Spiritual Lounge E-Magazine December 2011

Issue : December 2011

Price : `. (FREE)

Vol : XVIII

SPIRITUAL LOUNGE E-MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Dec 2011

Dear Readers, Thank you for the grand success of the annual issues plus the three valuable e-book gifts. We did receive good response and it only makes us stride to better each time.

Early next year we will launch our website and would really appreciate your continuous participation. We also plan to start the research wing at full blast and urge you all to communicate with us in this matter. The spiritual research shall be divided into three primary segments but related completely to spirituality. These would be spiritual; divinity and wellness. The research material will be published and also act as a sort of authority about the subject; available for better understanding and spreading of spiritualism. The research and development wing of Spiritual Lounge will now come into focus from 2012. We shall keep you posted.

We are also encouraging spiritual creativity, in form of spiritual art, music, poetry, stories, movies, cartoons and so on. Should anyone want to contribute in these subjects are most welcome. As an individual, association, or organization you are free to be associated with us, partner with us and utilize Spiritual Lounge as your platform as well.

Join our Facebook group and like our page as well: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spirituallounge/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spiritual-Lounge/197029616975219 Connect with us anytime at: spirituallounge@live.com or +919619629092 Thank you,

Dhara Kothari Cover page Photo : hall of the Earth pillars-Damanhur Copyrights: All rights reserved SPIRITUAL LOUNGE EMAGAZINE Š 2010-2011

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CONTENT

Dec 2011

Editorial Page 2

Advaita / Soundarya Lahari By Swetha Prakash Page 5

Pshyco Uma Krishnan Page 12 - 13

Divinity is real

By Master Chrism Page 7

Fundamentals of Reality Management.

By Master Zen Page 8-11

Realizing the Relationship with the Self within

By Sushmita Page 21

kashKali Tandav

By Swetha Prakash Page 6

The Internal vs. External God

By Myra Godfrey Page 14 - 15

Damanhur

By Yvette Soler Page 16 - 18

My Soul & My Spirit Inspire Me

By Betty Alark Page 23

The Vision of Non-Difference

By Rahul Zota Page 22

Summary of the novel

by Elisabetta Errani Emaldi Page 24 - 25

Arkaim: the hidden town

By Nataliya Bukhanova Page 19 - 20

Perfectibility of the body Linzi Martin Page 26 - 27

LABYRINTH

by Marian Dunn Page 18 Legend of the Nomad

By Alex Mero Page 29 - 43

A life worth living‌ Mohit Soni Page 28

Edited by Dhara Kothari. Published by Moksa Publishers for Spiritual Lounge.

Designed by Biren Shah. Email: spirituallounge@live.com.

Cell: +91-9619629092 / +91-9757274289 3

Advisory Board Members

Dec 2011

Spiritual Lounge Editorial Team

Dhara Kothari Co-Founder

Biren Shah Co-Founder

R. P. Jain Director of MLBD

Maya Shahani Chairperson of Sage Foundation VP of Global Dialogue Foundation

Spiritual Lounge Writers

Master Chrism Yvette Soler Myra Godfrey

Swetha Prakash

Rahul Zota

Betty Alark

Marian Dunn

Linzi Martin Alex Mero

Elisabetta Errani Emaldi's

Sushmita

Mohit Soni

Nataliya Bukhanova Umma Krishnan

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Advaita / Soundarya Lahari - By Swetha Prakash

Advaita

Dec 2011

Soundarya Lahari

A yogi sitting atop a large, Un-stretched ochre yellow canvas With neither narrative nor symbolic form To allow for sequential interpretation.

The mind beginning as a tabula rasa, Shiva and Shakti dancing at sub atomic scales, The wave-particle duality of energy and spirit.

Pause and feel the harmonic resonance, Akin to mathematical functional The momentum of subtle particles Latent, yet in perfect symmetry.

Instead, a mystical, organic expression Of the cosmic energy rising; Body and energy, melding and fusing Along the centres of consciousness, Dormant energy imploding in a rhythmic dance Beyond language and understanding.

The panchadasi ka e i la hrim ha sa ka la hrim, sa ka la hrim Permuting into philosophical speculations, Mathematical formulations and uncertain structures; And encoding the design of the entire cosmos.

Connections and disconnections Between situations and objects, Memory and subjectivity, Between assorted dualities All vanishing in this ecstasy Of pure joy, love and ananda.

Waves of pure beauty Soundarya Lahari; the mind in unmana, a nomind Pralaya, the flood of sure awareness.

By Swetha Prakash

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Dec 2011

kashKali Tandav - By Swetha Prakash

Kali Tandav

By Swetha Prakash

Withering cobras poised to strike: ornaments of this blue black goddess Gohra hilarity, as she crunches bones.

Blood dripping from her protruding fangs.

Thousand headed Ananta, the luminous aura around her head.

Absolute untamed wildness.

Destruction, her sole desire.

Thousands of Shakti's emerging from her body.

Twisting and turning into a joyous circle; they lose all self awareness in the tempo of the blood dance.

Every movement is animalistic and primitive.

In their faces, mask-like angularity; a disengagement with the turmoil all around.

The universe is reduced to a disturbing, chaotic scene of violence and terror, like a sculpture constructed spontaneously from the darkest recesses of the subconscious.

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Dec 2011

Divinity is real - By Master Chrism

Divinity is real When you look at an experience with the Kundalini it is necessary that you begin to learn and understand communications that are derived from a non-linear source.

Feelings can be a profound way of experiencing a communication and these feelings can take the form of intuitions and inner guidance that one must begin to trust as being given from a source that is trustworthy.

Divinity is a very real and inter-penetrative force of reality upon the limited expressions that we as self-limiting consciousness experience. Divinity is real.

Kundalini will merge your inner divinity with the outer divinity and from that merging is where true enlightenment is experienced. Enlightenment is also a very real experience. The person approaching this state is not coming into this information out of the many petty desires that come from the ego.

We must ever strive to train the ego into bringing itself up to the standards that come from divinity as we search and learn and experience our lives. We must begin to 'choose' wisely how we respond and react to the many and varied stimulus from those who do not knowingly walk this path. In some ways they become our teachers as they reflect that which we have been but also illuminate that which we are striving to become. Like a light that is brilliance by shadows. In this case the shadow would be ignorance.

Just some thoughts about the Kundalini and how it is approached by that which flows through me. Š Chrism Chrism is a native of California. He travels awakening the Kundalini in groups of people safely and with continued support throughout the many years of the Kundalini awakening experience. Chrism comes from a place of disciplined love and disciplined intention within the parameters of forgiveness, spiritual balance, service to others and spiritual evolution. Kundalini as it expresses through Chrism is the teacher. http://www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com/

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Fundamentals of Reality Management. - By Master Zen

Dec 2011

Fundamentals of Reality Management.

Part 1: Cleaning the Basement (Continue).

Confluence of Dualities An important element of the Master's technique is the confluence of dualities. Our mind is operated by dualities, in the form of opposed ideas, concepts, identification, and labels. Dualities create a strange world. You experience reality through a given system of dualities like good-bad, god-devil, noise-silence etc. All the irritations in the universe are judged by this system of dualities; the same music could be seen as good or bad depending on the time of day (early morning or afternoon). Of course, you are simply reacting automatically, not responding to the music, but to your relation with a good-bad duality.

Freedom of choice comes from eliminating the dualities.

The confluence technique is based on the GP-4 of Zhivorad Slavinski, but the Sub-Conscious Mind (SCM) does all the work on the confluence of dualities. Thus, the confluence is very productive. At last you will realize that dualities are only an illusion and that the universe is one.

There are also two important things to add to the technique. The first is integrity; your personality is splintered into thousands of tiny sub-personalities and this technique will help merge them into one. All of our sub-personalities will become one with the ocean of the consciousness of the Universe. This is why the Master's solutions are addressed to 'we', 'us,' and 'our.' Second, we have no friends or enemies; we have only our teachers.

Thus, we must be grateful to our teachers, as well as to our Universe which is represented by Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, and also to the Masters of past, now and the future, which helped us to open the ways to freedom and conscious management of reality.

The main advantage of the technique is the ability to specify difficult, comprehensive assignments for the SCM, to assign it many multitask procedures to process the layers of several problems, not only one. For example: we can process any negative state or irrational fear, and all conclusions, perceptions, and convictions; we can work out relationships and perceptions of people who are part of the material and us; we can forgive these people and feel grateful, and all of this will be done automatically, without our conscious thought, even while sleeping. This presents a unique opportunity to process a huge number of problems comparatively quickly and easily. Actually, before the development of this technique, I used reexperiencing technique, which took hours of work in the most relaxed state.

Now, we can write the instructions for our SCM, which describes all the actions that must be performed and start the program by using a special 'cue.'

It is easy to begin. We read the Master's solution out loud or silently and this is enough for the SCM to understand and remember it. We pronounce the starting phrase and the SCM begins to execute the program.

This is a more innovative development of previous techniques, such as BSFF, because we use more detailed approach. Also, we are grateful to the universe and to people who can arrange many teachable moments for us,

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and to masters for showing us the way.

The first phase will take about one month of work, and after it has been completed, the Universe will no longer be divided by dualities, nor will you make judgments based on the dualities of your perceptions. You will feel less emotional and it will prepare you to dig deeper into your past. During the 'Start' phase you will work on merging of dualities, neutralizing emotions (to find emotional balance), and processing the first, most troubling episodes from your mental waste.

Processing dualities By processing dualities, you will gradually shift from perception that appraises and sees things in polarities to perception that is nonjudgmental and non-polarizing.

Your emotional balance will be more stable and lucid through the elimination of psychological problems and automatic behavioral patterns. You will also achieve a more Buddhist perception of life. In addition, some automatic behavioral patterns will vanish on their own, without consciously being processed, because they will no longer be relevant. It is a very amusing process and you will gain many insights as you go along. Please remain conscious and focus on the deviation of your perception and behavior and keep a journal.

Dualities exist only in our mind and nowhere else. There is no separation or conflict in the Universe and what we perceive as separation exists only because of a mental 'charge,' which keeps dualities at a distance from one another. Thus, all that is needed is to eliminate the charge between them, and the dualities become one on their own.

The dualities are one, but the separation between the dualities is just an illusion. It is like a box of matches between two magnets. Once we eliminate the box, the matches stick together on their own.

The technique includes the 'Merge' processor, which is based on the techniques used in the Zhivorad Slavinsky method, but all the work is done by our SCM, thus the processing is significantly more productive. To start the confluence, you need to learn the 'Merge' processor. You'll find the Merge processor on http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-mergeprocessor.html.

The list of 420 dualities is here: http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-list-ofdualities.html The neutralizing process is very simple. You pronounce the first part of the duality, the second part of the duality and then the word 'Merge,' and repeat it until you feel yourself begin to smile. For example: Good – bad – merge Good – bad – merge Good – bad – merge

Fundamentals of Reality Management. - By Master Zen Good – bad – merge Good – bad – merge If you start to smile – OK, the process is running and you can merge another duality. If after ten repetitions, you have not begun to smile, then move on to another pair of dualities; the SCM will neutralize the duality a bit later. It is better to feel the dualities while pronouncing them (it is not necessary to pronounce them aloud; it is enough to say them to yourself). And there is no need to repeat dualities processed earlier that is, you can delete the duality from the list, and there is no need to return. Also, there is no need to reprocess a duality processed earlier, it will not speed up the processing, just increase the headache.

Please be careful with the number of dualities you process, it is not recommended to process more than 10-15 dualities per day. However, after your mind and body have adapted to this amount of work, it is possible to increase the number of dualities. Anyway, please listen to your body and when it says it has had enough, and then stop for today.

If you do not understand the duality (it looks like nonsense) just skip it. The list of dualities is in alphabetical order. You can use 'Merge' processor to converge with noise, people, clouds, birds or anything else you find annoying.

Processing problems This innovative technique makes the processing of your mental waste automatic, by using of the 'Clap' and the 'Execute it' processors.

'Clap' is a basic, fast, and effective processor, but it does not work with the roots of material, with aspects of personality, or with beliefs or convictions.

But otherwise 'Clap' is truly a universal and powerful tool to process not only episodes from the past, but also emotional states or physical diseases. So a headache can be processed with 'Clap,' just focus on your headache and repeat 'Clap' 10 times, or until you begin to smile. You'll find the Clap processor on: http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-processorclap.html 'Execute it' is a very widely used processor. It is universal processor and is used for the manual and automatic processing of any problem, status, concept, or emotion. It is very straightforward; we focus our attention on the problem (or any mental or emotionally charged waste we would like to eliminate), and we give the order to our SCM through the 'Execute It' command, and the SCM begins to process the material using a pre-written algorithm. It is analogous to a BSFF protocol, but the mechanics are different.

For example, we are processing a hypothetical problem; 'I hate Ann.' after reciting 'I hate Ann,' we focus our SCM on the problem and then we start the processing using the

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Dec 2011

'Execute It' command. The SCM starts the processing as follows: 1. It looks for episodes that contain the roots of the hatred in the records of the past. After that, it processes the episode by eliminating the emotional charge.

2. It breaks down the problem into very tiny episodes and processes each episode separately, which accelerates the execution and increases the effectiveness. Using our example, 'I hate how she smiles,' 'I hate her father,' 'she is so unpleasant,' etc.

3. The SCM finds and processes all the decisions and postulates we have accepted and relates them to that material and its component parts. It relates all the justifications of these decisions and postulates we have used, all the conclusions we have made regarding this material and its components, using specially developed modules. The purpose of these actions is to find and to process the decisions and postulates that we made long ago and no longer remember, but still influence our lives although we are not aware of it. For this hypothetical problem, it could be possible that the decision never to trust anyone like Ann was made at the age of five, because someone similar to her frightened us badly.

4.

The SCM finds and processes every opinion, conviction, and belief related to this material, its component parts, all individuals and entities that played a part in its creation and conservation, as well as the possibility, impossibility, methods, and processing of the material. The processing runs on the level of conviction: Convictions about the problem and the people who play a part in it.

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After that, the SCM processes all offenses, lack of forgiveness, blame, grievances and all other negative emotional charges, which we bear against people, creatures, objects, the universe, or reality, that is connected to this material and its component parts.

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The free space in the SCM that remains after processing the material is filled with white light energy (prana, chi, Reiki, etc.), and the hole where new mental material could be pumped in closes and is eliminated.

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Processing material and the act of forgiveness works better and faster when we feel our gratitude to the Universe.

The instruction could be read aloud or silently one time, including the phrases 'Instruction for the SCM' and 'End of instructions.' After that, the SCM will accept it as a guide for its actions. There is no need to reread or refresh it. The SCM will accept everything and remember it forever.

Processor 'Execute It’ http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-processorexecute-it.html Processing emotional states The next important part of the Start stage is processing emotional states. You need to process a list of emotions and emotional states with the 'Execute it,' based on the 'AGFLAP-CAP.' All the emotions in Lester Levinson's 'AGFLAP-CAP' are divided into nine groups: six are

Fundamentals of Reality Management. - By Master Zen 'negative' and three are 'positive.' The negative emotions are Apathy, Grief, Fear, Lust, Anger, and Pride. The positive emotions are Courage, Acceptance, and Peace.

You may be very surprised after processing emotional states by how emotionally neutral you feel. You do not feel negative or positive emotions, only a very balanced, 'zero' state.

To process an emotion, you need to take the first emotion from the list starting at the top, pronounce it, and (trying to simultaneously feel this state), recite 'Execute it,' repeating until you smile (or up to ten times), then move on to another emotion. For example, Hopelessness – Execute it and repeat until you smile or have said it ten times. For example: Hopelessness – Execute it Hopelessness – Execute it Hopelessness – Execute it Hopelessness – Execute it You must repeat it ten times or until you smile, then take another emotion – Awareness, and repeat the procedure again. Moving from top to bottom, you do not need to repeat the emotions processed earlier. You can delete the emotion from the list after processing it.

Please be careful with the number of emotions you process. It is not recommended to process more than 1015 emotions per day. However, after your mind and body have adapted to this amount of work, it is possible to increase the number of emotions. Anyway, please listen to your body and when it says it has had enough, and then stop for today.

AGFLAP-CAP List http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-agflapcap.html Processing of the first, most painful problem.

The most painful episodes are processed manually, because this is most important part of your work. The same episode will be processed automatically later on, during the 'Awake me' stage, but you need to start with the basic episodes and work with the most important persons for you. This re-experiencing is a very important part of the work, in order to release the energy that is hidden in the past, for every magician. Usually the re-experiencing takes several years. We begin to re-experience by compiling a list of episodes, thoroughly remembering and writing down these past episodes, when we interacted with other people. So, take a sheet of paper and pen and start to write. It is not important if you cannot remember every episode and detail that will come later. The most painful episodes could be blocked or hidden in the huge iceberg of your SCM. Please write down only the facts of the episode.

There is no need to compose a poem about your torment.

For example, argued with John at my birthday party, money was stolen from my wallet, I missed the flight to Hawaii, and so on. Do not worry about the details of the episode; the SCM remembers them all, every breath, every movement, every touch. Also, it is better to group episodes

Dec 2011

around a person; it will be easier to process not only the episode, but also the person later on.

Please also focus on the most highly charged and embedded episodes, primarily those connected to your parents and loved ones. It is not difficult to recognize a charged episode, those are the ones that cause you discomfort when you touch them. You do not need to remember the whole episode and relive it. Just mark it.

Please do not lie to yourself by saying that you do not have charged episodes that means that they are hidden very deep in the ice of your SCM. Compiling a list of episodes and processing it will bring considerable relief and you will have more energy and enthusiasm to work further. Eventually, you will realize that you have no more heavily charged material. That means that the work is over and all other material will be processed automatically. However, it is possible that you will begin to remember some very painful, basic episodes, usually associated with childhood, within 2-3 months it means that you need to do more manual processing.

Manual processing is carried out using three main basic processors, 'Clap,' 'Hoppo,' and 'Execute It.' The processor's main task is to quickly eliminate the episode's emotional charge. The charge consists of pictures, emotions, feelings, senses, and thoughts. 'Hoppo' is an automatic method of forgiveness based on the Hawaiian technique 'Ho'oponopono,' and is used to forgive everyone who played a part in an episode. Both 'Clap' and 'Hoppo' are used in all Master's solutions, including the super-processor 'Execute it.'

Processor 'Hoppo’ http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/start-processorhoppo.html The process is very simple; you take the first episode from your list, focus your attention on it, and start the processors. You can use either 'Clap' (if you want to do it quickly) or 'Execute it' (if you have some time to process the episode). 'Execute it' will not only eliminate the episode, but also process the solutions, convictions, and beliefs that were created based on the episode, and it will process the parts of your personalities that were affected by the episode.

In a practical sense, if you want to process the episode 'argued with John last September', you focus your attention on the episode, and then recite (aloud or silently): Argued with John last September – Clap Argued with John last September – Clap Argued with John last September – Clap And repeat it until you smile. If you still have not smiled after ten repetitions, leave it and go to next episode from your list. Your SCM will start to process it anyway. You can use 'Execute it' as well, but the results will be slower.

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Fundamentals of Reality Management. - By Master Zen

Dec 2011

If you are sick it means that you are ignoring your soul. Use your body as a feedback channel when practicing the Master's Solution technique. Strong mental problems are reflected in the physical body, usually in the form of blockages in energy channels. It is a very good approach to use the physical body's introspections for diagnosis and recognition of the mental problems and vice versa.

How to practice it: Lay down in a quiet place with a lot of fresh air; Fully relax your body; Focus your concentration; - Imagine that your consciousness (or concentration) is a 'laser' and you can cut your body into little pieces, as small as possible; You can start either with the little toe of your left foot and move upwards and to the right, or with the most affected and painful zones; Imagine how the 'laser of your consciousness' cuts the bone and the joint of the little finger and look carefully for any types of 'energy parasites' inside. I usually see them as a long, black leech full of my energy. I cut the leech to release my energy and bring the released energy back to the affected zone. Sometimes, the energy parasites may appear in the form of ticks, jaws, crabs or even octopuses.

Clean them all out using your concentration and after that 'Execute it'.

Cut the joints and intestines carefully, since this is where most of the energy parasites like to feed. It is essential that you check the spine.

Make sure your jaws are relaxed. The lower jaw has to be deeply relaxed. If it is tense, it means that your concentration is focused on something else.

Look at the insight which appears in your mind this is very good material for special automatic Master Solution.

Record it and, if some of the blockages return to your body, use the specially tailored Master Solution.

This is an old yoga technique which can also be used to work with energy blocks. Imagine that you are breathing through the affected organ. Please also visualize and work out all the insights from the painful zones. This frees your body from tension and blockages and rapidly improves the body's state.

You can return to the episode an hour after you used 'Clap' on it and examine the emotional charge. If the episode seems boring, it means that the emotional charge has been eliminated or reduced. If the emotional charge has not disappeared, you need to manually work on your resistance to processing the episode. Thus, you need to write down all of your resistance, which could look like – I do not want to forgive them.

Those bastards hurt me.

I cannot release it.

I hate them all.

I will never release it.

This technique cannot make me free.

I am hopeless, and nothing can help me.

Every phrase needs to be processed with 'Execute it' until you smile (or ten times, after which you should move to another phrase). For example: I cannot release it – Execute it I cannot release it – Execute it I cannot release it – Execute it Until you smile or ten times, after which, process the episode with 'Clap' once again. When you use 'Execute it,' the results may take three days. After processing every episode connected to a particular person, you need to process the person using 'Clap,' as well. For example: John – Clap John – Clap John – Clap Until you smile or ten times. After that, use 'Hoppo' to forgive the person – John – Hoppo John – Hoppo John – Hoppo Until you smile or ten times.

And, finally, eliminating the separation from this person is done using the 'Merge' processor: John and I – Merge John and I – Merge John and I – Merge Until you smile or ten times.

This procedure substantially enhances the relationship with that person, even if you are not in contact with him.

After that, you can move on to the next episode until it is processed. If you process an episode with one person, but suddenly recall yet another uncomfortable episode with the same person, just process that episode separately.

Fat is your protection from fear. The more you are threatened, the more fat you have. It is possible to measure your stress by the kilograms of your body weight. Control your fears and you will control your weight. To keep the stress under control, I use a Jacuzzi, sauna, or simply a hot (or hot then cold) shower.

However, it is important to note that sometimes after processing an episode you may still be uncomfortable with it. For example, you processed the episode and the persons who played a part in it, but the conclusions, convictions, and beliefs created by this episode have not been processed. Because of that, if you analyze your feelings after the processing and you are still uncomfortable, look at your feeling, thoughts, convictions, and conclusions carefully, they may also need processing.

All this mental waste can be processed, there are no exceptions.

One beautiful day, you will open your eyes and recognize that you have no worries. Your mind will try to find any thought, or idea to start to worry you again, as if it is trying to cause an obstruction. However, when it realizes that there is nothing to worry about, it will become your servant, not your dictator.

Thus, what the technique gives you is 'endless, immortal, peaceful, and blissful consciousness.'

Body introspection

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Pshyco - Uma Krishnan

Dec 2011

Psycho Analysis No , it is not a Alfred Joseph Hitchcock murder mystery. Its not even a story. Its analysis of a situation which we see in our world around us everyday. Its something similar to a Balaji Teleserial with no actors or a storyline. So why should one waste one's time reading it? That is because its most possible that one among you may be facing such a situation in one's life. So is this article going to solve any issues? The answer is no.

But this article will give you assurance that one is a victim of a situation and that one is not imagining that someone or something is playing games on them. So how is the knowledge useful?

Its a kind of feel good factor that one is not alone in one's suffering and that the suffering is real and not an imagination.

In our life we get training to walk, talk, eat, read, write, run, play a game, cook, run a machine, study almost for everything. We start feeling quite secured about it that help is there around us and we can take help whenever we need.

Wait! wait! wait! , what about relationships. In life we suddenly become husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, uncle, aunty, employee, employer, grand father, grand mother and one day dead body.

For facing all these relationships, no prior training or certification is available to say that we are doing a good job at it. In fact one is not even sure of the job description or goals or targets.

Till the time we are under the parent's care we hardly value any relations at all. We think its mother's duty to cook what we like, to feed us when we like, to give us clean environment no matter how dirty we may make it and all such luxuries. Its only when one moves out of the ring of loving care of one's parents, does one realises that in this world one is important to the people only to the extent of what one can deliver in terms of tangible or intangible goods and services. No one bothers if you have eaten or not, you are well or unwell or for that matter any of your preferences. Your value to others is constantly decided on the basis of what you can do for them.

There is nothing called selfless love or care which exists in this world other than in the little world of the two persons in our life, our father and mother.

This is the first and foremost thing which strikes

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you in this real world. There is nothing called selfless service and love in this world.

So welcome my dear to the adulthood. In this world anyone who offers us any bit of help we tell them thanks a thousand times.

This is not a virtual world of love and care my dear but a real world of give and take. Even if you break your leg, you still have to limp your way to quench your thirst. When you see the refrigerated hearts of people you run towards spirituality in search of selfless love and care.

Another typical real life problem is parents of today ignore to teach the most important skill to their child and that is how to take care of one's physical health. On this account I have seen many examples of case where children or even adults start loosing their health as soon as they move out of the house either for higher studies or for job. Its almost like a chakravyuha.

Imagine a typical situation specially in a family in India ( since such behaviour is very typical of Indian parents) of a boy or a girl fresh from school or college pampered by parents and whenever their mother calls them out to help her, they pretend to be very busy with studies. Boys and girls who are served everything on their studying table right from food to water. Suddenly they get admission in foreign college or job abroad specially USA and they pack up and go with bags full of all sorts of eatables. They are too excited to enter in to their dream world of roses and strawberries. They become sort of deaf because any sort of advice or instructions from parents falls into deaf ears. First few days of new environment just flies by and sight of all the new things in life feels too good.

Suddenly one day when they are back from their college or work they realise that all the goodies that they had bought from India is over and there is nothing to appease their hunger. They look around and find this pamphlet of Pizza Diner or Dominos or xyz company. That's the starting point of their health fall. But what can they also do. When hunger strikes one will do anything to appease it. In their chat message that day it becomes one of the topic of discussion about the taste and the cost of pizza vis a vis its Indian

Pshyco - Uma Krishnan

Dec 2011

counterpart. Immediately they get a long advice from mother about not to make it a habit to eat out everyday and thus spoil once health.

The attitude is who cares. As long as Pizza is there handy to fulfil ones hunger one does not bother about anything else.

The story of ill health has begun. Since these boys and girls are so used to being served everything on hand they do not know how to take care of themselves when left alone. They always thought that money was sufficient to buy all the happiness offered by this world. These boys and girls are bought up eating staple diet of rice, roti, dal,pori, bhaji and such other delicacies all their two decades of existence. Suddenly they are stuck with eating the same kind of Pizza day in day out.

After initial few days the pizza starts tasting like ash. It feels like punishment even the very thought of eating that thing again and again. But what to do there is no alternative either. One has never learnt the art of cooking at home. One was so busy studying all the time that such talent of cooking was ignored.

Its time to shoot out the first agony chat with mom.

Oh, mom, I miss you so much specially your food. I feel so lonely out here without you....! The actual message is “Oh mother there is no one to serve me food in my hand. I am hungry and I don't want to eat any more Pizza. I am missing your dal roti, the same dal roti which I use hate it when I was there with you.�

Immediately the mother feels the pinch of her child's cry of help. She starts giving him or her instructions as to how to prepare some simple food at home.

But it never works that way. Its like if a person who is uneducated, will not develop sudden interest to studies just by seeing few instructions. Its matter of interest and talent both. We feel thing that cooking is piece of cake but it is not so. One has to learn it to do a good job, so that one can match the taste of one's mother's cooking.

What typically happens is they will be motivated to follow instructions and cook something. The first batch of their own food appeals to them very much just like baby's first step. The matter does not end there. If one is not used to working in the house one

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can create a big mess while cooking. Also since they are ignorant about the knacks of cooking so it takes them much longer time to finish the dish. The next time when they have to cook, the very idea of cleaning the mess and the long cooking hours becomes such a big demotivator for the person to start again. So after the first round of enthusiastic start the second round of cooking never happens.

Another big dampener is the taste which is generally not consistent with the new comers.

I now come to the climax of the story and that is the consequences of change in food habit.

Constipation is the first thing one develops when one eats lot of this bread like items. Blood sugar, obesity, hyper tension, hair loss, anger, anxiety can be few other consequences. I know of many cases where the student unable to adjust to the food habits abroad abandoned their studies and returned home.

It all happened because as parents we did not foresee this problem coming. We allowed our children to do only studies to the exclusion of all other work. As a consequence our same dear children suffer due to lack of talent for cooking or taking care of their basic needs.

Some times by the time the problem of food is sorted out for the boy or girl it is too late since the health problems have already started. So what now?

I have seen such helplessness in many many cases because one never learns simple things of taking care of one's needs in life. Everyone learns ultimately and becomes a master too but the pains of learning increases by heaps and bounds when one is left alone suddenly to fend for one self.

This is a very practical problem of modern day Indian house hold. In our life we have to take care of this problem.

Also in this world of uncertainty one should never take for granted that one's parents will be alive to guide us whenever we require. What if its too late.

So hurry up. Treat your parents as Guru learn all their talents and cherish it to pass it on as a family legacy.

The Internal vs. External God - By Myra Godfrey

Dec 2011

The Internal vs. External God How often do you think of the concept of God? Have you ever sat and thought, “How do I conceptualize God? What do I really believe? Is God a fundamental part of myself or is God an external force to be worshipped?” These are extremely valid and important questions to ask!

When God is seen as an external deity or being, a person feels a natural inclination to worship God. Much effort and energy is spent on trying to please and gain the favor of God, or in some cases, even to appease an angry aspect of God. People spend time going to church or temple and give money to these institutions as a way to absolve oneself of karmic debt. People pray to God, asking for fulfillment of desires and also for removal of their sins or obstacles in life. People spend time loving God because God represents an image of perfection in their minds, and image that no living person could possibly live up to, outside of the possible connection with a Guru.

The idea behind this form of worship is to open the heart completely through worship and receiving grace that God bestows in return.

Grace, which can also be thought of as salvation, becomes dependent upon actions and what we do and don't do.

It's important to understand the ramifications this belief structure has on how an individual lives their life! In this sort of consciousness people tend to hold onto the notion of both “right” and “wrong” or “sin” and “virtue.” If you do something wrong, then are you still worthy of grace? Perhaps this is where the idea of a compassionate God comes from, to encourage people to worship and believe no matter if they can live in accordance with their beliefs or not!

Regardless, it's a dual system and focuses on each side of the polarities. You must have two for this process to happen; God and devotee, lover and beloved, etc. Since this process is dependent on a conceptualization of an external God, most importance is put on actions and whether they are good or not! What if the actions are not good enough? This leads people to experience fear; an experience that negates the importance of the process for the result itself. In a fear based mentality, only the result matters, but not how 14

your get to it, whether those actions are right or not. This can lead to extremely hypocritical action. For example, a person make take the money of another in order to have money for a church or temple, or a person may be very emotionally harmful to a fellow loved one who does not believe the same way as they do. It can express itself in a myriad of ways; I'm sure you have seen examples of this in your own life somewhere along the way!

Now let's look at the other side of the spectrum where one perceives God as being a fundamental part of their own being. How is this different and how does it affect a person's actions? If you believe that God is a part of you, that you are made from a part of God, it's easier to accept the belief of becoming one with God. It becomes very clear that we as humans are walking a path towards our inner God nature. As such, the notion of sin and virtue changes slightly. Where before actions were labeled as either good or bad, in this perspective, intentions are what carry the label as good or bad. If you don't believe yourself to already be God, you know that you are prone to mistakes and need to learn the process of growth. The path becomes more important than the goal because the journey and process become more important than the result itself. When the path becomes the focus, people are able to be more in the present moment and also to not be prone to fear of punishment. Who is there to punish you other than yourself? And if you already know that you are not perfect but are doing your best, what is there to punish? There are only further and further states of bliss and higher awareness to experience, which becomes the motivation to strive harder and further know yourself as divine. Bliss and fulfillment as motivating factors here not fear!

When a person is able to allow themselves the freedom to learn, to experience, to make mistakes and to grow, without fear of sin or punishment, a very deep level of introspection can take place. This self-inquiry is what allows individuals to make lasting changes by building a solid foundation to grow upon. Self-inquiry is based on knowledge and experience both, which

The Internal vs. External God - By Myra Godfrey

leads to a state of inner wisdom. People develop the deep capacity to live life according to the great ideals behind all spiritualities and religions: love all, show compassion to others and be of service to mankind. Walking the path and learning the lessons through experience gives people the wisdom and confidence to live what they believe, not to just believe blindly.

Since these attributes are seen as Divine qualities, how could a person even dare to live them if they did not believe themselves to fundamentally be a part of divine consciousness?

Both perspectives have their pros and cons.

Some of the cons of the external God concept were already discussed. Some cons of the inner God or divinity perspective come down to how much faith you have in yourself. If your faith in yourself is not great, it is almost impossible to grow. Having faith in an external God ensures there is always a picture of perfection to keep your heart focused towards, without the disappointments that come along the way of being let down by yourself.

Conversely, believing in an external God does not encourage a person to know themselves, but to worship that which they never feel they can become.

In this approach, you can learn to expand the heart, and also eventually realize God/divine consciousness yourself (what many refer to as enlightenment).

The process and the result bear importance in life; a result born from improper action would never be condoned in this approach, nor would always failing to manifest the proper action, even if the intention were sound. If you contemplate on both spectrums, you can undoubtedly come up with more pros and cons. This is a very good exercise to do if you want to further understand how the psyche of man works and to discern what works best, and what does not work, for you!

Here is a little secret. Those who devotedly and unwaveringly worship the external God, if they come to a point of realization of God, learn that duality is in fact unity (non-dual in nature), and those that see only the internal God come to see that divinity is also dual in nature and present everywhere. While this may seem like a great 15

Dec 2011

cosmic joke, it goes to show that there is balance in this creation, and that realization of divine means realizing that which was previously unknown to us. It is the complete broadening of perspective to contain all paradox and enigma along with perfect perfection. All approaches towards divinity done with sincerity will lead to further growth and understanding, so find what works best for you! Which path do you take?

Myra has founded Gita for the Masses (a nonprofit organization) and Hridaya Healing to help people see the inherent unity in all spiritual traditions and to help people overcome obstacles to their growth and fulfillment in life. She teaches workshops publically and works with individuals directly offering healing services, dharmic counseling, sadhana development, homam and a variety of other services based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita and the tantric Sri Vidya lineage. You can learn more about her work at http://www.gitaforthemasses.org or by contacting her directly at jayajayamyra@gmail.com.

Copyright Myra Godfrey 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 2011

Damanhur - by Yvette Soler

Damanhur Spiritual EcoCommunity Imagine a place with an unlimited sense of inspiration and ideas. Nestled in the hills of northern Italy, Damanhur is the physical embodiment of this ideal. This spiritual ecocommunity is a unique, living laboratory actively manifesting a dream.

Damanhur's foundation is its location: It is situated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy about 30 miles (50 km) north of the city of Turin. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the Valchiusella valley, bordering on the Gran Paradiso National Park. Its location was chosen because it is the site where four Synchronic Lines intersect. These great rivers of energy connect the planets of this Universe and flow around our planet Earth carrying thoughts and ideas.

The only other place in the world where four Synchronic Lines meet is Tibet.

Every year thousands of people visit D a m a n h u r t o experience the social model and study the philosophy, but what sets Damanhur apart from other eco and spiritual communities is the depth of their research into the arts, medicine, ecology, Selfica and Spiritual Physics, plus their greatest, ever-growing achievement, the T e m p l e s o f Humankind. Often called the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the Temples were dug by hand from the stone mountain by the people of Damanhur.

A unique experiment gives birth to a new social model The vision of Damanhur was born with Oberto Airaudi (b.

1950), also known as Falco – Damanhurian citizens take on animal names to symbolize their willingness to renew themselves through a playful attitude and recognize their profound contact with nature.

It all began with a dream Falco had when he was about 10 years old. The physical manifestation of this dream started towards the end of the 1970s when Falco and a group of 13 spiritual researchers found the perfect place in which to begin their social experiments. Today Damanhur, Federation of Communities counts 1000 citizens and friends in Valchiusella, as well as centers and friends in many countries around the world.

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The Federation is comprised of nucleo communities with about 20 people living in each of them. Friends of Damanhur live in the surrounding valleys and regularly participate in federation activities. Community life encourages the creation of a social model based upon solidarity, respect for others and the environment, and the sharing of ethical and spiritual values.

Damanhurian philosophy is embodied via four pillars: Spiritual Life The human being has a natural propensity to improve the conditions of life and continuously search for new solutions. The greatest spiritual realization is therefore not the attainment of certainty, it is the ability to be continuously open to change based on the acquisition of new knowledge.

Physical Life Our vision: a world made up of many independent and diverse communities where work has a spiritual value and is understood as a gift of oneself to others.

Game of Life The game is integrated into the real, not the opposite way around. Play is a strategy, instead of a remedy. It is through conscious play that we realize the greatest achievements of our lives.

Tecnarcato Integration of all the above is through Action - to do, to act, to believe in what you are doing, to give meaning to things.

Life in Action - Action through Play - Play integrated into Life A center for spiritual, artistic and social research known throughout the world, Damanhurian philosophy is based on action, optimism and the idea that every human being lives to leave something of themselves to the others and to contribute towards the growth and evolution of the whole of humanity.

This desire to contribute has opened the doors to Damanhurian research, making it available to everyone.

Dec 2011

Damanhur - by Yvette Soler Damanhur has a medical center, arts and wellness center, school for children, and open university for spiritual development. Damanhur sees many visitors coming for courses, treatments and guided tours to its various communities specializing in a certain fields of ecological and social research.

Another way to experience Damanhur is as part of the Spiritual People. The Spiritual People is a container of energies, talents, shared experiences and ideals, in harmony with humanity and with the spiritual eco-system in which it is immersed. It is the seed of a possible Renaissance of peoples and cultures in order to recreate on Earth human groups of 'enlightened' people and to spread knowledge and talents from the spiritual heart of humanity.

Being part of the People is a spiritual link which is activated with one's will and ceases when no longer thought about.

Spiritual People and guests alike are invited to celebrate various rituals and ceremonies throughout the year, including solstices, equinoxes and the full moons.

But while Damanhur is a center for spiritual development, cutting edge research, artistic expression and new social models, m o r e t h a n anything , it is the Temples o f Humank ind that attracts visitors a n d spiritual seekers a l i k e b o t h physicall y and energeti cally.

What would it feel like to visit the great pyramids right after they were completed?

Dedicated to the divine nature of humanity, the Temples of Humankind is a three dimensional book which recounts the history of Humanity across multiple planes of existence.

The Temples are more than a work of art -- they are a path of reawakening the Divine Spark, each Hall is a living conduit connecting all the energies of Humanity traveling via the Synchronic Lines.

As Daniela Biancolini, architectural inspector for the Italian Heritage Ministry, has said: "Nothing like this exists outside of the films of Indiana Jones."

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The Temples were excavated and constructed in secrecy for more than ten years. Then the secret was betrayed and after several years of petitioning to save the Temples from the lack of an Italian law legalizing underground construction, they were opened to the public in 1994. The Temples have a several halls, all of different shapes and measures, dedicated to the different elements and to various aspects of the history of humanity dating back more than 20.000 years.

Walking through the Temples is overwhelming to the senses with all its mosaics, glassworks, wall-paintings and sculptures that recall mythology, ancient knowledge and visions.

I don't believe one could come here [to Damanhur] and see it with his or her own eyes and not be profoundly affected. Astonishing that such a thing exists and most people on Earth have no inkling of it! -Richard Grossinger, Anthropologist Energetically the Temples are reinforced with tons and tons of metal structures in the walls according to the applicatio n of an ancient spiritual technology c a l l e d Selfica.

Traces of Selfica can be found in Egyptian, Etruscan and Celtic cultures and among ancient Arabs. It is believed that Selfica was widely used in Atlantis. This discipline allows the creation of structures based on the form of the spiral and the use of various materials such as metals, colors, inks and minerals capable of hosting intelligent energies. These energies, called Selfs, can interact with and support life processes that aid in our human development.

While the Temples of Humankind today are a living tribute to all of humanity and beyond, the vision for it is not yet complete. The next big step in the construction process is actively being planned. A new temple, the Temple of Peoples, will serve as a meeting place and cultural conservatory for all the people of the world.

There is no doubt that Damanhur will continue to build not only for themselves but everyone else.

Dec 2011

Damanhur - by Yvette Soler An Active Commitment for a Sustainable World Life in Damanhur is busy, as practical work is seen as the most important form of meditation. The practical application of Damanhurian principles is brought into the physical world of action via sustainable choices and models on all levels: social, political, economic and spiritual. This message spurs citizens of Damanhur to create a completely different world based on the wisdom and self-determination of the people.

In addition to their work inside the federation, Damanhurians are working for a common good of all people in politics, where they have come to make up a substantial part of the local government; voluntary work and health care where the doctors are using traditional and alternative healing methods side-by-side; agriculture where self-sufficiency is an aim, and so far has been reached in 70% of water supplies for bathrooms, 35% of electricity supplies from photovoltaic installations, solar panels and small hydroelectric turbines, 90% of supplies for heating with wood, obtained from healthy woodlands; and the use and research of renewable energy.

In 2005, Damanhur received a UN award as a model for a sustainable future, emphasizing how it, as a spiritual community, is successfully integrating with the local society. Since Damanhur cannot be copied, the goal is to help build a network of communities - to inspire others to explore their own unique possibilities and enter into a society consisting of communities in exchange with one another. For this reason, one of the courses offered by the university is “How to Create a Successful Community”, which shares the knowledge and experience drawn from more than 30 years in Valchiusella.

Other courses offered by Damanhur are aimed at developing the human potential. A fundamental aspect of Damanhurian philosophy is that Man carries a divine spark within him, and can evolve to realize this divinity.

Where Atlantis represented a time when Man was more aware of belonging to larger spiritual eco-system, many of our faculties since then have laid dormant. Many of the Damanhurian courses are aimed at reawakening internal senses, restoring man's connection to the divinity within.

One of these faculties is the ability to consciously travel and collect information in the astral world. Another is the ability to remember one's previous lives and see the present incarnation in the light of the soul's mission. All courses have been specifically developed in Damanhur based on the teachings of Falco relating to ancient knowledge and elaborated on by the research of Damanhurian citizens.

Damanhur and the Future As Damanhur continues to evolve in the world of

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spiritual and eco-communities, it is becoming a role model for others.

The possibilities seem endless for this influential community. The majority of people that witness this community in action encounter a loving and peaceful experience that stays with them and encourages them to find ways to incorporate the lessons learned into their own communities.

“The intention of Damanhur is to serve as a point of light on the planet, a place to inspire people, to live in harmony with each other, with the earth and to make their dreams come to life. Damanhur is a testimony that things that seem impossible can really come true, through devotion and action.” –Quaglia, Damanhurian citizen Yvette Soler For more information about Damanhur, Website: http://www.damanhur.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/damanhur.ms Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/damanhur_ms Blog: http://www.damanhurinside.com Photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/damanhur

LABYRINTH We gathered in an upstairs room Six ladies and a man Resolved to build a labyrinth Each doing best they can We brought supplies a-plenty A string of fairy lights, Scores of little candles And holders clear and bright We'd none of us done this before, Were not sure where to start So everybody got stuck in and Each one played their part We found we were a splendid team And soon our task was done Each tiny candle took a flame The best was yet to come We each paused at the entrance Setting our intent And one by one in joy around The labyrinth we went And when we all had walked it We tightly closed our ranks Then joining our hands around the edge We offered grateful thanks

Marian Dunn

Arkaim: the hidden town - By Nataliya Bukhanova

Dec 2011

Arkaim: the hidden town It started with a black and white photo, which my dad put on the table before me. “Look,” he said “It might be interesting for you.” I was eighteen years old then, young girl fond on archaeology. I could name all the University professors teaching this subject, and knew the difference between Abachev's and Itcul's

cultures. Together with the University students I took part at some archaeological diggings at Siberia. I considered myself an expert, but that photo was very different from everything that I get used to. It showed a strange mixture of ammonite's shell with beehives, probably seen from the air. “It is a town,” my dad said finally, enjoying my puzzled look, “Arkaim.”

He said that the discovery of Arkaim had been completely unexpected. The specialists had noticed it when performing air photo survey for a land development project. The place itself had been so desolated that nobody could even imagine the significance of this event. “You know,” my dad said, “Only outlines of the town remained on the ground.

You need to be a bird to see them. That is why nobody paid attention to it. Nothing is known for sure yet: which people lived there, what they did, where they went. By the way, my friend is in charge for this project. Do you want to go there next summer?”

Of course, I wanted to go! I phoned my dad's friend, but heard from him: “Unfortunately we stopped working on Arkaim for a while. No funding this year.”

It was the beginning of 1990, very hard time for Russia and for its science. I had to put my dream aside, entered and graduated from a medical school, found a job, finished art classes, and became older and busier. I kept the photo of Arkaim as memory about my father who was not with us anymore.

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Eleven years later I found an ad in a local newspaper: trips to Arkaim for a weekend, and I immediately decided to go. It was a long trip, sleepless night in a bus from my hometown. I had never seen so remote places before, just a steppe, dry grass, and endless sky above. It was in the middle of the summer. There were different people in the bus, but to my surprise none of them was interested in archaeology. They were speaking about the places of force, the ancient Indo-Arians, and Stonehenge. I wandered what was the connection between the archaeology and such ideas.

Our bus stopped in the middle of nowhere. I saw a few low hills, a small stream that was called river, and a flat valley with a campground in it. The camp itself was very small, with kitchen, tent rental place and some wooden cabins. Our guide, an archaeology student, explained us the rules: not to burn bonfires, not to go out of the camp (it is located in a small national park, the region with restricted access), not to pick up stones, not to tear grass and flowers, not to make mess. On the way to the town (about twenty minutes walk from the camp) the guide was telling us about the history and the structure of Arkaim. The town is about four thousand years old; it is located on more than twenty thousand square meters. By that time less than a half of Arkaim had been researched, and the findings astonished even experienced scientists. The town contained the main outside ditch with two round inner walls. Inside of each wall the dwellings had been located, spreading in radial directions. All that had been built of wood and ground. There were sixty such houses in the town, together with the stoves for metal working, food storages, fireplaces, wells, sewage system, and covered front yards. The scientists restored one dwelling to attract tourists. The guide showed us quite a big and massive wooden structure made of

Arkaim: the hidden town - By Nataliya Bukhanova

whole logs, with a roof and doors.

The guide also showed us the main square of the town with a big stone in the middle. “New Age people consider this place as a Place of Force,” she said smiling. “Every year somebody steals the stone, and every year we put a new one here, just for tourists.”

She continued to tell us about ceramic, bone and stone tools, found there, about metal work and stoves, about the culture of those ancient people. “We started to set up an open air museum here,” she said, “Our students have reconstructed a Neolithic house, a burial mound, and some stone borders. There is a lot of work to do.”

Although the main work at the site had been finished in 1995th, the research is still in progress. In fact, there are so much data, that it will take decades to decipher them and to create a complete picture.

There are much more questions than answers. What was the origin of Arkaim's builders? Were they IndoAries of Turks? Why did they build the town there?

Why are there no writings and drawings found at the place? Why are there no crop fields and cattle's corals around the town? Why the town itself do have such shape and size? Why did people abandon Arkaim after living there for 200 years?

And this mystery remains. Now it is known that Arkaim was a small part of the settlements which is called The Land of Towns (Gardarika in the Old Russian). This region is located at Eastern side of

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Dec 2011

Urals and takes about 400 square kilometres. The towns at this place (overall more than twenty of them have been discovered) were built at the same time as Pyramids in Egypt and famous palaces in Crete. We know very little about that ancient and great culture.

And when the scientists cannot give a believable explanation, other things begin.

“There is way too much of pseudoscience,” complained an archaeology student speaking to me.

“In such a unique place myths appear very fast. We know too little yet.” And he was right. More than a half of people who visit Arkaim have no connection to archaeology. They are spiritualists, esoteric and New Age people, how they call themselves. They think that Arkaim was an ancient sacred place, or an observatory, like a Stonehenge. They call all the hills around The Places of Force. There is The Hill of Love there (where our group met a sunrise), The Hill of Wisdom, and the Hill of Shamanka, where Spiral of Life is set. Even the small river going through the campground is considered a sacred place. People meditate, spend nights at the hilltops, sing mantras and tell endless stories about strange events happening there.

Scientists do not want to turn the site into tourists' attraction. “The visitors pick up stones, frighten the rare birds, and make noise and mess. It has to be the restricted area!” they tell. However, tourists provide a big part of financing for the research. The people who are fond of New Age culture and spiritualism do not like the scientists either. “Archaeologists dig into this sacred ground and destroy energy lines!” they exclaim. Despite of this controversy, both communities at Arkaim coexist peacefully.

As for me, I think they are both right. You can see at Arkaim what you want to see there: the ancient site of metalwork, or a spiritual place. Anyways Arkaim is a mystery and it will remain a mystery for many years.

I did not write here about open air museum, about the sudden rain and about my unsuccessful attempts to save my camera from the waterfall from the sky. I did not write about the Museum of the Ancient People, where many small tools are on display. I did not tell about the magnificent sunset at the top of Shamanka, and about beautiful sunrise at the top of the Hill of Love. Arkaim is small, but the possibilities to explore it are endless.

If you want to go there, “Be prepared to the harsh weather conditions and the lack of service,” as was written in a visitors booklet. The camp is very small and service is limited by bare necessities. There are group visits from Cheliabinsk and Ekaterinburg (the Russian cities closest to the site). The campground takes s visitors only in the summer time. bukhanova@yahoo.com

Realizing the Relationship with the Self within - By Sushmita

Dec 2011

Realizing the Relationship with the Self within That nagging irritation…that dis-ease felt within, though initially unmanifest, but soon 'presents' itself as the reality of a full-blown disease. We 'know' ('feel' would be a better term) that something is wrong, but we 'do not know' what is. We know something ails us, yet not knowing what it is, we claim to know and blame that it is life that fails us. And adhering to this 'path of blame' we inflame and aggravate the situation. Our pains result because we fail to recognize the gains that we are blessed with, in the form of our relationships.

It could be due to ignorance or embraced ignorance which makes us identify with the reflection that we see in the mirror. Because we then see with the physical eyes, which can see, but cannot see through, which can observe but not penetrate. Even the mind's eyes too are of little help.

Rather it adds data to compound the problem for we then do not even conclude on the basis of what we observe, instead end up with purported assessment far removed from truth.

If the one we see in the mirror is who we are, then how do we explain our relationships with people whom we haven't even met with whom we share an inexplicably strong relationships, defying all conventional logic including that of time and space? And for that matter how do we explain the sudden flashes of 'information and inspiration' that comes to us, enriching us with the knowledge of having that knowledge, when we consciously haven't read or studied or discussed anything in the given context with any 'other' one?

It is all because, who we truly are, is Invisible, The Soul and conversion of this Invisibility to Visibility is the primal reason of life, our sacred duty making the Invisible Visible by leading the life on this physical plane, through the visible human body, but as a Spiritual Being. The Soul that we are. Thus this conversion, which is referred to as SelfRealization, is ushered in by real-izing the realized self. It is a call an inner call to 'be' our truth by our truth, The Soul and once we respond to this call we are healed the dis-ease disappears.

“The chasm within causes a spasm beyond comprehension…”

The more we are removed from our truth, the more we move towards an inner disharmony and gradually create and experience the same in the world outside of us.

On the other hand, by being true to self, we relate truly with self and as the truth of 'our' relationship the inner and outer selves is recognized, accepted, honored and realized we resonate within. With this understanding and its clarity our relationship with others, who are then recognized as parts of The ONE Soul, improves exponentially. The 'sense' of relationships on the physical plane evolves as our

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spiritual essence is recognized and acknowledged and appreciated. Having a strong relationship with one's own self helps one to realize the oneness in all external relationships as well as all is realized to be part of The One Soul, thus inherently connected.

We realize that relationships are 'designed and created' to help one grow and dependence is detrimental to growth.

Dependence is what we 'create' when we cling to people or make them cling to us. But why this 'clinging' approach is adhered to or fostered? Because it gives us a sense of security albeit false and a feel of 'having' a 'hold' on that particular person. We think that by creating dependence we are securing their presence in our life. But we fail to realize that by creating dependence of others, on us, we are actually becoming dependent on them and we finally realize this only when undesirable chain of events and experiences have already made inroads in our life, rendering it chaotic.

Dependence on the world outside of us the physical world actually cripples the form that we don of a physical being.

Realization of Self as Soul, embodying the physical persona enlightens us with the realization: all that we need to depend on is our Own Self where Our Source resides.

And through our Source we all are always connected to each other and never disconnected. So is it required that we cling to one another, when we are actually never apart from each other? Hence when we realize we are always connected and never separated at the spiritual level the level of our true essence, we cling to none rather 'release' one and all from within.

But for this sentience of our 'inter-connectedness' we have to first ensure that we connect to our own self, feel the 'inner connectedness' and that is assured when we 'have', and then 'be', the intention to know our self.

Realizing the Self is the Biggest Realization as then we Realize the Existence of THE EXISTENCE ITSELF, within and that is THE ULTIMATE HEALER of all dis-eases be it emotional, physical, psychological spiritual. And we ease into leading and living a life to eternity the way it has been intended to resonating within and without.

One who is spiritually agile, leads a self-realized and thus a spiritual life, realizes that relationships are not fragile but eternal as life in itself is and everything begins with self, as EVERYTHING 'IS' 'IN' SELF.

By Sushmita Mukherjee

The Vision of Non-Difference - By Rahul Zota

Dec 2011

THE VISION OF NON-DIFFERENCE Expecting happiness from the modes of external objects is wrong vision. Expecting happiness from the self-soul is the right vision. The modification of happiness comes from the self soul. According to Jain Cosmology, the cosmos is made of six eternal substances which are Jeev (Souls), Pudgal (Fine material atoms/Energy), Dharmastikay (Medium of Motion), Adharmastikay (Medium of Rest), Aakash (Space) and Kaal (Time). There are infinite souls in this cosmos and all are independent from each other. None is the doer of the other's happiness and sorrow. The basic attributes of a soul are Infinite Knowledge, Infinite Perception, Infinite Bliss and Infinite Power. To know and to perceive is termed in Jainism as 'Upayog'. When the Upayog is oriented towards the outside things then it causes the rise of attachment and aversion. When it is fixed in the self, then there is no attachment and aversion and the soul stays away from Karma.

Every substance in the cosmos has dual nature, special and general. From the special aspect the substance undergoes changes. From the general aspect the substance is steady and unchanged.

The changing form of a substance is called modifications. For example, a bar of gold has its own original qualities. That bar can be converted into a chain. In that case, the shape of the bar is destroyed and a new shape (chain) has been produced. However, the qualities of gold remain unchanged. Now if we melt the chain and make a bangle out of it, then we destroy the chain (an old form) and produce a bangle (a new form). Again the inherent qualities of the gold remain unchanged. Therefore, the bar, chain and bangle transient forms or modifications while gold is the matter (Dravya) which remains constant.

This is just an example in real even the gold is modifications of Pudgal. Pudgal or fine material atoms are the substance in this case which remain unchanged in every process. The star (the sun) is a giant ball of plasma. Plasma is the state of matter which is ultimately made of innumerable sub atomic charged particles. The sun is the modification. After billions of years the 22

sun will lose its present form and will convert into a new form, a planetary nebula. In this case the basic qualities of Pudgal is steady and unchanged only the form is modified.

Our main problem is that all unenlightened people in this world directly focus and value the modifications of the substance. The one who is oriented in the modifications will value the gold more than the stone. The fact is the gold and the stone are made of the same particles. We generally take the substance and its modifications to be different. To think that both are one is called the vision of non-difference or Abhed Drishti. The enlightened have this vision and they see all non living substances as atoms.

We become addicted to the modifications not to the substance. That's why if someone steals gold from us then we become unhappy and angry. But if someone takes stone from our hand then we won't be angry that much because we hold the value of gold far more than the stone. The enlightened will see them to be the same. Thus they will develop detachment from all the external things and will remain in the meditation of the self-soul. We have divided things into too many forms and that's why we have become too far from our real self. In order to remain in deep meditation of soul and to remain detached to the other things we have to practice the vision of non-difference.

By Rahul Zota

My Soul & My Spirit Inspire Me- by Betty Alark

Dec 2011

MY SOUL AND MY SPIRIT INSPIRE ME My soul cries out from the depths of me—its plea has always been to be set free!

It's the part of me that has always sought—amid troubled waters, it has always fought.

My soul cries out from the depths of me—it never gives in to any dismal end!

It prides itself upon reaching high—even when something inside says “you can't beat the odds.”

My soul cries out from the depths of me—swimming in the mire of the roaring sea.

It competes against darkness triumphing over me!

Were it not for the conflicts of my soul—the depths of me would have no plea; and my soul could not be set free.

I could not climb to higher heights—if the depths of me beheld no fight.

It's because I fight from the depths of me—that I see triumph in view!

My soul sees higher heights that it desires to pursue!

The triumph that my soul sees—reveals greater aspects of me!

It can't be defeated by mire, dismal ends, or the roaring sea—it's the aspect of me that soars; the aspect of me that's free!

My soul has been redeemed—thus that aspect of me comes forth, to be its creative self!

It soars above the depths of me—amid heights my soul longed to climb.

That aspect of me is my spirit—and it can't be confined!

Its purpose is to flourish—that's its original design!

My spirit is free to be—all that it was meant to be; it dances in its creativity and paints with its ingenuity!

It reveals traits of its creator—its being the “I am” that it is, amid the heights that it soars!

My soul and my spirit inspire me!

By Betty Alark

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Summary of the novel by Elisabetta Errani Emaldi

Dec 2011

The Witch Queen of the Orient Sun L' Odyssey of a cruise ship and her crew, with the 'Witch Queen of the Orient Sun' is premonitions.

In contact with the mysterious Eastern world, Between Singapore and Jakarta, Threatened by racism, mutiny, hurricanes, Fires and toxic smoke which doesn't allow sailing.

On March 1991 I have two dreams where my father (died on 1989) tells me that I will have an extraordinary odyssey in the East, on board ship.

In one of the two dreams, I see blood dripping from my mouth; in the other one my father tells me that he will cure me with the help of an Indian doctor. Almost twenty days after these dreams, I join the ship named 'Orient Sun', berthed in a dock at Piraeus, Greece, waiting to sail for the East. During the voyage, I am a supervisor and I have to teach Lilian how to use computer and be a shop manager. Lilian boards with Alfio (her lover).

When I meet Lilian on the plane, I recognize in her hair and eyes, the same ones I already saw in my dream. A few days later we leave the dock, sailing to Singapore. On June the 15th, in the night, air conditioning stops working and I wake up immediately, dripping with sweat and remembering a dream where Eastern people take over half of the shop on board and sell Chinese goods. In the meanwhile, I disembark and see Lilian and Alfio on a cart drawn by a horse leaving, and leaving me. During the sailing, in the evenings, I usually meet with the general manager, the purser and the engine room officers on the Sun Deck; we drink beer and we talk a lot. During one of these evenings, I discover that the general manager is a racist: he hates the Filipino crew. One morning, a few days before reaching Singapore, the ship meets a hurricane which lasts three long days. The hurricane has been so strong that it has completely destroyed the villages on the nearby islands, and we see the remnants floating on the water. We reach Singapore with one day delay. The general manager is very angry and accuses Filipino crew to be good for-nothing, as far as he is concerned, he would kill them just like Hitler killed the Jews. I stare at him, disappointed, and I think about all those useless evenings spent trying to make him reflect upon his terrible ideas. The first cruise is delayed, in order to finish some works on the ship.

During this maiden voyage there will be only V.I.P's and travel agents on board, that's why everything must be perfect, in order to have good publicity and fill the ship with rich passengers. Just like in my dream, two days later the Charterer breaks the contract with the Company I work for, the crew must disembark.

Lilian tells me that she won't remain on board without Alfio, I agree with her but I please her to wait until I find a new assistant.

The Indonesian Charterer takes half of the shop with the intention to sell Chinese goods. The Charterer disembarks anybody who is no good for his purpose. Alfio leaves, leaving Lilian crying. When the voyage starts and the ship is full of passengers, a lot of sailing problems begin: food is disgusting, air conditioning always doesn't work, and travel agents protest threatening bad publicity. Many passengers prefer sleeping outside on the deck, instead of suffering the heat during the night. In Singapore all the newspapers write about the terrible experience lived by travel agents on the 'Orient Sun'. But the Charterer doesn't lose heart and thanks to a big publicity (great winnings at the Casino, strip-tease shows, luxury prostitutes and 'special' masseuses): he succeeds in taking aboard passengers.

In the following days, because of a broken pipe (they suppose), potable water and sea water mix in the pipe-lines of the ship, the crew and I are obliged to drink that mix because the Charterer doesn't sell potable water at bars; he only allows the delivery in passengers' cabins.

From that moment on, I notice blood dripping from my mouth.

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At last, I recruit purser Frank's wife and Lilian disembarks.

Captain Michael too is a racist: he doesn't trust the crew and irritates it with repeated drills every four days. On July the 27th, in the harbour of Jakarta, the umpteenth fire drill. I feel sick and when the drill finishes I don't have lunch and I prefer to go to sleep. During my sleep I dream of an handsome Indian Prince wearing a wonderful coloured turban: he starts massaging my gum, I feel a kind of energy entering my mouth, while a strange heat wraps my body; suddenly I see a lot of particles running inside my mouth and becoming part of my teeth. The following days the blood stops dripping from my mouth. Unfortunately, the entire crew starts having dysentery and Win, the doctor, decides to inoculate everybody against cholera and other diseases, in order to prevent quarantine. After a couple of months, we discover that all the pipe-lines are ok, there is no broken pipe, but the mix happened because of the incompetence of one officer. Captain Michael tries to conquer me, but I don't like him and he is married! That is not according to my principles.

The Charterer disembarks even the general manager, who is replaced by Hong, a very handsome Chinese. With his savoir faire he conquers Desery, one of my friends, a hostess. She will tell me everything about her affair with the Chinese. Because of the heat, almost 45° C., there are fires on the Indonesian Islands; that is dangerous for our sailing because the smoke avoids us to see and we risks collision with other ships (during the night it is impossible to sleep because of the foghorn). Even inside the ship we notice small clouds of smoke, floating in the air. They are grey and toxic. I start feeling sick again. One night, I am half-asleep and I see the transparent image of my father trying to cure me with acupuncture. I feel a strange energy coming out from my plexus (this energy will last a few days).

On August the 24th, the ship berths in Singapore, I immediately run to the MT. Elizabeth Hospital where I have a blood test. On the 28th, when I go to withdraw the result of the blood test, Doc. Charles T.C. Lim says to me: “You are as strong as a horse, you know? You had hepatitis A but now, your body has created antibodies and you are infectious no more.” In the following weeks I dream about the ship, she will stop sailing, in a future, but I don't know the reason why. In one of these dreams, I realize that our Captain will be struck in a psychological way by a very sad event. One night, during a birthday party of one of the crew, the Captain and a Filipino have a quarrel and the Captain hits him; the entire Filipino crew helps the man and there is a kind of mutiny. Henry (the cabin chief) wants to help the Captain but he is wounded at the head and the day after he must go to the hospital. The same day, the entire Filipino crew accuses the Captain of being a racist and threatens to leave the ship. The Captain leaves the ship in the hands of the staff Captain, but four days later, when the ship comes back to Singapore, fifty Filipino people of the crew are replaced with Burmese and the Captain keeps commanding the ship. But, just like in my dream, he stops smiling and his hair turns grey in a short time. In the meanwhile, we discover that Henry received a bribe from the tip of his stewards; so the Company fires him.

On September 199l I have a very short dream of one of my friends Edward Gibbs who is nervously running up and down the ship, worried about a stain of black liquid in a room full of electric wires. On October, I dream I am in Italy, at my uncle's funeral.

Summary of the novel by Elisabetta Errani Emaldi Shocked, once in Singapore, I immediately call home in order to have his news; my mother tries to hide me the truth, but at the end she tells me that my uncle has a cancer and he is in hospital now. At last the wet monsoon arrives, and the rains extinguish the fires on the Indonesian islands. Towards the end of October, I see Edward running to me; he is excited and tells me that one of my dreams comes true: his assistant woke him up at six in the morning because one room full of electric wires has flooded with black liquid. At the beginning of November, I have another short dream where I see our ship abandoned in a harbour, grey smoke going out from one of her side. One evening I tell my dream to Shirley Kok, purser assistant and amazingly she had the same dream. And even Mr. Tono, the Charterer accountant, who has listened to us, tells he has had the same dream and in his dream the ship moved on wheels and gets stranded. Shirley and I tell the dream to the officers, explaining that a common dream can surely come true. Same month, another dream: Mr. Edward Gibbs suffering on his bed, with his feet rested on a pillow.

Twenty days later he has problems with his ankles and the doctor of the ship orders him not to move for two weeks. At the end of the month I dream of two mobsters (they look like the Charterer and Mr. Willer Wuner), and they tell me they have the power to keep me on board for long time. I wake up immediately: now I understand that my staying on board, in that 'prison', will last many months. The Company orders me to find somebody interested on buying goods and leading the shop, so I keep on dreaming future events and purchasers.

But when I meet a possible Chinese purchaser, the Charterer upsets everything. In the meanwhile, many passengers prefer other ships and that intensifies the financial problems of our Charterer. After many negotiations, Charterer's wife tells me she is very interested on buying, but her husband is still doubtful. I try to contact him, but when I reach him on the phone he postpones the deal on January 1992.

For that reason I must delete the flight I booked for December the 20th. I decide to take what is happening philosophically: on board the crew love me after all: they tell me: “Mommy, we love you” and I usually answer: “Hi children of the Orient Sun, I love you too.” Captain Michael disembarks because of a turnover and he is replaced by the English Captain Philip, who, being not a racist, is loved by the crew. I also dream when I will come back to Italy the airplane company will lose my luggage. On January the 2nd, my father and my ex-boss, Mr. Valdettaro (dead by cancer on 1990), appearing on a dream, tell me that the ship will stop.

During breakfast I tell the dream to the officers and the Captain too, but they answer my dream won't come true. The Charterer has signed an eighteen months contract, we have spent eight and break it would mean to pay a penalty clause. January 5th, early morning, half-asleep I find myself in front of The White House, in the U.S.A, surrounded by some people dressed in black, they incite me to enter but I refuse, astonished, saying, “Do I really have to go into The White House? Well, what should I say to the people living there?” While I feel two presences at my side, with the eyes of my mind I see a beautiful golden Cross and a book with a golden cover full of diamonds. They are glittering. Astonished I say, “Oh my goodness! The Cross means my sacrifice on writing that book!” when I hear a voice saying, “You will tell them your story and conquer them all!” The sound of that voice is so

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Dec 2011

convincing that I am touched. I wake up and realize that the White House is for the American People, and with the story of my adventure on the Orient Sun I will conquer their attention. About the sacrifice on writing the book, at that time I didn't know that I would have had a bad disease that would have made me almost blind (when I started writing it was only one tenth per eye).

On January the 7th 1992, the Charterer collects all his things and runs away just like a burglar. If the ship-owner doesn't find another Charterer, the ship will stay in the harbour and the crew will be without a job. The Captain and the officers, remembering my premonitory dream, nickname me “The Witch Queen of The Orient Sun”. During this stay, my boss advises me to sell the goods to some businessman in Singapore, but unfortunately there are laws which avoid disembarking duty free goods in Singapore. At the end, I must send the whole goods to Venice, facing a lot of problems which delay my leaving again. On January the 13th 1992, the fire alarm wakes up the whole crew.

Smoke caused by the fire goes out from one side of the ship, nearby the lower cabins. The Captain orders to reach ship's boat number three, waiting for the disembarkment, but the fire is extinguished in one hour and he orders to come back to our cabins. At last I find a good forwarding agency in order to send the whole load to Italy! The crew and the officers lead me to the ship's boat and say goodbye to me with love. On January the 31st 1992, I leave the 'Orient Sun' and fly to Europe. Once in Bologna airport, I must go to the baggage claim: my baggage has gone lost; fortunately, a few days later the company delivers it at home. While my mother and I are going to the hospital to see my uncle, she tells me that my father appeared her in dream and told her that after my uncle's death, other two relatives will die. Even my cousins Giorgio and Virgule die. My father, when alive, got very angry with my mother and me when we talked about premonitory dreams; he didn't believe it and considered us nuts. I think that his appearance in our dreams was in order to apologize for his behaviour, showing us that we were right. Three months later I receive mail from Edward (I still have it): he writes me the ship Orient Sun doesn't exist anymore. A Finnish company has bought it and changed the name into Wasa Queen. Worried, he writes he must stop working for a month because he needs new feet, as his ankles keep on hurting, he probably must change them into stainless steel. The officers and the crew send me regards; they disembark with him the day after. At the end he asks me how is the Witch Queen of The Orient Sun? Has she started to write down her book?

Five videos Elisabetta Errani Emaldi's premonitory dreams witnesses.

A film from the project “The witch queen of orient sun” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2X7GDJ6FwY Video 1/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLA0XdOtk9M Video 2/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y613IzmrMfY Video 3/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEQpcPkTV-A Video 4/5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gLZT9Z7zzU Video 5/5 http://www.errani-emaldi-sceneggiature.it http://www.estro-verso.net/community/elisabettaerraniemaldi

Dec 2011

Perfectibility of the body - Linzi Martin

Perfectibility of the body Linzi Martin, writer, presenter, educator Cert. Ed., natural health practitioner ITEC, Dip., sleep well and live well consultant This article is written from my thoughts taken after listening to a discussion panel on 'Perfectibility of the Body'. This discussion was part of The Festival of Science and Arts held at the Queen Elizabeth Halls as part of the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London, England (July 2010). The Festival of Science and Arts is a celebration of cutting edge research, discovery and creativity, making science accessible to the public.

To start with, one definition of perfection: the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. A person or thing perceived as the embodiment of such a condition, state, or quality: I am told that she is perfection itself. The action or process of improving something until it is faultless or as faultless as possible.

One of the questions submitted to the panel was, what makes a body perfect?

The philosopher Plato believed there could not be the perfect anything, whether talking about a breast, a book or even a colour. This is, in my mind, an empowering idea. That I do not need to struggle towards perfecting how I am or what I do has to take less effort in life. And if I relate this to my own blog www.feelgoodzone.com, where I write about natural based ways to sleep better, and then I too could question what a perfect night's sleep is?

Dr Glaser (panel) stated that “our perceptions are established in our early years.” Of course I was aware of this that most of our behaviour, concepts of how life is, our beliefs and even emotions are borne from our influences or people and environment up to the age of around seven years old. However, I had never considered the full impact this would have on me as a mature adult, despite unravelling a fair amount of my original conditioning over the years via counselling and other holistic practices.

I recall my earliest childhood influences for achieving perfect health which could be a strong connection to that of also achieving a perfect body.

It came from my parents who grew their own

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vegetables and fruit in our garden. We ate this fresh produce regularly and any seasonal excess was preserved for eating later in the year. The label 'organic' was not used, as ours, like most small holdings where fruits and vegetables were originally organically grown in mineral, nutrient rich soil, not yet depleted by repeated over growing and excessive use of agricultural 'additives'. We knew fresh air, moderate exercise from walking to school yet without such heavy rucksacks that bowed one's posture like I see so many of our children are subjected to nowadays. We had the compulsory school sports (yuck!) and homework, though not excessive and allowing time to for creative playtime fun. Mum cooked, baked, preserved and we ate at the table, mostly together as a family. So for me a healthy body was part of a comfortableness I generally felt in my own body, though I never considered I had the 'perfect body'. What teenager or young person does?

In my early adulthood I came to the conclusion that the route of perfect health, taking me into older age, was established from how I was to take care of myself from my 20's onwards. I thought of this as a long term health savings fund. Putting in a little of the 'good stuff' regularly into the fund (my body). This meant that the core fund would accumulate a pool of healthy chi (life force energy as in TCM, traditional Chinese medicine) from which to draw upon when my reserves were tested. Life has its challenges for all and no one escapes the tests that draw energy from our reserves, e.g. ill health, loss of loved ones or job.

In TCM the chi reserves are part of the jing inherited from our ancestors and as this is depleted our general health and wellbeing is also depleted unless we practise chi enhancing activities like Qi Gong.

The 'good stuff' simply put may include: · eating good, healthy, tasty, varied foods · finding enjoyable exercise · being in the fresh air and sunlight · moderation of those things that are not so healthy like sugary snacks and alcohol yet indulging a little · quality sleep · monitoring and managing stress · time out or 'me time' · learning and implementing what is your lifework balance · topping up when the body-mind requires a boost of health supplements or herbs etc. · emotional and mental support, bearing in

Perfectibility of the body - Linzi Martin mind that most of us at some time in our life will experience a compromised mental health situation · finding things that make us laugh, smile, having some fun Can I say that I have the perfect body? No. No one has. To me perfection is an elusive goal. Alison Lapper (panel) said 'in my eyes I'm in the perfect body'. We each need to find it in ourselves. This comes from a vibrant women who's overcome huge negative comments regarding her outward appearance (she has no arms). Perhaps Alison has a well balance approach to her perfect body.

Who decides what a perfect body is? Dr Kevin Fong (panel) quoted from the philosopher Aristotle, 'that is perfect that has achieved its purpose'. Dr Fong went on to say, 'is there a more perfect environment for healthy humans than the earth?' The panel went on to discuss, who gets to choose the perfect healthy body? Is it society, doctors or public opinion? If a body part works effectively, such as lungs for respiration, is it then perfect? Could it be said that we are in perfect health if we judge ourselves by how well we function? Alison Lapper (panel) said we are bombarded with images of perfect bodies in the media/online and it we put ourselves though 'torture' to try and achieve the same perfection. She said “all us celebrities need shooting! It's like putting poison into our eyes, makes perfect eyes, and we'll do it!”

I asked the panel what they thought the effects were of super human being with perfect bodies, images portrayed in comics, computer graphics and illustrations used in films and games, such as Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. How our young society was being affected by this?

There was some muttering on this question, yet the most poignant comment was from Michael Horovitz (panel) who said, “Its brain washing, dumbing down of society, the big urgency of people to get to the 'top' of their game and work, forget art and culture. We call ourselves homosapiens until we start destroying forests, even bigger arms (military) dealing, and making robots. We need to start saving this planet.

Who cares about perfect bodies?”

I think if someone wants to create a new body for themselves in the name of perfection, and then let them go ahead. Yet for them to know themselves and what drives them towards this decision, and if they are truly in harmony with those beliefs. To be honest with themselves about the true nature of perfection, can they ever achieve this and at what cost emotionally, physically, even spiritually? Fashions,

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Dec 2011 fads and trends come and go, so who am I or the media to influence another person to look a certain way. It is personal choice and yet the society we choose to live within does influence us highly too. If it harms none then its fine, so say those of the Wiccan persuasion. Staying in present mindfulness, you only have this one body here and now so embrace it for it serves you well.

What do you think about Body Perfect?

Without the ego, guilt or shame crying out, do you consider you have a perfect body?

I'd enjoy your thoughts, from different cultures, ages and backgrounds, in confidence if you prefer, email me at linzimartin1988@gmail.com Don't like how you feel about your body? Soothe and balance your emotions using natural Bach flower remedies. I offer Skype consultations email me to get in touch.

Thank you to the Panel for their comments and an interesting and thought provoking few hours in my life. Panel: Dr David Glaser, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and the Dept. of Science and Technology Studies, Uni. College London: Alison Lapper, award winning artist and photographer (physically disabled); Dr Kevin Fong expert on space medicine in the UK and the co-director of the Centre for Aviation Space and Extreme Environment Medicine (CASE Medicine); Michael Horovitz, poet, singer, songwriter, editor, publisher and director.

Resources: For offers of consultancy and writing please contact me Linzi Martin linzimartin1988@gmail.com; visit my site www.feelgoodzone.com ; follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FeelGoodZone ; connect with me on LinkedIn http://uk.linkedin.com/in/linzimartin The Royal Society http://royalsociety.org/SummerScience/ Plato and Aristotle www.wikipedia.org Dr Daniel Glaser www.danielglaser.org Alison Lapper www.alisonlapper.com Dr Kevin Fong www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-KevinFong M i c h a e l H o r o v i t z www.myspace.com/michaelhorovitz

Dec 2011

A life worth living‌ - Mohit Soni

A life worth living‌ Scene 1: A middle class man. Working in a 9 to 5 job. Earns a few thousand rupees. Runs a small family. Doesn't owe a big luxury car because doesn't need it. Doesn't owe a big see facing bungalow because he thinks his 2 bhk flat is quite comfortable! Has no debts. Wakes up early in the morning, goes to bed early in the night.

Sits relaxed in the bus without caring for traffic.

Never needed to bribe anyone nor he accepts because he thinks his salary would suffice his needs and even standing in a ration line for an extra hour would hardly jeopardize any of his plans for the day. He can take a leave any day to visit his grandparents. Sleeps on the terrace, beneath the stars. Enjoys the rain.

Scene 2: An upper class rich man. CEO of an MNC. Works almost round the clock. Earns in Lacs. Runs a small family but owes a big luxury car. Big loans big debts but small time to spare for family. Night ends in the morning and morning begins in the afternoon.

Highly irritated because of traffic. Has to plan holidays months in advance. Even expansive bed and air conditioner can't guarantee him sleep. Has mostly everything but still needs more and more.

Do I need to explain further what I want to say?

Just stop for a moment and think about it. Most of us want a super rich life and money and luxuries and everything. But hardly have we thought how we want the quality of life to be. Money can only make people rich but not their life.

Why do we want everything when barely a few things are enough to make us happy!!

Nobody has to live without his basic needs and nobody can get all his wishes fulfilled. Always remember, this world has sufficient resources to fulfill everyone's need but very less to satisfy everyone's greed.

That's a universal truth.

You already have what you need the most to live.

Think upon it.

Some time back I came across a lecture of a great spiritual guru and the point he made was truly a gem.

He said- what a person needs the most, to stay alive, is air. And God has provided it in most abundant form. The second most important thing is water. So he again gave a plenty of it in the form of rivers and rain. Again, the third most needed thing is food. He thought of it also and gave large forests full of trees which bore fruits and large fields which will produce grain!

How nicely He has taken care of all our essential

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needs!! And most surprising is the fact that He has given us all this absolutely free of cost!! It is only an irony that still we human beings are in a constant fight to seek more and more and more. Why is it so? Is it because we are so hungry that even after consuming so much, we still feel unsatisfied?

Correctly said, the only thing that is infinite is human greed. No matter how much we accumulate and no matter how much we consume, there always will be a desire for more. We want to keep on earning because we want to keep on saving. We want to save for ourselves, then for our family and then for our coming generations and on and on!

There is no end. Only beginnings.

When was the last time you set on a beach listening to the waves? Only to the waves? Not cell phones!

When was the last time you saw stars in the sky and wondered how many of them are there?

When did you eat what you wanted to, without caring for its calorie content and cholesterol levels?

When did you last sing your favorite song without caring who is around?

Do you know your little daughter draws so beautifully?

The time has come to think what quality of life we are providing ourselves. We are ready to sacrifice our today for the unforeseen tomorrow. How right it is?

We are working day and night to save for our retirement. But will we be able to enjoy all those things at that later age? We are so busy in our work that we don't have time even for our children. Why do we forget that they need our presence more than our presents! Today we don't have time for them because we are too busy earning for them. And one day when we will retire they won't have time for us because then they will be busy earning for their children. It's an endless end.

We have to understand a simple fact that it's never the destination that makes a journey beautiful but the journey itself. And no journey can be beautiful if we remain too occupied with the destination. For once, forget tomorrow and live in the present. Enjoy the day today itself. Live tonight. Wake up to a beautiful morning and start afresh with a new day!!

That's what life is!!

Mohit Soni Mail id: mohit.soni97@rediffmail.com Mobile: +91 8130824151

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Legend of the Nomad Chapter 9 Increased Lucidity Involvement - Conscience - Deepest Will - Pure State Involvement The flight to Sydney went without a hitch. This time Nathan would have no one to pick him up at the airport. While waiting for his luggage, it became clear to him that he had left for the other side of the world with only his intuition to guide him; but this did not worry him. On the contrary, it gave him a feeling of freedom. He trusted his intuition and was sure the reason for being in Australia would become clear later. In fact, he had wanted to visit Australia for a long time. His only concern was that his savings were depleting rapidly. When he found himself in the city center, Nathan looked for a hotel. It did not take him long to find one, where he was given a room on the ninth floor, with a satisfying view of the harbor. He took a shower and went to explore the city center. The sun was shining brightly on the tall shining skyscrapers, but luckily there was a pleasant cool breeze. Nathan strolled through the beautiful and most popular shopping streets. Sydney seemed to be well maintained, just like the people who were smartly clothed. He immediately felt at home.

Nathan ordered a tasty meal in one of the many shopping malls and spent time observing people.

Afterwards he returned to the hotel.

The next day, Nathan went into a tourist office where he was given a map of the city and was told that Bondi-Beach was one of the best beaches in Sydney.

On the first day, with map in hand, Nathan explored the most interesting parts of the center. The next day he took his swimming gear and a book and went to Bondi-Beach. He found there was a pleasant atmosphere, so Nathan decided to stay for the whole day. When he returned to his hotel late at night, he decided to buy some snacks at the nearest convenience store. As he entered, he greeted two men there who were chatting together. One was the owner, a man of Chinese descent with a small beard.

The other man's pale skin was sunburned. Both men were sitting on stools and seemed to know each other well. While Nathan was selecting the items he needed he caught parts of their conversation. They were discussing the most reliable source of information: feelings or intellect. The Chinese man said that feelings communicated more than most people thought possible. The other man responded by saying he trusted his intellect more than his feelings. Nathan thought this was not exactly a subject one would

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expect in a convenience store. When he went to pay, he jumped into the conversation. Pete, who was indeed a good friend of the owner, was so convinced that he was right that he assumed Nathan would share his opinion.

“Isn't it true that we should trust our intellect more than our feelings?” He asked Nathan.

The Chinese man introduced himself before letting Nathan answer. He shook his hand and said that his name was Qiao. Pete then followed his example.

Nathan also introduced himself and told them he had just arrived in Australia. Both men welcomed him.

Then Qiao took up the conversation: “Of course our intellect is of great importance,” Qiao said. “With it we can convert the information we receive into knowledge. What I'm trying to explain to Pete is that feelings give us the clarity to make a distinction between right and wrong information.”

Both Pete and Qiao now waited for a reaction; both hoped for a confirmation of their own vision.

“Pete,” Nathan asked, “can you describe what you mean exactly by the word intellect?”

“I mean our intellect, our rational logic, the capacity we have to build upon certainties.”

“Couldn't it be that it is these certainties that leave us with the impression we are not mistaken?”

By posing this question Nathan had succeeded in making Pete doubt his conviction simply and irrefutably.

“Don't we all need certainty?” Pete asked.

“We have a stronger need not to accept anything as a certainty,” Nathan retorted.

“What should be our base, if we can't be sure of anything, our feelings? Was Pete's next question.”

Now Nathan took a stool and sat down in front of Pete and Qiao.

“Our feelings give sense to our lives,” Nathan answered. “Without feelings we could not enjoy beautiful melodies or amazing beaches or tender caresses.”

“But feelings don't always give us the right information,” Pete continued.

“Feelings never lie,” Nathan said, “but we are the ones who need to learn to interpret them correctly.”

“How?” Pete asked.

“By always discovering their origin using our internal guide,” Nathan answered.

Pete thought about Nathan's answer, he glanced from him to Qiao. Nathan remained quiet and now Qiao spoke up.

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero “He's talking about our intuition,” Qiao said.

Pete looked at Nathan questioningly to discern if Qiao was right. Nathan nodded.

Pete at once had a new question for Nathan: “For me intuition is something ambiguous. Can you describe it clearly?”

“Answering this question is the same as telling a blind man what sight is or explaining sound to a deaf one.

Intuition is a capacity that shows us the infinite diversity of messages appearing to us.”

“Can it be visible, touched in one way or other…?”

“It is mainly a force that makes us suspect there are new aspects to the invisible, the untouchable.”

Qiao listened attentively to Nathan. Just like Pete, he was impressed by the way Nathan clarified his point of view.

“We can only understand the power of intuition if we experience it ourselves,” Nathan continued. “Believe me, Pete, when you really want to become aware of this power, you will see the world in a different light.”

“Many want to prove this and doubt this inner capacity,” Qiao stated.

“Many have learned to look for evidence,” Nathan said. “Evidence can give us a feeling of certainty, but to fathom the secrets of life, we must reconsider everything repeatedly.”

“Your words show that life really has a deeper meaning, but I have to admit that I frequently question whether this is the case,” Pete said.

To understand the meaning of life, Nathan said, you must ask yourself: 'What is the meaning of my life?' It is only by looking for an answer to this question that you will find your intellectual limits.

“Apart from my intellect, what else could make me understand the meaning of my own life?” Pete asked Nathan.

“That which is unlimited in essence,” Nathan answered.

“And that is?” Pete asked.

Again Nathan kept quiet and again Qiao felt impelled to answer. One way or another Nathan knew that Qiao had this knowledge, but that he found it difficult to convey.

“Now he is talking about our spirit,” said Qiao, who felt quite sure of his statement.

Both Qiao and Pete realized that Nathan was providing each one of them with suitable knowledge.

Pete needed facts to understand the core of knowledge, while Qiao needed to learn how to share his knowledge.

“Our spirit is limitless and therefore open to everything,” Nathan continued. “It is the only thing that can set us free.”

“To set us free from what?” Pete asked curiously.

Nathan saw that now Qiao felt strong enough and let

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him continue: “Of our unconscious! The more our spirit develops, the more we accept life, and the happier we feel without regret, impatience or feeling tired.”

Qiao's words confirmed what Nathan had suspected from the start: that Qiao had a substantial foundation of theoretical knowledge. Now Pete understood this also.

“Now I'm stuck with two feelings,” Pete said, “on the one hand I am glad that my life can have greater meaning than I originally thought possible. On the other I feel that I have lost time over useless and superficial issues.”

“Continue your thoughts, from today into tomorrow and you will only continue the first feeling,” Nathan said. “The second feeling will disappear when you discover that your spirit has retained everything real and good. Nothing of value is lost to the spirit; it melds continuously within your inner self!”

After these words, Nathan got up and thanked both men for the conversation. Both clearly expressed gratitude for what he had revealed to them. Nathan said goodbye and left the store. Once outside Qiao caught up with him: “Wait a moment, where are you staying?” He shouted after Nathan.

“In this hotel, here, in front.”

“Are you coming back?”

“Would you like that?”

“What I say may sound strange, but I have the feeling that you might be of importance to me.”

“If so, you will also be important to me.”

After these words Nathan turned and continued walking.

“You did not answer me. Are you coming back?” Qiao asked again.

Nathan stopped before crossing the street and smiled at Qiao: “But I did answer you.”

Qiao did not fully understand, but before he could react Nathan had crossed the street and waved. The next day Nathan rented a small motor home. He left Sydney and headed north along the coast. After a couple of days he arrived in the state of Queensland.

He spent a long time in this region. The sandy beaches continued for long stretches, the capricious mountains and the subtropical climate provided him the rest he needed. In Queensland, Nathan spent time in the city of Brisbane. He stayed in Redcliffe and it was there that he decided to start writing a book. From that moment on frequently added new comments and remarks to the manuscript. Nathan knew that literature was a great medium for the wide dispersal of messages. He had wanted to write for a long time, but

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero it had been Uiara's talent that had persuaded him to start. Since his conversation with her, he was confident that his message would be presented in the correct way. Nathan wrote down his first words on a cool night. This writing session ended only with the sun rise. Nathan had written the whole night without realizing it. Innumerable thoughts had flown through Nathan's spirit the entire night, and he tried his best to write down his thoughts clearly and concisely. In the morning he felt incredibly tired. Before going to sleep he gave himself time to reread his words. A title and a clear structure were still missing, but he found that thousands of words had been put down on paper. He went to sleep feeling satisfied. He now realized that this was the start of an incredibly important work. He felt that it would him many more nights. As he was leaving Brisbane, Nathan visited several neighboring coastal cities. Not a day went by without him diving into the ocean, where he gathered most of his inspiration while he was under water.

While staying in Caloundra, Nathan met a painter who sold his artwork on the street. They were beautiful paintings of mountain landscapes. The man told him that the mountains pictured in his paintings were called the Glass House Mountains. He added that these mountains were holy and were there to remind us the importance of charity. Nathan was moved by the beauty of the paintings and wanted to see the Glass House Mountains for himself. The next day he ate a quick breakfast and drove there. Once there he was so impressed by the beauty of the landscape that he decided to climb one of the Glass House Mountains. He observed each one of them closely and then chose the mountain called Ngungun.

Nathan knew it would be an arduous climb. He reached the top after a couple of hours. There he sat down on a flat rock and took some time to enjoy the serenity and the amazing view. While he was admiring the beauty of nature that surround him, his eyes fell upon an old tree. Something compelled him to go there. He got up and walked towards it. When he reached the tree, Nathan touched it with both hands and admired it from top to bottom. Suddenly he saw that a series of words had been carved way up on the trunk. He could not read them because they were too high. He was so curious that he decided to climb the tree and eventually was sitting on a branch. From here he could plainly read the words. They were written in a language unknown to him, so he did not gain any wisdom from what was written.

Nathan took a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down the words: 'Cooma el ngruwar, ngruwar el

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cooma, illa booka mer ley urrie urrie!' When he was back down the tree on the ground, he sat down on the same flat rock and tried to guess what he had just written down. Suddenly the wind began to blow severely. The sand swirled up so high that Nathan had to keep his eyes closed. He only opened them again when the intensity of the wind abated. It was at that moment he saw a young woman with beautiful brown skin and long wavy black hair. She walked towards him. Nathan kept staring at her and it seemed as if she was impressed. When she approached him, she kindly looked at him and smiled. Nathan wanted to say something, but did not succeed in saying anything that made sense. This was very unusual for him which made him feel insecure. The young woman introduced herself first. Her name was Leewana.

Nathan sat up straight: “Excuse me, my name is Nathan.”

“You don't have to excuse yourself, I should be doing that.”

“Why is that?”

“I was so surprised to see you here that I did not give you time to think!”

Nathan did not know how to interpret these words.

What did she mean exactly? Why did she say that she had not given him time to think?

“May I ask you what you're doing here?” Leewana asked.

“I am traveling, and wanted very much to see these mountains,” Nathan replied. “When I got here, I suddenly had the urge to climb one of them.”

“Why this mountain?” Leewana asked.

Nathan assumed that Leewana was looking for a deeper reason.

“As usual I followed my feelings,” Nathan answered.

Leewana looked at Nathan for a long time, but did not say anything else until Nathan continued the conversation: “Do you live in this region?”

“I've lived almost everywhere, but I grew up in Adelaide, if that's what you mean. I lived there with my foster parents. They come from Poland and have been living in Australia for a long time.”

When Nathan heard that Leewana was adopted, he naturally wanted to know if she knew her biological parents. She gave him an answer even before he could ask.

“My natural parents lived in a region north of Adelaide. They formed part of a tribe of Aboriginals, the original inhabitants of Australia.”

“Did you get to…”

“No, the whole tribe to which they belonged lost their lives during one of the severest storms ever in this country. It's a miracle that I survived.”

“What happened afterwards?”

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero “When I was found, I was taken to Adelaide. There my adoptive parents picked me up and they took care of me wonderfully.”

Nathan remained speechless after he heard Leewana's story. The similarity with his story was impressive.

“Were there any other survivors?”

Leewana glanced at Nathan and then grasped his arm.

“We have much more in common, Nathan!”

Now Nathan was really impressed. Not only with the similarity of their stories, but even more so because Leewana already seemed to know this, even before he had said anything about his past. Now Nathan was incredibly curious.

“Why is it that you are here today?” He asked.

“I also followed my feelings!”

This conversation clearly confused Nathan. He wanted to be able to organize his thoughts so he took a couple of steps and then sat down again. Leewana sat down next to him. She saw that he held a note in his hands and asked what it said. Nathan let her read it.

While he was spreading it out, Leewana looked at the tree he had just climbed. She was looking straight where the writing was carved. Now Nathan had no more doubts. Something very unusual was happening.

“How did you know that these words could be read on that tree?” He asked.

At first Leewana said nothing and then replied.

“Will you believe me if I tell you?”

“Trust me, if you tell me the truth, I will believe you.”

“It's a secret, but I know that I can share it with you.”

Leewana sat down very close to Nathan and took his hand.

“I have an extraordinary talent.”

“What is that?”

Leewana took a deep breath.

“I have insight into the world of thoughts.”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“I have the capacity to see where thoughts travel.”

“Where do thoughts travel?”

“The wish of every thought is to be retold!”

Nathan said nothing for a moment and thought for a while. Did Leewana speak the truth? Did she have this exceptional talent?

“Tell me, how do thoughts travel?”

“Thoughts travel everywhere. They try to convert into actions in the dimension we live. They can do this when they are invited by feelings.”

“Can you tell me the thoughts that are here right now?”

Right now there are two feelings by your side and they let two thoughts come up in you. The first feeling is emotion, which makes you think that I have also been

32

sent to earth with a higher mission.

These words further convinced Nathan that Leewana was telling the truth.

“The second feeling is your good friend, curiosity, who makes you guess which 'natural element' has sent me to earth.”

Nathan realized that Leewana had the knowledge that he received in the Sahara. Even stronger, Leewana did not only see the feelings that manifested themselves, but also the thoughts they evoked. All of this in full consciousness.

“I would definitely like to know which 'natural element' sent you to earth,” Nathan responded.

“The relation you have with water, Nathan, I have with the wind.”

“Do you know your higher mission?”

“Just like you, I don't know yet.”

Again there was a short pause.

“I think we were brought together today to share our experiences,” Leewana continued.

“And to gain more insight into our missions.”

“I also have a strong feeling that we will need each other. That is the message this tree is trying to send us.”

“Can a tree also send messages?” Nathan asked.

“Just like all living beings!”

Now Leewana took the note from Nathan's hand and read it aloud. After reading it, she smiled.

“Why are you laughing?” Nathan asked.

“I saw impatience rush to you.”

“I will never try to hide anything from you.”

Leewana winked: “That would be amusing.”

Leewana held Nathan's hand firmly and said seriously: “Here is written, 'One is all, all is one, and the self will not die!'”

“In what language is it written?” Nathan asked.

“In a very old language used by the Aboriginals to reveal messages from the dream time.”

“Dream time?”

Dream time is a time in a different dimension that is happening simultaneously. It is a different reality next to this one.

“What happens in dream time?”

“Thoughts travel from there and they try to be meaningful in our dimension.”

Leewana had brought snacks and pulled them out of her backpack. She took a blanket attached to her bag and laid it on the ground. After she invited Nathan to sit down beside her.

“You know,” Nathan said, “by what I've learned from you, I better understand how all the sadness in the world comes into being.”

“To end it, people must become aware that their

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero actions are the fruit of thoughts that evoke feelings.”

“We could say that people have to learn to feel again.”

Leewana smiled and cleaned a cluster of grapes with water. Then she cut the cluster in two and gave this to Nathan.

“You smiled again when you heard my words,” Nathan said.

Leewana looked tenderly at Nathan.

“Nathan, no one on earth knows how to make people aware of their deepest feelings better than you!”

What Leewana said, made Nathan think again.

“And what can you do better than anyone else on earth?” He asked Leewana.

“Conveying thoughts, of course.”

A silence followed.

“What do you understand from the words carved into the tree?” Leewana asked Nathan.

Nathan took some time to think.

“That each individual mission forms part of one greater mission.”

Leewana nodded.

“I think so too.”

After eating the snacks Nathan and Leewana descended the mountain together. Leewana drove behind Nathan until they reached Caloundra where they stayed together for three days and discussed many of their experiences. Because of this, they gained more insight into their higher missions. They became increasingly aware of what they would mean to each other and a strong bond grew between them.

On the third day they said goodbye to each other.

Nathan continued his journey towards Cairns, while Leewana was expected in Russia. Before their departure they spoke about their being exceptional.

Leewana began: “As water is the source of all new life, more than anyone else, you are able to bring new thoughts to life.”

“As the wind moves everything, more than anyone else, you are able to convey ancient thoughts.”

Nathan winked at Leewana and they hugged each other long and intensely. Both were convinced they would meet again.

Conscience Nathan continued driving north and discovered many other beautiful places. After a couple of days he arrived in tropical Cairns, where he met Jack, a young man with long blond hair, who came from Vancouver.

Jack had obtained his degree as a biologist in Canada.

Immediately after his studies he had started working for a large pharmaceutical company, but his job was not satisfying. Since he was a child, Jack had dreamed

33

of living in Australia. Two years before, when he had saved enough, he fulfilled this dream and relocated to Cairns. Once in Australia, Jack decided to do something completely different. He bought a catamaran and offered cruises to the Great Barrier Reef. Nathan and Jack got to know each other on the outside terrace of a bar. They had a conversation about the beauty of nature, climate change and the possible repercussions if no great change was achieved in how people thought. They quickly found they got on well and Jack invited Nathan to sail on the Coral Sea the next day. He said they would have the pleasure of sailing with two young women from Romania.

On board the catamaran the four got to know each other. The two brown haired, brown eyed women were sisters and their names were Mihaëla and Ioana.

Mihaëla lived in Ireland, where she worked in Dublin.

She also quickly told them that she was not happy in her job. Her younger sister Ioana was studying psychology in Bucharest and did so devotedly. Both sisters had just finished a trip to New Zealand, where they had been visiting friends along with their parents. The two sisters had flown from Auckland for a ten-day trip along the east coast of Australia. When the boat approached the coral reef, Nathan dove into the water. Mihaëla and Ioana followed his example, while Jack remained on board. Nathan admired the wonderful corals and swam through several schools of colorful fish with the young women. For Nathan this was again confirmation of how beautiful nature could be, both above and below water. He would have loved to dive deeper, but he thought it was important not to cause his companions any worry. Mihaëla and Ioana had been on the boat for some time, when Nathan returned to the catamaran. Once he had pulled himself aboard, Jack continued sailing. A little later, they moored by a small island. They sat down under the trees. When they had become comfortable, Jack served some succulent salads.

“I'd already heard and read about the beauty of the corals,” Nathan said, “but what I saw under water surpassed all my expectations.”

“Everything here is truly incredibly beautiful,” Mihaëla said.

“Is this still just as special for you, Jack?” Ioana asked.

“Certainly, not only do I enjoy the beauty of nature, but also the pleasure experienced by the guests I take on board.”

After their meal Mihaëla and Ioana took a stroll on the island. Nathan and Jack made themselves comfortable on the beach. Jack told Nathan that their conversation from the previous day had made him think and that he had a couple of questions:

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero “Nathan, you told me that I did not just have a dream to come here, but that there was a deeper reason for it.”

“Everything has a deeper reason, this is not limited to dreams.”

“I am convinced of this, but what could it specifically mean for me?”

Knowing that you have to ask yourself the right questions concerning the important phases of your life and then connect the answers.

Nathan sat up and looked Jack in the eyes to alert him as to the importance of the information he would be giving: “Jack, what type of environment interests you the most?”

“Everything regarding nature, life on earth, the mutual relationships between all living beings.”

“Where have you dreamed of since childhood?”

Here, where I'm living today.

“What is your biggest worry today?”

“Without a doubt, what we, as humans, are doing to nature.”

“Since yesterday, I have learned from you that where you are today is one of the most valuable areas to be studied to ascertain the earth's health. Isn't this so?”

“Yes, that's right. Here the sea may rise the most and the corals are the most delicate living beings on earth, they are extremely sensitive to any shift in the climate.”

Nathan now lay down on his back and stared up at the sky.

“Well, Jack, even the delicacy of the corals has a deeper meaning.”

Jack's eyes opened wide: “To warn us of a possible disaster?”

Nathan nodded affirmatively.

“That would also explain why the sea rises the most here?” Jack continued.

Again Nathan nodded and then said: “Now link all this information to the important phases of your life, Jack. Why were you interested in biology?

Why do you now have this specific knowledge? Why did you have the fervent desire to come here?”

Jack became very quiet now.

“Indeed Jack,” Nathan continued, “you have always followed the road towards your life destiny and today you, more than anyone else, can become the protector of the Great Barrier Reef. From here you will be able to make the world see the importance of what lies closest to your heart.”

While Jack was staring speechlessly at the horizon, Mihaëla and Ioana returned from their stroll. The women suggested swimming again. Jack, who was still thinking about Nathan's words, said they could go on ahead and he would follow later. Mihaëla and

34

Ioana went into the sea, while Nathan stayed with Jack. Later, they joined the two sisters for a swim, before returning to the mainland on the catamaran.

On board, Nathan told his friends this was his last day in Cairns. Tomorrow he would drive back to Sydney.

After some hesitation, Mihaëla dared ask Nathan if they could get a lift back to Sydney, because that is where they would be taking the plane to fly back to Europe in four days. Nathan responded that he never refused pleasant company. When they were back on shore they said goodbye to Jack. Mihaëla and Ioana thanked him for their wonderful day, then they climbed into Nathan's motor home. Nathan exchanged some words with Jack.

“Why were you so quiet on the return trip?” Nathan asked.

“Your words have given a meaning to many things I have experienced in my life. So much is infused with meaning now.”

“I only said out loud what your small voice was whispering.”

“You are really a special person,” Nathan, “you know that?”

“We all are, Jack, only not everyone knows it.”

Nathan hugged Jack and they wished each other luck.

Then Nathan climbed into the motor home and drove

by Mihaëla and Ioana's hotel to pick up their luggage.

“Today we heard some of your conversation,” Mihaëla said. “You seem to have told Jack some important things.”

“Sometimes we have all the elements of knowledge,” Nathan said, “but it isn't until someone comes along and points it out to us, that we see it.”

Ioana wanted to ask what it was all about, but Mihaëla signaled that it might be something personal. They did not want to be disrespectful and did not ask any more questions; though Nathan was aware of their curiosity.

“The conversation was about our true life destiny.

Well, what are your main objectives in life? What are your dreams?”

“I study psychology and hope to do something with it later on,” Ioana said.

“And you, Mihaëla?”

“I had dreams, but I no longer dream,” she answered.

“That sounds pessimistic,” Nathan stated.

“Mihaëla does have a dream,” Ioana said, “She's been cherishing it for a long time.”

“Well, I'd like to know what it is,” said Nathan.

“No, forget it,” Mihaëla said, “Life has chosen otherwise for me.”

“Mihaëla has always wanted to set up a large orphanage,” Ioana said.

“That explains a lot,” Nathan said.

Dec 2011

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero “What do you mean?” Mihaëla wanted to know.

“Deep in you there is enough sympathy,” Nathan answered, “enough to greatly influence many lives.”

“The people who know Mihaëla well, all say he has a good heart,” Ioana confirmed.

Nathan pulled the motor home onto the side of the road and turned towards Mihaëla: “Mihaëla, if you would give up the dream you have been cherishing for so long, this means the same as dying a little. You have the most valuable insight; you have insight into your life objective, the inner wish you came to earth with.”

“The inner wish I came to earth with?” Mihaëla said.

“At the start of their existence every person is aware of their personal life destiny,” Nathan answered, “this is a wish hidden deep inside that never leaves us.”

“Do you mean our life duty?” Ioana asked.

“It is not a duty,” Nathan retorted, “We make the choice ourselves whether to pay attention.”

“And for those who never discover their life objective?” Ioana asked, while Mihaëla was listening attentively.

“This means they are ignoring the signs and that they pay little attention to their inner will. They strive for transitory objectives that may give them some joy, but will never be able to give them satisfaction.”

“Is that a choice that determines our happiness?”

Mihaëla asked.

“Indeed Mihaëla, when we know our inner desire and try to realize it, we fully experience our life.”

“What do you think I should do?” Mihaëla asked.

“You already know what your life purpose is, that in itself is already a good thing. Now you must pay attention to the signs.”

“What signs?” Ioana said.

“Signs convey messages that can contribute to the realization of your life destiny. From the moment you pay attention to them, they follow each other in rapid succession.”

Nathan restarted the motor home. His words had made an impression. He had spoken with so much conviction that neither Mihaëla nor Ioana doubted his words. On the way to Sydney, Nathan and Mihaëla took turns at the wheel. They spent two days on the road. When they arrived in Sydney, Nathan returned the motor home. Nathan then went back to the hotel where he had previously stayed. Mihaëla and Ioana also booked a room there. Nathan promised to spend the evening with them before their departure.

The next day Nathan dropped by the convenience store in the early evening. Qiao was very pleased to see him again. Nathan asked him if he had free time to exchange ideas. Qiao answered enthusiastically that his nephew could always take over for him. Qiao

35

immediately called up his nephew and in less than half an hour Nathan and Qiao were walking together through Kings Cross, the nightlife district of Sydney.

Nathan was curious about Qiao's life and Qiao seemed extremely happy that he was so interested. He told Nathan about his main life phases and talked about his past nostalgically.

“Since I chose to leave my country, I have the feeling that I unconsciously chose to ban myself, isn't that weird?”

“Each feeling has its reason. Tell me more about your life in China” “My family is originally from Shanghai, but I spent a large part of my youth in a monastery close to Lijiang, a city in the southwestern province Yunnan. I was taken in there as a young monk and followed the teachings of an old master.”

“What were these teachings?”

“Our master, who is now very old, taught us how at the start of our lives, we are still very close to higher awareness. He taught us that, as we get older, we project our thoughts to the outside world.”

Nathan listened with great interest.

“Because of this we learn to become aware of how, with time, we identify ourselves with our body, our possessions, our image, our performance and so much more.”

“What did your master show you by doing this?”

“The red thread through his teachings was to return us to our core. He wanted us to see that all of us have wrong images of reality, which can separate us from our core and thereby from higher awareness.”

Nathan nodded to indicate that he also shared the same opinion. The more Qiao spoke about his teachings, the more he could count on Nathan's interest. Qiao was aware of this attention and suggested discussing it in more detail the following day. Nathan answered that he had promised to spend the evening with two girlfriends he had met in Cairns.

He said that he couldn't postpone his appointment, because they would be returning to Europe the following day. Qiao didn't see that this was a problem and invited them to his home. He said his wife would prepare a wonderful dinner for the occasion.

Back at the hotel Nathan went by Mihaëla and Ioana's room to tell them of the invitation and they were happy to accept. The next evening, Nathan, Mihaëla and Ioana were welcomed by Qiao and his wife, Stephanie, a small, slender woman, who came from Perth, a city on the western coast of Australia; she was a very socially engaged woman. She had already traveled through the poorer areas and had participated in different humanitarian projects. Out of all the countries she had visited, China was the one

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi

March Dec2011 2011

country that had left the greatest impression on her.

She had been there several times with Qiao, and had become increasingly fascinated by it. That night Stephanie had prepared a special Chinese dish.

During dinner the conversations, logically, were about China.”China has a culture that incites both our intelligence and our imagination,” Stephanie said. “It really is an enchanting country.”

“Once you're pervaded with the magic of our culture,” Qiao continued, “you will experience very remarkable inner experiences.”

“What do you mean by inner experiences?” Ioana asked.

“Experiences that confront you with yourself,” Stephanie answered. “In China I have learned to meditate on what has happened to me and I've learned a lot about myself.” Qiao and Stephanie talked a long time and with passion about their experiences in China. It was marvelous to hear them discussing the country and its territories. After the meal Stephanie cleared the table with the help of Mihaëla and Ioana.

While the women were talking in the kitchen, Qiao invited Nathan to sit down in the living room. They continued their conversation over a cup of tea.

“I wanted to talk to you tonight about a remarkable man I recently met,” Qiao said. “His name is Yeshe; he is from the city Lhasa in Tibet and now lives in Melbourne where he gives meditation classes.”

“What makes him remarkable?” Nathan asked.

“I've had a long talk with him and I have understood that his life vision is based on the same old wisdoms as that of my old master.”

Nathan let Qiao continue speaking.

“I heard from a friend that Yeshe is the pioneer of a movement, which is increasingly attracting more followers, even though it is far away from China.”

Nathan felt increasingly more interest kindling for the old wisdoms that Qiao spoke about.

“What more can you tell me about the old wisdoms?”

Nathan asked.

“The most important element taught to us through these wisdoms is that the world is not managed by human beings, but by the forces influencing our lives.”

“What forces are you talking about?”

“My old master called them the forces of light and the forces of dark. These forces work either in an orderly or destructive fashion and influence our actions.”

Qiao's words made Nathan curious. He felt intuitively that this information was not given to him without a purpose.

“What do you think makes Yeshe successful?”

Qiao thought about it.

“I think there is one very important aspect. These old wisdoms state that the world is managed by higher powers and not by the people themselves. And with

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this they remove the notion of sin.”

“This statement will indeed be attractive to many, because it releases us from our feelings of guilt, but what does this wisdom teach about evil actions?”

“According to my master, and it is the same for Yeshe, evil does not exist, only 'good' and 'less good'!”

Nathan became increasingly interested in these old teachings that Qiao was talking about and told him he wanted to meet Yeshe. Qiao was very enthusiastic and suggested visiting him in Melbourne in a couple of days.

Ioana came into the living room and brought important news to Nathan. Stephanie worked for a large international organization that set up and supported humanitarian projects worldwide. During their conversation Ioana told Stephanie it was Mihaëla's dream to set up an orphanage, preferably in Romania. They had discovered that a good friend of Stephanie's was on the board of this humanitarian organization and that Mihaëla had the necessary expertise. Stephanie's friend could access the resources for these projects and Stephanie said she was willing to help with submitting a proposal. Qiao jumped up and grabbed two bottles of wine so they could celebrate this news.

Nathan went to look for Mihaëla in the kitchen.

Stephanie left them alone and went to the living room.

Mihaëla had tears of happiness streaming down her face and she hugged Nathan. She wanted to say something, but Nathan put his fingers on her lips. No remark could give this moment more meaning than silence itself. Together they returned to the living room and spent a comfortable evening. Later, a taxi was called to took them back to the hotel. Mihaëla and Ioana walked along to Nathan's room. Ioana said she was very tired and thanked Nathan for the pleasant time they had spent together. She said goodnight and went to her room. Nathan sat down on his bed and Mihaëla lay down next to him. She was lying with a hand behind her head and the other on her stomach and she was looking seductively at Nathan.

“So, is that it then?” Mihaëla asked.

For Nathan it became immediately clear what Mihaëla wanted. She moved closer to him and took his hand. Just at the moment her lips touched his, he thought about Sophie. So suddenly, and with such strength, that it seemed as if he could feel Sophie's presence. Nathan stopped Mihaëla and told her that maybe he hadn't told her earlier, but he was already engaged. Mihaëla immediately let him go. Her disappointment was apparent. Nathan said, It's my fault, I shouldn't have let it get this far.

“Can we be friends?”

“We already are,” Mihaëla.

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Nathan walked Mihaëla to the door.

“Mihaëla, you are a beautiful woman, on the outside, but especially on the inside. If I wasn't already with someone, I would probably view our relationship differently.”

Nathan's words made Mihaëla cry.

“How can I ever find someone else like you? I will unconsciously compare every man with you and…”

Again Nathan put his fingers on her lips.

“At this moment everything is blurred and you can't think coherently.”

After these words, Nathan gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. Mihaëla smiled and caressed Nathan's cheek softly.

“Whoever she is, she said, she is very lucky!”

She excused herself and went to her room. Nathan closed the door and felt uncomfortable. He should have been clearer from the start. He blamed himself for being so naïve and consequently causing pain.

The next day all three had breakfast together. When Ioana left for a moment, Nathan used the opportunity to ask Mihaëla how she was doing. She appreciated his honesty and thought that his actions fit his nature.

Now she was a little afraid that their friendship would be affected by what had happened. Nathan told her that this was not the case; he told her they had become better friends because of it. He also asked her to keep him informed of the progress of the project she would be setting up with Stephanie. After breakfast, Nathan accompanied Mihaëla and Ioana to the airport. A couple of days later, Nathan returned to the same airport when he flew to Melbourne with Qiao.

Deepest Will By midday Nathan and Qiao arrived in Melbourne, where they were going to meet Yeshe the next day.

They booked a hotel in the Fitzroy District and explored the city on the tram. Here in Melbourne, Nathan was impressed by the beauty of the parks. He admired the way in which they had been designed, amidst the attractive houses and buildings.

The next evening Nathan and Qiao went to Yeshe's house. Qiao felt proud, but nervous at the same time.

He was the one who had arranged the meeting between Nathan and Yeshe. In one way or another he knew he was doing something of supreme importance. A friendly woman welcomed them and brought them to a small comfortable area with large cushions on the floor. She brought them tea and said Yeshe would be joining them shortly.

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Qiao filled three glasses and waited for Yeshe's arrival.

Yeshe entered with a book under his arm. He was a slender and beautifully groomed man with black hair and a trimmed beard. Nathan and Qiao got up and thanked him for the time he had freed for them. Then something strange happened. Instead of welcoming them, Yeshe did not say a word when he saw Nathan.

Without saying anything, while keeping his eyes fixed on Nathan, Yeshe sat down on one of the cushions in front of Nathan and Qiao. Nathan and Qiao now began to feel uncomfortable. To break the silence, Nathan again thanked him for the invitation and said he would like to learn about his vision. Yeshe kept looking at Nathan. Finally he excused himself for his absentmindedness, but did nothing to explain himself. As if nothing had happened, he reacted to Nathan's question.

“I get my vision on life from the 'truth of the truth'!”

Nathan and Qiao looked at each other, not knowing what to do owing to Yeshe's odd behavior. It was clear something had caught his attention. As Yeshe himself didn't say anything about it, Nathan decided not to pay any attention to it. So he continued the conversation.

“Why is this doctrine called the 'truth of the truth'?”

Nathan asked.

Now Yeshe spoke enthusiastically. During the conversation he would show with great clarity that he had a deep knowledge of the old teachings on which he based his vision.

“First of all, we experience this world as it presents itself to our sense, the world of experience. But behind this there is a world that is not immediately accessible to us, because the world of experience is hidden from us. The vision of the 'truth of the truth' shows us how we can remove that veil.”

“What does this vision say about our human existence?” Nathan asked.

“We are here on this earth to evolve spiritually; which we can do by conquering the lower animal instincts and our material orientation.”

“Does this apply to each one of us?” Nathan asked.

“Each one of us is free to choose our own life path, but the 'truth of the truth' teaches us that those who does not pay attention to their spiritual development will sink deeper and deeper into their animal nature and materialism because of lust and desire.”

“What is the destiny of those who seek spiritual development?” Nathan wanted to know.

“They are free. Consequently, increasingly of their lower animal instincts and their material orientation return ever closer to their core, to their purest state.”

“The pure state?”

“The pure state occurs when suffering has completely disappeared. At this point, we have the knowledge and

Dec2011 2011 March

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi the distinct intention to take a stand against suffering.

From that moment on, we are able to feel the pure flow of the higher awareness.”

Nathan took some time to think about Yeshe's words.

“How does this spiritual evolution take place and how can we reach the pure state?”

“By directing our thoughts the right way.”

Qiao also wanted to say something.

“Most people don't stand still with their thoughts.

That is the cause of all the terrible suffering in the world.”

Until now, Nathan had been given confirmation of all he knew. Even though it was being said in different words, in essence it came back to the same thing. This gave him confidence in Yeshe's revelation. He knew that by asking the right questions he would obtain new knowledge: “Everywhere in the world we see people can do good, but also their worst. What does the 'truth of the truth' say about this?”

“That the universe gives us courage,” Yeshe said, “to change what we can change, the tranquility to accept what we cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference. As I said earlier, we are free to choose how we deal with these gifts from the universe.””I wonder if this freedom is good for us, considering the great suffering that exists in the world,” Qiao ventured.

“If we didn't have free will,” Yeshe said, “then we would be doomed in advance by our primitive impulses and our material orientation and our human existence would make little or no sense.”

“How can we obtain insight into our spiritual evolution?”

“By accepting that we live according to the laws of karma, the law that determines that each action, besides its direct consequence in the world of experience, also has an inner consequence that is always the foundation of our future experiences.”

Nathan knew the universal law of cause and effect and had long been aware that eventually we would reap what we sowed. Yeshe continued: “When we take this law into account, and apply it to our lives, we are able to understand the extent to which we are responsible for our future experiences and we obtain insight into our spiritual evolution.”

“How does the 'truth of the truth' explain that there are people with a sense for spirituality and other people who prefer to blend into the masses?”

“Within each one of us there are inner needs that all of us satisfy in a different way. On the one hand, this depends on our nature and on the other on our actions. The 'truth of the truth' makes a distinction between the four needs and shows us how we must deal with them when we want to follow the spiritual path.”

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Yeshe now opened the book he had brought with him.

After he had glanced at it, he held up his thumb indicating that he would be summing up the four inner needs. Nathan listened attentively.

“The first need is uniqueness. Each one of us has the need to differentiate oneself. Those seeking spiritual satisfaction will differentiate themselves favorably, not negatively, from others. These people do so by bringing depth into relationships, so that the positive energy that is radiated works contagiously on others!”

Yeshe put up a second finger.

“The second need is unity. Each one of us has the need to feel united with something greater than our self.

Those seeking spiritual satisfaction will be touched by the world, so that they will gain awareness that spirituality is not something that is exclusively spiritual, but that it is all encompassing!”

Now Yeshe put up a third finger.

“The third need is fulfillment. Each one of us has the need to be creatively occupied. Those seeking spiritual satisfaction seek deeper creative virtue, until the role played on earth is purely spiritual, so that they become a vessel for the intelligent awareness of the universal order and others are able to experience it!”

Then Yeshe put up a fourth finger.

“The fourth need is reunification. Each one of us has the need to experience a deep emotional understanding of our place in the world. Those seeking spiritual satisfaction will strive for mental purification, illumination and unification so that life becomes usefully structured in conformity with creating love!”

Nathan took some time to think about these four spiritual needs.

“By satisfying these existential needs correctly,” Yeshe said, “we experience the connection with our core and we evolve towards the pure state.”

“How do we know the right way?” Qiao asked.

“By analyzing the nature of our desires,” Yeshe answered. “Our desires, in turn, are encouraged by our feelings.”

“What then determines the desires we cherish?” Qiao wanted to know.

“Our underlying thoughts, these are our most important thoughts, because they give form to our lives.”

“And what then determines our underlying thoughts?” Nathan asked.

Yeshe looked intensely at Nathan.

“That is determined by our deepest will!”

Nathan was intrigued.

“Our deepest will is our essence and the truth in us. It is thanks to the deepest will that each one of us cherishes, that we are able to create something that has never existed on earth before.”

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Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi Now Yeshe looked at Nathan: “You followed your deepest will very early on to satisfy your 'natural element'.”

An incredibly strong power came from Yeshe's words.

Nathan felt the same as when Sanah told him of the importance of his life mission. Now it also seemed as if his "natural element" emphasized the importance of these words. Yeshe had shown Nathan something fundamental. Nathan knew the importance of verifying each thought and the feelings accompanying him at that moment. Now he also knew the source of these feelings. Something that was directly connected with our nature, our deepest will. Nathan got up and took Yeshe's hands, while he thanked him.

“Thank you for these wise words.”

“The honor is not mine, but to the one who understands and accepts these words.”

Nathan took his leave from Yeshe and left the room, while Qiao remained with Yeshe to discover the reason of his strange behavior towards Nathan.

“I have been told that you have a gift,” said Qiao to Yeshe, “that you can see the special attributes and talents in each one of us. Is this why you were surprised when you saw Nathan?”

“What have you been told about me?”

“With your own eyes, that you would be able to see the ego of each person.”

Yeshe did not confirm or deny this.

“What do you want to know?” Yeshe asked.

“What did you see in Nathan?”

Yeshe came very close to Qiao and looked him straight in the eyes: “It is the first time in my life that I have met someone whose ego I could not see.”

Qiao looked surprised: “What does this mean?”

“My feeling says that Nathan has been born without ego! If this is true, he makes no distinction between his own wellbeing and that of others. Therefore, there is no desire for power or material greed in him.”

“What else do you know?”

“Nathan has just come through the ninth gate.”

“Are you talking about the gates leading to the pure state?”

Yeshe nodded and then continued: “Soon Nathan will seek the last two gates that keep him from the last great gate, the gate of the pure state.”

“The tenth and the eleventh gate? Tranquility and Wisdom?”

Yeshe was surprised by Qiao's special knowledge and nodded affirmatively.

“What will happen once Nathan has reached the pure state?” Qiao asked curiously.

Yeshe stayed silent for a while before he answered, and then he looked at Qiao as if he doubted his own

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answer. Finally he spoke the following words: “What will happen exactly, nobody can say, but what is certain is that Nathan has enough receptivity to reduce the suffering of the world.”

“Do you know that I thought exactly the same thing when I saw him the first time,” Qiao said.

“You are much more than a spectator, from the first meeting there was a role for you in this.”

“What? How?” “What you have to do now is take Nathan to your foundation.”

“My foundation? Where is my foundation?”

Where you obtained the most knowledge.

“Do you mean where Shuang, my old master, is living?”

“Shuang will be able to give Nathan new information about the road he needs to follow to reach the pure state.”

After these words Yeshe bade Qiao farewell and wished him a good journey. Qiao was completely confused when he met Nathan outside.

“What was that all about?” He asked Qiao.

“Yeshe told me how special you are.”

“What did he say? Was that the reason for his silence when he saw me?”

Qiao turned towards Nathan and held him by the shoulders with straight arms.

“Yeshe has a gift. I had heard about it before, but wanted to know for sure.”

“What gift?” Nathan asked.

“Yeshe can see the ego of each person with his own eyes.”

Nathan thought about this and then asked: “Is that why he looked at me for so long?”

Qiao nodded.

“What did he see?” Nathan asked.

Qiao took a breath and swallowed.

“With you, something strange happened.”

Nathan looked at Qiao anxiously.

“You are the first person Yeshe has met that he could not see the ego.”

Nathan said nothing and started to walk. Now Qiao became extremely curious: “Can you explain this, Nathan?”

Nathan did not answer the question, but asked another question: “What else did he say?”

“Yeshe told me that when you gain tranquility and wisdom, you will be able to do something exceptionally great.”

Qiao closely observed Nathan with the hope of getting more information.

“Did he say anything else?” Nathan asked.

“Yes, I had to take you to Shuang.”

“Who is Shuang?”

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi

March Dec2011 2011 the city he knew so well. Nathan noticed that this city had a similar feeling to the city of Bruges in Belgium, a city he used to enjoy when he was younger. Nathan loved the homey feeling in Lijiang, thanks to the many wooden houses lining the narrow streets. When evening came, Nathan and Qiao went to sleep early.

The next day, early in the morning, they headed for the monastery. To get there Nathan and Qiao took a bus to the foot of the Yulong Mountain. The monastery was on top of this snowcapped mountain and it could only be reached after an arduous climb.

On their arrival, Nathan and Qiao were welcomed by a group of monks. With their bald, shaved heads and their long robes, they reminded Nathan of Zack, his friend in New York. The monks were renowned for their hospitality and they had definitely earned their reputation. They introduced themselves to Nathan and Qiao and showed them how they lived and where they meditated.

“My old master in Lijiang.”

Nathan and Qiao got into a taxi that took them to their hotel. In the hotel Nathan thanked Qiao for the information and said that he needed to be alone. Once he went to his room Nathan took the time to organize his thoughts, which he did while continuing to write in his book. He slept for the first time when the sun rose.

The next morning Nathan felt the distinct impulse to continue traveling. When he met Qiao it appeared that he also had the same impulse. It was clear to both of them that they would soon leave for China. On the return flight to Sydney, Qiao told him about the beautiful memories he still had of his time in the monastery in Lijiang. Qiao finished by saying that for a long time he had cherished a wish to return one day, but that he had not done so for a multitude of reasons.

Nathan told him that everything retained by our memory is there because of a deeper reason. He added that when we try to understand what this deeper reason is, new insights appear at the same time After the tour, they were taken to a large room where concerning the changes we have to act upon to they sat on the ground, all the way to the back. Once they felt comfortable, Nathan observed the rituals discover our true life destiny. with interest, while Qiao explained them in a low voice. Meanwhile, more and more monks filed slowly Pure State into the room. Hundreds of monks were waiting A couple of days later Nathan and Qiao flew to patiently for Master Shuang to arrive. Qiao was very Kunming, the capital of the province Yunnan. Once nervous. Suddenly it was time; the old Master entered they had landed, they drove to the city center and the room and sat down on a chair in the front. He booked a hotel. After they had rested a while, they asked his followers to close their eyes and breathe went to the Xishan Hills. There they enjoyed the calmly and deeply. Qiao translated Shuang's words breathtaking view of the "city with the never-ending and then followed the instructions. Instead of spring". When evening fell they strolled through the following Qiao's example, Nathan did something city center. Even though Nathan did not see any major completely unexpected. He got up. The Master differences with other cities he had seen before, he immediately noticed Nathan. They kept looking at sensed a completely different life style. He knew that a each other until Nathan decided to walk towards the master. Qiao, who had seen what had happened, got new world would open up to him. up from the floor and followed Nathan through the They spent the next day in Cuihu Park. Qiao told crowd of monks. Qiao did not know what was Nathan that both the young and old of Kuming went happening, and asked quietly for an explanation, but there to rest. Mostly people could be found strolling by Nathan continued walking undisturbed. When they had arrived in front of the Master, Shuang bowed his the temples and the beautiful lakes.

The next morning, Nathan and Qiao took an early head to his visitors and in their turn, Nathan and Qiao train to Dali, which carried them through amazing bowed their heads. Shuang spoke to Nathan in mountains and valleys. Here Nathan and Qiao booked Mandarin and Qiao translated the conversation a hotel for the first night and then explored the town between both men. center. A day later, during a stroll along the Erhai “You must feel welcome here,” Shuang said, “and Lake, Qiao told Nathan about Yunnan Province's rich know that I am honored by your presence.” history with its variety of cultures. The next day, they “It is an honor to be allowed to stay with you,” Nathan took a bus to Lijiang, after they reached the city in the said. “Qiao spoke about you and ensured me that we could meet.” evening they booked a room in the hotel.

Shuang looked at Qiao and recognized his student.

The next morning, Qiao enthusiastically guided Shuang nodded to indicate that Qiao had done well.

Nathan through the tortuous alleys paved with small Meanwhile, the monks had started to whisper to each cobblestones. For Qiao it was an emotional return to other their voices becoming louder. Shuang then

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hands and said to Qiao that it was important that he translated his words correctly.

“The pure state is not achieved through reason or by experience!”

“How then?” Nathan asked.

“The pure state is achieved by having confidence in the absolute!”

“I've always had confidence in that,” Nathan reacted.

“You have never left the pure state… nor has any other living creature.”

Shuang's final words were incomprehensible to Nathan and Qiao.

“You said that it wouldn't take a long time before Nathan would experience the ultimate wisdom of life,” Qiao said, “and now you're saying that no living creature has ever left this state?”

“This is only the reason for the existence of each life, the deeper driving force behind every life is towards this destination, and the way to salvation. We are on earth to be reminded that we form part of the pure state.”

Shuang's words strongly affected Nathan. Now it was clear that his 'natural element' wanted to emphasize this message.

“Continue on the road indicated to you by your confidence in the absolute and seek tranquility and wisdom, so that you can show us the way to salvation.”

After these words, the old Master got up and said goodbye to Nathan and Qiao.

On their way back to their hotel both men talked about the insights they had obtained from Yeshe and Shuang. Meanwhile, it had become clear to them that what is cherished as the deepest will within us, is also what encourages us to move towards the pure state, which is the awareness that we all form part of one whole.

The next day Nathan and Qiao stayed in Lijiang. They had just sat down on the grass near a square, where children were playing joyfully, when suddenly a man came walking up to them. Still panting, he talked directly to Nathan. Nathan asked Qiao to translate the man's words. Qiao said that the man spoke Vietnamese, a language that he did not understand.

The only thing that he could understand was that the man's name was Ngai. The man then spoke with difficulty in broken English. What Nathan and Qiao understood was that he lived in Hanoi and insisted that Nathan had to go there with him. When he was asked the reason, he answered that he had a friend there who was seriously ill.

Nathan asked Qiao to ask around in the area to see if they could find someone who could understand Vietnamese. Meanwhile, Nathan and Ngai stayed

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together. Nathan observed the man and tried to sense intuitively whether his intentions were sincere.

Slowly it became clear to him that this was a sign.

When Qiao returned with a woman who could translate Ngai's words, Nathan already had a strong suspicion that he would be leaving for Hanoi. The woman translated Ngai's words. It was indeed that he had a good friend in Hanoi who was seriously ill. It was his aunt who had sent him to look for 'Quan' in Lijian and to bring him home.

Qiao, who didn't seem to trust the man completely, remarked that 'Quan' was not Nathan's name. That did not deter Ngai; he was fully convinced that Nathan was the man he was looking for. When Qiao asked him why he believed this, Ngai repeated that this was the way he felt. Qiao remarked that this made no sense.

This was also a mystery to Nathan, although he also believed that Ngai was speaking the truth. The short silence was suddenly interrupted when the woman, who had been translating for Qiao, had a hunch. She translated the meaning of the name 'Quan'. In Vietnamese this word meant 'water'.

In an instant all Nathan's doubts were swept away. He told Ngai he would go with him. Ngai thanked him many times, but immediately indicated that time was vitally important. Nathan gave him the address of the hotel he was staying and said he would be waiting for him there the next morning. Ngai thanked Nathan, Qiao and the translator several times, clearly excited that he had achieved his goal and said goodbye. Qiao did not seem happy with this sudden turn of events: “You know nothing about that man and you're going to follow him just like that?” He said to Nathan.

“The man radiated kindness,” Nathan replied, “that means that he followed his heart.”

“How do you know that this man has good intentions?”

“You don't have to define goodness, you recognize it, Qiao.”

Qiao knew the unending deep trust that Nathan had in the absolute. He knew that Nathan always followed this feeling. In fact, Qiao also knew that something was waiting for Nathan in Hanoi, but he had become so attached to Nathan that he was having difficulty with his departure.

“Are you sure you want to leave tomorrow?” Qiao asked.

Nathan naturally had noticed that Qiao had difficulty saying goodbye.

“Why should I leave later? That would only extend our parting.”

A long silence followed until Nathan spoke up again.

“Qiao, I have noticed that you experience a lot more joy here in China.”

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asked for complete silence. When nothing could be heard, Shuang first looked long and hard at Nathan and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, it seemed as if the Master had obtained insight into what he would mean to Nathan.

“I will help you,” Shuang said to Nathan.

Nathan said nothing and waited for Shuang's next words.

“Come see me tonight and bring Qiao with you. I will teach you how you can hear the sound within yourself, so that you can also see the sound within others.”

After these words, the three men bowed their heads to one another. Nathan and Qiao left the room under the penetrating glances of the people present. When night fell, Nathan and Qiao went to the top floor of the monastery. Shuang was waiting for them in his simple room. Nathan and Qiao sat down in front of the Master and were offered tea, just as they had been with Yeshe. Qiao translated the entire conversation.

“You have already traveled on a beautiful path,” Shuang said to Nathan.

“Are you talking about my travel path or my life path?”

Nathan asked.

“What's the difference?” Shuang answered in turn.

“I have already had the opportunity to become familiar with several life-related contemplations.”

“Are you now better able to understand how each truth comes into existence?” Shuang wanted to know.

“I have learned that each truth consists of a perception. Whether it is right or not, is usually of no consequence. Life contemplation can become a truth when it is able to convince people of its rightness.”

“A truth is indeed created this way. It is perceived, based on the level of consciousness of the perceiver.

Thus, each one of us has our own truths and our own perception of reality. But that is where danger also lies…”

Shuang drank his tea.

“When one considers one's perception of reality as absolute certainty, the desire to announce it as absolute certainty is born and that is the cause of all suffering.”

Nathan listened attentively while Shuang continued talking calmly.

“Each one of us must reflect on the certainties created during a lifetime. Each one must verify whether the current beliefs are justified and whether they are suitable to guide desires.”

In order for this to happen, each one of us would need to possess will, Nathan responded, to search for real knowledge concerning oneself and the current world in which one lives.

“Each one us has the will to realize this, deep within ourselves. One must only make the choice to be accompanied by courage and discipline; courage to

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really dare oneself to discuss fundamental beliefs and discipline to be fully receptive to new visions.”

“Courage and discipline, Qiao said, is the basis of selfdevelopment!”

Shuang nodded and smiled.

“Self-development indeed is the best gift we can give to ourselves!”

Nathan saw that Shuang was clearly pleased that his former student had remembered this statement correctly. The old Master continued the story.

“Each one of us has the need for life wisdom to go through life without becoming a fool. Because of this, each one of us should dare to discuss our beliefs.”

Shuang drank from his tea cup again and looked into Nathan's eyes. As if someone had just spoken wisely, Nathan recognized this look as an announcement of important information. He concentrated and waited patiently for what Shuang would tell him.

“Your nature has always encouraged you to search for life wisdom, Nathan. By now you know that we cannot reach this through reason, but only through experience. It won't take long before you will experience the ultimate life wisdom.”

“The ultimate life wisdom?” Nathan asked.

“The ultimate life wisdom is the pure state,” Qiao replied.

Nathan remembered that Yeshe had also told him about the pure state. Qiao also knew that this information was of great importance to Nathan.

“Different people I have met,” Nathan said, “among whom Yeshe, who advised Qiao to bring me here, have spoken about the pure state. What can you tell me about this, Master Shuang?”

“The pure state is the state of freedom, the state in which one does not know ego, no suffering and no fear. It is the state in which one is completely free of the egoism.”

Nathan and Qiao glanced at each other. They both had to think about the reason for Yeshe's confusion when he saw Nathan for the first time. The look exchanged between Nathan and Qiao did not go unnoticed by the master.

“Indeed, he continued, the ego: that is what you and all the other exceptionals know nothing about.”

“How is this so?” Qiao wanted to know.

“Exceptionals come into life without ego, because of their higher mission.”

“How can Nathan teach us to conquer it then?” Qiao asked.

“By understanding the real reason for the existence of the ego, he will understand how we can conquer the ego.”

Both Qiao and Nathan had to let this sink in.

“How does one achieve the pure state?” Nathan asked.

Shuang took hold of Nathan's shoulders with both his

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“That is not difficult, in my store my life is monotonous, not much happens there.”

“When our life is monotonous, that's not because of our life, but because we are lacking in imagination. It is our imagination that shows us the way out of monotony.”

Qiao wanted to say something, but thought more about Nathan's words “Would you share your thoughts with me?” Nathan asked.

Qiao hesitated at first, but when he saw the sincerity in Nathan's eyes, he decided to confide in him.

“I don't know exactly how to put it into words.”

“Take your time and then speak, I will meet you half way.”

“Do you remember our first conversation with Pete?

At a certain moment, he said he had the feeling that he's wasted time on useless things.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, when I look to people like you, Yeshe or Shuang, who make me feel very small. I am aware that life has brought me into contact with such special guides and what do I do? I keep spending my days without doing anything valuable.”

Qiao was now very emotional. Nathan stayed quiet and let him continue.

“Nathan, will I ever discover my true life purpose?”

“You must discover what you think is important and think about the time you spend doing it.” Using this method, you will rediscover your natural talents and sense your potential.

“That is easier said than done.”

Nathan hugged Qiao and showed him the children playing in the square.

“You have to retrieve your imagination, the one you cherished when you were thinking about your future, Qiao. Then you must find out what limitations are preventing you from retrieving your imagination.”

“And then what?”

“This is how you can create the circumstances that will allow you to realize your dreams. Qiao, I feel like a great assignment is waiting for you here. Once you start, you will discover a special expertise in your work.”

Qiao felt a force liberating itself within him as he was hearing these words.

“Maybe I have to return to live here in a couple of years. Stephanie would be ecstatic if we returned to live.”

“You know, Qiao, even when we have sufficient knowledge, something can hold us back from following our life purpose.”

“What is that?”

“The habit of postponement.”

“The habit of postponement?”

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“Yes, that feeling that allows reasons to enter that has only the appearance of great importance.”

“But I can't just…”

“Following your life purpose is a process that requires total dedication, Qiao. Your whole life depends on who you think you are and on your ambitions.”

Again Qiao knew that Nathan was right.

“You're right, my whole life I have been postponing my deepest ambitions.”

“Regardless of what you do, try to do it with your whole being. This way your consciousness will be raised.”

“I learned from Shuang that when someone wants to let go of a bad habit, they must go in search of a real moment. That's what he called 'the moments in which we can find the power to conquer this habit'.”

“Those are moments when we can create courage and moral strength, the power that directs us to everything that is great within us.”

Nathan and Qiao returned to the hotel. The next morning, Ngai arrived at the hotel early with a backpack on his shoulders. Nathan invited Ngai to join them for breakfast, by the time Qiao came to the table he was radiating joy.

“I have decided to stay here and have already told Stephanie that we are going to live here. I want to mean something to this region and there are enough humanitarian projects we can become involved in; I know we will be happy here.”

“That is a good choice; this is the place you have to be.”

“Yeshe also said this! I'm very grateful to both of you.”

“You have to be grateful to yourself. The real cause of your choice was the change in your way of thinking, which you brought about by yourself.”

“You can be sure that from now on I will always be aware my deepest will is satisfied by my experiences.”

After a long and affectionate hug Nathan left the hotel with Ngai. A long bus ride was awaiting them and a train ride before they could take the plane to Vietnam.

On their way, Nathan became aware that this time he had also let his feeling determine his journey. Even though this time it had happened in a very strange manner. Many questions flashed through his mind.

How could Ngai be so convinced that he had to come and get him? Why had he called him 'Quan'? Who was this mysterious friend of his in Hanoi?

Communicating with Ngai was difficult. Meanwhile, Nathan had learned to recognize the questions for which the answers would only become clearer after some time, so he fell asleep with the thought that it would all become much clearer in Vietnam. www.alexmeroblog.com