Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Forever Dance!

El Yunque Rain Forest

We are here now in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Belkis. I have been here more than a week now.

This has also been my birthday week…in more ways than one…and Belkis and I chose to celebrate it together as our “Birth” Day.

In Daniel Ladinsky’s book “I Heard God Laughing” he shares with us the words of Hafiz, an awakened poet. Daniel says this about Hafiz:

Hafiz says God is fully known only through love, which accepts everything. Love reveals the Universe as a cosmic playground where every thing and every being participates in a single, magnificent Game. Hafiz says…

I rarely let the word “No” escape

From my mouth

Because it is so plain to my soul

That God has shouted, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

To every luminous movement in Existence.

It has been a little over nine months now since leaving N.C. on this “around the world” adventure. And, it has been exactly that…an adventure of saying “Yes!” to all that arises to “every luminous movement in Existence” and following this path of the unknown step-by-step. If you have followed with me, it is very clear to see that it was not a journey unique to Elizabeth. We all have our own journey into the unkown in every moment of now. On the 17th of September, this trip is over...or is it just beginning???

It seems that this birthday begins a new life…one of sound health, vibrancy and a celebration of each moment, as it is … loving the ”participating in this cosmic playground."

Belkis and I started the celebration with our first day having a gentle soak in the warm salt water of the ocean, and the next day in a trip to a hot springs…so relaxing and renewing to our bodies. Then, we stepped it up a bit and on the next day we walked in the El Yunque Rain Forest…and found an awesome waterfall to play in.


We then did some “girl-stuff” and spent a day at the beauty parlor, got dressed up and went out for a glass of wine in the Old San Juan Hotel. It was early in the week and a quiet night…just perfect for us.

Here she is with Venus, the Goddess of Love ...

We had a lovely visit with Belkis’ family…mother, father and two sisters...


Here is Belkis dancing the Bachata...I've got the music and she showed me how to do it...I'll show you when I see you. It's so much fun and easy to do...

Then, out that evening with Belkis’ sisters, touring Old San Juan…here is how the hotels used to be back then, open to the sky...


...and Flamingo dancers outside under the stars...

The final week was a precious gift from Belkis and her sister, Sheila … a quiet, relaxing week alone, at her sister’s ocean-view beach apartment.

In closing, it took me years of delving into the Truth to realize that happiness is my true nature. Now, it appears that it is time to allow this that I am to shine through every ounce of this Being in life itself. Hafiz says it so beautifully for me…

I am happy even before I have a reason.

I am full of Light even before the sky

Can greet the sun or the moon.

Dear Companions,

We have been in love with God

For so very, very long.

What can Hafiz now do but

Forever Dance!

May I have this dance?

...for the rest of my life? Amor...amor!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Essence Ordinaire


Here we are in Canada...

[The Ottawa River at Sunset from Gatineau, Quebec]

This past week I was here in Canada visiting Saroja and some very dear friends in Gatineau, Quebec. It brought up a few things to share with you beginning with a story from Osho …

A king went into his garden and found wilted and dying trees, shrubs and flowers. The oak said it was dying because it could not be tall like the pine. Turing to the pine, he found it drooping because it was unable to bear grapes like the vine. And the vine was dying because it could not blossom like the rose. Then he found one plant, hearts-ease, blooming and as fresh as ever. Upon inquiry, he received this reply: “I took it for granted that when you planted me you wanted hearts-ease. If you had desired an oak, a vine or a rose, you would have planted them. So I thought, since I can be nothing but what I am, I shall be that to the best of my ability.”

You are here because this existence needs you as you are! Otherwise somebody else would have been here. You are fulfilling something very essential, something very fundamental, as you are. [“Take It Easy” Vol. 2, pp. 101-103 by Osho]

So, “we can be nothing but what we are” and being that “to the best of our ability” … this fits.

While here in Quebec with Saroja, I am reminded of my first talk in the Tampa Unity Church some years ago. I had just returned from Canada after being with my father’s passing, and happened to have a tube of toothpaste that I purchased there. In Canada, everything has both French and English on it, honoring both languages present. As I was considering what was to be shared in the Sunday Talk, I happened to have the toothpaste tube facing up with the French on the label. It said, “Essence Ordinaire.” When I turned it over to see what that meant, it was “Regular Flavor.” Yes! This is what was to be shared that morning.

Have we tasted our regular flavor … sensed this ordinary essence that we are? Are we looking for something unusual to happen, in a final awakening? Well, this beautiful French language says it all. Our essence is ordinariness. Sri Bhagavan reminds us … it is our natural state.

Relaxing into this Essence Ordinaire … we are fulfilling something very essential, very fundamental, simply being as we are. From here, we are contributing what is truly significant to the Whole.

Enjoying this simple, natural and ordinary Essence that we ARE...


Thank you, Saroja, this has been a beautiful week!

Saroja and friends, Hafiz and Gulabo. (The last time I was here was ten years ago when we gave and I SIT program. It was a very significant experience for me then as now.)

Just sit there right now.

Don’t do a thing.

Just rest.

For your

Separation from God

Is the hardest work in the world.

- Hafiz



The “rest” is a “stop” and all is melting into THAT.

Giving way to this melting feeling …

Falling into this Embrace

Being fully consumed by this Love,

By this Fullness,

By that which has no boundaries.

Surrender NOW into that which has captured you …

And invite whatever arises into Your Heart.

All is included in this Embrace …

- Elizabeth