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Just yesterday, I reasoned with my wife that the goal of all souls should be that of seeking wisdom. I would think to seek anything less than wisdom would be a falling away from whom we are designed to Be.

Doreen soberly shook her head saying no, …and I began to understand why I find so few to communicate with. How can my great treasures of wisdom not also be great treasures to all soul and the world?

It is an awesome thing to be able to see who we are, Being in the moment of now.

Only as we are able to step outside ourselves, in the moment of now, can we begin to see who we are in the greater plan of things. Our past cannot be present in the moment of now unless invited. This seldom works to our benefit except to produce irrational challenges from which we grow.

The future cannot exist in the present, …only the future. In this moment of now we are free of the concerns, limitations and peremeters for what cannot exist in this moment, …and become totally aware of what is, and not as grandpa thought it should be.

Those who direct my path, as I allow, have given me this from Idires Shah to help lighten my path. Are my treasures truly the Water of Paradise?

This was posted to the Sufi Mystic forum by Steve Roth. Enjoy!

In The Light,

Howard
 
The Water of Paradise

By Idries Shah

 
 
Harith the Bedouin and his wife Nafisa, moving from place to place,
pitched their ragged tent wherever a few date palms, grazing scrub
for their camel or a pool of brackish water were to be found. This
had been their way of life for many years, and Harith seldom varied
his daily round: trapping desert rats for their skins, twisting ropes
from palm fibers to sell to passing caravans.

One day, however, a new spring appeared in the sands, and Harith
scooped a little of the water into his mouth. To him this seemed the
very water of paradise, for it was far less foul than his usual
drink. To us it would have seemed repulsively full of salt. "This,"
he said, "I must take to one who will appreciate it."

He accordingly set off for Baghdad and the palace of Haroun el-
Raschid, traveling without pausing to do more than munch a few
dates. Harith took two goatskins of water: one for himself, the other
for the Caliph.

Days later he reached Baghdad, and marched straight to the
palace. The guards listened to his tale and, only because it was the
rule, they admitted him to the public audience of Haroun.

"Commander of the Faithful," said Harith, "I am a poor Bedouin,
and know all the waters of the desert, though I may know little of
other things. I have just discovered this Water of Paradise, and
realizing that it was a fitting gift for you, have come at once to
make it as an offering."

Haroun the Straightforward tasted the water and, because he
understood his people, he told the guards to take Harith away and
lock him up for a time until his decision might be known. Then
calling the captain of the guard, he told him: "What to us is
nothing, to him is everything. Take him, therefore, by night from
the palace. Do not let him see the mighty River Tigris. Escort him
all the way to his tent without allowing him to taste sweet water.
Then give him a thousand pieces of gold and my thanks for his
service. Tell him that he is the guardian of the Water of Paradise,
and that he administers it for any traveler in my name, to be freely
given away."

as collected by Idries Shah

An experience, then, is not only a happening, but what is the reaction in your own mind? What does it do to you to make your life, your habits, your relationships to others of a more helpful nature, with a more hopeful attitude?

These are the criterions for every individual's experience--sincerity of purpose, of desire; putting the whole law into effect in the activities--which is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, thy mind, thy body, and thy neighbor as thyself.

This is the whole law. All the other things given or written are only the interpreting of same.

Then what does such a proclaiming preclude? From what basis is the reasoning drawn? What is the purpose of an individual experience of an entity or soul into the earth at any given period?

These answered then give a background for the interpreting of why.

Edgar Cayce Reading

June 27, 2008 - Daily Om

Rippling And Tipping

A snowball at the top of a mountain has the potential to become huge, just by rolling down the mountain and gathering more snow. In a short time, this tiny snowball can become a force to be reckoned with. We humans are like this when it comes to exchanging energy and vision, and no matter how few people are involved at the beginning, there is the potential for massive change. As consciousness seekers, we are in the midst of this process, and it is amazing to see people we thought might never come around, waking up to their truth. Each time we see this, we can count ourselves blessed to be living at a time when the awareness of humanity seems to be at a tipping point, as more and more individuals open their minds and change their ways.

For some people, this revolves around an awareness of the environment, for others it is a spiritual awakening, and for many it is both. A great change in consciousness is sweeping through us all, as we recognize that things are not what they have seemed to be, that there is more to our lives than meets the eye. Many of us have the awareness and the energy at this time to break through old, outmoded ways of seeing things and to move into a new way of being in the world, and it is essential that we do so. The beauty of living at this time is that even small actions have a powerful ripple effect, and the reverberations of what we do have the power to reach and open many minds.

It is as if a scale is about to tip in favor of higher consciousness, and each one of us has the power to bring humanity closer to that point with the smallest of actions. Each time we move in the direction of our dreams and visions, we can visualize another small pebble dropping into the pond, or another gold weight on the scale, rippling and tipping our way to universal awakening.

What do you think?

Love lies in service. Only that which is done, not for fame or name, nor for the appreciation or thanks of those for whom it is done, is love's service.

The lover shows kindness and beneficence to the beloved. He does whatever he can for the beloved in the way of help, service, sacrifice, kindness, or rescue, and hides it from the world and even from the beloved. If the beloved does anything for him he exaggerates
it, idealizes it, makes it into a mountain from a molehill. He takes poison from the hands of the beloved as sugar, and love's pain in the wound of his heart is his only joy. By magnifying and idealizing whatever the beloved does for him and by diminishing and forgetting whatever he himself does for the beloved, he first develops his own
gratitude, which creates all goodness in his life.

The Sufi moral is this: Love another and do not depend upon his love; and: Do good to another and do not depend upon receiving good from him; serve another and do not look for service from him. All you do for another out of your love and kindness, you should think that you do, not to that person, but to God. And if the person returns love for love, goodness for goodness, service for service, so much the better. If he does not return it, then pity him for what he loses; for his gain is much less than his loss.

Do not look for thanks or appreciation for all the good you do to others, nor use it as a means to stimulate your vanity. Do all that you consider good for the sake of goodness, not even for a return of that from God.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Peace Larry,

Your valid points are well written and understood.

Perhaps the writer of this Daily Om was suggesting the wisdom found in words of Yeshua at Matthew 5:39.

There are two paths in experiencing wisdom, the lower path of confronting adversity and the higher path of accepting what is in the moment of now, …that of Being.

The lower path is that of duality, of the egoic, physical mind, while the higher path is that of the singularity of the Mind of One and unity with the life force energies or Reiki.

In The Love and Light of One,

Howard

June 17, 2008 - Daily Om

Evaluating Our Relationships

There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down. Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path. Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we¢re trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path.

We can begin this evaluation process by simply noticing how we feel in the context of each one of our close relationships. We may begin to see that an old friend is still carrying negative attitudes or ideas that we ourselves need to let go of in order to move forward. Or we may find that we have a long-term relationship with someone who has a habit of letting us down, or not showing up for us when we need support. There are many ways to go about changing the status quo in situations like this, having a heart to heart with our friend showing through example. This process isn¢t so much about abandoning old friends as it is about shifting our relationships so that they support us on our journey rather than holding us back.

An important part of this process is looking at ourselves and noticing what kind of friend we are to the people in our lives. We might find that as we adjust our own approach to a relationship, challenging ourselves to be more supportive and positive, our friends make adjustments as well and the whole world benefits.

What do you think?

June 11, 2008 - Daily Om

Bear Medicine

When the image of a bear enters our consciousness, we may first notice their size, strength, and power, but beyond their physical attributes lay many traits that can guide us deeper into our experience of life. Their abilities as hunters and powerful protectors of their loved ones are well known, but you may also envision them on a quest for variety as they seek out the flavors and scents of the world, first fishing, then enjoying berries, or braving angry bees to indulge in honey. But their hidden strength lies in the bear¢s ability to travel between the physical and spiritual worlds, a talent that is recognized all around the world by those who live in harmony with nature.

One way that bears access their inner world is during hibernation when they find a safe and womblike environment to let their physical bodies rest while their spirit travels. They travel through time, mentally digesting and learning from their experiences, but they also travel beyond the realm of mind and body into the dreamtime, where they are able to create their goals and then be rejuvenated by the source of all life. In this sacred space, they are connected to physical, mental, and spiritual realms all at once and can find the balance that they need to reenter the and continue successfully in the world.

Polar bears don¢t enter a deep state of hibernation like other bears, but instead fluidly cross between realms on the physical plane as well the spiritual. Their reflective, translucent fur makes them difficult to see as they move across the frozen ice, blending into terrain covered with snow, making them seem like they are shimmering between dimensions. They move as easily in water as on land, agile and able in both worlds. They can remind us that we are one with our environment, inseparable from it. They teach us that while we can take time apart to connect with spirit, we can also carry that awareness with us as we move through life, making the spiritual indistinguishable from the material. By aligning ourselves with bear energy, we fully embody the best of all worlds.

What do you think?

June 6, 2008 - Daily Om

Laying Our Burdens Down

We all know the feeling of walking through life as if we are carrying the huge burden of our worries and stresses on our backs and shoulders, struggling to keep moving forward. There is no real way to move freely and fluidly in such a situation, and we are all longing to lay our burdens down. Just imagining that it would be possible to do such a thing can be enough to elicit a sigh of relief and a feeling of lightness.

The human imagination is a powerful tool, and we can use it to take journeys to faraway places without ever leaving our home. Because of this, we too can lay our burdens down at the feet of a divine being such as the great Mother, Buddha or a mountain. Releasing ourselves from that which we can¢t handle on our own. No matter how smart we are, how capable we are, or how hard we work, no one can single-handedly cope with all the worries that we tend to take on in the course of our lives. And, we aren't designed to do so. Our wellbeing depends upon our ability to hand over that which we can no longer carry by ourselves.

Visualizing yourself carrying your burdens to the feet of someone or something much bigger than you can be a powerful daily practice. To begin, sit with your eyes closed and envision an all powerful, supremely comforting being in what ever form that takes for you, standing at the end of a road. See yourself carrying a large sack, box, or other container, imagining that all your worries are inside it. Watch as you make your way to the being of your choice, and lay your baggage down at their feet. Allow yourself to feel the lightness and relief of this action, express your gratitude, and surrender. You will be amazed by how this simple meditation can liberate you from a burden you were never meant to carry.

What do you think?

June 4, 2008 - Daily Om

Entering Awareness

Entering into our own spirituality is a private journey. Each of us will be drawn to a different gateway to begin on our personal path to awakening to a greater experience of ourselves. Even though we may be taught certain philosophies or beliefs as children, we still need to find our own way of understanding and applying them in our lives. For those who are raised without a spiritual framework, they may not even know their process as a form of spirituality. But at some stage in their lives, whether in youth or adulthood, they are likely to recognize the resonance of their beliefs, the ring of truth in their philosophy, and their dedication to their chosen purpose.

Our inner guidance will lead us, so that we will be drawn to the right doorway for us--a doorway that only we can recognize by the way it makes us feel inside. It could be a picture of an angel or the gift of a crystal. We may meet someone special who shares their experiences with us in a way that we find intriguing. While visiting the home of an admired friend, we may notice a book or statue of a diety, and ask why they chose those tools. Or a word or phrase may catch our attention in a song, or a lecture. For some they may find their way by walking through the experience of illness before they begin the search for what will help them to truly heal, while others may seek physical improvement and stumble across yoga or meditation--only to find that it leads them to an unexpected place beyond the body.

As we awaken to ourselves and to life, we will become more attuned to what is right for us. The universe speaks to all of us through infinite channels, but we each have our own frequency. Others may share what worked for them, but only we can decide what truly makes us feel inspired, awakened, connected, fully conscious, aware and alive. Whatever our path, it is perfect and is meant especially for us.

What do you think?