Become the Observer - Higher Self 11

Become the Observer

The old sage told Huo that they were going for a walk in the forest rather than doing their meditation and martial arts training. The boy was a little confused and out of kilter, as he had become accustomed to the training in the morning, which started his day. His first thought was to pick up his pack and take it with them, but he faltered and put it next to the old man's pack instead.

"So it shall be," said the old man.

Huo felt uncomfortable. He had a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that he ignored, simply putting it down to the change in routine.
The old sage led him in the dark on a walk through the woods. It was pitch black, the new moon shining no light on their journey. Still feeling queasy, Huo banged his head on a low lying branch, the same branch the old sage ducked under. The old man knew that it was going to be a tough day for the young man, but he had chosen it by not listening to his inner feelings. It would be a great lesson in many ways.

"Huo, if you do not want to get another bang on your head or lose more skin off your arms, I would suggest that you walk with your feelings; obviously, your eyes aren't much help in the darkness.” With that, the old sage took out a piece of cloth and tied it around Huo's head. "Now you will have to go with your feelings."

The young man panicked. He tried to remove the blindfold, but the old sage reached across and grabbed his arm. "Relax," was all he said, and the young man took a deep breath and began to imagine what it would be like to walk in the forest blindfolded. At first he could not imagine it, but as he became more relaxed, he could actually see the forest in his inner mind. He took a few tentative steps, then a few more; soon he was walking at the same speed as he would fully sighted on a bright sunny day. He continued to walk easily through the forest, trusting nothing but his inner sight and his feelings.

It was then that the nausea returned. He continued to walk, trying not to think about the nausea, but the nausea would not disappear, and it was not long before he bumped his head again and started losing bits of skin as he walked into more bushes and trees.

Huo stopped and removed the blindfold. It was still dark, although a hint of sun was coming up over the hill. He sat down, closed his eyes, and centered his feelings in the nausea. After a couple minutes, a picture began to appear in his mind. It was a picture of their camp, and he could clearly see their two packs leaning next to each other. He wondered why he was seeing that particular image when all of a sudden the picture changed and a band of men walked into the camp and were soon rifling through the packs for anything of value. Huo's heart sank when he realized that the dragonfly pendant, the one that was given to him by his parents before they died in the fire, was in the pack and that his last physical memory of them was about to disappear.

He jumped to his feet; maybe he still had time to get there and fight the men for the pendant. No sooner had he had those thoughts, though, did he realize that in his vision of the men it was still dark; it must have happened hours before, and he knew he would never get there in time.
He slumped to the ground in resignation. If he had only brought the pack with him. If he had only tapped into the feeling of nausea earlier, it could have been different. After a few minutes of self-pity, he sat upright and centered his awareness. As he took a few deep breaths, a picture of the bandits appeared in his mind. He sent them love and forgiveness, and all the anger that he was holding towards them drifted away. They obviously needed what was in the pack more than he did. It was unfortunate to lose the pendant, but his mother and father were deep in his heart. He had learnt a great lesson from the loss of the pendant, and that had made it even more special. The old man had taught him to become the observer, but now he knew it was just as important to observe what was going on on the inside. He thanked the Tao for his great lesson and sent a feeling of love out into the world. It was such an expression of love that anybody who had the awareness would have been bathed in its beauty.

Huo opened his eyes, and there sitting beside him in deep meditation was the old sage. He waited while the old man finished his meditation, then came back into the present time and space. While he waited, he reflected on what he had learnt that day. One surprising observation he made was of the incredible control he had allowed others to have on his life; whether it was the bandits who robbed him or the village people who had made him who he was today, everywhere he looked, he could see others trying to control what he thought and did. He realized that by not reacting to others and what they did to him, being the silent observer of his own life, and forgiving himself and the others who trespassed against him, he was free to be person he wanted to become.

The old sage just smiled; his apprentice was now free from the emotions and expectations of others. One day he might even give him back the pendant he removed from the pack when they left the camp that morning.

Blessings and Peace and may you become the observer of yourself and become the person you were destined to become.

Geof

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The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris, a number of online book stores and on my websites.

The Way of the Initiate will be published late 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

Discipline Is The Doorway To The Infinite Self

In my stories the lead character goes through the process of transformation. What they believe their dramatic need to be changes as the story develops. In the end the character is different from the one who starts the story and many times these differences are internal. They are the differences that allow us to enjoy the adventure that is life. I am currently writing a screen play about a young boy who believes that other worlds and dimensions exist. It his dramatic need to prove these worlds exist, even though his parents and friends do not believe him and he has become an outcast, he continues to believe. As he moves through the story the dramatic need changes where he ends up is a far different place than he would have believed. This concept of transformation is what drives all our lives. We have certain dramatic needs that we want from life and they are the basis of what we are and do. Have you ever stopped for a moment and thought about why you are here and why you do and act the way you do? Just like the character in my screenplay I have always believed these other worlds existed and now I spend my life sharing these stories with others.

In the screenplay the entrance to the mirror world is a energy that my old friend Stuart Wilde called the Morph. He described it like misty rain falling. People and objects that go into the morph disappear and then reappear. I have seen the morph on many occasions but as yet I have never stepped into it. Not from fear but because I am not quite ready. In the past it has always moved away from me, but over time it has come closer and closer. When I opened my eyes after a meditation it was directly in front of me. I stretched out my hand only to see the morph collapse in on itself.

If there is one thing that I have learnt on this journey it is that the only way to know these other worlds is through discipline. There are many who take the easy way through drugs, but ultimately these drugs drag them into what some have called the astral worlds. I personally believe that the drugs take them into the shadow self and because they do not have the training or the discipline they ultimately get stuck in these worlds and live a life of hell.

So if you want to experience aspects of your Higher Self or have a window into these other mystical worlds I would suggest that you learn to discipline your mind and body. In today's chapter of the story the young Huo learns that discipline is the doorway to the infinite self. I hope you enjoy.

Discipline Is The Doorway To The Infinite Self


It was just after 4.a.m when the old sage shook the young man awake.
"Huo, after what happened yesterday, I want to change your training. Rather than continue to work on connecting you with your inner self, which seems to be taking on a life if its own, I believe it would be best to work with your physical self. Today, we will begin your lessons in martial arts, as well as in meditation. If your inner life continues to develop at the current rate, it is important that you learn physical and mental discipline to be able cope with the changes."
"Master, how will martial arts help with my inner life?"
"Your inner world expresses itself in your outer world, and unless we discipline your mind, body, and emotional responses, then you will create your outer world based on your childish reactions to what you perceive as external influences. Everything in the outer world is only an expression of what is first created in the inner worlds. As you open yourself up to the inner worlds, you will get messages from your higher self, and if you are not a clear channel, then these messages will be distorted by your ego and emotions. When the  message tells you to go forward, your ego may tell you the opposite. It is only through discipline that we can quiet the ego and clear the subconscious mind of its previous programming.”

The old sage moved into the horse stance, took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. "Now, Huo, I want you to attack."
"But, Master, you have your eyes closed, and you are so old. I am afraid that I will hurt you, as I will be too quick for you."
The old sage smiled; the young man was much like he had been those many years ago.
"Yes, you are probably right, but please do this as a favour to an old man. Attack me."
Huo faltered for a moment, then he moved forward, dancing around the old man, flicking out an odd punch; it was more of a test to see if the old man would respond, rather than trying to hit him.
The old sage never moved.
Huo's confidence began to grow. He decided that he would not hit the old man hard; just a light tap on his head to teach him a lesson and show him how fast he was. Before the fist reached its target, however, Huo could feel himself being thrown in the air. As he struck the ground, feeling every bruise, he replayed in his mind what had happened. His fist was about a hand’s length from the old man when the old sage moved inside the fist, grabbed his arm - and in what seemed like an impossible move, went underneath him and launched him into the air.
"Teach me," was Huo's only reply.
And that was when his Martial Arts training began. Each day, well before sunrise, the nocturnal animals would gather around in a circle to watch the old man and his young apprentice practice, using stances the animals themselves used and working with the energy of the elements to understand how to read your opponent. More importantly, though, Huo learned how to understand and observe himself, ultimately moving to the stage where there was no reaction; for it was in the reaction that the old sage knew that you moved out of the flow.
Month after month, they practiced. First it was Martial Arts, then it was daily meditation, one minute of meditation for each hour of the day. At first the young man could not hold his emotions in check as he reacted to the strikes of the old sage, which always ended up with him getting another bruise or landing on his backside. He was progressing well with the physical aspects of the training, but he could not move beyond his emotions, which was something he would need to do to move on to the deeper aspects of the old sage's teachings.
The old sage was not worried, for "it was what it was; it was neither good nor bad." He knew the young man would move beyond the ego in his own good time. It just meant that he would have to slow down on the inner work.
It was after a particularly bad session when the young man had received far more bruises than normal that the Sage's inner voice suggested they do their daily meditation by a stream that ran a few hundred meters from their camp. As soon as he saw the stream, he understood what his inner voice was trying to tell him. Even after all these years, it was the inner voice from his Higher Self that was always there when needed. The key, as always, was to be open enough to listen.
They sat beside the stream, only this time the old sage asked Huo not to close his eyes, but rather stare into the water and allow it to take him into a meditative state. The young man watched the stream, not quite sure how this was going to help him go into a meditative state. All the same, after a few minutes he found himself very calm, and he released the frustration he had experienced from the early training session where once again the old man had made him look stupid. It no longer mattered, for he began to understand that he was not fighting against his Master, but himself. That one realization released any anger he had stored up in his body, and all at once his body healed itself, the bruises disappearing along with the aches and pains. He even noticed that his paralyzed left arm was now completely free from any pain and that he now had full use of it. He looked to the old sage for an answer, but the old sage had disappeared. Unperturbed, he looked back into the water, for in that moment he knew that it was his teacher that morning.

He watched as the water flowed on by kissing the bank and giving its life force to the plants and animals that lived along the stream. He looked into the middle to see a large rock rising out of the water. The water did not seem to fight against it, but simply flowed around the rock. It did not need to react; it just found another, simpler course. He understood that in time the water would defeat the rock, but it would be done in a calm, balanced way. The water had so much power, yet at the same time it gave life to everything around it. He had never looked at the elements in this way before, but from that moment on he would begin to observe more, for there was far more to this world than he had previously thought possible.

Blessings and Peace and may you become the water and may your essence give life to those around you.

Geof

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The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris, a number of online book stores and on my websites.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

Nothing Is Ever Lost - Higher Self 9

Nothing is ever lost that apart from the first draft of my screenplay which refuses to open. I even tried a technique I learned from Uri Geller when my old computer had up the ghost. It was another occasion when I did not have a copy of manuscript I had been working on for months. I had a computer expert look at it and he could do nothing. What did I have to lose. I thought of what Uri had said and I held down the start button and repeated three times, "Work, work, work," and then I released the button. Nothing happened. What did I expect. Then the computer whirred into life and still works to this day some four plus years later.

I even tried it on the screenplay document but I guess spirit wants me to work on other things.

Today's post is that Nothing Is Ever Lost. I am referring to mor esoteric things than my screenplay but even with respect to the screenplay it is also true. Either I will be able to open it or I won't, but the one thing I am sure about is that information in the screenplay came from me so I will be able to find it again and maybe it will be even better this time.

Today let's join Huo on his journey where he learns.......


Nothing Is Ever Lost

"Nothing is ever lost. Everyone who has ever lived and everything they have ever created," said the old sage as he reached out his open right hand, "is there for anyone. All you have to do is open yourself up to the vibration, and you become a channel into the past, present, or future. When you go into your inner self, you connect with everything that has been or will be. All the geniuses or masters are waiting for you to tap into their energy. If you want to be a great artist, all you have to do is imagine in your inner being that you are that great artist, then allow him or her to open up their genius to you.
"When I was studying to be part of the 33 Sages of the White Brotherhood, I would sit for hours and open up myself to the sages who had come before me. I would learn in days what would have normally taken lifetimes to understand."
"Teach me," said the young man, whose mind was already opening itself up to the Cosmic Mind, which held the memory of all things. The young man soon found himself wandering through the hallway of a large castle. At the end of the hallway was a doorway. From beyond the doorway, Huo could see a blinding light forcing its way around the edge of the wooden door. His ego mind was telling him not to go any further. He hesitated for a moment, then continued walking. His ego spoke louder, almost screaming for him to stop. In that moment, he understood what the old sage had taught him about the ego's fear of death. He took a deep breath and stepped through the door and was immediately enveloped by the light and transported to another time and place.
Once Huo's eyes became accustomed to the light, he was aware that he was surrounded by thousands of people, many of whom who looked exactly like him. One young man came towards him. At first he pulled back, for a moment not realizing that it was another part of him from another dimension. The shock sucked him out of his body and back into the present, where he was sitting by the fire with the old sage.
At first he could say nothing, for he was truly in shock; a part of him now existed in the other world, and he could feel it pulling on his being. He was no longer sure what was real. Until a few minutes ago, he believed the world he lived in was reality, but now he was no longer sure. He had been to a world where there were thousands of beings just like him. In his feeling self, he knew they had all come from different dimensions and worlds to meet together in the world that existed beyond the doorway. Would he be able to go back there? Did he want to go back? For that matter, did he have a choice? For he felt like there was a part of him that now existed totally in that other world, and he was not sure whether or not he needed to go back and retrieve it or if that was the way it was meant to be. Was he, in fact, drawing from his other selves all the time, or maybe it was a way for him to experience other worlds and other parts of his eternal self?
He looked across at the old sage, who was quickly making a pot of herbal tea. He had never seen the old sage rush with anything. Huo sat there, experiencing his own infiniteness. He no longer felt shock; no, now what he was feeling was a sense of calm, but beneath the calm was another feeling: it was the sense of wonder. No longer could he look at anything the same way again. He picked up a beetle that was scurrying beneath his feet. The beetle stopped scurrying and looked into the young man's eyes, and for a moment they shared a piece of each other.
The old sage had never seen anything like it. He quickly poured the cup of herbal tea in the hopes that the events of the past few minutes would not make the young man mad; it was more than anyone could stand without years of meditation and discipline. He need not have worried, though; by the time he offered the tea to the young man, he was calm and serene. In fact, he was more than that. The old sage watched as the young man connected with the beetle in a way that he would not have thought possible, standing in awe as the beetle and the young man became one. It was not in a philosophical sense, though, for they had truly become one; the aura of the young man and the beetle had entwined, and now each one’s individual energy and memories were now available to the other. The old sage was not sure, however, how the beetle would cope with the memories and teachings the young man had given him, for he was no longer sure who was actually the teacher. The old sage was trying to teach the young man that he could draw from the teachings of the masters in previous times, but the young man had gone beyond that and was now showing the old sage that he could learn from his infinite selves, and even from the insects of the Earth. He knew the young man was special when he had seen him in his dreams those many years ago, but now he was beginning to see how truly special he was.
It was now important for him to speed up the teaching he was giving the young man, as he was growing far quicker than he would have ever thought possible - which in itself was a wonderful thing, but it also had its downside. Did the young man have the mental capacity to cope with what was occurring?

Blessings and Peace and may you connect with the other parts of your self.
And me with my screenplay.

Geof

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The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris, a number of online book stores and on my websites.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

Moving Beyond the Ego - Higher Self Part 8

It has been a few weeks since my last post and I am not sure why. Everything was going brilliantly for me creatively and now everything has seemed to stop. Even my work on my first screenplay was going well. It seemed that every time I would ask a question, I would meet someone with the answer, or I would find it in a book I picked up or a bus passing by. It was like I had a direct connection to my higher self, but sadly over the last few weeks it feels like that connection has broken. Since the death of one of my old teachers Stuart Wilde I no longer feel the Higher Self in and around me. It has got to the point that even when I am about to go somewhere on a bus or tram they do not even stop for me any more. It has even got weirder with the first draft of my screenplay completed I am not even able to open the document and even my back up copy is corrupted.

Having been ranting and raving a bit since, having tried everything I know to open the document, I thought it was time to take time out and write this blog post. Interestingly the next part of the 'The Way of the Initiate,' I was to share was about moving beyond the ego. Perfect timing because I am stuck right in my own ego and that is why I cannot hear the voice of my Higher Self. They say we always teach what we need to know. Maybe spirit is telling me to take a step back and allow the next step in my journey to be unveiled.

Have a read of the short chapter below and I will hopefully meet you on the other side.

Moving Beyond

Before sitting down to dinner, the old sage sat cross-legged on the ground. He took a few deep breaths, holding each one for a moment, then released his breath, and with it energies from the day that he did not want to hold onto.
"What are you doing?" asked the young man.
The old sage smiled and opened his eyes, turning all his attention to his young apprentice. "I am moving beyond the ego. At the end of each day, I play the day back in my mind's eye, and when I come to an event when the flow of my energy is stopped by my ego, I take a deep breath, reflect on it for a moment, and then release it into the ether."
The young man returned the Sage's smile, but he was still confused, a state he was experiencing a lot since he began his journey with the old man. "What do you mean by the ego, and how does it stop your energy flow?"
"There are those that say that the Ego is the mediator between the conscious and Subconscious minds. There are others who say it is our identity, while some say it is what gives us our sense of self-worth or self-importance. In a way, it is all those things, but for me, its greatest weakness is that it stops the flow of information from our higher selves and disconnects us from everything else in this beautiful universe. Think back to the other day when you woke and found me gone. It was your ego that went into a panic. It was only when you calmed yourself down and reconnected with the spirit that you became part of all things, and at that moment you knew where I was."
"Sage, why do we have an ego if it limits us?"
"The ego gives us a sense of ourselves. It is important in our first few incarnations, when we are here to learn lessons of a more Earthly nature. It is only after our sixth lifetime, when we begin on our spiritual path, that we begin to move beyond the ego. The ego is the source of most of our weaknesses. Most of our weaknesses come from the various manifestations of the ego's fear of death. Fear is the ego's weapon that stops us from moving forward in our lives. The ego is lazy. It does not want to try new things. It would rather stay in the negative state it has grown comfortable with than take a chance on a better life. Change is the death of the ego. Once you start to realize that the ego is holding you back, then little by little you can move beyond it to a life where you are in the flow, where it does not matter what is around the next corner. Whereas the ego will stop you from living, being in the flow will allow you to experience opportunities you would never think possible."

As I thought I have allowed my ego to take me out of the flow. When I look at what has been happening such as the death of Stuie, and thinking about my own future I have allowed the fear of death and the fear of the future to creep into my own life. Time to have a chat to my ego and tell him kindly to piss off and open up to the flow that courses through all of us. Time to take my own advice and be open again to what the universe has to offer.

See you again soon.
Blessings and Peace and may the real you manifest what it needs, to take you where you need to go..

************


The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris, a number of online book stores and on my websites.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

In Memory of Stuart Wilde

In Memory of Stuart Wilde

I received news that my old friend Stuart Wilde passed away after a massive heart attack. I call him friend even though I have not seen him since about 1990. In the late eighties I was one of his support team on an experiential workshop called the Warrior's Wisdom. It was a weekend workshop where he taught us about mysticism and the way of the warrior. It was an amazing workshop, one I was lucky to support him on a couple of times. I loved the man like a father and yet in the short time that I spent with him I was changed forever. Many people just got to see Stuart Wilde the performer but it was Stuie the man that I will never forget.

There are many instances of the man, I loved, I could call to mind but one in particular occurred at the end of the Warrior's Wisdom weekend in Sydney Australia. As I previously stated I was one of the support team on the workshop. We were waiting for the participants to arrive, so we could guide them to their rooms where they were staying for the weekend or to the many resources spread around their accommodations. While we were waiting Stuie came up to me and asked how it was going. When I told him that everything was going fine he suggested that we not give them all the information they needed as it would help develop their perception. We laughed and over the next hour or so we sent people off into the forest to find their rooms, or in the opposite direction, some we even told that we could not help them as their names were not on the list. It was hilarious watching these so called spiritual people totally lose their shit. After that first episode the support team did support everyone in any way they possibly could.

Over the next three days I worked with and helped many people as they came to grips with what Stuart was teaching them. He was possibly the greatest showman I have ever seen. When he came on stage his manner and voice would capture an audience in seconds and leave them spellbound.

It was on the last night of the workshop where I got to see and experience the Stuie that I came to love and respect. We had just finished the fire-walk where over a 150 people walked on hot coals. The only people to be burnt were two of the support team (me included), we had seen the thermometer melt in the fire. Well anyway after the firewalk we had the closing ceremony. As usual I was at the back or out the back making sure that everything was running smoothly, when Stuart asked us to all to come in for the closing ceremony. I stood at the doorway ensuring that everyone had come in and then locked the door.

After talking to the group for a few minutes we did a meditation and Stuart called me over. Thinking that he needed something for the ceremony I went over and asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted me to join him in the middle of the circle. I was taken back and a little embarrassed as many eyes looked upon me. I sat as far away from him as I could but he insisted I come a little closer. I moved within a few feet of him and while everyone was getting ready for the meditation we had a lovely little chat (he was British after all). He had seen everything I had done for people over the last few days and it was his way of honoring me for the support I gave him.

I did a few more workshops with the old bugger and was even part of a circle who would gather weekly to listen to the teachings of his old Chinese teacher. One workshop which I will call the 33 Steps was a workshop about the 33 energies that guide this planet. I was awe struck and would spend the next twenty plus years working to understand the concepts. My upcoming book the Way of the Initiate is based on these teachings. In the book a young disfigured and disabled boy becomes the apprentice of an old sage and the book is written like a parable of their journey together. In many ways. I feel like it has been my own journey and Stuie was the old sage. Still, there is not a day that goes by that he is not teaching me something. I will miss the old bugger but for anyone who has met the real Stuie we will always have our memories.

Stuie may you rest in peace and give them hell wherever your journey takes you.

www.stuartwilde.com a place of real knowledge


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The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris and a number of online book stores.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

Connect with the Wisdom of your Higher Self - Part 6

To Be Connected, You Need To Detach

In part 6 of How to Connect with the Wisdom of your Higher Self I thought I would let the chapter from the upcoming Way of the Initiate tell the story and allow the reader to make their own connections to the teachings that lay underneath. As my old teacher said there is no spiritual journey without inner work, so I guess it is time for you to go to work. The title says it all 'To be Connected, You Need to Detach.

I will see you on the other side of today's story.

"You have had enough excitement for one day, so we will set up camp for the night. You collect some wood, and I will get some water from the stream so that I can prepare tonight's meal," said the old sage.
The young man only nodded. It had been a tough day. When he woke that morning and found himself on his own, he panicked. He thought he was alone again, but this time many miles away from the village where he lived. Of course, living in the village had been no life, for most of the time, because of his disfigurement, he felt like he was on his own, but he had gotten used to that way of living - although he now understood that he was not really living, merely waiting to get older and die the slow, horrible death of boredom that had become his life. There was a moment when he woke when he would have been happy to have gone back to that life. What had happened? It was hard to describe; in fact, he could not describe it. There was a moment when he went deep within himself and felt connected to all things. It was going with his feelings that led him to the old sage. It was a strange feeling. In the moment he knew where the old sage was, there was a feeling of joy such as he had never experienced before in his life. At first he thought the joy was caused by knowing that he would be safe, but on reflection he realized that it was deeper than that. The joy came from knowing that he was truly connected to all things. He had glimpses of it in the few days he had travelled with the old man. He thought the old sage was the reason he had received these glimpses, but now he knew that he was the source of this connection to all things.
"How is the wood coming along, Huo?"
The young man looked up into the face of the old sage, which was creased with a smile. "You deliberately left me this morning? You knew what would happen?"
The old sage sat down beside the young man, for it was no longer right to call him a boy; he had grown so much in the last few days, but not so much physically (although there had been some changes there), more spiritually and emotionally. The young man had seen beyond the veil, and the energy from beyond was now increasingly flowing through him, giving him insights that would have been impossible with his mindset only a couple days before.
"Let me tell you a story. In Old China, an emperor stood upon a very high hill. Spread through the valley below him was all of his great army. He could see where a battle would be fought and where the other armies waited. He had developed an intricate system of commands for the generals and officers of his army, and the battle began.
“The emperor could signal to the right, and the right would attack. He could signal to the left, and the left would attack, or the middle. With another signal, each would retreat, then attack again. The battle went on for hours. When the emperor saw a weakness, he sent troops to that area, and eventually they overcame the other army.
"This analogy fits your conscious and subconscious minds. Your conscious mind is like the emperor, and your subconscious, the army, does not see what is going on. When we are talking of healing, what we are really talking about is the subconscious mind, for it is the beliefs that we store in the subconscious mind that determine our future. The subconscious mind is a wonderful, natural force. It is how we exist in this world. It allows us to have memories of past situations, and it is the place where the conscious mind implants all its beliefs and knowledge. This can either be a positive or negative experience. If we place in our subconscious the thought that the world and its people are filled with great beauty, then that is what we will see. On the other hand, if we focus on the pain and suffering in the world, all we will see is pain and suffering.
"When we incarnate into our bodies before birth, or shortly after, what is it that incarnates? Some have called it the Soul; others have called it the Subconscious. I would guess that if you look into many of the religions, it will be known by many other names. For me, I will call it the Subconscious. It is my belief that our higher self sends off aspects of itself in the form of the Subconscious to inhabit a body to increase its experiences in this plane. When the subconscious takes residence in the vehicle, it is blank and has no knowledge of other lives or of the Higher Self. This is done so that when it incarnates, it comes without any knowledge so that it can work through the issues that it came here to experience. It is not a hit-and-miss exercise, as the higher self and the aspect that incarnates understand what are the probabilities for it in the first thirteen years of its life. It understands the parents’ weaknesses and strengths, it understands the culture it is being born into, and it understands what is happening in the world at the time. Yes, for it's own experience, it chooses to live in a village, in a palace, or in a slum. It is only because of our misunderstanding of the wonderful opportunity that we call life that we judge people for where they are born, the colour of their skin, their culture, and their parenting. Mark my words: it is the choice of the incarnated as to where and when they choose to incarnate, and it is only our lack of understanding that makes us judge others to be different or less than we are."
Huo had a million questions; it seemed like the old man was taking his mind and stretching it in a hundred different directions at once. Before he could even ask a question, the old sage was stretching his mind and beliefs in more directions.
"When we incarnate," said the old sage, "we even choose what Element we will incarnate into, as this elemental bias will allow us the best opportunity to experience what we came to the Earth-plane to experience. When people start to learn about the Elements or deeper understandings of the Subconscious mind, it is because they are ready for it. It is time for them to go beyond their Subconscious Mind.
"But what is there to go beyond, and how do we do it? Although our subconscious is an empty book when we arrive, it comes programmed with our elemental perspective. We have even chosen what health and disease patterns we will experience. Incarnation into the Earth-plane is all about experiences, whether we are human, animal, plant, or mineral. If you are attracted to these teachings, then you have lived at least six lifetimes as a human and many in all the other dimensions.
"Even before your were born, your subconscious mind was taking in impressions from your world. The Subconscious mind takes in everything; hundreds of thousands of inputs every minute. Before you start feeling guilty for the garbage that you have fed yourself or been fed by your parents or the world around you, stop for a moment, breathe, and understand that with regards to yourself, you can become like the Emperor in our story and start to take control of your Subconscious mind through the Conscious Mind. You choose all the crap that the world has given you. You understood what you were coming here to experience. You chose it; there are no victims. This is one concept that I have had the most difficulty understanding as I watch people in pain and suffering."
Huo was trying take in everything the old sage was telling him, but surely it wasn't possible. Why would he have chosen a life where he would lose his parents in a fire? He looked down at his withered arm. Why would anyone choose that? he asked himself. He turned his attention to the old sage. "Why would anyone choose to go through the things that I have been through?"
"That is the reason that you are here with me: to find out who you really are, why you have chosen to incarnate into the world at this time, and then go beyond it." The old sage went quiet for a few minutes, allowing the young man time to digest everything he had said.
"The subconscious mind has the ability to create in your world whatever you program into it, and whatever you program into it is what you will get in return. If you want to change your life, the key is to start taking care with what you program into your subconscious.
"Begin today by becoming the observer. Watch how you respond to people and situations. When you meet someone new, do you react positively or negatively, and why?
"When you get angry, why are you angry? Is it something they did, or are you projecting your weakness onto them? Often I find it is when we meet someone who shows us what we don't like about ourselves or a weakness we have that we react.
"Over the next few days, observe your reaction to everything; take your awareness outside of yourself and watch yourself. If you are reacting negatively to something, don't stop yourself, but observe and try to understand why.

"If something makes you sad - why?
If you judge something or someone - why?
If you are fearful - why?

"Don't be too tough on yourself; just observe. As you begin to become the observer, you start to understand why you respond, and then you can rise beyond it. Sometimes it can be a great challenge when you have believed these things for many years. Remember, you are here to go beyond your Subconscious mind and have it work for you. It is time to understand your Element, then go beyond it to the Element of Ether.
"We live in amazing times, when all of us have the opportunity to be the creative essence we were meant to be. It is your duty to find out what it is that you are meant to do in this life. This is what your apprenticeship is all about. It is called the Way of the Initiate, but by now I hope you have realized that it is an inner journey, a journey few have the courage to make."
“Let's eat." And so, as the sun set, the sage and his apprentice enjoyed the bounty provided by the elements. Dinner was quiet as they journeyed within to reflect on the day.

*************
Hello again. I hoped you enjoyed today's chapter. It could take you years to unravel the teachings within this chapter. I wrote it and even I learn something each time I read it. One simple thing you could do to make great changes in your future is to begin to observe your reactions to life and to all the people you come into contact with. Be like the young boy Huo, "Over the next few days, observe your reaction to everything; take your awareness outside of yourself and watch yourself. If you are reacting negatively to something, don't stop yourself, but observe and try to understand why.

"If something makes you sad - why?
If you judge something or someone - why?
If you are fearful - why?

"Don't be too tough on yourself; just observe. As you begin to become the observer, you start to understand why you respond, and then you can rise beyond it. Sometimes it can be a great challenge when you have believed these things for many years. Remember, you are here to go beyond your Subconscious mind and have it work for you. It is time to understand your Element, then go beyond it to the Element of Ether.

Blessings and Peace and may your simple observations open you up to teachings from Iyour Higher Self.

************


The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris and a number of online book stores.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com

Connecting with the Wisdom of your Higher Self - Part 5

Fear And Feeling Tones

On the next step in learning how to connect with our Higher Self I thought it would be appropriate to look at fear and what I call our feeling tones.

Fear is such an amazing emotion. In small doses it stops us from walking into situations where we can be harmed. It would have been great for Neanderthal man as it would have stopped him from being eaten by a lion or a poisonous snake, but in those days fear came with a certain amount of inner knowledge. Our ancient ancestors lived in touch with nature and the elements and so when they went into situations where the fear hairs stood up on the back of their neck they had a reason to listen.

Today it is a different story. The fight and flight reactions that were hard wired into us in the past are not needed as much and yet when you look at the people around you, there seem to be more fears today in our safer world than there ever was. Why is this? I believe it is because we are out of touch with nature and the cycles within nature. Those who still live on the land are still in contact with these cycles and for the most part seem to have less fears than us so called civilized people that populate the cities. I am not suggesting that we all pull up stumps and move back to the country or take up a nomadic life, but I am suggesting that we get back in touch with the cycles within ourselves and within nature. Most people seem to have forgotten that we are made up of these cycles. There are our biorhythms, our sleep cycles, women's menstrual cycles and even the greatest cycle of all, our conception, birth, death and rebirth and many more. All of these are natures cycles and yet many of us seem so divorced from nature and our own cycles.

How can getting in touch with these cycles allow us to reduce or move beyond our fears? I believe that once we reconnect with these cycles that an inner or innate knowledge starts to come alive and we begin to see and feel things before they happen. In my books and some of my blogs I talk about using a molecule of your feelings to send into to situations where you are not sure and allow whatever returns to guide your next move. It starts with a stillness and being able to open yourself up to the answer which lies within. This one technique has given me more information than I could ever have received from a mountain of books.

All life is energy; so when you meet someone new or meet a new situation then it will have an energy. Get in the habit of stilling your mind chatter and allow the feelings to come forward; these inner feelings will always steer you in the right direction. These feelings are not emotion like anger, frustration etc, but a feeling tone that comes up from deep within. As I was writing this blog I came to a full stop. I quieted myself for a moment and saw in my minds eyes two roads representing different ways the blog could go. The first road was where I talked about the fear itself and the second where I talked about the energy underneath all things. As I wandered down the first road I could feel an energy that was stuck. I immediately knew that this was not the road to go down. Like many of us I would normally have been inclined to continue down that road not trusting the inner voice, blaming it for being lazy or wanting to take the easy way out. These days my inner voice seems to be louder and more insistent when I ask it these questions.

It is hard to describe to anyone who hasn't experienced it, but let's have a play with it. Let's have a play with the energy in the universe. I want you to look at an area of your life where you have at least two choices on how to move forward. As you begin to practice, probably not such a good idea to look at major changes in your life, something smaller to start with. It could be as simple as looking at a menu and decided what to eat. Start small and don't give up. In the early stages of anything new it will feel weird, silly and uncomfortable, but if you have discipline and a little bit of good old tenacity then your efforts will be worth it.

To begin with have you options metaphorically or physically in front of you. I used the technique this morning when I was deciding what to write. My first thought, not a feeling, but my first thought was to work on my third novel The 33rd Sage and the Ancient Ones. I opened the file and sat there looking at the empty page and there was nothing. I typed a few words but soon deleted them. There was just nothing there. It was then that I sat for a moment and stilled my mind. It helped that I was sitting in the garden surrounded by plants and trees and a beautiful blue sky. Still winter in Melbourne it was a bit chilly but I was in touch with nature and I find it easier to still the thoughts of the mind when I am surrounded by trees. It even seems to keep out the noises of cars, trucks and building projects going on in my street. After a few seconds my mind started to become still. If it takes you longer that is okay as I have been doing this technique for many years. Once my mind was still I allowed the feelings to come up from within. In moments a picture appeared of a blank page. My first reaction was that a blank page was what caused the problem in the first place. Then I sent a molecule of my feelings into the blank page and what returned was a feeling of new life. In the early days of my metaphysical training I would have just pushed the feeling aside, not realizing that it was the answer I was looking for. When these feelings come forward try not to judge them because this engages the ego and blocks these wonderful gifts which come from your higher self.

Once I opened a blank page and allowed the feelings and thoughts to flow I was soon looking at these words now before you.

It really is as is simple as that to engage your real feeling centre and allow the higher self to show you where to go. Practice it. Play with it. Make a fool of yourself. Once you get to the stage when you accept the information that comes forward, something happens and you open up a doorway for your higher self to come through more often. To others you may seem like you are in a dream world, but you are in bliss. My partner notices when I go there and she just smiles and lets me be as she knows that I am in my special place and when I return I will be in very positive state.

As with all these techniques practice makes perfect. Don't spend all day practicing them as this would out of a balance. Don't talk to others about what you are doing until you feel comfortable with the technique as it will dissipate the energy.

Have fun with it. Share your experiences on my blog.

Blessings and Peace and may you higher self whisper to you and share its beauty.

****
I have included the chapter on Fear and Feeling Tones from my upcoming book the Way of the Initiate. Much of what I have written above comes from this book but for some of us the best way to learn is through story. I hope you enjoy the story of Huo the young disabled boy who begins to walk the path of the Initiate.

The Way of the Initiate
Fear and Feeling Tones


The young man's night was filled with dreams of old sages sitting around a table, each one of them coming forward to teach him about their individual aspects of the thirty three. Of course, when he woke in the morning, he would remember none of it other than a queer feeling in his stomach that would stay with him forever, appearing whenever a deep teaching came forward from the Tao or one of the 33 sages.

When he woke, he looked around but could not see the old sage. Something wasn't right; the uneasy feeling he had in his stomach made him feel uncomfortable, and at the same time he began to feel fearful. Had something happened to the old sage? Had he done something to upset him? In a panic, he looked around where they had camped overnight, but there was no sign of him. He looked over to the mountains and could see that the sun was already peeking over the range. He had slept in; it was well past the time they were meant to be on the road. Had his lack of discipline caused the old sage to leave him behind?

He was becoming more anxious and overwhelmed. What if he never saw the old sage again? Almost involuntarily, he took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and immediately began to relax. He took another deep breath and held that for a moment, and his attention moved from the forest around him to a point deep within himself. In the deepness, he could see the old sage in the forest, no more than five hundred meters from where he was now sitting. He put his belongings in his pack, put the long staff through the pack, and tossed it over his shoulder, then he followed the inner feeling, sure that it would lead him to the old sage.

He found the old sage in a clearing, where he was sitting around an open fire. The old sage gave Huo a cup of of tea and motioned for him to sit on a log beside him.

"Fear is such an amazing emotion," he said. "In small doses, it stops us from walking into situations where we can be harmed. If we are really in touch with these inner feelings, the fear or energy that comes forward is not a creation of our own subconscious mind, but inner promptings from our higher self, which can truly show us the way. Our ancestors, those who lived in touch with nature and the elements, had a sixth sense; so, when they went into situations where the fear hairs stood up on the back of their neck, they had a reason to listen. Everything in the universe has a feeling or feeling tone, a vibration, if you will, that you can tap into or feel.

"Today it is a different story, as more and more of our people live in villages and cities. The fight-or-flight reactions that were hard-wired into us in the past are not needed as much, and yet when you look at the people around you, there seem to be more fears today in our safer world than there ever was. Why is this? I believe it is because we are out of touch with nature and the cycles within nature. Those who still live on the land are still in contact with these cycles and for the most part seem to have fewer fears than us so-called civilized people that populate the villages and cities. We need to get back in touch with the cycles within ourselves and within nature. Most people seem to have forgotten that we are made up of these cycles. They are our biorhythms, our sleep cycles, women's menstrual cycles, and even the greatest cycle of all, our conception, birth, death, rebirth, and many more. All of these are nature’s cycles, and yet many of us seem so divorced from nature and our own cycles.

"By reconnecting with these cycles, an inner or innate knowledge starts to come alive, and we begin to see and feel things before they happen. Whenever you go into a new situation or meet a new person, send a molecule of your feelings into it or them and allow whatever returns to guide your next move. It starts with a stillness and being able to open yourself up to the answer that lies within.

"All life is energy, so when you meet someone new or meet a new situation, it will have an energy. Get in the habit of stilling your mind chatter and allowing the feelings to come forward; these inner feelings will always steer you in the right direction. These feelings are not emotion like anger, frustration, etc., but rather a feeling tone that comes up from deep within. When you awoke and found that I was not there, your initial reaction was to panic and become fearful; that was just your subconscious mind, your ego reacting to the unknown. When you took a deep breath and began to quiet the mind you were tapping into, the energy of the situation and your higher self allowed you to connect with the feeling of where I was.

"It is hard to describe to anyone who hasn't experienced it, but when you begin to play with the feelings, you will be lead to deeper understandings than your rational mind could give you, for your rational mind is trapped in the matrix created by your ego. I want you to practice using your feeling tones whenever you have a decision to be made. In the early stages of anything new, it will feel weird, silly, and uncomfortable, but if you have discipline, your efforts will be rewarded.

"To begin with, have your options metaphorically or physically in front of you. After a few seconds, take a deep breath as you did earlier and allow the mind to become still. If it takes you longer, then that is okay, as I have been doing this technique for many years. Once your mind is still, allow the feelings to come up from within or simply send a molecule of your own feeling self into the situation. In the early days of my training, I would have just pushed the feeling aside, not realizing that it was the answer I was looking for. When these feelings come forward, try not to judge them because this engages the ego and blocks these wonderful gifts, which come from your higher self.

"It really is as simple as that to engage your real feeling centre and allow the higher self to show you where to go. Practice it. Play with it. Make a fool of yourself. Once you get to the stage where you accept the information that comes forward, something happens and you open up a doorway for your higher self to come through more often. To others, you may seem like you are in a dream world, but you are in bliss.

"As with all these techniques, practice makes perfect. Don't spend all day practicing them, as this would push you out of a balance. Also, don't talk to others about what you are doing until you feel comfortable with the technique, as it will dissipate the energy."


***********

The 33rd Sage and the 33rd Sage and the Initiate are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Watersons, Xlibris and a number of online book stores.

The Way of the Initiate will be published mid 2013

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/
Book Websites 'The 33rd Sage,' at www.33rdsage.com
'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' at www.the33rdsage.com