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.

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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 1

Thirty two years ago, I had chronic fatigue syndrome, and overnight was transformed from a high class athlete and company executive to someone who could barely stay awake more than an hour at a time. Through strange circumstances, I met a teacher who taught me about the Taoist teachings of an old Chinese man. He said that if I  listened intently to the teachings and lived with them, there would be a day when I  would look at someone and truly know them. I would understand instantly their emotional pattern, their health patterns and even know what words to use to communicate to them in their own language (much of which I share in my first book the 33rd Sage).

After three years of studying these techniques, I met an old Chinese sage on a beach in Bali who became my mentor and taught me a deeper understanding of man and the seasons. He would make me sit for hours at a time in the snow or on the beach on a hot summer's day so that I could see how the seasons changed from moment to moment and day to day. By watching the seasons, I gradually came to understand these same cycles within man and mankind.

The old Chinese sage sent me on a quest. The quest was to research the real story of Jesus and the Holy Graal and in the process I discovered more about who I was and  set me on the search for my Higher Self. This quest took me on many adventures across many lands, and although my old Chinese friend is no longer there to guide me, the quest continues. My book 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' is a fictionalized version of that journey. On the cover is a set of stairs which lead up to an open doorway to the light. For me this was representative of the Initiate's journey or the journey to the higher self. It is a journey that anyone can take and a journey where the door is always open. This is not a journey that needs to take place in a mystery school or under the guidance of a guru; in many cases these teachers and teachers can stop you from discovering that to connect with your Higher Self or become the initiate you need to eventually go alone on the inner journey.

The first thing that you need to do is commit to the adventure which is just another word for Initiation. By having the courage to commit to a life where what is around the corner is unknown your next step will appear as if by magic. I say that because every one of us has a different and individual path to connect with the wisdom of our Higher Self. In these writings I will share some of the steps that I have taken on my journey, but remember they are not your steps; you may find that your journey will take you in a completely different direction.

If you feel attracted to some of the steps I share, then work with them but engage with them in your own way. All the time checking in with your feelings to decide whether it is right for you. When I use the term feelings I am not talking about emotion; emotion is  the reaction to where we put our focused attention. When I talk about feeling I mean the energy that is expressed by all things. Everything in the universe, whether it be human, animal, mineral or even a situation gives off a feeling tone. When you come into any situation where you are not sure, simply go into your feeling centre and see what feeling arises in you. If you have a strong positive feeling move forward. When you have a strong negative feeling withdraw and in the case of a feeling that is neither positive or negative, stay where you are and wait for more information. Generally in these cases it is because  you do not have all the information, so just wait and if you are open to it the information generally appears.

This information or guidance from the Higher Self can take many different forms. In the early stage when we are not really open to the words, feelings and pictures from our Higher Self, much of this guidance can come from something in the world outside ourselves. Things such as a book that falls of a shelf; the sign on a bus driving past or the words of a stranger. There are an infinite number of ways that the information can come to us.

The key is to be open to the information when it presents itself. In the early stage of your journey you will miss much of the information from the Higher Self because of the influence of your ego/subconscious mind and you will misinterpret what you have seen heard or felt. Don't lose heart, it is like learning any new skill, it takes time.
If you are not already I would suggest that you meditate each day. I can hear many of you now but I can't meditate, I cannot focus on my breath and anyone of a million excuses. Whatever you think of meditation it is important for your physical and spiritual health. I am not expecting you to be as good as a Buddhist monk. All I want you to do is meditate or just relax for 24 minutes per day. Listen to the sounds of nature or classical music, it does not matter, what you are trying to achieve is to slow down the brain to work at a lower range. I will explain all the details for the intellectuals in another blog.
For now, all I want you to do is find a place where you won't be interrupted and take 24 minutes of relaxation. If you can do it in nature or before sunrise that is even better. By relaxing in the early morning you set up a calmness that can continue throughout your day.

If anything happens in your meditation or you get a great insight, thank your Higher Self and go back into the relaxation.

For those who are already great meditators take a step back and do it as if it is your first time. Some of us get so caught up in the mechanics of meditation that we do not live in the moment.

Enough of me for now. In the next post we will look at some exercises to increase your awareness and connect to the Godforce which exists around all of us.

Blessings and Peace.

Any questions leave them in the comment box.

Geof

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

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

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 31

Chapter 31 - Riding the Dragon

Time seemed to speeding up and yet he was not aging. The old sage was now in his late sixties and yet if you met him he would have appeared to be a man in his early to late thirties. It was not his diet that made the difference, although these days he needed to eat little to maintain who he was. As he made the journey from Ego to Spirit he realized that he no longer had any real needs. He accepted life for what it was; somedays he would eat, other days he would not. Some days he would stay in a Pagoda, other days he would sleep under the stars. To him it mattered not; from the quieting of the ego he understood that he was all things and he would draw to him what he needed on his journey. Of course there would come a day when the journey ended and he would shake of his mortal body and enjoy the freedom and lightness of being that he experienced in the spirit world.

There was a part of him that would have been quite happy to go to sleep one night and for his physical body not to wake up; for he knew that he was Eternal, Immortal and Infinite. It was with those thoughts that he went to sleep next to an open fire, with the full moon and all the nocturnal animals for company.

He drifted down in his levels of consciousness to the point where he was in a deep sleep. It was the level he experienced in his deepest meditations; the level where all things are connected. It is the level where the heartbeat that can be felt is the heartbeat of creation, which is accompanied by a song not unlike that of a bird song. Some mystics had called it the sound of the earth, but it was far deeper than that and Huo had remembered hearing the sound when he went up the tunnel and into the spirit world.

In what appeared to be a dream he was once again sucked up the tunnel and spat out into the spirit world. For a few moments he floated around the world and reconnected with some of the places and people he had seen and met previously. It was such a freeing experience to throw off the physical body, part of him wondered why we ever incarnated in human form. He knew the answer was to experience a life of emotion and the ego; to understand its strengths but also it's weaknesses and ultimately to transcend the human condition.

In many ways he was already more spirit than ego; he had seen the energy beyond the form; had experienced the wonders of the Tao and been one with nature. But deep in his heart centre he knew that his journey was not over. There was much more that he had to do in this world. Maybe this journey to the spirit world would give him some more answers or at least send him on the next part of his journey. In his inner self he asked to be shown where to go next on his journey.

He stopped floating through the air when he came to lake which reminded him very much of the Lake of Li, in the Forest of K'an. He floated down to the shore of the lake and there to greet him was the old log, from the real Lake of Li; the log where his students would sit when he would teach them.

He sat upon the log as if he was visiting an old friend. To him the log was very sacred. It reminded him of all the students he had ever taught and how their faces would light up when he told them one of his stories; stories which often came from so deep within him that he did not know the story himself until he began to tell it.

He was sitting on the log when he heard a sound coming from the water of the Lake of Li. The sound was off in the distance from the other side of the lake. He watched as a wave of water rushed towards him. Rather than being scared, he was mesmerized by the rising wave of water. Beneath the sound of the oncoming wave he heard another, deeper sound, it was almost guttural like the sound of an animal clearing its throat.

He watched in awe as the wave crashed over the top of him. Drenched, he did not try  to move or run as he could feel the energy in the wave. When the wave crashed back into the lake there left behind was a twenty foot dragon. Huo could not believe it. In all his wonderful life he had never seen a dragon. The dragon was red in colour, with shinny skin that glistened in the sun; skin that kept changing in colour from red to blue, brown and green. It had five claws on each foot.

The dragon seemed to be smiling at him.

He could sense its power. Rather than be scared of it the sage moved towards it. By the time he had reached the dragon it was sitting, relaxed as it did not fear him.

Anybody watching from a distance would have thought the sage and the dragon were sizing each other up, ready to strike. That could have not been further from the the truth, for within both of them was a deep respect for the other. Normally the dragon would put the person, who came before them, through a number of trials to see if they were worthy. The dragon knew this one was worthy; he could feel it with every ounce of his being.

He wondered why the sage had called him into being, for he could see that the sage was already well on the way towards his spiritual goal. The dragon opened up its feeling centers and allowed itself to enter into the old sage.

The sage could feel the energy as the dragon entered him. He opened himself up to allow the dragon to see all of him; even those aspects that he had hidden from the rest of the world.

In moments the dragon was reliving the sage's life. It was an ability that dragons had, so it was fruitless to try and hide anything from them. Everywhere the dragon looked there was a lightness to the Sage's being. The dragon could feel that Huo had wanted something but he could not feel what it was. In all the lightness there was one small shadow. This must be what the sage wanted help with.

He sent his energy into the shadow. It was as if a bright purple light was shone into the darkness revealing all there was to be seen.

The sage felt as if his heart was being ripped apart. The intensity of the pain forced him to look deep inside his heart. Without the purple light he would not have been able to do it; it was as if the purple light somehow made it more bearable. What the purple light was really doing was to increase his own vibration for a few short moments so he could become one with his shadow; for to go to the next stage he would have to be free of his shadow, his ego, otherwise the energy would destroy him.

Huo stepped into his shadow and there waiting for him were his parents and the love of his life Quing. All four of them embraced and Huo experienced a great release as he realized that he had was still feeling guilty for what had happened with his parents in the fire that many years ago. He could see that they were still very much alive and the guilt just fell away. It was in that moment that he understood the true power of forgiveness was to forgive yourself.

He turned to face Quing, although older she still looked beautiful. They stared into each others eyes for the longest time, seeing other lifetimes they had shared together and lifetimes in other dimensions yet to be shared. "Till we meet again," said Quing.

Huo watched as the loves of his life moved out of the shadows and back into the light where they belonged.

Huo awoke far calmer and more peaceful than he had ever felt in his life. Although it may have only been a dream, he realized that there had been a great release of energy while he slept and he was now different from the man who went to sleep.

He looked around himself and everything seemed different, lighter somehow. It was not just the landscape which looked lighter, he felt lighter himself, like he had been released by a burden which he had carried for years.

He put his hand inside his robes and removed the dragonfly pendant that had given him so many good memories. He looked at the pendant and a smile came to his face. In his mind's eye he could see his parents, Quing and Chung Fu they were all smiling and laughing and with a gentle wave they all turned and walked away from him.

The old sage was overcome with joy, rather than lose the greatest influences in his life he know understood they were always with him. All he had to do was look inside his heart; they were always there. There was no more guilt; he was what he was and in doing so he had taken the most courageous journey that anyone can take the journey within, the journey of the warrior sage. His life was sacred and he was dedicated to his own journey.

He stood, gathered his pack and continued on, free from the voices of the ego which had always tainted how he had seen the world.

As he walked away anyone watching would have seen him hang the dragonfly pendant on the branch of a tree.

Later that day spirit would ensure that a young girl on her own journey would walk past the tree that day and the pendant would come into her 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/

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 30

Chapter 30 - Spiritual Discipline

After a year of listening to other philosophers and their philosophies the old sage found he was becoming even more silent; it was not that he did not disagree with what others said, he found it easier for him to be just what he was. He understood that he was not his mind or his body but an eternal, immortal and infinite being who had chosen this lifetime to evolve. From day to day he continued to wander the land every now and then he would sit for a while and teach or tell stories or just talk to people. Wherever he found himself was where he was meant to be.

He understood that he was an infinite being who had cloaked himself in a body to experience life in the earthplane. His daily discipline was focused on what he could do to transcend this experience and be able to understand his journey better. He would open himself up to where spirit wanted him to be on this day.

As he wandered he thought about writing down some of the stories he told to his students and others that sat and listened, but he soon realized that the story itself was the key and it was a story that should evolve over time. In this way it would keep the essence of the story alive but allow for the story teller to share it through their own instrument. This would allow the story to grow and evolve in ways that the original storyteller would not think possible. Huo thought to himself that it was very much like what happens to humans who incarnate to add to their own story to the library of the Godforce; a story that is written each time on an empty soul adding to the Godforce in ways that the Godforce may not even have thought possible. Here we all were insignificant in our own way and yet at the same time without us the universe would be different. As Huo pondered this he was both humble and overawed at the same time.

Who would have thought a poor disfigured boy would have grown into a humble sage who travelled the countryside telling stories, teaching and healing. He wondered where the Tao would lead him next, but he didn't need to wait long as his next journey was as close as his next decision.

As he contemplated where to go next he was overcome by a feeling of nausea. At first he thought it might be the rice he had eaten night the night before, for it had been in his pack a long while, as he had not met anyone or had any fresh food for many days. As the nausea waves enveloped his whole body, he felt a strange shift in his being and all of a sudden his consciousness was ripped from his physical body and transported through a long tunnel into a place of exquisite beauty. The bright light and the sheer beauty was almost too much for him that he had to close his eyes. As he became used to the energy that surrounded he opened his eyes again and surveyed the landscape.

The picture before him reminded him of one of the landscapes painted by prince Heng, for there was a flowingness in all objects that could not normally be seen with the naked eye. In the past the sage had only been able to perceive this aliveness or flowingness out the corner of his eyes. Now he could see it with all his being as his consciousness was no longer weighed down by his physical body.

He floated around the new world. He could have walked but with is new found lightness of being it seemed more appropriate to float and allow the energy of heaven to lead him through this new land. He wondered for a moment where he was, but it did not matter it was just one more experience given to him by the Godforce. Some would have called this place heaven, others might have seen it as a resting place between lifetimes.

Just when he stopped to contemplate where he was, he was picked up on a beam of light and transported out into the universe. He looked back to see the earth rushing away from. It was a humbling experience. The earth which had seemed so big was now less than the size of a pin head as his consciousness continued its journey across the galaxy. He soon could see galaxies by the millions rushing by. The universe was far bigger than he could ever comprehend. In his feeling centre he could feel voices talking to him, telling him that there was an infinite number of universes and he himself was existing in all of them at the same time.
The words, images and feelings continued to flow into him at such an extraordinary rate that he could not keep up with them. He tried to understand what he was seeing, hearing and feeling but it was all too much. The nausea increased and he was shot back into his body.
He opened his eyes.

He was back on earth, on the side of a mountain, sitting in a lotus position, trying to comprehend what just happened. He realized his ego was trying to hold on to the experience, so he turned his focus away from the experience and onto the feelings of nausea that he was still experiencing. The feelings were not unpleasant. It was like there had been a shift in who he thought he was and the nausea was either a reminder of the change or his resistance to it.

**********

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 14

Chapter 14 - The Sage Does Not Infringe

It was after the meditation one morning when all the students had gone back to their homes, only Huo had stayed behind with the old sage to help him clear up the space they had used in the Pagoda and clear the energy from the meditation; for some times even after the meditation the unclear thoughts that had dropped away from the participants needed to be cleared away from the sacred space to allow anybody who used it later to find a space that was open and clear of any negativity. The old man always made sacred anything he did. It did not matter whether it was getting dressed in the morning or teaching a student; everything the old man did he would do it in a sacred way for to do any less would mean that something was less than the other.

The young man had not understood it at first, but as he began to practice the technique of making everything sacred, he soon realized that it was what connected him with everything. It was in the act of judging something to be less important or less sacred that disconnected him from the one or the Tao. It was interesting to watch his own life; to observe the difference when he did things in a sacred way.

He remembered the first time he had created a sacred space before he meditated. At first it felt silly and uncomfortable; of course that was only because he was coming out of judgement and the reason he was judging it was because he did not yet understand - everything is sacred. It was that one realization that changed him forever. Just like the old sage, he was now doing everything in a scared way and the most surprising thing was that because he made everything sacred, even things like washing, dressing and eating, which had been mundane, had now taken on a new quality; a quality of freshness.

The world had come alive for him. When he put on his clothes in the morning he could sense, almost feel the man or woman who had made the garment and what they were feeling at the time. He would give thanks to the person who had created this garment for him. He started to realize how abundant he was. Others would see him as a penniless young man because they came from their own judgement. If they could only look deeper they would see a young man who was having all his needs met. Huo was so in touch with the Tao that he wanted for nothing; it was in his gratitude that he understood that he was receiving so much.

In clearing the space in the Pagoda he could see what energy the students had left behind and it would instruct him and the old sage on what to teach the students the next day. He looked across at the old sage who was sweeping the space they had used; ensuring that on all levels it would cleaner and clearer than when they first entered it. As the old man swept, a beetle crawled into the space. To anyone else it would have been a nuisance, but not to the old sage who saw it as one of God's creatures and an extension of himself. He picked up the beetle and took it out to the garden where he spoke gently to it before putting it down on the ground.
When the young man, who had followed him out into the garden, questioned him on what he had said to the beetle. The old man replied that, "I had thanked the beetle for allowing to me have a break from my cleaning and experience the beauty that existed in the garden. It is easy for us get caught up in our own world and sometimes it takes the beauty of nature to show us that we are all connected. And to do some kindness, to even something that appears as insignificant as a beetle, can return to you a bounty far in advance of what you did. Look at the garden, it is teeming with life; all the plants and insects working together to create the moment we are now experiencing; a moment only you and I can share. It is only by living in the now and treating everything as sacred that we get to see the beauty in the world. It is through non-judgment that we can truly see the beauty that is inside us all and then it is reflected in the outer world."
"Chung Fu you are the wisest person I have ever met and each day you deepen my wisdom and knowledge of the Tao, but I never see you sharing this wisdom without being asked. Many times I am sure you could have helped people when they need you assistance. Why is that?

That was the first time he had called the old sage by his name in many years. It was good that Huo had gone beyond the master and apprentice relationship because the old sage could see that the young man was already a very wise sage himself. "I was going to answer that question but then spirit prompted me to ask what you think?"

Huo's ego was immediately taking in by the complement, but the real Huo, the eternal, immortal and infinite Huo understood that it was now time for the teaching to come totally from within. By going beyond the need to judge, he allowed a higher awareness to come through. In that moment he understood that he was no longer the apprentice. He answered his own question by saying, "I know that one word from you could change a person's life; a person's evolution. Who are we to decide what a person has incarnated in this life to learn. To give them help without asking is infringing on their journey. It is to treat them as a finite being, rather than an eternal, immortal and infinite being that they are." The young man stopped for a moment as he allowed another impression to come forward; he knew it was time, before he could even voice the words, he had felt it when Chung Fu had suggested that he answer his own question. "I have defined our relationship, as you are the Master and I am the apprentice, but now it is important for me to experience life rather than be defined by our old relationship. It is time for me to move on. I am sure I could learn much more from you, but in my heart I know that I am to become my own teacher. It is time for me to wander the lands and learn from my interactions with all the aspects of the Tao. I thank you from my heart for all that you have taught me, but it is now time for me to go."

Tears escaped from both their eyes as they both knew it was time for Huo to go. Chung Fu had chosen well, the student was now the teacher. The old sage reached into his pocket and pulled out the dragon fly pendant and gave it to the young man.

Huo took the pendant which was now more special than ever, for when he held it or looked at the pendant it would now remind of more than his parents, it would remind him of his time with the old sage. In losing the pendant it had become an even more sacred object.

After saying his goodbyes to the old sage, he went to find Qing. She was in the kitchen preparing their breakfast. He took her in his arms and kissed her full on the lips. At first she tried to pull away, not because she did not want to kiss him, she had wanted it more than life itself, but because it had shocked her that he had been so bold. After pulling slightly away she eased back towards him and joined him in a passionate kiss. During the kiss she could feel that they had come closer together, but on some level further apart. She looked at him for some kind of explanation. He could feel it to. He explained to her that, although he loved her with all his heart, he had to leave her and the old sage so he could continue his inner journey. He promised he would come back for her one day, but he was not ready, his journey was leading him elsewhere.

She tried to talk him out of it, with talk of their life and what their life would be like, but she soon realized she may as well have been taking to the wall of the Pagoda, his spirit was already on the journey and it was his body that needed to catch up.

That evening they held a banquet in his Honour, but before the speeches were finished he had quietly slipped out the side door, collected his small pack and walked from the town.
He looked back a couple of times but only to remember what the town looked like; for the people, Chung Fu and Qing were forever in his heart and he would never forget them.

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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.

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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/

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

The Legend of the 33rd Sage - Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - I Am That I Am

Over the next couple of years the old sage and his apprentice travelled all over the countryside stopping every now an again where 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 when the old sage asked the young man to begin teaching the children about the inner self. For the old sage knew that to master a subject one needed to teach it to others, 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, but he never led anything; always in support. This would be the first time he would take the lead. It was exciting and yet at the same time daunting. He had watched the old man engage with 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. He never engaged anyone in an argument. He never foisted his opinion on anyone, preferring to only answer questions as they were asked. He always accepted without question what each day would bring. He never asked for anything but his needs were always provided.

He remembered back to the day when his pack and the dragonfly pendant were stolen. It had been a horrible day and 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, held it for a moment and in seconds he could feel the calmness and all knowing of the Initiate come around him. In his minds eye he could now see the old sage sitting in a meditation.
All at once he opened his eyes and words fell from his mouth although he still seemed to be in a deep trance. The words that fell from his lips were from a deep part of the old sage, in a voice which was very different from the Sage's 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 the 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 a life that you will eventually begin to feel. It is strange that by believing and opening yourself up to being the the Initiate and walking the way of the Initiate that 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 reenergized. The words of the old sage coursed through his entire being and 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 which 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 and following behind him were a number of apprentices, but the landscape was different and this certainly was not China and many of his apprentices were definitely not Chinese. He went deeper into the picture with his feelings and 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.

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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 10

Chapter 10 - Become the Observer

The old sage tells Huo they will go for a walk in the forest today rather than do their meditation and martial arts training. The boy is a little confused and out of kilter as he has become accustomed to the training in the morning to start the day. His first thought is to pick up his pack and take it with them, but he falters and puts it next to the old man's pack - and "so it shall be," says the old man.

Huo felt uncomfortable. In the pit of his stomach was a queasy feeling, which he did not listen to, putting it down to the change in routine.

The old sage led him on a walk through the woods in the dark. 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 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 blind fold, 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 be when 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 to not 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 and closed his eyes and centered his feelings in the nausea. After a couple of 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 when all of a sudden the picture changed and a band of men walked into the camp and they 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 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, but no sooner had he had those thoughts when he realized 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 on the ground in resignation. If he had only brought the pack with him. If he had only tapped into the feeling of nausea earlier then it could have been different. After  a few minutes of self pity he sat upright and centered his awareness. He took a few deep breaths and 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 in 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. Huo waited while the old man finished his meditation and came back into this time and space. While he waited he reflected on what he had learnt that day. One surprising observation he made was the incredible control he had allowed others to have on his life; whether it was the bandits who robbed him, 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; by being the silent observer of his own life, forgiving himself and others who trespassed against him he found that he was free to be person that he wanted to be.

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 that he removed from the pack when they left the camp that morning.

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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 9

Chapter 9 - 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 and also in meditation. If you 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 it first created in the inner worlds. As you open yourself up to the inner worlds you will get messages from your higher self. 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 quieten the ego and clear the subconscious mind of its previous programming.

The old sage moved into the horse stance; he took a deep breath and 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 the odd punch, more to test if the old man would respond rather than trying to hit him.
The old sage never moved.

Huo's confidence began to grow. 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 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 hands length from the old man, when the old sage moved inside the fist, grabbed his arm and in what seemed an impossible move the sage 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 also working with the energy of the elements to understand how to read your opponent, but more importantly to learn how to understand and observe yourself; to move to that stage where there was no reaction. For it was in the reaction that the old sage knew that moved you out of the flow.

Month after month they practiced. First Martial Arts and then the daily meditation; one minute of meditation for each hour of the day. At first the young man could not hold his emotions in check, reacting to the strikes of the old sage which always ended up in 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; 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." 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, the Sage's inner voice suggested they do the meditation by a stream which 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 which 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 to 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 to 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 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 in his body. At once his body healed itself, the bruises disappearing and along with it the aches and pains. He even noticed that his paralyzed left arm was now completely free from any pain and he now had full movement 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 givings its life force to the plants and animals who 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 that it would be done in a calm balanced way. The water had so much power and 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.

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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 8

Chapter 8 - Nothing is Ever Lost

"Nothing is ever lost. Everyone who has ever lived and everything they have created," said the old sage, as he reached out his open right hand, "Is there for anyone. Nothing is gone. 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 and 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 which framed the doorway. His ego mind was telling him not to go any further. He hesitated for a moment and 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. He was immediately enveloped by the light and transported to another place and time.

Once Huo's eyes become accustomed to the light, he was aware that he was surrounded by thousands of people, many 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 being just like him. In his feeling self he knew they had all come from different dimensions and worlds to meet together in the world which 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 which now existed totally in that other world and he was not sure whether he needed to go back and retrieve it or was that the way it was meant to be. Was he in fact drawing from his others 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 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 hope the events of the last few minutes would not send the young man mad. It was more than anyone could stand without years of meditation and discipline. But he need not have worried. 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. The old sage stood in awe as the beetle and the young man became one. It was not in a philosophical sense; for they had truly become one. The aura of the young man and the beetle had entwined and now the energy and memories of each were now available to each other; although he was not sure how the beetle would cope with the memories and teachings the young man had given him. The old sage was not sure anymore who was the teacher. The old sage was trying to teach him that he could draw from the teachings of the masters in previous times, but the young man had gone beyond that and he was showing the old sage 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?

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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 7

Chapter 7 - 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 and then releasing 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 minds 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 it's greatest weakness is that it stops the flow of information from our higher selves and disconnects us with 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 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 knew things. It would rather stay in an negative state that it has become 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 opportunities that you never thought possible."

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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 6

Chapter 6 - I Am What I Believe I am

After a night filled with dreams of the 33 Sages who are in charge of the 33 dimensions beyond the earth-plane, Huo woke tired, as if he had been traveling all night. And in many ways he had been traveling, as the old sages of the Plum Red Robe were preparing him for his future, but that was still a way off and he woke with little or no memory of their teaching.

Rising from his bed he was welcomed by the old sage who passed him a cup of herbal tea. The smell and flavor of the tea struck at his every sense. He could see in his mind's eye a man on a small farm picking the very herbs that he was now experiencing. He looked to the old man for an explanation. "You will understand that ability to be anywhere in the world as we continue your teaching. Much of what you have to learn has to unfold naturally, as you are your own best teacher. It is my role to give you a gentle nudge when it is appropriate. For the next few days I would like to stay where we are as you begin to search deeper in yourself for the teachings to occur."

Before he could finish the young man interrupted. "I am sorry Sage, but I am not sure that I am ready to teach myself. I am still trying to understand what you taught me last night at dinner. I am not sure I believe that I would have chosen the life I have lived and the concept of the subconscious mind creating my life is just too much to comprehend. I thought that in every instant of my life I could choose what I want to do." 

"That is true my son if you have a clear mind, but so many people are just a product of other people's beliefs."
"What do you mean?" The young boys face was scrunched up, trying once again to come to grips with the meaning in the Sage's few words.

"What we believe to be true has been in many cases borrowed from someone else. Look at your beliefs about the old people in the village or the people of the cities, or about foreigners or even the foods you should and shouldn't eat. Where did they come from? Did you just wake up one day and say that the people of the cities were rich or that they think they are better than the people of the land. Of course not, these beliefs have been fed to you over time from your parents, people of the village, either directly to you, or even in whispers of conversation. Your subconscious mind takes in everything and then creates the world as you expect it to be. When you were born your subconscious mind recorded all the impressions from everything around it. It also recorded the emotions, feelings, attitudes  and language that came from your family, friends and all the other people in the village. But more than that you were born with the inherent vibrations of many previous generations. In fact the only way to be yourself is to start to peel away the thought, feelings and behaviors that are not yours. These same belief patterns are here to protect us and for those who are not spiritually advanced they do a good job of that. As you start to grow spiritually you reach a point where it is necessary for you to release many of these beliefs, so that you can become a spiritual being with your own spiritual destiny. That is the reason we have come together, so we can work with each other to release your beliefs to follow your own quest."

The old sage stopped for a moment to allow these ideas to seep into and start to work their magic in the young boys mind. The old sage knew that a mind once changed could never go back to its old form. It may for a moment try to move back into its old comfort zone, but this would not last as once a mind can see that it is creating its own world it can never again be truly happy with being a victim. He knew the next few days would be a struggle for the young man as he broke free from the beliefs of others which he had made his own. It was now time to create his own life. The old sage knew that it would be difficult to remove all the negative belief patterns but it was necessary if the young man was to become who he was meant to be.

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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 Real Me - the person behind the 33rd Sage

The Real Me

Hello All,

I have been writing these blogs for a over a year now and in that time I have had thousands of readers from over fifty countries. Firstly I would like to thank you all for dropping in to spend a few minutes reading my blog. I write the blog in the hope that I can share some of the wonderful teachings I have received during my own spiritual quest over the last thirty years. If you have read my first book 'The 33rd Sage,' you will get a feel for what happened to put me on the spiritual path and in the second book 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' you will gain a deeper insight into my life and journey.
Today I am not here to flog either of my books, although I guess a writer still needs to eat and somedays I like a second Decaf Latte, today I want to give you my dear reader a deeper insight into who I am. I am doing this because of a couple of conversations I have had of late. The first was a person I have known for seven years; someone who I would call a dear friend and someone I could talk to about anything. The funny thing was that when she read an early draft of 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,' she said she learnt more about me in a few short hours than in our seven year friendship. The second person was someone who I still call a friend although I had not seen him in twenty years. We caught up for coffee and after a few minutes of reminiscing about the old days we both shared what we had been up to since we last saw each other. It was in talking about a journey that we took together twenty years earlier; a journey in the search for an indigenous medicine man. We jumped in his car and drove for many hours before arriving at the site where hopefully we would meet our medicine man. Of course we never found him, that was not spirits intention. Later that evening something strange happened in a meditation that still affects me till this very day. Over coffee I shared what had happened to me that evening and my old friend was shocked. He was one of my close friends and he had shared that journey with me and I had not shared with him what had happened.
Both these episodes made me reflect on on why I hadn't shared the real me to even my closest friends.
This story may be about me, but in reality it is about all of us. How much of yourself do you share with those who are closest to you. Do you not share because you are scared of sharing who you really are? Do you think that your friends will think you are mad or if you share everything there will be nothing left? All of these are good reasons, but what if not living in who you are is holding back your spiritual growth. Each of ushas an individual spark of the godforce and I believe it is our duty; more than that, it is our imperative to be who we are in every moment of our time on the earth. I guess that is why I spend a lot of time in my blogs talking about understanding yourself and releasing the beliefs in your subconscious mind that are holding you back from being the beautiful being that you incarnated on this earth to be.
Stop for a moment and ask yourself if you are living the life you always dreamed of living? If you are answered no, then it is never too late. Some of the greatest, writers, painters and inventors did their greatest works in their seventy and eighties. Whatever age you are Spirit is still there to guide you on your way.
A year ago I gave up a well paid job doing something I loved to follow the yearning of my inner spirit to just write. My first book had just been published and I felt proud of my achievement, but there was something missing. People who red it loved it. Many people red it a number of times, each time learning and seeing ideas and concepts that were not there the first time they red it. The interesting thing for me was that when I first wrote it I had not even planned to put many of the concepts in the story. It started out as a nonfiction book about the teachings that I received from an old Chinese teacher. A few hundred words in and there was a change as a character came into my mind and began to tell me the story that became 'The 33rd Sage.' It was not the book that I wanted to write, it was a book that almost seemed to be written through me.
Just before I gave up the job to write I was seeing a couple of naturopaths who were trying to help me sleep better. I had not had a full nights sleep in over twenty years. I would sleep for about ninety minutes and then wake up, soon I would go back to sleep only to wake up another ninety minutes later. It was while treating me that the work they were doing was having a profound effect on me, but not in the way I planned. I still don't sleep any better but that is not why spirit drew me to see them. I started to share with them and others what I was really feeling and stories about my spiritual journey that I had kept hidden. Not only did these stories free up a part of me that was stuck, but they had a genuine affect on the lives of the people I came into contact with. Rather than think I was mad it allowed them to find there own voice or courage to make changes in their lives. It was in the telling of story that I realized I could have the greatest impact with my journey and the more I opened my heart to people the more at peace I became.
It was after their treatment that I had no other choice but to leave my job and write. The second book 'The 33rd Sage and the Initiate,'  was the easiest story that I have ever had to write because it was my journey. Once again I started to tell the story as nonfiction with early title of 'My Other Life,' being the life that I had never really shared with people. This time I was about twenty thousand words in when Conway the main character from my first book took charge and made it into his story. He is a cheeky controlling bugger, but I like him anyway. I fought with him for a few chapters but he seemed to have a better memory of my life than I did and in the end I let him tell the story.
When I write now I check in with the heart to see what about I am feeling and allow whatever is within to come out and express itself on the page. It was difficult to express these feelings when I was young because I was dyslexic and had difficulty sharing my stories or thoughts on paper. My old Chinese teacher helped with the dyslexia, but the greatest change in my life came in 1989 when I was given, a very early version of a laptop. It was the most freeing experience of my life. The beauty of the computer was that, although I was only a one finger typist, I was able to keep in memory the thoughts that I wanted to share. This was so different from when I tried to write on paper, when the very act of writing switched off my mind and I could remember nothing of what I wanted to share.
Thanks again to all the readers of books and blogs a you continually inspire me to continue writing and wandering on my spiritual adventure.
Blessings and peace. I only hope my blogs and stories inspire and encourage  others on their own journeys.

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My new book the 33rd Sage and the Initiate is available from Amazon, Barnes & 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/