Spiritual Lounge E-Magazine January 2012

Issue : January 2012

Price : `. (FREE)

Vol : XIX

SPIRITUAL LOUNGE E-MAGAZINE

Spiritual Lounge Year of the ‘Consciousness in Motion’ 2012

EDITORIAL

Jan 2012

Dear Readers, A very Happy New Year and a grand 2012 to all!

Everyone is celebrating 2012 as a year of something or the other. The UN is celebrating it as the year of co-operatives and the others have their own reasons and themes. Spiritual Lounge too contemplates in celebrating 2012 year as something, dedicating it to something and focussing on it specifically this year. Hence, we have decided to name: Spiritual Lounge 2012 Year of the 'Consciousness in Motion'.

One of the forth coming issues will specifically be dedicated to this theme and I hope all of you shall collectively adapt and move towards this spiritual theme chosen for 2012. I wish to specifically thank all those who had given their inputs and suggestions for the theme and our theme has been chosen on basis of Myra Godfrey's detail explanation.

Constant changes and evolvement happens of the soul and thus the awareness of the consciousness being in motion is important to understand and to realize. We have to move towards realizing our true self and hence the motion, changes is important start. Once the movement begins, it picks speed and thus helps us to reach our true destination. Destination of realizing the journey of the soul and to propel it to its final resting place. Come, let us together work to raise the awareness amongst all, including ourselves and allow the consciousness to work its way forward!

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 :Iceland-Northern-Lights Copyrights: All rights reserved SPIRITUAL LOUNGE EMAGAZINE Š 2010-2012 2

CONTENT

Editorial Page 2

Jan 2012 And One Day By Dr. Amit Nagpal Page 4

The Goal

By Master Chrism Page 5

Food for Thought

By Patricia Merker Page 8 - 9

Dare to Dream : Life Counts

By Debbi Dachinger Page 6-7

KUMARE Review by Jean Jessup Page 10 - 11

THE INNER ME IS MY REALITY

By Betty Alark Page 9

Lhundrup Dhechen Elisabetta Errani Emaldi Page 12 - 13

Fundamentals of Reality Management.

- Master Zen Page 16 - 19

The Importance of Becoming Fully Human

By Myra Godfrey Page 14 - 15 The land of Geysers, Volcanoes and Waterfalls Ice Land - Compile by Dhara Page 21-30

Control the senses

By PREMA IYER Page 20

Why are things in life the way they are?

By Sushmita Mukharjee Page 31-32

Open Me

By Betty Alark Page 32 Why Scientists are not as popular as political or religious leaders Dr. Rusat Page 33

THERE'S NO TRIUMPH WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE

By Betty Alark Page 51

Legend of the Nomad

By Alex Mero Page 34 - 52

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

Jan 2012

And One Day - By Dr. Amit Nagpal

And One Day And one day, the soul got free, A leaf flying away from the tree.

Free from love, free from hatred, Free from pain, free from pleasures.

Free from bonds, free from relationships, Free from attachment yet free of detachment.

Free of humor, free of seriousness, Free of past, free of future.

Free of life, free of death, Free from judging and getting judged.

Free from desires, free from guilt, Free from rules and even the idea of freedom.

Free of all the tags and all the labels, Free from emotions of the heart yet free from logic of the mind.

And one day, the soul got free, A leaf flying away from the tree.

And there is nothing left, but the sweet moment, Now it just cherishes life, moment to moment.

Author-A soul with no name or tag amitknagpal@gmail.com

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Jan 2012

The Goal - By Master Chrism

The Goal The Kundalini in you as well as your higher guidance will mitigate your awakening and process. We have members who are doctors and scientists, professors, physicists, administrators etc. People are doing well.

This is a change but it is a change that is natural to the human condition. Very few people have become incapacitated and yes I know the internet abounds with horror stories of people whose lives have purportedly been wrecked by Kundalini. Sometimes that does occur. It hasn't occurred here because of the practice of the safeties.

It would be immoral of me to tell you that I could guarantee your flow would be pure bliss day and night with nary a challenge or hurdle for you to learn from. It is a condition ripe for learning's to be certain.

Most of the lessons are about who we are and how we can best express through our bodies aspects of divinity that is available to those given knowledge of the existence of the Kundalini. No accident you are here. But also you have the choice of not going to where this leads.

The goal of Kundalini is an expressed form of divinity in the flesh. Here we use aspects of love such as forgiveness and compassion and truth, honesty, diligence, patience, trust, surrender, service. Here we follow the Kundalini footsteps of saints and ascended beings that have left markers for us to follow.

Kwan Yin Jesus Christ Krishna Buddha Saint John of the Cross Saint Theresa of Avila Saint Francis Yogananda Aurobindo Sambava The lessons for the mind and the mechanism for the body are in place inside you right now. Why would they be there except for your opportunity? Kundalini forms the bridge that one walks to and from in living a life that is exalted and earthbound at the same time.

Family, friends, employers, state, city and county. All of your life can be continued and expressed within the parameters of walking a 'higher' path. Much of this path will be unique to you and your circumstances up to this point in your life. You will be given what you need to flourish. Your job is to surrender to those surprising gifts and experiences that will typically come your way. You will need to source yourself and make your own decision. Š Chrism 2012 Chrism is another person like you, a consciousness clothed in flesh, who uses a set of protocols entitled 'the Safeties' he guides students in a loving and safe manner through the Kundalini process. www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com

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Jan 2012

Book Corner

DARE TO DREAM: This Life Counts

By Debbi Dachinger An Excerpt The Biggest Dream Blockers What stops us? We have a terrific idea, a passion, something we really want to do or experience and then we don't achieve it. We don't create it in our lives. We feel great sadness because our dream is an expression of who we are. We are here to reach an ideal. In fact, often we feel that if we don't have or experience our life's goal, we are not complete. Our hearts are in the right place, and truly we desire it; if only we could just snap our fingers and arrive at that goal! We blame ourselves, we blame others, we blame finances, or we blame circumstances. Blaming does not bring the dream any closer, nor does it take away our deep longing to make headway, move ahead and see progress. We may be frustrated and pissed off, because we believe that good things are meant for us and surely we deserve to have our dreams come true.

So what are these dream stoppers? Let's spotlight the biggest challenges and greatest obstacles that keep us from making our goals happen. Read each of these and make note of which ones are your challenges and obstacles. You may not feel that every sentence relates to you; however, you'll know it is your bug-a-boo because you'll resonate with its essence and the truth of that hurdle in your life.

1. Doubts: We doubt it's possible. We doubt we have what it takes. We doubt anyone will take us seriously or see the talent inside of us. We doubt we can handle the dream if it really comes. We doubt we know how to make the necessary transitions to get there. We doubt we're worthy.

We doubt we will succeed. We doubt we'll like the dream if it comes true…

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2. Fear: We are afraid of being overwhelmed.

Fearful of failing. Fearful of succeeding. Fearful of being seen. Fear makes us jump at the thought of putting ourselves out there and screwing up while being visible to others. We are thoroughly scared that it is never going to happen but we want it so badly…

3. Others: What will 'they' think? What will 'they' do?

Others depend on us, we cannot let them down, and we are responsible. Others need us to be something or act a certain way in order for us to get where we need to be. We feel beholden to others and believe that our pursuit of this dream will make us very happy but will incur the wrath, disapproval, distaste, and/or judgment of others…

4. Time Management: No time. I have no time. I cannot fit in one more thing. I can barely juggle what's already in my life, I cannot add in another to-do, or action item or direction, even if it's my dream come true, I wouldn't know HOW to fit it in to my bursting at the seams life. I'm overwhelmed. I'm overcommitted. I'm not good at saying no. I'm scattered. I'm going in one direction when I get pulled to another and I'm off to handle THAT when I get pulled in another direction again…

5. Failure: I have already experienced failure. I have tried many things, many ways and they do not work out. Or they work out somewhat but don't ultimately come to fruition. I get a modicum of success but really do not get where I want or need to be. I feel held down, held back. I know I have the stuff my dreams are made of, I know my idea is great, I know what I want but it just seems to not be happening…

Jan 2012

Book Corner

6. Support: No one is interested in assisting me. I don't even know how to start or what to do next, and I'm really alone in this. I need internal and external support in order to move forward. I'm involved in a career where there is lack of support and is cut-throat. I need a team to assist me but I don't have the funds to hire them…

7. Clarity: We are not clear what our dream actually is. We're sure of our dream but unsure how to go about getting from where we are to our dream manifest. How do we accomplish our goal? We're not clear what our purpose even is.

Not sure what our future holds for us. Should we b e d o i n g something differently?

Should we take a risk? ...

8. Playing Small: My dream is big.

My dream is juicy.

My dream is from here to here. I, however, am this small. I do not compare. That's a HUGE leap; from me to my biggerthan-life dream. I do not fully own my power; I do not step into my power…

9. Trust: If I let go, really what will happen? Will IT happen? If I go for it is it possible that it'll come true? I do not trust. I do not believe, I mean really believe that this thing I want so badly is going to happen. It's okay to want it. It's okay to work my tail off to that something outside of myself will assist to make it happen? I still don't trust that it will occur…

10. Misc. Dream Busters: Not prioritizing, being spread too thin, finances, not generating money from work, not staying present or being here now, feeling like a doormat, taking things personally, lack of patience, being inconsistent, not staying focused, no follow through, 7

accommodating others, making compromises, and frustration…

This book is for anyone who has a dream and goal. Examples, stories, exercises; plus successful people and what made their goals manifest. It details obstacles and how to work through them. After reading this book you will attain your goal. It works!

“So if you feel plagued, and I know you do, by one, some, or many of the incapacitating behaviors and experiences listed above you're in the appropriate place, reading the correct book.

Anyway, you knew that of course you are or you wouldn't be planning to read this book right now.”

“The pages that follow are broken into small chapters for the sake of simplicity. There are examples in each chapter that contain either inspiration to keep you going or specific suggestions of what to do to move you through. And with all that, if you will take the time needed to implement the suggestions on the pages to follow, you will get out of the rut that's keeping you back, and make your wound your gift. You're so smart and you're so capable and I want to see you succeed. I want you to move through to the other side and make that dream come true. I want you to feel the pride of how limitless and amazing you truly are, and I want you to know you are worthy. There is no junk.

There is only good. If you have the passion and desire to accomplish and experience something, well darling, that's good enough. If you were given the dream then you were also given the power to make it come true. This much I know.”

Jan 2012

Food for Thought - By Patricia Merker

Food for Thought Something quite amazing happened to my daughter and me over 13 years ago, last April; something that 'stuck' and forever changed the way I perceive any given circumstance. It was a little thing really, but it changed my perspective so dramatically that I can never go back to the old consciousness I once had.

guidance from sweet librarians who love to read and help children, right? Is this too much to ask?

At any rate, this was a huge upset for me. You must understand that although my daughter was reading on grade level, she didn't seem to take great joy in reading and it concerned both my husband and I. We were constantly looking for interesting material for her. We went to the library on a regular basis. The school library, in my opinion, is a place where children go to find not only books, but also nurturing, loving

Well, to make a long story short, I did my best to explain, in my best mom voice, that it wasn't about her; it was about the librarian and her sadness. We spoke of that spark of God, or Divine Presence that lives in the soul of every living being. “Some of us are more aware of its presence than others,” I said. “Is there anything we can do to help her?” I asked my daughter. “Well mom, I can draw a special picture and maybe she'll

Well, this particular day I guess it was.

Apparently, when my daughter asked the librarian for help finding a book, she was snapped at in some way that still eludes me. I do know that my daughter was, and still is, a very My then, seven-year old daughter got off the gentle spirit and I find it difficult to believe that school bus and walked up the old, cracked she could irritate anyone, other than my driveway to our house in upstate New York. I husband or me, to the point of snapping. could see immediately that something was terribly wrong. From our living room window, I I truly like to believe that I operate in a semiwatched her make this short trip every day and I enlightened way and a little voice inside me would always delight in what a happy child she quietly suggested that my 'soon to be actions' was. It wasn't unusual to see her skipping or were not consistent with that of an enlightened singing, just taking joy in life itself, happy to be being. Luckily, before I actually got in the car, went to the school and wrung this woman's neck, returning home; to her place of comfort.

I decided to stop, breathe, and simply ask myself But this day was different. She walked in the door how a wise and enlightened Grand Master would and I instinctively knelt down and opened my see this situation. Is there something to be arms wide. She dropped her books and ran to my learned or taught here? arms. She sobbed. My first thought was that some malicious child had said a terrible thing to Wow. An amazing thing happened. The answer my sensitive little girl. Any parent knows that was instantaneous. First of all I was filled with something rises up within them when one of compassion for this woman, who a moment ago, their babies has been mistreated; even if it was by was a wicked witch to be burned at the stake. It occurred to me that anyone who could be mean someone else's little baby! to a child (or anyone, for that matter) had a very To my surprise, it wasn't some malicious child. It sad heart, indeed. was the librarian at her elementary school. I discovered at a later date that the librarian had Nothing had changed really, just a slight been involved in several instances of adjustment in how I chose to view this incident; 'grouchiness' with children. But even before that from love. I felt a sort of calmness, as if I had knowledge, I was of the opinion that she really come into alignment with some Universal Truth. should have retired several years prior. She One can feel the energy when they're in that wasn't very pleasant and I suspect that she didn't space. It's magnificent. It's power in its highest form. like her job or the children too much anymore.

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Jan 2012

Food for Thought - By Patricia Merker smile. She never smiles. Then she won't be sad!” she answered happily. I watched something shift in her as well, clearly no longer a victim. The tears began to dry and she went to work on a darling picture of the two of them holding hands.

The happy ending to the story is that the 'grouchy' librarian was, indeed, touched by my daughter's gift of art. Perhaps no one had been kind to her in a while; it's likely we'll never know, but according to my daughter, she smiled. That random act of kindness made some small shift in the librarian, and some big shift in my daughter.

published by Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers at www.pickawoowoo.com. You can visit her site a t www.TheGrandMasterLittleMasterSeries.com and watch a short video book trailer.

There was that chance, of course, that it might not work. I had to make sure Haley understood that. No matter how hard my daughter tried to make Ms. Librarian smile, it might not happen.

That's the chance we have to take. But it's the right chance because it's not about us; it's about them. It's not anything that we did. Some people can't seem to express love and what we see is some bottled up version, but it's the best they can do. We might just have to walk away and let someone else try to find her spark of Goodness.

But until that time we must always look for the God-Self, not only in her, but also in every living being.

What I think becomes my reality The essences of my thoughts stream inward from the vast somewhere I collect them and bring them forth They become my reality!

I breath my thoughts upon the air, it collects them and brings them to past I am one with everything and everything is one with me I adore that emersion – vast as can be!

Nothing can collect me when I'm soaring so free I'm swimming in the vastness of outer space The temple of the unknown – yet I feel so at home!

The inner me is my reality It sends me – it needs no transport to travel It ascends naturally to heights untouched It teleports me to heights on high Like a soaring kite caught up in the highest breeze It's a place I never seek to descend!

The inner me is my reality- its essence is my best friend!

That little shift that Haley and I made thirteen years ago from last April literally changed the outcome of a situation. And such a valuable lesson for my daughter! If we stay in our heart space, bullies and mean adults lose their ability to be hurtful. Compassion replaces anger.

Our children won't always do the enlightened thing, no matter how shining of an example we are, and we shouldn't lecture them. No one always makes the right choice, even when they're fully aware. But if we, the parents, stay focused on our own light, our children will grow up into self-confident, divine expressions of God, living life consciously. If you remain consistent in your example, one day when you least expect it, you will find your child making a decision that is way beyond his/her level of understanding. You will experience pure joy at the gift you have given.

That is life changing.

Patricia Merker is the author of The Grand Master/Little Master Series for children, 9

THE INNER ME IS MY REALITY

By Betty Alark

Jan 2012

Cinema Hall

KUMARE Review by Jean Jessup "You are all great beings and you must stop pretending that you are not." KumareI found Kumare to be a surprisingly sweet and gentle, albeit extremely controversial, documentary; which was conceived and directed by, Vikram Gandhi, a New Jersey-born American of East Indian decent. It was beautifully filmed with excellent audio. The documentary follows Gandhi as he playfully dresses up as an Indian Guru and watches the response he gets in India and in the U.S. Then he decided to see if his alter ego as an Indian Guru could get a following. Hence, he went to Phoenix where he knew no one and started his own 'teachings' as the Indian Guru, Kumare.

His teachings consisted of made-up chants, fake 'yogic' postures and a blue light meditation which he created himself. He also spoke in an Indian accent, dressed in robes, wore his hair long and behaved in a way that made people think he was not familiar with western culture.

Brought up in a Hindu family that clung to their religious rituals and beliefs, Gandhi is a bit rebellious regarding Hindu religion and spiritual practices in general. His endeavor to expose the whole Guru experience through this documentary experiment may seem quite sacrilegious, but it is cloaked in the sweet nostalgia of a loving childhood upbringing filled with sweet memories of his family's culture.

I have had a fair amount of experience with Gurus in my life. I spent 20-plus years following the teachings of a very famous guru and met some other gurus after I became disillusioned with that spiritual practice. If I had met Kumare, I would have thought he was a very strange guru because he was humble, respectful, warm and 10

accessible. He didn't perform any magic tricks to impress his followers. He didn't make passes at the ladies or young boys. He didn't expect his followers to adhere to a system of etiquette, such as never turning your back to the Guru in his presence, bowing down, treating his picture in the same reverent way, and other such worshipful practices. In fact, his followers invited Kumare to their homes and he listened to them and even rolled on the floor in an effort to understand their experiences in life. Most gurus' I've encountered are more into lecturing their followers; they demand to be put on a pedestal and have no time to listen to their devotees' individual concerns. So from my guru experience, Kumare is a fake, but a loving, gentle and r e s p e c t f u l f a k e .

In the film, Kumare is continually interjecting into his spiritual lessons that he is a fraud and that his students don't need him as a guru. He would say that a guru is no closer to divinity than we are.

He even had his classes use a vision board to show them that they never really needed a guru. He gave his students an exercise to pretend that they were Kumare, and Kumare played the role of the student. In the exercise, they lecture Kumare on what they themselves need to do to improve their lives. Kumare was teaching them selfempowerment, which I believe, is the greatest s p i r i t u a l t e a c h i n g .

I saw Kumare as a counselor. He allowed his students to tell him all their concerns and the intensity of the concerns shocked him at first. He allowed individual meetings with his followers and seemed to be a great listener. But would these people have come to him, if Gandhi didn't dress up as a guru and call himself Kumare?

Which brings me to the subject of how do people

Jan 2012

Cinema Hall

get the credentials to call themselves a professional this or that? I call myself a film reviewer, because I just do it; I don't have any certification. I also call myself a writer and I don't have a college degree in writing. I'm sure there are lots of people who call themselves gurus who don't have any certification or blessings from the Shankaracharya. There are those that have great talent in counseling that have never gone to school for it, yet they are probably better than any counselor who got their degree from an Ivy League University.

I could see as the film progressed, that Gandhi developed skills in helping his followers which greatly shocked him. He was actually becoming Kumare, the Guru. He planned to reveal himself to his followers to show he was really Vikram Gandhi from New Jersey. It was an intense moment.

This brings me to the betrayal aspect of this film.

Kumare screened at the 2011 Tucson Film and Music Festival. I stayed for the Q&A. The film showed Kumare taking a break from developing his Phoenix following by investigating healers and spiritual communities in Tucson and Southern Arizona. According to the film, Tucsonans really fell for the Kumare-facade. He visited an organic farm community in Southern Arizona that was founded by a man who is the self-proclaimed spiritual leader of the group. It was apparent that the film was quite skeptical of new age spiritual practices and not supportive of groups that depend on someone outside themselves for their spirituality. Well, there happened to be two ladies from that community in the audience. It was their first viewing of the film and they clearly expressed their feelings of betrayal, having been fooled into thinking that a real Indian Guru had visited their organization.

I struggled for a few days with how elated I felt by the message of the film and the contrasting feeling about the method that was used to bring out that message. But ultimately we allow ourselves to be betrayed when we give over our own sovereignty to someone else in order to relinquish responsibility for our own life choices.

It was the original intent of the film to show how 11

people so easily hand over their spiritual development to someone else. Kumare constantly challenged his followers, often hilariously, in an attempt to snap them out of the delusion of following him, but to no avail.

Gandhi deeply bonded with his followers through Kumare, who he calls, 'his ideal self.' He struggled with revealing his true persona and was saddened that his relationship with them would change. As a testament to the bonds he had developed with his students, ten out of his fourteen regular 'followers' still kept in touch with him even after he 'lifted the veil' and some were even present at the Q&A. This film will be released in theaters in spring 2012 and I know it will anger many spiritual movements when it does, if it hasn't already.

Many spiritual leaders depend on having followers who are highly dependent on them.

They convince the devotees to think they can only connect to the divine or their own Higher Selves through them. The message of true selfempowerment threatens many so called spiritual movements today.

In conclusion, the film turned out to be much more loving than a documentary whose goal it was to show how easily fooled people can be about gurus. The message of self-empowerment was sweetly delivered. Highly recommended!

See the trailer at the Kumare official movie website. http://www.moviereviewsfromaspiritualperspe ctive.com/ Email: spiritualmoviereviews@gmail.com

Book Corner

Jan 2012

Lhundrup Dhechen The experience of three friends exploring Kathmandu and its charming temples. In contact with mysterious Tibetan monks and paranormal events. In the monastery of Kopan on the hill of the sun, looking for enlightenment. When Dharma transforms itself into a diamond sword able to open the hearts and transmit light.

The above mentioned name is the Tibetan surname that I received from Lama Lhundrup Rigsel after my initiation happened in Nepal, in the monastery of Kopan, on November 2001.Where Dhechen means Great Blessing.

The story begins when my friends Serena Silvestri (a doctor) and Franco Cascini (a judge retired) ask me to go with them to Nepal, in the above mentioned monastery, in order to meditate. Very interested on that, I decide to leave with them and enrol for the One Month Lama Rim Course November 5 – December 5, 2001.

This story is a real life experience in contact with the extraordinary and mysterious world of the paranormal, lived by me, by the famous Lama Yeshe (reincarnation of Lama Tenzin Osel Rimpoche), Lama Zopa Rimpoche, Geshe Lama Konchok, Lama Charo (the monk-child able to remember his previous life: he found his previous family) and by Zina Rachevsky (daughter of the Prince Romanov who ran away from Russia during the Revolution. Her mother was a rich American heiress Zina who lived in Hollywood; she became a famous actress and when she decided to become Buddhist she gave Lama Yeshe Kopan hill as a present. The place where the monks built the monastery).

After the enrolment, I decide to become vegetarian. Some months before I left, I dreamt

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Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and Padre Pio: they send me messages. Remembering other dreams, I perceive that Christ is leading me, through friends who invited me to enrol to Buddhist courses, to strengthen that all religions, when they teach love and brotherhood, lead to the same source. In the first day at the monastery I have a dream, and days later, during a meditation, an extraordinary experience with Jesus Christ. In October, at home, I was half-asleep and I saw some Buddhist monks flying away from me towards the ceiling, and they smiled. That happened many times and each time I feel that they have taught me something. It also happens in Kathmandu in the hotel Manaslu where I stay with my friends before leaving for the monastery.

In Kathmandu, Serena and Franco introduce me to Gopal, a friend of theirs. Gopal is a Nepalese lawyer who fights for the rights of Nepalese people, risking his life. He talks about the Maoist guerrilla warfare and all the problems linked to the King's uncle, after the Royal Family was killed off. Gopal says that the Nepalese political situation is heavy and he thinks that peace won't last long. Gopal and Franco talk about their plans of the orphan children that must be approved. Gopal tells us that he also wrote a book about human rights and it will be distributed to people by the end of the month. Nepalese government has forbidden that, but he contacted the most important worldwide humanitarian organizations in order to intervene if he is arrested and beaten. My friends and I visit the fantastic Durbar Square and the Kumari Devi Palace, the famous living Goddess, and my friends tell me its story, explaining that Hinduism and Buddhism are an extraordinary example of

Book Corner

Jan 2012

permeation and tolerance.

Last night in Kathmandu I wake up and I remember an image: a group of people smiling at me, among which I see a Buddhist monk and a young man, tall and with long black hair. On November the 4th, we reached the monastery of Kopan. In the afternoon, we visited a village at the bottom of the hill, where there is the famous Stupa Boudhanath. In the evening, when we come back to the monastery, we meet Jolanda; a Spanish woman who will be our room-mate. When Serena and I enter the bedroom, we realize that Jolanda has just finished crying. Later, she tells us she lost her 16 year old son in a terrible car accident: in the collision one of his knees has run through his heart, killing him. Jolanda falls depressed many times, but Serena and I will be able to help her and become real friends.

On November the 5th we reach the gompa for our first meeting with the worshipful Master Neil, and I am struck by a group of French people: six women and five men, among which there is the Buddhist monk Jean Franรงois and Willy, with his long hair. I gaze at them; I think I already know them.

Unexpectedly, a flash back: I remember my dream, the last day in Manaslu Hotel in Kathmandu. As Serena, Franco and I speak French, in accordance with Karen (the woman monk who will lead meditations), are accepted in the French group in order to talk over the Master's teachings every day at 2 p.m. From that time on, there will be a special relationship between the French group and us. In the screenplay I describe teachings about Dharma and the life of Buddha by our worshipful Master Neil. In the monastery there are 167 guests, coming from all over the world. Karen invites us to 'Karma Yoga': each person should volunteer and work together on common good. Serena volunteers as doctor for the monks and possible patients, and I, with her permission, volunteer as her assistant.

We become part of the monastery life: every day we wake up at 5 a.m., with the sound of cymbals, songs, horns, mantras and prayers. Soon the Lotus position causes problems to our knees and silence and fast make life hard. Many guests fall ill and during our turn in infirmary there is always a queue of patients waiting to be cured. During meditation I ask to my inner master if I will be able to find a film producer for my screenplays; the answer is a vision of a group of monks with guns

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who fire against the sky. I understand I have to ask for a prayer. After having seen the charming monks' ceremony, I go and meditate and pray they can be Buddha quickly, in order to help mankind to leave samsara. Immediately I have another vision of a beautiful shining white Lotus flower, whirling over my heart. Nights later, in my dreams I receive the answer to my question: a group of monks with a sharp log break down a door.

That dream makes me understand that one door will open for me and I shall find a producer, but it takes time and hard work. During meditations lead

by Karen, I have extraordinary visions: Dalai Lama embracing me, Buddha asking me to work hard to become Buddha myself, and when I tell him that I don't know if I ever will be able to, I see a tear-drop running down his face. Touched, I promise him to do my best to be like him and help mankind to leave samsara. Many other experiences are described in the screenplay. Franco tells me about his unique experience with Tara (mother of all the past and future Buddha's), happened years before in Tibet and also Serena tells me about her unique experience regarding reincarnation happened in this same monastery seven years ago.

Unfortunately, the peace of the monastery is broken by the Maoist war. Maoist guerrilla explodes some buildings even a TV station.

Worried Monks cancel the following course. Night and day we listen to the sound of machine-guns in the valley. Maoist guerrilla is approaching monastery. Our stay in that place finishes with rituals and initiations made by monks dressed with their Tibetan religious costumes. In Kathmandu we cannot leave the hotel for two days because of the strike and brawling. We spend our last days visiting the city. On the very last day Gopal leads us to Patan, he has just started to distribute his book (at least, he reaches out without problems with the Nepalese government). While we are leaving, they tell us that there have been fires from a helicopter: 100 people are injured and ten people killed.

Franco will reach out in one of his plan to help orphan children. Jolanda leaves her job in Spain and moves to India, to the monastery of Dharamsala, to study the Tibetan language in order to act as an interpreter for the Dalai Lama.

By Elisabetta Errani Emaldi

The Importance of Becoming Fully Human - By Myra Godfrey

Jan 2012

The Importance of Becoming Fully Human I'm a human being. You are a human being. At least I hope you are if you are reading this! What does being human mean? Have you ever thought about this?

The lives of each and every person are different.

People have vastly different life experiences, desires and things which bring happiness and joy. People also seem to have different capacities to bring to their lives that which is desired. Some people are extraordinarily successful and others outright fail or end up committing suicide. Why is this? Why do some people suffer greatly in their lives while others go through life with very few worries? Karma can be viewed as one reason, but I believe it goes much deeper than this. While everyone has karma, everyone also has the capacity for free will to choose how to respond to karma.

Even the greatest of masters comes down with the hint of 'karma' that enables them to take a body, but in that case it is more often referred to as the will of God than karma, but the underlying principles are the same: a desire for something. In the case of a great master, the desire to help free the world form suffering. The distinctions between free will and karma are important, because the implication of karma is that one has no choice to alter the manifestation of a karma and free will indicates that a person is free to choose how they deal with all of life's situations, good or bad.

What if you were told this common way of thought was not true? How would that affect your actions?

What if you actually could mitigate the effects of your karma, your astrology or whatever else you believe holds you back from greatness? You can! Why then do more people not end up doing great things in life?

It's simple: because they believe they can't. As one of my favorite scriptures says, (the Bhagavad-Gita) “Man is made of nothing but faith. Whatever the nature of his faith, he attains that.� A person's willpower is the power of free will; when the will is strong, it can change past karma, astrology and everything else that stands in a person's way from attaining their goals.

Unraveling one's karmic cycle takes a strong will power (which is esoterically related to the 3rd chakra and the positive, conscious mind) combined with the state of the neutral, meditative mind (which is esoterically connected to the 4th or heart chakra).

The heart is the key to just about every good thing in life. Love, expansion, life, prana, Shakti‌mystical traditions from around the world always come back

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to the heart being the center of power and all that IS. It's not as easy as just moving into the heart-space though. In order to reach the heart consistently and effortlessly, a path must be walked. In terms of the subtle body, the Kundalini must ascend to the level of the heart for the Soul essence to thrive there. This means that our own fundamental Soul essence and Kundalini energy must travel through the 2nd and 3rd chakras before it can merge in the heart.

Let's look at this in terms of the psychology of the mind and ones thought process. While the 4th chakra correlates to the neutral meditative mind, the third chakra represents the positive, conscious mind and the 2nd chakra represents the negative, subconscious mind. In order for energy to stabilize in the heart completely, a person must learn to walk through both of the polarities of positive and negative, and also must learn to purify the subconscious mind so that it no longer bears the negative samskaras or karma that keep the psyche weighed down. The neutral aspect of the mind has also been referred to as the superconscious mind and also the overmind; it is the aspect of the mind that can tap into higher consciousness, because there are no attachments remaining to the duality of the world; no attachment to either positive and negative. This place of neutrality can accept both equally without judgment, which allows for perception of what IS without bias in either direction. This is a Divine state of consciousness when a person can reside in the place of the heart.

The Divine Consciousness Since the heart space is the seat of our Divine consciousness, our connection to all that IS, and the second chakra esoterically is the seat of our subconscious mind, this makes the third chakra, our conscious mind, the link between the two.

Why is it so important to be human when walking a path towards Divine consciousness? All too often since we live in a world of duality, there is a fight ongoing in the psyche between our 'good' and 'bad' nature. As humans, we tend to see either of these two sides only, but not the space that resides in between.

Being 'good' when walking a spiritual path to most means being Divine and being 'bad' means being asuric or demonic; not acting within our highest integrity as a spark of God. Herein lies the problem and the confusion for most people: how is it that we have become so blinded to who we are as humans as the state between these two extremes? Why do we

The Importance of Becoming Fully Human - By Myra Godfrey seek the extremes alone and not for the space that resides between the two?

To walk a path means to follow and order and sequence, yet we want to jump right into the Divine consciousness without walking the path to get there.

To become fully Divine means to first become fully human. It requires strength and humility. Humans are such interesting combinations of consciousness; we carry traits and aspects that make us both Divine and asuric. As long as there is a mix of asuric qualities, Divinity cannot take a deep hold in the inner system. Another way to look at Divine vs. asuric is to understand it as a varying level of Selfmastery, where being in a place of Divine consciousness means that no energy other than that of your Soul spark has the ability to control your actions. Do you allow fear, greed, anger jealousy etc. to ever control your actions? Do any of these, or other, inner enemies have the ability to push your buttons and take you out of the state of being you?

To me, becoming fully human means learning to become conscious of all actions and to not allow any of these lower nature impulses to control actions, behaviors or thoughts. By striving for a place of full humanity, and not directly for a perception of Divinity, allows an individual to walk the path of growth with authenticity. To walk a path towards the higher Self, it's essential to understand that becoming human is a part of the path that cannot be overlooked. No part of any path to growth can be skipped over; it must be walked step by step in order to reach the goal of the path. No part of the path is more important than any other; reaching the goal is truly not as important as the path one takes to get there. Can you ever know the alphabet and what it is if you only know the letters A and Z? How can you know what it means to live if you skip over what it means to be alive?

If you deeply want to become fully Divine, you must first become fully conscious of your own actions. To become fully conscious, one must learn to overcome the subconscious mind. This is a universal truth that holds true for all spiritual paths and religions.

Consciousness is key.

Consciousness is Selfempowerment. Consciousness is the first and most important step towards Self-mastery.

A direct approach towards Self-mastery is Self-inquiry. Selfinquiry is a major part of jnana yoga and is considered to be one of the most direct paths, although also one of the most difficult to tread, because it requires a neutral state of mind to deeply understand one's inner motivations and movements of the mind. My advice is this: don't try to tackle the approach of jnana head on. Start by living a balanced

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life. Practice self-inquiry on a daily basis. Strive to make all actions and thoughts in accordance with your highest possible nature.

Eliminate the possibility of corruption in your heart. This sort of will-power while being the basis for becoming 'human' is also a prerequisite for becoming 'Divine'.

A robust will-power can accomplish great things and will keep a person single-pointed towards whatever goal is in the heart.

If you are able to live life to its fullest, you'll have no regrets when you become old. If you deeply understand and are able to make peace with your heart, you'll be able to move towards a state of liberation. The deepest most central part of the Divine consciousness is love; to become a spark of God is to become an infinite spark of love itself. By deeply being yourself, by being in touch with all that you are and reconciling all things in your life that take you away from yourself, you will most definitely learn the art of becoming fully human. By being human, you then have the option to strive for God, but not until then. Skipping over one's own humanity will only lead to intoxication of God and love, but never to the stability required to manifest those same traits in one's own life. Would you rather love be like a drug to you where you indulge then creep back over to your shadow side, or would you like to live in a state of love always? The choice is yours. Learn to be you, and then see how easy it is to move from there into a state of love for all. Don't learn to be the full human you, and see how impossible it is to find God. God after all is you; if you don't know everything about yourself, how can you truly know God? Myra has founded Gita for the Masses (a non-profit organization) and Hridaya Healing to help people see the inherent unity in all spiritual traditions and to help people overcome obstacles to their growth and fulfillment in life. She teaches workshops publically and works with individuals directly offering healing services, dharmic counseling, sadhana development, homam and a variety of other services based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita and the tantric Sri Vidya lineage. You can learn more about her work at http://www.gitaforthemasses.org or by contacting her directly at jayajayamyra@gmail.com.

Copyright Myra Godfrey 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Fundamentals of Reality Management.- Master Zen

Jan 2012

Fundamentals of Reality Management.

Part 1. Cleaning the Basement (Continue).

Five most powerful techniques to eliminate the fear of death, improve relationship with loved ones, open yourself to the abundance of Universe, relax and energize the body and rejuvenate yourself.

In previous two articles I gave you basic knowledge about Sub Consciousness Mind and how it can be used in everyday life and in assisting of our inner self in ego cleaning and mind concentration. In this article I will make you aware of 'bread and butter' ego cleaning technique, like Master's solutions: Live, Love, Money, Muscles relaxation and Anti-Age. Due to our attachment to the body, to our perception of the Universe through the body, these solutions are incredibly important for those who feel sick and tired from actions of egregors and manipulators, who would like to quit the samsara circle, who would like to enjoy the endless, immortal, peaceful, and blissful consciousness and to become the Master of Universe. “In many ways our minds are very similar to computers. In a computer you have hardware and software. The software is all our thoughts, feelings, memories and beliefs, as well as our basic innate intelligence. As we go through life, we have experiences and accumulate data, so our resident memory gets more and more full and our processing capabilities get more taxed. Emotionally charged or incomplete experiences are like programs and files that are left open running in the background, so they are using much more of your available memory and processing capability. These open programs and files also take a toll on our basic ability to function effectively in life and learn new useful skills. They create mental confusion and conflict because they are often sending contradictory messages that interfere with your conscious intentions and with each other.

Several emotionally charged programs are working like a viruses, just waiting for a pre-defined time or certain sequence of action to start. And, the whole system leads to breakdown of suffering.�

Solution: Life Death is an illusion. Death is actually an interval between two states or planes of consciousness.

Matter is neither created nor destroyed; it only changes form. Death is therefore a Change or transformation, which is essential for the renewal of energy (the life force) and spiritual growth, a process similar to a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly. Attachment to the material form (the Physical body) causes fear of death. There is much superstition, fear and ignorance among people with regard to the nature of death. We need to remove the IGNORANCE that makes us fear death.

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We are most conspicuously attached to our bodies.

We can sense life through our bodies. The identification of the Self with the physical form misleads one into thinking that the dissolution of the physical body results in the annihilation of the Self.

We relish physical comforts and the pleasures of the senses. But if we consider this attachment, we will see that it is a potential source of suffering. This is because the body is constantly changing. We wish we could remain alive forever, but moment after moment the body is passing from youth to old age, from life to death. When we contemplate sickness, old age and the ever present threat of death, anxiety overwhelms us. Thus, we seek to elude the inevitable by evading the thought of it. Lust for life and fear of death are forms of attachment.

We are attached not only to our bodies but also to our possessions, like our clothes, our car, our house and our wealth. We are loath to part with these things and always try to accumulate more of them. We are also attached to memories of the past or anticipation of the future.

The aim of 'Solution: Life' is to root out each and every point of attachment until there is not even a speck of dust left for the mind to grasp. This means that not only coarse forms of attachment such as passions and desires must be uprooted, but also the more subtle threads of intellectual attachment such as convictions.

Religious doctrines and materialistic educational systems have inadvertently encouraged man's negative attitude towards death. They paint horrible conditions of the after-death state, ranging from eternal punishment and torture far worse than the cruelties and atrocities of the Inquisition, to the materialistic view of nihilism and annihilation.

Religion and the academic institutions offer no real comfort or solace to those whose loved ones have faced the great change.

The fear of death is actually man's fear of the unknown, and it indicates man's bondage to his ignorance which ultimately develops into superstition. Because of the underlying fear, man laboriously attempts to postpone death through medicine and other means. Knowing the true nature of death releases man from his bondage to his fears and from his varied superstitions pertaining to it.

Philosophically speaking, this is the state of duality, and unless man perceives the One Reality underlying the dualistic worlds, as well as his true nature, he lives in fear and in a state of slavery. Mystics call this 'dying while living,' and advanced mystics have reached a

Fundamentals of Reality Management.- Master Zen state where they may predetermine and trigger the time and process of their physical and mystical deaths.

The fear of death has a lot of branches, such as the fear of being helpless in old age or of having a large amount of sex in order to have more children, so saving your body from death. Life and death are just dualities and they can be merged in your mind by use of Merge processor. 'Solution: Life' will substantially increase our enjoyment of life, of every breath and of the sun's light.

To learn the 'Solution: Life' text could be read aloud or silently one time, including the phrases 'Instruction for the Sub Conscious Mind' and 'End of instructions' on http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/awake.php.

Please note that for the use of 'Solution: Life' you need to read the following processors 'Clap', 'Execute it', 'Merge', 'Hoppo' . All solutions are FREE. SOLUTION: LOVE - Enjoy unconditional love without attachment Do you feel a strong emotional 'attachment' to your ex, but you don't understand why? How do you break your emotional dependency on your ex? Do you repeat the same mistakes in relationship with a new partner? Is your sex fully satisfying you? How long is your orgasm? How to use Sub Consciousness Mind to make you happy and harmonic?

Schopenhauer said falling in love is a 'blind biological urge' in us. Love is basically an illusion which pulls men and women together. Love in our mind is magical, sweet, sensational and is a symbol of happiness. But little did we know that these emotions come together with Love as a whole 'package'. When human are able to derive positive emotions out of something, we gain satisfaction. And this satisfaction is what keeps our desire alive. It's instinctive, and we are basically slaves to our own instinct and desire.

Love is, besides an emotion, a judgment. It is one human judging another for the purpose of granting an emotional response. The same with hate, adoration, admiration, reverence, revulsion, enmity......

Attachment leads to possessiveness: MY husband, MY wife, MY friend, MY family. Did you ever realize that we cannot own people, unless you believe in slavery?

Possessiveness leads to FEAR of losing, fake affection out of fear, overprotection, craving, jealousy or even the feeling: I can't live without her/him/my car/my job/my jewellery/my music....

"Love with attachment consists of waves of emotion, usually creating invisible iron chains."

Exaggeration and projection are the main reasons that ordinary love leads to disappointments. To illustrate this some words from M. Scott Peck on ordinary love: "The myth of romantic love is a dreadful lie. Perhaps it is a necessary lie in that it assures the 'falling in love' experience that traps us into marriage. But as a

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psychiatrist I weep in my heart almost daily for the ghastly confusion and suffering that this myth fosters. Millions of people waste vast amounts of energy desperately in an attempt to make the reality of their lives conform to the unreality of the myth."

Love is the pretext whereby so many people crucify themselves to the arrangement of marriage, relationships, and commitments, for a reason no better than mere obsession. Love is necessitated by a sexual impulse, no matter how much we try to restructure or 'tame' it. You can spend 5 hours listing the 'necessary' qualities of a 'soul mate,' but all those qualities are for naught if they do not contribute to sexual arousal.

Schopenhauer believed that the truth is ugly.

Marriage is a trap to confine couples together.

Living as a husband and wife means halve both of their rights and double the duties. Having children will require the couples to put in more effort and resources to maintain the family.

Therefore, only a force as strong as Love can 'blind' us, bringing men and women together in a same roof. When we are finding our potential partners, we do not think of making babies with them, rather, we think of Love. It seems that we have no choice but to fall in love and the illusion of love (which gives extreme positive emotions) will conveniently wipe away all the misery of a married life and having babies.

To summarize: our own projections, selfish expectations and exaggerations of Love are the foundations of attachment, judgments and the unavoidable disappointment.

The MASTER SOLUTION: LOVE is working through relationship with loved ones, forgiveness, detachments, judgments, sex taboos, moral principles and society puritanism. It will improve the relationship with your partners and orgasm.

MASTER's SOLUTION: MONEY - Would like to get emotional detachment from money just in a few days? Relief from painful money matters like short of cash, indebtness, and unpaid bills. Make the money your servants.

You are being manipulated!

You are surrounded by manipulators, both inside and outside of you (TV, glossy magazines, churches, disasters movies etc.), demanding your attention so you have no chance to be yourself. You brain has been defiled for years by multi-milliondollar ad campaigns and PR managers. Most of them deliberately use images that evoke fear, envy, or pain. Your mind is always chasing false values that have been planted there by advertising

Fundamentals of Reality Management.- Master Zen professionals, experts, lobbyists, friends, parents, etc. Thus, following a dream is like following the horizon, it is always moving away from you.

Occasionally you can reach some of the materialistic targets your mind has set for you. You can buy the car you have been forced to dream of or own some piece of property, but within a month or two you find that even that isn't enough and then ‌ You're 'on the road again,' swirling in your endless samsara circle.

Can money buy happiness? Money gives you satisfaction, maybe accomplishment, but it is possible to have a lot of money without having a decent life. You might have a lot of money and live a meaningless life. Money does not exist in nature, though: can you pay a cow for its milk or its meat?

Money has an energy nature, but it flows only in the mind. We can visualize money as a circular piece of metal (coins), ridiculous pieces of printed paper (notes), numbers in a bank account, or numbers of shares in a corporation. Money is a very loaded concept in your subconscious mind. Most people are manipulated by money. For myself, money is energy flowing in a pipeline inside the mind, on the conscious level. We transform the energy we receive from food, the sun, or breathing into this mental energy. We need either to increase the diameter of this pipeline or clean it. Detachment from money matters is the way to increase the volume of flow by the increasing the diameter and/or cleaning of the pipeline.

To be detached from money means to shift your focus to doing what you love and what makes you feel purposeful, and to let money arrive in your life without being consumed by it. Detachment means awareness that YOU ARE NOT YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. If you feel that you must have money in order to feel happy and successful, then you attached to it. Your need to have more means that you do not feel whole now, that something is missing. That something you are calling more money. That missing part will keep your mind focused on get what is missing, rather than being here and now, doing what you love and enjoy your life. And, of course, what you think about will expand.

MASTER's SOLUTION: MONEY was developed to clean up the waste dump (emotions, fears, convictions, judgements, grieves, malice etc.) about money matters from the subconscious mind. This waste dump generates your thoughts and your subconscious mind becomes the real banker in your reality. I am former CEO of emerging markets Investment Company. I raised over US$ 3.5 billion in the development of oil and gas, renewables energy projects worldwide. I lived my life with cool

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Jan 2012

cars, Swiss watches, tailored-made suits, business classes, sleekly yachts and pompousness hotels. Now I stop my participation in the rat race. Now, I am enjoying my life in the tropical island of Bali, playing with kids in the pool, biking, surfing and giving Vipassana meditation at the sunset on the ocean beach. Wish you were here.

I am giving you the chance to become rich, powerful and free. Learn MASTER SOLUTION: MONEY consciously and enjoy yourself. http://www.mastersofuniverse.net/awake.php.

Otherwise, you are welcome to return to the Universe of endless 'bills to be paid'.

SOLUTION: MUSCLES RELAXATION - IDEAL AUTOMATIC BODY RELAXATION AND ENERGIZING SOLUTION. FEAR and TENSION is our defensive reaction when we perceive something threatening. FEAR creates tension that BLOCKS the flow of internal energy.

Intense or prolonged fear leads to rigidity and paralysis and the inability to respond fluidly to life's challenges. Tension and rigidity also consume massive amounts of energy through constant effort.

Try clenching your fist and forearm for three minutes and observe how much effort and energy is spent and wasted. Now imagine holding even ten percent of that tension for days on end throughout your body. This type of holding leads to fatigue, exhaustion and fragmentation.

Thus, how to process the fear and tension and to get the full body relaxation The architecture of SOLUTION: MUSCLES RELAXATION is very simple. It works through using the 'Execute It' processor: Any kind of tension in body's muscles or prolonged spasms, or sensed any blockages or muscle cramps connected with psychological trauma, denial of something or someone, other negative emotions or feelings, or absolutely any mental material whatsoever (BLOCK).

- All episodes which were the cause or consequence of the BLOCK, or which helped to maintain it - All people, beings, higher powers, God and the world in general who have been a cause or a consequence of the BLOCK - All episodes in which WE did not accept our state of BLOCK, denied it, or tried to conceal our condition from ourselves and those around us, and so WE fought against it - All ideas, convictions, opinions, beliefs, decisions, limitations, theories, dreams and fantasies concerning the state of BLOCK. - all fears, worries or anxieties which have arisen as a result of all the episodes listed above, and which are causes of the episodes listed above.

- All affirmations, meditations and any kind of

Fundamentals of Reality Management.- Master Zen relaxation techniques which are related to our struggle with the state of BLOCK. - Any kind of criticism, judgement, lack of forgiveness or any other type of negative attitude towards ourselves, other beings, people, reality and the world in general.

PLEASE NOTE: the body relaxation may be very deep. It is better to use it before sleep. You can restart it every night.

You can order SOLUTION: MUSCLES RELAXATION by email: masterofzen@hotmail.com. Reiki initiated can order SOLUTION: AUTO-REIKI that is more powerful and fulfill the body with Reiki energy.

It is also important to note that SOLUTION: MUSCLE RELAXATION works through on the physical 'body' level, but not uproots the cause of stress completely. You need to use Life, Love, Money, My wonderful job, Anti-stress and other solutions to keep the mind clean.

Powerful Anti-age Solution: Your age only exists within your mind, so take control of it, rejuvenate yourself and claim back your youth!

Don't we all wish that we could capture our youth in a bottle and keep it with us forever, isn't stopping the winds of time from blowing away our youth, a secret dream all of us nurture? We can't preserve our youth forever, but we can delay the aging process. Antiaging creams or other treatments will help to a degree, but they only deal with the end physical result and not the cause. Natural anti-aging treatments on the other hand are more holistic, involving both the mind and the body.

Anti-aging is a very popular project for a lot of people, especially women, nowadays. A growing number of beauty products are now boasting of its anti-aging properties and are being marketed using anti-aging as the main magnet. Anti-wrinkle creams, anti-aging lotions, sunscreen, and so on. Aging is an inevitable destination, but it wouldn't hurt to delay the process a bit, right?

Do you feel like you look older than you actually are?

Are you less active, passionate, driven, and motivated that when you were younger?

Do you feel mentally aged - tired, lethargic, worried, bored, or even apathetic?

Do you wish you could reverse the aging process, and restore your mind to the adventurous spirit you once had?

Information that is processed in the subconscious part of the brain also known as subliminal messages can actually influence a person's attitude and behavior. Use subconscious technique 'Anti-Age' to

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slow down your mental aging process - rejuvenate your lust for life and regain your youthful spirit today!

Even the top anti-aging eye creams or cosmetic procedures do not solve the bigger picture, they may reduce your wrinkles temporarily, but there is always another part of your body you are not happy with.

Our subconscious technique 'Anti-Age' works differently, it targets your sub conscious mind to slow down the mental aging process, and more importantly, to give you back the mental qualities of youth and rejuvenate your mind to restore your lust for life, and youthful personality.

Our anti-aging technique will help to: Reprogram your self-image, confidence, and self-esteem; become positive towards your looks and body image!

Bypass your inbuilt limiting beliefs and allow yourself to begin to accept the positive thoughts that lead to your development.

Boost your motivation, drive, and energy levels to become more vibrant and outgoing again.

Gain a new, positive, outgoing, lust for live, and a youthful, positive outlook.

There are two types of people - the first type who moan and get depressed about the aging process, or people who want to take control of the situation, and still get the most from life. If you are the first person, then this anti-aging technique is probably not for you. If you are the second type of person then our anti-aging technique will compliment your beliefs!

The subconscious technique 'Anti-Age' is extremely powerful, not only does it control our body functions but also our so called 'natural' thought processes. We look older when we feel older prematurely or if we get depressed by our visible aging. Depression can often manifest via a faded complexion, dark circles under the eyes, or even wrinkles. Loss of physical fitness may also be the result of negative feelings about one's body and age.

The subconscious technique 'Anti-Age' will not only re-program your mind to improve your self-image, confidence, and self-esteem but also subliminally increase your blood circulation to improve your skin condition, appearance and general health.

I wish to thank you for having taken the time to raise the level of your consciousness. By doing so you've not only empowered yourself but you have also made a significant contribution to the rest of the planet.

Jan 2012

Control the senses- PREMA IYER

Control the senses As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.

Unless all of the senses are engaged in the service of the divine, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement.

Our senses are so strong that we always get tempted to gratify whatever we wish for. Then how do we control? That's the major question. We can control our senses only through meditating and diverting our duties towards others. Once we are tempted then our intelligence spoils in the process of acquiring and once we will not achieve our desires we become bewildered and once we become bewildered we create lust into the mind. Lust creates passion and once the person enters into the stage of passion, he loses his intelligence and if once loses the intelligence he tends to fall into the material platform and will try to do all wrong things in life.

It is utmost essential that one should curb the senses. Eating, sleeping and mating these are essential activities of human being. And the whole human globe survives on this. It is essential but we have to control ourselves in these three aspects in a major way. When the senses are rambling about in pursuit of their delights and one allows their mind to follow in hot pursuit after them, then the mind will be deprived of its inherent intelligence and will completely forget all the things that lead to one's highest good. Instead of inducing a strong will to pursue spiritual development one will develop a strong will for sensual enjoyment.

Hence one who is unable to control their mind and senses cannot be in possession of determinate reason. Instead of inducing a strong will to pursue spiritual development one will develop a strong will for sensual enjoyment.

Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that god is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship with self is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life.

PREMA IYER

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ICELAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari

Jan 2012

The land of Geysers, Volcanoes and Waterfalls Iceland described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Though Iceland is nearer to Greenland (North America) than mainland Europe, the island is generally included in Europe for cultural reasons. Geologically the island is part of both continental plates. A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the Iceland hotspot and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. This location means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes.

Ingólfur Arnarson is generally thought to have been the first settler in Iceland, according to the Book of Settlements (Landnámabók). Ingolfur came to the shores of Iceland in AD 874 and built a home in Reykjavik. Over the course of the next 50 years, Nordic and Celtic origin settled in Iceland and the population grew steadily. In 930, the Icelandic parliament 'Alþingi' was established; the parliament that is now considered the oldest in the world.

During the period of 1262 to 1814, Iceland was a part of the Norwegian and Danish monarchies. In 1814, following the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via the Treaty of Kiel. Iceland remained a Danish dependency for over a century, until 1st of December 1918, when 'The Act of Union', an agreement with Denmark, was signed.

The agreement recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state under the Danish king. 25 years later, after the 'The Act of Union' agreement had expired, the Icelandic nation voted for an independent constitution. In 17th June, 1944, Iceland was formally established as an independent republic.

Since gaining independence, Iceland have enjoyed substantial economic growth, driven at first by industrialization of the fishing industry but later with emerge of new industries such as energy, aluminum production and tourism.

“Iceland is the land of boiling mud pools, spurting geysers, glaciers and waterfalls are also an adventure

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playground. Its breathtaking landscape is an inspiration to artists and photographers. Iceland is the least densely populated country in Europe, with a pure, unpolluted and truly magical landscape.

Iceland's summers are surprisingly warm, lush and green, with days lengthening until midsummer, when the sun dips down to the horizon but never sets.

During winter you can marvel at the amazing, undulating green, blue, yellow and pink lights of the aurora in the night sky, and the winters are not as cold as you might imagine. Regardless of when you visit, you can be assured of the warmth of the Icelanders' welcome and their desire to share their culture and make every effort to ensure that your stay is a pleasant one.” Claims the locals.

There are around 1,300 known species of insects on Iceland, which is a rather low number compared with other countries (over one million species have been described worldwide). The only native land mammal when humans arrived was the Arctic Fox, which came to the island at the end of the ice age, walking over the frozen sea. On rare occasions, bats which have been carried to the island with the winds can be seen, but they are not able to breed there. Polar bears have also shown up through the history, yet they are just visitors, and no Icelandic populations exist. There are no native or free living reptiles or amphibians on the island.

Approximately three quarters of the island are barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly of grassland which is regularly grazed by livestock. The most common tree native to Iceland is the Northern Birch, which formerly formed forest over much of Iceland along with Aspen, Rowan and Common Juniper and other smaller trees. When the island was first settled, it was extensively forested. Only a few small birch stands now exist in isolated reserves. The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but does not compare to the original forests.

Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse. English is widely spoken as a

ICELAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari secondary language. Rather than using family names, as is the custom in all mainland European nations, the Icelanders use patronymics or matronymics. The patronymic and matronymic follows the person's given name. Consequently, the Icelandic telephone directory is listed alphabetically by first name rather than by surname. Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions. Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas which were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. Icelanders place relatively great importance on independence and self-sufficiency.

The language and culture of Iceland were predominantly Scandinavian from the outset, but there are traces of Celtic influence in some of the ancient poetry, in some personal names and in the appearance of present-day Icelanders. All branches of the arts flourish in Iceland, especially painting, which started in earnest at the turn of the century.

Literature has always been the mainstay of Icelandic culture and it is astonishing how many books are published every year in such a tiny country. Other aspects of the national heritage that used to be important in past centuries include manuscript illumination, woodcarving and folk music. There are many places where you can buy works by Icelandic artists, such as paintings, small sculptures, exclusive postcards, ornaments, articles of clothing made of unusual materials, toys and utensils. Many museums are dedicated to a particular theme, such as, ghosts, witchcraft, aviation, whales, textiles and handicrafts, theatre props, volcanoes, glaciers, photography, medicine, music, coins, stamps, individual Icelandic authors, electricity, technical matters, hunting, communication, World War II, medieval manuscripts, seals, science, old buildings, horsemanship, rocks and semi-precious stones, and, of course, natural history.

Places to visit Reykjavik It is the capital and the largest city of Iceland.

Reykjavík is a city of striking contrasts. Small corrugated iron houses nestle next to futuristic glass buildings; state-of-the-art facilities lie minutes away from rugged volcanic terrain; and inter-national influences mingle with Icelandic national traditions to create a unique culture where old embraces new.

Whatever your interests, Reykjavík has something to offer. Whether you are seeking the bustling energy of a cosmopolitan city, the thundering thermal energy in the ground beneath your feet, or the quiet green energy of the landscape surrounding the city,

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Reykjavík promises a memorable visit.

One way to soak up Reykjavík's pure energy is to visit one of the many thermal swimming pools or spas.

Whether you go for a swim, take a healing soak in a hot tub, or indulge in a thermal steam bath, you will leave feeling relaxed and re-energized. Going to the pool is also very much a way of life for Reykjavík's residents and thus an ideal way to meet local people.

A crash course in Icelandic politics, the long-term weather forecast, or some valuable tourist tips are just some of the things you might soak up in the soothing waters of a hot tub. There is no better way to touch the pulse of the city. Reykjavík is energy also abounds in the city's cultural scene. From the avantgarde to the historical, Reykjavík's galleries, museums and theatres support a vibrant yet sophisticated artistic culture. Annual festivals, special exhibitions and stage productions mean that the cultural calendar is always full and there is always plenty for the visitor to enjoy. Reykjavík is the gateway to Iceland. A young-at-heart city with a long history, encircled by mountains and sea, it lies just minutes away from a magnificent unspoiled landscape thrown up and shaped by the energy of the

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earth. Whether you are looking for the excitement of a capital city or a quiet break in breathtaking scenery, Reykjavík has everything you could possibly want.

The Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland is an amazing place, for many reasons. The area is defined by its large lava fields, historical volcanism, numerous hot springs, geothermal energy and rugged landscape. It also holds two of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland, the MidAtlantic Ridge and the world famous Blue lagoon.

The peninsula is an active volcanic system under its surface, situated at the south western end of the island. The peninsula is rather sparsely populated except for Reykjanesbaer, which is the largest town on the Peninsula. This rugged area of unordinary beauty and unique landscape has always been best known for the lighthouses and of course The Blue Lagoon. Some say that the lighthouses outnumber the villages.

West Iceland In the West and the West Fjords, one can read the geological history of Iceland, from its formation 15-16

Jan 2012 million years ago until about the time of the settlement in the ninth century, which is when volcanic activity ceased in the region. The oldest rock formations are found at Kögur in the West Fjords, the youngest in the inner reaches of Borgarfjörður, and the region has an unusually wide variety of natural features. Every kind of volcano is found here, and water flows from the Earth in every form, from cool, sparkling mineral water to Europe's most voluminous hot spring, Deildartunguhver, from which water pours at 97°C at a rate of 180 liters per second. The clearest sign of volcanism is the perfectly formed crater of Snæfellsjökull, with its glacial cap, at the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, to which various mysterious powers have been attributed. This is now a National Park, and Snæfellsnes is now benchmarked as a Green Globe 21 sustainable

community with emphasis on tourism.

In olden times West Iceland and Breiðafjörður were flourishing agricultural regions with plentiful food resources. Many of the Icelandic sagas took place here and in the West Fjords. Historic sites in the region include Reykholt, home of the medieval chieftain/scholar Snorri Sturluson, and the town of Borgarnes with its Settlement Centre, where visitors can see two exhibitions featuring audio-taped narrative: one on the settlement of Iceland, and the other on Egill Skallagrímsson, one of the most colorful personalities of the Age of Settlement.

Another intriguing destination is the reconstructed saga age farmstead at Eiríksstaðir, home of Erik the Red. Eiríksstaðir is also reputed to be the birthplace of Eiríkur's son Leif the Lucky, who found the New World.

The Westfjords region has sometimes been dubbed 'the most famous unknown place in Iceland'.

Although the locals are great, it is, by and large, the

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ICELAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari nature that attracts v i s i t o r s .

F o r understandable reasons as well: it is untouched and almost uninhabited.

The cliffs and valleys are packed with birds, the uninhabited fjords offer a moment of silence and tranquility, and the Arctic fox proudly roams the mountains and inlets. The waterfalls are high and the streams pure. The distances are long and the fjords are deep. And then there are places where there are no roads at all.

The Westfjords are a great place to watch the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) during the winter and equally fantastic to experience the midnight sun during the summer.

Dynjandi actually consists of seven waterfalls; each of them has a name and one of them is Dynjandi.

Hornstrandir is the north most peninsula of the West fjords and a beautiful nature reserve which offers a pure wilderness. Comparatively populated in the earlier days but is now left to nature´s firm grip. The arctic foxes, lush meadows covered with flowers, majestic cliffs with screaming seabirds make Hornstrandir a real paradise for all nature lovers. The Ketildalir valleys are on the southern shore of the fjord Arnarfjordur. The best known of those valleys are probably Selardalur, a very popular destination because of the sculptures and buildings raised by the naiveté artist Samuel Jonsson. Látrabjarg is 14km

long and reaches 444m high. It´s the westernmost point of Europe and the home of one of the world's biggest Black Guillemot bird colonies. The cliffs are occupied by millions of Puffins, Gannets, Guillmots and Razorbills. It´s thought to be one of the largest razorbill colonies on the Earth.

Rauðisandur offers a spectacular view and countless numbers of seabirds and seals. Rauðisandur is a golden red sand beach in the Látrabjarg area. Snæfellsjökull glacier imperiously rivets your attention in the background.

Songhellir is a famous cave, known for its echoes. The name means the cave of songs. Deildartunguhver provides 100°C hot water and is Europe's most powerful hot spring.

North Iceland Flourishing villages and farming communities, soaring mountain peaks, offshore islands and a landscape in formation make the North of Iceland a unique world of its own. In the western part of the region, volcanic forces are no longer active, and since the end of the Ice Age the landscape has been molded by rivers into smooth hills interspersed with some of Iceland's finest angling rivers. On either side of Eyjafjörður rise high, ancient mountain ranges opening here and there into valleys, and in the north, marine erosion has created splendid cliffs. This area is popular with mountain hikers.

The Midnight Sun is an extraordinary spectacle in these northern latitudes: around the summer solstice, the sun sinks down to touch the horizon before rising again in breathtaking tones of red and gold. Further east, other forces are at work: fresh lava flows, fissures and gullies are clues to recent volcanic activity. It is only a little over twenty years since the last eruption in the geothermal area adjacent to Mt. Krafla, and the unrest in the Earth continue. Ásbyrgi canyon is a U-shaped depression about 3.5km long, cliffs surrounding it up to 90m high with a large crag (2m by 250m) called Eyjan (the island) in the open end of the U. Dettifoss is in the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, which emerges from beneath Vatnajökull glacier and runs into Öxarfjörður bay. It

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is part of Vatnajökull National Park. Iceland's greatest and most majestic waterfall. Dimmuborgir is a magnificent lava landscape with strange formations, columns, caves, arches etc. It seems that this was formed from a lava-lake, out of which molten lava flowed, causing much upheaval. Goðafoss is located in the river Skjálfandafljót, which runs across a lava field that is 7000 years old. Hljóðaklettar (Echo rocks or The Whispering Cliffs), its name is derived from an acoustic effect and strange echoes created by the numerous caves and uncommon rock formation, making it impossible to determine the directions of the noisy rivers. Krafla is one of Iceland's most spectacular and most active volcanoes. Mývatn (Midge Lake) is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in

an area of active volcanism, not far from Krafla Volcano.

East Iceland In East Iceland, the visitor will be astonished by the variety and contrast of the landscape. You will find everything, from impressive fjords to friendly and peaceful fishing villages, from fertile and forested valleys to unique geological phenomena. The East Fjords are a magnificent landscape of long, narrow fjords, steep mountains and jagged peaks. This is one of the oldest regions of Iceland, which was shaped by glaciers in the Ice Age. The East Fjords have many natural harbors, and in the 19th century this led to the development of fishing villages, most of which still exist. These seaside communities have a special charm, and many of them have town festivals every year.

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Bustarfell is of the oldest and best preserved farms of its kind in Iceland. It´s an ancient manor and one of the largest estates in Vopnafjörður. The magnificent mountain Dyrfjöll stands between Fjotsdalsherad and Borgarfjodur Eystri. It is famous for the huge gap or door in the middle of the mountain. The region is known for the stories of elves and they say that the elf queen of Iceland resides there. Hallormstaður is a former parsonery and the Hallormstaðarskógur is the largest forest in Iceland. In fact, the whole woods are a huge, pleasant area, and in late summer one can also find and pick large quantities of berries and mushrooms. The basaltic strata/pillars surrounding Hengifoss are interesting because of the thin, red layers of clay between the basaltic lavas. It is possible to walk or rather climb behind the waterfall and inspect/enter a small cave. Like in the Scottish lake Loch Ness, a worm/monster called Lagarfljótsormurinn by the locals' lives in the depths of the lake. Oddsskarð is a ski paradise in East Iceland and Icelanders often call it 'The East Alps'. Oddskarð mountain pass is 705 meters above sea level and lies between Eskifjordur and Nordfjordur. On either side of the pass are valleys containing interesting wildlife and plant species. Skriðuklaustur was built in 1939

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ICELAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari and is the most recognized and renowned buildings of the Eastfjords. Legends say there were three giants' brothers living in the East, one of them in Skrúður, the other in Streitishvarf and the last in Papey.

The Central Highlands If you really want to get away from it all, the interior of Iceland is like nothing you have ever experienced before. The mountainous center of the island, with its rocky deserts, jagged mountain peaks, ice caps, volcanoes, hidden valleys and hot springs, is an aweinspiring and untouched wilderness. Most highland routes involve crossing un-bridged rivers, which should not be attempted without taking advice, and preferably travelling in convoy with other vehicles.

Askja is a 50 km strato-volcano/caldera in Dyngjufjöll Mountains. Its 1100m above sea-level and mostly covered with lava. The lake used to be warm but today it's frozen most part of the year.

Hveravellir, (Hot spring plains) is one of Iceland's best known geothermal high-temperature areas, about 650m above sea-level and over 150°C, 1000 m underground. A lot of spectacular hot springs is found in the area Hveravellir, such as Öskuhólshver, Eynindarhver, Bláhver, Bræðrahverir etc. There is no great vegetation or variety of animal life in the area.

Artic foxes and geese have been growing number in recent years and cause of the short growing season only snow bed plants like Creeping Sibbaldia and Dwarf Cudweed make their homes there.

Kerlingafjöll is one of the most powerful hot spring areas in the country with geysers of clay and is the center system of volcanoes. The volcanic rhyolite stone gives the earth a shimmering red color and the

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minerals that have emerged from the hot springs in the area also color the ground with red, green and yellow. Kverkfjöll are one of Iceland's largest geothermal areas. Under the mountain there are very big magma chambers which lead to some beautiful and unique glacier caves. Those caves cannot be visited anymore because of the danger and fear of them collapsing. Lakagígar or Laki is a part of Skaftafell National Park, it's a volcanic fissure and the area contains some of the world's most remarkable geological formations. Scoria cones, ash rings and spatter cones are the three types of craters found in the Lakigígar crater row. This diamond of the central highlands is situated in a valley between high and mighty mountains. Landmannalaugar is near the volcano Hekla. Landmannalaugar is rich with great contrasts, black ridges and colorful mountains of red, green, orange and yellow of the rhyolite lava fields. A lot of natural hot pools both hot and cold are to be found in Landmannalaugar, where people like to bathe.

South Iceland

ICELAND - Compiled by Dhara Kothari South Iceland is unique and there are parts of Iceland where majority of tourists' visit, where you can find everything that makes Iceland attractive to visitors year round. Here there is a story with every step, both ancient and modern, art, culture and flourishing industries and communities, diversity endless outdoor activities to enjoy throughout the year, a range of seasonal entertainment, awesome and magnificent nature from the beach to the mountains.

Summer, winter, spring and fall travelers can find something to their liking. In the winter the sun glitters on the pearl white snow, long dark winter nights the northern lights dance on the moon and starlit sky weather clouds, the rich beauty, silence and peace, those who have an unforgettable experience. Travel on the highlands and lowlands are unimaginable adventures, both summer and winter.

Outdoor activities and trips take on a different form, hiking and riding. Nature changes its appearance, geysers, lava fields, volcanoes, waterfalls, highland, glaciers, rivers and streams, nature and life awakening after frosthörkur season.

The volcanic canyon Eldgjá is the largest volcanic canyon in the world. Eldgjá means 'fire canyon' or 'canyon of fire' in Icelandic. Eyjafjallajökull, the unpronounceable volcano that caused the biggest upset in air traffic history in the spring of 2010, is actually one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of Mýrdalsjökull. In Icelandic, its name stands for 'island-mountain-glacier'. It is thought that the

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Jan 2012 English word 'geyser' is derived from the Icelandic word 'geyser', which means gusher. Even though the Great Geysir is now inactive the area surrounding it is geothermally very active and with many smaller hot springs. The main attraction now is Strokkur (The Churn). Strokkur is another geyser which erupts regularly every 10 minutes or so. Its white column of hot water can reach as high as 30 meters up in the air. The whole geothermal park is sitting on top of a vast boiling cauldron, belching sulphurous mud pots of unusual colors, hot and cold springs, hissing steam vents and primitive plants can all be found there. Glymur is in the river Botnsa that runs out of Hvalavatn (Whale water), which is a lake formed by melted lava, some 160m deep. The name Glymur means 'boom' or

'rumble', comes from the natural sound of water falling far down into a narrow chasm, creating excellent acoustics. Hekla is the most active and probably the most famous volcano in Iceland. During the Middle ages Icelanders called the volcano 'The Gateway to Hell'. Old tales tell of the belief that the souls of the condemned travelled through Hekla's crater on their way to hell.

Jökulsárlón is the largest and best known glacial lake in Iceland. The lake is around 200 meters deep. The lake is situated at the south end of Vatnajökull glacier. Iceland's largest geothermal power plant is Nesjavellir. The station produces 120 mw of electrical power and delivers around 1800 liters of hot water

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per second. Seljalandsfoss is one of the most picturesque and famous waterfall in Iceland.

Nowhere else in the country you can find such natural variety and contrasts as abundant and evident as in Skaftafell. Vast glaciers, ice blue glacial lakes with large icebergs, mute peaks, jagged rocks, forbidding crevasses, gulches, canyons, hanging valleys, shimmering ice tunnels, huge ice arches, icy waterfalls, mountain, glacial rivers, wild flowers, waterfalls, basalt columns, rare birdlife, flora and fauna. Tales say that there are treasures and gold buried under the waterfall Skógarfoss. Because of the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces a single or a double rainbow which are normally visible on sunny days. The most famous cave in Iceland is undoubtedly Surtshellir.

It's in the Hallmundarhraun lava field. Stone-built walls, signs of human habitation in the past and bones have been found in a part of the cave. Svartifoss is the symbol of Skaftafell National Park. The famous waterfall drops from the edge of a broad columnar basalt cliff which looks like the round wall of an amphitheater. The unusual configurations of the hexagonal basalt columns and most of them hanging from the cliff are unique. Þórsmörk valley was named after the Norse god Thor (Þór). It's situated in the south, between the glaciers Tindafjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull. The river Krossá winds between the mountains, a very cold river coming down from the glaciers.

Travel guide 1. Iceland is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

Due to lack of competition (especially in low season) or heavy demand (in high season), and the lack of any real low-cost airlines operating to Iceland, getting to Iceland is generally considered expensive.

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2. A car offers the most flexibility for travel around Iceland. Numerous agencies rent vehicles, and ferries allow individuals to bring their own car with them. Travelers can see the majority of Iceland's sights with a two-wheel drive vehicle. Be aware that renting a four wheel drive vehicle may require reservations made several months in advance as these vehicles are in high demand. In addition, renting cars on-location is almost never cheaper than doing so in advance, and car rentals, including at the airport, are not open around the clock. Driving in Iceland is on the right side of the road. Headlights and seatbelts for all passengers must be on at all times. Drivers in Iceland should familiarize themselves with road signs and be prepared for Iceland's unique driving conditions. The roads in Iceland are of a high quality, typically made from slightly rough black basalt. Cycling is a good way to experience Iceland, and provides a very different experience to other means of transport. You should bring your own touring bike, as buying a bike locally can be expensive. Rules and regulations in the traffic are generally the same as in the rest of Europe.

Foreign visitors should be aware that police controls are common and that fines are very high. Headlights are mandatory even during daylight. Using one's vehicle horn is considered impolite and may result in a fine unless used for an emergency.

3. Hitchhiking is a cheap way of getting around in Iceland. The country is among the safest in the world, people are quite friendly and the percentage of drivers who do give rides is high, especially in the offseason. Avoid hitching after nightfall, especially on Friday and Saturday night. Alcohol consumption is high and alcohol-related accidents are not uncommon. Walking is permitted on uncultivated land. However, please avoid taking shortcuts over fenced areas, pastures and private plots. Follow

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marked footpaths, where they exist. These paths make for a safer trip, as well as reduce wear and tear on sensitive natural elements. Use of lakes and rivers requires permission from rights holders. Riverbanks, lakeshores, beaches and islands are often important areas for wildlife and it is important to pass through such areas with care.

4. The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. Most Icelanders also speak English and Danish, as both languages are compulsory in schools. Icelanders use the comma instead of the decimal sign for integers.

Iceland uses only the metric system.

5. The local currency is the Icelandic króna (ISK). You will get a better rate of exchange if you buy and sell your króna in Iceland itself. Just about every establishment in Iceland will accept a credit card, including taxis, gas stations; souvenir stands, and even the most remote guest house, so it is not necessary to carry large amounts of Icelandic currency. However, due to the currency's instability some credit cards are still wary of króna transactions, so check with your bank before you go and don't rely entirely on plastic. When shopping for food or other necessities, look for Bónus or Krónan shops, as they offer considerably lower prices than the others. This is at the expense of quality, of course.

6. A vegetarian diet is tricky to maintain but there are several vegetarian restaurants in Reykjavík and vegetarian dishes widely available at other restaurants. Tap water is safe to drink in Iceland and it is one of the countries with cleanest water in the world. Coffee is easy to find and is comparable to what is found throughout Europe. Juices are generally imported and made from concentrates.

7. Iceland is one of the safest places in the world, so there is almost no chance of getting robbed or harassed. This, however, excludes Reykjavík, which

has recently begun to suffer instances of petty theft and night-time violence. Use common sense when sampling the night life and be alert. Emergency phone number is 112. Iceland has no military. It has a coast guard and a volunteer-run search and rescue service.

8. The greatest dangers to tourists in Iceland are found in the nature. Always do what the signs tell you to do. If there are no signs, use common knowledge.

Icelanders are taught to respect nature's power and take care of themselves outdoors in the wilderness from childhood, so you usually won't find fences or warning signs even at the most dangerous places.

9. The medical facilities in Iceland are good and available free to European Union citizens. Infectious diseases aren't a problem in Iceland. Inoculations aren't required except if you are arriving from countries that suffer from infectious diseases like cholera. The biggest threat to your health is likely to be accidental injury or bad weather. Always make sure you have more than adequately warm and waterproof clothing. Selection of appropriate clothing is especially important in Iceland and can even be a matter of life and death. Exercise extra caution in geothermal areas: What may appear to be solid ground can sometimes not be so solid, breaking from underneath your feet with you falling into potentially deadly boiling water.

10. Many tourists, including other Europeans, see Icelanders as gruff and unapproachable. This is generally just a first impression and most people are friendly and helpful. Punctuality is not as important in Iceland as it is in many other northern European countries. Tipping is not expected in Iceland; some Icelandic companies have started having a tipping jar next to the cash register but these are generally ignored.

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11. A refund of local Value-Added Tax (VAT) is available to all visitors in Iceland. The refund will result in a reduction of up to 15% of the retail price, provided departure from Iceland is within three months after the date of purchase. All goods (except woolens) need to be shown at customs before check-in. At Keflavík airport this applies only to tax-free forms whose refund value exceeds ISK 5,000. All other forms can be refunded directly in cash at Landsbanki Íslands in the departure hall.

12. During summer the nights are bright in all of Iceland. In the month of June the sun never fully sets in the north. There are even special excursions to the island of Grímsey on the Arctic Circle where you can experience the midnight sun. Keep in mind, however, that the sun at midnight is not as warm as at midday, so bring along a sweater.

13. Visitors with disabilities can make travelling in Iceland fairly easy by planning their vacation in advance.

They may also find it necessary to travel with a companion, for although there are many hotels and restaurants accessible to people with disabilities, they do not always provide full assistance. A number of hotels in Reykjavík and Akureyri have rooms specially designed for guests with disabilities. Larger department stores are generally accessible to wheelchair users. All airlines flying to and from Iceland are equipped to accommodate travellers with disabilities. A few domestic buses equipped for wheelchair users are available for special tours upon request.

14. The electric current in Iceland is 220volts, 50 HZ AC. Iceland is a very tech-savvy country with one of the highest rates of Internet usage in the world.

15. Traveller´s code: 1. Leave camping and picnic site's as you would wish to find them. 2. Never bury litter or leave it lying around. 3. Never light open fires on vegetated land. 4. Never dislodge stones or build Cairns. 5.

Keep water clean and safeguard springs and pools. 6. Keep vegetation undamaged. 7. Keep wildlife undisturbed. 8. Never damage geological formations. 9. Respect the tranquility of the countryside. 10. Never drive off roads. 11. Keep to marked footpaths when requested. 12. Respect conservation rules and warden's instructions.

Photos of ICELAND

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Why are things in life the way they are? - By Sushmita

Jan 2012

Why are things in life the way they are?

How much we accept what is happening in our life?

And how much we agree with what is happening?

The answer to the second question decides the answer to the first question. “The degree, to which we agree, is the extent to which we accept.”

What we do not agree with we find very hard to accept, if not completely impossible. We justify ourselves by stating that we are justified in doing so. And then we reach a point when we find ourselves to be disagreeing with most of the things in our life. We start cribbing that all sorts of disagreeable things are happening to us and with us and only to us. Never for once we have an inkling that everything is happening because of us and is operating through us.

Hence the question: Why are things in life the way they are? wrings us from within…hammers us with its persistent insistence, comes out as a wail, an anguished cry or a burst of anger and frustration, pushing us into a 'well' of unfathomable depth of despair and despondence. It could very well become a 'well' of depression as well.

This is not a generalization but realizations arising out of observations and experiences. The more we observe, the more we experience. But our experience is not separate from that which is being observed. Observations serve us in accordance to what is being observed.

So what is it that we are observing? Our external world or the world within? That decides what we are experiencing and thus concluding.

We prefer the former as that is something which we can see and associate with the physical world.

And this 'outward' observation makes us consider selves to be 'slaves' and 'victims' of our circumstances. The despondence creeps in.

Because the moment we place the 'onus' on the 31

'external' for the way our life is, we lose our control over it. We are at its mercy. Instead of controlling our life we feel that our life is controlling us…though it is just the reverse. But even after handing over the reins of life, to the world outside, it is we who are passively controlling the fall-out of our life.

Contrary to that the inner world is to be 'felt' and 'heard' as the 'inner voice'. The inner world, the non-physical, is formless and it takes whatever form we give to it consciously or unconsciously, through our 'doing' by listening to it or by doing just the reverse.

So what are we doing? Are we doing something which we like to do…or is it something which we love to do? Are we listening to the inner voice and being it? Or are we deaf to it and doing what the mind tells us “we should be doing”. This would decide whether our 'doing' arises from our 'being' or our 'being' is identified through our 'doing'. Let me simplify this order of 'being' and 'doing' as…

Am I writer because I write, or I write because I am a writer? Being a writer makes me write or is it because of my writing that I am a writer? I know apparently they might be same, but they are not. There is a very subtle difference. And life is a projection of these subtleties causing gross manifestations. What would be those manifestations are for us to decide. When 'We Are Doing', in accordance with 'Who We Are' Our Truth the way our inner and true self wishes to express itself the satisfaction felt is sublime the creative force is on an over-drive.

The inner voice is always calling out to us, with our 'true calling' to our 'true calling', but it is we who fail to hear or prefer not to hear. We are so engrossed with the grossness of life, and the 'norms' of 'should' set in life, that we do not choose to come out of this engrossing (which we perceive it to be) situation. Initially we find comfort in being true to these set patterns and hence the urge to question self or listen to the

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Why are things in life the way they are? - By Sushmita

contradicting voice within is ruled out. Who would wish to willingly come out of the comfort zone? At least not someone who is 'normal' as is the 'norm' of conventional thought process.

But it is this very adherence to, and affinity for, the comfort zone, which turns out to be the moot reason for the discomfort which develops in the later stages in life. By following the 'should', that others lay for us to lead our life, we abort the possibilities of what we 'could' be doing, which 'would' be satisfying to us. As a result we fail to accept and honor our own selves and our own uniqueness and creativity.

we are, that which becomes of our life, we ourselves find becoming of us.”

We are the cause and we are the caused as has been rightly said. So if we wish to change the 'effect' our life we have to change the 'cause' the 'way' we are being. “On changing the cause that which is caused, too changes.”

And this can be achieved only by being true to our own selves…

Things are always the way they are in life, because of us as the 'on us' of our life is on us.

“Uniqueness is the uniqueness of creation…”

Sushmita Mukherjee, We are all unique and we are all creative. It is only that our creative fields differ, given the unique beings that we are. “Creativity is the ability to 'see' the un-usual in the usual” and that includes 'seeing' our own creativity as well. And not only that, we have to accept it as well and then go ahead and honor it too. Acceptance begins with self and once that 'comes' we are no longer worried about external acceptance. The moment we decide in favor of our inner and true calling and be it we find that life opens up its wondrous wonders to us. Opportunities galore seek us, instead of us having to run haplessly behind them.

Why? Because we are simply being Who We Are! We are being our truth instead of 'trying' to be who we 'think' we are or what others 'think' us to be. Truth liberates and thus enlivens and we function with the true spirit of the spirit that we are the essence that we are. The Force of The Life Force is allowed to flow through us uninhibited by us.

Email: philosopher.mukherjee@gmail.com Blog page URL: http://fruitsofintrospection.blogpsot.com A Note: Feel free to contact me, if you feel I could be of help as you endeavor to access your true calling or somebody dear to you, near to you and even acquaintances. Though, I pray that none is in need of any help. Still if I could be of any use that would yet again be 'being' my purpose on earth. May you all be led to your true calling and purpose.

Open Me

Then the lamentation “Why are things the way they are?” changes to exaltation “Wow, how lovely are the things the way they are!”

Open me and venture in Imprint upon me like the wind Endow me with knowledge beyond Let the new me spawn!

And with that, the realization makes its presence permanent in our consciousness “Things are always the way they are, as the way we are being.

How and what we are being decides what becomes of our life. And it is only by being who

By Betty Alark

32

Why Scientists are not as popular as political or religious leaders - ByDr. Rusat

Jan 2012

Why Scientists are not as popular as political or religious leaders Leader may be political or religious but leads people by guiding and helping them to improve their lives. So people like him and follow him. In order to respect and remember him, people make their statues and put them in public places or premises.

Scientist is an altruistic person who researches on required subjects, finds out rules and laws of material w o r l d f o r improvement of life of the people. Some scientists have devoted their entire lives for new creations to make the world a better living place. Then why are there not many public places, premises or statues of scientists to express gratitude towards them? Why isn't there even a scientist's day to remember them? The world and the quality of life have improved greatly on the contributions given by scientists but they are not as popular in the public as are most leaders. Their names and their research exist mostly in the books of records. Why this injustice towards the scientists?

Leaders and scientists, both have similar purpose of life, to help people. But their paths taken for helping people are different. Leaders walk on the path built on emotions of people; whereas scientists walk on the path constructed by intelligence of people. Literally speaking intelligence is a property of mind and emotions are the property of heart. People can be more influenced through emotional appeal rather 33

than intelligent approach. That is why the person who can win the hearts of people can become a leader. Moreover, the leaders are extroverts, living amongst the people; whereas scientists have to live remotely for the benefit of the people.

Therefore, most scientists remain unknown to all and hence are not as popular like political or religious leaders.

But there is a tradition to pay homage to a person who has sacrificed his or her life for a noble cause for the benefit of living world. This cultural behavior is not only to honor and respect the noble person who has passed away but it is also to motivate the existing people to encourage them to perform such acts benefitting the world. An absence of tradition of paying homage to scientists is a demotivating factor for inspiring existing people to become scientists.

I appeal all the readers to spread the questioned title for creating the memorial places or the events for the scientists in order to develop the world at a greater pace.

By Dr. Jayanti Rusat The author of 'Self Elevation: creating wealth, wisdom and peace' Blog: http://dr-rusat.blogspot.com FB: http://www.facebook.com/jayanti.rusat Twitter: http://twitter.com/DrRusat Linkedin: http://in.linkedin.com/pub/drjayanti-rusat/20/44b/b31

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Legend of the Nomad Chapter 10 Unending Well Attention - Patience - Tranquility - Assignment Attention Once they arrived in Hanoi, Nathan and Ngai took a bus going to the busy city center. Nathan could see the Vietnamese capital was packed with people and bustling with energy. They got out of the bus at the Hoan Kiem Lake. Nathan did not have much of an opportunity to enjoy the surroundings, because Ngai immediately rushed to a district dominated by impressive colonial buildings. Ngai turned while smiling at Nathan and indicated that had almost arrived. It was the first time that Ngai had smiled during the trip. A little later, they went inside an old, but very stylish house. He went up the stairs with Nathan following him. Ngai knocked on a door and an elderly woman with a friendly smile opened the door and let them in. She was wearing a long robe, decorated with colorful flowers. Her black hair was piled on her head. She looked at Nathan for a long time, exchanged some words in welcome. The woman's name was Linh; she was Ngai's aunt and, luckily for Nathan, spoke perfect English. Nathan kept an eye on Ngai and saw him walking barefoot through the living room towards an inner porch, where an herbal garden had been planted. First he took the time to attentively check all the plants and then attended to them one by one. Linh suggested that Nathan sit down.

“Thank you for accepting Ngai's request,” she said to Nathan.

“It was immediately clear to me that the best thing was to go with him. What is not clear to me yet is why?

If I understand correctly, Ngai has a friend who is very ill?”

“That's right, Myate has a very serious illness in her respiratory tracts and we fear for her life. We take care of her, as well as we can, and now she's getting better. But there are days, such as today, that she can hardly get out of bed.”

“Shouldn't she be in hospital?”

Linh nodded.

“Myate was in a hospital in Ho Chi Minh. They could do little for her and a doctor, who knows us, brought her to us and, since then, we have been able to keep her stable.”

“What kind of treatment does she get here?”

“We bring her energy flows back into balance.”

“How do you manage to do that?”

“Ngai takes care of the herbs and I apply the treatment.”

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This information still did not make Nathan any wiser as to the reason for his presence. He suspected that Linh knew more and asked her directly.

“Why am I here?”

“Ngai went to get you upon Myate's request.”

“Does she know me?”

“She has frequently asked for you.”

“I don't remember anyone with the name Myate. Is she from here?”

“No, she came to Vietnam after she had traveled through most of the world.”

“Where is she from?”

“Myate was found along the shores of the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar when she was a child. Some people say that was near the city Mandalay, others say that she was found further north.”

“Did she grow up there?”

“The first few years she lived in Yangon, which is the largest city in Myanmar, until she was adopted by an Irish couple and moved to Dublin.”

“Was she adopted?”

Linh smiled.

“Aren't you all?”

Suddenly Nathan's heart beat faster.

“Don't be so surprised,” Linh said.

“But how do you know…?”

“Do you remember Sanah?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Well, I am to Myate what Sanah was to you!”

Nathan was confused and looked at Linh. Numerous thoughts came to him. Linh saw this and smiled again, Leewana was here recently, she had the same look as you have now.

You know Leewana?

“Of course I know the woman for whom thoughts hold no secrets. She is amazing. She knows perfectly how thoughts traverse the universe.”

It became clearer to Nathan that Linh, just like Sanah, was probably an angel!

“Come, I will introduce you to Myate. She has been looking forward to this moment.”

Linh took Nathan to a room in the back. A great number of needles and jars with herbs were displayed on the table. Myate was sleeping. Linh woke her and spoke to her in Vietnamese. Myate opened her eyes and looked at Nathan. She smiled, but was too weak to say anything. Nathan could see how beautiful Myate was. She motioned to Nathan to come closer and took hold of his hand. Suddenly her face lit up; it was as if she gained new energy from

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero somewhere. With long pauses in between she spoke to Nathan in English.

“Thank you for coming to visit me… Linh told me you asked who I was… know that our creative process has already started… it's no longer about knowing who we are… but… about who we become.”

These words had completely exhausted Myate. Linh covered her and said she had to sleep. Myate smiled one last time at Nathan as she let go of his hand.

Before she closed her eyes, she motioned him to come closer.

“Tomorrow I will feel better… we will go for a bicycle ride.”

Linh guided Nathan, who was now confused, out of the room and sat down next to him in the sitting room.

“Luckily she is not always in this condition.” Linh said.

“She usually feels better, even though her illness changes rapidly.”

“I didn't understand much, she seemed to be rambling.”

“Don't be mistaken, she knows exactly what she's saying.”

“Why does she have to suffer like this?”

“Myate does not have to suffer at all; by the way, nobody has to.”

“Isn't she suffering?”

“Suffering only takes place when people pay attention to it.”

“Do you mean that Myate can stop her suffering by not paying attention to her illness?”

“Don't underestimate the power of attention.

Everything we pay attention to becomes real. By directing her attention towards healing, Myate gives us the right example. This is why the earth has sent her to us, for this creative process.”

What Nathan had suspected was now being confirmed. Myate was an Exceptional. Just as he had been sent as messenger of water, Leewana as messenger of the wind, Myate was, in a similar way, was the messenger of the earth.

“Is that the message earth wants to give to humanity,” Nathan asked, “that we should direct our attention towards healing it?”

“The higher mission of all Exceptionals is the same: causing a collective consciousness that will lead us to ultimate illumination.”

Linh left the room and left Nathan speechless. A little later, she returned and showed him the room where he would be sleeping. Nathan washed himself and then took a nap. When he awoke, he felt a strong urge to think about Leewana. He didn't immediately understand the reason and went to the living room.

Once he was there he could see Linh in the kitchen.

She was washing dishes and spoke while smiling at Nathan.

35

“From now on she will be doing that more frequently.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Leewana, of course.”

Again Nathan was surprised by Linh's remarkable gift of fathoming his thoughts.

“Did she make me think about her?”

Linh nodded.

“Why did she do that?”

“She wanted to show you that she is getting better at fathoming the world of thoughts.”

“Do you know where she is at the moment?”

“With Dian in Indonesia.”

“Dian?”

“Dian also visited Myate recently, you will meet him too.”

“Where does Dian live?”

“In Surakarta on the Indonesian island of Java. He was found there as a child, before growing up with his foster parents in the Ukraine.”

“Dian grew up in the Ukraine?”

“Dian spent his youth in Odessa, along the shores of the Black Sea. Later he went to Kiev to study. From there he went traveling around the world before returning to his birth place in Indonesia.”

Nathan remained deep in thought. Linh saw this and said nothing more so that he could reach important insights in tranquility. Nathan understood that if Myate had been sent by earth, Leewana by wind and himself by water, Dian had to be the messenger of the last "natural element"… the messenger of fire!

“Will there be a moment in which all four of us will be together?” Nathan wanted to know.

Linh smiled again.

“The time will definitely arrive when your energies will come together. During that specific moment you will show the full beauty of the inner element to all humanity.”

“The inner element?”

“That's what we call the world of knowledge where all messages travel.”

Nathan listened with great curiosity and then asked.

“Are you talking about the knowledge inside each one of us?”

Linh nodded affirmatively.

It was clear for Nathan that the inner element Linh was talking about could be nothing other than the "inner power" of intuition. After several moments of silence, his curiosity forced him to ask a question that he would carry with him from that moment on.

“When will this happen?”

“Soon, you will notice it by the quick succession of signs that will manifest themselves to you.”

“I wish you would tell me everything that you know about the inner element and about that specific moment. How will it take place exactly? Will it appear

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero in human form? How will people react?”

Linh smiled again.

“You want to know everything instantaneously.

Clearly, patience is a virtue you don't possess.”

“You're not the first person to point this out to me.”

“I will tell you something that is of great importance in view of your life mission.”

She had Nathan's full attention.

“Let patience become friends with your natural curiosity so that it is always at your side. Patience is necessary for life to develop fruitfully and undisturbed.”

“I will remember this and, from now on, I will try to recognize all messages that can help me to obtain this characteristic.”

Linh dried her hands and sat down in the small sitting room on a low sofa. Nathan followed her and sat down in front of her.

“The inner element is not a natural element from earth. It cannot appear in human or material form, but this power is in each one of us. Should it appear in physical form, the light would shine so bright that it would blind humanity.”

“But you were just talking about a moment when Myate, Leewana, Dian and myself, would bring about the inner element.”

“The four of you represent all the qualities upon which the physical world is built.”

Linh took hold of both Nathan's hands.

“By tuning your energies you will be able to direct the attention of all humanity to focus on the same purpose and consequently make all living creatures aware that they also have the power to use this inner element.”

Now Nathan was speechless, Linh continued.

“This experience will be a far-reaching event for humanity as a whole and it will lead to an unforeseen collective consciousness.”

Nathan felt the strong power of these words. He knew that his natural element wanted to express empathy with the importance of this event and consequently he would receive great insights regarding his life mission. Nathan needed some time to gather his thoughts. He let Linh know that he would be going for a walk by the shores of the Hoan Kiem Lake. Linh kissed him on his forehead before he left. There were many vendors along the shoreline who were greeted

by Nathan as he passed by. Eventually, he sat beside the lake with his legs crossed. Once he had started to center himself the sun was setting. This was definitely the perfect place and a magnificent time to be sitting there. All the information that Linh had shared was slowly beginning to make sense to Nathan. He spent more time thinking about the event that Linh had mentioned and he remained on the Hoan Kiem shore

36

until the sun had set. When he entered, Linh and Ngai had just finished preparing dinner and were sitting at the table and waiting because Linh knew that he would return after sunset. Very little was said during the meal. It was obvious that Linh and Ngai were worried about Myate's health. Nathan went straight to bed after dinner. The combination of traveling to Vietnam coupled with the plethora of new information he had received, made Nathan exhausted. The last thought running through his mind before he fell asleep concerned Myate. The next morning, Ngai woke him for breakfast. Nathan was pleasantly surprised he found Myate sitting at the table; she looked remarkably well and immediately addressed Nathan.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you, you did too!”

“Of course, I want to fully experience the time that we have together.”

Nathan noticed how Myate's health satisfied Linh and Ngai.

“I have asked Ngai to get the bicycle ready,” Myate continued.

Nathan understood that Myate was very aware of what she had said yesterday and really meant it.

Naturally he asked himself whether she was strong enough.

“Is that all right? Are you strong enough to go out riding on a bicycle?”

“Myate is not planning to ride a bicycle herself, Linh said. She has asked Ngai to put a comfortable seat on the back of the bicycle.”

Myate smiled and winked at Nathan.

After breakfast, Nathan and Myate prepared for the bike trip. Ngai had fixed a comfortable little chair with cushion on the luggage rack so that Myate could sit on the back of the bicycle with her legs on each side. It was a beautiful sunny day; thanks to a cool breeze it was not too warm. Nathan and Myate rode through narrow streets and alleys in Hanoi. On the road they had a much to share with each other.

Nathan led the conversation by saying: “Linh and Ngai are exceptionally delightful people.”

“I am happy that they have crossed my life path. These are people who pay attention to harmony in the world; such people are of great value as they guide humanity in the right direction.”

“You are right; those are the kind of people who help the world move forward.”

“If only everyone paid more attention to the world in which they live. Many see themselves as separate parts and only seek to meet their own needs for their own benefit, without worrying about the damage they cause.”

Nathan could hear sadness in Myate's voice. He

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero stopped, turned towards her and caressed her face.

With this gesture he showed her that he completely agreed with her. Now Myate could not hold back her tears. Nathan got off the bicycle and helped her down from her seat. They sat down on a low wall and watched the people without saying a word. After a while Nathan continued talking.

“So many people are blind to the fatal consequences of their lifestyle in relationship to others and the environment; but you know people can change exceptionally fast.”

“People won't change as long as they only know a world in which performance; stress and excesses are daily fare. Their tunnel vision prevents them from seeing the deeper reality beneath the shallow layer of this illusion.”

“It is up to us to point this out to them. We can help them recognize this deeper reality and teach them who they really are, what their real objectives are in this life and how they can contribute to the growth of creation.”

“Nathan, it is about time that everyone became aware that we only live to experience moments within the spiritual dimension and that everything else is a form of waiting.”

Myate looked at Nathan, took his hand and continued.

I also know that all suffering and injustice in this world forms part of creation and that they are even necessary to make progress towards that moment of collective awareness... but it is still difficult to accept.

“I think that both of us must show more understanding of the fact that everyone determines the hierarchy of values based on their own level of consciousness.”

Myate laid her head on Nathan's shoulder as she continued to speak.

“We have to accept that whoever pays attention to inner values must also be able to pay attention to the well-being of the environment, and those who pay little attention to inner values are indifferent to this.”

“It is exactly this indifference that prevents them from seeing the deeper reality,” Myate continued. “If they could just see through the shallow layer of illusion, then they will see how everything that exists is interconnected.”

“Many are unaware of this; they are also destroying the planet that gave them life by the way they live.

They most definitely don't realize the reason we are here is to do something about this indifference, Myate.”

Myate and Nathan looked at each other and experienced a strong feeling of trust and connection.

Because Myate had expressed what was in her heart, she had made it possible to experience their relationship on a deeper level. They knew that from

37

this moment on they would be able to sense everything they had to know about each other.

“I am happy you came, Nathan.”

I feel the same way, Myate.

After a while, they continued their journey and experienced their companionship on an even more intensely. They did not return to the house until late in the afternoon. Nathan and Myate found Linh on the roof terrace where she was sitting on a blanket and staring into the distance. When she noticed Nathan and Myate had returned, she smiled. It was clear that Myate's improved condition pleased Linh; she knew this was thanks to Nathan. She made this clear to him with an expressive gaze directed towards him. “Are we interrupting?” Nathan asked.

“Oh no, you never interrupt.”

“Were you meditating?” Nathan wanted to know.

“It is necessary to free up enough time to isolate ourselves,” Linh said, “and to direct our attention to the essentials so that we can continue experiencing the connection with our life source.”

“Linh taught me,” Myate said, “that when we meditate we develop our highest capacity.”

“Our highest capacity?” Nathan asked.

“The power of our attention,” Myate continued.

“The power that brings understanding and insight, Linh continued, when we pay attention to something, we reach beyond the first impressions and seek the underlying facts.”

“I frequently isolate myself,” Nathan said. “And then I pay close attention to the messages that reveal themselves to me.”

“Everything we pay attention to,” Linh said, “reveals its inner reality so that we are able to gain knowledge from the subconscious and understanding develops.”

“When that happens,” Myate added, “we let the hidden intelligence flow towards us.”

“The hidden intelligence?” Nathan asked.

Myate did not answer but looked deeply into Nathan eyes.

“Myate is referring to the intelligence born from love!”

“Linh taught me how to free myself from unnecessary thoughts,” Myate continued, “and to focus my spirit on what is essential, on the love that I can recognize everywhere and in everyone. I have not completely succeeded, but I am making progress.”

“Do you try to direct your thoughts to this hidden intelligence,” Nathan asked.

“Meditation goes further than considering, thinking and asking. It is the highest form of concentration.”

“What do we experience exactly?” Nathan wanted to know.

Again Linh looked away and said: “The connection of our spirit with the power of the universe!”

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Nathan thought a while and then spoke again.

“Do we find that thinking is the only layer that separates our spirit from this hidden intelligence?”

“You've understood well,” Linh answered. “When we go beyond the presence of our thinking spirit and direct our attention towards the perfection of the universe, we rise to a point of perfect harmony with the universal order.”

Linh kept silent and closed her eyes. Myate and Nathan followed her example. Words were now superfluous; the silence gave them the opportunity for deeper communication.

Late that night, before he went to sleep, Nathan decided to continue his journey. He would announce it the next morning at breakfast. When he sat down at the breakfast table he saw Myate was not there.

“Is Myate sick again?” He said.

“No,” Linh said, “she simply has a hard time saying goodbye.”

Nathan understood that somehow his hosts were already informed of his departure plans.

“Where is she now?” Nathan wanted to know.

“She's on the roof terrace.”

“Would she want me to stay here longer?”

“No, before her sickness she traveled extensively herself and therefore understands quite well how important new discoveries can be for our development. Myate only hopes that the moment of your reunification is soon.”

“I will go look for her shortly.”

Nathan only ate a small piece of bread for breakfast.

“I'm very grateful to you for letting me stay with you. I have learned a great deal in the short time I've been here.”

Ngai got up to get something. He returned with several herbs, packaged in a cloth, and gave them to Nathan as a farewell gift. Ngai asked Linh to tell Nathan that these herbs could cure him, should he not feel well. If he was sick he just had to break off some pieces, warm them up in hot water and drink the resulting tea. Nathan thanked him and said he had nothing to give in return. Ngai said that there was no better gift than what he had already received from him. He was referring to the confidence Nathan had placed in him, when he had decided to travel to Vietnam. After Linh had translated these last words, Nathan and Ngai hugged each other. Nathan now went to look for Myate. He went to her and hugged her for a long time.

“The time has come to say goodbye,” Myate said, “but we both know there will come a time when we will meet again.”

“The events surrounding our meeting were very intense, just like when I met Leewana.”

38

“I have yet to meet Leewana; though I have met Dian.

By the way, you look like each other.”

“I think that all four of us have a lot in common.”

“Yesterday Linh told me that from now on we will be feeling more homesick for each other, I think it has already started with me... go now or I won't let you leave.”

Nathan got up. They kept looking at each other until Nathan went downstairs. Once in his room he collected his belongings together and said goodbye to Linh.

“Linh, I want to thank you for your hospitality and the important information you've given me.”

“You have to thank yourself, because you were ready to receive this knowledge.”

“What you said about the quick succession of signals revealing themselves to me was completely right.”

“That is because your attention is becoming increasingly directed towards what is essential. That is also the reason the places you must visit are presenting themselves in such quick succession.”

“Do you mean that I am able to recognize the most important lessons faster now?”

“That's the way it is, Nathan. Although you must always remember you can learn from everyone, so try to recognize the messenger in every stranger and the message in every unexpected event.”

After these words, Nathan was ready to leave and hugged Linh.

“Do you know where you're going?” Linh asked.

“As you know, I determine my path intuitively.”

Nathan left, and Linh waved at his departing back.

After a couple of steps he turned and Linh had to smile.

“Perhaps you have a suggestion?”

“During this period the wind blows patiently to the southeast and rests once it reconnects to the sea.”

Nathan did not immediately understand what Linh meant by this, but he thanked her for her advice and left.

Patience Nathan left for Hanoi Airport. He sat down among the passengers in the departure hall and examined his map. With Linh's words still fresh in his mind, he calmly took the time to think about his next destination. Suddenly, the Thai Coast stood out to him. Nathan asked for information about flights to Thailand and was told that the next plane would be leaving that afternoon. He decided to take that flight and arrived that night at the Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. He walked through the busy arrival hall and took a taxi to the center of the city, which was dominated by a humid heat. What Nathan instantly

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero noticed were the striking contrasts of a city with its luxury shopping centers, modern skyscrapers and expensive villas beside the many broken down small shacks. Just as in other cities, Nathan was again confronted by the great inequality between rich and poor. Nathan asked the taxi driver for a cheap hotel and got out in the Banglamphu District where he booked a room.

The next morning Nathan strolled through the market and met Suchart, a friendly young man who offered to show Nathan the city. Nathan thought this was a good idea and asked Suchart to take him to the most unaffected places. Suchart knew straightaway where he would take Nathan. They took a tuk-tuk, a typical motor taxi and drove to the Chao Phraya, the river that flows through Bangkok. There they boarded a long boat and took a trip along the narrow channels lined with houses made from piles of wood. They got off in Thonburi and continued on foot. Suchart showed Nathan the oldest districts and, at the same time, told him the history of the city. When they were passing in front of one of the many temples, Nathan's attention was caught by a group of people waiting in front of a gate. Suchart noticed Nathan's interest and told him.

“They all want to see the new master.”

“The new master?” Nathan asked curiously.

“He hasn't been here long, but is already very popular.”

“Let's join them.”

Nathan stood in line along with Suchart, who was somewhat surprised. A little later, they entered the hall and sat down on the ground in the back. Suddenly they heard music and a huge man appeared. The master sat down in a high chair and asked for silence.

When he started to address the people present Nathan asked Suchart to translate his words.

“The master thanks everyone who has brought a gift.”

Nathan had noticed that most visitors had brought money, jewels or other gifts and had put these on a podium, which had been specially prepared. Suchart continued translating.

“He says that whoever is willing to subject himself to him, will be freed.”

Nathan experienced the same feeling he had when the man in Brazil had spoken to the crowd, who believed he could cleanse him. Even though he was not being addressed personally, he still felt he had to do something.

“What do you think of this, Suchart?”

“I think the man is an impostor.”

“You sense that well, Suchart. Follow me!”

Nathan got up and walked to the front. Suchart had no idea what Nathan was planning, but he followed him.

The master saw both men coming and stopped

39

talking. Once they were directly in front of the master Nathan asked Suchart to translate his words out loud so that everyone could hear.

“May I ask what this is all about?” Nathan asked.

The master was clearly not happy with Nathan's appearance.

“Who are you to interrupt me like this?” He asked.

“My name is Nathan and I want to know why you're asking for complete subservience?”

“I am the one chosen to teach the rules. These are the established rules that must be followed to obtain wisdom.”

“Wisdom can only appear to those who freely make choices and never to those blindly following imposed rules.”

Everyone present could see that the master was becoming restless. He addressed Nathan angrily.

“What do you know about wisdom?”

Nathan evaded the question. He gathered the gifts on the podium and distributed them amongst the visitors. Initially Suchart looked at Nathan skeptically, but then helped him. Nathan thanked him and asked him to translate his words again.

“Wisdom never appears through subservience or obedience to another. Wisdom also does not live to be obeyed or to become rich. Wisdom is exactly what inspires us to give.”

Now the master was extremely angry. He wanted to talk, but had apparently lost his voice. The incident reminded Nathan of what had happened to the fortuneteller in Paris, whom he had visited with Moshe. Nathan felt sorry for the master. He took Suchart by his arm and again spoke to the master, but in a kinder voice.

“My message is not directed only to you, but to everyone here. I have some advice for you: use your talents to transfer true knowledge and you will see that the person who offers true knowledge will receive true satisfaction.”

After having spoken these words Nathan swiftly left the temple. Deeply impressed, Suchart followed him.

When they were outside Suchart finally understood what had happened.

“Why did you do that?”

“As I said to deliver a message.”

Suchart kept walking silently next to Nathan.

“Why did you do it that way?”

“What did you have in mind?”

Suchart did not have an answer right away.

“When you sense that something is wrong,” Nathan said, “you must not do what is expected of you, but show what you are feeling without fear or trepidation.”

“After a certain point, why was it impossible for the master to speak?”

Jan 2012

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero “Sometimes our sensitivity takes control.”

Suchart thought for a while.

“But this can't happen, it's impossible, isn't it?”

“When you give your truths the space to change you will also be able to effect great changes.”

“What changes are you talking about?”

Now Nathan stopped Suchart and put his hand on his shoulder.

“The deeper you experience your life, the more powerfully the universe will move through you and you will be free to change what should be changed.”

Nathan continued walking while Suchart remained standing. Nathan's words made yet another great impression on him.

“Wait Nathan, I want to know more!”

“In due course, right now I'm hungry. Take us to a place we can eat.”

They returned to the center of the city and stopped in 'Sanam Luang', a busy square with small stands where vendors sold snacks, amulets and healing herbs. They found a spot, not far from the square, in a restaurant where Suchart knew the owner well. When they were seated, Suchart wanted Nathan to tell him about the changes that he could foster.

“I knew that our meeting was not a coincidence.”

“What meeting can be a coincidence?” Nathan said.

Suchart looked at Nathan and felt more admiration for Nathan's vision of life. He also felt that Nathan had not just selected him as a guide, but that he wanted to encourage him to do something.

“Nathan, do you have a message for me?”

“Don't we all have messages for each other?”

Suchart understood that he would have to choose his questions more carefully.

“Do you know the final purpose I must strive for?”

“Nobody knows that better than you, Suchart.”

“I've been worrying about it for a long time:” “And yet you know more than you think you know.”

“Can't you help me?”

“That's what I'm doing.”

Suchart took time to ponder the question; he had to ask himself and then told Nathan.

“What can make me aware of something I already know?”

Nathan noticed how quickly Suchart's thought processed developed.

“Your sensitivity,” he answered.

“My sensitivity?”

“With this you show the cause of your ignorance. You have learned to wait for signs from others, while your sensitivity has been quietly trying to show you the way.”

“Wait a minute,” Suchart said, “now it's becoming too difficult for me.”

“Then let the signs help you.”

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“Are you talking about unexpected events?”

“Unexpected events are there to remind us of what we originally wanted!”

“You're not really helping me!”

“I am, only you're not used to getting valuable answers.”

“But you're not answering me.”

“I am. I give you answers as questions to help you correct your way of thinking.”

Again, after thinking for a moment, Suchart understood that Nathan wanted to show him he didn't need anyone else to decide on his life path.

“Is there something you see that could be useful for me?” He then asked Nathan.

“I recognize in you an unborn joy in life; you must still learn how to share it with others.”

“Thank you Nathan, so now I have one indication.”

“Don't forget that the one who keeps on seeking will find what they are looking for.”

After the meal, Nathan and Suchart strolled through a tangle of alleys where they found several small shops.

“Tomorrow I will leave Bangkok,” Nathan said, “and continue traveling along the coast.”

“Do you already know where you will be going?”

“Where do you recommend?”

“That depends on what you're looking for?”

“I'm looking for rest, Suchart!”

Suchart thought for a while.

“Last year I went to the Koh Chang Island with some friends. We stayed in a house on stilts in the Bang Bao Village on the southern side of the island. The tranquility you experience in that amazing small fishing village cannot be compared to anything else.”

“Thanks for this advice, Suchart.”

Both men said goodbye.

The next morning Nathan took the train to the Trat Province and then the boat to Koh Chang. It was late in the evening when Nathan arrived. He rented a room in a small hotel with an ocean view. The next day Nathan spent hours in the sea. Later that day he went further south on the island. When he arrived at the fishing village of Bang Bao it was immediately clear why Suchart had enjoyed being there. The stilt houses with the blue sea in the background were breathtaking. The beauty he was seeing gave him the fullest confidence that he had arrived at the right place. Nathan sat down on the terrace of a bar.

The only client was a girl who smiled at him. Nathan went and asked her where he could find a simple place to sleep. The girl told Nathan that most accommodation was full. After hesitating she gave him the name of a faraway lodge. Nathan noticed her hesitation and asked whether she knew the reason

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there was still room at this lodge. The girl answered Chuenchai was much more than a normal lodge.

When Nathan asked her what was so special about it, the girl said that it was a learning institution to enhance spiritual strength.

Nathan looked up and answered that he would be satisfied with a bed and shower, but if he could learn anything during his stay he would surely not refrain from doing so. The girl smiled, took out a piece of paper and drew a route for Nathan. She said that the lodge could be reached easily, but that the drawing would start him in the right direction. Nathan offered the girl something to drink and then said goodbye. On the road Nathan saw that the drawing on the paper suddenly stopped. Until then the girl had drawn everything perfectly, but there was no lodge to be seen from where he was standing. He decided to rest a while and lay down. While he had been admiring the blue sky he found he was becoming impatient and at that moment a shepherd came along. Nathan spoke to him in English.

“Do you know where I can find the lodge Chuenchai?”

Nathan pulled out his sketch, but the shepherd signaled it was not necessary and answered in broken English.

“I will go with you!”

They walked across a wide stretch of land through a large forest growing beside water. The shepherd, who had remained quiet until then, spoke to Nathan.

“What do you know about Chuenchai?”

“Not much, a girl in the village told me about it.”

The shepherd looked at Nathan without making a sound. They continued walking until Nathan spoke.

“What do you know about Chuenchai?”

“An elderly woman from Japan lives there; they call her, 'She who knows'.”

Nathan wondered about this name, which he had previously heard in Spain and Mexico. The shepherd continued walking, looking straight ahead. Nathan, who was becoming increasingly curious, asked him why the woman was called this. The shepherd stopped and looked at Nathan, as if the question was superfluous.

“Because she knows what others don't know about themselves!”

Then Nathan and the shepherd continued until Nathan again spoke to the boy.

“What else do you know about Chuenchai?”

The shepherd did not answer immediately, as if he had not heard the question. Just when Nathan wanted to ask again, he answered.

“Within the walls of Chuenchai time travels slower.”

Before Nathan could react, the shepherd pointed at a

25 41

large house. Then he wished Nathan an instructive stay and left without looking back. The lodge was a beautiful old house that had been built close to the water, on the edge of the forest. Nathan walked to the front door, all the while thinking about the boy's last words. He pushed open the front door and stood in a small hall. He called out to see if there was anyone there, but got no answer. Then Nathan walked to a larger room and came into a large area filled with sculptures and painted portraits. Nathan put down his luggage and looked at the works of art one by one.

Suddenly his attention was captured by a painting, hanging by itself in a corner. It was the only painting that was not a portrait, but an abstract image of colorful shapes with human forms that seemed to meld in and out of each other. Nathan walked up to the painting. The more he looked at it, the more he became fascinated by its beauty. The human shapes reminded him of his stay in the Sahara. Now he had the feeling the paintings wanted to tell him something. An elderly woman walked in and smiled at him. She was small, wore a colorful silk suit and had her hair piled high on her head. Nathan could see that, in spite of her great age, the woman radiated a youthful energy. She spoke to Nathan in English.

“I was expecting you!”

Nathan was surprised by this and wanted to ask her how she knew. Suddenly he thought about the girl in the bar and thought she could have called the woman on the phone to tell her of his arrival. Before Nathan could say anything, the woman spoke again.

“I see you've found your way to the unique work of art, that's great.”

Almost all her words confused Nathan. The woman noticed this and said.

“My name is Takara, welcome to Chuenchai.”

“Thank you, my name is Nathan.”

Of course!

Nathan tried not to let her words confuse him.

“Can you tell me if there are any rooms available?”

“Your room is available; you only have to find it.”

Nathan couldn't help but be surprised by her unusual answers.

“I'm not sure that I understand you very well.”

“All the rooms are available, except one, the room downstairs, that's where I sleep.”

“And how many rooms do you have?”

“Seven in total, so that means there are still six rooms.”

“Then it shouldn't be too difficult to find a room for me.”

“Sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes it can take a bit longer. That's the law of all that's unexpected.”

“I'm afraid that I don't understand you again.”

“Not yet, but that will change!”

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“Does the room I choose make a difference?”

“Not all the rooms are suitable for you. Only in one of the rooms will you feel at your best. It is up to you to identify this room from all the others.”

Nathan concluded that he was dealing with a very unusual woman, but he also knew that part of his knowledge was because such people had come into his life. He trusted this, even if what she told him now seemed strange, it would become clear later.

“Did you design all the beautiful things here yourself?”

“All the artwork was given to me, including the painting you're admiring.”

Nathan took another look at the abstract painting.

“The artist has succeeded in making a very deep expression. Do you know the artist?”

“The artist of this painting is always the person who is seeing it.”

“How so?”

“What you see now is a projection of your imagination; this projection takes place without the images going through the path of reason.”

What Nathan heard was so unusual and almost unreal, but it fascinated him.

“When you look at this work, do you see something different?” He asked.

“This is the case with everything we look at, Nathan.”

Nathan understood that this work of art was symbolic of our perception.

“I think I understand.”

“Not yet, but that will change!”

After having said this, the woman turned and went back into the small hall. She came back quite quickly and gave him six keys and consequently made it clear that he could start on his assignment.

“Will I be able to find the best room for me?”

“That will only be an exercise of patience.”

Nathan recognized this wise expression.

“Spend enough time in every room,” Takara continued, “until you sense the one that feels the best to you.”

“Do you already know which room it will be?”

“I would do you no favor by telling you.”

Nathan understood that this was to be a learning process.

“Besides the most suitable room to sleep in, what will I learn?”

“Recognizing places that feel the best to you.”

Nathan's understanding of his assignment had already improved and he now trusted that Takara meant well.

“There is something else that you need to know, Nathan. One of the rooms is not at all suitable for you.

Learning to distinguish such places is also very important.”

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Nathan took his luggage and went up the stairs. He turned halfway and saw that Takara was smiling at him.

“I cannot tell you yet how long I will stay, he told her.”

“Believe every day in itself.”

Nathan started his assignment inspecting every room.

He saw that all of them looked alike. They were exactly the same size, decorated in the same style and furnished identically. The only difference Nathan could distinguish was the position of the furniture in each room. He spent a couple of minutes in every room, but no matter how closely he went about it, not one room seemed to fit him better than another.

Discouraged, he went to look for Takara. Nathan looked through the entire ground floor, but could not find Takara anywhere. Eventually, he heard the sound of running water. He went towards it and saw light shining through a glass door. When he opened the door, he was overwhelmed by what he saw.

Behind the house a beautiful herb garden had been planted with all kinds of exotic plants and flowers. On the grass there were large jars, being filled by a fountain. The jars were made of leaves, woven tightly together. Nathan saw Takara standing holding long, thin leaves in her hand. These she used as a rope to weave through and around the dying leaves that had been hanging off the branches. She carefully took the dying leaves down and put them into a smaller bowl in the shade. Then she took several dry branches, with which she made small holes in the soft earth. Then she placed small seeds into them. Nathan looked at what she was doing and was moved by the tranquility and the dedication expressed by Takara. This herb garden was really an amazing work of art. While Nathan was admiring how Takara fulfilled her tasks while paying a great deal of attention to her work, she spoke to him without turning her head towards him.

“What you see here is the heart of Chuenchai.”

“This is amazing!”

Takara continued working undisturbed.

“I have seen the six rooms, but I can't distinguish between them.”

“Time is a condition that you will learn to sense.”

“Could you make this easier for me?”

“I could, but the question is whether that is desirable.”

“So it's really important that I find out on my own?”

“It is important that you to become friends with patience.”

Now Nathan remembered Linh's words. She had recently told him that this was a necessary learning process for him. Takara dried her hands and motioned for him to follow. They entered an area that was completely empty and where the walls, the floor,

Jan2011 2012 March

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi and the ceiling were snow white. Takara went to stand in front of Nathan and held both of his hands.

“Try to empty your head and let no thoughts enter.”

Nathan performed his assignment.

“Now, think only of water. What do you see?”

“I see myself flowing through mountains and valleys.”

“Water always flows to where this is possible. Its nature is so receptive that it has no cognizance of time and place. The only way, water could find to express itself, was to take on human form.”

“What you're saying is that my natural element is not able to understand that each action needs to take place at a specific time and place?”

“That is indeed the reason water sent a messenger, first to understand and then to act.”

Nathan looked at Takara and felt the craft in her hands. Her words made so many things clear. Nathan had just obtained insight into the true reason for his existence. He now felt the presence of his natural element as never before. He understood that all his experiences had been necessary to obtain a better understanding of human behavior and of the changes that needed to be brought about.

“It is now clear to me the underlying cause of my defects.”

“You will now learn to accept that time decides on all changes and that each one of us can choose what we need to pay attention. You will also show understanding for everyone who does not have the same sense of depth.”

“Didn't water show enough understanding?”

“Even water has its moments of fury. Think about the floods in Dhaka or the circumstances in which you came into life.”

Everything became increasingly clear to Nathan; everything now made sense.

“How can I correct these defects?”

“As with any defect, here it is all about sensing the imbalance of circumstances. By recognizing the line on which the defect is present, we can strive for balance.”

“What line must I recognize, concerning my impatience?”

“You will find balance between patience and impatience by standing still for a moment and you will learn to accept that all things must first have an end before the new can appear.”

Takara's words made Nathan think.

“So my impatience is preventing me from accepting things?”

“Indeed, because of the impatience we miss the insight that not everything turns out as desired.”

“At such moment's, time is indeed difficult to endure.”

“Time is intrinsic to our world and governs all change.

Patience teaches us to accept the time that

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accompanies all changes.”

“Does patience lead us to the tranquility that all of us seek?”

“Tranquility, in itself, is nothing else but trust in time.

This allows the changes to take place at suitable moments.”

“Now I understand why patience is so important. It's still not clear why I must learn the places that are best for me?”

“The line of time and the line of space are strongly interrelated. There is always a place where time is ripe for the changes that we can bring about!”

Nathan's eyes twinkled. He hugged Takara and left the room. While he was going upstairs, he felt extremely prepared to carry out his assignment.

Nathan did not need much more time to find the room he felt the least comfortable. It took him much longer to find the room where he felt his best. Finally he found it and he returned to Takara satisfied.

Tranquility During the following weeks, Nathan was frequently found with Takara in the vegetable garden next to the lodge. He liked working with her and learned a lot by watching her. Takara only ate the vegetables from her garden. She said that when she chose easily digestible food, she also felt light!

Besides her relationship with nature, Nathan discovered important facets of her relationship with time. Whatever the circumstances, Takara never rushed and never forgot anything. What impressed Nathan the most was that she radiated a special tranquility at every moment in every day.

“It seems as if time is your friend,” Nathan said.

“Time is the friend of everything that lives,” Takara answered.

“Yet, time is frequently fought against.”

“That is completely senseless, because it's the only thing that we really possess.”

“Takara, there is something that has been bothering me for some time.”

“Then it's time to share your thought with me.”

“I know now that we can only find true tranquility by trusting time. But if time decides on all changes, then how important are our actions?”

Takara looked at Nathan and was aware of the depth of his question. She suggested that they take a stroll along the water. She continued the conversation once they were walking.

“You know now that we must trust time, if we want to learn to accept the inevitable, but that does not mean that we have to watch life passively. Along the

Jan2011 2012 March

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero Book Review - Gayatri Pagdi timeline, the balance we must strive for is as far apart from patience as it is from impatience.”

Now Nathan needed time to fully understand Takara's last statement.

“Does this mean that we need impatience just as much as patience?” He asked.

“You could say that. It is not for nothing that we were granted the ability to make changes through our actions. For example, take the herbal or vegetable garden; in what kind of shape would they be if I only looked at them.”

“Even here, it is also about striving for the right balance.”

“When we watch life passively there is a danger of slumping into spiritual laziness and we can no longer fulfill meaningful actions. So it is of great importance to keep our intentions in line with our actions.”

“So tranquility is not a form of standing still in life?”

“Life never stands still. The longer we walk on the path of our destiny, the more we see that it is an uninterrupted path with unlimited possibilities, a path that gradually opens up before us like a blossoming flower.”

“Why are there so many among us who have never paid attention to their unique task and are not even aware that life has a deeper meaning?”

“They were never informed or did not show any interest. Because of this they experience life as a succession of chaotic occurrences that they call destiny.”

“This is becoming clearer to me. Because of their fear of destiny, they choose what seems to be a safe way and end up wandering completely off their path.”

“Indeed, they wander for fear of wandering.”

“For many, life consists of waiting for what is to come.”

“Thus they spend their time looking for the lost moments of their life.”

“Is it possible for a person to change, who has never before lived life thinking of their unique task?”

“Our behavior is not determined by our experiences, but by our ambitions.”

Takara's words made Nathan happy, even though he did not know if it was because of hope or trust or maybe a combination of both.

He wanted to know: “What can shift their attention towards their unique task?”

Takara sat down on a rock and motioned to Nathan to sit down in front of her.

“Our unique task appears when we free our unending source!”

“Our unending source?”

“If someone travels onto a wrong track and closes themselves off from the source of all knowledge, they

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will have to reopen the door if they want to acquaint themselves with their inner desires.”

Nathan understood that what Takara called the unending source, was again a new name for our inner force. Takara continued.

“The true sense of our life can only be discovered when we pay attention to this source. By learning to act intuitively, we take over the power of our feelings.

Then we are free of the unending chain of senseless actions.”

Takara's words brought up many thoughts within Nathan. She saw it happening and silently stared at the water. It took a while before Nathan spoke again.

“There must be a way to make humanity understand that life does not need to be a destination?” Nathan stated.

'Only when people become more aware of the existence of the unending source, will they recognize the universal order and their unique place within it.”

“I feel there must be a way to help everyone come to awareness, without exception.”

Takara got up and held Nathan's head close to her.

“Enjoy the development process, Nathan!”

Takara left Nathan to meditate and returned to the lodge alone. Nathan would spend the rest of the day in the water. The next few days he was in the water most of the time and there he found more inspiration than ever before. One evening, when he had almost reached the lodge, he recognized the pleasant smell of wood burning. He looked and saw that a large fire had been built. A young man, standing very close to the fire, was fixing glowing red dry branches in the fire with a long stick. Their eyes met. Nathan knew immediately that Dian had arrived!

“Nice to meet you finally,” Nathan said.

“I'm just making it warm,” Dian smiled.

Nathan sat down on the ground, a little farther from the flames. Dian sat down next to him and asked.

“How did it go with Myate?”

“She felt better on the day I left.”

“Leewana is with her now.”

There was a short silence.

“We can't wait much longer, Nathan.”

“The fact that we are all meeting each other now indicates that our learning processes are coming to an end.”

Takara had made some tea and come to sit with them.

“Have you already chosen your room?” Nathan asked Dian.

“Dian does not need that,” Takara interrupted.

“What I have to learn,” Dian said, “is to keep my spontaneity in check. I frequently have the inclination to impose my will on others.”

“Because of his nature Dian does not know

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moderation,” Takara said.

Nathan remembered that Takara had taught him he needed to determine the equilibrium for each need. So it did not take him much effort to know what Dian needed.

“How can Dian strive for more moderation?” Nathan asked.

“By paying attention to the harmony between contrasts,” Takara said. “When he recognizes this harmony, he will understand better how necessary contrasts can direct our energies within the context of our evolution.”

Nathan considered these words and then asked.

“Don't we, as well as many other people, want to help those who are lost?”

“Everything has to do with the extent to which we want to change things,” Takara said.

“When I want lost people to become aware of their true destiny, I usually work destructively,” Dian confirmed.

“When rain comes as a flood,” Takara illustrated, “plants without deep roots are swept away and they perish. That is also how it goes with slower spirits if they hear nothing about the spiritual life.”

“It's difficult for me to stop showing people their wrong choices,” Dian said.

“Dian can really destroy thing if he doesn't learn to show understanding without judging,” Takara said.

“He must learn that few people have the same capacity to ask the right questions about their lives and about the world they live.”

Nathan listened attentively and saw similarities with his impatience.

“Dian will travel to Bolivia,” Takara told them. “There he will learn to see that everything that happens is necessary, even that which calls up negative feelings.”

“Why Bolivia?” Nathan asked.

“Dian will travel to the largest salt lakes in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. There is no better place on earth to learn to recognize the harmony between contrasts.”

“Do you know what my next task is, Takara?” Nathan asked.

Takara poured some tea in the cups and served her guests before continuing.

“After we go our separate ways, you will reconnect with someone whom you haven't seen for a long time and who is lost.”

“Will my task be to make this person aware of the situation?”

Takara nodded.

“That's what we always do, what will be different in this task?” Dian asked.

“This time Nathan will be involved emotionally, this will be new to him. He will have to learn to deal with what will circulate within his inner self.”

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Nathan became aware of the seriousness of his next task and asked.

“Who is it?”

“You're not asking the right question,” Takara answered.

Nathan knew that Takara meant that it made no sense to expect any more clues about the person. It would make more sense to ask about the level he had to work to restore balance. Dian saw that Nathan was deep in thought and helped him.

“Remember that this task will strongly influence your emotional involvement.”

“Does it mean that I'm not sufficiently committed to the destiny of people?”

“You're drifting off because of your nature, regardless of what lies on your path,” Takara said.

“So for you it is important to learn to stand still with what people feel.”

Nathan understood what Takara meant and asked.

“How will I learn to be more heedful?”

“Compassion grows insofar as you become aware of your inner guidance!”

“My inner guidance?”

“Your sensitivity, Nathan.”

The following few days Nathan and Dian spent most of their time together. They both knew they had difficult tasks ahead of them, but felt encouraged by the idea that, along with Myate and Leewana, they would be able to accomplish something unique. It became increasingly clear to them that if they united their forces they would be able to achieve something of indescribable proportions. On the day Nathan was to leave the lodge, Takara looked at both men. She asked them to follow her and went to the area filled with artwork. She immediately went to the abstract painting and looked at it attentively. Nathan and Dian positioned themselves next to her.

'You both have learned that we can see elements from three different dimensions.”

“I remember that very well,” Dian said. “In the first dimension we see the physical world, in the second the world of thoughts and in the third the road to our awareness.”

“Did you ever meet Melvin, the Brazilian philosopher?” Nathan asked.

“No,' Dian answered. “I learned this from a Bulgarian psychologist.”

“The work you are seeing here encompasses the entire second dimension,” Takara interjected.

“This would mean that all thoughts are gathered in this work of art?” Dian remarked.

“That is so,” Takara said. “In our physical world a thought takes the form in which the observer sees it.”

Nathan and Dian looked at each other, not

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“Never before have I seen someone go in and come out on the same day!”

This news was confirmation to Nathan of the importance of his task. They remained silent the rest of the way. Once at the port the shepherd said goodbye to Nathan. Again the wind became stronger.

“I have a final message for you, something that will be useful for your next task.”

Nathan listened attentively.

“Show compassion with those who have committed great errors, because you don't know what their heart has gone through.”

The shepherd left after saying these words. Nathan thanked him and had a word of thanks for Leewana.

Nathan took the first boat he could to Laem Ngop.

While on board he asked himself two questions.

Exactly what would his next task be and who would be this lost person? With these questions in mind he fell asleep.

Assignment When the boat moored at Laem Ngop, Nathan woke from a deep sleep. He got out of the boat and took a bus to the city Trat. Once there he looked for a hotel.

Nathan was exhausted from the latest events and wandered through the streets of Trat. He ended up walking up the same street three times, the first two times the street was empty, but the third time he saw the security services and a group of people in the doorway to a house. Nathan was curious and went to see what was happening. A woman told him in English that a man had been found and it seemed that he had committed suicide. Nathan thought that passing up the same street three times happened for a reason. He asked the woman if she would go inside with him to get more information. She accompanied Nathan into the house where they found two police officers analyzing the deceased's documents. Nathan asked if he could also take a look. The woman translated his words for the police officers. They had no objections.

It appeared, from the documents that the deceased came from Cambodia. He lived in Phnom Penh, but had been staying in Trat for several months. There was also a letter written in Khmer and an accompanying envelope addressed to Cambodia.

Nathan wanted to know what the letter said. The woman could not read Khmer, but one of the police officers could. First he read the letter himself and then summarized it in Thai. The woman then translated into English for Nathan. It was a goodbye letter from the deceased to his son. From the letter one understood the man had felt abandoned by his son.

Suddenly a picture fell from the envelope. One of the

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police officers picked it up and Nathan asked to see.

When he held the picture, his heart stopped for a second. He asked if they would read the name on the envelope out loud. His suspicion became reality. Both the name and the photo revealed that the son of the dead man was no one other than… Y Chao, his childhood friend who he had gone to school with in Brussels. Nathan knew now that his next destination would be Cambodia. He asked the police officers to make a copy of the letter and promised to deliver it in person.

The next day Nathan left for the Cambodian border on a bus. From there he took a minibus, which took him to the capital, Phnom Penh. Once he had crossed the border, Nathan immediately noticed that Cambodia was much poorer than Thailand. The roads were unpaved, the vehicles were held together with wire, and the streets were lined with many begging children, the sight of which saddened him. In the capital Nathan took a taxi and showed the driver the envelope with the address. The driver took him to an office building in the business district of the city.

Nathan was surprised. He had expected a normal family dwelling, but the taxi driver confirmed that the address on the envelope was indeed this location.

Nathan went into the building and asked the receptionist whether he could see Y Chao. The receptionist wanted to know if he had an appointment. Nathan answered that he did not, but that he had an important message from Y Chao's father. The receptionist made some calls and then told Nathan that Y Chao had left for his vacation home in Kampot, a coastal city a few hours from Phnom Penh.

When Nathan asked when Y Chao would return, she answered that only Y Chao knew that, as he was the owner of the company.

The next day, Nathan left for the city of Kampot, which was in the same state, and arrived early evening. After asking a few questions, it became clear to him that Y Chao had become a successful businessperson. Most people knew where his vacation home was, so Nathan quickly found the place, which was an imposing villa built in the colonial style. He rang the doorbell and a housekeeper opened the door. When Nathan asked for Y Chao, the housekeeper stepped aside and let him in. She asked his name and the purpose of his visit so that she could announce his arrival. Nathan answered that he was a friend with a personal message. The housekeeper went away and returned a few moments later to collect Nathan. She opened a door and motioned for him to enter. Nathan stepped into a large office and saw Y Chao who was dressed in a suit.

Y Chao recognized Nathan and immediately got up

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understanding. They found it difficult to follow Takara's reasoning. Takara went to the kitchen and Nathan and Dian followed her. Once they were there she took a round green apple up in her hand and directing her question at Nathan said.

“What do you think about when you look at this?”

“The thought is about an apple!”

Takara put the apple on the kitchen dresser, took a large, sharp knife, cut off a thin slice. She put the slice aside, again held up the apple and asked Dian the same question.

What do you think about when you look at this?

“Even though the form is a little bit different, my opinion is the same as his, the thought is about an apple!”

Takara put down the apple on the kitchen dresser and took the thin slice she had just cut. She held it up and asked the same question of Nathan.

“I think I understand you,” Nathan answered.

“Yes, it's clear to me now too,” Dian said.

“Right,” Takara said. “In the first dimension we can only have limited thoughts, but that does not apply to the second dimension.”

They left the kitchen and went to the garden. Takara turned and asked Nathan and Dian: “Do you remember what I held in the kitchen?”

“An apple, of course,” Dian said.

With this Takara had been able to clarify that all thoughts existed by themselves, even though they could not be seen in the physical world. While Nathan and Dian sat down on a bench in the garden, Takara grasped a pitcher filled with fresh juice and filled three large glasses.

“Does a thought decide on its own when it enters into the physical world?” Nathan asked.

“This is only possible when it knows how to persuade us to give it a certain form,” Takara answered. “This is why it's the desire of every thought to be told.”

“So thoughts can have desires?” Dian asked surprised.

“Just like people, thoughts have their own nature.”

“Do they also have a unique task within the universal order?” Nathan asked.

Takara smiled and had a satisfied expression. She had succeeded in guiding Nathan and Dian to this important idea. She refilled the glasses and continued.

“All thoughts are interconnected and always try to set up a connection between the first and the third dimension. Because they are not linked to time and space they can even cause the greatest changes.”

“What changes are you talking about?” Dian asked.

“The transfer of thoughts we don't currently deal with from the first dimension,” Takara said seriously.

Nathan and Dian would remember this conversation a long time. Thanks to Takara they now had a better

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understanding of the energies working in the universal order and their influence. They both felt these final insights would be of great use to them in the future.

Now Nathan said goodbye to Dian and Takara. At that moment, the wind gained force, as so frequently happened with his farewells.

“It was nice to meet you, Nathan. Think about this during your next task: The main driving force is directed by what happens within yourself!”

“Thank you, Dian. It was nice to meet you too. I also have a thought for you that will strengthen you in Bolivia, if the cold did not exist, you would not know what warmth was!”

Takara smiled and said.

“Leewana spent much time here. We learned a lot about each other, but I have to say that she can still surprise me.”

Nathan and Dian were surprised, after which Dian asked, “Do you mean these concluding thoughts came from her?”

“Today she has sent more thoughts,” Takara laughed.

Nathan got up and hugged Takara and Dian with care.

Then he picked up his luggage and left the lodge. Once outside, he saw the same shepherd who had shown him the way.

Nathan went to him and asked: “Can you show me the way to the port?”

“Did you change your mind?” The shepherd asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You wanted to go to Chuenchai?”

“But that's where I came from!”

The shepherd was surprised by Nathan's answer and gave him a penetrating stare. He continued walking silently. Nathan walked next to him and asked.

“Why are you so surprised to see me?”

Again the shepherd looked at Nathan and asked, “Can I ask you something?”

Nathan nodded.

“How long ago was it that you last saw me?”

“A couple of weeks; don't you remember?”

The shepherd was amazed.

“You look surprised?” Nathan said.

“I realize how great your unique task must be!”

“What does your surprise have to do with my unique task?”

“As I said before, time at Chuenchai goes slower; only the delay during your stay must have been extraordinary.”

“Does it have something to do with my unique task?”

“The delay, which occurs at the lodge, depends on the magnitude of the visitor's unique. The slower time goes, the greater the task.”

The shepherd stopped and said seriously:

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Jan 2012

from behind his desk.

“What a pleasant surprise that you've come to visit!”

Nathan only had one thought now. When would it be the best moment to tell Y Chao about the death of his father?

“How did you find me?” Y Chao asked.

“How I found you, is not important,” Nathan answered. “It is more important to know why our paths crossed again!”

“Still just as profound, I see.”

Y Chao sat down on one of the large sofas; he asked Nathan to sit down next to him and asked the housekeeper to bring coffee.

“Sometimes things can be a bit strange. Just a few weeks ago I was on a vacation cruise on the Mediterranean Sea and do you have any idea who I met in Greece? Laura! She said she met the love of her life in Greece… by the way, she also asked for you.”

“I'm happy for her, maybe I'll visit her. But how are you doing?”

“Business is going well, Nathan!”

Y Chao pointed to a large board where a slogan was written: “If one wants to live, one does not undergo, but undertakes!”

Together with some foreign partners, I am the owner of several buildings in the capital. In addition I also have shares in a few large real estate projects. For someone who started out with nothing, I can be quite proud of what I have accomplished.

“What are your goals for the future?”

“The way things are going, in a couple of years I could become one of the biggest real estate developers in the city.”

Nathan kept looking silently at Y Chao.

“How is your personal life, Y Chao?”

“I've recently got divorced… but I'm better now. Why this question?”

“I asked you the same question three times!”

Nathan stood up, took the letter out of his pocket and put it on the table. Y Chao picked it up.

“It's from my father! Seeing the letter excited him.”

Nathan did not answer and gave Y Chao the time he needed to read it through. After he had read the letter Y Chao remained deep in silence for several minutes, with his head down.

“I've led the kind of life where I've paid no attention to him or to my wife. My only concern was becoming financially successful.”

Y Chao had tears in his eyes. Nathan felt moved and sat down next to him.

“How did you get this letter?” Y Chao asked.

“A better question would be: How did this letter come to me? Many simultaneous occurrences took place in order for this meeting to happen.”

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“I learned that everything has a reason from you, what is the reason this moment?”

“We have been brought together to understand our feelings in more depth and to experience new feelings, feelings that make us more aware of our never-ending source.”

“You are referring to our inner knowledge.”

Nathan nodded and then said: “The more we become aware of this source, the more our views become clarified and our purpose in life becomes clearer.”

“Weren't you always aware of this source?”

'It won't sound strange to you that some feelings are unknown to me. Thanks to you I can learn to untangle them and thus continue growing.”

Y Chao had spent enough time in the company of Nathan for him to know he had rarely or never experienced painful feelings. He now asked.

“What exactly do you mean with continuing to grow?”

“You were just talking about evolution, but the only really important evolution during our existence has nothing to do with our degrees or our wealth. It has to do with the evolution of our sensitivity.”

Y Chao looked up listening to Nathan's words, who continued, “Our sensitivity contains our deepest truth. It never forgets the original plan of the universe and always tries to remind us of our original desires.”

Nathan's words were not completely foreign to Y Chao. He knew exactly what Nathan meant, but it had been a long time since anyone had reminded him of these ideas.

“Nathan, do you know what happens with our sensitivity after we die?”

Nathan understood that Y Chao was thinking of his father.

“After death our sensitivity relives what was experienced during our life, but from the view point of the people who were influenced by it.”

Y Chao thought about his last moments with his father and said.

“Then I fear that my father will feel great sadness when he remembers me!”

“Don't worry, when the sensitivity relives experiences, it take place without judgment or pain.”

“Then what does our sensitivity experience?”

“The lessons necessary to continue our development.”

“I think I understand.”

“Not completely, but that will come,” Nathan repeated Takara's wise words. “Now you need to rest and to meditate,” Nathan continued while he prepared himself to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“I will be staying in the city.”

“I would like you to stay with me.”

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Jan 2012

Nathan thought about this for a moment.

“I will return tonight.”

Nathan hugged Y Chao and spent the rest of the day at the beach. When he returned to the villa late that night, Y Chao showed him the guest room. Nathan had a request for him.

“I want to ask you to take a trip with me for a couple of days.”

“A couple of days? That is not possible for me. I have many commitments.”

“Nothing needs more attention than your inner self.”

Y Chao thought about this and then asked: “Where do you want to go?”

“To the place that has impressed you the most.”

Y Chao wanted to react, but Nathan interrupted him: “I'm going to sleep now, let me know tomorrow.”

The next day Nathan sat down at the breakfast table, where Y Chao welcomed him.

“I have thought about it, Nathan. I want to change things in my life and I know that there is no better person than you to help me.”

Nathan knew that yesterday's talk was having its effect.

“Good, so where are we going?” He asked.

“After breakfast we will leave for a temple in Siem Reap. We will travel by car and be on the road for a couple of days, but it's the best way to explore my country.”

“I have read about the temples of Angkor, they seem to be impressive.”

“I want to take you to the Ta Prohm. I was moved like never before when I entered the ruins of this temple and saw the incredible power of nature.”

“You are making me curious!”

After breakfast they headed north. They stopped briefly in Phnom Penh and then continued through the country to Siem Reap. Nathan saw so much poverty. Many people lived in villages that were at a great distance from each other. Families, with many small children, frequently lived in too small houses without any sanitary provisions. Y Chao told Nathan how his people had suffered because of the long lasting wars. Even though the country was at peace now, many people were still injured or being killed by land mines. This explained the large number of people with amputated limbs. As if that was not bad enough, this year, over the course of several months, many rice harvests had failed causing a famine that affected many families. Nathan felt sympathy for the people and frequently asked Y Chao to stop the car.

What was remarkable to Nathan was that regardless of the misery, in each village the people were very friendly and respectful.

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“What can one do about so much suffering?” Y Chao said.

Nathan felt that there was some guilt shrouding this question.

“You just asked a question that can be the cause of miracles, Y Chao.”

Y Chao looked at Nathan and saw that he was preparing to go to sleep. This gave Y Chao the opportunity to meditate on this conversation in silence. When they arrived in Siem Reap, Y Chao went straight to the temple that he had talked about earlier. Nathan had a premonition that something special would happen. When they arrived at the temple Ta Prohm it was already late and the sun was setting, changing the sky to a beautiful red-orange color.

“It's late, maybe we should come back tomorrow?” Y Chao said.

Nathan saw that most visitors were leaving. When he wanted to accept Y Chao's proposal, he felt something that urged him to enter anyway.

He answered with: “We have to go in now!”

Y Chao did not understand, but he knew Nathan well enough to know that he always followed his feelings and that it made no sense to contradict him. He took his flashlight and accompanied Nathan to the temple.

Inside, Nathan saw that the temple had a myriad of hallways and galleries overgrown with vines and moss. He saw how towers and statues had been overtaken with liana and how old trees with gigantic roots were coiled around the temple.

“Impressive, isn't it?” Y Chao asked.

Nathan said nothing and continued walking. Because of the sunset and because the sun hardly broke through the thick leaves, it was dark inside. Y Chao saw that most visitors had left by now and insisted that they should come back tomorrow.

“Give me the flashlight and you can sit in the car,” Nathan said.

Even before Y Chao knew how to answer, Nathan had walked through a hallway. Y Chao was used to Nathan's mysterious behavior, but couldn't help but worry about him. On his way to the car this feeling became stronger. Nathan walked through the ruins, still without knowing where he was going. Suddenly he stopped in a hall with square columns and looked at how the columns were being destroyed by tree roots, but at the same time were also being held together by them. From the moment he stepped inside the temple Nathan had been impressed by the destructive power of nature, but now he saw how the forest held all the walls and columns straight. The entire complex had become one with the earth.

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Jan 2012

At that moment he had a very strange feeling.

Between the columns he saw the statue of Myate, Leewana and Dian. All three were on the ground between the columns and were looking at what nature had achieved. Even though Nathan knew they were not really there, it seemed real. It was as if all of them together were receiving the same message.

Nathan sat down on the ground between two columns. Before him he saw Dian, on his left was Myate and on his right was Leewana. Together they tried to recognize the message of this sign. Suddenly, everything became clear to Nathan and, in that moment, his friends disappeared. Nathan got up and went outside. He had been away for a long time. Y Chao had even considered calling Security. Therefore he was very relieved when he saw Nathan reappear.

“What happened in there?” He asked Nathan.

“There are no words to describe this experience, Y Chao.”

“Can you tell me what you've learned?”

“This experience has taught me that the universe has no great beginning and will also have no great ending because each ending will be followed by a new beginning.”

Y Chao looked at Nathan, but did not understand exactly what he meant.

“It makes little sense to continue asking questions,” Nathan continued, “any other description would be a betrayal of the experience itself!”

They booked into a hotel at the city center and drove back to Phnom Penh the following day. After driving all day, with only one break to eat, Y Chao suggested that they spend the night in the next village. His words had just left his mouth when the engine began giving them trouble. Y Chao was just able to make the car coast to the side of the road. They got out to see if they could start the engine again, but without success. In the meantime, night had fallen and there was no light to be seen anywhere around them.

Y Chao took out his flashlight and tried to find the problem under the hood of the car. He did not see anything unusual and thought this was very strange, as the car was new and had been in perfect condition until that moment. When Y Chao wanted to make a phone call, he saw that his cell phone did not have any signal. Nathan noted that since it had been quite some time since they'd seen any houses they were probably outside the network area. Both men were tired and decided to spend the night in the car. The next morning would bring a solution. The first rays of the sun woke them up. After exploring in the light, they saw that they were in a desolate area. Nathan sat

50

down on a rock and thought for a while.

“A lot has to happen before you start worrying,” Y Chao stated.

“You have to trust in unexpected occurrences. They are always accompanied by wisdom.”

Y Chao tried not to show that he was apprehensive as he sat down next to Nathan. Suddenly Y Chao pointed to the sky. He saw a large white bird of prey flying around in wide circles. When Nathan also looked up, they saw how the bird of prey dove in a straight line to the other side of the hill. They looked at each other… this seemed too much like a sign. They decided to take a chance and went up the hill. It took longer than expected for them to reach the top.

They were very surprised to find a large property surrounded by a fence where they could see a large village in the middle of a magnificent garden. They went to the entrance of the estate and rang the bell at the gate, which seemed to be equipped with several security systems. Nathan and Y Chao suspected they were on screen and under observation at that moment. It took a while before someone appeared.

The man who opened the gate for them was called Hyun-Ki and was an employee of the estate. Y Chao explained to him that they had engine trouble. HyunKi motioned for them to follow him. They walked through the garden, which was full of graceful ponds and artwork. Once they arrived at the house, an older man appeared by the verandah door. The man introduced himself in English. His name was Seung and he was from South Korea. Y Chao told him about their car trouble after which Seung ordered Hyun-Ki to get the car and have it repaired. Then he invited them to drink tea with him. Seung appeared to be very curious about his guests.

“Where have you been?”

“We were in Siem Reap where we visited the Ta Prohm,” Y Chao answered.

Seung, who was just drinking his tea, almost choked.

“What a coincidence, just last week I was in the same temple.”

“The person who pays attention to coincidence, will find a guide,” Nathan stated.

Seung looked at Nathan for a long time and became more curious.

“What are you doing in life?”

“I have real estate in Phnom Penh,” Y Chao answered.

“And you Nathan, what do you do?'

“I drink tea and listen to you.”

“Do you prefer not to talk about your activities?”

Seung asked.

“It's not that, I just meant that I experience each

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Jan 2012

moment as I am experiencing it.”

“So you're not in business like your friend?”

“I learned that many things are not to be possessed but to be used.”

Y Chao was made visibly uncomfortable by this remark. Nathan put his hand on his arm. Seung looked at Nathan again for a long time and then said.

“So temporary possessions, if I may call them that, have no value for you?”

“When someone raises such possessions to a higher value, this is dangerous because this person becomes subservient to the possessions and finally sacrifices their life for them.”

“Sacrifices form part of life,” Seung declared.

“By making a clear distinction between what is right and what is apparently right for us, we only want what we really need. Things that increase our freedom, not limit it.”

“What things are you referring to?” Seung said inquisitively.

“To our insights. Insights ask no sacrifices and increase our freedom. They can never be taken from us, because they form part of who we really are.'

“Interesting,” Seung said.

Y Chao saw that Seung was listening more attentively to Nathan. The uneasiness he had felt at first now changed into a feeling of pride, so much so that he confirmed Nathan's words.

“It's true that possessions only seem to increase our freedom. The more we possess, the more discerning we become and the more difficult it becomes to experience satisfaction.”

Seung remained silent for a long time. Nathan felt he had succeeded in making both Seung and Y Chao think. Now Seung spoke up.

“What I am about to tell you will probably sound strange. Tonight I dreamed that I would receive insights that would radically change my life.”

“Do you experience what you're hearing now as something that could change your life?” Nathan asked.

“The question is whether I would want to change anything,” Seung said.

“The real question is whether you want to remain lonely,” Nathan said.

“What makes you think that?” Seung asked Nathan.

“Both of you have followed a path that has resulted in sacrifices, a way that always ends in loneliness.”

Nathan let the silence speak for a moment, and then Seung spoke again.

“You hardly know me and still you've seen quite quickly through the luxury.”

“If Nathan brought it up,” Y Chao said, “he will have his reasons for doing so.”

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“That's right,” Nathan said. “As with loneliness, each feeling appears for a reason and is announced by a desire for the meaning of life.”

“A desire for the meaning of life?” Seung asked.

“A desire to follow our original wish,” Nathan said.

“What is that wish?” Seung wanted to know.

“The wish to follow the path of our life purpose,” Nathan answered.

“Do you mean that loneliness is indicated by our original wish?” Y Chao suddenly wanted to know.

“Our deepest desires are indicated by our sensitivity,” Nathan explained.

“Why does our sensitivity choose to make us feel the pain of loneliness?” Seung asked.

“For all those who are on a path of sacrifice,” Nathan said, “it is usually the only way to make them aware of its existence.”

Now a deep silence was created by the impression left

by Nathan's words. Then Nathan asked if he could refresh himself. Upon his return the conversation between Y Chao and Seung was about the great need for housing in the country. They were discussing how each felt a great desire to do something. Seung explained that he had large tracts of land near the crossing of two rivers with fertile grounds and therefore also an ideal location to build a large village.

Now Nathan spoke to both Y Chao and Seung.

“Any more signs would be overkill. The fact that the two of you met today is no coincidence, just as nothing is a coincidence.”

“I'm amazed by the way you brought us together,” Y Chao said.

“You have to look further,” Nathan said. “What brought you together is the feeling of justice.”

Did you know we would be working together? Seung wanted to know.

“During this conversation it became clear that a large project was being created. By what you can achieve for the Cambodian people, all feelings of guilt and loneliness you are experiencing will definitely become a thing of the past.”

Hyun-Ki came in to say that the car had been repaired. Nathan and Y Chao stood up and prepared to leave. Y Chao and Seung agreed on a date to meet again to give a more concrete form to their project.

Afterwards, Seung took the two young men to the exit. When they arrived at the gate Y Chao was already walking in front. Seung still had a couple of questions for Nathan.

“How did you know that Y Chao would be important to me?”

“Y Chao is someone who was introduced to the hidden layer of this world before he went to Europe.

Legend of the Nomad - By Alex Mero

Jan 2012

Because of this, as a child, he already had a very clear view of life. He will be able to put it into practice now and you will learn a lot from his lessons.”

“And what will I mean to him?”

“Y Chao has always had a natural inhibition. There is a great fear of failure in him. Because of this his sensitivity has always urged him to find an ally who could help him conquer this fear.”

Seung nodded in understanding and Nathan and thanked him abundantly for his help. Once in the car, Nathan and Y Chao discussed their meeting with Seung. During the conversation Y Chao's thoughts were similar to Seung's.

“How did you know that Seung would be important to me?”

“It happened during the conversation. Seung has held a great deal of authority since his youth and became rich quite fast. Because of this he was quickly introduced to powerful relationships in this world.

By dealing with him you will learn a lot from his experiences.”

“What will I be able to teach him?”

“Seung has never had a clear view of his higher objectives. This also explains many of his disappointments. Because of this, his sensitivity has always encouraged him to find an ally to help him obtain clarity.”

“Nathan, I don't know how I can ever thank you for this.”

“By keeping me up to date on the progress of your project.”

With these words Y Chao understood that Nathan saw his arrangement as fulfilled.

“What did you learn, Nathan?”

I was given confirmation that all our feelings are at the service of our original wish and in the Ta Prohm I learned something extremely important about nature.

Y Chao was still curious about what had happened in Siem Reap.

“Even if there are hurricanes,” Nathan continued, “earthquakes and floods, after a short while the elements are exhausted and silence returns. It is in the silence that things really begin to exist.”

Y Chao was not much wiser, but he knew that it would become clearer one day.

“Do you know where you're going?” He asked Nathan.

“Didn't you say Laura wanted to see me?”

A couple of hours later Y Chao took Nathan to the airport and helped him book a flight to Greece. http://alexmeroblog.com/

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THERE'S NO TRIUMPH WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE My soul struggles amid the mire The mire tryst' to overwhelm me The storms of life knock at my door The storms try to ravage me They tug and pull at the core of my soul, like the roots being torn apart from a tree The storm has my soul in its grip - bending and trying to decrease me The power of the storm bends me low and depresses me My struggle to be set free from the storm seems to be a battle without any defenses Yet deep inside me - my soul struggles not to succumb to the drowning force of that mire that so strongly desires to devour me I keep pulling upward but the mire is so weighty - it pulls me back down That source deep down inside my soul won't allow me to give in to the ravaging affects of the storm I hear its voice say: “fight - rise above the mire, don't let it defeat you - don't let it decrease you- get up and draw on your resources and defeat that storm- it has no power to keep you down, other than the power that you relinquish it” The battle is inside you - pursue it as you would any challenge The storm is an obstacle at the forefront of your mind Right beyond the forefront of your mind, where the obstacle stands, is a door waiting to be open – it's there within your reach It's the door of new beginnings - where a new you arises Its' ok to be in the mire - it's a part of life's storm, but don't just lay in the mire without a struggle - pursue it as your enemy and be determine to win Each time that voice speaks to you and provides you with strength to rise above the mire - use all of your resources to fight against the storm - and each time you fall back amid the mire - you will feel its power decreasing more and more It will become weightless - making it easier for you to climb free and that obstacle at the forefront of your mind becomes less and less of an obstacle You're beginning to “see” the door - its' in reach of your view Its' a door that's never been open - its' an extension of you Its' there for the taking - if you will only pursue There's no triumph without the struggle - the storms are going to come They come that you might triumph and come face to face with a greater you!

By Betty Alark