Tag: truth

Posted on

SRW highlight + Guru Purnima

Out of a week full of deeply inspiring and uplifted moments, I believe the ultimate highlight for me was singing “O Master” on Sunday service.

It felt appropriate to skip the usual solo singer and invite everyone (choir and congregation) to sing the melody right from the beginning of the song. Then, as the full arrangement unfolded, the power of the song simply grew and grew.

The words are so heart opening and meaningful, but what really put it over the top for me was singing it together with at least 300 devotees, and feeling the lived reality of the lyrics that speak of “the truth that we’re all one“ (emphasis is mine).

On Sunday I was so caught up with the completion of Spiritual Renewal Week that I didn’t tune into the fact that Guru Purnima — a time to express gratitude towards one’s spiritual teacher (or Guru) — was the very next day. It wasn’t planned that way, but what a perfect divinely inspired time to be singing “O Master”!

Here’s the video of the choir singing it during Sunday service. There are even a few moments when the camera captures a few of the hundreds of people singing along with us.

O Master lyrics

O Master, may Thy joy fill our days.
O Master, may Thy wisdom guide our ways.

The time has come for us to see
That there’s but one reality
Upon the earth and high above:
The truth that all was made from love.

A love that calls to us to fly
Above the hills, above the sky,
Above the storms, above the pain:
A land where peace and laughter reign.

O Master, may Thy joy fill our days.
O Master, may thy wisdom guide our ways.

Guide all our hopes and all our dreams
Past every glow that only seems,
Into the light, the inner sun,
Into the truth that we’re all one.

Help us to find in every hour,
In every thought in every flower,
A joy that spans eternity,
The truth that makes us ever free.

O Master, may Thy joy fill our days.
O Master, may Thy wisdom guide our ways.

Posted on

Choose well

Thanks to The Wise You for the meme

I find this fascinating. All extremely common words, but it would never in a million years have occurred to me to compare the number of letters in each one.

But I’m grateful that it occurred to someone (thank you, whoever you are), because it has caused me to reflect on how important it is to choose rightly.

So along those lines: I choose love, friends, and truth; I choose to be positive; I choose to rise above and to live in joy; I choose to be happy; I choose what is right; and I choose to heal.

And so it is.

Posted on

Getting better at feeling

“It’s not about feeling better, it’s about getting better at feeling.”

When I heard these words during an appointment today, I made sure to write them down. I could feel their truth for me on every level of my being, but I’ve learned from past experience that if I’m not careful there’s a part of me that will quickly erase such insights from my memory banks.

It’s not an entirely new concept. For years I’ve had therapists and counselors encouraging me to tune into my feelings, to name them and feel them in order to let them go.

I remember one session with a therapist where I was doing my usual talking about the feeling while carefully skirting around any actual feeling of the feeling. She gently but firmly insisted that I tell her where I was feeling it in my body. It took quite a while but eventually I was able to get there.

Over the years and decades so much of my energy has gone to trying to feel better. Sometimes that means trying to fix the situation (or the person) as quickly as possible. Other times it means distracting myself with food or activity. Straightforward denial has definitely had its role to play.

But today is the first time I’ve understood that the real goal is to get better at feeling whatever it is I’m feeling. To be honest and authentic, first and foremost with myself.

What a concept.

Posted on

Dandelion thoughts

“One day, they’ll be making wishes upon me.”

You just never know…

The only answer is to live YOUR truth. 😊

Posted on

Fun on the spiritual path

Seriously tweaked my shoulder last night and it hurts to type. So here’s a happy thought to reflect on at the end of your day.

And isn’t this a great photo?!? Could be titled “exuberance!”

Posted on

Taking an intensity break

There’s at least one more “Racial healing” blog post percolating in my mind, but I need a break. So here’s something I felt to share on Facebook a few days ago, starting with what I wrote to introduce it (the lyrics are included after the video):

Yesterday I felt the strong impulse to share this “funny” song of Swami Kriyananda’s. It’s based on a story that Yogananda used to tell. Right now, it’s the TRUTH of the song that is resonating with me, not so much the humor. “What we need is light!”

Yes, It’s Devil Worship
by Swami Kriyananda

Brother, I’ve a faint suspicion
You and I’ve been led astray:
Taught to drive the devil from us,
We’ve invited him to stay!

What we need is light!
For we can’t drive out the darkness
With a stick, with a stick,
No, we can’t drive out the devil with a stick.

Some proclaim all men are sinners,
Can’t escape the devil’s might.
How their interest must intrigue him,
They won’t let him out of sight!

What we need is light!
For we can’t drive out the darkness
Talking sin, talking sin,
No, we can’t drive out the devil talking sin.

Some of us were taught the slogan:
“Social evils must be slain!”
But can anger drive out sorrow?
How can passion conquer pain?

What we need is light!
For we can’t drive out the darkness
While we hate, while we hate,
No, we can’t drive out the devil while we hate.

Brother, have you ever wondered
Why the darkness lingers on?
If we want to see the sunrise
Let us turn and face the dawn!

What we need is light!
For we’ll only best the darkness
When we love, when we love,
Yes, we’ll only best the devil when we love!

Posted on

A song for the times

It’s in times like these that Swami Kriyananda’s song, Go On Alone, really speaks to me. We sang it for Sunday service this morning and I felt more strongly than ever the message of Truth that is so powerfully expressed through this thrilling combination of melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics! (The song is at approximately the 16:45 mark in the video below, if you want to listen to it.)

But what is that message? For me, this song is all about being in the spine. About standing strong and living life from one’s center. About having courage of conviction and feeling so secure in who you are that you can act with kindness and compassion towards others. Wow, that pretty much describes a hero/heroine, doesn’t it? Which is what I believe these times are calling us to be, because our world sure has need of more everyday heroes and heroines.

Swami’s brief introduction to the song pretty much says it all:
“The path to truth is not for weaklings!
Seek approval not from others,
But in your self, with God.
-Truth Can Never Die”

GO ON ALONE
Some men call it progress—
Down with those who doubt!—
To join the causes others join,
And shout when others shout.
CHORUS
Come, you’re a man,
No passive stone!
Stand up, and call your soul your own!
Go on alone! Go on alone!
Banish weakness: Go on alone!
Go on alone! Go on alone!
Don’t look back! just go on alone!

Some men lack the daring
Ever to be free!
They shun the heights, and crowd the depths,
And court security.
CHORUS

Cowards see but pride in
Singularity,
“Oh, never mind if men are wrong,
So long as they agree!”
CHORUS

Claim the power within you
Error to defy!
The world may change or disappear,
But truth can never die!
CHORUS

Posted on

Filled to the brim

We spent the evening with yet another amazing group of Living Disciples…singing and laughing and going deep into a number of our children’s songs (all composed by Swami Kriyananda).

Just for fun I’m listing my favorite two lines from each song that we sang. It’s a fairly random selection of phrases from a variety of simple children’s songs and yet…these simple lyrics are filled to the brim with enough wisdom and truth to last a lifetime!

Sing in the meadows and ev’rywhere:
Sing out a blessing to ev’ryone!

All the world is my friend
When I learn how to share my love…

Teach me all my friends to bless,
Hold them in Thy light.

Move, all you mountains that stand in my way,
Nothing can stop my progress!

Lightly I fly when I live in laughter,
Lightly I fly when my heart sings.

Serve Him with thought, with hand and limb;
Love Him without any reason.

All the world should be dancing,
For God made us all!

What a gift for children to have their consciousness filled with thoughts like these throughout their childhood.