by Michael Mamas | Friday, September 20, 2013 | Personal Growth, Relationship |
Spheres of Influence is a common model regarding relationships. Imagine some concentric circles with you in the center. The inner most sphere of influence would include your spouse or immediate family, and perhaps your closest friends. Furthest out in the circle would be a total stranger. Somewhere in-between, you might find business associates.
You behave differently with people in different spheres of influence. How you behave with your immediate family is very different from how you behave in public. This is a good thing. It’s socially and culturally appropriate. You can, of course, misbehave in any sphere of influence, but that is a different topic. You would do well to observe how you shift as you move from one sphere of influence to another. Behavior in each sphere of influence is an art unto itself.
Relationships can quite appropriately move from one sphere of influence to another. Not only from outer to inner, but also from inner to outer. People often have a hard time with that, particularly when it involves moving from inner to outer. It is important to keep in mind that such moves do not necessarily imply a loss of friendship, caring, or commitment. It is more a matter of respect for the ever-evolving and changing times. For example, a relationship may for some reason become strained. Striving to maintain the current sphere of influence in those circumstances could create additional strain in the relationship. It can be most respectful and honoring to, at those times, smoothly shift that relationship to an outer sphere, if for no other reason than to give the relationship time to heal. Changing the sphere of influence can significantly change the nature and tone of the relationship.
I’ve noticed with respect to my own daughters, that as they grow up, the relationship shifts. That could be viewed as a shift from the inner sphere of the relationship. As they get older, they need and deserve more autonomy. It is fascinating how spontaneously that occurs. It’s clearly innate. To hold it properly is an art and a beautiful thing. The term respect comes to mind.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, September 17, 2013 | Personal Growth |
Generally “management” is thought of as a business term. People manage companies. In reality, management is everything, and it starts with the self. Do you want to be happy? Learn to manage yourself. Manage your behavior. Be attentive to how you interact with people.
My children are very much concerned about the grades they get in school. I encourage that, but I also have told them that how they manage their relationship with other people will determine the success of their lives far more than anything else, including the grades they get in school.
So, what is the key to managing your relationship with other people?
First and foremost, learn to manage yourself. All too often, people look outside themselves for what is wrong with the world. They long for a place free of people who behave improperly. That’s called delusional. It’s not about getting rid of everybody that bothers you. It’s about managing them. How do you manage your relationship with such people? And, needless to say, you can’t possibly manage your relationship with other people properly if you cannot manage yourself.
Everything in life is about management. Take a little time to view every single area of your life as a management issue. At the same time, you must understand that Nature manages existence. There is a natural-ness to it. So, properly managing yourself and others is not a computerized science. It’s an art that allows everything to breathe.
To manage is to understand, and then act accordingly.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, September 11, 2013 | Spirituality |
When I had my practice in Florida, I repeatedly saw a particular dynamic in people. They moved down from Ohio, Pennsylvania, or wherever. For them, that was their home. Their roots remained “up north.” That’s the community they cared about. Florida was just a place to avoid the winters. It seemed their sense of responsibility, dignity, and integrity was left at the border. But what I really noticed was a loss of their own human decency, their own self-respect, meaning to their life. A lot of people move to Florida in their old age. It’s as if it’s a place they can go to die. What I think a number of them don’t realize is that it is as if the best part of them died the moment they set foot on Florida soil. Needless to say, this certainly isn’t true of all Floridians, but it certainly is a syndrome I saw.
It’s been said that a person needs to live for something greater than themselves. I only agree with that with respect to the small self, the personality self. (Needless to say, there is nothing bigger than the true Self, the Transcendental Self, but that’s not what we are referring to here.) You would do well to ask yourself what it is you live for. What is it that you live true to?
I have spoken in the past of the Cosmic Flow, the Divine Flow of life. I’ve said coming into tune with your own true nature, your dharma, your life’s purpose, is all about living in accord with the Cosmic Flow. You are one with it.
But let’s take a closer look at this. On a day-to-day level, what does that look like? What does it mean to you? For some people, it’s just making money. Other people would say it is their family. I certainly see the truth in that, understand it, and can completely relate to it. However, that is not the extent of it. A person needs to have some purpose, something to achieve, something to commit their life to. Some would say it is their profession. That may or may not be true depending upon the profession chosen.
In my life, my commitment is clear. That commitment is what brought Mount Soma into existence. Though it is understood on so many different levels that it almost becomes meaningless, I feel from my side that my commitment is a commitment to God. God is the Divine Flow, the Cosmic Flow.
You are one with God. To be committed to God is to be committed to the true Self. The true Self is far bigger than the small self, the personality self. In that sense, you have to live your life committed to something greater than the personality self, greater than family, friends, and loved ones. A life without that is a life without roots. It’s a life without true purpose. It saddens me to see how few people know their purpose, or even if they do, how few have all out commitment to it. And people wonder why they are not happy. The truth is you need to know your Self fully enough that the theme of your life is something that on a daily basis you live for, and that if need be, you would be willing to die for.
Few people understand this. They project their priorities and their value systems onto me. I’ve come to realize it is simply because they cannot begin to comprehend what motivates me. What motivates me is the Divine Flow. It is almost as if I have ceased to exist. If by “I”, you mean my personality self, I no longer live for that. I live and breathe the divinity that dwells at the depth of my being, a level of the Self that remains shrouded from the perception of most individuals. My purpose is to assist every individual in removing that shroud. Only commitment to that will bring you the fulfillment you long for.
Do not waiver. Do not compromise. Your true purpose is divine. Your true purpose is not limited to a handful of people or a fistful of dollars. Your true purpose is one with all that is. When you find it, nothing would ever be able to distract you from it. It is then that you will find what it is you long for. Think big.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Saturday, September 7, 2013 | Personal Growth |
Why is it so important to you that you are right? Is your sense of self worth so limited?
It is imperative that you know your greatness extends far beyond simply getting this and that right. The quiet one, voicing no opinion either way, carries the beacon light of wisdom.
The best of who and what you are is a silent witness to all that is.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, September 5, 2013 | Personal Growth |
With Saturn and Rahu converging on one another this month, conflicts are on the rise. So it is a good time to take a step back, take a breath, and reflect on any conflicts in your life.
Conflict between friends and associates almost always boils down to one thing: fatigue. Situations arise when it just seems to take too much energy, too much effort, to completely explain your position in a sincere, constructive and open manner. As a result, you shoot out half-baked comments or reactions that hurt others. Ironically, to deal with the damage that is done usually requires many multiples of the energy that would have been required to handle it properly in the first place.
In those cases a simple, “Hey, I am sorry this conflict happened. I would very much like us to get past this.” is usually all that it takes to open the door to healing. Yet most often the amount of energy spent to get to that point is, again, multiples of what would have been required to handle the situation properly in the first place.
People usually really do understand more than they are given credit for. Taking the high road with such a simple offering means a great deal, gains the respect of others, and sends a noble message. If they can verbally acknowledge it or not, they will hear it, appreciate it and respect you for it.
Try it out. You long to be great. Such greatness is easier than you may think.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, September 3, 2013 | Mount Soma |
How can it be put into words? It’s magic… like a great miracle. To witness it is such an incredible privilege. The power is increasing daily. Yes, every single day. Is it even possible for the people immersed in it to fully appreciate what is happening? I am so moved by what they are doing… what they are making come to be. Their evolution is growing exponentially. They are on an incredible roller coaster ride of evolution. To see them hang in there and make it happen is such an honor. I know that such rapid evolution is not always easy. Their entire physiology and psyche is birthing anew. Yet they hang in there and keep moving forward, forward, always forward.
To appreciate it, you must experience it. The closer the Sun, the hotter the heat, and the faster the growth. Few step up to that plate, but those that do are most blessed. Visitors of Mount Soma are so fortunate. Yet the people who live here and make it happen on a daily basis… well, what can I say? I salute you. Yes, it takes pressure to make a diamond. But to see it happening, to see you doing it… that is truly magnificent.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, August 29, 2013 | Spirituality |
I was asked the following question:
I am currently in Afghanistan and the knowledge that you speak of is very touching. But this place brings it out of me. There is so much pain and suffering here. People die everyday of the common cold. Children are starving and neglected. I can feel it. It takes it out of me. Mentally and physically drains me. How is this my reality? I cannot be in a unified field with these people yet I’m connected. I guess I am asking, “ How can we always be one if there are always going to be those few that make you have doubts? Those few, in my case, that drain you with their pain and suffering. How can this be my reality?”
To which I respond:
Your question displays your beautiful honesty. I respect that about you.
Until you are awake to the level of Unity Consciousness, you cannot function from that level. You are looking too superficially at the notion of oneness. Trying to experience true oneness from the perspective of (on the level of) duality is denial at best, mood making most often, and in the final analysis is futile. True unity slips into your life in an almost unidentifiable manner… as they say, ‘like a thief in the night.’ Proper meditation is your most powerful tool.
Your preconceived notions of the experience of oneness keep you looking for it where it is not. You can know all about the taste of a strawberry, but if you have never tasted one, when you finally do you would likely say, “I am an authority on strawberries and I can assure you this is not a strawberry.”
Do not try to make your experiences conform to your notion of what they should be. That is just trying to impose a sort of trance state upon yourself. When you finally awaken to the transcendent, it will become so obvious to you… you will wonder how you could have ever missed it. All of the knowledge you have gained will shift to align with the actual experience. This is what is meant by “Knowledge is structured in consciousness.” You may use the same words to describe it, but those same words will take on a whole new meaning.
True knowledge is an experience, not an intellectual understanding.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Wednesday, August 28, 2013 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
I was asked the following question:
When and how can I lose the fear of death? Lately, the thought that death may be “the end,” and not the beginning of a different awareness or a new lifetime has repeatedly surfaced in my mind, bringing a moment of fear or even terror. Does it take full enlightenment to truly rest into the knowing that life continues after death?
To which I reply:
As one awakens to the transcendental reality of their being, one comes to sense more and more clearly that they are not the body… and what they truly are is eternal. The fear of death then subsides. Others may cling to the notion of eternal life and find some limited relief of the fear in that manner.
However, there is often some misunderstanding around this. When it is said that the enlightened have no fear, it is in reference to the depth of their being, to which they are fully awake… that level is fearlessness.
However, on the personality level, fear is normal and natural. Though not commonly understood, the full range of human emotions exists on the personality level for the enlightened. However, they are simultaneously awake to what lies deeper. The kite of life then has a tail. Without that tail, people spin in fear as well as all the other emotions. They then cling to beliefs, faith, philosophies, etc. for stability and strength. I compare that to floating on the ocean of being with an rubber duck to keep you afloat. Once enlightened, you know how to swim. The rubber ducks then may still have their charm, but are no longer clung to for security, self esteem, etc.
For the time being, meditate to awaken more and more fully to the Self. Also, a rubber duck is fine. Belief, faith, philosophy, trust in God, etc. then serve a purpose, though they are like training wheels on a bicycle. In time, they are no longer needed for yourself… because you Know the Truth of life by direct experience. You may use the rubber ducks however, to assist others along their path.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, August 19, 2013 | Favorites, Spirituality |
“What is enquiry into the Truth? It is the firm conviction that the Self is real, and all, other than That, is unreal.”
– Adi Sankaracharya
When a pebble is tossed into a pond, concentric rings ripple out from the point of entry. The innermost ring may think, “I touched the pebble. I felt the pebble. I know the pebble.” The next ring out might think, “There is no difference between the innermost ring and me. After all, I am right next to it. I felt everything it felt. So I know the pebble too.” This process continues all the way to the outermost ring.
Of course no ring fully knows the pebble. Furthermore, any point on any ring has a unique perspective of the pebble. One may say the pebble is in the northern direction. Another sees the pebble to the south. To fully know the pebble, you must be the pebble.
As one gets closer and closer to the Sun, one may feel they know it. They may say, “The Sun is hot.” Yet someone further away may say, “Yes, I know that also.” But the closer you get, the more you know the true meaning of ‘hot’.
Similarly, as water cools to ice, it may feel it knows the nature of ice. But only after water becomes ice, is its full value experienced.
This principle is universal. To know anything, you must be it. Yet what is anything in its essential nature? It is beyond the maya of relativity. It is the Self, the One, the source of all that is… beyond ‘thingness’… no-thing-ness… pure “isness”… pure unbounded consciousness.
So what does this have to do with humility? What is humility? As you evolve, you come to see that your previous understanding, your previous life experience, was a ring outside of the pebble. You take a step forward to a deeper understanding. That is why I say that Knowledge, real Knowledge, is not so much about gaining new facts and information as it is about cultivating a deeper understanding of the facts and information you already have. Ultimately, you arrive at the Self, which lies beyond the grasp of life experiences, knowledge or information. You come to know “that the Self is real, and all, other than That, is unreal.” This is the source of great humility. True wisdom is infinitely humble. Even Adi Shankara said that he knows nothing. The Self lies beyond the grasp of what one thinks one knows. Knowers of the Self experience that directly. Until that awakening, it is another fact or notion… another ring around the pebble in the pond.
It is exquisite, that as one becomes truly great, one becomes truly humble. To know everything, is to know nothing… to know no-thing-ness. To know that for every ‘thing’ that you know, there is another truth that contradicts it. There is a deeper truth until all truths are transcended and the One Self is realized. Arrogance is the opposite of humility. The source of arrogance resides in the belief that you know something, that you know anything.
True humility is not a perspective that one adheres to. It is not an emotion or attitude. It is a quality of a physiological state, a level of consciousness. In the state of enlightenment, the nature of relativity becomes self evident. One rests upon the Self, upon not knowing… that which lies beyond notions and beyond the need to cling to notions. The sublime beauty and the exquisite “absurdity” of life is known. And why the word “absurdity?” Well, once that which lies beyond the illusion is revealed, it seems absurd that you were caught in the web of maya for so many lifetimes. Yet the magnificence of that web remains profoundly humbling. The word reverence comes to mind.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Monday, August 12, 2013 | Mount Soma, World View |
There are many fascinating things the old timers say about these mountains. One recently noted that the yellow jackets are building their nests in the trees instead of underground… “A sure sign that we will have a heavy winter.”
It will be interesting to see what happens.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
