Travelling with God

Many people must be curious about what it’s like to travel with a “Sat Guru” or the Divine Mother of the Universe. Well, it’s beyond words so perhaps I can’t go any further with this blog post. But wait! Last night was a great example of a spontaneous happening that can change everything in a moment.

It was 2am and Mother Amma was giving the last divine hug or darshan. Normally at this point she gets up and goes straight to her room. Not this time. Instead she asked those near her to get the microphone and set up the band for some devotional singing. There were about 500 people in the hall and we all crowded around her. It felt very intimate. She sang two popular bhajans (songs) and by the end of the second one we were in bliss. The energy (divine shakti) was at a peak as we stood up and shouted “Jai” (Yes) in response to Amma’s call “Kali Ma”.

The atmosphere would be like England winning the World Cup after the whistle had been blown at the end of the final. It was a coming together, a celebration of life, a feeling of Oneness that transcends individual differences as we all affirmed our love of life, Amma and each other. There was only love in the room and only love is real.

Oneness: Getting to the Heart of the matter.

This morning I had an interesting conversation about Oneness. A situation arose in my friend’s life where she chose to finish a relationship with some friends as it was no longer serving her. However some “spiritual” friends think this is not in oneness and is not an appropriate course of action.

My response is it depends whether oneness is a belief and concept originating in the mind or something that is felt in the heart. The problem with beliefs is that they are always changing – what is true today may not be tomorrow. They are also limiting and lead to judgements of right and wrong. If I believe in oneness does that mean I don’t believe in twoness?

We live in a world of maya or illusion where the ego believes that I am the centre of the Universe. The ego’s perspective is one of separation – me and you, him and her. Ironically once the ego has surrendered it turns out that not only am I the centre of the Universe, I am the Universe! And so are you because there is only one of us in the room.

Now to the Heart of the matter. Is it possible to feel oneness with somebody in the heart even though you are not talking to them? I suggested to my friend that it absolutely is. There may be times when it is appropriate to withdraw from a relationship because there is so much entanglement that it is the only way to stay sane and find oneself within all the chaos. Once things have settled it is easier to gain a higher perspective and see the learning and perfection in this part of the play in creation.

One of the pitfalls of spiritual activists or new agers is that they can become very “nice” and allow people to hurt them or dishonour ones boundaries because we “should” all be one and love each other no matter what. You may have heard of tough love when it is appropriate to put down boundaries and in certain situations withdraw for the highest good of all parties.

The ultimate truth is that we are all one. However as long as there is ego there will be perceived separation. When ego is prevalent oneness stays as a belief in our minds rather than something that is felt and lived from the heart.

Magic Moments with Mother Amma

1) She enters the hall and I am in the centre. She is standing up and puts her hands above her head She acknowledges us as embodiments of love and the supreme consciousness. I find myself putting my hands above my head in response and for a moment it is just us acknowledging each other. I couldn’t believe it! I looked straight at her and my vision was blurred as though I was wondering whether this was real – me and Amma acknowledging each other. Of course, it was. This is a huge blessing for Amma to acknowledge me in this way.

2) It is a few minutes before the evening program and Amma is expected to arrive very soon. Suddenly I feel restless and get up to leave the hall. As I am walking out I hear that Amma is coming through the kitchen entrance. I don’t hesitate and walk straight to the kitchen. I wait near the exit into the main hall. Within 30 seconds Amma walks down this passageway with her closest disciples. Again I cannot believe it. It is like a dream. She is walking in all her glory towards me. Wow! This experience is beyond words.

A few days later I remember a dream where this happening. It’s Deja Vu. Three security people were in front of me when Amma walked past. As I was feeling so peaceful it didn’t bother me at all. I know Amma is on the inside, not just the outside.

3) I arrived in the RV (Mobile Home) at the Hyatt hotel in Dallas. I am allowed to park in a back entrance where trucks unload. At 11pm I suddenly hear some commotion and look outside the window. Amma’s RV has arrived! Without hesitation I go to it without putting my shoes on as she could appear at any second. Sure enough after a minute or so the door opens and she appears in all her splendour. She pauses at the door as if blessing the place. Then she briefly looks in my direction and I see a mischievous smile as if she’s saying “Surprise, here I am.”

I feel huge gratitude for this opportunity to see Amma at such close quarters without lots of devotees all around. I go back to rest in the RV and am aware that my heart is wide open and am feeling huge love for Amma and this creation.

The Purpose of Relationships

I've been re-reading Neale Donald Walsch's book called "Tomorrow's God" and it has a great chapter on relationships. It says the purpose of a relationship is to create joy and happiness, completion and fulfilment, through the sharing of life with another. The emphasis is that it is not to get anything but to creating something. And it is not about fulfilling each other's needs.

Easier said than done! However I understand that I can't expect to have my needs met by someone else. I have to find a way of meeting those needs within myself. Similarly if I can't love myself, how can I be expected to love someone else?

I have been exploring open relationships and am of the opinion that most people misunderstand their purpose and what they are. I was one of those until I tried it and discovered that, with awareness, it is possible to journey through the jungle without getting too bruised. Again Tomorrow's God helped by saying she has no judgement and it is about what works where all parties have free will to choose the kind of relationship that each person wishes to experience. Transparency, clarity and clear communication also help. My conclusion is to tread carefully and follow guidance from the heart. In our 3D reality it's all a game and life/relationships present a fabulous reflection of who we are and are choosing to be. I keep reminding myself "I'm making it all up" so I might as well create a good story with a happy ending.

 

Signs

What brings the magic of the Universe back to me is noticing signs that are placed in my path to remind me who I am. One moment I am day dreaming through life when all of a sudden a sign lifts me out of my unconscious state into the present moment.

Today's Sunday and I enjoy lying in bed for a while before getting up. I was thinking that today I would post a blog called "signs" however I wanted an up to date example so I asked the universe/spirit/God/Oneness to give me one. Two hours later I was driving to the shops and my mind was thinking about being aware of the beauty in people including myself. In a spontaneous movement at that very moment I put the radio on and the song playing was "You're beautiful" by James Blunt. I love that tune!

There's two signs I get most often. The first one is small, white feathers which for me represent the presence of angels. I usually see them when I go out walking in nature however they can turn up in the most unusual of places. The second sign is only one brake light working on a car. This one tells me I'm in the right place at the right time. Wherever I happen to be going is where I need to be. It's very useful especially if I'm not sure about whether I should be going somewhere or not.

What kind of signs do you attract? Feel free to share them as a comment.

Blessings on a full moon,

John

Beyond Belief

Many years ago I was with a friend sharing some information related to spirituality. He couldn't make up his mind whether what I'd said was true so he asked me how I had come to that particular belief. I replied it was nothing to do with belief, "I just knew". In retrospect it sounds a bit arrogant however I went on to explain what I meant.

This knowingness is something deeper than the mind and literally goes to the heart of the matter. Deep within my beingness or consciousness is a place that simply knows. When I am completely aware of the present moment, and am friends with it, then I feel connected to all that is and a deeper truth is accessible.

In this age of information overload I thank God I don't need to work out what is true and what isn't. Sometimes I use gut instinct and feelings as pointers to the truth. I used to listen to people through the filter of my mind but now I listen with my whole being. In this way I am less likely to get caught up in mind games. For example a politician, salesman or professor may seem very convincing and through reasoned argument can draw certain conclusions. How am I to know if what they are saying is true? Without judging, in a state of inner stillness, while listening to the other person I feel connected with them and in that moment I "know" what is true for me.

It is helpful to be conscious and aware as much as possible. In this way we can discern the truth and not allow ourselves to be manipulated into believing something that doesn't serve our highest good. As we clear ourselves of blocks and increase our vibration then we emanate a light which touches those around us so they too become more aware. In this way we are helping each other go beyond belief into knowingness.

Understanding Deja Vu

Have you seen the film called "Deja Vu" with Denzel Washington? In the film a boat gets blown up however the police have the technology to go back in time. The challenge is that once back in time the detective will forget what he's come to do, which is to prevent the explosion. He knows how to do this, but will he remember?

I have had some fascinating insights of my own into Deja Vu through a dream and "real" life. Things are not as they seem. In the dream (or some might call it an alternative reality), on the morning of my 47th Brithday, I was in a room where I had the experience of being in the present and then in the future. It took no time at all for me to get from point on the time line to another. How is this possible?

Einstein stated that time as we experience it isn't necessarily how it is. We experience it as a striaght line - past, present, future. However he said that time is actually a curve. This means it goes back on itself or forward on itself. The curve could be a circle or it could be a spiral or vortex. Imagine if we could jump from one point on the curve to another. What would happen?
And what is the importance of time being a curve rather than a straight line?

A symbol that everyone is familair with is the cross. The hoizontal line represents this dimension or reality. It has a past, present (in the centre or cross) and future. That would be the end of the story if it wasn't for the vertical line. This line represents multiple dimensions - we are far more than we think we are. These other dimensions have different laws, rules and properties. There is no such thing as time in higher dimensions where everything is happening simultaneously. As Eckharte Tolle says there is only this moment. In a state of oneness we transcend time and experience timelessness. All is happening now and it is all ME!! (and YOU and YOU and YOU)

Back to my dream. I was the observer of the dream as well as being in it. So when I found myself in the future I said "Right, I need to remember this experience of being in the future so I'll leave my past self a clue which will jog my memory." In the dream I made a telephone call (a friend likened it to "The Matrix") and explained that this was my future self calling my past self. In other words I was giving myself clues as to the truth. That is deja Vu. I've "already seeen" and experienced this life. Many different possibilities have already been played out - what I'd like to do is remember the highest possible outcome in this reality/dimension. When I come across these clues it makes it much easier. That is what happened in the film and Denzil Washington picked up the final clue just "in time" to prevent the bomb going off.

Last night I went to a Spiritual Group in Manchester. I was talking about an experience from a recent trip to South Africa. Once I'd finished Liz said "I knew you were going to say that." It also happened again later on in the meeting when I was talking about something completely different. Now, of course, she could have been reading my mind or whatever. However my truth is that she was having a "deja vu". A bit like the phone call I made in the dream except that the trigger wasn't a phone call but me sharing a particular story. Bizarre as it may sound this meeting was destined to be, had already happened (from the perspective of being outside time) and there was the wakeup call for Liz. Something deep inside her consciousness or beingness was activated. An inner knowing that things are not as they seem.

I would love to hear your stories of deja vu or any comments you may have.
As One,
John