People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're
seeking is an experience of being alive ... so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.

~ Joseph Campbell

The question arises: what is the manner of opening the heart? The way to it is a natural life, the life of the child, smiling with the smiling one, praying with the praying one, ready to learn from everyone, ready to love. The child has enmity against no one, he has no hatred, no malice, his heart is open. It is in the child that you can see the smiles of angels; he can see through life.
When the grown-up person is made ready, when he has acquired the attributes of the child, then he creates heaven within himself, he understands. The child with his innocence does not understand, but when a person with understanding develops the childlike loving tendency, the purity of heart of the child with the desire to be friendly to all -- that is the opening of the heart, and it is by that blessing that he can receive all the privileges of human life.

You came empty handed. You will leave empty handed. What is yours today belonged to someone else yesterday and will belong to someone else that day after tomorrow. So, whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God. Why do you worry? Without cause - whom do you fear without reason? Who can kill you? The soul is neither born, nor does it die. Whatever happened, happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good; whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only. You need not have any regrets for the past. You need not worry for the future. The Present is happening. What did you lose that you cry about? What did you bring with you which you think you lost? What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything. Whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you give, you gave to Him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that it is yours. It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows. Change is the law of the universe. What you think of as death is indeed life. In one instance you can be a millionaire. And in the other instance you can be steeped in poverty. Yours and mine, big and small - erase these ideas from your mind. Then everything is yours and you belong to everyone. This body is not yours, neither are you of the body. The body is made of fire, water, earth, and ether, and will disappear into these elements. But the soul is permanent, so who are you? Dedicate your being to God. He is the one to be ultimately relied upon. Those who know of His support are forever free from fear, worry and sorrow. Whatever you do, do as a dedication to God. This will bring you the tremendous experience of joy and life - freedom forever.

The Evening Is Tranquil, and Dawn Is a Thousand Miles Away
by Charles Wright

The mares go down for their evening feed
into the meadow grass.
Two pine trees sway the invisible wind—
some sway, some don't sway.
The heart of the world lies open, leached and ticking with sunlight
For just a minute or so.
The mares have their heads on the ground,
the trees have their heads on the blue sky.
Two ravens circle and twist.
On the borders of Heaven the river flows clear a bit longer.

- Charles Wright, *The New Yorker*

http://oneminuteshift.com/videos/babaji_video/the_power_of_vibration

AMMA meditation and the recitation of the 1000 names of the DIVINE MOTHER, this Sunday, 2 to 4 at Ompalace YogaVidya,
no charge. Call to confirm in case of bad weather/snowstorms.519-372-2216

JAI SITA RAM!

Falsehood, whatever its apparent success, has its limitations and its end. For at every step the false person will feel falseness; and with every step a person takes towards falsehood, he will feel his feet growing heavier and heavier when he encounters the truth, while those who walk towards the truth will feel their feet becoming lighter with every step they take.

Truth is the divine element in man. Truth is every soul's seeking. Therefore as soon as the clouds of illusion are scattered, that which man now begins to see is nothing but the truth which has been there all the time. He finds that the truth was never absent; it was only covered by clouds of illusion.

Kabir, the great poet of India says, 'Life is a field and you are born to cultivate it. And if you know how to cultivate this field you can produce anything you like. All the need of your life can be produced in this field. All that your soul yearns after and all you need is to be got from the field, if you know how to cultivate it and how to reap the fruit.' But if this opportunity is only studied in order to make the best of life by taking all that one can take and by being more comfortable, that is not satisfying. We must enrich ourselves with thought, with that happiness which is spiritual happiness, with that peace which belongs to our soul, with that liberty, that freedom, for which our soul longs; and attain to that higher knowledge which breaks all the fetters of life and raises our consciousness to look at life from a different point of view. Once a person has realized this opportunity he has fulfilled the purpose of Life.

Sunday is a very sacred day in Indian spirituality. It is today called Maha Shiva Ratri - The Great Night of Shiva. On this day spiritual seekers stay up all night, paying homage to Lord Shiva the Hindu deity related to destroying the weaknesses that hold us back from being our all-powerful True Self.
It is customary to fast all day -- stay up all night and (perhaps) offer Bilva leaves to a Shiva Lingam (representation of the God) throughout the night. In modern times it is customary to say the thousand names of Lord Shiva and/or other sacred mantras such as the "Maha Mrityunjayaaya Mantra" (the great victory over death mantra) and sing songs throughout the night.
Lord Shiva is the most sought after of the deities and in many ways the hardest to abide with as his lessons are the very lessons of life (and death) itself. Who we are beyond just the physical body is the abode of Shiva. Our ego trembles at the feet of Lord Shiva because his presence means the death of the ego - the death of the smaller self. The true Self and the smaller self cannot exist simultaneous - just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. It is said that Lord Shiva is the easiest to please, he accepts all who are sincere in their desire to transform.

AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA

These days are feeling a little rough with anxiety and worry, but there is always hope. In Eastern traditions we are her to evolve toward the truth and perfection that is our real nature. Suffering in life is a wake up call that we were not paying enough attention to that truthful nature, instead we were falsely following some idea outside of us that we thought would "make us happy", rather than "show us truth".
In Many ways we are either pursuing happiness (for our smaller selves) or Truth (for our Higher Self). These things are not mutually exclusive, necessarily - but sometimes they are. Things we pursue that we hope to make us happy (Venus) may take us away from the things that bring Wisdom (Jupiter) or Peace (the Moon). Yet, happiness is vital as it shows us the bliss of life that is also at the center of your being. Currently with Venus exalted in Pisces there is a lot of potential for love and relationship happiness, but it is also very possible that a relationship has ended and / or you or others are assessing how valued you feel and how and how respected you feel. If those things are not in synch a relationship might end. It is not unusual now for couples to need a little time away for themselves. Especially until March 7 when Mars leaves Capricorn.
Right now it is definitely possible that people are not feeling as respected as they would like in their relationship and they are ready to fight and makes changes. If that is happening with you, take that time to be creative and look into your self and realize that you are a lot more than any relationship, and if the joy of life for you is tied to the notion of "having someone" even if you get them you may put too much pressure on that, etc. I have seen that most of our unrealistic projections (and consequently deepest disappointments) come in relationships. Placing so much of our personal happiness on the whims of another autonomous, free being not only objectifies them, it debases our freedom and the deeper concepts of love. This debasing is the real suffering of clovers, the fall from grace from the purity of love's beginning to what it becomes one our ego's get involved. But even if that has recently happened to you, there is no need to wallow. Pick yourself up and get going again. Open your heart to the truest of love - the purity of divine love, that is not personal or about you.. but for all of creation and the mystery of life itself. This exalted Venus holds that promise like no other.

Labels: VENUS

The religion of each one is the attainment of his soul's desire; when he is on the path of that attainment he is religious; when he is off that path then he is irreligious, impious. Religion is a need of the human soul. In all periods and at every stage of the evolution of humanity there has been a religion which people followed, for at every period the need for religion has been felt. The reason is that the soul of man has several deep desires, and these desires are answered by religion.
The first desire is the search for the ideal. There comes a time when man seeks for a more complete justice than he finds among men, and when he seeks for someone on whom he can rely more surely than he can on his friends in the world. There comes a time when man feels a desire to open his heart to a Being who is above human beings and who can understand his heart. ... He feels the need of asking forgiveness of someone who is above human pettiness, and of seeking refuge under someone stronger than he. And to all these natural human tendencies there is an answer which is given by religion, and that answer is God.

I could not lie anymore, so I started to call my dog "GOD".
First he looked confused,
Then he started smiling,
Then he even danced.
I kept at it.
Now he doesn't even growl.
I am wondering if this might work on people?

~ Tukaram, 17th century India.

GROW TASTY THINGS FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY FUN OF IT
Guerrilla Gardening
http://tinyurl.com/6ch228

SEE BEAUTIFUL THINGS FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY FUN OF IT
50 Best Astronomy Pictures
http://tinyurl.com/77xuc8

NOT ALL THE MARVELOUS THINGS ARE IN THE PAST
Ancient Wonders Versus Modern Wonders
http://tinyurl.com/2krtvp

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final
word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than
evil triumphant."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

"True freedom comes when every speck of the known collapses into the unknown, not just for a moment but continually.
... Adyashanti

from Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media
The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that it has received numerous reports
across Texas of falling debris,which could be related to a recent U.S.-Russian satellite
collision. The FAA notified pilots on Saturday to be aware of possible space debris
after a collision Tuesday between U.S. and Russian communication satellites. The
chief of Russia's Mission Control says clouds of debris from the collision will
circle Earth for thousands of years and threaten numerous satellites.
Video shot by a photographer from News 8 TVin Austin showed what appeared to be
a meteor-like white fireball blazing across a clear blue sky Sunday morning. The
photographer caught the incident while covering a marathon in Austin. Some of the
callers in the Austin and Houston area reported what looked like a fireball in the
sky. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig said the debris, which appeared
around 11 a.m., is likely related to a recent satellite collision. Herwig said the
calls have been coming in from across the state, although no report of debris touching
the ground has been received.
FULL ARTICLE:http://earthchangesmedia.com/secure/3247.326/article-9162524118.php [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102460874480&e=001CQHEwAhuupHmRHD1hzNeLbB_mDKTTReMvyx0ZBIr7pO1YcrR-VgzmnifJRZEGy6kf3v6pZlMbjSfEwpp0Nv9qBZKTcMVdxb5iRl3tzVHLDG39_j1kEHb7Q5U57J-p4nVcRZsP9wzQYMZaXzBqq77emJs_8xLDKUYIlt5WHKkCSHmjoVX0Gws0Q==]




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The universe is like a dome; it vibrates to that which you say in it, and answers the same back to you; so also is the law of action we reap what we sow.

Man forms his future by his actions; his every good or bad action spreads its vibrations and becomes known throughout the universe.
According to the ideas of the mystics the world in which we make our life is an Akasha, and Akasha means capacity. It is pictured by them as a dome; and whatever is spoken in it has its echo. Therefore no one can do, say, or think anything for one moment which will become non-existent. It is recorded; and that record is creative. It is not only what one does, says, or thinks that is recorded in the memory or in the atmosphere, but that record also creates at every moment, so that every line and letter of it becomes the seed or the germ that produces a similar effect.
The law of cause and effect is as definite in its results in the realm of speech and thought as in the physical world. ... Man forms his future by his actions. His every good or bad action spreads its vibrations and becomes known throughout the universe. The more spiritual a man is, the stronger and clearer are the vibrations of his actions, which spread over the world and weave his future. Wherever a person goes there he takes his influence, thereby creating harmony or inharmony in the atmosphere. As a person who is drunken feels most delighted to see another person also drunken in the same way as he, and enjoys his company and offers him a drink, so the inharmonious person creates inharmony, and so the harmonious person spreads the vibrations of harmony, tuning the whole atmosphere to the pitch of his soul.

~~~ "Sangatha I, Tasawwuf", by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

WHEN YOU GET SMARTER, I GET SMARTER
Raising the World's IQ
http://tinyurl.com/5byasw

WHEN YOU GET HAPPIER, I GET HAPPIER
Happiness is contagious
http://tinyurl.com/6ruevb
http://tinyurl.com/82v9ux

WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPINESS WILL FEEL LIKE IN THE FUTURE?
Ten Sci-Fi Devices That Could Soon be in Your Hands
http://tinyurl.com/az6n7o

"Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in character.
When there is beauty in character, there is harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world".
THERE IS ONLY LOVE! All else is mental confusion and projection --

International Association of Yoga Therapists
Location: Los Angeles Airport Marriott
5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angles, CA 90045 800-228-9290
March 5th - 8th, 2009
Faculty: Swami Veda Bharati, Loren Fishman, Lilias Folan, Kim Innes, Leslie Kaminoff, Sat Bir Khalsa, Shanti Khalsa, Gary Kraftsow, Timothy McCall, Richard Miller, Dean Ornish, Larry Payne, Shirley Telles, Rama Jyoti Vernon, John Kepner
International Association of Yoga Therapists
115 S. McCormick, Suite 3
Prescott, AZ 86303
Information: mail@iayt.org Phone: 928-541-0004 10AM - 4PM MST • www.sytar.org

"The degree in which a poet's imagination dominates reality is the exact
measure of his importance and dignity."

- George Santayana

Many Hindus are familiar with the story of how the gods and the demons churned the milky ocean. Out came many precious items, such as Sri, the wish fulfilling cow, amrit (nectar of immortality) and so forth. Buit in the process of churning, also poison came out. This poison threatened to destroy the whole universe. It was Lord Shiva who drank the poison and saved the universe. This created a little blue patch on His throat.
Today, we are in much the same situation. Modern man has churned the ocean of technology. Many wonderful things have come out, such as electricity, home mortgages, automobiles, and so forth. But also poison has been created, creating global warming, recessions, terrorists, and so forth. The purpose of the Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam (ARMY) is to invoke the grace of Lord Shiva and counteract these negative influences.
The ARMY being conducted in Kakinada is going very well. Below are photos of the yagna and daily Annadanam, as well as video of homas.
http://picasaweb.google.com/saiaustin.org/AnnaDanamKakinadaAPFeb2009#
http://picasaweb.google.com/saiaustin.org/ADIRUDRAMAHAYAGNAARMYFEB2009#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMe2PHlH3ws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdmli9_Kf2Q

"The secret of life," said sculptor Henry Moore to poet Donald Hall, "is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do." What is that task for you?

"A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."

~ by Saul Bellow

Currently we have both Mars and Venus exalted, which brings a lot of
possibilities for both individual discipline and courage (Mars) as well
as creativity, devotion and mysticism (Venus in Pisces). As I said in
previous forecasts, in the aftermath of the recent eclipses, between now
and March 5 is an especially powerful time.

This is because Venus will be exalted the entire time, but also Mars
will be in the sign of exaltation and the Sun will be in an exchange
with Saturn. The exchange between the sun and Saturn is very auspicious
for bringing together our commitments -- focusing them around things
that are practical and of local long-term value as well as uplifting and
inspiring to us.

Mars being exalted that entire time shows we have the drive and
discipline to see things through to completion. Exalted Venus shows a
softer touch and a deeper consideration of how others may be affected.
Especially for career opportunities, now is the time to really strike.

Very few realize what power sincerity carries. A false man, however physically strong he is or however great is his willpower, is kept down by his falsehood; it never allows him to rise. It eats into him because it is rust. Those who have done great things in life, in whatever walk of life it be, have done them by the power of truth, the power of sincerity.

Sincerity is the principal thing in life. Youth is the age which is most attracted to superficiality. That is the reason why many youths adopt an artificial manner of thought, speech and action, which is very undesirable and does not benefit their life. It is important to inculcate sincerity in the character of the youth. To give a youth a love of sincerity is extremely useful, for the power of sincerity can work miracles.

The more sincerity is developed, the greater share of truth you will have. And however much sincerity a person may have, there is always a gap to fill, for we live in the midst of falsehood, and we are always apt to be carried away by this world of falsehood. Therefore we must never think we are sincere enough, and we must always be on our guard against influences which may carry us away from that sincerity which is the bridge between ourselves and our ideal. No study, no meditation is more helpful than sincerity itself.

~~~ "Supplementary Papers, " by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

Love is that state of mind in which the consciousness of the lover is merged in that of the object of his love; it produces in the lover all the attributes of humanity, such as resignation, renunciation, humility, kindness, contentment, patience, virtue, calmness, gentleness, charity, faithfulness, bravery, by which the devotee becomes harmonized with the Absolute. As one of God's beloved, a path is opened for his heavenly journey: at the end he arrives at oneness with God, and his whole individuality is dissolved in the ocean of eternal bliss where even the conception of God and man disappears.

Between now and the middle of March is a time when you should put forth
a concentrated, determined effort toward the goals that are meaningful
to you. Not only will you have the Sun and Saturn exchanging with each
other, bringing that focused, concentrated energy ~ you will also have
an exalted Mars and an exalted Venus working on your behalf. But even
with that help, it is very easy to knuckle under to fear, scarcity and
the mistakes of the past when facing a lot of Saturn energy. The
exaltation of Mars is especially auspicious now because it totally
resurrects debilitated Jupiter by transit. There is no modification of
debilitation more powerful than having a debilitated planet joined an
exalted one.

Currently in the sign of Capricorn we have a debilitated Jupiter, an
exalted Mars, the North node, the Sun exchanging with retrograde Saturn
~ and soon to be Mercury, again. Now it's really the time to get your
mind around duties, responsibilities and your capacity for hard work and
determined effort. You may feel like you're working really hard right
now. I hope it is for something that you believe in. We are starting to
face the times I spoke about last year when Jupiter and Saturn were in a
trinal position with each other. At that time I spoke about following
your inspirations and putting into play things you will be willing to
commit in 2009 ~ because we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.

The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius: A Rare Astrological Concentration
Jude Currivan, Ph.D.

The most profound spiritual traditions of ancient times perceived the manifest world, at all scales of existence as being generated and pervaded by a cosmic trinity of active, passive and neutral principles, the divine essence of the masculine, feminine and child. The Vedic sages of ancient India saw the male/active lifeforce energy they called the pingala and the female/passive energy they called the ida weaving around and through our chakras and the child/neutral energy they called the shushumna as channeling up through them.
When these divine masculine and feminine energies are balanced and so able to fully birth the divine child energies within us, the ancient sages saw the so called kundalini energy that otherwise lies dormant at the base of the spine, surge through us enabling us to fully embody our divine nature.
The purpose of the sacred marriage between the divine feminine and masculine that the ancient peoples, such as those of Malta, enacted in their temples was thus not only to bring cosmic harmony and fertility to their land but within themselves. For such balance enables the energetic activation or birth of the divine child within us and the attainment of enlightenment.
When this cosmic trinity of consciousness is harmonized and fully expressed within us, we are truly healed and whole as embodied by the universal symbol of the caduceus as a representation of healing from earliest times.
For millennia, only the highest adepts understood and have attained such wholeness. But elders and mystics around the world are saying that now is the time, when we have evolved to a point where we are all able to awaken our inner divinity.

This is our spiritual destiny at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
In mid February, we are offered cosmic support to this remembering of who we really are, by a rare astrological concentration that brings together a number of planets together with the North Node. denoting higher purpose in Aquarius. And which energizes and inspires the possibility for transcendental breakthrough and healing.
We measure our global sense of both space (longitude) and time (universal time UT or GMT) from the prime meridian located at Greenwich, England. We can perceive the collective influence of this momentous astrological event by looking at the alignment from this globally centered perspective. When we do, something extraordinary and exquisite emerges.
At dawn on 14th February the day dedicated to St Valentine, the patron saint of Love, the Moon in Libra enters the seventh house of relationships. And Jupiter and Mars are aligned in Aquarius in the twelfth house of spiritual transformation.
Forty years ago, the intuitive words of a song called Aquarius, brought the dawning of the new age into our collective awareness:

When the Moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars.
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars.

At dawn on 14th February the Cosmos actually embodies this perfect alignment to support our collective manifestation of love and peace and the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
The Aquarian chart of 14th February reveals an incredible concentration of cosmic influences blending with the energies of Aquarius in the twelfth house. Expansive Jupiter and energetic Mars are aligned with the higher purpose of the North Node. The presence of Chiron the wounded healer offers us the opportunity to heal the schisms that have separated us for so long. Neptune emphasizes collective humanitarian movements and the co creation of social justice. And the presence of the radiant Sun enlightens the entire alignment.
Mercury also in the twelfth house but just beyond the cusp in Capricorn, allies with transformational Pluto to communicate and anchor the Shift throughout our global structures and institutions.
The Moon in Libra in the seventh house emphasizes harmonious relationships.
Venus in Aries in the first house energizes and empowers dynamic co creativity.
And whilst Saturn the great task master in opposition to Uranus the unexpected awakener is suggesting an ongoing confrontation as the dregs of the unsustainable old paradigm reluctantly give way to the untested hope of the new, their placements in Virgo and Pisces brings practical altruism and visionary inspiration to the transition.

Movement of drunken bees in ponds with lotus flowers, fragrance of jasmine and waterlily, cool underground chambers, rivers frothing with life, blue-topped mountains, the rising of turquoise clouds, nights of rapturous moonlight, breezes aromatic and pleasant to the touch, the right timing for conjunction, saffron and aguru paste, pleasant company, blossomed orchards filled with chirping koyala, pleasant food and drink, music, perfumes, a noble and disease-free psyche, fresh urges - such are the sources of sexual exhilaration for the person.

-Caraka Samhita VI 2:26-30

The wise man, by studying nature, enters into unity through its variety, and realizes the personality of God by sacrificing his own.

It may be said that the personality of a man is quite comprehensible, since his actions exhibit him as a single individual, whereas God's personality has no clear identification of its own. The answer is, that variety covers unity.
Hidden things are manifested by their opposites, but as God has no opposite He remains hidden. God's light has no opposite in the range of creation whereby it may be manifested to view.

(Jalaluddin Rumi)

BIRTH OF THE DIVINE CHILD WITHIN US AND THE ATTAINMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Jude Currivan, Ph.D., along with Robin and Cody Johnson, will be guiding The Prophets Conference
Sacred Journey to Malta: Awakening to the Great Creative Mystery in the Heart of the Mediterranean
22-29 May, 2009. Details are posted to www.greatmystery.org/events/malta09.html.

The pilgrimage is a process by which we change what we think and transform who we are. Prayer is the pilgrim's walking stick.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON