Connection with your Higher Self - Part 12

In each one of us lies a spark of what some would call, God, spirit, soul or one of many other names. It is that small part of us that connects us with the I Am What I Am or for that matter is our aspect of the I Am. As I travel along my own path I find that the more I work on myself and with the creative spark that I have inside me the more that I open myself up to the possibility of what it is like to be a human.

We are all humans and we have all been blessed with this wonderful creative spark, but how many of us can honestly say that we have the courage to follow where that inner guidance takes us. Like many I have been sidetracked along the way on a number of occasions but for some reason, god, great spirit, my higher self or just plain luck keeps dragging me back on the path.

Now this path has led me to screenwriting and the film process. It is not that I have lost the love of writing or sharing esoteric stories, it is just that my inner being is always wanting me to stretch myself. Something that is not so easy when I am fifty nine and society expects me to be preparing for retirement. The call of spirit has been incredibly strong in my fifties. It was there in the earlier decades but I perhaps was trying not to listen.

My brother's heart attack and finding out I had the same cardiovascular problem certainly made me stand up and take notice. In the nine years since I have written three books, completed a degree in Health Sciences, an MBA, traveled to the lands of the Maya to research my forth book and experience the end of the world on 21/12/2012 at Palenque.

So the end of the world did not happen I hear you say. Are you so sure. How has your life changed in the last seven months? Have you been noticing any changes. Are you still happy with the life you are leading or is there something nagging you to change.

When I arrived back from the lands of the Maya I finished my third book, the soon to be published 'Way of the Initiate,' a parable about reconnecting with your higher self. Since then spirit has taken me in a whole different direction. I have started to write screenplays, and to do so I have opened up to be involved in all aspects of filmmaking to better understand the process. I have even started taking acting classes. This change in the way I write and tell stories has opened me up to worlds that I would never have thought possible.

What is your inner spirit telling you? Listen and follow it an I will promise you a life that is never boring. At times it will challenge what you believe about yourself and others, but if you can keep pushing the boundaries you will live an extraordinary life.

Today's chapter of the Way of the Initiate deals with the inner self. I hope you enjoy.



I Am That I Am


Over the next couple years, the old sage and his apprentice travelled all over the countryside, stopping every now and then when the sage would heal people or teach children about nature and the Elements.

It was during one of these stays in the village of Te Dang that the old sage asked the young man to begin teaching children about the inner self. The old sage knew that to master a subject, one needed to teach it to others in order to allow the teaching to come from within and be expressed as an aspect of the young man in the outer world.

The young man had been nervous all day. In the years he had spent with the old sage, he had always been the student, never the teacher. Although from time to time he would aid the old sage in his healing of the sick, he never led anything, instead always serving in a support role. This would be the first time he would take the lead, and it was exciting and daunting at the same time. He had watched the old man engage his audience in a matter of seconds, and although he sometimes spoke to hundreds, it always looked like he was speaking to each one of them individually.
How could he ever be like that? The old man had a magic about him, the magic of the Initiate. He never put himself above anyone, and he never engaged anyone in an argument. He never foisted his opinion on anyone, preferring only to answer questions as they were asked. He always accepted without question what each day would bring, he never asked for anything and yet his needs were always provided for.
He remembered back to the day when his pack and the dragonfly pendant were stolen. It had been a horrible day; yet, as he looked back on it, it was one of the best teachings he had ever received. Since that day, he had become the observer, and like the old sage, he was now taking each day as it came.
As he relived that day, he tried to remember what the old sage had taught him. What had the old sage said? He was having difficulty remembering. Huo took a deep breath and held it for a moment, and in seconds he could feel the calmness and all-knowing of the Initiate come around him. In his mind's eye, he could now see the old sage sitting deep in meditation.
Although he still seemed to be in a deep trance, all at once he opened his eyes and words fell from his mouth. The words that fell from his lips were from a deep part of the old sage, in a voice that was very different from his normal voice.
"It is important that you believe that you are already the Initiate and that you have this power within you. You need to make it a part of your now and not off-in-some-distance future. You need to create the Initiate within before it can express itself in the outer world. It is in the mirror worlds of the inner self where all creation takes place. What happens in the outer world is but a mirror to what you have created within. If you want to understand what you are creating with your thoughts and feelings, all you have to do is look at what is happening in the outer world. If you do not like what is happening, then you need to change what you are feeling and thinking. To be the Initiate, you have to be able to believe in a life that you cannot hear, touch, or taste, but rather a life that you will eventually begin to feel. It is strange that by believing and opening yourself up to being the Initiate and walking the way of the Initiate, something inside you opens up to the possibility.
"As you walk the path, you will begin to understand that the love that comes from the Tao or God is impartial. Although this energy does not care what you do with your life, it is possible to direct the energy and create whatever you want in your life. I do not mean that if you have a wishy washy thought that you want something that it will come into your life, because it won't. You first have to create the feeling of already having it in the inner worlds, and then this energy will be expressed and delivered in the outer world and the godforce will manifest what you already believe is yours."
Huo felt re-energized. The words of the old sage coursed through his entire being, then out into the audience before him. Children who were loud and raucous only minutes before were sitting quietly, waiting for the young man to speak.
"Let me tell you a story," said the young man, and the children hung on his every word. "It is the story of a young boy  who was taken in and became an apprentice to an old sage. The old sage taught him about nature and the seasons. He taught him how to connect with the animals and become their friend. He taught him how to sit in the forest and connect with his inner self and to understand that everything in the universe was connected."
As he went deeper into the story and the teachings he received from the old sage, he could see the connection he was having with his young students. Their eyes started to bulge as they took in everything he said - and even more than that, they could take in everything he felt. In many cases, they could not understand what he was saying with their logical minds, especially the younger ones, but on some level they all understood.
As Huo was talking, a picture began to form in his mind. He continued to teach the children, but a deeper part of himself was focused on the picture that was building in his mind. It was a scene from what looked like the future. As he focused deeper, he could see himself as the old sage. Following behind him were a number of apprentices, but the landscape was different - and this certainly was not China because many of his apprentices were definitely not Chinese. As he went deeper into the picture with his feelings, he knew it to be true. Was he creating this future because of his belief in being the initiate, or was he growing into a life that was predestined?
Those thoughts and feelings disappeared as he put his attention back on the children before him. He may have had a glimpse of his future, but it was what he was doing in the present that would determine what he would become.

Blessings and Peace and may you open up to the wonders of the journey that is your journey.

Blessings and Peace
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

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - The Cycle of Life

Heng was excited when he arrived at the Sage's house. He wanted to tell him about meeting and studying in the inner worlds with Master Chang, but of course the sage was not there. The young prince was coming from ego and the how special he was, rather than from the spontaneous sense of connection with the Tao.

Heng's ego took it as a personal affront that the sage was not waiting for him when he arrived. In a bluster he walked from the house to the Lake of Li. Surely the sage would be waiting for the prince by the lake. He waived away his royal carriage and took his paint, brushes and canvas to the lake. When he arrived the sage was nowhere to be seen.

Angry, the prince sat on his log waiting impatiently for his teacher to appear. It had only been minutes but in his mind it had seemed like hours. Why was the sage treating a prince in such a way; surely he would have to be punished for his disrespect? The prince was working himself up into such an agitated state, when all of a sudden he saw the sage on a small boat in the middle of the lake.

Heng looked across the lake to the sage and noticed how small he looked in comparison to the Lake and the Forest which surrounded him. It reminded him of what Master Chang had told him about landscape painting, 'No lordly position should be given to humans in a landscape painting, because it is in nature that we find symbolic values and universally harmony. A human is no more important than a blade of grass or a tree, they are only a part of what makes up the Great Tao; so they should never overwhelm the image.'

With the sun shining down on the lake and the sage bobbling on its surface the young prince dropped his anger and looked deeper into the picture before him. Nature had come alive for him. The forest around the lake moved under the influence of the air as it was warmed and moved by the sun. The lake itself never stopped moving and it was teeming with life. At first he watched the fish swimming around the edges and then he could see the wind stirring up the water and creating small waves which were driving the sage's boat forward. The boat was at the mercy of the seasons, but the sage did not seem to mind and reveled in the freedom that nature provided.

Off in the distance Heng looked towards the Great Mountains standing above the Forest of K'an, like sentinels protecting its family underneath. Heng sent his feelings into the mountains and what returned was such a mystical understanding of nature and the millions of years that the mountains had been there. His only reaction was to cry as he was so overwhelmed by the feelings of love which was returned from the mountains. He felt like the mountains were honored by him for painting them.

He reached for a brush and began to paint; his brush flowing in weird lines across the surface of the canvas. Had he set out to copy the vista before him he would have painted a small section at a time, but here he was with longer more flowing brushstrokes which seemed to encompass the whole canvass. His ego wanted to pull back and paint in small sections; it was afraid of the unknown, but the real Heng, the eternal, immortal and infinite being was reveling in the freedom his inner creative self was allowing him. It did not matter what the painting looked like; for it was an expression of his inner self's connection with the Tao of nature. He was not even really look at the painting, but rather allowing the brush to follow the feelings which were coming from deep within.

He had not even noticed that the sage had pulled his boat up onto the bank and was walking towards him, so engrossed was he in the painting.

The sage stood behind Heng and watched as he painted. The young prince was almost in a trance as his brush danced across the canvas in concert with his inner feelings and pictures. It was a beauty to behold; for a moment the sage allowed jealousy to exist in his being; it was only for a moment, as the Sage's ego did not understand that his own creativity had nothing to do with painting, but the ego hates to lose in anything.

Huo waited while the Heng completed his painting. He was immediately struck by the sense of life in the painting. It was a little naive, in technique, when compared to some of the great works had seen on his journey, but Huo could not help but to be drawn into its honesty. The painting was alive with the Tao, the force and beauty of nature showing through in the colors and the brush strokes.

The beauty of the Tao as reflected in the painting sent Huo deeper into himself; so deep that his own creativity came through the words that followed as once again became the teacher. "Watch nature it is your greatest teacher; it moves and flows and moves again. Watch as the seasons change; there is much movement and such a wonderful array of changing colors. To learn about the Tao you need to watch nature. Just as you did with the painting, you need to look below the surface to see what is happening. In winter when everything appears to be stuck and frozen, you only have to look beyond the surface to see the potential of things to come. For it is in the winter that nature readies itself for the spring. Winter may seem harsh but underneath there is much beauty. In the spring when the snow thaws you will begin to see the livingness of things and the abundance of growth. As the season changes to summer we begin to see the harvest and with it the warmth and the summer storms. This in turn gives way to the autumn when what is no longer required falls away ready to begin the cycle again. Nature is your greatest teacher. Because it does not fear death it can be itself in all it's glory, without having to worry about the future.

"Within everything there is a cycle of life. If your life seems to be getting a little stale or you are losing energy over something then return to nature and you will see that nothing ever stays the same. After spending time within nature, many times what was seeming stuck or boring will often seem reenergized. If not then it may be time to walk away, but before doing so, look underneath the surface to find that it is not your ego that is scared to go deeper or you may find yourself always at the beginning."

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 22

Today's chapter is all about creativity; which I believe is the single most important reason we have incarnated into the earthplane at this time. In some of my other blogs I talk about how to create, but I want to talk for a moment about why it is so important.

Each one of us is an individual expression of the God Force and as such it is our role to express that uniqueness in our own special way. Not everyone of us will be artists, writers or inventors, but each one of us has inside ourselves something unique that we need to express. Your challenge is to find that one thing that for you is an expression of your creativity. Don't stop until you find it, it will be worth the journey. Some of us find that early in life and if you were so blessed, good luck to you. For many it will be something that will have expressed itself in our childhood but for many it was crushed by a word or two from people who did not understand our need to create.

For me it has taken many years to discover that I love to tell stories. With the benefit of hindsight it is easy to see what I loved doing, but living through it was more difficult. I wrote my first stories at about about ten and eleven and then I was molested and overnight I became quite dyslexic and for the next twenty years had great difficulty with reading and writing. Don't feel sorry for me because it was this trauma that forced me to be more creative in the way I lived. It forced me to improve as a verbal communicator and the only way I could share informations was through stories or the use of my voice. It was not until my thirties that I could read and thank goodness for computers which have allowed me to write. Even today when I write by hand my brain switches off and I cannot remember what I was trying to say, but with a computer I can write and share my love of the world and my stories.

I hope each and everyone of you can find that within you that creative aspect that is crying out for nurturing. As Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss.'

Chapter  22 - The Gift

"What are you going to create my son?" They were weird words to use, to start one of their teaching sessions. Firstly because it was unusual for anyone other than the Emperor to call Heng, my son and secondly the young man would usually sit and listen to a teaching. This was a change in the dynamic between them.

Heng did not know what to say. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then expelled it slowly, allowing the many thoughts in his brain the space to disappear. There when they were all gone, was one thought, or feeling, he was not quite sure which would not fall away. He looked deeper into the thought/feeling only to discover that it was a vision of him painting in the form of the Taoist Artist. He watched his inner self as it sat before nature staring at the mountains in the distance. He sat there, appearing to just be looking, but Heng could feel the inner painter was doing far more than that. As he sat with the feelings he could sense that the inner painter was becoming one with the elements of nature that surrounded him. He had not bothered to pick up his brush because he knew the brush would only be used once he connected with the spirit of nature that sat beautifully before him. Even when he connected with nature he would still not paint, because to paint what he saw was only copying nature and she was much deeper than that. It was only when his own inner truth came forward that he would even bother to pick up his brush and then it could be an hour or more before any paint would touch the canvas and when it did there would a flow about it; there was no hurry, for the artist's truth would show itself in the simplicity and the beauty of the painting his real self created.

He watched in his mind's eye as the future Heng created beautiful landscapes; landscapes which were filled with the essence of the Tao. He went into the mind of the future Heng and he noticed there was great emptiness; not an emptiness from a life not well lived but an emptiness from someone who had learned detachment. The future Heng  was empty because he was open to what life had to offer; he was open to the spontaneity of life.

Heng withdrew from his inner world and turned his attention towards the sage. He was not capable of words and was overcome by the experience. He continued to stare vacantly at the sage in the hope that he could help him.

Huo was surprised that the young prince had been able to go so deep when he asked what he was going to create. The young prince was obviously very in touch with his inner truth and it would be easy to instruct him in the ways of Taoist painting. Huo was not a painter but he understood the Tao; he also understood that the energy from past painters was still available and by learning to model geniuses from the past Heng could not only learn to paint but also learn how to go deep within and see the essence of what he was painting.
"Master how do I go from where I am now to what I saw in my meditation. I can barely hold a brush and at best only copy what I see.

"Heng, just like you were able to go into a meditation and connect with your future self, you are also able to go within and connect with all the great artists. All their genius is still available. When you go back to the palace find a painting that you like, then find out as much as you can about the artist and his techniques. Take time to look into his heart and see what feelings they bring up in you; start to experience what the artist experienced. After you have an understanding of the artist then go into a meditation and ask the artist to share his or her knowledge with you. Then go and find something to paint and allow the inner subtle feelings to be your guide."

"But I can't. I do not have the skills of a master painter."
"Heng that is just your ego speaking. All of us come here to learn how to be creative. It is the greatest gift that we are given by the Tao or the Godforce; the ability to create something unique. It is uncomfortable to go beyond the ego's laziness and fears, but to create you need to discipline yourself and move beyond the ego. If you want to be like the painter you saw in your meditation you must discipline yourself. It will take time and many of your early paintings will just be copies of what you see, but with openness and discipline and trust in the inner self, you will see a spark of your own creativity begin to come alive in the paintings.
"Creativity is not about perfection; creativity is about finding the truth within you. Don't copy what you see - paint the essence - when you model a master don't copy what they did but find the essence that is in you and paint that."
And so the discipline began; each morning in the palace Heng would rise early from his bed and go and sit in front of one of the many beautiful paintings that adorned the palace walls. In the beginning it felt foolish sitting in front of these master paintings, because many times nothing happened, but then one morning in the third week of the discipline he was sure he heard something. It was like a voice other than his was whispering into his ears. He listened very deeply. At first it sounded like the words being transported by water which was distorting what he was hearing. He immediately understood that it was his own ego that was getting in the way, so he closed his eyes and went deep within himself.
In his minds eye a picture began to appear, but it was more than a picture, it was like another world existed in his inner being. There in this other world was Heng and the painter Master Chang. Heng bowed to the Master and said, "Teach me."

Master Chang sat in a lotus position in front of a canvas. Off in the distance were mountains surrounded by valleys filled with forests and a magical lake. When Heng looked deeper he understood that the master had taken him to the Forest of K'an and the lake was the Magical Lake of Li.
For a long time Master Chang sat there enjoying the view of the landscape before him. Then he began to paint. Heng watched as the master's brush almost skipped over the canvas and each brush stroke that was left behind seemed to have a life of its own; each stroke giving life to the landscape that stood before them. Master Chang continued to paint, but then a separate part of him began to communicate with Heng. "The landscape painting is one which evokes a feeling of peace, harmony and a mystical union with nature. The artist is looking to connect with the landscape and allow it to give up some of its secrets, expressing the movement of animals, the majesty of the mountains and the ethereal nature of the water. Great art occurs when the artist is in some way a co-creator of life with the Great Tao. When you are painting become the mountain; send an aspect of yourself in the mountain and become the mountain; feel it's feelings and share its story. Then and only then begin to paint the story; the story that you and the mountain have created together. The key is to allow the inner you the space to create from your own truth. In this was way you create something unique; something that adds to the greatness of the infinite Tao."

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Life is Sacred

Hello all,
Today we have almost reached the halfway point in the story and I thought it would be a good time for a chat. A few of my writing friends have questioned why I am willing to put out the first draft of my story knowing that the grammar, writing and the story itself are not even close to the final form. They said they would be too worried by the criticism.

If you have been reading this story you will understand that it is important to not only live your truth but also to not worry what others think of you. I have chosen to share this early version for two reasons. Firstly it is a good lesson for me not to worry what others think, although I will always listen to constructive criticism as I develop my story telling skills. Secondly I published this early draft on my translatable blog for my friends who do not speak english and the likelihood that it will never be published in their language.

Thanks for the chat now it's back to the story.
Blessings and Peace to you all.
Geof

Chapter 16 - Life is Sacred

Huo wandered through the countryside for many months with one goal in mind, to find the Forest of K'an and journey to the mystical Lake of Li. The old sage had talked often about this magical lake and the forest. Over the last two days he had found the Forest of K'an and now he was heading towards the lake. He knew intuitively where the lake was; he could feel her presence with every part of his being.

On the journey to find the lake he had many adventures and had met many strange people. The strangest being the badger that could talk; well, talk was not quite right but he could communicate with Huo in the most unusual way. It happened over a month ago when Huo first thought of finding the Lake of Li in the Forest of K'an. He had been sitting by a stream meditating when a picture of the Lake of Li came into his mind. He knew it was the Lake of Li because of the description that he had received from the old sage. He could even see the large rock that Chung Fu used to sit on when he was teaching his students. In the meditation Huo could imagine himself sitting on the rock and staring into the Lake of the Li. The more he stared, the more real the picture became; it was so real that if Huo had wanted to he could have transported himself there in an instant, but of course he was not yet aware that he had those abilities. He opened his eyes with the knowing that came from deep within that the next part of his journey would take him to the lake the old sage had talked so much about.

He returned to his camp to the find a badger, a big fat badger, fossicking through his pack, for what little food he had left. Years ago he would have become angry to lose the little food he had, but he was different now. He understood that the Tao gives and takes away. So rather than express his anger, he sat down on a log of wood and watched the badger, for the inner part of him knew that the badger had a message for him.

Badgers by nature were very independent and this one was no exception. The badger turned to look at Huo, but the look was brief and he went back to eating the food and destroying Huo's pack. He certainly was an individual. Huo knew that badgers were very different from most animals in the forest and they did not seem to care what humans and other animals thought about them.

Huo sent a molecule of himself into the badger and what returned did not surprise him. He could almost hear the badger talking to him.

"Walk your own path at your own pace. Don't defend yourself. You are what you are, so be proud of it. If someone attacks you don't defend, just walk away. You are an infinite spirit walking your own journey; be proud of yourself, but at the same time do not judge others because you do not know what their journey is, or where it will lead. You don't have to explain to anyone what you are doing. You are following your inner spirit and to explain it would be impossible; it will lead you in ways that you would not think possible."

Huo was not sure the words were coming from the animal or were just the workings of his own mind. It did not matter for the teaching was the same. It was time for him to go back into the world and take what he had learnt to the people who were drawn to him.

He looked down at the badger and offered thanks for its teaching. For its part the badger gave him, what appeared to be, a grin and then scurried off into the forest without any apology for destroying Huo's worldly goods.

No longer encumbered by any earthly goods Huo continued on his journey to the Lake of Li in the Forest of K'an.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Be Honourable

Thanks to everyone who is reading and following the progress of the Legend of the 33rd Sage. I have viewers from many countries and it does my heart good when I see people from Russia, Korea, India, South and Central America and even Bangeladesh reading my story on my translatable blog. All the lessons and disciplines the young apprentice goes through I have experienced and I can tell you that if you live and breath these disciplines and teachings it will lead you on a wonderful life filled with adventures and experiences you would never think possible. My book the 33rd Sage & the Initiate, which has just been released follows very much the adventures that have happened on my own journey and the weird, wonderful and amazing character I have met along the way. My hope for you is that your life will be filled with such magic. All you have to do is take the first step by asking your God, higher self, the Tao or whatever energy you believe in, to be given wisdom and then be open to wherever this comes from.

Today's chapter is about being honorable. I hope you enjoy and sometime in the future when I wander to your little part of the earth we may meet and share some stories.

Blessings and Peace to you all.

Chapter 12

"Honour is the nobility of the soul, it is about being consistent in your every thought, word and action." Were the words that broke Huo free from his sleep. He opened his eyes to see the old man standing above him. "Today we will begin a new exercise. Meet me outside the pagoda in ten minutes and we will begin."

Huo splashed water on his face to wake himself up. He was tired; surely it was not time to get out of bed. There were sometimes when the disciplines of the old sage seemed downright ridiculous. He hoped whatever the old man had planned that it would have some value. Huo's thoughts and motivations were not quite right this morning; he had travelled with the sage for nearly ten years. His life had been full of experiences and along the way he had helped many people, but what of him, what was he getting out of it? Where would it lead him? Even Sages have their bad days and for some reason that Huo was not able to understand this was starting out as one of his. It was what it was. He had learnt by now not to suppress any of the feelings that came up, not to react to them, but to observe them as they would be his teacher. That was all well and good, but this morning he could have just as easily walked away from his apprenticeship. What of having fun with friends his own age or finding a woman to fall in love with and marry. Since they had been staying in the Pagoda in the city he had seen others his own age enjoying their lives and having fun. Sometimes a normal life had its advantages.
Out the front of the Pagoda all was quiet. There was no noise in the city as everyone except him and the old sage was asleep; even the shopkeepers who woke early to prepare for the daily market were still asleep. What madness did the old man have planned for this day.

Huo found the old sage at the side of the Pagoda, where he was carrying rocks from the front of the Pagoda to the garden on the left side. The old man simply looked up and with a wave of his hand he expected Huo to follow his example. So for the next two hours they shifted hundreds of rocks from the front of the Pagoda to the garden. By the time the sun had risen hundreds of people had walked past the Pagoda, many laughing at the old sage and his apprentice moving the rocks to the garden. Huo was becoming angry at the passers by but the old man's demeanor never changed. He greeted their laughter with a nod and a smile and continued moving the rocks. By the time they had finished moving the rocks Huo was sweaty, tired and exhausted. He tried on many occasions to question the sage but each time he received no response. In the end he gave up asking; he knew better than wasting his time trying to get the old man to talk when he was in one of his focused, silent moments.

Once they were finished the old man suggested that they clean up and meet again in the garden after they had meditated and broken their fast. Without another word or explanation the old sage walked back towards the entrance to the Pagoda, where he bowed three times, removed his shoes and then entered the sacred space.
All the way through the meditation and breakfast Huo could not help thinking about why they had moved all the rocks during the middle of the night; maybe it was to be a surprise for the monks in the Pagoda; maybe the old sage wanted to do it because he had something special planned for the day. Millions of thoughts ran through the young man's mind, so many that he had not even noticed that the old man did not meditate with him or that his breakfast had been improved by extra helpings of many local delicacies, thanks to the young girl in the kitchen, who had taken a shine to the young man. If he had been in the moment rather than worrying about the future or the past he would have noticed these things; especially the young girl who served him his breakfast, for if I do say myself she was very beautiful, with her jade green eyes and blue black hair, that she wore back in a long ponytail. But then I may be biased as she was also to become the apprentice of the old sage, a fact that Huo was totally unaware of.

Huo wandered out to the garden when he had had his fill of an excellent breakfast, which this morning was waisted on him. There, waiting him for him in the garden was the old sage. The moment Huo arrived was the moment the old sage began to work. Huo watched in a measure of horror and mirth as the old man picked up a rock from the garden and carried it back to the front of the Pagoda. Shaking his head Huo joined in and over the next few hours, amongst swearing and other unkind words the two of them moved every rock from the garden back to the front of the Pagoda.

It was while carrying the last rock that Huo totally lost it. It was not in the way you would think, for two hours he had ranted and raved, but now while carrying the last rock he began to laugh for he began to understand why the old sage had them doing what to any body else would have seemed ridiculous. After he placed down the last rock he went over to the old man and gave him a hug. It was the first time he had really shown this type of affection to the old man. In that moment the future and past drifted away and he was totally in the now. The old man smiled, a tear escaped from his left eye. It had taken ten years but now the young man's heart was beginning to fully open. At last he was honoring who he was and what he had become; he was honoring the process of life.

**********

My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other wonderful bookstores and online sellers. If you want to read more about 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' have a look at my website on www.the33rdsage.com or my translatable blog at http://33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

Thanks to Anthony Hopkins & the essence of life for the use of this beautiful photo

The Concept of Flow

The concept of flow is fascinating; right throughout the universe there is a conscious energy that is to connected to all things. It is this concept that allows faster speeds than the speed of light or the ability to remote view through time and over amazing distances. Some have called this non local. I would prefer to see it as a local effect because everything we do and are is connected to the great flow that occurs within this and other universes. Even the concept of an expanding universe which occurred after a big bang is a scientific understanding of something far greater. The difficulty for scientists is that they try and reduce things and it is only the genius of an Einstein who has the ability to step back and see what is really there. Have you ever thought of the idea that the universe is not so much expanding but is in the breathing out process. Having breathed in over fourteen billion years ago and then then started to breath out. From our limited perspective we would see an expanding universe. Do this, stop for a moment and take a deep breath and then breathe all that air into a ballon and what you will see is what is happening to the universe. The universe is a living thing and it expresses itself in the breathing in and out of its own energy. This cycle continues over and over and from our limited ego selves we cannot see the truth that lies before us. If human beings are so smart then what of the energy of the universe; surely it's consciousness would have a depth and knowledge far beyond our own.

When one of us mere mortals has a religious moment or that beautiful moment of being connected to the all that is, what we are doing is tapping into the flow that is the universe. The experience and the beauty does not last because we try to rationalize it with our ego mind, rather than accept the experience for what it is, a moment of being in the flow, of being one. It is something that cannot be explained; it can only be experienced and once having experienced it you cannot put words to what you have felt, but you know in that moment you have been changed forever. Even though your ego will again take control, there is a bit of you that will stay forever connect to the all that there is and it is this little part that makes it easier for you to connect with the all that is in the future.

The more we live in the flow the more the universe reveals its secrets. To others you will appear that you are drifting through the day without a care or a purpose but you will have never have been so connected. You will see the magic in the mundane. You will pick up a flower, a child, an animal and see the greatness of what some of us call god flowing through it. Everything has this beauty and life force in it, it is just that not all of us have the eyes to see it or are not connected enough with our hearts to feel it. I wrote in another blog how I believed that creativity was the way to God and that is because when we are  creative we open up ourselves to the experience of creation and is those moments we can experience momentary glimpses of the One, the all that there is.

The key is to be open to the experience. For me writing or travel has been the touchstones which allow me to connect with the One. As a male I was a little slow and it took many years of meditation before I began to experience the connection. These days the connection can happen at anytime. Today I am writing this as I sit in the beautiful sunshine in the garden and it is as if my heart has simply opened and these words and thoughts have flowed onto the page. At my feet is my gorgeous little dog Beatrice whose name means bringer of Joy and she has certainly been that in the five years she has been with us. She is not the sharpest tool in the shed, unlike our other dog Horatio, but these is a sensitivity and a beauty that I have never seen in all my previous dogs. When we first got her she should have been put down because she was incredibly unwell, but even then there was a beauty that I still can't describe. I find if I look into her eyes I am still brought to tears by this one of the most sensitive of God's creatures. Over the years of good food, exercise and countless homoeopathic remedies she now has almost perfect health and there is not a day goes by where she does not repay us a thousand times for our kindness.

Having never been blessed with children of our own I wonder what an amazing thing it is for parents who can see the act of creation at work in their own children. For the rest of us to feel and connect with the one, a creative outlet is another way to go.

There are other ways to begin touch with the flow and one of the best is meditation. There are many forms and practice of meditation; for me the easiest is more relaxation rather than meditation. There are some meditation practices where they have you practice by  focusing on a candle or a single object or thought or chant; these are all helpful but I find for most people when they stop saying the chant or focusing on the candle that there mind is once again full of the mind chatter that they had before the meditation. For me the object  of meditation or a relaxation technique is to still the mind to allow the higher self to come through and enlighten your day.

The easiest way to do it is to listen to relaxing classical music or sounds of water or even better than that if you can listen to the sounds of an alpha or theta meditation. Rather than try to focus your mind I would prefer you trust listen to the sounds and allow the mind to relax itself. Initially your mind will be full of a thousand thoughts, but then just imagine that these thoughts are actually sitting on a river and rather than focusing on them allow them to float on by. Your ego will want to deal with them and every now and again they will come up again for your attention, but just allow it to be and let it float down the river. Now I don't want you to spend time concentrating on the river; it is just an avenue for your thoughts to float away. You will find over time that there will be spots in the river where there is no thoughts and then eventually feelings, impressions or pictures will come from your higher self to inspire you or lead you on the next part of your journey.

You will know when you get input from the higher self as there will be a change in your feelings; for some it will be a few moments of complete calm, for others a smile might break out across their face and occasionally that moment when you know you are One. They won't last because your ego will try to hold onto them because it wants to feel special.  Don't fight the ego, just allow it to be and in time it will not feel threatened by these moments of connection with the One or the higher self. In turn these moments will come more often and for longer periods of time; although the concept of time will definitely feel irrelevant.

Play with it and don't expect to see God in your first meditation; like all new skills it takes practice. The practice here is to let go. In time you will be able to quickly go deep in your meditation and then you can begin to ask questions which will often be answered in the meditation itself in the form of symbols, pictures and feelings or the answer may come in the hours after the meditation in the form of a chance thought or a moment of synchronicity when the actual question you asked is answered by a comment on the radio or a sign on a bus going by. The more you accept that we are all connected the more you will see these connections and begin to be a part of the flow. It is a courageous to give your life over to the concept of flow. Never knowing what is around the next corner but being truly open to the beauty of life and truly living your life as it was meant to be lived.

My old teacher taught me that it was like being a warrior sage or silent warrior, because it is in the silence, in the stillness that the universe reveals itself to you. I won't say the journey is easy, that is unless you can simply let go of any preconceived thoughts and ideas; yes then it will be simple and easy. For most of us it will take discipline as we release the thoughts that don't allow us to see the beauty of the world and every creature in it.

Blessings and Peace and may your connection with the higher self bring a smile to ever cell in your body and reflect it in the world around you.

A special for all my followers, friends and blog readers. My publisher has offered a special either through my website or amazon of the ebook version of The 33rd Sage at $3.99. Take advantage of the offer. Apart from being a modern fable it is filled with teachings that you or your family can use for the rest of your life. Who knows if you are open to the possibilities an old Chinese Sage might just wander into your life?

Go to my website http://www.33rdsage.com/index.html and click on buy the book for this special offer to my friends or go to Amazon.

Take a look at my Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNMGhfwtdg

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

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

Website www.33rdsage.com

Creativity Is the Way to God

Creativity is the way to God because just as God created us and everything in our universe, it is our opportunity to take our aspect of God and create something which is uniquely ours. Whether it is a musician, painter, sculptor, cook, actor or a writer like myself we all take an aspect of ourselves and express it in our creative medium. It is like we take the smallest essence of our god given talent and imbue it in a new creation.

For me when I hear a violin or the male tenor voice I get so wrapped in the music that there is a moment when the singer, the instrument and myself are no longer separate but become one. It is a feeling that I experience with all of my body but especially in my heart. There is a point where the beauty of what I am experiencing becomes too much and I am beyond time and space and am connected with all things. In those wonderful moments I am brought to tears. It is in these moments that I can understand why God created us as some would say in his own image. It was to allow a part of himself or herself to go beyond their individual aspect and express itself from the Godforce that we all have within.

We do not have to be a great artist or a musician to tap into this creativity. It is there for all of us. When you are sitting on the beach looking at a sunrise or sunset there are moments when you and the sunset are one. You have connected with the creative aspect inside yourself. The sunset itself is beautiful but it is nothing without your experience of it. Everybody has this amazing innate ability to connect and produce their own god like moments of creativity.

All we need to do is still ourselves and allow the magic we have inside all of us to come out.

Blessings and Peace - May your find your own creative spark and light up the world.

Geof


A special for all my followers, friends and blog readers. My publisher has offered a special only through my website of the ebook version of The 33rd Sage at $3.99. Take advantage of the offer. Apart from being a modern fable it is filled with teachings that you or your family can use for the rest of your life. Who knows if you are open to the possibilities an old Chinese Sage might just wander into your life?

Go to my website http://www.33rdsage.com/index.html and click on buy the book for this special offer to my friends.

Take a look at my Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeNMGhfwtdg

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

Twitter @GeofSpalding
Official Author Blog - the33rdsage.authorsxpress.com/
Translatable Author Blog - 33rdsage.blogspot.com.au/

Website www.33rdsage.com