Raiders of the Lost Spark

A number of years ago, I ordered some ACIM courses from www.pathwaysoflight.org. There is certainly a time and place for everything; the “right” time didn’t exist in the past. Now is the time. I am in a place of peace, joy, and contemplation. I contacted POL to see if I could be assigned another facilitator to complete my course work. One of the miracles I am expecting for the 2010 year is the completion of many things from my past. Completion, however, is not quite the correct word. There is a certain illusion in it. Is anything ever truly completed, or rather, is the path simply altered or extended?

I have been seeking the balance between intense/heavy thinking, and simple literary pleasure. Not that I would ever suggest D.J. Conway to be “simple”; rather, she writes and presents information in a way that is pure pleasure – intellectual candy for my cerebral sweet tooth! I have a number of her books sitting idle, purchasing them with the notion that their time would come. I am constantly striving for balance – without the desire or the willingness to ever go too far in one direction. Despite my new appreciation for the Christian faith, I will never rescind my love for spirituality and the earth religions. I strongly believe that synchronicity and symbiosis exists between them.. and almost everything.

Loosely X-posted to www.rockyourboatyoga.com

The Altered State of Silence

Kierkegaard, likely the greatest Protestant Christian mind of all time, said:
“If I could prescribe only one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence.“

I never used to enjoy silence. I always needed dialogue. This constant need often manifested in detrimental ways. Constant external dialogue left me in a state when I was also in a constant state of internal chatter. Quietly reflecting was akin to obsessing as I couldn’t stop the noise; I was unable to enter a state of contemplation without fixating. I attribute part of my current near-bliss state to embracing silence as a daily requirement. Yoga, meditation, contemplation. Despite the doctrine and dogma, this is one of the reasons I enjoy going to various church services. They provide the environment for me to enter this place of quiet reflection. With this practice comes an increase of patience, tolerance, understanding, and joy. Kierkegaard was certainly wise.

I am finally going to explore the Kalpa Bhadra Buddhist Centre in Guelph:

“Heart Jewel” with Lamrim meditation

The Heart Jewel sadhana together with meditation on the Lamrim ( Stages of the path to enlightenment ) is the daily practice of all Kadampa Buddhists. Engaging in this practice we receive the blessings of all enlightened beings. Through the power of these blessings we make progress in our practice of Lamrim. Heart Jewel practice is especially powerful to increase and protect our wisdom and with wisdom we can always solve our daily problems.

“Nobody is really bad.”Nobody is really bad. People just make mistakes. They don’t understand about God.”

Since my early days as a hopeful student of fine art/art history (eventually I went into Classics instead, however), I have loved the art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Of special interest are works with either a devotional or mythological theme. On my weekend visit to Ottawa’s National Gallery, I was transfixed by the below piece. Lacking the gentleness of a Madonna or the sensuality of a Venus, this painting by Hans Baldung was rather shocking in comparison to the works of his contemporaries.

Eve, the Serpent, and Death c. 1510-1515

The themes of the Fall of Man and the Dance of Death can be seen in this work, influenced by the Protestant Reformation and Renaissance humanism. This painting is evocative and erotic. Lust and death are linked, as an seductive Eve, apple in hand, grasps the tail of the serpent while casting a veiled glance at a fallen Adam, who, in a decomposed state, has been transformed into the figure of Death. Baldung, a Northern Renaissance artist, produced several memento mori in painting and print, incorporating both secular and religious iconography.

Hakini Mudra
Powers the brain. Helps Thinking and Concentration.

Considering the fact that I have a myriad of accomplishments and goals which I hope to accomplish in the near future, this mudra seems appropriate to work with. I will be experimenting with it over the next week when I am experiencing challenges in the distraction department.

Historically speaking, mudras have been spiritual gestures from the iconography/devotional practice of Indian religions, Dharma, and Taoism. I am curious if any non-dogmatic studies have been done on benefit of this mudra work.