“Religion” is Optional

April 27, 2009 — turiyamoore

Here is a flyer for a talk I’m giving here in Torrance which is in the SouthBay area of Los Angeles. click here to see a map or get directions

religion-in-the-new-age-blog4

Religion gets a bad wrap, plain and simple. It’s easy to see why. As institutions grow in size and power they loose touch with their own roots.  A hierarchy is developed over time that actually excludes those souls with the highest levels of realization. Those who found God within the Catholic Church were also the most persecuted by it.

Instead of throwing away religion altogether, we should listen carefully to the great saints. These souls are the light-bearers of truth that religious institutions can never be. Their lives are the foundation of the institutions that serve (more or less) as vehicles for their message. While it’s not the focus of my talk, I will say here that I do believe the great religions serve a useful purpose for those who feel inclined to draw from them.

In my talk I hope to show the upside as well as some of the limitations of today’s religion and suggest how we may become like the supreme swan or “Paramhansa” of Hindu lore, who could separate milk from water. With some understanding, we like this fabled swan must learn to separate truth from fiction in any teaching we follow, and even within our own minds.

Most institutions will lose their strength and influence over time. Institutional dogmatism eventually replaces righteousness until the teachings are only fit for sheep. No wave can last forever. Even as traditional religion and it’s importance diminishes, the power of Christ, Krishna, and other great masters will never fail to uplift those who tune in to them.

Many souls have turned away from religion. Some label themselves as “spiritual but not religious” and others remain within the structure of religion, but hold doubts and feel distant from God. And some who turn away from institutions find themselves lost in a sea of eclecticism afraid to commit to anything for fear of losing their “freedom.” It is to all of these seekers that I want to speak.

Life is a school and what we are going through is just part of our lesson. It doesn’t matter if you label yourself as religious, spiritual, atheist, or agnostic.

All that matters is that you are moving in the direction of your own hearts deepest yearning. That you lay your head down at night and can feel your living connection with all of life in peace.

I have so much more to say on this topic! If you can’t make the talk, I’ll have it recorded in some form and make it available to those who request it.

The inspiration for what I’ll share lies in “God is For Everyone” by Swami Kriyananda, “The Science of Religion” by Paramhansa Yoganananda, and “Religion in the New Age” by Swami Kriyananda

If you are interested I recommend reading all three of these books and have listed them in the order I would suggest to most people. The first two books are easy reads and the last one is a bit more esoteric in nature. In my opinion “Religion in the New Age” is one of the most important books of our time, especially for those who are involved in religious organizations.

Posted in religion. Tags: , , , , . 7 Comments »

Overcoming Fear Pt 1

April 21, 2009 — turiyamoore

Fear is natural and common for most people and has it’s right place in nature. But for the most part, I do not see fear as a healthy emotion when it has become a habit instead of a brief response to a dangerous situation. It seems to me that fear is appropriate for rodents running away from raptors, and children who need to stay out of harms way.

But fear based on economic stress, job security, possible changes in relationships or anything we are attached to, or desirous of, is not helping us achieve our goals.

The strength of an emotion is determined by how much energy we put into it. The more energy we put into a thought or feeling the more magnetism we generate to attract similar energy into our lives. So, the more fear we have, the more chance we’ll actually manifest or attract exactly what we fear, and make it reality.

I am not saying to move blindly through life without paying any attention to “what could go wrong.” But I am suggesting that we can be fully aware of a situation without including the emotion of fear, or at least a lot less fear.

Ways to Overcome Fear:

View life as a learning experience like a day at school. Move through every moment as a student, and make life an adventure. It’s fun! Show up each day ready and willing to learn something new! Trust that whatever comes, does so for a reason. Every situation brings a blessing whether it’s obvious or not, and whether we ever perceive it or not.

Recognize that all circumstances are temporary. Nothing in this world is lasting. Like the waves on the sea, clouds in the sky, the phases of sun and moon, birth-life-death; all is change. Instead of clinging to one wave or another, choose to enjoy it all. Ride the waves of change like a surfer. Make the most of every opportunity, and work with what is, instead of what you might wish it could be. Those who cling to sunny days are plagued by the nagging thought of how long they will last even when they do come, and live in a constant state of unnecessary stress. By releasing attachment to the things we enjoy, our love and happiness becomes more pure and unselfish. This expands our joy and heals our hearts of suffering.

Train your mind to work with you, instead of against you.

Choose music that is spiritually uplifting, and take it with you wherever you go. More on this subject later.

Choose one affirmation that resonates with where you want to be (not necessarily where you are). Use it daily upon waking and just before sleep. Repeat it out loud if you can, and then progressively softer until you are saying it silently with deep inward concentration. Once you have it memorized, repeat it with your eyes closed and with their direction slightly lifted. Feel as if you are sending the pure essence of the affirmation forward and upward into the frontal lobes of your brain at the point between the eyebrows.

Once you find a good affirmation, I recommend you use it for months every day to give it a chance to take hold in your consciousness. I used the second affirmation below for well over a year straight and it was transformational for me.

Here are a couple of my favorite affirmations:

“I accept with calm impartiality whatever comes my way. Free in my heart, I am not conditioned by any outer circumstance.” Swami Kriyananda, Affirmations for Self Healing

“I will go forth in perfect faith in the power of Omnipresent Good to bring me what I need at the time I need it.” Paramhansa Yogananda

The following is not an affirmation. But reading it each day right before sleep couldn’t hurt. Always copy and print whatever you like from this blog for your own use.

St. Matthew Chapter 6:25 – 6:34, King James Version of the Bible

25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29  and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Please share your questions and comments below.

Posted in negativity, worry. Tags: , , , , , , , . 5 Comments »

Spirituality & Relationships Pt 4

April 10, 2009 — turiyamoore

At what point, does someway say, “Okay… it’s finally time to start looking out for my spiritual well-being” even if they know it could mean a severing of the “old ways”?

Our spiritual well-being should always be first. What good can come from sacrificing your own spirituality?  Your spiritual well-being directly affects your relationship. Just be as honest as you can about how you define your spiritual well-being. Sometimes we desire something that is different than what we have, when the greatest opportunity and what we actually need, is right under our nose.

Repeating here: Your spiritual well-being (growth) is the first need of your heart and the purpose of life. It is always time to take care of this, always.

The purpose of all life is the refinement of awareness. At the human level it gets interesting because we have the ability to make radical choices and change directions unlike other species. Growth is why we are here. We can accelerate or prolong it, but we cannot escape it. There is a great lesson plan waiting for all of us in our karma.

The main teaching overall seems to be about perfecting our love. What it is, where it comes from, and how to share it with all, is a direction we all are moving in. Our experience of love is directly related to our level of awareness. Our movement is fueled by our search for joy. We can deny it for some time, but the call in our heart will never release us until we are free.

I believe that the more we perfect our love, the deeper will our experience of joy be. We are made of love. We are rays of love shining from the heart of God into every niche of life. If we would allow God’s love to shine freely through the channels of our hearts we would know everything there is to know.

Look for opportunities to expand your willingness to accept others as they are, and to love them deeply without attachment. See those relationships you have now and pray that God help you release your attachments to the ones you love, so that your love and service for them can be even more pure than it is already.

In the act of loving we find fulfillment. Why ever stop then? Even when things do need to change or we are forced to make decisions that are difficult for others or ourselves, there is no reason to stop loving anyone.

I hope this helps answer the question posed above. Do what you feel is right. Do not be a reaction, but instead make your choices with calm intuition. Try to do what is truly best (not what is easy, or accepted as normal) for all concerned. Nothing in life is separate from your spiritual path, nothing.

Finally, if you have a partner who is antagonistic toward your spirituality or your psychological well-being, that is trying to stop you and mocks your chosen path; why on earth would you stay with them? What good could come out of this kind of relationship?

These are my honest opinions based on the questions that were posted. I always look forward to your comments and questions. Your input will help to define the direction of these posts.

Posted in relationship counseling, spiritual relationship. Tags: , , , . 7 Comments »

Spirituality & Relationships Pt 3

April 9, 2009 — turiyamoore

How does one remain on the path when faced with what would appear to be constant opposition where energy flow is concerned???

Never stop trying to move forward, and don’t focus on outcome as much as your moment to moment experience. You’ll never be off of your path. Do your best to work with things as they are. Do not become a reaction, but release attachments, pray and meditate, and consider the guidance you feel in your heart center. When you are calm and can release attachments, trust what you feel there, and act on it.

If your partner or any person is actively trying to control or stop your own personal growth he/she is crossing a boundary that allows for your individual needs and freedom; this is abuse. No person has the right to stop you from doing anything you believe in that is not harmful to others.

If this is about a committed partner, it may help to have clarity on what you both want to do as a pair and what you each need to do individually. I think the goal for both of you could be to actively support where you can, and where that is not a fit, be supportive in spirit by allowing the other the space they need.

In more general terms, there is a subtle energy present everywhere in our environment to varying degrees that pulls downward on your energy. It’s like the gravity that opposes the flight of an airplane, or when climbing up a mountain. It’s subtler than gravity; it operates on the level of consciousness. This is a power we must overcome daily when we are on the spiritual path. It affects us through our own attitude, and in many other ways too. There is no way around it, but you can ease your way through it with positive, loving, and accepting energy. To become negative only makes it worse. And this obviously applies to dealing with people also.

If you were not rising upward, you would not be so aware of this force in others or yourself. It’s just part of moving ahead on your path. You don’t pay much attention to the bumps in the road until you moving right? Just don’t allow them to become your main focus by taking them personally.

Keep your eyes on your destination and NEVER give up trying. Try even to enjoy the ride, for this may be the most important thing of all.

“A saint is a sinner who never gave up.”

Paramhansa Yogananda

Posted in negativity, relationship counseling, self improvement, spiritual relationship, spirituality. Tags: , , , , , , . 3 Comments »

What is Spiritual?

April 8, 2009 — turiyamoore

I’m now thinking it may help to understand where I am coming from in these posts if I define what I mean when I use the word “spiritual.”

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To me, “spiritual” means, “that which is expansive to ones consciousness.” Spiritual growth (in my mind) is the increasing experience of unity with all.

A mother naturally includes the welfare of her children as part of her own reality. This is potentially expansive to her consciousness, but expansion is not limited to moms. By willingly putting the welfare of others before our own, we grow in patience, acceptance, kindness, and joy. Aligning our actions with what we feel is right for all, instead of what we personally prefer is spiritually enriching.

If pride of heritage, country, religion, etc. causes us to favor one group over another, we are shrinking the size of our family, and our love. The more conditions we put on our love, the less joy and love we experience.

What is forward for one person can be backward for another. All that is important, is that we learn and grow. Comparing ones spiritual position with others is a trap. This is a negative habit of the mind that keeps us separate. This is the exact energy we must overcome to experience our higher nature.

Spiritual growth is a gradual process of releasing attachment to the little wave of our ego, and awakening to the reality of our oneness with the whole sea.

I think of great saints as perfect moms. But they love all of humanity as their children, or as their family in God.

Spiritual growth is not easy when we face a big test, but it does bring an increasing experience of joy and fulfillment over the long term. And this is how to gauge our own progress.

Joy to You!

turiya

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Spirituality & Relationships Pt 2

April 7, 2009 — turiyamoore

How do you keep yourself from not being affected by their mood swings?

Understanding the source of the moods may help. It all depends on how we look at things. It’s pointless to blame others for what we are feeling. If we are reacting to their mood swings, it’s up to us to recognize this and let our (unreasonable) expectations go. Work with “what is.” A healthy level of non-attachment may allow your relationship to deepen instead of shrinking it with a controlling energy that is unhealthy for both of you.

“Love” that is based on what we want or like is a reaction. It’s not real in itself. This is what I call “human love,” it’s based on circumstances. Circumstances will change as people grow.  Relationships that are based on “human love” are fragile at best. The conditions we prefer are like a “bucket,” which holds the “milk” of love, patience, and joy we share. With every change life brings, a potential leak occurs in this bucket, which causes drama, fear or suffering, and strains our ability to support each other. This is why most relationships do not last.

At some point we have to decide if we are married to the conditions we prefer, or to supporting the higher essence of our partner; their conscience. The changes we face offer new opportunities for growth, and help us refine our understanding of love. How we respond to changes in each other defines our love. Sometimes a partnership will begin as a conditional one, but the pair develops a deeper bond by overcoming obstacles together. If one focuses on the higher essence of their partner they may find a more lasting way to love & support them, raising the level of the relationship toward a more unconditional, divine form of love. This is a more clear expression of the Love each of us receives from God, what I call divine love.

Mood swings may be a symptom of inner struggle or the result of over-indulgence of the senses. Either way they are on the surface of ones being.

If person A is reacting negatively toward person B, or is angered or resentful or intolerant of changes B is going through, this could be a good time to sit down and look at what is really trying to happen in this relationship. Is each person allowing the other the freedom needed to continue living a healthy expansive life?

Mood swings that are directed at another are not cool. But mood swings that a loved one is dealing with but not directing at you personally, or blaming you for, are something you might choose to accept.

More coming. Post your comments below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Posted in relationship, relationship counseling, spiritual marriage, spiritual relationship, unconditional love. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Spirituality & Relationships Pt 1

April 7, 2009 — turiyamoore

This is a big subject and it’s often “charged” for people. Only you can decide what is right for your situation. Honestly, this subject is intimidating for me to write about. Working directly with a couple or an individual is much different than writing for a group.

I’m going to start off by trying to answer some questions recently posted in comments that were in response to my post called “Stop Negative Thoughts.” Let’s see where that takes us.

How do you remain positive if your partner/spouse/significant other is not walking the same path?

As we mature spiritually our ability to accept others as they are actually grows. If lack of acceptance is the issue, I think we must look to ourselves for the answer.

It helps to have some clarity about what this relationship means to you, what you desire it to be. (a whole new subject? Comments are welcome)

Can you love your partner as they are? If your life has taken a new direction it can be frightening for them. We don’t often grow at the same pace or in the same way. Each person has his/her own karma and it’s important to respect that. One way to love another is to commit to seek and find the best in them. In my opinion, once we have committed to a life partnership it’s our duty to support the highest in the other, even when it’s very hard to locate! Just because you are changing, does this require your partner to change also?

More coming soon.

Posted in self improvement, spiritual relationship, spirituality. Tags: , , , , . 3 Comments »

Video

April 3, 2009 — turiyamoore

Please click the links in the menu to the left for videos I feature on this blog.

Other video:

Guided Meditations at 6forPeace.org click “enter” then “meditate now” and there are links on right of page.

Sunday Service talks by me and dear friend Padma AnandaSouthBay.org

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Stop Negative Thoughts

April 2, 2009 — turiyamoore

It’s natural to try to reason ones way out of harmful thinking, but in my experience, reason is not a reliable way for me to become positive. Underlying reason is a layer of feeling, attitude, and the force of habit that colors my thoughts.

I think of thoughts as plants in my “mental garden.” Sure there are some deep-rooted weeds, but they do not deserve all of my attention. If I only focused on the weeds my good plants would die, leaving me with an empty plot of dirt for a mind. Yuck!

I don’t want my life to be empty like a dirt lot. Some speak of “nothing-ness” or “emptiness” as a spiritual goal. Maybe it’s semantics, but I don’t think of fulfillment as empty. My experience of fulfillment is never empty.

The garden in my mind is full of beautiful flowers and they way I grow them is by putting energy into beautiful thoughts and feelings. Instead of obsessing on the weeds I must water, love and feed my positive thoughts.

The underlying layers feeling, attitude, and habit are the soil I plant in. It’s hard for blossoms to rise from a dry bed of rocks.

Here are some suggestions for softening and enriching the “attitude soil” of your own mind.

Softening:

  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. J. Donald Walters writes: “The secret of happiness is the ability to congratulate oneself happily on one’s own unimportance while others vie for supremacy.” This is just one of the “secrets” from his book, “Secrets of Happiness.” This little book has helped me immensely.
  • Learn from your mistakes. I have made many awesome mistakes! My level of ignorance coupled by my insatiable desire to do something!, and lack of patience have made for some great stories! But at the same time, I do learn from these episodes. If I don’t learn anything but to be more humble, then that must be exactly what I need.
  • Have great respect for your ability to be wrong. This is not negative thinking. Negativity comes from the lack of acceptance that you and others are not perfect.
  • Stop judging others. If you believe we should be happy, kind, and loving. Why on earth would you join the army of sadness by judging others? It’s a habit. It’s not helping them, or you. By reacting to what you do not like, you have become an agent for what you yourself want end. It’s a trick of the devil. If you believe in a higher power, let Him, or It, or She, run the world. Of course you must do your part, but your part is not to control others, ever. If you think it is, than I don’t know how you’ll ever be happy. People need to learn at their own pace, and the best way to influence others is by our own example. Our joy and contentment is both a flower and a sword.
  • Remember everyone is doing the best they can. No matter how silly or criminally humans behave, underlying all of our nonsense is the desire to do what is right. Understanding this is a major step toward unconditional love and happiness.

Enriching: (Fertilize your mind with positive energy)

  • Feed your garden with Love! Seek out and embrace opportunities to help others without a thought for yourself. Just do it! Being helpful and serving is healing for you. By putting energy in this direction we can starve the weeds of self-involvement that feed our own negativity.
  • Water your garden with Joy! Fill your mind with positive energy through uplifting music, company, reading. Find one soul affirming song recorded by someone with uplifting consciousness (it matters) and listen to it all the time until it permeates your consciousness. Music has a unique ability to transmit and influence consciousness. Misery loves company, so be careful what you to listen to, and how you choose it. Lean toward what you aspire toward instead of what feels comfortable if you can.

  • Let the sun shine! Take care of your body through daily doses of fresh air, sunshine, brisk exercise, and fresh, healthy, natural food. Foods do affect our way of thinking. Read more about diet here.
  • Worry Fasting! Nothing good ever came from worry. If it’s a deep habit start with short fasts. Commit to ten minutes once or twice per day. Fill your mind with positive energy. A song, holy scripture, guided meditation, positive affirmation, or go work in your garden, or a nice walk in nature if possible. Smile for no reason. Laugh because it feels good. If you catch yourself worrying, you must also laugh at this. Practice each day, and gradually increase the length of fast until this becomes your natural state of mind.
  • Say Yes to Life! Spiritual growth is directional. Stay in the Now by being perfectly content with where you are, and eagerly embrace whatever life tosses your way. Do not cling to anything. See life as a school. Be a good student, and have lots of fun.

For myself, daily meditation has been key to my success in the above suggestions.

Here is one of my favorite affirmations:

“As I radiate love and goodwill to others, I will open the channel for God’s love to come to me. Divine love is the magnet that draws to me all good.”

From Scientific Healing Affirmations, by Paramhansa Yogananda

Posted in affirmation, anxiety, negativity, positive thinking, self improvement, spirituality, worry. Tags: , , , , . 11 Comments »

Life is a Dream

April 1, 2009 — turiyamoore

I think this video animation is beautiful and the person who created it must have a deep appreciation for beauty and matters of heart.

I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

Why include this in my blog? I think it’s appropriate as a ten minute vacation, and I think there is a spiritual lesson in this story. Children often come into life with an awareness of higher realms of truth. Then the training begins! We are fed all kinds of limiting self-definitions and ideas as part of  “growing up.”

As we mature we find out that what we have been taught by school, media, advertising and even loving parents, isn’t all there is to know. In fact lasting happiness very often is the result of un-learning much if not practically all we have been taught.

As a child you may have had the feeling in your heart to be creative, or to do something beautiful, or to help others, and people may have said you are not practical. And that you have to watch-out for “number 1″ instead. You may feel at times as if you are in a movie set filled with props and actors who live as if they are robots who never achieve lasting fulfillment.

For me, the teddy bear, represents our highest aspirations, or God. The child is you or me in this world of dreams and nightmares. The world is like the tree which is built of failed dreams and broken hearts and it’s delusions are so complex, big, and scary that almost nobody would challenge them. And it’s never really what it appears to be. The mother in the first scene represents the common reason of the masses: “Go to bed! Stop playing with your toy! You have to grow up and learn to take yourself more seriously. Life is not supposed to be fun!”

Jesus said, “let the dead bury their dead.”

Like this child, we must overcome our fears, and cling to what we know is ours (righteousness, faith, and love). No matter how many thoughts come into the mind to say, “don’t be a dreamer,” or “why can’t you be like everyone else?” we must learn to follow our heart feelings in calmness.

Live, love, and smile. Cling to what you know is right and never believe you can’t live your dreams and realize ultimate joy in your life. And like the boy, we must be willing to take risks, to follow our intuition, and overcome our own obstacles.

We’ll never wake up from our dream of limitations and suffering, until we are clear enough in our devotion (to our highest aspirations) to take the leap of faith not once, but over and over as needed.

It’s a dream I tell you, it is a dream! Live in fine attunement with your own highest beliefs. What we see before us, is usually not the big picture. Truth will prevail in the end. If you have done your best for all concerned, you have done all you can do. Let God take care of the rest.

‘Yato dharma, tato jaya,’ proclaim the Indian scriptures: ‘Where there is righteousness, there is victory.’  From “The Path” by Swami Kriyananda.

Please share your thoughts below, I look forward to hearing from you.

turiya

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