I lit an incense stick this morning
In memory of loved ones lost
To my higher self
To God, The Buddha and the Angels
Kuan Yin, Lao Tzu and Confucius
Ascended Masters and Family members
Were all present in my prayers
As I sat in quiet contemplation, at peace with myself
Giving silent thanks for all I have in my life
To my family, my friends and my colleagues
My love, my compassion and my gratefulness
Unconditional thanks and love for all
The sweet heady smell of incense wafts through my room
As I sit and give praise to all
To Mother Earth, The Environment and Humanity
And May the God’s give us Peace on Earth.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Just because we’re old doesn’t mean we are past enjoying technology and the beauty that can be brought into our lives through the proper use if that technology and equally just because we are young doesn’t mean we are insensitive towards old people and non interested in the wisdom that age can bring to our young lives!
I like to think that there is wisdom in every being, young or old, rich or poor, we all have something to offer to this life and to our world.
Enjoy this image my friends and wonder for a while and imagine what music or words this wise old Tao Master is listening to!
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Once again tears are brought to my eyes and pain is in my heart when I see images like this, images that should be wiped from our minds forever, images that in this modern day and age should never exist at all! But unfortunately these things continue to happen in countries all over the world each and every day. No one deserves to be beaten, abused, humiliated or murdered, NO ONE!
We are all human beings so…….PLEASE
DO NOT Turn The Other Cheek!
Is it not about time that we stopped turning the other cheek and actually stood up for humanity?
Oppression, abuse, exploitation, torture, murder and ethnic cleansing is still happening all around the world, these problems are not someone else’s problem, they are also your problem. We are all human beings; so please wake up, do something to stop this madness as its probably happening somewhere close to you too!
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
So many people are in need of your help, people who are in deep despair, in deep fear and have a deep sense of anger in their hearts. By holding out our hands in support and with compassionate listening we will start to understand how we can really help end their suffering.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
“If it were not laughed at, it would not be sufficient to be Tao.” – Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching
Did you ever have a bad day? Everything seems to go wrong and you are completely lost in anger, frustration and self-pity. It gets worse and worse, until the final moment when, say, you have just missed the last bus. There is some critical point where it gets so bad the absurdity of it all overwhelms you and you can do nothing but laugh. At that moment you uplevel your predicament, you see the cosmic joke in your own suffering.
Meditation, because of the space it allows around events, gives you the chance to see the humor of your predicament. Awareness of the passing show of one’s own life allows a lightness to enter it where only a moment before there was heaviness.
Humor puts things in perspective. There are many levels of humor – there is a humor of survival, a humor of sex and gratification, a humor connected with power. Beyond all these there is a humor that is filled with compassion. It is reflected in the tiny upturn in the mouth of the Buddha, for he sees the humor in the universal predicament: all beings are lost in illusion, yet he knows that they will awaken from that illusion for they are, at heart, already enlightened. He knows that what seems so hard to them is from another perspective their own path to liberation.
Often the perspectives about yourself and the universe that you arrive at through meditation make you want to giggle or laugh. This giggle is without malice. It’s a cosmic giggle, one that I identify with my guru, Maharaj-ji. For his giggle was not of this world. It was not a social or personality giggle, but rather a cosmic chuckle, the delight in the fun of it all. His giggle was from the plane that gives us the term “lila,” the divine dance of life.
– Ram Dass
A DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER IS A WASTED DAY!
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
Together we can make a change to our world
Love Is The Answer My Friends
Namaste With Love
Always
Mark
Lao Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the Warring States period of the 5th or 4th century BC. A central figure in Chinese culture, Lao Tzu is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern common folk of the Li family as a founder of their lineage. Throughout history, Lao Tzu’s work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.
Lao Tsu taught that all straining, all striving are not only vain but counterproductive. One should endeavor to do nothing (wu-wei). But what does this mean? It means not to literally do nothing, but to discern and follow the natural forces — to follow and shape the flow of events and not to pit oneself against the natural order of things. First and foremost to be spontaneous in ones actions.
In this sense the Taoist doctrine of wu-wei can be understood as a way of mastering circumstances by understanding their nature or principal, and then shaping ones actions in accordance with these. This understanding has also infused the approach to movement as it is developed in Tai Chi Chuan.
Understanding this, Taoist philosophy followed a very interesting circle. On the one hand the Taoists, rejected the Confucian attempts to regulate life and society and counseled instead to turn away from it to a solitary contemplation of nature. On the other hand they believed that by doing so one could ultimately harness the powers of the universe. By ‘doing nothing’ one could ‘accomplish everything.’
Lao Tzu writes:
The Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquillity.
In this way all things would be at peace.
In this way Taoist philosophy reached out to council rulers and advise them of how to govern their domains. Thus Taoism, in a peculiar and roundabout way, became a political philosophy. The formulation follows these lines:
The Taoist sage has no ambitions, therefore he can never fail. He who never fails always succeeds. And he who always succeeds is all- powerful.
From a solitary contemplation of nature, far removed from the affairs of men, can emerge a philosophy that has, both in a critical as well a constructive sense — a direct and practical political message. Lao Tzu writes:
Why are people starving?
Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes.
Therefore the people are starving.
Why are the people rebellious?
Because the rulers interfere too much.
Therefore they are rebellious.
Why do people think so little of death?
Because the rulers demand too much of life.
Therefore the people take life lightly.
Having to live on, one knows better than to value life too much.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Wise words indeed from H.H the 14th Dalai Lama. If we could take these words into our hearts and realize that there are always many people in our world who are worse off than we, and come to the realization that there are many people out there in our families, communities, countries and other regions of the world who really need our help and that we certainly do have the the power and abilities to overcome our own struggles in life, then we could and will be able to change our own circumstances for the better and also at the same time enable us to help others overcome theirs.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Some days, I’m not so sure!
I wake up and start my day, I amble out of bed
Feeling tired, lethargic and grumpy
More sleep needed maybe, more time to rest, to lie dormant and be; just me!
A pick me up coffee to raise my spirits, its heady smell and strong taste slapping me awake like a hand to my face
Or does it help suppress my mind, control my senses and take away my creativity
Breakfast…Oh no, that’s for wimps, no time for that in my busy life
Off to the bathroom for me instead, the slow walk to that place of awakening
The mirror lies before me, standing proud and tall the size of my wall, no place to hide
I’m naked for my eyes to see, Ohh a sight for sore eyes and not for the faint at heart
Too much fat hiding my chin, my eyes are red and sleepy, lids wanting to close and sleep once again
Plenty of excess around my middle, my arms my hips, my rear, it appeared overnight, I think!
Is my hair receding even further, is that a spot on my face
I’m no teenager, where have they come from, maybe a memory of day’s gone bye
What’s that hair doing coming from my ears and nose, should it not be on my head
It wasn’t there yesterday, my body it would seem to be out of control
A clean shave is what I need and into the shower I go
The fresh warm water cascading down upon my head
Awakening my body and my soul
Water cleansing, washing away my negativity, bringing life back to my body like rain to a seed
The towel meets my skin, rough and soft all at the same time
The water disappearing into the fabric, leaving my skin soft and dry
A splash of aftershave hits my jaw, awakens my senses to the sweet smell of summer
Stepping into my trousers, and a fresh shirt completes my attire
Looking into the mirror a new man, a new day, a new opportunity
I love my self again, I’m happy in my skin, I’m proud of what I have achieved
I’m off to start a fresh day, out into our wonderful world, more people to help, more spirits to lift
Opening the door, the sun greets my face it awakens me to mother nature, warm and gentle welcoming me once again
Stepping down my steps I feel my breath, catching the fresh morning air
Feet touching the ground with a steady momentum, taking me on to more challenges in life
I hear the sounds of our world, the noise of the city, millions moving towards their day, but if I listen carefully there is so much more to hear
The quietness of nature, birds in song, the soft rustling of leaves as the gentle breeze passes through the trees
Mothers walking their children to school, grandparents exercising in the gardens their slow Tai Chi movements, bringing life to their aging bones
Ladies dancing under the trees, awakening their limbs and bringing smiles of joy to their faces
I am indeed grateful for all I have in my life
I have a gift, the gift of sight, the gift of sound, the gift of smell, and the gift of touch
The ability to realize all that is around me, the gift is LIFE itself
So easy to forget in our crazy non stop world, so easy to loose sight of what we have, So easy to fall into the hands of the media and follow their never ending tales of doom and gloom
I do love my life; I do love my world
I’m thankful and grateful for another day to share this gift with you
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Lao Tzu always spoke of going with the flow of life, be like water and you will always find a way, and if you want to help awaken others then first understand yourself and awaken yourself. Learn the gifts of silence and listening as they are two of the greatest strengths for you to possess my friends and always remember to give to others from your heart, and you will reap benefits in return and lastly be thankful and grateful for all you have in your life, once you reach this understanding then you will realize that there is nothing lacking in your life and therefore nothing else matters, you will then be at peace with yourself and the world.
I will be traveling for the next few weeks but I will try to post as and when I can. Peace and Love to you all.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
In my heart of hearts,
I no longer want to be
Better than you
Smarter than you
Thinner than you
Prettier than you
Faster than you
Stronger than you
More accomplished than you
More creative than you
A better mother than you
A better friend than you
Better educated than you
ANYTHING more than you.
I want to walk this path
Side by side
In awe of who you are
In awe of what your gifts are
To see you only in love and light
With your beauty shining through
Just as you are.
And I want you to see me the same way.
For I really do love you
Just as you are.
I only thought I had to be better
In order for you to love me.
I drop this cloak of outshining at the gate.
It has been such a heavy burden,
An unnecessary burden
A self imposed burden.
Will you still love me
Being just as I am.
In my heart of hearts,
I know you will.
~ Katy Stevenson Wirth
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Inner Peace, Do you have it?
To be happy with yourself, to be at peace with yourself, your looks, your life and the life around you is sometimes difficult to achieve but you can do it, you can be at peace with yourself, you can be stress free and enjoy your life to the full, all it takes is to firstly make a decision to love yourself unconditionally, then start living in the ‘Now’, forget about the past, it’s gone and it can never come back, don’t waste your time thinking or worrying about tomorrow because thats a total waste of your ‘Now time’. Be thankful for all you have in your life, look around you and count your blessings, love the people close to you, hold out your hand to those in-need and start your life a new 🙂
Tomorrow is another day, so live today to the full and be at peace with yourself 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
How will we deal with grief and the loss of a loved one?
Imagine yourself sitting on the deck of a beautiful white yacht, the sun shining its warm rays on your skin and the wind filling the sails speeding you along a beautiful deep blue ocean. You are watching dolphins playing nearby. They jump out of the water one after another, they spin gracefully through the air in an arc before diving back into the sea.
The arc is not unlike the cycle of life and death for human beings. We appear in this world like the dolphin jumping out of the water, visible for a short time. Before long, we return to mother nature like the dolphin diving back into the ocean, to complete the circle of life that began there.
When a dolphin disappears beneath the waves, we feel no need to grieve because we know it is still there, it is still alright, even if we can no longer see it. Loved ones who pass on are just like that. They have made the transition, but they do not suddenly cease to exist. They are still there. They are still alright, even though we can no longer see them.
One day it will be your turn to pass on yourself. As you plunge into the waves, you will find the dolphins waiting for you. You will be reunited with your loved ones and once again swim with them..together through the infinite oceans of mother nature.
If you know people who are struggling with grief, give them the gift of caring.Talk to them and listen, just be there and offer a shoulder for them to cry on. When the time is right, let them know that we are all part of something that always has been and always will be. There is birth and death for the body, but not for the soul. Share the truth that the passing of a loved one is but a temporary separation, and let the truth set them free.
R.I.P Robin Williams, your relentless pursuit of happiness has made millions of us smile and your tears of joy have kept us company through the years. May you now be freed from your internal suffering and once again join your loved ones and swim free with the dolphins in Mother Earths great and infinite oceans of love.
Namaste with Love My Friends
Always
Mark
We often forget to share our love with the people closest to us and regret it at the end if their days. Share your love while you still can my friends, reach out to your loved ones today, tell them you love them and leave them with a smile 😄❤️
My Dear Friends
I will join Deepak Chopra, India Arie, Gabrielle Bernstein and hopefully millions of other beautiful souls in a Global Meditation For Peace, this event will take place on the 8th August 2014 at 12 Noon EST so for me that is Midnight same day (approx 13 hours from now), I will be there to pledge my support in meditation and feel the positive peaceful energy that this mass global meditation will bring to our world.
Please go to http://globalmeditation.chopra.com to register, this will give you the specifics of the event, a countdown timer, a short video etc
Namaste with Love and Peace
Always
Mark
In Taoism the Tao ‘Wu Wei’ is often compared to a river. When we talk about going with the flow, we are describing the Tao as having a definitive direction, just like a river flowing in a certain way. Since we live in the Tao, it is important to understand its direction, just as those who swim in a river must understand how its currents work and how this effects their ability to swim, or not.
Moving in flow with the Tao is like swimming downstream. It requires little or no effort at all and you can travel a large distance in a very short time without expending all your energy. Moving against the Tao is like swimming upstream. No matter how hard you try and how hard you swim against the flow of the river, you will struggle to get anywhere and very soon you become exhausted and will possibly drown.
This is why harmony, peace and love are emphasised in the teachings of the Tao. They represent the same flow as the Tao. The more you move with them, the more we experience the effortless grace that they bring to our lives. Life is smooth and easy, and you can go along way in a short time.
To swim with the flow, focus on the positives within your life. Like attracts like, so as soon as you mindfully turn your attention to the goodness of life, you start heading in the same direction. Even the smallest act of appreciation, like a slight movement of a fish to align itself to the powefful current of the river, can be all that you need to turn your life around.
Stop living your life of negativity, go with the flow of life, be thankful for the blessings your life has to offer you and open your heart to a new way of life.
Namaste with Love my Friends
Always
Mark
Would you rather be know by others
Or know yourself?
Is money more important
Than freedom?
Is security sought more than service?
The greedy get the least
The stingy lose the most
The fearful fare the poorest.
The one willing to give all away for free
Only grows richer.
The one who gives his/her life to love
Has nothing to loose
Please give your love freely my dear friends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
Who am I?
You have often read these words within my posts, but as I work in the field of Psychology and Mindfulness I’m often trying to help people understand who they really are. Even I, after all these years of life must from time to time remind myself who I really am. I often reflect and go deep inside myself through meditations and connect to my inner self, to my very being, to my heart and to my soul in order to understand why I am; where I am; in my life.
You can’t see it with the ordinary eye
You can’t hear it with the ordinary ear
You can’t feel it with the ordinary touch
You can’t separate it from light or dark
You can’t approach it from ahead or behind
It’s like a pyramid of mirrors.
Everywhere you look
You see yourself.
Open the pyramid to see whats inside:
The reflection is you.
To define your life is futile;
Don’t get ahead of yourself
Don’t get behind yourself
Don’t compare yourself.
Just be you and enjoy what’s inside.
Consider this: In this present moment God chooses to be you.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Endless Light and Love 