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Greetings and Namaste!
If one seeks the Truth one must go to the mystics. Not
the leaders, whether robed as clerics or government
ministers, but the saints, poets and pure lovers of the
Infinite One.
St. Thomas Aquinas was one such mystic and his
poetic writings from the 13th century are beacons of
grace that continue to illumine the way of
Love.
The following selections are from
Daniel Ladinsky's exquisite book of translations he
has done from the works of 12 mystics spanning
Eastern and Western traditions titled Love Poems
From God. This
compilation is a real treasure.
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On Behalf Of Love
by St. Thomas Aquinas
Every truth without exception - no
matter who
makes it - is from God.
If a bird got accused of singing too
early in the morning, if a lute began to
magically play on its own in the square,
and the enchanting sounds it made drove a pair of
young lovers into a wild, public display
of passion,
if this lute and bird then got
called before the inquisition and their lives were
literally at stake,
could not God walk up and
say before the court,
"All acts of beauty are mine, all happen on the behalf
of love"?
And while God was there, testifying
for our heart's desires, hopefully the judge would
be astute enough to brave a question, that could
go,
"Dear God, you say all acts of beauty are
yours, surely we can believe that. But what of all
actions we see in this world, for is there any
force in existence greater than the power of your
omnipotent hand?"
And God might have
responded, "I like that question," adding, "May I
ask you one as well?"
And then God would
say,
"Have you ever been in a conversation when children
entered the room, and you then ceased speaking
because your wisdom knew they were not old
enough to benefit - to understand?
As exquisite is your world, most everyone in it is
spiritually young.
Spirituality is love, and love
never wars with the minute, the day, one's self and
others. Love would rather die than maim a
limb, a wing.
Dear, anything that divides
man from man, earth from sky, light from dark,
one religion from another... O, I best keep silent, I
see a child just entered the room."
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Upcoming Programs
Anam Cara Foundation, Bedford, NY
Friday, August 21st-
SHYAMDAS
Afternoon workshop (4:00-6:00) and evening
kirtan program (7:30-9)
with Shyamdas For decades Shyamdas,
originally from Connecticut, has been living the
practices and teachings of the devotional path of
Bhakti yoga under the direction of his guru in India and
bringing these ancient Vedic and yogic teachings back
to the West through his offerings
of kirtans and workshops on the sublime bhava - the
infinite creative awareness of the One - that arises like
the sweet fragrance of a flower when our practices
blossom into fullness. Cultivation of that bhava,
through practices, devotional chants, contemplations
and
meditations is the gift he offers to those attending his
enlivening experiential workshops. Give yourself the
sublime gift of immersion in these practices for just a
couple of hours and you will be ever thankful!
Sat. Aug. 29th and Sept. 26th-
7:30pm
Monthly Kirtan
Night!
With Satya, Ma and
Kalidas. Join us in this ancient and
ecstatic practice
of chanting the names of the Divine.
Everyone is
welcome!
Nov. 6-9, 2009, Friday
Evening-Sunday Afternoon
Mysteries of the Divine Feminine and
Kundalini Empowerment Retreat
Led by Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D.
The extraordinary power of Consciousness that
allows us to directly know the Infinite is called
Kundalini in the yogic tradition. In this retreat you will
be guided through ancient practices that awaken and
unfold the inner power of meditation and yoga,
Kundalini.
Through this innate power of Consciousness we will
explore the archetypal realms of transcendence,
wisdom and grace. Through the power of mantra,
chanting, breath work, and the profound tales of
mystical traditions, including the Black Madonna,
Inanna, Kali and Kundalini, we will further access the
inner source of true knowledge and ultimate freedom.
That source is the Divine within. Through this process
you will be empowered to deepen and sustain your
meditation practice at home. Many people take this
retreat repeatedly in order to delve more and more
deeply into the mysteries of true meditation and further
unfold the power of Kundalini. Sharings from
others who have taken the retreat can be found
through the program link below. Pre-registration
is required. Fee: $270, includes meals but not
accommodations.
Meditation
Group
Every Tuesday
Evening:
Starts promptly at 7:30pm at our center at
the Anam Cara Foundation in Bedford, NY.
All are
welcome!
Directions
are on the Anam Cara website. If you wonder
whether the group is being held on a
particular
Tuesday evening there will always be a
message stating if it is cancelled on
that
night on 914-234-4800.
Fall Courses
will soon be posted to the website!
For more information please visit our Events page (click here)
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Thank you all
for your notes of appreciation for our
newsletter.
Everyone has
the heart to be a true friend of the soul, an
Anam
Cara. By embodying that ideal ourselves we
may serve to help
another to find love and compassion within
themselves.
Our highest nature is always
manifest in
relationship - to all other beings, to the
environment, in relation to our own body and
mind. Becoming mindful of the quality of our
relationships
allows us to learn where the light shines and
where it
needs to shine more. The ideal of Anam
Cara is to
continuously endeaver to expand the depth
and the
inclusiveness of the loving kindness we bring
into
every relationship, every moment, every breath.
If
you have any
suggestions, comments or sharings, for our
newsletter please don't
hesitate to e-mail me and I'll do my best to
respond.
The Anam Cara
Foundation is a 501
(C) 3,
non-profit
educational organization dedicated to
teaching
meditative practices. Our non-
denominational
programs are open to all. There are free
meditation
instructions and downloadable audio files of
guided
meditations on our website.
Thank
you for
the many ways you have shown
support for The Anam Cara
Foundation. Because
of
your gifts we can offer free programs and
instruction to
thousands of people. If you would like to
make a
tax deductible donation please send it to
address
listed below.
I look forward to welcoming you
in person to our programs.
With
all my
appreciation and love, I thank you all.
May all beings realize complete freedom from suffering and may all our actions reflect only wisdom, compassion, patience and loving kindness.
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