Gaia Community: skyojos' Blog

Japanese Carpentry in Seattle & NW

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:28:16 GMT

My cousin Dale Brotherton is a master traditional Japanese carpenter. I am in awe of his work and truly inspired by his craftsmanship. Dale and his company, Takumi, builds homes, temples, tea houses, residential and commercial spaces and landscape features like gates and fences. Most of his projects are in the Seattle area but he has done projects throughout the NW and down into California. Check out his website and imagine what it would be like to live in or around his work.

http://japanesecarpentry.com/index.htm

Tags: Japanese, carpentry, traditional, Seattle, WA, NW, Takumi, Dale Brotherton, teahouses, gates, tatami

Elephant Painting Other Elephants

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:24:34 GMT

Painting Elephant

Tags: painting, elephants, animal intelligence

Tibet: 4 Days Left

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:06:32 GMT

Dear friends,

We reached our target! In just 7 days over 1 million of us have signed the petition calling for human rights and dialogue in Tibet--the fastest growing internet petition in history. As the crisis continues, it's time to deliver our petition and make sure Chinese President Hu Jintao hears our voices.

An International Day of Action has been declared for Monday, March 31st. On Monday, thousands of people in cities across the world will march to Chinese embassies and consulates, and stack hundreds of boxes containing our petition outside them. 1 million signatures makes a mountain of boxes--it will send a powerful global message.

We have just 4 days left until the petition delivery. Could we get to 2 million signatures in 4 days? We can do it--if every one of us recruits at least one more friend to sign the petition by forwarding the email below.

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Dear friends,

After decades of repression, the Tibetan people are crying out to the world for change. The Olympic spotlight is now on China, and Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama is calling to end all riots and violence through restraint and dialogue.

China's hardliners are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama--but many Chinese leaders believe dialogue is the best hope for stability in Tibet. The government is right now considering a crucial choice between repression and dialogue that could determine Tibet's--and China's--future.

We can affect this historic choice--President Hu Jintao values China's reputation, and he needs to hear from us that the 'Made in China' brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he chooses dialogue over the hardliners' repression. An avalanche of global people power is moving to get his attention. In just one week, over 1 million people have signed our petition, which will be delivered in rallies at Chinese embassies worldwide on Monday--click below to join the global outcry, and then forward this email to friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/71.php/?cl=67074984

China's economy is dependent on "Made in China" exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new and respected China. China is also a sprawling, diverse country with much brutality in its past, so it has good reasons to be concerned about stability--some of Tibet's rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development today comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from those Tibetans seeking dialogue and reform.

The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we must help them be heard.

With hope and respect,

Ricken, Pascal, Graziela, Iain, Paul, Galit, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team

Here are some links with more information on the Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:

Reuters reports unrest continues:
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSPEK369654

China allows first journalists back into Lhasa, monks speak out:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/local%20news/tibet/2008/03/27/149167/Tibet-monks.htm

Europe and the US step up calls for dialogue:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/27/europe/27europe.php

Prominent Chinese Intellectuals call for fair approach to Tibet:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/24/asia/chinasub.php
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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!

Tags: Tibet, China, petition, dialogue, Dalai Lama, President Hu Jintao

My new card and flyer

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:21:36 GMT

playful new card

back of new card

spring 2008 flyer

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Stand With Tibet: Support The Dalai Lama

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:29:36 GMT

683,641 have signed the petition in the last 4 days. Help us get to 1,000,000

Stand With Tibet

After decades of repression under Chinese rule, the Tibetan people's frustrations have burst onto the streets in protests and riots. With the spotlight of the upcoming Olympic Games now on China, Tibetans are crying out to the world for change.

The Chinese government has said that the protesters who have not yet surrendered "will be punished". Its leaders are right now considering a crucial choice between escalating brutality or dialogue that could determine the future of Tibet, and China.

We can affect this historic choice--China does care about its international reputation. China's President Hu Jintao needs to hear that the 'Made in China' brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing can succeed only if he makes the right choice. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention--and we need it in the next 48 hours.

The Tibetan Nobel peace prize winner and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has called for restraint and dialogue: he needs the world's people to support him. Click below now to sign the petition--and tell absolutely everyone you can right away--our goal is 1 million voices united for Tibet:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/97.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

China's economy is totally dependent on "Made in China" exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new China, respected as a leading world power. China is also a very diverse country with a brutal past and has reason to be concerned about its stability -- some of Tibet's rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from Tibetans who seek dialogue and reform.

We will deliver our petition directly to Chinese officials in London, New York, and Beijing, but it must be a massive number before we deliver the petition. Please forward this email to your address book with a note explaining to your friends why this is important, or use our tell-a-friend tool to email your address book--it will come up after you sign the petition.

The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we must help them be heard.

With hope and respect,

Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Paul, Galit, Pascal, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team

PS - It has been suggested that the Chinese government may block the Avaaz website as a result of this email, and thousands of Avaaz members in China will no longer be able to participate in our community. A poll of Avaaz members over the weekend showed that over 80% of us believed it was still important to act on Tibet despite this terrible potential loss to our community, if we thought we could make a difference. If we are blocked, Avaaz will help maintain the campaign for internet freedom for all Chinese people, so that our members in China can one day rejoin our community.

Here are some links with more information on the Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:
BBC News: UN Calls for Restraint in Tibet - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7301912.stm
Human Right Watch: China Restrain from Violently Attacking Protesters - http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/03/15/china18291.htm
Associated Press: Tibet Unrest Sparks Global Reaction - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gSSpPcDOPMoAiRLhPUyezuCRiXBQD8VFDD680
New York Times: China Takes Steps to Thwart Reporting on Tibet Protests - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/world/asia/18access.html?ref=world
--------------------------------------------

ABOUT AVAAZ

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Tags: Tibet, China, Hu Jintao, Dalai Lama, Avaaz, petition, Tibetan protests, Chinese response

More from Sedona

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 05:02:00 GMT

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From Canyon de Chelly to Flagstaff

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:22:59 GMT

IMG 0456

... 100's more photos to come but just a few more here then I'll get them all uploaded to my online gallery and provide the link. Took another 100+ in the last few hours.

Tags: AZ, NM, Arizona, New Mexico, Canyon de Chelly, canyon, Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo, Anasazi, ruins

From Santa Fe to Canyon de Chelly

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:05:21 GMT

This afternoon I began my trip from Santa Fe to Canyon de Chelly. I wanted to make a pilgrimage to a place where I had a significant spiritual experience 36 years ago in a kiva. I arrived in the small village in New Mexico this afternoon at about the same time of day and very near the same date as I arrived there in 1972. Not a lot has changed. Most roads in the town are still dirt rodes. There are more houses but unless you had been there 36 years ago you would now know it. Most adobe or psuedo adobe. I immediately felt the same energy in the air, the same magical feeling. It even felt like a storm was brewing just as it had been then. I was aching to wander beyond the edge of the village and into the wash then downstream a ways and up the other side and along the top in search of the kiva. I soon discovered there was no way to get out of the village on that side. There was no longer acccess to that wash. All property was fenced and 'No Tresspassing' posted everywhere. On further inquiry I discovered that the wash itself was now on private property and there simply was no access to that land. I was bummed. I wandered around the village for a while longer breathing in the charged air of this place - a place that will remain the starting point of so much else that happened in my life.

it was almost sunset and I decided to catch a few photos and return to Santa Fe for the night. Tomorrow I will drive to Canyon de Chelly. Here are a few of the photos I took at sunset from the Turquoise Trail:

Tags: New Mexico, Turquoise Trail, sunset

Some photos from Sedona

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:59:07 GMT

Sunrise above Red Tank Draw

Red Tank Draw Downstream

Red Tank Draw Upstream

Due to water level and flow I was unable to check out the petroglyphs when I was there. I may stop by on my way back next week and try again.

Source of fluffy light red earth

Just outside Flagstaff

In attempts to hike across this meadow we sunk in up to our hips and decided the view from here was good enough!

View from east of Flagstaff

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On my way 'home'! to the SW.

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:37:36 GMT

I am on my way today to my geographic spiritual home. I grew up in the SW and the connection I feel for this part of the world is deep in my heart and bones. There are many regions in the four corners states (AZ, NM, UT and CO) where I feel a very heightened sense of awareness and deeply at peace as if I have lived there for an eternity. The veil is very thin there for me. This trip I will get to visit 3 of the friends I have known for the longest in my life, in Tucson, Flagstaff and Santa Fe. During this trip I will be doing some training. I'll be in Sedona for 7 days taking courses in Myofascial Release but the real highlight will be that I will be camping in an area called Red Tank Draw and have half days each day to explore. I will also be visiting my friend in Flagstaff and we will likley take hikes on the weekend into the Clear Creek Canyon area. I will take photos and post them here. I'll update this entry or add new ones as the trip progresses.

Here is some info on Red Tank Draw.

This is the place to go for petroglyphs that are off the beaten path. In a ½ mile section of a 50 foot deep wash you can discover hundreds of petros carved into the dark patina of the red rock cliff walls, smooth river rock boulders, and huge boulder sections of the cliffs that have fallen into the draw. Getting there is a relatively easy 45 minute drive from Sedona. You’ll need to hike 10 to 15 minutes to the petroglyph site itself depending on where you park. You can park a lot closer if you have an SUV or 4x4. A visit to Red Tank Draw could easily be the highlight of your Sedona vacation if archaeology is important to you or you just love to hike and explore.

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Images of light for Michele

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:19:14 GMT

These images are collected here, inspired by and for my dearest friend Michele. They are borrowed from many places and will be added to over time.

embracing the light

mahalo

MISSING YOU by evol1314MALY

Transfigurations

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Maharishi Jan 12, 1917 - Feb 5, 2008

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 17:34:53 GMT

Maharishi with friends

The Times of India: Maharishi Ushered in Spiritual Renaissance

'Maharishi ushered in spiritual renaissance'
7 Feb 2008, 0200 hrs IST,Deepak Chopra

NEW YORK: The Maharishi didn't die like mere mortals do. He just went into what we call 'maha samadhi'. On January 12 this year, his 91st birthday, he announced that his work in the world was over and he was going into silence. He didn't speak to a single soul after that day. And today, he has passed so elegantly.

Maharishi began the spiritual renaissance. He was one of the most significant figures of the century. Personally, I owe everything to him. Everything I have learnt, I have learnt from him. He has influenced some of the most important people of this century. The Maharishi had grandiose ideas - sometimes even impractical - but he was a great man.

I remember taking George Harrison to meet him in 1993. George had gone to apologize for the bad behavior of the Beatles back in 1969. Back then, the Beatles, especially John Lennon, had insinuated that the Maharishi was having an affair with Mia Farrow.

When George apologized, the Maharishi said there was nothing to be sorry about. He said the Beatles were angels on Earth with their music and he could never be angry with them. Another incident that comes to mind is back in 1996 when I rushed him to hospital in London. The doctors declared the Maharishi dead but he came back. When an urgent blood transfusion was required, I was found to be the only one with matching blood type. Initially he refused a transfusion, saying he didn't want my karma coming along with my blood! It was only when the doctor in me convinced him that red blood cells didn't carry DNA that he relented and agreed to take my blood.

It's enough to say I am who I am because of my Guru. I'm grateful that I was part of his dream. If there is such a thing as 'devaloka', they must surely be celebrating and welcoming a great sage.

(As told to Anubha Sawhney Joshi)

The Three Maharishis:

The Three Maharishis

Deepak Chopra - February 06, 2008

Even though I last sat with Maharishi more than ten years ago, he left an indelible impression, as he did on everyone. His extraordinary qualities are known to the world. Without him, it's fair to say, the West would not have learned to meditate. During the Cold War era a reporter once challenged him by saying, "If anything is possible, as you claim, can you go to the Soviet Union tomorrow with your message?" Without hesitation, Maharishi calmly replied, "I could if I wanted to." Eventually he did want to, and meditation arrived in Moscow several years before the Berlin Wall fell. In his belief that world peace depended entirely on rising consciousness, Maharishi was unshakable.

The Bhagavad-Gita declares that there are no outward signs of enlightenment. The point is underscored in many Indian fables and scriptures, which often take the form of a high-caste worthy snubbing an untouchable, only to find that the untouchable was actually a god in disguise. For his part, Maharishi had three guises, and perhaps in the end they were also disguises.

He was an Indian, a guru, and a personality. The personality was highly quixotic. Over the fifty yeas of his public life, Maharishi never lost his charm and lovability. He had these qualities to such an extent that Westerners took him to be a perfect example of how enlightenment looks -- kind, sociable, all-accepting, and light-hearted -- when that is far form the case. His presence was more mysterious than good humor can account for: you could feel it before entering a room. You could be walking down the hallway to his private apartments with the weight of the world on your shoulders and feel your worries drop away with every step, until by the time your hand touched the doorknob, by some magic you felt completely carefree. But if you were around him long enough, the older Maharishi in particular could be nettlesome and self-centered; he could get angry and dismissive. He was quick to assert his authority and yet could turn disarmingly child-like in the blink of an eye.

The Maharishi who was an Indian felt most comfortable around other Indians, with whom he chatted about familiar things in Hindi. He adhered to the vows of poverty and celibacy that belonged to his order of monks, despite the fact that he lived in luxury and amassed considerable wealth for the TM movement. What gets overlooked is that he viewed wealth as a means to raise the prestige of India in the materialistic West, which was both canny and realistic of him. In the end the movement's money went to preserve the spiritual heritage of India by opening pundit schools and building temples. Maharishi was deeply concerned that he might be the last embodiment of a sacred tradition that was quickly being overwhelmed by modernization.

In one way or another, for good or ill, these two Maharishis are the only ones that the outside world knew. If you came under the power of his consciousness, however, Maharishi the guru completely overshadowed every other aspect. It's shameful to say, but gurus are a dime a dozen in India and are often treated like retainers by the rich and powerful. Nothing could be farther from the truth in Maharishi's case. He was venerated by the venerable and considered holy by the holy. His capacity to explain Vedanta was unrivaled, and if he accomplished nothing else in his long life, his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita insures his lasting name, because with acute analysis he cuts through to the heart of every verse. Imagine that someone arose in the West who definitively settled all the disputes over the New Testament and went on to exemplify the nature of Jesus. Then you might get some idea of Maharishi's impact as a guru.

Around 1990 I was commissioned to write a book about him; it turned out to be the only assignment I could never complete. Even after spending hundreds of days in his presence, one could not capture him, either on paper or in one's mind. The Gita is right to say that there are no visible signs of enlightenment, but I would go further. The enlightened person ceases to be a person and attains a connection to pure consciousness that erases all boundaries. My deepest gratitude goes to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for showing me that this state of unity exists outside folk tales, temples, organized religion, and scripture itself. To live and breathe in unity consciousness is unfathomable, but in at least one case, I am sure it is real.

The Times of India: Beatles are angels on earth

'Beatles are angels on earth, said Maharishi'
15 Feb 2006, 0108 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: The souring of relations between the Beatles and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has always been amystery for the world.

There was a reconciliatory meeting between Maharishi and George Harrison, and TOI's Guest Editor on Monday Deepak Chopra was the only other person present there.

In September 1991, Harrison asked Chopra to set up a meeting with Maharishi, which he did. "We got on to a chartered plane, which had just dropped off Paul McCartney to Monte Carlo.

George wrote a note to Paul, saying, "Guess whom we're going to meet", and signed it 'Jai Gurudev'. Then we flew to Vlodrop, in the Netherlands, where Maharishi was staying.

It was an emotional meeting. As Chopra tells it, Harrison first presented Maharishi a rose. This was followed by a long silence.

Then Maharishi asked, "How have you been?" George replied, "Some good things (have happened), some bad things."

Then he added, "You must know about John being assassinated." Maharishi replied, "I was very sorry to hear about it."

After some time, Harrison spoke. "I came to apologize," he said. "For what?" asked Maharishi. "You know for what," replied Harrison.

"Tell Deepak the real story," said Maharishi. Harrison said, "I don't know about it 100%, but here's what I know transpired." And he narrated the incident about the Beatles being asked to leave.

Did Maharishi harbor any bitterness towards the Beatles?

Chopra smiled. "Part of the Beatles lore is that when they made their first appearance on American TV, on the Ed Sullivan show, there was no crime in the US for that one hour.

Maharishi told us, 'When I heard this, I knew the Beatles were angels on earth. It doesn't matter what John said or did, I could never be upset with angels'. On hearing that, George broke down and wept." There was another long silence. Then Harrison told Maharishi, "I love you" and Maharishi responded, "I love you too."

The two left, and Harrison later phoned Chopra and told him, "A huge karmic baggage has been lifted from me, because I didn't want to lie."

Maharish in rishikesh

When Maharishi threw Beatles out
15 Feb 2006, 0001 hrs IST,TNN

NEW DELHI: This is a true story of love and bitterness, recrimination and reconciliation. It's a story of glamour and spirituality, drugs and rock 'n' roll. It's about four men whom the world worshipped, and the mentor they first adored, then abhorred. It's a story that has never before been told in its entirety, though gossip and rumors have swirled around it for years.

Why exactly did relations between the Beatles and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi sour? Was there any truth to the allegations that the Maharishi had propositioned a friend of the Beatles? As an erstwhile disciple of the Maharishi, and a close friend of the Beatles, spiritual master Deepak Chopra is probably one of the few people who knew the real story.

He said after some prodding: "The Beatles - along with their entourage, which included Mia Farrow - were doing drugs, taking LSD, at Maharishi's ashram, and he lost his temper with them. He asked them to leave, and they did in a huff. But when they went to the US, John Lennon gave an interview on the Johnny Carson show, accusing Maharishi of being a dirty old man. Later, Lennon also wrote a satirical song about Maharishi, which went: Sexy Sadie, what have you done/you made a fool of everyone."

But I'm sure there was never any truth to Lennon's allegations," added Chopra.

"In fact, the rumour was that Maharishi had misbehaved with Mia Farrow, but I met Mia years later at the airport while taking a flight to India, and she asked me to tell Maharishi that she still loved him."

Tags: Maharishi, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Deepak Chopra, Beatles, George Harrison, John Lennon, Mia Farrow, maha samadhi

Yes, We Can! - Barack Obama

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:05:55 GMT

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

Song & video, featuring a star cast, by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. Inspired by Barack Obama's 'Yes We Can' speech.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.

Celebrities featured include: Jesse Dylan, will.i.am, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta, Eric Balfour, Aisha Tyler, Nicole Scherzinger and Nick Cannon

Tags: Obama, Barack Obama, Barack, Yes We Can, Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am

Wisconsin in the Winter

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:51:34 GMT

Winter Storm Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
302 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2008

...STRONG WINDS...SNOW...AND DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS TO IMPACT
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TONIGHT...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SWEEP THROUGH SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY THIS EVENING. MUCH COLDER AIR IS SURGING
INTO WISCONSIN ON VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT.
WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. IN
ADDITION...LIQUID WATER WILL FREEZE VERY QUICKLY AFTER THE PASSAGE
OF THE FRONT. EXPECT UNTREATED ROADWAYS TO BECOME VERY SLICK THIS
EVENING.

ALTHOUGH SNOW AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT...THE STRONG WINDS
WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. IN
ADDITION... THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH FALLING
TEMPERATURES TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OVERNIGHT.

AS ARCTIC AIR POURS INTO THE AREA TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL WELL BELOW ZERO. COMBINED WITH THE STRONG
WINDS...WIND CHILL READINGS OF 25 TO 34 BELOW ZERO WILL BE COMMON.

Tags: winter, weather, Madison, Wisconsin

Protect Southern Utah from Big Oil and ORVs

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:28:27 GMT

President Bush is ready to plunder Utah's wildlands.

Click here to protect these public lands from Big Oil and ORVs!

January 24, 2008

President Bush is ready to plunder Utah's wildlands.
Click here to protect these public lands from Big Oil and ORVs!

If President Bush has his way, some of the most spectacular areas in Utah will be irreversibly degraded by oil rigs and off-road vehicles (ORVs).

Eleven million acres in Utah's red rock canyon country are at immediate risk, and we have until Feb. 8 to speak out. This precious land is filled with breathtaking vistas, ancient cultural artifacts and dinosaur fossils, and a wide range of wildlife.

Concerned people like you can put a stop to the sprawling oil and gas development and ORV use. There is no time to waste.

Urge the Bush administration's Bureau of Land Management to protect this sacred land before it is sacrificed to Big Oil and ORVs!

Your comment today is so important. Unless the public speaks out now, President Bush's land management team will forge ahead aggressively, with little thought to the permanent impact on a fragile, irreplaceable ecosystem.

As the New York Times editorialized, "some of the trails would crisscross about 2.5 million acres of breathtakingly beautiful country that the Clinton administration thought worthy of permanent wilderness protection."

So many iconic national treasures are at stake:

*
In Vernal, northeastern Utah, ancient cultural artifacts and dinosaur fossils mingle with a range of wildlife and recreational opportunities.
*
Nine Mile Canyon, in the San Rafael Swell, offers hiking, serenity and rock carvings over 1,000 years old.
*
In the Moab region, you'll find spectacular overlooks into nearby Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

The damage caused by irresponsible exploration and resource exploitation would be irreversible. Once an area is riddled with roads, it will never be designated as Wilderness. We are working with members of Congress to permanently protect these areas as part of America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, but in the meantime, we need you to help us amplify our campaign.

Tell BLM Director James Caswell to stop the assault on public Utah land immediately.

Once you have sent your message, you can help us drum up support for protecting Utah's Red Rock Wilderness by spreading the word to your friends and family, encouraging them to also send a message.

The more people like you and me who take action today, the more wild places we can protect.

Sincerely,
Kathy Kilmer
The Wilderness Society

The Wilderness Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving American wilderness. Our mission is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife, beauty, and opportunity for recreation and renewal provided by pristine forests, rivers, deserts, and mountains. As a subscriber to WildAlert, you join more than 310,000 Wilderness Society members and supporters in our efforts to protect and restore America's wild places.

Tags: Bush, oil, plunder, Utah, Southern Utah, wilderness, sacred lands, Wilderness Society

My Mayan Galactic Signature

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:06:42 GMT

Red Magnetic Moon :: Tone 1: Magnetic Unity

This reading is taken from AstroDreamAdvisor.com Dreamspell Mayan Readings

Red Moon is your Conscious Self - who you are and who you are becoming.

Red Moon is the cosmic seed of awakened awareness. Consume it like a fruit, and let it blossom within you. You are on the quest of self-remembrance, of Godseed. If you work with the energy of Red Moon with clear awareness and attention, an awakened state of remembrance will naturally blossom within you. Remembrance means having direct access to your expanded presence through an intrinsic perception of unity. Remembrance is your recognition of the larger pattern and your connection to it, often facilitated through dreams, art, music, colors and creative pursuits. With focused attention, meditate on Red Moon and you will receive help with self-remembrance.

Red Moon is also a beacon or transmitting station. As you open to self-remembrance, you become a beacon and receiver for cosmic consciousness. This communication creates the gradual opening of the third eye, the eye within the mononlith of self. As this eye opens and your communication becomes more refined, you will notice more signs, signals and understanding coming to you. These are all for your growth and evolution - a feedback system from which you can gain insight about your journey.

The number for Red Moon is 9, which symbolizes the recurrence of great cycles. An example of such recurrence is the periodic return of master teachers to help awaken human beings on Earth. Nine is the number of Quetzalcoatl, buddha, and Christ. Red Moon is a symbol for great teachers who have come to translate universal wisdom to humanity, to embody the awakened state of consciousness that is accessible to all. Such teachers serve as a connection to the Divine and hold the promise of full self-mastery.

Take off the veil of forgetfulness. Become the beacon of awakened awareness. As you open to self-remembrance, you will freely receive divine guidance. Be with others who support your fullest expression.

Red Moon is also your Higher Self & Guide. (you are guided by your own power doubled)

The harmonic wisdom embodied in Red Moon is modulation, the harmonious passage from one key to another. This is experienced as movement and change through the natural laws of growth. Red Moon represents a passage into a new key or mode. To shift keys or tonality in your life, move with and trust your own process. Even the dissonance created by resistance to change shows you where you have work to do.

Eventually, living in a new key or tonality creates a harmonious shift that naturally moves you to another resonance. Through experiencing this higher resonance, a communication is set up with the next octave of archetypal energy. In a literal way, then, Red Moon is like a walkie-talkie, a communication device for the higher resonances. When this communication becomes fully realized, it is possible to communicate in the resonance of Yellow Warrior. Yellow Warrior is exactly one octave, or eight archetypes up from Red Moon, representing communication with cosmic consciousness.

The musical descriptors of Red Moon are chiaro, meaning "clear and pure," and rubato, meaning "dwelling upon." As each lesson is embraced, the next level of resonance can be more purely sounded. Being a clear channel for the light assists you in sounding the more expanded resonances. As to rubato, it is usually necessary to dwell on any spiritual practice before reliable results are achieved. Red Moon represents the willingness to dedicate whatever time it takes to practice certain spiritual disciplines until they become a part of you.

Yellow Human is your Subconscious Self and Hidden Helper.

Yellow Human is the grail, the golden fleece, the philosopher's stone, the alchemical transmutation that turns baser materials into gold. It is the cornucopia, the paradox of emptiness and harvest, the still place that lies open and fallow, receiving the gifts.

Yellow Human offers you the gift of beginner's mind in the fullness of union. Be receptive. Yellow Human is preparing your circuits for transformation. Become empty, that your thirst may be quenched by the bounteous gifts poured from the chalice of the spiralling galaxies. Open and receive all that Yellow Human offers in the chalice of your own body.

Eb asks you to strengthen and clear your physical vessel in order to prepare for the expanded energies of higher mind. Your chalice of self is being purified through vibrational adjustments in the brain/body system. With this quickening, adjustments are made and your circuits of consciousness are naturally transformed. Often this process is accompanied by the sensation of being altered or "rewired". Higher centers of the brain and the light-sensitive pineal and pituitary glands are being activated to contain more light. This penetration brings you to a critical threshold, creating enormous change at the cellular level. It also activates soul memories and expands your concepts of reality.

With this expanded consciousness, your brain/body system is being cleared and fine-tuned so that you can create a sluiceway for the activation and acceleration of cosmic consciousness. This penetration of frequencies and its accompanying quickening is like upgrading the 'hard drive' of your biocomputer and activating the 'hidden chip,' the unused parts of your brain.

This is the foundation and awakening of your light body, a body crafted from the expansion of interstellar light within every cell. This body exists in and out of time and space and is able to experience and communicate freely with other dimensions and times. This is the resonant body within those whom Jose Arguelles calls the Servant-Warriors: "those humans who fully realize the dream light body within the physical body and understand the circuitry of the human organism - who use the light body to navigate the electromagnetic waters which we call the universe."

The development of the light body involves strong interaction between Spirit and self as you prepare for entrance into the expanded chalice of Essence Self. In preparing this vessel, you enter into the rites of passage inherent to cosmic consciousness, and such rites eventually burst any false containers of self that cannot encompass the expanding chalice.

In meditation, expand to include all that you are. Then bring that feeling of expansion back into your physical self. In this process, you create a complex stability, opening a chalice of self that is fully rooted in human form. With this expansion, you are freed to explore within a new center that, paradoxically, seems to have to center. Yellow Human reveals the secret of being essence within form, everywhere and nowhere, "nothing" but present in all things.

The metaphor of the ever-expanding chalice is a powerful spiritual tool. This chalice represents the eternal container of light, ever filled with spirit's fire and nourishment. It is the metaphor that represents the form in which your full potential can manifest. Each stage in your journey feels like the final one, but each stage then opens to an expanded form, releasing you into the next stage of consciousness.

All the gifts of the macrocosm pour out of the universal cornucopia. With an open heart, empty yourself to be filled with the fruits of your true desire. Through the temple of your body, lift the chalice of your expanded self and declare that it is filled with truth and clarity. Feel the ecstatic union with your full potential as a human being.

Meditate on the cornucopia with you at its center. Lift the chalice of your self-generated energy vortex to greet the vortex that will descend from above. As an open vessel, prepare a place to receive Yellow Human's gifts. When you flow in unconditional love, all the fruits of the universe rush toward you for benediction.

Bathe in love's essence as a child splashing in a pool on a hot day. Connect with others in joyous union. Use the broom of Yellow Human to sweep your day clear of past experiences and the issues and obstacles of small mind. In the spirit of Yellow Human function on all frequencies and power bands. Your cup is filled with the nectar of sacramental union. Be fulfilled by the great harvest of love!

Blue Storm represents your Challenge and Gift. With maturity and awareness this challenge will turn into a Focus. This is what you desire to learn in this lifetime.

In the shadow of Cauac are held issues of spiritual separation. Cauac bridges the time and space between physical and nonphysical realities. This space can be viewed as a wall or veil between you and the Creator. The intensity of your desire to go 'home' is often met with equal force from the collective belief in separation. At times, you may even experience a sense of despair and helplessness over the apparent gap between you and Spirit.

Take courage - you will move through the wall! During this process, you may encounter intense feelings related to the original trauma of separation from Source. But equally intense feelings will take you through the wall to sacred reunion on the other side. On this journey, you will meet and deal with the charge of that part of your power that has not been freed into love. And in your yearning for your spiritual home, you will be assisted by ascended beings and masters whose purpose is to aid in your return.

A prominent shadow of Cauac is the fear of loss, the fear that by jumping into the unknown, you will lose everything: companions, loved ones, attachments, possessions - perhaps even your body or mind. Cauac is the crucible of revolution. This transformation is so inclusive that you may be reluctant to take risks for fear of the depth of change. You may even have feelings of despair or giving up. Though it can appear frightening, this process is actually there to serve you - to magnify your feelings until you address them, using them as fuel to propel you thorugh the transformational barrier itself.

Another shadow of Cauac falls on those who seek to escape or transcend earthly reality through addictions of all kinds - to substances, fears, self-doubts, material comforts, relationships, sexual obsessions, and work, among others. Addictions are like incomplete rites of passage, where compulsive behaviour creates a feeling of being trapped rather than being free. They may offer the appearance of freedom, but only spiritual connection can offer true freedom. On the other hand, the desire from a new or altered state can become an indirect spiritual path leading to transcendence. Thus the escape is incomplete, yet it eventually brings one to the opportunity of a profound transformation.

Any illusions you may have about self are magnified intensely through the lens of Cauac.

When you experience separation from Spirit's love, questions of Essence Self and issues of archetypal self-worth arise. This separation springs from a basic denial of your oneness with Spirit. Denial can be seen as consciously or unconsciously holding something away from yourself, and it creates an energy loss and a feeling of disconnection from your potential.

However, that which feels like it has been lost returns when you forgive yourself. Accept your human process, freeing the power and potential that has been locked in your fear-based emotions. Accept your behaviours as part of your learning experience. Let go of the rigid belief systems and judgements that hold denial in place.

Acceptance is the allowance that creates freedom, and separation is the guide to union. You may tend to deny your feelings and your growth process, thinking that you are above them or have already worked through them. This denial amplifies and intensifies the feelings until they come into awareness. Know that the intensity of your process is also healing your cellular and genetic memory, as well as the collective issues of humanity and the planet. Simply accept the truth of your experience, no matter how intense or difficult it may seem. Embrace everything that happens to you and you will regain all the vital energy that can be applied to the purposes of evolution.

White Dog is your Compliment - something that comes naturally to you.

One of the gifts of White Dog is the calling in and recognition of other companions of destiny. Other beings with the same longing are waiting to meet and acknowledge you - beings who can see you as you authrentically are. When you have truly been seen, you feel empowered, and remembrance of a shared sacred trust is ignited. This is a natural process, divinely designed for recognition through vibrational affinity, freed from personal expectations.

White Dog can be seen as an access point for developing relationships with guides, totems, allies and guardians. There are many ways to work with these spiritual guides, including guided visualizations, shamanic journeys, and meditation. A useful construct is viewing them as aspects of yourself, part of your life stream that is asking to be integrated. Remember, there is no 'other'. In this grand adventure, you are being asked to embody all that you are.
Profound insights are garnered through shared purpose and relationship with others who are willing to be in their truth and integrity about the light and shadow aspects they perceive in themselves.

Similarly, intimate relationships can be viewed as unique opportunities to bring forward in each other deep emotional patterns to be transformed. In this case, those you have drawn to you hold the ability to assist you in your own integration as well. There are no mistakes. Be willing to look deeply into the truth held within any relationship. The expression of intimacy is a gift of love; the lack of it may be a symptom asking for honest communication and healing. It may also be guiding you to reevaluate your relationship and the purpose it is serving.

White Dog signals a breakthrough in your life: new beginnings, new perceptions, new allies and friends. As you express more authentically who you are, you draw your true family closer to you.With your guides and companions, you have the ability to manifest your inspired visions and dreams. Recognize the eyes and hearts that spark the remembrance of a sacred trust.

The harmonic wisdom of White Dog is affinity, the attraction of like vibration or substances for one another. Spiritual affinity is not limited to family kinship - it is part of the natural affinity between companions of destiny. Such companions of are drawn together by the same aligned force that draws iron filings to a magnet. Companions of destiny are drawn togther to do work that is naturally harmonious.

On the surface at times, it may seem that you have little in common with these companions, yet the attraction remains. This is because Essence Selves are often committed to work together long before they meet in the physical world. This is a natural process of affinity, rather than a process motivated from personal desire. Follow this guidance into your unfoldment within the larger pattern.

Your Tone is Tone 1 - Magnetic

Unconditional love, the one heart, indivisible essence, core vibration, new beginnings, chalice of the infinite, All That Is.

One is the ray of unity with self and Source. Call forth the resonance of your true vibration. Feel the pulse of this ecstatic frequency of the One. You are being offered profound awakenings and the exquisite radiance of unconditional love. This is a time of new beginnings in your life. Be active in your individual expression, committed to the growth of your Essence Self.

You contain the paradox of the "separate" self and unity with the One. You are simultaneously the primal point of beginning and the crowing culmination. You are the initiator. You are the one who opens the way. You may feel alone or separated from Source. If so, stand in the unity of your Essence Self and focus on the reality of the one heart. You are the wisdom you seek!

***

These excerpts were taken from the book, "The Mayan Oracle - Return Path to the Stars" by Ariel Spilsbury & Michael Bryner - Click here to email Ariel and purchase a signed copy!

Tags: The Mayan Oracle, Return Path to the Stars, Ariel Spilsbury, Michael Bryner, Mayan Galactic Signature, Red Magnetic Moon, astrodreamadvisor.com

Good Morning from across the lake

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:15:34 GMT

Early morning light on Jenifer St, 12/18/07

Tags:

As viewed, So appears...

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:27:26 GMT

This is cross-posted from here:

Posted on Nov 29th, 2007 by Chamaya

AS VIEWED, SO APPEARS

by Paul Levy

The word "Buddha" literally means "one who has awakened to the dream-like nature of reality." The Buddha wasn't teaching that this universe was like a dream, he was pointing out that this universe of ours IS a dream, a waking dream that we are all collaboratively dreaming up into materialization together. The Buddha prophesized that an even greater incarnation than himself would soon be born whose name would be PadmaSambhava.

PadmaSambhava was a historical person who founded Tibetan Buddhism. He is the Tantric Buddha, the incarnation or emanation of the enlightened mind itself appearing in human form. Interestingly, PadmaSambhava is considered to be the Buddha of our Age. By the power of his awakening, he "conquered" the country of Tibet, transforming the evil forces into protectors of the sacred Dharma (teachings of the enlightened ones), and turning everyone into Dharma practitioners. PadmaSambhava is the supreme alchemist and exorcist: it is said the greater the negativity, the greater his power of transmutation.

PadmaSambhava started the "terma," or hidden treasure lineage, which is particularly unique and psycho-activating, awakening the unconscious beyond belief. To insure the propagation of the purity of the teachings, PadmaSambhava concealed these sacred teachings and holy treasures throughout the many dimensions of this universe: in the earth, in the sky, in lakes, in dreams and visions, and in his disciples' hearts and minds. PadmaSambhava would inspire his disciples to discover these terma, synchronistically, at just the right moment in history when they were needed. The revelation of a terma was like an atemporal, higher-dimensional process materializing into linear, historical time. Termas are not make-believe, like some sort of fairy tale- the terma tradition has been deeply studied and highly venerated by both scholars and practitioners alike (see Hidden Teachings of Tibet by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche). Like alarm clocks hidden in this waking dream of ours, going off to wake us up at exactly the right moment, these terma are like time-release vitamins that the universal dream-field organically secretes when needed, so as to compensate an unconscious one-sidedness. When we connect with a terma, it is like a sleeping, unconscious part of ourselves becomes awakened. Termas are like charms that break spells, or like keys that open locks.

One such terma is the Tibetan Book of Great Liberation. In this hidden treasure, one of the things PadmaSambhava says is "As a thing is viewed, so it appears," which can be essentialized to: "As Viewed, So Appears." As Viewed, So Appears is itself the equation or formulation of how we co-create reality with this dream-like universe of ours. As Viewed, So Appears is describing, while simultaneously being an expression of, the dream-like nature of our waking reality. As Viewed, So Appears is as all-pervasive and universal a law in the realm of consciousness as gravity is in the physical dimension. Contemplating As Viewed, So Appears can be a catalyst to awaken in us the realization of how in this very moment we are dreaming up the universe into materialization out of the infinite field of unmanifest potential. Contemplating As Viewed, So Appears is a portal through which the realization of the dream-like nature that it is an expression of is itself actualized.

When we are in an actual night dream, if we change the way we view the dream, the dream has no choice but to spontaneously shape-shift and mirror back this change in perception, for a dream is a reflection of the mind that is observing it. A dream is nothing other than our inner process projected seemingly outside of ourselves. If we change the way we view our dream while having it, the dream will spontaneously change the way it appears, for a dream IS nothing other than our own consciousness externalizing itself. The dreamscape is an instantaneous reflex (reflex-ion) of the way we are viewing it…… As Viewed, So Appears.

Similarly, quantum physics points out that it makes no sense whatsoever to talk about the universe as if it exists objectively, separate from us, or to talk about us existing independently of the seemingly outer universe. The universe and ourselves are inseparable partners in a timeless embrace. We are collaboratively dreaming up the universe, while the universe is simultaneously dreaming us up. This interplay reciprocally co-arises in a non-linear, acausal and atemporal, synchronistic and cybernetic feedback loop. Buddhism calls this beginingless process interdependent co-origination: every part of the universe evokes and is concurrently evoked by every other part in a seamless expression of undivided wholeness. This is to say that the idea of separation between ourselves and the universe is an illusion.

Quantum physics has discovered that our perception of the universe actually evokes the very universe that is observed. If we change the way we view the universe, the universe itself spontaneously reflects this change back to us, as the universe is not separate from our perception of it. Physics itself is pointing out that our universe is arising exactly as a dream arises- as an immediate reflection of the observing consciousness. Is the nature of light a wave or a particle? Quantum physics points out that it depends on how we are looking. I call this the 'physics of the dream-like nature of reality.'

Our creative imagination is truly divine, in that it literally effects the suprasensory blueprint that underlies this seemingly mundane and 'solid' material world of ours. Our divine creative imagination is the part of us through which God, so to speak, imagines this world into materialization. This waking dream we are living in, however, being of a more dense vibration than a night dream, is more solidified, crystallized into materialized form, and is hence, 'slower' in the way it is a function of our creative imagination. Due to the seeming solidity of this waking dream, the effects of the creative imagination on how this universe of ours actually gets dreamed up are visible only with much more subtle, refined and rarefied vision. Our physical universe very convincingly appears to have the continuity of being something that seems solid and objectively existing, but we shouldn't get fooled or entranced by the seeming concreteness of the universe's dream-like display.

An example- Is what is happening in our world right now our worst nightmare that will end up in unimaginable destruction? Or, is what is playing out on the world stage catalyzing a global awakening previously undreamed of? Is what we are viewing a wave or is it a particle? It all depends on how we observe it, or shall we say, dream it up…... As Viewed, So Appears. The key agent in how things manifest is none other than our own consciousness. Talk about responsibility!

The 'unconscious' of our species is getting dreamed up and played out destructively on the world stage for all to see. Will we realize that we are all collaboratively dreaming up this universe into full-bodied materialization so as to shed light on the unconscious and awaken ourselves? Or, will we not recognize this, and destroy ourselves in collective suicide, as if we are a species gone mad? We live in a quantum universe of open-ended potential at each and every moment. We are all complicit in what is getting dreamed up in, as and through this universe of ours. There's no one to blame. How our universe manifests depends on how we, both individually and collectively dream it up.

This is not to negate that certain events are actually happening. People ARE dying. Rather, it is to recognize that in the act of investing our universe with a certain meaning, we are playing a role in not only how we experience our universe, but in how our universe continues its creative unfoldment. Even though the viewing and appearing are simultaneous, the viewing is more primary in that it is where the real power, or leverage lies in effecting a change in how our universe manifests. Our interpretation of our experience is the part of the universe through which we can change the universe.

Years ago, when I first started teaching, I didn't have a lot of money. One day I found a brand new bottle of contact lens solution in the bathroom closet the day after I had just bought one in the store. I remember thinking, "if only I had found this contact lens solution yesterday, I could've saved the money I had spent." I started feeling depressed. And then, at a certain moment I realized that I could just as easily interpret the exact same experience in an empowering, instead of a dis-empowering way. For example, I could interpret finding the extra contact lens solution as evidence that I was living in an abundant universe where my possessions had started to magically multiply. I mean, instead of having one bottle of contact lens solution, in reality I now had two. Why was I depressed about this? It was clear to me at that moment how direct and instantaneous a link there is between how we interpret our reality and how we experience life. Our experience itself is a function of which interpretation we invest in at any and every moment- one in which we give away our power to the outside world, or one in which we realize our co-creatorship with the universe. It was clear to me that, depending on my interpretation, I would attract experiences to me that would further confirm my point of view. The self-fulfilling prophetic nature of my experience could not have been more obvious.

As Viewed, So Appears is such a profound articulation of how we create our reality, that if we think As Viewed, So Appears is not true, the entire universe will shape-shift and reflect back to us that As Viewed, So Appears is not true. This apparent negation paradoxically demonstrates its validity. Which of course, is just further proof of the all-pervasiveness and profundity of As Viewed, So Appears. We are like magicians who have become enchanted by our own creation.

When we inquire into the dream-like nature of our reality, we begin to touch what I call the 'meaning of meaning.' We begin to discover that there's no intrinsic meaning embedded in our waking dream separate from our own mind's interpretation. We are meaning generators.

By connecting the dots in the inkblot, so to speak, we are superimposing, or mapping a meaning pattern (projecting, i.e.- dreaming) onto the screen of our experience, and being that the seemingly outer dreamscape is nothing other than our own projection, our own reflection, it has no choice but to spontaneously shape-shift and reflect back our interpretation. The universe reflects back to us our point of view in such a way so as to confirm our perspective in a self-validating feedback loop. The meaning appears to be inherent in the outer inkblot, whereas in reality the origin of the meaning is our own mind.

A dream is a reflection, a projection of the mind (I am not talking about the conceptual mind, but Mind with a capital 'M.' This Mind is the dreamer of the dream, what I call the 'deeper, dreaming Self'). And a projection is an inkblot reflecting back to us ourselves. As soon as we connect the dots on an inkblot, the inkblot instantaneously shape-shifts and mirrors back our projection. It is not like one moment we view the inkblot one way and two moments later it appears that way. The very moment we view the inkblot a certain way is the very same moment it appears that way. As Viewed, So Appears. The inkblot just reflects back to us our own interpretation. This process doesn't happen in time, or over time, this process happens outside of time, faster than the twinkling of an eye or the speed of light. Once we project onto the inkblot, the inkblot will provide all of the necessary justification and convincing evidence to prove the rightness of our projection in a self-confirming and never-ending feedback loop that is completely self-generated. Because this process happens in no time, we don't see it and we get fooled by the reality-creating power of our own divine imagination. It is as if we are creative geniuses who, by our power of evoking reality, have unknowingly entranced ourselves with our own God-given gift.

Once we project onto the inkblot and it reflects back to us our projection, we imagine that the form that the inkblot has taken objectively exists, as if it is separate from us. We then react to the inkblot, imagining we are reacting to the external universe, when in fact we are reacting to our own projection. We are like a kitten in front of a mirror endlessly reacting to her own reflection, imagining it is separate from herself, in a never-ending vicious cycle, as we have dreamed ourselves back into samsara or cyclic existence in this moment and in this moment and in this moment…..ceaselessly, until we recognize the nature of our situation, and snap out of our entrainment.

It is like we are looking in a mirror and deeply frowning, saying, "We're frowning because of how the outside world (our mirrored reflection) is. We're not going to stop frowning until the outside world (a reflection of our own face) stops being so negative, stops giving me reasons to frown." Not recognizing our mirrored reflection, we have all the evidence we need to justify our frowning. We imagine we're only reacting, just like any sane person would, to how things really are. And yet, our having fallen into this infinite regression is a form of madness. We've become bewitched, as if under a self-generated spell.

This activity of endlessly reacting to our own energy is a crazy-making activity, as over time this tends to generate insane behavior. Our species is in a state of mass trauma, as we are collectively acting out the 'repetition compulsion' of the traumatized soul on the world stage. In the repetition compulsion, the way we try to heal our trauma is itself the very act that re-creates the trauma we are trying to heal from. And yet, our doing this is the very medium through which we can potentially integrate and transcend the unconsciousness which is at the root of our doing this. Hidden in the problem is the key to its resolution.

Inherent in this process is that at any moment we can effortlessly step out of our dilemma, stop endlessly re-creating our trauma, and spontaneously cease frowning. For frowning is an activity that we are actively doing in each moment. The energy that was bound up in our unconscious compulsion to frown and hence re-create our trauma becomes liberated and available for creative expression (and smiling).

Frowning itself, however, is recognized to be the very medium through which we learn how not to frown. This is analogous to our species acting out our 'unconscious' destructively on the world stage being the very way we learn how not to destroy ourselves. Clearly, we have not learned any other way, or we wouldn't be destroying ourselves. The key is whether we recognize how moment by moment we are feeding into, supporting, and hence helping to create the very problem we see out there and are reacting to. This is to recognize the dream-like nature of our situation and become lucid in the dream of life.

There is a self-secret dimension in our universe through which we interface with the creation of the universe. Accessing this dimension gives us the capability to consciously effect change in the universe. I call this 'intervening in the dimension of the dreaming.' We enter this dimension when we realize how changing our perceptual focus of what is happening actually has a creative effect on how our dream-like universe manifests. This is to realize the gift of As Viewed, So Appears.

When we co-operatively intervene in the dimension of the dreaming together we can get into phase with each other as empowered co-dreamers and co-creators and collaboratively dream a more grace-filled dream into full-bodied incarnation. We can put our lucidity together and stabilize a coherent field of awakening which attracts the entire universe into itself. We step into and remember our true identities as creative, multi-dimensional, visionary artists and dreamers whose canvas is the universe itself.

When we bake bread, we only need so much yeast in the dough for the bread to leaven. The hundredth monkey's realization precipitates an expansion of consciousness in the entire species. We are all non-locally interconnected. Like the symbolic number 144,000 of the Book of Revelations, if enough of us realize the dream-like nature of reality that is being revealed, we can put our lucidity together and dream up into materialization a collective expansion of consciousness unimaginable until this moment in history. Out of the infinite field of unmanifest potential, we can create a 'global awakening'- this is truly within our God-given power in this very moment. The universe is asking the most visionary among us to be the conduit through which it consciously births itself. We are invited to participate in a radical, revolutionary, epochal and evolutionary quantum leap in human consciousness. It is simply a question of whether we recognize what is being revealed.

The inner meaning of the word apocalypse is 'something hidden being revealed.' We are the instruments through which the Goddessence is incarnating and becoming consciously aware of itself. The universe is dreaming itself awake, and it is dreaming itself awake through us. And being like a dream, if this is how we see it, then this will be exactly how this waking dream of ours will manifest….. As Viewed, So Appears.

Tags: As Viewed So Appears, Paul Levy, buddha, dream, PadmaSambhava, Tibet, Dharma, Tantric Buddha, Tantra, enlightenment, holy

The Invitation

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:05:04 GMT

in sacred space...

Cross-posted from Amazume and Michele. Thank you!

I want to know about YOU! Please share yourself...

The Invitation

(By Oriah Mountain Dreamer)

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Tags: love, light, compassion, friends, friendship, heart, desire, dream, vision, pain, wildness

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

http://skyojos.gaia.com — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:56:54 GMT

I'm re-reading this lovely book which is chock full of sweet morsels. Every paragraph I feel like sharing something, wishing you could join me for a little bedtime reading out loud. Grab yer pillows and gather round. I'll pass the book and we can share the reading. Tomorrow we can read a different one if you like. Invite us to your place.

From:
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry
How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path
by Jack Kornfield
Author of Path of the Heart

Chapter 9:
No Enlightened Retirement
...
On the night of the Buddha's enlightenment, after vowing to awaken, he was attacked by the armies of Mara, the god of illusion and evil.   Seated under the Bodhi Tree, he was able to meditate unmoved by Mara's strongest temptations of greed and pleasure. Then wtih a heart of compassion he overcame the anger and agression unleashed by Mara, and Mara left, defeated.   After this the Enlightened One rose to teach throughout India for fourty-five years.

In stories of the Buddha's later life, however, we learn that Mara's disappearance was only temporary. Many times afterward Mara returned to fight or tempt or undermine the Buddha. It is said teh Buddha recognized Mara each time he appeared and so was not caught by temptation, fear, or doubt. "Is that you again, Mara?" the Buddha would ask, and being recognized, Mara would silp away, only to try again another time.

In other texts the Buddha and Mara actually become friendly. In one version the Blessed One is seated in a cave when Mara reappears.   The disciples outside become frightened and try to get rid of Mara, calling him an enemy of their teacher. "Did the Buddha say he had enemies?" counters Mara. Seeing the untruth of their words, they reluctantly summon the Buddha who responds immediately with interest.
    "Oh, my old friend has come," says the Buddha, as he warmly greets Mara, inviting him in for tea. "How have you been?" As they sit together, Matra complains how difficult it is to be an evil one all the time. The Buddha listens to Mara's stories sympathetically and then asks, "Do you think it is easy to be a Buddha? Do you know what they do to my teachings , what they do in the name of the Buddha at some of my temples? There are difficulties being in either role, a Buddha or a Mara. No one is exempt."   In one scripture the story ends when Mara becomes awakened as a Buddha himself.

Inevitable Transitions
No matter what version is read, Mara does not go away. There is no state of enlightened retirement., no experience of awakening that places us outside the truth of change. Everything breathes and turns in its cycles. The moon, the stock market, our hearts, the wheeling galaxies all expand and contract with the rhythm of life.   All spiritual life exists in an alteration of gain and loss, pleasure and pain. For each of us, even the Buddha, it is only a letting go into this truth that we awaken to that which is timeless, the reality of freedom.

Chapter 8
Beyond Satori ... Two Visions of Awakening
Whether we hold to a perfect ideal or to freedom within our humanity, awkening is a mystery with which each tradition and student has to grapple. The resolution of this mystery will finally be answered in the heart. It is here that the opposites can be held, understood, reconciled.   Only the heart can contain both our perfection and our humanity.

Leaving maps and expectations behind, in the end we must turn our hearts in the direction of love and awareness, come what may.   In living from this awakened heart we all become bodhisattvas, all servants of the Divine. We replace any claims of levels of enlightenment with a vow to awaken each moment, together, with all beings. This is the path of patience, compassion, wisdom, and generosity, the path of our willingness to live in the reality of the present. Only here can we find freedom and rest in the timelessness of perfection.

As Suzuki Roshi put it: "Strickly speaking, there are no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity."   If there is a self who claims enlightenment, that is not it. Instead, he went on, "What we are speaking about is moment-to-moment enlightenment, one enlightenment after another."

More Poetry than Mapmaking
    The ultimate end of the koans might be seen in the following story, a bit of modern Zen humor regarding a disciple who sent his master faithful accounts of his spiritual progress. In the first month, the student wrote, "I feel an expansion of consciousness and experience oneness with the universe." The master glanced at the note and threw it away. The following month, this is what the student had to say: "I finally discovered that the Divine is present in all things."   The master seemed disappointed.
    In his third letter the disciple enthusiastically explained, "The mystery of the One and the many has been revealed to my wondering gaze." The master yawned. The next letter said, "No one is born, no one lives, no one dies, for the self is not." The master threw up his hands in despair.
    After that a month passed, then two,then five, then a whole year. The master thought it was time to remind his disciple of his duty to keep him informed of his spiritual progress. The disciple wrote back, "I am simply living my life. And for spiritual practice, who cares?" When the master read that he cried, "Thank God. He's got it at last."
    The story reflects the Zen teaching of the perfection of things as they are. The white crane in the snow is a white crane standing in the snow, the black crow at midnight is trulyl itself.

Ideals Are Not Realities
What then are we to make of maps(paths to enlightenment) that do not inlcude poetry and humor, that seem literally to prescribe a steady linear, upward ascent? The risk is that we may try to climb their stages only to become lost in a cloud of unreachable ideals.   It may be useful to examine how such a map can function in our actual life of practice, taking Tibetan Buddhism's Ten Bhumis as our example.
    Described as the ten stages of awakening the Buddha Nature, the Bhumis are called in sequence: Stage One, "Joyous"; Stage Two, "Immaculate"; Stage Three, "Luminous"; Stage Four, "Radiant"; and so forth. The "Joyous" level begins after stream entry; though lofty and pure, it does not include some ordinary human practices, such as vows of great generosity and the wish to bring awakening to all sentient beings. The pratitioner who has attained the second Bhumi, however, must be able to see clairvoyantly into the past and future, to enter a hundred forms of deep meditation, to make the body multiply and appear in many places and forms at once, to cause a hundred Buddhas and bodhisatttvas to appear around them wherever they go. And the third through tenth stages speak of powers even more miraculous and remarkable than this.
    When I asked an old lama from Tibet about whether these ten stages are in fact part of the practice, he said, "Of course tehy really exist." But when I inquired who in his tradition had attained them, he replied wistfully, "In these difficult times I can not name a single lama who has mastered even the second stage."
    Of course, there is an archetypal truth to these stages beyond what this exchange may acknowledge.   in moments of grace or illumination, we are indeed surrounded by Buddhas -- we see the Buddha Nature in every being we meet. And we make our body multifold whenever we experience how every being is interconnected with our own body, how the web of life, of rain forest, redwood, mushroom, and mitochondria is who we are. In other words, even these ostensibly literal maps may be better read as if they were a kind of poem, rich in possible meanings.

...More later...

Tags: Jack Kornfield, After the Ecstasy the Laundry, Buddhism, Buddha, bodhisattvas, grace, heart, path, wisdom, spirit, spiritual