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My son Tim Ray (author of Starbrow and Starwarrior) is giving an interview (in English) on the Dutch Internet radio station (Indigo Radio) tomorrow evening December 30 at 7.30 pm Central European Time... you can hear the interview (1½ hours) by going to www.indigoradio.nl... and if you can't listen to him on Sunday, you can click on their archives and hear the interview any time you like. Enjoy!
Sit comfortably, close your eyes and breathe deeply. As in all forms of meditation, begin by withdrawing your attention from the external world and focusing on being here now. Let go of all the thoughts of the day and just be here now. If any thoughts enter your mind, just release them gently and return your focus to the here now.
Give yourself time to become aware of yourself, of the Presence of yourself, of yourself being here now. A good way to increase this awareness is to focus on your breathing. Just watch your breath going in and out. In and out. As you do this, you will experience yourself slowing down and becoming more and more centered, and more present in the here now.
Continue this focus on your breathing for a few moments or minutes. And if your mind starts to wander, just gently return your focus to your breathing.
Now as you feel yourself becoming more and more calm, gently focus your attention on the silence that is surrounding you. Whatever sounds you become aware of, in the room or outside the room, focus your attention not on the sounds, but on the silence that is surrounding these sounds—and on the silence that is in between these sounds. Once you focus your attention on the silence that is behind sound and which is supporting sound you will discover that this silence was there all along and that it is a vast, huge ocean. Far vaster and far more immense than the intermittent and changing sounds themselves.
When you make this discovery, you understand that this silence has always been there, surrounding everything, supporting everything. That it was there before you were born—that it was there from the very beginning—and that it will be there after you leave this body.
This discovery/realization brings an immediate and immense sense of Deep Peace. A Peace that is so huge, so vast, so eternal, so blissful, so enduring, so comforting, and so utterly lovely that you wonder how you could have overlooked it so long!
Finding this Peace is as easy as falling off a log. It takes no effort whatsoever. All you have to do is focus on it and surrender…
Then to your great and eternal delight, yet another sublime realization comes to you: You didn’t have to create Peace either. Blissfully, you realize that Peace like silence was there all along. That Peace—Deep Peace—is always there, always here now, and always was. In truth, peace—deep peace—is the Nature of Reality. It dwells in the here now, in the vast, immense and blissful silence that is the womb of all phenomena.
The state of blissfulness that can be attained by focusing on the silence behind, between, above and below can also be reached by focusing on another emptiness: Space.
All of manifest creation is suspended in space. That you know. But what about when you look inward? When you focus your attention inward—on your inner physicality? When you do, you discover that your body is made up of cells that are made up of molecules that are made up of atoms that are made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons that are made up of sub-atomic particles that are made up of…. And you discover something more—the further inward you go, the vaster the space is in between these atomic and sub-atomic particles. This space within you is so immense that you discover that most of you is space—inner space—the space behind and between the physicality of you, which is supporting you. Space, which is a vast huge ocean of what—of emptiness, of Bliss, of Peace, of Serenity.
Do not ask what in fact this space is because you have come to one of the foundation stones at the heart of manifest creation. Space is. It’s as simple as that. Just as silence is.
No one can explain more or tell you why.
But one thing is for sure—contacting these states in their essence brings to every being that extraordinary sense of Deep Peace that is at the very heart of creation.
And it’s as easy as falling off a log.
That is, my friend, if it is your intention.
So now you know.
What it is. Where it is.
But never the how of it—nor the why of it.
Only that it is like a vast, vast ocean of infinite depth—and that this ocean is You.
Such is the truth of it.
You are this vast, vast ocean of infinite depth.
But then you say but what of the thought waves that thrash about on the surface of this vast, vast ocean? What of them answer the Wise. But these thought waves are stormy, changing, sometimes even violent you say. And what of it reply the Wise. No thought wave no matter how violent has the power to touch or influence in any way the vast ocean below the waves that is the real You.
Such is the Nature of You.
Such it has been for all eternity—and such it will continue to be.
This depth and vastness no thought wave can touch.
Such is the Nature of You.
So just allow yourself to be it… to swim in it say the Wise.
Because in the depths of this vastness that is You, there is Peace—a Peace that never was or ever will be touched by the changing, restless thought waves that come and go on the surface of your mind all day long.
So say the Wise, now you know.
Now without a shadow of a doubt, you know that nothing—not even the most powerful thought wave can influence the Peace, which is your Nature.
So you can breathe more easily now my friend and allow yourself to fall even more deeply into this vast, vast ocean of Pure Being, which is who You are and which is Peace.
Thus say the Wise, Peace is your Nature.
This indeed is comforting to know.
(This meditation is from my book The Spiritual Pathway) Lots of love, Barbara
My dear sweet friend Diane in Chicago just wrote me and said this..."I always picture you walking serenely through a meadow of colorful buds that pop open as you walk by! It's an inspiring thought."
Isn't that amazing...that this blessed woman in Chicago has this wonderful story about me and that she can use it to inspire herself! In fact, what she sees in me is herself, so it's nice to know that she is always serenely walking through meadows with beautiful flowers that pop open as she walks by! I just love it.
The truth is that when we see something wonderful in the people we look up to, it's always a quality in ourselves that we haven't yet recognized. Because how could we see it if we didn't have it ourselves. That's why the wise ones always say "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear".
Here's the exercise that is really turning me on at the moment. It's to ask myself - whenever shit happens - why is my life better because this is happening? And I don't just do it in my head - I actually sit on my sofa and write down all the reasons why my life is better. It's the most amazing exercise and I've discovered the most amazing things about life and myself.
It also reminds me of what Eckhart Tolle writes in his book "The New Earth"... He writes... "Life will give you whatever experience is the most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment." Brilliant - and it's so obvious when we get it.
Take the very worst thing that is happening to you right now. It might be something with your health or in your relationship or at your job... and sit quietly and ask yourself - why is your life better because this is happening to you? And be honest - ruthlessly honest - and see what you find.
Happy discovery time! Oh hallelujah!
Want more heart energy? See the movie "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. I just saw it the other night by accident and it's brilliant. If you want to have a good cry and feel the energy of your heart and your inner child - get out your box of tissues and watch this movie. Wonderful! It makes me want to see Peter Pan and Hook again!
In reply to my question about sex as a portal to higher consciousness, Litsong wrote me this and recommended a book ...
"...to really understand love and the whole state of being in love, (or the rest ), one can have a stronger impression under such an interaction. It demonstrates to the participants a lot of the life's lessons we are granted. It is not the only way to reach such an understanding, but it is a wonderful way to feel it through each and every of your cell. "from sex to superconsciousness" by Osho it is a wonderful little book that puts my understanding to words and lift it even more."
Thanks for the tip Litsong... I will get the book. Love, Barbara
Here's what my son Tim (age 35) has to say about women in their 30s...
Hold dig langt væk fra kvinder i 30erne
Hold dig langt væk fra kvinder i 30erne. Kvinder i 30erne er det værste. For når en kvinde er i 30erne tror hun fuld og fast på at det søde liv, det gode liv, det perfekte liv, er lige rundt om hjørnet, hvis bare hun arbejder hårdt nok og er god nok. Hun tror fuldt og fast på at hvis bare hun arbejder hårdt nok skal hun nok snart få det perfekte liv som alle månedsmagasinerne stopfodrer os med er vejen til evig lykke. Den perfekte mand, det perfekte parforhold, de perfekte børn, den perfekte familie, det gode sexliv, den flotte og sexede krop, den gode karriere, det gode job, det hyggelige hjem med alle designermøblerne, de gode weekender, de gode ferier, livskvalitet, livskvalitet og mere og mere livskvalitet. Det er så opslidende at være i nærheden af en kvinde i 30erne at det er til at brække sig over (og jeg har altså været kæreste med en del!). Så hver gang jeg møder en kvinde i 30erne ser jeg mig nu om efter den nærmeste udgang. For jeg ved at et parforhold med en kvinde i 30erne betyder big-time stress.
Nej du, jeg holder mig til kvinder i 20erne eller i 40erne eller ældre. For ser du, selv om kvinder i 20erne stadig tror på illusionen om at hvis de arbejder hårdt nok vil de en dag opnå alle disse ting, og så vil de være lykkelige - har de fleste kvinder i 20erne heldigvis indstillingen: ”Men ikke endnu. Jeg skal lige have det lidt sjovt i nogle år før jeg melder mig ind i kvindernes version af Fremmedlegionen-Frømandskorpset-Iron-Woman-Miss-Bo-Bedre-Perfect.” (selv om jeg da helt sikkert også har mødt kvinder der allerede i 20erne var ramt af denne næsten dødelige form for sindssyge).
Og så er der kvinder der er over de 40. Åh ja! Gud ske tak og lov for kvinder over 40! De er næsten endnu sjovere end kvinder i 20erne. For kvinder over 40 har som regel ingen illusioner mere. Kvinder i 40erne eller ældre har nu i adskillige årtier slidt sig selv ihjel dag og nat for at leve op til illusionen om at hvis bare de opnår det og det, skal de nok blive lykkelige. Og nu er de 40 eller ældre, og gæt hvad? Nu er illusionen brast. Enten har de ikke opnået det meste af det som de troede der skulle til for at gøre dem lykkelige – en mand, børn, familie, job, karriere, hus, designermøbler, veninder, spændende storbyferier, og så videre og så videre – og de er ulykkelige, stressede og nedbrudte af alle de årtiers intenst slid. Eller også så har de opnået det meste af det de troede der skulle til for at være lykkelige - og må erkende at de stadig ikke er lykkelige. Og nu begynder det at gå op for dem at det er ovre, løbet er ved at være kørt. På trods af alle deres ihærdige anstrengelser bliver de bare ikke yngre eller smukkere eller sundere eller raskere, børnene bliver bare ved med at vokse, ægtemændene og kæresterne bliver bare ikke mere intelligente, når de har anskaffet sig den eller den sidste nye ting, kommer der bare endnu flere nye ting at anskaffe sig, det bliver bare ikke bedre. Alle de år, alt det slid. Og nu er det ved at være for sent. Det går op for dem, at hvis de ikke begynder at leve livet og have det sjovt nu, vil de aldrig leve livet og have det sjovt nu. De begynder at slippe kvindernes version af Fremmedlegionen-Frømandskorpset-Iron-Woman-Miss-Bo-Bedre-Perfect og fokusere lidt mere på at slappe af, trække vejret og nyde livet. Og det er derfor det er så sjovt at være sammen med kvinder der er 40 eller ældre (med mindre de selvfølgelig stadig stædigt holder fast i måndsbladsdrømmen – og jeg har da mødt adskillige sørgelige eksemplarer der stadig kæmpede en brav kamp for at holde illusionen i live). Don’t worry, tænker jeg, de skal nok kollapse og give op før eller siden.
Det er derfor jeg siger, hold dig langt væk fra kvinder i 30erne. Og hvis du er kvinde i 30erne, hold dig langt væk fra at være (samfundets idé om) en kvinde i 30erne – hvis du da vil komme igennem 30erne med din forstand bare nogenlunde intakt!
I have always had the idea that sex is ecstatic and a portal to higher consciousness and that by surrendering yourself completely you can find liberation and release. Is this true? What is your experience? Do you know anything about this? Or is it different for you? I really need some help here so if you know something about this, would you please write to me and tell me about it? (info@beamteam.com) Also if you can recommend any good books about this, please let me know. Thanks. All love, Barbara
Can you say yes to this moment? Can you unconditionally accept what is happening right now? It's difficult isn't it? Because we have so much mind chatter that keeps telling us that things should be different. That we should be feeling better, looking better, performing better, achieving more! It's a zoo inside our heads, isn't it?
But I've discovered that just noticing this - noticing what we're doing - is in fact the first step to saying yes to this moment. Just by becoming aware of how we are resisting this moment (which by the way is all we have) we move into another space - the space where acceptance is possible.
Then what happens? What happens when you finally do say yes to this moment - even if only for a few moments? Well the first thing I always notice is that I relax. When I stop resisting this moment, a wave of blessed relaxation just sweeps over me and gives me a feeling of spaciousness and peace. It's really quite amazing and truly lovely.
And I find that the peace which I've been dreaming about and longing for is right here - in me - and it was there all the time. But because I was so caught up in my mind - in my stories - in my comparisons and expectations -I miss the very thing I long for the most... the peace that passeth all human understanding...
It's the heart energy we want. That special feeling of softness around the heart - when we're not trying so hard anymore to impress anyone or be a success or make money or look good. When we're just resting in the miracle of being and staying centered in our hearts. When this happens, the miracle happens. We meet people and we are friends. We don't even have to try. It's just the way of it. That connection. From heart to heart. If you're running around frantically like a chicken who lost its head, you might want to ask yourself why you're doing this to yourself and what you're going to get out of it. And maybe, if you can find the time to be kind to yourself, you can spend a little time with YOU and see if you can find that place in your very own heart that you are longing for...
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