KNOW THYSELF -HALF- HEARTEDNESS DOESN’T REACH INTO MAJESTY.
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is, infinite." William Blake

Come beloveds and celebrate Dusshera within you this year. Remove the demons of limited beliefs which reflect as fears, negative thinking and unconstructive actions. And in this space, burnt by the passion of spirit deep within you and the fire of awareness and knowledge… allow your true Self to return home. And in this ‘homecoming’ view your inner light reflect in a hundred oil lamps outside…lighting up your homes and relationships and offices and careers.

And how do we do this? The answer is in blending what may appear opposite approaches, but truly one complements the other. One path emphasizes becoming aware of the expanded self that we intrinsically are- and focusing on the love, abundance and fulfillment inherent in this sense of self. And even as we do this, focus passionately on this ‘new Self’ and fill with its expanded being ness- its quintessence permeates you and limited beliefs or negativity cannot coexist. They begin to shed like autumn leaves -and the authentic Self automatically comes increasingly into view!  In analogy, think of switching on lights in a room and the darkness of ignorance automatically dispelling. But hark, be alert …what degree of light are you using to look into your inner mansion? Spiritual articles once in a while …like a matchstick trying to light a large manor? Perhaps a torch like seminar whose battery of novelty soon runs out? Or are you opening out the windows of awareness and wisdom consistently… and in that streaming light, seeing for the first time, the secreted glory of the four poster bed and chandelier within…the treasures of the splendid self you really are.

The second approach accentuates a different kind of observation…and calls your attention to becoming cognizant of your subconscious conditioning, the goblins of fear and redundant pathways contained within your mind; and like cobwebs disintegrate when shown the light…this awareness cuts through them laser like  and the true Self automatically emerges! Again hark: what degree of introspection and observation do you engage in? Many run from an encounter with the shadow aspects within them and a cursory glance will not suffice. Understand that there is nothing to ‘remove’ other than ignorance of your true nature and paradoxically will there be nothing to ‘add’ either for you are already Creator within.

Using both in tandem works wonders- helping you arrive at where they merge: a deeply fulfilled love and acceptance of self and thus all ‘others’! This is what ‘Bhakti yoga’ truly is!  Both encompass ‘Know Thyself’. This is what ‘Gyan yoga’ is all about!  Both reach an expanded sense of being …energy fields that can attract nothing but this expansion-and this is ‘Kriya’ yoga’! Naturally they lead to enhanced actions …and this is ‘Karma’ yoga’.

Devote this Dusshera to recognizing that the point of power is within you. The exterior - what you view as your life and its people, events and things only reflects what is in your interior.  And thus to light those hundred lamps on the outside you must first light them inside. A beautiful story touches upon the perfect blend of these approaches. An emperor beckons to his palace a sculptor renowned for his magnificent life-like elephant statues.  And even as he sees the splendor of the elephants emerge from the rocks, so overwhelmed is he that he is compelled to demand from the sculptor the secret of this skillfulness. The sculptor volunteers that all he does is glimpse the glorious creature inherent within each rock…and so focused does he get on this majesty that his chisel automatically removes everything else!

So come beloveds, celebrate Dusshera- view the Ram within you. And anchored in your true nature, focused on your splendor, allow all else to leave in a burst of glory. Half- heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty.

Introspection for today: Become aware of your limitations; and knowing that their opposite strength exists inherently and wholly intact within you...state (and focus on) the positive quality as an affirmation!