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Dear Friend
This moment, right now, right here, this is it.
Our mind loves the illusions of past and future, clinging to them fervently, ready to defend their reality and fend off ego death. The great symbols of Kali's impenetrable black mouth swallowing each moment, as it's irretrievably lost, along with the mystery of Her black bindu, symbol of Her womb giving birth, each moment emerging out of the darkness of the unknown, granting each form its brief transit through the present, before dissolving back into Her mouth, tomb of darkness, these great symbols for ages have been guides to seekers wanting to know the true nature of our suffering and our freedom.
As we meditate we're watching these processes moment by moment. The birth of a thought, feeling or memory, the holding it, the clinging or repulsion, the letting go, the dissolution, the birth of some new form dancing in the light of awareness only to disappear like all else into the darkness. Cycle after cycle, forms of thought, feeling and action dancing and dissolving.
Watch carefully, mindfully, and cultivate what issues from the womb of your creative impulses.
May they all reflect the truth of your boundless love, patience, kindness, compassion and generosity.
We worship with our attention. What do we give our attention to? What do we choose to give our precious, loving attention to? What we give our attention to is what flourishes. We must choose wisely.
Meister Eckhart , the 14th century Catholic priest and mystic, speaks to this.
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Meister Eckhart
An Insidious Idol
Commerce is supported by keeping the individual at odds with himself and others, by making us want more than we need, and
offering credit to buy what refined senses do not want.
The masses become shackled; I see how their eyes weep
and are desperate - of course they feel desperate - for something,
for some remedy
that some poor soul feels needs
to be bought.
I find nothing more offensive than a god
who would condemn human instincts within us
that time in all its wonder
have made perfect.
I find nothing more destructive to the well being of life
than to support a god that makes you feel unworthy and in debt to it.
I imagine that erecting churches to such a strange god
will assure endless wars that commerce loves.
A god that could frighten is not a god - but an insidious idol
and weapon in the hands
of the insane.
A god who talks of sin is worshipped
by the infirm;
I was once spiritually ill - we all pass through that -
but one day the intelligence
in my soul
cured
me.
From Love Poems from God, pp. 116-7
Daniel Ladinsky, trans.
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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 endeavor 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 the
meditation page of 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 or go to our website
where you
can make a secure online donation. Click HERE.
That link will also bring you to our links
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The Anam
Cara Foundation.
I look forward to welcoming you
in person to our programs once the back injury I've sustained allows me to travel and offer programs once again. I have been able to return to offering phone consultations and people have been making appointments to speak with me or use Skype for video calls. It's great seeing folks again!
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 love.
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