"Aren't we privileged to live in a time when everything is at stake, and
when our efforts make a difference in the eternal contest between the
forces of light and shadow, between togetherness and division, between
justice and exploitation? Oh, be joyful that you are a warrior in this great
time!

"Will we rise to this battle? If so, we cannot lose, for rising up to it is our
victory . . . If we represent love in the world, you see, we have already
won."

- Doris "Granny D" Haddock from her 93rd birthday speech

The fire of devotion purifies the heart of the devotee and leads to spiritual freedom!

" When we embrace all of our sexuality, we honor our spirituality.
When we embrace all of our spirituality, we honor our sexuality.
When we embrace both, we celebrate God."

Those who are inclined to do kindness in life must not discriminate among the people around them, between those to whom they must be kind and those to whom they need not be kind. However kind and good a person may be to those he likes, to those he wishes to be kind to, he cannot for this be called kind by nature; real kindness is that which gushes out from the heart to the worthy and to the unworthy. ... In the Quran it is said, 'God alone is rich, and everyone on earth is poor.' Man is poor with his myriad needs, his life's demands, the wants of his nature; and when one keenly observes life, it seems that the whole world is poverty-stricken, everyone struggling for the self. In this struggle of life, if a man can be considerate enough to keep his eyes open to all around him and see in what way he can be of help to them, he becomes rich; he inherits the kingdom of God.

"Anger destroys knowledge.
Pride destroys intelligence.
Sorrow destroys life.
Greed destroys honesty.
Repentance erases all sin."

my YOUR NUMBER IS UP, teaching week at the YOGA CENTRE Negril, Jamaica, Nov 23-27 is now posted on my wwwsite under Spiritual Journeys, see details: www.ompalace.ca

"Almost without exception, everything society has considered a social
advance has been prefigured first in some utopian writing."

- David L. Cooperrider

"The rise and fall of images of the future precedes or accompanies the
rise and fall of cultures. As long as a society's image is positive and
flourishing, the flower of culture is in full bloom. Once the image begins to
decay and lose its vitality, however, the culture does not long survive."

- Fred Polak

He who can be detached enough to keep his eyes open to all those whom circumstances have placed about him, and see in what way he can be of help to them, he it is who becomes rich - he inherits the kingdom of God.
The soul of the spiritually inclined man is constantly thirsty, looking for something, seeking for something; and when it thinks it has found it, the thing turns out to be different; and so life becomes a continual struggle and disappointment. And the result is that instead of taking interest in all things, a kind of indifference is produced; and yet in the real character of this soul there is no indifference, there is only love.
Although life seems to make this soul indifferent, it cannot really become indifferent. It is this state, working through this life, that gives a man a certain feeling, to which only a Hindu word is applicable, no other language having a word which can render this particular meaning so adequately. The Hindus call it Vairagya from which the term Vairagi has come. Vairagi means a person who has become indifferent; and yet indifference is not the word for it. It describes a person who has lost the value in his eyes of all that attracts the human being. It is no more attractive to him; it no more enslaves him. He may still be interested in all things of this life, but is not bound to them. ... His connection with people in the world is to serve them, not asking for their service; to love them, not asking for love; to be friends with them, not asking for friendship.

The final victory in the battle of life for every soul is when he has risen above the things which once he most valued.

-- Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

The final victory in the battle of life for every soul is when he has abandoned, which means when he has risen above, what once he valued most. For the value of everything exists for man only so long as he does not understand it. When he has fully understood, the value is lost, be it the lowest thing or the highest thing. It is like looking at the scenery on the stage and taking it for a palace. Such is the case with all things of the world; they seem important or precious when we need them or when we do not understand them; as soon as the veil which keeps man from understanding is lifted, then they are nothing.
Do not, therefore, be surprised at the renunciation of sages. Perhaps every person in the spiritual path must go through renunciation. It is not really throwing things away or disconnecting ourselves from friends; it is not taking things to heart as seriously as one naturally does by lack of understanding. No praise, no blame is valuable; no pain or pleasure is of any importance. Rise and fall are natural consequences, so are love and hatred; what does it matter if it be this or that? It matters so long as we do not understand. Renunciation is a bowl of poison no doubt, and only the brave will drink it; but in the end it alone proves to be nectar, and this bravery brings one the final victory.

The sun, earth and moon will be in alignment on Sunday, June 21; Saturday, July 4 and Thursday, August 13 from 9:00am to 11:00 am. Good days to balance this special energy with meditation, pranayam, and easy lung exercises to enhance the immune system for asthma, allergies, respiratory colds, the seat of all our past grief and lack of forgiveness. Be conscious and enjoy.

Light shine and dark comfort,
enjoy this festive moment --

The exact New Moon occurs on Monday, Jun. 22, at 3:36 PM, EDT
(Jun. 23, at 1:06 AM in Gujarat) in the I Ching hexagram “Coming To
Meet”. The image is wind below and heaven above. This implies
gentleness on the inside and strength or firmness on the outside. It
brings forth the idea of using inner sensitivity and gentleness to
penetrate the hearts of those around us, while maintaining a firm outer
stance. The challenge is to trust your feelings and let that guide your
actions. But this is not meant to encourage one to follow whatever
feelings arise, but rather the inner feelings. There is a need to be strong
in one’s inner centre, and to listen well. Do not let the fears and
anxieties of the world around you disturb this inner presence. Rather
than becoming afraid or anxious about the world situation, try a little
tenderness. Try to help others around you feel secure. Feed a hungry
person rather than storing away the things that you have. If you are
worrying, how many other people are there who are far worse off than
you. There is a challenge here, not to hide away and hoard what
you have and what you want to protect. One is also challenged to face
things that one has already said that may have been insensitive or
selfish. It is time to make a new and sensitive beginning. If you help
others to feel more secure you are more likely to feel more secure
yourself. This New Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice and as
such has an extra emphasis or power to it. This is the time when
darkness, in the northern hemisphere, begins to increase. It marks the
beginning of increasing sensitivity towards others. With this also comes
the beginning of increasing responsibility. Can you hear me?
The New Moon is opposed by Pluto and squared by Uranus.
This is a significantly difficult and stressful phenomenon. The feelings of
the New Moon in Cancer will be very sensitized to and influenced by the
fears out in the world and where it appears to be heading. Each of us
will be easily pulled out of ourselves and out of our place of inner peace.
Do not empower the dark and the fearful thoughts. That you are having
these thoughts implies that you have lost some innocence. STOP!
Listen well. It is not wrong to feel afraid but it is truly folly to act on or
increase those fears. Is God not in everyone and everywhere? Do you think that
God is slacking off? Is it possible that this is just part of God’s plan and
purpose? Perhaps we are being tested to see which side of the fence
we have our being on? Is what you hear on the news more real to you
than how you feel within yourself? Are you ready to let go of your own
sensitivity for the fears and dangers that are in the world? Where is your
faith? The challenge on this New Moon is to be true to yourself and
to prevent fear, worry and doubt from diminishing your faith and inner
presence. Chanting on any New Moon has special inner affirmations and
power. This New Moon, try to put all of your feelings into your prayers or
your chanting. With a little heartfelt feeling or bhava the entire universe
can change. Where are you aligned? Are you feeding the fears and worries
or the heartfelt feelings? Remember that what you feed or nurture will
grow and prosper. Align with your heartfelt feelings. Let the darkness fall
away. Chanting a name of God can bring enlightenment and
fulfillment in this Age of Kali or of darkness. Make some time for prayer
and put your heart into it. It will heal your soul and restore your proper
alignment in life. The only real knowledge is that there is God. Everything else
is ignorance or speculation. This knowledge must be experienced to be
gained. But it can be lost easily. This New Moon, the world needs an
affirmation.

Externally we are a single being, but internally we are a world. As vast as is the world around us, so vast is the world within. Asif says, 'The limitation of the sky and land cannot be compared with man's heart. If man's heart be wide, there is nothing wider than this.' All can be accommodated in it; heaven earth, sun, moon, all are reflected in it. It becomes itself the whole. This world becomes as one chooses to make it. If man only knew that! But since he does not know that, the world is not heaven, but has become its opposite. We blame others for our sorrows and misfortunes, not perceiving that we ourselves are the creators of our world; that our world has an influence upon our life within as well as upon our life without.

We blame others for our sorrows and misfortunes, not perceiving that we ourselves are the creators of our world.

One learns to understand that there is a world in one's self, that in one's mind there is a source of happiness and unhappiness, the source of health and illness, the source of light and darkness, and that it can be awakened, either mechanically or at will, if only one knew how to do it. Then one does not blame his ill fortune nor complain of his fellow man. He becomes more tolerant, more joyful, and more loving toward his neighbor, because he knows the cause of every thought and action, and he sees it all as the effect of a certain cause.

SUFI SAYING --

"One Tree Can Start A Forest.
One Bird Can Herald Spring.
One Flower Can Make A Garden.
One Tune Can Compose A Song.

One Smile Begins A Friendship.
One Hand Clasp Lifts A Soul.
One Star Can Guide A Ship At Sea.
One Sunbeam Lights A Room.

One Candle Wipes Out Darkness.
One Laugh Can Conquer Gloom.
One Word Starts A Prayer.
One Hope Raises Our Spirits.

One Step Starts A Journey.
One Touch Can Show You Care.
One Vote Can Change A Nation.
One Life Can Make A Difference.

One Heart Can Know What's True.
You See, Its All Up To You !!!"
Dear Embodiments of Love,

If I am practicing spiritual poverty, which says that I own nothing, then
the problems aren't mine and neither are the energy and compassion
pouring through my heart to try to solve them. I am just a link in the
process. If I don't take anything personally, then I can do great work
without flagging. The Dalai Lama once said, 'Try with all your might -- to
work very, very hard -- to make the world a better place, and if all your
efforts are to no avail . . . no hard feelings!'"

- Bo Lozoff, *Utne Reader*

- The Living Matrix Movie Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne-I7JTXCbo

- Liberation from Fear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJUu-xiJPx8

If you ruled the world... what would you change? How would you help others? What would you do to make this a better place? Would you begin by improving your own situation, fulfilling your financial potential and placing yourself in a more secure position? Would you go on to seek understanding into your relationships with others and discover how you can turn all your encounters into positive exchanges that bring out the best in all? If this is your dream, a full personal horoscope reading can help to turn it into a reality. Gain the insight that the cosmos owes you. Let me read your birth chart for you. Contact me at ompalace@fastmail.fm and check my wwwsite under PERSONAL SUPPORT!

Mars Venus contacts Signs and Timing

Virgo
26 Aug to 20 September 2008
watch for war on 11 - 13 September
Libra
25 Sept to 13 October 2008
Venus brings balance
Scorpio
13 Oct to 7 November 2008
Parivartana yoga with Venus in Scorpio and Mars in Libra. mutual exchange and strength
Pisces
13 April to 23 May 2009
20- 22 April- Another war. Venus is very slow moving as it has just turned direct.
Aries
31 May to 29 June 2009
18- 24 June another War in Aries. Mars dominates
Taurus
3 July to 26 July 2009
Venus dominates and the connections end.

According to Vedic Astrology when two planets are in one sign- they make a conjunction. But we also study when the planets come exactly together and conjoin. This makes for a very intense connection. When they are together like this it is also known as yuddh – or war like conditions.
Mars Venus connections began on 26 Aug 2008 when Venus moved into Virgo and Mars was already there. They make their first close connection on 11 to 13 September 2009 when they remain two days in war like positions creating friction and stress. This is their most difficult connection as Mars does not work well in Virgo and Venus is debilitated. The next war happen in Pisces where Venus is exalted and Mars in its friends house- 20 to 22 April- here there can be some transformation and endings as Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac. It may not be the end of relationships but an end of how you view it. 18 to 24 June 2009 is the longest connection between Mars and Venus in Aries. This shows new beginnings and lessons learnt from Pisces connection are being used now.

Although the elements may be called earth, water, fire, air and ether, this must not be taken literally. Their nature and character, according to the mystics, are different. But, as words are few, one cannot give other names to these elements, although in Sanskrit we have distinctive words for them. 'Ether' is not ether in the scientific sense; it is capacity. 'Water' is not water as we understand it in everyday language; it is liquidity. 'Fire' is understood differently; it means glow or heat, dryness, radiance, all that is living. All of these words suggest something more than is ordinarily meant by them. ... Every activity of the outer world is a kind of reaction. In other words, a shadow of the activity which is behind it and which we do not see.
Words are but the shadows of thought and feelings.

God is love';' when love is awakened in the heart, God is awakened there. Life's light is love; and when the heart is empty of love, a man is living and yet not living; from a spiritual point of view he is dead. When the heart is asleep, he is as though dead in this life, for one can only love through the heart. But love does not mean give and take. That is only a trade; it's selfishness. To give sixpence and receive a shilling is not love. Love is when one loves for the sake of love, when one cannot help but love, cannot do anything but love. Then one is not forced to love; there is no virtue in that. One does not love because another does. It is simply there. It cannot be helped. It is the only thing that makes a person alive. If a person loves one and hates another, what can he know of love? Can you love one person fully if at the same time you cannot bestow a kind glance on some other person? Can you say you love one person fully when you cannot bear him to be loved by someone else as well? Can you hate a person when love is sprinkled like water in your heart? Love is like the water of the Ganges. It is itself a purification. As the Bible says, 'God is love'. When love is awakened in the heart, God is awakened there. When a man has journeyed, he reaches the goal as soon as his heart has reached love.

(on Coast to Coast w/ George Noory) George Noory interviews David Sereda on coast to coast am, march 2009. David Sereda discusses Zero point energy, harmonic differentials, and the hidden harmonic codes of the universe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CTtgfgPAA&feature=PlayList&p=14466FB11115A135&index=0&playnext=1

'May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.'

One time Narada approached Lord Vishnu. He said "Lord! Am I not your greatest devotee? I am chanting your glorious name 24 hours a day.
Lord Vishnu said "Oh Narada! You are dear to me. But you are not my greatest devotee. If you wish, I will show him to you."
Narada agreed he wanted to see this great person. So Vishnu took him to Earth, where they hovered in the air above a farmer's cottage.
Vishnu said "Watch this farmer carefully and see and what he does". Narada agreed to watch. As the dawn came up, they saw the farmer open his eyes. "Vishnu, Vishnu" he said as he rolled out of bed. He then began the day's activities, eating breakfast, then taking care of the livestock, ploughing the fields, having dinner, and finally retiring for the night. Before he closed his eyes and fell asleep, once again the farmer said "Vishnu, Vishnu".
Narada was puzzled. Was the Lord playing a trick on him? "How is it that you call this man your greatest devotee? He only said Your name four times!" asked Narada.
"Come here the next day and I will show you" said Lord Vishnu.
The next day, Lord Vishnu set Narada's feet firmly on the Earth. "Here, take this spoon of water" He said. "What I want you to do is walk around this field during the rest of the daylight hours. DO NOT SPILL A DROP OF THE WATER!" Vishnu said. Narada did as he was told. The whole day he walked around the field, with complete concentration holding the spoon so that no water fell on the ground.
As sunset came, the Lord returned. "Have you done as I said?" Vishnu asked. "Yes, I have faithfully carried this spoon with water the whole day. I have not spilled a drop!" said Narada. "And how many times have you uttered my name during the day?" asked Lord Vishnu.

"Why none, Lord, I was too busy concentrating on the spoon to think of anything else!"

"So now you know why the farmer is a greater devotee than yourself! The farmer has so many responsibilities, and yet he manages to say My name four times. You on the other hand, were too busy to say My name once!"

Tolerance does not come by learning, but by insight; by understanding that each one should be allowed to travel along the path which is suited to his temperament.

"Guess what: God created beings not to act in a morality play but to
experience what is unfathomable, to elicit what can become, to descend
into the darkness of creation and reveal it to him, to mourn and celebrate
enigma and possibility. The universe is a whirling dervish, not a hanging
judge in robes."

- Richard Grossinger, *On the Integration of Nature: Post 9-11 Biopolitical
Notes*

The use of friendship for a selfish motive is like mixing bitter poison with the sweet rose-syrup.

A friendship used to carry out one's aims and objects in life through the love and kindness of a friend is only business. The unselfish friend is the pure one, and it is such a friendship that will last; but a selfish friendship will vanish. The use of friendship for a selfish motive is like mixing bitter poison with sweet rose-syrup; and it is necessary to be ready, without the least hesitation, to serve a friend attentively, in every capacity of life, not expecting for one moment any thanks or return from him. A friend, in the true sense of the word, is nearer and closer than our own family, relations, neighbors, nation, and race. The secret of the friend should be kept as one's own secret: the fault of the friend one should hide as one's own fault; the honor of the friend must be considered as one's own honor; an enemy of the friend should be regarded as our enemy; a friend of the friend must be considered as our friend. One must not boast of friendship, but must practice it, for the claimants are so often false. In the despair of the friend, consolation must be given; in the poverty of the friend, support is necessary; in the shortcomings of the friend, overlooking is necessary; in the trouble of the friend, help should be given; with the joy of the friend, rejoicing is right. To be today friendly and tomorrow unfriendly cannot for one moment be called friendship; the value of friendship is in its constancy. Forbearance, patience, and tolerance are the only conditions which keep two individual hearts united. There is a saying in Hindustani, by Seman, on friendship, 'Stand by your friend in his time of need, like the reed on the bank of the river.' When a man is sinking in the water and catches hold of a reed, it will save him if it is strong; and if not, it will sink along with him. Friendship is a word which we all use in our everyday language, and yet it could take one's whole life only to realize its meaning. However learned a person may be, however pious, spiritual, or experienced, if he has not learned the nature and character of friendship he has not learned anything. This is the first and the last thing we have to learn. ... What is the reason for this? Why is it so difficult to be a friend? One would think that it was the easiest thing there is! The reason is that there is something in ourselves which is always against our being friendly. It is the self, the ego, which the Sufi calls Nafs. As long as this ego is standing and lives, a man cannot claim to be anybody's friend. ... In this world of illusion, where at the end of the examination we find everything to be of little importance, of little worth, if there is a sign of reality, of something that one can depend upon, and in which one can recognize a sign of eternity, it is in the constancy of friendship. ... It is not belief in God which leads us to the goal, nor is it the analysis and the knowledge of God that bring us there. It is the friendship of God. For someone who learns the lesson of friendship, this lesson develops in the end into friendship with God.

O Wondrous Self!
O Wondrous Self! O Sphere of Light,
O Sphere of Joy most fair;
O Act, O Power infinite;
O Subtle, and unbounded Air!
O Living Orb of Sight!
Thou which within me art, yet Me! Thou Ey,
And Temple of his Whole Infinitie!
O what a World art Thou! a World within!

All Things appear,
All Objects are
Alive in thee! Supersubstancial, Rare,
Abov them selvs, and nigh of Kin
To those pure Things we find In his Great Mind
Who made the World! tho now Ecclypsed by Sin.
There they are Useful and Divine,
Exalted there they ought to Shine.

~ From: My Spirit, by Thomas Traherne

Searching, Claiming, Denying (and Other Pastimes)
There is what I call "an essential experience", a moment in which there is a shift in consciousness. And it is essential because until that moment, all talk of being "true" or "vigilant" or "telling the truth" is abstract — like something you would learn in class. None of this can have concrete meaning in your life until you have had this experience.

With this shift in consciousness, what was not known is suddenly seen. And this recognition is the luck of a lifetime. It is a blessing of a lifetime. It is grace coming out. The grace that was covered comes out in that moment.

That recognition is the beginning. It may be the end of misidentification. It can be the end. But with most ordinary human beings, it is the beginning. We are so addicted to the powers of mind, that what usually occurs right after that experience is a thought: "How do I keep it?" or "It couldn't be that simple" or "I will never lose that".

Whatever the thought, it is followed by another thought. And eventually, the thoughts lead to: "Well, what happened? Did it happen? Was it real?" Then there is the sense of being "lost". And the searching begins again — the outward search. Or, there is the thought, "I remember what I did. I faced my emotion. I went into my fear. I'll do that now and get it back. I'll get it back again."

This is the same search, but now you are using an inward motion to go outward. It becomes an exercise, a process, something to do to get what you are. And maybe it seems to work half a dozen times. But it gets stale because it is based on a lie: you are still attempting to get what you are. You can't "get" what you are. Is that clear?

You cannot get what you are. To get something, there has to be "you" and "it". And you reach and you "get" it. How do you get what you are? Where are you going to reach? And you can't "understand" who you are. You can read the words "I am Truth, I am consciousness" and that can feel good. You can vibrate with that. You can chant that. It feels good. You can pray for it. You can read about great saints and sages. It feels good, it is helpful, and there is nothing wrong with any of it.

But finally, there has to be a willingness to be who you are. And for most people, that is absolutely terrifying. Because what most people suspect they are is the worst thing imaginable: a creature of imperfection and lack and ugliness and stupidity. Even if there is a cover of superior knowledge or accomplishment, under that is the belief that you are this gnarled, ugly, irredeemable, lost soul separate from God. Right? You have to know this.

He is wise who treats an acquaintance as a friend, and he is foolish who treats a friend as an acquaintance, and he is impossible who treats friends and acquaintances as strangers; you cannot help him.

SUFI saying

Once there was a small village without any running water. The villagers had to go down to the river to get drinking water. This was some distance, and created a lot of work for the ladies and children, who were assigned the task of bringing buckets of water for drinking. For bathing and washing, people had to go down to the river also, and share the water with all the buffaloes and other animals. The situation was both inconvenient and unsanitary.
A rich man moved to the village. He saw the plight of the villagers, and knew what to do. He had a well dug, and attached an electric pump and generator. The people were very excited about it. It would give them clean water, and they would not have to walk far to get it.
It was decided to hold a big celebration for the inauguration of the new well. Pipes with three golden spigots where the water would run out were laid in place. All the local and regional authorities came to get in on the big event. When the special day came, officials gave many speeches praising the generosity and foresight of the rich man who had paid for the new well. Everyone was supremely happy.
Finally, the moment came. The generator was turned on. They could hear the water in the pipes. The rich man was invited to turn the knob that opened the spigots. He turned it and --- nothing happened. Everyone was puzzled. Then, when they looked, they found that the spigots had never been connected to the pipes from the well. They then connected the spigots to the pipes running from the well. Once this was done, the water flowed freely from the spigots. Everyone congratulated themselves and the villagers lined up to get their first buckets of pure, clean water.
Sathya Sai Baba tells this story. What is the meaning? The meaning is that for service to be useful, there must be a connection between God and man. That connection is love. If there is no love present, then one can do endless service to others without any real benefit. One can also engage in very elaborate and precise forms of worship. One can sit in meditation for a thousand years. But if there is no connection of love to God, there will be no benefits coming from God.

hence the free monthly meditation on the first Sunday of each month, is canceled for June 7th. However the Navagraha Puja, Sunday the 14th, is in full swing ... a very high, tantric and sacred celebration. All details on wwwsite. Pre registration is required. Email for details: info@ompalace.com

Life After People

(“What would life be like if people disappeared from the planet?
Watch the entire film here on Google Videos; very interesting piece
on the History Channel; enjoyed watching my thoughts while
engaged with the film; it is over 1 hour)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4939078184096254535