Eschewing Obfuscation

You have religionists who are satisfied to hold "God" separate from themselves and remain essentially unconsciously self-conscious.

You have "readers of every esoteric literature" who are satisfied to assert that "I am God" without having ever removed their egos; and remain essentially unconsciously self-conscious.

You have materialists who deny "a God" in favour of an independent self in a chance universe, "full of potential" without themselves ever actually plumbing and plumbing that "self" and examining that ego, or developing the contemplative intuition to ever receive Knowledge – nor ever realizing the untold potential of the divine Human form; thus remaining for their part, essentially unconsciously self-conscious.

And you have those who, by whatever name or title they’re designated or which status they’ve achieved in this world or the next, actually do the Work of pursuing soul-knowledge, consciousness of Self, of examining the ego inside and out and expressing life beyond it, becoming "realized".  It is a Work of love, of devotion.  And this more than anything enables us to follow suit.

It’s not for one to judge, others or oneself, on this – but to be observant toward it, to avoid bullshitting and to eschew obfuscation.

There Are Things

There are things which cannot be discussed
and those which may not be; the one
because language however eloquent will not suffice, the other …
because there are matters which transform matter
and which are therefore kept unavailable to the probing, curious ego
of the conditioned mind and character not yet ready – perhaps never,
or unreceptive to the Knowledge and the way toward it, requiring everything.

Because the purpose of that soul and the maturity of that personality,
the ripeness of the interest in reaching the most primal and likewise ultimate
re-cognition of Being Human, and to receive the training and the strength to
also hold and to carry and to use, to apply this – is more than an apprenticeship;
it is a gift by grace and can only be met with the sincerest of gratitude and humility.
One arrives with condtioned reasons and replaces this with humility;
even that humility will be surrendered for effacement. There are things...

There is hierarchy, deny it or not, in but not of this world; as there are those
serving the work of drawing consciousness into the Human form,
each holding a position at a place in this world yet not, perhaps hidden from view,
and a point in time yet transcending time measured, perhaps hidden from view.
Spiritual democracy is for this world, the right of each to develop
undominated by another's insistence by force on what should be adhered to.
Hierarchy is without name or form, yet has its names and its forms –
one will not find it however, but only the indicators if that is to be –
and those, right before one's nose. Soberly, neither seduced
by the exotic nor the banally bland familiar, but quickened through awakened eye.

This world is full of contradiction, and by this world is meant perception.
The hierarchy is stable, and there is no discussion, no debate, but liberation.
In the scope of democracy one should question and challenge – but oneself,
and all that one has bought into from all around oneself, this requires discipline.
In matters of hierarchy not of this world of shadow-control and shadow-force,
questioning is stilled, argument has no place – to meet it requires more discipline,
the will to reach consciousness and be free requires surrender of will to Reality.

Discourse on this at all belongs to travellers there, not to those who have arrived.
One is taking liberties even writing this, and to be positioned somewhere in this work
is to be confronted with contradictions as well – and to learn to bear that with grace.
One may be called to take positions one had never imagined, or to take no positions.
It is of inestimable value to learn to cleanse the heart of sides and angles, to eschew
manipulation both internal and external, to take a stand if need be and stand fast.

For a time, or some time or some other time – one needs to gather and hold strength,
cultivate trust, cultivate prayer, cultivate action and repose alike.
Alone the appreciation of the fact that there is a work, that there is a hierarchy
of consciousness – not of ego – and that there is service and something being served,
for the entire benefit of oneself even as one leaves that for the entire benefit of
Humankind, for the liberation of this seemingly fixed world – alone this appreciation
amounts to receptivity toward transformation, not metaphoric but real.

Without once using the word God, one has meant exactly that.
Lest one ask concerning Love, one is pointing to exactly that.

Singing Her, Seeing Her

Singing the Sri Mahalaksmyastakam

or singing the Kundalini Stavah . . .

I am absorbed in seeing Her in every Woman's form and potential

whom I encounter - on whatever basis, to whatever degree,

and without exception.

Regarding Her, acknowledging and addressing Her,

perhaps I may even awaken Her in those very forms,

by my mere glance or touch

awaken in them as well to that consciousness of Her,

or perhaps not.

It doesn't matter.

The Hymn to Mahalaksmi, the Hymn to the Kundalini,

is a declaration of love from Him to Her,

nothing else, and nothing less.

Deep in my ajna-brow,

deep in my hridaya-heart,

deep in my very belly and in my loins,

there I hold Her fast in my arms' embrace,

there I behold Her face.

On my breath I feel the scent of Her -

when I am training or performing prayers,

I feel the warmth of Her smile on my skin -

when I am singing She is making love with me.

Shall I ever deny this?

Love Is Most Great!

The night’s vigil ended at break of dawn.
After breaking fast together over wine, pork, and song,
the Mad Fool of God left my presence;
he told me he’d now climb naked
the minaret of the Spheres,
and proclaim there a better Calling:

"Love is most great, Love is most great!
Love is most great, Love is most great!
I bear witness that there is no reality but Love,
I bear witness that there is no reality but Love!
I bear witness that Love is its own Prophet,
I bear witness that Love is its own Messenger!
Come to celebrate, come to surrender!
Come to consciousness, come to completion!
Love is most great, Love is most great!
There is no reality but Love!"

I told him he was mad, he answered,

No, he wasn’t angry at all, and we laughed, and he left.

But like that Great Woman of Basra

he’d carry torch and water pail,

to burn down paradise and put out hell’s fire – so that

Muslims might just once find something better to do

in the Name of God, than sparing themselves no effort

in erasing the "competition," and to reflect for once,

try loving God – without hope or fear, but for Love –

and after 14 centuries finally learn to dominate

themselves rather than "everyone else."

"Getting Religion" II

Religion is like a body –
like a body it has a head,
a heart, a gut, a yoni and a lingam.
And an asshole.

Religion is like a body –
the head is for thinking-too-much;
the heart is for bringing light into the world,
circulating divine nourishment into all organs,
manifesting love as Human so this world might survive
in knowing joy through that One Breathing Truth;
the gut is for drawing the darkness out of its scary corner:
to do the work of offering it into the light;
the lingam is for positive penetration of Consciousness
into the Earth; the yoni is for warmth and depth, bringing forth life.
The asshole, in over-abundance, gives us jihad and all manner of control issues.
(Every body has one of these – only in religion there are ever so many.)

Religion is like a body –
in which head defines and calculates, feels separate from body;
whereas heart is in that body, nourishes it constantly, earthy and divine.
Head thinks thoughts, writes a theology, says heart doesn't think;
heart indeed thinks – but in dimensions of Unity head cannot grasp.
The asshole is entirely thoughtless, narcisstically striving to
dominate and to rule with unquestioned authority.

The Bringers of light – for whom religions were named, systematized
– these always were first of the heart,
feeding the body as only heart can.
They taught in heart, knowing there would be heads later.
And they knew that religion is like a body –
there would be assholes.

When Sufis give themselves over to zikr,
or Yogis to nada and laya, the Yogas of sound –
when these are practiced devotedly in homes,
in temples, in caves, or in ashrams;
when choirs move listeners and members both
to inner heights which only heart can offer:
then is religion like a body well-served.

(O pious egos! Ablutions will never remove your dirt,
a clean heart will: clear your hearts not of taste of pork –
but rather of envy and intrigue, of bigotry and loathing,
of supremacism and subterfuge, of primitive posturing.
If enemies would just finally love their enemies, then
"the enemy of my enemy" just might well be my friend.)

Then you can think with your heart, act from your heart,

heal other hearts through your heart, as God so intended.

For God is Love, and this Love brought us into manifestation.

I Am Whoever I'm Addressing Now

So, am I the enemy? - very well:
then I am "the Enemy".

As long as there's antisemitism
I'm "the Jew".

Wherever racism or bigotry holds sway
I'm that "Other".

Where there's exclusionism
I'm your "Outsider".

If you dream of Holy War
I'm every "Unbeliever".

I will never fit in nor comply with your ideology
whichever that is.
If you vote fear, then fear me;
I am your worst nightmare.

If you loathe difference
I'm as "Different" as it gets -
and also indifferent concerning that.

Where there is aggression in you
I'm your "Aggressee,"
so if you must have an enemy
you need look no further.

But if you expect me to die your "Victim"
you are in error and will be disappointed.;
for you have already lost,
I cannot be conquered.

I am you and I own it.

I have you in myself
and I have conquered you;
you have no existence outside of me.
You're out of business, your career is over.

I've taken you apart and know you.
I've shattered your paradigm of division and hate
and replaced it with Consciousness.

I am love, I am the Self.

Whatever you have done to the least of these,
you have done it to me.

God alone exists and is real, God alone is great.
So deal with it.