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Tuesday, August 1


DAN BERKOW

Noticing this stone.
Looking at it, as it looks at itself.
Living, breathing, moving stone.
Rippling stone.

Uncollected, this stone is wide as the universe;
I don't keep it or give it away;
it's always rearranging its shapes and colors.
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But, seriously, Andrew, try again. You almost won this
time. I nearly broke my back, I laughed so hard, as I
noticed myself noticing myself noticing myself... very
clearing. thank you from the depths of my scripts. Keep
hammering folks, I'm cracking. --Mark Otter

Look carefully, do you notice yourself noticing yourself
noticing yourself... or is it noticing noticing noticing
noticing... Are there layers of self within self within
self like those wooden russian dolls or is it an objectless
flow of noticing? --Andrew Macnab

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MARK CHRISTOPHER VALENTINE

The Art and Rules of the Game of Courtly Love

When the beloved knows not her own soul, she may play the
game of rejecting the lover.

Neither this beloved nor this lover are awake. Neither have
even heart, let alone or Heart or Sacred Heart.

When the beloved begins to know her own soul, she will
agonize over the game of rejecting a false lover.

This beloved is beginning to awake, but this lover still
dreams This beloved has heart, this lover may or may not
have heart.

When the beloved knows herself as the Beloved, she will
discriminate and choose from among lovers, the Lover.

This Beloved is Awake, so she chooses the awakening Lover.
This Beloved has Heart and this Lover has at least heart.
When they join hands, together they who are two Hearts may
or may not become One Heart.

When the lover knows not his own soul, he may play the game
of flirting with the beloved.

Neither this lover nor this beloved are awake. Neither have
even heart, let alone Heart or Sacred Heart.

When the lover begins to know his own soul, he will agonize
over the game of courting a false beloved.

This lover is beginning to awake, but this beloved still
dreams. This lover has Heart, this beloved may or may not
have heart.

When the lover knows himself as the Lover, he will discern
and court only the Beloved from among many beloveds.

This Lover is awake so he chooses the awakening Beloved.
This Lover has Heart and this Beloved has at least heart.
When they join hands, together they of two Hearts may or
may not become One Heart.

Males tend to be lovers, Females tend to be beloveds
although there is no rule preventing the reversal of roles.
Many lovers have been female, many beloveds have been male

When both the male and female recognize themselves as both,
the Lover and the Beloved, both will have Heart, each One
will find the Other.

These Lovers are the Beloved, these Beloved are the Lover.
Both these, whether male or female, are Awake and have
Heart. When they join hands, together, they form the
Mystery of The Sacred Heart.

Mira has taught me this, I do not know how, except to say,
I who was once just a lover, became a lover, and somewhat
later a Lover. When I met Mira I knew I was both Lover and
Beloved, Beloved and Lover.

I have chosen Mira. Has Mira chosen me? Will we join hands?
She said we would. Ah, but now she retreats. Do I awake or
do I still dream. Mira will decide. The Mystery of The
Sacred Heart that Was, Will be again, if not Now, Later, if
not Later, The Mystery that Was or Will be, Already Is, and
Mira and I must needs Awake Together!

Heart of Jesus, Vessel of Passion Holy Mary, Mother of
Light Heart of Jesus, Abyss of Darkness Clement Mary, Queen
of Joy Heart of Jesus, Emperor of Sorrows Sweet Mary,
Empress of Stillness and Hope

Sacred Heart of God, Chalice of Love Have mercy on Us,
Grant us Peace.

--Mark Christopher Valentine (July 31, 2000)

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MY illusion is better Than YOUR illusion!

nya nya na nya nya!

HAHAHAH and HOHOHO!

Peace - Sheesh! - Michael

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ED ARRONS

Nothing said...says it all.

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XAN

The "unawakened", the "separate" ones, don't need our
suffering for them, nor our frustration at their slowness
to respond and resistance to the simple truth. No one wakes
up and gets happy by our constant attention on false
identity and resulting pain.

What is required is to provide what is lacking - if folks
don't know what they really are, who will know that for
them?

It's a matter of focus, where the power of attention goes
and by that, what it reinforces.

It is a matter of no compromise with illusion.

As compassion continues to reveal itself, I find that my
frustration and empathy with the human condition are both
melting away. Instead there evolves Knowing the truth of
each one. There is the humbling recognition that Grace is
seeing through my eyes and knowing for all as I know
mySelf.

Try giving That and see what happens in you and everyone

*****

Several years ago I was wanting to know what surrender is,
as it was obvious that it was not happening for me and I
didn't know how to allow it. Finally Grace said to me,
"Surrender is free-falling forever." This translates to my
mind as Stopping holding on, since that is the unnatural
action, until all holding is gone.

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GLORIA LEE AND HARSHA

Repost from May 1999

GLORIA LEE: But seriously, now..is detachment the
equivalent of indifference?? Believe it or not, I think I
did understand your original point about making vows being
redundant, but just the word indifferent is a puzzle to
me...even in relation to just chocolate (there is no such
thing as "just" chocolate..to a true aficionado)... are you
going back to your "don't care" one way or the other?? Are
you saying that even wanting all beings to be free of
suffering is ALSO an attachment to some preference of
desire?? Or just that making vows would be unnecessary

HARSHA: Dear Gloria, you ask such deep and wise questions
that I want to flee in shame! But where to go? I must
gather courage and answer all calls of nature.

Some say the nature of mind is that of attachment.
Therefore the practice of detachment and indifference
involves mental effort. As such, it does not reveal the
Truth.

Knowing that it is the mind itself that creates the
illusion of bondage and that of liberation, one should be
still in awareness.

The secret Harsha method is as follows.

If one is attached, it is all right. If one is detached, it
is all right. If one has taken a Boddhisattva vow, it is
all right. If one rejects all vows, it is all right.

It is the nature of one who is on the spiritual path to
have compassion for one self and others. When one is
constipated and takes a laxative, one does not worry
whether the laxative will leave the body or not. Similarly,
one who is cultivating compassion and love for others need
not worry whether these are attachments that will stick or
not. Indeed when one is full of love for all sentient
beings and all life, that attitude itself produces the
needed deep relaxation which unties the knot of ignorance
leading to Self-Realization

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what do absence and presence have in common?

LARRY: Being

JAN B.: "Absolutely nothing" would have been considered a
proper response as well

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