Bumper Sticker Spirituality

The mind is the steering wheel
but the heart is the engine

Beware the Scare - Monsters Abound Everywhere

Most live their lives trapped inside of never ending horror stories. Their awareness, smothered by the insatiable monster of perpetual thought, desperately pleading for the merest hint of fresh air. Creaking hinges on the doors to forgotten inspiration, whose locks bolted themselves long ago, yet open occasionally, as a pleading reminder, when attention's wandered elsewhere. Rattling chains of worry and fear haunting our ears, but always just out of eye-shot. Floor boards squeaking from the foot falls of invisible habits, long engrained and following as faithfully as shadows. Blood spatters from time killed, trickling down the walls. Vision, obscured by the ever-present fog of comfortable familiarity. Grave yards rippling with the struggles of dreams and aspirations, buried many moons back, still struggling to surface and fulfill their purpose. Apparitions of social expectations that hover hauntingly in the corner of one's eye, yet blend into the background like ghostly chameleons when looked at directly. The clamor of shutters slammed closed by the breeze of uncertainty and diffidence, blocking broader perspectives. Ears, deafened to the sounds of the grand clock that always chimes midnight, as a recurring reminder of our inherent mortality. The heart of who one could have/should have been, hauntingly, rhythmically, beating under foot. Ba-Doom, Ba-Doom, Ba-Doom.

Fortunately, there's an exorcist on call 24/7, as long as you know the secret summons. Don't tell anyone where you heard it, but in case you don't know, here it is. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, clarify your intention, then give your full attention to your next breath, again to the next one, and the next, the one after that, and so on … until all the monsters have been vanquished.

Senses and Sensibilities

We have only our
senses and sensibilities
to grant us awareness
of our world, and our own
earthly existence.

Let not one obscure the other.

Holding the balance
requires acceptance of
and non-attachment to
both.

This awakens the
quiet mind.

The Conundrum

How do you explain sight to one who's never seen? This is the conundrum that faces teachers of the Dharma, the Tao, the nature of being, the way of no-self. How to explain that which is inherently without reference points, to the logical, linear, worldly mind?

Salt of the Soul

Salt, left by evaporated sea water,
dissolves back into its original state,
when immersed in water.

Thought,
bathed in unadorned awareness,
dissolves back into its original mind.

Bumper Sticker Spirituality

“The Way” is not to,
it's of.

Exit, Stage Right

People are told from their earliest days that they're such and so, and should do this and be that. They have experiences that imply that they like some things and don't like others. They develop habits and hobbies, assume responsibilities and roles, which they then identify with. These factors, and more, create the basis of, what's frequently referred to as, their character. And a very apt term it is. Circumstances conspire to delude people into believing that they are, or are obligated to be, these “characters” that they hold in mind. So, just like actors on a stage, they do their best to master the roles they've been assigned. Only, they aren't aware that they're just playing a part, on the world stage. Lost in their roles, the dramas that their characters are going through seem extremely important and become all consuming.

When we watch characters that we like, in a movie or a TV show, we get drawn into their dramas. And when something tragic or unjust happens to them, we feel it in our selves. (For you macho guys that claim immunity to such influences, just consider how you feel after your favorite sports team loses a game, due to a last second debacle or a bad call.) Many are able to draw themselves out of the dramas and let go of the angst, anger, discontent or whatever, if they so choose. However, most find it impossible to distance themselves from their own dramas.

This is the root of human stress, upsetment and suffering.

Taking the stories of our selves so seriously is a deeply ingrained habit. One that requires a powerful commitment and diligent dedication to break free from. And skyscrapers have been built upon the fictitious foundation of the importance of our story lines. These exasperate the challenge, as we also need to let go of the multiple layers of beloved thoughts, feelings and beliefs that these towers are constructed of. Still, the main belief that needs to be dismantled, and perhaps the hardest of all, is the one that contends that this character is valid, substantial and true.

Accepting this fact is the first step toward realizing one's true nature; and, breaking the habit of self absorption, opens a doorway, that enables clearer vision and more accurate understanding. It's not the endgame, but it's a significantly profound leg in the journey of spiritual evolution.