Spiritual Lounge March 2012 Issue

Issue : March 2012

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Vol : XXI

SPIRITUAL LOUNGE E-MAGAZINE

Spiritual Lounge Year of the ‘Consciousness in Motion’ 2012

Mar 2012

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers, There are more ills in the world and to combat that, knowledge and belief in spirituality is essential. Nothing revolves more than one's own karmic bondages. There is no one out there playing any games, nor is the world really a stage. We are all moving on our own paths created by none other than ourselves. We alone are responsible for our actions and reactions.

We alone are answerable to our own souls. We alone make and break the destiny and we alone evolve over time and space. There is no one doing it for us and no one else is responsible for our state.

There are more evolved souls and lesser evolved souls than our ownselves. Everyone walks the path made by them and only for them. The sooner this is realized the better for the soul as it can then move at a greater speed to start discarding the karmic cover over it and start revealing its true identity. There comes a time in every life when the consciousness accepts and trusts its deeper side the un-consciousness or sub-consciousness. It makes the way for it and joins in rather than competing with it!

This is also called 'Consciousness in Motion' the year 2012 is dedicated in realizing the crucial step the consciousness has to make. Come join in and spread the level of awareness amongst all.

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,

Editor

editor@spirituallounge.com Cover page Photo: Clock Tower, Seychelles Copyrights: All rights reserved SPIRITUAL LOUNGE EMAGAZINE Š 2010-2012

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Mar 2012

CONTENT

CONTENT WEB approach to Peak Potential and Bliss - By Dr. Amit Nagpal Page 4 There is no Right or Wrong - By Dhara Kothari Page 5

Book Corner

The Common Artisans of Love Page 6

Free will and the will for free will - By Sushmita Mukherjee Page 7 - 8

Cinema Hall : Living Without Money - Movie Review by Jean Jessup Page 9

Cinema Hall :Beauty in Darkness - Movie Review by Aileen Collo Amparo Page 10

Is Enlightenment Perfection? - By Myra Godfrey Page 11 - 12 Love Me In Spite of my Faults - By Betty Alark Page 12 Simplicity‌. The rarest virtue - By Mohit Soni Page 13 SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari Page 14 - 22

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Page 23 - 30

I Want To Live Each Day As If It Were My Last - By Betty Alark Page 30 THE POWER WITHIN ME by Betty Alark Page 30

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

WEB approach to Peak Potential and Bliss - By Dr. Amit Nagpal

Mar 2012

WEB approach to Peak Potential and Bliss How can we realise our peak performance potential? What role does spirituality play in realizing our peak potential? How to move from the web of life to the web of happiness, joy and peak performance? I have developed WEB approach to answer these questions, which I would face from clients regularly.

WEB stands for Whole (Holistic), Energy and Balance. Let me explain what I mean by these terms, what their connection with spirituality is and how these concepts help us in realizing our peak potential in our personal and professional lives.

Whole-We are getting too specialized, oriented and forgetting the big picture. Let us say, you are a finance specialist. Does that mean, you only need the knowledge of finance? No you must understand the relationship finance has with HR, marketing, IT and production. That's why I always say, “You need to be a Jack of all trades and master of one.” Even in MBA institutes the focus is shifting to understanding the holistic nature of things and on integrating the specialized area with other areas. Spirituality always emphasises upon the holistic view or taking the whole into view, hence WEB approach is inspired by spiritual principles.

I have developed an interesting concept called Joy Quotient. If I express it in the form of a simple equation: Joy Quotient (JQ) = KQ + CQ + DQ + WQ + RQ + LQ + PQ + GQ Let us find the god in details now. Joy (or Joy Quotient) is composed of the eight quotients of KQ or Knowledge of self, CQ or Connection with self, DQ or Deepest Passion, WQ or Wisdom, RQ or Relationships, LQ or Leisure, PQ or Pamper (physical and emotional health) and GQ or Giving back. The first seven are the primary quotients because generally it's when our own emotional and ego tanks become full that we want to give back to the society. There are few exceptions, of people, who in spite of being in middle class try to give back to society in kind, if not in cash. (My book entitled 'The 7 Joys of Life' 4

discusses this concept in detail and will be releasing shortly.)

Energy-Once I had posted on Facebook, “We have two hands, we use mostly one, we have twopart of a brain, we mostly use one, there is matter and energy but we are focused on one. No wonder humanity has lost its balance.” We need to surround ourselves with people who lift us higher through their positive energy (which can come from vibrations, words and actions). We also need to remember that some people bring negative energy in our life. Either our energy should be more powerful to overpower their energy or we should simply stay away.

Meditation can help us discover our deepest passion and understand our innermost desires.

Once we have discovered our deepest passion, we will automatically get the energy required to travel the path of our life's mission and purpose.

So if you have LIFE in your life, rest of the things will take care of themselves.

Balance- Once we have developed the holistic view of things and understood the role of energy, we finally have to strive for balance. Balancing is the toughest part of the job and can be like a tight ropewalk but it is worth it. You might ask me, “I want to balance but I lack the wisdom to do it.

How do I know when to balance what, as we have to focus and sometimes a certain activity (like illness of loved one) can take all our time and energy and throw us off balance?” That is the challenge- to balance as much as possible, whenever possible and to the best of our ability.

We will keep on failing and falling off the rope.

But just remember fall seven times, stand up eight. The wisdom to find the balance will automatically come when you are connected with the best in you, your inner voice.

As you work on the WEB approach and realise your peak potential, you will we ready to come out of the WEB of life and ready to move into the WEB of perfect happiness and bliss.

Dr Amit Nagpal amitknagpal@gmail.com

There is no Right or Wrong - By Dhara Kothari

Mar 2012

There is no Right or Wrong There are no right or wrong answers or even questions! Every knowledge, every information is variable, it's constantly updating itself and has multiple views to it.

Every answer is like an elephant and different people touch various parts of the elephant to describe it differently but inevitably it is nothing but the same elephant. It is the individual outlook, individual circumstances, individual perception and individual experience that make up the answer or information. Sometimes even the facts.

Jin doctrine calls it the 'Anekantvad'. It refers to the principles of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, and that no single point of view is the complete truth. Consequently, no single, specific, human view can claim to represent the absolute truth. It encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties.

And anyone that clings too dogmatically to its own opinions is committing an error based on its limited point of view. According to Jain thinking, the ultimate principle should always be logical and no principle can be devoid of logic or reason.

Thus, the Jain texts contain deliberative exhortations on every subject, whether they are constructive or obstructive, inferential or analytical, enlightening or destructive.

Hence taking a more realistic viewpoint Jins is said to have explained the nature of the soul as both permanent, from the point of view of underlying substance, and temporary, from the point of view of its modes and modification. This can also be applied to any broad framework, rather than espouse narrow partisan views to any information.

In Anekantvad, there is no 'battle of ideas', because this is considered to be a form of intellectual 'himsa' or violence, leading quite logically to physical violence and war. In today's world, the limitations of the adversarial, 'either with us or against us' form of argument are

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increasingly apparent by the fact that the argument leads to political, religious, social and other conflicts. Anekantvad can also provide solution to many problems facing the world today. For example, the mounting ecological crisis is linked to adversarialism, because it arises from a false division between humanity and 'the rest' of nature. Modern judicial systems, democracy, freedom of speech, etc., all implicitly reflect an attitude of Anekantvad.

However, there are natural critics to this doctrine. It is often criticized on the grounds that they engender a degree of hesitancy and uncertainty, and may compound problems rather than solve them. It is argued that if reality is so complex that no single doctrine can describe it adequately. Fair enough but then that is what the reality is! It does not stick to any one thought. But what can be acceptable is the reasonable solution to a given problem or information. The affirmation of the existence of an object is in respect to the object itself, and its negation is in respect to what the object is not.

Genuine Anekantvad thus considers positive and negative attributes of an object, at the same time, and without any contradictions.

Every research, every discovery and every invention, every law, in itself is never complete.

Like nature and the ever evolving universe it never ever remains constant. Taking instead the relativist stance that for every question there are many 'right' answers that reflect from different angles and in varying degrees to the one truth.

This multiplicity also rises to the opposite balance. Like there is gravity and anti-gravity or the existence of the dark invisible matter to counter the visible universe, the invisible other side of the moon and lots more. They exist, they balance and they are part of the whole object.

Negative or positive is merely an outlook but part of the whole! In short, the other side of the coin does exist and that is also the truth!

Mar 2012

Book Corner

The Common Artisans of Love The strange meetings of two women, two friends, who enter in contact with martial arts of some kind of secret agents full of passion, and the psychic powers of one of the two, who discovers their secrets. When attraction or repulsion never happens by chance, but in order to lead us through the path of inner evolution.

On March the 30th 1988 I come back from my tour around the world. My friend Viola comes to see me, we are very happy to meet each other again. I give her the sculpture of a Buddha, made of black stone. Viola suggests me to go to dance and one night we go to the Stork Club in Milano Marittima where we meet Mauro and Michele. They start to flirt with us but we don't care; Viola says that Mauro is a show-off and a bore.

They invite us to dinner, we make up our minds and we agree. The second time we meet, the two men turn out to be out of the ordinary: funny and common at the same time. Michele works as a medical officer in the jail of Forlì while Mauro is a Karate teacher. They keep on joking about the fact that Mauro not only is Michele's karate teacher, but also his sexology teacher. Viola and I are a little bit confused, we don't know if they are telling the truth or not. We have dinner in a restaurant in Cesenatico, near the canal. Our waiter is so pale that looks like a ghost, “probably the reincarnation of a previous waiter” I say. My friends start laughing and we talk about my paranormal experiences.

Mauro is very interested in that and he asks me what I have discovered. I explain him that man is just like a dirty diamond: through life he can clean himself: leaving hate, envy and material stuff he will be able to find an inner Self and shine like a pure diamond. Michele laughs and says that cleaning Mauro's diamond will be very hard. Viola suggests using an iron brush. We laugh and from that moment on, the night are full of jokes.

Viola falls in love with Mauro but that doesn't happen between Michele and me, we are friends.

One night Viola tells me that Mauro behaves in strange ways, she is afraid he is a criminal or a pusher. I tell her she has a lively imagination and she should write thrillers. But she is right about the behaviour of the two men, they are strange. One night I tell them: “Suppose you are secret agents...a kind of 00...stop”. From that night on, they will behave more and more strangely, and they let us suppose they are real secret agents: Mauro often is abroad and Michele is moved to the Jail of Florence. In the meanwhile I work for a few weeks on the ship Ausonia.

One night I dream I am in the desert where I meet two hippies.

The one with cold blue eyes tells me I am his girlfriend, and then he turns into Jesus Christ. The dream changes, Jesus and I sit under a window of the room where he had the Last Supper, he takes my hands and kisses my cheek, he is very sad. When I wake up I try to understand the dream. Viola keeps thinking about Mauro and his life as a secret agent, and she dreams in front of TV watching James Bond movies. When I disembark, my father tells me that my house is ready. I can live alone, now.

One day Viola tells me that Mauro has a friend (a Digos officer) who wants to meet me, his name is Antonio. I tell Viola about my dream and the hippies, I am sure that a story will start between Antonio and me, but in a very sad time of my life, because the desert means death. Viola doesn't believe too much in dreams and she blames me for my behaviour. But I know that dreams are messages of our inner self to help us face the future and avoid bad

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events. When I meet Antonio I notice the same cold blue eyes, he is handsome and he tells us that Mauro is not with him that night.

We sit down, but I would be better going home. I remember the dream and the future pain he will give me; but I stay. Antonio reveals me that Mauro is a liar: he is not a Digos officer, but a simple engineer; Mauro is married and has got a daughter.

Michele and he played the secret agents and they teased us.

Antonio tells also he was a hippy when he was young.

When I tell Viola what I know, she doesn't believe it. But, thanks to a private detective, she discovers the whole truth. She decides to take her revenge on Mauro. Antonio and I start flirting, he tells me he is divorced, but one day I call him and a woman answer: his wife. I am very angry, Antonio explains she still lives with him because she is looking for a house, but I don't believe him.

Fortunately, I have to work again on the Ausonia, where I dream about my father's health which troubles me. Even one fortune-teller met in Barcelona on the Ramblas during a walk, tells me about my love and the death of my relative. I decide to invite my parents and my sister Rossana on board.

Mom tells me that dad doesn't feel good, but they come.

During the cruise I notice that there is something wrong with my father's health, he is always tired and he doesn't want to move. He promises me to see the doctor when they come back. After disembark of my parents, I dream of Buddha who gives me a message of hope: life after death. I try to prepare for the worst. I keep in contact with Viola, her revenge is working. Antonio wants my address but I forbid her to give it to him.

One day I am obliged to leave the ship immediately: my father has lungs tumour with metastasis. He runs away from the hospital in his pyjamas, and after a day finally one man finds him on the bank of the Senio River. He was staring at the water in the sunset. I decide to leave my job and stay at home to help my mother taking care of my father.

One evening Viola comes to see me, she tells me that Mauro has paid off all his “debts” at last. She suggests having a walk on the beach, but she takes me to the Kursaal, a dancing club, where I meet Antonio. He tells me that his wife has gone, so we start our story again. After 54 days of cross, my father dies.

On September the 14th 1989. The day of his funeral he has three orchids in his hands and a smile on his face, as if he wanted to tell us he is in a better place now. Six months later I discover that Antonio is unfaithful to me. That's enough. I definitely leave him for the Caribbean and I embark on a new ship.

Elisabetta Errani Emaldi E-mail address: errani.emaldi@alice.it http://www.errani-emaldi-sceneggiature.it h t t p : / / w w w . e s verso.net/community/elisabettaerraniemaldi

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Free will and the will for free will - By Sushmita Mukherjee

Mar 2012

Free will and the will for free will Does Free Will Exist? If so, then what is free will and how free it is?

These questions are asked freely and incessantly because time and again we read and hear about the gift of Free Will that we are said to have been gifted with. Yet we find ourselves not to be the product of our choices but of the choices levied on us and hence there is not any execution of free will, is what we have concluded, and continue to. To us it remained a myth and continues. But a persistent journey within and with an openness to accept the answers, however contradicting and paradigm shifting, leads us to realize that there indeed exists free will. A will that is free, indeed and in deed. Though yet again, it is a matter of free will to accept the answers.

The moment we realize what we are that we are essentially essence; we realize the world as the reflection of our own essence, which it actually is.

And the moment we realize selves to be an essence, we realize further that we do have a will that is free because essence, non-physical, is essentially independent. And with that comes the revelation to us though revealed by many earlier, that Free Will is not a myth.

All that we have around us, is the surrounding created by us, utilizing our free will rather freely; even if unbeknownst to us in keeping with the level of awareness from which these choices are made. The refusal to use the free will too is an act of free will. I know indications to the contrary are prevalent, as experienced and the statements made here would appear more theoretical, than practical or factual, if not at least rejected as metaphorical. There could be arguments that 'We were imposed upon' but then one can be imposed upon only when one allows one to impose on one's own self again an act of free will.

What we have Though what we 'have' is a result not only of our 'being' and 'doing' in this lifetime, but are effects which are the sum total of all that the soul has experienced and integrated. The soul, our essence, is on an eternal journey through which it evolves as it accrues evolution in each lifetime, in a unique fashion. It is difficult for the mind to comprehend what it cannot see the metaphysical. So instead of taxing it too much, it would be great if we could just take a trip down the memory lane yes, of that which it can comprehend, this lifetime we would realize that what we 'are' is a result of what we 'had been' and

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what we 'are' is what 'creates' what we 'get', as and in, our life. And with this would come to the fore how many times, before, we have actually choked our free will freely simply to go along, in order to get along. Of course reasons could be many for one's actions and I do not intend to hurt sentiments, but as seekers on this spiritual path once we realize that we are souls, spiritual beings having a human journey, the acceptance becomes easier. Any action, voluntary or coerced, when carried out remains the action of the individual and that action more often than not is ruled by the thoughts on the consequences. So though the Will remains free, since we allow its usage only with an eye on the consequences, we think that it is not free. Yet it could not be freer.

Because the will to be free is our primal instinct. And to believe, that we have indeed a free will, we should be willing to take responsibility of our own life. As with acceptance of the free will we automatically say yes to that responsibility.

Are we ready to own up the responsibility?

Or we prefer to sit back and state that our life is decided by all, but us? It is our answer which would decide our belief and vice-versa. If we believe that we have a free will, we have it. Because it is our belief which creates our life consciously and unconsciously.

And with that belief, would come up taking the responsibility for our own life. Once we decide it indeed is so, the rest becomes easy as we realize fully: The soul which we are is innately free And through the physical forms that our soul dons, we have to have the will to believe that we will be free.

What we believe, we beget and create.

Owning up even the unconscious choices Our thoughts are potent they are energy. And energy converts to mass with the force of will. But for all this to happen, we also have to have the belief it is our conscious or unconscious Will that lands us with a life that we land up with. The land is irrigated by us and its fertility too, enhanced or reduced. Over and above all, the seed we sow grows because as we sow, so we reap. If we take the credit for all desirable happenings in life then we should take the credit for the undesirable too, instead of giving others the discredit for the same. And we would do this when: (i) We realize that we are the creator and the created. (ii) And what we call the undesirable is actually the catalyst for our evolution. Thus desirable! And

Free will and the will for free will - By Sushmita Mukherjee automatically then we would deem selves to be the one's to be credited with the creation of that which has been created the situation, hitherto considered anything but positive!

A Will to accept all as one's own doing fills one with the confidence in the capability to change the situation that one doesn't like as one then truly Wills to Change it.

A situation we create unconsciously (most are so) and then define selves with respect to it. But now with consciousness of it, even if the choice had been unconscious we can define selves consciously in a desired manner from the context of our knowledge of who we are and in the given situation Who We Choose to be, as Neale Donald Walsh says. We accept what is and then choose to change it to what we feel should be, depending on which facet of ours we choose to realize, experience and in doing so define selves as kind, unkind, arrogant, compassionate, erudite, emotional, empathetic, loving.

And this consciousness about the unconscious choosing, and with corroboration obtained in the form of our conscious choices found to materialize, sheds light on the much debated and elusive concept of Free Will and removes the shade of confusion from the 'shade' of its being myth or a reality. Clarity becomes a shade clearer.

Mar 2012

we consciously surrender we operate as one that we are and the one with whom we are is absolutely free.

The choice to surrender is the best use of our free will.

As we choose as one, we create wonders, for self and all on which the mind is left to ponder and wonder, 'I Wonder how the wonders are created without me as the doer'. Well doers we are not we are simply the tools to realize the divinity within by releasing the expressions of the divine, freely by utilizing the free will to merge consciously with that of the source.

Since the creator and the created are one, our will is one with the creator as we merge within. This causes an emergence of an emerging Force which soon becomes an emergent force with the urgency of The Life Force.

The will to change others will lead nowhere but the will to change self and be the change would lead to the change that one wishes and will be the cause and effect, of the change. And since life is change in motion, the receptivity to change implies the will to change, change all that is changing or has changed, which one wills to change. And will change, when the will to change overpowers wills otherwise. Will our will to the source within. Where there is will there is no wilting. So wield your free will freely but not as the physical self that you are being but by being the spiritual being that you are.

Life is at our disposal Will is Free, if we Will. Whether we accept or not it is the usage of our free will, freely which wields the decisive wand on our decisions. Through it whether we create freedom or not, are again our choice.

Whether it would be a magical wand or willow is decided by our choosing! As we use our free will so we churn out our life script it. Whether it would be nondescript life or otherwise it is our choice. As our free will is at our disposal, thus is our Life.

Note: Even this article is an act of Free Will merging with free will of the source within otherwise it wouldn't have 'happened', with the mind, which had earlier been inhibiting me from choosing free will as the topic. It is not the will of mind that finds it here but the will of soul, willed to and merged with the source of all creations, that brings out the article which I with all humility accept as the product of my free will, albeit one with the source, of course. And the same is wished and prayed for all.

So how do we use our free will consciously or unconsciously? Allow the mind or the soul to direct our free will?

philosopher.mukherjee@gmail.com http://fruitsofintrospection.blogspot.com

Utilization of Free Will It is here that with surrender to the source within, the free will is found to merge with the source within. As we surrender selves, we surrender our free wills too yet it remains free in fact absolutely free as it has been designed to be. With surrender we access and realize our oneness with the source within. All choices are made by use of the free will from the higher perspective of the higher self. The divine source. As

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Mar 2012

Cinema Hall

Living Without Money Movie Review by Jean Jessup “Money distracts us from what's important.”- Heidemarie Schwermer, Living Without Money is a documentary by Line Halvorsen about Heidemarie Schwermer, a retired psychotherapist, who decided over 14 years ago to start living without using money. What I mean by money is any currency (electronic, coin or bills), any credit, and any alternative currency. Not using money started out as an experiment and now it's a way of life for her. She gave everything away, let go of her apartment and started housesitting. She likes to travel, so this transient lifestyle suits her.

Everything she owns fits in a carry-on suitcase. When she is not house-sitting, she is invited to stay at people's homes while she is giving classes, counseling and lecturing about living without money. House-sitting clients and organizations where she speaks pay for her travel. She trades her labor and takes surplus food from farmer's markets and food stores to provide for her other living expenses.

This film also shows that some people think she is just a parasite.

She is not really "living without money," but living on the money of others by accepting gifts and trade from those who originally acquired their goods with money.

On the other hand, Heidemarie believes due to greed, the economic system will collapse even more than it has and we all need to start to experience a moneyless system now. Our current monetary system creates anxiety over security concerns and many interviewed in the film expressed their fears. But Heidemarie feels she has no worries and experiences increasing freedom the more she lets go of using money.

Heidemarie says things don't work in our current economic system and as a result, people are not fulfilled. Her purpose is to create a more simple life and help others do the same. She gives workshops where participants from all walks of life learn to live without using money for a week.

Afterwards they discuss their experience in relation to money. She says it's not just getting a free meal; it's that more fundamental realizations happen.

A group of young women from an environmental youth group, kind of like Greenpeace, took the challenge for a week. They started out bartering with only one pencil. Most shopkeepers shown in the film seemed to joyfully embrace bartering with them. One shop owner just wanted to make a gift to the barterers, but the girls insisted on a trade. So he agreed to trade gifts. They started out with a pencil and ended up bringing home bags of things. The girls ended up understanding that you don't even have to trade to get what they need. To experience real abundance, you just come from the level of helping each other.

Heidemarie allows herself to get into the flow of receiving and giving without expectations of getting back. Bartering is just a start to get into the flow of manifesting what you want.

Heidemarie says, “I have developed a strong confidence. I know that everything I need will always be available to me.” Money, in this case, is essentially replaced with an energy exchange. Gifts have great energy and when trading is done in this spirit, the energy exchange is huge. You could say it's a win-win situation.

Heidemarie helped to set up exchange markets and exchange circles where people bring things to give away and come to take whatever they want. A similar system called, The Really Really

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Free Market system, has sprung up all over the U.S. This kind of system seems to be quite natural. Even in the U.S. we see penny cups provided everywhere at stores and restaurants for people to take or leave a penny.

Heidemarie does not live a poor life. She showed some of her students that they could trade for spa time. There is great abundance all around us. Seeing how one can take advantage of unused surpluses of food thrown away by farmer's markets, grocery stores and restaurants is real evidence of the abundance everywhere. The documentary, Dive, shows that the amount of food thrown away everyday could feed the world. So in terms of money, scarcity is only a perception. There is plenty to go around.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and found it to be way too short at a mere 52 minutes. I would love to learn more in depth about the realizations people had from not using money and Heidemarie's experiences in manifesting what she needs and wants for herself.

She has written a book on her experiences without money called, Das Sterntaler experiment: Mein Leben Ohne Geld, or The Star Valley Experiment: My Life Without Money. It is not yet translated into English. I would very much like to see an expanded version of this film or a sequel. At the very least I'd like to read the book.

I don't take this film or Heidemarie's lifestyle as the only way to live without using money. Her lifestyle works for her because she is retired and likes to travel. For people who would like to have a place to call home, this would not be the correct lifestyle. I have seen YouTube videos of people who have squatted and are living in make-shift shacks with no regular plumbing, or modern conveniences. I don't think anyone has to live that way either. There are people who are pulling away from the system more and more and becoming self-sufficient and doing it in a comfortable way.

It may seem hypocritical to say you are living without money in a society that runs on it; but I think the point of what Heidemarie is trying to show people is how to live calmly and abundantly if and when the global economy completely collapses. I used to be in a group to create a local currency. One of our members would always bring up the point that if we woke up and there was no money; we would soon realize that we don't need it. At that time, I didn't believe that people would have the presence of mind to think like that. After seeing this film it now makes sense. This documentary is an example of how people can choose to live their lives if money does disappear. Heidemarie also says, “Many people tell me, 'With you around, life is easier.' Many people write to tell me, 'Your living without money encourages us, because we fear ending up in the gutter.'” An economic collapse doesn't have to be hunger, homelessness, looting and riots in the street. An economic collapse can actually be an experience of freedom from a system that causes us so much anxiety and a realization of great abundance and self-empowerment. It's how we choose to perceive it.

This film is available on DVD and can be purchased through the Living Without Money website. And you can see a trailer there.

I'm going to ask my local DVD store to order it. I'm sure it will be very popular in light of what's happening in the world's economies.

Cinema Hall

Mar 2012

Beauty in Darkness A beautiful movie for beautiful people Beauty in Darkness Movie is a documentary of four short stories portraying difficult situations that people in Gumaca are suffering from, a typical scenario of a dark reality occurring in different parts of the world. It is in the most challenging situations that the intangible is hardest to recognize. However, the people in the movie demonstrate that the beautiful qualities are truly inherent in people despite of darkness.

The movie is divided into four chapters and the fifth as a conclusion.

Chapter 1: A Mountain of Compassion –Volunteer teachers showed compassion for the children who are not even their own by sacrificing their salary, time and effort.

This makes one ask, where does this level of compassion come from?

Chapter 2: Junks of happinessHorrific living condition is an everyday reality for parents and children who are sifting garbage to survive. In the midst of it all, laughter will be heard all around while working energetically. Where on earth does this sparks of happiness come from?

Chapter 3: Unimpaired strength - A grandmother takes care of three disabled children. (Mentally disabled, physically disabled and deaf) Two of them were abandoned by parents. Everyday struggle for all of them to survive didn't take her strength down. She must be a real life superwoman.

Chapter 4: A Young Hope – A high school student who is smart but none of his parents can support his education. However oblivious is this child's future, he kept his hope high and determination to succeed.

Chapter 5: Life – Aileen, the director of the movie, celebrated her birthday with the garbage people. A simple act of kindness easily triggered the joy and laughter among them.

How these people manage to be happy despite of 10

their condition remains a mystery for Aileen who had been a long time pessimist and is just starting to open her eyes to the beauty of things.

The movie does not only serve as a reminder to focus on the intangible human virtues as an advantage to recreate a beautiful world but also give the socially invisible a voice.

The cause of their suffering whether they should be blamed for their fate or be pitied as victims of a corrupt system is not tackled for it requires superhuman understanding in order to justify the present condition of mankind. There is an intelligent force running this whole show of Life in which man could only theorize, if not come close to the absolute truth.

Whatever the situation is, it is proven that the light within the heart of man will always shine and the inner beauty is the kind that never fades.

Darkness is essential to our growth. But it is also through it that we cultivate our beauty.

“We can rise from the darkness we are in. We can recreate a whole new world knowing our light and strength is there to never shrink our experiences into fear but expand ourselves with love, care, peace, harmony, strength and the list of beautiful qualities within never ends” – Aileen Collo Amparo Beauty in Darkness can be viewed for free here: http://www.beautyindarkness.org E m a i l t h e d i r e c t o r aileen@beautyindarkness.org

Is Enlightenment Perfection? - By Myra Godfrey

Mar 2012

Is Enlightenment Perfection?

Most people on a spiritual path have asked the question, “What is enlightenment?” Another common question is “what do I need to do to be enlightened?” While these are not easy questions to answer, as no two people are alike and everyone must walk their own journey back to the Divine Source, I would like to help dispel one common myth about the concept of enlightenment. Is enlightenment synonymous with perfection? No, no it is not.

opposites of this; perfection and mastery suggest years and years of hard work, dedication and building up towards the peak of perfection, not in dissolving everything back down to nothingness. One can think of mastery as being able to delve into the nothingness in an instant and that would be more accurate, but to think of mastery as learning is where the misconception takes place. Growing on an authentic spiritual path is a process of unlearning.

In order to walk a spiritual path, one must have clarity of what one is trying to achieve in order to be successful. Let's take a look at the concepts of both perfection and enlightenment. To be 'perfect' at something implies that one has reached a state of mastery of a specific concept or task. Well, even one who is a master at something is not always perfect at his or her task!

They may be pretty darned close to the ideal, but perfection as we think about it, at least here in the West, really does a great disservice to humanity as a whole. How can anyone be perfect? Perfect at what precisely, and who is it that sets the standard for perfection? No two people perceive the world exactly the same way, so how can any one person be the executive authority on what is perfect or not? Absolutes in a subjective reality just don't work.

I know what you are thinking; how can that be when we need to learn to meditate, learn mantras, learn to bring the mind under control, etc. etc. True, these things need to happen, but one can never make any of them happen. All of this is a natural spontaneous process as we learn to further and further let go of everything that is not our own divine center and divine consciousness. By choosing to hold onto rubbish that does not serve us such as limiting thought patterns and habits, the inner parts of the being are forced to fight against all that does not serve instead of using this brilliant divine intelligence to lead towards growth. To grow without first unlearning would be like trying to plant a bed of flowers where weeds are tall and thriving. One by one, the weeds must first be removed to give space and nutrients for the flowers to grow.

In a world of subjective reality, how is it possible to put anything to a rigid test of absolute ideals?

Rigidity is a sign of tamasic inertia, the exact opposite of where spiritual seekers strive for. So if rigidity is tamasic or constrictive and absolutes in a subjective world are a mirage, how is it that so many spiritual seekers hold onto this idea of perfection for so long? Is it a maya that is drawn over people so they don't even begin the journey, or is it internal fear coming forth to discourage a person from trying to attain something that is to most, inconceivable?

Western psychology still teaches that the core of a person is inherently bad; that we need to overcome our animalistic nature to evolve to being human. Yogic scriptures teach exactly the opposite; that we are all pure divinity in the core of our being. All that is needed to be happy, radiant and joyful is to find your center and realize your-Self. This is a pretty big difference in thinking and one that has caused a lot of problems for people trying to find the path that works for them. These basic concepts have almost completely been lost in the West. The first most important thing to do is to evaluate which of these two philosophies you deeply believe; humans being inherently good at their core or being inherently bad. This comes down to inner discernment. If you believe you are bad, how can you even grow if your root essence is negative? It does not make any sense!

Enlightenment is equated with the concept of shunia, or 'zero'. Shunia means that you are nothing, you are holding onto nothing so that everything has the possibility of flowing and manifesting freely through you. The common perception of perfection and mastery are 11

Is Enlightenment Perfection? - By Myra Godfrey

This is where the perception of enlightenment and spirituality as a whole need to shift. It's not about being 'perfect' in the Western conception of how much can I get and what can I attain to?

It's about learning to heal oneself of all the untruths that have been learned along the way; learning how to let go of everything that is not serving your highest calling, and be willing to walk forward with deep faith that success in life is your birth-right. I am curious. How many of you were taught this? How many of you really believe that you can completely succeed with your deepest hearts desires?

Mar 2012

profit organization) and Hridaya Healing to teach the unity of many systems of eastern philosophy and to help people overcomes obstacles to their growth and fulfillment in life.

She does healing work, personal consultations, workshops, yoga classes, homam (fire ceremony) and teaches sadhana practices from the Bhagavad-Gita and the tantric Sri Vidya lineage.

You can learn more at www.gitaforthemasses.org and www.hridayahealing.com. You can contact Myra by e-mail at jayajayamyra@gmail.com. © Myra Godfrey

The concept of enlightenment as a process of unlearning makes the spiritual journey much more accessible to everyone, because one is not setting themselves up to a false, unattainable standard of perfection. Realistic, clear goals in life lead to realistic, attainable results. Of course, very few people will go on to, or even want to reach a state of enlightened consciousness because of the responsibility it carries, but to have a realistic conception of what spirituality is and is not is helpful for everyone. It takes away fear of moving forward and fear is one of the greatest enemies of all. Fear prevents people from even trying, and in some cases, from doing anything at all. If you do not try, you will never grow. If you are paralyzed in fear, unable to move, what good can come to you and through you? Life will continue to move forward. Seasons will always change and opportunities will come and go. One of the only constants in life is change. Don't let life pass you by due to the illusion of fear and don't let fear shape a false perception of the reality you live in.

Let's redefine the concept of enlightenment now: A blissful, always moving, always flowing, and always changing eternal connection to the infinite force of divinity. It is the blossoming of your own heart center to radiate light and truth consciousness into the world with no mirage or false perception to cast shadow on your unending light. Perhaps this is perfection, but a much different perception of perfection than the mind has been taught to believe.

Myra has founded Gita for the Masses (a non12

Love Me In Spite of my Faults It is the reference of who you have been against me that haunts me - how do I take that reference away?

I don't desire for my thoughts to judge nor condemn you - I desire to love you; yet, is it wise to keep no reference of who you have been against me?

How do I respond and react towards someone who has hurt me in the past, and not see nor remember who they have been against me?

How do I keep the reference from standing in the way of providing love, in spite of someone's faults against me?

Like a mirror “self” reflects my own faults which is to recall the reference against you of who you have been against me I see my fault and it hinders me - how do I love you in spite of my fault?

I ask for forgiveness for my fault - I repent and surrender it to the Lord I need help to overcome my fault - thanks for revealing it to me!

Call me out of the darkness that I am in - and make my heart genuine in spite of someone's faults I desire to love in spite of someone's faults Love me in spite of my faults!

Betty Alark

Simplicity…. The rarest virtue - By Mohit Soni

Mar 2012

Simplicity…. The rarest virtue Long time back, there was a very popular saint.

Not only where he lived, but also in very far away areas, were his discourses popular. People used to come to him to seek enlightening words. Once, a very rich and opulent man went to meet him.

He asked the saint to show him a way to attain enlightenment in the shortest time. He said he was too busy to recite scriptures and similar long texts and also he couldn't afford much time to seek Him. In turn he promised to pay as much as the saint wanted.

The saint thought for a while and promised to give him a Mantra that will bring him immense happiness and wealth. The man was happy to hear that. Accordingly, the saint whispered in his ears the mantra which comprised only a word, “Simplicity”.

The man looked stunned on what this could possibly mean! The saint went on to explain that simplicity is the shortest mantra to get rid of all the sins and vices of life, and if followed in letter and spirit, could bring enlightenment in the simplest ways.

food tastier and healthier than raw one. We think aerated drinks as cool. We need air conditioners.

We need comfortable beds and lots of technology to do our work.

And now the time has come when we can't even live without a mobile phone. We need television to entertain ourselves. And the most ironical thing is that we need social networking sites to socialise. We have begun to know people by their profiles. We ask for their online name instead of real life introduction.

We have made ourselves too complex to sit and relax for some time. Sometimes we literally have to beg to people to listen to us. We constantly ask for other's company to be happy. In a way, we have authorised people to hurt us. So much vulnerability has been injected in us by ourselves that we can't even sit peacefully to meditate for some time. I have heard many people complaining that they can't keep their mind thoughtless even for a single minute! So much disturbed we are from within!

And it's all because we have forgot how to become Simple. That's the key.

How true it is!

If we give it a serious thought, we can easily relate with the fact that we human beings are actually not devised to be complex. Complexity is a man made thing that is inherited and inflicted upon us from our artificial surroundings. I referred surroundings as artificial because otherwise Mother Nature is very simple. If we find things complex and difficult, those must have been designed by ourselves only.

Way back in the olden times when there was no technology, we used to live much longer than we live today. Man would eat naturally produced fruits and vegetables. He drank the waters of rivers. He would sleep in the open air. He would preserve nature and in turn nature would nurture him. It was simplicity alone that prevailed in the all the acts of human.

But with time, we changed. We found processed 13

We need to hear ourselves. We need to look within for solutions. We need to shift our focus of control from external to internal. Don't let too much technology enter your life. Use it but don't let it use you. Make communication effective by sitting together and talking rather that logging together and chatting. Recognise people by face rather than by face book. Sit quietly for some time and decide what you really need to live and what you can do away with. You may find most of the things around, only a burden and nothing else.

You have plenty of time if you can empty your mind from complex thoughts.

This is what the mantra is, Simplicity.

Mohit Soni Mob no: +91 8130824151 Email id: mohit.soni97@rediffmail.com

SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari

Mar 2012

SEYCHELLES Another World Seychelles is officially the Republic of Seychelles.

Is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Réunion to the south, Comoros and Mayotte to the southwest.

Scholars assume that Austronesian seafarers and later Maldivian and other traders were the first to visit the uninhabited Seychelles. Remains of Maldivian mariner presence from the 12th century were found in Silhouette Island.

The earliest recorded s i g h t i n g b y Europeans took place in 1502 by the Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama, who passed through the Amirantes and named them after himself (islands of the Admiral). A transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the islands were occasionally used by pirates until the French began to take control starting in 1756 when a Stone of Possession was laid by Captain Nicholas Morphey. The islands were named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV's Minister of Finance. The British contested control over the islands between 1794 and 1810. Jean Baptiste Quéau de Quincy, French administrator of Seychelles during the years of war with the United Kingdom, declined to resist when armed enemy warships arrived.

Instead, he successfully negotiated the status of capitulation to Britain which gave the settlers a privileged position of neutrality. Britain 14

eventually assumed full control upon the surrender of Mauritius in 1810, formalized in 1814 at the Treaty of Paris. Seychelles became a crown colony separate from Mauritius in 1903.

Elections were held in 1966 and 1970.

Independence was granted in 1976 as a republic within the Commonwealth.

The Seychelles president, who is both head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term of office. The cabinet is presided over and appointed by the president, subject to the approval of a majority of the l e g i s l a t u r e .

Seychelles is divided into twenty-five administrative regions that comprise all of the inner islands. Eight of the districts make up the capital of Seychelles and are referred to as Greater Victoria.

Another 14 districts are considered the rural part of the main island of Mahé with two districts on Praslin and one on La Digue which also includes respective satellite islands. The rest of the Outer Islands are not considered part of any district.

The climate is equable although quite humid, as the islands are small. The temperature varies little throughout the year. Temperatures on Mahé vary from 24 to 30 °C (75 to 86 °F), and rainfall ranges from 2,900 mm (114 in) annually at Victoria to 3,600 mm (142 in) on the mountain slopes. Precipitation is somewhat less on the other islands. During the coolest months, July and August, it drops to as low as 24 °C (75 °F).

The southeast trade winds blow regularly from

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Aldabra group. There are several unique varieties of Orchids on the Islands. Seychelles hosts some of the largest seabird colonies in the world. The marine life around the islands, especially the more remote coral islands, can be spectacular. More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded.

May to November, and this is the most pleasant time of the year. The hot months are from December to April, with higher humidity (80%).

March and April are the hottest months, but the temperature seldom exceeds 31 째C (88 째F). Most of the islands lie outside the cyclone belt, so high winds are rare.

Seychelles had no indigenous population of its own; hence, the current Seychellois are composed of people who have immigrated to the island. The largest ethnic groups are those of African, French, Indian, and Chinese descent.

French and English are official languages along with Seychellois Creole, which is primarily based upon French. Seychellois society is essentially matriarchal.

Environmental legislation is very strict, and every tourism project must undergo an environmental review and a lengthy process of consultations with the public and conservationists. The Seychelles is a world leader in sustainable tourism. The country holds a record for the highest percentage of land under natural conservation. Like many fragile island ecosystems, Seychelles saw the loss of biodiversity during early human history.

However, extinctions were far fewer than on islands such as Mauritius or Hawaii, partly due to a shorter period of human occupation (since 1770). The Seychelles today is known for success stories in protecting its flora and fauna. The rare Seychelles Black Parrot, the national bird of the country, is now protected. The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 endemic plant species, with a further 25 or so species in the 15

The Seychelles International Mind Body and Spirit Festival is a refreshingly original festival of the human mind, body and spirit. To be held from 18th - 29th of June, 2012. Now, more people are heading to the idyllic archipelago in the Indian Ocean to soothe and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul, away from the bustles and hassles of everyday life. This outdoor festival aims to position the Seychelles islands as the most natural, beautiful and eco-friendly destination on the planet. http://www.seychellesmindbodyspirit.com/ Life on Seychelles is casual, peaceful, and spiritual.

Places of interests Bird Island Bird Island is one of the northernmost islands in the Seychelles Islands archipelago, and it is located on the edge of the island chain on the edge of a continental shelf. It takes about 30 minutes by plane from Mahe to Bird Island.

From the air, you can see the bright and beautiful coral cay of approximately 170 acres. The water varies in shades of blue and turquoise in the

SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari Indian Ocean, which bathes the reef and continental shelf. On land, the white sands contrast with the rich green of all the tropical plants. As for the beaches, the swimming is excellent due to the protection of the coral reef.

Since 1967 Bird Island has been owned privately, and conservation measures have been a major emphasis. The whitish coral sand beach makes you feel as if you are a castaway. Bird Island makes a special effort to have absolutely no light pollution, if you are lucky enough to visit from November to April, you'll have stunning views of the constellations of the southern hemispheres.

There are several reasons why Bird Island does not allow outdoor lights at night. One is for the spectacular star gazing. Another reason is for the

Mar 2012

recognized for the immaculate splendor and natural majesty. Cousine Island is one of the perfect places for the small, private and close couples that want to flee some of the traditional formalities. The Cousine Island can also offer tailor made weddings as well as honeymoon packages.

Denis Island

benefit of the many exotic birds that either live or visit here every year. Additionally, nesting green turtles and their babies become disoriented in artificial light and sometimes cannot find their way to the ocean because of it.

Cousin, Cousine and Aride Islands Cousin Island was affirmed as a nature reserve in the year 1968. Then the coconut palms were removed and some native trees have since grown up all across the island. Cousin, Cousine, and the Aride Island, of Seychelles is group of 3 islands that are nesting grounds for some of the class sea birds and you will get about millions of diverse kinds of birds in that place. Cousin is recognized to be a nature reserve. Cousine is privately possessed island that is taken as Conservation Island as well as popular for sea loving fans.

Lastly, Aride is the island that is specially 16

Denis Island in the Seychelles Islands was named after Denis de Trobriant, a French explorer. He spotted the islands from his ship L'etoile in the year 1773. The beautiful Seychelles were also inhabited by pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. A coconut tree plantation was established, nourished by the ubiquitous guano deposits on the island. In 1881, a lighthouse was built on Denis, and it still stands today. In 1999, Michael and Kathleen Mason bought the island, and to this day, Denis offers warm hospitality in some of the most stunning natural scenery in the world. Denis Island has a small diving center

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Mar 2012

with PADI accredited instructors teaching diving lessons to beginners and advanced divers near where visitors can hire diving and snorkeling tools. The water around Denis Island is protected, and is one of the best diving sites in the Seychelles. This is the perfect destination for your dream retreat from the rest of the world.

Desroches Island Desroches Island is part of a group of islands called the Amirantes Group. This island is a little slice of heaven. Desroches Island is a small island in the Seychelles that measure about 1 km comprised of some of the beautiful aquatic world. This natural aquatic world is a very famous snorkeling place in the area of Seychelles. Since FelicitĂŠ can just accommodate a maximum of about sixteen people, it is a perfect location for Tropical Island and family holidays.

This island can also offer you services for possible wedding ceremonies by ensuring some of the special services for the special occasion.

You can also book the whole island if you are thinking about a tour with your whole family or friends.

Fregate Island wide and 6 km long. Coconut groves shield the island from the sun. The beaches are creamy white, and the water surrounding the island is turquoise blue. The island is surrounded by a coral reef. Many people dream of walking on an unspoiled island, and Desroches may be the most perfect example of just that in the Indian Ocean. There are more than a dozen amazing diving sites surrounding Desroches Island. One of them is called the Desroches Drop. Wherever you dive around Desroches, you'll find underwater columns and caves. There are numerous secluded tracks leading to beaches, there is a small island village, and a lighthouse.

Felicite Island Felicite Island is only for snorkeling enthusiasts and hikers. It's covered with the mountainous terrain, which is surrounded by the excellent snorkeling places. The Felicite is a French word that denotes bliss. Nearby Coco Island is 17

Fregate is an island archipelago that is known for having plants and animals not found elsewhere on Earth. The island also boasts seven white beaches on its one square mile of land. Fregate is located about 1,000 miles east of the Kenyan coast. Fregate is the most remote of the Seychelles Islands, and is home to rare reptiles as well.

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Mar 2012

mountain located in the center of the island. If you climb to the top on the rugged foot path, you can get an amazing view of the island. Most people get around on foot or by bike. Off shore are coral reefs, and snorkeling, swimming, or strolling are all very relaxing activities in this beautiful environment.

Mahe Island The island of Mahe, located in the northeastern part of the Seychelles Island chain, supports a population of about 80,000. Victoria is the capital city, and it is there where 90% of the island's population lives. The island was named La Digue The island of La Digue is the fourth largest of the Seychelles in size, and the third largest in terms of population. Although La Digue is close to the island of Praslin, it's inaccessible by air. Instead, to get to La Digue, you take a 20 minute boat ride from Praslin. As soon as you step off the boat, you will see taxis and ox carts as forms of transportation. There aren't that many cars on the island of La Digue. La Digue is full of beautiful land forms, with stunning rock formations that go right into the ocean. This is the only place in the Seychelles where you will find ancient granite formations sculpted by time and weather to make breathtaking landscapes.

The beaches on La Digue are covered with beautiful white sand, and there are numerous coves with deserted beaches, too. There is also a

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after Bertrand Francois Mahe La Bourdonnais, of Mauritius. Mahe has a mountain called Morne Seychellois that is over 900 meters high that is located in Morne Seychellois Park. The northern and eastern parts of Mahe are where much of the business takes place, and is where the international airport is located. To the south and west, there is Baie Ternay National park, and Ste. Anne Marine Park, which lies off shore on Conception Island. Therese Island, Silhouette Island, and Anonyme Island are the largest islands around Mahe. The city of Victoria, the capital, is a great place to visit, with a famous clock tower and port. The clock tower is an exact replica of Big Ben. Mahe is surrounded by a ring of smaller islands. Six of them are found off the east coast and help make up the harbor at Victoria. The little islands are a great place to get away from crowds. The hills of Mahe are covered with thick rain forests that are often cloud covered. Mahe also boasts a lot of art and cultural

SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari attractions, too. This region has prime exports comprising of vanilla, coconuts, coconut oil, and tortoise shells. The majority of the inhabitants works and lives in and around the region of Victoria. The island of Seychelles has one of the most multicolored undersea landscapes in the world, with charming and multicolored flora, and the amazingly wrought and tinted species of fish. The islands are a coral atoll. Unlike other similar formations, this land is not volcanic.

According to scientific research, the island is the peak of a giant undersea plain, which was cut down off the rim of India about 60 million years ago. Huge areas of sand, an area of plateaus and mountains constitute the land that includes a good deal of forest with diverse plants and fauna.

North Island North Island was one of the first islands in the archipelago to be visited by humans. Alexander Sharpeigh with the British East India Company visited in 1609. At that time the island had a large number of giant land tortoises. The beaches are set apart from one another with amazing rock formations. The land is not only fertile, but has clean water as well. The new owner of North Island has designed a modern day facility based on the story of Noah's Ark. It helps to preserve some of the endangered and rare flora and fauna of North Island.

Outer Islands The reef Islands and atolls of the Outer Islands 19

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are located about ten degrees to the south of the equator. The Outer Islands are further divided into five groups: the Aldabra group, over 1100 km from Mahe, the Farquhar group, the Alphonse group, the Southern Coral group, and the Amirantes, which are just over 200 km from the island of Mahe. From the 43 Inner islands; forty-one of them are granite islands, and the remaining two are coralline islands. All 72 of the outer islands are coralline. Aldabra is so unspoiled; it has been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Aldabra's small islets are home to a large variety of natural features. For one, it has the largest population in the world of giant tortoises. It also has the healthiest, most thriving colony of marine life in the archipelago.

Aldabra is supervised by the Seychelles Island Foundation, and there are very strict rules in place to keep the island as pristine as possible with the healthiest possible ecosystem. Anyone wishing to stay on Aldabra has to have special

SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari

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Bulbul and the black parrot. A nature preserve called Valee-de-Mai has coco-de-mer trees and vanilla orchards. Valee de Mai has been compared with the biblical Garden of Eden. The Valee de Mai National Park has been a UNESCO National Heritage for a quarter of a century now.

There are other smaller offshore islets such as Round Island and Chauve Souris, both of which have hotel accommodations. Praslin is one of the Seychelles' granite islands, with mountains forming a 'spine' down the middle.

Sainte Anne Island Saint Anne Island, part of the Seychelles Island permission. Alphonse, the largest island in the Alphonse group, is a triangular island of about 1.2 km across. It is ringed with a beautiful coral reef. Located 700 km from Mahe is the Farquhar Atoll. It is made from the atolls of Farquhar and Providence with the cooperation of an islet called St. Pierre. The beautiful lagoons have sheltered anchored sea vessels, protecting them from the stormy oceans that surround the atoll.

Praslin Islands Praslin Island, part of the Seychelles Islands archipelago. Praslin was called the Island of the Palms by Lazare Picault, the first off-island settler, in 1744. Anse Lazio, on Praslin, is considered by some to be the most beautiful beach in the world. The center of Praslin Island is by and large virgin forest. Praslin also has tropical forests with rare birds like the Seychelles

chain, is the main island in the Marine National Park of Mahe. It is back dropped by a mountain that rises 800 feet. The mountain is surrounded by tropical vegetation. The island was discovered on Saint Anne's Day, which is how it got its name.

The shorelines of Sainte Anne are quiet except for the sounds of the surf and the rustling leaves of the palm trees. Sainte Anne is currently the most important nesting site for Hawksbill turtles. The clear waters are perfect for snorkeling, and there are also limited guided scuba dives near the coral reefs.

Silhouette Island Silhouette is the third of the three major islands in the Seychelles chain. Land area is 4,930 acres, which is actually very large compared to some of the tinier islands in the Seychelles, and at its

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SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari peak, it is 2,461 feet elevation. Because of this, it one of the great preserves of biodiversity in the Indian Ocean. Helicopter or boat transfers can be arranged for those staying at Silhouette Island's small house, which is the only hotel on the island. Silhouette is unlike its neighbors, in that it originated from a volcano. It is named after a Frenchman who lived in the 18th century.

Things that matter 1. To visit the Seychelles Islands, you don't need a visa, but you do have to have some documentation. When you arrive at the Seychelles Airport you must have your return ticket, evidence of accommodation including contact information, and proof of funding for your stay. These documents will allow you to have a Visitor's Permit, which will be issued by the Seychelles Department of Immigration when you arrive. A Visitor's Permit is valid for the first month you are in the Seychelles. However, it can be extended up to three months.

2. Visitors may import duty free portable electronics, musical instruments, camera, sports requisites, other leisure equipment and handheld gaming equipment.

3. The Seychelles Islands have a very low rate of crime. However, in an unfamiliar environment, it is advisable to take reasonable precautions to be safe. Always stay alert, and avoid walking alone on isolated beaches. Swimming alone is also dangerous. Like in most places, it is not advisable to carry large sums of cash or expensive valuable personal items with you. It is possible to attract unwanted attention with these things on your person. Never leave large sums of cash or valuable personal items in your room or anywhere else. The tourist police are very friendly and more than willing to help keep a good eye, even though you may not see them.

They are honest and freely offer advice.

4. A valid E.U. or International license is required to rent vehicles and most companies will deliver your rental to a location of your choice. Vehicles are driven on the left-hand side.

Getting around Seychelles has become very easy.

Most of the roads are now concrete here, and

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public transportation is also available. Here you can find more than a few modes of transport.

Among them the motor bikes are high in use.

These motor bikes can take you to different islands. Visitors can now have a great time walking around Seychelles and discovering new places in various islands. Furthermore, fares are extremely cheap even for the car rentals and taxis. It is advisable to request a metered ride, or if a particular taxi is not equipped with a meter, quotes should be negotiated and agreed prior to the trip. Many drivers will take clients on sightseeing tours for a set tariff. The International airport in Seychelles offers regular flights to Denis Island, Praslin Island, Desroches Island, Bird Island, and Alphonse Island. If you would like to get to these islands faster, then there are some helicopters, which are available for hire. From the international airport of archipelago, there are public buses for people that are available in the Seychelles without having to buy a package tour. If you do not prefer a bus ride, then there are taxis and company cars, which are available for rent. Exploring water resources of Seychelles is another way to go to other islands of the archipelago, and there are vessels and ferries that will take you to small harbors of different islands of the Seychelles.

The majority of the ferries depart every 2 hours whereas some have hourly ferries that travel among the islands.

5. The islands' currency is the Seychelles Rupee (SCR). ATM machines usually have the best conversion rates, however, airports and banks also conveniently exchange money. MasterCard / Access and Visa cards are widely accepted while Diners Club and American Express cards are honored to a somewhat lesser extent.

Banking hours are generally Monday-Friday 0800hrs-1400hrs, and Saturday 0800hrs1100hrs. All banks process traveller's cheques and foreign exchange transactions. Passports are required for visitors' transactions and nominal commissions may be charged. Do not change your foreign exchange illegally with unauthorized traders but rather through banks, hotel cashiers and at the Bureau de Change at the airport.

6. Most service providers already include a

SEYCHELLES - Compiled by Dhara Kothari service charge of 5% - 10%. Tipping is not obligatory in Seychelles; however, any extra change is greatly appreciated.

7. Upon meeting someone in the Seychelles, it is customary to shake hands. The Seychellois are friendly and often invite newcomers to their houses. When visiting someone's home in the Seychelles, it is the custom to bring a small gift.

Most people are quite friendly and are glad to have any reason to have a party. Music is an important part of the Seychellois culture.

Singing and dancing are important facets of life here. The Seychellois are friendly, gracious, and warm.

8. In Seychelles numerous shops selling souvenirs and gifts such as local hand crafts, ornaments, and jewelry, many of which are prepared with snail shells.

9. The international dialing code for Seychelles is 248. Seychelles enjoys modern, efficient communication services. The offices of internet service providers, internet cafĂŠs, postal and courier services are located in or around central Victoria. Among the increasing number of Internet cafĂŠs, several may be found in the Beau Vallon area on MahĂŠ, as well as on Praslin and La Digue.

10. Throughout Seychelles the voltage is 220240 volts AC 50 Hz. Seychelles uses the British standard square three-pin, 13 amp sharp electric plug.

11. Health clinics can be found in most districts.

There is no risk of contracting malaria, yellow fever, cholera or other common tropical diseases in Seychelles. Medical facilities and call-out doctors are available to visitors on request from accommodation establishments and island resorts. Private clinics remain open until 1700hrs and some until 2000hrs. The Ministry of Health casualty is open 24 hours a day every day.

12. Seychelles office hours are Monday to Friday 0800hrs-1600hrs. Most government offices and some private businesses close on Saturdays and remain closed on Sundays and also on public 22

Mar 2012

holidays.

13. Tap water meets World Health Organization specifications and is safe to drink nation-wide. If you are in any way concerned about drinking water, several different brands of bottled water are widely available.

14. Seychelles does not accept pets for a period less than six months and bringing bird species of any kind into Seychelles is not permitted.

15. Light clothing suitable for Seychelles' warm tropical climate is recommended. Bring hats, sunglasses and adequate UV protection SPF30+ is advisable. It is important to remember that even on an overcast day the tropical sun is still strong and able to cause unpleasant sunburn. Wearing a t-shirt for the first swim or snorkel is a good idea. A camera is an absolute must! Please bring supply of batteries. Casual eveningwear (long trousers for men), together with appropriate footwear, is necessary for dining out and for gaining entrance to casinos and most hotels. Sturdy walking shoes are recommended if you intend to take guided walk and trail excursions. Visitors suffering from a specific medical condition should be sure to bring an adequate stock of the appropriate medication along as well as their preferred brand of sun cream, mosquito repellent etc.

16. Please do not litter. If there are no litter bins immediately available, then please take your litter back to your hotel and dispose of it accordingly. Collecting shells is prohibited in nature reserves, marine parks and reserves in Seychelles. Any flora taken as souvenirs must have a certificate and an official export permit which must be produced, when checking in at the international airport. Be considerate towards the fauna and sensitive to its sometimes fragile nature. Please walk carefully on the reefs and do not feed sea birds, mammals, turtles or tortoises or disturb them or their nesting grounds.

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Mar 2012

Legend of the Nomad Chapter 12. Final Redemption Promise Epilogue Word of Thanks Author The next morning Nathan felt rested. He took his breakfast on the terrace. He was convinced that he was at the right place at the right time. His thoughts were clear and he could concentrate well on the important choices to come. He decided to spend the day in the water, knowing that this was the best place for him to become inspired.

From the hostel, Nathan went down the hill to the water and discovered a small desolated beach. Here he spent hours in the water, diving repeatedly, seeking messages from his natural element. He recognized the faces and voices of almost all the people who had influenced him.

From each one he received the message that he now knew the higher purpose of his life and therefore had the strength and knowledge to become one with his destiny. At the end of the afternoon, Nathan walked calmly out of the water and lay down on the sand, satisfied. He stared at the sky for a long time before returning to the hostel. When he got there, the owner rushed to tell him that someone was waiting for him in the living room. Curiously, Nathan went there, and stopped in astonishment. Standing in front of him was the sweetest and beautiful young women he had ever met. They looked at each other, smiled and hugged each other closely. Nathan was filled with emotional and could not utter a word. The appearance of Sophie had a magical effect upon him. Her eyes and smile made him more aware than ever of how attached he was to her: “How did you know that I was…?”

Sophie put her fingers on his lips and said: “That is not important… did you not teach me that the feelings of the heart are more important than the thoughts of the intellect?”

With these words, Sophie made it clear that understanding why she was there was not more important than fully enjoying their time together. Nathan could only nod in assent and thanked her for this amazing gift. He went to refresh himself, and then asked the owner where he could find a place to eat. The owner recommended a small restaurant close to the 23

water that was run by a friend of his. They followed his advice and were welcomed there by the whole family. They were given a table with a prepossessing view of the sea and of the Syrian mountains. Then Nathan and Sophie had a conversation in which much became clear.

“When did you decide to look for me, Sophie?”

“The day that I heard that the moment of your supreme mission was approaching.”

“What do you know about this mission?”

“I know that something greater than all of us is going to happen.”

Sophie took his hand.

“I know that you will make it possible for all beings on earth to reunite.”

Nathan was already puzzled how Sophie had discovered where he was on this particular day, but her last words brought up even more questions.

“How did you hear?”

“In a dream… that was more realistic than anything I have ever experienced.”

Sophie sipped her wine and looked at the distant horizon. A little later she continued: “In that dream I received messages and I followed them.”

Sophie put her glass down and looked seriously at Nathan: “Am I here to say goodbye?”

Nathan held her hands and asked: “What exactly did you see in your dream?”

“I saw people of various colors and cultures living together in different places on the earth.

They worked and laughed together and were all very joyful. Life seemed different from the life we know now, something had changed.”

Nathan was silent, deep in thought, then his face brightened: “Now I am beginning to have a clearer understanding.”

“Tell me, Nathan.”

“There is only one power that is able to create this reunification. That's why we are being brought together again. You have come into my life to make me fully aware of this power.”

At first, Sophie's face registered curiosity, until her face also brightened. She understood what

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Nathan was talking about. The only thing he could be referring to was the power of love. They held each other's hands tightly and looked into each other's eyes for a long time. Suddenly Nathan felt Sophie's hands contract slightly.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Nothing, it is not important.”

Nathan could sense how Sophie was overcome with fear.

“It is,” he said, “I feel that it is important for you.”

“I was just wondering… what will happen to us afterwards?”

Nathan looked deep into her eyes, then caressed her face and freed her forever from her fear.

“Whatever happens, no matter how hopeless everything might seem, never lose faith that I will return to you!”

Nathan's words brought Sophie back to life. She knew that Nathan would never say this if he didn't mean it. This was the most beautiful promise she had ever heard and, maybe, it was also the reason she had to find him. She got up and kissed him. The next day they spent the morning by the water. After midday they took a long walk into the spectacular hills of Hatay.

“After our talk yesterday, I have received another important insight,” Sophie said. “I understand the basis of our relationship.”

Nathan listened attentively.

“It is our personal concern for the wellbeing of each other and of others.”

Nathan smiled.

“In all relationships, where this is the foundation, both partners develop their involvement in complete freedom. Only in this way are we able to fully experience true love.”

Sophie nodded and hugged him: “Is that the final purpose,” Sophie asked…

“Experiencing true love?”

“When we experience true love, we feel that we fuse with our awareness and the way becomes open to experiencing our original wholeness.”

“The way to our original wholeness?”

“The way to our life purpose.”

That evening, Nathan and Sophie returned to the hostel. After the exhausting day they went to bed early. Nathan suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. He opened his eyes and saw the full moon through the open window, as if the moon had chosen to be in front of his room by design.

24

Nathan felt a power that encouraged him to go to the deserted beach immediately. He got up and tried to leave without making a sound, so as not to awaken Sophie. Once outside the hostel, Nathan went down the hill to the water. When he came to the beach, he noticed a dark blue boat with large white sails, floating calmly. He felt there was something mysterious about this boat and tried to determine what the cause of this was.

Suddenly, he turned to look again at the full moon. He became aware that this boat looked exactly like the boat on his poster in his room in Brussels. At that moment, Nathan understood that the end of his journey was near. He kept staring at the boat and took time to meditate.

When daylight came, he got up and returned to his room. On his way, he searched for the right words to tell Sophie about his departure. When he opened the door of the room he saw Sophie sitting on the bed in her white bathrobe. She was just coming out of the shower and was wrapping a towel around her wet hair. When she saw Nathan, she got up to hug him and put her head against his chest.

“You don't have to say anything, Nathan.”

She looked Nathan straight in the eyes and smiled tenderly: “Do what you feel you must do.”

Sophie decided to leave that day. After breakfast, Nathan accompanied Sophie to the bus that would take her to the city of Adana. From there, she would take the plane to France. During their goodbye, Nathan noticed how important his promise of the day before had been for Sophie.

His words had freed her of a great unknown.

“Do you know where you are going now?” She asked.

“No, but I feel that I am near the end of my journey.”

After these words they hugged each other for a long time. Then Nathan returned to the beach.

He put his belongings in a bag that he tied to himself. Without questioning, he went into the water to swim to the sailing boat. When he had climbed on board he saw no one else was there.

Nathan had no idea what was awaiting him. He sat down in the prow of the boat; from there he had a view of the Syrian mountains. Thus he spent the whole day meditating and in the evening he witnessed a wonderful sunset.

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When the moon appeared, he was startled when he noticed someone else had come on board.

Judging by the silhouette it was a woman. She sat down next to him and introduced herself. Her name was Ilham. Ilham's message reached Nathan without her speaking. He had never before experienced something like this; Nathan had been able to receive the message directly. He was very curious about who this mysterious Ilham was, and how she was able to enter his mind, because all the questions he wanted to ask were answered in the same way. Thus a conversation started which took place in silence.

“How can you answer my questions without my having to speak them out loud?” Nathan asked.

“I can experience everything you're thinking the moment you think it,” Ilham answered.

“How is this possible?”

“We communicate through the language of the 'open secrets': A language of 'secrets' because they cannot be understood with the intellect and 'open' because everybody can experience them.”

Strangely enough, Nathan appeared to be familiar with this language of 'open secrets'.

Ilham was also becoming more familiar to him, as if she were an old friend. The following conversation would only confirm this feeling.

“Why did you come to me?” Nathan wanted to know.

“As with all the others, I have never left your side.”

Now Nathan had to think about the meetings he had experienced during his journey and, in this way, it slowly became clear to him what was happening. This meeting was the most special one of all, Ilham was the personification of his 'inner power'; she was intuition herself!

“Why can I see you today?”

“Because I will guide you and the other messengers in this form!”

It was immediately clear to Nathan that Ilham had not appeared only to him, but also to Leewana, Myate and Dian.

“Can you tell us how this journey will continue?”

“From now on the great forces will light the way more energetically!”

These words made it clear to Nathan that what was to come would exceed the limits of their individuality. At that moment the boat began to move. Nathan was aware that the sailing boat 25

was moving southwards on its own volition.

Once on the way, Nathan became more familiar with how Ilham provided him with information.

He had found the vast entrance to the unending source of knowledge.

“Are you with me as well as with Leewana, Myate and Dian?”

“Close your eyes and look!”

Nathan did what Ilham asked and saw Leewana, Myate and Dian. He saw they were also on the way to their final destination. Ilham made sure that it became clear to all four of them that they were being brought together. This gave them a distinctive feeling of courage and confidence.

They were conscious that the final salvation was close. Tired by these strange events, Nathan went into the cabin where he soon fell fast asleep.

Later, when Nathan returned to the deck the next morning he found stubborn clouds overhead. It didn't take long before the first raindrops fell, which then escalated to a heavy downpour. Despite the storm, Ilham remained seated in the same spot as she had been the previous evening.

Nathan stayed on deck with her and enjoyed the spectacle of multiple lightning strikes, while water streamed from his body. Suddenly the sun shone again, even though it rained without interruption, which created a breathtaking rainbow, so large that the top disappeared into the clouds and could not be seen. Nathan knew this was the sign he had been waiting for. The boat continued to sail under the rainbow and was finally moored in Egypt, on the Sinai coast, in the city of Arish.

When Nathan set foot on land, a couple of Bedouins welcomed him cordially. After the greeting they took him to a dromedary. At this time, Nathan noticed that only he was able to see Ilham. Her gaze was turned towards the south and she nodded approvingly. While Nathan climbed onto his single-humped swift riding camel, the Bedouins gave him a bag of food and a large container of water. Nathan fastened this over the hump of the dromedary and thanked them. The Bedouins wished him luck and said goodbye. Nathan rode into the Sinaï desert with Ilham, who was able to move through the air like

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a bird, always remaining at his side.

In the silence that can only be experienced in a desert Nathan felt timelessness. He enjoyed the special connection he had obtained with his inner knowledge. On the journey they rested at regular intervals, either by a green oasis or in the shade of palm trees. Nathan used this time to continue working on his manuscript. They travelled over extensive sandy planes surrounded by colorful mountains. The deserted landscape was spectacular, especially when the moon rose. After three days of traveling through the desert, they arrived in Nuweiba, on the Gulf of Akaba. Nathan thought it an unforgettable sight to see the clear blue sea appear as though it had risen up out of the dessert. Once he arrived Nathan found a beach with a number of straw huts. He noticed a Bedouin in the distance and went towards him. Ilham followed Nathan at a short distance. Nathan greeted the Bedouin with the few Arabic words he remembered. The Bedouin returned his greeting and looked penetratingly at Nathan. Then he looked at the large sandy area as if he was wondering how and from where Nathan had suddenly appeared.

Nathan told the Bedouin that he had travelled through the desert for three days and asked if he could spend the night. The Bedouin took him to a straw hut, which appeared to serve as a sleeping area for passing travelers. The Bedouin also took the empty canteen and filled it with water before retuning it. Nathan thanked the man and saw Ilham sit down on the sand by the water. Nathan changed out of his traveling clothes and went to sit beside her. Ilham knew that for several days Nathan had been looking forward to diving into the water and encouraged him.

“The silence under water has always been the highest form of relaxation that can be experienced. Go into the water and relax in your own silence before your mission.”

Nathan wanted to know: “What makes the silence that I experience under water different from the silence I have experienced over the past few days?”

“Under water thoughts can flow to you without you having to explain them. Every one of us has such a place on earth, even though many people don't know this. For you, the underwater world is where you are completely receptive to pure 26

inspiration!”

Nathan got up and walked into the water. Under water Ilham's words became clear to him.

Nathan understood the true meaning of the pure inspiration Ilham had spoken of, and he experienced greater inner harmony than ever before. He could feel his natural force come into him. It was as if he became more than his one self. He was freed of all unnecessary thoughts gathered throughout his existence and knew he had become fully conscious of his being unique.

Nathan knew that his sensitivity was ready to form a bridge between the different dimensions.

The earthly life, the eternal thoughts and the universal source of all knowledge would all soon become one. When he got out of the water, evening had already fallen. Only then did he realize that he had stayed under water for a long time. He looked at Ilham, who was still sitting in the same place. She nodded and wished him a good night.

The next day, Nathan and Ilham continued heading in a southern direction, this time towards Dahab on the coast. At the end of the day, Ilham told Nathan they had arrived at their final destination. Nathan looked around. What he saw was barren area, in itself no different from what he had been looking at over the past few days. He became more attentive until suddenly, at the edge of the sea, he saw a clear blue lake in the distance.

It was a remarkable lake; of which the blue color reminded him of the magical well in Brazil, where Thiago had taken him along with Sophie and Melvin. He saw Ilham disappear in the distance and noticed that three other people were going towards the lake on dromedaries; they were riding in from different directions. It was a wonderful sight at sunset. An intense feeling of excitement arose in Nathan. He knew who the riders were Leewana, Myate and Dian.

All four of them arrived by the lake at the same time. Once they were together, they hugged each other tightly. A fire was started and they sat down on the sand in a circle with their heads turned towards the lake. Ilham appeared again and spoke to all of them in the same manner as she had spoken to Nathan over the last few days.

Silently, directly to their minds, without a single

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spoken word.

“You were sent to investigate and to understand why the world is in this state and to discover the deeper causes, but you were also sent as messengers to end this chaos. It has become clear to the natural forces how little harmony exists among people and between all beings. You are on the brink of restoring harmony.

Everything you have experienced was in relation to achieving this change. This is the original desire you bore to earth, and the events to come shall be like none that have gone before.”

This experience will cause all humanity to focus on the inner world of thoughts and feelings. This experience will inspire humanity to form part of the great connectedness. To realize this change, the natural forces will take exceptionally drastic measures. The natural forces will create circumstances in which all people will be forced to choose unity and respect for each other, if they are to survive. From that time on the highest universal energy will be able to develop completely. This power will vanquish all other powers and free people from all blind primitive lusts resulting from egoism. Thanks to this power everyone will be freed of fear and doubt.

They will experience a deep involvement with reality, and thus recognize a core of pure good in themselves, that is greater than he or she could imagine. Humanity will become aware that a life is only valuable when everyone pays attention to fellow humans and to everything that lives, thus they will learn to understand a natural state of inner peace.

Everyone will be able to see that love is the only thing that gives a higher sense to our existence.

There will come a time when this greatest universal power will be applied simultaneously throughout the world.

Ilham took a long pause and then continued her speech.

“Upon the next sunrise you will become fully aware of how unique each one of you is and be able to surpass the material reality. You will be able to tune into the great source of all energies, the power that converts all physical limitations into possibilities and ensures that only expression is given to spiritual energy. Tonight you will develop an extremely strong environmental focus, which will continue to 27

extend until the whole planet forms part of it, thanks to the imagination. What will follow is that you will completely grow until you perfect your skills. The original inner desire of each one of you will meld together with the greater purpose. Thus you will achieve the ultimate harmonious state as one whole!”

After these words, Ilham got up and disappeared. Leewana, Nathan, Myate and Dian remained meditating the rest of the night without exchanging a word. With the first sun rays they got up together and each took the hand of another. Without having to talk, they walked slowly towards the lake. They remained there standing next to each other and let themselves be filled with energy by the sun. When the moment came, they dove into the water at the same moment and went down into the lake, where they found an open connection to the sea at the bottom. All four saw their limitations fade away.

First those faded that caused them to compare themselves to each other and then those that caused them to compare themselves to the entire environment. Their experience of time and space transformed. Their perception of reality sharpened. It seemed as if their bodies disappeared along with their intellect and that they were made up only of feelings.

At that moment the water from all the seas and oceans began to move. The polar ice melted completely and the level of the sea rose to heights never seen before. At the same time enormous fires broke out around the world. Forests and the wilderness burst into flames, driven by strong winds and storms. It didn't take long before the first large cities had been destroyed. The fires burned almost everything in their path. The water washed over the dry burned areas and came together again in wide coursing streams.

Slowly, large areas of the five continents were flooded. The survivors scrambled for safety, be it in boats, rafts and other improvised vessels.

Daily activities were halted and people began to come together. It became clear that cooperation was necessary for survival. Soon something happened that had never happened before.

Simultaneously, in many places there were the first signs of the miracle unfolding. New communities were created where everyone

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helped each other. Ilham's words were confirmed. Large waterproof vessels were built so that many people could be brought to safety.

Food was gathered and it was shared out determined by need.

Slowly, everyone followed their energies towards complete development. One by one the people learned how they could best use their talents and other qualities. By developing their intuitive consciousness people slowly saw the meaning of their actions and could finally satisfy their inner needs. The water decided to pull back… humanity could see the greater context. The earth had changed into a place where people were driven by values that sought the benefit of the whole world… order had been restored!

up to you.

I wish you all success and I wanted to let you know that Nathan and I are enjoying ourselves here. We send you, Amão and your loved ones our dearest thoughts.

A tender hug from both of us, Sophie and Nathan Uiara spent the next several days and nights writing the book. She didn't find a title right away, but let her loved Amão read it first. After he had read the whole book his first words were, "This book will be remembered as the greatest legend ever!"

Epilogue

The Promise On the package that Uiara, the Brazilian writer, had received, there was no name or address, only the name of a mountain in a place that had previously been known as New-Zealand. Uiara opened the postal package, feeling extremely curious. In it she found a letter accompanied by a manuscript.

Dearest Uiara, I hope that these events have not confused you too much. I know you wanted great changes to come about. You also knew that they were necessary to affect humanity and reveal the essence of life. An end has come to suffering. The course that runs and changes our inner self has flowed and true knowledge has appeared to us all. From now on each one of us can calmly go in search of his or her original desire, his or her life purpose and destiny.

As Nathan had promised, herewith we send the manuscript in which describes all that preceded these events. I entrust it to you, and ask you to rewrite his words in all freedom with the creativity that is inside you. Know that you will be inspired to write as never before, that many people will be affected by these words and that the dissemination of these words will achieve great renown. As you will notice, Nathan has not given the manuscript a title. He gladly leaves this 28

It was with great satisfaction and with a feeling of great commitment that I wrote this novel. It has become a book in which I tried to clarify my vision of the unity of all things as well as the unique role we have to play.

It is to be hoped that this story will encourage each of us to pay more attention to the deepest reasons for our existence. Therefore, 'Legend of a Nomad' is, to a large extent, encouragement to each of us to seek our true destiny or life purpose.

The story shows that, to find our destiny, we must first open ourselves to everyday events that attract our attention in a seemingly coincidental manner. Thus we slowly discover that we possess a strong source of inspiration.

From then on, a creative process takes place in our soul, which will give our lives a completely different perspective. As our attention, to this inner reality, increases we recognize more clues that are linked to seemingly innocuous occurrences, and we become aware that the world is a creative process in which we are actively involved.

In this way we become more creative within this world. To the extent we develop this creativity; we connect with the spirituality within and become aware of our destiny.

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Naturally, this realization is a life-long process.

It comes about through continuous affirmation of both our inborn talents and facing our limitations. When we finally sense our unique task, we will then be able to use all our capacities fully.

My thanks to everyone for your interest in this message.

This story shows how our instinctive guide, the power of our intuition, can make us more aware of the scope of our actions and the extent we clearly define our life path by our choices.

I want to express my respect and my recognition to those who have, either directly or in other ways, participated in the realization of this book.

The story also shows us that, as our confidence in this instinctive guide increases, new insights emerge. As a result, we will learn to understand the meaning of our experiences and be encouraged to develop the potential within us.

Our intuition is nothing less than a power that propels us towards our destiny. It accompanies us to the original desire that brought us to earth and helps us to realize our life purpose, which is higher than all others we can imagine; a purpose that allows us to discover a life lived in freedom; a purpose that is more far-reaching than our own temporary individual existence.

Finally, I would like to share a last thought that was given to me during my childhood and resulted in being amazingly accurate for all the cultures I've come into contact.

Every person who is devotedly dedicated to his or her true destiny follows the path of love. He or she is therefore able to affect his or her fellow human beings so they can in turn become aware of their destiny and thus dedicate themselves to their life purpose with devotion.

In my opinion and that of many others, what this is really about, is the way each of us attempts to give the respect we feel to each life form and to follow the path of love, in consideration of a greater vision.

When humanity is willing to share this life vision we will, at the same time, ensure that our errors are not transferred to the next generation and we can provide them with a greater possibility of satisfying their own inner desire!

29

Alex Mero Word of Thanks

I think about the people whose path I crossed during my journeys. Those who taught me to see the beauty in all its forms. Those who incited me to be vigilant for the ways in which thoughts and motivations manifest themselves. And those whose teachings were the basis on which I constructed myself.

I would like to thank Maria Ponte da Costa, Nicole Manker, Rosemary Dawn Allison and a lot of others for their linguistic support. Without them, this book would not have known such a beautiful realization.

I would like to address a special thanks to my close ones. To those who, with me, share the personal and professional enthusiasm of my adventure and who are a continuous source of support and encouragements.

My deepest gratitude goes to the source of my inspiration. To the essence of my existence. To this wonderful energy that orders the entire universe.

To All, A Sincere Thank You. Author Alex Mero was born in Belgium in 1969 and grew up in Brussels. Soon he became a passionate traveler and a great observer of worldwide cultural diversity. Over the years, he became more fascinated by the variety of life perceptions within different cultures. Today the writer shares his experiences through the inspirational literary genre of Philofiction.

Philosophical fiction takes, as its starting point, the recognition of difference and multiplicity of

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the world in which we live. The novels are often based on dialogues that encourage an exploration of different thought processes in which we find an identification of the boundaries that define us.

Alex Mero offers a free Internet distribution of his publications in several languages, to facilitate access to his literature for each one of us. At the same time, the novelist participates in educational programs in developing countries and he is involved in several projects based on intercultural dialogue. www.alexmeroblog.com

I Want To Live Each Day As If It Were My Last!

I want to live each day as if it were my last Making the most of each moment Putting nothing off until tomorrow what I can do today!

Arise – and take that stand!

By Betty Alark

30

THE POWER WITHIN ME

The power within me causes me to ascend to dimensions the brain and body have never been!

The ascension disperses me everywhere beyond the boundaries of this physical hemisphere!

The power within me goes beyond body and brain to heights those vehicles can't ascend!

The mind records the dispersion The inner eye bears witnesses The power within me causes me to ascend to dimensions the brain and body have never been!

By Betty Alark