A Reflection of Change

You Can’t Change the World But You Can Change Yourself

...some words from Master Chen:

People all want to change the world with physical force or emotion. There are very few people willing to change themselves to change the world. The world never functions through your own will. You either become prostitutes (slaves) of the material world or you become masters. You don’t live for others but live for self. The quality of your Yuan Shen sets the measurement for how to see the world. A stronger Yuan Shen gets you to enjoy the world more than the ordinary people. The material world only disturbs the stillness of your Yuan Shen. We can learn to stay in stillness to face uncertainty. We can learn not to take any disturbance from the outside world. Although a pebble may ripple the surface of the water, know that the pond is unfathomably deep. Calm your mind and intent, balance and harmonize the Xing and Ming. Stay focused on the purpose of your life. Detach from the need of the self. Accept and be loyal to the true self and then you will change the world around you forever.

Every person maintains their own destiny, yet it is a unique journey. How they participate, come and go is a unique journey. Never judge nor interfere with another person’s journey. You can be a facilitator and an example, but you can’t be an enforcer for another person’s journey. Each person has their own unique journey to decipher for them self. You can only be a one hundred percent compassionate facilitator in their journey, thereby, turning the wheel to “myself” as to how “I” can be the best facilitator to their unique journey. When each person’s journey finishes they go on to the next journey. You need to learn to let go of people in your life so that you allow them to move on and also, so that you can move on. Let your loved ones finish their journey without the burden of you holding onto them. The world will never dance for you. It has its own rhythm. Can you change the world one iota with your will? No! You can only impact on it. If you can change your world, then the world changes; you must begin with the self. The world will always follow its own way. Change yourself and the world changes.

Find the master within. Don’t assume that you are enlightened to master others! Be the master of your own. Be a personal guide through example but not a teacher. Walk the talk. Ask yourself how you can help. To introduce the tasty apple to others you have to first taste it yourself. Design a program to help another person. “I can do it. I am the master of my own.” Never limit your potential. Dream Big! Don’t limit the creativity of your dream. Continue to be your dream. Be the dream weaver of Tao. When the lion king is absent then the monkey becomes the master. The true master makes masters. You can be a master of your own. You can’t run away from your own devil.

letting love determine your obligation

By focusing on the heart, you begin to realize your true self and begin to think the thoughts and take the actions that serve you.  The mind (chitta) becomes clear when the heart is in charge. 

Hridaya Chitta Samvit

By Samyama (focus) at the heart, the knowledge of the mind stuff is obtained. 

-Yoga Sutra 3.35

Agapism is belief in selfless, charitable, non-erotic (brotherly) love, spiritual love, love of the soul. It can mean belief that such love (or "agape")  should be the sole ultimate value and that all other values are derived from it, or that the sole moral imperative is to love. Theological agapism holds that our love of God is expressed by loving each other. As the ethics of love agapism indicates that we should do the most loving thing in each situation, letting love determine our obligation rather than rules. Alternatively, given a set of rules, agapism indicates to follow those rules which produce the most love.*...very similar to Bhakti!

 * definition from wikipedia

Shedding one's skin

"The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. 

So do the spirits who are prevented from changing their opinions; 

they cease to be spirits." -Nietzsche

Playlist Love

1) "You're Not a God"...Random Rab
2) We'll Meet in Our Dreams... STS9 (12/31/06 SF)
3) Shine on You Crazy Diamonds... STS9 (12/31/06 SF)
4) Mouna Boa... STS9 (12/31/06 SF)
5) Luna Sea Jam... STS9 (12/31/06 SF)
6) Lotus Above Water...Telefon Tel Aviv
7) L.S.D 'World Sheet of Closed String' Mix... Hallucinogen
8) John Thomas on the Inside is Nothing but Foam... Telefon Tel Aviv
9) Comfortably Crunk... An-Ten-Nae
10) Bring it On... Random Rab
11) Aimlessly... STS9 (07/06/06 Deerfields)

New Moon in Libra Energy

 Libra in the 7th House Qualities

balance, objectivity, social graces, partnerships, relationships, known enemies

Libra New Moon Qualities

Blending of Heart & Soul, light shining on relationships of all types 

(partnerships, friendships, romance, enemies, business...etc..)

Saturn & Mercry in Libra 

Looking at the Realities, Foundations, and Communication in our relationships. 

Helping you to: make amends, fix shaky foundations, facing the truth of what really is, breath new life into your relationships

Venus in Retrograde

Reflect on ties that hold you back in your love life and in your finances.

We have not come here to take prisoners,
But to surrender ever more deeply to freedom and joy.
We have not come into this exquisite world
To hold ourselves hostage from love.
Run my dear,
From anything
That may not strengthen 
Your precious budding wings.
Run like hell my dear,
From anyone likely
To put a sharp knife
Into the sacred, tender vision
Of your beautiful heart.
We have a duty to befriend 
Those aspects of obedience
That stand outside of our house
And shout to reason 
"O please, O please,
Come out and play."
For we have not come here to take prisoners
Or to confine our wondrous spirits,
But to experience ever and ever more deeply 
Our divine courage, freedom, and
Light!
-Hafiz

♥ Bhakti: Divine Ecstasy ♥

Bhakti means "pure love" or "devotion". Bhakti love is pure because it is love in the highest way possible. Love without any attachments or expectations, just unconditional  LOVE. Devotion is part of Bahkti because the lover loves the beloved regardless of any external circumstances.

In Yoga, more specifically is Bhakti Yoga, the object of affection is Absolute Truth, the Source of All That Exists, the Root of Creation, God, or Isvara Pranidana. Yoga teaches us that total devotion to God is the path that brings us to enlightenment.

God can be whatever you want it to be: the higher self, the holy spirit, allah, a diety..etc..in Yoga Philosophy the most common deity associated with Bhakti is Krishna. It is believed that pure love and devotion to Krishna enters you into a highly spiritual realm.

Whatever you choose to Devote yourself to, let it be something greater than your "ego-self", something that makes your insides tingle, and provides a reflection for you grow.

Love and Devotion brings you to freedom. Completely surrendering to God, trusting in the universe to provide, seeking truth in all relations, and feeling filled with love for all beings are ways of the Bhakti Yogi (bhakta). Kirtan is practice of Bhakti that includes chanting and singing devotional songs and mantras. Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and Donna De Lroy are a few popular devotional singers. This love is already in you and chanting brings it out.

"When we chant we are tearing open our chests, opening our hearts to reveal our true identity and finding God there." -Jai Uttal

Love is part of your soul, and you must awaken your ability to love! With Love, the world can be your personal playground.

Krishna Das describes 2 important elements of devotion:
1) identification or a sense of belonging
2) separation or a space within which to develop yearning and love

You must identify your faith, and the devine must be something that is attainable to you. There is no separtation between lover and beloved and there is no yearing or anyone/thing else to be devoted to. But inorder to feel the bliss of union, there must be separation to cultivate desire.

"The yearning to transcend that space and reunite with the Divine fuels the efforts to move towards reunification and provides the landscape of spiritual life...When the quest is done, there is no more yearning for union, just union itself. To feel this yearning and understand that it is caused by isolation from the source, brings us an ecstatic vision of reunion." -Jivamukti Yoga

Through my Yoga practice, I have cultivated a great deal Bhakti. It took time to cultivate, and each day it grows stronger. I cultivate Bhakti by setting the intention for my practie to be an offering, to not be attached to my practice or the results of my practice. I devote a certin amount of time each day to the study and practice of yoga, and that too I feel is not for me, but for the greater universe. I also spend time meditation with nature, swimming in the ocean, and sending out gratitude. The stronger my Yoga-Bhakti grows, the more I notice it off the mat. Bringing more Bhakti into all my relationships, interactions, and daily routines have added depth and deepen the connection between my external environment & internal self.

How do you cultivate Bhakti?

Playlist Love

1) Little Wing... Jimi Hendrix
2) Baby I'm Gonna Leave You... Led Zeppelin
3) Brain Damage... Pink Floyd
4) Love Me Two Times... The Doors
5) Street Fighting Man... The Rolling Stones
6) Samba Pa Ti... Santana
7) Nothingman... Pearl Jam
8) Farmhouse... Phish
9) Crosstown Traffic... Jimi Hendrix
10) Baby Please Don't Go... Van Morrison
11) World Goes Round... Slightly Stoopid
12) Stone Free... Jimi Hendrix
13) The Crystal Ship... The Doors
14) Open Up... Dispatch
15) Summertime... Janis Joplin
16) St. Stephen... The Grateful Dead