On Forward Giving

Tags

arts, giving, hospitality, science, spirtuality

I had not been to my Aunt’s house for the Thanksgiving holiday in almost twenty years. This past Thursday, a congruence of time, space and causation, and her decision to host, brought me back. I could not help but marvel at how her gatherings had grown from five to seven in the 1990s, to twenty seven this year. The artwork and handprints of all five of her grandchildren, girls ranging from four to fourteen, were all over the holiday’s decor. 

At the dinner table, the blank notecards were passed around to each family member and the guests. The “suggestion” was that each of us were to write down “what we were thankful for” over the past year. There was some rolling of eyes, some who hid the notecards under their dinner plates, and even some feigned outrage by the three teenagers. During the break between dinner and dessert, my Aunt, the host, invited those who would like to share to read from their notecards. There was a lot of beautiful sharing, and when it came to the the second youngest of her grandchildren, she was too shy to read. On her Mom’s nudging, she haltingly read out her words in the softest of voices….

I am thankful for the trees, so we can breathe through them together…

There was a hushed silence, and many smiles spread across the room. It had taken one of the youngest in the room to show us the long-term impact of a simple forward-giving act of planting a tree. She had shown us that when we focus  on what we are grateful for, and listen to what others are grateful for, we cannot help but be filled with gratitude. The result of us ‘getting filled’ during Thanksgiving – and I’m not just talking about pecan pie and sweet potatoes – is that it energizes our hearts and hands. It is this renewal of gratitude and giving thanks which gives us new energy  that propels us towards giving forward.

It is perhaps when we give with an attitude of forward giving that we are reminded of our access to the infinite source of energetic wisdom. Sometimes, it speaks to us, it lights up our heart, through the heart of a six year old. Thank you, Layla, for inspiring me to think and work forward in my acts of giving.

It is the lives that we may help today, in any small or big way, we plant the seeds for a healthy society. Our forward giving can create a sustainable forest of trees where we can all breathe love and light. Will you join me? 

Kumud

P.S. Join me and the #SpiritChat community in a weekly gathering of ‘forward giving’. We will meet on Sunday, December 1 at 9amET / 730pm India on twitter. I will bring some tea and cookies to share, and yes, some questions too. Namaste – @AjmaniK

P.P.S. If you would like to engage in ‘forward giving’, I invite you to join me in supporting two of my favorite organizations who create a daily impact in thousands of lives. The first is Mitzvah Circle, founded by my long-time friend (who I met on twitter), Fran Held. Their motto is: “When a family faces a crisis, we are here”. The second is Akshaya Patra, whose mission is to provide midday meals to school-going children across India. Please donate. Let us, the #SpiritChat community, raise a $1000 each for these two organizations in the month of December. Thank you! 

“I am thankful for trees… – Layla”

The Thanksgiving Table…

Indulging in Earth’s play

Tags

earthday, play, spirtuality

In every season, every change of season, there is the opportunity for us to indulge in, and with, nature’s playful spirit. Her propensity towards play seems to be particularly energetic in transitions to spring and autumn as the rate of change is greater than in the transition to winter and summer.

The other times that invite us to play are the daily sunrises and sunsets, when the interludes of light and shadows weave an irresistible harmony for us to dance to. The temperature changes during these transitions also create opportunities to play, to observe the effect the onset of warmth and coldness on the flora and fauna that surrounds us.

And so it goes with the Earth and her various elements that constitute external nature. But what about the play that we can indulge in, with our internal nature? What is the opportunity for play provided by our ‘inner earth’ – the playground in which we experience a deep grounding, that field of contentment which lies beyond mere happiness?

It is that “inner earth”, and her invitation to play, that has the possibility to create the lightness of heart that all play is designed to create. The energy of “inner play” creates long-term benefits for us when it inspires us towards good actions. By indulging in creative inner play, our good actions will eventually influence our minds to think better thoughts, which will lead to even better actions.

So, I invite you to accept the invitation to step onto your “inner earth’s” playground on this Earth Day. It is perhaps time to honor That friend who knocks on the heart’s door and asks – so you want to come inside and play?

Namaste,

Kumud

P.S. Like it was for many of you, she was my first play companion. Today, I will hug the earth to honor all that she taught me about the simplicity of play. It would have been her 75th birthday… Thank you, Mom!

On Spiritual Investment

Tags

investment, passion, purpose, spirtuality

What do we tend to invest in? The investment advisors, and there are many of them with perhaps as many different opinions as there are investment opportunities, often ask us to first evaluate our ‘risk profile’. The questions are in the form of a short quiz that asks questions like – “what are your long term and short term goals for investing”, or “what would you do if your investment lost 20% of its value in a month”, and more.

Our answers are then analyzed by the advisor, who then recommends how to make allocations in our investment portfolio. Invest this much in stocks, this much in bonds, and so on. But investing is rarely a ‘set it and forget it’ proposition. We are also advised to keep revisiting our ‘risk profile’ as your life goes through changes, and rebalance our investment portfolio regularly.

So, how do we use this model in our spiritual investments – the time, energy and actions that are available for us to invest towards our spiritual progress? Are we ‘rolling our own’ when it comes to our investment strategy towards our spiritual goals? Or do we have a trusted advisor to guide us? Do we take time to evaluate our spiritual investments when the state of our life suddenly changes? How often do we reevaluate and rebalance our spiritual practice?

I asked all of the above questions, and a few more, two years ago, when my Mother passed away suddenly. There is rarely anything that brings a greater sense of urgency, that the “time is now”, than the loss of a loved one. It brought a new perspective to my spiritual practice. It made me evaluate the ‘risk profile’ of my current spiritual practice(s), and led me to rebalance my time investments in my practices of writing, being in nature, building community, and daily meditation.

Two years to the day and virtually the hour of her passing, I found myself reevaluating my spiritual investments yet again. I found myself sitting across the table, listening to Mitch Albom, of “Tuesdays with Morrie” fame. I had volunteered to drive my (cousin) sister to inner city Detroit, to speak with him about a social investment fund that she is planning to get off the ground. Mitch’s intense passion for making change in one of the poorest cities in America poured out in every word that he spoke. His investment of time, energy, leadership and acknowledgement that his organizations face a huge uphill battle, was apparent during the conversation.

At the end of the meeting, on the drive home, I could not help but ask the question. What am I investing in? What impact is it having in my life, and the life of others? Are the investment returns designed for short and long term returns? Or is it time to rebalance my ‘spiritual action’ portfolio?

I only have questions so far, but I do know that the heart will bring me the answers. I also know this for sure – that the “time is now”, to ask again – what is it that I am investing in with ALL my heart?

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. I invite you to join us to discuss ‘Spiritual Investments’ – Sunday, February 18th 2018 at 9amET/2pmUTC on twitter. Namaste, and thank you, for your investment in the #SpiritChat community -Kumud

Spirituality – The Two Wings

Tags

materialism, practice, spirtuality

We live in a material world. Our physical actions have consequences in the material world around us. Our speech is heard by others and the words contained therein often have a significant impact on the listener(s). It is said that even our thoughts – which are essentially a finer manifestation of the material – have significant influence on those that ‘feel’ their energy.

It is safe to say that our practice(s) of spirituality, whatever they may be, would perhaps work best if they were to help us become well integrated with the external world that we live in. How much meaningful spiritual progress could I possibly make if my time-commitment to my practice of meditation causes my responsibilities towards my family to unduly suffer? What would my ‘gains’ in the material world (say, financial progress) be truly worth if they came at the cost of a ‘loss’ in my commitment to the pursuit of (inner) peace?

I must be able to extend the wing of spirituality into my material life. Then there is beauty in material proliferation. – Kamlesh Patel

Our commitment(s) to spiritual practice(s) when harmonized with our actions and pursuits in the material world, will serve to yield growth in both areas. Harmony will strengthen both our wings, material and spiritual. Our wings will then synchronize to channel our internal energy to raise us towards our higher purpose in life. Awareness that we need both our wings, material and spiritual, to beat as one, will raise us towards the goal of Oneness.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us in #SpiritChat on twitter – Sunday September 24th at 9amET/1pmUTC. We will gather to talk about ‘the two wings’ (material and spiritual), the current states of their health in our lives, and how we can “extend the wing of spirituality into our material life”. Namaste.

Abundance in Spirituality

Tags

abundance, lightness, spirtuality

What can an attitude of abundance bring to our daily life? This question is perhaps best answered when we are knee deep in a lack of abundance. It is often easy for us to get into the “lack” mode when life isn’t quite going the way we expect it to. It is when we reach for the peanut-butter jar – and end up scraping the bottom – that we appreciate the abundance of the full-to-the-brimness that we had enjoyed recently. How easily we take all the wonderfully abundant ‘things’ for granted in our life, don’t we?

If we have an abundance of clean air to breathe or fresh water to drink and shower with or nourishing food to eat – we can be grateful. If we have an abundance of all three, we are perhaps in a small minority on this earth. If we have an aboundance of healthy relationships (friends, family, neighbors) or good personal health and energy levels or vocations that afford us a good standard of living, we can be grateful. If we have an abundance of all three, we are perhaps in a small minority considered super-abundant. Yet, we are often unaware of these simple abundances, aren’t we?

There is something unique about a self-awareness of abundance. It provides lightness to the heart. The more that we become aware of our simple abundances, the less we tend to focus on what we lack. The less we focus on our lack, the more our heart attracts Joy. Abundance helps us become like the flower that revels in the Joy of its own color and fragrance. It is this Joy that eventually attracts Grace. The bees come visiting, sit lightly with our lightness, and create and spread even more abundance.

It all begins by celebrating the abundance that we already have in our life right now. We can then experience lightness in our heart and soundness of mind. Lightness of heart helps make available valuable emotional energy that we can direct towards creativity. Have you ever noticed that when your heart is heavy, in emotional churn, that your productivity drops off drmatically? I know that mine does. The quicker I return my heart to abundance, the easier it is for me to get out of my own way and start walking in Joy again.

I invite you to join me in a self-test. Let us ask these questions, everyday for the next seven days. In what area(s) of my life do I feel most abundant? Did I share lack or did I share abundance with others? What actions made my heart feel light, abundant? How can I include more of abundance-creating activities in my daily routine? Let us observe our answers, and watch if our daily actions change to create more abundance for us, and those around us.

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join me as I host the #SpiritChat weekly chat on twitter, Sunday August 27th at 9amET/1pmUTC. We shall celebrate the small abundance(s) in our life, and share some cheer and lightness with each other.

A Butterfly Enjoys Simple Abundance…

On Spiritual Transformation

Tags

change, spiritual practice, spirtuality, transformation

Transformation is a BIG word. It seems to create a vision of a big mountain that we may need to climb. And we may wonder if we have the energy to do so. Particularly when we are already exhausted by the various demands of life. In addition, we have a natural inner resistance to change, particularly if it requires work for which we do not seem to have time, space and energy.

And yet, in some ways, inner transformation can be easier than change. For the work of transformation need not be work in the traditional sense of the world. It may require us to simply be in the in the field of love of someone who is doing the transforming, in the space of those who are being transformed before our own very eyes.

If it is raining outside, and we see the flowers and the grasses and the leaves on the trees getting wet, dancing in the rain, we have a choice. We can shut the window, pull the curtains, and remain dry and safe within the home. Or, we can open the window, let the wind blow some rain in, and wet us a little bit as we cup our hands around a warm beverage. Or, we can decide to experience loving power of the rain for ourselves.

We fling open the patio door, and go stand in the middle of the field and let it rain love upon us. And as the rain and the tears intermingle, and we feel pure joy surge through us, we now know the reason for the silence of those who were being transformed before our very own eyes. Now, we too are transformed by experiencing some of the surrender to love that we were only witnesses to until that point where we ourselves decided to surrender.

We did not get changed. We got transformed by the power love. It is like the story about the seeker who is seeking the trasure in the dark forest with a small oil lamp under a cloudy sky. They are earnestly working, seeking and doing what they know is best, looking under one tree at a time. And then, a flash of lightning illuminates the entire forest, transforming the landscape so that they can see and experience the entire forest at once. Such is the power of transformation.

And I hope you have experienced it, or get to experience it in the company of one like Amma, in whose rain of love I was fortunate to stand for nine straight hours on Friday. The transformation that I saw in the people at the Unity Center, whom she individually blessed with her energy in all those hours – one by one, listening, hugging, responding, wiping their tears, and bidding adieu with hershey’s kisses – was an experience that my heart will rarely forget.

On one occasion, her words to me were, simple, direct and transformative: “I love you, Kumudson”.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, June 11th at 9amET/1pmUTC and share some of your experiences of change, of transformation, of love, and of surrender. I will bring tea, cookies and some questions with love. You bring some answers. Namaste 🙂

On Light and Levity

Tags

levity, light, lightness, perspective, spirtuality

Two books – “Questions for the Dalai Lama” (library digital edition) and “The Mastery of Love” (library analog edition) merged into a powerful stream this week. “Light and Levity” emerged from reading them concurrently and alternately, interspersed with a few notes from walking among the profusion of Life springing up in some new areas of the local forest…

And then one day we will wake up and decide that we are done with punishing them for their long past mistake(s). We have been carrying this burden of being judge and jury for as long as we can remember. They may no longer even be the person that we think or imagine they were. For all intents and purposes, the person who heaped all that hurt and pain and suffering and grief upon us, all of which was justifiable and (still may be) very real for us – may be long ‘dead’ and gone. Yet, we remain. Transfixed by the past.

We may not admit it, but, to a large extent, we all choose the burdens that we wish to carry – and we have been carrying some of these burdens for so long that they have become part of our identity. We cannot imagine our forward motion or movement without this burden. The burden lowers our center of gravity and may even give us (temporary) added stability, like the sandbags that we throw in the back of our trucks to give us traction on icy pavements. But, is winter not yet over for us? Did we forget that it is spring time, the ice has melted, and that it’s okay to shed those sandbags which do not serve any more purpose?

Yes. Gravity has a purpose, but so does levity. When gravity threatens to whelm us, wash our joys away in an emotional current like the swiftly moving river swollen temporarily with overnight rain carrying away everything in her path – levity and light can be a safe haven for us.

We can choose a different perspective. We can choose to lighten our burden and reframe our vision. Instead of looking down upon ourselves in gravity, or looking behind at the hurts and pains of our past, we can reframe our view. We can bridge the wisdom of levity with the compassion of the future.

A change in perspective is often our friend. It can remind us to be kind to our own selves, to treat our own selves with a bit less gravity and a bit more levity. Consider: if we forget how to occasionally laugh at our own selves and smile at our own infirmities and frailties, how will we find the courage to chose to lighten our dead-weight burdens?

Light and levity beckon to us. They are like the steps leading up to ‘Indian Hill’ that come into view as we round the blind corner on the trail, on a day when we had only planned to ‘walk the flats’ to rest our aching feet from a week of walking the forest…

What is a seeker to do when invited? To climb or not to climb? Is That even a question?! Do I even need to describe the new light and levity gained from walking the forest at the top of That hill?

Kumud

P.S. Join us in #SpiritChat Sunday May 1st at 9amET (USA) / 1pm UTC for our weekly twitter gathering ~ Topic: Light and Levity ~ Hosted by @AjmaniK ~ Light, Levity, Lightness and Perspective will be our themes for May…