When the spirit is far removed from the body, unknown and unacknowledged, there is no connection to the true reality of the duality of the human self. When spirit lies at a disconnect from the body, the ego, the narcissistic self rules and thus pain and suffering will ensue. Without spirit the simplest and most basic necessities of loving kindness and compassion will also be at a distance. But an individual can bring them back to life through concerted effort to reconnect body self and spirit self. Begin with the breath of life, stirring the heart awake so that the body may feel its own heart beating and know it as more than just biological, for the heart is the connection to spirit, to Soul, to all that is. Find that connection and all will be well again, within and without.
Open mouthed Kali dragon stirring the world… – Photo by Jan Ketchel
It was Sunday morning. As I read to Jan, from Carlos Castaneda’s foreword to The Sorcerer’s Crossing, the Earth suddenly moved like a wave beneath us. Moments later, in a more pronounced tremor, the Earth shook again.
The paragraph I was reading at the moment of tremor focused on how humans share an interpretation system that generates a solid agreed upon reality. This interpretation is not the only true reality, but in order to perceive beyond it one must gather energy.
Simultaneously, I have been immersed in Niels Bohr’s conviction that physical reality only exists when humans observe it. Therefore, ‘true’ reality exists at a level beyond the human perceptual program. Like the shamans of Carlos Castaneda’s lineage, physicists are confronted with two realities, one solid and one energetic.
My other current preoccupation has been Muktananda’s counsel to “Give up all desires. If something comes, let it come; if something goes, let it go.” (Secret of the Siddhas, p. XV) This powerfully simplistic Taoist guidance from an Indian Swami is at the core of all spiritual traditions: reign in the ego, stay mindfully present, and let go when it’s time to let go.
On Saturday, Donald Trump issued executive orders that challenge the balance of power among the branches of government. From a synchronistic perspective these actions send tremors through the interpretation of the Constitution, the foundation of American democracy. Such challenges may generate a whole new interpretation of reality.
The active side of the Hindu Divine Mother is Mahakali, the dominant force of the world cycle we are presently in, kali-yuga. It is the tachycardia in her heart that rumbles beneath the Earth. It is she that hastens the changes rapidly unfolding before us, as we are challenged to reconstitute ourselves, and our world.
The image of a quake beneath the mountain constructs hexagram #27, Providing Nourishment, in the I Ching. The image is built with a solid line at the top and bottom with four broken lines in the middle, suggesting an open mouth between upper and lower lips; hence the association with nourishment.
The quake below is action, contrasted with the utter stillness of the mountain above. Steadiness is recommended in the place of tremor. For Muktananda, desire would be the energy of tremor. His guidance would be to store one’s energy vs egoistic attachment and reactivity.
The I Ching recommends that one observe appropriate measure with all activities of the mouth: “For tranquility keep the words that come out of the mouth from exceeding proper measure, and keep the food that goes into the mouth from exceeding its proper measure.” (I Ching, Wilhelm edition p. 108)
The time of Providing Nourishment depicts God as coming forth with an arousing force that is brought to perfection in the keeping still of the mountain. This is the energy of spring, which brings forth new life.
With the breakdown of a uniform interpretation of reality all around the world, powerful forces have an opportunity for life. Steadiness of the individual is highly recommended to withstand the tremors of a broken reality, but also to encounter the energetic reality that lies beneath our solid world of interpretive reality. That reality for physicists is the oneness of everything, as an interconnected energetic whole.
Like the mountain, store your energy; the path to new life. Care for the Spirit with careful words. Care for the body with temperate food and drink. Let desire be elevated to the intent for the greater good for all. Greet all that comes with equanimity. Release all that goes with loving kindness.
Real healing comes only from within, in the healing of the self, in reconciling with fear, loss, regret, in resolving feelings of neglect, abandonment, and the pain that all beings suffer on the journey through life. Real healing comes when one realizes that they are as responsible as the next person for finding the solution to happiness within and without, for self and other, for the good of the self and the good of all. Seek healing within the self so that all may heal, in body and spirit, so that all may experience happiness in their life, love in their hearts, and peace on earth.
One individual is part of a greater collective, thus one person’s energy is part of a greater energy. What each person decides to do with their own energy is up to them, but whatever they decide effects the whole. If there is fear in one individual there is fear in the greater whole. If there is love in one individual there is love in the greater whole. It’s possible for one individual to effect the whole, so choose your energetic effect wisely. What you decide matters. Want to see a more loving world? Become more loving. It’s not that hard to do.
When all seems lost and hopeless, do not give up. Stay connect to the intent of the one Great Heart, which connects with and is part of all other hearts, for there is only one great beating, loving heart, which you all share. Stay connected to its loving intent that all may find their way to its knowledge and wisdom and find solace in its embrace. Let love be the language that brings light and truth back into each heart. Let the one Great Heart show you the way, for its love knows no bounds.
