http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journa/l en billstranger@mchsi.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-15T04:21:01-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/ill-blood-level-with-you-new-poems-from-william-gottleib/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/ill-blood-level-with-you-new-poems-from-william-gottleib/#When:04:21:01Z With their humorous diction and sudden changes of rhythm and speed, William Gottlieb’s racy, percussive poems cover a lot of territory fast. He pleads for us to get serious about the cut. 2008-05-15T04:21:01-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/almost-the-way-a-thing-feels/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/almost-the-way-a-thing-feels/#When:16:12:00Z Here are two new poems from Ken Stateman, an artist, entrepreneur, and spiritual practitioner who lives in Marin County, California. 2007-11-22T16:12:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/the-watered-ego/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/the-watered-ego/#When:21:02:00Z Brilliantly alliterative and punnish, Heather McHugh’s confident, sensual insights find the fissures and seams in our ordinary heedlessness. She has a gift for turning our touchy, unnoticed vulnerabilities into revelation. 2007-08-08T21:02:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/what-man-most-passionately-wants/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/what-man-most-passionately-wants/#When:01:24:00Z In the conclusion to “Apocalypse,” effectively his last literary will and testament, D. H. Lawrence restates the faith that animated all his work. The Apocalypse shows us what we are resisting, unnaturally. We are unnaturally resisting our connection with the cosmos, with the world, with mankind, with the nation, with the family. All these connections are, in the Apocalypse, anathema, and they are anathema to us. We cannot bear connection. That is our malady. We must break away, and be isolate. We call that being free, being individual. Beyond a certain point, which we have reached it is suicide. Well and good. The Apocalypse too chose suicide, with subsequent self-glorification. But the Apocalypse shows, by its very resistance, the things that the human heart secretly years after. By the very frenzy with which the Apocalypse destroys the sun and the stars, the world, and all kings and all rulers, all scarlet and purple and cinnamon, all harlots, finally all men together who are not ‘sealed’, we can see how deeply the apocalyptists are yearning for the sun and the stars and the earth and the waters of the earth, for nobility and lordship and might, and scarlet and gold splendour, for passionate love, and a proper unison with men, apart from this sealing business. What man most passionately wants is his living wholeness and his living unison, not his own isolate salvation of his ‘soul’. Man wants his physical fulfillment first and foremost, since now, once and once only, he is in the flesh and potent. For man, the vast marvel is to be alive. For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive. Whatever the unborn and the dead may know, they cannot know the beauty, the marvel of being alive in the flesh. The dead may look after the afterwards. But the magnificent here and now of life in the flesh is ours, and ours alone, and ours only for a time. We ought to dance with rapture that we should be alive and in the flesh, and part of the living, incarnate cosmos. I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea. My soul knows that I am part of the human race, my soul is an organic part of the great human soul, as my spirit is part of my nation. In my own very self, I am part of my family. There is nothing of me that is alone and absolute except my mind, and we shall find that the mind has no existence by itself, it is only the glitter of the sun on the surface of the waters. So that my individualism is really an illusion. I am a part of the great whole, and I can never escape. But I can deny my connections, break them, and become a fragment. Then I am wretched. What we want is to destroy our false, inorganic connections, especially those related to money, and re-establish the living organic connections, with the cosmos, the sun and earth, with mankind and nation and family. Start with the sun, and the rest will slowly, slowly happen. 2007-06-05T01:24:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/rising-into-the-global-power-of-prayer/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/rising-into-the-global-power-of-prayer/#When:22:40:00Z On Global Peace Meditation Day, Sunday, May 20, 2007, thousands will gather at 12 locations to pray and meditate for world-peace. The occasion that will be monitored by Princeton University’s Global Consciousness Project, which uses random-number generating computers to measure the field effects of massed human intention. Here the eminent global philosopher Ashok Gangadean encourages us to boost our prayer by liberating it from the ego’s conceits . Read More To realize the Global Power of Prayer it is vital to cross into the expanded open sacred space that is the source and common ground of all our diverse worldviews and forms of life.  When we enter this higher dimension through the global lens and awaken global consciousness through global wisdom we recognize that the collective wisdom of humanity through the ages has taught us that we ARE as we mind- that we co-create our selves and our world through the technology of consciousness.  This global wisdom makes clear that when we live and conduct our lives through the egomental mind and speech we generate a world that is polarized, fragmented, oppositional and hence pathological.  By contract, our global wisdom has taught that when we rise into an integral, holistic and dialogical pattern of consciousness we come into deep connectivity and communion with the Infinite Presence that always surrounds us in every breath.  Our Global Wisdom teaches that there is an Infinite Force that is the ground and source of all life and existence, whether we call IT- Tao, Aum, Yahweh, Allah, Christ, Sunyata, Brahman, Energy, Cosmos, God, Nature, Universe…This Wisdom shows us that whether we believe in “God” or not, every human, all beings, are inherently situated within the Holistic Unified Field of this sacred Energy, and when we are cut off from IT we are invariably lodged in all kinds of individual and collective pathologies and dysfunctions.  By contrast, when we rise into a more mature and awakened pattern of integral, holistic and dialogic global consciousness we flourish in well being and realize our true awakened sacred individuality and connection with others and with the ecology.  The contrast between these two technologies of consciousness needs to be explicitly marked to constantly teach and remind us whether we are in the egomental mind or crossing into the awakened integral and holistic practice of consciousness.  And this is the key to releasing the higher global power of Prayer:  when we are in the /egomental/ pattern of mind let us mark it with /…/ quotes, and when we cross into the awakened sacred space of ((integral consciousness)) let us mark it with ((…)) – holistic quotes. This helps us to see the difference between /Prayer/ and ((Prayer)).  So “who” is praying and the quality of ((consciousness)) and ((speech)) is all-important in releasing the true ((power of Prayer)) – when we pray from the /egomental self/ and use /egomental speech/ we are not engaging in genuine ((Prayer)); but when we mindfully cross into the ((awakened mind)) and engage in the higher transformative power of ((Prayer)) we come into deep connectivity and communion with the Infinite Presence that always surrounds us.  There is a world of difference between /Prayer/ and ((Prayer)) When we enter ((Prayer)) we transform our Self and our Ecology- we transform our world.  This is because everything is deeply inter-connected in the Holistic Field of Presence.  So genuine ((Prayer)) taps the boundless Power of this Unified Field and each of us comes to full empowerment – the ((butterfly cause)) – and can make a profound difference in healing our Selves, Others, and the Planet.  Entering this awakened and mindful ((Speech)) is the key to the emerging global civilization and rising together in a compassionate Culture of Peace wherein the entire ((human family)) may flourish together with ((Sacred Earth)).  This is the ((Global Power of Prayer)). II) My message to all global citizens is that as we now enter this great evolutionary shift and mature as ((Humans)) it is vital to become mindful of the difference between /Prayer/ and ((Prayer)), and to realize that as we rise together into a mindful and awakened ((Life)), every act, every breath is a ((Prayer)).  And we can ((heal the world)).  Thus entering into mindful ((Prayer)) is powerfully ((transformative)) as it lifts us from /egomental life/ into awakened ((Self)) realization. Ashok Gangadean is a Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Haverford College. He is the Founder-Director of the Global Dialogue Institute and Co-Convenor of the World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality. You can learn more about him and his work at: http://www.awakeningmind.org. 2007-05-15T22:40:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/shattering-the-ego-mind-a-new-energy-flow/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/shattering-the-ego-mind-a-new-energy-flow/#When:23:26:00Z In his fascinating autobiography, “Intelligence Beyond Thought,” Dada Gavand, a contemporary Indian yogi, describes “The Explosion” of life-energy that transformed both his meditation and his life. My days and nights passed in this intense, watchful, attentive state, in an almost unbroken momentum of awareness. At times I wondered where this whole adventure would take me. A deep sense of wonderment crept in about the experiences and states through which I was passing. I had no expectation or fear of any kind. I simply watched every internal movement, accepting life as it was unfolding. My path and my journey consisted of totally facing myself and passing through the unknown. As this inner pilgrimage continued, one day the mystery of life suddenly and unexpectedly struck like a lightning bolt! Around noon, I cooked my rice as usual and put out the wood fire. Although the rice was ready, I decided to wait a few minutes for it to cool before eating. I drew back a little and sat casually on my mat, with my mind completely at rest. Suddenly, in that quiet and inadvertent moment, totally unanticipated, a mysterious action struck. Something inside me literally exploded, giving me the shock of my life. In a split second a fountain of unknown energy sprang forth from within. This surprising energy flow was of a truly new kind, different from anything I had ever sensed or experienced before. It felt soft, sensitive, joyful and dynamic yet peaceful. It filled me with profound reverence, deep awe and love. Such a mystical and powerful explosion in my inner domain was a miraculous event. This explosion affected and transformed my entire personality. In this dramatic breakthrough in consciousness, the whole crystallized structure of the ego/mind got literally shattered. This opened up an energy flow of a totally new kind. No mind - no thinker or I - remained while this was happening. A dynamic, intuitive state came into existence, where the past in the form of memories and the future in the form of desires were not there. This brought in a flow of total now-ness. I did not know where this flow of new and different energy came from or how all this had occurred. The whole experience happened very suddenly and unexpectedly, and was extremely pleasant and deeply blissful. I never had experienced such a flow of all-powerful energy in my life. It swept me off my feet and took charge of me completely. I was steeped in joy, dynamicity and ecstasy, reeling a real freedom and inner tranquility. Everything inside and out became intensely alive, giving me a taste of the vibrant present. A celestial shower drenched my whole being, submerging me in serenity. Something unknown and mysterious had taken place! I was overflowing with happiness, and in that excitement I got up and even danced around the room in total abandonment. I was the most ecstatic person on earth at that moment. My life had been touched by the sublime and sacred. How long I remained in this state I do not know. Eventually, the upsurge of ecstasy subsided, but thought activity was still entirely absent, not even lurking in the corners to come creeping in stealthily. Instead, I experienced profound quietude. The flow of this fountain of new energy slowly diminished, leaving behind deep feelings of humility and reverence. For the first time I vividly experienced a totally serene state in my whole being. I sat down on the floor and immediately became engrossed in an intense inwardness with profound silence. From this point onward my meditation took a different form. It became a play of this new internal energy. I could sense only the flow, a glow within, of this new energy moving quietly. A momentum of twinkling energy, this fountain of intuitive flow initiated the beginning of a totally new life experience. After a period of deep silence I fell asleep. However, my experience of sleep was now completely different as well. It became a time of internal dynamicity, without the play of the mind as dreamer. I experienced sleep as a state of serene internal existence out of which I emerged very fresh and vibrantly alive. Later that day, afte a short rest I went out of the hut. The whole scene before me shone with new depth and clarity. The horizon appeared absolutely boundless, giving the experience of infinity. It touched me to the depth of my being, intensifying the taste of timelessness. No center or ‘I’ as perceiver existed. Instead, the act of perceiving was itself an internal experience of the panorama from inside out. This new way of perceiving or experiencing a landscape which I had seen many times before overwhelmed me. I sat down upon a wooden log, wondering about this unique internal explosion that had occurred. There came a profound sense of gratitude and fulfillment. As I pondered this unusual experience, I slipped into a deep internal silence. In this silence, I became aware of the same movement of glimmering energy. I do not know exactly how long it worked upon me that day. Slowly the flow subsided, leaving me joyous and deeply contented. That evening I had a strong urge to inform my mother about this mind-quake, this shattering of the ego-mind. It was so mysterious and exciting, a first-time, first-hand revelation! I realized that my mother, living so far away from me, still remained the closest person to me, and I wanted to share it with her only. I felt like going to the edge of the mountain to announce to her at the top of my voice about the amazing breakthrough that took place. This is like a new birth! Surprisingly, quite spontaneously, a message to my mother came forth in poetic form, in Marathi, my mother tongue. I had never before written poetry. In this new expression of life, the words came out spontaneously in a meaningful way. Thereafter, for a while every day, I wrote a poem to describe this new energy and its unusual play within me. I wrote a few poems in Hindi and even in the English language. I discovered that language was no barrier and I used to be filled with wonder at the way the words would all fall in line. On completing each verse, I would take a look at it, only to marvel at its neat rhythmic pattern and its well-integrated theme and structure: SURPRISE VISITOR When all wanderings and searchings came to an end Mind realized there is nowhere for him to go. I sat then alone, in utter humility and anonymity Oh, then you came to visit me uninvited! Thereafter, the nature and style of sitting with myself changed. It became a spontaneous expression of this new energy. I passed my days in the hut with absolutely no discipline of any kind, no expectation, and no hope about anything. I remained receptive, allowing the new energy to come and to work in its own way, and that took different forms. It started touching various regions inside my body, gathering around one part for a moment and then shifting to another part. It stimulated one particular area for a time and then disappeared. Like a game of touch-and-go, it was a kind of play of that amazing, glowing energy. I had to stay quiet and empty for it to appear again to carry out its plans within me. The energy would appear - unpredictably, unpretentiously, quietly - work for a while in its mysterious way within, and then leave silently. All its movements were unanticipated, almost secret, deeply sacred. Sometimes my mind would visualize and anticipate the direction, but the energy never obliged my mind. In this way the secret inner activity went on, keeping me innocent, empty and almost dumb. It alone directed the show! Any activity of my mind would hinder the movement of the energy. Nevertheless, the energy always remained untouchable and uninfluenced by the mind. From these months of watching the movement of thought, of seeing the mind in its intricacies and its whole structure, I had begun to realize how every idea is programmed in our brain cells from which it springs. In fact every idea, every thought, has a biological counterpart in each cell of the brain. But now, after this explosion, I saw that no idea entered my mind inciting action. Instead an intuitive flow - that new energy - worked instantaneously and spontaneously. The new intelligence does not function through the vehicle of thought or memory, so it has no contact with the regular active brain. I began to see, and have since understood more fully, that the brain and nervous system, as they have evolved to this point, are not capable of receiving and cooperating with this unique energy flow. They are not able to be the right instrument or medium for the expression of the new-dimensional energy. It has a different source and a new quality all its own. The nervous system and brain have developed over time, in cooperation with the mind, to be an instrument for the expression of thought/emotion activity only. Nature has helped to evolve the central nervous system as a means for the smooth functioning of the mind as a thinking, reacting mechanism. However, this new energy, which resides beyond the border of the mind, needs a new or modified instrument for its functioning and expression. This new energy is a momentum of the present and acts spontaneously, independently and intelligently. The brain, on the other hand, functions through thoughts, calculations, memories, and the past. This new energy has nothing to do with thought, and does not use the regular active brain. Thus the brain is basically laid to rest, and a profound peace comes into existence as a natural phenomenon. This peace becomes the natural state of the whole being. Oh My Mother Dear Mother . . . I am born again – a new born babe Celebrating my new birth on this earth. But Mom, how can a son describe to his Mother The events of his mysterious rebirth? You gave me the mortal birth That brought me into this world. But now this new birth has granted The touch of immortality! Oh, dear Mother, it’s an actual happening, And I am so happy and joyful here today. But how can I convey to you the news About the rebirth of your son? I feel so thankful to you For bringing me into this mortal world. Now I have discovered for myself The beauty of that which is imperishable. Oh my Mother, I am very happy And safe on this solitary mountain. Finally I have sought and discovered That which was hiding in me only! Oh my Mother, I love you dear How I wish you were here To see this mysterious affair! 2007-04-29T23:26:00-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/two-for-trane/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/two-for-trane/#When:01:59:01Z Two brief stories from Kelly Grime’s “Jazz at Ronnie Scotts” highlight the spiritual impulse behind John Coltrane’s epochal jazz career. I went to the London concert in 1961 and it was quite obvious that after the Coltrane band had finished there was no real point in anyone else going on because everything that was going to be said had been said. More than anyone could take.  I went to the London concert in 1961 and it was quite obvious that after the Coltrane band had finished there was no real point in anyone else going on because everything that was going to be said had been said. More than anyone could take. I was introduced to him backstage but there was no time to talk. But I felt I had to meet him. So I rang him up about eleven o’clock in the morning and a voice came over the line, “Oh man, what do you want?” And in a very bright, callow youth voice I said, “Oh, excuse me Mr. Coltrane. I met you last night,” and the voice went, “Oh, maaaan, I can’t get any sleep,” moaning noises. And I thought, oh dear, what have I done, you know. So I said very quickly, “You and I have something in common, we have the most important thing of all in common apart from being saxophone players, we both believe in God and believe that life is purpose, you know, and life is short and you never know when you’re going to see anyone again and. . . . “ And his voice changed immediately. He said something like, “Stop by the hotel, come in and talk.” So I did. And I must have had about an hour’s conversation with him. Very, very serious conversation. With some music in it, you know . . . mouthpieces. He gave me a box of reeds. . .  H was a very, very serious and aware person, that’s all. He must have been at the mercy of all kinds of pressure. Being a leader he must have been pulled in every direction by all kinds of people wanting to use him, that’s the feeling I got. But he was more than ready to talk to me for any length of time on spiritual matters. He’d been around a long time, he’d certainly been right through it, the blues groups, the rock groups, he’d tasted a lot of the . . . dangers. . . . Don Rendell Classical musicians tend to dismiss jazz performances. I don’t know why. Because the great improvisations contain everything that any composer would be proud to have written—a melodic statement like a clarion call—development. The only time I heard Coltrane live it was the ultimate. I just can’t see farther than that. I listened about twenty minutes. Then I had to go out and walk around the block—it was too much for me. And I play the saxophone.  Then I dcame back in. And it was still going on. At that level. Amazing. Ronnie Scott 2007-04-20T01:59:01-08:00 http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/letter-to-joe-bosquet/ http://www.dharmacafe.com/index.php/pilgrims-journal/article/letter-to-joe-bosquet/#When:08:39:00Z In this wartime letter to a close friend, the agonized Christian genius, Simone Weil, offers an intimate portrait of her spiritual evolution. Marseille, May 12, 1942 Cher Ami, First of all, thank you for what you have just done for me. If your letter is effective, as I hope, you will have done it, not for me but for others through me, for your younger brothers who should be infinitely dear to you since the same fate has struck them. Perhaps some of them will owe to you, just before the moment of death the solace of an exchange of sympathy. 2007-04-05T08:39:00-08:00