On Spiritual Liberation

Tags

freedom, liberation, moksha, nirvana, spring

The idea of liberation, of freedom, is perhaps as old as humans have been around on planet Earth. One of the freedoms that we seek in our daily lives is to be liberated from the bondage of the laws of Nature and its hold over us.

We want to climb a mountain? Nature stands in our way. We want to grow crops? Floods and droughts thwart us. We want to reach the Moon and Mars? We have to overcome gravity. We want to cross the oceans? Storms pose all kinds of disruptions. We want to be in good health? We are constantly fighting off all kinds of microbes, germs and viruses.

How finite it seems that we are! How helpless like soft clay in the hands of the potter who moulds us and our lives on his spinning wheel of time, space and causation! How little control we seemingly have of our own existence, for we do not even know whether we will get the next breath or not!

So, it is natural that we seek liberation, seek freedom from the agency that Nature exerts upon our every exertion towards progress. Our seeking for liberation is essentially an affirmation, a confirmation, an assurance that we are not just finite, but possibly Infinite. How can we be both finite and Infinite?* How do we resolve this conflict?

To resolve conflict, the first step is to heal, to harmonize, to integrate with Nature. When we take actions to live in integrity with Nature, then our life becomes more peaceful.  In the presence of this peace and healing with the without, we can begin the journey to exploring our Infinite nature within. On this inner journey we can experience the bliss Absolute of our integrity with the whole, with the Oneness. When we experience that divine Oneness, we have the opportunity to become the living free, the jeevan mukta — one who walks awake in the state of moksha, of nirvana, 

The how to question of spiritual liberation, of experiencing the infinite, is often much simpler to answer than the why to question. The paths to the inner experience are many and multifarious. Some say that walking the path is more that important than the path itself. In that vein, some prefer the methods of deep prayer, practicing intuition, extra-sensory perception, divination, and the like. Some prefer the method of withdrawing their attention seed from the external, from Nature, and sowing it within, in meditation. Through the regular practice of meditation, we can give the seed sunlight and water, and an opportunity to grow in the heart’s soil.

How do we know that our spiritual practice(s) are being effective to move us towards liberation? We begin to experience our   Infinite divine nature is experienced  by us as a state of bliss absolute, a state of permanence, a state of truth and higher knowledge. Once we have experienced a glimpse of the infinite, of our divine reality, we are on the path to liberation from our limited, finite nature. We are breaking the shackles of the external, of Nature itself. True liberation is thus  like the butterfly who emerges from the cocoon of finite existence, with her wings having been energized with the experience of its own infinite potential.

Yes, butterflies are still subject to the laws of nature, to cause and effect, to life and death. And yet, every flap of their wings as they defy gravity and gracefully glide among flowers sends messages into eternity. They seem to be saying — yes, you are finite like us, but you have also been given the opportunity to realize your Infinite nature.

Let us heed the messages. Let us not hanker for or rush to return to the old normal. It didn’t serve many of us very well, did it? Instead, why not pause to create a new normal with our newly discovered infinite nature? Can we imagine a new, sustainable world of caring, compassion, courage, empathy, forgiveness, giving, healing, joy, kindness, purity, simplicity, solidarity, and Ubuntu?

Are we ready to realize our Infinite nature? What do we have to lose? Let us take the first step. Let us begin with simplicity. Let us take responsibility for our own spiritual liberation.

Kumud

*Swami Vivekananda. The Open Secret (Los Angeles, CA, Jan 5 1900)

P.S. Join us for our weekly twitter gathering and conversation – Sunday, April 19 at 9amET / 1pmUTC / 630pm India. We will talk about the finite and the infinite, and yes, even a bit about liberation over tea and coffee, fruit and bakery. Namaste – @AjmaniK

Breaking free – expressing their infinite potential – the first blooms of spring…

Spiritual Acts of Solidarity

Tags

covid19, solidariy, solitude, spring, unity

At the end of my mid-afternoon walk through the local bird reservation, something remarkable happened. As I headed back to the trail that would lead me back, a wave of sound emanated from the forest — a wave the could be heard but not seen. It was if a million birds were raising the banner of spring in unison. I turned to my daughter and asked — is it just me or do you hear that too?

Later in the evening, in the golden hour after sunset, I could still hear them. As I sat on the front porch, watching some brilliant colors of light up the fringe an unusually dark and wide storm front, they were “filling the sky with songs”. I don’t know the reason (yet) for their behavior, for their beautiful act of solidarity. I do know that it brought a tremendous sense of joy and peace to me. In their unified wave of action, it seemed like the birds were affirming the recent actions of solidarity being taken by many families, communities, cities, states, and countries. 

If we are willing to listen to it and learn from it, Nature and her beings have many messages and lessons for us. Nature’s  latest message seems to be that our long-term viability as a human race depends on our ability to be present to each other, even when we are physically apart. Nature’s latest lesson seems to be that our health – spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, financial – is only as good as the health of some of the most vulnerable among us. 

We cannot ignore the wave of sound coming from the forest any more than we can ignore the voice of our elderly neighbors, the immune-compromise, or our healthcare workers. Every time we wash our hands, maintain adequate social distance, self-isolate if we feel sick, use our supplies frugally and buy only what we absolutely need, we are committing to an act of solidarity. Every human action of solidarity adds to the wave of sound of hope, caring and empathy that emanates from our human forest. 

What acts of spiritual solidarity can we perform as individuals and as a community? Over the past week, I have had a few phone conversations, and many online chats with folks to listen, learn and discern. As a result, the first action is that we  have started a new daily effort of getting together every evening (930pm EDT) and participate in a ‘group meditation’. I will be posting daily reminders in #SpiritChat, but no online ‘check-in’ is necessary. The intent is to ‘pause in place’, wherever we may be, and bring peace to our body, mind and heart, with our peace-evoking action of choice that works best for us. Let us hum (or listen) to our favorite prayer or mantra, read a piece of spiritual or inspirational literature or scripture, or anything else that we may consider to be a spiritual action of solidarity. 

I am also (re)starting our Zoom (video chat) meetings on a weekly basis. Our first attempt will be on Wednesday, March 25 at Noon ET (link to join the meeting will be posted on FB and twitter). These meetings will serve as quick ‘check ins’ on each other, and allow us to find opportunities to help out where we can. By keeping them to 30 minutes or less, we may be able to do them more frequently, if necessary.

So, it’s your turn to step up and let us know – what other actions of solidarity can we perform at this time in our history? What resources can you offer or share that could be helpful? We have been gathering online and supporting each other through weekly sharing for a quite a while. We have the experience, the willingness and the wisdom to create a viable, dynamic, empathic, sustainable response to this great challenge that faces us.

Every one of our voices counts. Every action of solidarity counts. Let us speak and act in solidarity so that we can evoke a wave of spring for the benefit of all. 

Kumud

Resources: Meditation Made Simple  and a Free Meditation App (by @heartful_ness)

P.S. Join us for our weekly chat, Sunday March 22 at 9am ET / 8am CT / 6am PT / 630pm India – we will gather and share in an act of solidarity. Namaste, and with deep gratitude – @AjmaniK

A turtle in the middle of the walking path… teaching me to slow down… (March 20, 2020)

On Spiritual Radiance

Tags

celebration, healing, radiance, spring, winter

There was no mistake about the invitation. The morning sun had finally made its way through the haze as is crested over the ridge, seemingly at the same moment that I reached the bottom of Cedar Point hill. The only question was whether I was going to turn left or right onto Valley Parkway, park in one of the alcoves, and accept the invitation to walk.

And walk into spring I surely did. Unlike the day before, when spring seemed imminent but wasn’t quite there yet because the river was firmly frozen and the wind that blew through the clearings was swift enough to crinkle your bones, today was different.

There was a certain radiance in the invitation today. A radiance that spoke through the ever so slightly higher pitch of the songs of the birds. A radiance that invited the fishermen to walk out to the middle of the river on the sheet of ice still thick with opacity. The radiance made the water flow briskly in channels between the ice floes, and also started to create pockets of water inside the thick sheets.

And so I walked, letting the radiance of it all warm me from head to heart, bathe me with the light breeze that flowed from under the bridge as I walked out on the rocks towards the middle of the river until my passage was blocked by sheets of ice laden like layers of lasagna. Right there, in that stillness amid all the music, I spontaneously started singing – a prayer that invokes health and wellness for the universe and all her beings.

An invocation for guidance in our paths, to prepare us well for our walk, to give us strength to endure winter and also give us lightness to welcome the radiance of spring. A prayer of gratitude to all those who are walking with us, have walked with us, and whose radiance continues to reach us from the wide yonder beyond. Right there, on the rock in the middle of the river, came the awareness of the beautiful, gentle energy of the divine feminine, and its influence in my life.

And so I walked some more, absorbing, healing, sending thank you notes to all the women – mothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, grandmothers, my wife and daughter, and all the ladies of #spiritchat. All of you have raised me up, and it is from you that I continually learn the singular fact that radiance requires no medium. It is an energy like love, like kindness, like the light streaming through the trees and making patterns on the melting snow, which gives your heart the distinct knowing that, yes, you too, are the spring to somebody’s winter.

There is great joy in acceptance – to accept the invitation to walk, to be That radiant spring.

Kumud @AjmaniK

P. S. Join us Sunday, March 10 at 9amET/ 630pm India (note that US shifts to daylight savings this Sunday!). We will celebrate and honor the radiance of spring, and share team and cookies for International Women’s Day. Namaste – Kumud

Witnessing radiance – standing on a rock ledge in the middle of the Rocky River, as the river melts around me…

The river flows North to Lake Erie, and small, frozen waterfalls serenade her passage

The play of light and shadows, spring radiates into winter

The halfway point… I walked out into winter… I paused… I returned with spring…

On Flowering Lightness

Tags

flowers, lightness, spring, summer, walking

It had been a busy spring, and an even busier summer. Family. Work. Travel. Family Travel. Work Travel. And I had slowly gotten away from my regular, almost daily walks on the trails that rarely faired to inspired me to pause, write, take photos, and much more. However, as had often happened before, I knew from personal experience that Nature is patient. And that she would be waiting for me with wide open arms whenever I returned.

And return I did, over the past two weeks. Slowly but surely, like a caterpillar seeded with the knowledge that its truth is to be a butterfly, I emerged into the forest again. The trails welcomed me back with open arms, especially the small ones that were now camouflaged by the overgrowth of summer. As I walked the narrowest ones closest to the river’s edge, the embrace of the tall shrubs forming archways on both sides of me was unmistakable. And with every walk, my heart felt a little lighter, as it found its way away from the heaviness of the world.

But where were all the flowers? The ones who with their sudden appearance around familiar bends, would create a surge of joy and elevate the heart? The yellows surrounding blacks on tall sunflower stems, the whites and blues on short stems staying close to ground? I must have missed their comings and goings as I was busy with the outer world, I thought. Or maybe there were some new surprises in store for me, I surmised. Unfazed, I kept walking in the faith that lightness would bloom in other, yet to be revealed ways.

One of the “trails” forms a figure eight. One loop goes three-fourths of the way, around the river and the other loop, forms the inner arc of a kidney-bean shaped lagoon. A roadway forms part of both the loops, in the form of a long border. I usually walk both loops on any given day, on the advice of a #SpiritChat friend who told me a while back that “walking figure eights energizes the heart” (thank you, @SarahsEnergy). On this day, I first walked the river loop, and then crossed over to the lagoon.

As I approached the lagoon and its still waters to my right, I happened to glance left as a flash of pink and purple caught my eye. It was a single hibiscus plant, with blooms opened towards the sun, hosting some tiny visitors. Aha, I thought. A new flower. I knew that there would be at least one new bloom somewhere that would lighten my heart. As is my wont, I paused to record my ‘discovery’ and take a few photos. But that was merely the preview of what was to come. As if on cue, around the next bend that first arched towards the lagoon and then away from it, was an entire ‘field’ of hibiscus flowers. Hundreds of them, forming a ring around a pond out of which arose tall, branchless, trees (roots of trees?).

A heart-lightening, healing, inspiring sight if there ever was one. And as I kept walking, there were hundreds more. One pond after another. It was as if their seeds might have rained down from the skies in spring, and now they all bloomed in unison at mid-summer. The ‘discovery’ reminded me of what happens sometimes on the inner path. We develop a practice (walking), we get energized by some ‘results’ (flowers), and then we fade away from the practice when we feel that our ‘progress’ has stalled. The outer world squeezes our space, our time and our commitment.

And yet, we know from having personally experienced lightness and joy, that the practice can lighten us again. So, with grace and with remembrance, we return and we recommit. We renew our walk, our practice, by reclaiming a small fraction of space and time. We commit to simply walking in lightness in every step, lightness of heart, for the simple joy of being on our path. We learn to surrender our search for the flowers and the fruits, and let the path embrace us.

It is perhaps in our commitment to simply walk, that the fields of flowers bloom without, unbidden, to remind us of the lightness that can flower within us.

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, July 22nd at 9amET / 630pm India on twitter for our weekly conversation with the #SpiritChat community. Many of us love flowers and are flowering in the company of each other. Come join us. Namaste.

The first hibiscus…

A hibiscus “field” rings the pond

On Sharing Fortitude

Tags

cultures, festivals, food, fortitude, resilience, sharing, spirituality, spring

No matter when we deem that spring has finally arrived for us, her message of resilience and fortitude is unmistakable in its definitiveness. The greening of the trees, the search for a temporary home by geese and mallard ducks, the industry of cardinals in building new nests… if one were to have been traveling when spring arrived back home, we would return to something akin to ‘magic’.

Perhaps the real ‘magic’ is in our being aware of, being attuned to the sharing of the message of fortitude by these messengers. They are like ‘radio stations’ transmitting their messages, while we may be tuned into our own (inner and outer) world (of noise). It may take great focus and attention on our part to try and decipher the ‘tricks’ and ‘sleight of hand’ of human magicians, but nature is fairly transparent by comparison.

One example of fortitude shared by nature is through the symbiotic relationships of many plants and animals. Where one is ‘weak’, it yields to the ‘strength’ of their symbiotic partner. Birds feasting on the ticks residing on the skin of cows is one example. The cows’ fortitude is increased by their willingness to partner with birds – the win-win of symbiosis.

Friday evening, thirty minutes before sunset, sipping my tea on the porch, I was reflecting on the fortitude of spring. She had shared much with me in a week where I was able to return to the forest and take two long walks. I was wondering about dinner, when I saw my neighbor from across the street walking my way with what looked like a small container of… could it be food?! Yes! Freshly made potato-filled balls deep fried in chick-pea flour. Aloo bonda. I offered him a chair and some tea in gratitude, but he said — I’m sorry, but I am fasting till sundown.

What followed was a fifteen minute conversation about fasting, building resilience in heart, body and mind, and much more. He had come to share Ramadan greetings through a sharing of good food! What I received was a deep appreciation for the sharing of his fortitude with me. As he was leaving, he said – there is much more food at my home – come on over.

Not today, I said. I will join you for a breaking of the fast on the evening when I observe a day of fasting with you… we will share some fortitude, and break fast together.

Kumud

Join us for #spiritchat on Twitter – Sunday, May 20th at 9amET. Share your #fortitude stories with us. Namaste!

A New Spiritual Clarity

Tags

clarity, exercise, nutrition, spring, stress

It isn’t very often these days that I sleep much past first light. My mental clock is set to wake me up around 6am on most days, and I often switch off my 6am alarm at 5:59am. The one exception seems to be Saturday mornings, when I often tend to get an extra hour of sleep…

Such was the case this morning where my wake up call (at 7:15am) was the sound of migrating geese arriving in the open field and lake by my house. I have noticed over time that their arrivals usually coincides with sunrise, or just after. I checked while writing this post… sunrise today at my location was 7:08am. The forest behind my home at that hour was virtually invisible – fogged over by the cold front that crept in during the night…

Our mental and spiritual fog usually descends on us in a similar way. Silently, quietly, surreptitiously, as our inner temperature changes with respect to, and often in response to, the outer stimulus of life, a mist descends. The quicker our inner environmental change (due to sudden loss, trauma, pain, or any extreme emotion, even happiness), the greater the thickness of the fog seems to be.

The result of inner fog is that we may be forced to seek clarity. We may need to pause on the path, for we are unable to see the forest for the trees. If we don’t take some action, any action, the inner fog may keep thickening, to the point that we are unable to see the hand in front of our face. Now, we are at a complete inner standstill. Some call this a mental or nervous or spiritual breakdown.

So, what can we do on a regular basis, so that we do not come to a complete standstill? We know that the rising sun is nature’s answer to burn off the fog. So, what would be the equivalent of the “rising sun” for us to resolve our inner fog? But sometimes, nature needs our help, particularly when fog is converted to smog. The solution may lie in “clean(er) living”, so that we are in harmony with nature, instead of (temperature) conflict…

In the book, “Better Brain Solution”, Steven Malsey suggests three pro-active things we can do for better mental health. I share them with you, as they seem like “common sense” approaches that can help us improve spiritual clarity.

1. Better nutrition

– Choose to eat better. Yes, I joke a lot about “cookies” in #SpiritChat – let us talk about “better” cookies. Oatmeal, anyone?! Or do we need to totally ditch the cookeis?! Better Nutrition. More Clarity.

2. Better exercise

– No, we don’t need to become Olympic athletes. It may be as simple as a choice to get moving. Most of us move a lot less during the day than we think we do. This is where technology can help us. Regular reminders like “it is time to stand” have created a new awareness about moving for me. Better Movement. More Clarity.

3. Better stress management

– This is third leg of the Clarity stool. It is often in disrepair, and perhaps the most neglected part of our Clarity strategy. This is where the “fog rolls in” and we come to a standstill. The good news is that better nutrition and exercise contribute to lowering stress! Add a daily, non-negotiable meditation practice to the mix, and watch clarity appear. Better Stress. More Clarity!

What do you think? Have you experienced periods of mental and spiritual fog? How do you prevent regular occurrences of fogginess? How do you “lift the fog” when it descends on you? What are your sources and resources for Better Clarity? Which of the three areas mentioned above do you need to work on NOW?!

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. I invite you to join us to discuss ‘A New Clarity’ – Sunday, February 25th 2018 at 9amET/2pmUTC on twitter. Namaste, and thank you, for contributing your ideas for clarity to the #SpiritChat community -Kumud

Seeking Clarity on the Path…

On Spring and Choices

Tags

choices, spirituality, spring

The sky pours its light into our hearts,

We fill the sky with songs in answer.

We pelt the air with our notes

When the air stirs our wings with its madness.

O Flame of the Forest,

All your flower-torches are ablaze;

You have kissed our songs red with the passion of your youth.

In the spring breeze the mango-blossoms launch their messages to the unknown

And the new leaves dream aloud all day.

Excerpt From: Rabindranath Tagore. “The Cycle of Spring.”

As the march of spring continues unabated in the Northern Hemisphere, I return to the fire that is lit in my heart by the above words of India’s favorite son, Tagore. “The sky pours its light into our hearts” – this opening salvo, in and of itself, is enough to describe the pre-dawn light felt by many a backyard bird as their fast asleep eyes sense the onset of sunrise and come awake to “fill the sky with songs in answer”. What a simple yet beautiful exchange this is, do you think not? The choice made by the birds to fill the sky with song in gratitude…

We, of purportedly higher intelligence than birds, may wonder about, even analyze, the nature of this choice, and whether it is a conscious, informed choice by the birds or simply an involuntary response based on millenia of inner conditioning. But does it really matter whether the choice is informed or not? When the birds “pelt the air with their notes”, do we who hear those notes that fall from the sky upon our ears, not rejoice in their choice? Do the sounds of their symphony not possess the power to raise our spirits and elevate us, literally and figuratively, to face the day with joy and vigor?

Do we not make the choice to arise and awake, like the birds do, when the “air stirs our wings with its madness”? There is no amount of early morning caffeine that can create that kind of choice within our heart, is there? The stirring of our wings with a hint of madness sets our energy flowing, so that we can feel human and alive in our creative expression taking flight in the form of art, literature, science, and much more. And as we arise in our potential, and get a bird’s eye view of the world below, soaring over the forest of humanity, we may get a vision of a new and unheralded persepective of the once familiar forest…

In our choice to soar, our new perspective may show us that “all her flower-torches are ablaze…” – not one or two or a few, but all the flower-torches – does nature choose to discriminate between the blooming of one flower over another? Are there too many flowers that can bloom at a given time, on a given morning? Do all the flowers not rejoice in their choice of “…kissing the spring’s songs red with passion…”? If they all do indeed rejoice with equal fervor, then why not we humans make the choice that spring invites us to make… let us pelt the air with our notes, let the air stir our wings, set our heart torches ablaze, and unleash the passion of our youth yet again…

There is time enough yet remaining, for us to make the choices that will “in the spring breeze launch our messages to the unknown”. There is time enough, for us to choose to live this day anew, with the same renewal that is experienced by a new leaf budding on the branch of spring, “to dream aloud all day” to the symphony of the light that fills the sky, the very same sky that is full of new songs carried on the wind, the wind that is stirred so that we may learn to fly, the creative torches that are sparked ablaze by the wind carrying the fragrance of our dreams created with the kisses of mango-blossoms…

Arise. Choose to dream yourself awake. That is the invitation of spring. Will you accept?

Kumud

P.S. Written for the #SpiritChat weekly community chat, Sunday March 13th 2016. Join us on twitter at 9amET (daylight savings in the USA begins March 13th – we set our clocks one hour ahead – the chat will occur one hour earlier than usual in your time zone if you are not in the USA).

Springing to Spiritual Success

Tags

failure, spring, success, victory

The first weekend of March brings us that much closer to spring (in the Northern hemisphere anyway :)) and we see signs of letting go to make change and growth – outwardly and inwardly. We discussed some ideas on Letting Go and Making Space for the Sacred in our live chat last week with special guest Marjory Mejia. One of the threads that emerged from that discussion was – what is truly Sacred to us, and how do we connect with the Sacred to define spiritual success for ourselves.

Just like “Sacred” means different things to different people, the concept of “Success” also means different things at different times in our lives. For a seven year old, it may mean simply being a good host when her best friend comes over for a play-date. Or doing her best to prepare for the school science fair. Or solving the mystery puzzle on her favorite TV show. You get the idea. Success to the seven year old means doing the (seemingly) little things in life well.

Is the idea of Success that much different for adults? Perhaps it is, when we look at it from our perspective of greater assumed responsibility. We have our jobs or businesses to attend to. We have friends and family to engage with, take care of. We want to play a role in our communities so we can serve, give back, make an impact. And we can keep adding as many more layers to our lives, and each layer we add may create a desire for being successful in that layer.

So, as we add complexity to our lives, we eventually discover that we need some common foundation, some common criterion for Success which will weave all these complex layers together. That common thread can simplify our lives, so that as we let go and change and make space for the sacred at one layer, all the other layers get affected positively, create success for us. This common thread of Success is something we intuitively know about, but sometimes we forget about it because of our “busy"ness.

What does true success mean to you? How do our material desires impact our success in different areas of our lives? How would you define the idea of spiritual success? Do you often think about success, or do you focus more on taking action and letting success take care of itself? Do you find yourself planning your path to success, or are you more of a "go with the flow” type of individual? Is success for you tied to a sense of accomplishment or purpose, or is it more than that?

Come share with us. Tell us what success means to you. Find out what it means to others. I invite you to join us in our live, weekly chat on twitter with hashtag #SpiritChat at 9amET / 2pmGMT on Sunday March 3rd. Please note that our backup hashtag with be #SpiritChat140 (we will switch to it if necessary to avoid spam during the chat).

Thank you, and may success find you wherever you turn,

Kumud