KALI, WEATHER VANE, AEROPLANE, TREE

Kali Durge Namo Namah!

I've said it a million times and I'll say it again:
I'm not able to sit up for more than a few minutes, so I'm forced to stare at the sky when I'm blessed with the chance to sit outside. (Look closely:  there is an airplane in the above photo!)

Find the grace amidst the hard lessons of life.
Find the jewel in the mud.

This is one of the lessons Mahavidya Kali teaches.

Life can be brutal at times, but there is ALWAYS grace. Always.

Jai Ma Kalika!



Love.

Bhakti

INSTAGRAM: @jai_bhakti
TWITTER: @BhaktiBrophy



For more info on the glorious incarnations of Shakti, including Durga and her Mahavidyas, check out my beloved friend and mentor Sally Kempton's book AWAKENING SHAKTI.

www.sallykempton.com (Cut and paste into your browser.)


©2015 D.L. Brophy

JAI BHAKTI™ BLOG Happy Ram Navami!

Dear Friends and Fellow Bhaktas--

HAPPY RAM NAVAMI!

Jaya!

I recall the first time my eyes fell upon the Hanuman murti at my Beloved's ashram. I fell to my knees at his feet and wept the most profound tears of joy.

And so began my love affair with the greatest bhakta in the pantheon of Hindu deities. He is akin to John in relation to Jesus.

To have been given the name "Bhakti" by my Guruji is an honor I don't take lightly. It's a beautiful female name, and certainly sums up my life, my heart, and my sadhana. Swamiji Durgananda (Sally Kempton) once said to me, "You ARE Bhakti!" What a boon. For others to see this--especially during my intensive three years of internal work when insecurities abound--was indeed a gift. So much Grace! As we become ripe, we experience this as a universal truth.

RAM NAVAMI is the last day of Chait Navratri--the spring festival honoring Goddess Durga, one of the ten Mahavidyas in Hindu mythology.
Ram is an avatar of Lord Vishnu--one of the last avatars of Sri Vishnu to take human form. My beloved Hanuman is the greatest devotee of Ram. And so perhaps you understand why today is such a special celebration to me. There's so much LOVE and DEVOTION!

In addition to my regular (meditation) practice, I will honor Ram Navami by reading my favorite excerpts from the RAMAYANA, the epic tale of Sita, Ram, and Hanuman (I highly recommend Michael Buck's translation); I will chant my favorite Ram and Hanuman bhajans; perhaps read my favorite lines from Sri Rudram; and I will end the day meditating on my Heart Center, where the energy of all of these glorious deities reside.

This sadhana is so rich. Imagine being stuck in a body riddled with severe pain from spinal cord diseases...and yet still being able to quiet the mind, transmute anxieties, etc., and bring yourself back to the source. This IS grace. This is the reason for these spiritual celebrations: renewal.

This is the work of the physical Guru, and the Inner Guru. And you are That!

Wishing you all a blessed evening.

As always, from my heart to yours,
Namo Namah!

Bhakti

JAI BHAKTI™ BLOG: I KNOW THAT ALREADY!

As mentioned before, I'm taking this wonderful class with my beloved friend Sally Kempton and we're studying texts and concepts I've been working with for well over a decade-- VASHISTA'S YOGA, meditation on Pure Consciousness Awareness, non duality vs duality (I've reached a point where I see absolutely no difference between non duality and duality. At some point we all do, but that's for another time). Two of the passages we are to contemplate are actually the two major concepts at the core of my practice. So, when I sat (reclined) to work with them, my mind kept saying, "I know that already."

When we first met, Sally (going by the monastic name Swami Durgananda at the time) shared a wonderful story with me: her Guru told her to read a particular book and, upon handing her the book, her Guru said, "And don't tell me you know this already." Sally took the book and said, "But I do know this already!" One of my favorite stories! The Guru put Sally's ego in check, as any true Guru does with love for the devotee in his or her Heart. Sally reported that indeed she did have many wonderful new insights upon rereading the book.

I can't recall a time my mind has ever said "I know that already", with regard to spiritual practices. I know there are hundreds of layers to every teaching and I'm always enthusiastic about peeling away these layers and discovering new, deeper truths and meanings. However, this time, whenever I made the intention to work with the assigned passages, my mind kept shutting me down, "I know that already." So I countered my own thought with, "Bullshit. There are so many layers. Look at it from a new perspective."

Same response: "I know this already. These have been my core practices for over 12 years."

Even just reading the passages put me into the most serene meditation on pure awareness. Isn't that the purpose of a dharana technique after all? There arose another conflict: Work with the thought "I know that already" or simply bask in the sweet expansiveness of pure awareness?

I could have continued to sit with the blissful experience of satchittananda, but it wasn't sitting well with me that my mind was convinced "I know this already".  I turned that thought in on itself and contemplated what it means to believe "I know that already" with regard to these teachings.

(Note: If you've been following me on Twitter this month, you'll find several of the teachings on my feed: VASHISTA'S YOGA, On Creation. I didn't know Sally was going to teach these passages in her workshop, but upon reflection, it makes perfect sense, as they are the ones that always resonated most in the beginning of the book, and they are the core teachings of every spiritual teacher/saint/sage I have been studying for the past 26 years.)

I thought of Adi Shankara's beautiful commentary that gold jewelry was at first pure gold, is still pure gold even as a piece of jewelry, and will continue to be pure gold after it is melted down. I then reread the passage by Vashista stating the same metaphor for all that exists. I then said to myself, "I know this already", dropped the question What does it mean to know this already? into my consciousness, and sat in contemplation.

Sometimes when practicing contemplation it can take anywhere from a few seconds to several months for the answers to arise from within. The key is to not force anything, but to sit for awhile, and then get up and go about your life, trusting your intuition to reveal the answer at the appropriate time. (One or two contemplation sessions is enough for the answer to arise; be patient and "don't push the river!")

In today's contemplation, the answer was spontaneous. Here's what bubbled up to the surface from within: 

"If you knew this already you wouldn't still be bound (by thoughts), jackass."


Hahaha! I will admit, this is the first time I've ever received an intuitive response where I've been called a jackass, but truly, jackass is the perfect word to describe a mind that insists, "I know that already." My Inner Guru put my ego in check! Reminds me of Baba Muktananda's famous quote regarding ashram etiquette:  Leave your ego at the door.

Contemplation is brilliant because you get to the Truth and, like today, you kick your own mind's ass. (It is important as a sadhaka to be friends with your mind and remember that the mind is not the enemy. However, it's also important to put it in its place when necessary!)

In this post I hope to illustrate the importance of questioning your thoughts. Questioning your mind. Yes, I am familiar with the passages we are studying, I have worked with them extensively for over 12 years, discovering them in various forms from a multitude of teachers from many different paths. I also instinctively knew that there were more layers and a fresh perspective that could be found if I dug deep enough (the new perspective is fascinating--I will write about that in a future post). I wouldn't have found that perspective if I hadn't done contemplation.

Sally herself told me that having the thought "I know that already" is one of the greatest hindrances to growth. Indeed!

Not only has today's contemplation opened my eyes to many new ways of working with the spiritual Truths we are working with in Sally's class, but in the end I discovered--

There is a difference between knowing and realizing. Even in the context of experiential knowing.


Jai Bhakti!
Much Love to You All.


TWITTER:
@BhaktiBrophy
@jaibhakti



©2014 DL Bhakti Brophy
All Rights Reserved

VASHISTA'S YOGA: Understanding the Mind

In preparation for a teleseminar I'm taking this evening*, I've spent the month of February studying one of my favorite yogic texts-- VASHISTA'S YOGA (aka YOGA VASHISTA).

I'm one of those bookworms who takes notes in the margins, underlines passages that speak to me, writes my favorite quotes, and their respective page numbers, on the inside cover of the book, the title page, and anywhere else there is free space. My favorite books have dog eared pages and Post-It Notes and bookmarks in enough places to render them useless.

Here's a gem of wisdom I underlined in VASHISTA'S YOGA last year:

Thought is the mind: there is no distinction between the two.

I love this quote. It's so succinct and eloquent in its Truth. It's one of those truths that is so easy to forget. I'm thinking I'd like to have it tattooed on my inner eyelids so I will see it every time I close my eyes.

Or I could just write it on a Post-It Note and stick it on the wall next to my bed. And stick one on my mirror. One on my door. One on my TV. One on my cat...

This quote is one that will certainly free you if you contemplate it daily. VASHISTA'S YOGA is filled with gems like this. 

Here's looking forward to a wonderful three week immersion into VASHISTA'S YOGA, and inquiry into the mind!

Blessings,
Bhakti



*The teleseminar is being taught by my dear friend Sally Kempton. Please visit www.SallyKempton.com for more information.

BHAKTI'S TONGLEN PRACTICE: How to Deal With the Suffering and Injustices of the World (JAI BHAKTI™ BLOG)

BECOMING DEPRESSED OVER THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS HELPS NO ONE.
YOU CAN AFFECT A POSITIVE CHANGE!

Two weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit, I had emergency surgery to reconstruct my cervical spine. This meant that I was unable to volunteer, which I would have done had I not been laid up. Watching so many people suffer--and incensed as the US Government sat idly by with its bureaucratic thumbs up its bureaucratic arse-- left me in a state of despair. I spent my entire life helping others, and now I was stuck immobile on my parents' couch, watching the horror unfold on TV, unable to lift a finger to help. The physical pain I was experiencing, and the toll the nerve damage was taking on my physical body, meant nothing to me: My heart was breaking.


I expressed my dilemma with my dear friend, Meditation Master Sally Kempton:

"I feel useless, Sallyji! Why would I be rendered unable to help when so many people are suffering? I want so much to go down south to help. These people are suffering and I can't do a thing to help them."



I already knew that my meditation practice--everyone's meditation practice--effects a positive change in the world, but I could not reconcile why I would be given the capacity to give so much, and then not be able to help when so many thousands of people were in dire need of assistance.



Sally taught me the Buddhist practice called Tonglen, as taught to her by Pema Chödron. You can find Pema's Tonglen instructions in many of her fabulous books.



I tweaked the practice to better suit my situation. What remains hardly resembles Tonglen as it was taught to me, but the intention is the same, therefore I continue to call this practice Tonglen. Being virtually bedridden for the past nine years, I use this practice when I begin to feel discouraged that I am not able to be out in the world teaching, doing charity work, sharing my love of life with others, etc. When I feel my own suffering is in vain, I offer this practice to the world:



"May my suffering be enough for this world

so that no one else may have to suffer.

May my pain be enough for the world

So no one else may have to experience pain

May my level of physical discomfort be enough for this world

So that no one else may have to suffer this level of physical discomfort.

May my offering be enough

So that others may live in peace and good health.

Let my suffering be enough for this world.



May every being know

that he or she is being upheld by Grace.

Thank you for blessing me with this Life,

With this Grace,

With this Love.

I offer my life to Your service,

To the service of All.

May it be so.

And so it is."*



If you are feeling overwhelmed by the injustice and suffering in the world, I ask that you look deeply into these feelings. Label them ("I feel sad." "I feel helpless." "I feel scared." etc.), contemplate the feelings, and then create your own Tonglen based practice.



You will learn that, through your meditation and spiritual practices, you are effecting a positive change in this world. Moreover, through going deep in meditation (Raja Yoga), and by studying the Vedas (Jnana Yoga), the reality of existence reveals itself to you. You realize we are all exactly where we are meant to be at any given time. We are all playing roles: we have played them all before, and will continue to do so until Self Realization, and the cessation of the cycle of birth and death.



Tonglen is all about Love and Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) to the One who has become the many.



Love and All Great Blessings to You All


As my very own Self,

Bhakti






*©2005 DL Bhakti Brophy
 ©2014 DL Bhakti Brophy
 All Rights Reserved

SADHANA BOOKLIST SHARING PART 1 (2013)

Friends,

Below, I am sharing book titles that certainly helped me on my spiritual journey over the years. The list is not at all complete; there are some books that are too personal to my practice or at least must be studied in conjunction with a spiritual guide/teacher, and have, therefore, been omitted. At best, this is an introduction.

Please feel free to leave a comment by clicking on the "Happy Thoughts" link at the end of the post.

HINDUISM , VEDANTA, KASHMIR SHAIVISM,  TANTRA

• The Play of Consciousness  by Swami Muktananda

• From the Finite to the Infinite  by Swami Muktananda

•  The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali

• The Bhagavad Gita  Translated by Eknath Easwaran

• Jnaneshwar's Gita (Jnaneshwar Maharaj's Rendering of the Bhagavad Gita)  by Swami Kripananda

• The Crest Jewel of Discrimination (Viveka Chudamini)  Shankaracharya  Translated by Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda

• The Upanishads   Translated by Eknath Easwaran

•  Talks With Ramana Maharshi

• The Heart of Meditation  by Swami Durgananda (Sallly Kempton)

•  Awakening Shakti  by Sally Kempton

• Vasishta's Yoga   Translated by Venkatesananda

• Courage and Contentment  by  Swami Chidvilasananda

• The Yoga of Discipline  by Swami Chidvilasananda

• Kundalini: The Arousal of the Inner Energy  by Ajit Mookerjee

• The Sacred Power  by Swami Kripananda

• In Woods of God Realization Volumes 1--   by Swami Rama Tirtha Pratishthan

• The Book of Secrets  by Osho (formerly Bhagavan Shree Rajneesh)  * some of the practices in this book should only be done with a spiritual guide available to answer questions that may arise. This book is on the list because of its Tantric value, and because the stories of Nasrudin are classic!

• The Aphorisms of Shiva: The Shiva Sutra with Bhaskara's Commentary, the Vartika    Translated by Mark S.G. Dyczkowski

• Nothing Exists That is Not Shiva   by Swami Muktananda

• I Am That: (The Science of Hamsa from Vijnana Bhairava no. 24)  by Swami Muktananda  (Note: I HIGHLY recommend every book written by Swami Muktananda. There are a slue of books published in the early 1970's that only exist as first editions. I implore you to search for these books online!)

My next post will include books on Bhakti Yoga, Ecstatic Poetry, intro to Buddhism, and Mystical Christianity.

It's great to be back in the blogoshpere!

Enjoy.

Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jay!

Bhakti 


  * Disclaimer: Meditation, tantra, pranayama, etc., should not be undertook without first gaining consent from a medical doctor. This suggested reading is list based on my 25 years of sadhana under the guide of master teachers.

There is a Light...

Your Light is always on.
Fear is real.
Fear is not real.
Anger is real.
Anger is not real.
Love is real.
Love is...
Love is.
Your Light is always on.
Leave your ego beside the threshold
of the door...
And Shine!
I beg you...
Bow down.
Put your Heart above your mind--
Experience THAT!
That which sustains you;
nourishes you;
breathes you;
and Loves you!
It is all I ask of you.
Find your Self
and your work here is done.

--Bhakti Brophy 10/21/10

Hello friends!
It has been a long time since my last post: I have missed the Blogosphere, to be sure. Unfortunately, the past two years have been rather hell-ish. I do loathe using the word "hell"; here I am using it to mean I was going through the most trying of trials--physical pain beyond belief, and I also was bedridden about 85-95% of the time. This messed with my body in a way that it never had before: being unable to walk around--well, you know the phrase, use it or lose it.

This past July 4th weekend I had experienced the worst physical pain in my entire life (and you all know how much I have endured already). I had a migraine headache that lasted about 4 days. I had my head covered to block any light from my eyes, and I spent the days using earplugs to drown out any noises. I had had enough. At first I wasn't depressed because I knew that I would make it through, once the migraine passed. But the migraine didn't pass the way it used to. It parked itself right in my left eye socket. At one point I picked up my cell phone and emailed everyone who was able to help me in the past, either by sending me strong energy (Dr. Kam Yuen); doing Reiki on me and sending me strong healing energy (my friend Bobby); or by sending me tsunami strength prayers (my dear friend Sally Kempton).

Bobby got in touch with me and was able to alleviate the migraine. I spent the next two weeks reading Dr. Yuen's books regarding working with and deleting pain from your body and mind. What a lesson! I started talking to Dr. Yuen on the phone. I learned his "method" by taking teleseminars and by talking to him on the phone and by reading his books over and over. My friend Bobby kept in touch and kept my level of energy up.

By the end of July I was walking around WITHOUT MY NECK BRACE ON for the first time in...almost a year. I started making myself walk to the end of the driveway and back (about two car lengths). Finally, I made myself walk around the block (about 1/5 mile). Of course, being me, I did too much too fast and ended back in bed with the pain on the rise.

People often make comments such as, "Why do you do that to yourself? You start feeling a little bit better and then you make yourself worse by doing things."

Personally, I have never understood how anyone could ask that question . I don't think anyone could truly understand WHY I do what I do unless they were in my position. If you live with severe chronic pain--you know what I'm talking about. (Let me give you a gauge on what I mean by "severe" chronic pain. After being hit by a car in 1997, I flew straight up in the air, flipped over in a fetal position, and landed on the lower left side of my lumbar spine. The sciatica I had from that accident was the worst pain I had ever felt, and I thought it was probably "severe" chronic pain. But compared to the pain I live with now, from the crushed nerve roots in my spine, the sciatica is about a 3 on my pain scale, and my pain is relatively an 8-9.)

So, why do I do things when I start to feel a little better?
A) Because I don't want to lose the use of my legs and body.
B) Although I try to make the best of it, by reading and learning and keeping my mind sharp, I cannot stand being in bed anymore.
C) I am an extremely creative person. I wish to be able to go outside and see nature. I love to look at the sky. I find much strength and rejuvenation by going outside and staring at the moon--oh, and it's especially cool when the moon is out during the day!
D) What is the point of having good days if I don't embrace them and make the most out of them?
E) The truth is, from a psychological point of view, when you live with a chronic condition and you are bedridden most of the time, getting a "good" day is such a gift--there is the feeling that one must not squander it; but there is also the fear that "this may be the last 'good' day I am blessed with, so I am going to do everything I can with the time I have!" This is the main reason why so many people who live in severe chronic pain, or any other chronic condition, tend to push themselves too far when we have good days. We're not masochistic...and we're not doing anything wrong by taking advantage of the blessing a good day brings.

I think people who are able to get up everyday and do the things they love (or do things they don't love, but have the ability to get up in the morning) forget what a gift it is. I don't mean this as a judgment. I mean it sincerely. If you spent two years unable to do the things you truly loved, wouldn't you spend every last ounce of energy you had doing something if your body actually decided to function the way it is meant to?

It takes strength to endure. It surely does. And people have called me courageous and inspirational, but the truth is...the Truth is what sustains me. Knowledge of my inner Self. Of course, my Mother and Father--wow, was I blessed with great parents! It is true that my Father had an extremely difficult time dealing with my disability the first two years I was 100% disabled--most likely due to the fact that he watched me build up a photography business and career in NYC and then watched as I lost it after my accident. Then I got back on the horse and got a teaching job four years later, and I lost that due to the Sept. 11th attacks...I think my father was taking his anger out on me. His anger over all of my losses and trials. But I must tell you--I feel it is my duty to tell you--WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE STRENGTH AND COURAGE AND POWER WITHIN OURSELVES THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE! I know this from experience.

I was fortunate enough to have been born innately "spiritual"; by this I mean I have always--since the age of three--been asking questions like, "Who is God?", "Why are we here?", "Who made us?" These questions used to freak my Mom out when I was a youngster!

The Truth is...there IS an answer. And you must find it yourself. No one can give it to you. No one can take it away. It is always present.

As I was stating above, I was fortunate enough to experience this before becoming totally disabled, and this knowledge has served me well. I can go through a day of hell-ish pain and then start reading The Upanishads, or Jesus's words, or I can start to simply focus my attention on my Heart Center. The joy is always there...ALWAYS present underneath the fear, anger, guilt, sadness, happiness, etc.. The joy is ever present--just like the sun.

It always struck me as funny that we say, "The sun is rising," and "The sun is going down." No it's not. We are spinning, not the sun. The sun is ever-present, as seen by it's reflection on the moon.

Your Light is ever-present, too. You have to find it. lt is always on--for as long as you are alive, your Light is shining...and when you die, it will merge with the Greatest Light Of All, like a river merges with the ocean...and you will shine on in Eternity.

You are That.

Much love
and Warm Regards,
Bhakti

Hi There...

Hey kids, just a heads up to let you know that I am in the middle of writing an essay on our country's current dictators administration. In the mean time, why not Google the name Tom Scully (click on his name to read about what a wonderful man and rolemodel he is for the citizens of America) and read all about how he manipulated Congress into passing the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan--and then left Congress to become a lobbyist for some of the biggest drug companies. (We, the American people, MUST honor the men and women in uniform and make sure that they are risking their lives for the sake of the safety and preservation of our country. More on that subject later.)

After reading about that arm twisting fiasco--take a deep breath and read my latest poem on Bhakti Love Poems (Yes, thank God there are some of us out here who do believe in the innate goodness of the human heart; and we're bold enough to share our love with others.)

Speaking of other people who choose to live enlightening, rather than cheating and lying lives, click on the links below and acquint yourself with some of my favorite teachers, friends, and other spiritual warriors.

Have fun--and, as always, take a deep breath and know that goodness will win in the end. Lightness always dispels the darkness. Always. It can be no other way.

Sally Kempton (my great friend on this spiritual journey called life)

Ken Yuen (I will be using Master Yuen as a spiritual healer in the next few months; I have heard great things about him. I know, working together, we will heal my spine and rid me of the karmic risidual pain forever. Amen.)

Harold Lloyd (One of my favorite film makers of all time. The greatest comic actor that ever lived. His movies are available on Netflix.com. Check out "Safety Last". A classic.)

Joseph Campbell (Mr. Campbell is brilliant. Watch his 'Power of Myth' interviews with Bill Moyers; he outlines the mythical pattern within all cultures and organized religions, thus proving that all paths do lead to the same doorl= your own heart!)

Gyrobocop (This robot always brings a smile to my face! A great blog, to boot!)

Pema Chodron (This monk's generosity is boundless; her heart is wide open, ready to show you how to find the strength within through simple breathing and awareness techniques.)

Byron Katie (Byron Katie's 'Work' is phenomenal. Is the story going through your head right now--the thoughts that are playing over and over like a cassette tape that's been looped to repeat the same words over and over--really true? All good energy. I love "The Work".)

tags:Jaibhakti, Bhakti Brophy,
Tom Scully, Joseph Campbell, Sally Kempton, Gyrobo, Ken Yuen, Bhakti Love Poems, Harold Lloyd, good kind people,

All Great Blessings to you all.

Love,

Bhakti

Introduction to THE EGO...

Hello. It's been a long time since I've posted, but I knew in my heart that I needed to take some time away from the ritual that had become my life in order to do some major soul searching. I think it's good to 'drop out' for awhile. For me, it helps gain perspective. Of course, there are many ups and down when one takes on this endeavor: the ego doesn't like to be toyed with or challenged. The ego doesn't like when we try to get rid of everything in our minds that keeps us down and keeps us small. I spent a lot of time (and continue to spend time) pulling out the weeds of repressed emotions and old thought patterns that needed to be purged like last year's news. Wow, I didn't expect the ego to put up such an intense fight. (By 'ego' I mean the limited mind; that which is NOT our intuitive mind. The 'ego' is the part of the mind that thinks it knows what's best for us, when, actually, the ego is only interested in keeping itself afloat.)

Does this make the mind sound a bit disjointed?

Well, dualistic maybe, but not disjointed. All humans have an ego-mind and an intuitive sense. There's the duality. There's God, and then there is the limited self. The intuitive mind is innate, although it is sometimes buried way beneath the ego mind. I'll write more on this topic later. For now, I will just say that this past year has forced me to look at the things in my thought beliefs and life patterns that keep me bound, and I have to tell you--it's all the doing of the ego. The ego wants to keep us small. It's not so difficult to understand this Truth once the ego is understood. Basically, the ego is that which tells us that we must be careful, fearful, full of guilt, and needy of punishment. In other words, it's the ego that keeps us from knowing the innate Truth within.

We are greater than we could ever imagine! All of us. Just by taking birth we are great--a manifestation of God. Yet the ego keeps us bound.

Why?

Because if we aren't bound, then we are free. No more need for the ego. Our self that was once tethered by the ego becomes a Self swimming in the knowledge of undying existence, love, and bliss absolute (to borrow from ancient Hindu philosophical speak) which can never die.

Think about it: our bodies die, our personalities dissolve. What is left? The spirit. The Self. I have found that knowing the Self within and experiencing the Self is not enough. By the Grace, love, and knowledge of my spiritual teachers it was brought to light that, indeed, knowing the Self is not enough. We must sustain the experience of the Self within.

But how???

Get rid of the ego. Dissolve the ego. I needed to (and continue to) forgive myself for all of the guilt that has been locked away in my subconscious for so long. With guilt comes fear; fear of punishment. Where does this guilt come from? Look inside. Meditate. As the emotions come up, experience them and let them go. Dissolve the emotions, fear, and anger that keep you bound. I had found that many of my not so memorable childhood experiences were still informing my decisions in my adult life. It was time to take out the garbage, for sure.

This is a very lofty, time consuming, emotional rollercoaster of an endeavor, to be sure; however, it is my wish that everyone gets to this point in their lives. The point where they KNOW that their True Reality, the reality of their existence, is LOVE. We are all nothing but love. We are all love. We come from Love; we exist by the Grace of this Love; we find this Love by our longing for something real, something constant, not transient; and we dissolve back into this Love when our bodies/minds die.

May the light within shine so brightly that you long to know this Truth within. And if you know this Truth, share it with others. One by one, we will enlighten this world. One person at a time, until everyone learns the value of their lives. When we know the value of our own lives and truly honor the Self within, we have no choice but to love our fellow man. We must honor all of God's creation--from the largest boulder to the tiniest blade of grass.

Please look upon your fellow man with love. We are all connected. If a fellow man transgresses, know that they are doing their best, even if their best falls incredibly short of the mark of goodness and right action. Some people cannot see the light within; they have no knowledge of the incredible source of love and joy that is within their own hearts. They are blind. Yes, blind. They do not have knowledge of the Truth, therefore, they believe their physical existence is the only reality. That is why they start wars, commit genocide, rob, steal, and punish others. They are truly punishing themselves. They only have personal desire and greed. Blind. Therefore, forgive. And pray that everyone everywhere may know the Light of God, the Love of God, and the immense Grace of God that is right within!

Find the jewel within. All of your Earthly desires will fall away. What is there left to desire when you have knowledge that everything is transient except for this Truth? This doesn't mean you have to give away all material things. It is truly the cessation of longing for things in the outer world simply because you have found That which you are looking for.

Won't you join me in this search? No dogma. Only love. Share it with yourself and your fellow man.

Om Namah Shivaya,
Love,
Bhakti

tags: Jaibhakti,
Bhakti Brophy,
ego, spirituality, Om Namah Shivaya,
Divine Love, Divine Truth, Bhakti