This world, and often this blog, is often full of the terrible side of life – the things people should know about, [...]]]> There is a quiet place, within yourself, away from the storm. In the center of the whipping winds and stinging rain, there is sunlight, peace and tranquility.

This world, and often this blog, is often full of the terrible side of life – the things people should know about, don’t really want to know about, might want to think about and could benefit from being aware of…but also could suffer from, might be anguished by, become fearful of, or worry about.

In the center of all that, I want to remind myself and others, is a place of serenity. Of Knowing. Of a warm, all-encompassing and comforting love. It is there. At the center of all our atoms is the vacuum, that which binds and connects all things. But we must all participate in the act of finding it. At the very least we must recognize it is there and still the mind, to prepare our awareness. To create a place within ourselves for that quiet feather to land.

This can be very difficult, or it can be amazingly simple. We alone control our bodies, and our reactions towards the outer world. If we don’t – well, go back and read some of the things from my second paragraph. Yes, there are agendas, energies and devices being set against our peace of mind. But they are not our god. Our spirits have much, much greater powers than these.

Awareness is the first step. Then there are things we can do to foil them, to fight that battle. The armor is there. Find it and put it on. Go back and read the old masters. They knew this enemy. This type of struggle is exactly what they were referring to.

Enlightenment can come in a day; even in a minute, a second. Or it can come long and painfully, after much suffering. Just ask Buddha.

The Way can be lined with annoyances and unscrupulous people. But it is always there, ready to receive, ready to heal, ready to teach. Just ask Lao Tzu.

Love is our ultimate weapon. The energy we radiate back out into the world, even as we are bombarded with unimaginable atrocities and negativity, is what will change our reality. Just ask Jesus.

It’s only as hard as we think it is. We only have as much power as we allow ourselves to have. For that matter, the dark side only has as much power as we allow it to have.  Just ask Yoda.

We are all bubbles of energy that radiate far outside our physical bodies, and interact with our reality; a feedback loop of information going in and out. Which information will we choose to receive, which shall influence us? And which shall we choose to release back out into the world?

Follow your heart, not the programmed knee-jerk reactions of your world gone mad. Take back what is rightfully yours. Peace of mind. Harmony. Start with yourself. Many will follow; meanwhile, just stay strong. Stay fiercely focused. We are poised for the most incredible journey we can imagine. Yes, – amidst the chaos of these days, is a bright and wonderful future, hiding there in the center of it all. Waiting for us to see it.

These are not pipe dreams. It can and indeed will happen. The question only remains, who will join me on this Great Journey? Who will be there to guide me when I fall down?

As came up in my last radio interview, there are quite a few different points of view regarding otherworldly or ‘non-human’ entities who have, are or will influence our world – angels, demons, aliens, ancient gods, ethereal masters, spirit guides [...]]]> “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” -Goethe

As came up in my last radio interview, there are quite a few different points of view regarding otherworldly or ‘non-human’ entities who have, are or will influence our world – angels, demons, aliens, ancient gods, ethereal masters, spirit guides and the like. Debate arises when one attempts to determine, are they good guys or not, and how do we know for sure? Early on in my blog I touched on this; Aliens: Gods or Demons? is one example, and True Masters is another angle.

My mission is to attempt to help people find and use their own sense of discernment in these matters. It’s why I wrote my book. The truth is within us; in fact this is one way to tell if a guide is really a friend or not – they will tell you (if they tell you anything at all, for real good guys rarely interfere): the truth is within yourself. We just have to learn to access it. That’s what good guys like Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Krishnamurti, Ueshiba and others have tried to explain. It’s also why in my book I placed much of their wisdom next to topics like UFOs and secret societies; it’s a great way to learn how to think about such things. There is a Way to Know. The Chinese called this Way the Tao. It’s pulsing through you right now. Do you have the ears to hear?

“…Over twelve years ago, a group of individuals from several different worlds gathered at a discreet location in our solar system near earth for the purpose of observing the alien intervention that is occurring in our world. From their hidden vantage point, they were able to determine the identity, organization and intentions of those visiting our world and monitor the visitors’ activities. This group of observers call themselves the ‘Allies of Humanity.’” You can read their first book free online here (Thanks, Kingsley). Their message is to warn us that the various “alien visitors” to our world have not come to “promote the advancement of humanity or the spiritual education of humanity…As has occurred in your own world in your own history, the first to reach the new lands are the explorers and the conquerors. They do not come for altruistic reasons. They come seeking power, resources and dominion…The challenge is for humanity to understand who its allies really are and to be able to distinguish them from its potential adversaries.” According to the Allies, spiritually advanced races do not engage in regular space travel, commerce or interfere with other worlds – they prefer to remain unseen.

“The bad guys love to disguise themselves as the good guys,”- Surfing the Tao: A Revolution of Free Will. The Allies write, “The visitors will try and create the impression that they are ‘the allies of humanity.’ They will say they are here to save humanity from itself, that only they can offer the great hope that humanity cannot provide for itself, that only they can establish true order and harmony in the world. But this order and this harmony will be theirs, not yours. And the freedom that they promise will not be yours to enjoy.” These visitors seek to gain our “trust and… devotion,” telling people they’re here to “uplift humanity spiritually, to give humanity new hope, new blessings and new power…once this allegiance is established, it becomes increasingly difficult for people to discern what they know within themselves from what is being told to them. It is a very subtle but very pervasive form of persuasion and manipulation.” “Subtlety is the name of the game.”-Surfing the Tao.

So how do we know? The Allies claim not to want any relationship with our world, nor will they interfere on our behalf; rather they say they are only here to help us advance mentally and spiritually to the point where we can discern and act for ourselves before it’s too late. In contrast to the ‘visitors’, they “advocate a spirituality…not the spirituality that is governed by nations, government of political alliances, but a natural spirituality – the ability to know, to see and to act…In the Greater Community, spirituality is embodied in what we call Knowledge, Knowledge meaning the intelligence of Spirit and the movement of Spirit within you. This empowers you to know rather than only believe. This gives you immunity from persuasion and manipulation, for Knowledge cannot be manipulated by any worldly power or force…If you can respond to Knowledge and learn a Greater Community Way of Knowledge, you will be able to see these things for yourself. Then you will confirm our words rather than only believe them or deny them. The Creator is making this possible, for the Creator wills that humanity prepare for its future…Knowledge enables you to think in a number of ways, to act spontaneously, to perceive reality beyond the obvious and to experience the future and the past.”

Are these “Allies” good guys themselves? Look within yourself for answers. Dharmacist Edward Namerdy in his book Another Place in Space wisely suggests we “see what we believe,” rather than merely “believe what we see.” Lao Tzu said, “The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision.” From Ueshiba, “On occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor.” Bernard Bromage wrote, “The wise man is he whose ears are very attuned to the Divine Whisperer, and who, through all the delusions of a cheaper civilization, hears the Voice.” And lastly, from Hosea 14:9,”Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them.”

The more prohibitions you have,The less virtuous people will be.The more weapons you have,The less secure people will be.The more subsidies you have,The less self-reliant people [...]]]> If you want to be a great leader,
You must learn to follow the Tao.
Stop trying to control.
Let go of fixed plans and concepts,
And the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,
The less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have,
The less secure people will be.
The more subsidies you have,
The less self-reliant people will be.

There fore the Master says:
I let go of the law,
And people become honest.
I let go of economics,
And people become prosperous.
I let go of religion,
And people become serene.
I let go of all desire for the common good,
And the good becomes common as grass. -#57

Lao Tzu says it so much better than I could. One imagines our world is too far gone now to try not-doing – and yet, we can all learn from this wisdom, and dream of a better world.

Our country today is troubled not only with another war abroad, but with a war [...]]]> The Random House dictionary defines a patriot as one who “defends his or her country and its interests,” but it also regards a patriot as a “defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.”

Our country today is troubled not only with another war abroad, but with a war of words at home. On one side are those who defend the present government without question. They are angered by those on the other side, who speak out against policies and decisions made by those in power today. Both sides claim patriotism, but to what? Could it be that our differing definitions of ‘patriotism’ could be undermining the stability of the very country we are all claim to be defending? Lao Tzu wrote in his Tao Te Ching, “When the country falls into chaos, patriotism is born.” Has it gotten that bad already?

The Revolutionary War was fought by so-called ‘patriots’ – those who sought freedom from a government they didn’t agree with. Did Britain consider them to be patriots? In a sense these ‘patriots’ were actually rebels, engaged in what they considered to be a righteous rebellion against tyranny. Adlai Stevenson said, “Do not… regard the critics as questionable patriots. What were Washington and Jefferson and Adams but profound critics of the colonial status quo?”

And what issues did our founding fathers have with this ‘tyrannical’ rule of the time? Our forefathers sought freedom from taxation without representation; they sought religious freedom; they sought freedom of speech and expression; they sought self-rule. The resulting Declaration of Independence and Constitution attempted to provide a satisfactory alternative to rule by monarchy.

Especially since 9/11, many argue that some of these freedoms have been curtailed, ironically by the USA Patriot Act, and other acts of government in which the general population had no say. Was it done, as they say, to protect our freedom? I suppose, as I believe Donald Rumsfeld once said, that we can have freedom or security, but not both. Of course now we are at war as well, and many cry out in against those who choose not to support our government in this effort, claiming such people are un-patriotic.

I support our troops without question. Those men and women didn’t start the war, they are just doing their duty, which happens to be following orders – many times to the death. I applaud these people for their fortitude and stamina in this seemingly unending war against terrorism. Regardless of the arguments some make about Iraq not having WMDs, or that Iraq didn’t destroy the WTC, or that war is a means to profit for the elite – these men and women in uniform aren’t to blame and should have our gratitude and respect.

But to call someone un-patriotic for questioning their government? Of course the government itself feels slighted, so as Henry Steele Commager said, “Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.” But going back again to the days of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, certainly these men would support the right to speak out. They hoped the republic they created would provide a balance between the rulers and the ruled. They provided the right to free speech and to bear arms – not so people could run around yelling and killing each other, but so they could defend themselves from a dishonest government if need be. Certainly the citizenry will not always agree on whether this is the case - but don’t we have the right to disagree? Shouldn’t we at the very least respect each other’s opinion, and take the time to listen to each other? Isn’t that really what it means to be an American?

If you research famous quotes on patriotism the result is surprising. Those who refuse to question the policies of our government might be advised to reread a little history. It’s our job as patriots! I saw a bumper sticker once which said, “Sometimes a patriot needs to defend his country against its government.” And along those lines many famous people have spoken out over the years.

From Teddy Roosevelt, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” (1918)

From Mark Twain: “The government is merely a servant — merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”

From James Baldwin: “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

From Edward R. Murrow: “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.”

To be loyal to America doesn’t mean to sit back and allow one administration or another the power to make decisions without debate or dissent. To be a loyal American is to stand up for our original freedoms, to stand up as our forefathers did, as ‘rebellious patriots’, and fight for the rights that made our country great - particularly the right to disagree, without repercussion. This is the heart and soul of America, and when that is gone, then we become Americans in name only. Some argue, this has already happened, but as long as this article remains posted we still have a chance.

Someday soon, I fear, being an “American” could become a thing of the past, in name as well. As Ronald Reagan famously said in 1985, “I couldn’t help but say to [Mr. Gorbachev], just think how easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held if suddenly there was a threat to this world from another planet. [We'd] find out once and for all that we really are all human beings here on this earth together.” If we are truly on the road to world government, as many believe, we as Americans will have a lot more to fight for someday. If our sovereignty is ever threatened, I can only hope that all Americans – those on both sides of the ‘patriot’ argument today – will come together to defend her from those who seek ultimate power. As Daniel Webster said in 1850, “I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American!”

Each separate being in the universe returns to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity.

If you don’t realize the source, you stumble in [...]]]> Empty your mind of all thoughts. Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of beings, but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe returns to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity.

If you don’t realize the source, you stumble in confusion and sorrow. When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king. Immersed in the wonder of the Tao, you can deal with whatever life brings you, and when death comes, you are ready. (Tao Te Ching, #16)

There are days when I wonder how we all get through it. As blessed as my life is, I still have moments when I wonder, why me? Today I opened the Tao Te Ching and this is the page that came up. It’s amazing how it speaks to me, each time telling me what I need to hear. I need to stop thinking so much and allow the Universe to show me the Way. I need to stop taking things so seriously and take a more lighthearted point of view. When I look out into the world and see so many people with much bigger problems than I have, I know I can handle my own load. Knowing that there is just a bigger Plan than I can comprehend, allows me to breathe a little easier. When I know that I don’t know, that’s when I begin to understand!

She shapes events as they come.

She steps out of the way

and lets the Tao speak for itself.

-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, #45

Once upon a time there was a [...]]]> The Master allows things to happen.

She shapes events as they come.

She steps out of the way

and lets the Tao speak for itself.

-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, #45

Once upon a time there was a poor farmer in China who had a son, but no horse. One day a beautiful stallion appeared at his door. “Oh, good luck, good luck,” said the villagers. “Good luck, bad luck, who knows,” replied the farmer. One day his son rode the horse, fell off and broke his leg. “Oh, bad luck, bad luck,” cried the villagers. “Good luck, bad luck, who knows,” the farmer said. The next day the army rode through town, recruiting youths for a faraway war. They took many of the villages sons to the distress of their families, but passed over the farmer’s son, because of his broken leg. “Oh, good luck, good luck,” said the villagers. “Who knows,” said the wise farmer.

Taoism is difficult to absorb for the modern, western mind because its tenets are so opposite to what we are taught in the world. Most of us are raised to be ambitious or aggressive about we want in life, and to react negatively when things don’t go ‘our’ way. Taoists believe in a more organic approach; to not label things or events as bad or good, but instead learn to use everything in a continual evolution. If we hold to tight to one aspiration, for example, we may be unable to recognize an even better opportunity when it comes along. Sometimes the best things that happen in life might have been called accidents or mistakes. It’s like a silver lining approach to life – whatever happens can be good if we simply decide to perceive it that way. All events can be part of a process of growth and change.

When we attempt to force something out of life, or out of ourselves, we are, perhaps unknowingly, deciding to disregard that the Universe, the Tao, might have something better in store for us. In fact, many people even practice magic, attempting to reroute the powerful flow of the Tao for their own desires. Rather, Taoism teaches one to become at rest in the midst of this universal flow, finding gratitude for the now and allowing the future to take care of itself; allowing the great ‘magic’ of the universe to weave the ultimate web of life. It is much the same idea of living in faith, described in other religions. Many of our great sages attempted to explain this.

Trying to control the future

is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place.

when you handle the master carpenter’s tools

changes are that you’ll cut your hand.

-Tao Te Ching, #74

This doesn’t mean we have no say in our own lives. We are still responsible for making decisions and choices every day. But our free will is arguably limited if we are not aware of all our choices. Are we always clear on what we are choosing? Are we following our own selfish desires, to the detriment of other people and the world around us? Are we making the effort to find that stillness and peace within us, and seek the answers there first? Are we aware that this Way of life is truly is an “Art of Peace”?

Peace originates wth the flow of things – its heart is like the movement of the wind and waves. The Way is like the veins that circulate blood through our bodies, following the natural flow of the life force. If you are separated in the slightest from that divine essence, you are far off the path.

-Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

To Surf the Tao, this flow of all things, we must first become aware of the Surf in the first place. Becoming aware of the Spirit, that vibrating harmonic of life all around us and within us, is different for each person. There is a great flowing Source of energy just waiting for you to choose its Way of love, peace and harmony. When you are in this Flow, your life will naturally become one of prosperity and peace.

Remember, we are human beings, not human doings. I will allow Lao Tzu sum up, for he said it better than I ever could, “The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking; not expecting, she is present and can welcome all things…The Master sees things are they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle…Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?”

Most are stranded on this side.

On the riverbank they run up and down.

But the wise person, following the way,

Crosses over, beyond the reach of death…”

-Teachings of the Buddha (from the Dhammapada, trans. Thomas Byrom)

The Buddha was born a prince in ancient [...]]]> “Few cross over the river.

Most are stranded on this side.

On the riverbank they run up and down.

But the wise person, following the way,

Crosses over, beyond the reach of death…”

-Teachings of the Buddha (from the Dhammapada, trans. Thomas Byrom)

The Buddha was born a prince in ancient India, and raised in wealthy seclusion. He began to see the misery of much of the rest of the world as he grew older. He left home as a young man to seek the truth of what he found, hoping to find an end to the sorrows of human existence. He lived for awhile as an ascetic in the forests, but soon realized he had found no further wisdom in such a life. He one day realized that peace of mind and freedom of spirit could be found in a simple life of balance. He called his teachings the Dharma, or “Way”. (Remember that “Tao” is Chinese for “Way”.)

The word ‘Buddha’ means ‘one who is awake’. The Buddhist tradition attempts to teach the experience of ‘awakening to the truth of life’. They seek to liberate the body and the mind from the materialism of the world, offering instead a Middle Path of peace and balance.

Buddha’s words are in fact strikingly similar in spirit to those of Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching. Of course the religious practices that have developed down the ages took different angles. However, if we consider the original words passed down by these two sages, it begins to seem as if they were both talking about the same realizations – and indeed much the same Way to live.

Buddha said, “Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate.” (Dhammapada) Lao Tzu taught, “The master…is good to people who are good. She is also good to people who aren’t good. This is true goodness.” (Tao Te Ching)

Buddha taught, “Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of the way.” Lao Tzu may have had a different tone and spoke a completely different language, and yet the spirit of his words is familiar: “Since before time and space were, the Tao is. It is beyond ‘is’ and ‘is not’. How do I know this is true? I look inside myself and see…if you want to be given everything, give everything up.”

“The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao, that is what gives her her radiance…she doesn’t cling to ideas,” wrote Lao Tzu. “A mind unshaken when touched by the worldly states, sorrowless, stainless, and secure, this is the blessing supreme,” taught the Buddha.

Both also recognized the futility in the very act of trying to put the great truths into words. Lao Tzu commented, “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.” In turn Buddha lamented, “Words! The Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.” (trans. Richard B. Clarke)

One cannot but help notice that the teachings are similar in tone to other great teachers of note, including some I have mentioned previously such as Ueshiba and Tagore. Once a student begins to truly internalize this higher awareness, they become aware of a ‘Way’ to live or to be, a simple, loving, unselfish and calm state of mind. They see the divine in the mundane, and allow the Way to spread before them, “If you want to accord with the Tao, just do your job, then let go,” wrote Lao Tzu. Or, as Buddha put it so beautifully, “To live in the Great Way is neither easy not difficult…Just let things be in their own way.”