Inspirational Messages

"Messages from Wayshowers Community Fellowship seek to tap the wisdom of various faiths and inspire individuals on their spiritual path. Use them as focal points for personal reflection and/or share them with others. Your experiences and feedback are welcome"  -  Dorinda Fox, WCF President

(most recent message on top)

See and Hear With Depth

"Learn to see where all is dark, and to hear where all is still. In the darkness one can see light. In the stillness one can hear harmony. Thus, one can penetrate to the furthest depths and grasp spirituality."

-Chuang Tsu, from the Works of Chuang Tsu.  From the Taoist tradition.

To Know the Way, Understand the Great Within Yourself

There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite.  Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.

I call it great.
Great is boundless;
boundless is eternally flowing;
ever flowing, it is constantly returning.

Therefore, the Way is great,
heaven is great,
earth is great,
people are great.

Thus, to know humanity,
understand earth.
To know earth,
understand heaven.
to know heaven,
understand the Way.
To know the Way,
understand the great within yourself.

-the 25th verse from the "Tao Te Ching"

Translation by Wayne Dyer in his book

"Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" amazon 

The Medicine Wheel Turns

"The mystery of all endings is found in the birth of new beginnings.
There is no ending to the journey of the four directions.
The human capacity to develop is infinite.
And the medicine wheel turns forever.

-Native American Tradition in "The Sacred Tree" by Judie Bopp    amazon

Legacy Project : Totem Pole Project 

Ojibwe: Visions, Dreams and Life Purpose

"The Creator gave humans the ability to have visions, to find their purpose or reasons for being here, knowing all along that people sometimes lose their way. Humans are imperfect beings. We all stray from the Good Path. Then we dream of better times and of a better life, for ourselves and for all who are important to us. And we live to make it real. That is what makes us human.
Maskawisen (Be strong).  Mi-iw (That is all)"

-"The Good Path: an Ojibwe Learning and Activity Book for Kids" by T. Peacock and M. Wisuri, Afton Press  amazon 

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is the vision of the ancient Kabbalists, the esoteric interpretation of Judaism...According to the teachings of the Tree of Life, The Divine Essence split the atom of itself into male and female components, creating the evolutionary "big bang". This was done so that the Divine could realize itself in a new way, and so that Divine Being, the Adam Kadmon, could come into being. Everything that exists and is experienced by humanity as it progresses through its life on earth can be transmuted to good, to creative building of the Adam Kadmon, if only it will learn the principle of balance....By reconciling within ourselves creation's dynamic and opposing life forces, we will be able to find the point of balance, or the centre of peace, which lies within the mystery of the human heart.

-"The Book of Peace: Meditations from Around the World" by Claire Nahmad     amazon

Prayer for Morning

I raise my hands in honor of the Lord of the morning
who rises in glory in the east of the world.
Piercer of darkness, illumine my path as I go through my day.
Way-shower, illumine my path as I go through my life.

 -"A Book of Pagan Prayer" by Ceisiwr Serith,  amazon

“Shall I not tell you what is better than prayers and fasting and giving charity to the poor.  It is making peace between one another as enmity and malice destroy all virtues”. 

-Mohammad, founder of Islam

A Hindu Mantra and Story

Om Sarva Charine Namaha, "Salutations to the spirit who is the source of the urge to wander, travel, or follow."

In one mythic Hindu drama, Parvati (wife of Lord Shiva, the Destroyer) takes her own life. Shiva, disconsolate, carries his wife's corpse over his shoulder as he wanders everywhere. Vishnu, the Preserver) intercedes by cutting away Parvati's body, piece by piece, so that Shiva will leave his grief behind. Parvati eventually reappears, saying that she needed to seed the world with here feminine glory. This Shiva mantra salutes our consciousness as the wanderer with the capacity to see divinity everywhere.     Wikipedia 

"I am One Self, united with my Creator, at one with every aspect of creation, and limitless in power and in peace. This is the Truth, and nothing else is true."

-"A Course in Miracles", Lesson 95  
official website  public domain version   a related blog with meditation music  

Who, unto friend and foe Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny In passionless restraint, unmoved by each, Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me, That man I love!

-"The Bhagavad Gita",  Chapter XII

Living Together in Freedom

"Treat all men alike. Give them the same laws. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it ...

Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself - and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty."

-Chief Joseph, Native American, Leader of the Nez Perce, Lincoln Hall Speech 
  wikipedia PBS  Tribal Directory speeches    

Thoughts of Peace

"I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity.  When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace.  A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.  Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.  Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness."

-from the Baha'i Faith.  Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 29  peace quotes  Bahai Library

Perfection and Imperfection

"If there is one mark of perfection, 
it is simply that it can tolerate the imperfections of others."

- François Fénelon in the seventeenth century,
a primary advocate of quietism  wikipedia 

Intuitive Insight

"It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea. I work with it and rely on it. It's my partner."

    - Dr. Jonas Salk   more Salk quotes

Like Attracts Like

"The greatest teachers who have ever lived have told us that the law of attraction is the most powerful law in the Universe. Religions, such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations, such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, delivered it through their writings and stories.... The law of attraction says like attracts like, and so as you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you."

-from "The Secret" compiled by Rhonda Byrne    wikipedia

What Survives?

"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."
-an Italian proverb

"You are a soul with a physical body. You always have been, and you always will be. Your soul or energy is the real you. It is the wisdom from past lifetimes you brought with you to planet earth, as well as the wisdom from your experiences in this lifetime, that are part of you. Your energy, the real you, is all you will take with you when you leave planet earth."

-from the PMM program by Dr. Francisco Coll. 
www.ProfoundMysticalMeditation.com  for more info.

Develop a Soul with Stamina

We need to "develop a soul with stamina"... You are pursuing your own empowerment. A spiritual life is not about finding ways to feel good... Facing personal truths and purging yourself of addictions or manipulative habits require strength, courage, humility, faith, and other qualities of a soul with stamina, because you are not just changing yourself; you are changing your universe. Your soul is a compass. Change one coordinate in your spiritual compass and you change your entire life's direction.  

-from "Entering the Castle," by Carolyn Myss, based on St. Teresa of Avila's writings and the Mystical Christian Tradition. book on amazon

Just for Today

Just for today do not worry
Just for today do not anger
Honor your parents, teachers and elders
Earn your living honestly
Show gratitude to every living thing.

- from the Reiki Ethic of the Reiki Tradition.  www.reiki.org 

Reiki is an energy system of spiritual growth and chakra healing derived from the Tibetan lamas; it was re-discovered by a Christian monk, Dr. Mikao Usui, in Japan in the late 1800's and passed onto the current time by a Hawaiian woman, HawayoTakata. Pronounced ray - key, it means "universal life force energy".  

Easter Message

"Perfect love casts out all fear."
I John 4:18

"The Conference of the Birds"

An allegory of a Sufi master leading his pupils to enlightenment.

What is your excuse for not seeking God? Your life is fine already? You prefer material pleasure? You are holy enough? You have pride, lack courage, or are burdened with responsibility? Attar has an answer to encourage you on the path.

-by Attar, Persian Sufi of the 12th century   wikipedia  amazon book 

The Sufi's say that almost everyone is born with possibilities for inner development but that his parents and those around make him a Jew, a Christian, a Hindu, or a Magician, and he soon acquires prejudices and accepts what others say without regard to his own experience or reasoning.. and this becomes a stumbling block...

Difficulties and Contradictions

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, 
but bend them with gentleness and time.

   - St. Francis de Sales, from the Catholic Tradition     overview   wikipedia  

On Religion

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.
When you enter into it take with you your all...

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.
Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.
And look into space: outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.
You shall see God smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His (Her) hands in trees.

   -Kahlil Gibran, in "The Prophet"  book online   bio+book

Spirit in the Mirror

If you see yourself in fear, barely holding on with survival at stake,
yours is a God of fight or flight......
If you see yourself as growing and evolving, yours is a God of the intuitive response.
If you see yourself as someone who makes personal dreams come true,
yours is a God of the creative response.....
If you see yourself as one with God, yours is a God of the sacred response.

   -From "How to Know God - The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries",
by Deepak Chopra  amazon  Larry King interview 

As a blind man feels when he finds a pearl in a dustbin, so am I amazed by the miracles of awakening rising in my consciousness.  It is the nectar of immortality that delivers us from death, the treasure that lifts us from death, the treasure that lifts us above poverty into the wealth of giving to life, the tree that gives shade to us when we roam about scorched by life, the bridge that takes us across the stormy river of life, the cool moon of compassion that calms our mind when it is agitated, the fun that dispels darkness, the butter made from the milk of kindness by churning it with the dharma. It is a feast of joy to which all are invited.

-adapted from the Bodhicharyavatara by Shantideva   website   amazon book wikipedia

^ March 2007 ^

Feb 23                                              Personal Initiative

"Do not wait for leaders. Do it alone, person to person."

-Mother Teresa     
other quotes     overview on wikiquote

Feb 16                                                    "Counter"

"Without loyalty to myself I will always be at odds with everyone and everything. Loyalty to myself is to decide how my energy is to be used in all circumstances. If I am not alert to my own energy, my own purpose, my thrust, then I am at the will of the strongest vibration around me. I will end up creating by reactions, rather than actions. I will end up being emotional rather than feeling..."

-excerpt from F.D. Coll, Wayshower's Philosophy for February 2007, Theme: Counter

Feb 9                                                       Love

Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.

 -I Corinthians 13:7-8   
3 versions side by side  search other books

Nature Wisdom: Feb. 2 Is The Imbolc: A Celebration of the Feminine

The Full Moon rises tonight. It coincides with Imbolc, the mid-point between the December Solstice and the March Equinox, creating a rare and awesome portal of manifestation. A new consciousness is growing deep within Mother Earth. Listen!

We are blessed. Sun, Moon and Earth are suspended in perfect balance.
This is a culmination, and a turning point. Thoughts, prayer and intention are
magnified exponentially for the next five days. Choose wisely.

Honor what has come to fruition in your life, in your home and community.
Notice your powers of creativity, intuitive awareness and healing abilities.
Create with intent. Celebrate new beginnings!   Wikipedia 

^ February 2007 ^

From the Islamic Tradition: Mind My Own Business!

If they charge you with falsehood, say: "My work to me, and yours to you!
You are free from responsibility for what I do, and I for what you do!"

     - Qur'an, Jonah, Sura 10:41

Hindu Wisdom: No Separation

As there can be no water without the sea,
No touch without the skin, no smell without
the nose, no taste without the tongue, no form
Without the eye, no sound without the
Ear, no thought without the mind, no wisdom
Without the heart, no work without hands, no
Walking without feet, no scriptures without
the Word, so there can be nothing without the Self.

   -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad      WikiPedia

Jan 12                                Embracing and Accepting All

If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.

-Margaret Mead, anthropologist, author

A king asked a sage to explain the Truth. In response the sage asked the king how he would convey the taste of a mango to someone who had never eaten anything sweet. No matter how hard the king tried, he could not adequately describe the flavor of the fruit, and, in frustration, he demanded of the sage "Tell me then, how would you describe it?" The sage picked up a mango and handed it to the king saying "This is very sweet. Try eating it!"

- a Hindu Teaching Story in "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus," by Timothy Freke   amazon

“Our true home is in the present moment, and if we want to enter Heaven on Earth, we need only take one conscious step, and one conscious breath.”

-Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh,   
background here and  wikipedia. 
books  amazon   Selected Dharma Talks including "Jesus and Buddha as Brothers"

another quote:  It is only in the midst of our daily life and in our actual contact with people and other species… that we can know whether our mind of love and compassion is really present and whether it is stable. If love and compassion are real, they will be evident in our daily life, in the way we talk with people and the way we act in the world.

To travel with the unawakened makes the journey long and hard and is as painful as traveling with an enemy. But the company of the wise is as pleasant as meeting with friends.

Follow the wise, the intelligent, and the awakened. Follow them as the moon follows the path of the stars.

-Dhammapada 

^ January 2007 ^

Knowledge has two wings. Conjecture is one wing. Conjecture alone is lacking and cuts short the flight. The one-winged bird continues to struggle, hoping to reach the nest somehow with one wing. And then wisdom shows his shining face. Delivered from conjecture, the bird now spreads both wings (and soars to his destination).

-Rumi "The Life and Thought of Rumi"

We are constantly searching for the people who have come to do spiritual work......We are throwing out the net to rediscover our brothers and sisters. We are in the business of strengthening people's moral fiber and awakening their self-respect. The leadership has to make this a way of life, then people sense this energy and start living it also. The only way to reach the masses is by touching the individuals and helping them discover their potential and self-respect.

-from "The Wayshower's Philosophy and Mission Statement" by Dr. F. Coll, 
(c) 1999 Alleycopyrights, Inc.

Nov 10                          Some Native American Values

Laws should be redemptive and healing.
The bonds of community are the Cheyenne Way.
Life is sacred.
Healing is superior to vengeance.
Responsibility is more than power.
Harmony is preferable to dissonance.
Enduring social values are
more important than "the law."
Children are to be cherished.
In the tribe, murders earn a bad name.
Men of reputation with names that are
well thought of should not spoil them.

 -from the Cheyenne Cultural Center, Clinton, Oklahoma

------------

Jewish Kabbalah Wisdom
Your deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking, penetration of thought, liberation of mind - until finally your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of her lights.

 -from "The Essential Kabbalah", Daniel C. Matt, ed., 1996 amazon 

-------------

When to Change
 
“One would grow poor staying one place always.” – Poem of Cid
The more you understand yourself, the more you respect yourself and the more you value your time. When you value yourself and your time, you leave a situation in which things do not seem to work – just as birds leave a feeding area when the food is gone or they sense danger.
 
That is a law of the universe and part of a pattern. That pattern exists and is part of the understanding you need to keep your self-respect.
 
  -from the booklet, "Balancing Your Physical and Spiritual Worlds" 
by Dr. Francisco Coll

October
 
A Catholic Perspective:
 
Truth, in fact, cannot be confined. Truth is for one and for all. And if this truth comes about through love (cf: Eph 4:15), then it becomes even more universal.
 
-in "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" by Pope John Paul II amazon 

-----------------

Prayer for Peace and Harmony from Pakistan
 
Merciful God, You made all the people of the world in Your own image and placed before us the pathway of salvation through different preachers who claimed to have been Your Saints and Prophets. But, the contradictions (made by us) in the interpretation of Your teachings have resulted in creating divisions, faith-based hatreds and bloodshed in the world community.
...
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the controversial teachings of arrogance, divisions and hatreds which have badly infected our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; reunite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish Your purposes on earth; that, in Your good time, all nations and races could jointly serve You in justice, peace and harmony. 

  - S. A. Rehman
 

September
 
Spreading Divine Joy
Beginning with the early dawn each day, I will radiate joy to everyone I meet. I will be mental sunshine for all who cross my path…..Let my love spread its laughter in all hearts, in every person belonging to every race. Let my love rest in the hearts of flowers, of animals and in little specks of stardust.
 
I will try to be happy in all circumstances. I will make up my mind to be happy within myself right now, where I am today.

            "Metaphysical Meditations by Paramahansa Yogananda", amazon 

 --------------------------------
Being
 
A butterfly goes from flower to flower,
Giving as well as receiving.
When it rains lightly,
It continues on its journey.
When the downpour comes,
It stops and rests,
Waiting for the sun to return.
Then it continues on its way,
Going through rainbow after rainbow,
Delighting in being a butterfly.
 
Master/Ordained Minister David C. Hakim ( www.davidhakim.com )
------------------------------------
Credo of a Church Without Walls
 
We believe that by following our true feelings we pray without ceasing. We believe in acknowledging, understanding and living the Ten spiritual Commandments of Sincerity, Loyalty, Self-respect, Kindness, reverence, Immortality, Magnanimity, Genuineness and Contentment – for and within ourselves first – then towards others.
 
-excerpt from the Creed of Peace Community Church International
 ---
Hindu Wisdom
 
Knowledge born of the finest discrimination takes us to the farthest shore. It is intuitive, omniscient, and beyond all divisions of time and space.
 
 - "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", 3:54, translated by Alistair Shearer amazon  messenger 

Thinking - The Servant of Awareness

Instead of being lost in your thinking, when you are awake 
you recognize yourself as the awareness behind it. 
Thinking then ceases to be a self-serving autonomous activity 
that takes possession of you and runs your life. 

Awareness takes over from thinking. 
Instead of being in charge of your life, thinking becomes the servant of awareness.
Awareness is conscious connection with universal intelligence.
Another word for it is Presence: consciousness without thought.

-Eckhart Tolle, "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" 
Official website  Amazon  Now-for You

^ October 2006 ^

From the time we are born, 
there is a wildish urge with us that desires our souls lead our lives, 
for the ego can only understand just so much.

-Clarissa Pinkola Estes, "Women Who Run with the Wolves"  amazon

The Dream World

The dream world is the real world.

-Seneca Indian Healer, 
from "Conscious Dreaming" by Robert Moss  amazon helpful

Courage and Patience
 
The world we live in requires great courage and patience.
 
Those with great courage, but little patience,
Tend to kill or be killed.
 
Those with great courage as well as great patience will tend to survive.
 
But the Great Integrity never judges you for whatever path you happen to take.
 
The Great Integrity never strives
But always fulfills itself,
 
Never is commanded but always responds.
 
Never is summoned
But always appears.
 
Never is impatient
But all is done on time.

            -Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu

From the Native American Tradition
 
Happily may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.

-The Night Chant of the Navajo

Change

It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, 
bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. 
Certainly it is worth the risk.
-Leo Buscaglia, professor, author, the "hug doctor."  website  quotes wikipedia

Small Actions

For the Universe 
even the most difficult things
occur spontaneously.
The largest result
is composed of countless minute elements.
The master understands,
in the Universe and in life,
great achievements may easily be accomplished
by starting with small actions.

- Laozi (Lao Tzu), in the "Tao Te Ching",  as quoted in "The Healing Power of Qi"
"Feel the Qi"  website    the book on amazon 

^ June 2006 ^

Liberation

"Liberation is only being rid of the idea that there is anyone who needs liberation."

-Ramesh Balsekar in "The Wisdom of the Hindu Gurus," edited by Timothy Freke, published by Godsfield Press. online through Amazon.  official website  article 

Kindness: A Writer's Wisdom

"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness."

-George Sand, Pseudonym of Amandine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin, a French woman writer and contemporary of Frederic Chopin. Her writing influenced Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Gustave Flaubert, and Marcel Proust.   wikipedia  George Sand Association

Going Within

How can we hear our wise voice of intuition if we are always thinking, talking and distracted by outer events? If we take time daily to experience physical stillness and to director our attention inside, we can begin to find the peace, love, will and wisdom that exist as our essence.
 - Anne Morrow Lindbergh      www.LindberghFoundation.org  
 www.TheDailyGuru.com  Maya Deva's World 

Patience

"Do not flee from your trials; patience in adversity is the foundation of all virtue, of compassion and sainthood. Patience is the foundation, and without a sound foundation you cannot build a monument."

From the Islamic tradition:  Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani   on BeliefNet  also Shaykh Jilani

Success and Self Value

Your success in life is determined by how greatly you "esteem" or value who you truly are. Intuition, spiritual guidance, your self-healing capacity and self-esteem all depend on each other. How would your life change if your self-esteem improved?

 -  from a CD set on Self-Esteem, by Caroline Myss, PhD, neurosurgeon, founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, medical intuitive and author of "Anatomy of the Spirit" and "Sacred Contracts"  website    books + CDs   

^ May 2006 ^

Love's Legacy

With love you will attain eight good qualities --
Gods and humans will be friendly,
Even non-humans will protect you,
You will have many mental and physical pleasures,
Poisons and weapons will not harm you,
Without striving you will attain your aims,
And be reborn in a wonderful state.

- Nagarjuna, one of the most important philosophers of Buddhism and founder of the Middle Way School.  thesis: "Thinking in Buddhism..."    Wikipedia entry

"I am the Rainbow Spirit Healing Mandala.
I am a Spiritual Messenger and a Spiritual Guide.
I am Light, Life, Love and Laughter.
I am the blessing from the Four Winds,
East, South, West, and North....
I am a tool for meditation, visualization,
transformation, and healing....

I am you and you are me,
and together we journey the
Rainbow Spirit Healing Mandala
full circle,
back to the Light."

- Ralph Ulysses Davis, Intuitive, Navajo spiritual leader and artist, describing his original artwork.  artwork  

Strength in Being Fluid

"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. 
But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. 
As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. 
This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

- Lao-Tzu    quotes on water  river quotes   

The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures; 
he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. 
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death 
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 
your rod and staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presences of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

- Psalm 23  NIV  BibleGateway.com  Bibles+Translations

^ April 2006 ^

Forgiving Ourselves

"If we don't forgive ourselves for our mistakes, and others for the wounds they have inflicted upon us, we end up crippled with guilt. And the soul cannot grow under a blanket of guilt, because guilt is isolating, while growth is a gradual process of reconnection to ourselves, to other people, and to a larger whole."

- Joan Borysenko, medical intuitive and author of "Minding the Body, Mending the Mind"

Amazon  author info 

BEGIN

Setting aside the trials
of Yesterday,

Pushing away the fears
for Tomorrow,

I walk the straight and
narrow path of Today.

Not easy,
but the simplest
of all things.
Love without self,
Be without fear;
Ever being retaught.
When all that is required
is to
Begin.

-from Marilyn Gibson's book, "Hanging By A String."   www.newage-spirituality.com 
Marilyn, a spiritual teacher, has survived 5 death experiences.

^ March 2006 ^

Motivation

Life is like a bicycle. You don't fall off unless you stop pedaling.

- Senator Claude Pepper

Authentic Being

I do not treat everyone the same. I am the same with everyone.

- Dr. Francisco Coll

Trust in Abundance

Manifestation is an act of trust. 
It is the soul pouring itself out into its world, 
like a fisherman casting a net to gather in the fish he seeks; 
with each cast properly made, we will bring what we need to us, 
but first we must hurl ourselves into the depths 
without knowing just what lies beneath us.

- Ghandi

Power Derived Through Dedication

In the days before time, two beings simultaneously said to the other,
You are my child, my own, my love, my brother, my sister---everything!
Do not fear! You are under my protection!
I dedicate my existence to being of service to you.
I will not let any harm come to you.
And your child/brothers/sisters who come after you,
Upon dedication of their lives to being of service
And trusting in goodness, shall never want.
Theirs shall be freedom from harm no matter what happens to them.
They shall also be our equals in time, place---yes, in eternity itself.
Their works shall be great and their very being blessed,
For by their choosing to serve they are also chosen.
Wherever they are, they are in the Promised Land
Where love, mercy, grace and harmony shall rule.
All are their equal,
And by their dedication they shall always be in the energy
that flows from the sun.

- Rev. David C. Hakim,  www.davidhakim.com 

^ February 2006 ^

The Self
from the Hindu Philosophy

Earth, fire and water,
The wind and the sky--
You are none of these.

If you wish to be free,
Know you are the Self,
The witness of all these,
The heart of awareness....

-excerpt from "The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita," 
by Thomas Byrom, 1990   full excerpt   book

Role Play

We are all movie stars and the world is a great stage. 
We play roles life after life, sometimes a s a husband, a wife, a minister or a queen; 
sometimes we play less desirable roles. 
And we play them unknowingly and ask ourselves why we have to play these roles, 
why so and so is on the throne and I am only a secretary. 
Those who are awakened know that the world is only a stage for us to learn, 
to fulfill our desires and needs, and to get closer to perfection.

- Excerpt from "I Have Come to Take You Home" by Buddhist Supreme Master Ching Hai

^ January 2006 ^

Soul Power

Religions have made us aware of the existence of a soul.
In reality you do not have a soul, you are a soul.

When you forget you are a soul, you may make the things of planet earth 
more important than you. 
But if you remember that you are a soul, you will release those things 
which keep you from being yourself.

- From "Create Your Destiny" by Dr. Francisco Coll

Follow the Star

Follow the star, you weary strangers,
On trails unknown to your erring feet;
Mid nighttime's fears and suntime's heat.
Follow (past) Herod and his schemes,
Follow your heart. Follow your dreams.

...Follow the star. It forever guides
All in whom hope and love abide.

Follow it now though the path grows rough
In the tangled world of what might have been;
Look to the sky; it is yet enough
To be guide for you, as it was for them.
Follow the star, though it's light seems dim,
Follow. It leads to your Bethlehem.

 - Vic Jameson, a Presbyterian lay person

Purpose

"The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, 
to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."
    - Eleanor Roosevelt

Printable version:  Hopi Elders 
  Hopi Message and Prophecies      Hopi-Maya connection  

^ December 2005 ^

Practical Suggestions on Accepting Change

"Every morning I repeat a gatha (mindfulness verse): 
'Great is the matter of birth and death; impermanence surrounds us. 
Be awake each moment. 
Do not waste your life.'  
Practice mindfulness. Come back to the present moment. 

Take a breath..."  When faced with a change, pleasant or otherwise, I tune into my breath and how I am feeling in my body. Tuning into the breath gives me time to respond better..."

    - Yoga Instructor Frank Jude offers some ideas for a change-friendly inner life, 
in "The Yoga Journal," August 2005

On the Joy of Life

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. 
I awoke and saw that life was service. 
I acted and behold, service was joy."

- Rabindranath Tagore

In 1919, poet and philosopher Tagore promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded on multi-culturalism, diversity and tolerance.

Light

"Wisdom is the table, not bread and meat. Wisdom is the light, food for the soul. No nutriment can compare to the nourishment of light. Nothing can nourish the soul but the light. Rid yourself of material needs and be set free. Taste the original victual, the dainty morsel of light."

-by Rumi in the "Mathnawi",  in the thirteenth century.

November 2005

Shining the Light of Peace

The major religions of the world hold peace as a central goal and core value. Yet we do not have to be religious in the conventional sense to experience the spiritual dimension of peace. We need only to connect with our true nature and know that we are part of something larger. We need only trust that whatever the greater whole (being, power, mystery, energy, God, divine essence) is, peace is at its sacred center - and so are we.

-from "The Peace Book" by Louise Diamond, PhD  
description  

Meditation and Enlightenment

"Quan Yin" means contemplation of the sound vibration. The Method includes contemplation on the inner Light and the inner Sound. These inner experiences have been repeatedly described in the spiritual literature of all the world's religions since ancient times. ... It is because we are made of this Sound that contact with it brings peace and contentment to our hearts....

The inner Light, the Light of God, is the same Light referred to in the word "enlightenment." Its intensity can range from a subtle glow to the brilliance of many millions of suns. It is through the inner Light and Sound that we come to know God.

- From "The Key to Immediate Enlightenment" by Master Ching Hai (a female spiritual master who teaches the Quan Yin Method of meditation she studied in the Himalayas)  
www.Godsdirectcontact.org 

Inner Peace on the Move

The Inner Peace Movement (sm) is autonomous groups of people around the world who have the common bond of wanting to grow spiritually without dogma or theology, and in the process, make the world a better place. IPM is a means of becoming your true self; the dynamic, happy, balanced you. IPM can put into your hands tools and techniques with which you can create for yourself an unbelievably successful life on all levels.. IPM is not for everyone. (It) is for people who wish to transcend the limits their early conditions may have upon them.

See www.ipmers.org 

October 2005

Magical Life

Life is magical, mysterious, wondrous, and miraculous. Lose the magic and you lose life. It becomes dull and joyless. When you have flashes of wonder, that is the wizard's touch. The worst curse to befall anyone is stagnation...

    - from "The Return of Merlin"  a novel by Deepak Chopra  website

September 2005

Fellowship with Inner Guidance

I am not alone. The walk with guidance is a journey and adventure through life. Peace is sincerely being my ability in the here - now. Take the time to "just be" and allow yourself the space to expand and feel free. Listen as the trees rustle in the wind, see the beautiful moon through cool evening clouds, stare at the stars on a clear autumn night and dream sweet dreams. Remember at first light. Always remember that you are one..
In the Spirit
Who counts
Who is counted on
Who delights
and is delighted
Brings joy
Who is joy
Loves
And is loved.
    - Neal Krysinski,  a WCF Founder

The Cosmos, to a great extent, gives us the Future we Imagine

We must find that space, that spiritual posture, in which we live what we know. 
Every thought is a prayer, and if the vision of the new spiritual awareness resides in the back of our minds every day, every minute, as we interact in the world, the magic of synchronicity will accelerate for everyone, and the destiny we intuit in our hearts will become a reality.

-James Redfield in "The Celestine Vision"        "Celestine Prophecy" outlined

Hindu Wisdom

A poor devotee points to the sky and says, "God is up there."  
An average devotee says, "God dwells in the heart as the Inner Master." 
The best devotee says, "God alone is and everything I perceive is a form of God."

-Ramakrishna   "Hinduism Today" website

Freedom

Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.
    -Stephen Covey, speaker, author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"   website 

August 2005

Perfection

So who can be still and watch the chess game of the world?
The foolish are always making impulsive moves, 
but the wise know that victory and defeat 
are decided by something more subtle.
They see that something perfect exists 
before any move is made.

-Brian Walker, Hua Hu Ching   (amazon)  website  buddhist links

Transformation

To truly change I must accept that there is no turning back... I know too much and have come much too far. With this acceptance settled in my soul I can truly enjoy life and its experiences. 

By releasing the emotions of the past I have the power to see things in perspective; to see things as they truly are without color of my emotions, without being tainted by others' opinions. This is all part of my transformation. I am emerging new because fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) does not dictate my life. The facts are in my feelings.

-From the Wayshowers Philosophy, Francisco D. Coll, President, Americana Leadership College

Release

I release... people, pets, things,
ideas and habits that
work against me.
And,
I embrace people, pets, things,
ideas and habits that
work for me, that help me
do what I've come to do.

-Dr. Sandra Adler, Bishop, Peace Community Church International

Happiness

If a man speaks or acts with pure thoughts,
happiness follows him
like a shadow that never leaves.
    - Buddha   (Buddha quotes)

July 2005

Advice on Life to Graduates

You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down.

You've got to find what you love ... the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. 

-from the commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005 at Stanford University   read the full text here

Oneness-Freedom

If you know that your are one with the Source, then you don't feel tense or needy.
You don't feel lack or pressure. You're poised. You're silent. You're peaceful.

You can work harmoniously with anything that comes your way and then let it go, 
because your are free.

-John-Rodger, President/Founder Institute for Individual and World Peace  www.iiwp.org 

We Are the World, We Are the Children

Live from our hearts, to show ourselves we care
enough to be stronger and free.
All life is flowing through our hearts and through our minds
For us to find our way of love, our way to be.

We are the world; we are the children;
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start livin'!
What a choice we're making, to be gracing all of life.
We're here to make a better day;
Yes, you and I.

-excerpt from the song by Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson

On Leadership:
If a herd of lions is behind you and you are a sheep, your entire herd will be sheep.  If you have a herd of sheep and you are a lion, you will be a herd of lions.

-Dr. Francisco Coll

June 2005

-Andrew Harvey from "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics,"  www.shambala.com 

Formula for Success

Decide what you want...People who write their goals are 200% more likely to be successful than those who don't. Be specific. Pick one big goal; every day do five specific things to further your goal. Identify 3 next steps for achieving. Visualize that goals are already achieved. Write and read them every day...morning and evening. (The brain's reticular system filters out all not fitting with needs and current goals).

-Jack Canfield, motivational speaker and author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" website

Religion and Spirituality

Not everyone has a religion, but everyone has a spirituality. Religion can be summed up as formal beliefs, one's world view. Functional belief is how a person is using her/his understanding in their life...Spiritual insight is always discovered, not taught.

-notes from a presentation by Don Koepke, 
Center for Spirituality & Ethics in Aging  (amazon)

Training the Mind

This body will likely not last more than 100 or so years, even if we are fortunate. ..physical qualities such as strength and agility have a limit. It is important to work on those limitless qualities that will be valuable beyond this lifetime. Attained through mental contemplation, these refined attitudes will also enrich this life.

Buddhist practices for training the mind can be summed up in two sentences: "If you are able, you should help others. If you are not able, you should at least not harm others."

 -Excerpts from "How to Expand Love - Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships", 
by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama (2005)

On Self-Acceptance

Soul/spirituality is the font of who we are, and yet is far beyond our capacity to devise and to control. We can culminate, tend, enjoy and participate in the things of the soul, but we can't outwit it or manage it or shape it to the designs of a willful ego.

    - Thomas Moore, "Care of the Soul" (amazon)

Awareness

Yesterday, I lived bewildered, in illusion. 
But now I am awake, flawless and serene, beyond the world. 
From my light the body and the world arise. 
So all things are mine, or nothing is.
Ashtavakra Gita

-Andrew Harvey in "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics", 2001 (amazon)

 Shambhala Publications    www.Beliefnet.com    
 

May 2005

Guidance - Energy - Life

"Our inner guidance comes to us through our feelings and body wisdom first -- not through intellectual understanding. The intellect works best in service to our intuition, our inner guidance, soul, God or higher power -- whichever term we choose for the spiritual energy that animates life."

- Christiane Northrup, M.D.   website

A Seneca Proverb

 The Great Spirit has made us what we are; it is not his will that we should be changed. If it was his will, he would let us know; if it is not his will, it would be wrong for us to attempt it, nor could we, by any art, change our nature.

-from "Native American Wisdom" edited by Kristen M. Cleary  book 

On Being a Spiritual Wayshower

"The most important soul is you and what you came to do; anything else is a decoy, half truth, lie or religiosity. 

To maintain the intensity of your free will, the integrity of your soul and life purpose, you must act. You must share and inspire people, and you need a service. To maintain the frequency of your service and initiative requires trust to listen and act, trust to find solutions."

-Robert Conrad, President, IPM International, Inc.

April 2005

Waking Up to Life

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep — everybody you know, everybody you see, everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake, and they live in a state of constant, total amazement."

- Meg Ryan to Tom Hanks in the 1990 Steven Spielberg movie
"Joe Versus The Volcano," a movie about waking up to life. description on IMDB

Unity of Humankind

From the beginning, Christian Revelation has viewed the spiritual history of man as including, in some way, all religions, thereby demonstrating the unity of humankind with regard to the eternal and ultimate destiny of man.....

Truth, in fact, cannot be confined. Truth is for one and for all. And if this truth comes about through love (cf. Eph 3:15), then it becomes even more universal.  

-from Crossing the Threshold of Hope, by Pope John Paul II  amazon

I Am Spirit

I am water. I come from water. I will return to water.
I am spirit. I come from spirit. I will return to spirit.

Angels! Hear me Angels, from the north, south, east and west.
I commit myself to myself and to my purpose here on earth.

I am water. I come from water. I will return to water.
I am spirit. I come from spirit. And I will return to spirit.

 -a song and affirmation from the Peace Community Church program 

March 2005

Easter - The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic

Christians especially (but others as well) may find this beautiful flash show transformational. 
Jesus spoke and taught in Aramaic. You are invited to hear and read the translation of the Aramaic Lord's Prayer.  click here 

-translated and spoken by renowne