Tag: spirituality

Finding Peace in Life

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Finding Peace in Life

Do we truly want inner peace?How do we find inner peace?

We are plagued by incessant restlessness,worries of the mind,agitations,unconscious anger(kept silent or expressed),frustrations,fears,addiction of all sorts(being tired of its wasteful fanaticism) and unsettled resentful feelings,etc.This is the time of true testing when we can do something to help ourselves make an effort to learn from all adversities.This is the time we can learn to melt into the courage and strength of humility.We can then be our own true best friend,to say I need help and guidance to seek peace within myself.

But we say there are so much disturbances within myself and troublesome situations and people around who are aggravating my life!!

It all begins with the awareness of our own true sincere acknowledgements and recognition of all annoyances within the self and external circumstances.We can start to potentiate peace right NOW and it doesn’t matter who,how or what are disturbing us.We stand up tall to focus on PEACE itself.Where we are,where we sit,who we are mingling with,whatever we are doing,we can be aware of our thoughts and feelings and actions and speech.Then we can slowly observe ourselves and apply an effort to make a quiet change when we see the anger rising,the hatred seething,being gripped in uncontrollable tiresome habits, the restlessness looming,the resentments flaring up and the harsh,cynical/critical speech/voice surfacing.When we can allow sincere humble courage and not to be discouraged or be harsh to check ourselves in that moment,we can trigger a mild change.We can keep in constant practice of this simple exercise anywhere with anyone till it gets deeply rooted,till we witness our self-respect,understanding and confidence and heart warming up…compassion commences for ourselves and for others.We can continue to work with those around us by sincere understanding dialogue and actions.It is not easy but not impossible,we have all the gifts and sacred tools within us to warrant peace.

No matter how much we pray for peace or turn to ‘God’ and ask for healing and want an end to any type of misery, suffering and pain,we have to take action for it,to strive positively for it.No one can hand peace, joy, happiness and healing to us on a golden platter as each of us are looking for the same…it must come from within.Naturally,when we say we want peace and don’t do anything for it and remain ‘at war’ within ourselves and unconsciously to others,will we find or be an instrument of peace at all?

Yes,we can pray or chant or meditate or reflect but it has to be together with practical actions,self-assertive awareness and undertaking responsibilities,life can always change for the better no matter what situation we are in or whoever seem to be troubling us.

Just as when we want the freedom to drive a car,we need to find a competent driving instructor to go through a bit of difficulty to be trained to learn to drive first or we might be a danger to our selves and others while being incompetent on the road…or in this case on life’s journey!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

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Seeking for a Spiritual Change

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How can our human afflictions influence the maturity for spiritual growth that benefits oneself and others(humanity).

Unhappiness…propels us to seek Joy

Pain and suffering…make us strive for the comfort of Peace

Ignorance and darkness,…drive us to look for the light of Clarity

Delusion and Disillusionment,…challenge us to find the Truth of Life

Anger and Hatred,…open the path into the power of forgiveness and Eternal Love

Selfish desires…bring us opportunities for kind acts of Charity

Chaos and Confusion,…humble us to implore the wisdom of spiritual Awareness

When we ask with clenched fist,how are we to receive?

When we ask with an open,sincere Heart,we are able to receive as well as Give!———CSH

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

A Lenten Meditation

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Lent

In the Christian tradition,today,which is also known as Ash Wednesday starts the beginning of Lent.Ash denotes the truth that the physical body will turn to ashes when it decays in death.So it can be termed that we are reminded of the truth of dying to all that is not permanent.In other words to our’old habituated -suffering -egoistic self’.

It is a time of withdrawal(moving inward into the self),a time of spiritual retreat.A time to utilize the test of faith,perseverence and courage in wanting to find the True Self following in the footsteps of the historical Jesus the Christ.

As we are told in the Gospels of the New Testament,Jesus left for the wilderness/desert for 40 days/nights to meditate,look within himself, to be allowed to be tempted,tested and tried.It was a time he had to harness all his energies inward into himself withdrawing from the sensory deluded world,letting go,surrendering and renouncing all forms of desires, attachments,ego-centric motivations in order to find his True Self.He needed time to spend in aloneness and solitude to fast his senses and commence the purification process from all afflictions.By going through this endeavour,Jesus had witnessed his Divinity,experienced, announced and attested that the ‘Kingdom of Heaven is Within,’which he mentions many times in the scriptures.

As we journey on this humanly life, it is necessary to find time for quietude to examine our conscience as we develop going deeper into our self to know and experience the truth for ourselves.This is the lesson and teaching that Jesus and all enlightened teachers/masters of spiritual truth would have wanted for us to learn from.They direct the way of seeking out silence to rest the mind,body and spirit and find our True Self.

Therefore lent could be likened to an addict who wisely seeks healing from unnecessary suffering and torments through rehabilitation to courageously and completely detoxify in the term of ‘cold-turkey’ away from the source of addictive temptations.

Most religious traditions delegate a time for ritualistic fasting/penances and altruistic practices to bring us back into our conscience to observe our living states.And it does not only stop when the ritualistic time period is over…it is truly a continuation to keep evolving, delving deeper into ourselves till we find and purify and free ourselves from unnecessary suffering and selfish bondages.

Lent is a time for everyone,believers and non-believers of any particular religious tradition or non at all.Lent is an opportune chance to begin the healing process of cleansing the self of all unhealthy afflictions that disturb our lives and the lives of others.It is a time to bring peace of mind and heart for the welfare of each and every single human being.And we begin with ourselves!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

Celebrating Love

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When we sit in solitude(meditation),in the Presence of Divine Countenance,we Celebrate Love.

When we are in the company of another/others,that celebrated Love is animated and shared in Joyful and peaceful celebration.

Love radiates as we smile,as we give a hug,as we hold a hand,as we speak a word of kindness and share laughter,as we help to serve to whomever,however,whatever either in a big or small way.

We are all,each and every one is a Lover of Truth,Beauty and Goodness”

Every Moment is a time to celebrate Love,a time to witness tenderness that we can cherish and offer to each other…

When we look through the ‘eyes’ of Love,we go beyond age,gender,race,culture, religion,physical appearances,emotional and mental propensities.

Everyone and everything is Beautiful and Unique!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

From Head into the Heart

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From Head to the Heart

Saint Augustine of Hippo said….”my soul will not rest till it rests in you Lord”

Most of my life I tried to decipher what these words actually meant and what truth it wanted to speak of.

Because of my own quiet perseverance in search for truth and love,I have come to understand its true meaning after going through long struggles with depression, unhappiness and misery most of my adult life.Like St. Augustine, I was yearning for peace of mind and for my heart to experience love in its deepest/fullest capacity.

Meditation,as I have come to practice and experience firsthand is that ‘spiritual transport’ by which all beings inherently can reach the core of the heart and find true purpose of our lives.The purpose of which is to know who we truly are,to be liberated from wasteful,unnecessary suffering and to be a lamp to help others find their way to peace and truth.

Meditation is a sacred passage by which we travel into ourselves watching our minds while we descend into the heart to find Divine Love there already waiting.By this process we come to know who we truly are empirically(direct experience).No one can bring us into ourselves but ourselves! In other words no one or any entity can save us!All true teachers are there to help point and guide,direct us on the path into the self and not away from truth and our own true nature.

We move esoterically(inwardly) from head to heart in the quietude of meditation.It is a love affair with oneself,in self-inquiry…”who am I truly?’”what do I truly want?”

By devoted sitting/walking meditation practice, we gradually become aware and conscious of our humanness,the mind is being observed and tamed.We mature in slow progression of peacefulness(contentment),understanding the true nature of things,preparing to accept all arising of uncertainties.It is not easy to sit in meditation but it becomes possible and effortless once we understand and are willing to endure it for the sake of wisdom,compassionate and joyful attainments to offer and share for ourselves and with others.

Most of my adult life,I thought living was just one big arena for foolish/selfish fun and play,reveling in reckless/restless activities.In the midst of all those reveries,there was always a deep ache and longing for something more,something fulfilling and meaningful that I hungered for.It was something I could not put a finger on but I knew that all these fun and worldly pursuits were not truly what life should be all about totally and aimlessly. I am not against fun,enjoyment and rest/recreation…but only that no one is hurt or harmed or abused and taken advantage of leading to further suffering.Another pitfall of wanting perpetual fun and happiness is that our senses become deeply attached/addicted to its pleasurable tendencies.Happiness hence becomes a suffering trapped in a tiresome,energy draining cycle,repeated over and over unable to be freed from chasing one desire after another(the mind/psyche sustains no peace).If desires are not met,we become agitated and restless which could lead to subtle or vicious aggression and maliciousness.

The world is out there acting as an assistance usually by the subtle and harsh realities of difficulties,chaos,hardships,challenging people/situations,false/empty offering of happiness/glory/beauty and riches which creates opportunities for us to change directions into one of spiritual conversion/transformation thus leading us to introspect and look within ourselves.

A quote from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 7,verse 13-14 illustrating what Jesus had to say about walking through the narrow road which means inwardly into the self and not blindly following ideologies, hearsays,opinions/beliefs of others(world) through the wide gate and broad road with the many distractions that destroy inner peace and truth.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

~~~~~ Jesus ~~~~~

If inclined to,practice spending a few minutes at a time being in quiet presence to rest the body,mind and soul.To have the right intention of understanding why we need to practice.In order to be opened to peace and loving intentions which bring relief,comfort, to nurture and cultivate wisdom and spiritual maturity.

I write not intending for anyone with any particular religious belief but for everyone as we are all human,yearning to know the truth of ourselves but still not ready or prepared to do so.

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

Courageous Humility

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Courageous Humility

In the true act of courageous humility,the being becomes aware of the log(guilt, fears,faults and negative affictions)) in one’s own eye first thus we can begin to understand the speck(pain and sufferings) seen in another’s eye.

In this process,the devotee chooses to make a courageous effort to pull out that ‘infected’ affected log from its own eye while resonating in compassion for the speck seen in another’s eye.

We all as human beings do suffer.When we see and feel and acknowledge our own suffering,we humbly stop to contain it in the wisdom of not wanting to pour it outwards to inflict pain and annoyances upon others.And this includes the discernment to not be influential in encouraging others to engage in unwholesome activities which does not empower and enhance spiritual healing,growth and humane betterment.For to help bring peace and joy to ourselves, our homes, our environment,to the world,we can mindfully discern to not indulge in meaningless,childish(selfish) and fearful behaviours which only stuns healthy development for ourselves and people we say we care for.

What can we learn from the two criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus on that fateful historical day some two thousand years ago?

The first criminal(the arrogant one),while hanging and dying on the cross mocked Jesus by saying “if you are the son of God,why don’t you come down from the cross and save yourself!”

The second criminal(the humbled one),also in the throes of suffering in pain and close to death on the cross chose the courage to be humble.He chose to defend Jesus,to defend truth and goodness.He spoke quietly to the arrogant man and said……”this man(Jesus) is not a criminal and does not deserve to die like us!”

And Jesus responded to the humble man…..”on this day,you shall be with me in paradise!”

What would suffering allow us to learn from? Humility or Arrogance?

A Christmas Meditation

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Generally around the time of Christmas, people develop sensitivities of the heart,a time when most people feel nostalgic, depressed, low in spirit and melancholic…why?Perhaps too many reminders of the way it should be spent with lavish parties and gifts,negative past experiences—missing someone,lost of a loved one,separation,present way of unhappy life situations,being(feeling) alone,the dark,rainy and gloomy weather conditions,the chaotic world, etc.This season too is a time for miracles of the heart to happen,charity and spiritual growth/changes!,During this time,we often speak(sing), hear and see the words LOVE,PEACE,JOY in songs, posters,advertisements,greeting cards,in shopping centres,decorations,etc.

When we lighten and allow the heart to tenderize through whatever we are experiencing in this moment—with thoughtful understanding,kind,loving,forgiving,joyful and humble actions,we can and will enjoy the Christmas season and all its festivities even more meaningfully.We can learn to simply be Present(a present) of peace and joy and thus not get into a knot of attachment to all past reminders.Through this way of loving consciousness,we can wake up without any traces of harsh ‘hangovers’ when the season is over!

My wish and prayer for each one of you,family(near and far),friends and all whom I haven’t seen for a long time and some even I have not met,my wish for you is to be blessed with a Generous Heart and be a witness to the Miracle of Love during this Christmas time. Joyous and Peaceful blessings of the season to all!

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

Who Am I

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Who Am I

When we want knowledge of truth,we ask wise questions…and not be perturbed to hear the answers!

Do you dare sit courageously and perserveringly and ask these 2 pertinent questions of your own self..

“who am I?”

“what do I truly want?”

We go deep into the Heart for the answers and not from the level of the mind.

Can we ask…am I of a partticular sect of religion, a man, a woman, a mother/father,am I doctor, a nurse, a businessman,rich/not so rich,good/bad,etc…are we truly anything we identify with??keep asking to go within the self in quiet reflection.

Do we honestly want to be only selfishly happy, loved and at peace OR …keep asking…

Author of To Resurrect the True Self

The Warrior Without an Enemy

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The Warrior without an Enemy

I Am that warrior who fights without a sword,

I Am that warrior who is protected without a shield,

I Am that warrior who sees no enemies around me,

I Am that warrior whose purpose is to slay the ‘demons’within me,

I Am that warrior who champions fearlessly for Love,without prize or crown,

I Am that warrior who knows suffering and who seeks only to spread awareness of its wastefulness!

Author of ‘To Resurrect the True self’

Forgiving Power

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Forgiving Power

In order to facilitate inner forgiveness for ourselves

or toward others, we need the strength and courage to

be humble, to allow the heart’s capacity to fully open,

and to bring down all barriers that had blocked the

heart from tenderizing, from loving, and from being

charitable. Humility aids the heart to soften, to be

pliable, to yield toward gentleness, and to be open to

learn from past mistakes.

In December 1998, while still in the beginning

stage of my journey of spiritual revelations, I used to

occasionally spend time with Sister Marilyn of the Grey

Nun Congregation. One time, I poured out some of my

past transgressions to her. She then asked me straight on

if I was willing to put down the heavy load that I was

carrying. Without hesitation, I said a firm “YES.” She

then asked if I would like to make a personal confession

with her friend, a monsignor at the chancery office of

the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. I humbly and

wholeheartedly agreed.

I remembered the day, it was

sometime in late December 1998, and I must have spent

more than an hour in confession with Monsignor Smith.

It was to be my last Catholic rite of confession. I was

crying throughout the confessional time with heartfelt

shame and deep remorse for my past actions. Monsignor

was very empathetic and comforting toward me. He

pointed to a framed picture on the wall depicting a

scene showing Jesus throwing a life-saving buoy to a

drowning man in a perilous sea. I remembered feeling

free and relieved upon looking at the picture; it was a

knowing inside of me that was saying, “I am turning

my back toward the past and starting anew.” I walked

out of his office and into the Vancouver December rain.

I felt washed clean and joyful, and the peace gave me

the courage to say, “I want to make amends and never

to be that same person again.”

~~~~ excerpt from my book “To Resurrect the True Self”,page 168-169 ~~~~

May be an image of text that says 'SINCERE ASKING FOR FORGIVENENSS AND OFFERING FORGIVENESS. OPENS THE PATH TO THE WILLINGNESS TO DIE TO OURSELVES, TO PAST MISTAKES AND HABITS... REJUVENATE AND BECOME RENEWED. WE WELCOME THE OPENNESS TO ACCEPT LOVE..'

Author of ‘To Resurrect the True Self’