Thomas Merton quotes...

Thomas Merton Quotes...!!

The Nondual State

The Nondual State

by LouiseSilk

 Bubbe Wisdom

Being with God is a nondual state. This means it can never be achieved by choosing only one side of reality in reaction to a less preferred condition or state.

Words like awakening are necessary evils. They open a path to thinking about things, but they block the road, even as they point the way. They make us think there is a special way- that being with God or being awakened is a special feature we need to recapture again and again. But God is kinder than that and makes everyplace the way home. Every molecule of reality- whether tangible, like matter, or emotional and psychological, like varied states of being- can be the gateway to the nondual experience of God. 

Try this: Whatever you are feeling right now has a silent opposite that is present at the same time. So, confusion is present with its opposite understanding; lost accompanies found. Hope is present with despair and loneliness with companionship, even though there may be no one around to fulfill that function.

Now: Allow both pair of opposites to exist. Completely. Vividly. Open your body to this allowing. You may notice a subtle feeling of openness, or silence, of expectation without a goal. This is one of the million gateways to God; it comes from being with  what is in this particular way. Trust this opening, Friend. You can extend it further, to opposites that are more challenging, like sickness and health and even life and death. As you do so, the doorway to God will open wider, as wide as your heart.

Jason Shulman pg. 56-57 The Instruction Manual For Receiving God

Read more: The Jewish Chronicle - entry The Nondual State 

The White Robe

The White Robe

In our separation

in what appears as real life

we see colors and many things..

Our birth and our customs

brought this shading of what is..

Now a sentinel in white

silent and welcoming yet

 frightening on this morning

of unexpected encounter..

A sudden removal

of our veiled confusion

all now is seamless

but we cannot stay..

Returning outside

running in joyful alarm

we now know who

I am...

Mark 16:5  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

Amazon review of Karen Divine's A SMALL AMOUNT OF COURAGE

  (cover photo of Karen Divine's 

A Small Amount of Courage)


Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Words with iPhotos!! 
Charles R. Coon (polarityinplay.blogspot.com), 

March 24, 2016
By Charles R. Coon

Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Small Amount of Courage (Hardcover)
Karen Divine has produced a superb small book containing 64
poetic statements with accompanying blended iPhone photographs.
The blending, found in the photos as well as the words, gives readers
a freeing and energy-giving experience. Each of the statements might
address us in a particular placeon a spiritual or artistic path.
For example, her # 30, SYNERGY, uses the metaphor of trees and heaven
reaching for each other. This basic polarity in motion, together with
her tree imagery, seems to me to represent the basic self-understanding (Who
am I?) we need to accomplish our lifework in a fulfilling and joyful way.
She concludes: "RETURN TO the source of THIS ENERGY."
To me, it seems she is pointing to a recognition that heaven arises
as branches within, and further, the branches are made of
heaven (consciousness.) This is only one example of 64 with many
inspiring messages...

Five stars are too few..!!

Names

Names

Confusing
the map and the territory..
But beyond this confusion
we mask our real Self
by naming and worship of facts..
Life becomes as protection
of this confinement
this prison 
of our limited selves..
Eventually this illness
calls out for help
and the map is searched
searched and again searched
until and hopefully one day
we ask of the gaps in the map..
We experience music without
knowing who wrote it
and at last
we are on a path
of recovery
knowing now that
 grace has always
saturated the territory..
And all of the names
which have misled
are revealed as 
 made of grace
also...

“It is possible I never learned the names of birds in order to discover the bird of peace, the bird of paradise, the bird of the soul, the bird of desire. It is possible I avoided learning the names of composers and their music the better to close my eyes and listen to the mystery of all music as an ocean. It may be I have not learned dates in history in order to reach the essence of timelessness. It may be I never learned geography the better to map my own routes and discover my own lands. The unknown was my compass. The unknown was my encyclopedia. The unnamed was my science and progress.” Anais Nin

“A large part of man can never find its expression in the mere language of words.  It must, therefore, seek for its expression other languages – lines and colours, sounds and movements.  Through our mastery of these we not only make our whole nature articulate but also understand man in all his attempts to reveal his innermost being in every age and clime —It is the duty of every human being to master, at least to some extent, not only the language of the intellect, but also the language of the personality which is the language of Art.”  Tagore

Consciousness confusion

Consciousness confusion

Many examples there are

of consciousness seen from limitation

from the separate self

from the ego..

Duality reigns in these formulations

an on-off switch is their visible icon..

Seemingly never to experience

infinite consciousness

even though all of our 

thoughts and sensations and perceptions

are made of the consciousness stuff which is not stuff..

So science continues to search inside the head

for what cannot be found

and the reports provided

are simply thoughts limiting seemingly

but actually leaving consciousness

untouched...

Consciousness feels like an on-off phenomenon: either you’re awake and experiencing the world or you’re not. But finding the button, or even the dimmer switch that allows our brains to move between these states, is tricky.

“Consciousness is not something we see, it’s something through which we see, which makes it challenging to study,” says George Mashour, director of the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

One common definition of human consciousness is “the thing that abandons us when we fall into a dreamless sleep, and returns when we wake up”. But it probably comes in different levels. Say I anaesthetise you: you may be able to hear my voice, but not respond to it; you may be dreaming and not hear my voice; or you may hear or experience nothing at all.

Because we are reliant on people’s subjective descriptions of their experience, it is difficult to correlate these different levels of awareness with specific patterns of brain activity. “The bottom line is, I really don’t know if you’re conscious of me, conscious of something else or not conscious at all,” says Mashour.

We do know there are certain brain regions that, when damaged or electrically stimulated, will result in loss of consciousness. The claustrum – a thin, sheet-like structure buried deep inside the brain – is one of them. But there are others, and many of the leading theories that aim to describe consciousness veer away from a single anatomical site being its ...   (New Scientist)

Self at birth

Self at birth

Happiness in life

seems as realization

that our birthself

is our goal..

Our vast diversity

after birthtime

prompts life searches

looking for happiness

in many places..

In those places

a quick glimpse

yet permanence fails

as new searches

beat new paths..

Then one day

as the mind exhausts

our birthlight
dawns once more...

polarityinplay

polarityinplay

Ocean and wave

part dissolves in whole

death brings life..

Screen and movie

movie dissolved

screen stands as

our true Self..

Burning the false self

Burning the false self

To begin

it is illusion

a self independent 

is not the Self..

True Self stands clear

as the false burns

seemingly

but it is now clear

there was nothing

to burn...

Remembering Joe

Remembering Joe

He was a classmate

who passed away in this time

in which I am considering 

life and death..

Remembering his and my

time and place

which now color this moment

knowing now the illusion

of separation..

Death now found absorbed

in life..

Knowing now that

death has always

been so absorbed...

Classmates,

I regret to inform you that Joe Felber passed away early this morning (19 March) in Inova Fairfax (Virginia) Hospital of complications from pneumonia.  Joe was being treated for cancer, but became very ill yesterday morning and shortly thereafter Mary (Punkie) called EMT and he was evacuated to the hospital where he passed away later in the ICU there.

Arrangements are unknown at this time, but the class will be notified when they are known.  It was Joe's wish to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Punkie and her family at this very sad time.

Very Repectfully,

Trent Crosby

Dear Randy

Dear Randy (not real name):

I want to mention something about our short exchange on "reality" last

Tuesday.  I think we may have been passing each other without adequate

understanding.  As I remember, you were speaking of an objective reality (we met here

in this room at 10 AM...).  I don't think you meant to assign absolute

reality to that statement.  I know that common sense attests to the truth of your

what you say, and that there are those who disagree in an irrational way.  However, 

there is a subjective element in every perspective, and it has been quite properly

said that objective reality, existing independently, is an illusion.  Albert Einstein and

many others have weighed in on this.  Spiritual traditions express this in different 

ways.  Perhaps we are on the same page...

With a spirit of exploration,

Charles

Reality TV

We witness its star

reaching for political heights

and many identify

with his reality portrayals

mixing and entangling

our lives with the film..

Forgetting we are witnesses

to the 3 dimensional show..

Equality

Equality

It is so easy it seems

to look in wrong places

for an understanding of this

most illusive word..

Multiplicity and diversity

seem to demand that we comply

with their evident variety..

Enter our laws prescribing

orderly equality with 

success most limited..

Moralities are defined

as good here and not there..

Religions find inequalities

in their prisons of belief..

So...we are waiting it seems

for Equality to speak

with a luminous presence

out of which flows 

illuminated diversity

bringing Peace at last

to confused searching

in wrong places...

It seems

It seems

Two powerful words

fitting our reality

of an apparent 

self and world..

Two words reminding

of what is truer:

Consciousness

Awareness

Self..

Out of These

is made that

which seems...

"BLOOM"

MANDALART SERIES 2016 “BLOOM”
A mandala is a symbol used by many cultures and spiritual traditions. The word mandala is Sanskrit and is usually translated as “circle” or “enclosing the essence.” The boundary and center may be well defined or merely suggested. Mandalas are found throughout the natural world in forms such as snowflakes, jellyfish and galaxies.
This is part two in the Mandalart Series and is titled “Bloom”. The title is meant to describe this moment as a fresh, never before seen, unfolding occurrence. Just as any bloom of any flower, this moment is the result of infinite influences, as are we, our communities, and our world. Today, these influences and interconnections are becoming obvious in unprecedented ways. I feel strongly that understanding and integrating this way of seeing can be a potent remedy for the many challenges facing humanity. It is a form of spiritual activism. Each of the paintings and its title represents a pointing to this understanding.
Creating the mandalas was a way for me to directly experience that each moment of life conditions and influences the next, that each moment arises, dependent upon the conditions that exist. Each mandala was a progression, a “bloom” of responses of color and line; each response setting the stage for the next. This is the way that I see life unfolding.
Another direct experience through painting the mandalas was the realization that there were really no mistakes. Each stroke of paint or line that was drawn was just a part of the new set of conditions. Whatever occurred on the paper was not right or wrong, it was just an opportunity for a new response.
Each of the mandalas has a line that leaves the page. This is to represent inseparability. It is a reminder that the mandala and the viewing of it cannot be separated from all the rest of existence. A reminder that existence is a dance of diversity without separation.
These paintings are an invitation to consider the all inclusive, undivided and seamless whole of which we are a part. Ultimately, if we look closely (quantum close), we see that there are no dividing lines anywhere. From our galaxy down to a single cell, nothing can be apart from the whole of life; all separation is mind made. Because of this, we each have an incredible opportunity to influence what “blooms” next.
BETH CHORPENNING
website: www.mandalarts.com email: nondualarts@gmail.com
Poor Richard's and the artist are partnering to donate all profits from sales to the Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC)
Matting and framing by Susan Morello at Artist Frame of Mind www.susanmorello.com

NOW

NOW

What of time?
Science is pouring
 their robust theories
to find that illusive time
is created always anew..
With due respect
might we reflect
that NOW is infinite
without edges..
Yes, moments are unique
moments are time
time is thought
and each thought is
newly created to
color the NOW...

And of free will
what is really free
but to recognize
the NOW..?

Now: The Physics of Time

March 4, 2016

author | Richard A. Muller

year published | 2016

A monumental work on the flow of time, from the universe’s creation to “now,” by the best-selling author of Physics for Future Presidents.

“Now” is a simple concept―you’re reading this sentence now. Yet a real definition of “now” has eluded even the great Einstein. We know that time stretches and is affected by gravity and velocity. Yet, as eminent physicist Richard A. Muller points out, it is only today that we have all the physics at hand―relativity, entropy, entanglement, antimatter, and the Big Bang―to explain the flow of time. With these building blocks in place, Muller reaches a startling conclusion: our expanding universe is continuously creating not only new space but also new time. The front edge of this new time is what we call “now,” and this moment is truly unique―it is the only moment in which we can exercise our free will. Muller’s thought-provoking vision is a powerful counter to established theories in science and philosophy, and his arguments will spark major debate about the most fundamental assumptions of our universe. 42 illustrations

—Publisher

Contemplation (Thomas Merton)

"Contemplation" is a word that Thomas Merton used again and again in his writings. It is a theme that he spent much of his life exploring. About contemplation, he wrote "Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent, and infinitely abundant source. Contemplation is above all, awareness of the reality of that source. It knows the Source, obscurely, inexplicably, but with a certitude that goes beyond reason and beyond simple faith...It is a more profound depth of faith, a knowledge too deep to be grasped in images, in words, or even in clear concepts..." 

This short pamphlet is a good introduction to this important topic in the overall work of Thomas Merton.


“Faith is the door to the full inner life of the Church, a life which includes not only access to an authoritative teaching but above all to a deep personal experience which is at once unique and yet shared by the whole Body of Christ, in the Spirit of Christ.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“As long as this “brokenness” of existence continues, there is no way out of the inner contradictions that it imposes upon us. If a man has a broken leg and continues to try to walk on it, he cannot help suffering. If desire itself is a kind of fracture, every movement of desire inevitably results in pain. But even the desire to end the pain of desire is a movement, and therefore causes pain. The desire to remain immobile is a movement. The desire to escape is a movement. The desire for Nirvana is a movement. The desire for extinction is a movement. Yet there is no way for us to be still by “imposing stillness” on the desires. In a word, desire cannot stop itself from desiring, and it must continue to move and hence to cause pain even when it seeks liberation from itself and desires its own extinction.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“Suzuki also frequently quotes a sentence of Eckhart’s: “The eye wherein I see God is the same eye wherein God sees me” (Suzuki, Mysticism: East and West, p. 50) as an exact expression of what Zen means by Prajna.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“Nirvana is the extinction of desire and the full awakening that results from this extinction. It is not simply the dissolution of all ego-limits, a quasi-infinite expansion of the ego into an ocean of self-satisfaction and annihilation. This is the last and worst illusion of the ascetic who, having “crossed to the other shore,” says to himself with satisfaction: “I have at last crossed to the other shore.” He has, of course, crossed nothing. He is still where he was, as broken as ever. He is in the darkness of Avidya. He has only managed to find a pill that produces a spurious light and deadens a little of the pain.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“Is the basic teaching of Buddhism—on ignorance, deliverance and enlightenment—really life-denying, or is it rather the same kind of life-affirming liberation that we find in the Good News of Redemption, the Gift of the Spirit, and the New Creation?” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“It is true, the Zen-man’s contempt for conventional and formalistic social custom is a healthy phenomenon, but it is healthy only because it presupposes a spiritual liberty based on freedom from passion, egotism and self-delusion. A pseudo-Zen attitude which seeks to justify a complete moral collapse with a few rationalizations based on the Zen Masters is only another form of bourgeois self-deception.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“Buddhist philosophy is an interpretation of ordinary human experience, but an interpretation which is not revealed by God nor discovered in the access of inspiration nor seen in a mystical light. Basically, Buddhist metaphysics is a very simple and natural elaboration of the implications of Buddha’s own experience of enlightenment. Buddhism does not seek primarily to understand or to “believe in” the enlightenment of Buddha as the solution to all human problems, but seeks an existential and empirical participation in that enlightenment experience. It is conceivable that one might have the “enlightenment” without being aware of any discursive philosophical implications at all.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite

“live,” said Paul,” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“Christians are now wide open to Asian religions, ready, in the words of Vatican II, to “acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral goods” found among them.” 
― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


“they are still satisfied with the old clichés about “life-denying Buddhism,” “selfish navel-gazing,” and Nirvana as a sort of drugged trance.” 

― Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite

Hope in Suffering

Hope in Suffering

How to address this biblical bit

which has meant the future

enduring and waiting

hope against hope 

repeating the reading..

But no..

We need experiencing

what is not thought

recognizing I am

that eternal Self

experienced only Now..

But then the amazement:

experiencing the suffering

as hiding the wake-up

prompting and pushing

at last perceiving

suffering is made

of Self..

Hope now becomes

Remembering...!

Bloom...MANDALART Series 2

About Bloom: 

When; March - Mav31St.2016 

Where: Rico•s care a Wine 

 

"This is part two in the Mandalart Series arid is titled -Bloom". The titte is meant to describe this moment and every moment as a fresh, never before seen. unfolding occurrence. And, just as any bloom 01 any 'bwer_ this moment is the result of infinite influences, as are we, our communities, and our world. Today, these innuendoes and interconneaions are becoming obvious in unprecedented Ways. I feel Strongly that understanding and integrating this Way Of Seeing Can be a potent remedy tor the many challenges facing humanity. It is a torm 01 spiritual activism. Each Of the paintings in the show is an attempt at pointing to this understanding.

 

•Beth Chorpenning 

Poor Richavd$ and the artist ate partnering to donate profits from 

to the Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) 

We hope to see you at the Show Opening! sunaay; March 6th. 3-5 PM at Rico'S Care & Wine Bar: 

322 N.Tejon st, cotoraoo springs. CO ugoe