Mystical Peace...

A stranger arrived yesterday,
unexpectedly,
engulfed me in Her Peace...

In Her Presence
everything settled...

everything let go of me..
all entanglements
all resistance
all struggle

everything became strangely Quiet within...

everything rested within me,
not lifeless - just rested...

It was like a mystical fog of Peace
surrounding me,
holding me -
and I was still - 
at my core...

When She arrived
life was allowed to be as life is,
despite what was going on externally.

I listened deeply to her whispers...

She felt 'strange' to me
only because She
was just there
unbidden,
a softening presence....

She was larger than life;
beyond mental understanding
or explanation...

Yet, I knew that I know this "stranger."
She was strangely familiar...
I'm sure we have met before...

I welcomed her with gratitude...

She drew closer and wrapped Her mantel of Peace
around my Heart...

The Fire-Light within began to brighten...

Love emerged...

She was Home...

Mystic Meandering

adapted from a poem written in 2015

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering
Winter 2015

~

 Even in the midst of chaos there is Peace...
Even in the midst of complexity there is Simplicity...
Even in the midst of confusion there is Stability... 

I keep reminding myself to
stay rooted in my Eternal Nature at the 
Core of my Being...

MM

Blessings In the Chaos - Jan Richardson

 

To all that is chaotic
in you,
let there come silence.

Let there be
 a calming
of the clamoring,
a stilling
of the voices that
have laid their claim
on you,
that have made their
home in you,

that go with you
even to the 
holy places
but will not
let you rest,
will not let you
hear your life
with wholeness
or feel the grace
that fashioned you.

Let what distracts you

cease.
Let what divides you
cease.
Let there come an end
to what diminishes
and demeans,
and let depart
all that keeps you
in its cage.

Let there be
an opening
into the quiet
that lies beneath
the chaos,
where you find
the peace
you did not think
possible
and see what shimmers
within the storm.

Jan Richardson

The human heart continues to dream of a state of wholeness,
a place where everything comes together,
where loss will be made good, where blindness will transform
into vision, where damage will be made whole,
where the clenched question will open in the house of surprise,
where the travails of a life's journey will enjoy a homecoming.
To invoke a blessing is to call some of that wholeness upon a
person now.

Jan Richardson

with thanks to The Beauty We Love

~

Art - Mystic Meandering
Medieval Mandala

A Prayer for a Suffering World

May we be free of physical suffering...
May we be free of mental anguish...
May we be free of all suffering
and the roots/causes 
of suffering...

May we be safe...
May we be at peace...

May we be well in body and mind...

May we live with ease...

From 2 Buddhist sayings...

~

Photo from the internet digitally altered

 

Civil-ization? - LaMotte & Gély

The world is a field of conflicting opposites.  You
will never wake up one morning to discover that the
politicians made peace on earth, because peace is not
the nature of this world, or politicians,
[or its inhabitants.]
We come to stay for only a while...
We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth...

Fred LaMotte
excerpt from a post on Uradiance

[brackets mine]

~

"For as long as I can remember, I have believed in God, but
not the institutional God...  God is incomprehensible.  We
can't put Spirituality in a little capsule for consumption.
The way the world works doesn't change.  The big guy
crushes the little guy.  For two thousand years [or longer]
it hasn't changed.  There is no humanity in so-called
civilization."

Gabriel Gély

Gabriel was an artist who lived with the Inuit peoples of Canada
for 38 years.  He lived with them when they were living 
 a "traditional" lifestyle [their tradition].  And lived with
them during their transition to settlement lifestyles.
He died at age 96 in 2020 in Nova Scotia

Excerpt from an Interview with Rod MacIver
of Heron Dance

[brackets mine]

~

Personal Note:

It seems that history keeps repeating itself.
Our own "American" indigenous peoples were put on
reservations (settlements) after many of them were 
massacred by the white anglos, including women and children.
The white man believed they had a "manifest destiny" from God;
that they were entitled to the land, and so took it.

The same thing happened at The Alamo in Texas.
The Americans decided they wanted the land that belonged
to the Mexicans, and they took it.
The same in Ukraine, Putin wants an empire, 
and he's trying to take it...

White Supremacists want to kill Blacks and Jews -
in the name of God...

It seems that every civilization has its history of 
violence and injustices.
We are not immune...

"the enemy is us"
even with our
lofty "non-dual"
spiritual
words.

_/\_

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

The saying on one of my T's
(the picture on the T is much better!)

 

The Peaceful Hour...

Listen to the Wisdom in the peaceful hour,
when no other voices are heard,
only the wisdom of a Quiet Heart and mind,
immersed in the stillness of just Being;
an Oceanic Rhythm of Stillness and Silence that
arises naturally...

In the peaceful hour I withdraw from the day
and come back to myself
and listen to the Silence within,
in the silence of the night...

Anxiety and Stress are gone.
I take my first real deep breath of the day
and sink into peace and inner stability,
loving the silence that surrounds me,
unfettered, unencumbered,
just resting,
comforted in serenity...

Finally, slowly, coming back into sync
with the Rhythm of my Being -
an exquisite pause fills my body from the
stresses of the day and I slow down.
It's now that I feel that everything will be okay,
if only in the peaceful hour...

Restful, Rhythmic Peace...

Mystic Meandering
Aug 16, 2023

1am

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

The Gasp of Peace - a mystical meandering...

This happened several weeks ago...

I laid my head back against the top of the soft chair cushion,
and let my head tilt backwards into the cushion

I automatically laid my left hand across my lower neck,
curving the clavicle where it meets the top of the sternum - comforting

In that same moment there was an exquisite felt sense of deep peace
that overtook me - and I gasped

It was such a pristine feeling of Peace that I've never felt before -
nor since

It filled my head, overtaking all thoughts and emotions -
without effort on my part

Some have called it "the  peace that passes understanding"

It was as if I had found a "mystical spot" on the clavicle that
opened me to a realm of Peace that I have never entered before

The peace was not sought, and only came in that same moment
that my hand embraced my clavicle - and has never happened again

It was only momentary - although I felt like it lingered long.

I was gifted with such a sweetness in the midst of personal chaos

I was filled with awe at such an intense presence of Peace

But *I* could not sustain it

It came on its own and left its imprint,
then released itself to the ethers...

Mystic Meandering
March 2023

~

Photo - South Pole Aurora Borealis
from the Internet

A Time of Passage...

This is a time of passage,
the passing away of old patterns of life;
a passing of what we thought was true;
what we believed to be real;
the old facades of being,
the images we hold of ourselves.
Everything is passing away.

It's a passage out of time
where time has no meaning anymore;
passing into timelessness
and times beyond time.

Leave everything alone...  Let it all be...
Let things take their natural course...
Let life go its own way...

We cannot stop the currents from flowing
the way they flow -
even if it is painful...

Trust the unseen deeper current
that leads to peace...
that Is Peace...

Mystic Meandering
March 30, 2023

~

Photo - from the internet

 

Peaceful Presence - a meandering...

Suddenly peace overtook me and I was no longer
engaged in mental thrashings about life circumstances...
at least in that momentary, fleeting moment...

And I thought to myself:
Finally, Peace has come!

I actually fell into a twilight sleep -
aware that I was at last at peace/peaceful,
without trying to be peaceful, just basking
in the unbidden feeling of being at peace.
It was wonderful -
and somehow I knew that everything is deeply okay;
deeply peaceful at its core; at its essence...

Was this real, a dream, a mystical experience?

I understood that underneath the tempests of the mind
there is an abiding peace at the core of our being;
lost to us most of the time, to our awareness,
by the crashing waves of the mind's turmoil, but can be
felt in between the waves; like the pause between the
breaths.  There is a peaceful pause that sustains itself

 - even if not felt...

Everything is at peace at its core, but you can't try to get
there, you can only allow it to come through, to just
receive it when it emerges/arises on its own within,
and make yourself available to it when it does...

If only for one fleeting moment...

Mystic Meandering 
Jan. 7, 2023
around 3pm

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

Peace in the Attic ...

Photo by Dan V on Unsplash.com

I am grateful for the Quiet in this "House"...
Immersing me in the Quiet within;
The Stillness - with only the whir of the ceiling fan
and occasional distant sounds that somehow soothe...

It's as if the "House" is not my house -
but houses me anyway -
like the body "housing" my spirit,
allowing me to dwell here,
living in its spaces...

Its space holds my "things" - that
aren't "my" things - only accumulated
symbols of a life lived - spiritually, creatively,
intuitively, meaningfully -
mementos for someone's attic someday.

The "House" is still - yet Alive,
breathing in and out with the breeze;
curtains softly sway at the window...

When there is peace in the Attic of the mind there are
no addicting stories, no ruminating on the past, no trying
to fix anyone's problems - 
just quiet peace...

"The Mystery" of Life itself also
inhabits this "House"
- untouched - undisturbed -
filling every closet, drawer and cabinet;
and every space of my Being,
with its Fullness...

~

A dog barks sharply, breaking the Quiet...

But the "House", and its inhabitant, remain still -
breathing with the breeze...

Mystic Meandering
Sept, 20, 2022

 

"Window Sitting"...

I used to have a "practice" that I called "window sitting", where
I would sit in a chair at an open window late at night, leaning on
the windowsill, pressing as close to the screen as possible, breathing
in the night air and the silence.  Gazing out the window into the
night was calming and soothing, heightening my awareness of
the Stillness, the Silence that permeates everything.  It is tangible -
almost magical.  It was a wonderful experience - basking in the 
silence of the night, listening deeply to the sounds of the quiet, smelling
the night air; experiencing the soft aliveness of Nature; opening
into the Silence at the Core of my Being; feeling the Rhythm of
Existence.  I don't remember why I stopped, and may revive it
again.  It is a space where I become more *aware* of the Inner
Landscape as well.  I scribbled notes on scratch paper in near
darkness when Silence sang to my heart.  Every fiber of my
being swooned for this delicious nightly rendezvous with The
Silence of Being.  I am ready to hear that melody once again.

Here's a "scribble" from my first night of "window sitting"
back in May 2010.  The window calls to me again.

Nothing in nature is struggling...
Everything is at peace...
Everything in nature is the peace of the Silent Stream -
the Eternal Stillness...

The trees are peaceful.
The plants in the neighbor's garden are at peace.
The grass sleeps.

Everything is exquisitely - peaceful...

I feel myself returning to what I know to be true -
to the authentic Stillness of Being within,
allowing myself to be touched by this Stillness...
Befriending the Silence...

Recognizing this deep space of Silence as Home...

There is a feeling of intimacy,
as this still Silence wraps itself around me,
embraces everything that is,
infusing everything that lives...
It is so palpable, so Real...

Basking in the Pure Silence of the Night -
just listening,
just experiencing,
just Be-ing - Stillness

Mystic Meandering
May 2010

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

 

Waiting for the War to End - Gangaji

Human beings have been making war in every culture for a very
long time.  Culture is a reflection of the individual mind, and the
individual mind is a reflection of the cultural mind.  Since you
are reading this, I assume you are interested in peace in your
own mind.  You are not waiting for "them" to make peace.  This
is good news, because war is fought to get others to do it our
way so that we can be at peace.  When you stop waiting for
them, instead shift your attention to your own mind, then you
can recognize the tendency toward war in your own mind, the
tendencies of totalitarianism, hate, revenge, and holding on.  
And you can recognize the suffering that those tendencies
continue to deliver.

Somehow, in the face of it all, you find you want peace.  You
are sick and tired of the war within your own mind. You only
need to accept the invitation of your own heart, regardless of
the outer or inner circumstances, and let yourself sink into the
peace of your innermost Being.

Unless all of us take responsibility for our own inner peace,
the wars will continue.  We cannot wait any longer for
someone else to change. We cannot wait for someone else to
forgive us so that we can forgive them.  We cannot wait for
 someone else to say they are sorry.  
Peace cannot be postponed.

Gangaji

From - The Diamond in Your Pocket

with thanks to The Beauty We Love

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

(Waiting for the Dr. in the exam room)

 

Just Breathe...

Late at night,
at the edge of sleep,

I fall into the Rhythm of The Breath…

Content to just breathe ~

The silence outside the window

is pungent,

leaving me rapt,

sinking more deeply

into timelessness beyond time,

letting go of thought,

just awareing the stillness
of the night;

being breathed by

 The Silence of the Unknown…

I hear the sound of the ceiling fan

breathing its own whirling rhythm…

feeling the breeze of its breath

gently move the strands of my hair…

Just breathing ~

And "I" am suddenly gone…
unaware of my – self ~

slipping off the edge

into slumber;
lost in the Breath

until

just

before
the

rising
of

the

next

day

Again finding my-self

at the space at the edge,

before awakening ~
aware of…

Just Breathing ~

Aware of just Being…

Conscious of the Stillness

before thought...

Just breathing ~

Mystic Meandering

July 15, 2015

 

The Peace of Wild Things - Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of the wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief.  I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light.  For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry
from: Collected Poems

with thanks to Beyond the Fields We Know

~

Photo - Cate Kerr
from Beyond the Fields We Know

 

You can stop worrying now - Czeslaw Milosz

In advanced age, my health worsening,
I woke up in the middle of the night,
and experienced a feeling of happiness
so intense and perfect that in all my life
I had only felt its premonition.
It didn't obliterate consciousness:
the past which I carried was there,
together with my grief.
And it was suddenly included,
was a necessary part of the whole.

As if a voice were repeating:

"You can stop worrying now;
everything happened just as it had to.

You did what was assigned to you,
and you are not required anymore
to think of what happened long ago."

The peace I felt was a closing of accounts
and was connected with the thought of death.
The happiness on this side was
like an announcement of the other side.
I realized that this was an undeserved gift
and I could not grasp by what grace
it was bestowed on me.

Czeslaw Milosz

original title "Awakened"

with thanks to Being Silently Drawn

~

Photo from the internet

 

Peace...

Come into Peace...

Even in the midst of chaos there is Peace...
Even in the midst of complexity there is Peace...

Even in the midst of confusion there is Peace...

In everything there is a Peaceful Silent Presence...

In life and death we are held deep within the
Great Heart of Silent Peace...

Mystic Meandering

~

Photo from Pinterest

 

Stillness Speaks - Ginny Lonsdale

Photo: David Peters - Milky Way

 a field, transparent expanse
no inside, no outside,
no boundary
though all things
underneath all things
before all things
from which all things arise -
just movement rising and falling

no agitation
no naming
no reference - one thing to another
nothing is object
and no attributes
thus nothing strikes -
one thing against the other
no agitation

It is peace, utter peace
'the peace that passeth understanding'
the words 'peace' and 'calm'
are limp slivers of linguistic conceit
they cannot transmit this knowing

HOME of pure freedom
all-embracing
no me - no past, no identity - completely unbound
immersed
merged
dissolved
no-longer
only awareness
deep unfathomable peace

just the gift that always is
Reality's Self

emerging through the door of this transcendent HOME
one last kiss and wave off:
"this is Stillness. people live in this Stillness"

a respectful, gentle invitation...

with a dash of humour, like...
'you might like to give this a try ... there's nothing stopping you'
(nudge, nudge)

a white liquid light
poured
through the head into the crevices of the brain
down into the body
filling every vibrating molecule with
exquisite sweetness
scintillating divine light nectar
of which I had never known before
nourishing this material form.
A loving embrace - divine LIGHT pouring itself into 'me'
Every part of this body responded with delight
and 
fell asleep.

Ginny Lonsdale
Footnote from a moment

Keep Peace With Your Soul - Max Ehrmann

 Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars...

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

...whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life
keep peace with your soul...

excerpt from - Desiderata
by Max Ehrmann - 1927

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

The Ghostly Winds...

My Dear,

Be free of concern...
Be free of your mind, and be still.
Let the winds of agitation and despair
pass through you...

Just rest and wait for
the winds to pass through -
as they will...

The stripping winds of decline,
the ghostly winds of the mind,
they all pass through...
Be patient and wait.

All is cared for...
All will be well...

Just rest your mind
and let it all pass...

My Dear,

Be at peace with yourself.
It all passes through.

Mystic Meandering
Jan. 11, 2021

Personal Note:  These were the words that
came through in meditation after a particularly
stressful and restless evening and night,
getting caught in the mind by the winds of
craziness and hatred occurring in this country.

Peace
_/\_

~

Photo - hubby :)

 

 

Peace...

 Even in the midst of chaos there is Peace...
Even in the midst of complexity there is Simplicity...
Even in the midst of confusion there is Stability...

Stay rooted in your Eternal Nature at the 
Core of your Being...

MM

Wrapped in Silence - Rumi

 Last night,
I begged the Wise One to tell me
the secret of the world.

Gently, gently, he whispered -
"Be quiet,
the secret cannot be spoken
it is wrapped in Silence."

All is known in the Sacred Silence

Rumi

Original title: "Last Night"

from the collection
Whispers of the Beloved
translated by Maryam Mafi & Azima Melita Kolin

~

Photo - Mystic Meandering

May Peace Prevail Within Our Hearts!