Out of Joy do I Rise, In Joy I am Sustained, and Into Joy I go

This is an old Vedic declaration. Some might say, “Ah, a Religious Statement!” Is this declaration solely for the inner confines of the Temple? What might it say to us, living in our everyday lives?

We might substitute ‘the Creative Process’ for the word ‘Joy’ in the declaration –

Out of the Creative Process do I Rise, In the Creative Process I am Sustained, and Into the Creative Process I go!

This statement adds dimensional possibilities to each moment of our day.

Milton Ericson would say we are all entranced by various patterns within ourselves. This entrancement limits our perception, and it limits our creative options as we make choices in the moment. Shakyamuni Buddha, in his first Golden Truth, says we are trapped doing the same the pattern of actions over and over again, no matter what the circumstance – we are suffering! Of course, his second Golden Truth was that we can free ourselves from this entrapment, this entrancement.

This is the foundation of the book, ‘The Everyday Sanyasin.’ First, to recognize the manner in which each one of us entraps ourselves; then through experimentation, finding the Path of Creative Freedom. This Path of Creative Freedom has as its foundation, JOY!

‘The Everyday Sanyasin’ is based upon a journey into Joy and Creativity taken by Bill Georgevich and myself. This creative process evolved through a set of interviews. As we experienced this creative evolution, we opened to the Teaching and guidance that revealed itself. This spawned the creation of ‘Experiments In Awareness,’ the companion book which is part of the ‘Everyday Life as The Path of Enlightenment’ course.

Through Bill’s – and his team’s – Creative Genius, we now offer the original recordings of ‘The Everyday Sanyasin’ on Personal Transformation Radio. Now, each one of you can journey with us in our Creative Discovery of Everyday Life as The Path of Enlightenment!

It is my Blessing that each of you, who tune into this new radio show, will discover their own, Unique Creative Process. Tune In and Discover!

> listen to the Everyday Sanyasin radio show

The Teachings of the Living Bardo

On Thanksgiving, we all count our blessings; we remember all we have gained and all that has been given us in this life. Now comes the season of Christmas – quite a unique time indeed. It is a time when we are asked the classic question, “What do you want?”

This is a great question for this time of year; in older times, December meant that snow was on the ground and the seeds of new life were sleeping, gathering strength to arise with their Spring Awakening. In some areas of the world, the celebrations of Christ’s birth take place in the Spring.

I have asked myself what do I want, or better said, what seeds of action do I wish to plant in the fertile soil of my life – seeds that I want to bring forth in the coming year. Of course, I began with the obvious -- World Peace, Feeding the Hungry –- yet I soon realized that these are more vague motivations rather than what I really want to manifest.

I soon arrived at an affirmation of what I am already creating – the Teachings of the Living Bardo. My affirmation opened to refining, communicating more completely the purpose of these Teachings.

Some teachings have as their focus the issue of what will happen when you die. In fact, there are many schools of practitioners who are in constant preparation for that dying moment and the after-life.

The Teachings of the Living Bardo are about discovering our Divine Human Potential – Our Divine Heritage. If you are reading this, you are Alive – this is the primary focus of the Teachings. We are all Alive! We have a marvelous opportunity to discover the brilliance, the diversity, and the effulgence of Human Manifestation.

In the Living Bardo Teachings, there are very few rules – each of us is free to find our inner light in our own unique manner. The Law of Karma is both a magnificent aid, as well as a reminder – “You reap what you sow!”

Using Karma as an aid, I realize that I can cultivate greater Creativity, greater Joy, and more dynamic Love, in my life. This is what the Teachings are all about. I use my creative manifestation to uncover my unique gems of Human Incarnation. I enhance these gems; first by becoming Aware of them, then by cultivating a Willingness to utilize them in my life, and then to Playfully create in my life with my unique Human Expression.

This is the core of the Teachings of the Living Bardo.

Blessings to you all.

Joy, Bliss and the depths of 'why'

As a child, when confronted with a disapproving authority, who questioned me about my actions; I would make a commitment to never “do that” again. Laughing, of course over time, I forgot my commitment and did “that again.”

When once more confronted with my errant activity, my answer was “I really didn’t mean to do that, it just sort of happened.” Humbled, perhaps spanked, I once more committed to never “do that” again.

I am guessing that most of my readers share this confusing entrapment, even today. The other day, I shouted out, “Why is this happening?”

In my anguish, I opened to Infinite Possibility – wondering, “Why can’t I, truly keep my commitments?” In my womb of possibility, I writhed for a while, allowing words and sentences to form – a question clarified, “What is it that I am committing to?” “Hmmm….”

In my life, I find that I consistently repeat specific patterns of physical action. When a dis-harmonious pattern arises, I call out, “Ekkk!” I am victimized by my unconscious patterns that are truly in conflict with my intent. Am I bound to live this way for ever, continually tossed between conscious intent and the reality of my actions?

Laughing, as Buddha said in his second Golden Truth, there is a way out of our bondage. The beginning is to realize that my intent is the source of my physical actions. Saying that I will spend one hour in meditation every morning seems like a really good commitment. Yet I am committing to a physical action without really knowing why I am doing it. Without knowing the depths of ‘Why’ I am doing the action, my morning meditation will eventually disappear from my life. Pavlov called this pattern, Extinction.

I have a cerebral cortex, I am more than animalistic reaction. I can reach within myself and find the depth of purpose for my action; then when I choose a pattern of expression, all of my deepest purpose is being manifest in that action. I find myself creating a whole new group of patterns of living – each and every one of them reflects the Joy and Bliss of my deep purpose for action.

Wahoo!!

Summer Solstice Celebration

On the 19th of June, I celebrate a remembrance of the Beginning of the Time of Great Change. On this day, as foretold by ancient Hopi legend, the stars in the sky formed specific symbols that signified a release from the old and an opening to the possibilities of the new.

On this day, in 1973, I sat with my Teacher, Swami Ramananda, listening as he would predict the next symbol that the stars would form, and watching in astonishment as the stars proceeded to create that very form. As he shared with me the legends about what all this meant, I was filled with uncertainty and delight. That day started a journey that is continuing through today.

Swami Ramananda passed away on June 30, 2004.

This year, on the 19th, I set up a shrine room in my house. My tradition is to wait 24 hours after setting up a shrine before performing a ceremony. Yet, I wished to touch that uncertainty and delight from so long ago. I sat by the newly placed altar, reading Chapter 5 of The Gospel of the Stone. The room seemed filled with others, I almost glimpsed them as I looked around. Using Ramananda’s writing as my springboard, recalling the events in their unfolding. I chuckled, hearing once more the ‘Ranger Talk’, remarking to my friends in laughter about how many times the National Forest Ranger had said to ‘look to the Watchman Mountain’.

Foolish child that I was, Ramananda was secretly smiling to himself – the Hopi legend had told him to ‘look to the Watchman’. As we returned to our campsite, without pause we sat looking at the Watchman Mountain. Later Ramananda would predict the forms that the stars would make above its peak, and share the meaning with me.

This night, I wept as I read his words of how the legend had foretold one would sit beside him as this event unfolded – knowing it was I.

After finishing the chapter, I sat in quiet for a while – Feeling and Listening – wondering what might be in store. A strength from an unknown depth within, arose and became the surface of my being. A gentle impression came forth: “The time is right, completion is at hand; your yearning to walk the Path of the Ancients is before you – Walk.”

In Joy I arise, In Joy I am sustained, Into Joy I journey.