flying caterpillar; it morphs into a butterfly."

(For profound change, you will need to leave something of you behind)

-- Ram Dass

Hey light-bearers! Remember to connect to the silence within you, it will help you make sense of the disturbance around you.

"By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us."

-- Alan Watts

A seed with good intentions never discovers the incredible inner strength used for its transformation into a beautiful plant, unless it is fiercely challenged by several stressors like sunlight, heat, wind and rain.

Instrument of Your Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

-- St. Francis of Assisi

Hey light-bearers! We remember to regularly re-examine things we have been told and discard anything that insults our soul.

A healthy person goes 'Yes,' 'No,' and 'Whoopee!' An unhealthy person goes 'Yes but,' 'No but,' and 'No whoopee'.

-- Eric Berne (Canadian psychiatrist who created the theory of Transactional Analysis)

Hey light-bearers! We remember that sharing joy is the simplest form of expressing gratitude.

Unique

Because I know who I am,
I'm at ease and free.
I can't be like others,
And they can't be me.

I've got fading scars,
An unusual physique,
But it all works together
To make me unique.

I've got hidden strengths,
Some obvious flaws.
Still I am who I am,
For better, for worse.

I don't have to blend in;
I won't live a lie.
I can't please everyone;
I won't even try.

Some call me proud;
Others stare at me in alarm.
But I'm not one to bother,
Because I know who I am.

-- Abimbola Alabi

Hey light-bearers! We remember that the consciousness in you and the consciousness in me, apparently two, really one, seek unity. And that is love.

"Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows."

-- Nisargadatta Maharaj

Hey light-bearers! We remember that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

"You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God's creative principle works in you."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

Hey light-bearers! We remember that life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.

"Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are."

What are your experiences with meditation?

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Hey light-bearers! We remember that the little things, the little moments, aren't little.

In order to master any skill, we go through three different phases:
1. Conscious incompetence
2. Conscious competence
3. Unconscious competence

Another way to look at it, is through the following progression:
1. Learning it
2. Practicing it
3. Teaching it

The transition from 1. to 2. typically involves lots of studying, while the transition from 2. to 3. involves lots of repetition.

Hey light-bearers! Remember that you don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

"So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you."

What are your thoughts on this?

-- Paulo Coelho

Hey light-bearers! The life story of a person is sacredly important to them. This is more easily evident in those of an older age. Next time you meet an elder, let them tell you a story from their life. It will give them great joy and you could get some wisdom from them too.

"The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful."

-- Swami Vivekananda

Hey light-bearers! It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war. We remember to stay spiritually active and strong even during our peaceful days.

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny."

What are your thoughts on this?

-- Albert Ellis (American Psychotherapist who developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT))

Hey light-bearers! We remember to smile from the heart, triggering smiles in all receiving hearts.

"Psychological problems develop when people do not permit the naturally changing circumstances of life to interrupt their old and no longer useful patterns of association and experience so that new solutions and attitudes may emerge."

-- Milton H. Erickson and Ernest L. Rossi (Hypnotherapy, An Exploratory Casebook, 1979)

Hey light-bearers! Remember not to let fear make your decisions.

See It Through

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!

-- Edgar A. Guest

Hey light-bearers! We remember that gratitude separates privilege from entitlement.

"The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence, and thus expands our hearts in joy and gratitude." -- Rabindranath Tagore

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that the love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.

People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner." I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds. --Carl R. Rogers

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that well done is better than well said. Let's act in ways that spread divine light!

Great Spirit Prayer (Native American)

Oh, Great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the winds
and whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me! I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes
ever hold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.

Help me remain calm and strong in the
face of all that comes towards me.
Help me find compassion without
empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy: myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.

-- Translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887

Hey light-bearers! We remember that we stay strong by being humble and we stay humble by serving others.

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." -- Confucius

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that life is what we make it. Let's make it awesome!

"It's your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop." -- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that God is ever existing, ever conscious, ever new Joy. (Sanscrit: Sat-cit-ananda)

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We focus on where we want to go, not on what we fear.

"If you talk about it, it's a dream. If you envision it, it's possible. If you schedule it, it's real." -- Tony Robbins

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that a mentality of abundance attracts prosperity.

"Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked." -- Patanjali (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey light-bearers! Remember that the true basis of success is not what you have, but what you are.

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." -- Mother Teresa

What do you think? Anything from your own life experiences that comes to mind?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that when God is in the midst, defeat doesn't exist.

Every Scar Has A Story

Every scar has a story.
What will mine tell?
What will come of this
when I'm better, when I'm well?

I want my scar to tell
of how I've overcome,
of how I made it through,
of where I have come from.

I want my scar to whisper
about the pain I faced,
about this very hard time,
about the marathon I raced.

But mostly I want my scar
to speak of something greater
I want it to shout
about my living Creator.

Let my scar be evidence
that there is a loving Lord
who fought my scary battles
and on whose wings I soared.

Let my scar proclaim
that all things work for good,
that by myself I couldn't
but with my God I could.

Let them take a look.
Let them peek and see.
My scar shows God is great.
It points to Him, not me.

-- Kristina M. DeCarlo

Hey light-bearers! We remember to live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and leave the rest to God.

Serenity Prayer

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

-- Reinhold Niebuhr

Hey light-bearers! Let's be the change we want to see in this world.

All feelings carry an energy and energy can be transformed to any kind of a different energy. For example, you can transform the energy of a feeling of disappointment into misery and also transform it into determination that drives positive change.

Hey light-bearers! We remember to live based on values, not fears.

If you want to get rid of the darkness in a room, don't beat at it with a stick. Turn the light on, and it will vanish as though it had never been.

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

Hey light-bearers! In a world where we can be anything, let's remember to be kind.

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."

-- Carl Jung

Hey light-bearers! Let's be mindful of our mental health. If you notice evidence or warning signals of a problem, don't push it under the rug. When needed, a qualified psychotherapist can provide invaluable help.

"Asking the mind to kill the ego is like asking the thief to be the policeman. There will be a lot of investigation, but no arrest will ever be made."

-- Ramana Maharshi

Hey light-bearers! We remember that in stillness we find the altar of spirit.

Renewal of Strength

The prison-house in which I live
Is falling to decay,
But God renews my spirit's strength
Within these walls of clay.

For me a dimness slowly creeps
Around earth's fairest light,
But heaven grows clearer to my view,
And fairer to my sight.

It may be earth's sweet harmonies
Are duller to my ear,
But music from my Father's house
Begins to float more near.

Then let the pillars of my home
Crumble and fall away;
Lo, God's dear love within my soul
Renews it day by day.

-- Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Hey light-bearers! We remember that a Divine Master is far away for those who think him far away. A Divine Master is always near to those who think him near.

"Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?"

Have you had change that you initially feared but eventually turned out great for you?

Quote by Rumi (13th-century Persian poet and mystic).

Hey light-bearers! We remember the importance of expressing our devotion. Sing the Divine name. Dance the Divine name. Repeat the Divine name. ... Anything that deeply resonates with you.

"If I let myself really understand another person, I might be changed by that understanding. And we all fear change. So as I say, it is not an easy thing to permit oneself to understand an individual."

Comment about a person in your life that has changed you for the better.

The quote is from Carl Rogers and his book, "On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy"

Hey light-bearers! We remember that sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

"To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

What are your experiences with acceptance?

Hey light-bearers! Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying.

The Plains of Peace

Again my fancy takes its flight,
And soars away on thoughtful wing,
Again my soul thrills with delight,
And this the fancied theme, I sing,
From Earthly scenes awhile, I find release,
And dwell upon the restful Plains of Peace.

The Plains of Peace are passing fair,
Where naught disturbs and naught can harm,
I find no sorrow, woe or care,
These all are lost in perfect calm,
Bright are the joys, and pleasures never cease,
For those who dwell on the Plains of Peace.

-- Olivia Ward Bush-Banks

Hey light-bearers! The quieter we become, the more we can hear.

Jesus Christ tells us the parable of the mustard seed. Although the seed itself is tiny, it has full potential to grow and expand immensely. We can think of the mustard seed as an analogy that illustrates the tremendous power of faith in God. We start small with it, we then consistently nurture it as it grows. This faith is the force behind great leaps in our spiritual growth and for making this world a better place.

What are your thoughts on how the mustard seed parable applies in practical terms to day-to-day life?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that we rise by lifting others.

According to Professor Richard Wiseman, lucky people are (without realizing it) using the four principles below to create good fortune in their lives:

1. Maximize chance opportunities. They are skilled at creating, noticing and acting upon opportunities that just come up.
2. Listen to lucky hunches. They are good at listening to their intuition and gut feelings.
3. Expect good fortune. They believe that their future will be great.
4. Turn bad luck to good. They employ mental techniques to cope with and often even thrive upon adversity.

Do you have any further insights on attracting luck?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that creation is both light and shadow, otherwise this movie of life would not be possible.

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." -- Carl Jung

What do you think may be unconsciously affecting your life today?

Hey light-bearers! We remember to count our blessings, not our problems.

When Rama asks Hanuman, "How do you look upon me?" Hanuman gives a three-part answer, "When I believe I am the body, then I am your faithful servant. When I know I am the soul, I know myself to be a spark of your eternal Light. And when I have the vision of truth, you and I, my Lord, are one and the same."

If God asks you, what answer would you give?

Hey light-bearers! We remember that courage is resistance to fear, a conquering of fear, not the absence of fear.

A mother was in despair about her son's habit of eating too many sweets. She tried hard to break his habit but nothing worked. Fearing the worst for his health she decided to take him to Mahatma Gandhi. The mother approaches Gandhi with her son and says, "Tell my son to stop eating sweets !". Gandhi replies, "Come back in two weeks".

After two weeks, the mother and her son meet him again. Gandhi turns to the boy and says, "Stop eating sweets !!!" The mother looks puzzled and says, "Couldn't you have said that to him two weeks ago?" Gandhi responds, "Mother, two weeks ago, I was still eating sweets myself".

Does this story bring to mind anything from your life?

Hey light-bearers! Respond to a person's kindness to you by being kind to someone else. Pay it forward !

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

-- Viktor E. Frankl (from the book "Man's Search for Meaning")

Hey light-bearers! Let's remember the presence of God as we go about our daily duties.

"You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety."

-- Abraham Maslow

Hey light-bearers! Do your thing, enjoy while you are at it.

"Every day in the New Year must become an altar for the God of new living, new achievements in wisdom, and new joy. Every day in the New Year must bring hope and cheer to yourself and all humanity. ... Bury the bad habit of failure in the tomb of the old year and reincarnate your life energy in the vitality of the New Year.

May the New Year spread the example and message of your renewed life and renewed power unto all Creation."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda, 1937

The I is a small aperture of the universe observing itself.

-- Alan Watts

The I is a small aperture of the universe observing itself.

-- Alan Watts

"The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."

-- Plutarch (Greek philosopher of the 1st century BC)

Rupert Sheldrake discusses the intriguing case of blue tits learning to steal milk from bottles in his theory of morphic resonance. In the early 20th century in Southampton, England, blue tits began to exploit milk deliveries by pecking through the cardboard caps of bottles to drink the cream.

This behavior was first observed in 1921 and by 1947, it had spread across Britain, with independent instances also appearing in Scandinavia and Holland. Interestingly, this spread wasn't attributed to birds migrating or learning from each other directly, as blue tits typically don't travel far from their home territories.

Sheldrake uses this example to illustrate his theory of morphic resonance, suggesting that once a behavior or pattern is established by one member of a species, it becomes easier for others to adopt it, even if they are geographically distant. He argues that this kind of behavior dissemination isn't explained by conventional genetics or learning models but rather by a form of collective consciousness, or field influence where similar patterns resonate across time and space. This notion expands to his broader hypothesis that the laws of nature are more akin to habits, shaped by cumulative past actions of similar systems.

Stay curious!

From the book "The Ministry of Angels" by Joy Snell:

"Life is not given on earth to be dreamed away. It is by the faithful performance, day by day, of its duties, of its tasks, be they great or small, in whatever field one is called on to labour, that the soul acquires patience, strength and steadfastness.

To aspiring souls much that lies in the path of duty is often very irksome, especially for those whose lot in life is a narrow one and who must earn a livelihood for themselves and those dependent on them by work that is uncongenial.

But, believe me, it is by devotion to duty they best prove their faith and trust in the great All-Father and draw near to the great heart of Divine Love."

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

-- Theodore Roosevelt

"We seek certainty because it is the antidote to fear. We seek certainty because it's the one thing impossible to find here.

But certainty is more dangerous than doubt. From conviction come razor-edged rules. Beliefs born of certainty harden and become swords of emotional violence. They cut and wound. They kill love because love -- above all -- accepts. It softens around each necessary flaw.

Certainty divides the world into what is true and false, rejected and embraced. It is the defense of the righteous, the self-willed. It is what war -- in every form -- is made of."

-- from 'Seeking Jordan', Matthew McKay

Dust If You Must
(by Rose Milligan)

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

"Live each moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each moment."

Paramahansa Yogananda