You have the "key"...

By Vichara


We all have the answers…let that sink in for a moment. Say it to yourself again. We all have the answers. There is the factual and those answers are easily obtainable these days by many means, books, videos, teachers, Internet, etc. Then there is the esoteric and the answers to those humanistic emotional variances that to most seem remote and unattainable. All of the “keys” that will open the doors of understanding are in everyone’s pocket. Our reluctance to getting the “answers” is not based in ignorance but being patient enough to locate the “key” to each answer that resides in all of us. Sometimes it may take some time to get the answer but with patience you will get there.

If it has not been written...

By Vichara


If it has not been written, it cannot be said. If it has not been said, it can’t be written. Somewhere in between is the thought that can change the world or change the course of hearts. It is the rise in the road where the vista that has not been seen before reveals itself before one and the many. Be calm, be thankful and be aware that it has been given to each one of us. It is our rights, our destiny and our inheritance for the next traveler. All of this is yours and cannot be taken away but you personally have an obligation not to turn away when this comes. Write it down, speak it out loud, and engrave it in your heart. Share it for it’s your legacy no matter how trivial you make think it is. It is your “thought” that will unfold and inspire.

The "ride"...

By Vichara


At various points in the day when things can get a bit crazy and frenetic we all must take a few minutes to step back, breathe and just take a moment. Get off the “ride” for a few minutes and remind ourselves that this is just not some random ride but we all have a purpose here. A wise man once said “Ooogaleee boogalee bim bop swaheelee snobbaluu bop walla walla floopeee butt”. Which means, “Think and act with the foundation of compassion”.

True happiness?...

By Vichara


Is there a key to true happiness? So many books, TV shows and magazines all of them claiming to know the key to happiness that will change all our lives forever. While admirable in their attempt this topic has been investigated by hundreds and hundreds of people, both young and old for centuries. And here I believe as simple and naïve as it may seems, is the key. There is no one key to happiness. With every individual person there is an individual key, unique to that person. As much as there may be commonalities that we may all share in one way or another, when we try to apply one measurement to all it will fail. The one thing that I do believe we all can agree on is the foundation where happiness can flourish is when each person can maintain love, hope and compassion for all others seeking their key to happiness.

The "switch"...

By Vichara


When you turn the light on in a room it is of course to allow you to see your way so you won’t trip and fall. The action of flipping the switch is so habitual it is almost second nature. The same sort of switch exists within ourselves to help us see our way through difficulties and challenges. But for some reason we may not have developed this second nature trigger movement within ourselves like we have with the physical light switch. We all have this internal mechanism but of course the key is that we need to recognize and develop it. How do we do this? Many ways but as far as I can see is to be of course cognizant that you have it and take at least 5 minutes a day, breathe and observe your body’s reaction to thoughts and allow them to find the switch, the answer, the illuminated path.

4 out of 5 doctors agree...

By Vichara


4 out of 5 doctors agree…experts say…leading industry officials recommend. There is always some unknown authority insisting on guiding our decisions but there is one area that no perceived authority should have dominion over and that is your spiritual domain. There is only one expert that goes by three names, love, patience & compassion. These three should guide your steps as you walk today.

How far we have travelled...

By Vichara


I look at the moon nestled in a bed of stars, floating out there calmly passing through the night sky and I think, “I will never go there”. But I do think of where I have been and what I have seen and I believe that if laid out, end-to-end, all of them would probably reach that illuminated orb. We all, regardless of the physical miles, have traveled so far in our lives that a conventional map would not adequately translate the twists and turns, the peaks and valleys and of course the lost roads and dead ends. But when we stand, stalled not seeing the next step from these dead ends, we need to take a moment, breathe and allow the vista to unfold that hidden road and soon you will be on your way. Maybe to the moon?

A heart for a heart...

By Vichara


Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind.” Let’s say now, today, as we wake up and meet the world, a heart for a heart makes the whole world see. By engaging in one simple act of kindness rooted in a compassionate heart, we can make a difference. On simple act will inspire another to another to another, until it becomes a force and not a tiny voice, as some perceive to be. By bucking system of negativity we can stake control of a world with a vision of love, patience and compassion.

The nuances of the present...

By Vichara


With each step we take we are either thinking of what someone would say or what he or she have said already. The face they made from a comment or what potentially they will look like. We think of scenarios that could or should happen all while dipping it into the well of what did happen. We agree and disagree with each thought like they are separate beings. Unless all of us have miraculous powers, we can never completely know what could happen. Even as you read this you are thinking about how you would react to something in the future or why something happened in the past and replay those thoughts with you being the ultimate director. While you can be firm in your resolve and strive to the best you can do, you need to be open to the nuances of the present.

Changing the landscape...

By Vichara


We are all grasping at straws of humanity in a desperate need to make sense of lives that sometimes intersect with such indifference it leaves us little strength and resolve to move forward. And even if we literally close our eyes to the events around us we still see images with our eyelids closed. We need to change our vision. Change what is out “there” and what inside our hearts as well. Easier said than done, as most would say right now, but there are ways. As I have stated in other times, it will not be the grandiose actions that will necessarily make the difference in the world around us. It will be in the small gestures, initiated by the heart, which will have the most profound effect. Try to do something very small for someone else today to try to help change the human landscape out “there” and in your own heart.

Currency of the heart...

By Vichara


There is a very popular movie where the lead actor states that greed is good. Somehow amassing a large personal collection of metal coins and paper will solve and can solve whatever you may need. Why yes since our world is set up in a manner where this currency is the means to obtain goods and services, no matter how large your collection it will only sustain you, it will not save you. If you are lying in a hospital bed with death nearby, this coin and paper will only keep machines going, not you. A dear friend once told me that he has never seen a U-Haul truck following hearse. Use these coins and paper to sustain you within reason but remember the currency of the heart is far more valuable to the world. The more you spend of this currency, through love, patience and compassion, the more it will return on your investment. So go and spend a lot of it today!

Understanding...

By Vichara


In the science fiction series of book, The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Universe (by Douglas Adams), there is this small aquatic being called a babel fish. Inserted into your ear, the babel fish will translate any foreign language spoken into your native tongue, thus rendering any miscommunication virtually impossible. Wouldn’t this be amazing if this existed today and could be utilized around the globe to better understand any person we would encounter? But I think it would only work up to a certain point. Understanding what another person is saying is one thing, having an understanding of they mean is a whole other thing. Even with the language barrier broken it still does not relieve us from utilizing a bigger skill, the skill to understand with the foundation of love, patience and compassion.

The price of admission...

By Vichara


Death to boredom! If you are bored you have your eyes closed both literally and figuratively. The “tapestry” that is unfolded to us everyday is so rich and dense that unless you see this someone has blinded you. Through repetition of our daily actions, some of them quite mundane, we can loose track of the simple beauty that ordinary things have! In the shower, the steady stream of water reflecting in the morning light can be a shower of feather weight diamonds cascading all around. The coolness of the morning air can hold nuances of fragrances that could unlock memories. Observing a couple people in a crosswalk ignites the imagination in that you wonder what secret plans they are talking about. A flock of pigeons that sweeps repeatedly in a pattern only known to them. Open your senses up to the cavalcade; it’s worth the price of admission.

Prisoners of time...

By Vichara


We are 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.

The foundation...

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.

Small acts, big results...

By Vichara


The world will keep on turning no matter what happens. Unless George Lucas knows of a Death Star hovering near by I believe we’ll go on spinning. So what do we do while on this ride? Bitch, complain; whine that there is nothing we can do to help out the world condition? If you feel helpless stop and pull back from thinking on a large scale, where we may not have all of the tools to be effective, and re-focus on perhaps something smaller. From small gestures and compassionate acts you can build a foundation and see immediate results. Which of course builds confidence and sense of purpose. Try a couple today…send a silly postcard through the regular mail just to say hi to someone, put a post-it note in someone’s sock with a message that you care. Call someone for no apparent reason, just to let him or her know you were thinking of him or her. Call you sister, brother, whomever. Small things create big things for you and those around you.

The natural stream...

By Vichara


There is an old Chinese proverb that states when you are friendly, humble and polite, the divine spirit will come to you as naturally as the water flowing down in the valley. I believe that this stream is ever present, in whatever you label you call it and it is merely diverted by distractions from our attention. Sometimes we just need to be reminded by example that this divine spirit that connects us all does exist. All you need to do is one simple act of love, compassion and patience during the day and that stream will be flowing right in front of you.

Karmic Wheel...

By Vichara


In the “Big Karmic Wheel of Life”, we will think, “what the hell is going on and why are these people bothering me? When our inner voice calls out in distain it may be time to pause and contemplate what karma have we created personally to bring about these situations. Personally? Wow, that is tough to think about that we ourselves personally have helped create these situations that trouble us…but we have. Maybe in a little way or in a big way, all things are inter-connected and we have an obligation to be personally responsible for our thoughts and actions. After all, we create them. Now don’t forget to turn the light off before you leave!

Guided by compassion...

By Vichara


“What the outstanding person does, others will try to do. The standards such people create will be followed by the whole world”. Taken from the Hindu sacred text called the Bhagavad-Gita that dates back between the 5th and 2nd century BC, these words have even more relevance considering the moral and political changes we are witnessing. There is a need and cry to cut away the obese malignant weeds of greed and excess and to form a new standard of fairness and compassion. “The ignorant work for their own profit, the wise work for the welfare of the world, without thought for themselves”. Again from the Gita. The short 18 chapters of this document was used as a moral compass by Gandhi for most of his life and even today still can be one of the many texts to guide our lives. “Perform all work carefully, guided by compassion”.

It is up to you...

By Vichara


Regardless of your position in life, your status amongst the rich and famous, the powerful and meek, we are all comprised of exact chemical combination to produce this thinking, talking humanoid being. Some will abuse this presence while in their lifetime and others will ignite the compassionate elements and try to leave this world a little bit better. Face it; we will all die at some point. Wouldn’t you want to use this small amount of time that has been given to you to make a difference in the world? Even in a small, unselfish way? It’s up to you.

A catalyst of change...

By Vichara


This could be the moment of change. This could be the day of revelation. This could be the time that one epiphany you have been waiting for makes it’s appearance. All of the events, thoughts, feelings and experiences could gather together, stand up in front of you and smile. Are you ready? They’re ready for you. Open your heart and let them be a force of good change and act as a catalyst for a more fulfilling life.

Prayers...

By Vichara


He grants all prayers”. What if it is not some mystical deity that favors our altruistic prayers but the collected energy that resides in us all. When the collective acknowledges and understands the divine spirit that lives in us all, the mere unison of this ignites the mechanism that would open up the path to the fulfillment of these prayers. What if?