Clarity...

By Vichara


I was sitting here half expecting in some strange way for the page to start writing the “thought” by itself. But then I thought isn’t that just the way we do expect things to happen all the time, don’t we? We expect the sun will rise in the morning, we expect the coffee to be good and hot, we expect people to do what is asked and required of them. We have expectations about expectations and when the expectations are not met more expectations of how it should go. Should we acquiesce to the way it just goes or should we dig deeper and possibly try to straighten out the road that became winding with hidden curves. Perhaps it all comes down to if we really expect our expectations to be met and resolutions to be found. What is the definition of insanity? Keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results? Perhaps it is time to find a new way with one expectation – clarity.

Reflecting points...

By Vichara


As I “sat” I looked down at the little book I write these “thoughts” in and staring back at me was this blank page. I thought – perfect! This blank page is a fresh start and a new day. In essence a whole new beginning. How could I convey this in a meager written form and even if I could would it contain enough commonalities to be understood? We are given this with each day “____________________” and we have a tendency to produce this “@#**5$&^***!^?:” by the end of each day. So how can we keep at least some of the openness that is given to us from turning into this consistent frenetic jungle of clanging noise? At this point in writing this I must admit I feel I have painted myself into a corner. But no it is not a corner but a reflection point and perhaps the answer to the question from above. If by spontaneously installing reflection points (like road-side rest stops) throughout our day perhaps there we can recharge and remind ourselves that we all have the opportunity for a fresh start at any point in the day. I’m not completely sure but…I’m looking at a blank page again.

Your energy...

By Vichara


You are one of the billions of un-tethered energy sources of the world. Within you is a power source that is immeasurable and renewable that can change the physical world around you. While yes this energy can do harm but it is at it’s best and most effective when it is connected and unified with others to do well. There will be times when you think the amperage that is present within you is too low to be any good to anything or anyone. This is where your limitations are misguided. Every energy inch of what you embody is extremely powerful. Do not discount that. You have the complete ability to increase this internal energy at any given moment by the switch of love & compassion. This is the A/C and D/C of existence. Power up and use this and the world around you will be brighter and better. Not solar powered but soul powered.

Setting your sails...

By Vichara


Depending on when you read this “thought” your day may have either just started or maybe drawing to a close. If the curtain of the day has just been pulled back you have an opportunity to set your course with the right intent. Now here at this point many of us may get overwhelmed in the list we may mentally create. We may get all excited and the laundry list of actions we may want to follow backs us into a corner of inactivity. Stop! Before this happens breathe and focus on maybe just one for the day. Temper your persistence with patience. Be more open to things difficult to understand. Just something that can act as one guidepost in your journey. Something that will make the day more substantive rather than vacuous. And for those reading this at the end of the day, set your sails with honest reflection on what you can do tomorrow. Either way guide your intent with compassion.

A better understanding...

By Vichara


It’s one thing to acknowledge another one’s existence on the external level without too much fanfare; it is to acknowledge that person’s internal existence without judgment is where the challenge exists. The physical form is just a collection of bones, skin and blood adorned with fabrics but what that person believes in, dreams about and feel can seem as vast and large as looking out into the ocean. Some things people believe in we will not totally understand because each of our personal experiences and how they are personally interpret them. But here is the tripping point and if we stop, listen and try to understand we can find the commonalities that we could share. From there will be a starting point that will ignite the conversation not to argument and disagreement but to understanding and compassion.

Empirical proof?...

By Vichara


We are desire or should I say we all seem to need empirical proof of some guiding hand or deity where we can possibly find solace or guidance. Some believe that the indication of something bigger than us will come with much fanfare. With others there is no waiting and all the proof we need is here already. Hell, for me I was kind of hoping in a simplistic way that the treasured wind chimes that belonged to my deceased mother that now hangs just outside the window of my “sitting” room would chime, letting me know that she is “out there” and watching over me. Maybe there is nothing out there. Perhaps it is so subtle that we can’t see or feel it. Then again maybe its strength is in the subtlety and transparence. I think that it is not in any of these and the true guidance is in each one of us but unless we use the tool of compassion to unite we may never see the full potential. Oh and by the way as I writing this, the wind chimes did ring for a moment.

One red light at a time...

By Vichara


Keep your eyes & ears open as much as you can folks because what you see and hear in this second, this minute, this hour will never, ever happen again…ever. It is just part of he wonderful kaleidoscopic ephemeral universe that we all and I mean all, live in. At the core and the key to all of this and the basic element is to be cognizant of this with the simple act of mindfulness with each minute and hour. I know, I know easier said than done right? But even driving we can practice mindfulness and try to arrive peacefully. The wonderful meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanah suggests that even at a red light we can practice. The red light can be used as a signal, a reminder that there is tension in your body from possibly needing to get somewhere. Use the 10 seconds at the red light to practice some mindful breathing and release the tension in your body. And with the number of red lights we face we might even arrive peacefully.

Are you ready to play?...

By Vichara


It's time to move the chess pieces in a different way.  There has always been constraints on which way we go.  We have been told that if this is the one way you need to go, you go that way.  While technology has been for some cumbersome in many ways it has however created a greater amount of transparency with the existence of our world.  We can now more freely exchange ideas, words and images in a way that not too long ago would be considered science fiction.  You somewhere in Russia or the Netherlands or India can almost instantaneously respond to these words and share with a friend in other pockets of the world.  The chessboard has become more universal and accessible to many more people.  But with this freedom this exchange and openness to the masses comes with a responsibility.  In order to make this foray on this expanded chessboard beneficial we need to meet each other with greater openness.  We need to throw out the manipulation, throw out the deception, the greed, the attachment to old methodology that obviously does not work anymore given this transparency.  We need to utilize more compassion, more integrity and more understanding.  Everyone of us has the capacity to do so regardless of where we are geographically or emotionally.  The new chess pieces on this board will not include the military accruchamonts and carry only compassion, integrity and understanding.  Are you ready to play?  Bent u bereid te spelen? Вы готовы сыграть? Sind Sie bereit zu spielen? Êtes-vous prêt à jouer ? Está você pronto para jogar? 您准备使用? Ви готові до гри? Готови ли сте йо играе? Kas olete valmis mängima? آیا شما حاضر به نمايش مى دانيد? Ert þú tilbúinn til að spila? Vai esat gatavi spēlēt? Ste pripravení? دو تاسو ته چمتو دي؟ Är du att ordna till för att leka?

Doubt...

By Vichara


Without doubt there would be no measurement to gauge success. With doubt you question the distance you have travelled, the knowledge you have gained and the friendship forged along this journey. Doubt is a useful tool as long as it doesn’t get in the way and becomes one of the only tools that you use. I have seen many individuals that have become so mired in doubt that even when they are showed love they confuse it with manipulation. I know for many of us the bridge of trust we thought was sturdy is perceived to become rickety and frail. The path that was once clear seems to be strewn with barriers. These are all times when doubt has tipped that balance. The bridge is fine, the path is ok we just need to keep doubt as a tool not a hindrance. But don’t just believe me trust in yourself. I have no doubt you can do that.

The door to our day...

By Vichara


We open our eyes in the morning like opening the door to the outside world. There is some trepidation but we know that moving forward is the right thing to do. Still we squint and try to adjust to the light and its duet with the ambient noise and engage to the new day. For the majority of us there will be any number of tasks that will be expected to be completed in a day. A checklist of priorities and responsibilities that hopefully one by one will see its completion. Then there is the other checklist. This is a checklist although not blatantly as evident as the tasks in a day but as important. Things like laughter, love, gratification, support, compassion, comfort and equanimity. While it may be considered just filler in a day to some they are vital. We may not consciously think of mentally checking them off our lists but without them the door to the day is not so easily opened.

Calling...

By Vichara


You can’t put in a reservation to the Future - it does not exist. I called the other day to do this but the phone just kept ringing and ringing and ringing. I got tired of waiting, doodling on a piece of paper while I waited for someone to pick up but they never did. I hung up and tried again but I hit the speed dial and by accident I hit the button to the Past. Of course someone picked up right away, in fact several voices picked up. It seemed like there were about 10 voices all of them fighting over each other regaling me with stories of past glories and failures. I tried to politely to interrupt but I finally hung up with the voices still going on. I punched in the next line to call the Future again and heard no dial tone. I waited for a moment and said hello. A voice came right back that sounded kind of like my own but less frenetic and infused with a calming effect. I asked if this was Future and the voice came back in an easy manner that no, this is Now and there is no need for a reservation. He said we’re here always open, 24/7.

Today is calling...

By Vichara


When I got up this morning I put a call in for “Today”-I just got Today’s voice mail. It said, in that cheery slightly condescending way, “I’m sorry I missed your call but you know that if you are receiving this message the day has already started.” I was waiting for the beep to leave a message but there was this brief pause and it continued. Today finished by saying “if you truly want to meet me you need to stop hanging around so much with “Past” and his annoying friend “Future”. Past just ends up re-hashing stuff over and over and the Future paints stories of what you want to hear, not what truly is real. Meet me here soon, but I can’t wait – BEEEEEP!

Gunfight at high noon...

By Vichara


Two thoughts meet and face each other like Wild West gunslingers at high noon. Who is faster at engaging the synopses that will culminate in a victory with the grey matter of the brain? Who will be faster, hit the mark and gain dominance? The right thought, the wrong thought. The calculated or the impulsive, which one will, it be? In that split second with that one dominant thought our lives change. This thought gunfight happens so many times in a day that we do not keep track. So how do we know that the decision to raise the hand of victory in that microsecond is the right one? Is it in the intuitive moral compass that hopefully cultivated? Spiritual guides that mysteriously lead you through to safety? I am not completely sure with only 53 years on this planet. But I do believe if the paths that we have traversed are infused with the lessons from those of good moral integrity that our hands and hearts will be then soundly guided and we will ultimately win the battle at high noon.

Your path...

By Vichara


Do not listen to a single voice. Do not rely on the wisdom of one. Do not act in accordance with one authority. Do not follow one man or one woman’s doctrine just because they are “famous”. As there are many people in the world, there are that many voices. Your path, no matter where it leads, will encounter those voices, thoughts and revelations that are needed to move on to the next “stepping stone”. Do not walk a single path, as one path will not contain all of the stepping-stones needed for the journey. No one doctrine has a single voice, they all have their prophets, wise men / women, thinkers, doers and guides. It is in this collected wisdom is where we define our own personal path built with the breadth of knowledge and wisdom of many, not just from the past but from today and the future.

Who we are is not...

By Vichara


Schopenhauer was out walking one, deep in thought when a policeman, suspicious of him approached and asked, “May I know who you are?” Schopenhauer stood for a long time and then replied, “I wish I could tell you”. It is true; no matter how many ways we are identified the majority of them are external. The clothing styles we wear, the car that we drive, the voice, the laugh, how we adorn our office or home, and all outwardly personal markers. But we are much more. Much more than this collection of bones, blood and flesh and as long as we identify ourselves in the physical sense we will keep using all our energies to satisfy these needs. Try to take just 15 minutes a day, by yourself with no distractions to check in with you and your spirit and try to feed that instead of the external. The classic Hindu text, the Upanishads, says that the joy that comes when we discover who we are is a million times greater than all the pleasures the most advanced civilization could offer.

From "I" to "we"...

By Vichara


The foundation of the world, which has been viewed as formidable, is more like a house of cards. And the cards have started to bend, tumble and tear to revel the true nature. The scandals, the deceit, the manipulation, greed, all of the frailties are being exposed but what do we do when the ruins of greed and deception have been cleared away? Do we finally, in a collective resolution, bond to each other to a more truthful existence? Not quite sure how could this be done when the extreme disorderly still exists and is precariously held together by the human ego. Perhaps we can start stripping away some of the “I” of our existence and shift some energies to the “we” and rebuild through patience and compassionate understanding.

Your ticket...

By Vichara


Prisoners of time. We are all subject to and part of this brother/sisterhood. Bound by the minutes, the seconds and the sands as they trickle down from an unseen personal timepiece. Our existence here on this plane is subject to some mystical biological clock that we have no choice of seeing or knowing. While pondering this may induce hyperventilation to some, let’s use this striking point and reinvent our days for a change. When the alarm rouses us from our slumbering state, envision that moment in your mind’s eye as a ticket for today’s ride. This is your ticket, purchased by your own personal thoughts and intent subject to the fine print on the back. Don’t bother turning the ticket over to read, everyone has the same terms and conditions – Keep a good heart, good thoughts, good speech, good actions and good intent and the ride will be good.

Walk softly...

By Vichara


We’ve grown up and become adults and the playground just got bigger. We argue and laugh, just like we did when we did as kids in the park but now it is bigger, more sophisticated and deadlier. This is not a video game. When you pull the trigger, the bullet can’t be pulled back. You can’t re-set the game. The words unleashed will make its mark. The cause will have its effect, the action a reaction. Choose from a more meaningful armament. Walk softly but carry a big heart, conscious of how it leaves its mark.

Attachment...

By Vichara


There can be no fighting, if there is no attachment. There can be no greed, when there is no attachment. There can be no resentment, when there is no attachment. I am not insisting a non-attachment where you acquiesce all that you have in a subservient way. No, this type of non-attachment weighs out the merits of both sides, sees the needs of both, understands the possible outcome and shares in the positive and negative aspects of all actions. When you have the ability to lose everything, you have the ability to have everything.

This movie of life...

By Vichara


There are some days I feel like saying I've seen enough and if what I have seen was recorded on some hard drive somewhere I would ask just to play back the good parts.  I know that this is not how it goes but it is just an exhausted wish not to see anymore violence, hatred, self-centeredness and the myriad forms of abuse that keeps getting re-invented.  What is it when it can be clearly seen but those that act out in destructive ways will do it anyway regardless that they know it will cause pain.  Is there some twisted delusional belief that this time the horrible act they are about to commit will be considered by those around them as ok and justified?  Those with a good decent moral nature will know that is not true but like water rushing over a rock surface eventually it wears down and breaks.  Let's not break! Let's not get worn down by what we see around us and try to retain a strong union of compassion that can be an example to those contemplating abusive acts that there is another way.  Yes it may seem that we keep seeing the same bad movie and TV shows but let's try to show with a compassionate union that there are more than one way to direct a scene in this movie of life.

One small step...

By Vichara


You can’t move forward without reflecting on the past. Use these lessons learned from these experiences and illuminate them with the light of compassion and forgiveness in order to transcend their pettiness. Formulate a foundation, not of retribution but a foundation of unification. Using this tack many new paths will become a reality in this light. Step forward with confidence that together you and the person next to you, that you don’t even know, can and will achieve both small and big victories…one small compassionate step at a time.

These layers of protection...

By Vichara


For most of us we are very lucky to wake surrounded by a physical structure that protects us.  The wood, metal, paint, plaster and tiles that are skillfully layered to layer us with a barrier to the outside elements.  For some others, not so lucky.  In additions to these layers that protect us we also have another set.  Our skin, hair, bones, blood and nails provide the protection of an internal physical form.  All of these layers of protection to protect what?  This tangled, complicated collection of internal organs that we call me and you.  Is all the intricate latticework that make these miraculous things called me and you worth all of this?  Unless we are contributing even in a small positive way I am not sure.  Those of us who are older can look back and review the catalog of our lives to assess the net worth of our actions and determine our contribution.  This who are younger can take stock of where they have been so far and making a commitment to integrity and compassion in the future.  Making a pact with themselves as we all should no matter what our position in life is and to respect this opportunity we have been given with these bodies and minds.  No matter where you are on this planet let us try to do something today to help someone or something out in a positive way.  It sometimes seem so easy to be selfish and harder to give.  Easy to destroy, harder to create.  But let's try to reverse this even in a small way to justify all of this hard work it took to build these layers of protection.