Thirty four years ago when I, this Aquarian poet, was pregnant with my daughter, I had a recurring mystical experience And I was blessed to be introduced (or re-introduced by the Divine to my spiritual mentor (aka guru) through wonder-full sacred sister-friends. Since that time my life has soared to unimaginable levels of creativity, global prosperity, significant life lessons absorbed and learned, and subsequent bountiful blessings earned. Guided by this advice of the avatars, I have embraced the wisdom of not only starting each day with intimate inner conversations with the Creator, meditation, and the health-promoting Energization Exercises taught by my spiritual mentor (aka guru), Paramahansa Yogananda (founder, Self-Realization Fellowship and author of one of the most profound spiritual tomes and the continual global best-seller, The Autobiography of a Yogi.
As a long-time New York educator, even though we could not mention our Best Friend God's Name in the classroom, I "went 'round the mulberry bush" and instead incorporated in my literature lessons readings from varied sages, contemporary and ancient, on goal-reaching, success and joy attainment through positive interactions in home, career, business, romantic and family relationships, the power of introspection, ego control, and focused positive thinking. We had lively discussions and creative writing sessions. Then they wondered why I had such a peaceful, productive class atmosphere, so much so that arrangements were made to come in and videotape the sessions.
Now that I am no longer working for an organization, association, bureaucracy, or corporation, but directly for God Unlimited, I am still the constant teacher and the constant learner. For a long time I've pondered sharing what I've gained from the daily advice from the avatars and these vibrant yet silent sessions with the sages. No more procrastination. Here goes! Instead on sitting on the side of my bed reading and contemplating this mentally nutritious wisdom, I have brought the works to my computer desk. So let me open the first one and read...and share:
Okay, I didn't open to today's date in Yogananda's SPIRITUAL DIARY--An Inspirational Thought for Each Day, I just let the book fall open to wherever it chose, as there would be the thought to imbibe and contemplate. It opened to March 24th and it reads: "A bad habit can be quickly changed. A habit is the concentration of the mind. You have been thinking in a certain way. To form a new and good habit, just concentrate in the opposite direction. --Paramahansa Yogananda, (an excerpted quote from): The Sayings of Yogananda
Well, I certainly like this and I have used it successfully, as I hate being a slave to anything. It's not always quick to "take root"; in fact, it sometimes takes as the Tennessee elders used to say "a good long while", but no matter how many times I fall down trying to get this right, to get it together, I remember the avatar's advice of persevering with a focused mind on a specific goal. So I observe my l'il Ego through my Higher Mind, the wise part of mySelf that just sits back and looks and when it gets the ego's attention, shakes its head and says, "Unh-unh, you're on the wrong track, darling. Head back in this direction." For example, if I start thinking, it just looks like it's impossible to get something done, I immediately ponder the Avatar's advice of starting a step toward a goal and giving full attention to that one step until it is accomplished, not letting yourself get overwhelmed by gazing all over the ball field. Just keep your eye and attention trained on the ball right in front of you. In essence, you climb to the mountaintop, step by step, not in one Superman (or Superwoman) leap. I'm so glad I asked God and the spiritual masters to write this wisdom deep within my soul so that I wouldn't have to just open a book to access it--that I can read and contemplate it at any time from right within my spirit. Man, that has really helped. Thanks, God!
I have a whole group of books by this computer--the ones I usually read every morning, but I have no plan to do all of this typing and you probably don't plan to do all of that blog-reading; so let me just choose one or two more from the stack and leave the others for other days.
Okay, this is from ENTER THE QUIET HEART--Creating a Loving Relationship with God by Sri Daya Mata, the present president and spiritual leader of Self Realization Fellowhip who was directly trained by Sri Yogananda. She is one of the most peacefully powerful women on the Planet and has for decades successfully carried on a huge spiritual organization that has been tremendously impactful on millions of global souls.
"If we have faith that God is just a thought away, and ever lovingly attentive to us, how much more frequently we would turn to Him and rejoice in His company."
Oh how sweet, how absolutely, positively wonder-full. There is no nicer company than an adoring and adored Divine Mind. My last book as a poet is A Divine Darling--Intimacy with Infinity, and this type of Relationship is what has brought so much deep-souled richness to my life and so much tender healing to the inevitable wounds, barbs, and snares that beset one on the lifepath. I've really had fun with God and profound growth and blessings from that Spirit. God has a deep sense of humor, of compassion, of supreme universal creativity and generosity. It is so, so good to know that this is the one--and I do mean the Infinite ONE who adores our soul, as my sister cyberfriend, Rev. Rowena says, "You've got a God crazy in love with you." I've had some really deep, nice, unique relationships but none can match the one with the ONE. I'm grateful beyond words. I'm appreciative beyond words--and as the back home elders would say, "And that there's really sayin' something", 'cause you know we poets seldom run out of words, especially we Aquarian Age Aquarian poets. :)
Okay, can you hang with me for one last quickly reading from a Poetic Sage I love? RUMI coming from Andrew Harvey's LIGHT upon LIGHT--Inspirations from Rumi: excerpted lines from p. 70, from the work, "You Are My Soul". It's a two page poem, but I'll only type the lines I underlined because they tantalized my soul:
"...For me you are ever-flowing treasure;
...You hold the cup in your hand. Blessed is the place you are and glorious to the eye of the heart.
...Choose the company of those withdrawn in love. Listen to those who open a path to you: listen, and don't say a word."
Mmmf, mmf, mmf! What can you say "behind that." Those are some supremely sweet love words to the "Divine Darling", right? All you can do is embrace their delicious wisdom and caress and contemplate them in the seductive silence of your soul. Chile, I love it!
(You can get Rumi's work by doing a search at probably any large bookstore or online ones like Amazon, Alibris, Barnes & Noble. Now Paramahansa Yogananda and his trained spiritual leaders works probably in the same literary spots, but definitely and specifically from their bookstore web page at: www.yogananda-srf.com
