Everyman's Journal 2011

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(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

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Everyman's Journal 2011, #32

Feb. 11

10 PM Feb 10. Of course today did not go exactly as I had envisioned it, but we all have learned to expect that, haven't we? What I find at the end (of a day, like right now) when I reflect back over the moments of grace continually being overlaid by other moments of grace being overlaid by additional other moments of grace..... what I find is the fullness in my heart... that that is what lets me know that whatever I might have thought the day was supposed to have been like, what it actually was like was 'the best good karma possible' [to happen for me, inside of my practice of surrendering and allowing that energy I (sometimes) call God to lead the way and be the creative power in my life].

One distinction that is usually present when a day feels so good and ends with such fullness is a sense of relatedness and being included and belonging and being loved. That was certainly there for me today.... and that has not always been the case at all, so the juxtaposition offers a learning opportunity. For there have been many times 'out on the roads between art shows' where only the superficial relatedness of strangers was available for days on end, broken finally when someone known appeared as if a gift of fate, or a miracle ("What are YOU doing here?" etc). So for me one of the deepening blessings of 'the miracle of being in Yuma' is simply being someone becoming known and appreciated by more and more people, and the disappearance of the sense of nearly always being a stranger. I have to admit it feels wonderful.

To our all-knowing and therefore not so 'attached' soul centers, I sense this feel-good relatedness is not especially important (as I notice that Life will give it or take it as appropriate to the needed-to-be-learned lesson that is 'up' for us), but to us as 'children playing in the world', especially while we are self-identifying as being a body, community is very important. Not just for social reasons, but also for the power it gives our spirits to fulfill our karmic mission in being here. Just as Jesus taught, coming together for the purpose of honoring our true nature (normally called 'worship') will certainly make it easier for our true nature to be experienced. A Course in Miracles also teaches us that service to each other is as totally valid a path as service to our Father/Mother/Source, for He/She/It knows Itself aseach of us, whether we know that (consistently) or not. Yet, thru service, the consistency will come. It is inevitable, and only of matter of when, not if, for each of us.

As today came and went, inside the perfection of it (and skipping the normal stories tonight), it contained both giving and receiving of service many times... but something else also deserves to be acknowledged. And that is the level of conscious awareness that it also displayed.

I'm not speaking of my own awareness here.... I am just speaking of being able to recognize how aware others were also, especially whenever we were engaged in any activity that could be called 'selfless'. For when thus engaged, I again rediscovered that life will naturally transform to being more of a musical activity, where even if a sour note or two were to be played, the current of the music just includes it, the note quickly becomes a thing of the past, and all in the game of Being Present return, as with a rhythm directed by an unseen hand, to the service project at hand.

Just as great poetry is the evoking of a thing, a quality... but without naming it..... so is service done selflessly the evoking of the total tangible yet amazingly mysterious Presence of Love. Such evoking cannot but leave us willing to serve more and more. I think it's a day well lived by all when such a lesson is learned.

Namaste,

David

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Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

(my fine art website)

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

http://davidseacord.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=306aba00e6959c604de750bcc&id=62a1ee7045

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)

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Everyman's Journal 2011, #31

Feb. 9

Everything's lawful, and everything's also a potential hook for the mind, like a dog hot on a bone. "Why?" I have heard it said, "is an insane question." (Here I am referring to the 'why me?' kind of 'why?'). And most other questions of that type probably are in the same insane basket too....

Anyway, I can't imagine a really free mind asking it very often. But there is another kind of 'why' that is completely different. It's the 'why/how' of the inquisitive, the curious. That's the child in us letting us know it is still alive and kicking, and calling, pleading, inviting, seducing us to come play in the 'fields of glorious living aliveness!'.

The first 'why?'... the why-me why... will often overlay and bury the second 'why/how', being a symptom of an emotionally-reactive response, as distinct from one of simple curiosity. But after we accept and make emotional peace with whatever happened, THEN, if we're intelligent, we may find we are actually interested in finding a deeper answer to 'why, or how, did I happen to create that in my life, etc...'.

It is to this conversation that our self-honesty loves to come. Especially when the issue is one of self-importance. Why? Because 'self-importance is a trap'. And one I happen to know quite well. Much better, as a matter of fact, then the ever-present and available road to humbleness. But the ever-present and available road to humbleness is clearly my supreme teacher these days, for which my soul is deeply grateful. It's like is expressed in a certain line in A Course in Miracles: "The Holy Spirit loves a happy learner."

I notice the peace I have inside me when I am happy to learn whatever I am being taught. How exquisite, how divine, this dance. Like today, I, the self-important big hot shot artist sat peaceful among the gathered local not self-important, not hot shot artists meeting and was simply 'one of them'. Whenever I felt the knee-jerk of my ego kicking in protest, I just petted it. And as it accepted the status, other missions came into view.... missions of service.

All missions are impossible without first having relatedness present, but Teacher does not care what kind, for She can use ANY relatedness to transfer Love from one being to other. For what purpose? To disappear our separation.

This then, is the great secret I am learning.... Love is available exactly where you are. All that is needed is to be fully related to exactly where you are to receive it. And all being fully related means is having no agenda with another but to see that they are actually you (or, at least, the same as you).

Hope you enjoy your day, like a poetry. We all have angels around us. :-) Thank God.

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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

Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

(my fine art website)

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

http://davidseacord.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=306aba00e6959c604de750bcc&id=62a1ee7045

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)

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Everyman's Journal 2011, #30

Feb. 8

OK, time to talk, as they say. Does it matter what we talk about? There's always a wide choice.... writing anything is like putting a microscope on a brief little moment here or there and working it hard... extracting the lesson that was given that instant. It's kind of like a test... to see if I can put into words where I was taken, or what I was shown, or learned. Not because only I have gone there.... not that.... but more because the chances are we all have probably gone there, and one time or another, had the same lessons offered.... but... perhaps somehow maybe for you it was missed, as in the speed of life....or forgotten....until I write about it as something over here in my world. Then you remember when it was the same for you, maybe. Then you can frame it for yourself too.

That's all I am trying to write about really. Those moments that I do register as awake enough to... to be called 'LIVED', I mean. I'm sure I miss as much as everyone else, but what I find valuable when I listen to other people share honestly is that it wakes up the place in me that KNOWS (from my own personal experience) what they are talking about. It bonds me to whoever it is that's sharing, in the simple recognition of our joint humanness.

The problem of writing then, is the problem of choosing what to write about, out of so much experience. Then, because writing about an experience is also an experience which can also be written about, you get cornered with not having any way to stop the continual onslaught of new experience so that a previous experience can be more fully experienced by writing about it. Pretty cool conundrum huh? It all points to the essential value of the Great Practice: Simply Being Nowhere But Now. Because that is the only way we eventually get Present Enough to Be Present (fully) in each moment of new Now. What happens when we're not? Nothing really, but inside we can get left with the feeling that we somehow missed something important. Not that we did REALLY, but still, if we FEEL like we did, that's often enough to get us to forget Being Now, and go back searching for Then. (So that we can get Then right, so that we can then get back to Now.) Any of this making any sense?

I hope so. But it doesn't matter. It will eventually. We all end up meeting our destinies on the same highway. So eventually, we all get to stand on this corner too.

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

On to other things, like singing. What a route to heaven.

You know, if my real job is to 'just help the People get to God', I think singing our way down the road is the sweetest payback possible. I so get filled up. And just so you know, my new (additional) job assignment (cause all the other one's are still ongoing, you know) of leading a sacred singing gig/circle on Sunday Nights has me so lit up that, well, I just couldn't write nothing about it afterwards. (Or before it either, cause I was getting ready for it.) (Hence, my absence for a few days, OK?)

But about now, when it's past time to tuck myself in, it just seemed much better to punch a few keystrokes to let you all know I haven't forgotten I'm a regular holy joe writer too. Can't tell if in the light of day I should have or shouldn't have. I'll see then, right along with you.

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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

Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

(my fine art website)

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

http://davidseacord.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=306aba00e6959c604de750bcc&id=62a1ee7045

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

Everyman's Journal 2011, #29

February 5

What can I say but of course the universe is going to give me a lot of equanimity practice right after I write about it, right?. For the most part, it was all cool, what came up. Traffic lights, for instance. In a hurry? Don't worry, God says, it's all covered. So I'm late to yoga. Hummmm. This will be interesting. And what's this sign on the door about? THE 9 AM YOGA CLASS WILL BE PILATES TODAY....

I step into the foyer and see up at the front of the room, not my familiar teacher (who I would have unhesitently joined late) but instead, a woman instructor I'd never met. And a quick scan let me know I didn't recognize any of the full room of students either. Hummm. And, it's Pilates they're doing, which I have only heard about, but have never witnessed or done.

The missing piece that will make all this make some sense (and which is being another equanimity challenge too) is the fact that I am experiencing some significant shoulder/elbow inflammation pain again, to the point that I'll admit to previous internal conversations about whether it was wise to even go to yoga yesterday. You could say I was probably subconsciously late on purpose, sabotaged by those unclear feelings.

Anyway, everything I'm spending a lot of time writing about only took a second or so, as what really happened was I walked in, understood I was late and that I was 'a stranger', so I just sat down on the 'take off your shoes' bench, and watched the teacher lead the group. After a few minutes, the teacher started to break from the group to come over to me (I assume thinking I needed something), but as she did, I signaled her that I was fine, and she resumed teaching. And I found sitting there that I was delighted to be witnessing her demonstration from my bench seat, instead of on a mat on the floor (where a lot of people would have been blocking the view etc.). I also found it hard to believe (given my long-time interest in bodyworking and health) that I had never had a direct Pilates exposure before. For as I witnessed the class for a half hour or so, it was obvious that this was a great and creative approach that some bodymaster had received and shared with the world, that the world could have it's gifts. And the gifts were self-obvious, to anyone who could see. For even though I might have spent years working on discovering new and useful body moves and stretches without discovering these, there was an instant recognition of their 'rightness' as soon as I watched someone else do them.

A parallel about religions arose in my mind: That we often live inside our own religions like nobody else's makes sense. But then, if we actually enter the space of a new one for a while.... long enough to 'grok it', we often discover it makes perfect sense, especially if we can see it as it is experienced by it's own culture, without referencing our own personal or historical views (or prejudices). If we can do that cleanly, we receive the gift of appreciation for 'another way'. And in that appreciation, there is a natural discernment which allows, just like in viewing Pilates moves with a previous background in yoga etc, the seeing of where 'the great jewels are'. What I mean by that is 'the unique essences' which contains the core insights.

In our 'modern' world, life is a journey that crosses many thresholds and paradigms, and our individual guidance systems, if rigid, may have difficulty meeting everything that our karma brings us. Hence, at least for me, I see great benefit in understanding other ways. That includes other languages, other cultures, other political viewpoints, but especially, other religions.

Someday 'I see a world' where the best of each will naturally join together to form a new (perhaps by then interplanetary even) relationship to the great mystery of life even existing, and give us a future of a theologically unsplit human family. Not at the point of a sword, as has been attempted many times before.... but arising from the simple shared recognition that it is the same life that we all share.

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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

Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

(my fine art website)

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

http://davidseacord.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=306aba00e6959c604de750bcc&id=62a1ee7045

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)

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Everyman's Journal 2011, #28

Feb. 4

On 'adventures' today I noticed that often I get downloads (usually like quick little visions of immediate future possibilities) just the moment before I need to choose to do the thing the download is about. Like there is a dance to it... download, recognition (of the possibility), and then, choosing to go 'into action'.

Example: I'm in the game of creating a personal local health support team, and the vision I am going for is to create such a team 'on my own turf'. Explaining, these days when you go to a new health practitioner, there's a drill that most people expect to be 'processed' through.... filling out paper work mostly, and then waiting. It's usually called 'intake'. And I'm pretty sure it's intentionally been designed to all happen before you ever get to see the practitioner for a number of easily deductible business reasons. I have no problem with all the paperwork ONCE I have decided to choose the service, but I always request to meet the practitioner for at least a few minutes before I put myself in their care, or even fill out any paper work. It surprises a lot of the office staff, but once I offer a few words of explanation, it usually makes sense to them (like they'd like to do the same thing too). So they go tell the Doctor, and most times, I get back a message that he'll/she'll see me in a few minutes. When that moment happens, I just ask a few intelligent questions about their background and training and current approach. I know enough modality distinctions to get a sense from that as to whether they are offering the kind of care I am interested in receiving, generally. Oh, and yes, I always explore their interest in art, and whether they might be interested in exchanging their service for my service, because that has weight too.

Yuma is, for all it's clinics serving the older snowbird population, not yet the hotbed of alternative therapies that I see it could become. As a result, I have had no luck finding a single DC (chiropractor) in town willing to do what is called 'the endonasal technique', which means I drive 200 miles one-way when I need it. I've called up every local DC listed and was told no each time... even though I've let them know I can give them the simple instructions as to how to do the protocol. But today I discovered by phone that there was a new DC working in an established office who is just 3 years out of school. To me, that means the possibility of a more open (perhaps willing to experiment) mind, so I asked the receptionist if I could drop by and meet the doctor. She suggested a time that might be good, and I agreed.

Now back to the download theme.... which is really about being sensitive to receiving guidance. I had just parked to do my 'drop by meet the doc' when the download arrived. It was in pictures and feelings. I saw myself and the doc looking through my large print portfolio, and that he was loving what he saw. Oh.... right... I get the message....take the large print portfolio in with me, and my business cards too. Great. Thanks God (being grateful like it was a done deal, a thing already arrived).

Here's the thing... there were a few ego ideas I have about myself that I had to let go of to do that, in other words, places where I had to get over myself. Stupid stuff like 'will I look weird carrying this big portfolio into a DC's waiting room? My original intention was to go in without anything, but I knew that while that would let me be 'comfortable', it actually was being lazy, as it didn't leave me instantly ready to 'show art' if there was a window of interest. It's sort of like falling asleep while meditating is not quite total alertness. And, I did get 'looked at', but it turned out that that was 'a nothing'.

This is not, however, one of those 'miracle stories' either though, as it turned out that the place was packed with waiting people and the Doc was clearly 'really busy'. Just to put the experience in a correctly positive prospective, I was given a brief view of the young DC as he went down a hallway. I instantly knew from his energy I would like him, at least personally. Getting that, I released all effort and went with the flow.... having the receptionist that I had talked to on the phone make a copy of the endonasal technique procedure, stapling my card to it, and asking her to mention to the Doctor that I would very much appreciate a personal call from him. That done, I released it all to 'the Divine Will', and went on with my day.

With equanimity. Meaning, knowing that whatever comes of the visit, it was a perfect thing to have done. Because, as a well-executed dance choreographed in 'ab lib' mode, there was no stumble, no forcing, no needing, and no resisting. There was just what was so, and a clear response to it.

Now we're finally where I have been heading.... all this writing to make a few comments on the arising and cultivating of equanimity....

Psychologically, the term 'equanimity' is strongly Buddhist, and it has a long tradition inside that practice, and it was touched upon in the reading material that I read this week for 'my' meditation group on Wednesday evenings.... but from experience I know it exists in all the other spiritual paths I know anything about also. To me, the term is basically about being able to meet life with a deep calmness, being able to be undisturbed (or unhooked) regardless of the circumstances. Christians call it 'the peace that passeth understanding', and Muslims incorporate it as part of the way they see being fully surrendered (to 'Allah's Will').

Whoever we are in our lives then, what it can give us is the experience of having a powerful trust or faith of the non-accidental flow of life.... the sense that 'it's all covered' (as my friend Cap used to say). While Buddhism doesn't have a supreme being equivalency to the Christian 'God', or the Hindu 'Atman', I personally don't think that matters all that much here. Because the practice of cultivating equanimity is similar in all the faiths.... they all come down to setting aside our own personal version of how things are supposed to be or look, and accept without resistance the reality that IS, right now. In other words, the practice of living outside of mental concepts.

Because it's so in my life, I expect it's similar in yours too.... that we all have (perhaps) hundreds of opportunities (at least) to practice this cultivation each day. What that requires is self-aware alertness, and what that requires is, of course, meditation practice. Assuming that most of my readers are already 'in the choir', no need to say more. It's just a suggestion, and there's never a better time than now to be conscious of our next breath.

Namaste,

David

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

My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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

Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

(my fine art website)

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)