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Still in School? – Richard’s Commentary
I’ve been in school my whole life. How about you? As I think about this I am continuously upgrading my skills with blogs, WordPress, graphic design, HTML, etc. I began my technical career in computer programming in 1971 and have never stopped learning new skills as the technology advances and honing old skills as the basic approach continues to stay pretty much the same when it comes to instructing computers.
Then there is my spiritual study which has also come a long way from learning Transcendental Meditation from students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1969 to my current work with Kalachakra Tantra Yoga, refining this practice and learning everything about it in preparation for the Kalachakra Initiation offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama later this year. Along the way I was ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2000 after an intense two-year seminary experience and I spent a couple of years in Martín Prechtel’s Bolad’s Kitchen.
But my real school is documented in my fingerprints; and they tell me I’m in the school of LOVE. The fact is I have so many loops in my fingerprints (10) that I’m not only in the school of Love but my lesson is Love and my Life Purpose is – yep – Love! And since our fingerprints don’t change through life I will always be in the school of Love.
And we are all always in the School of Life. This is what Rosemary’s post yesterday is really about; that school of life lessons that seems always in session! Here’s what she says about that:
We are always facing circumstances over which we have no control. We do, however, have control over how we respond to those circumstances. That is what we do when we accept what is going on around us and seek the lesson.
“Seek the lesson.” This can be the hardest test; when in the midst of a life crisis, the last thing I want to hear is “what is the lesson in this?”! “I don’t care what the lesson is; I just want to get through this!”
Sound familiar? Then you probably don’t want to hear Rosemary’s next advice:
No matter what your circumstances are there is something for you to learn from those circumstances. No matter what you feel you lack, you have everything you need right now, in this moment, to learn the lesson that is there in front of you. Still can’t see the lesson? Then go inside and seek the answer there.
Sometimes the answer is to learn how to wait for guidance. Sometimes the lesson is to learn patience. Sound familiar?
Ah, “patience.” I’ve mentioned here before that my word for 2014 is “patience.” Yes, I am finally going to embrace this lesson and, if not fully learn it, at least make some gains on it!
I have a difficult time learning my lessons in the moment. But I do find myself going inside later and examining the circumstances, asking the questions about lessons, examining reactions and how they could have been managed better. I use the “nightly review” for this: before going to sleep I review the day in reverse and consider the big events, how I handled them, what could have been handled better, what there was to learn. And this is working for me; it’s like doing my homework; honing skills in life.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Still in School?
As I write this we are experiencing a huge snow storm on the East Coast of the US. Schools have been closed, businesses are closed, even the Government Offices are closed. No matter what plans had been made, what meetings were scheduled, what classes/tests/speakers were planned – they are not happening.
Life happens like this all the time. We create a PLAN, our very own statement about how things are to go, and the Universe arranges a different way for us to learn our lessons. For that is really what every incident in our lives is – an opportunity for us to learn a lesson.
We are always facing circumstances over which we have no control. We do, however, have control over how we respond to those circumstances. That is what we do when we accept what is going on around us and seek the lesson.
Of course, you can curse what is happening, or bemoan the lack of what you had wanted and planned, but neither of those choices advances your learning. What if, instead, you were to ask, ‘What is the lesson in this for me?’ and spend your energy seeking the chance to grow?
There is a popular saying that you must ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted.’ I would change that to, ‘Learn in the School in Which You Find Yourself.’
No matter what your circumstances are there is something for you to learn from those circumstances. No matter what you feel you lack, you have everything you need right now, in this moment, to learn the lesson that is there in front of you. Still can’t see the lesson? Then go inside and seek the answer there.
Sometimes the answer is to learn how to wait for guidance. Sometimes the lesson is to learn patience. Sound familiar?
And sometimes the lesson is to let go of fear and take a big step out into your Life Purpose! Maybe now is the time when you can’t hide from your Self and everything else becomes an excuse to avoid growing and moving forward.
It takes more energy to stay stuck than to let go and move forward! And, yet, for many, choosing to stay where you are seems less frightening that moving forward. Just because the familiar seems the comfortable place, doesn’t mean it is the best place for you to realize your highest good.
Look around your life and see what has stayed the same for a long time. Are you staying in your comfort zone because you are waiting for lightning to strike or the time to be perfect or for someone else to change? Or are you staying in a place where the lessons are becoming more difficult for you to learn but you are afraid to move out into an unknown classroom?
Seek out your lessons. Move out of a space where you cannot learn anymore. Leave behind a place, job, relationship, town where you are ready to graduate and learn new lessons. The school that you find yourself in will always present you with an opportunity to learn, but what if the lesson is that it is time to graduate and move on? Are you ready to complete that class?
Long-term relationships last because the people in them support each other in learning their lessons and continuing to grow. This is true of intimate relationships, friendships, jobs, associations. Are you feeling stagnant? Then ask yourself if you can find a new classroom, a new school, where you can learn and grow and expand.
Love yourself enough to learn the lessons! Step out of your comfort zone and learn the graduate level classes. You left kindergarten and grade school and high school behind you when you were ready. Maybe now it’s time to move into the Graduate Academy of Life and keep learning!
There are no ‘snow days’ in this Academy of Life!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Learn Your Lessons!
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: Learn Your Lessons!
MONDAY’S POEM:
My Dad’s birthday was yesterday; he would have been 93. In part to honor his memory I did some shamanic work with a dear friend hosting a circle for study and ritual and journeying. And my own fatherhood and grandfatherhood became a central point to my ceremony and celebration! It reminds me of a Mayan expression about the Holy; my rough memory in crude English goes something like: “We remember you remembering us remembering you”!
So in honor of and remembering Dad, here is a poem I wrote some years ago on his birthday:
A Memory of Dad
It was early morning, maybe 4
A cold March wind blew out
Of the North; drafts found
Their way through thin walls.
Snug in bed under piles of quilts
I heard the back door close tight
Behind him as he went out
To check on the pigs.
The brood sows were ready;
Anytime now they would drop
Their piglets in the scratchy
Straw of the pens.
But this cold night with dawn
Still far away, heat was required
For the newborns to survive.
As always Dad was there.
The Sun was well up when I paid
A visit. The wind was down.
I climbed the fence of the yard and
Entered the hog-house –
And delighted in those soft warm
Wriggling pink lives.
Thanks, Dad!
Big Dreams, Joyful Exertion
In yesterday’s post and my commentary on Rosemary’s message on big wishes and dreams, I revealed my big dream for the year to attend the 2014 Kalachakra Initiation event offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Ladakh, India. It is a dream I am visualizing and in one way or another working on every day.
One of my practices this year is to work with a card deck, CD and DVD published by Sounds True called Living Wisdom with His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The cards are photos of His Holiness taken over the years by Don Farber. There are six sets of cards for the Six Transcendent Perfections with guidance on the Perfections from His Holiness on the reverse side from the photos.
The Transcendent Perfections are Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Joyful Exertion, Meditative Concentration and Wisdom. I draw a card each day after my “Morning Pages” and meditation. And the Perfection of the day is always right on the mark for what I need to hear and learn!
Yesterday was no exception. After writing my post the day before, I thought about the effort I’m putting into this Kalachakra Initiation Project I have set for myself. I wrote about that in my pages and then drew a card, The Transcendent Perfection of Joyful Exertion! And here’s His Holiness’ phrase that jumped out at me:
In spiritual matters, we should not allow ourselves to be too easily content, because truly there is no limit to our spiritual potential.
He goes on to say the only limit is to our lives. The real meaning of Joyful Exertion is to continue to explore, to search and seek the truth in all matters Spiritual; it is a life-long pursuit.
Practicing Six Session Guru Yoga as part of my work on my Big Dream is not an easy undertaking. Getting in three sessions during the day and three during the night means getting up in the middle of the night, sleep, to sit and practice. Yesterday morning at 4:00 am, falling snow not yet changed to rain, I wondered if I could continue. When I drew the card and read the words: “no limit to our spiritual potential” I received my answer. And for the remainder of the day my practice, my exertion, was joyful!
There is a Zen evening Gatha (prayer) that comes to mind:
Let me respectfully remind you,
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken.
Awaken! Take heed!
Do not squander your lives….
How deep can you go, spiritually? His Holiness says there is no bottom to the depth of exploration. The only limit is the shortness of our lives.
I do not intend to “squander” my life! How about you?
Dream a Big Dream! – Richard’s Commentary
Rosemary begins her message with a question:
Do you know your Heart’s Desire? Do you have a Big Wish?
Well, do you? The very first step in moving forward with your life is to visualize it, see it, dream it! As humans we are good at making pictures. We are an extremely visual species. Consider the simplest of things we do; if we want to go out to the store, in the snow, to get that last loaf of bread, we first make a picture of the store, the way to get there, the car, the road conditions, and a thousand other images that pop into our minds just to accomplish this simplest of tasks. We create a “map” of the task to “see” us through to successful completion. No matter how simple the action we visualize it before acting.
And what if the task is bigger; what if we are talking about a “heart desire”? Then the visualization needs to scale to the level of the desire.
I’m using a visual perspective here because we are strongly visual. But if we engage all of our senses, our emotions, our intuitive senses and even our spirit in creating a dream-environment how much more powerful the “map” becomes to get us there. If we begin to hear the desire, smell how it might be, taste the flavors anticipated, feel the quality of the air and imagine being in the midst of that desired condition we can actualize the dream that much more powerfully.
Let me give you a personal example: my Big Wish for 2014 is to travel to India to participate in the Kalachakra Tantra Rite of Initiation being offered by His Holiness the Dalai Lama this year. He is offering it in Ladakh, in the north of India in the Himalayans. This dream touches on many of my wishes – travel back to India, travel to the Himalayan Mountains, visiting Buddhist Monasteries, participating in Buddhist rituals – the list is quite long. And as I begin to picture this dream it becomes very large, almost to the point of overwhelm. But I am taking my own advice:
The first thing I have done is to read more deeply about the Kalachakra Tantra Rite of Initiation. I have read Jeffrey Hopkins’ translation of His Holiness’ work by that title. And now I am practicing the Six Session Yoga as a prerequisite of the Initiation. I am visualizing the practice, visualizing Kalchakra and Vajradhara and beginning to get a deep, heart and soul understanding of this Tantra.
I am also reading about Ladakh. And I am remembering the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings and wonders of being in India. I have only visited three cities before, Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi. I have not been to the north or anywhere near the mountains. But I have been above 14,000 feet in Colorado and I have been above 19,000 feet in Africa; I can combine my various experiences to begin to form a picture of what it might be like in the highest mountains in the world.
I have also visited Buddhist monasteries, practiced Buddhism there, enjoyed the beautiful art, heard the bells, chanted the mantras, smelled the incense, tasted the simple fare, felt the cold hard floor of early morning meditations in the middle of winter and shivered not with the cold but with the moving spirit of the sangha.
I am putting lots of pictures, experiences of all the senses, and deep feelings of my past into as complete a picture as I can of my Big Wish, what it might be like. I am energizing this wish. I am empowering it and sending it into the cosmos as something already done. And I let go of the particulars of how; I leave that to the Universe. I am doing my part!
Rosemary asks another question in her message:
So what do you want? What is your Heart’s Desire?
Answer that question, and the rest is up to you to paint the picture of your Heart’s Desire. Go for it!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Dream a Big Dream!
Do you know your Heart’s Desire? Do you have a Big Wish?
Remember when you were a kid and grownups kept asking you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most children have a ready answer for that question. It might change over time, but they know in the moment. Doctor. Firefighter. Teacher. Soldier. Dancer.
I have a friend whose little girl is saving up for her own plane. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to tell you.
So what do you want? What is your Heart’s Desire?
For most of us, past the age of 21, our Heart’s Desire isn’t some THING to own but something less tangible. World peace. An end to hunger/homelessness/poverty/cancer. A happy family. A grand romance. To be on TV with Oprah. To be healed of a disease. To have financial security. To have a child.
What is your Big Wish?
Reach into the depths of your Heart and ask yourself that question. Most of us can come up with the answer we think we’re supposed to say, like ‘an end to illiteracy’ or ‘world peace,’ but keep asking yourself, “What’s behind that wish?”
What we really want is the feeling we’ll have when our wish is realized.
Some of us have never really probed into our own desires. In today’s world, it can be especially difficult for women to access what their Heart’s Desire truly is. We’ve been taught to fulfill everyone else’s needs before we even address our own needs, much less our desires. Men, too, can struggle with this because they have been taught that it is their job to make things happen and they might be afraid to dream too big and be unable to realize that dream.
But I give you permission, right now, today, to take some time to explore what you truly desire, deep in your Heart of Hearts.
There is no judgment about your dream. No one will laugh or criticize or tell you that you can’t achieve that dream. What desire is it that, when you picture yourself having that desire manifest in your life, makes your heart sing? What is the deep desire that brings a smile to your face as you consider it?
It might also bring a quaking to the knees and a sense of fear and even the sound of ‘old tapes’ playing in your head that cause you to shut down and grow small again. If the dream doesn’t challenge your reality then it’s probably not the BIG ONE!
Dream BIG!!! Find out what your Heart’s Desire is.
And then energize it. Plan for it. Think about it. Figure out the first step to realizing it. Picture it as if it is already here and step into how it feels. Share your Big Dream with a carefully selected audience who will support you no matter what.
The first step to living your dream is to DISCOVER IT. There’s a song in the wonderful show, ‘South Pacific,’ that contains the line, ‘If you don’t have a dream, then how are you going to have a dream come true?’
The next step is to CLAIM IT. Be bold. Let yourself dream big. Find that Heart’s Desire that energizes you.
And, finally, stop hiding in your life and PURSUE THE DREAM! I’ll give you another song from a show as inspiration. In the Disney movie, ‘Frozen,’ there is a great song, ‘Let It Go,’ that is sung by Idina Menzel with such great enthusiasm. It’s about being YOU in all your BIGness. Claim YOU without hiding. Your dream is yours to realize.
Live YOUR Heart’s Desire!
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Find Your Heart’s Desire!
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: Find Your Heart’s Desire!
MONDAY’S POEM: Gaia, The Dark Womb
I am working with a new card deck with artwork by Susan Seddon Boulet and her amazing Goddess images. The other day I drew Gaia; the image, the words about Gaia by Michael Babcock and Lao-Tzu’s Taoteching inspired today’s poem:
Gaia, The Dark Womb
Gaia holds us in all of our empty states:
She bathes our soul in her deep dark water;
She sustains our physical bodies when we emerge
As breathing life in her atmosphere;
And, she welcomes us home into her moist warm
Soul (soil) when we are finished with these bodies.
There she nurtures and gestates us again until
We are ready to free our spirits completely
And merge with her Loving Presence.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Settling In
This phrase has been popping into my life since the New Moon and New Lunar Year. It seems it comes to mind every day as I write my Morning Pages. I catch myself writing it and wonder, what’s this about…
And I realized today, as I wrote it once again, that I am settling in. There are many aspects to this, not the least of which is settling in to the new energies coming in with the New Moon and New Year. It’s different. Is it just me who is feeling and sensing the difference? Do you sense it?
So, I am settling in to this New Year, the Year of the Wood Horse, or Green Horse. In the Chinese Medicine Five-Element system one of my dominant elements is Wood. With the New Moon we left the Water Snake Year of 2013 behind and moved into Wood Horse. There is an energy about this Horse coming in; some have said it is galloping in! And the Wood energy is hitting right on top of my Wood tendencies. What this means is lots of energy for me and I am finding myself needing to dampen it down; adjust. I am settling in to this New Year and I expect it to take more time. After all the Chinese celebrate the New Year for two weeks, until the Full Moon, which is still a week away. Maybe it takes the two weeks to settle in to the new energy.
We are also still setting in to our new home. We spent some time yesterday moving filling cabinets so we can more easily file and re-file paperwork for the business, church and personal lives we lead. We are still finding places to put things and still looking for things misplaced! Settling in.
And it occurs to me that this is what life is really about. We are always settling in. Do you feel this way? And it’s a good thing. Settling in is becoming present. It is sensing our environment and getting comfortable with it. It is getting in touch with our bodies and settling in. It is examining our emotions, our heart-feelings and settling in to whatever arises: joy, sadness, grief, gratitude.
There is also a settling in of our mental state as it ebbs and flows from alert awareness and high functionality to drowsy calmness as we get ready for sleep. I even find myself settling in to the rhythm of time, adjusting to what seems to be shortening days (can they really still be 24 hours long?).
And spiritually I am becoming very settled. No, not complacent nor dogmatic, not fixed in anyway but very open and always questioning. Yet at some level I am accepting that I will likely not find the answers to my all my questions in this life. I’m not settling for this as a final conclusion, but I am settling in to this possibility.
I have a greater sense of calm around this notion of settling in. I’m in this for the long haul – and it could be very long, if the reincarnationists have it right! So, why not settle in and enjoy the journey!
This phrase seems to be following me everywhere. Even in my yoga class last evening we were led to “settle in” to our bodies during shavasana. And I knew just what to do.
I hope you are not settling for anything. But do find some peace and settle in to your life; it’s so much easier that way!
Have a great weekend!
Men and The Goddess 