Categories
The Essays

Journeying into the Mystic

I did not set out to become a mystic. I was never among those New Agers actively seeking to transform consciousness through meditation or yoga……..

However, the skepticism that I had held about religion did little to prevent the occurrence of my spiritual awakening. Without my consent, transformations were brewing within me. An inner mandate had been tugging at my soul…… At the time of my awakening, I did not know that humankind is on the brink of profound transformations in consciousness. Nor did I understand much about the human’s potential for enlightenment. You too may be unacquainted with the whole story. Nevertheless, right now, you could be undergoing, knowingly or unknowingly, changes that are similar to what happened to me….. However, I hope that some of my insights into this spiritual “hatching” process can help you along on your journey.

But my wish for this book does not end there. My main intention is to put into language the shift that has occurred in my thinking. I hesitate to refer to this alteration as a “paradigm shift” because this term has been haphazardly applied to all kinds of changes …. We must be clear that an actual paradigm shift will produce radical changes in our basic unstated assumptions and understandings.

I believe that Thoughts From A Contemplative Beast speaks to just such a shift—a new paradigm with adaptive value for the human species. For this reason, this book is intended for all human beings.

I first became aware of the metamorphosis that thad been percolating within me when I unexpectedly had an out-of-body experience. ………

Categories
The Poetry

What Kind of Beast Are You?

What Kind of Beast Are You? There are all kinds of beasts in this human zoo. There are the thinking ones and the thoughtless ones. What kind of beast are you? There are all kinds of human creatures on this sacred planet. There the generous ones and the greedy ones, the helpful ones and the destructive ones. What kind of beast are you? There are all kinds of Homo sapiens in this global village. There are the compassionate ones and the demonic ones. What kind of beast are you? There are all kinds of human beings in this heart of creation. There are the soulful ones and the cold-hearted ones, the divine ones and the disconnected ones. What kind of beast are you?

Categories
The Poetry

For the Love of Bob

For the Love of Bob

We heard him sing songs of freedom
as he fueled the fire of a roots revival.
Marley was the Jamaican messenger
who was guided by the wisdom of The Bible.

We know he was a creative genius.
Through music, he proclaimed God’s word.
Bob Marley was the musical prophet
and creator of the sweetest vibes on earth.

We listened as he spoke out for justice.
Yet, he encouraged only peaceful means.
Just thank Jah he walked among us
and healed many with his soulful beat.

Amazed at how his reggae moved all the people,
as he swayed both black and the white.
Bob Marley was the musical prophet,
a human conduit for divine love,
and Jah’s light.
Categories
The Poetry

The Electric Church

One last shot of Jimi’s finger magic, poured out through his wailing guitar, will alert the psychedelic zombies to the spirit vibrating across the airways.

The voodoo hippies will awaken to the call for a new renaissance strong, but no longer graced with Janis hot at the microphone.

The children of love will again rise up, as they no longer need a resurrection of John Lennon’s imagination to spur them on.

The slumbering flower power will awaken to destiny and descend like an angel to infuse one more hefty dose of love.

Categories
The Poetry

Reflections of Thee

You are no imposter.
It is just that you cannot see
the promise of your being embryonic within thee.

You are no idiot.
It is just that you cannot see
all the treasures of wisdom buried deep within thee.

You are no demon.
It is just that you cannot see
all the despair and suffering festering hopelessly within thee.

You are no hypocrite.
It is just that you cannot see
all the love and compassion residing silent within thee.

You are no atheist.
It is just that you cannot see all the glory of God’s creation flowing within and through thee.

Categories
The Essays

Humility

At this stage in our species’ evolution, we humans are still tethered to our animal origins. Consequently, we spend much of our psychic energy dealing with worries about our own physical and psychological safety. With self-preservation dominating our thoughts, we obviously are not concerned about living as humble creatures in God’s garden.  Rather, our preoccupation with security actually encourages our self-centeredness.

Because we peer out from behind our own eyes, each one of us is immersed in a subjective viewpoint. We have little if any awareness of how the dominating fears and desires of our animal mind work to distort our perceptions.

Because of our bestial self-centeredness, we seldom think about our lowly status within the universe.  We rarely, if ever, step outside of our own subjective frame of reference. As a result, we do not perceive ourselves as animals. Our egocentricity actually discourages us from considering our human predicament from a more transcendent perspective. And, unfortunately, these limitations in our ability to take in the big picture lead us astray.

We tend to feel separate or isolated from the rest of creation; and, then we carry on as if the laws of cause and effect do not apply to our own set of circumstances. Governed by these delusions of omnipotence, we conduct ourselves as if our Creator’s designs need not concern us. We like to pretend that we can mistreat our bodies, our children, and our rivers with no ill effects. Unaware of the implications of our humble status, we humans are flawed with a maladaptive trait.   ……..