Lotus7

Hello all, I am a musician, been playing for many years. However, in the past all the lyrics I wrote just sounded kind of surface with no real meaning. Well, recently I have decided to change that, because to me not just my music, but any music, should mean something. So I started to write lyrics in an almost transcendental form, and ya know what? Not only is then writing better, but it means something to me. Here are the lyrics tom a new song I just finished writing. Let me know what you think! "Covering Darkness" Show me how to live, the road is not so clear. All that I took to the market, was sold in blood; And turned to mud. The sun and the moon and the stars in the sky They keep flying by. The path in the woods, it curves and it winds Guiding my soul to light Every step that I take, less fearful of the night. Darkness only covers what I can't face, Diamonds await me in this sacred place. Show me how to live, Not to escape. Im calling to you like the cry of a wolf Transcending a harvest moon. Speak me the truth Something I don't want to hear Help me to grow, Show me the road. Help me to grow, Open the gate help me to grow, show me the road, Even if incomplete. Darkness only covers what I can't face, Diamonds await me in this sacred place. Show me how to live, Not to escape. Show me how to live The road is not so clear...

Manitou, Thank you so much for the kind words. It is always uplifting to hear positive feedback, especially from a fellow musician. Who knows, maybe we can collaborate on some music sometime!! In regards to my song: There is an underlying tone to the words- to me it is to stop running from the things you must face in order to grow as a person and spiritual being. I have tried to run from many things in my life, only to find that I am running right back to the issue. There is a wonderful line from an Avett Brothers song that goes, "The weight of lies will bring you down, and follow you to every town. There's nothing happening here, that doesn't happen there." There came a time in my meditation practice that I had to start facing some demons that I did not want to face. I tried to avoid the truths before me, but I never got anywhere, never succeeded in bypassing the hard road. I finally had to surrender and let something greater than my feeble mind guide me. I learned that I could no longer run from the nature of the universe and the karma that I had brought upon myself. So I faced many of those demons, and continue to face the more stubborn obstacles. Another lyric that would apply to this is a Ray Lamontagne song that goes, "Well I looked my demons in the eye, laid bare my chest and said do your best to destroy me!" There comes a time when everything will be brought to light, and there is no amount of hiding or retreating you can do to stop the dawn. I had two options: Be positive and work through these hinderances, or stay in the quicksand forever, being eaten alive by my own thoughts. I chose to live, not escape. Anyways, there is a little background on my personal battles, But enough about me. Manitou, I am very intrigued by Kundalini. I have done some research in the past on the subject. It seems that everytime I start reading anything to do with Kundalini or the Awakening process, I have a warm feeling wash over me as if the Universe is telling me this is in line with ITs Ultimate Truths and I should just go for it. I would love to know where I could find some genuine valid reading material on kundalini, if you have the time. Thank you again for the kind words! Love and light! P.S.- I have some videos and recordings of some of my music if ya would like to hear them.

Thanks Steve! That is very helpful!! It is good to know that I can relate to someone with a similar situation. I have that is best to meditate in the morning, and you nailed it on the head when you said that it is difficult to meditate after a long day. It is near impossible, at least for myself. I just need to discipline myself to wake earlier, because deep down I know that it will make my day much more enjoyable while having a calm state of mind. If I may ask, what sort of meditation do you like to start your day off with? Or does it vary? Thanks again, great advice! -Namaste Matt

Hello guys and gals, I am reading a really great book right now entitled "The Lotus Still Blooms" by Joan Gattuso. It explains, in simple terms, philosophical Buddhist teachings to the Western man's or woman's) mind. Anyway, I mentioned this book in another post, but thought I should bring it up again as I have found some very interesting topics that I would like to share with ya! As some of you may know the Buddha was kind of an intelligent fellow, especially after the whole enlightenment thing, . In the second chapter of the book, it opens up with a couple of quotes that I would like to share and discuss, if you are so inclined to do so. 1.) "All that I am is the result of all that I have thought." -Buddha 2.) "What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man acts or speaks with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of a cart follows the beast that draws the cart. What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind: If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow." -The Dhammapada, verses 1-2 Ok so as i was reading this an old saying came to mind: "Beware of your thoughts, for they become your actions; beware your actions, for they become your habits; beware your habits, for they seal your fate." (This is not verbatim, just off the top of my head.) We all know how powerful the mind can be, at least I assume you do, lol. I know this first hand as I have battled depression for many years and I truly believe that a large part of it was do to my mental state. In my case, my depression was a comfort zone to me. It was all I knew and what I was used to. I would have ups, but then would come right back down. It was like it was my minds defense mechanism saying, "Whoa, be careful, it dangerous out there! Come back!" Anyway enough on me, just an example. If you think about it, these previous verses are very wise! (the Buddha did coin these after all)If your thoughts are pure with the right intentions, then it will usually lead to you acting on those intentions. Im not saying that everyone has the right motivation to carry out their ideas and intentions, just in general. So practicing the right thoughts will carry over into your day to day life, basically projecting your mind into your activities, which then become habitual. I can recall many times where I would have depressive thoughts before facing a big challenge, only to fail at the challenge. I can also recall times when I was very positive and upbeat about something, and it ended up being a success. I am not saying this has always been the case, because my thoughts alone are not the only influential aspect of any situations success. However, after much trial and error, after many wars waged with my mind and life, I have come to the conclusion that my mental state does indeed influence how my day to day life turns out. I have learned the importance of positive mantras, I am seeing the benefits of a consistent yoga and meditation practice. I know all of this sounds like common sense, and it really is. However, I just felt the need to share on these quotes that I found, because they have rang very true in my life as of late. I will have to say my life has been much better once I starting thinking positively. I would love to make this thread into a discussion not only on the quotes that I shared, but also on your personal experience with mind power and how thoughts have affected your life!! Thank you all for reading! I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of people who open their hearts and minds on a day to day basis for the benefit of their fellow man! Love and Light to you all! -Namaste, Matt

Hey Otis, I tell you my friend, we must be of the same mind, lol. I read your post over a few times and the more and more it resonated with what I really intended with my original post. It is so easy to become slaves to our own minds, and to become comfortable with that. I like your training wheel metaphor. It makes good sense. If we as people ever want to evolve to a higher level, we must constantly be in a state of change and adaptation. And I guess that just leads to the ideology of letting go of thoughts. Non-attachment. Sometimes, for me at least, it is so easy to hold on to comfortable thoughts and habits. Like smoking for example. I smoke cigarettes, and have for the past 4 years. To be honest, I have not tried very hard to quit. It is a ridiculous habit, does nothing for me at all, except hurt my lungs and heart. But it is a comfort zone, and I am a slave to it. Anyway, I guess it kind of goes back to that saying I posted, "Beware your thoughts, for they become your habits..." I need to be more aware of my thoughts. Not try to control them, but let them come and pass if I have no use for them. I don't know if any of this makes sense, I do have a lot on my mind Well thanks Otis, I got a lot out of what you said!!! You have been a great help to me with many of your posts! Blessings to you! Love and Light, Namaste, Matt

Interesting... I have been seeing things like this for the past few years, and it always made good sense to me. Now Ill just have to read the book. Thanks for the link dawei. Just goes to show that we all can make our life into what we want. Namaste, Mateo

hello dawei, no i have not read the book. care to share a bit more? is there a pdf online i can download? love and light, matt

Hey guys, I have been wanting to reply and add to this post for a few days now, but have been very busy. And with good cause; a cause that very much relates to my first post. So I was originally talking about how thoughts project into our lives and shape the situations we find ourselves in. I am more a believer now than ever. Ill give an example of how this philosophy recently affected me. I have been out of work now for a few weeks, and it has been stressful looking for a new job. The market for employment is not very good where I am located. And it seems that the jobs which are available are low paying positions. Certainly nothing to support a family on. (I just recently had a baby boy ) I must admit that I have been a bit depressed about this whole situation. Then I took control. I woke up one day last week in a positive mood. I remember telling myself out loud, "I will find a good job. Be patient." I prayed about it. (This is off topic, but I really think that a large part of the reason prayers are answered is because the person praying has an intention strong enough to manifest into their reality, it being the right season of course.) So that morning I applied to several different jobs online. Many of the jobs were really good offers, but there was one that was just over and above the rest. I applied to that one immediately. I imagined myself having that job, and what it could do for me and my family. Well 2 hours after I applied for this great job, I received an email. The email was from THE job. It was sending me a formal application, and asking me to send it back immediately so they could set up an interview. I filled it out and sent it. The very next morning, I got a call from the company secretary asking me if I could come in that afternoon for and interview. I could not believe it!!! Well, to make a long story short, I went to the interview and they hired me on the spot. My first day is tomorrow I guess what all this comes down to are my thoughts and intentions manifesting into reality. I have heard a lot of people get frustrated with the idea of manifesting because they can't seem to pull it off. Well, IMO, there is a reason why they can't manifest. It is not the right season for that particular item, event, situation, etc. to come into there lives. The Universe, God, Dao has a way of looking after us who seek. It does not always happen when or where we want it, but it always comes at the necessary time. I would have loved to have gotten this job 3 weeks ago, lol, but it was not the right time. It is quite amazing how we learn patience through everyday occurrences. Ok well back to the original point. This situation just proves, TO ME, that with the right positive thoughts (Right Thought- eightfold path) good things will come, while with negative thoughts, (I.E.- the last 3 weeks of being depressed) nothing comes to fruition. Ok I think I have said all I could say. My faith has been strengthened once more. Love and Light to you all. Thank you all for helping me along my path, whether you knew what you were doing or not. -Namaste, Matt

hello all, well it seems that I need to start reading the whole thread before I decide to post I only read the first 3 posts before I replied to alwayson, lol. I have since read the entire thread, and realized that my reply was in vein. hehe, oh well. Seth great stuff! I really admire your spiritual motivation and persistence. could use a little more of that in my own life! Blessings to you my brotha! send some energy my way! Love and light! Namaste, Mateo

Any forum online, no matter if it is spiritually related or otherwise, is going to have spam, instigators or trolling. Not everyone has good intentions. I don't think anyone here who has responded with constructive criticism or some form of chastisement towards you is trying to attack you. The regulars on here, who regularly contribute to the community, have only good hearts and intentions towards the bums. To say that this site "sucks" is a bit of a dramatic response ay? There are many genuine people here who truly care for the well being of their fellow man. If someone is attacking you openly or "viciously" attacking you, then either ignore them completely, or report it to the sites administrator. I see a lot of posts here where threads turn into arguments and it is usually the same people over and over. So my advice to you, alwayson, to get the most out of this site, is to ignore the people who seem to be against you and focus on your personal growth. It only drains energy to focus on negativity. Again this is my point of view, might be totally off. I wish you well on your journey alwayson! Love and Light, Namaste, Matt

wow... thats all I can say Aaron. Beautifully put. I will meditate on this. Ever since I began studying Taoism, I have heard the phrases like "We are all one." "I AM everything" etc. However, I have yet to grasp the true concept of this intellectually until now. Thank you so very much. Now to let it resonate with my whole being so that I can allow it to permeate my personal awareness on the spiritual level. You have very good insight... what, may I ask, is your main form of meditation? Again thank you, Namaste- Matt

Hello all, Im new to the forum and just posted a greeting in the Lobby section. Hope you get a chance to read, might give a bit of insight on myself and my experience in life thus far. Anyway, I just bought a new book entitled, "The Lotus Still Blooms" By Joan Gattuso. I have only read the introduction, but it sounds like a worthwhile book. The lady is a practicing Christian minister for a nontraditional,nondenominational church who incorporates Tibetan Buddhism teachings into her work. Thats all I know thus far. So, I guess my question is: Have any of you read this book or heard of it? If you have, than what do you think and is it worthwhile for a beginner?? Namaste, Matt

hey Seth! Its not that I feel like the Hermetic tradition is evil, just that some of the rituals etc. are taboo to me. I dont fully understand it. It is kind of like the Bob Dylan song where he says, "...and don't criticize what you can't understand." I have done extensive research on Hermetic science and tradition. What I have found AMAZES me! It is almost scary what one can possibly achieve through a thorough practice and application of Initiation Into Hermetics alone. I believe that is what drew me in off the bat. There is a website(and Im guessing that I am allowed to post the name) called www.thedivinescience.org in which I read a great introduction about theurgy. On the site they offer an aspirants class a couple times a year in which I have applied for to learn more about the Tradition. And yes you are absolutely right, much of what we know today in the way of art and culture has deep hermetic roots. No denying that. I guess any practice whether it be that of a Magician, shaman, Taoist Masters, etc.. can be used for good or for evil. The system that I am looking at actually incorporates Hatha and Kriya yoga as a base of all its practices to enhance the practitioners spiritual and psychic growth. Anyways thanks for the post Seth. Hope to speak with you and others further on the subject! Namaste, Matt

Thanks Blasto! I will definitely start with these books, or at least one of them, lol. A few years back I read and TRIED to comprehend "Cultivating Stillness", translation and footnotes by Eva Wong. But at that point I was so new to all this I was left confused to say the least. I get what some of it was alluding to now, but its still like a fog to me. Ya know its funny Blasto, you are one of the primary Bums I have been following on here, in regards to your posts I mean. Kind of coincidental that you should be the first to reply to my first post. Ah, but I don't really believe in coincidences. Well, if you or anyone else can answer a couple beginner questions, I do have a couple? -First: What sort of meditative practice should I begin with to start emptying my mind? I am starting some new yoga practices. But what should I incorporate with them? A stillness meditation? Again, just what you would recommend. -Second: I have done a good bit of research into hermetics. I don't know how entirely comfortable that path makes me. Seems like it could lead to some evil stuff Butin any event, I was reading a commentary on Franz Bardon's Initiation Into Hermetics, and the author was talking about how one can not "meditate" without first learning to completely stop the mind, if even for a short time. I thought that when you first begin a meditation practice, that was the whole goal of the meditation: quieting the thought process. Anyway, Im probably answering my own question. The more and more I look into hermetics... I don't know, just kind of creeps me out. Seems like a very dark cult. Ok well any insight to these questions would be nice. Namaste, Matt

Hello all! My name is Matt, and I live in Atlanta, GA. I am in my mid-20's and have a yearning for a fuller, more pure spiritual life. I will give a little background on my spiritual upbringing and a little bit on me generally. I was raised in the southern baptist church, and for many years very active in youth programs and praise bands. I was what some would call a Bible thumper. Then things started to change, just as they usually do when a 17 year old starts to rebel lol. I got away from the church, and lost a lot of my church friends because they did not think I was living a godly life. I was doing nothing horribly wrong, but again I was dealing with a bunch of fanatical Christians. Anyway, to make a long story short, when I was 19 when I moved out of my parents home and nearby to a college town. It was there that I suddenly came upon Daoism, Buddhism and a whole world of Eastern thought. It was as if the veil of spring was suddenly lifted from a dark winter. I studied and researched constantly. I could not get enough. However, it was only knowledge that I gained, because like I am sure many of you know, knowledge without practice is dead space in your head. It was during this time that I discovered TheTaoBums and got familiar with many of you and your beliefs and at times teachings:-p. I, then suddenly, for no reason, started running from spirituality and just lived for my self. Well recently I have had a deep yearning, as if the Universe itself was calling me back. I want what many of you seem to have. I want to train and practice and learn. I want to cultivate compassion in my life for myself and others. Anyway guys, I know this greeting was a bit lengthy, but hey at least you know a little of my life and experience. Please don't be shy... feel free to PM me or post back with any comments, advice, your experiences, etc. Love and Light to you all. Namaste, Matt