Loving Life As It Is

(Discovery Channel - A View from Ocean Resort on Vancouver Island)

“You do not have a life; there is only LIFE and it lives AS you and everything else.” Leo Hartong

Being here in Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada with Lucas and Cheryl and friends, has been just perfect. Since leaving N.C. in December, each step of the way has been divinely guided. I am in awe of the Grace that is present orchestrating each moment.

After being in the Jindal Health Center, in India, there was a health plan that they prescribed for me. Then, it was put into place first in Hawaii and now here. Cheryl and Lucas have also been given a similar health plan as mine from a program they offer here at Ocean Resort their “Spiritual & Wellness Retreat Center” called “Fresh Start.” One of the gifts of my being here is my getting cooking lessons from Cheryl and Lucas. And, getting all that this body is needing for healing in all areas. I am so grateful to them both for their constant support and unending generosity. Actually, my gratitude extends to all who are reading this blog…to all of you who have helped to make this trip possible.

So, here is Cheryl and, I in their kitchen, making “live” granola.

There are many other gifts that are happening from my being here. All the other times that I have come here, since 2003, was to give various AHAM programs. There was not much time to just “hang out” together or get to see the island due to my busy schedule. This time it is different. I have time to really bask in the serenity of this retreat center and receive a deep healing from the good company, the Stillness and Peace and the sunshine and fresh Sea air. So, this communication with you will highlight these gifts that came to me along the way over my three weeks stay here.

Initially, I would like to refer to the quote above from Leo Hartong. “You do not have a life; there is only LIFE and it lives AS you and everything else.” He and I were emailing to each other several years back and this is part of his message to me. It seems that it’s true meaning is coming into full fruition now.

As I am here with Lucas and Cheryl, as a part of their family, I am having the experience of “Life living me and everything else.” And, it is absolutely lovely! The experiences that are happening here are giving me an opportunity to celebrate life in so many different ways, with so many different people and situations. It is difficult to put into words what that is for me. But, my eyes are opening wide to all that is around me and I am seeing that which is living and breathing me now much like a current or wave that takes me from one moment to the next and into whatever expression that comes through me and all around me. It is the "wave" that directed me in what was needed for my family and for AHAM all those years. Bhagavan Ramana says this is "the giver of existence to the whole world"...this Existence that is Consciousness and Bliss...and, "You are THAT." This insight came together like puzzle pieces that have been seen for some time.

It feels so good to have a "finger on" this pulse of Life. It is so Grace-full. It is Pure Love and complete support. From this perspective one cannot help but love every moment of what is happening, no matter what it might be. All that remains now is deep gratitude.

So, let's start here at the Labyrinth, which was constructed on the back lawn of Ocean, in May 2009. It was a group effort and created out of driftwood gathered from the beach just by this center. While walking the labyrinth, one would take a situation or question into the center for completion. It is a very powerful experience and a great way to set the conscious intention for my stay here.

Dennis Gray, Ocean’s “handy man”, was the one who headed up the project up and was the one who climbed up a nearby Douglas Fir to get this picture of the labyrinth. The next picture is taken from another angle including the retreat rooms at Ocean.

The walks on the beach, just out in front of Ocean Resort, have been one of the highlights. Often you would see the cruise ships going north from Vancouver to Alaska.

There are so many "heart rocks" to be found on this beach...what a treasure.

Here are some of the folks that I had the opportunity to spend time with while here...

(Myself, Collette, Cheryl, Tina, Anne, Katherine, Mary.)

Here we are after a Sunday afternoon meditation at Ocean. It was a delightful experience for me, being in the guided process led by Lucas.

This is Carolyn. We met when at an I SIT given here in 2007. Carolyn has been very helpful in this time of "healing retreat" while here at Ocean. She does several forms of special treatments and was able to give me exactly what was needed in this healing process. What a sweetheart!

By the way, if you would like to see a live webcam located close to an eagle's nest here close by, check this out:

http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm

Here's Lucas and Cheryl in their living room at Ocean.

I met Lucas in India at an I SIT in 2003. He invited AHAM to come to his resort to do a program and we have done programs here each year since. Lucas has become like a brother to me. I met Cheryl also in India at AHAM's ashram and we became immediate friends. Here is a poem that she wrote while I was here that she gave me permission to share with you...

I choose happiness.

Even when it means I must visit my deepest shadows,

lie sleepless through the dark night and wake weary to the call of love.

I choose happiness.

I welcome all of it.

The pain, the sorrow, the collective grief.

I welcome all of it,

knowing that in the seeing, in the experiencing

I am free.

I choose happiness

and in the joy of just simply being,

the love that I am expresses.

Both Lucas and Cheryl have contributed so much to so many through what has been given here at Ocean. If you would like to get more information on what they provide here go to their website at "oceanresort.ca".

This is Heather and Peter. They both have been to the AHAM programs at Ocean. We spent a lovely evening together walking in the woods and being with all the spring flowers that grow wild in the woods here.

And...we ate at an awesome restaurant called "Locals." The owner and chef is Ronald, who also came to the AHAM programs at Ocean. He came and sat with us at the table ...

As you can see, I am just so happy and love this gift of simply hanging out with my friends here on Vancouver Island. There were many other events and experiences that occurred but this blog has to stop somewhere. My visit here is coming to a close and I will be moving on to Denver, Colorado to be with Richard and friends there.

As I luxuriously sit here on Sunday morning writing to you, what comes up to say is "I Love You so much" and I am so happy to have this huge family of the Heart...that seems to be much more global than I could actually experience from the perspective of the Center in N.C...and, look forward to visiting you ALL, however that can happen.

As you probably have discovered yourself, there is a much bigger picture that is not seen with the naked eye, but can be seen very clearly from the Heart. It may just be a nudge that we feel...not an obvious clue. It is so important that we don't hesitate, but follow it and see where it takes us. Then, we may just get another clue...follow it...the path may then begin to make sense. Just know that in some way we are serving this "bigger picture" somehow in our continuing to follow our Heart. This is where everyone wins...it is certain...happiness for ALL mankind. YES!!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Dreams Really Do Come True

(At Kailua Beach, O'hau, Hawaii)

(North Shore of O'ahu)

Somewhere over the rainbow,

Way up high.

There’s a dream that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow,

Bluebirds fly,

And, dreams that you dreamed of

They really do come true.

This is a very fitting song for this visit to Hawaii. You can find it sung by IZ, who is a native Hawaiian, click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

Above were from a Hawaiian artist, Tabora. To me, his paintings have a mystical feeling to them..."over the rainbow" where dreams really do come true. This is a "dream," isn't it?

I am here in Kailua, on the island of O’ahu. Ted Suga, my host, has taken me all over this beautiful island from shore to shore. I met Ted at I SIT when he came to Vancouver Island, B.C. in 2007. He was born on this island and lived here all of his life.

Everywhere he has taken me is absolutely magnificent! I’ve never experienced anything so beautiful. This is truly a “dream come true,” one that I had wished for, but long forgotten, as a small girl. Isn’t it interesting how what is held near and dear to our Heart does eventually happen, in one way or another.

Here is the mountain of Olomana that is right behind Ted’s home. Every place in Hawaii is sacred, and I can certainly feel that when I look at this mountain. Ted said that it reminded him of Arunachala.

These are the Ko’olau Range mountains, paralleling for 37 miles on the eastern coast of O'ahu island. The range was formed by volcanic erruptions and has an average width of 13 miles (21 km).

Koʻolau Range is a name given to the fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the island of O'ahu. The last time the volcano erupted was 10,000 years ago. It is not a mountain range in the normal sense, because it was formed as a single mountain called Koʻolau Volcano (koʻolau means "windward" in Hawiian)

What has been the most beautiful experience in being here, on this island of paradise, has been sharing in conscious company with Ted and his friends. We have met Heart to Heart as if we have known each other forever.

Sri Bhagavan says in The Ramana Gita, “On Society” where he shares that society is like one body and it’s limbs are all connected and work together as One. There appears to be difference, but we are all connected at Heart. I am so grateful to have had this very precious time to experience the Oneness in all that surrounds me.

Thank you, so much, Ted, for welcoming me into your homeland and allowing us to all experience it first hand.

One last precious view of the island ... here is the famous Diamond Head, at Waikiki, which is on the other side of the island from Ted’s home.

I am leaving on the 29^th of March for Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. Lucas and Cheryl and all of our AHAM family on the island will be welcoming us into their corner of the world. Hope to see you there.

Love you all, from the bottom of my Heart.

Aloha!

The Mahatma

On my way out of India, I stopped over in Mumbai (Bombay) and had a day to see this unusual city. Evidently, it is the commercial capital of India and has 10% of India’s population on what is some of that is reclaimed land. There are no “homes” per se, there are just high rises to accommodate the people living in this bustling city.

One of the highlights for me, was to visit “Mani Bhavan” which was one of the few important places sanctified by Mahatma Gandhi’s close association. (See picture above) Significant discussions and decisions were made here with regards to India’s freedom movement. And, the unregistered weekly bulletin called “Satyagrahi” was issued from here. This is where he began his historic fast in 1921 and was arrested in 1932.

Mani Bhavan is where “Gandhi lived and conversed with his colleagues, molded the nation in the image of his cherished ideals of Truth and Non-violence and inspired his followers and devotees who went forth from here in the world, charged with the sense of service and sacrifice.”

As I walked through the building, the energy of his Presence was very prevalent. When Obama visited Mumbai just recently, this was where he visited first.

His wheel for spinning his kadhi cloth was still set up in one of the upper rooms.

Gandhi’s message still rings true for this day and age…timeless Truth…

“If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”

“The very first step in non-violence is that we cultivate in our daily life, as between ourselves, truthfulness, humility, tolerance, loving kindness. The path of true non-violence requires much more courage than violence.”

“I believe in trusting. Trust begets trust. He who trusts has never yet been lost in the world.”

“I have learned this one lesson-that what is impossible with man is child’s play with God and if we have faith in that Divinity which presides on the destiny of the meanest of His creation, I have no doubt that all things are possible; and, in that final hope, I live and pass time and endeavor to obey His will.” – M.K. Gandhi

It's Always Inside Out

(A view from the Dining Hall at Jindal)

It's been a several weeks since we have shared together. The Jindal Healing Center required that we give up our laptops and concentrate fully on our healing process. They didn't take our cell phones, but we could only use them in our rooms. Reminds me of AHAM and the way we require one to focus fully while experiencing our programs.

I am now in Mumbai (Bombay), staying in a Holiday Inn, on my way to Hawaii. Wonderful!! Hot and cold running water, a soft bed, American food and all the comforts of home. And, of course, Wi-Fi. So here we are.

What to share about my experience at Jindal?... The care they gave went off the charts! They had assigned each of us a doctor that we see each day. The doctor tunes into the treatments that would be best for your situation and the food to eat. We had our schedule each day to follow through with and continue checking in with the doctor as to how the progress is going. The focus of the healing was from Naturopathy and coming back to allowing "nature to take it's course." So, by cleaning out the body is the first step and then the body can heal itself. And, their treatments all enhanced this process.

This was a huge "AHA!" for me. In our teaching, at AHAM, we reverse attention from at outward direction to following the natural inward flow into the Heart and give way to the Heart's Direction. Well, what was realized in this health program was the exact same process. What I had been doing regarding the situation with this body was to try all these different things "out there" and "hope" that something will work. It was a complete reversal, in Jindal, by going back to the source of the problem and allowing what is natural to take over. And, now it is just a matter of following the discipline of the process for a complete healing to occur. Just like we would do in our practice...staying with an "inside out" process no matter what arises until our Living from the Heart is happening naturally. Don't you love it?

We also were given Yoga as a way to heal the body and Pranayama. The one thing we all enjoyed the most was the Laughing Exercises that is supposed to be very healthy for the body-mind. It was great to have all 300 of us together at one time laughing our heads off for 15 minutes. When we finished each exercise we all acknowledged it by saying: "Very good! Very good! Very good! Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha." What a way to start the day. Here is a shot of us all together at 6:30 in the morning right before yoga ...

Here is a picture of myself and a new friend from Washington, D.C. I met people from all over the world. And, many of them were wanting information on having a meditation practice that would work for them. I was happy to give them our new website address...


Finally, I'd like for everyone to meet Dr. Mumtaj, the one who referred me to Jindal. She is starting up a place in Tiruavannamalai that has the same "nature cures" from Jindal. I am so grateful for her dedication to her "duty" as she calls it, and to her sending me to a place that truly works. She even came by bus to Jindal (8 hours) to check-in on me.

One final thing...

What was also realized in this experience is a key to releasing "body-mind identification." When we totally ignore the body-mind and "let it go" as I did, it will eventually scream out for attention, as it did. This is not the way to release body-mind identification. When we follow a health program, that works for us, we can begin to experience the body as a temple for the Heart to function in full alignment together. The merging of the two "body-mind and Heart" into One is the completion. What comes to mind was about Sri Bhagavan. During the surgery that he had on removing the cancer from his arm, as they were cutting away the skin, he was heard saying: "Poor arm" while he stroked it with tender loving care. There was complete Oneness with his arm..."not-two." This experience was his way of showing us that we don't ignore the body-mind, but love it and embrace it with our Awareness.

Ok, that's it for now...I'll write you from Hawaii. Ted Suga is my host and we have less than two weeks to see his beautiful island.

Love you all from the bottom of my Heart.

One Year Later for AHAM & Ramana

This is a short message to direct everyone to a blog that was recently done by Richard Clarke around the special ceremony given to our Ramana one year after his passing. It occurred in our AHAM Ashram on February 15, 2011.

This event is one that follows the Hindu tradition ("when in Rome, do as the Romans do"). It is believed in their tradition the beloved one, or teacher in this case, returns each year to be with their loved ones. So, we as the ones who represented all those who love Ramana, were present at his shrine with the offering of flowers and many different things to honor his presence in all of our lives.

So, you can connect with Richard's blog to get all the details at:http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/one-day-ceremony-for-a-ramana/

It was a beautiful completion for this one to be with Ramana in this way, to offer the sacred ash to his shrine and to sing his favorite songs, "The Lord's Prayer" and "I am in All" (the chant he wrote years ago).

I am in All

All is in me,

There is no other apart from me.

I am in you

You are in me,

There is no "you" apart from me.

I'm in the world

The world is in me,

There is no world apart from me.

I am in God

God is in me

There is no God apart from me.

I am in All

All is in me,

There is no other

There is no "me."

"Where Can I Go…I am Always Here”

“Where Can I Go…I am Always Here” ... These were the parting words of Bhagavan Ramana, to his devotees, over 60 years ago. Yes, these words are absolutely true. Where can the Self that I AM actually go? Yet, as I am preparing to leave Ramanasramam, I cannot help but feel what it would have felt like being with Him and experiencing Him so closely…feeling the pulse of His Stillness right up next to Him…having the blessing of His look of Love…being nurtured deeply in the most precious place in your Heart. Yes, He is always and will always be Here, as the Heart, wherever we go, and yet how can we not feel a tug in our Heart as we physically leave this place?

My two months here in the orb of His Grace has left its blessed mark. The lotus bud is now wide open. I am at zero and ready for this next phase of my life to unfold in its own natural way. Thank you, Dear One, for your blessings showering so abundantly on us all. Hafiz says it so beautifully…

Find that flame, that existence,

That Wonderful Man

Who can burn beneath the water?

No other kind of light

Will cook the food you

Need.

There is also so much gratitude I feel for those who serve here at the ashram and have made my stay so comfortable and significant. Some of these folks were here when Ramana and I first came in 1990 and are still filled with such vitality in their service. It’s beautiful to see everyone giving to the Divine in all, with such love and patience. THANK YOU!!

There are just a few words from Hafiz to end this time in Ramanasramam and take us on to the next phase of our journey together…

The subject tonight is Love

And for tomorrow night as well.

As a matter of fact,

I know of no better topic

For us to discuss

Until we all

Die!

My next leg of this journey has taken a little turn. Instead of going on to Hawaii as originally planned, I am going to an Ayurvedic Healing Center in Bangalore for about three weeks (and then on to Hawaii). A doctor that I met here in Tiru that has been working with me recommended my having this time to build up the strength of the immune system which she feels has been the cause of this health situation. So, I am going to Jindal Nature Cure Center on Sunday – if you want to check it out it’s at www.jindalnaturecure.org. I’ll keep you posted from there.

Guru's Grace

This picture is taken in the Old Hall, here at Sri Ramanasramam. Bhagavan Ramana met with people 24 hours a day in this hall for over 25 years. This is where the Guru’s Grace silently activated the Truth in those who were open and receptive. Today it’s a perfect place for meditation, especially in the early morning between three and seven o’clock and just after siesta at two o’clock.

As this place has been one of the “hot spots” for me on this retreat here at Sri Ramanasramam, I wanted to share an experience that came up, recently, that was very significant for me. It began with this quote, which was taken from the book “At the Feet of Bhagavan” by T.K Sundaresa Iyer. From the early age of twelve years old, he was with Sri Bhagavan, visiting with him while he lived in Virupaksha Cave.

Now, the master speaks: “People think the Master is confined in a human frame, but it is not so; His existence and presence are universal, cosmic, because He is the True Guru (sad-guru) and Truth (sat) as such is not a newly discoverable entity. He has always been there with you even while you were undergoing all the pangs of existence. In fact, I am the “I” in you; you and I have never been apart, nor ever can be. But you, with your separate “I” and its exclusive and warring interests, could not know Me, much less feel Me. Now that the “I” in you has dropped away, I alone live in you.” This is the meaning of Tatvamasi (“That thou art”), and this is the meaning and the function of the Guru’s Grace.

During this past week, in Silent Retreat, this “function of the Guru’s Grace” came alive for me. How long have I heard the simplicity of Sri Bhagavan’s message? … “dive within” … “go back to the Source from which you came” … “Who am I?” … “Inquire and find the source of the ‘I”.” Didn’t Ramana say, “There’s only one thing to do”? It’s like it all came alive for me in going back to the simple basics and having nothing to distract this focus.

Due to Sri Bhagavan’s Grace, it was discovered and realized what was quoted above “I am the “I” in you; you and I have never been apart, nor ever can be” … “I alone live in you” …”THAT Thou Art”. Remaining in this “I-I” in one pointed focus and Guru’s Grace takes over. As Sri Bhagavan says, it’s so "simple … natural … and direct".

Constant vigilance is required to remain in and as this Truth and not let anything “of this world” distract, as I now move out of Silent Retreat into a more active lifestyle.

I am humbled in the Presence of our Guru’s unending, unfathomable and endearing Grace. Is this what it means to be “in the tiger’s jaws?” Well, I willingly and gratefully surrender.