What Is Spirituality

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Everyone has their own idea of what spirituality is according to their own perception. But most people would think that it is a combination of having some sort of faith in a higher power, attending a place of worship, reading scriptures, meditating and carrying out charitable acts. Personally, I think those things have an association with spirituality but they themselves are not spirituality per se. To me spirituality is the expression of spirit through the physical form here in the world of matter. That’s another way of saying “living our truth” or “listening to and following our inner voice (conscience)”, regardless of the circumstances.

We are all spirit whether we like it or not and whether we care to accept it or not, and the purpose for incarnating into flesh is for us to experience what the soul knows, but cannot experience itself because it is pure consciousness. Then, through this experience, to realize the truth of The Self (who we really are), or to put it another way; to become self-realized or awakened. The physical world is always in Divine and perfect order, even though it may not seem like it at times, but for us to know that something is beautiful we have to have something ugly to compare it with, otherwise we would never know when we were gazing upon beauty. Of course, it goes without saying that “beautiful” and “ugly” are merely relative and a matter of opinion. What this all means is that we may not necessarily enjoy everything that we experience, which stands to reason if we are not awakened souls and therefore unable to transcend the physical illusion. Now, back to the main focal point of this article; “what is spirituality”.

Gurkha, Gyranraj Rai with actress Joanna Lumley

As I said above, spirituality to me is the expression of spirit through the physical form, but not just any old expression; what it is, is an expression of truth regardless of the circumstances. Take for instance the Gurkha, Gyranraj Rai who was on hunger strike outside 10 Downing Street (the British Prime Minister’s main residence in London for the benefit of my overseas subscribers) and who was prepared to die for the cause he believed in. Not only that, if MPs had not agreed to look into the issues that Mr Rai was protesting about, and he had indeed departed this earth, there was another Gurkha waiting in line to take his place, and another if need be and so on. Those amazing souls were prepared to live their truth even though the consequences were very serious.

Malala Yousafzai

Then there is the wonderful Malala Yousafzai who was shot because she wanted the basic right to be able to go to school, and who at the tender age of 16 was recently announced as one of the winners of the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize. Her expression of spirit was a show of great courage in the face of incredible adversity. I’m also reminded of another great feat of courage from the time when I lived in Wales, but probably not one that you would expect me to be posting here.

I am reminded of a cross-gender person I knew when I lived in West Wales; her name was Melony. She must have been in her late 50’s or early 60’s at the time and was the sweetest person you could ever meet. She wore the type of clothes you would expect a “lady of a certain age” to wear, the only thing was that Melony was obviously a man. She was very tall and had rather large hands, she was unmistakably a man. But as I said, she was a very kind and sweet person; also a church-goer and personality wise, she was a woman; not camp in any way but plainly and simply a woman. One day I was out and about in Aberaeron and I bumped into Melony and another man who was not cross-gender, and I’m ashamed to say, that when I stopped to talk to her I was looking around nervously in case anyone I knew walked past and saw me talking to a man in woman’s clothes. The reason I’m sharing this here is because the way that Melony chose to live her life was also an amazing display of courage. The body was that of a man, but inside she was a woman.

Try to imagine this; how many people would have carried on living a lie; not expressing their truth, for the sake of looking normal on the outside. Imagine what it would be like, every time you go out in the street, to have people sniggering behind your back and pointing the finger at you. Imagine the abuse that people like Melony have to take, both verbal and physical, simply for having the courage to live their truth. She was renowned among people who knew her as being very kind and caring and I personally noticed that she had the most gentle character; I also remember that she owned a large white van and would get asked from time to time to do removals for people. Yes, I’m sure she has faced great adversity and experienced the pain that goes hand in hand with the life she has chosen; but I bet the pain she has experienced is nowhere near as excruciating as the pain she would have felt inside had she chosen to ignore her inner voice and live a lie.

None of us know how courageous we are until our courage is put to the test.

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore – Andre Gide

The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable – Paul Tillich

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others – Aristotle

The Light That Will Never Go Out

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

I was not going to write a post about Nelson Mandela’s leaving of his physical form; I thought to myself, “what could I possibly write that has not already been written”. But I changed my mind because it seems that there are too many people talking about something that has “gone” and of a light that has “gone out”. This of course is simply not true. The being that we knew as Nelson Mandela had life long before it took birth in the body. That body, of course, did not. Now that the spirit has left, the body has reverted back to inanimate matter and the soul continues to flourish and shine in all its glory; death simply being an illusion that exists only in the mind and nowhere else. It’s true to say that he also had his detractors, but unless you have been on the receiving end of numerous beatings and spent 27 years of your life in jail just because you believed in equality and followed your conscience, it’s nigh-on impossible to comprehend the magnitude of what Nelson Mandela achieved.

So, in view of what I have written above, did I shed a tear at the passing of this wonderful man? Yes, I most certainly did. But not out of grief. My tears were shed out of sheer love for this great soul.

So, shine on Madiba as the Eternal Flame Of Love, and thank you for your teachings, which you gave to us in great humility; the human race owes you an eternal debt of gratitude

Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished – Nelson Mandela

Maybe There’s Something Bubbling Under…

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Westbury Spiritual Centre 19 November 2013

Last night I was working in another town, Westbury to be precise, and I didn’t get home until late. As a result I went to bed late and planned to stay in bed a bit longer this morning. So, I was just a little disappointed when I awoke and realised it was still quite early. I was even more disappointed when I didn’t drop straight back off to sleep again. At some stage the inevitable happened and I entered the limbo state that I know so well now, where I am neither asleep nor awake; and at this point my third eye lit up.

I continued to lay there in anticipation as images of a young girl flashed through my third eye; it was a bit like those early films that worked on the same principle as flicking through the pages of a book at great speed so that the images appeared to be moving. I didn’t know who the girl was but I was enjoying the experience of my brow chakra being active and illuminated. I then felt something else that has become part of the norm over the years; I felt a strong but friendly presence envelop me. Now, you will probably think I am being greedy and over-indulgent, but as my recent spate of out-of-body experiences seems to have dried up I was anxious to get the ball rolling again. So, in an effort to kick-start my astral adventures I did something that I’ve not done before; I asked my companion to lift me from my body and take me on a journey. To my great joy, this is exactly what happened.

Westbury Spiritual Centre 19 November 2013

We travelled at speed, with me being held by my unknown friend, and as we did so I pondered what great adventure lay ahead. Or, I thought to myself, would this simply be a case of anti-climax. Sure enough, we reached a destination of sorts, but before I even had a chance to check out the surroundings and give thanks to my friend, I was back in my body (and just a touch disappointed). Those of you who have been following my blog for some time will know that I don’t normally write about every astral experience I have, because I have had so many over the years and some of them literally only last for a few seconds. But the reason I chose to share this one is because in the past when I’ve had some real humdingers, they have occasionally been preceded by very brief and uneventful experiences like this one. It might just be wishful thinking on my part, but maybe there’s something bubbling under…

Future Plans

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Hello everyone. I just thought I would share with you my plans for the short-term future with regard to my blog, writing and CD production.

I’m toying with the idea of reviving the video blog. It’s been over two years since I posted a video here; mainly because I felt at times that I was struggling to practice the stuff I was speaking about. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since my last one so I’m keen to start this again. However, today is out of the question, as my allergy that I’ve had since I was a kid, has been agitated by the damp autumnal weather and I currently look like I’ve been in the ring with Mike Tyson due to a heavily swollen eye. Hey, if I’m going to be on camera I want to look my best.

My first project for the new year with be the remastering of my CD Healing With The Angels. Up to now this particular CD has only been available directly from me, so the plan is to remaster the original recording, add a suitable musical backing track and reissue. On the book front I’m planning a project that has the provisional title of “An Idiot’s Guide To Spiritual Law”. I say “provisional” because these things have a habit of changing.

With regard to actual articles for the blog, the thought occurred to me today that I could return to some old subject matter. For the simple reason that when I first started writing I did not have a blog and followers. Also, my original books were self-published before the advent of digital publishing and were produced on a “when they are gone they are gone” basis. The person who wrote those original publications is a mere shadow of the person I am today, so it will be interesting to tell some of the same stories but from the perspective of a much wiser head!

As ever I would like to express my thanks to you for following my little blog, and wherever you are, I hope you are well and happy! Enjoy the rest of the week…

“I Was Almost Euphoric For A Week Or Two”

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

“I was almost euphoric for a week or two” and “it just makes you feel very, very, very alive” are statements that would make you believe that something wonderful and amazing is being described. Well, I suppose it is, but actually those two statements came from the mouth of the incredible Wilko Johnson during a BBC interview when describing how he received the news that he had terminal cancer. Yes, just before Christmas 2012, Wilko was told that he had untreatable pancreatic cancer and that he probably had only nine months to live. He was also told that if he had chemotherapy it may stretch to a year. He was not impressed and declined the chemo; deciding to simply get as much as possible out of the time he has left.

For the uninitiated, Wilko Johnson was the manic guitarist and one of the founder members of those great stalwarts of British Pub Rock/R’n’B, Dr Feelgood. Wilko left the band in 1977 due to “musical differences” but has continued to perform in various guises ever since. Because of his typically colourful rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, you would not expect Wilko to describe his experience in such a spiritual way. So I was quite amazed when I came across these interviews on you tube recently. Many of us who walk a spiritual pathway talk of “living in the now” and being in “the present moment”, but it is not always easy to walk the talk. So, it is for this reason that I am sharing both interviews here; I find it quite inspiring to hear someone like Wilko speaking in this way.

If you are interested in Wilko’s music and his unusual guitar playing technique you will enjoy the radio interview. For just under eight minutes it’s his music and guitar style that is discussed. The rest of the 14 minute interview is dedicated to his battle against cancer (although you would not think it a battle when you hear him speak) and how he is dealing with it. The second interview posted below went out on the BBC TV breakfast programme back in January 2013 and is equally inspiring. At the time of writing it is ten months since this interview and Wilko is still going strong; he is still playing gigs on his “farewell” tour and is in the process of recording a new album. Please check out both interviews and be inspired. What a man!!!

For news of Wilko’s up and coming gigs please see website http://www.wilkojohnson.org/

Thought For The Day #186

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Contain your experience with the divine so that it does not escape you but rather shapes you. Be silent. Silence will help you avoid engaging in the games of competition and illusion that regularly seduce us in the outside world. Silence also helps you avoid distraction. It helps focus the busy mind – the mind that always has to be doing something, thinking something, the mind that always has to be otherwise engaged lest it become introspective and allow the soul’s voice to override its own. The silence I am describing is a silence that you use to contain the grace you receive when you enter the Castle of your soul. This quality of silence allows you to engage in discernment. You carry this silence within you, even when you are with others. It allows you to hold your center amid the chaos of your life; it keeps you clear so that you do not do or say things you will regret or make decisions out of fear – Caroline Myss

It’s Official! There Is A Link Between Footie And Dream Premonitions!

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Chelsea celebrate after beating Bayern Munich on penalties in their own stadium to win the 2012 Champion’s League

Yes, it really is official; dream premonitions ARE linked to the beautiful game! As the new footie season has recently begun I thought it would be appropriate to write a related article, which of course will be based on my actual experiences, so here goes.

I recently had a dream that my beloved Chelsea FC had reached The Champion’s League final again and were pitted against the old enemy Manchester United. No Chelsea fan will ever forget how our hearts were broken in Moscow, when Manchester United beat us by way of a penalty shoot-out, in the 2008 final. In my dream it was thought that Chelsea had won, but somehow there had been another penalty shoot-out and the Super-Blues were beaten once again. I woke up feeling rather disappointed but soon forgot all about what I thought was “just another dream”. However, little did I realise at the time that I had actually had a premonition of The European Super Cup final that took place a few weeks later. For the benefit of the uninitiated I shall explain.

The European Super Cup is an early season (some say pointless) match between the winners of the previous season’s Champion’s League and The Europa League. They can be played out as quite tame friendlies but this season it was slightly different. Chelsea had entered The Eoropa League by default, having been eliminated from The Champion’s League after performing miserably during the group stages. However, they ended up winning the trophy. Chelsea’s opponents were Bayern Munich, currently considered to be the best club side in the world, who were last season’s Champion’s League winners. Bayern were desperate for revenge, having been beaten by Chelsea on penalties in their own stadium, in the 2012 Champion’s League final. So, it ended up being quite a feisty encounter and a wonderful game of football.

Chelsea hero Didier Drogba who stroked home the winning penalty in the 2012 Champion’s League final against Bayern Munich

Chelsea took the lead with a fantastic strike from Fernando Torres and led until the 53rd minute when Frank Ribery scored with a rocket from outside the penalty area to equalise. A few minutes before the end of normal time Ramires was sent off for a bad tackle so Chelsea were down to 10 men and facing a battering from Bayern. Miraculously, Eden Hazard put Chelsea ahead after a few minutes of extra-time, and there then followed a backs-to-the-wall performance of gargantuan magnitude in an effort to hold onto the lead. But with about 20 seconds of the game remaining a cross came over into the Chelsea box, the ball ended up at the feet of Martinez who poked it past Peter Cech. When the ball went in the net there was probably 10 seconds remaining at the most, so there was no time to kick-off again and the game went to penalties. Poor Romelu Lukaku shot tamely at the keeper with Chelsea’s fifth penalty and Bayern were the winners. Now back to this business of premonitions…

Because the opposition team in my dream were wearing red shirts I’d just assumed it was Manchester United. However, Bayern Munich also play in red. Then “it was thought that Chelsea had won, but they lost on penalties“. Exactly that, with literally seconds to go it seemed impossible that Bayern could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat; but unbelievably that is again exactly what happened. It wasn’t until a few days ago that the realisation hit me that my dream had been a premonition of The European Super Cup final. But this is not the first time I’ve had a footie dream premonition.

Didier Drogba scores for Chelsea against Everton

Drogba again (now of Galatasaray) I just love that bloke!

Back in February 2000 Chelsea were away to arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match. At the time I was living in Swindon and during the early hours of Saturday morning, February 5th, I had what seemed like a very short, but really weird dream. It was just a screen with white lettering on a blue background. The text said “Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea”. I didn’t read too much into this but thought possibly that I had been given a sneak-peek at what the final score was to be. As was the norm back then on a Saturday afternoon I went to the gym, where I could also keep up to date with all the football via the TV screens that always showed Sky Sports News. When I’d finished in the gym I stopped in the bar on my way out just so I could check the half-time scores on the TV. On a blue screen with white lettering it said “Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea”. The penny dropped that this was exactly what I’d seen in my dream.

If only I’d had the presence of mind back then to nip into a bookies and place a bet on what the half-time score would be, because ironically, Bernard Lambourde scored for Chelsea in the second half to give the Mighty Blues a 1-0 victory. I say “ironically” because Lambourde’s goal was not only extremely lucky in that he bundled the ball over the line with his shoulder, but in his entire Chelsea career he only scored two goals and that was one of them.

Anyone else ever had any sporting premonitions?

Operation Caravan

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

Little did I know when I embarked on my working trip to West Wales recently that I would have one of the most incredible out-of-body experiences I’ve ever had. Keeping in line with my recent astral adventures this one was very short, but extremely significant.

I had been staying with my great friends, The Dunn Family, in the village of Oakford, Llanarth. The Dunns have a Bed and Breakfast establishment and a holiday cottage. I know them from my time living in the area, when Kath, the lady of the house, saw one of my ads and called me to arrange a private reading for her daughter. We have maintained contact since I moved back to England, and they very kindly let me stay with them when I’m working in the area, treating me like one of the family in the process. I stayed in one of the rooms in the house, but on the Friday they had a full quota of guests arriving for a local wedding, so other arrangements had to be made. I was moving on to a new location on the Saturday so I only needed to stay for one more night. Andrew, the son, has a caravan on the grounds and he very kindly let me sleep in it.

During the early hours of Saturday morning I found myself dreaming, but I have no idea what the dream was about. At some stage I felt a hand on me; it was either on my stomach or holding my right hand, which was resting on my stomach. I cannot remember exactly but I just know it was one or the other. At this stage I was still half asleep but I decided to grab the hand and hold onto it; It was as solid as you dear reader! I sent out thoughts of gratitude to the soul who was with me. As I was thanking this soul for its presence, I suddenly realised that there was in fact several souls around me, although I could not see them. Then the most incredible thing happened.

Just as I realised I was out of my body, one of the other souls performed a spiritual operation on me. A surgical instrument was inserted into the left-hand side of my lower abdomen; I felt no pain, just momentary discomfort. Immediately the instrument was removed I felt myself return to my body. As I did so my third eye was illuminated and I was able to see several celestial beings in female form leaving the scene. It was as if they deliberately flew over me and away so that I could see them, as opposed to simply flying away.

The whole incident lasted for no more than a few seconds. These experiences are commonplace for me now, but I’ve never been operated on before whilst out-of-body.

Anyone else had anything similar???

Handy!

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

I recently had what was quite an amazing experience. But it has taken me the best part of a week to share it because at the time I didn’t really know how I was going to put it into words. As you probably would expect, it’s another out-of-body experience, but it’s probably the shortest one I’ve ever had; lasting no more than a few seconds. Over the years I’ve had many short astral experiences and don’t normally bother to write about them. But this one was so symbolically profound that I felt I just couldn’t not share it.

Like most of my out-of-body experiences it started off as a dream; but for the life of me I do not know what this dream was about. What I do know is that it involved me being in darkness and feeling quite vulnerable; that is really all I can remember about it. At some point I was lying horizontally in this great and vast space, that was pure darkness. It was then that I felt the unmistakable presence of spirit enfolding me and I was conscious and aware that I was out of my body. However, my mind was still quite dopey and I wasn’t as wide-awake as I normally am when I’m free of my body. Because of this I still had a feeling of vulnerability; being a tiny speck in this infinite darkness. Then the most amazing thing happened. I didn’t see anything, but I felt myself being supported by hands. It felt as though there may have been more than one pair, but I cannot be sure. The symbolism of this experience is really quite uncanny, but what is just as uncanny is that the events I’ve just described seemed to take place within no more than a second or two.

On feeling the support of those hands I was immediately back in my body; and being the greedy soul that I am, I was slightly disappointed that I was not taken on a “proper” astral adventure. It was nonetheless a truly magical experience for which I am eternally grateful. Yes, it was definitely a case of “you need hands”!

NEWSFLASH – NEWSFLASH – NEWSFLASH

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Author Richard F Holmes

I am proud to announce that the first book officially published by Inspirational Storytellers (IS) is now “live”. Also, within the next few days the first CD to be produced under the IS banner will also be available to buy on Amazon. The reason I’m proud is because they are both my products! The details are as follows:

Alive And Well – and living in a heart near you!

Kali Yuga Avatar, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba may have left his mortal body on 24 April, Easter Sunday, 2011, but he lives on, not only in the hearts of us all, but in his teachings as well. This book is a cross-section of Baba’s wonderful spiritual wisdom condensed into 5 chapters – Sathya (truth), Prema (love), Shanti (peace), Dharma (right conduct) and Ahimsa (nonviolence). It is suitable for both long-standing devotees and those who are just discovering “The Ocean of Bliss” that is our beloved Swami. In line with Baba’s mission, 100% royalty payments from sales of this book are being donated to the “end hunger” charity The Extra Guest. http://theextraguest.com

The Extra Guest is a not-for-profit organisation with no governmental or political affiliations that seeks to fund world-wide ‘end-hunger’ projects and help those in poverty to create a sustainable future. The charity also aims to raise awareness of humanity as one family, encourage an ethos of sharing and promote the practice of ‘ethical dining’. The Extra Guest responds to Emergency Aid Appeals around the world and currently supports Sustainable Living projects in:

Liberia – Rice farming project
Bangladesh – Coping with Poverty and Natural Disasters
Faridabad, India – SOS Family Strengthening Programmes
Local UK Food Banks.

Buy in the USA http://ow.ly/npUB6

Buy in the UK http://ow.ly/npVIY

The CD is a remastered version, including musical backing track, of Native American Wisdom. A meditation CD that has previously only been available to buy directly from me. Below is a sneak peek at the cover.