Goal Setting
Here we are… another couple days have gone by and no blog entry made from the Mystical Monkey. Doesn’t seem like I’m doing such a good job of helping others interested in or currently pursuing a similar path, does it? Well, since part of my goal with this blog is to show everyone that the whole Spiritual Development process has its ups and downs -that it, like many things in this incarnation, is cyclical, but entirely possible to do- perhaps I haven’t been so remiss in my self-assigned goal after all. Perhaps in my delinquency of blogging I have only managed to illustrate that point clearly. Maybe.
Yes, I’ve been caught up in samsara, enmeshed in physical reality, but like the lotus flower, it is possible to rise up and bloom from such physical muck. With a bit of determination and discipline it’s possible to reclaim those spiritual connections which have recently fallen by the wayside and continue with my overall forward progress… and towards that end, I’ve decided that it may be a good idea to identify my spiritual goals a bit more clearly and then to log my accomplishments (or lack thereof) toward those goals. In fact, by doing so I may be able to show others, in a very clear form, what one person’s mystical, metaphysical, spiritual, journey really is on a daily basis. But that, and whether it is of any interest or assistance, is really for you to decide…
Goal 1: meditation, minimum of 15 minutes once a day (Shamatha meditation). By meditation, I am referring to a mindfulness, Buddhist meditation such as breath awareness, chakra meditation, or mantra meditation techniques. I am not talking about transcendental meditation, guided meditation, thinking, or just zoning out, but the act of intentional and deliberate, “single-pointed” concentration, intended to still the mind’s chattering.
Goal 2: reflection or Vipashyana (insight) meditation. This is a few quiet minutes at least once a day spent analyzing (and if applicable, journaling) the nature of spirit, the origin of ego, the root of our distress, etc. This is an important period of time set aside to evaluate my personal interactions, goals, etc. on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels. It is an opportunity to determine where and how to focus my attention and intent to improve mindfulness practice.
Goal 3: reiki meditation and healing session. Reconnecting to and working with the Universal Life Force Energy. This is a time to consciously cleanse and heal the various bodies (physical, ethereal, emotional, mental, and spiritual), and to listen to the greater wisdom of Spirit (instead of a single-pointed meditation).
We shall start there and see what happens…
Namaste.
Stuck
*sigh* … I’m stuck. It’s been a week since I last posted and it’s not due to lack of inspiration, but more to a lack of undisturbed, conscious time in which to actually put serious thought into coherent sentences – and therein lies the problem: serious thought! Sooooo……
Q: What is the name of the best Zen teacher?
A: M.T. Ness
Q: Why don’t Buddhists vacuum in the corners?
A: Because they have no attachments.
Q: What happens when a Buddhist becomes totally absorbed with the computer he is working with?
A: He enters Nerdvana.
Walking on water
Three monks decided to practise meditation together. they sat by the side of a lake and closed their eyes in concentration. Then suddenly, the first one stood up and said, “I forgot my mat.” He steeped miraculously onto the water in front of him and walked across the lake to their hut on the other side.When he returned, the second monk stood up and said, “I forgot to put my the other underwear to dry.” He too walked calmly across the water and returned the same way. The third monk watched the first two carefully in what he decided must be the test of his own abilities. “Is your learning so superior to mine? I too can match any feat you two can perform,” he declared loudly and rushed to the water’s edge to walk across it. He promptly fell into the deep water.
Undeterred, the yogi climbed out of the water and tried again, only to sink into the water. Yet again he climbed out and yet again he tried, each time sinking into the water. This went on for some time as the other two monks watched.
After a while, the second monk turned to the first and said, “Do you think we should tell him where the stones are?”
Namaste, with laughter!
Bang the Drum!
Bang. Bang. Bang. Tum de dum tum!
Drum Circles!
Rap-a-tap-tap… thmm thmm thmm. Hand-drumming in a circle is an incredible way to open your heart and connect with your spirit, the spirits of those in the circle with you, and with the spirit of Mother Earth! *Wow*
Drumming is, of course, a very ancient tradition found among numerous cultures and regions of people throughout the ages. It’s been used for spiritual pursuits in a variety of contexts (Shamanistic & Neopagan rituals for example), and is something which, like so many other “old, Earthy, spiritual” cultural activities, is currently experiencing a resurgence of interest. From personal experience, drumming like this affects the Heart Chakra -opening it up, relaxing your spirit, easing physical tensions. It encourages you to interact with each other, with yourself, with the drum, with your heart. It’s an opportunity to have fun and leave the seriousness of life behind.
What came as a bit of surprise, was that Mother Earth loves the drums as well – that primal, essential reconnection with Earth’s heartbeat helps us resonate with Her, and She with us. She needs the healing energies as much as we do, and the drums facilitated an energetic exchange that I wasn’t expecting. It was so nice to resonate with Her on that level, with the drum as translator! What a wonderful, healing experience!
Perhaps there was something to those ancient drumming rituals after all…. *wink*
Namaste.
… and drums.
Happy Mother’s Day
I’d like to take this opportunity to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who happen to stumble upon my blog. I sincerely hope you get pampered and honored this day, and always! Gentlemen, treat the mothers of your children well this day and let them know they are appreciated for all the things they do on a daily basis. Let us all remember our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, and all the other female influences which help guide us along our life journeys, for one of our most important roles is that of support and compassionate, loving guidance to those who depend upon us. It is the spirit of Mother that we honor, and as we honor our physical mothers this day, let us also offer a thank you for Mother Earth, the greatest mother for us all.
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Namaste.
Fickle Belief
Metaphysics. One of its many aspects may be defined as the study of and belief in phenomena that is not understood or explainable by modern-day science. That doesn’t make the phenomena any less real or effective, but sometimes it’s difficult to maintain your own belief in the phenomena that you yourself have witnessed or even performed.
How can we overcome the conditioning of our society on those deep-seated levels that constantly undermine our own spiritual advancement? Is it a matter of sheer faith in Spirit, in our own experiences, in ourselves, in something else? Is it a matter of “letting go” – some personality trait concerning some level of control? Is it a matter of continually touching Spirit through meditation, opening your heart and refusing what we’ve been mislead into believing as truth (i.e.: “taught”) in favor of those things which we know are true on a metaphysical level? How does one walk with one foot in both worlds? And why is this a recurring issue? Perhaps it’s time to take a jump into the deep end of the pool, then bask in the sun.
Is it a matter of in our efforts to bend it, not being able to see that there is no spoon?
… And on that note, please pardon me as I go off to discover the nature of spoons!
Redefining Hard
Recently, I posted about the concept of having a soft, compassionate heart as the basis for our interactions with the world and the people around us. If we can live with and from a place of compassion -from a genuine, open heart, and not from our arrogant egos- things seem to go more smoothly, misunderstandings and bruised egos are fewer, frustration and emotional reactions decrease. Instead of the “I want” mentality, in whatever form it takes (and it can be sneaky!), we now have the groundwork for open, honest communications with each other and with the world around us. But does this mean that we should let our compassion for others supercede our own basic needs and rights? No. Although many of the great spiritual teachers would disagree with me, I do not believe that in order to be compassionate we must become a carpet for others to walk on. In fact, sometimes being the carpet is exactly the wrong thing to do – for yourself, as well as for the other person or people involved in the situation.
But this puts us in what can only be described as a “grey area” for this topic. Where’s the line and how do you determine the balance between the seemingly opposed perspectives? How do you tell when it’s appropriate to be “hard” and assertive (notice I did not say “aggressive”!) and when to be thoroughly compassionate to the point of potential personal injury (or death)? Is the deciding line a matter of your role – as peer, as enabler (to borrow a more modern psychological term), as parent, as friend, as lover, as human, as teacher? Is it ego, hiding out as some idea of self-preservation or justice or greater good (the idea of “sacrificing the few to save the many”)? Is it a matter of a very subjective version of “the right call at the right time”? Do any of these suggestions -these “reasons”- even matter when it comes right down to it? No, not really. What does matter, however, is having the insight -the true insight gained from self-reflection and meditation- to help navigate through these grey areas and to make the right decision.
It’s not always easy making the right choice, though. In fact, many times the right decision is the more difficult one – it’s less convenient, takes more work, bruises our egos, sacrifices our immediate wants in favor of somebody or something other than ourselves. But it’s still the right decision. And no matter what the immediate perceived consequences on the physical plane, it’s still the right path and as such, the one that should be taken.
Sometimes it’s harder to be soft, and sometimes it’s harder to be hard.
Namaste.