Spirituality & Religion

All posts tagged Spirituality & Religion

The World Is Awakening

Published 04/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

IMG_3512

One Day at a Time, slowly but surely we are making a difference, together we are strong, together we will help make the necessary changes to our world, together we will bring peace to our planet, together we will help bring about an end to hunger and stop the corporate greed that is raping our planet of its natural resources.

Together we are making a difference, with every tweet, every blog post; one more person becomes aware of what is really going on under our nose, the sad truths are coming to light, the reality and the hardships that many people suffer from and experience every day are becoming the forefront of our collective global conscience. It’s time to make that difference my friends, it’s time for us to come together as one 🙂

Two wonderful and powerful music videos for you to enjoy that are full of meaning:)

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Kirk Franklin ‘Let it Go’

Bob Marley ‘War’

A Simple Question?

Published 28/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

10277706_754181007946129_608849413374965402_n

I pose a very simple question to all readers of this blog and to all your followers too.

If all religions team peace, then why can’t all religions achieve peace?

Is it not time for us to put our differences aside and come together just as our religions say deep within their ancient texts, and live as one in PEACE!

Food for thought my friends

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Change Our Thoughts and Change Our World

Published 23/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

coexist

Change Our Thoughts and Change Our World

One sun warms our planet from East to West each and everyday, come rain or come shine mother earth provides for us, One Mother Earth with no preference to who we are, what country we are from or what race, color, religion or creed we are from.

The beauty and bounty that Mother Earth has to offer us is endless as long as we protect her, protect her from harm, harmful pollutants, de-forestation, fracking, oil spills and poisoning of our land and waterways.

Mother earth can and will provide us with all the crops we need and fish from our oceans and rivers as long as we protect her, protect her from the endless greed and profits of man.

What we need to do is ‘Respect, Accept and Coexist’; this could be the starting point of world peace and the coming together of mankind for the good of all.

As the Buddha said:-_

 

One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.

 

Speak not harshly to anyone, for those thus spoken to might retort. Indeed, angry speech hurts, and retaliation may overtake you.

 

Whatever harm an enemy may do to an enemy, or a hater to a hater, an ill-directed mind inflicts on oneself greater harm.

 

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is law eternal.

 

From the Bible:-

Proverbs:6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

John 1:19 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Islamic Philosophy;-

The Arabic word salaam (سلام) (“secured, pacified, submitted”) has the same root as the word Islam .One Islamic interpretation is that individual personal peace is attained by utterly submitting to Allah. The greeting “As -Salaam alaykum” favored by Muslim, has the literal meaning “Peace be upon you”.

One of the terms meaning peace and peacemaking in Arabic, sulh, which is used in the Quran, is also the root of the word islah denoting development and improvement. This term is used to refer to peacemaking. Peacemakers are agents of good and those who breach it are elements of corruption and sin. It is therefore observed that peace and peacemaking are seen in Islamic tradition as part and parcel of human development. In Islam peace and making peace are seen as Godly acts worthy of praise and reward. In Islam peace is advocated as a divine quality to be pursued in order to achieve the state of felicity that we were in paradise, man’s former dwelling.

The Hindu Concept on Peace;-

The rulers think that punishing the peace-breakers will bring peace.

The oppressed think that eliminating the oppressors will ensure peace.

The nations think that destroying or subduing the enemy nations will create peace.

But the wise say that ever-enduring peace can never be obtained through external means.

One who has found inner peace has indeed found peace that abides forever.

Through spiritual discipline alone this inner peace can be acquired.

One who has found peace within transmits peace to others by one’s own life’s example, though one be not aware of it.

Therefore, say the wise, may all try to create peace within, before trying to create any temporary or superficial peace in the world through external means.

 

All religions want peace so in my simple mind if we start acting peacefully in the names of our religions rather than just preaching about it then we could move forward to wards world peace.

May all that have life be delivered from suffering and may we come together as one for the benefit of mankind during my lifetime.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Freedom, such a small word, but what does it mean to you?

Published 20/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

orchid

What constitutes freedom in one country may be far different to that in another.

Am I free?……Am I Really Free?

In many countries, freedom of speech is not even thought of because you can most often do and say what you like, its your right to get up on your pedestal and speak your mind, you can talk freely about politics, government, the monarchy in some countries, human rights…all without a worry regarding repercussion.

But in some countries, freedom means so much more, the simple freedom to be able to go outside without the fear of being killed by militia or other warring factions, the freedom to be able to draw water and drink it freely without the thought of catching a disease or suffering from severe dysentery. The freedom to speak out against the rules of the land, to stand up for your basic human rights, the freedom to pray to your god without the fear of persecution, the freedom to have a choice to eat or not eat today, the freedom to choose your own partner and not be forced into a marriage of convenience or by family arrangement, the freedom to be gay and marry if you want to, the freedom to travel across borders and be with your loved ones once again, the freedom to feel comfortable in your own color of skin, the freedom to receive education even if you are a girl, the freedom to go outside without the fear of being raped because you are a girl, freedom to access the internet free of restrictions, the freedom to earn the same as your male colleagues, the freedom to dress as you like, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.

So what does freedom really mean to you and can you help others around the world that are far less fortunate than you?
I live and work in a country where freedom of speech is controlled, where access to the wonderful rich world of the internet is restricted and controlled, where human rights are not so important, where freedom of religion is controlled, where the rich get richer at the expense of the poor, where food is tainted by chemicals and the chance of repercussions for speaking out are high…but am I free? Yes I’m free, at least I have a choice, I can find a way, I will speak out in the hope that one day we will come together as one world, one world working together as free spirits for the good of mankind.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Buddhist Tours to Bhutan

Published 19/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

Hi Everyone,

I don’t know if any of you are interested or in fact have the time, but i’m organizing small Bhuddist tour groups to go to Bhutan in the Himalaya’s, I have a Bhutanese friend partnering with me in Bhutan to make all the internal travel arrangements. We are currently organizing a 7 night 8 day tour which includes flights to Bhutan and back to Bangkok Thailand, all transportation in Bhutan, an English speaking tour guide, hotels, meals, Visa’s, country taxes all trips to natural places of beauty, temples, markets and the famous Taktshang (Tigers Nest)  which is perched on the side of a mountain ( see photos below) a Buddhist Monk as tour guide at each temple, meditation sessions with the monks and at least one meditation and prayers session with a Buddhist Lama at the Taktshang Temple. I will be going there myself in September along with a small group of Chinese Buddhists.

If you are interested, please let me know and I will give you the details and prices, Bhutan is one of the happiest places on earth and so far unspoiled by mankind.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

IMG_3158 IMG_3123 IMG_3120 IMG_3131 IMG_3141 IMG_3176  IMG_3177 IMG_3146 IMG_3143 IMG_3137 IMG_3157

Feeling Lost and Alone

Published 16/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

sad-hearts-broken-heart-80592

Feeling Lost and Alone

Some days my heart is lost, lost in its own special world

Wandering about in its own state of emptiness

The feeling of loss like a deep abyss

As tears well up in my eyes, my heart misses a beat

My body not in control, my emotions running wild

My mind conjuring up many things; sad but true, the magician of my life

The skin on my face is weighted by bad experience

And my brow takes the strain of the world

I sit alone with memories of old flashing through my mind

Children playing, happiness and joy, my family, my loved ones, my life perfection

Then the arguments, the rage, the tears, the pain and the disappointments of life

Forever etched deeply in my mind

The need to break free from this torment, so difficult to do, broken hearts and minds are left behind

Cutting the chains that anchored me to so much pain, the abuse, the humiliation

The tears of sadness, the screams of rage, still echo in my heart

Each day I remember, each day I cry, and each day I wish the pain will end

People move on and change their lives, hiding their guilt and passing the blame

My heart knows the truth, my soul to bear; my memories forever remain

But as each day dawns, a new start, a new life, a chance to break free, forever

So from behind the mask a tear falls but outside a smile is free

My prayers are for life, for love, for happiness and compassion for all

No one to blame only me

The pain for a reason, bringing me understanding and experience to my heart

Meditation for the mind taking me closer to understanding…..me

As the tears of mother earth wash the pebbles in a stream since the dawn of time

So to do my tears, cleansing my soul, washing away my pain

Step by step, day by day

Getting stronger, living life, breaking free

Holding out a hand in kindness, brings kindness in return

A smile begets a smile

Love brings love

Today is a new day, my heart beating a new love of life and for me

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Zen Needs No Translation, Only Understanding

Published 03/06/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

Zen

I love this comment from Alan Watts and quotation by a Japanese Zen Master.

Think about it for a while 🙂

Namaste with Love
‘Always’
Mark

Walking, Just Walking in Peace.

Published 27/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

IMG_1951

As I walk, I walk in peace
One step at a time, one step at a time
No priorities, no judgment, no destination
Just walking in peace, walking in peace

My feet touch the ground, I’m home, I’m home
At home, in love and in awe of mother earth
She saves me, provides for me and protects me,
The mother of all, our keeper, our life
One step at a time, one step at a time, she gives life to our world

The rays of the sun caressing my skin, awakens my senses and lighting my way
The wind gently cooling my brow, filling my lungs with compassion and love
Birds sing in the trees, their games of love on wings above, flying so high touching the sky
As I walk in peace, one step at a time making my way through life

I stop, close my eyes and just be
Listening to the world that surrounds me
The bees gently working their magic, passing the love from bud to bud
The flowers in bloom their scent, pure passion and love

My breath is slow, in out, in out, my mind empty of thought, pure calm
Aware of my surroundings a joy to behold, a picture of joy unfolding before me
A wonderful world with so much to offer, plenty for everyone and free for us all
If only we could all walk in peace, walk in peace

One step at a time, one step at a time
Our world is forever changing, one step at a time, one step at a time
On the road to peace, the road to peace
A new world of happiness, of love, peace and joy is unfolding
One step at a time, one step at a time

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Gratitude, Be Thankful For Your Day

Published 26/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

My dear friends,

I posted this video a year or so ago but when I woke up this morning I realised how thankful I am to be me and I have so much in my life to be grateful for. This past weekend has been simply wonderful and I have seen so many happy loving faces, experienced the beauty of nature and had the opportunity to eat lovely food and spend time with beautiful people so I felt it was about time I shared this video with you again in celebration of my re-awakening this morning.

Just a few things i’m continually grateful for.

My lovely wife, her smile, her boundless energy and deep support and love for me
My four wonderful children, their differences and their love for who they are, their friends and their lives
My two wonderful puppies, their endless energy and unconditional love for us
My Life, my health and the gifts I was born with
My work and what that has enabled me to do during my lifetime
My education and how it has helped me throughout my life and how learning keeps me young at heart and of mind
The beautiful sunny day
The birds singing in the gardens below my window
My colleagues for all they do for me, for each other and for our clients
My blog, my blogging friends all around the world, your continued support and friendship amazes me daily
The fresh food I made up for my lunch and the freshly ground coffee
My spiritual awareness and practice and the gifts that allow me to help others who need my support
My weekend and the chance to travel to another province in China
For the smiles I see and the joy that brings to my heart
The thought of peace
My meditations and mindfulness practice
My love for my wife, my children, my family, my friends, my colleagues, humanity and mother earth

I do hope you will take the time to stop for a while and to watch this wonderful video and I hope it will bring as much joy and happiness to you as i has done for me

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Work is Love Made Visible!

Published 23/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

the-ploughman-wilmington-polegate-near-eastbourne-joseph-harold-swanwick

Then a ploughman said, “Speak to us of Work.”

And he answered, saying:
You work that you may keep pace with
the earth and the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons,
and to step out of life’s procession,
that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.
于是一个农夫说:请给我们谈谈工作。
他回答说:
你工作为了要与大地和大地的精神一同前进。
因为惰逸使你成为四季的陌生人,
一个生命的落伍者,
生命的行进是庄严的、自豪的臣服,向着无限迈进。

When you work you are a flute through whose heart
the whispering of the hours turns to music.
Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent,
when all else sings together in unison?
在你工作的时候,你是一管笛,
从你心中吹出时光的微语,变成音乐。
你们谁肯做一根芦管,在万物合唱的时候,
你独痴呆无声呢?

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth’s furthest dream,assigned to you when that dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.
你们常听人说,工作是祸殃,劳力是不幸。
我却对你们说,你们工作的时候,你们完成了大地的深远的梦之一部,
他指示你那梦是何时开头,
而在你劳力不息的时候,你确在爱了生命。
从工作里爱了生命,就是通彻了生命最深的秘密。

But if you in your pain call birth an affliction
and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow,
then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.
倘然在你的辛苦里,将有身之苦恼和养身之诅咒,
写上你的眉间,则我将回答你,
只有你眉间的汗,能将它们清洗。

You have been told also that life is darkness,
and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.
And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is LOVE;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself,
and to one another, and to God.
你们也听见人说,生命是黑暗的,
在你疲瘁之中,你附和了那疲瘁的人所说的话。
我说生命的确是黑暗的,除非是有了激励;
一切的激励都是盲目的,除非是有了知识;
一切的知识都是徒然的,除非是有了工作;
一切的工作都是虚空的,除非是有了爱;
当你怀着爱工作的时候,你便与自己、与他人、与上天合而为一。

And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart,
even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
怎样才是怀着爱工作呢?
从你的心中抽丝,织成布帛,仿佛你爱的人要来穿此衣裳。
It is to build a house with affection,
even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
是用慈爱建造一幢房子,
仿佛你爱的人就要居住其中;

It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy,
even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
是用柔情播种,带着欢乐收获,
仿佛你爱的人就要品尝这果实;

It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead
are standing about you and watching.
是用你自己灵魂的气息,来充满你所创造的一切。
要知道一切受福的古人,正站在你身旁注视着。

Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep,
“He who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who ploughs the soil.
And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet.”
我常听见你们仿佛在梦中说:
“那在大理石上工作并找到他自己灵魂轮廓的人,
比耕地的人高贵多了。
那捉住彩虹,传神地画在布帛上的人,
比织履的人强多了。”

But I say, not in sleep but in the over wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.
我却要说:不在梦中,而在正午极情醒的时候,
风对大橡树说话的小的草叶所说的更甜柔;
只有那用他的爱心,把风声变成甜柔的歌曲的人,
是伟大的。

Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste,
it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
工作就是爱的显现。
假如你不能怀着爱工作,而只觉厌烦,
那你不如放弃工作,坐在庙堂门边,
接受那些快乐工作的人们的施舍吧。

For if you bake bread with indifference,
you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man’s ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

因为,
假如你心不在焉地烤面包,你烘出的苦面包就只能让人半饱。
假如你勉为其难地榨葡萄,你的忿懑就在葡萄酒中滴入了毒液。
假如你宛若天使般地唱歌,却并不热爱歌唱,你便堵住了人们聆听昼夜之声的双耳。

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Allow your emotions and feelings to enter your life without judgement

Published 19/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

The guest house

The ‘Guest House’ A fantastic way to think about our emotions and feelings. Welcome them into your life, don’t judge them for they may be coming to you for a reason!

Mindfulness and meditation practice allows us the valuable time to connect deeply with our inner self, to spend time with ourself and to listen to what is going on with our mind, body and soul. Lets take a quick look at emotions and feelings through the use of meditation and mindfulness and as Rumi says, ‘welcome them into our guesthouse’.

As we sit or lie and start our meditation, we close our eyes and relax our body, concentrate on our breath, in and out, in and out, we can take our time to bring our awareness to our breath, focussing our attention only on our breath, the feeling of our breath as it raises our stomach, inflates our chest or the coolness of the air entering through our nose, the key is to allow the time for our mind to become calm and concentrating on the breath certainly helps us do this, it may take you some time because you may; at the beginning get caught up with thoughts flashing into your mind, you will hear sounds which break your concentration, feel an itch, cough, hear your children playing, the phone ringing etc, but please take my word for it; with practice it gets easier 🙂 So, back to our breath, in and out, in and out, feel the cool air entering your nose, in and out, in and out, feel the air inflating your chest, be aware of the gap/time in -between the top of your in-breath and before the out=breath starts, then feel the air slowly leaving your lungs, moving up through your throat and up and out of your nose, in and out, in and out. If your mind starts to wander, don’t worry, its normal, just recognise the fact that it happened and bring your focus back to the breath, in and out, in and out.

As thoughts enter your mind place a label on them ‘thought’ or thinking’, you can label them more deeply if it help you like such as ‘ work’, ‘children’, chores’ or whatever helps, but try to regain your composure and bring your awareness back to your breath, in and out, in and out.

Emotions and feelings may arise  like ‘Happiness’ or ‘Anxiety’, if they come; then accept them in, concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out, what is ‘Happiness’ why are you feeling Happy? Concentrate on your breath and get acquainted with the emotion of’ happiness’, where did it come from and what are the feelings behind it, maybe your feeling so happy that you have given yourself some time for yourself, maybe your heart is telling you it loves you. This is your journey of discovery so enjoy the feeling. If ‘Anxiety arrives, then accept it too, why is it there, what made it arrive? Do you feel anxious because your spending valuable time on yourself? does that make you anxious? Are you anxious of not knowing the outcome? Are you anxious of time and wanting the session to end? Get acquainted with the emotion and allow it to come and to go.

Concentrate on your breath, in and out, in and out.

 

find-your-way-home-rumi

 

Also from Rumi as posted by Dr Victoria Lee

The purpose of emotion
A certain sufi tore his robe in grief,

and the tearing brought such relief….

his teacher understood the purity

of the action while others

just saw the jagged appearance.

If you want peace and purity

tear away the coverings.

This is the purpose of emoton, to let

a streaming beauty flow through you.

Call it spirit, elixir, or the original

agreement between yourself and God.

Opening into that gives peace, a song of

being empty,

pure silence.

In this poem, dear Rumi guides us once again toward deepening our spiritual experience. Stripping away the covering imposed by the false self is always the path. This means letting go of our attachment to the ideas we have about ourselves, as well as to the ideas others have about us. The most fundamental of these may be our limiting beliefs–I am incapable, the world is too harsh, I am too old, too young, too attached to obligations, too unable to feel anything transcendent, too ____; when we allow all that to dissolve, Rumi famously tells us that we will find glints of treasure in the dirt of the demolition of the house we’ve built out of false ideas about who we are. Then the streaming beauty emotion is meant to allow us can flow through us.

Then we may look in the mirror–and in every human and animal face–and know that:

Inside you are sweet beyond telling. There is a sun in everyone!

May you look in the mirror today, dear visitor, and look deeply into any human face; look into the eyes of a child. See the longing and see the beauty!

 

Mindfulness and meditation my dear friends can bring you so much awareness and help you come to terms with your emotions, feelings and pain.

Good luck on your personal journey of discovery.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

The Devoted Buddhist, a Story of Deception

Published 16/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

IMG_2278

The Devoted Buddhist
最虔诚的信徒

One upon a time in ancient China, there were two thieves, Jia and Yi, who found themselves down on their luck. Both had been starving for days when they came across a Buddhist temple. The smell of cooked food wafted from its general direction and made them even hungrier.

Yi was the first to speak “Let’s go ask for some food.”
Jia replied. “What if they are not willing to share? We may need to resort to force.”
Yi shook his head. “That is not a good idea. These monks come from the Shaolin lineage.
They are quite capable of defending themselves. You and I would have no chance against them.”

Jia thought for a moment and said, “I have an idea. We’ll tell them we are devout Buddhists.”

Yi was doubtful. “But we are not religious at all.”
“You can say that about yourself if you want. I am going to be the most devoted Buddhist they have ever seen. “ Jia said as he knocked on the door.

“Yes?” A monk opened the door.
“May merciful Buddha bless you!” Jia exclaimed. “ I bring you humble greetings from the Shaolin temple, where I am an enthusiastic patron serving the monks, who of course belong to the same honorable lineage as yourself. O Great Master.”

“How about you, sir?” The monk turned to Yi. “Are you also of our faith?”
“Uh…No, I am not very religious.”
“Very well. Please come in, gentlemen. “ The monk pointed to the hallway and said to Yi: “Sir, the kitchen is in that direction. You will find that it is well stocked. Please help yourself to whatever food you want.”

The Monk then took Jia’s hand with a friendly smile: “Sir, you can follow me to the inner chamber. Since you are of our order, you must already know today is a fasting day. We are glad to see you come such a long way to join us in meditation.
“This way please.”

The Tao

This is the ultimate Tao story about deception. With a few quick strokes, it sketches the human tendency to deceive, and the consequences that follow.
Lau Tzu addresses the same subject in the Tao Te Ching chapter 65 with the following lines:-

Therefore, using cleverness to govern the state
Is being a thief of the state
Not using cleverness to govern the state
Is being a blessing of the state

We can understand the above when we recall that Lao Tzu habitually uses this king of metaphor for one’s self, and the country as a metaphor for life. Thus, governing the state simply means life management. Cleverness, in this context, refers to the ploys we use to deceive. Just like Jia in the story, we think of ourselves as being quite clever when we conjure up our various tricks.

Lao Tzu’s message is clear: In practicing deception against others, we are actually stealing from ourselves. We may think we have gained a benefit, but it is an illusion that will soon be revealed as a loss. This describes Jia’s fate in the story. He hoped to win and advantage, but ended up depriving himself of a much-needed meal when his trick backfired on him.

At a deeper level, this story addresses not just the immediate effect of deception, but also it’s eventual consequence. Jia’s ploy backfired right away, but real life may not work out this way. Sometimes it takes a while for the true consequence to unfold. We may think, for a short time, that we have gotten away with it, but the sages teach us that there is no escape from Karma. We will have to answer for our actions sooner or later.

images

I do hope you have enjoyed this Buddhist story and the metaphors used by Lao Tzu to explain the process and the consequence?

Namaste with Love my friends
Always

Mark

Spring Is Truly In The Air, So Now Go Find Some Love

Published 01/05/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

seeking love

It’s the 1st of May, the sun is shining here in Shanghai, its 10am and already 23c so a great day is ahead of us and to cap it all off it’s National Holiday here in China so we have two extra days off work …yeah 🙂

I’m so full of love, love is in my heart, it’s in my soul and I can see it everywhere, it’s in the eyes of my two little puppy’s when they greet me in the morning, it’s in my wife’s smile and her cheeky grin when she’s making a joke:)

1960066_460774014050402_195019194_n

I can see young couples on the street hand in hand, arm in arm, their eyes and body language is full of love, walking in the park, the sweet scent of spring fills the air and the birds and insects are full of love too, its time to get together with friends, with family and enjoy our love for one another. Smiles say it all 🙂

smallmoments

Look for goodness and beauty in your day and you will find them and all your negative feelings like anger and resentment will recede. When you are immersed in all that is good and beautiful around you, you cannot feel angry or resentful . There will be no room in your heart for such feelings, for it will be filled to the brim with joy and gratitude.

13 - 1 copy 3

Try smiling from your heart. Let this happen naturally as you cultivate your own inner joy from the beauty you see all around you today. This inner smile is vibrant, sparkling and full of life and awareness. You will know that you have done it correctly when someone else smiles back at you 🙂

Go out today, take a deep breath and smile from your heart…Live the day 🙂

Namaste with Love
Always

Mark

My Spiritual Journey Part 7

Published 28/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

mauna kea summit

My trips to Hawaii

During a healing session for my shoulder about 2 years ago when I was still dealing with the recent passing of my dear Father and recovering from my accident and subsequent surgery, the healer said ‘You have a calling towards Hawaii, something very strong is drawing you towards those Islands, maybe you need to go there, stay a while and maybe learn the healing of Ho’oponopono’! I had no idea what Ho’oponopono was or had I ever thought of going to Hawaii mainly because it was so far away from the UK where I was brought up or for that matter from China where I now live, Hawaii in my mind was a holiday destination, a place for surfing, Hawaii 5’O and Magnum PI, TV programs I remembered from my youth ☺ Anyways after the session I felt the drawing towards Hawaii was becoming ever stronger, I immediately started to look at travel information, flights from Shanghai to Tokyo in Japan then a change of flight to Oahu then another flight to the Big Island, a lengthy journey but one in which I seemed destined to follow! We made our plan to visit the Big Island because May and I wanted to see a live volcano and experience the sunset on Mauna Kea at 14,000ft, above the clouds, to me that was my spiritual calling towards these beautiful islands.

Our trip came around quickly and May and I were soon on our way, the journey was a little torturous, three flights and around 20 or so hours and we had arrived on the Big Island, we picked up our car and drove to the villa we had booked, one which I was immediately drawn to called ‘Bali Temple’ situated on a old lava flow close to the ocean, the black volcanic beach, spinner dolphins and Kilauea, the volcano I so wanted to see.

flower

The villa was all we had imagined, built on the lava flow in amongst the coconut trees, surrounded by native flowers from the islands a gentle breeze from the ocean, sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks and a lullaby each night from the frogs and insects living around us, total relaxation which I needed so badly after so much trauma in my life. I had not experienced anything like this before, yes, I had been on many holidays to exotic places, tropical islands in the sun and very remote and peaceful locations; but somehow Hawaii was different, it felt like I was home and I felt totally at ease here. The first morning we decided to visit a local pool, which was served with a mix of fresh water and salt water, the Pacific ocean fed the pool with fresh salt water all day long through a small inlet tube and the fresh water came from underground and was heated naturally by Kilauea the volcano we had come to see, the pool was set in a beautiful natural location surrounded by coconut palms, lush grassed picnic areas, the blue ocean and teaming with small brightly coloured fish, shrimps and crabs fresh in from the sea. I spent a couple of hours relaxing my bones in the lovely warm water floating on the surface and enjoying the sun, I have perfect flotation balance so I can lie flat and float on the surface for hours on end, just meditating. All of a sudden I heard a scream, the scream awakened me from my deep meditation, the scream was also accented by the feeling of my feet touching some rope, I popped up like a cork from my lying position to realize I was being drawn out to sea by the tidal pull, I was on my way out of the pool, the ocean pulling me away. Luckily I was in time, the lady’s scream had alerted me and I was able to scramble back to the safety of the pool! Thank God because my recently fixed shoulder would not have managed to help me swim against the waves out in the open ocean. As I caught my breath the lady came up to me, she introduced herself and told me what she had just witnessed. The lady and I exchanged names and I thanked her for awakening me, in fact; saving me from certain peril!

She saw my surgical scar on my shoulder and asked me what had happened, after a brief discussion she started telling me her life story, where she was from in the USA, what had happened to her throughout her life, the traumatic relationships she had gone through and the cancer that had taken hold of her, the years of struggle she had gone through, the loss of her business, loss of property, the fights and the recovery to now living in Hawaii where she is happy and I’m glad to say cancer free ☺ She said ‘I have never told anyone my story Mark, I’m a private person who just gets on with it, makes the best of the situation and look after myself, but strangely I felt the need to tell you, to share all with you and tell you my life’s story, I don’t know why but you have something special that made me tell you’!

After about an hours conversation, I thanked her for her kindness and we went our separate ways, I got out of the pool and told my wife what had happened; the trauma in the pool and the conversation with the lady, wow! Why did she come to me, and what made her tell me her life’s story? All I remember is I listened and the words I spoke came from within, I know I did not need to think about my answers, the words just flowed like the waves of the ocean, she felt calm and totally at ease with me and our meeting; although brief was very meaningful and it happened for a reason.

May and I fell into the local lifestyle easily, we spent our days, sitting by the ocean, watching the turtles play in the surf, snorkeling in the warm tidal pools enjoying the fresh air, the blue skies, the local produce and the warm sun, perfect and total relaxation in paradise.

During our trip we visited Kilauea the live volcano, we were in awe of its magnificence, its power, the devastation that Pele The Goddess of Kilauea has caused over the years, the energy that she has and the draw that her energy has over the people that visit it. May and I went back many times, we walked over the lava flows, explored the vastness of its rugged and natural beauty, walked through the lava tubes, felt the steam rising from deep below and smelt the pungent air from the depths of Gaia, we took a helicopter flight over the volcano to see its summit, gazed down into the depths and watched the molten lava flowing from Kilauea down to the sea, the steam rising from the ocean as the molten lava enters the Pacific and is calmed by nature itself. I felt my energy increase throughout our visit, I was becoming physically stronger and mentally I was starting to recover from my recent traumas and my surgery.

forest

The Big Island has many communes, groups of ‘New Age’ families and young people living simply and enjoying life in paradise, we visited their markets, brought fresh produce and enjoyed our interactions.

One day my wife and I were driving along a long country road, miles from anywhere heading up the east coast towards Hilo, a hitchhiker was walking along the road with his hand out looking for a ride. Now, we hade been in Hawaii for about two weeks already, we had driven past many hitchhikers and I had never stopped to pick anyone up, this is just not the thing to do back in China or the UK, but for some reason I started to pull over just as we passed this young man, my wife of course asked my what I was doing, ‘why are you stopping’? I replied, ‘I have no idea, but I just know I need to give him a ride’!

The door opened and this young late twenties/early thirties man in shorts with a mass of curly hair, bare chest, bare feet and a beard said ‘ thank you sir, wow! You have an amazing aura, thank you for stopping’, he got in the car, we asked him where he needed to go and he just said ‘just drive and I will tell you when to stop and let me off’, these roads were very remote with thick rainforest type natural deep vegetation either side of the road, as we drove he asked me some questions but said that we were destined to meet, my energy was so strong and he needed to feel it, he said I had lots to do on my journey and said I was doing great work, and I should let go, feel free and enjoy the good that will come from my life and its interactions with others who need my help! A couple of miles further on he said, stop!. My wife and I questioned him because we were literally in the middle of nowhere, he got out of the car and as we drove away, we both looked back and he had gone, disappeared from view, nowhere was he to be seen! My wife and I could not believe what had just happened, we were both a little shocked by the experience, the words that came from the man were very softly spoken, he was obviously very spiritual, his aura and energy very calm and he was a lovely person. Why did I stop and pick him up? Who knows! What was the purpose and meaning behind what he said to me? Who knows! All I know is, I was meant to pick him up and I was meant to learn from him.

I’m feeling drained right now, my energies have been exhausted by the recollections of these two encounters in Hawaii…more to follow soon, I promise ☺

Namaste with Love
Always

Mark

Conquering Our Fears

Published 22/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

1506525_702960039754243_1660016123_n

A perfect and simple image to go along with the last few posts I made on ‘Fear’.

Fear holds us back…End of Story!

And we all succumb to it one time or another in our lives!

This is not just fear of doing something hazardous or dangerous, its not the fear of violence or the fear that we may experience when confronted by a dangerous animal, its the ‘Fear of Uncertainty’, the ‘Fear of Failure’, the ‘Fear of Loosing Face’, the ‘Fear of not being good enough’, the ‘Fear of rejection’, the ‘Fear of humiliation’

If you want to move forward with your life you need to confront your fears and become their master.

Life is good my friends and it can be good to you too if you learn to conquer your fears 🙂

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

How to Overcome Fear, a Short Video by Sadhguru

Published 21/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

A nice follow on video to a couple of my most latest posts regarding Fear.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

What Can Mathematics Do For Humanity?

Published 20/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

mathematics

Mathematics can show us how to solve anything!

Try to add more love, happiness, joy and compassion to your life and minus some hate, resentment, jealousy, envy and greed. Hold out your hands and give out your thanks and gratitude to the world and you will be blessed with a happier and more peaceful loving life!

Namaste with Love my friends
Always
Mark

Why Fear?

Published 19/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

why fear

Spiritual Burn Out

Published 18/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

1491651_687197728004410_105905590690261013_n

Have you ever experienced ‘Spiritual Burn Out’ a time or times when you feel exhausted by doing good for others, or a time / times when you have taken all the burdens of others onto your shoulders and not managed to shake them off?

I know I have!

Everyday, I spend my time in the pursuit of doing good, trying to make a difference to our world one step at a time, its either thinking of what to post on my blog today, what articles or subjects will be useful and helpful for my readers, what words should I use to help people gain control over a personal challenge, what words to use to help console someone who’s life is hurting, what words to use for someone who’s grieving for the loose of a friend or loved one, what words to use for someone who has been the subject of physical or mental abuse, what words to use to inspire someone, what words to use to help someone who is in the depths of depression, what good can I do today, what can I do in the way of a workshop for people in my community on mindfulness or meditation. How can I help local students cope with the stresses of working so hard on their studies (In China this can be 14-16 hours a day 7 days a week), how can I use my skills and gifts from god to help others less fortunate than myself, what can I do to help educate about the need to preserve nature for the next generation…..
……
…..’How can I, What can I…..

Each day, I go through this routine and some days I just cannot think, my mind is too full, so what can I do?

I meditate

I reach inside my soul and connect with my heart, I drop all ties to all emotions, I recognise my ego and let it and its powerful thoughts pass me bye and I relax my body and allow my heart to connect with my inner soul, its from this place I gain my strength, its here that the clarity comes through,its here that provides me with the fuel to carry on my work, its here that I am in touch with my higher self, spirit, god and my guides.

While I’m here I always give thanks, thanks for all I have in my life, thanks for my opportunity to do good, to help others less fortunate than I , thanks for now, thanks for what is to come and I ask for support and help along my continued journey to wherever this life will take me.

The amazing thing is, when I take this meditative time out, the fog lifts and I gain a clear vision of where I need to go, what I need to do and the law of attraction provides for me in repayment for my gratitude.

Today is Good Friday the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who gave his life for humanity out of LOVE.

Matthias_Grünewald_-_The_Crucifixion_-_WGA10710

In order to give our LOVE to others we need to give something up, to sacrifice something, even if that something is our time.

Namaste with Love my friends
Always

Mark

Reach Out, We All Need To Do It Sometimes.

Published 16/04/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

reach out

As a follow on to my last post I saw this image and thought it was a very fitting follow on. Reach Out, we all need to do it sometimes!

In some countries and cultures, reaching out is very normal and the done thing, to reach out to support groups, councillors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, religious groups etc but in some cultures and countries it is seen as a sign of weakness and a loss of face to admit to others that you are experiencing a problem.

Look at the words on the arms of the two people in the image and consider reaching out to a friend, a loved one, a family member or a support group if you need help or if you have have time and skills to offer support to others yourself then please consider doing so 🙂

We all need help sometimes!

Namaste with Love my dear friends
Always
Mark