Thursday, April 14, 2011
"we are one creative process" BSC 4/14/11 =adonai echad = al ahad
Shalom, shlama, salam, SatNam! as usual, this morning, BSC's words (via SGK) carried echos of Semitic teachings that sing the same song, just with different words. We return to the recognition of our Oneness, with Source, with Earth, with each other, and with our own infinite Soul. This Oneness is affirmed in the very primal Jewish prayer that for sure Yeshua knew and chanted: "Shema Isra'El, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad." Echad=Ek=Oneness! (the word Isra'El means "one who wrestles with or encounters El, God, the ALLNESS). The other sacred Name in the title of this post is "al ahad" which is Arabic, is one of the 99 Names of Allah, refers to this oneness...and like all the 99 names, can be chanted (internally or outloud) by itself to remind us...and to open us to explore just what might mean for us right here and right now. Just as there is explosive excitment as people in Sikh Dharma or 3HO find the track they are on to be SO REAL, so RELEVANT, so CRUCIAL, so TRANSFORMATIVE, so THANK GODDE, there are people in every faith opening to the infinite creativity of their WAY. As we come towards the beginning of Passover, i invite anyone interested to explore the Freedom Seder that Rabbi Arthur Waskow and his wife Rabbi Phyllis Berman have created (on the website for the Shalom Center in Philadelphia). They bring the themes of the legend of old into today's context, giving us an example of how we can see the ten plagues (at the time of Moses) in terms of what today plagues us, and then inviting us to use the traditions/stories of old to help us meet our challenges today with whatever qualities we feel we need to move ahead in the best possible way for ourselves, for our species, for the Earth, for (and as) the ALL. Our (tomas and my) Kaballah teacher Levi ben Shmuel (see Huffington Post for his writings if you wish) invites us to identify our version of being trapped between Pharoah's army on our trail and a large body of water before us. What to do? How do we deal when "caught between a rock and a hard place?" Using the Tree of Life as a model for our own Reality/SatNam/True Idenity, can we access our connection with divine energy? so we can tune into our deep wisdom, profound understanding, knowing ("I know the unknown is known to me" SSS), loving kindness, strength, compassion, trust, surrender, faith, praise? can we move forward following Soul's guidance? individually and as community? As we approach Easter, can we ask ourselves "how am i doing with my resurrection?" ie lifting myself out of identifying with my personality, my body, my life's story...and realigning my sense of self with Infinite Soul? Baba Siri Chand shared today that "Every particle of energy has its own destiny;" and so also, it would seem to me, that each faith has its own destiny. Rabbi Schacter Shalomi, considered father of Jewish Renewal, speaks of how each religion is like an organ of the Human Collective; and how each religion/organ, through becoming strong in itself, helps the whole body be well. So salutations to all who are creating the Sikhism of today to be a powerful, clear, channel for truth, love, strength, integration, joy, and laughter. And salutations to all people who are using the vehicle of other religions with integrity, creativity, audacity, and courage. Thanks to all the people everywhere chanting the Name of Sacred Unity in whatever language they choose. And thanks to the Oneness for blessing us with more moments to come into deeper and deeper alignment with who we are and Whose we are. Ahavah raba ahavtanu...with such a great love we are loved, yours in faith, and commitment to be vigilant to keep returning to the Knowing that indeed we are the One we so love, rahmaneh
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
#69 shifting "crooked awareness" into clarified coziness March 9 Ash Wedn
Shlama amkhon, may the peace of surrender to the all-inclusive wellness of Reality be yours now and always, and may this blog serve to bring us ever more fully into the glory of the interconnectedness of all!
i begin with a blessing used in all three Abrahamic paths, usually translated as "peace be unto you." Shlama (Aramaic), Shalom in Hebrew, and Salam in Arabic all come from the same root SLM which means wholeness, wellness, and surrender to the totality of Reality; quite like Sat Nam... do you think so?
"Abrahamic" (used in prior paragraph) refers to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which call Abraham their common ancestor.
The Middle Eastern culture has always honored poetic interpretations of teachings and key words, so i invite you all to read mine as simply my take right now, and to create your own versions as you feel so inspired.
what an auspicious day to begin this blog where we can dive into our religious past (personal and familial), and clarify "mis-takes" in such a way as to glean the true nuggets of our inheritance.
Ash Wednesday begins the 40 day sadhana/commitment, leading up to Easter, when we can celebrate the on-going option to re-surrect from small mind and live in our Guru-mind, or christ awareness. Semites in general did not take literally the resurrection and ascension of Eshua, rather they felt he succeeded in coming thorugh physical death with his spirit and soul fully in tact, and fully available to all who brought his resonance/name/teaching to mind and heart.
on the forum blog, last week, i offered that the traditional translation of the words attributed to Eshua "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" can be understood "Oh Sustainer, My ALL, THIS is why you left me here! " (ie to show that in the realm of spirit, love, consciousness, THERE IS NO DEATH.
traditionally Ash Wednesday gives us a chance, like a new year or a new moon, to clarify our intentions to give up some behaviour that sabatogues (sp?) our connection with our own divinity or the divinity of our chosen fore-runners on the Path. so let's give a strong "cherdi kala! you can do it!" to all the Christians who are starting this practice today.
if you so wish, you can join me in doing an Aramaic mantra a few times during this lenten season that means basically God is LOVE: "Alaha hubau" (ah..la..ha hoo..bow). Alaha, one of the main names for Source used by Eshua, can be translated an infinite number of ways. I tend to use Sacred Unity or All that Is. Since Arabic came out of Aramaic, Allah is basically the same word, and as many of you Sikhs know, Allah is in the Siri Guru Granth Sabih. Like any mantra, Alaha hubau can be chanted outloud in a monotone, or you can create your own melody, or you can call me and i will share one.
Tuning in via the Aramaic not only provides us with access to the great sages and prophets from the Semitic lineages, (for me) it also connects us with the 2-3 billion people currently aligning themselves with those paths. i also experience that as i connect with the true stream of revelation that these past paths are really about, i help bring the essential core of those faith traditions into the world of today.
i look forward to hearing from you how this blog is affecting you, and i invite all of us to share the blog site with friends who might not yet have tuned into the magnificant offerings through Soulanswer.com, and might be able to resonate with some juicy tidbits from the Aramaic words of Jesus (Eshua in Aramaic, Yeshua in Hebrew, Issa in Arabic), from the Torah, or from the Qu'ran. For me, these three paths are all part of what i call the "Semitic stream of revelation," and for Sikhs, since Arabic weaves its way quite deeply into the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (especially through Kabir and Farid), this is part of your chosen path as well!
i have just one offering in response to today's tele-talk with Baba Siri Chand, yet to be titled or archived on soulanswer.com.
The word Satan (pronounced as: "Sa" as in Satnam, and "tan" rhyming with Ron) represents what BSC called "crooked awareness. 'Satan" was never conceived of as a being; it was simply dysfunctional thinking that could lead to destructive actions. "Get behind me, Satan" could be rendered "Enough of that kind of thinking! no more do i give that thought-form credance or the right to determine my life!"
so on that note, i invite you, if you were "raised" (and "lowered"?) Christian, to let go of any "church damage" (or what tomas and i call "church inanity") and zoom into the heart of the faith...for God IS love, and we are THAT.
posh b'shayna..."remain in flowing tranquillity,"
your sister in divine, rahmaneh
i begin with a blessing used in all three Abrahamic paths, usually translated as "peace be unto you." Shlama (Aramaic), Shalom in Hebrew, and Salam in Arabic all come from the same root SLM which means wholeness, wellness, and surrender to the totality of Reality; quite like Sat Nam... do you think so?
"Abrahamic" (used in prior paragraph) refers to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which call Abraham their common ancestor.
The Middle Eastern culture has always honored poetic interpretations of teachings and key words, so i invite you all to read mine as simply my take right now, and to create your own versions as you feel so inspired.
what an auspicious day to begin this blog where we can dive into our religious past (personal and familial), and clarify "mis-takes" in such a way as to glean the true nuggets of our inheritance.
Ash Wednesday begins the 40 day sadhana/commitment, leading up to Easter, when we can celebrate the on-going option to re-surrect from small mind and live in our Guru-mind, or christ awareness. Semites in general did not take literally the resurrection and ascension of Eshua, rather they felt he succeeded in coming thorugh physical death with his spirit and soul fully in tact, and fully available to all who brought his resonance/name/teaching to mind and heart.
on the forum blog, last week, i offered that the traditional translation of the words attributed to Eshua "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" can be understood "Oh Sustainer, My ALL, THIS is why you left me here! " (ie to show that in the realm of spirit, love, consciousness, THERE IS NO DEATH.
traditionally Ash Wednesday gives us a chance, like a new year or a new moon, to clarify our intentions to give up some behaviour that sabatogues (sp?) our connection with our own divinity or the divinity of our chosen fore-runners on the Path. so let's give a strong "cherdi kala! you can do it!" to all the Christians who are starting this practice today.
if you so wish, you can join me in doing an Aramaic mantra a few times during this lenten season that means basically God is LOVE: "Alaha hubau" (ah..la..ha hoo..bow). Alaha, one of the main names for Source used by Eshua, can be translated an infinite number of ways. I tend to use Sacred Unity or All that Is. Since Arabic came out of Aramaic, Allah is basically the same word, and as many of you Sikhs know, Allah is in the Siri Guru Granth Sabih. Like any mantra, Alaha hubau can be chanted outloud in a monotone, or you can create your own melody, or you can call me and i will share one.
Tuning in via the Aramaic not only provides us with access to the great sages and prophets from the Semitic lineages, (for me) it also connects us with the 2-3 billion people currently aligning themselves with those paths. i also experience that as i connect with the true stream of revelation that these past paths are really about, i help bring the essential core of those faith traditions into the world of today.
i look forward to hearing from you how this blog is affecting you, and i invite all of us to share the blog site with friends who might not yet have tuned into the magnificant offerings through Soulanswer.com, and might be able to resonate with some juicy tidbits from the Aramaic words of Jesus (Eshua in Aramaic, Yeshua in Hebrew, Issa in Arabic), from the Torah, or from the Qu'ran. For me, these three paths are all part of what i call the "Semitic stream of revelation," and for Sikhs, since Arabic weaves its way quite deeply into the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (especially through Kabir and Farid), this is part of your chosen path as well!
i have just one offering in response to today's tele-talk with Baba Siri Chand, yet to be titled or archived on soulanswer.com.
The word Satan (pronounced as: "Sa" as in Satnam, and "tan" rhyming with Ron) represents what BSC called "crooked awareness. 'Satan" was never conceived of as a being; it was simply dysfunctional thinking that could lead to destructive actions. "Get behind me, Satan" could be rendered "Enough of that kind of thinking! no more do i give that thought-form credance or the right to determine my life!"
so on that note, i invite you, if you were "raised" (and "lowered"?) Christian, to let go of any "church damage" (or what tomas and i call "church inanity") and zoom into the heart of the faith...for God IS love, and we are THAT.
posh b'shayna..."remain in flowing tranquillity,"
your sister in divine, rahmaneh
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