Awareness of the Heart

Peace Attainable

We are far from home and yet we are already home. We search for love but it's already in our heart. We search for peace, but our minds cause a stir. We search for understanding and yet we search for ways in which we are different. We grasp at straws, and yet we drink from the same fountain. Peace so attainable, yet so deniable, is under the surface, and yet all around us.

We strive to release ourselves of the things and in some cases the people that we think hold us back. No matter how far we think we've gone, and how much fat we think we've trimmed, we stand in place running. We run from our fears, and from ourselves. We run away from one illusion only to encase ourselves in yet another. One veil is lifted and another falls. What we search is what we create. If we could just let go, let go of our wants, let go our desires, let go of our expectations, then perhaps we could see that what is has always been, and shall forever be.

The Illusion of Illusion

Surely there are many illusions in this life. But even among the illusions there is truth. There is truth in the things some find despicable. There is truth in the horrific. There is truth in silence. There is truth in all that is. What we each decide to do with that truth is up to us. We can hide it, we can fight it, or we can choose to peal the layers back. Even in the chaos there is peace. How we each carry that truth is up to us. Though sometimes warped by our mind and by our desires, it exists without judgment or blame.

Where Have You Gone?

Do not wonder about the path I have taken. Two steps to the front, two steps to the back, two steps to the side; either here or there I am beside you. I walk a crooked line but it is not for you. I walk a straight and narrow line but it is not for you. I stand in my place but it is not for you. Extend your foot and you shall see, but extend your heart and you shall be free. We are neither here nor there, but everywhere. Lift the veil, and you shall see, many more contradictions to set free.

Show Me

Show me the black night, and I shall show you the stars.

Show me the clouds, and I shall show you the endless horizon.

Show me the fish, and I shall show you the oceans.

Show me a pebble, and I shall show you the mountains.

Show me your feet, and I shall show you your path.

Show me your hands, and I shall show you your deeds.

Show me your shoulders, and I shall show you your burdens.

Show me your eyes, and I shall show you your worries.

Show me your mind, and I shall show you your confusion.

Show me your heart, and I shall show you boundless love.

Show me your soul, and I shall show myself reflected in you.

Stand Tall

Throughout our lives we are all met with struggles and challenges. Some bring heartache and others bring consternation. Though we may try to hide our pain and to hide our anguish, our suffering is often all too clear. Like deep scars, we wear our worries on our face. Only hidden from ourselves, our suffering is clear to all who would dare to care. But alone, we are not. Judged, we are not. Condemned, we are not. This is the buried life. Beneath the facade, the suffering runs deep as tears fill the cracks. Release them. Release them.

Hollow gestures, no more. Release the pain. Release the resentment. Your past is no more. Lessons learned and carried forward; stand tall my brother; stand tall my sister. Stand tall with me and let the tears run dry. Let the worries fade and the pain subside. Stand tall with me. Show mercy on yourself. Forgiveness lies with you and not with He.

Nothing Without You

I am a feather in the wind.

I am a grain of sand in the arid desert.

I am a blade of grass in green pastures.

I am a drop of water in the deep oceans.

I am a spec in the cosmos.

I am a ray in the infinite light.

I am the compassionate heart.

I am the humbled warrior.

I am a stranger.

I am a friend.

I am your mother.

I am your father.

I am your brother.

I am your sister.

I am you on lonely nights.

I am you on joyous occasions.

I am you when the nerves run deep.

I am the light.

I am the dark.

I am the in between.

I am love.

I am peace.

I am hope.

I am harmony.

I am all of these things and yet I am nothing without you.

To Be Heard

Sometimes the greatest mistake we can make is to try and make others be like us, or to try and change others so that they agree with us. That would however assume we know something. Perhaps we do and perhaps we don't, but that is beside the point. It takes a great love to allow someone to be who they are, to allow someone the choice to sometimes do destructive things to themselves, but to also be there when they decide to come back to the fold. The greatest thing we can each do is to be ourselves, to show each other that it is okay, that many of us have the same wants, the same desires, to be loved, to be recognized, to be respected, to be heard.

When the Blessings Run Dry

When the blessings run dry, give thanks for the pain.

When the blessings run dry, give thanks for the joy of others.

When the blessings run dry, give thanks for the opportunities.

When the blessings run dry, do not curse and bemoan, but pray for understanding.

When the blessings run dry, give blessings to others.

When the blessings run dry, give blessings that you have always been complete.

When the blessings run dry, go to the well that is your heart.

Honor Thy Creator

Good deeds do not just come from perfect men. Good thoughts do not just come from priests and saints. Though some would like to keep their heroes and idols sacred, nothing should be held sacred except for One. We belong to no country. We bear no flag. We have no enemies and we have no friends. Inhale my breath and mistake not my words. Honor thy Creator.

Break the Mold

Speak your first words by 11 months. Break the mold.

Walk by the age of 1. Break the mold.

Ride a two wheel bicycle by the age of 5. Break the mold.

Finish university by the age of 21. Break the mold.

Be married by the age of 26. Break the mold.

Have a successful career by the age of 30. Break the mold.

Have two children and a dog by the age of 33. Break the mold.

Own a house by the age of 35. Break the mold.

Retire by the age of 65. Break the mold.

Vacation around the world by the age of 72. Break the mold.

Break the mold that society has given and live life. Live your life for you and for all of existence. Don't live it for the things someone else missed in life. Don't live it for the mistakes someone else made in their youth. Don't live it for someone else's expectations. Don't live it for your parents or your friends. Don't live it out of guilt. Don't live it out of anger, greed, or bitterness. Live it because it's you.

Child, Listen!

Healer, heal thyself.

Teacher, teach thyself.

Preacher, preach to thy self.

Child, listen!

Compulsion

Religion is not a compulsion towards God. Neither is God a compulsion towards religion. Man has made religion a tool. It is a crutch for some, and for others still, a club to beat the weak. Understanding of the divine does not come from inclusion or exclusion from any group. Neither does it come from the adoration of statues or the creation or recitation of the countless names for the divine. Creation was not made for a narcissistic God. It was created simply from love. How one treats this word or idea is up to each person. Though some may reject it, while others embrace it, it is up to each individual. There is no compulsion. Love, like God, is an invitation. It does not need to conquer. It does not need to yell or berate. It does not need to boast or put others down. Love is understanding in the divine.

Creating a New Totem

Age does not necessarily bring wisdom.

Age does not necessarily bring stature.

Age does not necessarily bring understanding.

When we pass from this plane, our words will fade.

The memories of the past will become blurred.

What once was will become but a footnote.

We can try to wipe away the pain. We can try to wipe away the memories. We can try to wipe away the words. We can even try to dig our heals into the ground. Youth is understanding under a different light, while age just shifts the context. Dream not for the past, or for the future, but for all that has always been.

Many Times Over Shall We See

It’s easy to criticize others. It’s easy to point out the things about a person, their actions or their beliefs that are distasteful to us. It’s even easier to walk away and pretend we didn’t hear something when we know it is wrong or offensive. So who is at fault? Is it the person who spews hatred because it is what he knows; is it the person who adds fuel to the fire through condemnation or blind reaction; or is it the person who walks away? So many of us clamor for a better life and for a better world, but change does not happen in the minds of men. It happens on the backs of our actions, and the backs of what we are willing to put forth with our own heart.

We can sometimes get so carried away with the ranting of a few that rather than make good from what is poison, we judge and criticize without care for bringing another into the fold. Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us. Judge not the man, nor even his actions, but rather show him the loving light of truth. Reveal to him not our own disdain, but instead an understanding that he can take with him. For not once and not twice will we be given a path to redemption, but many times over shall we see.

When It’s Not Easy

It is easy to tear down.

It is easy to destroy.

It is easy to criticize.

It is easy to speak ill of something or someone.

It is easy to walk away.

It is easy to not care.

Can you build up?

Can you create?

Can you be compassionate when no one and everyone is looking?

Can you speak the truth without being spiteful?

Can you stand by someone's side even if you disagree with them?

Can you be caring when you have nothing at stake?

Bondage of Expectations

If we judge our life and our experiences by a measuring stick, then we've already lost. All too often we judge the circumstances of our life by the perceived accomplishments of others and even by the occurrences in our own lives. But what if we placed an artificial ceiling over our heads? How many of us would be willing to surpass it? How many of us would reach beyond it? How many of us would even realize we could reach beyond? What if the only boundaries were the ones we placed in front of ourselves? We are our own worst enemy. All too often we succumb to expectations, whether they are our own or others'. We place others on pedestals. We idolize and worship. Whether it is wealth, fame, stature, or one's place in society, we find ways to distill that which cannot be separated. We set ourselves apart. And in that process, we measure ourselves against our dreams and expectations.

What if what we perceived as the ideal was in fact an illusion? What if the greatest illusion, or delusion of all was desire, whether it is the desire to reach a state of enlightenment, or the desire to cling onto a memory or moment in time. In this state of want, do we not lose perspective? Do we not try to relive the past, or try to grab for the future in a veiled attempt to catch what cannot be captured? In that process, do we not become slaves to our desires?

Into the Fold

When dark becomes you, embrace it. Embrace it, not so that you become it, but so that it shall know itself. Love it, not that you should do evil things, but that it shall know the light. Do not condemn it, but rather raise it up. Do this not so that you praise it, but so that it shall know there is another way. Cast it not aside, but rather bring it into the fold. And though it may fight and leave many times over, each time it returns, invite it, not that it shall bear fruit in your heart, but that it shall know home in your heart. Know the top of your hand as you know your palm, for they are one and the same.

Reflect on Life

Do not be afraid to reflect on life for all of life is a reflection.

Into the eyes of my beloveds, I see my reflection.

Into the eyes of my enemies, I see my reflection.

Into the eyes of strangers, I see my reflection.

Warped views, muted tones, I see my reflection.

Bright lights, full moon, I see my reflection.

Blinding sun, shadows cast, I see my reflection.

Purple haze, biting sand, I see my reflection.

God's love, devil's hate, I see my reflection.

A True Teacher

A true teacher does not need to boast.

A true teacher does not need to proclaim their knowledge.

A true teacher does not mock.

A true teacher does not put down another.

A true teacher knows their own heart.

A true teacher knows that he does not know all.

A true teacher knows when to be silent.

A true teacher offers without want for outcome.

A true teacher offers without want for reward.

A true teacher understands when he is the student.

Blaming God

There are times in life when we have all questioned God's will and sometimes His very existence. Often in times of hurt and in times of pain, we begin to question our beliefs and our very core. We look back on the decisions we've made, the people we've encountered and the many thoughts that have gone through our heads, and we question. We question how we've gotten to where we've gotten. We question our worth and judge our happiness. We look back at the what ifs and replay each hurtful moment as if to relive the agony in order to make it more real. As if in bewilderment, we look at our lives and wonder how it got out of control. Was it because of our friends? Was it because of our family? Was it because of God? Was it because we were so unforgiving of the joys of this life?

We look to place blame as if it were some badge to dignify the situation. Though at times some of us would like to pass on the responsibility of our life on to others, there is no one to blame. Life is life, with its challenges, its heartache and its joys. Although we may not always be able to see through the fog of our own despair, there is always a light. It's not sitting at the end of the proverbial tunnel, but right inside of us. Like a lighthouse guiding a ship to land, there is a light inside each one of our hearts, guiding us through the fog and back to God. Though the voyage is often a rough one, as soon as we can release our burdens and the expectations that keep us in place; as soon as we can release the anchor that holds us down, we can find our way home.

Distractions

The biggest distraction is often the one in which we try to find our differences. There are often many ways to interpret a given message. Often times depending on where we are in our lives, we may see and understand one thing versus another. Other times we may disregard a message all together. But rather than spend our time fighting over the differences, shouldn't we be appreciative of the different perspectives we each bring? Life and its experiences are like a personal lesson plan. No two can possibly be the same. And even when looking at a single individual's life, memories of the past are often shaped by what comes next. So rather than spend another moment arguing over who's perspective is best, maybe we should just take joy in knowing we were all made unique for a reason. You are another me, and I am another you after all. Though our appearances may differ, though our upbringing may have been polar opposites, and though we may speak different languages or come from different parts of society, we each offer a perspective unique to ourselves. No one view carries more weight than another. No one life carries more weight than another.

Summon Them Not

Fluffy feathers,

Bright lights,

Dancing sunbeams,

Sparks of life,

Summon them not.

Crackling thunder,

Heavenly tears,

Shaking Mother,

Winds of the East,

Summon them not.

Voices of past,

Prognosticators of future,

Fortune tellers,

Scholars of the blind,

Summon them not.

Wicked teeth,

Hollow eyes,

Bringer of consternation,

Fear monger,

Summon them not.

Beyond the Veils

Do not get lost in words for they do not tell the whole story.

Do not get lost in images for there is surely more than one view.

Do not get lost in stories for surely much has been forgotten.

Do not blindly hang your trust on another's beliefs for what they know is no more than what you want to accept.

Beyond the words,

beyond the images,

beyond the stories,

beyond belief,

there is you, waiting to be heard.

Listen with an open heart.

Listen with an open mind.

Look beyond these words.

Do with your heart, what your eyes and your ears could not.

Be not afraid of what it tells you, for it is not anything you did not already know.

Without Judgment

There will be many who claim things to be impossible. They will claim prior knowledge from past experiences or shared conversations. They may even mock and ridicule you for the things you say or do. Mind them not for what is in your heart is in your heart. What is in your soul is in your soul. Offer yourself as you are, without fear of recrimination. Offer that which is available for all to know, without prejudice. Offer the truth without judgment. Offer it without want for outcome. We are all reservoirs of knowledge. Created from the same breath, we are a divine expression. Take solace in being you for it should not be any other way. Although some may speak unkindly, and some may try to impede, they do nothing but hinder themselves. Walk the path of your heart for it should not be any other way.

You Cannot Lead the Force to Halt

There will be those who will try to change the truth. They will make it their own. They will preach it as if it were the gospel. They will claim it as My word. They will gather followers. And though you may wish to fight them on every point, worry not, for no one can lead to a stop all that shall be. Convince them of nothing. Do not speak down upon them. Do not chastise them. Do not mock them.

Drink from the Tree of Life that you will know Life. Find in your heart your true master. Listen ye, for it has been written.

To the Wise

Wisdom is not boasting of fantastical feats.

Wisdom is not speaking to angels.

Wisdom is not channeling the great philosophers or scientific minds of the past.

Wisdom is not putting down others.

Wisdom is not conniving.

Wisdom is not living to be 100.

Wisdom is an invitation to share.

Wisdom is compassion in the face of retribution.

Wisdom is kindness without want.

Wisdom is mercy where there is none.

Wisdom is allowing one to be themselves.

Wisdom is silence in a storm of lies.

Look into My Soul

Why are so many afraid to look into their own soul? Why are so many afraid to ask themselves questions that go deeper than the surface? Why are so many afraid to look themselves in the mirror? Could it be that deep down, they know they have squandered an opportunity? Could it be they are ashamed of a decision, or a life that has somehow gotten them off track? Could it be there is a hurt so great that the mind refuses to stare itself in the eye?

Like cracks in a dam, pain slowly leaks. It spreads into our daily life consuming all before it. Left to suffer the cracks get deeper and deeper. Though it seems like