Sky Gazing

Published February 17, 2014 by murgcat

Sky gazing.

While kayaking through the crystal waters of Sierra lakes, have you ever noticed the big boulders that look like a Sasquatch recliner?  They are perfect to lay out on and view the sky above.  These spots call out for a bit of sky gazing.

It is as simple as it sounds. You lay back and relax. As you lay there allow your gaze to soften and expand. As you breathe in and out feel the connection with the immensity before you.

Here, I’m sure a disclaimer needs to be inserted. You are gazing at the sky not the sun. Don’t stare at the sun! The results would be not so bueno. The everlasting blue above is a different story.

Quite a few traditions have concentration, turning inward, and shutting out all external distractions as the core of their meditation practices.  Coming from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, sky gazing heads in the other direction.

As you lay on the rock to gaze at the sky, allow yourself to expand and connect.  With every out breath feel all your contractions release.  The annoying little jabs of the monkey mind, your ego, breath those out as well and let them dissipate into the vastness of the sky. Relax and breathe, feel the space in you. Down at the smallest level you are space. Allow the connection to be formed with the space between the atoms that make up your body and the space between the atoms that make up the sky. Feel that space bond; feel it resonate. When the connection is realized, the annoying random thoughts and distractions can then also be united with the space allowing them to dissolve into it.

Once you can truly feel the connection between the space in yourself and the space in the sky, you will then be able to feel that space in everything. When you feel that, then the realization that all things are connected becomes very clear.

There is nothing to strive for in this meditation. The practice is to simply be. Wherever you are, you can benefit from this practice, except perhaps while driving or skydiving. My favorite is a quite stop on the edge of Lake Tahoe. Where else can I get so much blue?

Forest Ninja

Published January 15, 2014 by murgcat

Who truly was the monster in Mary Shelly’s story? Was it the creature or the arrogant Herr Doctor. Ultimately, Dr. Frankenstein is the bad guy. Not a Macho thing, but I cried for the creature at the end of the book. That is some gut wrenching pathos! The creature wasn’t a monster at all.

Fair Warning — Hang on for an abrupt turn…

Sasquatch, that’s right Sasquatch. We’re always looking for the creature, the monster. We must bag one to prove it exists. We need body parts! Get the pitchforks and torches. Sorry, slipped there for a minute but you get the drift.

One of the southeastern tribes quit trading with the men of the forest because they were cheats. They got the better of our red brothers every time they traded. Sounds like they were pretty smart. There are tribes that consider Sasquatch to be the Wise-Ones, guardians of the forest.  I believe it goes one step further, The Wise-Ones are the forest ninja. They have the ability to cloud men’s minds. Or at least play with our heads a bit.

Continuing on this slant, it would be safe to assume they have a way to honor their dead. Perhaps in the Tibetan tradition, they feel the shell is empty at death so the body get’s chopped up to feed the vultures. We haven’t found any remains because the Sasquatch understand, if remains are found we will look for them harder. We’re human; it’s what we do.

Let’s face it, the Hairy Man of the Forest has been spotted on all the continents except Antarctica. See, they are intelligent.

HPIM0092

It’s time for a change, go into the forest with respect not arrogance. Don’t carry pitchforks to assail the monster, carry chocolate to share with a being that might be far more evolved than we can hope to be. If I were a superior Empathic being , I’d want chocolate.

retreat into the wilderness

Published November 16, 2013 by murgcat

Disclaimer – Do not go into the wilderness, there are beasties that will eat you, if Mother Nature does not take care of you first.

Welcome to the modern world. However, what if some of our forefathers had followed that advise?  If Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Gautama Buddha, Black Elk, Dr. Mikao Usui or countless others had figured it was safer to stay around other people and not take the chance, where would the world be today? The epiphanies of countless spiritual teachers and guides have been realized in the embrace of Gaia.

The majority of westerners are disconnected from nature. It is something to be feared, conquered, or exploited. What a person truly needs, though, is a loving partnership with Nature. Spending time alone in the wilderness can have a payoff that dwarves any monetary gain.

There are two conditions that make the journey more impactful. First is the alone part. This means no two-legged friends or four-legged friends. Scientists have discovered that being alone has therapeutic advantages over being with other people. Nature heals and teaches with the tools at hand. The healing, if it is of an emotional nature, may be triggered by the sight of a new fawn lying at the foot of a redwood. You see the relationship between the new life there at the comforting feet of the old and it releases repressed trauma. Fido sees a toy or worse – snackies. You have compounded trauma now!

The second condition is the most profound. When you go out to be alone in the woods do it in a grateful sacred way. Take the time to give thanks to who ever it is that you give reverence to. Give thanks to the wilderness you are entering. Be prepared, wilderness will give you gifts. Some extremely subtle- the sound of a hummingbirds’ wings in your ear or the wind through the pines. Sometimes when the right circumstance comes about the gift is overt. If while eating lunch a bobcat sits on the rock overlooking the valley with you it’s pretty apparent.

Next time you need a little solace or guidance try being alone in the woods. You know, you really should at least tell someone what direction you are headed, Just in case you discover your bliss and can’t stop hugging the trees!

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What is Arcanology?

Published September 24, 2013 by murgcat

 

Arcanology, n – The study of the esoteric, metaphysical, secret, and hidden

Arcane, adj. – Hidden, secret. Known by only a few, esoteric.

Arcanum, n. – Secret or hidden knowledge.  A mystery, secret. The great secret of nature which the alchemists sought. A secret or mysterious remedy, elixir.

 Arcanologist, n. – A person who studies the esoteric, metaphysical, secret and hidden

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     An Arcanologist studies a vast array of disciplines from Alchemy to Martial Arts to Crypto-Zoology.  They look for the esoteric teachings, the fundamental teachings of the different subjects. In martial arts there have always been “closed door “ students, those taught the mysteries of chi. Those are the lessons that interest an Arcanologist.  In Buddhism, the study of Dzongchen or Bon would be their interest. In Judaism, an arcanologist would study the Kabbalah.

            What are the root threads that bind all of these things together? That’s a question the Arcanologist lives for. These things can only be researched so far. The musty tomes and dark library shelves only get one an intellectual knowledge. True knowledge in most of the areas studied in arcanology require a vast amount of field work and true experiential study. To truly Grok (see Heinlein) a subject you have to live it.