Jim Burns

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=115 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #999980;" BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04b8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#336666" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Mystic Missal - A Door to Ways and Means on the Spiritual Path</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#336699" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#336699" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B> </B><B>  | </B></FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mystic Missal A Door to Ways and Me"><B>Home</B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="monthlymissal.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Missal Newsletter "><B> Missal Newsletter</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="site_map.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map"><B>Site Map</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="library.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Library "><B>Library</B></A><B>    </B><A HREF="ways_and_means.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ways and Means"><B>Ways and Means</B></A><B>    </B><A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links "><B>Links</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="prayers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mystic Missal Prayers"><B>Prayers</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="cd_s.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books, DVDs and CDs"><B>Books-CD's</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="http://mysticmissal.org/blog/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://mysticmissal.org/blog/"><B>Blog</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="archive_index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive Index">Archive Index</A>   |   <A HREF="archive1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 1">Archive 1</A>   |   <A HREF="archive2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 2">Archive 2</A>   |   <A HREF="archive3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 3">Archive 3</A>   |   <A HREF="archive4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 4">Archive 4</A>   |   <A HREF="archive5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 5">Archive 5</A>   |   <A HREF="archive6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archive 6">Archive 6</A>   |   <B>Jim Burns</B>   |   <A HREF="paracelsus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paracelsus">Paracelsus</A>   |   <A HREF="rumi.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rumi">Rumi</A>   |   <A HREF="puer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puer">Puer</A>   |   <A HREF="listening_attention.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Listening Attention">Listening Attention</A>   |   <A HREF="maharishi.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Maharishi">Maharishi</A>   |   <A HREF="shakers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shakers/Quakers">Shakers/Quakers</A>   |   <A HREF="padre_pio.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Padre Pio">Padre Pio</A>   |   <A HREF="aurelius_boethius.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aurelius/Boethius">Aurelius/Boethius</A>   |   <A HREF="bennett.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bennett">Bennett</A>   |   <A HREF="art.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art">Art</A>   |   <A HREF="benoit.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Benoit">Benoit</A>   |   <A HREF="wei_wu_wei.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wei Wu Wei">Wei Wu Wei</A>   |   <A HREF="sadony.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Joseph Sadony">Joseph Sadony</A>   |   <A HREF="harding.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Douglas Harding">Douglas Harding</A>   |   <A HREF="richard_rose.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Richard Rose">Richard Rose</A>   |   <A HREF="william_samuel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Samuel">William Samuel</A>   |   <A HREF="ouspensky.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ouspensky">Ouspensky</A>   |   <A HREF="nicoll.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Maurice Nicoll">Maurice Nicoll</A>   |   <A HREF="gurdjieff.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gurdjieff">Gurdjieff</A>   |   <A HREF="tricks_and_traps.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tricks and Traps">Tricks and Traps</A>   |   <A HREF="enneagram.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Enneagram">Enneagram</A>   |   <A HREF="spiritual_retreat.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Retreat">Spiritual Retreat</A>   |   <A HREF="praying.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Praying">Praying</A>   |   <A HREF="william_blake.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Blake">William Blake</A>   |   <A HREF="franz_hartmann.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Franz Hartmann">Franz Hartmann</A>   |   <A HREF="cathars.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cathars">Cathars</A>   |   <A HREF="u_g__krishnamurti.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="U.G. Krishnamurti">U.G. Krishnamurti</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=365 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04b8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Jim Burns</I></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="3" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="2" WIDTH="280" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#000000 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 365 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="ff5fb5f0.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="351" ALT="Jim Burns - photo by Dan Mottsman" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>      This missal takes a look at a modern day teacher, mystic and psychologist: <B>Jim Burns </B>(1931-2016). Born in Pittsburgh in 1931 to Irish-American parents, Jim's life was one of struggle and subsequent triumph, from mental illness to great feats of insight into the human condition.  Suffering from a withered arm as well as a profound dis-interest in the games of life and society, Jim struggled to gain understanding of himself, life, and his source. Realizing at an early age that the only answers that satisfied him and relieved his angst where those he found within, he devoted himself to a life in pursuit of self-understanding. These journeys within gave fruit only after tremendous struggle, but Jim slowly found a system of insight and self-knowledge, and in later life gave these insights to those who also longed for real answers to their longing.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="676" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 179 WIDTH="410"><bR> <div> If you've gotten to a point where you realize</div> <div> that the thing you would like most to find in this world is a steady source of guidance, to help you become your own source of guidance - then that's what you are after. You never find that stated anywhere in simple language. The key to the whole process lies in the fact that there is a fountain-spring of endless guidance and information within every human being. One only has to learn to get out of its way, to let the consciousness generate in a stilled and quiet mind.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="102ef7a50.jpg" border=0 width="247" height="165" ALT="Lake Granby Sunset - photo by Bob Fergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      Jim worked in his father's law office and as a service station attendant and mechanic, and developed a love for motorcycles, but despite his astute intellect, he could not hold a place in the working world. The stresses of mental illness and inner angst led him to spend a good deal of his adult life in mental institutions. Despite his mental afflictions, Jim was able to remain objective enough to his situation to gain an acute understanding of psychology and the world of the mentally ill. In the 1960's Jim had the good fortune to be introduced to A.R.E., (Association for Research and Enlightenment, founded by America's "sleeping prophet" Edgar Cayce) by an understanding psychiatrist, giving Jim an outlet for his insights into the mind. Later, an A.R.E. member introduced him to TAT and Richard Rose, leading to a friendship with like-minded fellows which lasts until this day. Jim has been invited to many TAT gatherings, always an inspiration and light for those with an interest in their own minds, and a path within.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="733" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 196 WIDTH="468"><div>  </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> When you begin to have experiences of the information from within, you learn how perfectly attuned the inner mind is to your immediate and momentary circumstances. It can guide you exactly to the thinking required to deal with the outer circumstances or other aspects of consciousness that is absorbing your attention. It is perfectly attuned to the potential of expanding your total consciousness to its absolute maximum. It is designed to do this. It is endlessly trying to do this. It can't stop doing it. </div> <div> The fountainhead lies totally within.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="102cf3b60.jpg" border=0 width="243" height="182" ALT="Parry and James Peak from Sol Vista - photo by Bob Fergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <I>   </I>  Jim's association with TAT led to many of the conversations being recorded. These were painstakingly transcribed and edited, culminating in his insightful book, <A HREF="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979963079/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0979963079&linkCode=as2&tag=tafo02-20&linkId=Q4K2YO76DWTIAAV2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097996"><I><B>At Home With the Inner Self, </B></I></A>published by the<A HREF="http://tatfoundation.org/tat_press.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://tatfoundation.org/tat_press.htm"><B> TAT Foundation Press</B></A><B>, </B>a masterful work on psychology and insight. Jim teaches three important techniques for re-connecting with the inner self: free association, holding awareness through all states of consciousness [i.e., going to sleep slowly], and dream analysis.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="983" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 229 WIDTH="640"><div> Y<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Palatino Linotype" >our internal system is entirely capable, given the opportunity, of teaching you what it is trying to teach you. Try to place the problem mentally in front of you and let every tension go out of your body.  Gradually, a word will come to mind that will begin to explain and alleviate the circumstances. The words form so long as you hold that center. It is uncomfortable and miserable, and the only thing that is worse is that which you're trying to escape. There is a free association part of the mind that is like a citizen's band scanner, constantly going up and down the channels. Your inner mind is constantly trying to get your outer self to be aware of what's going on within yourself until you've answered to that need. It keeps throwing balls over the fence. As you drive down the road your mind will constantly pick out this fence or that tree, or this sign. You're accustomed to it and assume that everyone else's mind does the same thing. If you analyzed why you pick this or that to see out of everything that is available, you'll see that there's a definite reason and pattern to it. It follows very closely the things that come in ordinary dreaming, which is another method of throwing balls over the fence. The dream-maker uses these things in waking life. They are attempts to guide you to what in you is unfulfilled.</FONT></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="103046d70.jpg" border=0 width="326" height="215" ALT="Gazebo at Sol Vista - photo by Bob Fergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>      Jim's life was one of hardship and separation, he spent many years in mental institutions, and had few opportunities to work and have normal social relationships. His success in spiritual endeavors can be directly related to his troubles: he had to find solutions to the pressing emotional problems, and he had the time to do it. Having a clear and calm mind is necessary to communicating with the inner self, and this requires many long hours of solitude, something Jim could afford. He also stumbled on the capacity to maintain his waking consciousness even in sleep, something he recommends highly:</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="818" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 195 WIDTH="527"><div>  </div> <div> In the beginning, you have to learn how to clear your mind of daily concerns. You have to take them one at a time until they die a death of their own. This is what permits you once you accomplish this. This permits you and brings you to the edge. And you realize that if you try, you can take your daily consciousness once changed into sleep and not lose track of it. Once you have accomplished this, you never leave the waking state consciousness again. It carries into all things, fundamentally a clear-headed sharp capacity into insight into all matters regardless of what they are in the mental aspect, which is part of everything. That is the goal. It was built into you and buried by misconception, but once you try to bring it back to life, it will have a life of its own.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="10100fb50.jpg" border=0 width="271" height="181" ALT="Divide in Winter - photo by BobFergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      Once the ability to observe and remember the information and feelings of the dream state is reached, Jim recommended using the material to find and understand what the inner self is trying to communicate. These buried feelings and moods can be brought into full consciousness, further clearing the mind, enabling deeper insight:</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="816" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 198 WIDTH="518"><div>  </div> <bR> <div> When I was young, I learned that dreams were the source of all necessary information. It's good to go to sleep slowly and to wake up slowly. If you have a nagging dream, just lie in bed and be quiet. Try and be conscious of no-thing, which is different than nothing. Just let it come to you. All the pictography of the dream is an attempt by the inner stage master to throw things over the fence to key you in to what is happening in your insides. Through dreams, you can repair the bridge to the inner self and again become a whole person. Realizing something in a dream isn't enough—you have to become aware of it in the waking state.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="100e14b80.jpg" border=0 width="276" height="184" ALT="Tree Trunks in Snow - photo by Bob Fergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>      Jim's presence and astute sense of humor will be missed by all of those fortunate enough to have spent time with him. His time was spent in understanding the problems of his own life, and then communicating this universal insight to those around him. While he didn't have the ability to communicate, work and travel as much as some, he did find an audience, one that keeps his work and insight alive and well.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="846" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 179 WIDTH="570"><div>  </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> The goal is to be peacefully and rejoicefully aware and awake in common garden variety consciousness. It is the goal we all seek to achieve. If you work at the things I am saying, if you can find the time, you cannot miss getting there. If you don't have the time, you are finished and it eats time. It is the biggest reason why no one ever said much to anyone about it since once they realize that all the time they have and all the effort they can stand to put out is eaten by paying the bills. I was carried along first by my family and then by social security disability. There is where I got the time. I knew one thing the whole way through: that I dare not waste one second.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="103201a50.jpg" border=0 width="257" height="165" ALT="Table and Trees - Photo by Bob Fergeson" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="4"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> All above quotes by <B>Jim Burns</B>, from his book<I>, At Home With the Inner Self</I></div> <div> Portrait Photo of Jim Burns by Dan Mottsman</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="ff87b1c0.jpg" border=0 width="379" height="284" ALT="Jim Burns at TAT " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Jim Burns, center, at a TAT Foundation gathering</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="cd_s_conversations_with_jim_burns.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books, DVDs and CDs"><I><B>Listen to Jim and friends during an afternoon's conversation:</B></I></A></div> <div> <A HREF="cd_s_conversations_with_jim_burns.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books, DVDs and CDs"><I><B>- 4 MP3 files for download -</B></I></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="articles.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles">Click Here for Featured Article:</A></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="3" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="2" WIDTH="474" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#000000" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 163 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="articles_method.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles"><B>Method</B></A></div> <div> by </div> <div> <B>Jim Burns</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>from his book</I></div> <bR> <div> At Home With the Inner Self</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="ffa98990.jpg" border=0 width="152" height="153" ALT="Jim Burns At Home with the Inner Self" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="2"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>- </B><I><B> </B></I><B>Related  Sites  -</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://tatfoundation.org/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://tatfoundation.org/index.htm"><B>TAT Foundation...friendship and the spiritual search.</B></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" ><B> The TAT Foundation and its spiritual search site offer a place for genuine philosophical <IMG SRC="1014105b0.jpg" border=0 width="272" height="91" ALT="TAT Foundation" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="2">and spiritual inquiry on all levels, modeled on the principle that cooperation and interaction with fellow inquirers can expedite a seeker's own investigation. Within these pages, you will find an introduction to Richard Rose and his system for spiritual achievement, the continuing work of the TAT Foundation, and esoteric books and recordings of value to those interested in the search for Reality. The depth of friendship and a unique set of principles without the dogma—these form the basic precepts of TAT® videos, audio, publications, and events.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/"><B>The Self-Discovery Portal:</B></A><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" ><B>For some searchers, working by themselves is the preferred method. Others intuit that finding a few fellow seekers to work with<IMG SRC="101684880.jpg" border=0 width="132" height="136" ALT="Self-Discovery Portal" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="2"> may expedite their progress. Still more fortunate may be those who find a living person who has made the journey and can provide assistance from the perspective of that realization. The Self-Discovery site is designed to offer all three modes of help. </B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.searchwithin.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.searchwithin.org/"><B>SearchWithin.org—Resources for the Sincere Seeker:</B></A><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" ><B>SearchWithin is committed to offering rare resources for the sincere <IMG SRC="1018802c0.gif" border=0 width="384" height="44" ALT="Search Within" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="2">spiritual seeker who is earnestly looking for Truth or Reality. Here, you will find unique reading material and other resources for seekers who are serious about going within and discovering something meaningful—something deeper in life. We offer no dogmas, no enchanted formulas, and no sales pitches. Read these pages with an open mind and an open heart, and you may catch a glimpse of something deeper within... </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.spiritualteachers.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.spiritualteachers.org/"><B>Spiritualteachers.org:</B></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BernhardMod BT" ><B> Spirituality is the search for the profound within us. This site is a timesaving guide to one aspect of the spiritual search: <IMG SRC="101a92380.jpg" border=0 width="402" height="56" ALT="Spiritualteachers.org" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="2">the search for a spiritual teacher. We hope this teacher will guide us to the goal: Enlightenment, the Absolute, Truth, Reality, the Self, God, Oneness, Satori, Nirvana -- the place we know to be our true Home.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Tricks </B><I><B>and</B></I><B>  Traps</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B>Trap: </B></FONT><B>Tragedies and Drama.</B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >Life puts mud holes in our path as often as not. If we become identified with the events of our lives, and only see them in terms of our desires and fears, we become trapped in the drama of tragedy. We may even sit down in the mud, smearing it on our face, announcing our pathetic situation to all, reviling in our victimhood. We may even stray from our path into the underbrush in a vain attempt to avoid all conflict and difficulty.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Trick:</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B> Leaps and Zebras. </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >When we see the mud hole, we can leap over it, rather than wallowing or becoming lost. This moment of flying above the situation through non-identification keeps us clean.  We observe rather than identify, think rather than react, and thus leap into a higher perspective. Another trick is understanding, knowing that in this dimension of life, there are always opposites. We can't have our way all the time. Just like a Zebra with its stripes of white and black, we have ups and downs, the path is bumpy  and smooth.  Again, this lifts us into a higher perspective. The point of the path, is to climb up to a clearer view.</FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>" Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to forests or solitary places or giving up one's duties. The main thing is to see that the mind does not turn outward but inward. It does not really rest with a man whether he goes to this place or that or whether he gives up his duties or not. All these events happen according to destiny. All the activities that the body is to go through are determined when it first comes into existence. It does not rest with you to accept or reject them. The only freedom you have is to turn your mind inward and renounce activities there." </I></div> <div> <I>- Ramana Maharshi</I></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Commentary </U></B><U> </U></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <B>A Formula for Self-Discovery</B></div> <bR> <div>      I'm often asked how a seeker can increase their progress along the path. Sometimes the person may feel stuck, or simply wants to know the most expedient way to increase their vector. Looking back over my own life, I've found that one factor stands out. When I became a conduit for realization, passing it along to others, things took off. It's as if we agree to become a link in a chain, and pass on down the line that which was handed to us from above. This is not only a theory, but something we can, and must, actively do in our day-to-day lives. One may argue that if all is one, then this is just another illusion, but the rationalizations of the ego come easy and keep us stuck in our own mud, while active work may put tension on us in a way the ego can't handle.</div> <div>      I can best relate how this works along the lines of my hobby with photography. I've spent a lot of my time in the great outdoors, and for years refused to share this experience with others due to a certain ego. I felt that if I took pictures of my trips, it would somehow cheapen the experience, take something away from the purity of the pristine settings. Somehow this changed, thank goodness, and I became willing and inspired to do the work to bring a bit of what I was seeing back with me to share with others. I broke down and bought a digital camera, and the magic began. Some inner part of me that had been denied came back to life, and with it a better relationship to everything involved. The entire experience of hiking was somehow changed for the better.</div> <div>      At about this same time, I also bought my first computer and entered the world of email and the Internet. I was able to stay in touch with fellow seekers from around the country, and to share my experiences in the search for definition, as with the photography. Somehow this changed the belief that spiritual work was a solitary affair only, and opened doors of opportunity I had never dreamed of. I started a web site, and became involved with an online confrontation group. I began to move within, the connection was made.</div> <div>   <B>   </B><A HREF="william_samuel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="William Samuel"><B>William Samuel</B></A><B> </B>talks about much the same thing. He describes getting answers from within as Glimpses, and stresses the importance of sharing these. It's a double-sided coin, much like the chicken and the egg dilemma, in that we must get answers in order to share them, in order to get answers. But the process is not that complicated, if we just make a move. We become a conduit, a transmitter of realization, and the more we give, the more we get.</div> <div>      One trap worth mentioning here is that of keeping this all in one's head. We may think that by getting a few answers in the beginning of our search, we are on the path and need not put out more effort. Being comfortable in our life, we may not wish to rock the boat of our habits, and thus keep whatever intuitions we receive to ourselves, thus miring our spirit in a dream world. Our intuitions bear fruit when they are put into action and tested in life, and when found sound, passed along to our fellows.</div> <div>      All of the above is what might be called a law of manifestation, an equation as Samuel calls it, and it will work for whatever desire applies it, spiritual or otherwise. If one wants money, success or security, this formula will work as well. This leads to a dilemma for some us in that we may not consciously know what we really want, until we test ourselves by putting the formula into practice. This can be a paradox. If we believe we want enlightenment, and put it to the test through actions in our day-to-day life, we may find that what we really want is freedom from fear or a desire for power. While we have temporarily fooled ourselves, we have at least come to know ourselves better, and have thus made a move along the path of self-discovery. We may eventually uncover an  intense longing for home, for something stable and real, which was only allowed to manifest as the mundane patterns of fear and worldly desire. This was long buried, and is what will provide the necessary pull to carry us farther within. To get real answers, we must come to have real and pressing questions.</div> <div>      One thing is for certain, if we do not make a move, a commitment to action, we will not leave the head-in-the-sand false safety of our dreams. A man asleep in his bed in a burning house may dream of oneness and ease as well as anxiety and need. On the other hand, waking up may take effort, be difficult and even unpleasant, but is most necessary, too.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Bob Fergeson</I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> - Quotes -</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Facing the unknown takes a lot of personal quiet and divorcement from the world around you. I studied this very carefully. It is the bridge between the inner and outer man.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Your inner being knows. Your outer being is always unknowing."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Through dreams you can repair the bridge to the inner self and again become a whole person. Realizing something in a dream isn't enough; you have to become aware of it in the waking state."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" The child-like state is the state that every human alive is trying to get to."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" I escaped into my mind from a world I couldn't stand. I came to the conclusion that I had to find all my answers from within, that I wasn't going to get them from anyone else."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" If you can develop the ability to be aware of what is in someone else's mind, it will enhance the ability to be aware of what is in your own mind."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" One of the first things you have to learn to study is how your body responds when you meet somebody. Your body is never wrong. You might want to run away. If you do like them, you want to stay. That is the key."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Ego is a very phony, slippery, and difficult thing to get hold of. Everything is "I did," and the truth is that you don't do anything."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" A process goes on progressively from birth to death. Some call it "wising up," but another thing to call it is "accepting defeat." It is defeat. Your fantasies die one at a time. Most people die physically before they get to the point of total rejection." <I><B>- Jim Burns</B></I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension."  <I><B>- Joshua L. Liebman</B></I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." <B> </B><I><B>- Bertrand Russell</B></I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" Wipe out imagination. Stop the pulling of strings. Confine thyself to the present. " -<I><B> Marcus Aurelius </B></I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" How happy are the wild birds, they can go where they will, now to the sea, now to the mountain, and come home without rebuke."<I><B> - 17th century Welsh epigram</B></I></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">" The only things you technically actually like are dopamine and seratonin."<B> </B><I><B>- Madeline Everitt Monday</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Comic Philosophy</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1005a6ac0.jpg" border=0 width="422" height="428" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Life's tough.....It's even tougher if you're stupid. -</B><I><B> John Wayne </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="103f58ca0.gif" border=0 width="600" height="202" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. </B><I><B> - Lily Tomlin</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>There is a fine line between Team Work and Gang Rape. -</B><I><B> anonymous(?)</B></I></div> <bR> <div>  <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Listening-Attention-NostalgiaWest/183755204982790" width="400" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>  </div> <div> <B>* * *</B></div> <div> <I>  <a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=xa-4ab3749825511868"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?pub=xa-4ab3749825511868"></script>    <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.mysticmissal.org/monthlymissal.htm"> <img border=0 src="http://cdn.stumble-upon.com/images/120x20_thumb_black.gif" alt=""></a>  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>08/10/11</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I> </I><I><U>Copyright  2011 -  Robert Fergeson. All Rights Reserved. </U></I></div> <bR> <div> "True religion is the realization of truth."</div> <div> -Franz Hartmann-</div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript">var site="sm8missal"</script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.2" src="http://sm8.sitemeter.com/js/counter.js?site=sm8missal"> </script> <noscript> <a href="http://sm8.sitemeter.com/stats.asp?site=sm8missal" target="_top"> <img src="http://sm8.sitemeter.com/meter.asp?site=sm8missal" alt="Site Meter" border=0></a> </noscript>    </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>