TRANSFORMATION

The enveloping oak comes from a seed.  The seed is a powerful womb of being, protecting the curling oak that lives inside it.  As the transparent shell basks in the sun, the folded embryo becomes warm--and the miniature tree begins to stretch within its tiny pouch.

As all things are drawn to the sun, the inside of the seed pushes and reaches toward the celestial heat-- it strives to become one with the hot magnet.  The birthing tree emerges into the Light--where beams pull at it constantly.  The embryo rises, while its empty shell is left to dry.

Unfolding slowly, quietly--mysteriously--the unbridled masterpiece of the cocoon awakens.  Lifting out of its soil, crackling and breaking through its own skin, the arrival of the tree is a miracle--a transformation of the tiny and the hidden--and the Unknown.  The awakening of a concentrated little pocket of majesty, erupts into a stunning creation.

The former prisoner unwinds and extends into the universe, her extravagant arms and limbs of her muscular bounty a dance.  The oak tree is a prodigy of the sky--its transformation from a seed into the almighty wood is one of Life's greatest performances.

Likewise, the human's emergence from its hidden shell is akin to the oak's, and another stunning performance in the power of transformation.

                                                 The Lurching Chariot

I boarded a small vessel, one of the better built ships of our time.  Bravely, I shipped out to sea.

I knew the water was going to be rough--but as I could see sunshine all around me, I took my chances the sky would hold its turquoise sheen.

The water was rougher than ever I could have imagined, but there was no turning back--the power of the ocean owned my ship and me.  

                                                             *************

I left the port as the sun was peeping over the horizon.  A golden hand of rays streaked across the bowl of blue.  There was a strong wind--stronger than necessary--lapping at the sails and ropes.  With barely any warning, the wind exploded and became frantic.  As I was tending to my direction--and a dozen things over my head--the sky changed color.  It turned to a deep gloom of gray that seemed to groan at me.

I thought to myself, "Oh, girl...this is gonna be a good one."  I was glad to be forced into immediate action--to work quickly with the sails, for if I had been still, I would have become sick with the reality that death was staring me down.

The waves came out of nowhere.  Huge, menacing volumes of water that did not just swell--they loomed--roaring in daunting heights far over my head and vessel, blocking all life. 

There was no sky, only water, and it was violent.  The storm raged until there was no memory of light, or calm, or warmth.  All I became familiar with was cold, hard--rains of ruthless rains and torrential, strangling fingers--rivers of water plunging to the earth from the sky.

I knew any moment I would capsize.  How could I not?

And then I did.

As me and my vessel were sinking fast, a bizarre, inexplicable thing happened.  One of the menacing waves viciously threw my boat into the air, and put it back on its path.  Instantly--I am still blown away by my acute focus--I snagged a dangling rope in my palms, and held on tight.  With much strength, I climbed aboard.

I was trying to stay alive, and yet I really had no reason why.  The storm was everywhere.  There was no blessed sign that it would lift.  For days, weeks, and months I endured this raging atmosphere--the fortress that would not let me cross the sea. 

And then the months blew violently into years, and still the storm raged.  I had many, many close calls of capsizes--therefore, once I realized my abilities to control my boat were futile, I went below deck and hid my eyes and body from the onslaught.

The best way to numb the insanity and make the lurching waves feel less hurling, was inebriated and drunk.

For decades, I hid below deck, drinking, stuffing, filling, bloating--anything I could do to numb the fear of such a merciless storm, and the pain that the thrashing of the waves gave me.

Then one day, I decided this crazy storm is playing with me.  It has the power to destroy me--it could have killed me a thousand times by now, and yet, still I live. 

That's when it hit me!  Get back on deck and look this monster in the eyes!  Face the onslaught with laughter.  Take a hold of any solid piece of the rig, hold tightly to that which is bolted, and ride this nightmare.

So I have been back on deck, out in the raw elements for a few years now, no longer spending time hiding under a wall of fillers and bloaters--my consumption has become an exercise in surfing that which batters. 

I am beaten, there is no doubt; and when I finally reach the shore, I will look like one who has seen a lot, and survived Hell.

But I am not down.  I'm not even weak.  Upon the shore I will find my home, and heal.

Now that my vessel is near the shoreline where my home is waiting, I am, at last, able to say--it's a miracle I am alive.

The Lurching Chariot is the new name I will give my ship, once we are docked safely.

For though the storm still rages, there are signs in the water that land is coming.

Peace always, 

Sun

There is no shift
it is what we have always
been

Virtue is the Force that creates the pathways for a spiritual being.  These pathways of virtue are bridges that unite our lives to a Purpose, much the way music is a bridge that leads God to the humans.

Like Music, Virtue is sacred.  If there is a heaven, beyond our imagination of one, it must forever pulsate with the sounds of songs, and the heros of virtue.

Step into a world of timeless grace--love endeavors for the heart--and mind bogglings.

Open to a transformation
 by way of words.

And let the music play.

The Proverbs of Pith:
http://sunthoughts2007.com

The Sage Essays:
http://sunthoughts2007.com/the_essays

The Lessons:
http://sunthoughts2007.com/the_lessons

When one comes to earth to put Spirit into Body for the sake of Life, one loses sight of the spirit.  It is an interesting trade-off; to experience life in the flesh we forget what the spirit is. 

We forget our spiritual selves for the sake of pleasure in the material realm, and tend to become abusive to the vessels that carry us.  Our bodies can only stand so much pleasure.  Though experiencing pleasure is a fine thing to do, it is, also, a potentially dangerous thing to do.

We have all felt the allure of going out of our heads, shoveling things down our throats as fast as our mouths can suck them down, and then asking ourselves what in the hell are we doing?

"OH!  We're having fun..." we say.  And because of all that "fun", we wake up the next day feeling like absolute shit!

Take care, gentle creatures, for when we temporarily forget who we are within, the one inside who knows us and our virtues begin to stagnate. 

Virtue is the force that creates pathways for the spiritual being. 

When we are born into life on earth to experience the sensation of having Virtues within the muscles and blood, we forget to bring the Virtues with us.  So, while in the flesh we must relearn what it means to have virtue...to rediscover what it means to be strong, brave, loving, patient, and devoted.  

This challenge to become responsible enough to relearn the virtues every, waking moment is why we place our spirits into a body.  We live in a very sensual, physical world, which allures  us into mindless addiction to pleasure.  This addiction can be in conflict with our desires to find and relearn the virtues.

Good luck to us all! 
Ignore those cravings and get to work on...what was that, again??????

When we feel anger inside a network of muscles, blood, tendons, and nerve endings, it is a profound sensation.  It is much more effective to feel anger in the body, than it is to feel it in the imagination; and when it's ignited within the body, Anger can motivate a person into Change. 

When love flows through these same physical pathways...the nerves, muscles, tendons, and bloodlines...the sensation is stupendous, healing us from the damage created by Anger. 

It is a very powerful energy, this realm of the physical sensations, the touch, taste, smell, and  breath of the air in the body.

So, what am I getting at?  The body is extremely important; as long as we've got one, we need to make use of it.

Exercising, stretching, and eating proper nutrients are the most basic methods for relearning the virtues. 

Creating a powerful body through physically working the muscles...forcing the blood to pump profusely, and always roaming outdoors for walks, jogs, bikes, and oxygen...is the best way for becoming spiritual. 

The body is the secret...that is, in the body its truth is subdued.  The body secretly holds an infinite number of locks within its pores, and its breathing skin.  The breathing lungs are the key to these microscopic locks opening.  

If you regularly challenge your physical balance by surfing, skating, horseback riding, skiing, and dancing, you will not only build beautiful healthy muscles, but your bones will strengthen, your skin will radiate, and you will become like a magnet.

The key is the body.  Treat it like a temple, and you will reign like a temple.  Relearning your virtues will become natural, and with your magnetism, you will lead others into the light.

Pain,

Pleasure,

Numb.

Pain, 

Pleasure,

Numb.

It begins with Pain-birth pain-for the sake of life on earth.

After the nearly unbearable throb of agony, while exploding out of the womb, we almost immediately get thrown into Pleasure. 

Our need for nourishment is also our strive for pleasure-our hunger that if left unanswered, will gnaw and create another pain.  To avoid more Pain, we find our second sensation, that which is Pleasure.

As the hunger increases, and our stomachs grind, we flood the uncomfortable sensation with milk...the sucking, the swallowing and absorbing of nourishment becomes our first known pleasure-rid thyself of pain by filling the mouth and slurping the contents down the throat.  Comfort that tummy!

Can you imagine where this is going?

Keeping our mouths and bellies full is the way to pleasure, and all mammals innately crave the comfort of pleasure.  With warmth, satiation, and fullness-and minimal thought for where the next meal is coming-we learn to take feeding for granted.

Ordinary eating for survival becomes our most immediate connection to pleasure, and if our pain is perceived as only moments away, eating-or anything that resembles eating, anything oral-becomes our fixation. 

What happens after we fill up on a satiating meal?  We physically retire, slow down, sit for awhile, or fall asleep.

And what happens when we fall asleep? 

We go numb.  Though we can still feel, and our dreams are often full of powerful sensations, we are technically numb to our lives.  Our physical bodies cease to exist for while. 

It is as if we go Numb.

So, in the nature of things, first we experience Pain by being birthed, then we experience Pleasure by being fed, then we experience Numb by falling to sleep.

And there it is folks!  The initiation of life on earth:     

Pain, Pleasure, Numb.

When we awaken in the morning, many of us experience pain, as if being birthed to a new day.

We immediately dive into Pleasure by feeding ourselves any number of vices and oral comforts. 

Once we have reasonably filled ourselves for the moment, we blindly go into a state of Numb.

As the moments pass, we sense-as if we are riding a spinning wheel-that our very existence is a constant spin of Pain, Pleasure and Numb. 

For this three-way cycle that rules us, we must learn meditation.  It is only when we still the mind, respect the feelings, and free the imagination that the cycle of Pain-Pleasure-Numb lets us go.

                                                         

The tug-of-war that pulls you between the past and the future...the swing of the pendulum that carries you into the light, then back into the dark...is best handled as a Dance.  If you are tired of the Old Self--the self-abusive one who can't let go of Toxins--and are eager for the New Self--the glowing one who is free of Toxins, then chances are you strive for change.  However, during this change, you will probably swing awhile--going back and forth between the two sides, back and forth between the two selves. 

The Desirable-You will disappear under the Vices of the Familiar-You, if  the Familiar-You hangs onto Pity.  Watch your thoughts and listen to your comments.  If they are whiny, lift them.  Go easy on the complaining, and strive for a view of complete and total love.

Instead of self-pity and frustration at the digressions, think of the pendulum between the Desirable and the Familiar as a Dance, a rocking dance created for you.  You can fight the shifting pendulum, or you can surf the shifting penulum, and dance to its rhythm.  

The Flow moves as it moves...the rhythm of the universe does what it does. 

If you are a person of superior Will, you can stop the pendulum from swinging so widely...stop the extreme shifting...back and forth between the two opposing forces that snap you like a little yo-yo.

But if you are an ordinary person who craves pleasure and numbing--as most of us are--then your pendulum could glide between the past and the present for years. 

It is wise to allow the Shift to carry you--gracefully, from one side to the other, as if it is dancing you.

As you learn to accept the Dance, the weaker side will no longer have a pull, and the pendulum will gravitate to the center. 

There, it will pulsate softly, keeping your rhythm alive.

Learning complete and total Trust that everything is going to be O.K.--no matter how long it takes or what happens before we achieve our goals--is true harmony.

Trust that everything you dream of-- everything you put your heart into--will materialize in time, and you will find total inner peace.

Trust that you have the ability, intelligence, and focus to get what you want--personal dreams that do not hurt others--and a Calm will overcome you.

Keep this Trust constant, every moment, and your inner struggle will end.

Trust...