Rightfully yours...

By Vichara


Many mornings as I “sit” to write these “thoughts” I almost feel like a satellite dish awaiting a signal. Where it will come from and it is going to bring to my cranium I am not sure. Just like what you are reading now I am not sure where it comes from as the pencil moves along the page. It is mysterious. Perhaps what comes to me and ends up on this page is the reflection in a moment of what I have read, seen and heard so far channeled through some filter of intuitive understanding or perhaps the right conditions have been met and the tumblers of the lock fall into place and open. Whatever it is and wherever it comes from I can tell you this…everyone of you should stop for at least 30 minutes a day from doing anything and just sit and think. Now daydreaming while driving the car doesn’t count. I’m talking about finding a spot wherever you feel comfortable and somewhere will little distractions and just reflect, think and allow the channel that gets closed down with all of our activities to be open even if it is just a little while. Our days can sometimes get shot out of the cannon and the frenetic energy of communication devices keeps propelling us in many directions and talking to people who are not even in the same room. Push the buttons off! Let them sit idle for awhile and allow the natural synopses that engage your brain to breathe and give back to you what is rightfully yours – thought.

Prisoners of time...

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.

What is your talisman?

By Vichara


Which talisman do you carry? Is it literal or is it a figurative talisman? It is a lucky penny, a cross, a photo or a combination of things you find solace in keeping close to you in your daily activities? Going through the items in my Mum’s purse after she passed away I discovered hers. Inside this 3½ by 2½ plastic dual cardholder were two things. On the right side is an actual 4-leafed clover. Because of its rarity and its alleged magical properties finding one of these would bring the person good luck. This clover was encased in a couple pieces of scotch tape in some kind of crude archival way of preserving it and hopefully it’s magical charms. On the other side is a small 4 color printed card, the kind they give out a Christian churches which you carry with you to find comfort. On one side of the card is an image of Jesus with a shepherds’ staff out strolling in a wonderful green valley with a crystal blue river lazily winding behind and through the hills. Surrounding Jesus is a small herd of sheep. In the crux of his left arm he is holding a baby sheep. It is looking up at him as he is gazing at it and looking like he is imparting some words of wisdom. Printed on the other side is a prayer that is attributable to St. Francis…

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; 
 where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

For some the talisman that we carry is something where we direct the energies that we are having trouble with or in need of an answer in a crude primal way of hopefully dispersing the negative or finding the answers we need. Regardless of how people perceive carrying some form of talisman can be a well needed focal point of comfort and solace. After all the mantra utilized in meditation practice is just as similar. A focal point so the energies we want to deal with are processed is some kind of cathartic exercise for the mind, body and soul. What is your talisman?

Just do it...

By Vichara


Were do you begin? To coin a popular ad campaign, “Just do it”. To “sit” in a meditation practice for some can be one of the most painful experiences they can have. To sit in one place for a certain length of time without too much movement or getting up and down or clicking things could be met with fear. But the very act of sitting for meditation purposes can be a very healing process. The act of staying in one place is a very useful tool to regain composure, to delve into things you experience, to calm the frenetic energy and to recharge the battery of just being human or in this case humane. Our culture is inherently competitive and even the very act of just driving to work can turn into an endurance race of both patience and fortitude. By taking the time to sit in the morning you give your mind and body a brief respite and an opportunity to form a stable foundation that could allow you to deal with the “bumps” along the way with equanimity. How do you get to this Shangri-La of the spirit? Just do it.

Is there one person...

By Vichara


Is there one person that you personally know that you can truly admire? I’m talking about someone that embodies qualities that are forthright, honest, and compassionate and serve as an inspiration to you and those around them. Think about it for a moment and consider the above before making up your mind. My guess is as I have found is that you may think of maybe a few people in your life so far that are “good” people but you would be very lucky if you could identify just one person with qualities described above. That’s ok, these individuals are few and far in between. What you may find however is a couple that you have known or even know now that have very fine qualities and in these qualities would serve as a catalyst to makes things better in your life. One thing to remember…no matter how wonderful an individual may seem they are not perfect. There will be chinks in the armor. After all they and you are human and given the impermanence of our existence things will fluctuate and change and so does the qualities that makes us all human. Ultimate perfection is not attainable but that shouldn’t stop us from striving to have better moral and ethical standards not only to the world around us but to the world within us too.

Right now...

By Vichara


Reflect for just a moment on how you are feeling right now, this very minute…don’t drift over to something you need to do next or what happened yesterday, stay here, right now, without drifting. Happy? sad? anxious? peaceful?...it doesn’t matter as long as it is right now. Far too much time is spent in the abstracts of past and future. Yes we do learn from our past and we plan for the concept of the future but by not being here, cognizant of this moment is like waiting at the bus stop and missing the bus. It only stops “now” for you. Get your ticket and don’t miss the bus, there is always a seat waiting for you…now.

Reaching out - inside...

By Vichara


For a number of mornings over the last few weeks the words “keep reaching out” has appeared when I awake. And indicative of this forum I kept asking “to what?” There has never been a response or a thought thread that would offer itself up for expansion until this morning when this small innocent word silently and innocently responded – “inside”. Keep reaching out – inside. I know that paired together may not seem to make sense and contradictive but it became clearer in the cold morning light. Our natural compulsion for those that have ambition, drive or even the simplest curiosity with life is to keep reaching out and moving forward. While that of course is logical there is also a need and I think an almost requirement that we need to reach out – inside. Check in with ourselves and see if we are being a friend to ourselves, being kind in our troubles, being happy in our triumphs and to ensure the steps we are taking are footed in compassion and love not only for ourselves but for those around us as well.

MTOTD...

By Vichara


Yesterday I went out with about 140 different characters. Now that may seem like a lot but to tell you the truth it wasn’t all that overwhelming. In fact in some ways it was somewhat limiting. Oh, they were personable enough but most of the time the conversations were considerably abbreviated. There was a lot of OMG, BBR, WMPL, SFLA and TMI. Another thing about these characters I was hanging out with was that they seemed to all be in a hurry. For what I am not quite sure because as soon as they spoke their clipped dialogue they just stared, waiting for something to happen. It made me think (I know that’s dangerous), is the gradual loss of the eloquence of language in favor of the monosyllabic abbreviations a reversion to out guttural prehistoric grunts that our ancestors uttered in caves? IDK, LOL ☺

Change...

By Vichara


We can easily change our hairstyle, change our wardrobe, change where we live, change jobs, change what we eat and any number of things but that which is not so easy to change is who we are inside. There is no one couture guide to change our habits, desires and attitudes and anyone who claims there is full of…you know. It is my own personal belief that if change is desired or is felt that is needed it would have been recognized by an event or incident that has happened to you that shook up your world and viewpoint. Search for the root of what that may be to expose it to the light of transcendence. Once put under scrutiny it has nowhere to run and is subject to change…if truly desired. One effective measuring tool to initiate change is this classic but unencumbered rule or guideline that exists in most if not every faith, “one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself”. If this exists and is adopted in the foundation of your life the path will become a lot clearer and easier to change.

Today...

By Vichara


You can begin again. This could be the day, the hour, the minute, the right moment where, if you believe, the planets and stars align for you to make that decision you need, desire and is necessary. What is it your soul needs to make? That shift to get up and step forward. What will be the catalyst you need? You know you have been waiting for that sign for so very long and it is so needed you will recognize it in a heartbeat. Because it is in that one heartbeat is where the vista will rise up to meet you. What will you do with this moment when it arrives? Will you give it a casual glance and turn away? Will you hand over your ticket of acceptance and get on board for the ride? It is up to you. In this democracy of the heart, mind & spirit it will be your decision because it will you that will face the sunrise of tomorrow by making the decision of today.

Defining moments...

By Vichara


How defined are you with what you want to do in your life? Is there at least some plan, some roadmap of what paths will be taken? Of course there will be doubts, questions and moments where you may feel disjointed. But all great journeys start with small pieces of inspiration that reside in different places that will need a guiding hand to come together. At these times you may need to just stand on the hillside like a Sheppard looking down at his flock. You observe where the flock is and strategically and patiently bring them all together for the journey with love, patience and compassion. With this as your guiding principle what was once ill-defined will be defined and what was once lost will be found.

Conduct...

By Vichara


You will burn yourself with the fire you create. You will cut yourself with razor words you flail about and you diminish yourself with the limitations you place yourself. It is your choice what path you choose. In the creation of one’s actions also comes responsibility of accepting the consequences. We will all develop defense mechanisms that try to justify the results and proceeds of what we do but if our actions stand on their own, without excuses, the path will be clearer. Yes we all will falter from time to time but in the mere act of conducting your words and deeds with the foundation of compassion, love and patience your steps moving forward will be unencumbered and instilled a clearer confidence and vision.

Don't wait...

By Vichara


Don’t wait until you are 90 to understand how life itself is the path.

Fear...

By Vichara


Fear is big business! It should be bought, sold and traded on Wall Street. In some ways it is when they speculate if certain bad things happen that could result in a set of falling cards that will benefit a select few. But the fear I am thinking of is the kind that seems to have started a very long time ago and in many ways has a life of its own and is continuously fed. Fed by those who see its true nature and benefit with keeping it alive. The products sold, the books, the TV shows and movies all stressing the point that we must fear. We must know that bad things will happen to us…but then maybe not as much as is believed. What if we didn’t have to fear as much as they preach to us? What if the virus of cooperation and compassion was allowed to infect us instead of the virus of fear? Yes these “what if” questions may sound naïve, but what if?

Our Lazy Boy in life...

By Vichara


We all need to find our own Lazy-Boy chair in this life. I'm not sure how many of you out there have ever experienced sitting in one of those recliners for the first time. Mine came at my parents house in the 1970's. It was brown (of course) with a strange design in it's fabric that sort of had elements of paisley. But the real treat was climbing in for the first time, reaching on the side to the lever, pulling it up engaging the chairs foot rest to extend and for your body to elongate into a half laying position. It was like being hugged and rocked back in a very comfortable position that would produce the sound "ahhhhhh" to come from deep inside. We are all searching for our own Easy Boy chair in life that will produce that sound from our heart when we find it. It may come from some new hobby, some new book, conversation, some small act or in the culmination of something you have been doing all along. It may nit be grandiose, it may just be humble and small but we need to find these in order to make sense out of the sometimes frenetic world. We need to find that lever to pull back and say "ahhhhhh".

Meld...

By Vichara


If there were ways to reassure ourselves that things on a daily basis would be ok I am confident most of us would seize the opportunity. However the undercurrent impermanence of everything has domain over every aspect of every moment of every day and creates challenges. For those of us who do not like things challenging we can choose an erratic existence and be troubled by everything or we can be strong like water and flow along and embrace change and learn from change. Meld as the changes happen.

The spark...

By Vichara


I heard an artist yesterday talk about creativity. He said there is a need to be reminded that big things come from small beginnings. There are some that possibly believe that of Beethoven’s symphonies just magically appeared fully realized and he just wrote them down. When of course as with most things there is great toiling to reach the finished end. It is something just to remind ourselves when we feel overwhelmed and discouraged the we all, and I repeat this, we all have the potential to realize that what which we dream. Be it big or small, nurture the “spark” and be patient with its journey. The spark of creativity comes in many different forms but you can make it happen.

The mundane?

By Vichara


A slight change in perception will often lead you to discoveries that you would normally pass over. In our daily activities there are many elements of repetition and I bet you are nodding your head as you read this. But like a fine craftsman / woman repeatedly buffing a fine piece of metal or wood it will soon reveal a beauty that only comes from diligent and careful focus. While we may view some activities as plainly boring these movements of mind and body could reveal to you and those around you a hidden treasure that will help you and others. Reflect in the mundane and through diligence discover something that could change many perceptions.

The puzzle of expressions...

By Vichara


The humans face can make more than ten thousand expressions. Ten thousand! It is no wonder that human relationships can be like walking through a minefield. We are needed on a daily basis to deal with many people and the myriad of emotions generated and unless we temper these encounters with patience and compassion we will surly trip up our reactions in these reactions. But given the frenetic energy that is commonly forced upon us we all need to take great pains to slow elements of this pace down in order for us t recognize the commonalities of the expressions shared, the roots of these emotions shared and how we can work together more effectively to resolve differences with yes…patience and compassion.