Wednesday Word Love: Picture Quotes on Spirituality

Word Love for the week! A Little late but life happens....

Each Picture quote contains a link to its original home. Please take the time to check them out!

To start:

Pinterest Find

 Probably one of my Top three favorite Ghandi quotes of all time. It's similar to the quote from Nelson Mandela that's also one of my favorites. 

 I'd like to point out that some might see the word ignorant as an egotistical statement, but it's not. 

In Hindu religion, Shiva dances as the Nataraja or King of dancers. Nataraj is shown dancing, with his left foot raised and the right foot on a "dwarf" 'Apasmara Purusha', the personification of illusion/ignorance that Shiva overcomes. The upper left hand holds a flame, the lower left hand points down to the dwarf. This dwarf is said to represent ignorance. As in the little things in life that weigh us down...ie stress, jealousy, resentment, unconscious behavior, our pain body. 

Knowing this definition of ignorance, allows me to see the context in which he is using this word, and its definitely not from ego. People that are unconscious or asleep can not process truth that contradicts their reality. It would cause them to have to change the perception of the entire existence....literally. 

When I fully comprehend that statement, and let it sink in for a minute, I begin to see where I should attempt to come from a place of compassion for these people. Imagine the limiting affects that must have on their lives. To be so stuck in your pain body the only way you can cope is by forcing others to be in the same. 

Sometimes people will change or adapt, Sometimes that happens, but most of the time it doesn't. 

Which is why People say the Higher you climb the less oxygen masks there are. You can expect to raise your spiritual vibration and have it match what it did before. Nor can you expect others to get with the program and catch up, regardless of how painful that is. Everything and everyone is exactly as it should be remember? 

Another wise man once said, Forgive them for they know not what they do... This man was crucified for speaking his truth. And knew those that nailed him to the cross were operating from the same place of ignorance Shiva dances on and Ghandi speaks of in this picture, Jesus, also knew this truth. He knew that being himself, and living his truth was so important death didn't scare him.And not because he wanted to die but because he knew there was no death. His beliefs transcended the Physical and spiritual Realms. Imagine having that much confidence in your truth? To be willing to lay down your life before silencing your truth. Pretty profound if you ask me. Probably why there's two holidays for him..  

Pinterest Find

The next picture quote is one I've held near and dear to my heart for years now. The 165 pages give or take surrounding this sentence has saved millions of lives and glued millions of shattered souls back together. 

After completing the steps to a spiritual awakening, the obvious next step would be to pay it forward. However, because of the spiritual awakening I realize there is no such thing as compartmentalizing in life.

My hand should not be limited to only helping those also trudging the road of happy destiny, but it should be extended to all beings, big and small. I should see the world from a different light. One in which I see to harm myself is to harm the world and to harm the world is to harm myself. 

So, the spiritually responsible thing to do would be to carry my beliefs and principles onto all that I do. I stop to pick up the broken beer bottle from the sidewalk, shoo the bee out the window rather than flatten it, help the woman with six kids open a door or go ahead of me in line. And also in giving myself fully to my daughter even if I'm tired and want to watch the latest trash tv episode I missed. It means treating the world as I would like to be treated and living life on life's terms. It's not easy by any means but it's necessary to the upkeep of my spiritual condition. And one of the major components of this is meditation. Which brings me to the last picture quote for today....

Mommy Om

Buddha meditated for 49 days. The words that came to him during this time have stayed with the world since. Imagine that, or at least try to imagine, that if you went into your bedroom from now until memorial day and sat still, that the thoughts you had during that time would be remembered by people for thousands and thousands of years as some of the most pround statements made ever in human history. 

And all you did was meditate. 

Same as you do, same as everyone does. Buddha was no different than you, or I. 

Jesus said "I say into you, he that believes in me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father." 

*Side Note*

It's so easy to see why this would be misunderstood as to believe IN him not that he meant believe IN WHAT HE IS TEACHING. And the all important lost in translation cones in the changing of "I go unto my Father" to "Because Im going to my Father".Unto and Going to are not even the same thing. Jesus meant that he goes to His source. His source of life. Where he came from.... God. What other words could he have used besides Father to describe such a thing? It's knows as that which can't be spoken after all.

Buddha probably thought "Wonder if this is gonna work" sitting down to meditate for those 49 days. 

And it did, because as Jesus also said "Thy light is thy body, so therefore when thy eye be singular, thy whole body shall be filled with light."Matthew 6:22

Going along with the unintended theme of the day, it seems Buddha too knew the importance of seeking the truth inside each one of us. He also knew how damaging ignorance could be to one's soul. It doesn't seem to matter what religious beliefs you have, the common thread seems to be one of love, inner reflection, loss of ego, and compassion.

Another common thread is the act of Being still. Inwardly and Outwardly still, and in this stillness we are told We'll begin to see the unlimited supply of these things within ourselves and automatically begin to change our perception of the world as a result. Seek and you shall find. If you are seeking spirituality you will find spirituality, in all that you do.
I hope todays Word Love made this Wednesday a tad bit better! Be sure to join in on the discussion! What are some of your favorite quotes? What do you think of these quotes? Let me know!

Wednesday Word Love

Happy HumpDay! 

I have been collecting a few Picture Quotes to fill your Hump-Day with Happiness. I love a good picture quote. Sometimes its all we need to spark the thought that sparks the trail from dark to light within ones consciousness. Have a wonderful Wednesday, may it be filled to the brim with peace, lovngkindness, compassion and joy! And if it's not, attempt to see the lesson within the difficulty at hand...

One sure fire way to do so is in Meditation. Be Still and seek within yourself the answer. It is there, in the stillness, in the space between thoughts. Always waiting for it's discovery. And upon finding it you'll see the answer is a "Oh, there you are!". Because just as two kids playing hide and seek in the dark, the one seeking knows the other is already there, they just have to find the other beam from the flashlight, the beacon guiding their way. Meditation allows us to find our true Self, the Listener, the Guide. All we must do is be still and trust in its existence. It is not the Answer that is lost, it is the one who seeks the Answer. This is why Obtaining the solution doesn't work, you can't obtain something you already have. Just like a child can't meet a new friend it's already playing with. 

All Pictures listed contain Links to their original home. Feel free to share and comment!

Pinterest Find

Eckhart Tolle YouTube

Eckhart Tolle Facebook

Meditation gets us to this deepest level. 

A wise-man once said "If you want Happiness. First Remove the I, then The want, all that's left is Happiness" The same goes for peace.

 PixShark

Just in case anyone was wondering where this page stands on current world views....

Check out This Picture Quotes Home

A Beautiful Find to go along with the last Om Life Post. See it here

Check Out Spiritual-Awakening.net!
I absolutely love this one! We are the makers of our own misery! Take down the hand, and see the light...It's not as hard as it seems... after all, we are already that which we are seeking to see.

Sarah McCrum FB
Pinterest Find

Personal Responsibility. Its a beautiful thing!

Spiritual Awakening: Remembering the Forgotten Me

A few months ago I was sitting at my favorite place's monthly Kirtan. When walking in  the socially agreed upon action is to immediately kick off your shoes, grab a shaker of your choice ( a rice filled oblong thing in case you were wondering) and find a spot to call your own for the next two hours.

It almost takes me back to a time of walking into First Baptist Church of where ever we resided at the present moment, sliding into the pew, and singing out of a Biblesque Leather on Sunday Mornings.

However, the silvery blonde haired Sitar player and five Wandering Sadus all dressed in white billowing fabrics that one would only imagine when picturing a tropical beach retreat in some Indonesian island, and twelve peacefully smiling, similarly dressed, on lookers all perched on pillows in an undeniably "they do this all the time" familiar way make sure I know there's a difference.

The most notable being the knowledge that in about 30 minutes if all is done correctly, and by correctly I mean however one feels compelled to,  one won't care about what spot they have to call their own because one will be in the expansion of consciousness, the kingdom of heaven, and fully immersed in the realization of there being no I, no us, no anything, much less a Spot. Instead with a blissful smile, one would be the first to say with a Peace that surpasses all understanding...

We are all the Spot, and the Spot is us.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely cherish the memories of dragging out of bed every Sunday morning, begrudgingly at times but all the same I got up, and got dressed.. In really pretty dresses hand-smocked by my Mom (yes, hand smocked) and standing next to my Dad and Mom singing age old hymns praising the God that so loved the world he gave his only son (let that marinate, would u give up your son for anything...much less a whole world?).

However the catch was to worship only in a way what didn't bring attention to yourself, or resemble any thing like all consuming, all knowing, peace that surpasses all understanding, the kingdom of heaven is within, worship.... And definitely not dancing....or clapping.
If we are worshiping that which created all living things... shouldn't we be ecstatic about it??
At Kirtan, there's an abundance of happiness felt.

(Side Story)
Every month there is an older lady, who happens to be a Shaman, that also happens to be one of those white billowing fabric adorning on lookers I mentioned earlier. And every month somewhere around Ganesha's Chant she proceeds to put down her Drum, go to the back of the room, and spin in a circle for the next half hour... non stop. Now, one might immediately dismiss this as insanity. But think about it. I don't know about you, but I  cant spin in circles for thirty seconds, let alone thirty minutes! The point of kirtan is to quiet the mind, and  to ultimately reach a meditative state and as some would call an outer body experience... even though its all inner. This woman would probably have way more knowledge in this area than me, after all, she's a Shaman.... but every month, I catch myself staring at her spinning, and spinning, and spinning... and notice that her age has slipped away. She no longer hunches over, she is fluid in her movements, and there is this look on her face. One that would be impossible to describe, but if I tried it would be similar to that of Peace. And I find myself thinking how awesome it must be to be that liberated from all your insecurities, your self doubt, your physical and mental inability, and get up in a room full of thirty strangers, and spin in a circle meditating for a half hour... then I also think How the hell is she not falling over. Seriously tho... a half hour??

Anyways, back to the post....ADHD remember...

So in between chants I emerged from the infinite realm of the meditative mind and immediately my ADHD took over... I use to think my wandering never ceasing to stop mind was a major defect in life. However, I now see the blessings I have received because of it. Things that I have been led to or noticed only because I found myself wandering away from the crowd, or following a thought for way longer than one should. I have started to instinctively notice the little whispers of source that pop up in what others would call a mere coincidence. And have grown to love these instances and most importantly trust them.

Stay with me...
During this break in chanting, I flipped through the song book and came across a translation that read "I didn't know anything, So I remembered you". And in that moment, I literally felt the proverbial light bulb come on.
Of course Awakening isn't something to be obtained. Every time I have taken a step up the ladder of spiritual awareness, there's never been this since of  Learning something new. Instead I have been met with sense of something very familiar. A Cosmic Duh you could say... And if Spiritual Awakening comes from a familiar place, somewhere you remember, then hasn't it always been there?
So how can we obtain something we have already, always, had?

We can't. The only way I can ever have peace, or true happiness, is by realizing everything I need to have these experiences, these things I am told every day I must seek from somewhere other than myself, is by actually searching, discovering, learning, loving, and trusting the Consciousness inside myself. 

I can not look to anything, or anyone to tell me how to obtain these things.

Jesus said " Look here nor there, For the Kingdom of Heaven is Within"

I see more truth in that statement since the start of my Kirtan and Meditation Practice than I ever did in my 22 years of attending an organized religions sanctuary every Sunday. I am somewhat perplexed by that considering the later of the two is the Christian Organization that preaches and lives by the words of Jesus Christ. However it is the absolute truth in my experience. I don't by any means think there are no spiritual experiences that occur in Churches, nor do I mean to say Churches are bad. I am simply saying that in my life, in my experience, reading the words spoken by Jesus Christ after I began my meditation practice was similar to a book being translated from a language you can somewhat read, into your native tongue.

I believe the problem with Organized Religion is it creates separation. Obviously. It creates room for more ego and selfishness to transpire. When in reality the message of every great saint and Jesus Christ, or Allah, or Buddha, or Krishna has been one thing. Love one another, have compassion for everything, and Love God.

It might surprise you to know that my practice in Kirtan and meditation in general has strengthened my love for Jesus Christ. I see JC in a whole new light... Pun intended.

After all he did say. "When thine eye is singular thy whole body shall be full of light"

Sounds legit to me.

A few weeks after this particular Kirtan, I was looking through quotes about spirituality and made this Picture Quote from a paragraph I'd found from an unknown source. I instantly loved it as it was the perfect description of what I was trying to say to a friend about  the earlier song lyrics. Fast-forward another couple of weeks and  I downloaded an Audio book from Adyshanti called "The End of Your World" based off of the suggestion of the same friend I was at Kirtan with and showed the picture quote to. As I was listening to this book I suddenly heard the words being spoken seen in the picture below.

Pretty cool "Coincidence" if I say so.

Namaste