Have you ever noticed the way some people react when their lives have been upended by a tragedy?

A story on yesterdays news highlighted the resilience and courage of a woman who lost both her legs in the terrorist attacks on London last July. She now has mechanical legs which are state of the art and "have to be charged overnight like a mobile phone", according to this lady.

She also stated that as Doctors are prone to do, they told her that she would not be able to walk again and all that nonsense. She is now declaring that she will soon be able to drive again and that she wants to learn how to fly a plane.

As a rule most of us never really slow down and look at our daily routine. From the time we wipe the sleep from our eyes until we ease our tired bodies back into bed late at night it is almost as if the day has happened and we were just along for the ride.

After spending a year back in the UK struggling to return to work and leaping from one possible career change to the next in a seamingly endless manner, I have come full circle and once again decided that in order to fulfill all my earthly needs (well not all!), what I should do is try my hand at being a freelance writer...

Ever wondered if anyone ever replies to those Nigerian scammers?

This guy did...

I came across this list today. I think I only managed to be found guilty of 5 of these...then again, that seems bad enough....

I have yet to try this software but it looks pretty good.

For those of you who are on the move a lot and struggle to connect to the internet while travelling, this may be for you.

It looks like it is really for the casual browser rather than someone who uses their laptop for checking emails or downloading.

If you want to feel connected all the time even when you aren't, then give this a go...

http://www.webaroo.com/

I received a response today from the people who run the sentient.org website:

(My initial email comments are prefixed with ">")

Hi Steve,

> I wanted to contact you to just say what a breath of fresh air your
> site is

How kind of you to say so. It is a labour of love ... sort of a way of
sharing something wonderful...

> In particular I found reading the words of Amber very
> profound as they reinforced elements of what I believe are truefor
> me

I will pass your words along.

> Perhaps these words may not ring true with others but that is
> really the point and the joy What is right and true is what is
> right and true for you and noone else

Yes. But eventually this goes too. All that remains is a sense of
being and of ease. The desire to differentiate sort of fades away
when there is no 'me' in there :-)

> One can spend a lifetime searching and learning in an effort to
> find themselves or to find the path that leads to the truth To
> decide that the search is not required is a relief

There is a small trick to this though. Ramana Maharshi once said that
one must want This like a drowning man struggles to the surface for
air. That is to say, with every ounce of one's being. Of course after
reaching the surface, there is not much point in struggling any
more :-) And yes, certainly the search itself is pointless. We all
know were the surface of the water is, to continue the metaphor. We
just out of habit seem to prefer drowning :-)

> I will however remain
> convinced that only I am the truth

Yes, so long as there is no 'me' to whom the truth appears to
appear :-)

All the best,
And thanks again for your kind words.
--Peter

I spent a little time today converting an mpg video file into 3pg format so it could be played on my cell phone. I eventually found some Japanese software that did the job well and converted the file into a stereo, 15fps file that can be played on the phone and also can be played through the phone on a TV set. Pretty neat I thought.

The thing that is annoying to me is why there are so many file formats and why you need 5 or 6 different pieces of software to convert and/or play these files. Is there nothing out there that can do it all?! Perhaps there are a few but I do not want to pay for them so I use the free stuff. I guess I have answered my own question.

Pay for it and you may have it all...

After recently visiting the web site I posted the address of yesterday on this blog, I wanted to drop the authors a line to say how much I enjoyed the site.

On their About Us page they begin...

"Dear Friend - dear because you are the bedrock upon which and through which this lovely world exists.

This site began at the end of 1991 as a list of teachers we (a group of personal friends scattered about in several countries) knew personally, and liked. Now after more than a decade things have changed - we have ceased to care about the search, the path, teachers, or indeed about awakening at all. Such concepts are no longer of interest. It seems to us rather, that life is very simple and vibrant. Sometimes it is easy. Sometimes not. But for us the central actor seems, somehow to have miraculously bowed out of the play. Hence we have trimmed down this site, leaving just a few things that people over the years have written to say they enjoyed.

We wish you love and life and joy. May you never find what it is you think you are seeking, but rediscover instead the eternal presence of your own absence. If you would like to contact us, please use the form below: "

So I sent them the following:

Hi.

I wanted to contact you to just say what a breath of fresh air your site is. In particular, I found reading the words of Amber very profound as they re-inforced elements of what I believe are true...for me.

Perhaps these words may not ring true with others but that is really the point and the joy. What is right and true is what is right and true for you and no-one else.

One can spend a lifetime searching and learning in an effort to find themselves or to find the path that leads to the truth. To decide that the search is not required is a relief.

I will certainly keep learning and understanding over the years to come and my thinking may change perhaps. I will, however, remain convinced that only I am the truth, no-one can convince me otherwise.

Many thanks for putting your site in a place where I managed to find it.

Kind regards,

Steve

I wonder if I will get a reply. I don't need one. I am not looking for a response or some kind of affirmation that I have chosen the right path or have seen the light.

No, I just like getting emails! :0)

Continuing my spiritual theme for the week...

I stumbled across this site today:

http://www.sentient.org/

The reason I like some of the content here is that it makes it simple, effortless and for me that makes sense. For example...

"No one knows what is best for you. Not the local psychologist, friend, lover, or advaita teacher on her sofa throne. If you want to awaken (whatever you think that means) follow your own heart, not someone else's.

Once someone sat under a bodi tree and ceased to suffer. So for more than 2000 years people all over the world sit in meditation in the hope that they too will cease to suffer. But why should what worked for Buddha work for you? Chances are, it won't.

It does not matter how 'awake' your favourite guru appears to be. In This you are really on your way alone. Not lonely - but alone. And no guru can stand beside you. Follow your own heart into love. If your mind is luxuriating in suffering, it will continue to do so until it tires. So you may as well ignore it now.

Forget the imaginary lineage from Ramana to Poonja to a another to another. This is foolishness. Truth has no lineage. It either siezes your heart forever or it does not. The rest is just psychological nonsence - though of course very appealing and soothing in its way.

Why try to quiet your mind with spiritual practice? The mind's function is noise - let it natter away. Its coming and goings have nothing to do with you. Really now, the only mind that is forever still is a dead one

You can notice though. You can notice what is behind every action and behind every appearance. And you can smile and live.

Whether you know yourself to be the consequence of everything, whether you jump or not, JUST LIVE! You will anyway".

I also like...

We think we know what the result of awakening will be - namely a lessening of pain. So we make up stories - a story that we must say 'yes' to everything, that acceptance will help us awaken. A story that things will be easier if we awaken, that we will love unconditionally if we awaken; that our lives will be smoother, happier. If we awaken. We make up a story that we are drawn to truth. We make up a story that our yearning is opening our hearts. Ha! All this thinking is just a mind crying out for a good therapist.

If you are unhappy or unfulfilled or not at peace, then I would suggest you see such a person - she will probably be of far more help than some self-proclaimed teacher touring around giving 'satsang' and helping you dream nicer dreams. Awakened state, unawakened state ... such things are the storybooks of children. Look around - do the animals spend time wondering about an imagined God, a Nirvana, a state of happiness, a oneness with all? Have a little humility my dear friend - notice that you are not as clever as the gentle little field mouse who lives quietly in the grasses and never for a moment wonders about becoming one with the universe. She just lives and is.

She does not need or think of the pretentions of evolving, of gain, of being something, or of attaining. For her this moment is it - everything and everyone appears and receeds into and out of her own quiet awareness. She just lives. Really - isn't all this talk and more talk of awakening just a small death you are giving yourself? Isn't this imagined answer to all your problems blinding you to what is here, now? If you are unhappy or lack peace, see a therapist. Or perhaps quiet and free, with pain or without it, just be".

I like the idea that we must make up our own minds as to what is right and makes sense for ourselves. To follow a "master" has never made sense to me. If anything Bruce Lee (a very philosophical man believe it or not) sums it up quite nicely when he said, "Take what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is essentially your own"...I think he also added....

"WWHHAAahiiyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa............"

;0)