Kali symbology

Kali looks fierce and foreboding
to the one that does not understand her aim
her tongue is out in a whimsical manner really
as she does not care at all what the world of duality thinks
she is simply the pure energy and will not cater
to ego in any shape or form --
so this symbol speaks to her aloofness to the world and
its antics ---
the skulls around her neck represent collecting death
in the way of releasing souls from the bondage of suffering
and attachment to form
it also symbolizes the inevitability of resting in her essence
sooner or later as everything passes
the head in her hand displays the power of her energy
she captures the head and with this goes all thoughts
which is liberation --
it is not a gruesome type of thing like it looks
it is freedom from form, thinking, ego (attachment to body/mind drama)
and suffering
it is a showing of success as the  seekers journey
has ended and there is no more searching
no one left to search ---
this one is done, finished, completed and there are no more
seeds of duality left
what remains is the peace of non-dual bliss that is the truth within
all beings

so much more

we must work tirelessly to bring about a change inside and out 

that flows like music of spirit and brings fresh water to our own life 

and to others 

for inside there is something that is much different than what is being 

looked to within society that is filled with *me against you* 

or *i am a such and such* and *i am against and for* and all of this 

we are not divided like this inside when the covers of skin, heritage 

clothing, kin and country are dropped 

we are exactly the same without a seed of this kind of division that 

has taken over in the way of politics, actions, and all the  things now seen 

that are playing out 

we are so much broader in our hearts for sure 

so we must build from a sturdy foundation which is the most important thing of all

which means to be person of honor that is within

balance, harmony, love, peace and having this energy go out in waves to 

be felt by all of the earth, by all of the world, by all of the so called enemies too

that threaten to take from us our birthrights that are our freedoms 

we cannot falter in this endeavor or let the sinking of our spirits take over so 

we too stoop low and say words that are not in alignment with goodness

which does not mean we are push overs or allow someone to come and spoil 

our minds with shadow 

we indeed stand up, speak out, with conviction and qualities that are within grace 

for there cannot be a coming of light in this world if we do not do the good work 

that is laid out for us 

we are to use our energy to look within and see the mind for what it is, an energy 

not something that will bring about anything true 

but to be quiet and be grounded in the moment, and be not following the mental 

drama --- there is nothing good coming from this 

there is nothing righteous coming from this 

so we endeavor to always slow the mind down, allow it to unwind, allow it to still

allow it to have great gaps of nothingness that is full

allow it to not be able to complete it's thought-stream, for it to halt it and stutter 

and fall to the ground so it can be seen that it is not the truth whatsoever 

it is just energetic dramatic risings or shakti-light 

have at your heart the soil that is tended with care and love 

that grows from it bright flowers of truth, joy and ripe fruit 

that spills from it sweetness 

not soil that is dry or baseless and has no nutrients of goodness or 

love, but only holds conceptual understanding that come from reading and thinking 

and using the senses to attach to all that comes into them 

this soil will not be moist, rich, smell of good health or wholeness 

what can grow from it souls? nothing but more of the same and you are so 

much more endowed with the potential to be of good hearty substance 

so use it well please, use it for the benefit of all

world dissolves

god-light reduces the mind to a slow running stream

little by little 

that washes into the universal ocean consciousness in which 

the individuality fades, dissolves there and does not rise again

to be made into something that is separate in identity to the 

one perfect source

god-light reduces the thought stream

soaks the mind in the beauty of love, light and stillness

and then the world view that one was so believing to be true 

and right or wrong or whatever understanding 

dissolves 

then, to that one that is in stillness, the world of duality 

no longer revolves inwardly to produce 

the manifestations of this and that

and to that one, all wrongs are righted and flowing with 

nothing but love, light and stillness... grace 

to that one there is no other or world that is real in the way 

of being solid, lasting, with something that creates suffering 

which does not mean there is no suffering in the world 

but within that one, there is stillness which brings peace 

everlasting and joy inside the heart, mind, soul

as the root of suffering (duality) has been destroyed

the world will carry on whether one is still or outward 

with it's activity always, this will not end 

it is the inward that is the making of beauty, pain, or any other 

happening 

so this is why the sannyasi (or the celibate renunciate) leaves 

the world, let's go of it and all the drama 

keeps life simple, (this simple life can be seen reflected in
the more traditional path of a wandering monk)

the mind is to not be always going outward and looking for entertainment 

and looking for something to feed it, confirm it, create out of it, 

spin on constantly

one is to simplify their life to the best possible in order to make the energy

and time to be inward in prayer, mantra, attention to the moment 

for even though many in the world desire peace, if there is no working 

towards it within themselves, it will be very difficult to maintain

and very difficult for these cycles of uprisings, divisions etc.. to come 

to a halt

we should take a lesson from the earth mother 

she is always in her best form within stillness

she does not hold judgement or harboring of emotions 

she does not protect herself in a shell

she does not put her reality onto anything else 

she does not have any worry, hurt or anger towards anything 

or anyone 

she does not commit sin, hold pride, revenge or vanity

her plants, animals, sun, moon, rain, mountains, rivers 

and oceans are the same inside 

all of her life is the same inside and what makes it otherwise are 

attitudes that one harbors, defends, keeps turning on 

this is the making of the dissension on the outside

and yes her energy is being drained due to choices of humanity 

that are not in alignment with pure intention, love and care 

yes her energy is shifting in accordance with the moral (or lack of 

moral) climate that is present 

yes her energy is being drained (or helped) by the actions and deeds, 

of humanity

what can be said, we do not live in a bubble and our actions move 

outward like a wave to be felt by the whole 

but we have this awareness to see clearly like the sun

we have this awareness to see what is here that is eternal and what 

is not lasting and should not be attached to 

we have this awareness to look, see, feel, taste, touch, hold, love 

with a heart of openness, joy, and love 

and we have the choice to use this awareness rightly...

for even with all of the chaos now, we need not be so caught up 

in it (which does not mean we don't act and speak out when the time

is right)

but we can use the time to go inward, to feel deeply this moment as it is 

in it's purity 

to taste it, touch it, pray into it, love it, hold it, breathe into it, sink into it 

for inside there is something other than what is seen on the surface 

and it is worth all the efforts made to be within it 

seed of purity

time carries seeds of change 

time carries seeds of mind 

time carries seeds of doubt 

time carries seeds of hope 

time carries seeds of this that and all else 

yet within the soul there resides a seed 

that is completely untouched by this time element 

this seed is the pure potential 

it is the fullness that is living unto all 

it is the fullness that is living as spirit 

it is the fullness that blows out all feelings of opposites 

it is the fullness that blows out all feelings of me and you

it is the fullness that blows out all feelings of death

it is the fullness that blows out all feelings of change 

it is the fullness that blows out all feelings of something other 

than this moment here, now as it is without any layered 

philosophies, concepts, mental pictures, ego ramblings 

it is the fullness that is not to be known by chasing drama

it is the fullness that is not to be known by chasing worldly 

playing out 

it is only known by being still, still, still

visions unfolding

as this mind unwinds, this morning
and here and there are still some visions
so i will share with you, this unfolding

there was a man seen who looked weary in face and
feature
then his head bent down and he was in prayer
there were spirits seen that rose around him, the
spirits of maya that taunt, chant and make themselves
known in thoughts and ego risings
this man remained with head down, his eyes had black
coverings on them
his ears too were covered as he was resting there internal
and not listening to those voices and vibrations of mind
but listening with his heart to the sound of light or pure
consciousness, opening his mind and heart to that
and then he and the whole scene was drenched in water
that ran like a river
it poured and poured outward and brought those
reflections of mind and body to run in this river to be
cleansed by grace

there was a form looking down into this open area in
the rocks in which light flowed thru
one had the view from above this scene and the back
of this man's head could be seen
his form slowly was bending over, going deeper into
this light that was open
and then his form dissolved into the jutting sharp rocks
and was absorbed there
leaving just the light that flowed outward

native american symbols unfolded in many shapes and
styles, the eagle, the feather, the wolf, the shelter of animal
skin, the tools made of wood
then an elder manifested, his coverings of nature are made
by hand with care and love,
the mind within this elder is connected and embedded in the cosmos,
his eyes
sparkle with something that is not of this world
his eyes sparkle of wisdom that is born of natural,
divine love and life force
they sparkle of the *one in the all* and the *all in the one* and the
*seed in the plant* and the *leaf in the seed*
and *the planets in the heavens* and the *heavens in the planets*
and the broad stretching ground in the heart of all man, women, child
and life that ever was or can be
his soul is blessed with this kind of raw, tantra force that is not to be
understood by the mind that holds relative knowledge
words do not touch this kind of presence, my dear and how it is so
misunderstood to the one that is only running after superficial things
in this world like a one that is conditioned strong to just be in this mundane
play and is not interested in looking deeper
so he manifests and then there is a spiral like a medicine wheel with
all the beauty of nature in it, the animal, the wind, the rain, the sun, the moon,
the tiger, the mountain lion, the horse, the bear, the feather, the water, the mountains
the running rivers that reflect the light of God, joy and rebirth
as this wheel turns there opens a light (at the center)
that does not fill the whole view, but is smaller
it glows of light and within it, there is a small embryo there resting
the rebirth is there resting
that is all with this vision

there was a path that was wide and moved outward into the emptiness of the
sky
towards the end, it became more narrow and more dark almost like it had been
burned by a fire
so it was rather shaky, looking to collapse at any moment
then the more narrow part of this path  (that looked charred by the fire)
began to collapse
as it did not have any more moorings left to tether itself to the worldly realm
and it fell away
and the sky is what remained

this last vision also had a feeling of native american in it in the beginning
and then it was brought outward into the deep blue sky with clouds
a line of bright yellow flowers could be seen that flowed outward within this
sky... bright and dancing in the emptiness that was so etheric and beautiful to feel
and be with
and what was heard is one has to have *faith or believe* and then the door opens
and then to feel it in your bones, your breath, your skin, your vision, your words,
your thoughts, your actions,
to feel it when you sleep, when you rise, when you are alone or with company,
when you hear, when you touch, taste, smell, see, or anything that is done or not done
feel it in all times and places, this light
for this light is always there and everpresent
at the end of this vision, there is an image of Christ (which is appearing now)
in white robes, luminescent with arms outstretched
his eyes are sparkling with stars, and one can go into him and feel the whole
cosmos, open and expansive as the background
then again, what is heard is:
have faith, child
have faith

unfolding visions like this have not come for awhile
it is definitely unwinding, so may one enjoy it for what it is
and enjoy the moment in it's purity

om shanti

as your-SELF

listening, my love, to you
i heard something of a sound that was beautiful
to the ears of the heart
it played it's lovely notes in there and touched
the energy of that matter of mind
that seemed so real as if it was a
truth
but when you played your song of the
life force flowing in abundance sounding like
something that
was not touched by anything of the world
that music worked on this mind-energy to bring it
to flow too within the river of the source
flowing it did and what has come has been not easy
in the least to taste, touch, hear, be with, feel,
witness,
challenge, detach from as it flowed in such heaviness
many times
yet your music played so singular, so beautiful
on  it went my dear , it played on and on like this
and blew it's breath on my skin and put it's wordless dance
on my bones, blood and all that can be touched and
also my heart too
and i simply could not get away from it, this music of light
filled with that which breaks down the barriers
 
this light flow has left great places of emptiness within the mind
it has left a great feeling of being not who i thought i was

this (slowing and silence) is a gift for certain that comes
without understanding
in thought or mind and comes unexpected, not knowing when
it comes here, or there or standing or sitting
or moving or talking
or at anytime and anyplace and within any activity it comes
and when it does come like this with a force that cuts all thoughts
away, there is so much substantial being remaining there
it plays freely then this music, this  life so pure and whole
like something finally found that has never gone ever
so very strange and yet so very ordinary too
as if one finally has come to the true self and one is finally
as your-SELF without all that layered stuff of mental risings

now my dear, have you not heard this kind of thing before?
yes you likely have
but you cannot really say you have heard anything truly  that
is real to you until it is experienced yourself
so then please go forward to do this one thing in your life
this one thing is the most important/valued thing
to find your true SELF that has never gone from you
how very funny, yes? it is here now and one will find this out
only if you go inward to take the journey

When they wandered

Some Buddhist practitioners of the past

were forest dwellers 

they wandered the open land of God with very 

little comforts if any at all

they slept on the hard ground with the wild creatures 

about 

they carried no money or weapons or anything that 

could protect them 

their practice was to roam the land with nothing that 

concealed the body or mind from being looked into 

they had at their heart the will and strong desire to 

*look at* or *into* the depths of the soul, body -- 

to penetrate the layers there

and not get caught up in any other activity 

that aroused the mind to get distracted from their search

When they wandered 

they went to dwelling places to ask for food 

they did not pick and choose which house to go to 

they went to the one that came first in the line 

they took what was offered by the layperson without 

question

they were not to take food specially cooked for them or 

take from the dinner that was being eaten by the family

but given the left over parts of the meal and they were 

to graciously accept this no matter what it was 

they could not specify what was wanted -- "a little of this 

or that" or "i don't like this or that" 

they were to be indifferent or equal minded about the offering 

and to eat it while sitting in quietude in the forest, near a tree or 

if they were with others, sit there, but not speaking at all

Some of the practices these practitioners underwent were severe

and hard to bear

such as sitting in the cemetary grounds and sleeping there and being 

with the corpses that were placed there 

in Asia in the far past, the cremation grounds would place corpses that 

were wrapped in cloth to sit on the top of the ground 

and there would sometimes be a strong smell coming from them 

the practitioner was taught to follow the breath no matter what the 

experience and to stay inward thru it 

not to strongly protest or switch something up, but to be with it in it's full

range of what it brought 

for if they changed this or that or asked for something special, the mind 

would get attached to that thing as an escape or attraction

this is not easy to do when one is overwhelmed by sensory phenomena 

such as this 

The practitioners too, were to share their space (the forest) with dangerous 

creatures 

they were not to be overcome by fear when these creatures came near 

and some (practitioners) even went close to these animals as a way to 

purify the fear that was there

the practice was to follow the breath and to give off *harmless* energy of 

just sitting, just being, not tensed up with aversion and thought processes

Sometimes, the practitioners would be ill due to the conditions that were 

very extreme, in terms of weather and low food supply

and simply accepted this and continued with their practice without a break

they would see the body (attachment) with all it's woes and pleasures as 

something to move beyond 

they would see the body attachment with the pain that accompanied as being 

driven (often) by mental valuation of it be it good, bad or indifferent 

and were to abstain from judgement in this way so the seeds of karma could 

burn up

as it was understood that the present condition (be it positive or negative)

is due to actions or (karma) of the past 

and to not get involved in it so those seeds of attachment would not continue

to flower

When these  types of practices were here

there were lush forests that no one owned or occupied 

the monks could travel (relatively) safely through them
as long as they were mindful

and followed the practices with strict discipline 

the forest, to them, was the temple, the church, the monastery

those that wandered there, wanted to find the direct experience versus 

the intellectual gathering of knowledge that the pundits were involved in

this (intellectual knowledge), to them, held no value whatsoever

it did not offer the depth that was being looked for 

and only brought about debate after debate that seemed to 

go nowhere

The monks that chose this austere type of path did not worry about the 

next moment 

this is one of the reasons for the corpse meditations that have come 

to allow the mind to get insight into the imperanence of all things including 

the body as one can easily read about this reality (of death of the body) 

but to get an insight or move beyond it into the depth of understanding that is 

non-dual is entirely different 

so these monks chose to throw out the book knowledge and clutter 

to throw out the comforts too 

to throw out the body glorification and adorning 

to throw out the attachment to friends, family and the like
so as to bring the simple lifestyle to help in observing what is there

and to lay all down to be taken in by the search, and not look back 

which, to most, sounds extremely arduous, daunting,

ridden with potential agonies, dangers and all that one can imagine

Now, in these areas the forests are no longer there in their lushness, beauty 

and empty solitude that is present for those wandering ones 

it is over ridden with populations of cities and such

also, most people did and do not understand this lifestyle or honor it, 

but are superstitious, annoyed, curious (in not such a good way)

and simply not allowing for that space to be 

so this type of practice has died out mostly 

(though  there are still some that live this way

and will not change their course) 

The wandering lifestyle is helpful in the  understanding of the 

deeper meaning of purifying spiritual practices 

though one need not be exposed to all of this 

a true kundalini awakening will bring forward all that needs to be
confronted in terms of fears, 

attachments, layers and layers of collective mind-stuff to be viewed 

kundalini does this quite well without the need for these circumstances
yet, there are still many potential dangers and/or pitfalls that can happen
along the way

so, the practitioner needs the right conditions, the right practices, the right teacher 

that is completed to continue on 

because without it, just like these monks that were living outside in the open air 

with all the dangers -- if they did not have the grounding of their practices and 

understanding where the path was leading 

then there could be unfortunate consequences as well 

om shanti 

the mind needs space

these times my friends
are so very hard to hear about
the violence and all that the news
holds makes one wonder where this
world is heading

violence stems always from wrong views
to protect one's ideals, thoughts, identities
to protect one's land, family or where one is
attached to
violence stems from pride for sure
these forces when they take hold strongly
truly turn the soul around in a direction
that is dark
the one that lives there, he is conditioned
to react without thinking or questioning
he is conditioned to go about with blinders on
to act without remorse
he is conditioned to move in the way of the
shadows
he is conditioned to find self-esteem in the workings
of acts that are unholy

here we cannot understand when this action
goes at a level that is so deep and hurtful
but we can only begin to go to our own minds
to question what is in there that drives our lives
and this of course, is on another level than what was
spoken of above, but the workings of conditionings
are the creator of action and doership

we are to begin to see these conditionings clearly
for the blinders to be removed and fresh light
to enter our being
so much of the time souls are distracted with activity
after activity and there cannot be a breath to take
a look inside, to relax, to partake of the moment in it's
simplicity

but even with an endless stream of activity
one can still observe the mind
and put awareness in the heart
(because awareness is always free and ever available
no matter the activity on the outside)

observe what comes forward as patterns
that have been there from likely very young
there are many themes that one is aware of
that move to make one feel limited etc...
these limitations are simply made of thought patterns
these limitations will dissolve with awareness of the light
and being consistent with practice
and being heart centered
and staying connected to beings of good character
as well as having good character within the self too as foremost
and taking time to be quiet
even when there is no quiet in the mind
having the intention to be so
having the heart of one that is to be in love with the freedom
light
having the heart to be in love with the quietude that comes
when one is settled, relaxed, listening
in tune with the vibrations of life
not so absorbed by thinking all the time

for the mind needs space for one to see what is there
space between thoughts --
space between moods --
space between activity that is of doership
space between what is on the agenda to happen next--
space between wondering, questioning etc
space between any activity of the mind that can be possible
this is when one can see what is in there, REALLY see it
not just a little glimpse and one can then not be so caught up
in it
for projections only keep one running after an illusion
a body of water that is not truly there or living
but will only keep one thirsty for the substance
that really feeds the soul and brings the nourishment
to keep one steady and/or brings peace, calmness, quietude
all the sweet fruits of practice
a practice that has been at the center of one's life
without a break or a forgetting about it or
whatever excuse

we all live in this world that is very dedicated to the outer things
very much dedicated to the outer appearance be it beautiful, ugly
or any in betweens
dedicated to personal pleasures
we all have in our lives work, family, bills etc...
we live in the same world, but the one that does not accept this world
to be what is real and true and feels a strong pull to find the deeper reality
is the one that continues, continues, continues until nothing more is to be done
but to LIVE fully, without the agitation of thought waves
without the feeling of separation and the suffering that brings

this is the writing this evening blessed souls

here, there is still much intermittent slowing of mind/large gaps between thoughts,
as well as mental waves too...
and here, there is still the waiting and flowing with the practices
and what life brings...

may all be well
and enjoy the moment