by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, July 1, 2014 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
Someone recently asked me to write something about devotion. It would be easy enough to put down some soft and lovely words about waves of love and beauty. They would be true and inspiring. However, there is something here that, though delicate and easily misunderstood, reveals an exquisite aspect of devotion if it can be conveyed.
Let’s start by acknowledging that throughout history, people have been devoted to many different things, not all of them laudable. Extremists in the world today are highly devoted to their cause. It seems that extremists would agree with most anything we say about devotion. We could say devotion comes from deep within. They would agree. We could say devotion satisfies and fulfills not only the heart, but also the mind. They would agree. We could say it is the result of wisdom and discernment. They would agree. We could say to look to the wise, the ancient masters, for direction. They would agree. It seems fanatics and devotees have all too much in common.
As Socrates said, the only true knowing is that you know nothing. Yet everyone longs. Stripped away from the superficialities of what you think you long for, we all long for the same one thing. Call it fulfillment; call it God; call it what you will. But what is true devotion? It is the pursuit of that longing. We are like iron filings around a magnet or moths around a candle flame. We long. We are drawn toward… It does not stop. We are eternally devoted.
Real devotion has its beauty, not in the concrete, but in the abstract. Just as all things in our solar system are drawn toward the Sun, all things gravitate back to Oneness. As you get closer, the pull is stronger. You come to know the nature of what pulls you more and more clearly as you get closer and closer to it. Your inner experience of that which pulls you along the way is, in and of itself, called “devotion”.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Thursday, June 26, 2014 | Personal Growth, Spirituality |
Many of you have heard the story… God created the world. People entered the world, looked around and just wanted to return to God in Heaven and so they did. God was disappointed. No one wanted to enjoy his creation. Therefore he created a key to life so no one could return to Heaven without it. But where to hide it? If on the highest mountain, people would climb up and get it. If at the bottom of the ocean, they would get down there and get it. Then He got an idea that delighted him. He would hide it at the last place anyone would look… in the depth of their being. The idea worked and the world became quite populated.
Though you may have heard the story, you still probably look outside of yourself for fulfillment. It is fine to enjoy life and prosper, but what are you psychologically and emotionally invested in? Or (dare I say?) addicted to? Where do you look for safety, satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment? Your money? A creamier ice cream? An ideal relationship? Family and friends? One sort of boon or another? Or maybe the inside story on the topic of your choosing?
And people wonder why they are not happy.
What are you waiting for? Come on…
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, June 24, 2014 | Personal Growth |
“It’s better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.” – Diane Grant
It is fascinating to witness how many consider truth to be that which is most popular. Not a wise thing to do, particularly in Kali Yuga. Of course, these days it is most popular to want to be the person ‘hearing a different drum a-drummin’. But that only works when your connection to the depth of your being is stronger than your desire to be ‘special’.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Tuesday, June 10, 2014 | Personal Growth |
“Perseverance is the Hard Work You Do AFTER You Get Tired of Working Hard”
Another nice quote from the fitness community.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
by Michael Mamas | Friday, June 6, 2014 | Meditation, Spirituality |
1. Why am I going to sleep on meditation?
There are many forms of meditation. Assuming you are doing what I consider to be a proper meditation, sleep coming in meditation is actually a good thing. Some people think meditation is done for the experiences you may have in meditation. That is actually not correct. Meditation is done to purify the physiology from stresses and strains. When the physiology is purifying at a rapid rate, sleep comes. That is a good thing. You are purifying a great deal!
2. When self-realization is the way life should be, why is it not not? Why the fear of next?
It is the stresses and strains in the nervous system that prevent self-realization. Chronic fear is one possible symptom of stresses and strains in the nervous system.
3. When I realized that the tree outside my office building and me are same, Why can’t I stay in that state permanently? It’s just happened to be a wonderful view outside the wall and then I was pulled back to the thought process again…
The stresses and strains can be compared to a herd of elephants. When they are all asleep, you can have glimpses of higher states of consciousness. But they are usually awake.
© Michael Mamas. All rights reserved.
