Michael's Blog
Sincerity: Posted March 31
Sincerity leads to a pure heart. Remain focused on morality, ethics, courtesy, and civilized behavior.
Flexibility: Posted March 26
To live in harmony with nature has become a popular notion. Expecting, even insisting things be a certain way is also very popular. Yet, what is expected and how nature actually works are usually two very different things. Nature does not come packaged in a McDonald’s wrapper.
By associating with a teacher who lives in harmony with nature, that quality of harmony is cultivated within you. Often kicking and screaming as your expectations are defied, flexibility grows as you attune to the unpredictable nature of nature.
The teacher need not contrive situations to teach this lesson. Nature provides them quite nicely. The teacher simply lives in harmony and invites you to join in.
The Icepick Syndrome: Posted March 22
The inner being of every individual is incredibly vulnerable and sensitive. When something hurts on that level, it is incredibly painful, like an icepick piercing the heart.
Some are predisposed to receiving even benign comments in that manner… an ice pick penetrating right to their heart. In those cases, it is not so much what the speaker said. It is more about how the listener receives what is said. I call that, “The Icepick Syndrome.”
Rumors: Posted March 19
I am continually amazed by the rumors that float around. I recently heard a really preposterous one: I was in a lawsuit (with a friend, no less) that settled out of court! I just had to laugh. How hilarious. Where do these ridiculous notions get started?
I heard another one (it’s source was a neophyte student of the Hare Krishna movement) that I was promoting one’s own Divinity, but not devotion to God. Though totally ridiculous, that one was offensive to me. It is true that I do not support being distracted by superficial notions of God. Emotional upheaval in the name of devotion to God is a travesty. I encourage the cultivation of a deeper, more profound communion. As I have said, true devotion (Bhakti) develops after a highly refined state of consciousness is attained. Attempting to mimic that exquisite level of life only postpones ones attainment of it. Astral notions of God fall far short of God and lead one astray.
My life is devoted to God. I feel God’s presence all around me. I see God everywhere I look. I am in a constant state of devotion to, humility, awe, and love of God. My greatest sadness is the epidemic misunderstanding of God, not only by the atheistic, but even more sadly by the allegedly theistic.
Live in Harmony: Posted March 15
My wife, Tanja, and I visited Mount Soma yesterday. With the tiers of home sites garlanding the landscape, it is beginning to look like Switzerland or Tibet. The web of interconnected roads and driveways weaving through the mountains creates the feeling of a marvelous adventure land. We are happy to have submitted our house plans to the draftsman and hope to start building next week.
I have been saying that the stock market and the U.S. dollar, followed by other currencies, will go down as gold rises. This has happened and I expect it to continue. I have said that as this occurs, Mount Soma will continue to flourish. We are certainly seeing that happen. The best is just around the corner.
Recently, I was told that some people cannot understand how that could happen. They can not fathom how Mount Soma can flourish while the economy declines. The principle here is very simple: alignment with Natural Law. Quite naturally, that which is in harmony with nature prospers. That which is not will have hard times. We must remain humble in this regard. Clinging to an identity of righteousness falls far short of true righteousness. Simplistic approaches bring simplistic results.
Humanity is in a transitional time. Things have come to a head. The systems of impurity which evolved over eons have reigned. It became the status quo. To oppose it brought ridicule, opposition, and struggle. That is all changing. The time is already dawning when righteousness will be rewarded and discord will melt away. The principle is very simple: Live in harmony with Natural Law or struggle.
I have spelled out these principles in detail. To understand them as a concept is one thing. To find them within yourself as a living, breathing truth is quite another. We have progressed well through the years. Many are awakening to the Divine principles that dwell within. Yet only as the connection strengthens does one begin to live it and really see life in those terms.
I choose to live those principles. Mount Soma will flourish as a result of our living those principles. To intellectually grasp the principles yet not live them is a terrible waste. Yet I do not fret over that. As the garden grows, in time the flowers naturally blossom. The time is coming when profound principles of life are lived by all. Mount Soma is simply the tip of the arrow that is piercing the armor of the system of impurity.
Persistence & Flexibility: Posted March 7
Persistence is not obstinance. It’s not about deciding what you want and going for it. When a two-year-old stomps his feet and demands to have his way, he is not displaying exemplary persistence. The missing ingredient is discernment. Discernment includes finding the wisdom deep within yourself and living true to it. It has nothing to do with rigidly adhering to superficial attitudes and emotions. When individuals lack a clear sense of their divine Self, they often cling to a rebellious stance, attempting to feel self-actualized, self-important, and of value. Unknowingly, they are looking for a superficial and artificial substitute for the security and true self-esteem that comes from living in accord with their own divinity.
It’s very popular today to fancy yourself as dancing to the beat of your own drum, thinking independently, and not following the crowd. These are not noble attributes unless mainstream thinking or the movement of the crowd is clearly in error. All too often, such independent thought is adhered to, not in the name of genuine truth, but in the name of immature rebellion and the need to feel special. We have, at times, even come upon this in our organization when people choose to go against the grain just in the name of feeling free, independent, or not a follower. Being a follower is only in error when one is being led astray. All too often, people seek a sense of their own self-empowerment by refusing to follow for its own sake, in order to feel self-empowered. That is not self-empowerment; it is childish rebellion.
Now let’s move on to flexibility. Flexibility is not flaccidity. As the sense of the true Self blossoms, one genuinely experiences self-empowerment. When you are presented with ideas that are not consistent with what you truly know, you don’t crumble or fold. From deep within the wisdom of your own Self, you can perceive whether there is fallacy in what is presented. Again, discernment is the key. Do not forget that the tail of the kite of discernment is your own sense of inner divinity, your inner wisdom.
I was interested to learn that recently some students attended a lecture where they were told not to meditate. With everything you’ve learned about the fundamental nature of life, human evolution, and how all of those principles seamlessly fit together into the irrefutable truth of wholeness, you would think it would be easy to find within your own self the fallacy of such a comment. At this point, the inability to do so comes more from a childhood conditioning of quiescing the most imposing figure in the room, even if it means abandoning your own divine Self and wisdom. Flexibility does not mean absence of inner strength.
As I reflect on the happenings of this world, be they global interactions between nations or casual interactions over lunch, I can’t help but note that the perspective that rules tends not to be the one that is most discerning, but the one that is most forcefully imposed, independent of its degree of reason or wisdom. A foolish perspective imposed with force tends to overwhelm the wisdom of the listener. This does not mean you need to stand up and fight fire with fire. Some people are forceful by nature, others are not. However, it does mean that regardless of your nature, be you inherently forceful or passive, you do need to find within yourself inner wisdom. The path to that is discernment. It necessitates balance. It necessitates the ability to look beyond narrow vision and conditioning. I sincerely believe that contained within everyone is the ability to discern. I feel it is more a habit that causes one to not act in a discerning manner. It is not a result of one’s inability to act from wisdom, so much as it’s a knee-jerk habit to impulsively function from a place of conditioning, be it aggressive or passive.
A saint, upon observing the behavior of the people, asked the question, “Why don’t they just use a little common sense?” His assistant responded, “How can they use what they don’t have?” I do not agree with that. I am certain that everyone is blessed with infinite common sense. The question is, how often and how well do they access it? How often and how habitually is it overshadowed by their conditioning?
Pioneers: Posted March 4
Last night was a long night of reflection for me. I thought about my life. Ten years of dedication in the ashram throughout the 80’s. I worked hard, without any thought or possibility of financial compensation. It was all about dedication to human evolution. Then, I taught in a healing school. I did not mind in the least that I was not compensated for my time, efforts, or expenses. I was dedicated to my students. After that, I started the school. It has been 15 years of dedication. For the past five years, I have poured my life force and money into creating Mount Soma, a place where people could truly evolve.
In all honesty, I sometimes wonder if it has all been fair to my family. Though there are plenty of other perspectives, I sometimes felt I had no right to sign them up for this. No rest, no regard for selfish interest, round the clock dedication to a dream for humanity with little regard to material gain that seems to be the driving force of so many. In quiet moments of despair, after realizing some got involved just to make a buck, I considered the perspective that I had been a foolish sucker all these years. That is compounded by the realization that many refuse to believe it is possible that anyone can really be willing to risk everything for a higher cause.
Yet, there have been a handful of people, namely you, that have been sharing the dream all these years. You have remained dedicated to creating a better world by working on the most fundamental level of life—consciousness.
It certainly has been challenging at times, often fatiguing and sometimes heart-breaking. Now, as we find ourselves at the doorstep of our dreams, many long days and sleepless nights loom ahead as the Learning Center, Somanath Temple, housing, kitchen and dining facilities, etc., all go up. With the support of God, this year will be the final push. The light is visible at the end of the tunnel and we will soon be in a position to release the technology of the Divine on a global level. This is our opportunity to help the world transition from the age of anguish to the age of enlightenment.
You have been the pioneers…
Success: Posted March 2
To be successful, master two things: Persistence and Flexibility. Persistence is not stubbornness; Flexibility is not indifference.
Vastu Basic Points: Posted March 1
I have written up some guidelines to get you started on designing a Vastu home. While these general points will give you a good idea about how to design your Vastu home, Vastu is an extensive science and it will be necessary to consult with a Vastu expert.
Enjoy the process!
Click here to download the Vastu Basics pdf document. |
