Some are direct parallels, others are reverse, the rest after a fashion.

The events in Lydia's life, her letters, Kitty's secrecy are directly a parallel to the visit to Pemberley, Darcy's changed behaviour, visit of Georgiana and Bingley, Caroline's provocation and finally, Jane's letter. (MSS)

Parallel Events
We see how two events on related matters 'coincidentally' occur at the same time. It is no coincidence at all, but one of the ways life secretly works.

Perceiving Parallel Events
Synchronicities, simultaneity, and parallel events -- names for same basic phenomenon -- are happening all of the time, every minute of the day if we only choose to observe them. For example, just today I was looking up the site statistics for the Growth Online site. One area that intrigued me was the pages or graphics that were being accessed the most in terms of the total bytes downloaded by the visitor. I was surprised to see that one of the graphics had the greatest total bytes downloaded in the recent period. It was for an embedded ad for the Kindle book reader sold by Amazon that is displayed on a number of Growth Online pages. I had never noticed that in the statistics reports before.

At nearly the instant I noted this fact, I received a call from a colleague who had not contacted me in over a month. Immediately I saw the connection between his call and the Kindle statistic I had just noticed. Why did I make this association? It was because it was this friend who informed me of the Kindle reader in the first place a year or two ago! And now he calls instantaneous to my seeing the data for that item. A coincidence, you ask? Of course not. It is a connection that was made previously that now presents itself once again. This shows how corresponding pairs related in space and time move in tandem, overcoming normally perceived boundaries of cause and effect, and space and time.

Thus, the universe is constantly separating and rejoining those pairs to the degree that we focus our attention on one of them. It is a phenomenon that is constantly occurring just below the radar of our consciousness. If, however, we are alert, we can observe a steady stream of simultaneous and parallel events throughout our day.

Consider several similar examples:

• We take an interest in a subject, such as a music group we had not thought of in years, and a report about them appears on the TV 10 minutes later, even though they have not been heard from for 20 years.
• A man received an email from a friend, at the same time that an order came in from a client. These were his only two emails. It turns out that the client's organization had the very same ethical and spiritual interests as the friend.

Every day dozens of such events occur if only we only have the wherewithal to connect the dots. When we grow in consciousness and become more mindful, the perceived parallelism become so frequent and striking that all we have to do is open our eyes

Furthermore, as we witness these miraculous-like associations, we begin to perceive a cosmic Intelligence at work, in which all and everything appears to be connected. At that point, we will have taken a decisive step toward understanding life's great mysteries. If we then go a step further and learn to master this power -- i.e. to evoke these responses consciously, on demand -- then we will approach the Marvel behind all creation.

Parallel Events in the World
If we look closely and examine life we will see how two events, miles or even continents apart will arise at the same time related to the same matter. Normally we do not perceive these parallel events, but if we do, we pass it off as mere coincidence. Rather they are related by their shared vibration and energy.

Recently in the US, beloved TV news interviewer and reporter Tim Russert died a relatively young man. It was a terrible blow for the US and shocked the nation. It was the main, bold headline in the New York Times accompanied by a striking picture. Next to it was another world headline, this about Ireland's rejection of new standards for the European Union, perhaps the most important change for that institution in a decade. When I saw the two stores side by side, I sensed a connection. I then went to Wikipedia and discovered that indeed Tim Russert was of Irish American parents. The connection Irish between the two events was unmistakable.

If we exercise our minds a bit, we can find such associations everywhere -- especially in the news, in history, in literature -- even in our own lives. Even when we make this astonishing discovery, we can probe deeper and see further parallel associations. E.g. when I thought further on the Russert-Ireland connection, I saw yet a third connection. I realized that at the very same time, the Boston Celtics had for all intensive purposes secured the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship the night before, their biggest breakthrough for the team 22 years. The motto of the team is "the luck of the Irish," and their mascot is a leprechaun. (Boston is the predominant home of the Irish American community in the US.) Thus, the parallel events are extended a step further.

Powerful but subtle, unseen energies are released by a central event, and related matters spontaneously arise with them in time. Deeper insight and the discovery of guiding principles of why this occurs is worthy of a great study. For now, we can speak of energies that move out into the field of life and align with corresponding circumstance that causes this synchronistic, parallel effect. If you are an avid reader of newspapers and keep an eye out, you will see this occurring quite frequently. Do not, however, consider these random events and coincidence, for there is absolutely no such thing. They are deeply connected associations that are integrally related.

There is something deeper still going on. Are ability to associate these connection is an indicator that Man is ready to go beyond the limiting logic of his current exclusive mind. That he is ready to perceive the deeper laws of life, such as life response, the power of attraction, and the synchronicity and parallelism that this article addresses. It is in fact a harbinger of the transition being from our current human functioning to a supra-human existence. It is but one of several signs of emergence of a New Way of Living based on integral perfection and the spiritual dimension of life.

Parallel Events
In San Francisco Bay, a ship hits the Bay bridge spilling 60,000 gallons of oil, blackening beaches and marshes, wildlife, and their habitat.

At the same time, the following news is reported:

In First Bush Veto Override, Senate Enacts Water Bill

Enactment of the water projects measure had been widely expected, despite the veto, given the importance of the bill to individual districts and, of course, the lawmakers that represent them. The measure embraces huge endeavors like restoration of the Florida Everglades and relief to hurricane-stricken communities along the Gulf Coast and smaller ones like sewage-treatment plants, dams and beach protection that are important to smaller constituencies.'

Life continually unfolds through such parallel events if only we dig a little deep and see the connections. (E.g. we could see at least 10 such parallel pairs of events simply be reading the newspaper each day. In the events surrounding 9/11, the subtle parallels of a single event seemed almost infinite based on many people's experiences.)

It is but one of dozens of subtle laws of life that we can observe if only we develop the eyes to see them.

Synchronicity of Two Events
GM decides for the first time in decades to radically change its operations by committing to high mileage cars at the expense of SUVs. It was a stunning development for the Detroit-based company. A few days later (i.e. last night) the Detroit Red Wings hockey team win the Stanley Cup.  

I have VERY often seen the connection between events -- positive or negative --  in a community (e.g. city or nation) and the sudden emergence and success of their sports team.  

From one perspective it seems all about energy.  

In this way a mere sports fan can learn life response, correspondence, and other laws of consciousness and life, and thereby impact the world. The same with any other field of life. MSS wrote of this potentiality in his notes on Life Response several years back.  

Parallel Event
Example Parallel Event: "On a quiet Wednesday morning last August, Senators Chris Dodd and Chuck Hagel held a news conference in Washington to discuss what they felt was a critical issue: the nation's deteriorating infrastructure.

The press was not impressed. Only a handful of reporters showed up to listen to their contention that a real crisis was at hand. That evening, during rush hour, the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed, plunging vehicles 60 feet into the river and killing 13 people." (from Bob Herbert's New York Times column of 1/29/08)

Parallel Futility in Detroit
When certain distantly related events rise at the same time, we call it coincidence -- not synchronicity or parallelism, which it really is. Moreover, you see this phenomenon quite often in the relationship between sports and society.

For example, after nearly 20 years of glorious success in which they garnered five Super Bowls, the San Francisco 49ers franchise collapsed into utter failure. It got so bad that not only was the team at the bottom of the standings, but a quarterback with great potential was seriously injured, likely ruining his career. Then on that same day, a fan accidentally fell out of the stands and died at Candlestick Park. This in turn matched the woeful management that was in place for several years and showed an uncanny inability to perceive the needs of the team. All these events moving together are not the coincidence that our limited mind perceives, but falling internal energy that reflects on the surface as failure and negative circumstance.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when I read in the paper today that the Detroit Lions had a perfect record of futility during this season -- 0 wins and 16 losses --, which perfectly paralleled the near collapse of the car industry in Detroit. On the surface, these seem like serendipity, but deeper down reflect a synchronicity and parallelism of related negative circumstance. They share a bond of relates energies behind, and thus align on the surface of life together in their futility.

This subject closely related to the phenomenon of life response; i.e. sudden good (or bad) fortune, and so I mention it here. Indeed, it is a variation on a theme.

(PS. I later discovered the the Detroit Red Wings won the National Hockey League world championship, which is another indicator of the phenomenon I described above. I.e. often when situations are dire in an area that region's teams wins the titled. In other words, it is often boom or bust in these times. E.g. in 1989 when the SF Bay Area had a major quake and there were devastating fires, the San Francisco 49er professional football team was in the midst of a winning streak of 5 Super Bowls! When the energies are intense this way in the region -- positive or negative -- there is a corresponding effect on the vital fields of life in that area, such as sports. It is an astounding correspondence.)

Mars Experience
Two nights ago, I sat out on my back porch. It had been very hot in California (over 105). I looked towards the East and I noticed Mars. It has a kind of yellow/orange glow. I also saw airplanes at various spots in the sky. I then looked again at Mars and saw a very dim object off to its side. At first, I thought it was an airplane very high, but then when I looked closer, I saw that it was a satellite, slowly, silently traversing the night sky. As I watched it slowly move, I noticed that it was heading in the direction of Mars. Then incredibly, it nearly bisected Mars! I sat there in awe.

Then I thought about the fact that the day before they had broadcast pictures back to earth showing how the Mars Lander had captured some ice, and then had in melt, which is perhaps the biggest breakthrough so far on the possibility of life on Mars. I then saw the connection between the satellite I just saw cross before Mars and this scientific, cosmic development.

Then this morning I read something else about Mars: that it is now the closest point to earth in the last 68,000 years! The synchronicity of events were truly awe-inspiring.

Of Trucks and Taliban
Last night, I attended a gathering at a housing complex where all of the tenants had been invited to a Christmas dinner. After the affair, several of us headed over to a friend's home, where we engaged in merry, if somewhat intense conversation. One of the people I had the privilege of speaking to was a now retired truck driver, who readily shared some of his experiences over the years. We talked about how difficult it is to drive in the heavy fog of central California in the winter, how cars follow close behind the trucks when the tulle is thick in order to make their way through, and so forth.

It turns out the first thing I asked the trucker when we first met was whether they had ever driven through the huge truck stop at Kingman, Arizona, where a number of years ago I stopped to purchase sun glasses, supplies, have a meal, etc. on my way back from a wonderful trip to Arches and Mesa Verde National Parks. They both said they had stopped there many times.

With trucks and trucking one of the major topics of the previous night's conversation, it was not surprising when I opened Google News the next morning and noted that the top story was how the Taliban in Afghanistan had engaged in a daring raid where they had destroyed 150 supply trucks that were gathered in a truck stop. I instantly recalled the conversation of the previous night, and saw the powerful parallelism between the two.

I also saw something closely related: that the conservative movement in the US, supported by the truck driver I had spoken to the night before, was the force and philosophy behind the misguided second invasion of Iraq, which caused them to take their eye off the ball in Afghanistan and allowed the situation there to deteriorate. It was then not only a parallelism on the subject of trucks and truck stops, but of a decidedly misguided shared philosophy.

Amazing Tails
Very early this Sunday morning I was doing my laundry. Hardly anything stirred because most people in the areas were still asleep. On the way out of the laundry room, I noticed a car pull out of it carport. It was an expensive car, a Nissan Infinity. Most surprisingly, I saw that it was a neighbor, who was not particularly wealthy drive off in the car. I wondered if she had run into money, or it was owned by a friend or relative who was visiting. A moment later, I waved to one of my new adolescent cats, Beau who is black and white in color. Lakshmi her feline companion was also there.

I then headed down the side street, looked to my right, and noticed a similarly marked black and white cat run out from under the warmth of a car. What a coincidence I thought! I had just waved to the black and white Beau. Actually, I knew better. I then walked closer to the cat, who then looked back at me, showing off his strange patterns of splotches of color on his face. I then had an idea. Synchronicity says that the car she had crept out from under must also be an Infinity. When I looked at it, it sure looked like something similar. When I then walked over and got right behind it, I discovered that it was not an Infinity. However, it was a Nissan model that had virtually the same design as the Infinity, which they also manufacture!

The confluence of events was too charming and I thought I had to write it up in my log. I had seen two similarly colored cats within 5 seconds of one another, and 2 cars of the same essential design which I had focused my attention on this nearly silent morning. The odds of that happening seemed to be 1 in a million. When we show an interest in a matter, whether a beloved pet or a neighbor's new car, or anything that draws our attention, related events tend to follow. In this case, an almost precise synchronicity and parallelism between the two iterations. Such starling occurrences are but Life Response taking one of its infinite forms.

PS: This comes at the end of a week or so where I have been trying to expand my understanding of the nature of the Reality (Brahman, the Absolute), in particular its infinite nature above and within life. I have frequently been referring to its inherent Infinity, once again paralleling the event above involving the Infinity vehicles.

Predecessor Events Indicates Successor
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Predecessor Event Indicate Successor
Anything good or bad that is going to happen to you is already indicated by something that occurred earlier to you. E.g. the day before a woman gets terrible news that her sister has eloped with a scoundrel in the military, she was deeply bothered when hearing that the scoundrel's military outfit may have left town. In this way the previous day's occurrence is a predecessor of the major event that is to follow.

Predecessor Events
If something bad or good is coming to you, it doesn't descend on you suddenly. Life always prepares you earlier to receive it. This is an absolute RULE. There is no exception. (MSS)

There is another approach to dealing with a potential negative predecessor one perceives. It is to offer that situation up to the Higher Power, which will give one protection from any future outcomes, or otherwise set right the related future conditions of life. Doing so overcomes the karma of the situation, preventing problematic outcomes from unfolding.

Predecessor and Successor Events in Recent History
Every event has a predecessor. If we understand it and act on it, we can avoid the successor. E.g. a man was having trouble finding lotion before embarking a boat trip. There was a lot of strain involved to return to the boat before it embarked. he arrived just in time, but fifteen minutes after the little boat got under way, it was nearly hit by a speed boat fifteen minutes later. The strain to find to lotion in time was a predecessor and indicator of the successor near collision.

We see this with the original attack on the World Trade Center, which had only a few causalities, and the later deadly attack in which thousands died. We also see how the DotCom meltdown was a predecessor of the Global Economic collapse. In the case of the DotCom collapse, greed was behind it as financiers quickly pulled their funds when they did not garner immediate results for their tech investments. It was an indicator of the global financial collapse seven years later when investors (i.e. global speculators) created extreme financial instruments in the housing market that triggered a landslide in financial institutions around the world.

The predecessors in each case were relatively mild compared to the successor event. Had we seen, understood, and learned from it, we could have avoided the successor.

No Event Occurs Without Prior Indication (as in Pride and Prejudice)
This principle is true both positively and negatively. Life gives as early hints of good fortune that is coming later and warnings of pending misfortune, which we ignore at our risk.  

Elizabeth had ample occasion to suspect Wickham's true character long before calamity struck. In there very first meeting he told her that because of his gratitude to Darcy's father he would never speak against the son, but then proceeded to do just that. He also said that nothing could keep him from the ball at Netherfield, but then he did not come. Elizabeth might naturally suspect Caroline's motives when she spoke of Wickham's bad past, but she also ignored the blatant fact of his mercenary pursuit of Miss King and even justified it on his behalf. Darcy's letter at Rosings was only icing on the cake, but still she was reluctant to believe because she was still attracted to Wickham. That is the manner in which we disregard life's warnings when it does not suit us.

In her first meeting with Elizabeth at Rosings, Lady Catherine felt affronted by Elizabeth's free and outspoken nature and faulted her for expressing her opinion so freely. She was given a further indication of what was to come when Darcy stood up in the middle of a discussion with Lady Catherine to walk to the piano where he could see Elizabeth more easily. Alerted, Lady Catherine calls out asking what they are talking about and insists on being included in their conversation. She already feels she is being eliminated from the equation. Elizabeth later explains to Jane that Darcy called on them at the hermitage every day during their stay there. Her initial reactions were a forewarning of what was to come between her nephew and Elizabeth yet she chose to ignore it. When she went to Longbourn and tried to pressurize Elizabeth into relinquishing any interest in Darcy. Elizabeth responded boldly to her attack and stood her ground firmly.

Wherever a work is completed or cancelled, the end result is indicated by symptoms earlier. The circumstances during the first occasion on which two people meet very often gives a good indication of what is to come in the relationship. When Mrs. Phillips entertained in her home, Wickham gave attention to only two women - Lydia and Elizabeth. They turned out to be the two most important women in his life - one became his wife, the other his link to relationship with Darcy. When Bingley came to the ball, Jane was the very first person he danced with. Elizabeth was the one person Darcy refused to dance with at Bingley's request. Later Elizabeth would refuse his marriage proposal. Both began the relationship with an initial refusal. When Mr. Collins first arrives at Longbourn, Mr. Bennet teases his into confessing about his agility at making clever compliments, prompting Elizabeth to laugh. In fact, Elizabeth laughed even when Collins' first letter was read out. When Collins told Mrs. Bennet that he was interested in Jane, Mrs. Bennet informed him that Jane was practically engaged. His first idea failed. Ultimately he did not marry any of the five sisters. (MSS)

Predecessor Events
Life gives Indications, warnings, correspondences to shoe the out come or to modify the out come. That why Karmayogi says to observe the first five or ten minutes and remember –as it always have a clue on which character of life has stalled the progress. Remedy/ act done on that change the course of the event. In my life: I tried for a foreign tie up for a new technology and the Distributor- Asia Pacific of the company from UAE visited Chennai-though all terms where agreed he is reluctant to put every thing in writing. I don’t want to go ahead with the project without everything clear in writing. Other wise he seems to be very genuine and enthusiastic in doing business with me. I remembered the rule rewind the first ten minutes. I got the phrase –“I don’t believe Indians”. I started checking my inner- whether I have similar correspondence in me-and found that I don’t like persons from one particular state as it generally said that once they learn the job, they go else where or they start their own venture. So, in application processing stage itself I used to reject them. I found the correspondence -as I felt that the distributor is thinking that once I learn the technology and in case I used it elsewhere in India after getting he “know how” agreement-he can do little to prevent me-so he wants to keep his options open. Immediately, I surrendered that attitude and appointed a person from that state in my company. The next day I got a call from parent company from Finland and got director technology transfer and I am now importing directly from the manufacturer there by increasing my profit margin. (Ramesh)

Predecessor Events that Indicate Successors We can Predict
In a dry riverbed freshes show a few days before by the subsoil filling up.
Freshes never can appear suddenly. It is a gradual process.
No war suddenly bursts out. There are a hundred ways in which it announces.
The post-war rationing of food grains was severe. Black marketeers were rampant. Rajaji came to power. One morning he announced on the radio that rationing was abolished. The country was aghast because all rice will rise in prices. The black market prices will legally come to stay. He said he did it by intuition. Observing the arrivals in the market acutely, will reveal the trend of supply. He was right. All other states soon followed suit.
Such an observation can predict the terrorist attacks, outburst of infectious fevers, price trends in the stock market. Ants and animals know the advent of rain and earthquake like that. (MSS)

The Principle of Predecessor Events
The principle of predecessor events indicates that every occurrence in life -' large or small, good or bad -- is always preceded by events that point to it.

On Coming Events
Coming events cast their shadows is our experience. (MSS)

Predecessor Events
There are many other subtle principles of life. One is that everything that occurs in life is indicated long before it occurs; i.e. by a 'predecessor event'. For example, an individual is eager to come to a meeting that could change his life, but then gets very lost while driving around in a huge housing development -- though eventually he finds his way. Years later, he goes out of business when in his relationship with the very people he tried to meet at that earlier difficult-to-arrive-at, fateful meeting. The earlier negative event of getting hopelessly lost was the predecessor of the later negative circumstance of meeting with financial disaster through that same party.

It is also interesting to note that there are no exceptions to this rule: everything in life is indicated earlier by a predecessor event. Or to make it more personal: everything that is currently happening to your life -- whether great or small -- has been indicated by a predecessor event beforehand. Here is one other example of the phenomenon. A young man comes to India and meets with a teacher. Years later, they would be involved in a difficult trial against another person in which they (temporarily) lost a considerable financial judgment. At the very first instance when the two individuals met a decade earlier, the young man had asked the elder for a small loan to pay for a taxi. That sorry request was a predecessor of the near-financial ruin suffered by both. If we were to go back and trace the events our lives, we would see this same principle at work in our own lives. Something to think about: the things we are doing now will become signs and predecessors for future events.

Predecessor Events Indicate Outcome in Famous Moment in History
In the 16th century, Spain planned to invade England, who was being ruled by the great Queen Elizabeth. Because of various grievances against her, King Philip of Spain had begun to prepare a great fleet that would invade the much smaller and poorer England. However, from the start, the Spanish faced a number of unexpected problems. First, the commander of the enterprise, Santa Cruz, died. Then his successor was not at all suited to the post, since he had little faith in the enterprise, and little experience, to the point where he begged Philip to release him from the charge. There were additional preparation problems that followed.

The Spanish fleet had 100 ships, an overwhelming advantage over the English. But the English were waiting. On the cliffs of England and Wales, men watched the seas day and night, waiting for the first sighting of the great Armada. When the ships appeared, beacons were lit on the hillsides, which sent the message over the cliffs and throughout the country. Not only was the weather dreadful, with the wind and rain decidedly against the Spanish intentions, but they were not able to compete with the superior English ships and war tactics. In the end, the Spanish suffered a humiliating defeat in the English Channel.

In this great moment of history, we see a profound subtle principle of life at work. It states that every major event has one or more predecessor incidents that indicate the final outcome of the undertaking. In this case, though the Spanish were vastly superior militarily, there were problems that arose on their side from the very beginning. These were in fact indicators of the final outcome -- i.e. their humiliating defeat suffered at the hands of a much weaker, though more determined and tactically-aware adversary.

If you watch the events in your own life very carefully, you will see that every major event, including every negative outcome you have experienced was preceded by a predecessor incident in the beginning. E.g. one man who tried to meet a company for the first time, got completely lost. Several years later after doing business with that firm, the man's own company went out of business. The original confusion was indicative of the final outcome.

Though every major event in life has a predecessor that indicates the final outcome, we can become sensitive to and aware of the negatives that appear at the outset, and take the right course of actions that can avoid the ultimate crash at the end. One way is to open to the spirit. If we consecrate to the Spirit the negative predecessor, we will set in motion a chain of events that will cancel the ultimate negative outcome. In that way, we can break the chain of life's inevitable unfolding, based on the starting indicators. In that way, we overcome Nature's slow, difficult, and inevitable course in which we are less the determiners than the determined, and substitute the higher course of Soul, which gives us ultimate power over life.

Predecessor Events Indicate Main Event
If something good or bad is going to happen to you, it won't come to you suddenly. It will prepare you earlier to receive it through precedent events that indicate its coming. E.g. the day before a woman gets terrible news that her sister has eloped with a scoundrel in the military, she was upset when she heard that the scoundrel's military outfit may have left town. The smaller event is a predecessor of the major event. This is ALWAYS occurring in life. If we are vigilant, we can thus see the signs of major coming events. It is a major rule of the working of life. There are no exceptions!

Past and Future Indicated in Words
Through the formal words Life speaks out describing the past and forecasting the future. (MSS)

A River Adventure

Life expresses in a number of subtle ways that defy our normal perceptions. Those who are in tune with these subtle functionings continually experience a wondrous existence. One example of this is to experience the phenomenon of "life response"; i.e if you change your consciousness within, life responds with sudden good fortune. E.g., you change your attitude towards someone you had ill-will towards, and suddenly from out of nowhere, you are offered the job of your dreams. These instances of life response occur because of the fundamental relationship that exists between our consciousness within and the world around. Thus, if we change the inner, life outside ourselves instantly responds in kind.

This identifiable subtle functioning indicate that life itself has a real and observable character, not unlike our own individual character. Those who perceive its hidden workings gain a vast knowledge of and a great power over life. Here I would like to focus on one other phenomenon that expresses this 'character of life.' It involves what can be called 'predecessor and successor events.' Essentially, it indicates that every occurrence in life -' large or small, good or bad -- is always preceded by circumstances that point to it. Let me explain with a personal experience.

One day I journeyed to nearby Sacramento, the capitol of California. Located in the fertile Central Valley of the state, it is also a river town where two of California's great waterways converge. When visiting the city, I like to go to Old Town section, which lies on the edge of the river. When one gazes out across the water, one sees not only a lovely view, but often a large array of recreational sports vehicles on the water -- from designer yachts to extraordinary powerboats to great Mississippi riverboats. There is also tucked away a tiny little vessel called 'The River Otter' that takes people on a one-hour tour of a small portion of the 200-mile river. It turns out that I had taken this lovely and serene excursion once before, and on this particular day was eager to do it again.

Though my friend and I signed up for the 1:05pm tour, I soon realized that I didn't have sun lotion, which was important to me since I am fair-skinned. As a result, I had to race around amongst the dozens of stores in Old Town to find some. When I finally found the lotion, I rushed back to the boat which was about to begin its run. However, when I arrived, my friend informed me that she had to use the rest facilities. I then headed down from the wharf into the boat and joined the dozen or more passengers already on board. I then sat there nervously, hoping that my friend would arrive before we left shore. Not one minute before we cast off, my friend arrived. It was a very close call!

As we headed up river, the captain pointed out that there had been a large overnight gathering of over 400 boats where the Sacramento and the American rivers converged -- an area lurking just up ahead. Not five minutes after learning of this fact, a large speedboat approached us at exceedingly fast speed, while rocking up and down due to the intentional wild maneuvers of the driver. As it zoomed by, it sounded as if the boat was about to careen out of control. Fortunately, the driver was able to maintain control, thus avoiding a high-speed crash with our own little vessel. We all held our collective breathe as the boat blew by and then skittered up river.

After this little adventure, we passed a number of people riding on jet skis, which were also furiously racing up and down that length of the river. We then had a relatively uneventful but enjoyable remainder of our journey.

Soon after we returned to shore, I began to think about the entire affair. One thing I quickly perceived was the correlation between what had taken place before we departed and what happened during the river tour itself. The fact that I had to race around at the last minute to get the lotion was a predecessor and indicator of things to come. So too was my friend's hurried, last-minute arrival on the scene before casting off. In fact, she had also told me that it took her so long because she had been blocked by a train that suddenly crossed in front of her! Also, when we first embarked, I noticed that the skipper of our boat had a cast on his leg due to a break in a recent accident. All of these problematic circumstances were then the precedents of the difficult adventure that was to follow.  

It is thus one subtle truth of life that every major circumstance that occurs is always preceded by one or more identifiable predecessor events. Interestingly, there is no exception to this rule; it always happens! Sometimes the predecessor happens immediately before hand; other times, hours or days before. It is an astounding phenomenon that points to its subtle nature and character of life. To see it once in action can change one's view of reality forever! With that in mind, I would like to relate one other brief example of this phenomenon:

One time a friend and I went to visit a relative of hers for Thanksgiving dinner. The couple had only recently been married. Though it was about an hour drive to the house, it took us nearly five hours to arrive, due to a stupendous, unprecedented traffic jam on the highways. As it turned out, less than a year later we learned that the couple unexpectedly had a falling out, which quickly lead to their divorce. The stupendous traffic jam to visit them was the predecessor and indicator of the unhappy news that followed.

If this is how life works, is there a way to avoid the negatives outcomes that invariably follow a negative predecessor? I believe there is. If you experience something untoward, offer it to the Spirit, to the Divine. This is the method of 'consecrating' an act. By consecrating negative circumstance to the spiritual Force, you invariably reduce or cancel any potential future problems; in essence, diffusing the 'karma' that had been set in motion. You can also consecrate the events leading up to the predecessor as well. E.g. I could have opened to the Force before I ever embarked on that day's journey to the river city, likely preventing most of the difficulties that occurred.

Knowing the Predecessor Events to Enable Ultimate Success
There are always predecessor events that point to the bigger events. To know those smaller acts can help us control the bigger ones; turning them into great accomplishment and results.

Predecessor Events of 9/11
In the 9/11 event, thousands of people around the world experienced precedent events portending the main event.

One's Speech Indicates Coming Event
Whatever you speak in one moment announces in some fashion what is to come in the next moment. (A woman suggests that her mother doesn't like exuberant children and spends the day upstairs. After expressing this she reads a letter indicating a negative elopement with one of those children her mother liked to avoid. [We could also call this instance and example of negative life response.])

A Woman's Outrage that had a Precedent Indicator
In an incredible case in the US a woman was greeted by police, handcuffed, brought to the station, and was handled like a hardened criminal for the crime of not returning a video game on time to a retail rental outlet! She expressed her outrage, as did the community, though the police defended their action, not knowing, they said, what type of person she was upon her arrest thus justifying her near brutal treatment.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the episode was ignored. It was that months earlier when she first rented that video she had an argument over it. That negativity vibrated forward to the current event. This is another instance where a predecessor event (the argument) is indicative of another negative (often as in this case more negative) event to follow.

We can likewise trace all difficult events in our lives to such predecessor events. Better yet we can avoid such initial incidents in the first place that lead to harsher difficulties down the road.

By living in the depths within where we find silence and the spirit, we are more in touch with our right thought and behavior. When we live on the surface, where our ego and separateness is fed, negative behaviors and actions ensue that vibrate back and forth in space and time.

The "Coincidence"
Back in 1973, I was living in Queens, New York with my parents. I had just returned from 5 year stint at Syracuse University. On my block lived my friend MR, who I went to high school with and had participated on my father's baseball team when we were younger. While I was as SU, he had formed a little painting and carpentry business. When I returned to Queens, I started working with him and his three friends. We would get house painting contracts in Queen and Long Island. Often in the morning the four of us would get together in a park or elsewhere near the client's house. There we would read from Sri Aurobindo's Savitri, led usually by MR who had become a devout follower. The rest of us also were followers, though we were still somewhat new to the teachings.

After painting a number of houses, I left the group after a half-year or so in order to go to California, where I wanted to live, especially the North. (A few months earlier I had made a cross-country trip there and then returned.) Now that I had my own van, I decided to pack up my belongings in Queens and drive across country. (There were a number of remarkable sub stories going on during this period that I am leaving out.)

And so on one cold morning just before the sun rose in December 1974, I quietly got up so not to disturb my parents, packed my things into my huge van, and left my home for California. However, before I did that I had one or two other chores to attend to. The first thing I did was drive into Manhattan. There I picked up an Israeli fellow who I had previously made contact with who was going to share the ride, including the driving across country. I picked him up in front of the famous New York City Public Library with the two lions in front of them.

The two of us then drove across town into the Lower West Side I believe to pick up to other riders I had contracted with. When I went upstairs, I saw the two individuals. Let us call them M and J. When I arrived, their place was in shambles. It looked like I had contracted with the two filthiest hippies I had ever seen. I literally woke them from bed, after which they dragged their sheets and other belongings down to my fan! They did so while being half-asleep, or stoned. M was an especially interesting character. He seemed very charismatic, though not on the side of light necessarily 

And so the four of us headed across country. We slept the first night in a cold field in Tennessee. We also made stops in New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona.  When we reached the very southern part of California, we came upon a famous sand dune, where I deposited M, who wanted to roam the land like a nomad with his other desert friends. I then continued on to Riverside where I dropped off the Israeli fellow. I then drove up the San Francisco Bay Area, which was my destination and where I decided to live. (I had been there a year earlier on another trip across country.

The story gets even more complicated here, but I will abbreviate. In essence, I stayed with a woman friend M and her roommates for several weeks. Then I moved to Berkeley. After several months, this woman M was introduced to the charismatic male M who I went across country with. I must have introduced them. A year or so later I met a girl in Berkeley, and we then travelled together in Europe, after which we broke up and I returned to NYC and then back to the Bay Area.  (Each part of this story can literally be its own novel.) Back in Berkeley, I would occasion visit my friends in San Francisco. There the charismatic M and his 'Followers' -- he was the leader of a rock band -- resided.

I then moved into a house in San Francisco. I was looking for work painting houses. While I was there, I met charismatic M, who told me that his parent's house in Laguna Beach needed painting. As a result an English friend of mine who lived in the house in SF and I drove down to Laguna. We set up a tent in the back of a mansion on the hill and commuted a few miles to paint the house.

As it turned out, I got sick, perhaps from being outdoors at night during February and March, or some other reason, as we shall now see. Because I was so ill, I had to sleep inside this house. It turned out that this house was owned my charismatic M's friends mother. It was here that I came upon the aforementioned coincidence. I soon discovered as a result of wandering around the house that all the people living there were followers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother! That in essence made M a followers in his own way as well!

Let's look back. When I left New York for California, I had begun to become deeply involved in Sri Aurobindo and The Mother's teachings. I then contracted with two scraggly hippies, not knowing at the time that one of them, M, was part of a group who also were also followers. When you consider that I originally found their names in a public bulletin board for the New York City metro area, and which had having nothing to do with SA and the Mother, it was an astounding 'coincidence'.

There are many things I can say about what it all meant, but I will leave it there.

Prescience in Sleep
"I went into the link you provided, and decided to read a number of the case studies since they always help me. I read through all the ones regarding Expressions of Intention. I wrote down a thought for my own business - to have "a deep aspiration and yearning to be directly involved" in bringing a product I am marketing to the travelling public. I don't quite know the best way to do it, but I wrote it down.

Then, I scrolled down to the section entitled "Overcoming Attitudes, Opinions, Habits, Limits" since this is something I need to work on a lot. I began at the top - "Captain's change of heart." What I read caused me to write to you now.

Last night, I awoke in the middle of the night - and for some strange reason, the movie "Master and Commander"came to mind. As I lay awake - THE VERY SCENE YOU DESCRIBE IN THE FIRST ENTRY "Captain's Change of Heart" WAS RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND. First, I had thought briefly of the scene where the doctor had to take the arm of the young boy, and wondered at the special effects necessary to ensure that it really looked as though the boy had lost his arm - and then, the scene where the doctor tried so hard to make the Captain see the danger in pursuing the other ship also ran through my mind - as did the ensuing scenes on the Galapagos. Roy, this is not a joke. There was absolutely NO REASON for me to start thinking of that movie - and in particular that very scene - in the middle of the night, just hours ago." (K)

[Growth Online response: "About 7 years or so ago I went through a period of around six months where I experienced in my dreams the very things that would happen during the day after I awoke -- i.e. either symbolically, close to, or literally what would transpire. Your experience could be of that sort. Also, in the story the Captain is able to succeed because he gave in to the doctor's suggestion; who then saw the opposing ship which they then defeated, accomplishing their mission. Thus it was a change in attitude that enabled him to succeed in his work. You may be subconsciously sensing that a change in your own attitude will accomplish an important work as well. "]

Outcome Indicated at Beginning
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The First Step of a Work is Indicator
The nature of the result of a work can be seen in the first step. (MSS)

Results Indicated at Beginning
The outcome of a chain of events is indicated at the very beginning, though the meaning of that indication may not be evident. (MSS)

Bush and Schwarznegger
Bush Jrs. extremely unprecedented, contentious win as US president against Gore indicated the calamity in his administration that would follow. Schwarznegger's self-serving ascent to the governorship of California was a precedent of how he would later leave the state in financial taters.

What Happens at the Start Indicates the Outcome
Life expresses through a series of laws and principles that few of us are privy to. In recent years, The Law of Attraction has come to the attention of the world through the book 'The Secret.' It indicates that when we focus our intention on something, it tends to come about on its own. I have described that as the phenomenon of "Life Response," that is itself based on the phenomenon of "Inner-outer Correspondence." I.e., when we shift the inner to the positive or more positive, life outside instantly responds to our inner change.

Another subtle principle of life is that every outcome of an event, circumstance, undertaking, social movement, etc. is indicated at the very beginning. It occurs positively and negatively. Let me focus on the latter. When Nixon and Kennedy vied for the presidency in 1960, it was extremely close and contentious, with Kennedy winning by a hair. Kennedy was later assassinated, ending his administration. What happened at the start was an indicator of the final outcome. Recently Bush junior won by an extremely small amount after an overwhelmingly contentious dispute in Florida settled by the Supreme Court. It appeared that his side did all to block the truth from emerging. His administration ended in near disaster for the country and the world. In the Russian Revolution, a group of serious-minded thinkers ended up resorting to slaughter of the aristocracy it wished to replace, which culminated in years of rule by the devil-like Stalin, who had 30 million shot to death. In these cases too , events at the outset indicated an outcome that was to come.

Why life happens this way is certainly worth investigating. To do so one has to understand the subtle nature of energy and how it circulates and returns; how past, present, and future are truly related; the intention a higher force working in the world; and many other subtle, indeed cosmic forces at work.

If we look closely at our own lives, we will see the same phenomenon at work. For example, one man I know was desperately trying to meet some people in a suburb of Los Angeles for a crucial meeting. He ended up being utterly lost in a maze of suburban streets. Though he would later find the place and create a business relationship that would last several years, that undertaking ended in bankruptcy. In another case, an individual was desperately trying to get some sun tan lotion before taking a cruise on a tiny riverboat in Sacramento. His effort was intense and confused, though he and his friend managed to get on board just a moment before the little boat embarked. Twenty minutes into the trip a super, modern speedboat zoomed by; nearly cutting the boat in half. What happens at the outset indicates the thing to come.

To prevent such results, we can offer the original disturbance to the Higher Power, which will eliminate the chance of negativity expressing itself in the outcome. In that way, we have the power to overcome the existing subtle principles of life, even as we are in awe of their miraculous-like ways and their cosmic significance.

Outcome Indicated at Beginning
Initial occurrence of an event is often an indicator of how that thing will end up in the end

A company could not afford to pay a trainer a reasonable fee in the beginning of their relationship. The trainer, though not completely happy with the arrangement, accepted the fee, continued to work with the company, and eventually begin to receive higher fees through hard work. At the end of the relationship, however, the training company went through some problems, and had to cut the trainer's income back to the original lower level. Despite changes along the way, the initial occurrence indicated the final outcome.

Here's another example where the initial occurrence portended the final outcome:

A man was eager to have a first meeting with the owners of a small company. He spoke to one of the principles who gave him directions to get to the location. When he arrived in the general vicinity of the business, he got lost based on the directions or perhaps on his own lack of following the directions.  He went round and round in circles for twenty minutes. This really upset him since this meeting was one of the key turning points in the young man's life.

Finally he found the place, and had a good meeting.  As a result of the meeting he established a relationship with the company. A few years later he established his own company a distributor of the products of the other company.  After an initial few years of success, his company faltered, and in a few years ended in bankruptcy.

Finally, here's one other dramatic example where the nature of the result of a work can be seen in the first step:

A consultant was on his way to meet with a Fortune 500 company for the first time to discuss the organization of its accounting systems. He was to meet with his contact, and then meet with the client. Just after he parked his car in a downtown garage, he heard and saw a huge explosion that turned into a fireball 10 stories high just one block from the clients office building!  It startled him and many on the street.  A moment later he found out that the explosion was part of a Hollywood movie stunt, and therefore did no harm.  Still he was shaking when he arrived at the client.

Knowing that an event such as this could be a sign of other things, he asked his contact after the meeting if there were things he should know about that were going on behind the scenes between the contact and the client.  The contact then admitted that in fact things had gotten bad with the client; that he was in the process of losing the account, and he had hoped that the consultants involvement could improve the situation. In the end the consultant never got the work.  Somehow, given the events of the day (i.e. the explosion), he was not surprised. (Update  Months later another situation involved a client in a nearby location, which turned out also to be troubled and also did not work out.)

The Outcome of a Chain of Events is Indicated at the Very Beginning

Karmayogi says, every line in paper, words around, hit from a stone, dropping of bird in our shirt is to tell something connected to the major event of that day. Finding the meaning of that is the thorough knowledge to make life respond.

Karmayogi reverses the famous Tamil proverb: 'Initial difficulty is eternal difficulty' is a Tamil proverb
( mudal konal mutrum konal)-as- The First, Pleasant, wholesome success in an act is the Final, complete, overwhelming Success. It understanding the character of life for accomplishment. He asks us to ensure the Final Outcome by the First Move itself. Because Life exists in two layers of Force and Being.

1. Life of force is governed by the law of karma.
2. Life of Being is governed by the law of causality.

If you want a completely perfect success at the end, trace its path to its earliest beginning. All those events will be of the same character of life-with same motive, attitude, opinion, etc. Let all of that be positive and of the greatest possible depth. Accomplishment of the initial ACT is decided by the weight of Personality. More than expressing the right attitudes, NOT to express the negative attitudes is important. This make life respond.

Karmayogi gives a nice example for this:

• A tourist understands the nation he visits when he understands the laws of that land as far as they relate to his travel.
• When he wants to stay there for a longer time, this knowledge of life may not be enough, and he has to know that culture.
• A writer of fiction needs to go further and understand human nature.
• A great poet understand human nature as one expression of universal nature.
• A creator of science of astrology knows the very constitution of the constellations in terms of the minute details of human life.
• All those who have observed Life should know that there is exists a character and the correspondence exists with the being. (Ramesh)

Examples from Pride and Prejudice

Ensuring the Final Outcome by Moves at the Beginning that Enable $1M Per Annum Income
We see that the whole process in an endeavor is symbolized by the character of the beginning of the endeavor. This is true for endeavors, events, projects, etc. We can state this as "The First, Pleasant, wholesome success is the Final, complete, overwhelming Success."  Or we can state it as "The first whole is final Perfection."

In other words, if you want a completely perfect success at the end, trace its path to its earliest beginning. The events at these points will be of the same character.

So how can we insure the final outcome by our first moves? How can we insure that the beginning is a complete, pleasant Success?

Penetrate the act(s) (of an endeavor) by crossing beyond the surface consciousness, to the inner mind, and reach the subliminal psychic. It is the evolving Being, the personal evolving soul. Do it FULLY, not only in one aspect or one layer of the ACT. Make it a success and maintain it. You will end up with a million dollar income.

The first act consists of motive, attitude, opinion, etc. Let all of that be positive and of the greatest possible depth.

Begin and you will see Reality Surpasses Expectations. (Paraphrase of MSS)

[We have the notions that the initial instance is an indicator of what follows, including the final outcome. So by touching he evolving soul in the beginning of the act/endeavor, we can say that what follows and the outcome will mirror the initial consciousness which in this case is an ultimate consciousness of the Being that enables infinite possibilities as results. To enable this act to invoke this ultimate causal potential we must move in this direction fully in the act. -Growth Online]

Ensuring the Final Outcome by Moves at the Beginning that Enable $1M Per Annum Income
We see that the whole process in an endeavor is symbolized by the character of the beginning of the endeavor. This is true for endeavors, events, projects, etc. We can state this as "The First, Pleasant, wholesome success is the Final, complete, overwhelming Success."  Or we can state it as "The first whole is final Perfection."

In other words, if you want a completely perfect success at the end, trace its path to its earliest beginning. The events at these points will be of the same character.

So how can we insure the final outcome by our first moves? How can we insure that the beginning is a complete, pleasant Success?

Penetrate the act(s) (of an endeavor) by crossing beyond the surface consciousness, to the inner mind, and reach the subliminal psychic. It is the evolving Being, the personal evolving soul. Do it FULLY, not only in one aspect or one layer of the ACT. Make it a success and maintain it. You will end up with a million dollar income.

The first act consists of motive, attitude, opinion, etc. Let all of that be positive and of the greatest possible depth.

Begin and you will see Reality Surpasses Expectations. (Paraphrase of MSS)

[We have the notions that the initial instance is an indicator of what follows, including the final outcome. So by touching he evolving soul in the beginning of the act/endeavor, we can say that what follows and the outcome will mirror the initial consciousness which in this case is an ultimate consciousness of the Being that enables infinite possibilities as results. To enable this act to invoke this ultimate causal potential we must move in this direction fully in the act. -Editor]

Following the Signs, Flow of Life
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Vast Accomplishment by Following the Flow of Life
Watch life closely, there is a marvelous flow to its movements -- in particular, to the unfolding of events. To be in touch with that unfolding is to experience the Marvel. When we are in our higher consciousness, we recognize this flow in all its wonder. When we are in a lower state, we miss this miracle.

If a computer operating system requires an online upgrade, we initially balk and anguish at the fact, as it blocks us from following the normal routine we are attached to. But when we are in a higher, more mindful and sensitive state, we recognize its need, release our distress, and take up the necessary activities and actions that life is now pointing to. Then when we return to the fresh, new things that had to unfold, we see how necessary it was in the larger scheme of things.

In addition, each substitute task we are asked to undertake -- such as cleaning the kitchen while the OS installs on the computer -- will produce important results. It may even attract an instance of sudden good fortune. E.g., while cleaning, a friend you haven't heard from in years suddenly contacts you with excellent news.

Lao Tzu wrote the Tao de Ching. It concerns itself with the true Flow of life, the unfolding of events that we can recognize and partake it at any moment in time. When we are in touch with that flow, it unfolds like a miracle, as we know precisely in which direction to turn, and as a result are constantly securing life's cooperation. When we are inwardly anchored from a silent poise, we are more conscious of the subtle needs of our surroundings. That enables us to know which direction to turn, which allows us to make right decisions that lead to perfect outcomes. From that poise of silent mindfulness, we engender vast success, which tends to take shape through incidents of sudden good fortune. This continuous luck flows in our direction, and in return we ourselves contribute to and augment the Flow of Life.

Untitled
Unusually intense winds that have not been there for considerable duration often indicate significant changes in life; i.e. a turbulent, inner change.

On National Tragedy
A national tragedy is perhaps an indicator of a difficult growth or development emerging, trying to transcend a certain segment of its current falsehood, expressed negatively.

Understanding Various Signs and Portents
Relationship Between the Physical Environment and the State of One's Being -- Often in literature as in life we see relationships between physical occurrences in nature and events happening in the lives of the characters in the story. While some of us might attribute this to poetic license our research indicates that these correspondences are pretty indicative of what happens in real life. In King Lear the king begins to go mad as he deals with his limiting attitudes toward his beloved daughter where the background is a raging storm with lightning, wind and rain. On the other hand in Pride and Prejudice Eliza, formerly reluctant to visit a man of good character and great wealth, gives up her limiting attitude and meet him at his estate on an utterly perfect spring-like day in England. Her new openness to a vaster level of accomplishment in her life is mirrored in nature's corresponding glory. Just to take one example in real life. At the end of 1996 and the start of 1997 a man in California was in the midst of a great project that offered great, unprecedented opportunity in his life. On the first day of 1997 it rained harder in California that any day in recorded history. Rain is often seen as a symbol of grace or good fortune. This was especially so for this man.

Relationship Between Collective Negative Event and Someone's Ill-Will -- There are endless signs and portents that occur in life that we can be observant of. For example, if we have a power outage and then receive a letter from someone with bad will, we can see a correlation. Or the opposite, where there is a feeling of happiness or richness, and we receive a letter thereafter from someone with good with and positive feeling toward us. There are endless variations of such a phenomenon.

Relationship Between the Poor Timing of Someone's Contact and Their Intention -- You can also learn to read the other person's intention through signs and portents. An example of this is a marketing person who calls you on the phone at precisely the wrong moment in the day. You might be about to have your dinner or do something else enjoyable or important, and you get the call at just the wrong moment. You know that this person calling is completely out of tune with your intentions. This is because their job pretty much entails being uncaring of your need for peace and quiet focusing rather on their need to sell you something even if it is at the most inconvenient moment. This indicates an intent that has negative forces in it. The call comes exactly when it shouldn't. There are many instances of this. For example, someone calls, and asks for a person who has just left. The originator of the call is somehow out of balance, perhaps being too rushed or impulsive. You can of course see this same phenomenon in other areas of life beyond phone calls; in letters, in emails, and others. And of course you are doing it to others as well, except from your side you are unconscious of it!

Signs Along the Way
Today I brought in my car for a bi-annual oil change. When I arrived, the person in front of me had lost his wallet and was frantically searching for it. The fact that he was before me, I found significant, but how?

I then had some lunch at McDonald's. I then returned, but before I retrieved my car, I went into a Long's Drugs to purchase some fruit and nuts for my salads. I saw two different products next to one another. Both were marked 2 for $4. When I went to pay for it, the checkout person said that the one I selected was not on sale. I know it was because it was marked so. In fact, both the products were marked so. The cashier then spoke to a stocking employee who ran it through her handheld computer and it indicated it was not on sale. It was clear then the big label next to the product I purchased indicating 2 for $4 should not have been there. I informed the cashier on the way out that the item was marked wrong, after she gave me my money back. (I did not buy the item.)

When I went to pick up my car, I was surprised that they charged $79 instead of $29 for the oil change. I asked why. He said it was due to the fact that I agreed to synthetic oil. I assumed synthetic was the lower grade and thus $29, but I was misinformed! I forgot that the last time I was there I purchased the higher grade, i.e. synthetic oil for the oil change. So he was right. He saw my past transaction and assumed I would understand. I just didn't remember, however. I then told them they should explain clearly the difference each time we purchase it, for after all we only come twice a year. (I was making a practical suggestion, yet somehow an anguished one.)

At each point, I saw the connection to the other events. To the man who was there with the wallet before me when I checked in to get the oil change one hour earlier; to the problem with the purchase of fruit and nuts for my salad five minutes earlier. And also the fact that the day before I went through precisely the same situation at another location when I went to purchase a candy bar. I.e. marked as cheaper, but not in the computer as such!

As I walked out of the Quality Tune-up, I felt emotion, yet I tried to keep calm. I was relaxed soon after. In the past, I would have been three times as mad as I was after making the $79 payment for the oil change. Now I have the mental knowledge of the flow of life to get too riled up. Besides, I took responsibility for everything under the assumption that the outer is a reflection to the outer.

I started to write up this entire affair. Within one minute, I got a call for a potentially very lucrative business arrangement involving project management. My reasonably rational approach to the situation attracted. I held back blaming, and the response came. The energy could have been dissipated, but it still remained. A phone call of an old business associate suddenly came out of the blue with a great opportunity.

PS  Consecration (i.e. offering the matter to the Spirit beforehand) and inner status of living in the depths and therefore calm could have eliminated all of the problems to begin with, indicating the scope of my further growth.

Update to the story: Just a few hours after this story occurred, I looked in one of my kitchen closets and found a bag of nuts/fruits that my roommate had just purchased! It was the only new thing in the closet!

Car Trouble and Signs Along the Way
Life Response is closely related to other phenomenon such as parallelism, synchronicity, simultaneity, etc. You could say they are all the same thing. One other phenomenon is seeing the signs around one, as a result taking the necessary action (or inaction). Yesterday as I went out for a drive, I turned on the news to learn of the terrorist attack in Mumbai. A moment later, I listened to discussion of the famous assassination of gay supervisor Harvey Milk and San Francisco major George Moscone 30 years earlier. I was intimately associated with both events in that I have close friends in India and lived in SF during that time. These two events being discussed so close to one another indicated to me a negative atmosphere not only for others, but possibly myself.

Two minutes after driving through the main thoroughfare in my town, I felt something amiss with my car. I suspected a problem with a tire, which I had lightly felt several days before. And so I pulled over, got out of the car, and looked for the problem. There it was; my right rear tire was flat. On closer inspection, however, saw that there was a binding-type nail stuck in the side of the tire, where the air was leaking out. I then got into the car, put on my warning signals and hoppled into the gas station to get it repaired. (I would have to purchase a whole new tire at the tire center.)

And yet this situation did not surprise me at all considering the prevailing atmosphere. Because I was indirectly related to these two negative events, the problem with the tire only seemed to be another extension. I therefore was able to remain calm throughout, solving the problem, as the negative vibration finally passed. To perceive signs along the way is not Life Response, but it is a means of being aware of the subtle workings of life, which will enable you to take the right actions.

PS: In these sorts of events, it is always worth calling to the spiritual Force for protection.

Life out of Kilter
Sometimes life flows smoothly, and all is harmony and goodwill. Then there are other times where it moves out of kilter, disturbed by confounding events. Here is an example:

After having my lunch today, I resumed work on my computer. I then got up to go to the kitchen to fetch some Trail Mix for dessert. Just as I started reaching in the bag, the phone rang. When I answered it, I discovered that it was one of those unsolicited advertisements. The call came at precisely the wrong moment. Ten minutes later, after a quiet period, I got up again to get another handful, and guess what -- just as I was digging into the bag, the phone rang again! I then scurried over to the phone, and it turned out to be another unsolicited call, this time gracing me with utter silence. Thus, I experienced two phone calls occurring through the same essential circumstance -- i.e. at just the wrong moment from an unwanted, unsolicited source.

What can we make of such things? For one, we can see how the falsehood of the universe is contained in such micro events. But let me for now restrict myself to the narrow issue at hand. First, it occurs that they called at the wrong time because their motives were in part selfish. They don't care what happens on your end, so long as you answer so they can sell you their product or service. That vibration causes them to call at precisely the wrong moment, down to the nano-second! How many times have we sat down to dinner or begun to watch a movie or engaged in something else that was important, only to be greeted by these unsolicited calls. You can call it coincidence or chance, but the micro-precision of the moment is just too compelling. It is both maddening and an indicator of a vibration of oblivious selfishness at the other end. (Of course, we can also examine what we did to attract it. Hint: raising our consciousness will tend to reduce such solicitations.)

There is similar phenomenon I have observed. In this scenario, a friend calls, but they miss you entirely. Perhaps you have just walked out the door. What is happening is that at their end, they are expressing their impatience, as something has impulsively stimulated them into calling you. They miss you because they are out of kilter; because they weren't able to use their minds to consider the worthiness of making contact, and instead rushed ahead in a fit of intensity and desire. The truth is that our emotions overwhelm our ability to do rational things, preventing us from being in the true flow of life.

Having said that, keep in mind that you too, the recipient of such mistimed messages, can get caught up in that nasty net and try to quickly return the call, which will more than likely cause you to miss the other party as well! We sometimes refer to this as "phone tag," but it is wanting vibration tag, as we are caught up in the contagious force of impulsive action.

(On the other hand, there are other situations where people call at precisely the right moment. These outcomes indicate a vibration of mental clarity, calm, and harmony of purpose on the initiator's end. I would say that these are people worthy of being your friend!)

There is one final variation on this theme. You are about to witness an important scene in a film, or something is about to happen that is significant to you, and suddenly the phone rings. This time it is not silence or solicitation on the other end, but a vendor calling about one of your unpaid bills. Because you have been inattentive or negligent in remitting what is due others, or are otherwise too disorganized to deal with life's necessities on an ongoing basis, the vendor calls you at precisely the moment you hoped to enjoy some other thing. It is an indicator of negative response to your limited consciousness related to the matter.

Reality is like this ad infinitum, and is the background music, or I should say the noise and distortion that causes life to get out of kilter. If, however, each of us make the sincere effort to overcomes our limitation -- whether reducing selfishness, finding a more calm and equal poise, raising our levels of organization, etc. -- life will flow smoothly, and every and all events can be occasions for freshness and joy.

Signs and Portents in Pride and Prejudice

Opposition When A New Positive Force Rises
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The Conscious/Complete Act
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A Complete Act
A complete act is when where all the conditions of success are met, leading to an astounding, positive outcome that exceeds all expectations. It generally requires an aspiration for something to come about, the will for it to happen, a decision made, its organization in right strategies and detail, and execution through high skills and right attitude. Another way of looking at it is that the mind's idea is emotionalized and executed through the skill of the body. As a result life responds, exceeding all expectations. Ten-fold change is not uncommon.

A Complete Act
An act is accomplished when the mental idea moves to the body's sensation via vital emotions. All the mental ideas must be rational in the context of the act, the vital enthusiasm should sufficiently energize the idea and the physical sensation of the physical skills exercised must be perfect. (MSS)

The Conscious/Complete Act
A complete act is a conscious act. it is to know what one want to achieve; have the will to accomplish it; have the details organized; and execute the details through determination, right skills, and positive attitudes. It is in essence to follow the process of creation from vision to manifestation, mirroring the process by which the universe emerged from a divine source. Even in the microcosm of the act, the complete, conscious act one can follow this universal, cosmic process.

The Complete Act
Any act becomes complete when the knowledge of what needs to be accomplished is matched by an energy, will, and desire to see it come about. Then it gets accomplished -- and then some.

The Complete Act
Acts are accomplished perfectly through knowledge, aspiration, conception, will, organization, and skilled execution. This is a complete act that yields infinite results, mirroring the infinite results that took form as our universe originating from a Divine source. When we perfect an act by following the process of creation, we are mirroring the process of creation of the universe from a Divine source. In all instances, the ultimate purpose of the result is Delight of Being.

The Complete Act
The Complete Act is the capacity to make any act generate the desired results.

The Complete Act in the Process of Creation
Every day you are afforded the opportunity to create something perfect. When we follow the process of creation from vision to manifestation, we create such perfection -- and then some. This universal process can be seen in the largest of undertakings, as well as the smallest of acts. An example will illustrate.

You prepare breakfast every day for yourself. One day you have the will to make it, though you are a little fuzzy on the precise entity you want to create. Another day you now exactly what you want to create, yet you are not all that motivated to prepare it. A third day still you know what you want and have the will to create it, but have not thought through and organized the details of its execution. In each of these cases, --and there are a myriad of combinations -- the process of creation is not being followed, which leads to perfect outcomes; even the cooperation of life.

The process of creation in the act requires a vision of what you want to create, which is the conception of the undertaking. For it to actually take shape, it requires your will, desire, and drive. You then need to organize the details so that it can be created as intended. Then you carry out your organized plan through right skills to get the job done, and determination and positive attitudes to prevent any back sliding.

In the case of the breakfast, you know that you want eggs and toast, but the eggs need to have peppers and mushrooms in them. Your conception is clear. Now you have to have the energy, drive, and will to prepare the food. You also need to consider the details of the undertaking, such as which item to prepare first and other aspects of the organization of the cooking process. Along the way, you must have the necessary physical skills to make it happen. In addition, you need to feel positive at every stage, avoiding any negative attitudes or feelings that might retard the operation.

There is thus focus, intensity, organization, skill, and right consciousness in the process of creation and accomplishment. To start in the middle of the process (e.g. with will, but not goal and vision of what is to be truly achieved), or leave out one aspect, will create wanting results. To follow the process in right order and meet all its conditions will create a perfect outcome. Often it will be accompanied by instances of sudden good fortune, where positive developments from the surroundings suddenly and most unexpectedly move in your direction. It is the miracle that unfolds when we follow the process of creation in a given act -- large or small -- bringing out the infinite potentials of life to the here and now.

The Wonder of a Conscious Act
Just as the unit of thinking is the individual thought, so too the unit of living is the individual act. Moreover, it is an act that is executed consciously that has the greatest tendency to produce the greatest results in the shortest period time with the least effort. It is that vast efficiency that is realized by consciously executing an act. It does not merely create powerful practical results, including more accomplishment, but miraculous ones as well, as consciously executing an act has the peculiar tendency to attract sudden good fortune from environment.

Let us say that I about to begin a task. Ordinarily, I would just rush into it, without any serious deliberation of the fact. Maybe the act involves something I have done dozens of times before, and so I am confident that I can do it again without the need to contemplate it beforehand. But to execute an act in that way is to go about doing it unconsciously, which in turn produces little of the practical and miraculous-like results described above. If I merely head out to a meeting without thinking about its various aspects, sides, and implications beforehand, I will tend not generate significant practical or cosmic results from my efforts. The mental and vital energy within me will not have become concentrated enough to move out into the field of life, align with and attract corresponding positive circumstance. If, on the other hand I first envision the act, deliberate on it, develop the emotion and will to see it come about, organize the details, and then carry it out through determined effort, internal, invisible energy is organized into a power that tends to attract instances of sudden good fortune.

A conscious act thus has several components. The first is that we have a clear vision in our mind of what we aim to accomplish. Second, that idea should be something that we really want to achieve -- i.e our emotions endorse it. Third, we organize the details and develop a plan of action to execute it. And fourth, we carry out our plan with determination, right attitudes, and our highest skill. Only at that point does the act begin to be a conscious one. When we follow these precepts, then not only do we achieve the act's intended results, but we also attract miraculous-like 'life response' results as well. E.g., our acceptance to attend a university -- that we envisioned, had the will for, planned well for, and carried out in timely manner -- comes not in six months, but in a week. This is astonishing enough, but when it also comes with a full scholarship, when we expected to pay the normal four year fee that seemed beyond our means, -- then we aware that there is an overwhelming power at work. It is the infinite possibilities of life opening up through the development and execution of a conscious act.

With these four components -- vision, will, organization, and effort, -- the act releases powerful energies, which attract corresponding powerful, miraculous-like results from the field of life. Whether the act is a small one, like brushing our teeth, or a large one, like meeting with an important client, the conditions for it being consciously applied are the same. (It is also interesting to note that even the smallest of acts done consciously can elicit powerful response. This is the case because at the subtle plane the universe does not distinguish between the large and small -- as each has a soul essence, an inner power capable of attracting the infinite potentials of life. Which means that brushing one's teeth in a fully conscious manner, can literally attract response that can change the course of your life.)

And yet having said this, the results of an act we engage is often limited by our own individual consciousness -- including our wanting attitudes and questionable motives. The seemingly conscious act described above thus does not generate the instantaneous results in all cases. To make an act fully and perfectly conscious, we need to not only follow the four precepts described above, but we will need to overcome the wanting elements in our character that surround the act. E.g., when one person changes his attitude from reluctance to acceptance, and another reverses from ill will to goodwill towards others, we release an irresistible power that attracts the immediate cooperation of life.

And yet, for the most part we are ignorant of our own deficiencies -- including our fixed habits, wanting attitudes, and questionable motives. Is it not therefore asking too much of us to change as people in order to make a single act conscious? Of course, it depends on the act. If the activity is rise to the pinnacle of success in our field or profession, then we must consider the matter or overcoming a related inner deficiency seriously. If we want to attract the infinite to the here and now, we must go beyond the four precepts and consider own limited nature. If, on the other hand, the matter is small, then we might not have the concentration of thought to identify and rectify a limiting quality for the purpose of producing such a small result. It is a worthy thing, but to realistically evolve our nature could take months, if not years of inner psychological effort. Therefore, one wonders if there is any other power that can bring us the vast results we seek in the interim; that can enable the act to be a conscious one despite our current deficiencies.  

I believe that such a thing does it exist: it is the power of the spiritual Force. When we open ourselves to the Higher Power before engaging in any act in life, it is infused with spiritual Force. As a result, everything related to that activity tends to work out right, as the Spirit tends to set all of life's conditions in order, while attracting powerful positive circumstance from the environment. E.g., the task at hand unfolds in an atmosphere where everything unfolds smoothly; where new possibilities and opportunities are revealed; where benefits move towards us from most unexpected quarters. In addition -- and perhaps most magnificently -- by 'consecrating' the act before hand, spiritual-like qualities suffuse the atmosphere, as we feel immersed in calm, serenity, and well-being.

At the point where the four precepts are applied, our attitudes and motives are purified, and the spiritual Force is brought to bear, the act reaches its penultimate status. At that point, what would have taken a lengthy period to complete occurs in a single moment -- as life cooperates from all quarters.

The Conscious Act
The Conscious Act begins at the mental level, providing vision, is energized through the Vital plane of our being which adds will and emotion, and is then acted upon at the physical plane through the movement of our bodies. Every act has this mental, vital, and physical quality -- whether for the individual, business, society, or universal current up to the Divine itself.

Energy Conversion in Creation that is the Ultimate Conscious Act
The universe unfolded through the ultimate conscious act of creation. That same process of unfolding from the Absolute is available throughout the cosmos, including for ourselves as individual being.

From a divine source emanated a vision of a universe to be created. It unfolded as Real Ideas to manifest. It can be said to be the mental level of God. At another level the intention of the Divine generated energy. It is the will and substance of creation. That energy directed by the Real Idea moved and formulated into the forms of force of creation. Vision, Intention of Will and Energy, and the formulation of Energy into substance of matter was/is the process of creation in the universe from a Divine Source. It is the ultimately conscious act that can be replicated in the universe, particularly though he individual human.

A Conscious Act
A conscious act is one in which there is a change in consciousness from the poise of status to the poise of extension which results in the release of conscious force that has gathered around and is directed at bringing forth a significant form of that which was created in status and now seeks expression in becoming.

There has been and always will be only one conscious act -- the self-conception of the Absolute leading to manifestation. This act has brought forth from that which is beyond manifestation all states and levels of consciousness and the corresponding states of space and spacelessness, time and timelessness and the various levels of ether and material reality, all of which are the extension of the Real Ideas of the Absolute.

The infinite numbers of activities-- acts in time -- that come forth, express and continue to unfold at each and every level of consciousness are the expression of this single act in its extension through the movement of consciousness in space and time, for these are the fields which enable the progressive flowering of these self-creating ideas.

• The result of this conscious act of the Absolute is the creation of the Real Idea leading to the formation of the consciousness of Sat-Chit-Ananda and its implied power to bring forth these Real Ideas into the becoming.
• The result of the same conscious act in the Supermind is the creation of the cosmos and all the universes that exist within it.
• The result of the same conscious act in the universal mind is the creation of an infinite multitude of forms and forces each in its own way trying to express the higher powers of self-conscious awareness.
• The result of the same conscious act in mind is the creation of an infinite social evolution full of diverse cultures across time.
• The result of the same conscious act in the vital is the endless drive that energizes and moves the evolution forward.
• The result of the same conscious act in the physical is the gradual but definite expression of the hidden but infinite potentials in each and every form

Each progressive plane of consciousness and the beings that inhabit that plane of unfolding are at best temporary demarcations of the One in its conscious act of bringing forth its self-conception through the experience of its Oneness, which expresses within its infinite freedom and power to take on the temporary appearance of every conceivable form while remaining One.

If an ordinary person can raise their level of consciousness outside the bounds of the frontal personality and station themselves in a poise of consciousness that is capable of living and acting from both the Being and the Becoming simultaneously, it is possible to tap into this infinite wave of unfolding potentials and draw on the power of the original act to achieve results that are far beyond what life ordinarily permits. (MSS, Bob Macfarlane)

Knowing How We Completed an Act
Though every act waits for the right atmosphere, one can still trace what shifts on consciousness made it happen now. That way, one won't have to wait in future, as the secret for us in particular will be revealed, and we can repeat it. For example, if we look at the conditions required of a Complete Act, something in us now had made it fully complete. What is it?

(One close friend of mind involved in that theory of Karmayogi's for 30 years told me that when the act is complete, life responds. I looked for examples for my book on Life Response (now available at Amazon), and hoped to include some there. Though challenging at first, I found a few -- i.e. where the person began with a conscious choice to improve themselves, then developed the will, then organized and executed it through emotions and action, ending with sudden good -- no spectacular -- fortune. It is a wonder to behold; this conscious evocation of the miraculous. Often it comes before the end! It is absolutely guaranteed when we add Mother's Force to the mix. There is spectacular results, often 10-fold change in very short order. As we say in America, "it is mind blowing.")

Also See Article on the Process of Personal Growth and Accomplishment

TO BE CATEGORIZED

Acts Repeat

Overview

Preventing Negatives from Repeating by Perceiving Subtle Signs Linking Past, Present, and Future

Life normally provides you with subtle signs if a negative outcome from the past is going to repeat in the future. To avoid the repetition, understand what the implication of the sign is, and act (or avoid acting) accordingly.

E.g. an invitation to attend a dinner arrives just as it did several years back, before which a friend was involved in an accident. Now she perceives its arrival as an indicator of a repeating problem, and therefore tosses the invitation away.

To perceive such signs (in which past, present, and future are grasped in the current moment), one needs to be able to recognize the subtle unfoldings of life. That occurs by developing a deeper poise within, to one's True Self, which is facilitated by constant opening to the spiritual Force, i.e. Consecration.

Why Acts Repeat

Act Connected through Time Repeat in Order For Them to Be Transformed

Every single act in the present is connected to one or more acts of the past and the future. All the acts are so connected by a life force.

When an act and its outcome is reflecting another act of the past (i.e. it repeats), then it meant that the act that produced a result in the past has not been completed there itself then but that carries a knowledge to be reflected in its future that is in present or in future. In that sense a force is bonding the past, present and future for every movement that takes place in the universe. (Nedumaran Ramakrishnan )

Why Acts Repeat

Life/Acts repeat because there is something unconscious in them that needs to be redressed.

Preventing Negatives from Repeating by Perceiving Subtle Signs Linking Past, Present, and Future

Life normally provides you with subtle signs if a negative outcome from the past is going to repeat in the future. To avoid the repetition, understand what the implication of the sign is, and act (or avoid acting) accordingly.

E.g. an invitation to attend a dinner arrives just as it did several years back, before which a friend was involved in an accident. Now she perceives its arrival as an indicator of a repeating problem, and therefore tosses the invitation away.

To perceive such signs (in which past, present, and future are grasped in the current moment), one needs to be able to recognize the subtle unfoldings of life. That occurs by developing a deeper poise within, to one's True Self, which is facilitated by constant opening to the spiritual Force, i.e. Consecration.

Predicting the Future through Life Knowledge

The more you know the laws governing Life and Life Response, the more you are able to predict the future. Naturally that extraordinary capacity should be practiced in all humility, without it tickling the ego.

Predecessor Events

Every Shock is Indicated Beforehand which We Can Prevent through Consecration

Every shock is indicated beforehand if we observe life, our lives closely. Karmayogi says there are absolutely no exceptions to the fact that everything has a predecessor. It at that point we only had the wherewithal to perceive this future shock indicator and consecrate it, we could overcome the trauma that ensued. Better still, if we live from a deeper poise and constantly consecrate from there, there will be few shocks, and even these will be perceived as purposeful in their wider context.

The Complete Act

The Complete Act and the Impact of the Personality

It is always helpful to have a Life Plan, which is in essence the execution of what Karmayogi calls a "Complete Act." I.e. fix our goals, aspire for it intensely in the emotions, organize it into a plan, and execute it with right attitudes and skills. Whether for ordinary or spiritual life (or anything in between), the three aspects of Mind's Goal, the Vital's Urge and Energy, and the Physical's execution will enable the act to be eminently fulfilled.

So start at the beginning and determine what you want. Then follow the process from there. See if your goals are clear. Determine if your emotions truly endorse it. And then execute it with skills, right attitude, and determination. If anything is missing, the result will be less than stellar.

If your goal is already well under way, check to see what is missing in the being, the personality, as Ashokan Sir indicates. E.g. one individual is unable to keep his focus because he is interested in too many other things. Another is unable to sustain the emotional intensity to drive things forward because of a lack of true, inner commitment. Yet a third has impractical goals and is lacking in the necessary skills to see it through. Etc. Thus, reevaluation of our position is necessary at each point.

Adding Consecration to the mix will move it into the causal plane, and the qualitative and quantitative results will be markedly better. Even there the quality (e.g. "Thy Will Be Done") and intensity of the consecrated act will determines the Force's impact.

If the Plan/Act is a Complete One, it means all of these aspects are saturated. Goal, Will, Action + Mother. At that point, life responds overwhelmingly.

We can therefore examine the Personality at each point, and determine what is lacking. Improving ourselves in those areas relative to the act will make us far more receptive for the action of the Force, enabling us to fulfill our original Aspiration and then some.