Life On A B-I7

Do You Believe in God?

Do you believe in God? It doesn’t matter.

At times I’m not sure that I do, yet I believe that God resides in everything. It is our job to learn to recognize that reality and appreciate that truth. Appreciation is not about religion or any form of worship, it is simply about recognition and what you hold in your heart every moment. If you can appreciate God in all that you see, you will be incapable of harming your fellow man, your fellow beast, or your planet. If you can stand on this ground and look out at all that is around you and see God in it, you will see with clarity what is right and what is opposed to that which is right.

Here is a Baul song which provides a beautiful example of what it means to see God in everything. The Bauls are the roaming minstrels of India, they do not practice their belief in temples, they practice it on the street, in song.

My soul cries out,
Caught in the snare of beauty,
Of the formless one.

As I cry by myself,
Night and day,
Beauty amassed before my eyes,
Surpasses moons and suns.

If I look at the clouds in the sky,
I see his beauty afloat.
And I see him walk on the stars,
Blazing within my heart.

Conversation

“If you are in a conversation with yourself you can be in conversation with the world.” —Suleika Jaouad

Always be asking yourself questions. Always be seeking new answers from within. If you can do this honestly and with intent, you will form the capacity to listen and ask questions of those around you. You will have the ability to listen and ask questions in a way that brings you closer to others and at the same time closer to yourself.

Sharing

Be careful not to overshare. Whether it be with a partner or a friend, oversharing can hurt a relationship. Never delve in to details of a past relationship unless there is a clear path and purpose to doing so. Make sure the person you are sharing with has given you express permission to go on that journey. Oversharing makes you appear needy. No one has time for those who constantly project needy.

Possibility

Once you learn to restrain your desire, anything becomes possible.

Unrestrained desire clouds the mind and confuses reality. We are unable to look at the world around us and see possibility because we are focused inward, on ourselves alone.

Thank You

“Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us. Your warmth, kindness, and joy have made this experience so much more special. With so much gratitude to you…”

One could not ask for a higher compliment. I’m humbled. Of course, we can’t always be in a place that allows us to exhibit this kind of persona. In all honesty, it was the people around me on the journey in question that helped to bring out these traits that were so kindly attributed to me…

Shiva Mantra

Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya

One of the most popular Hindu mantras and the most important mantra in Shaivism. Namah Shivaya means “O salutations to the auspicious one!”, or “adoration to Lord Shiva”. This is a powerful mantra for healing. Shiva is my personal Hindu deity according to the Birth Chart reading.

Seven Rules of Respect for Your Body

1. Stop insulting your body out loud — it shapes how you see yourself. (It also shapes how other people see you — no one wants to listen to you when you speak that way.)
2. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored or anxious. (Stop eating before you become full. Put less on your plate then you think you can eat.)
3. Rest when you are unwell (or injured) instead of pushing yourself as if nothing were wrong. (Listen to your body and allow it to heal itself.)
4. Move your body every day, even if it’s just a short walk or a gentle stretch. (Movement is the key to good health.)
5. Wear clothes that fit your body now, not an old version of you or a future version of you. (Also look presentable. Don’t wear T-shirts that alienate other people.)
6. Check your posture a few times a day and gently adjust. (Move in a way that supports good posture whenever possible.)
7. Thank your body at the end of the for carrying you through it. (Your body is the vehicle that allows your soul the time and space it needs to grow.)

These rules of respect are given by Mahakatha. The comments in parenthesis are mine.