Dear Truth Embodied,
As we walk The Path of Ascension, aligning with our dharma and expressing the true self embodied in this realm, we require a deep level of honesty, authenticity and truth in all our expressions and between all of our relations! To align with out destined paths through right action we are asked to acquaint deeply with the truly authentic divine soul within us, all spiritual teachings are rooted in the understanding that we are all connected, we are all family, we are all one with creator, mother earth and father sky, we are children of the divine, all roads lead us back to this truth. This is one of the most fascinating things about dharma, and karma subsequently, every individual has a different experience of and with dharma/karma yet the main intention of every soul is to re-unite with god, with source, with all that is and to experience the divine bliss of oneness that is the soul. There is heaven, nirvana, samadhi, oneness, bliss, consciousness, sat-chit-ananda, every path of enlightenment leads us to the path of truth realized, the paradise which comes from interconnected balanced living in the celebration of the miracles of the dark and the light. Every experience leads us to evolution, every individual has the opportunity tot reunite with the light of source through the various channels of self realization which have been left with humanity through the various enlightened messengers, ascended and descended master or mind, body and spirit, exemplifying the ability to live in a place of compassion, a state of unconditional love and to fulfill dharma by living their true authentic paths.
Each and every one of us is an aspect of creation and we all contain a fractal of absolutely every other aspect of creation. When we look at poly-theistic and/or pagan religious contexts we see that there is much honoring of many different beings who act as personifications of different aspects of creation. We see gods and goddesses which seem to blossom out of the very natural and created elements they govern or represent. The cosmic mystery seems to paint realities of personalities for humans to find deeper connection and meaning within the environment around them. We start to see the weaving together of different forms of worship and ritual such as songs, prayers and natural offerings. Every ancient culture has been guided in one way or another to associate the living giving elements around us with some form of god force, a personified elemental essence of the very spirit within a certain element, plant, food, area, river, mountain, rock and tree, human consciousness is naturally wired to love, be grateful and to honor the beauty within and all around us.
Nature itself shows us it’s many personalities through the environments and fruits of life which surround us, our natural intuition finds the elemental spirit within everything, the power of life is in the sound, the power of creation is in the name. In some Hindu based teachings, to recite the name of god through japa (mantra recitation) is in itself a route to liberation, even just to chant the name of Ram, or the mantra Aum Namaha Shivaya, or Aum Namaha Sri Parvati Shakti Ma, Jai Ma, to honor the aspects of creation through the vibration of their divine elemental sounds. There are so many teachings, so many traditions, so many “truths” and roads to liberation, what seems to be the commonality is that through sound, using vibration and song all cultures and traditions are able to connect to god. Humanity has even invested immense resources of time, energy, materials, intelligent design and listening to receive inspiration from the divine aspects of creation from which we all derive and all return to, simply to create spaces of devotion which have a special beauty, a special placement, specific vibration and are specifically designed to amplify, balance and unite sound, whether the cathedrals and churches or the temples of the Himalayas, humanity has been guided, whether by “gods” and “goddesses” or by the soul within, to create sacred spaces and instruments from which to broadcast our prayers to the sky. Who are we really talking to? What is really the message? Absolutely everything in manifest creation is an aspect of the divine source which created us all!
The power of devotion is really in the intentional vibration emitted from our heart centered intentions. When we connect to, devote to and honor the divine spirit within what we see around us, we tend to create more beauty, a deeper sense of harmony and find a way to connect to the culture of the nature around us. Nature herself creates spirit beings, elemental representatives of the different kingdoms of life, every single creature is an aspect of the divine intelligence of the cosmic MotherFatherChild god. When we devote to something we create rituals, organization, time and space to spend doing that thing. Whether it is a job, your family, your dharma, your spiritual belief or self healing process, when we devote to something there is an inspiration which comes from the commitment itself. Commitment is like gravity, it pulls you to the center of your goals and helps you to stay grounded in what you are creating. The energy of commitment and devotion are absolutely integral to The Path of Dharma, when we are in our dharma there is no wavering we have already chosen to walk the path and we are intended and supported in seeing it through. Even when we hit a road block along the destined path, there are always tools to bring us back into commitment to that path, these tools often come through devotional practices, this does not mean religion necessarily, although it could include religion, this means a practice which clears the doubts from the mind and centers our focus back into the task at hand!
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the world’s leading resources on dharma, especially from a Hindu perspective, dharma however, crosses many belief systems including Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita or song of the Lord is essentially the answer to a prayer of an individual who found himself stuck in his path of Dharma, in the moment of his greatest challenge and inner conflict, he calls out to the divine lord to give him guidance on how such a conflict can possibly serve his soul, Arjuna in this case was tasked with waging war on the corrupt individuals of his very own family and village. His prayer is answered by his charioteer, Sanjaya who already was an incarnation of the very god which was called upon, Krishna shows up as an incarnation of Vishnu to remind us that the true essence of god could already be embodied in someone right beside us, right in front us, right close to us, it is our prayer, devotion and love which awakens the god force around us, in the moments of our deepest confusion, god is already there answering with guidance, perhaps not how you may expect or what you may want to hear but creation is always there to respond through divine reflection. Arjuna is answered through the song of the divine/spirit/lord or bhagavad gita, this divine song is an entire story and conversation of dharma and yoga. At one point near the middle of the song, Krishna expounds discourse on the practice of yoga and the gita becomes a yogic satsang, a description on the practice of yoga and it’s benefits towards the path of dharma.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते ।
निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ ६-१८॥yadā viniyataṃ cittamātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate
niḥspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo yukta ityucyate tadāयथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता ।
योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ॥ ६-१९॥yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā
yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogamātmanaḥWhen the yogi, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence—devoid of all material desires— he is said to be well established in yoga. As a lamp in a windless place does not waiver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent self. -Krishna
As Krishna sings of the practice of yoga and it’s ability to clear the mind, he has already previously laid out the way to practice yoga which is very similar to what is found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Krishna is reminding us that in practice of yoga, meditation and right action in all actions we take, we become better able to still and release the mind from its fluctuations, we become the driver and observer of the energy of our minds. Through cultivating tapas or discipline and devoting to our practice with heart centered commitment towards the goal of divine connection we become as a lamp in a windless place, an unwavering flame. The practice of yoga allows us to clear the mind of clutter, bringing in a state of truth and clarity in our attitudes towards everything else we have to face in the present moment.
To adopt the path of dharma, one must support themselves with a practice which cultivates truth and inner awareness. Krishna reminds us throughout the bhagavad gita that every construct of the mind has the ability to entrap us or liberate us, it is through our devotion to the divine oneness of the all that is which allows us to transcend the pains of karma and embody the path of dharma in action. There are simply some experiences and aspects of creation which are here to show us where better balance is required. Every aspect of creation has something to teach us, when we devote and call to the divine spirit within the tree, the sky, the sun, the darkness, the light, the truth and compassion, the fruit, the fire, the water, the air the earth, when we call upon these forces and honor them, be mindful, for they do answer you, we may ask and ask for help and answers but if we are not open to receive and committed to the path of self realization our un-awareness/ignorance may divert us from the truth into confusion and fear. We may forget we have practice available, we may forget we have called to the great spirit for help and in this we forget to listen.
We invite you to take some time today to simply breathe and listen to your breath, listen to the natural universe within you. We wish to continue tomorrow as we re-initiate this 90 day path of Ascension, with more on devotion, deities, aspects of consciousness and self, and of course, The Path of Dharma!
