Pour the Wine into the Chalice - Rumi

Because I cannot sleep
I make music at night.

I am troubled by the One
whose face has the color of spring flowers.

I have neither sleep nor patience,
neither a good reputation nor disgrace.

A thousand robes of wisdom are gone.
All my good manners have moved a thousand miles away.

The heart and the mind are left angry with each other.
The starts and the moon are envious of each other.

Because of this alienation the physical universe
is getting tighter and tighter.

The moon says, "How long will I remain
suspended without a sun?"

Without Love's jewel inside of me,
let the bazaar of my existence by destroyed stone by stone.

O Love, You who have been called by a thousand names,
You who know how to pour the wine
into the chalice of the body,
You who give culture to a thousand cultures,
You who are faceless but have a thousand faces,
O Love, You who shape the faces
of Turks, Europeans, and Zanzibaris,
give me a glass from Your bottle,
or a handful of bheng from Your Branch.

Remove the cork once more.
Then we'll see a thousand chiefs prostrate themselves,
and a circle of ecstatic troubadours will play.
Then the addict will be freed of craving.
and will be resurrected,
and stand in awe till Judgement Day.

~ Rumi ~

The Girls

But I Don't Love

Each step I take I see that I am checked.

I say ‘drown me in your Love’

But I do not love.

I hold back in fear of not getting my bit.

I say ‘forgive me! Forgive me my darkened heart’

But truly, I’m not so sure I forgive.

I see the shadows of remembered slights.

I say ‘wash away my mind of arrows’

But I carry the quiver behind me.

Bitterness twists my upper lip.

And You say –

My Love. Lift your head.

Its one thing to give your Heart,

And another to act upon your giving.

One step at a time.

Let me wash you with My Bliss.

Let me shower you in My Love.

And, one step at a time,

You will clear the construction of your mind.

You will see through the eyes of your heart.

You will see without more willing, you are

Already Drowned, Forgiven and Washed.

Be still. Be with me. Feel the Pulse of Love.

Bread of Life, Wine of Wisdom

Bread of Life

Wine of Wisdom

I put the bread into my mouth and

Saw the golden heads of wheat sway.

And She said ‘It is my body.’

I felt the old traitor rise his head around

My leg and say ‘I’m not worthy of thisss.’

She smiled and showed me the digestion

Process. Chewing, the body consuming,

Leaving the waste behind.

The seeds being replanted, into the waste.

The growth is dependent upon the waste

Of the past – without doubt.

Do not be fooled, She said, tucking the hair

Behind my ear.

You consume me – present, past, future -

Entwined.

You are eating the past, right now,

For your future. Your waste will prepare

The ground for your future. Without doubt.

I can not-

Shhh. All in good time. One step. One step.

I look up – and the wine?

Her smile, so gentle.

Is there anything more obvious? Have you

Burst a ripened black grape between your fingers?

Have you seen the skin stretch and burst

And let the liquid touch your fingers?

Have you seen?

I am mesmerised by your beauty. I can barely breathe.

Ruby red – like freshly drawn blood.

Blood is your life force incarnate in physical form.

The wine is mine – drink – feel Me enter your blood.

A half sip is all you’ll need. I am the wine of wisdom.

Drink of me – fill your self with Me. One we are.

Advice on Starting a Blog

Advice On Starting a Blog

• The best thing is, not to think too much.

• Remember, it’s a blog, not a text book.

• What you write is important, but it can be human, with all of the failings we have.

• The first thing, is to write something.

• The second is to find a fun picture. (option but catchy to the eye)

• Most people won’t keep reading if the beginning is boring.

• Keep it short – unless you really have something to say.

• Use bold face when you change topic. Like a heading.

• Find and reserach interesting links to sites you like - like 'how to blog like a pro'.

• The most important thing though, is have fun.

• Welcome to BLOG WORLD.

Men!! They figured it out some time ago -

Lollipops and Roses

Tell her you care, each time you speak,

Make it her birthday each day of the week,

Bring her nice things, sugar an' spice things,

Roses an' Lollipops,

An' Lollipops and Roses . . .

One day she’ll smile, next day she’ll cry,

Minute to minute, you’ll never know why!

Coax her, pet her, better yet get her,

Roses an' Lollipops,

An' Lollipops and Roses . . .

We try acting grown up, but as a rule,

We’re all little children, fresh from school . . .

So, carry her books, that’s how it starts,

Fourteen to forty, they’re kids in their hearts . . .

Keep them handy, flowers an' candy,

Roses an' Lollipops,

An' Lollipops and Roses . . .

Words and Music by Tony Velona, 1962

The Water of Life

The Water of Life

If the water of Life be Love,

Then let me drown in You.

Let the water run its course

Through the valleys of me.

Let it douse all the fires of

Greed, judgement, anger, and hate.

Let it clean away the debris of

Hurt, resentment, pain and fear.

Water of Life!

Let me bath in your waterfall,

Let me swim in your river,

Let me dive to your depths,

Let me float in your fathoms.

Rise, water of life!

Fill the valleys of me

Rise water of life!

Cover the dust that is me.

Let me dissolve into You.

Come and be One with me.

Let loose your cleansing rains

Upon this tired desert.

Sweep me away until I am

No more me, and only You.

On Fear

On Fear

Darkness approaching and foot steps near,

I turn around with mounting fear.

Darkness descending, as sure as doom

A scream catches within, a moment too soon.

‘Tis but me.

The scream.

‘Tis but me.

All I see.

‘Tis but me.

Chained, unfree.

‘Tis but me

Unknowing purity.

The shadows loom at dusk, with light’s descent.

I remember the words I spoke with passion, regret.

Fear, I turn to face you, choked on myself.

Fear – you out run me – it is here I must delve.

I turn, in forged fear –

Tis me.

I see.

Divine Mother

She comes, persistent and demanding,

To penetrate the outer layers of skin and flesh.

She comes from below, from under rocks,

Deep within the dense core of the earth.

Sinuous, thick with life divine, penetrating

Through the confines of the mind.

She comes, with no reason, breaching understanding,

Undulating to music unheard by my ears.

We lay there, her children, her claimed Ones.

Terrified, spent, delirious, tormented, devoured.

She comes with Love, insisting on Her presence.

She comes with Glory, of hidden things.

She comes with Grace, of the past unknown

She comes with Forgiveness, of all that is done.

Sweetest Mother. Blossoming Flower. Divine Grace.

I sit. I feel my heart. Its pulse is Your pulse.

My breath is Your breath. Calm, for the moment.

Awash with Your Love. I am Yours.

(for Dear E)

Fear of the Self?

Fear of the Self?

We were walking down a small street in Melaka, Malaysia. The boys were in front of me, and we were all carrying large back packs from our transport to our accommodation.

We were about ten days into our four month trip. I’d read carefully all of the do’s and don’ts but didn’t feel particularly worried about anything. I thought.

Suddenly, I felt someone behind me. I was sure that they were so close I could feel them and my heart leapt. I let out a scream and turned, quickly to see who it was. But they had moved so fast! I turned again, at this moment, truly terrified.

And then, I realised, that the ‘someone’ was my back pack. My luggage.

How’s that for symbolism?

Perhaps, when you're ready, we could, as an option, put our luggage down sometimes, if not just throw it into the rubbish. Just as an option.

On Arrival (part III)

On Arrival

(Part III)

And yet part of me weeps

For the little losses.

The ideas of what should be.

The boxes with people inside.

Part of me feels afraid

To live this life without walls

This freedom seems to send

Me mad with Expanse.

Part of me scoffs

My little fears,

But mostly my fears

Are me.

Take me, so I can Be.

Break me, so I can Be.

Push me, so I do not stand.

Suffocate me, so I do not breathe.

Hurt me, so I do not Hurt.

Crush me, so I can not see.

Fill Me, so there is no me.

Erase me, so there can be Me.

Silence. Love.

The Pulse of Beauty.

On Arrival (part II)

On Arrival

Part II

I return to the self

And again try to form

Something.

The white washed smooth walls

Find me sliding to the floor.

What then, my Love,

Is this it?

What I’ve been waiting for?

The moment of Unity?

Did I have to lose so much?

So little?

To gain this trembling

Delicate balance of

Neither here, nor there -

An in between place.

Only music seems

To pour from the throbbings

Of the body made vibrant

With the Pulse of You.

The water is surging

Upon the walls of the dam.

My little structures

Pitiful before your effluence.

Crumpled me, on the floor.

The walls deny me.

Floundering here,

In the death throes.

Do I dare, do I dare

To say, to You, I do?

To surrender, to release,

To give in, to swoon

Into Your embrace.

Thick in the air,

Ambrosia.

I do, my Love.

I do.

On Arrival

On Arrival

(Dearest One)

Part I

White washed,

No colour or impression.

A blank wall,

No crags to grip on to.

Silence.

Is this what You meant?

When You said, no concepts?

Is this what You meant?

When You said, no image?

But! What can hold me up?

I feel my self falling,

Yet I am standing,

still.

I begin a tentative …

And it falls away

Before it starts.

Its already ended.

This deep cavern inside

My mind, empty, of You.

The sure pulse of Love

Continues to expand.

It reaches ever outwards

Encompassing All in

Illumination.

The Planets In a Spin

I read 'energetically, this period between the Solar Eclipse on July 21 and the Lunar Eclipse on August 5 feels like we're in the lobby, bags in hand, waiting for our hotel room to be ready' and it was like 'pop!' in my head.

Things have gone haywire lately. The world has turned upside down. I have suddenly the most free time on my hands in about three years, and all of the projects I have been waiting to do - are still not being done.

I feel exactly like I'm standing in the lobby, my bags in hand. Just about to, but not...

I felt some of the tension drain out of my body though, because well, if its the stars and their spinning - what to do about it?

Accept, breathe, enjoy, relax, surrender. It's all ok. Thank you Pam.

(and thank you to Kristen for sending Pam my way.)

(ps - yes, I do know that the moon is not a planet or a star - but is such a great picture!)

Only From the Heart

Salvation

There is no salvation for the soul
But to fall in Love.
It has to creep and crawl
Among the Lovers first.

Only Lovers can escape
From these two worlds.
This was written in creation.

Only from the Heart
Can you reach the sky.
The rose of Glory
Can only be raised in the Heart.

~ Rumi

(thanks to OS for the evocative picture)

Nights in White Satin

Nights in White Satin

Nights in white satin,

Never reaching the end,

Letters Ive written,

Never meaning to send.

Beauty Id always missed

With these eyes before,

Just what the truth is

I cant say anymore.

cause I love you,

Yes, I love you,

Oh, how, I love you.

Gazing at people,

Some hand in hand,

Just what Im going thru

They can understand.

Some try to tell me

Thoughts they cannot defend,

Just what you want to be

You will be in the end,

And I love you,

Yes, I love you,

Oh, how, I love you.

Oh, how, I love you.

Nights in white satin,

Never reaching the end,

Letters Ive written,

Never meaning to send.

Beauty Id always missed

With these eyes before,

Just what the truth is

I cant say anymore.

cause I love you,

Yes, I love you,

Oh, how, I love you.

Oh, how, I love you.

cause I love you,

Yes, I love you,

Oh, how, I love you.

Oh, how, I love you.

Original on Youtube

or this - a fusion of love poems

or this - Earth Song

Only Breath

Only Breath

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim,
not Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion or cultural system.

I am not from the East or the West,
not out of the ocean
or up from the ground,
not natural or etheral,
not composed of elements at all.

I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world
or the next,
did not decend from Adam or Eve
or any origin story.

My place is placeless,
a trace of the traceless.

Neither body or soul.

I belong to the beloved,
have seen the two worlds as one
and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner,
only that breath breathing human being.

The Essential Rumi

(Coleman Barks)

The Continuing Trail

A said, join the group!

I said o k.

I met S,

Oh!

I fell for Dr -

My heart crushed.

By Buddha burned.

My mind torn.

Rumi speaks

My heart bleeds.

And now …

Thank you to Pedro for creating The Buddha Moon for me.

Become All Surrender

Happy the one who has become like us;
who has become all surrender and contentment;
Who has become the pledge of love and madness;
who has become a jewel in the sea of purity.

Rumi

Falling Slowly

See Falling Softly on youtube.

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me

And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

Sometimes the Simple Blogs in Life Are Often the Best

Dear Friends,

Every now and then, after reading up on a blog that I subscribe to or follow, I then click the ‘next blog’ option on Blogger.

Its amazing the amount of information available on the internet! The personal stories, the complaints, the inspiration, the criticism, the beauty and the transformational.

I found a relatively new blog and was touched by her story. I left a comment and I heard from the author just the other day. She wrote -

I guess I would have to simply say is that my blog is about finding who I am, after being a mother for the past 20 years and having my children leaving the house I have been faced with trying to find my passion. I am journaling my new found photography and art to keep track of how my journey begins and seeing if this is in fact who I really am. I am just a simple person finding her way to her own truth, because I believe when truth is found, calmness surrounds us. This is the reason why my blog was formed.

What a universal theme – expressed so simply.

I don’t know how her life was before she started the blog, but since she’s started journaling and embarking on this beautiful and challenging process of self knowledge – quite a number of amazing things are happening to her. One of them, not the least, was spotting FOUR bears on the side of the road – with photos to prove it.

Open up to the World, and look what She does. Dancing in the Moonlight. Leaping across Fields. Swimming in the Ocean. Twirling Around cause it feels Good. Live Life Love.

Thank you Vivian.

Truth From the Heart

The last couple of weeks, during meditation, my right hand is guided into a similar position as the one displayed above. Its not exact. The fingers point definately upwards.

Then the hand starts to move in a kind of circle - outwards from the heart, up and around, and back to the heart. It feels like a cleansing.

I hear it in my head as - Truth comes from the heart.

The Best Place to Practice Qigong/Chi Kung

The best place to practice Qigong is outside.

Outside in a city park, or in nature, or in a rain forest. Qigong is best out of the heat of strong sun, and under the shade of a favourite tree. It helps to have water nearby. Choose a place you feel comfortable with.

If you train on the beach, then train in the early morning or during the evening.

For more information about the hows and whys, have a look at what Dr Yang says in 'The 24 rules of Qigong practice' or this article about Adopting Qigong by Hilda Wei Williams.

Remember that Qigong is a dynamic experience. There are 'rules' laid down by practitioners who came before us, but they are not set in stone.

With Love

Wu Chi Stance

Today I published a short introduction to qigong basics, on youtube.

Here is the Wu Chi Stance.

Take a look at Tai Chi on-line for some sound advice about the Wu Chi Stance also. (I don't see any point in rewriting something that is well written by someone else.)

(This little video, and the ones to follow, were inspired by Deb. Thank you for thinking that I could do it. Then you let me!)

Coming out of the Spiritual Closet

Last year, I announced at the dinner table, that finally, after years of struggling and pretending, I was ready to embrace my impression of my spirituality.

That is, I was going to be honest about how I felt about god/God, spirits, meditation, images, symbols, synchronicity and let myself in for the ‘fruity loop’ comments of my peers and companions.

Why be honest about something so private?

There are two reasons for this. The first is that I dislike lying. I dislike hiding information. I have a repulsion for it. Personally, I feel cleaner and freer telling the truth, and being open about how I feel and what I see. If that means saying, spontaneously, ‘wow, look at that flower – isn’t it just an expression of purity?’ and it brings a laugh of embarrassment from my companions, I don’t mind. I can’t and don’t wish to repress the irrepressible at this stage.

Secondly, everyone is a bit wacky. That is, everyone has strange stories to tell, but they don’t tell them, because we don’t want to be laughed at, or thought of as kooky or different. So – if you are reading this, and you have a kooky story to tell, feel free. That’s why I came out of the closet, so you feel like nothing you can say will be weirder than what Tiffany is going to say.

And in this case, it takes one to know one.

With you in fruity loop land, and loving it.

Love and blessings

Types of Yoga

Hello Everyone

I found this little gem of a website. Its about Yoga, and might help, with its easy and simple message, to explain about the different types of yoga and how to do them.

Types of Yoga

If you're a beginner and would like to know a bit more, take a peek for easy to read answers.

Thank you Graham Ledgerwood.