As a new day dawns
So does the dawn of opportunity
The opportunity to free our hearts and minds
From all worldly troubles, and
Embrace the reality of Self
Dance not to the song of illusion
Cling not to the theatre of torment
But follow the nectarine path
To the silent chamber of the Soul
Bask in the effulgence of wisdom
Drink from the cup of pure knowing
Know thyself, know thyself
When the atoms disperse
The Spirit remains
Consider not what is lost, but
Rejoice in what is gained
The journey continues
It has no end
Just surrender to the light
Just surrender to the light
Just surrender to…
I Am The Light
Image by FalcoZen at Pixabay
Here is a bit of nostalgia… I realised that I’ve been writing this blog since 2011; where has the time gone? I’m not the best when it comes to IT and social media etc. but I’ve stumbled along to the best of my ability and I find myself where I am today, over 15 years later. I thought it would be a good idea to look back through the archives and retrieve my very first post, and what a poignant post it was. I’ve decided to give it a fresh airing. So my dear friends, for your interest (maybe) here is, once again, my first ever blog post from Sunday 24th April 2011, untampered with, word for word in all its glory.
Laideeeeez an’ gennelmen… I give to you…
God Goes Home:
Easter Sunday 24 April 2011 started off as a normal day. I was in no hurry to get out of bed, eventually doing so at around 09:20. Whilst having my first cup of tea of the day I went about my morning routine of going online and posting my thought for the day on Facebook and checking other online stuff. I went into one of my email addresses and there was one solitary email, from my friend V in South Africa. It was very short and to the point; it said quite simply “Swami has left”. I was quite numb at first. My beloved Swami, Sri Sathya Sai Baba had left his physical body. There had been signs for some time that Baba was getting ready to go, and in recent weeks it became increasingly apparent that devotees were going to have to accept that this was the case. It was still hard to believe though; you don’t expect Swami to go, simply because he has always been there. For a number of hours I cried intermittently; not out of grief, for I know there is no such thing as death, but for the sheer love of Baba and the realisation that he gave so much to us, yet took nothing for himself. His love was, and still is, boundless and I am truly blessed to have been touched by Baba’s love on many, many occasions.
I count my blessings that I received the call to go to Baba’s ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam (abode of the highest peace), on two occasions in the 18 months preceding his physical departure. It was during my second visit in February 2010 that I got my first hint that “Divine Mother Sai” may be preparing to leave. I was chatting to an American guy who had an apartment in Puttaparthi, where the ashram is situated. He was saying how Swami’s physical health had been going rapidly downhill and that he had made an unprecedented gesture. Baba had made an announcement formally inviting devotees from all over the world to attend the ashram during 2010, on a pilgrimage basis. My friend told me that this had never been done before in all the years that Baba had been resident at Prasanthi (since the 1940’s). My friend went on to say that he felt Baba was getting ready to leave his body and this was his parting gesture of love to devotees worldwide. Because of the sheer volume of people the pilgrimage was organised with the utmost precision and only so many countries at a time could attend, for periods of ten days only. Of course, this only applied to the organised pilgrimages; anyone can go to Prasanthi as long as they receive the inner calling
“not even 20,000 horses can bring you here if you are not called” ~ Baba
Sri Yukteswar Giri, Gurudeva of Paramahansa Yogananda
Several years ago, I posted a blog entitled, “Trance Mediumship – What’s The Point?” I’ve decided to revisit this subject, mainly because like many of you reading this, I find myself evolving so quickly now, that my views also evolve with equal speed.
I haven’t changed my view on this subject, on the contrary, it’s just that my opinion is now more refined, so I thought it would be good to write an updated post covering the same theme. I should also state, that if something exists, in this case spiritual powers, or siddhis, they do so for a reason and everything in this life exists within it’s own context. I myself, worked as a medium for 17 years (not trance mediumship) giving public demonstrations of clairvoyance, mainly in spiritualist churches. But I always felt that something was missing; it all seemed so superficial and I found my soul constantly yearning for the vastness of the ocean, as opposed to the limitations of a puddle.
So, to get to the point, this article is about siddhis in general, not specifically trance mediumship.
I think that the whole business of siddhis can be summed up by what Sri Yukteswar Giri, the guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, had to say on the subject. This isn’t word for word, but the great man used to say that one’s spiritual advancement is not measured by the extent of ones spiritual powers but by the depth of ones connection to the Divine in meditation. He also said something along the lines of, “what’s the point of settling for the trivia of outer powers, when the goal is the source from which they sprang.”
Of course, as I already stated above, everything has its relevance along the bumpy road of life, so it isn’t wrong to pursue spiritual powers. But it can never be anything more than a stop along the way, and the more you dabble, the more stuck in a rut you become. Ramana Maharshi also used to have a similar opinion of siddhis and he never encouraged the pursuit of them. He advised that spiritual powers develop naturally with one who has realised the Self, so why waste your time trying to develop powers when you could be basking in the inner wilderness of bliss?
Happy September everyone…
Will you flit with me across the sky, and
Keep me close as clouds roll by
Will you touch my heart with moonlight, and
Melt my soul with a nectarine sigh
Will you dance with me in the ether
Will you caress me with your breath
Will you sing me a song of the sweetest Love, and
Hold my hand at death
Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
The older I get, the more I understand the teachings of Ramana Maharshi with regard to “The Guru.” The great sage would always meet a devotee exactly where they were on their journey. For those who didn’t understand, he would advocate the guru in the form of a physical being; a teacher. For those who did understand, he would deny that he was anybody’s guru and point them to the one, true guru within; “The Self.”
In simple terms, and in context, a guru can be anyone we cross paths with that we learn from. The obvious examples are parents and teachers at school. But it could also mean people we have difficulties with; even enemies (for want of a better word). As we evolve, those who choose the spiritual pathway may seek out a specific guru. There is also the guru that finds the individual in accordance with the old saying, “when the pupil is ready, the master will come.”
A true guru will reel the pupil in, in order to let them go. A true guru does not require worship. A true guru points the pupil in the direction of themselves in order to seek out the guru within.
When The Guru is realised, the guru disappears.
Life is an arduous journey from the timeless to the timeless, which takes place within the illusion of time and space. On reaching our destination we realise that actually, there never was a destination; all the while we were chasing what we already had. Some time ago, I heard a great analogy that aptly explains this, and I’m going to share it with you here. 
For the sake of the analogy, please imagine that you are religious. If you already are; fine, it doesn’t matter.
Imagine that you have seen advertised that your favourite preacher is coming to town, and this preacher is appearing at a church near you. For the sake of the story, we’ll call it the Church of Eternal Light. So, you get your ticket and you turn up at the church looking forward to seeing and hearing the preacher. You’ve seen him before; he really puts a fire in your belly. However, when the audience is all seated in anticipation, there comes the announcement that the preacher has been taken sick and there is a last minute replacement. You’ve paid your money so you stay and listen to the replacement. Unfortunately, you find this guy boring, he doesn’t have the same charisma as your favourite and you end up falling asleep.
You start to dream, and in your dream you have to get to the Church of Eternal Light. You set off on your journey, which takes you up and down mountains, across crocodile infested rivers (I had to add a bit of dramatic effect here). You fall over, you get back up and carry on; you fall over again. And so it goes on, seemingly never ending, until…
At last, you have the Church of Eternal Light in your sights. By this time, you are fit to drop, you are almost on your knees as you reach the door of the church. You open the door and walk in. At that same split second, you wake up and realise it was all a dream. All the while, you were already at the Church of Eternal Light.
And that, ladeeeeeeeeez an’ gennelmen is a simplified description of how we roll here on earth.
There is an old Italian proverb that goes; “At the end of the game the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” The same can be said for us humans. When life comes calling, it doesn’t check to see what your occupation, if any, is, or the size of your bank balance. It doesn’t check to see what culture you were born into or if your shoes are made of leather; it just comes calling. Whether king or beggar, both are open to contracting the same diseases. Therefore, it is a fruitless pastime to crave status and recognition in this life. Imagine the pain and suffering if it doesn’t materialize in the way you wish it?
Just be kind; kindness = Love expressed. There is no greater feeling than having a positive impact in the life of another simply by being kind. Kindness is the key to happiness.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the only true religion is the personal relationship that we as individuals have with Divinity; whichever way you see Divinity, whether that be simply as Mother Nature or any other form that is right for you. I find it incredulous that organised religion posits an all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent God that is seemingly unable to function outside of the constraints of the particular religion putting forward the theory. Have you noticed that if you have ever engaged in a conversation with a religious person, and you explain to them an experience you had, which was obviously Divine, if it doesn’t fit the narrative of their particular religion, then “it didn’t happen, you must have imagined it.”
Just think, you are sitting in your peaceful place in deep contemplation. You are enfolded in the most beautiful energy; so beautiful that it is beyond description. There is no hierarchy, no petty rules and regulations, no threats of eternal damnation, no bigotry, no judgement, no competition with someone else’s God, no feelings of guilt or inferiority. Just the feeling of being loved beyond words. Yes, to me, in my humble opinion, this is the only true religion.
Author - Richard F Holmes 