Part 2
Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Inner Wisdom-Inner Voice

My Inner Voice said to me last night, "I am who you are." I just remained silent... my Inner Voice always speaks the truth. "You are going to have to give it up sometime." "You are not all those foolish things that you think you are... you are the Christ."

"Your life would be so much simpler and easier to live if you would just let go
and be who you are." "I am you... allow me to speak and act through you... blend your being with Me... we are one Being." You are My creation and I love you beyond words!"

"I know you hate the idea of being a 'creation'... of being less than what your ego tells you that you are." "I tell you truly, My beloved... you cannot beat this game... you are what you are... you are the Christ, My son." "You are my creation... do you hate your mother and father for loving each other and conceiving you?"

"All that you see comes from love... I Am Love... and I Am all there is... all there is, is love." "Don't you want love... to love... and be loved beyond measure?" "Everything in your life is your choice... you are free now, and always will be... you are free to choose the blossoms or the thorns."

"Be at peace and sleep now... tomorrow is another day." "Good night Lord."
and "Thank you."

Oahspe

43. And man searched as to the cause
of things, and tried to persuade himself
of any cause but the true one.

44. Jehovih said: "I will show these
people that the chief causes of great
affairs amongst mortals come from
the angels of my heavens."

45. I come in kosmon* not to free only
the corporeal man, but the spiritual man.
I raised My hand against a God being
founded in their constitution; neither will
I have them to fight battles for me. The
past is past; angels and man shall be free.

* The Kosmon Era began in 1848.

Our Retreat 1994 Country Living
Unfinished 1360 sq. ft. cabin; 2 large bedrooms 15X15', 1 1/2 baths; all doors were handmade out of Port Orford Cedar, 44" wide front door hung; oak flooring laid to
center of door over concrete; mop boards yet to be installed; 4X12" beams and posts
are rough cut Douglas Fir; stairs are 1 inch milled Oregon Ash; second story flooring
is T&G Port Orford Cedar; porch extends completely around the cabin.

Inner Wisdom: The Written Word

Reading the books I have reviewed in my journal will only indirectly help you to realize spiritual enlightenment. These books have information-knowledge that will help you understand the illusion we live in, what reality really is and
maybe, how to deal with both.

Book knowledge is background information that seekers need to orient themselves in the world. The real work in seeking spiritual enlightenment is the inner realization of the truth... and the actual incorporation of those truths in your life... as you walk your path.

A book can explain fasting to purify the body in minute detail but until you apply that information and fast... you have no real knowledge of fasting. The truth once apprehended must be taken in and applied and incorporated in your
lifestyle to be fully realized.

Truth is effulgent... meaning that it glows with it's own inner light... and the seeker of truth will recognize that light when he or she sees it, or hears it, because the light of truth will resonate with their own inner light.

The truth is like a diamond with many large and small facets, one person may see a flash from one facet and the next person from another, but all the flashes large and small are from the same diamond... the same truth.

When my Inner Voice first gave me the insight that I was the Christ and that all other people were the Christ also... I had a hard time getting my mind around that fact. We had long discussions which mostly ended with me saying, "I can't write that... people will think I'm crazy."

My Inner Voice would reply, "What do you care what people think... your job is to write the truth. There are people out there that are ready to hear and realize this truth... these are the people that you are writing to. Don't worry about getting the right people to read it... you just write it... and I will see that the right people read it."

During this period of indecisiveness on my part my Inner Voice would take me through my catechism again. 1. God is all there is. 2. If God is all there is...
then you (and everyone else) have to be an individual selfconscious-aware part of the whole... God. 3. God created you in His own image and gave you intelligence, the ability to choose and the power to create. (These last things are self-evident.)

What has been lost or covered-up is that man is perfect... the Christ. All men and women born of the union of man and woman are the Christ. All men and women have the potential to embody God and allow Him to walk the face of the earth.

The masters of the far east say that when the union of the Father and son or daughter is complete that the individual cannot distinguish his being from God's. [However, the persons individual identity is never lost.] The seekers goal is to realize this union. Stay on the path.

My wife and best friend Juanita

MIND SET... "having to be right shackles your mind."
By John Naisbitt

People are culturally conditioned to have to be right. The parents are right, the teacher is right, the boss is right. Who is right overrules what is right. Couples have huge quarrels about considerations that are forgotten as the struggle for who is right rages on.

Political parties have institutionalized having to be right. How often has a political party welcomed the position of the other side? Imagine if all the energy that goes into trying to prove the other side wrong were channeled into actually thinking about what was best for whatever the dispute is about.

Worse, having to be right becomes a barrier to learning and understanding. It keeps you away from growing, for there is no growth without changing, correcting, and questioning your self.

If you have to be right, you put yourself in a hedged lane, but once
you experience the power of not having to be right, you will feel like
you are walking across open fields, the perspective wide and your feet
free to take any turn.

The county road that runs up past our place.

PEOPLE OF THE FUTURE

The inhabitants of the earth are divided not only by race, nation, religion or ideology, but also, in a sense, by their position in time. Examining the present populations of the globe, we find a tiny group who still live, hunting and food-foraging, as men did millennia ago.

Others, the vast majority of mankind, depend not on bear-hunting or berry-picking, but on agriculture. They live, in many respects, as their ancestors did centuries ago.

These two groups taken together compose perhaps 70 percent of all living human beings. They are the people of the past.

By contrast, somewhat more than 25 percent of the earth's population can be found in the industrialized societies. They lead modern lives. They are products of the first half of the twentieth century, molded by mechanization and mass education, brought up with lingering memories of their own country's agricultural past.

They are, in effect, the people of the present.

The remaining two or three percent of the world's population, however, are no longer people of either the past or present. [They are trendmakers.] Trendmakers often without being aware of it, they live today as millions more will live tomorrow.

And while they account for only a few percent of the global population today, they already form an international nation of the future in our midst. They are
the advance agents of man, the earliest citizens of the world-wide...

[Please live the life that you would like to see end this sentence. Mr. Tollfer said, "super-industrial society now in the throes of birth." I believe we are in the throes of being transformed into a society that is spiritually enlightened.]

FUTURE SHOCK by Alvin Toffler

Juanita

Bees 6-14-07...........................................
Early this spring Juanita and I discussed buying a package of bees to pollinate our fruit trees and garden. We decided to wait until next year.

Yesterday afternoon a friend called and said he had a swarm of bees that had landed in one of his rose bushes and did I want them. I gathered up my equipment and a small bee box and hoped the swarm would stay put until I got there.

I arrived, the bees were still there, so I got into my bee suit and approached the rosebush. The bees were pretty quiet and in a cluster in the top of the rosebush about five feet off of the ground.

The bees seemed very gentle. I placed the bee box on the ground... my friend handed me a pair of pruning shears and I cut away the limbs surrounding the cluster. Then I cut the branch the bees were on and lowered it onto the frames in the box.

I took my bee brush and very gently brushed the bees off of the branch into the box. After awhile the bees settled down and the stragglers went into the box, so I put the lid on, and taped up the holes.

I put the bees in the trunk of my car and carried them home. When I got home I set up a regular 10 frame hive and feeder and now we have a nice colony of Italian bees. In a couple of days I will check and make sure the Queen is laying. Juanita and I originally met through our mutual interest in beekeeping.

Beehive with half gallon jar sugar
syrup feeder on top. It is a hot day
and the bees are clustered on the
front of the hive to allow more
air circulation inside.

The Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared!

Being prepared for... whatever... is a good idea. Every family should have enough survival food (beans, rice, wheat, ramen noodles, spaghetti, canned tomato's, etc.) and household goods to live "fairly comfortable" for a year. In an emergency all of us living in a cold climate would have to set aside most of our raw food diet in the winter. However, many things can be sprouted.

The amount of food required by the average family would not be much of an investment or take up much storage space . The food would need to be placed in containers to protect it from mice and bugs.

I read an email from a lady that was living in Sarajevo, Croatia when the city was under siege. She said there was two things to try and have plenty of: matches, matches, matches... and all the toilet paper you can store. Old newspapers would be a good item to have plenty of on hand.

Along with considering fuel for cooking and heating in the winter, adequate water, waste disposal, food, clothing and shelter... you might want to lay in at least a small supply of trade goods. Spices are cheap and compact: salt, pepper; coffee would be good... whatever, everyone knows what would be good in their area.

I don't have any specific emergency in mind... I was a boy scout when I was young and I still think their motto, "Be Prepared" is a good idea. Pray for inspiration... and may God Bless you. Stay on the path!

Oh Creator of All that is beautiful and good
Send me your Light that I may believe in
this world without faith
Send me your Light that I may Love
In this world without Love
Send me your light that I may accept your truth.
Send me your Light that my walls and barriers of
Loneliness, selfishness and restlessness may fall away.
Send me your Light that I may cross the
Threshold of my helplessness and ignorance.
Grant that my lips may open in praise, prayer
and thanksgiving to you , my God.
Almighty Father, thank you for your new creation of Light.
Thank you for Her ,who belongs to all of us and loves us all.
Thank you for Our Mother. [Earth]
Father Jozo Zovko

A small glimpse of Heaven
( Note bare feet; and the golden Angels in the clouds.)

Self-Realization

This morning I was thinking about the word "self-realization" (a beautiful word)
and wondering if it meant the same as spiritual enlightenment. I did a search on Google and found the site "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-realization" which gives several definitions. I like the one below best. Sounds like what I think of as spiritual enlightenment.

Self-realization according to Paramhansa Yogananda:
“Self-realization is the knowing in all parts of body, mind, and soul that you are now in possession of the kingdom of God; that you do not have to pray that it come to you; that God’s omnipresence is your omnipresence; and that all that you need to do is improve your knowing.”

From, The Essence of Self-Realization, of Paramhansa Yogananda by Swami Kriyananda (I ordered a used copy from Amazon.)

***

Fasting...

6-18-07 Starting today I spent a couple of days fasting to clear up some dizzy spells I was experiencing because of congestion in my left ear. OK now.

As of today the statistics for my site this month lists 534 different key phrases were used on search engines that brought people to my journal. A hundred and twenty two or 23% of the key phrases were inquiries about fasting. Here is one that made me smile, "40 day fast- really no eating for 40 days?"

There are a number of reasons for fasting. Fasting is the easiest and fastest way to cleanse the toxic matter out of the body. When you stop eating the body automatically switches from the "nourishment cycle" to the "elimination cycle"
and begins to throw off toxic waste matter stored in the body.

Some people fast as a spiritual exercise to show their commitment. Others fast to heal themselves or to heal a loved one or friend. Fasting attracts the attention of Angels and inspires them to help the person realize their purpose.

There are a number of types of fasting... but there are no hard and fast rules in most cases. Some religious organizations have rules for fasting at certain times of the year for their followers. Some churches eat only fish for their meat on Friday.

The basic fast is water only... no solid food. I usually start my yearly long fast
on water but usually end up drinking both water and fruit juice, but no solid food. Many people do a fruit fast... a single fruit or a combination of fresh fruit. A fruit fast is very cleansing.

Fasting for most people is difficult... particularly at first. The best approach is to start slowly. Do a number of one day fasts (24 hours) until you are comfortable with that and then slowly increase the number of days.

I struggled for months to fast through the third night. After I was able to do that once, I was able to fast for seven days from then on quite easily. Seven days is a good short term cleansing fast.

Juanita standing in winter lane way into our cabin.
Mother Nature creates one beautiful scene
after another for us to enjoy.
We all live in a paradise.

***
A natural diet
is one that
does not disturb
either you mind
or your body
and
leaves you free!

Ascension

Edited excerpt from, The Book of Life by Michael Sharp.

[The creation of heaven on earth in the new age movement, is called The Ascension.

The word "ascension," which literally means to move upward, is a perfect term for this process because, at its root, The Ascension really is about moving up.

Ascension is simply the physical outcome of raising the vibratory energy of physical matter. When matter ascends, its base energy level jumps. It literally vibrates faster.

It is about taking the whole of this physical universe and moving it up to return it to the super conscious dimensional levels that exist above and beyond your normal every day working consciousness.

Individual Ascension is about the return of a grander consciousness, the Christ consciousness, into our body. However, The Ascension is much more than just an individual ascension. At its core, The Ascension is really about the entire physical universe.

As more people successfully walk The Path, a day will soon come when the old world of duality will simply cease to exist and the higher consciousness will inhabit everything on this planet. [Many people will have a difficult time accepting this change. May God bless us all.]

***

"Truth, in her mighty power, shall prevail over ignorance; and all her enemies shall be crushed, to rise no more! One principle, one foundation, one faith, one interest, one universal and eternal kingdom, shall exist for the whole world of mankind! This result rises above the utmost conceptions of the human mind; and this will usher in that spiritual light which has been hid so long from the world. This light is happiness and peace; and this, too, is the light which, when once it expands, can not contract. And this is the resurrection from moral and intellectual darkness." From, The Principles of Nature by Andrew Jackson Davis

There are a lot of people working on this transformation of the earth and it's people. According to the New Age Dictionary: "Transformation involves the changes wrought in one's life by increasing Self-realization. As more and more people are personally transformed, the planet too will be transformed into a global brotherhood."

By right thinking
By eating a raw food diet
By purifying the mind and body
By following the guidance of the Inner Voice

A pair of raccoon cubs looking out
of their nest in an old tree stump.
How can anything so cute
turn into such devils
when they grow
into adults.
Into everything!

Another Beautiful Day... Thank You Lord!

6-24-07
A bright sunny day here today. The flowers in the beds in front of the cabin are in full bloom and beautiful. The garden is doing well... and I ate cherries off the tree yesterday... and saved a bowl for Juanita in the fridge.

I was just thinking this morning what a miracle it is to be able to sit out here in the woods at Hummingbird Hollow and communicate with people around the world. And more amazing than that is the technology is available to everyone.

Now EVERYONE rich or poor, powerful or passive can voice his or her truth to the world. This certainly has brought to life Jesus' saying, "and the meek shall inherit the earth."

And this will continue to be as long as we can keep the internet free.

Here is an interesting little tidbit about flowers that I found on Yahoo this morning...

Human Affection Altered Evolution of Flowers
By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience, Senior Writer

posted: 26 May 2005 06:53 am ET

Email Flowers make people happy. And while that might seem obvious, there hasn't been much research to prove the point until now.

A study by Rutgers University scientists supports the notion pretty strongly, and the experts go on to speculate that flowers have flourished on this planet, with their beauty evolving in recent millennia, partly because humans are so attached to them.

The study involved 147 women. All those who got flowers smiled. Make a note: all of them. That's the kind of statistical significance scientists love.

Among the women who got candles, 23 percent didn't smile. And 10 percent of those who got fruit didn't smile.

[Ladies, you might want to copy this little article and leave it on table beside your husbands easy chair. :-)]

—Glad Color Spot—
Everything this girl does
makes me smile!

***
Find your retreat
and make it
into a paradise...
Heaven on Earth.
(It is all in your mind.)

Inner Wisdom: The reason for a retreat.

Many times in this journal I have mentioned that one of the first things a serious seeker wants to do is find a retreat. A quiet peaceful place to live where they can live a natural lifestyle and a spiritual life.

My Inner Voice pointed out to me last night that every thing that we do affects our consciousness. What we eat or drink or take in through the senses either raises or lowers our consciousness.

There is no neutral experience... an action or sensory encounter either elevates a persons consciousness or lowers it. This is why the yogi's stress the word "discrimination" in their teachings... meaning making the right free will choices.

If a person chooses to live in a city what do their senses encounter every day...
all kinds of noise, exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, and other noxious odors, bright flashing "attention-getting" signs, rushing anxious crowds, and constant stressful problem solving in the workplace. This environment is certainly the complete opposite of tranquil.

In the high mountains, the seeker will find an environment that will sooth the senses rather than tax them. The sensory stimuli is minimal, natrual and pleasant allowing the body and mind to remain calm.

In a country retreat the seeker can plant flowers and fruit trees, grow their own food, relax and enjoy the changing seasons... be at peace and ascend into the light. And they will smile and laugh a lot. No matter where you live... stay on the path.

Pete......................................Juanita

6-25-07
Got up at 5:30, checked my email: Spam; looked at Yahoo headlines: Nothing;
made a cup of tea and now sit looking out at the morning... trees, flowers, birds and the mountains beyond.

Our days as a rule begin slowly... there is no rush here. Juanita gets up a little later, about 7 or 8, so I have a couple of hours to sit and think, meditate, talk with my Inner Voice.

I often wonder about the readers of my journal, what their lives are like, what they do and how they live... and what their spiritual path is like. About half are from the US and the rest are from around the world according to my site statistics program.

I wish them well... and hope their morning is as peaceful as mine.

E.V., God Bless You. Thank you for setting my feet on the path. I remenber all those good talks we had that began with the question: "How did He do it?" Thanks to you, I have finally found a few of the answers. I love you, and think of you often.

World: For First Time, More People Live In Cities Than In Countryside
RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty June 27, 2007

Anybody looking out over any of the world's megacities might have doubts about the viability of mankind as an urban creature. The crowding, the pollution, the poverty, the elitism seem to be universal factors in the city scene whether in India's Mumbai, Brazil's Sao Paulo, or Turkey's Istanbul.

But like it or not, man's future lies in ever-growing conurbations,[I had to look this one up, it means: continuous network of urban communities.] according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In a report issued today, the fund says that for the first time in history, the number of people living in cities will exceed the world's rural population by 2008.

That accounts for some 3.3 billion people living in cities. But the UNFPA says the trend will accelerate with breathtaking speed, and that in less than 25 years the number will grow to 5 billion. To read the complete article...
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/06/270164e5-a40c-49cf-9be3-e5d97841fd7a.html

The Path in a Nutshell.

Learn God's Laws. Listen to Inner Voice.
Meditate.
Accept and obey God's laws.Retreat, live a dedicated spiritual life.
Ascend.
Correction for breaking God's laws.Problems, pain, dis-ease, old age, death.
Change.

LIFE—CHANGE—BEAUTY
CREATING HEAVEN ON EARTH.

"WHAT does life mean to you? Do you enjoy it to the full? Do you expect the very best from it? Do you accept that it is infinite, that it has no beginning and no end? Does the knowledge thrill and uplift you, or does it horrify and depress you? Your attitude towards life at this time is most important, for many wonders are unfolding, and it is necessary that you go along with all that is happening and do not fight against it. It is a time of unfoldment, not of strife or struggle; therefore be still, behold wonder upon wonder unfold in true perfection, and give eternal thanks. Give thanks for being alive and for being part of what is taking place. Give thanks for the rapid changes, and change with the changes. All is for the very best; therefore be not afraid but move forward joyfully. Feel yourself a part of the whole process of change, of wholeness and of newness."

"YOU are surrounded by beauty everywhere. Open your eyes and see it, and give constant thanks for it. Let the things of beauty transform you and inspire you to your highest and best. Beauty draws the very best out of you and unites you with the highest. The beauty that is within you cannot be contained, so let it shine forth. Fill your heart and mind with beautiful thoughts, and reflect Me, for I AM beauty. Look for the beauty in everything, and when you look deeply enough and long enough, you will see it. Rise above the sordid and ugly things in life, for by rising above them, you can help to transform and transmute them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; therefore it is deep within you. Go forth this day determined to see beauty in everyone and everything, and you will do so. Love and beauty go hand in hand, so let My universal love flow freely in and through you, bringing unity and oneness."

"BE not overburdened by all that has to I be done. Simply learn to take one step I at a time and know that each step leads you one step nearer the goal. Do not try to run before you can walk, or undertake something that is too much for you, so that you have to drag yourself along, with every step an effort. Doing so is not the right attitude; it is not being filled with My joy and freedom. It means you are trying to do it on your own strength; it means that you have separated yourself from Me and have lost the vision. Stop what you are doing, and then change your whole attitude. Hand it all over to Me, and then relax and enjoy what you are doing in a completely new way. Change of attitude can come in the twinkling of an eye, so change and change quickly, and dance and sing through this day hand in hand with Me."

"DO not just talk about the new heaven and new earth; it is up to you to bring it down into your life to make it reality. Do not talk about love and loving; live it so that all can see what it means. Words without action are meaningless and useless. They are like hot air that evaporates into nothingness. You are to bring down My kingdom on earth by the way you live and behave, so your life is an example, a joyous example, which all will want to follow. No one wants to go through life over-burdened, lacking joy and spontaneity. Blessed is that person who brings joy to those souls who are burdened and lack sparkle in life. Cast all your burdens upon Me, and bring joy and freedom to all those souls you contact. Be joy and inspiration, and reflect Me in all that you do, say and think. Be at perfect peace as you do My will and walk in My ways, glorifying Me."

OPENING DOORS WITHIN by EILEEN CADDY

[This is the way of the seeker... if you can hear these words, take them
into your heart and make them part of your life... this is the how
each of us creates heaven on earth... insideout.]

Our Cabin
Juanita took this picture from the far bank
of the pond at the end of the cabin.
Barn is in the left background.

Writing...

My reason for writing this journal is to pass along information about living a spiritual life and spiritual enlightenment that may be useful to other people. I claim no authority other than my own experience.

I firmly believe that the written word conveying spiritual information should be so simple that a seven year old can understand it. One of the main characteristics of truth is it's simplicity. The truth lends itself to simple words and a simple honest writing style.

My writing is usually "tight" lacking elaboration. I don't feel like I need to expand on a idea a lot because my words are spoken from my "Inner Voice" or inner being to your inner being. Your own inner being will flesh-out new ideas as they come to you.

For every hundred people that hit on my site, only about 5 spend any time reading my journal... those 5, are the people that I am writing to. We are on the same "wave-length" so to say... and on about the same level on the path.

Other writers or speakers, because of their personality and style of delivery, will reach a completely different group of people presenting exactly (+/-) the same information. We are all One... working to create Heaven on Earth. What we need to accomplish this is the truth.

The wonderful thing is that the information passed on by each of us expands expotentially. A new idea that I may pass along to those five people, in turn, will pass along their version of that idea to five others and on and on.

We are all working together to realize our oneness with God and to create the paradise that God intended to be our home. This is a great undertaking... so stay on the path and give the truth freely to others when they are ready to hear it. Seek the guidance of your Inner Voice in this matter and in all things. And remember every moment that you are the Christ.

In memory of Annie our wolf
dog that passed on last year.
She was a very gentle, sweet
and loving. A wild animal
tamed by love.

Fire The Grid, July 17th 2007, 4:11 AM PDT

It was cold here in the mountains when the alarm went of at 3:30. Juanita hit the snooze button and said, "Just one snooze.. beep, beep, beep... just one more." "No," I said, "we can't be late for this." We piled out of bed and hunted around and put on several layers of warm clothing. We didn't put on shoes or socks.

It was dark out, we left the lights in the cabin off when we went outside. We grabbed a couple of green plastic lawn chairs and went out into the yard to the driveway where there was bare ground. We placed our chairs facing the sunrise, sat down and wrapped a couple of old blankets around our bare feet to keep them warm. The ground was cold.

We wanted to, "Fire The Grid" in bare feet to be closer or more in contact with
Mother Earth. All earth is God's earth... (here and in heaven) therefore, sacred ground. Man should walk barefoot in humility out of respect for his Mother and Father. And on a "practical" level walking barefoot (which is natural) along with a raw food diet is the only way to maintain perfect health.

I kept an eye on my watch and when it was 4:11 I told Juanita that it was time to pray. We closed our eyes and prayed in silence... to heal and restore the earth. Later on I glanced at my watch, it was 4:54, and getting light. I told Juanita the time and we continued to pray until 5:11.

I said, "It's funny, but my feet are toasty warm," and Juanita replied that her's were too. We talked a while about our experience in firing the grid and both felt good about being a focal point along with thousands of other people.

I went in the cabin and fixed tea. We sat at the table in the yard, where we have dinner most every evening in warm weather, until the sun came up over the mountains in the East. It was going to be a beautiful clear warm day. (Thank you Lord.) I fixed another cup of tea, and our day began as usual... soft and slow.

Juanita helping screed concrete for the cabin floor.

"Marriage is a relationship designed by God, but it is experienced by imperfect people. Those who cognize the imperfections of their own lives are willing to except the imperfections in the lives of others. One woman expressed it this way:"

"I hate a man who's never late;
Whose every sock has got a mate;
Who's never missed a single date,
And never even tarried.
Give me the man who's unaware,
Who loses things; who's never there;
And we will make a perfect pair.
In fact, we do. We're married."
:-)ing

From: LIVING TOWARD A VISION, How to live while you are alive... by Hardy Denham

The How-to Manual That You Can Edit

How to Become Enlightened

To become enlightened, all one needs to do is be continually conscious. The practice of prolonging our conscious state (into the dream state, as well) will not give us the power to control the material world. It will, however, give us the power to be absolutely free from the material world.

Being enlightened is not a special state of mind; it is our original nature, our natural awareness of things without a notion of separateness of identity from the world around us.

In short, the state of mind we were in before the universe came to be. This is not as difficult as one might think. You take yourself with you wherever you go. If you can't find it where you are right now, where do you expect to wander in search of it?

Many people feel that they must suffer in order to gain liberation. This doesn't have to be the case. We all belong in the universe, the universe doesn't care if we suffer or not. We are our own key to absolute freedom. And there are as many paths to perfect enlightenment as there are beings in the universe.

When we become conscious we expand, when we turn away from being conscious we contract. Beyond this, reality will always prove to us that we cannot move against its own self governing laws. All of us are free to choose the kind of "Reality" we wish to know, none of us can break the rules. Every entity in creation has the same freedom of choice.

There are some of us who have preached the dogmatic certainty of one particular path. But in the end enlightenment is there and how you achieve it isn't as important as getting there.

Obviously there's no step-by-step "How to" that points to the correct path for everyone, all of the time. External events aren't as important as how you react to them. Some have said, "This reality is an illusion." Unfortunately, it can be a painful illusion and for the one who feels the pain, that pain is very real and the idea of an illusion seems very far fetched.

The more you Love, the more there will be to Love. The more you fear, the more there will be to fear. This is basically "Expansion" and "Contraction". To find enlightenment we need only expand. Each of us has complete freedom to choose, you already know this.

Cosmic consciousness is real, as real as we are. Whatever we've done in retracting from Cosmic consciousness, (the One source of All that Is, or whatever words you wish to use,) we are doing now. We all come from the same place, we are all going back to the same place.

What I hope you'll find here are some simple attitudes that will assist you on your way:

Steps

1. Know that there is nothing you must"accomplish" first in order to find enlightenment.

All potential experiences are already within you. Perhaps the state of mind that most needs enlightenment is that of seeing fellow human beings as needing to be guided or enlightened or perhaps that of seeing human beings as sinners. We have all made mistakes. That seems to be how we learn. Repeating the same mistakes over and over is what is injurious to our own purpose.

However we are free to do that as well. What we should ask ourselves is: "Which pain for what result?" Enlightenment doesn't care how you get there.
If you're not going to be thinking about it in heaven or nirvana or whatever you wish to name it, what's the point in worrying about it here and now?

2. Know that we are all equal beings. What you are, I can be. What I am, you can be. This is also true of the Universe which has created us "in It's own image". What the Universe Is, we can be. You can define this as anything you believe to be True.

3.Create time in your life to be conscious. Too often, we get so tense or stressed with our responsibilities that we forget to take pleasure in the moment.

4. Sit quietly and let your thoughts and judgments arise and dissipate by themselves. Remain in the here and now. Become calm and clear.

5. Take a walk in a park. Make special note of the various odors you smell, the noises you hear, and objects you see. Approach other everyday situations in the same way. Doing this often brings you closer to pure consciousness.

6. Practice meditation, which you can do anywhere, at any time by simply focusing on the present and emptying your mind.

7. Try other meditative exercises, for example Yoga or Aïkido. Combined with meditation, these exercises can also bring you much enjoyment.

8. Read what others have written about enlightenment and spirituality in general. Many of the great philosophers such as Gautama, Jesus, Lao Tzu, Paul of Tarsus, Mohammed, Dante, Francis Bacon, William Blake and others. The Doors of Perception have much to say about this subject, both directly and indirectly.

9. Learn about the Noble eight fold path and understand the 4 Noble Truths.

10. Always be mindful of the moment and take pleasure in all activities that you do during the day (eating, sleeping, even using the bathroom).

11. The steps listed here are basic possible helpful practices. A real "step" towards enlightenment would be to make something that is now an unconscious part of you conscious. i.e. "integration". Practical steps toward integration can be found in the related how to wikis.

12.The way to enlightenment as described by Shakyamuni / Gotama Buddha Himself is "by doing good deeds and not doing bad deeds." However, "good" and "bad" are relative concepts. What is "good" one day, may be "bad" another day. This is difficult for many of us to accept, be ready to accept change.

13. Enlightenment is not a state of mind that you can force yourself into. We live by the eternal law of cause and effect, which is, if you do something bad you will get a bad result, if you do something good you will get a good result. What matters is the consciousness you experience regardless of what takes place.

14. When Approached with Intent, Sparking Higher Consciousness is Natural. Walking can spark higher consciousness. Use walking as the Rhythmic Cycle of Meditation. Just like Aspirants Learn to Count their Cycle of Breath to Consume Normal and Allow Higher Consciousness to Come Forth. The Cycles or, Steps in Walking can Serve This Same Purpose.

This same thing happens in Music with, the rhythm, normal consciousness is consumed Letting higher consciousness come flooding in for the musician which brings forth the higher consciousness of Creation.

Don Juan put the flooding of Images into Walking for Carlos Castaneda. Carlos hiked with Don Juan While Having His Eyes Crossed to Flood the Vision and Insure the Total Consumption of Normal Consciousness. This Would Insure The Highest Possible Consciousness Would be Present.

Anytime Normal Consciousness is Consumed, Higher Consciousness will be Present and Knowing. This, in of itself, Will Breed an Awareness of Higher Consciousness. This Awareness of Higher Consciousness While Walking will, Motivate more Walking/Meditation and Ability to Walk/Meditate More and More. That Breeds More Awareness of Higher and Higher Consciousness.

Tips

•The process can take as much or as little time as you wish. •You are the key to your own enlightenment. •Learning Yoga, Tai-Chi, or Aïkidocan possibly help. •It is possible to experience yourself as pure consciousness.

Warnings

•You must learn to trust yourself completely.

•Beware to not "overdo it." Moderation is helpful.

•Beware of "mind expanding" drugs as they are dangerous.

• It is best not to "seek" enlightenment per se, but accomplish each act of life as consciously as you can and remind yourself that each step is its own reward.

• Scientific understanding is based on the repetition of duplicable events and miracles don't seem to be duplicable. Therefore, there is no real scientific way to understand miracles. Our own consciousness is miracle enough.

• We teach best what we most need to learn.

Things You'll Need

•Trust. Trust the flow of the Universe.

• A heart full of Love. Because Love is the strongest magic of all.

• Indifference to external aspects of "things", ie. maintain an overall view of the "Big Picture."

[The above article, in my opinion, is very good. It needs a lot of editing (I did just a little) mostly in the form of additional information. Pete]

Country Living: Cougar Canyon

Juanita and I live in Cougar Canyon (below the red dot) .

Just to be is a blessing
Just to live is holy.
-Abraham J. Heschel-

Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance by John Storey

Trip to Town

7:00... got up a bit late this morning. Feel well. Cool out, overcast. Looking forward to the day... Juanita says we need to go shopping today. A trip to town is usually a fun day... a change in our quiet routine... but we are always glad to get home.

Our three dogs: Duke (German Shepard, 100 pounds); Angel (Papillon, 25 pounds) and Susie (Dashund, 14 pounds) love to ride in the car and go to town. Town means treats... and other dogs to bark at.

Angel lies across Juanita's lap while she drives, Susie spends a lot of her time standing on my leg and the dash looking out the window (a real tourist) and Duke sits up in the middle of the back seat like the captain of the crew. We often wonder what goes through their minds as they look around.

For us, the ride to town is a beautiful scenic trip... 25 miles one way. We cross three mountain passes about 2000' above sea level. The woods are thick with trees: Fir, Pine, red slick barked Madrone and a scattering of large Oak.

There are many meadows and clearings deep with grass and several creeks, "cricks" in the western vernacular, that cascade down the mountain sides and over small waterfalls. We never tire of these beautiful sights.

In the summer it's hot in the large valley where the town is located and we are tired out by the time we get home. The dogs are smart... they sleep all the way back.

***

You may be wondering what a trip to town has to do with spiritual enlightenment. What I am trying to do here is tell you how we live, how we think and feel about what is happening in the world... our world and your world.

Our lifestyle is far-far from being 100% natural but our thinking or consciousness is shaped by the desire to live as naturally as we can in the modern day world. For example we try and eat a completely organic raw food diet... but we don't grow all of our own food.

We drive a car to town to buy much of our food and our car pollutes the air we breathe... but our car allows us to live in our mountain retreat. This computer that I am using to communicate with you is an ultra high tech machine, nothing natural about it, except some of the ideas it allows us to pass along to each other.

So it's a trade-off... Juanita and I make, and have made, hundreds of compromises in our (natural) physical living arrangement... but in our inner lives we try and remain true to our spiritual principles. We follow the inspiration of our Inner Voice and try and live to our highest light.

We don't physically live in a cave on the mountainside but our spirit lives in that cave as we seek spiritual enlightenment in the modern day world. In essence living a spiritual life is living the highest quality life you can imagine. Seek the inspiration of your Inner Voice... and stay on the path no matter where you live. May God Bless and Guide Us All.

Barn and workshop.

Follow Your Inner Voice to Happiness...

We both got a late start this morning... Juanita is out watering the garden. I have been sitting here thinking about the meaning of the law.

Love God
Love others
Love yourself

The thing I see that is consistent in all this is that Love equals Action. If you love something or someone you manifest that love in action. You act out that love in thought, word and deed.

All of this is a learning process. A process of daily development that we get better at as we go along. God is Love... and we grow in love as we follow His advice... the advice of our Inner Voice. The Voice of our Conscience, inspiration and sign.

Life is simple and easy to live... if you want it to be that way. Find God and love, by serving others... and be thankful for all of creation. Stop everything that you are doing (that someone else told you that you should do) and follow what your heart tells you to do.

The "world view" of things that has been passed along to you is insanity. There is no happiness in things: jazzy clothes, new car, fine house... happiness is a thing of the heart and is found inside of you.

You can have everything you want and find happiness too... if... you follow the path where your heart leads. Listen to your heart, and things of the heart will come to you.

Slow way down, listen to your feelings (they don't lie) and when you hear yourself say, "This is what I would really like to do" you are ready to step onto the path of "your own" life and the true path to your inner happiness. Stay on that path... the path of your own inner happiness... it is your true spiritual path.

***

As we were eating lunch outside in the shade of the big apple tree Juanita said to me, "Do you think we should invite people here?" I thought awhile and said,
"I don't know."

"Well, she said, "Who would understand this quiet?" "Who would understand the 'nothings happening' way we live." "The peace and quiet and our slow pace."

I said again, "I don't know." "But you understand it, and I understand, and I'm sure God understands it,so... let's be grateful for what we have."

We enjoyed our meal... the peace and quiet, and the slight breeze that was blowing in the trees. The wind chime hanging near us tinkled...

Juanita in the Garden,
wake up darlin'.

Major Points...

A new day... 5:17 AM. I feel like going over the major points again...
GOD IS ALL THERE IS. If this is true, then all of us are part of God... and we are part of His One Being. We are not separate from God or separate from each other... we are one being.

God created us in His own image. God created us out of Himself. To ourselves we appear to be individual separate beings... but we are one being: one body, one mind, one spirit... in essence we are God.

Individually, we are not all of God, but we are connected to the Whole of God... and to each other. God is One... and we are part of that Oneness. We are as a drop of rain that falls into the ocean... seemingly separate but inseparable from the whole. More...

Barn and old Ford pickup that hauled all of
the lumber and other building materials to
our place for both the barn and our cabin.

3:30 AM. Awake. Put the tea water on. Really looking forward to this day! It's the only day that exists... it's right here, right now. Kettle is whistling, be right back. Aaah. Early morning tea... one of the great-simple pleasures in life.

Up at 5:15... tea. Last night I read an old Scottish saying about sharing:

"Don't be so easily defeated.
Life is yours to make it as you will.
If you share your joys you double them;
if share your sorrows you halve them."
ANON

Our Dog Friends


Duke