Posts Tagged ‘Eckhart Tolle’

Most if not all of our lives are spent in states of spiritual unconsciousness. We grow up with little clue as to the true nature of our realities. We don’t understand who we are, or what our abilities might truly consist of. We really don’t. We believe we are in control, and we battle to control what little we have control over, until finally we realize we really aren’t in control of anything. And this generates much pain and suffering and sadness and anger and regret, and we take that and we aim it at others only to have it boomerang right back at us, and ruin the very existence we were trying to improve in the first place.

When I was a kid, I experienced all of this unconsciousness just like Larry King and Brandon McInerney did. I battled through unconscious existence with most of my friends and family. Only, unlike Larry, I survived my unconscious childhood, barely. Before his tragic demise, Larry had suffered so much pain at such a difficult time in his life. He was fifteen, battling everyone and everything to understand who he thought he might be, and he battled for acceptance in his very home for the very same reason, and he lost that battle too.

Same with William McInerney. His lack of consciousness haunted him until his 47th year when it stole his life through a thick fog of booze and opiates and blunt trauma to the head. But not before this man showered his world with violence in temper and hateful, angry thoughts. His emotions raged out of control. He shot and abused his wife. He sired a child and raised him as best he could, which meant spreading his violent lack of consciousness through his offspring.

Nicholas Markowitz was riding the unconscious highway to extinction before reaching his sixteenth birthday. He was upset at being unable to live life as he saw fit. He battled to control who he was, and what he wanted out of life. Same for his brother Ben, whose unconscious spiral through drugs and violence and alcohol toward his own aborted death instead triggered the chain of events that led to his brother’s murder, and the near destruction of his family, all in the name of unconsciousness. Ben’s chief antagonist, Jesse James Hollywood, and all those who went down with him in a hail of bullets and prison and destruction, guys like Ryan Hoyt, Jesse Rugge, William Skidmore, and Graham Pressley, also spent their entire lives in unconscious states.

THE AWAKENING

Unconsciousness also landed Tyler Edmonds in prison for five of the most precious years of his life, from 13 to eighteen years of age. And you know what? Tyler will never get those years back, one of the sad costs of unconsciousness. Through his ordeal, however, Tyler did gain something even more important. Something that’ll help him survive and probably even thrive during these very difficult times in life. It’s called awareness. Tyler has become aware of who he is, and he has awakened to his very presence. He has begun to understand that this moment, right here and right now, as it stands in his life, is all he’s got. It’s all any of us ever really have, although most of us don’t realize it yet.

When I speak of unconsciousness, I’m talking about a condition that affects us all at some point in our lives, and most of us throughout. We are born into the Garden of Eden, so to speak. As children, we are but reflections of the Kingdom of God. Our minds do not run incessantly, tormented with anger and hatred and stress and anxiety from thoughts and obsessions with past and future times that we have no control over. As a child, our negative emotional body has generally not developed enough to take over and control our every thought and move. Our egoic mind has not formed enough to try to control what is not controllable, segregate us from all that is, and fill everything we do with a negativity that will paint an unfortunate reality around us. It takes time to develop these negative, conditioned qualities.

As young children, most of us have not yet been conditioned away from our natural state of Being, this connection to the Divine, this God consciousness. Yet, with a little time spent with dysfunctional parents, controlling government, manipulative religion, and a null-and-void educational system, we begin to identify ourselves as separate from others. We believe we are different. We watch too much media, play too many video games, and assume every act in life can be redone through a reset button. We are socially conditioned to judge and label and build prejudices against certain colors, looks, and ways of life. This is ego out of control. This is unconsciousness at its most powerful and negative influence. This is who we are. This is how most of us run our lives on a daily basis, through ego-driven unconsciousness. This is how I spent many years of my life, and so did you, whether you want to admit it or not. And you probably still are right now as you read this.

The conditioning we are raised with colors everything we do. It taints what should be our unadulterated appreciation for everything that surrounds us at all times. It makes us want to be somewhere else or someone else, or hate or envy others for very selfish reasons. I was lucky. I found a crack in my dark existence that peeled away to light and I’m now able to write about these experiences. I survived my difficult time as a child, and now I can write about those experiences as well. Guys like Larry, Brandon, William, Nick, Ben, Jesse, and Ryan, however, never really had the chance to see themselves in this light. They were operating in a world of darkness where family and friends were wearing unconscious blinders along with them, and nobody could show anybody how to act or where the light was because no one could see it. That’s why they’re all in prison, now…and worse.

FINE LINE BETWEEN VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR

There used to be a joke running around the office that said there’s a fine line between a lawyer and a liar. The same could be said about the fine line of unconsciousness between victims and their perpetrators. The negative pull from one attracts the negative emission from the other like moths to a light. The negative energy from one feeds the negative body inside the other, which grows with negativity, causing us to do things we never would if we had a clue to our conscious abilities. Consciousness begets consciousness. And in the same light, or shadow, unconsciousness breeds its like energies. If these unconscious patterns go undetected, they can be passed down from one generation to the next, with the unconsciousness seemingly growing greater and greater until crisis destroys the victim, or helps to stir them awake. This is where Tyler Edmonds finds himself now. Awakened to the reality that peace and love do not exist from operating through a perpetually negative emotional state. Awakened to the understanding that the energy he generates now through thought and emotion and sensory perception – his present consciousness – will continue to feed his ultimate reality.

Tyler will never find himself in legal trouble again because of this newfound awakened state. And this is what I pray we can accomplish with each and every unconscious person who we find spinning out of control in a world filled with anger and hatred. People like Tyler Edmonds will prove to one and all that all it takes is a little time and effort to transform oneself. It’s a process, not a quick fix. And it’s never too late to start. This begins by putting the past behind us, as Tyler has done. It continues by never worrying about what might take place in a future we have no control over. This is when we begin to realize that all we have, for better or worse, is what we’ve generated for ourselves right at this moment. And now’s the time to be grateful for all that is. To set aside conditioned reactive patterns that generate negative personal reality. Become the change that we want to witness around us. And this can be done for all of us, at any time, right now.

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle gives a new spin to my understanding of what compassion is all about, and I wanted to share it with you. According to Eckhart, compassion is the awareness we have of the deep bond between all living things and ourselves. But there are two sides to this bond. On the one hand, through our physical bodies, we share vulnerability and mortality with every other living physical form. We are both born into this world, and we will both end up as rotting corpses, before turning to dust, and then nothing.

Then, the time will come when all mind-forms or thoughts will die. Yet, we are still there as a divine presence, radiant and fully awake. “Nothing that was real ever died,” Eckhart says, “Only names, forms, and illusions.” Our realization of this deathless dimension, our true natures, is the other side of this divine coin. On a deep level, we recognize not only our own immortality, but that of all other living things.

On the level of physical form, we share mortality and the precariousness of existence. On the level of Being, we share eternal, radiant life. These are the two aspects of compassion. As these seemingly opposite feelings of sadness and joy merge into one “they become transmuted into a deep inner peace.” This is the peace of God.

IN CELEBRATION OF COMPASSION

In celebration of compassion, a friend of mine named John DeYoung wrote a wonderful song for his ex-wife, Dana, for her non-profit organization http://www.africainc.us, which aids schools in South Africa. The song is called “A little compassion goes a long way to making this world a better place,” and it can be found by pressing this link here: A Little Compassion

For more information on John DeYoung and his wonderful music, please visit: http://www.johndeyoung.net/.

Please find below a wonderful piece written by Lisa Osborne at Lisa.fm, and posted by the Ventura County Star, during our last session for Transformational Third Thursdays. We very much look forward to seeing you tonight at Bank of Books in Ventura, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., for a New Year of transformation into love, joy, and peace:

Creating Your Ideal Life Starts with Living in the NOW


Big change is in the air as 2008 winds down. The US Presidential election is behind us and the American (and world) economy and financial markets remain wobbly. But with uncertainty and change come opportunity. And, with the right attitude, each of us can use this time of transition to create transformation in our lives, lasting change for the better.

 You are Creating Your Life with Your Thoughts

This concept might sound funny at first, but as you start to pay attention to the commentary that’s running through your head, you will start to notice that you get what you expect out of life. If you intentionally adjust your inner voice to sound more like a helpful coach than harsh critic, you will notice that your life will start to change for the better.

Living in the moment can help you create the life you want. Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and best-selling author of A New Earth and The Power of Now, suggests most of our problems can be eliminated (or at least minimized) when we live in the NOW, since a lot of time and energy is wasted fretting about the past or worrying about the future.

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 Michael Mehas leads a discussion on The Power of Now, as part of the free “Transformational Third Thursdays” series at Bank of Books in Downtown Ventura.

Try putting your focus on the NOW, whether it’s giving your full attention to the person you are talking with, or noticing the detailed beauty of the trees and flowers on your evening walk. Being in the NOW can help you detach from the voice in your head (your ego).

“When we dis-identify with the mind, and get into the… appreciation of all that we’ve got, it expands our consciousness,” said Michael Mehas, a Ventura-based author and attorney. Mehas leads “Transformational Third Thursdays,” a monthly discussion group on The Power of Now at Bank of Books in Downtown Ventura.

Mehas says the Armageddon theory that most major religions refer to isn’t an end to the physical world. “What it really represents…. is a death. But it’s not a death to mankind, it’s a death to the ego. A transition out of the thought state, into a state of inner being, a higher consciousness.”

Join the “Now” Conversation in Ventura

“Transformational Third Thursdays” meets through the end of the year at Bank of Books on Main Street in Ventura. There’s no charge and first-timers are welcome, whether or not you’ve read the book. The next meeting will be held on November 20th, 7PM-8:30PM, at Bank of Books, 748 E. Main Street, in downtown Ventura. For more information, contact Michael at http://www.michaelmehas.com.

To learn more about the Power of Now, tune-in to the Lisa.fm 7 Minute Book Review, featuring Michael Mehas, at http://www.lisa.fm and http://lisafmbookclub.podomatic.com/

As posted by the Ventura County Star:

Bank of Books has teamed with a local award-winning novelist to offer a yearlong series of transformational workshops and book study group at the Ventura bookstore. Titled “Transformational Third Thursdays,” the series kicks off on Thursday, January 15th with a discussion about “Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose,” based on the international bestseller by author Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth. The opening event will begin at 7 p.m. at Bank of Books, 748 E. Main Street, Ventura.

Leading the discussions will be Michael Mehas, local attorney and author of the award-winning novel, Stolen Boy. Mehas has joined with Clarey Rudd, owner of Bank of Books, to offer the workshops free to the public.

Persons at all levels of the transformative experience are invited to attend one or more of the monthly events. The goal of the workshops will be for each participant to learn how to improve their lives by ending the drama, and the pain and suffering we all create for ourselves.

“Someone once said that each person consciously generating higher frequencies of love, joy, and bliss are actually more powerful than thousands of negative thoughts,” says Mehas. “We‘re going to test that theory, determine its truth, and learn how to transform our own energies to create a more joyful reality around us.”

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Transformational Third Thursdays” spins off from the highly popular six-month free consciousness series under the same name in 2008. The series ended this past December, but Mehas felt the need to continue to help facilitate positive change through Ventura’s new “literary watering hole.”

“These transformational workshops have generated a wonderful following here at Bank of Books,” Rudd states. “And I know Michael is looking forward to building on that. They are working hard at making positive change for themselves, and for our community.”

The new series continues on January 15th, and will meet on the third Thursday of each month, concluding on December 17th. All events will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bank of Books in downtown Ventura.

A New Earth, and Stolen Boy can be found on the shelves at Bank of Books. In celebration of transformation, Clarey Rudd has agreed to offer a 20% discount on both books.

For further information about the series, call 805.643-3154, or go to http://www.MichaelMehas.com or http://www.StolenBoy.com.

 

When I sit here and think about what Michael Hernandez, the delusional 14-year-old kid recently received, my heart cracks a little deeper. Because, like his victim, Michael is going away for a very long time. In fact, he’s going away forever. Michael was given a life sentence last week in Miami, Florida, for murdering a classmate. No parole. No freedom. No hope for Michael or his loved ones ever again.

My first thought went out to Brandon McInerney, Ventura, California’s Stolen Boy, who is facing his own battle against what will amount to a life sentence. Again, with little hope, and no shot at parole. And I wonder who the winners and the losers in all this really are.

When I see so many adults, committing such heinous acts, and getting so much better results out of their legal battles, I wonder where the equality in the justice system really lies. For instance, three days before Michael was sentenced, in Broward County Florida, Lonnie Lauriston, 23, received a three-year sentence for beating 4-year-old D’Hamonie Francois to death. Earlier this summer, in Palm Beach, 22-year-old Charles Tyson, 22, worked a 40-year deal for tossing his 9-month-old son from a moving car, then throwing him into a canal. Eventually, these two men will get out of prison, which, if they show remorse and a rehabilitated sense of societal values, should be the case. But not so for Michael Hernandez. And probably not for Brandon McInerney either.

EXTREME CONTRAST

A mentally ill child sentenced to life without parole makes a brutal contrast to so many adult killers lucky enough to cop a plea. It’s plain, looking at other murder cases in Florida and across the country this year, that the quality of the victim influences the sentence.

ANOTHER WAY

The change in the judicial system is going to be an uphill battle because there are so many political clogs to the system who don’t want to appear soft on crime. That’s why prevention is so important. Yet, there’s so many parents out there who have become completely out of touch with their children who are completely out of touch with reality, as most of us are.

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That’s why I’ve begun something that I’d like to share with you. If you live near Ventura, California, I’d like to invite you to our Transformational Third Thursdays, where every month we meet on the third Thursday free of charge at Bank of Books, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Our next meeting will be held on November 20th. Here, we discuss ways of getting our conditioned ego and mind and emotional-reactive patterns under control. We discuss ways of dealing with relationships in a joyful and loving way, and tools and guides that can be used in trying to reach a troubled child or teen or parent before it’s too late.

As a spinoff, we have begun to put together a series of podcasts on related consciousness transforming issues with my new partner, Lisa Osborne.

Our first seven-minute podcast is now available and I encourage you to tap into the latest high-vibrational information available. There is a new wave of consciousness being generated that is beginning to tip the scale of existence toward universal change and societal transformation. I encourage you to become a part of it. I implore you to join us.

If you want to read more about what we’re doing, please see what the Ventura County Star has to say.

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Transformational Third Thursdays, a popular monthly workshop and discussion group about transformation, based on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, will have its third meeting on September 18th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bank of Books, 748 E. Main St., Ventura. The series is presented by local award-winning novelist Michael Mehas, author of ”Stolen Boy.”

Offered free of charge as a community service by the author and Clarey Rudd, owner of Bank of Books, the transformational series has been very popular with those looking to change their direction in life.

“By changing ourselves as individuals, and learning how to tap into higher vibrations like love and peace,” Mehas says, “we can change the collective energies of the world around us. By becoming peace-filled and loving, not just talking about it, each one of us can help create a joy-filled existence for our families and ourselves.”

Persons at all levels of the transformative experience are invited to attend one or more of the monthly events. The goal of the workshop is for each participant to learn and/or strengthen the building blocks to his or her own positive transformation, which will affect their families and their communities.

The six-month series, which continues on September 18th, will meet on the third Thursday of each month, concluding on December 18th. All events will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bank of Books in downtown Ventura.

Tolle’s books, The Power of Now and A New Earth, and Stolen Boy can be found on the shelves at Bank of Books. In celebration of transformation, Clarey Rudd has agreed to offer a 20% discount on all three books. For further information about the series, call 805.643-3154. To learn more about Michael Mehas, go to www.MichaelMehas.com.

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Transformational Third Thursdays, a popular monthly consciousness workshop and discussion group based on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, will have its second meeting on August 21st from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bank of Books, 748 E. Main St., Ventura. The series is presented by award-winning novelist Michael Mehas, author of ”Stolen Boy.”

 

Offered free of charge as a community service by the author and Clarey Rudd, owner of Bank of Books, the transformational series has been a huge success from the start.

“More than sixty people turned out for the first meeting,” Rudd said. “We had a full house and needed to set up chairs out in the parking lot behind the store. We had the meeting under the stars. Everyone was participating and asked lots of questions. They all seemed to enjoy working together toward creating positive change.”

Persons at all levels of the transformative experience are invited to attend one or more of the monthly events. The goal of the workshop is for each participant to learn and/or strengthen the building blocks to his or her own positive transformation.

“By changing ourselves as individuals, and learning how to tap into the higher vibrations of love and peace,” Mehas says, “we can change the collective energies of the world around us. By becoming peace-filled and loving, each one of us can help create a world of peace and love. But we have a lot of work to do, so please come on down and help us.”

The six-month series, which continues on August 21st, will meet on the third Thursday of each month, concluding on December 18th. All events will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Bank of Books in downtown Ventura.

Tolle’s books, The Power of Now and A New Earth, and Stolen Boy can be found on the shelves at Bank of Books. In celebration of transformation, Clarey Rudd has agreed to offer a 20% discount on all three books. For further information about the series, call 805.643-3154. To learn more about Michael Mehas, go to http://michaelmehas.com.

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