12/15/07  Personal Growth, How Life Works

The Road to Hana

In Hawaii there is a place that has captured the imagination of adventurers, tourists, and lovers alike. It is the mysterious island of Maui. While many come to vacation, snorkel, golf, and wander its endless palm-lined beaches, others come to have an experience in nature that will be moving -- perhaps even enlightening.

But where would one find such a place on this allegedly enchanted island? Probably not in the big, luxurious hotels lining the shoreline of Lahaina; nor the exceedingly wealthy gated communities on the gently sloping hills overlooking the spectacular beaches of Wailea.  Rather one tends to look up to the two great volcanoes on the west and east sides of the island that soar majestically 10,000 feet above the sea -- often covered by a mysterious fog that lures one to the top where the cones and crags puncture an impossibly blue sky.

In my case, something else had that effect; or rather seemed to have that effect on others. It is an area on the northeast side of the island, hugging the shoreline, and just below the towering volcano of Haleakala. There resides a spectacular tropical forest of unfathomable beauty. It is not however the usual type of rainforest -- hidden in some deep valley; shrouded in mist, moisture, and mystery. Rather it is located astride the coastline -- on the hillside and mountains overlooking the stunning Maui shore. What makes it particularly interesting for the first time visitor is that you traverse this tropical wonderland via a one-lane byway known as “The Road to Hana.”

As you drive this mountain highway, you pass through 30 miles of what can only be described as the world’s largest and most magnificent plant store. An astonishing array of tropical plants, flowers, and trees pass by as you traverse the steep, winding road on the slopes of an impossibly beautiful shoreline. As you make your way through the sun-dappled region, navigating the 50+ hairpin turns, on a road that is often a single lane shared with oncoming traffic (!), you feel as if you have arrived at Eden -- to a real, not a mythical paradise on earth.

And yet despite the 1 to 2000 cars that navigate the difficult-to-travel road on any given day, you are enthralled by the green landscapes, the endless cascading waterfalls -- not to mention a spectacular 1/4-mile arboretum with plants, flowers, and trees so beautiful, strange, and mystical-like that you want to cry.

The Road to Hana is a journey through the physical beauty of life -- a tour de force, magical place dreamed up by some God-like artisan. In addition to the enjoyment of the ride, there is the added promise that you will find something special when you arrive at the mysterious town the road is named after. You imagine a village of artists, poets, and seekers of the New; an ideal world, of happy, contented individuals, expressing themselves through their strange and beautiful art, or musing on the nature of life in the cosmos.

However, when you finally arrive at Hana after a grueling 2-3 hour drive, you see that there is hardly anything to be found. There are a few buildings, a few shops -- even a few places to lodge; but that is all. Sure, the hillsides are dotted with spectacular homes tucked away in coastal forests overlooking the ocean, but what you find in Hana is a little underwhelming, despite the promise of its namesake road. How odd, I thought at the time, that after this thrilling but arduous journey, so little was to be found.

And yet, there was no point in dwelling on misgivings, since there was still much to see. In particular, I was eager to drive on beyond Hana, and traverse the eastern side of the island below the great Haleakala volcano. My goal was to work my way all the way around the eastern side of the island to the southern town of Kihei where I was lodging. Though I began that effort with enthusiasm, after 10 miles I came to a sign indicating that that the road ahead was closed. Undeterred by the marker -- which I rationalized as likely being out of date -- I forged ahead. After all, I was certainly not ready to go back and navigate 50 hairpin turns, impossibly difficult one-way roads, potholes filled with rainwater, and gawking, camera-toting tourists looking for beautiful shots of road-hugging waterfalls. And so I plowed ahead, seeking my next adventure.

Unfortunately, after several more miles, I came upon yet another sign indicating the same thing: that the road ahead was blocked. Pursing my lips, and letting out a sigh, I now realized that my vision of driving around the deserted part of the island below the Great Volcano for 20 miles on a dirt road crossing virgin, untrammeled, hardly-navigated and inhabited spectacular scenery would have to wait for another day.

And so now I was forced to contemplate the journey back to Hana and then further on back to civilization. It was not the happiest of thoughts, considering my physical exhaustion and my frayed nerves. However, after grumbling about the situation for a minute, I gathered myself, took a deep breath, and accepted my fate. I then shifted my orientation inward, and psychologically prepared myself for the grueling 3-hour return drive. And so I got into my car and joined the foray of vehicles that were returning to the populated areas of the island.

Then something very unexpected happened. Instead of being in a slow procession of vehicles working their way along a difficult to navigate 1-lane road, I found myself in a small caravan of cars that was moving quite swiftly! “What was this,” I thought, as I sped along at the tail end of a 10-car procession that were moving at perhaps 4 or 5 time the speed I arrived at. How was this possible?

As I revisited the same winding road traversing gorgeous rainforests above spectacular seashores, I perceived several things going on. First, I saw that there were hardly any cars coming from the opposite direction. Second -- and this was particularly striking – I did not have to concentrate intently while I was driving. All I had to do was watch the one car ahead of me, follow behind in tight formation, and I would be swiftly swept along with the pack!

I then realized that I would now make my way across the road in less than an hour, instead of the expected 2-3 hours. As I whizzed by familiar landscapes, I was utterly dumbfounded by this change in circumstance. However, soon after I understood what this was all about. It was simply life responding to my change in attitude. I.e., the moment I accepted in full that I would not be able to drive around the island, and would instead have to turn back, life cooperated from all quarters. When I shifted my attitude from reluctance to acceptance, and embraced the given that life had put before me, everything began to go well for me, as I was whisked across that landscape at the tail end of a swift-moving caravan!

In the end, the Road to Hana really was a profound experience for me -- even if it did not unfold as I expected. In fact, that lovely afternoon turned out to be not only an exhilarating outer experience, but an enlightening inner one as well. Outwardly, I was captured and enthralled by the physical beauty of a once in a lifetime locale. Inwardly, I was reminded once again of the vast power we have within ourselves to alter the conditions of life around us. In that way, The Road to Hana revealed several of its hidden mysteries to me -- providing another extraordinary moment on an unforgettable, once in a lifetime trip.

Additional Information: Accepting What Life Gives

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12/1/07  Personal Growth, How Life Works

Louis Pasteur and the Power of Inner Equality

There is a wonderful moment in the 1935 film The Story of Louis Pasteur that I doubt hardly a critic would notice. It is an expression of the miraculous-like phenomenon of “life response” -- i.e. the spontaneous arrival of sudden good fortune. In particular, it is an example of how taking to calm and equality in the face of great difficulty can elicit powerful positive response from the world around us.

In the incident in the film, the famous scientist Louis Pasteur has been trying to discover a cure for hydrophobia -- i.e. rabies -- that ordinarily comes through a bite or contact from a rapid infected animal. It is Pasteur’s belief that if he gives a mild dose of the disease to an animal, it will build up a resistance to it when it actually does have the illness. This is the approach Pasteur develops to cure rabies and other infectious diseases. I.e. give the sick patient a mild form of the disease, and the body will spontaneously generate a resistance to it, which will push out the illness when it enters the system

In this particular episode in the story, Pasteur believes he has a cure for hydrophobia/rabies, but many are skeptical. In fact, one key member of the scientific establishment, Dr. Charbonnet of the French Academy, is so sure that his cure is wrong that when in Pasteur’s lab he grabs a syringe filled with a dense concentration of the virus and injects it into his arm! Pasteur is mortified, as he believes that Charbonnet has sealed his own fate. Not only was it not intended in such concentrated doses, but it was meant only for sickly individuals.

As it turns out, Charbonnet not only survives the inoculation, but the next day seems perfectly fine! In fact, after 30 days he shows no signs of the disease. While Pasteur is baffled by this outcome, Charbonnet flaunts the fact by parading around the Parisian scientific community, as well as high society circles, proudly pointing out how healthy he is. At one point, he boasts that that the more he takes of the allegedly lethal serum, the healthier he feels! As a result of his public posturing, Pasteur’s image is greatly tarnished in both scientific circles and amongst the general public.

One day an associate friend of his rushes into Pasteur’s home to notify the great chemist that he has been made a mockery of throughout the country. Pasteur however does not react at all to this news. A moment later, however, his wife Marie has the thought that perhaps the dosage the doctor took was of an old batch, and therefore had no potency to affect him. Pasteur then rushes into his office to test out the hypothesis, which he then verifies to be true. A second later, it occurs to him that that he could give infected animals with the disease a low dosage of the serum and then gradually increases the dosage, thereby creating immunity without killing them. The idea has sprung into his mind like a revelation.

What does this story then teach us? From the point of view of life response – i.e. the onset of sudden good fortune due to changes in our consciousness -- it is rather straightforward. Because Pasteur did not respond emotionally to word of his public humiliation, his wife Marie came forward and made her statement about the old serum, which set in motion events that led one of medicine’s greatest discoveries. It is an illustration of how inner calm and equality in the face of negative circumstance attracts powerful positive conditions from the world around us.

If we think about it, we will see that being calm and equal is more than an inner psychological technique, but a spiritual one as well, reflecting the universal spiritual principles of Peace and Silence. Other principles, like Love, Oneness, Truth, and Goodness have their psychological equivalents as well, such as self-givingness, willingness to embrace the other person’s point of view, generosity, gratitude, and others. Each time we take to any of these, we release powerful positive energies that tend to attract life response results.

Practically then we can do the following: when difficulties descend on us, we can try to move to a state of absolute stillness and calm. When we do, the difficulties will tend to quickly evaporate, and unexpected positive conditions will also tend to take their place.

But then a question arises. How can we turn ourselves on and off like a spigot as such situations arise -- i.e. readily shift from our normal psychological state to this poise of inner calm? One answer is that we can simply remember to put aside our emotions and take to that state when these intense situations arise. It does work for those who have trained themselves to do so. And yet this may not be enough, since we tend to be overwhelmed by life’s outer conditions to have the wherewithal to move to this higher status on demand.

A more certain approach is to establish a more permanent inner poise of stillness and calm, which will spontaneously refrain from reacting to life’s intensities. We can begin to produce this affect by moving our center of awareness back away from surface of life to an inner poise, marked by inner concentration marked by stillness, and silence. Through this approach, we develop an inner orientation, a “witness consciousness” that silently, calmly, and patiently looks out onto the world. Then when severe conditions cross our path – whether as intense negatives, or even intense positives – we will not be disturbed, as they will fall off us like the proverbial water from a duck’s back. In other words, life will respond, and those severe external circumstance will tend to quickly subside on their own. In addition, an entirely new development might arise, outside the current situation, as a further positive response. Such unexpected developments can be so powerful that it can change our lives, as it did for Mr. Pasteur and the world.

Additional Information: Power of Inner Calm and Equality

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11/15/07  Society’s Growth

Environmentalism and the Future Evolution of Man

The Indian sage and seer Sri Aurobindo envisioned a future divine life on earth, which would in essence be the culmination and ultimate achievement for humanity. He calls for our collaboration in this endeavor by opening up to and drawing in the spiritual dimension into our lives in order to divinize it -- i.e. bring out its infinite potential.

Before that could happen, however, he suggested that several other developments had to take place, one of which is the movement toward human unity amongst the people of the earth.  Already this process has begun, especially in the last 50 years with the emergence of the United Nations, the European Union, global economics, the Internet, and the cultural cross-pollination and integration we see in the major urban areas of the world, to name a few. It should be noted that much of this was presaged in the 1960s during the Hippy era when the youth of the world took to greater freedom and creative expression, while exploring a variety of cultures and forms of spirituality, including those of the East. What is occurring now is in one sense a ripening of that dramatic, through relatively short-lived pioneering effort amongst that generation’s youth.

Yet another way world unity is emerging is through the rapid expansion of the global environmental movement. Because of the misuse of the resources of the planet, the people of the world have been galvanized to change those dire conditions. On the surface, the degrading of the environment might appear to simply be the byproduct of an industrial society, or the dark side of prosperity, but more fundamentally, it is a reflection of the very way we humans think. Let me explain.

Though scientists, researchers, engineers, and others in the West and elsewhere are able to conceive of an infinite variety of material forms which comfort and benefit us, we are unable to control the negative side of this creative, developmental process. For example, we discovered and unlocked the power of the atom, yet we were unable to contain its byproduct of atomic weaponry. That wanton result has become the greatest evil ever devised by Man -- casting humanity’s very future in doubt. Likewise, we have developed infinite manufacturing capacity to meet the needs of an ever more prosperous and growing population, yet we cannot control the array of forms of pollution it has engendered. Similarly, we have developed powerful automobiles that glide along super highways, but cannot control the hundreds of thousands of deaths from car accidents every year. Thus, for every positive that science and technology devises, one or more very dangerous negative consequences are unleashed upon the world.

Which leads me back to the essential reason this occurs. It turns out that environmental degradation is the end result of our uni-dimensional view of life. It is the result of our mechanistic, empirical, material-only approach to the creative process, which excludes other dimensions -- including the psychological, the social, and the spiritual. Environmental degradation itself thus a product of having left Man out of the developmental equation. The scientist, engineer, or other professional is too preoccupied by the joy of discovery in matter; by what can be seen under the microscope; by what can be resolved into a neat equation to address the subject from its deepest and widest context. Operating from within a constricting, exclusive box of a materiality, the discoverers and implementers are insulated from the wider truths of life, which allow falsehood, and, yes, evil to be set lose on the world.

We could therefore say that this material, empirical, mechanistic approach to discovery is one of Ignorance, since it is separated from the true, wider, multi-faceted, all embracing Knowledge that is being addressed. Because the work professional sees only a small part of the whole picture, decisions made and actions taken are based on a material, mechanistic, empirical superstition, releasing negative outcomes that become the basis for social strife and danger in the world. In fact, one subtle principles of life is that when we embrace only a part of the Whole of any object of inquiry, all of the other parts tend to express negatively. Pollution, nuclear threat, and death on the highways are but several ways the unaddressed Whole, this missing multiplicity of understanding expresses when we look out on the world through these limited blinders. Even now, the unaddressed truths related to any number of subject matters are producing negative side effects in a host of fields that we are summarily unaware of.

Thus, though the world has now begun to perceive the dangers of the degradation of the environment, it has not understood the process by which it occurs. It is not simply a product of modern life, or of a developing economy, or even the foolish ignorance of a few men, but the way we put Matter before Man in the discovery process. It is the root cause of the dark consequences that threaten or otherwise degrade our daily lives.

And yet no matter what its origins – material or otherwise -- environmental degradation is a reality and fact of life. Moreover, that issue is galvanizing the peoples of the world into action. In that process, connections are occurring amongst individuals, associations, and organizations, which, in essence, occur as movements of cooperation, integration, and harmony. Such integrative and harmonic associations are but another way that human unity is taking shape.

We could even say that these harmonic developments are reflections of the Spirit itself – particularly the Divine aspect of the Oneness of life. When we protect the planet we share, and when we do so through deep cooperation and connection, we are experiencing several aspects of the Oneness of being in life. If this is so, then environmentalism may be looked upon as a kind of shared religion; or better yet, a first form of common spiritual experience shared by the peoples of the world.

Through our ever-increasing mentality, through wider circles of culture, through the integration of citizens and nations, human unity is beginning to take shape in the world. Environmentalism is a particularly powerful catalyst because it addresses a fresh new way of relating to our common experience, enabling people to participate and interrelate in ways that transcend one’s backgrounds and culture. The environment is not alone in this regard, as the Internet has a very similar nature. It is a most unexpected manifestation of the new: an organization that not only supports ever-greater knowledge and individuality, but ever-greater unity and harmony of purpose amongst the people.

These ever-new, unexpected forms of commonality of purpose are sure signs of an emerging World Unity. We can look around and see many such signs in the arts, politics, economics, the media, public discussion, and so forth. Most of all they subtly reside in the new perceptions of the individual, in the way he or she relates to others as well as humanity as a whole.

And yet this slow but steady emergence of World Unity presages an even greater eventuality for humanity: the emergence of a common spirit-oriented life on earth. It is a human existence where the Spirit is brought into every activity of our lives in order to bring out their infinite potential. It is a new world unimagined where we experience our ultimate psychological fulfillment, while perceiving the deepest truths of life, including the Spiritual underpinnings of all existence. That ecstatic vision and possibility is also now beginning to appear on the horizon: a sign of humanity’s ultimate destiny and purpose.

 Additional Information: Environmentalism, The New Science of Life/Man

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11/1/07  Personal Growth, Society’s Growth

The Internet and the Emerging True Individual

Many think of the Internet as mere technological marvel -- a form of organization that is simply an extension of the electronic products and services that came before it; in particular, the computer and various communication devices. However, the Internet is more than that. It is an outer form and expression of our individual need to explore, discover, and achieve in life. It is a social structure that allows our individuality to ripen by connecting us the wider knowledge and wisdom of society so we can thrive and fulfill our deepest aspirations in life.

If the Internet is an indicator of new developments in the “support systems” of society, the individual himself is also undergoing a fundamental change. First of all, his life is becoming more oriented around his mind – i.e. he is becoming more mental. Because he is more educated, because he is more aware of the world around him, and because is more conscious of his ability to direct the course of his life, his mental bent is in ascendance -- i.e. it is becoming the true leader of his being. As a result, he perceives that he truly has the inner resources -- the knowledge and power -- to become anything he so chooses.

One way this inner-directed person fulfills his deepest aspiration is by making full use of the information and knowledge available to him. As it turns out, the Internet serves this function perfectly well, as it supplies an infinite supply of facts, ideas, and insights to support his ever-deepening aspiration for self-knowledge, individual expression, and greater success. Though the Internet is an outer vehicle, still it serves an inner need -- as this vast organizational system provides truths from every segment of society so that the individual can consciously choose the future direction of his life.

In addition to this mental bent that fosters a truly conscious inner-driven existence, a second contributing factor to Man’s increasing individuality is the availability of ever-greater levels of freedom in life. Unfettered by the demands of the old hierarchical order, unrestrained by old, outworn moralities and customs, the individual now feels freer than ever, even compelled to explore the vast array of possibilities available to him. This person perceives that he has full independence to become anything he puts his mind to. Once again, the Internet serves him well by providing a vast array of knowledge that he can choose from that meet his own particular needs and interests so he can reach his maximum potential. Thus, the Internet enables Man’s newly inherited freedom to mature into ever-increasing levels of fulfillment in life.

A third fundamental change the individual is going through -- one not readily perceived by society, since it is more subtle and difficult to fathom -- is that he is beginning to move out of his essential Ignorance. By that term, I am not referring to the ignorance of the poor farmer or the individual who is without education, but to an intrinsic unconsciousness that is there in every person at birth: that we inherit simply by being human. There are a number of ways this essential Ignorance expresses -- including an ignorance of our fundamental makeup, i.e. the parts and planes of our nature and being; an ignorance of what purpose we serve in life; an ignorance of the fundamental laws and principles by which life operates; and an ignorance of the higher domains of life, including the spiritual. As a result, we tend to live a divided existence; cut off from the knowledge that would otherwise enable us to live truly conscious and infinitely successful lives.

One particular way our Ignorance takes shape has to do with the very way we perceive reality. If we examine how we comprehend the world around us, we see that we tend to perceive only a small part of any issue or matter, rather than the multiplicity of factors that make up that object. Dominated by our fixed habits, our virulent attitudes, and our hardened opinions, we tend to guard what little we know of a matter, and shun the wider and deeper knowledge available to us. Holding on to our limited perceptions, we make faulty assumptions that lead to error-prone, misbegotten behaviors and actions that result in difficult, pain-filled lives.

Our emerging individual, on the other hand, breaks out of these limitations, embracing the wide variety of truths, including the multiplicity of details, as well as the essence that make up the Whole of any matter or concern. From this vantage point, he is armed with the right knowledge to succeed abundantly, even infinitely in life. Again, the Internet, with its vast array of information and knowledge, serves Man’s purpose, as it provides a more integrated, many-sided view of things. The Internet is thus a social power that forces us out of our false, limited view, and gives us the opportunity to embrace a fuller, more balanced, and integral knowledge. It moves us out of our limited subjectivity and brings us to deeper and wider objectivity rooted in truth. From that vantage point, we have the necessary insight and wisdom to redirect the course of our lives so that we can fulfill our fondest hopes and dreams.

Over time, the Internet could even mature into something even more significant and unprecedented in human history: a shared fount of profound Intelligence that anyone could tap into in order to navigate life’s challenges, opportunities, and mysteries. The inquiring individual could e.g. at any moment in time know precisely which direction to take in a situation to attract the greatest results in the shortest period of time with the least effort. In this way, the Internet can become an instrument and vehicle for our greatest efficiency in life.

Over time, individuals can then contribute their own unique insights and powerful life experiences to this oracle-like organization of Intelligence -- expanding and enriching it ad infinitum. Eventually the Internet can mature into a fundamental pillar of society that serves to educate us about the true nature of life so we are empowered to reach the stars.

As we look out at the arc of our human existence, of the progress we have made over the millennia, and, in particular, the rapid changes in human consciousness that are occurring today, it seems only right that this self-empowered, inner directed, highly conscious new type of person should appear. The emergence of this True Individual is the logical consequence of everything that has come before. Because of the freedom we have acquired, because of our ever-increasing mental bent, and because of our yearning to know the many-sided, true truth of things, there is a compulsion of Nature to produce the next iteration of human life. It is the True Individual.

In parallel and concord with these developments, we see a powerful new system of society taking shape -- the Internet --, which is serving this New Individual’s needs in the extreme. Together they indicate that a new form of human existence is forming that is at once dynamic, creative, and spiritual in nature. It is a sign of the next stage of human progress: a signal of our evolution into a New Way of Living.

Additional Information: The Hidden Meaning and Purpose of the Internet, The Emergence of the True Individual

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10/20/07  Personal Growth, Society's Growth

The True and the Spiritually True Individual

Recently the state of California bet on the future of stem cell research in the United States, while most other states hedged their bets for what they considered moral and other considerations. California looked out into the world of possibilities and perceived that this new technology had great promise. Most others were unwilling to make the commitment for a variety of reasons. Rather than listen to the herd (of states), California thought the issue through and made the decision to move forward. As she has done countless times in the past, California thought for itself, rather than follow the pack. As a result, infinite benefit has followed for her and the world in a plethora of domains of life -- including environmentalism, the personal computer, the Internet, biotechnology, the human potential movement, and many others.

The 21^st century has been marked as the era of the True Individual – i.e. the age where people truly begin to think for themselves. This Individual is no rebel, taking to his own position simply to part with the herd, but is rational and balanced; open to and perceiving the myriad sides of any issue. As a result, that person takes to truth-filled decisions and actions that tend to attract positive outcomes. By making rational decisions based on the multiplicity of truths -- rather than guarding a single truth related to that issue -- that person is far more likely to have an array of facts and insights at his disposal that enable him to rise to the heights, show a particular genius in a field, or be creative in ways unknown in that field. 

Whereas the 20^th century saw the emergence of the Common Man, the 21^st opens the way for this True Individual. Utilizing that earlier-gained freedom, this new person chooses to go further and be rational in the extreme -- thinking for himself beyond the herdal view; seeing all sides of an issue, excluding none; and making judgments that flow from the true truth of things. The emergence of such individuals will not only open the way for accelerating insight, knowledge, and accomplishment, but portends an evolutionary leap for humanity.

And yet, to truly perceive the myriad of truths surrounding any object of inquiry requires a consciousness that is open -- that is truth-seeking in the extreme. That capacity however is not readily available when one lives at the surface of life. At that level, one tends to focus on the superficial and mundane; to what is pleasing rather than what is necessary; to what corroborates our own limited opinions, instead of what is true. As a result, we miss out on the preponderance of insight and knowledge that can lead us in the right direction. Or, to put it another way, surface living -- dominated by the auditory and visual inputs from the world around us -- leads to limited perspectives, miscalculations, and error-prone decisions and actions that thwart success and achievement in life.

And yet, if one is centered in a deeper consciousness within – in mental and emotional silence; as detached “witness” looking out on the world – then we will be far more receptive to what is unfolding around us; to the wider possibilities in the environment; to the insights and position that others have to offer. As a result, we will have the necessary knowledge to make the right decisions that attract powerful positive outcomes; accelerating both accomplishment and happiness in life. This movement toward a deeper consciousness within that is able to open to vast knowledge and insight is another hallmark of the emerging True Individual.

In addition, the way this new person absorbs that knowledge is quite different from the ordinary human method. Not only is information absorbed and processed into ideas and understanding through the normal channels of rational and logical thinking, but it also descends into this person through illuminations and intuitions of thought. Because our consciousness is deeper, wider, and more open, we continually develop new insights; continuously arrive at “aha moments” -- as a myriad of intuitive and revelatory knowledge-experiences enter our minds from the universal planes. As a result, we are able to acquire a many-sided, deep, penetrating knowledge of any matter, which becomes the basis for very right behavior and action in life. This ability to attract knowledge and truth in a flash from the universal domains of life is another hallmark of the True Individual.

Yet another dimension of this person is that he or she is constantly creating the new and the dynamic. Through a calm poise, that perceives a many-sided knowledge; through a persistent openness to the life’s possibilities, the True Individual is opened to the portals of creativity -- enabling him or her to become the dynamic leader, the ultra-artist, the pathmaker to future realities, the visionary who carries others into a most unexpected future.

As this individual moves deeper still to the True Self – i.e. to the Evolving Soul within -- the descent of truth-knowledge and these spontaneous eruptions of creativity will only accelerate. In fact, whereas the True Individual derives his power predominantly by opening to the myriad of possibilities before him, the True Spiritual Individual opens the doors to the vast array of possibilities of the universal and cosmic planes. The more this person encounters his Soul and True Self, the more knowledge rushes in from the heights; the more creative possibility reveals itself; the more positive outcomes to situations rush to his doorstep. Thus, if I want to know the solution to a problem, I center myself in the deepest depths within, aspire for the solution, and offer it to the Higher Power. As a result, answers quickly, if not instantaneously, pour in from all quarters, as I am able to engage those higher planes directly. At that point, I am not only miles beyond the limited view of the herd, but I have even surpassed the multiplicity of truths that I can garner from my own personal vantage point. I now have a direct, continuous link to the highest planes of consciousness, with the infinite possibilities it continually offers. As a result of these developments, I am no longer just the True Individual, but I have entered the realm of the True Spiritual Individual.

The question then is how can we make this somewhat abstract vision of our future real and concrete? We can begin the process of becoming a True Individual by considering any issue that comes before us from all possible sides. As our mind focuses on a subject matter, we should actively seek to know as many sides as possible, while giving up our tendency to focus solely on our own dogged viewpoint or limited perspectives. By taking this approach, we will constantly absorb the necessary knowledge that will enable us to live more dynamic and successful lives.

The second step we can take to become a True Individual is to develop a deeper center of consciousness. We can begin to do this by moving our central focus away from the surface of life – from the visual and auditory influences of the surface of life that impinge on and overwhelm our thought processes. Through concentration, meditation, and other means of drawing our focus inward, we are able to shift to a deeper center of awareness from which we are able to perceive the wider possibilities, the multiplicity of truths unfolding around us. As a result, we begin to become free thinkers -- unfettered by the influence of the social imperative; unshackled from our ego sense that is attached to one position at the expense of others; unburdened by our wanting, limiting attitudes and opinions. Through this deep basis, we deep insights continually unfold, we perceive issues from a variety of sides, enabling us get at the heart and essence of any matter. We do so not only through rational, logical thinking, but also through descents of knowledge from the universal planes of life.  As a result, we become free thinkers, dynamic creators and great accomplishers, which in turn energizes us in the extreme -- filling us with deep delight and joy in being alive.

By taking these steps, we have the opportunity to partake in a noble experiment. We have the chance to be forerunners of a new type of person, whose existence is not determined by the outer conditions and influences of life, but by one’s inner status and being. By taking up this golden opportunity, we can become the pioneers of the 21^st century, the pathfinders of tomorrow -- helping humanity take the next decisive, evolutionary step.

Additional Information: The True Psychological & Spiritual Individual

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10/7/07  Personal Growth

The Life of Spiritual Adventure that Attracts

The overwhelming majority of the time life is routine – i.e. what we do and what comes to us is what is expected. Other times, life suddenly descends on us and offers up the unexpected, -- often taking the form of sudden good fortune. The latter tends to occur in response to our efforts to meet life’s challenges, or by taking life by the horns and living it to the full.  Here is a recent real life case in point:

One man I know of had not left California for 30 years -- save for two relatively short driving vacation trips across the western United States. For this individual then, the state of California had essentially become his entire nation!

One day recently, he was asked to fly down to San Diego in the southern part of the state near the Mexican border to perform some work for a client there. In the three previous decades, he had never once ventured further south – in California, or anywhere else -- than the Los Angeles area.  He was therefore both excited about the trip, and concerned about his ability to navigate this new area.

When he arrived from San Diego on a flight from San Francisco, he discovered a very pleasing landscape, including a beautiful, warm coastline, soaring mountains, and a growing downtown skyline. Though he struggled at first to get his bearings, he was in the end able to navigate the freeway system and make his way to the client, who had their offices in a spectacular valley town north of the city. In the next several days, our friend successfully completed his work, while still having time to explore the coastal region and its sun-splashed beauty. After three days, he returned to his residence in the San Francisco area, with both new insight and an abundance of new energy.

Shortly after he arrived back at his home base, something peculiar happened -- his computer began to die.  After very four very productive years of use, the computer suddenly and most unexpectedly ceased functioning. Since his entire business – ne, his whole life - was contained on the machine, he was shocked by this sudden turn of events. He felt overwhelmed by the fact that without a computer, he was not only out of touch with the world, but all of the documents and programs he needed to get through the day were no longer available. Add the fact that this individual’s profession was in the computer/software field, and that a major vacation to Hawaii loomed on the horizon – his first travels outside of the United States in 33 years (!) – you could imagine why he suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders!

And yet despite this impossible, pressure-filled situation, our friend was able to conjure up the right attitude. Specifically, he viewed the turn of events as part of one great adventure that begun when he first embarked on his trip to San Diego, and was now continuing through these latest difficult unfoldings. He sensed that there was a purpose in what was occurring: that life was somehow trying to push things forward, and that he was willing to be a full participant in this latest adventure. It was with that attitude that he tackled the current problem of the expiring computer. 

In the next several days, he did everything he could to get the machine up and running. However, for each step forward, he seemed to go two steps back. For example, he bought a new large external monitor because the built in one on his laptop had failed, only to discover that it distorted the screen, making all the web sites he created over the last decade unrecognizable. Because his old computer had so many connections with other add-on devices, and had so many wires running in and out of it, that when he changed one part, other parts would begin to fail. When the situation became intolerable, and his very lifestyle and businesses came into jeopardy, our friend perceived that a new approach was in order: that he go out and purchase a new machine.

That morning he arrived at the electronics mega store to purchase the computer. There he saw one that he liked, and a moment later a young man came up to help him. Our friend noticed that the salesperson had a soft and quiet nature. He then proceeded to tell the salesperson which machine he was interested, after which the clerk walked over to the giant metal cage to see if the item was in stock. Our friend, now desperate for any good news after days of incessant trouble, took the only course of action he knew: he opened himself up to the spiritual Force, and with great intensity offered the entire situation to the Higher Power.

After a considerable delay, the salesperson finally returned from his search. But would he have the computer that our friend wanted? It turns out that the salesperson was indeed holding a computer, but it was not the one our friend wanted. Instead, the salesperson found a different one that contained a microprocessor that was nearly double the speed of other one -- and at a lower price! At that moment, our friend knew that the Higher Power had surely worked on his behalf.  Thereafter, he felt grateful to the spirit that helped bring about this stunning turn of events.

When our friend arrived back at the office, he unpacked the machine and turned it on. He was instantly dazzled at how beautiful the screen image looked; how quickly the software loaded; and how many astonishing new features were already built in. He was particularly amazed that he could easily connect to the Internet through a wireless connection. One after another, he discovered new features that he was certain would make his life easier. As each new feature revealed itself, he felt as if he were on a magic carpet ride -- taken on a journey that transcended his experiences using his old, outdated machine.

Dazzled by these stare of the art features, not  only did he truly recognize how utterly out of date his old computer was, but now he saw that its death knell was actually a blessing in disguise; one that ushered in the wondrous new computer before him. He perceived that the failure of his old computer was no failure at all, but an opening to vast possibilities that arrived in the form of the new machine!

In addition to the computer episode, something else occurred after he returned from the “distant lands” of San Diego. He now perceived that he could take his long desired trip to Hawaii. Before going to San Diego, he was not sure. Now, however, after the trip, and particularly after he saw that he had a new machine that was reliable, he was sure. In fact, his trip to Maui – his first trip out of the US in three decades -- was an equally great adventure, bringing as astounding array of additional life response experiences too innumerable to describe here!

When we live a life of adventure, life tends attract the positive. When we break out of old habits, when we embrace to the new, we release powerful energies, and as a result, life tends to respond positively from all quarters.  When our friend journeyed to San Diego to meet with a client, it was the furthest he had journeyed south in over 30 years. For him, it was a great adventure to a foreign place in which he was required to solve the problems of others. As a result, powerful energies were released, which returned to him in spades in the form of an exciting new computer, and the realization of a dream vacation. Even when the computer died along the way, he saw it as a continuation of a natural and organic adventure that was in the process of unfolding.

The more we brave to go beyond the ordinary and routine; the more we embrace the possibilities that life presents us; the more we aspire for the heights -- the more energy we release that tends to attract very positive results fortune from our surroundings.

Life lived in its fullest is then the seeking and experiencing of Adventure. Through that dynamic, we not only attract the miraculous, but as a result are energized and delighted to no end.  It is through such Adventures in Living that we experience not only the thrill of the journey, but the ecstatic fulfillment and enjoyment of the reward!

Additional Information: Life of Romance/Adventure

 

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9/15/07  Personal Growth

Another Road Taken at Fort Mason

Have you ever considered the extraordinary power of changing or discarding a routine or habit of yours? When we perceive something we have been doing repeatedly in the past, envision a new or different way of doing it, and then willfully carry it out, life tends to suddenly cooperate with our efforts, producing results that can border on the miraculous.

One day not too long ago, I decided to break one such routine. On this occasion, I decided not to walk through a large hilly park that overlooks San Francisco bay, which would have deposited me in the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf area. Instead of climbing through that elevated park with its lovely view of the Golden Gate, I decided to explore the three long piers known collectively as the Fort Mason Center. These edifices, left over from Civil War days, are now divided into dozens of sections -- including headquarters for renowned dancing and theater troupes, offices for environmental and global movements,  various California cuisine restaurants, and other interesting and unusual facilities. It has become a kind of mecca for the cutting edge, and the sometimes far out.

The first place I stopped at Fort Mason Center was a store that was dedicated to presenting the concept of time -- in particular, to showcasing a number of magnificent, unusually large timepieces. For example, prominently displayed was a 10-foot computerized clock that was created to be accurate for up 10,000 years. It, like others on display, consisted of an astonishing array of gears and other moving parts.

At the time, I was the only one in the center, aside from the host. As I walked around the facility, I could hear soft, ethereal-like music playing in the background, which added to the already mystical atmosphere of the museum. Other than presenting these marvelous futuristic devices, the intent of the facility (longnow.org) was to capture the feeling of time itself -- or perhaps the timelessness of time. In fact, throughout the facility were posted a number of elaborate statements describing the nature of time -- including how we interact with it, what it really is, and others. There were also a number of books prominently displayed for sale on the subject. The entire experience was not only fascinating and thought provoking, but haunting and serene.

When I left the center, the guide asked me if I had any questions. However, finding myself in trancelike state, I could barely answer. As I exited the facility, I felt myself moving from the timeless like quality of that place back into time – i.e. into ordinary life. I then looked around to get my bearings, and continued on my walk. Not a minute later, I came upon San Francisco’s most famous and venerable New Age restaurant, Greens. Now over 25 years old, it is recognized as the home of the vegetarian movement in America, and one of the pioneer restaurants in the use of locally grown produce in the preparation of its meals. This very large restaurant has a spectacular view of the Golden Gate and environs, and is one of the main gathering places for the intelligentsia of San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

When I walked into the facility to see how things had changed, I saw that it pretty much looked the same; except it was a bit more modern, and the people were younger. As I contemplated entering the enormous main dining area, a man standing a few steps above me suddenly interrupted and called down in my direction. “Excuse me sir,” he said to me, “do you have the time?”

Indeed, I was bowled over by the question, when you consider considering where I had just been! I then quickly responded that it was 2pm. Then I looked at my watch once more and called out that it was actually five minutes to 2. (I guess I felt compelled to be accurate since I had just been in a place dedicated to the specificity of time!) Shaking my head and smiling at this extraordinary little response from life, I then headed out of the restaurant. As I looked around, I could still feel that sense of timelessness and peace enveloping me.

Now in the bright light of the day, I noticed that I could walk completely around the 300-meter pier, which would in effect deposit me at the bay’s edge. And so I did just that, discovering one of the most spectacular views I had ever seen in this city of many such views. Also, I noticed that the weather was somewhat unusual, as it was overcast directly above me, yet the entire bay – with its shimmering hills and mountains in the distance -- was crystal-like, bathed in brilliant sunshine. The contrast was at once breathtaking and surreal, which was for me yet another response on this startling little ‘road not taken’ adventure. As I stood there all alone at the end of the pier with its magnificent view, I felt the wonder and magic of life compressed into a single moment.

After that stirring, almost cosmic-like experience, I headed back inland to explore the other two piers. In fact, I was really looking for a special place that I believed was located somewhere in the third. A moment later, I then came upon the bookstore that I was looking for: one that I had visited once before nearly a decade earlier.

When I looked around the large facility, it looked at once familiar, yet somehow different. As I am want to do, I then immediately headed over to peruse the books on spirituality and religion. This time however, after rummaging though the shelves, I found nothing that caught my fancy. Slightly disappointed, and without much energy to peruse the plethora of other bookshelves, I decided to leave the facility. However, just before I exited the front door, I noticed a section of books prominently displayed that were marked down to half price. Immediately, I found an interesting book that I thought a friend of mine would enjoy. Then something very special happened. I found a book on the subject of how to write spiritual books, and, in particular, how to submit them to literary agents. In fact, the book contained a listing of a number of agents -- with explicit, detailed information about each. I found this utterly astounding because in the last several weeks I had been constantly thinking about how to find an agent and publishing house for my new book! Now in one fell swoop, all my prayers were answered! In fact, as I walked out of the store, it occurred to me that this book could turn out to be the most important discovery of my life!

Like shifting away from a negative attitude, changing or overcoming a habit tends to attract instances of sudden good fortune. When I decided to get out of my dull walking routine and try something different, I was set on a journey that unfolded like a dream -- with unexpected occurrences, mystical like experiences, and infinite-like results.

Likewise, each of us can identify one or more dead or dull routines in our own lives, and experience that same sort of magic. If we come upon a habit or ritual that has no life behind it, and then try to do it differently, life will suddenly open up before us. What was once limited and finite will suddenly blossom. What was dull and unexciting will instantly energize. In that way, our fixed, dull habits and routines will begin to give way, attracting not only startling positive life response results, but in that process bring us moments of great happiness and joy.

That is precisely what happened to me on that mystical-like, sun-dappled afternoon at the shoreline of Fort Mason!

Additional Information: Habits, Routines

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9/1/07  Society’s Growth

The Pioneer who Expresses the Subconscious Urge of Society

8/25/07  Society’s Growth

Harnessing Will-Power

8/17/07  Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth

Power Over the Subconscious

In business-related matters, as in life, there are always several qualities that we are deficient in -- perhaps a missing skill or an inability to organize, or a questionable attitude that prevent us from accomplishing. Each of us are aware of our deficiencies to a degree, though others can see them far more clearly. If we have a spouse, then they continually experience it first hand!

Because we are capable of being rational, we also have the capacity to right what is wrong -- in this case, overcome our deficiencies, whether they are in work or life in general. All it takes is a clear perception of the problem within, and the will to improve ourselves. Many have taken this approach and have seen wonderful results. Sometimes they even experience miraculous-like instances of sudden good fortune – aka “life response” – as a result.

More difficult to isolate are the limitations we have as a result of simply being human – i.e. the effect of the generic limiting traits that we inherit from the past as human beings.  I am not so much referring to negative psychological traits such as jealousy, greed, and a thousand other faux pas which we each experience to a greater or lesser degree, but rather to the moment-to-moment limitations that rise up in our being from our subconscious parts. Let me explain.

Imagine that you have just gone to a restaurant, where you have enjoyed a satisfying meal. You then walk towards home, and enjoy the bright sunshine and the smell of spring flowers in the air. Life seems close to perfect. After a while, you pass several businesses, and notice other individuals engaged in their work. Suddenly, a chilled thought rises in your mind for a reason you are not quite cognizant of. In that moment, a small darkness overcomes you, as you then contemplate having to return to work, or an all too familiar fatigue descends on you, or other matters that weigh on your spirit. You then ride that negative wave of thought and emotion to its own logical conclusion, until it runs its course.

Never does it occur to you that these are negative influences rising on their own from your subconscious being. Nor does it occur that you have the ability to stop such incessant negativity; that you can control these uncontrolled waves of pessimism that emanate from the darker regions of your being within, blocking them from influencing your moment-to-moment life.  

Negative thoughts, perceptions, and feelings rising from our subconscious to our conscious parts, darkening one’s mood, is the modus operandi of every human being on earth. It is occurring all of the time, on its own: a vestige of from our ancestral heritage – human and primeval – down through the ages. Locked into our subconscious, there are thousands, if not millions of years of animal and human suffering, which are passed down and stored in our genes. They continually rise up from the depth to the surface that is our conscious level of awareness in the course of our day.

E.g., we walk down the street, see something insignificant, which suddenly triggers a doubt. We are about to embark on a meeting, and we are seized by fear. We think of an issue, and immediately focus on its negative potential. We see something new, and recoil out of habit. This virulent, low-level negativity of fear, doubt, pessimism, springing from the undertow of our psyche, knows no resistance from our conscious nature. It simply rises on its own, unencumbered -- spreading and influencing our thoughts and emotions – until it runs its dark course.

Imagine however that we could change this deep-seated habit; that every time such thoughts and feeling arose, we could catch it, stopping it in its tracks. Then instead of continually being influenced by these negative qualities, we could live a freer existence, allowing our brighter nature to take hold; releasing our natural inclination towards cheerfulness, optimism, and a positive perspective of life. What approach or method would enable this to come about?

The answer is that if we lived in a deeper conscious within, we would be more mindful of the negative influences rising from the subconscious. From that deeper poise, we would constantly recognize the pessimism and doubt rising from that psychological underworld, and do something about it. For example, we will have the wherewithal to reject it outright; or to remain utterly still in the face of it; or to offer it to the Higher Power so that it will tend to dissipate over time.

By living in a deeper consciousness and taking to these inner techniques, the subconscious negativity is not only held in check, but gradually gives way to a more natural sunny and cheerful disposition. As we continue along that road, it will become abundantly clear that we do indeed have the power to control our inner condition. In addition, each time we reject the negative and allow the positive to shine through, sudden good fortune will tend to move in our direction. At that point, we can be sure that the subconscious is beginning to become conscious.

Additional Information: The Subconscient

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7/25/07  Personal Growth, The Way Life Works

A New Way of Living   Featured Article

We wake up from our sleep, and greet the day. We dress, have our breakfast, and head out for work. We experience the beehive of activity around us, and perceive it as somehow external to our own selves. At one point, we see people we know and the activities they are engaged in, and yet still we sense that their domain is somehow apart and outside of our direct influence. As we gaze out on the proceedings, we perceive that life seems to simply unfold on its own -- independent of our ability to influence and control it.

Finally, that morning, we come upon things that we do seem to hold sway over. E.g., an email arrives, and we know it has come in response to an earlier inquiry we made of that person. I.e., we initiated an act, which was in turn perceived by another, who then reacted in kind, and precipitated the message that arrived in our inbox. This is our normally accepted view of how life works -- i.e. the obvious, practical, material, mechanistic view of how circumstance unfold.

Then there are other outcomes in life that seem to have a very different and unusual dynamic. We recall sometime last week that we received a phone call informing us that we have been invited to bid on a very important new contract, when it was plain as day that we never initiated that inquiry. This fortuitous event clearly descended upon us on its own, from seemingly out of nowhere. But did it? If we think back on what took place, we will see that there was a direct relationship between our psychological condition at the time, and the sudden arrival of this most fortunate circumstance. But what was that condition, and how did it precipitate this out-of-the-blue result?

You then recall that at one point before this great opportunity arrived, you had changed your attitude about getting involved in this sort of work. For the longest time, you were opposed to offering these sorts of services, even though it utilized skills you already had. But then when you thought over the matter, you saw the light, and thus had a change of heart. In fact, now as you contemplate how that incident unfolded, you realize that your shift in consciousness occurred the day before this great opportunity unexpectedly arrived on your doorstep. Hmmm, you wonder aloud, perhaps there really is a connection!

Then you recall a friend’s remark that there