Written by Philip Walter on Feb 24 at 12:34 am.
This is the last of a 5-part series of articles called The Search. Start from the beginning here.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Clifton.
Alright, now I am going to ask you to do something for me. I want you to try to do something spontaneous. Go ahead. Try it.
The truth is, it can’t be done. Spontaneity has nothing to do with trying. Spontaneity is only about doing. One of the definitions of spontaneous is to be “said or done without having been planned or written in advance.” To be spontaneous is to be without forethought, and trying implies forethought. You can do something spontaneous, you can even spontaneously try to do something spontaneous, but you cannot simply and intentionally try to do something spontaneous.
Now you’re probably thinking I make no sense. You might be saying, since the spontaneous, moment by moment expression of God through one’s life is what we’re talking about here, it seems like nothing I’ve said so far makes any difference. All I’m doing here is teaching you how to try to do something spontaneous, and we just established that was impossible. And you’d be absolutely right.
But that’s only half the story. This is the paradox of awareness. See, each and every moment you are aware of consists of two elements: consciousness and light. Consciousness being this vast empty canvas, and light being infinite textures and colors of paint soaking in, and together they make up the piece of art we call existence. Without one or the other, this thing that we are aware of, every thing we are aware of, ceases to be. This is the same old dichotomy between agency and communion, male and female, depth and resonance.
And I will now introduce this as the ultimate and most fundamental paradox of existence: one cannot wholly sit back, observing existence as pure consciousness, as transparent witness and expect to get anywhere, and at the same time, one cannot grow through complete participation, existing as pure light. These are ideals, concepts set at extreme poles where nothing can exist.
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Written by Philip Walter on Feb 23 at 1:55 am.
This is Part 4 of a 5-part series of articles called The Search. Start from the beginning here.
Photo courtesy of the Arkansas House of Prayer.
Okay, so what the heck have I been talking about so far, anyway? About depth and resonance, and about how they work together to create a certain generous understanding, which can open your eyes to the kingdom of heaven, right? And the kingdom of heaven manifests itself in joy, faith, and hope, which together can lead to a peaceful ease that reflects the holiness of each and every moment.
Sounds kind of far out, huh? Like pie in the sky sort of talk, yes? Well, generous understanding opens one up to a renewed spirit, constantly unfolding, vibrant, passionate, and energetic. This fills you with joy, it gives you hope, and faith comes closely behind the deep intimacy involved with living in the light of this generous understanding.
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Written by Philip Walter on Feb 5 at 1:11 am.
This is Part 2 of a 5-part series of articles called The Search. Start from the beginning here.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Clifton.
William James was very pragmatic in his philosophy. He understood all too well that in the spiritual realm, individual experience holds the key to profundity. No amount of Sunday School lessons, inspired sermons, enlightenment weekends, or yoga retreats can turn you on like the graceful kick in the ass of life experience. However painful and difficult to deal with, one’s own personal experience can set him free.
The first line of Patanjali’s Yogasutras states, “Thus proceeds Yoga as I have observed it in the natural world.” And Socrates admitted centuries earlier, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Both these guys are saying just what the Bible says. As noted earlier, from Deuteronomy “…the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart…” and even more powerfully, from Jeremiah 31: 33-34,
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. All of them, high and low alike, will know me.”
And even more directly, from the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna,
“Give me back the fruits of my actions, you bastard! They are mine. Who said you could claim them for yourself? The fruits and the actions are mine. You are merely my instrument. Go forth and enjoy the delight of pulling the bowstring. Enjoy the satisfaction of hitting the mark, knowing that no one has ever been born, and no one ever dies, for there is but one, and that one is me. And I am Krishna and you are Krishna – that One is what we are.”
All these thoughts point to the same truth: that the higher power, that governing force, which makes all existence possible, indeed God, is in all of us. It is amazing how the truth resonates everywhere.
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Written by Philip Walter on Dec 8 at 9:09 pm.
The majority of people I know have a skewed concept of what the chakras are. To speak in most public circles about chakras is like going to the deer woods with a presentation on veganism. It’s like this - people in most public circles have heard of chakras, and they think they know enough about them to consider you at least a hair crazy for even mentioning them. Of course, unlike the poor vegan in the deer woods, you’re not likely to be shot, skinned, and skewered for it.
The point is, chakras and the ancient energy system in which they are the mainstay, are widely misunderstood in the West, and I’d like to do my part to set the record straight.
The great sages of ancient India posited that there are three primary sheaths (also called koshas; there are five total, counting the physical, the three subtle, and the bliss) covering the soul:
- the physical body - comprised of the various physical systems that allow us to interact with the world
- the subtle body - comprised of the intellectual body, the vital body, and the emotional body
- the bliss body - the final, most intimate covering over the soul
Though their understanding of the physical body was great, as evidenced by the Ayurvedic health care system, their understanding of the subtle body was even greater. In the modern world, we of course have a ridiculously complex understanding of the various systems of the physical body, but it is in the realm of Spirit that we have much to learn from these ancient geniuses.
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Written by Philip Walter on Dec 5 at 4:25 am.
Whether it’s after making love, before going to sleep, or first thing in the morning, everybody loves to spoon … well, at least all you ladies out there - you love to spoon, right? And who doesn’t like the idea of using a few tantric sex techniques to improve quality and longevity between the sheets.
Below are a couple variations on spooning inspired by tantric traditions that involve getting in tune with your breath, then tuning your own breath in with your lover’s. These exercises are great for all sorts of things from calming down and reconnecting after a fight to amping up the anticipation factor before some rowdy tantric love-making.
The Basics
Assume the classic spooning position on a cushy surface and just breathe normally. Take a moment to feel the contact your skin makes with your lover’s. Feel your breath moving through your body in a natural rhythm.
Once you have found the rhythm of your own breath, try to match it to your lover’s, such that your exhales and inhales are timed to one another’s. Do not try to force your partner’s breath to match yours. Rather, gently bring your breath into rhythm with your lover’s, as he or she does the same. Trust each other to find the sweet spot.
Once your breathing is in sync, take five deep breaths this way. Feel every inch of contact your body makes with your lover’s and feel how your shared breathing affects the contact you have.
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