An innate knowing

Your hearts embrace from each religion - removes the religion and births a spiritual recognition.

Om Symbol and Consciousness States

The following was obtained from Flickr member Guided Awakening (linked)

Om or AUM-The Symbol of the Absolute

"The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence … is Om. This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma."~ Katha Upanishad I

Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava(primordial sound), to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.

The Om (or Aum) sign is the main symbol of Hinduism.

Most religions indicate that creation began with sound-- In the beginning was the word...For the Hindus & Buddhists, Om is the primordial sound, the first breath of creation, the vibration that ensures existence. Om sign signifies God, Creation, & the One-ness of all creation.

The Om symbol is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute - omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called Pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.

Aum is said to be the essence of all mantras, the highest of all matras or divine word (shabda), brahman (ultimate reality) itself. Aum is said to be the essence of the Vedas.

By sound and form, AUM symbolizes the infinite Brahman (ultimate reality) and the entire universe.

A stands for Creation

U stands for Preservation

M stands for Destruction or dissolution

This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva)

The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas)

The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga), earth (martya) and netherworld (patala)

All the words produced by the human vocal organ can be represented by AUM. A is produced by the throat, U & M by the lips

In the Vedas, AUM is the sound of the Sun, the sound of Light. It is the sound of assent (affirmation) and ascent (it has an upwards movement and uplifts the soul, as the sound of the divine eagle or falcon.

Om in Daily LifeAlthough Om symbolizes the most profound concepts of Hindu belief, it is in use daily. The Hindus begin their day or any work or a journey by uttering Om. The sacred symbol is often found at the head of letters, at the beginning of examination papers and so on. Many Hindus, as an expression of spiritual perfection, wear the sign of Om as a pendant. This symbol is enshrined in every Hindu temple premise or in some form or another on family shrines.

It is interesting to note that a newly born child is ushered into the world with this holy sign. After birth, the child is ritually cleansed and the sacred syllable Om is written on its tongue with honey. Thus right at the time of birth the syllable Om is initiated into the life of a Hindu and ever remains with him as the symbol of piety

The Eternal SyllableAccording to the Mandukya Upanishad, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it".

The Music of OmOm is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.

There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.

The Vision of OmOm provides a dualistic viewpoint. On one hand, it projects the mind beyond the immediate to what is abstract and inexpressible. On the other hand, it makes the absolute more tangible and comprehensive. It encompasses all potentialities and possibilities; it is everything that was, is, or can yet be. It is omnipotent and likewise remains undefined.

The Power of OmDuring meditation, when we chant Om, we create within ourselves a vibration that attunes sympathy with the cosmic vibration and we start thinking universally. The momentary silence between each chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases the sound. In the silence, the single thought—Om—is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the universal. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.

There are various explanations of the meaning of Om or Aum. "Om" is the sound of God or the Universe."Om" is the sound of a thoughtless state of mind - a present that is free from all tensions of life - the way to touch the depths of our real selves in its purest form.

The State of Om The Sanskrit word "Aham", which means "I am", is a reminder of my existence in life. A normal human being leads a life full of thoughts, never getting to know his real self. "Om" is a derivative of "Aham" that rhymes easily in a person's conscious being. When a person chants "Om" she exists in her purest form without the thoughts disturbing her during the sacred moments of spiritual existence.

namaste'

"The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.

Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom." Aadil Palkhivala (yogajournal.com)

daily hmmmm

It's not until I have come to that point where I have learned from the past, grown from the past, and stopped repeating the negative actions, that I can actually embrace the negativity in the past (that's been haunting and upsetting me) and say with complete honesty, "I am, now, thankful for all the negative and difficult times because it has led me here into this much better place in my life."

So, I'll keep in mind, while I'm going through future "rocky roads", that all things, eventually, come to pass and one day, I will be thankful for this very rocky road, even with all of its negativity. 

Food for thought - if you are not learning, growing, and becoming better and, consequently, thankful (embracing) for your negative situations - then you are in the alternative, quite possibly, allowing yourself to become more and more bitter in spirit.

Focus on love and light.... not hate and "haters".

It's what your focus is in that you become....

it's so sad

when someone is so desperate for love, that they "go for" whomever goes for them first.

Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami

"Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions.
You change direction but the sandstorm chases you.
You turn again, but the storm adjusts.
Over and over you play this out,
like some ominous dance with death just before dawn.
Why?
Because this storm isn't something that blew in from far away,
something that has nothing to do with you.
This storm is you.
Something inside of you.
So all you can do is give in to it,
step right inside the storm,
closing your eyes and plugging up your ears
so the sand doesn't get in,
and walk through it,
step by step.
There's no sun there,
no moon,
no direction,
no sense of time.
Just fine white sand
swirling up into the sky like pulverized bones.
That's the kind of sandstorm you need to imagine......
And once the storm is over
you won't remember how you made it through,
how you managed to survive.
You won't even be sure, in fact,
whether the storm is really over.
But one thing is certain.
When you come out of the storm
you won't be the same person who walked in.
That's what this storm's all about."

Missing the mark

Am I missing my mark or are you missing the point?

"Missing the point" so often seems like a lame strategy used be someone who doesn't want to face the facts.

Can't really blame them though - the point often hurts.

How to fight less

If we could only remove
expectations and emotions
from the equation,
we would fight less.

Man-UP

You were wrong then, and you're wrong now.
The good news: its just your immaturity, you'll grow out of it.
The bad news: boys mature slowly....

The victim is nothing without his sympathizers.

It's hard for me to sympathize for someone who begs for sympathy (especially a child I wanted to raise to be stronger).

...but then, he cried - all of the time it seemed, and usually without much reason - and so maybe this was destined?

When you are the one treating others with disrespect,
accusing others of being "haters",
telling lies about them, and causing others to cry - then,
it is not really you that is being victimized, rather
it is you that is victimizing...

Exhibit "A": Facebook posts that all scream "poor me"

I think
that there are people who,
in actuality,
wish they were mistreated or abused
just so they can have a valid victim card to play...
But then,
those people are pretty good at making up sad stories anyhow.

Were these crying tantrums manifested from the favoritism displayed for him by so many? Thereby training him to desire and expect this treatment forever?
Maybe..... 
I think so anyhow.
They lasted even through middle school.

Apparently, I can't expect a level of maturity more than your age... I must keep reminding myself of this.

leaf

Many studies have proven that liquid cannabis is an effective treatment for cancer - and if it were me or my child, I would appreciate this being a legal and available treatment option for us.  Liquid cannabis is safer than many over-the-counter medications and certainly safer than prescription medications, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments.  Marihuana is non-addictive and you don't get a "high" off of liquid cannabis.

Read this story about Cash Hyde, a 3 year old, diagnosed with recurring brain tumors.  His parents, after hearing about liquid cannabis, resorted to (illegally) treating their son with it.  The results were just as the many other studies have proven. To read more, click here → Link

lazy = loser

At this point, you gotta put enough thought into your argument to know how to win it - because, if you're not, at this point, I sure as hell am not going to let you know you are right (when you are), and I'm not going to tell you what you could say to win it.

You just gotta get your shit together.

two wrongs don't make a what?

I could say a lot of things. Things that would appear hateful - in actuality they come from that place of my own pains - retaliating the pain. (Don't let anyone see you're pain as they may misinterpret it for weakness, right?)

And then what?

I know that still, I will not receive the response I desire or need to heal my pain. But I also know that, without the retaliation, I will not receive the response I desire and you will walk away without any true knowing of the pain you have caused me.

So, you see a bitch.

writing helps

sort things out

see things as they are

see me as I am and

see you as you are

but now what?

I don't want to be forgiving anymore...

it makes me feel gullible and foolish.

fuck it.

fuck you.

homeschooling Wolfie

Today, as I homeschooled, Wolf and I were discussing his studies and he told me of a tweak in his assignment he felt that he would benefit from...

As I listened to him, my thoughts went a bit to the wayside,
"he's getting so big,
growing up so fast...
will he go through a rebellious stage?
Will he become too difficult to homeschool one day?
He's so respectful and obedient
and tenderhearted...
I can't imagine losing what we have now.
His voice is so deep..."

I appreciated and respected his input, and told him so. I valued that he had put thought into how he could get more from his studies. 

After discussing it, we agreed to the adjustment and I let him know that eventually he would have more and more of the responsibility for his studies. He let me know he wasn't ready for that just yet. 

I'm so proud of him.

a lie by any other name...

I've got a new friend and it's become very apparent that she is a bit "all over the place".  On more than one occasion she has said one thing only to end up doing something completely different.  And I've had others in my life do the same thing.  The frustration I feel over it has instilled in me a growing importance of my words.  If a person can not trust an agreement that was made, no matter how big or small that agreement is, life can easily get chaotic.

dictum meum pactum - it means "the words that I utter are my bond”.

.....utter with honesty.

Your "word" is a bond created sometimes all to easily

but others should be content to depend on them.

If you say you're going to be there - then be there.

If you don't know - then simply reveal your ignorance honestly.

With your words, you train others to either trust you, or distrust you.

A great relationship is based on two things: first, find out the similarities; second, respect the differences.

*

"Remember, the best relationships are the ones on which your love for each other exceeds your needs for each other." (The Dalai Lama)

Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. (Salvador Dali)

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.

Video: Why I hate religion, but love Jesus