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The purpose of the Food For Thought is to give information on some of the
metaphysical terms that are found from different historical eras, and
different languages. Some sources of the words found here may come from
Sanskrit, Tibetan, Greek, Latin, Kabalistic, Gnostic and Occult terms. I
hope to be able to provide a concise description or at least show some
cross-cultural associations.
Food For Thought ~
March, 2010
Opportunity:
from Webster dictionary; a) favorable occasion or time, b)
good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or
success.
Times of hardship and adversity cannot last forever. In the
midst of great difficulty, if only by chance, a tiny
opportunity will be presented. Then, you must be sharp
enough to discern it, quick enough to capture it, and
determined enough to make something out of it. If you let
it pass, you will be filled with regrets.
Just like a cat watching a bird, its prospective meal - it
waits patiently, silently and when that opportune time comes
its way, the cat pounces on its prey with swift reflex. The
goal is successful; the sweet reward is consumed.
As you enjoy the reward, whatever you do must leave no
messes. In other words, no
left-over consequences, traceless, nothing that will haunt
you later. This would be one of the ways to avoid creating
more bad situations.
Food For Thought ~
February, 2010
Defense:
from Webster dictionary- a, resistance
against assault b, fortification; a
safeguard
There are so many good people in the
world. The majority of us are taught from a very early age
to exercise compassion and humility - these are among the
most treasured virtues but not useful in conflict. I will
not use my treasured Kuan Yin porcelain as a weapon. Similar
to what Hector in “Helen of Troy” says, “ the god
Apollo did not come down to lead their battles against
attackers of the Trojans.” Virtue is to be valued in the
proper context – only a sword will do in a battle. It is
unfortunate to think that no matter what world you walk in –
in workplace, temple, prison or streets, there is an
underworld of nastiness or just plain evil done by those who
find pleasures in seeing others suffer.
Whether an attack is physical -assault, rape, murder or
whether it is mental -emotional abuse, political, business
intrigues, etc, one must be prepared to survive. That does
not mean that you have to be a tyrant or an aggressor but
instead you have to learn self-defense, how to respond to
any situation. No one can be assured of coming out alive
from confrontation but at least give yourself a fighting
chance. This alone is victory over evil.
Food For Thought ~
January, 2010
Tradition -
Technology has taken over our
lives. We have cell phones, email, MySpace, Facebook, etc.,
to connect with anyone, anywhere in the world, yet our
families or neighbors we rarely speak to. Many of us are so
absorbed with fear and insecurity that we fill ourselves
with junk food, or drown in alcohol and illegal drugs.
Others submerge themselves in television shows, the rest
overwork themselves until they drop. This is commonly seen
among the younger generation, they don’t believe in the
tradition of their parents and ancestors.
In the Orient, also where I came from, a family altar holds
a prominent space in the homes. When there is special event
such as birth of a child, wedding, or graduation, an
offering is made at the altar; a candle is lit to celebrate
with the ancestors. When one leaves for a trip, incense is
lit to announce to them that the traveler needs protection
in case of danger. The villagers celebrate their neighbor’s
successes and mourn their losses. “Spiritual leaders” must
understand these valuable traditions themselves in order to
pass them to the next generation. They have to encourage the
young ones to understand where they came from, in order to
find their way home. Without this understanding and
experience, they themselves are lost, their rituals
meaningless, dogma rigid and life will be full of
uncertainty.
Food For Thought ~
December, 2009
Expression -
Some may say that maintaining creativity is
becoming futile in our progressive world.
Books on myriad of subjects have been written and
shredded as read; paintings from classical to comical have
been painted. No more music to listen, no more songs to
sing. We have heard them all.
But, creative expression is natural impulse for
humans and we cannot abandon it. Something new will come up
even in our busy daily lives.
One way to
get a fresh expression is to go inward. Deep within we can
create our own masterpiece; deep within we can be a great
musician, a visionary artist, an inspiring speaker or even a
miraculous healer. In ancient times, deep inside the caves,
cave men painted their visions on the walls. Medicine women
and healers gathered herbs deep in the forest where they
were free to commune with their inner feelings, their own
divinity.
Food For Thought ~
September, 2009
Articulation-
Words are tools. Like a sword they can be sharp and hurt the
deepest core an individual’s being; but loving words can also
heal a suffering and aching heart. That is why there is a vast
difference between the scholars and the spiritual practitioners,
just as the words of academics differ from the words of poets.
In the early stage of their studies, practitioners need to
articulate their experiences, perhaps through writing, art or
poetry. These are tools for self-awareness. By articulating
their experiences it helps them understand the stages of what
they are going through. Once this process has been done, it
neutralizes the rational minds, clears away intellectualism, and
truth is no longer subject to words and images.
Food For Thought ~
June ~ July, 2009
Non-yielding
- A spiritual practitioner uses the metaphor of the
warrior when facing a competition. They never yield to their
opponents; to sidestep is not necessary to give way.
Whatever we do for a living during our earthly life, we always
find ourselves competing against other people, or maybe just the
forces around us. But there’s a wrong way and a correct way to
compete. Use awareness and concentration; avoid greed and anger.
There’s no coincidence that awareness and concentration is used
for spiritual growth. Like a warrior, the sage spends much time
training. They both seek to transcend emotion and petty thinking
to perfect themselves and to live their lives in deepest truth.
The way of a warrior and a spiritual practitioner utilizes
awareness, concentration and reflex, but the expression will be
determined. Outside the arena of competition, they leave behind
competitive aggression and never forget to kind and
compassionate.
Food For Thought ~
May, 2009
Sanctuary
- This world may
be turbulent. Daily news keeps us on alert about the economic
concerns, possible health pandemic, etc., keeping us uncertain
of our well being, but there are still days and places we can be
afforded some tranquility. At times it may be just a peaceful
feeling of watching the sunset as it reconciles with the
horizon. A sense of acceptance of the “sun’s rest” lingers in
the air. At times, it can be a chance of finding a secret place,
a grove of trees perhaps, that promises a mysterious comfort.
Such private places we find peace and serenity, the stillness
can be precious.
Sometimes, we are too involved and so worn out by so many
activities that we forget to notice our need to recharge.
Renewal is a profound medicine. With sanctuary and rest, we can
prepare for the next day.
Food For Thought ~
April, 2009
Retrospective
- When starting to
learn a spiritual system, a lot of absolute assertions may be made
by the teacher that must be accepted temporarily by the student. But
each of these teachings must also be tested and proven to the self
before one should believe in them. Exposure to all types of esoteric
knowledge can be confusing. One must be concerned only with what
works for himself.
In
progression there come a time that you feel that certain techniques
work even better than the scriptures claim but you’ll also find that
life continues to be as rocky and as troublesome as ever. Now what?
Do we stop practicing? No, of course not! It only means that you
have gained enough skills and wisdom to live your life to the end.
You will then take action in the world you live in, or create new
circumstances for yourself and others. Only then, will your acquired
skill becomes worthwhile.
Food For Thought ~
March, 2009
Ascent –
Progress sometimes can
be so subtle that we may feel our effort is futile, we have a hard
time getting up in the morning to get motivated. Enthusiasm is not
as easy to maintain, as when we first started on the path, yet this
is exactly what we must do.
According to the Masters, no person ever leapt to heaven in one
bound. Spiritual awareness requires determination and is achieved by
steady climbing; the number of steps is in the thousands, the road
is steep and can be slippery. If we fall we pick ourselves up and
get back on the trail again. This deep sincerity maintains our
ascent.
Food For Thought ~
February, 2009
Subconscious- Through
meditation one can glimpse areas of our subconscious. We experience
extraordinary thoughts and awareness spontaneously. No one ever
became super-human because of meditation, but it is one way to open
up your latent potential. The saying that “heaven is within us”, is
because it is locked inside us.
The same
way with sorrows and struggles of the past, they persistently haunt
us. Getting rid of them from our thoughts is not easy. Pains of
betrayal and conflicts of the past are difficult to exorcise- they
keep coming back in dreams, in memories and so on. But, they are not
curses or demons from another world. They are scars of the
subconscious. It’s been said that, “hell is within us” as well. We
ourselves are the battleground of good and evil.
Food For Thought ~
January, 2009
Renewal
–The city life is
exciting. There’s a plethora of beautiful images, million of lives being
represented in the windows, doors, we see tall buildings attempting to
reach the sky, etc. We see the glories of civilization. But, the
spiritually attuned people, they understand the need to retreat into the
nature.
In the countryside, they find the nurturing quality of freedom. They
can see new possibilities and can wander without the societal
impositions. People need time to lie fallow. If you find that you are
unable to leave the city, a little quiet time each day to withdraw into
yourself may be all that you need. Be with Nature, Walk in nature, Walk
in balance. None of us can maintain fertility without renewal.
Food For Thought ~
December, 2008
- January, 2009
Ending – A few more days left to this year and
there will be an ending, and there will be a new beginning.
According to the wise men, we cannot do without limits or ending. They bring
definition to our endeavors. Those who can accommodate endings gracefully
are the most admired. But we are to use them to our advantage; we have to
plan to meet them. We have to understand that the ending is like looking at
a glass by a window, so that when the light strikes on one side, it appears
round showing a shadow edge. But, it is never the edge, only a reflected
light coming from the other side.
During the time of emperors and holy men/women who were fully aware of
themselves, they wrote poems of farewell while they were strong and vital.
Those people knew how to consider endings before they reached them, without
regrets or lingering once they passed into the next cycle.
Food For Thought ~
December, 2008
Views – when looking at a
landscape it is difficult to take in all the details at once. Our
eyes can only focus on one point at a time so we look to the right,
then to the left. We look near, then far. Similar to spirituality,
it’s never whole but a composite of images formed in our mind. It
changes, it flows but there’s no knowing it in a single view.
For
some, the composite view may come from training, research and self-
cultivation. But even after years it is impossible to take in the totality.
It requires an awakening of one’s spiritual force and when it happens it
manifests as a brilliant light. The mind expands and becomes an
illumination, and eye at the same time. What it shows, it also knows, but it
is the light that sees.
Food For Thought ~
November, 2008
Promises –
Spiritual seekers wait for the fulfillment of what have been
promised. But, visitations from gods have not come. Freedom from
weariness hasn’t come. Great wealth hasn't come. Fame hasn’t
come. Supernatural powers haven’t come.
All sorts of things are promised yet when those
things don’t come, do you give up your life or your spiritual path?
Spirituality is not a transaction with the universe. It is an
endeavor that we all take up because it is our ultimate mode of
being.
Food For Thought ~
October, 2008
Charlatans – they come
from many areas of our life, including our spiritual practice.
Many are self- proclaimed masters, or claim to be guided by the Most High
Ascended Master or Spirit Guide. If they present themselves to you as being
able to lead you on a path to instant enlightenment, and it seems too easy,
it may be false. But, why should spirituality be any different than any
other endeavors. Can one become a golf champion without practicing how to
properly hold a golf club? Can one become a good accountant without
learning a basic bookkeeping first?
In spirituality, many of us fall victim to this
process. Whatever they teach, the teachers cannot claim to give
you enlightenment, only the individual can give it to herself/himself.
Food For Thought ~
September, 2008
Intuition –
Comprehension
without effort of reasoning.
Animals live life simply. When they are tired, they sleep. When they are
hungry, they eat. They don’t care about any theory or ethics. They respond
to the cycles of the day according to their intuition. Their mating season
corresponds to the proper season. They nurture their young and encourage
them to be independent, leave home when it’s time, according to their
understanding.
Human beings depart from the natural flow of the cycles and worry about
ethical action. The extremes of behavior can drive one to become moralistic
or sadistic. One must learn ethics thoroughly and must embody them so
completely that they become fixed in our subconscious. Then there can be no
more doubt about oneself as to how to react to a situation. It will be
intuitively known.
Food For Thought ~
August, 2008
Prejudice – a familiar
foe, and it comes in many forms: racism, chauvinism, and many other ‘isms’.
It keeps us from knowing ourselves. But come to think of it, don’t we all
favor ourselves the most? Who feels the pain when we’re hurt? Or, who
rejoices the most when we feel satisfied? As long as we are slaves to our
intellectual ideas over experience, or value comfort over effort then we
shall never realize oneness.
A child shall always look beautiful to the
child’s mother; the child is her creation. The same way, we are inevitably
partial to ourselves. We create ourselves.
Food For Thought ~
July, 2008
Austerities – is a
self-discipline that can potentially lead to a higher
spiritual awareness. There are two kinds of disciplines: one
with a purpose that ends to an accomplishment and the other
is a blind discipline. Many spiritual people believe in
self-flagellation, living in a cave, or fasting for a very
long period of time. These practices can easily lose sight
of our inner objective.
Austerity, is simply to understand clearly how and why do we
do things we do, and does not require esoteric practices. It
is just an extra effort to gain a better life.
Food For Thought ~
June, 2008
Solstice –
it reminds us that all of life is cycles, all of life is
balance. There is a left and a right, an upside and downside, a
zenith and nadir.
The summer solstice is the time of greatest light, a day
of enormous power. The sun may appear to stand still during the great
culmination of power and brilliance but it is not static. The next day,
the sun will start a new phase, a new cycle.
So, celebrate your high achievements but not be boastful.
Likewise in misfortune, do not be sad. Those who understand the peak of any
cycle and are the wisest of all.
Food For Thought ~
May, 2008
Prowess:
a
gift, a borrowed strength, it isn’t yours. If you have it,
rejoice in it, but use it wisely and compassionately. Once it
passes, victories will not be easy to come by. Those who fail to
learn this lesson become bitter old people. They lose faith and
become resentful of life. That is because they place their
self-worth in their abilities and not in who they are.
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Food For Thought ~ Terminology
Metaphysics: defined as the branch of philosophy that
examines the true nature of reality, whether visible or invisible.
Metaphysics includes the relationship between mind and matter, substance
and attribute, and, fact and value. Basically, metaphysics is the
philosophical study of being and knowing. It is very closely related to
spirituality, but it is not a religion.
New Webster: n. philosophy in general; particularly the science of
essential principles, or abstract principles
Catholic Encyclopedia: that
portion of philosophy which treats of the most general and fundamental
principles underlying all reality and all knowledge.
Akashic Record:
referring to a
universal filing system which records every occurring thought, word, and
action. The records are impressed on a subtle substance called akasha
(or soniferous ether) The Akashic Records are also called by different
names such as: the Collective Consciousness, the Universal Mind, the
Universal Space, or the Cosmic Mind.
Theosophical Glossary: taken from the word “Akasa”. The subtle,
supersensous spiritual essence which pervades all space; the primordial
substance identified with Ether. But it is to Ether what Spirit is to
Matter.
Edgar Cayce: a well known Christian Psychic stated that the
idea is comparable to the Biblical “Book of Life”, it is consulted to
see whether or not the dead are admitted to heaven.
Bodhisattva: Sanskrit; an enlightenment-being or Wisdom
Being. One who is bound to achieve enlightenment.
Theosophical Glossary: “he whose essence (sattva) has
become intelligence (bodhi)” ; those who need but one more incarnation to
become perfect Buddhas. In metaphysical sense, Boddhisatva is a title given
to to the five sons (five senses?) of the celestial Dhyani Buddhas, “ They,
of the Merciful Heart
Newsfinder.org E-magazine: are not idols to whom we make
our offerings and pay our respects. A true boddhisattva is to be found among
us, for a true boddhisattva is someone who is rich in compassion and is
earnest in delivering all sentient being within the six realms of existence.
Chela:
Sanskrit word for a follower of a learned master, or a spiritual
teacher. The name of our first bookstore, The Chela Bookstore: Books and
Gifts for the Mystical Mind
Theosophical Glossary: A disciple, the pupil of a Guru or Sage, the
follower of some adept of a school of philosophy.
Summit Lighthouse Glossary: (Hindi cela from
Sanskrit ceta "slave" or "servant.") In India, a disciple of a religious
teacher or guru. A term used generally to refer to a student of the
ascended masters and their teachings.
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