Beloved Students:

My warmest blessings and encouragement to you all during this time of international chaos, struggle, confusion and turmoil. What an excruciating time this is for Planet Earth and Her beloved children. Know that it is very important for each of you to effort to maintain your personal serenity – even though you are not likely to have it reinforced by your outer world at this time. To some extent, you are likely to mirror some of the chaos “out there” in your own personal life. Try to recognize this for what it is: massive projections of collective fears, grief, uncertainty and, of course, repetition of historical patterns of war and strife.

It is in such times as these that the words of Jesus ring with particular truth: “Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed, by the continual renewing of your minds.” It is very important to “renew” your minds daily – perhaps several times per day – in order not to be “conformed” to the mass hysteria arising in the global experience. Never was it more important to bring to bear all that you have learned in your spiritual development. Know that the world needs you to hold on to your center, and to share peace and love by letting them flow through you as if you were truly a fountain of Light.

The particular kind of media coverage that is being broadcast is creating some interesting results. While on the one hand it is the stimulus for more and more peace demonstrations, on the other hand it creates powerful fantasies in the minds of some that seems to glorify war. Of course, such is in part the way in which the US government “sells” its war, but know also that such is meant to quell all the previously engineered fear threats to which you have calculatedly been subject.

If you pay attention closely, you will notice that these manufactured fears by which you, the public sector, have been influenced fall into roughly three distinctive categories: Security, Power, and Approval. As a culture, you have been tempted to believe that you cannot feel secure with the “axis of evil” lurking for you in every corner of the Earth. Further, you have been told that the only way to have security (“homeland security” in particular) is to exert a greater force for power over “the enemy.” Lastly, you can see clearly from the way your newscasters talk to you, and the way they talk about the war, that is simply is not okay (e.g., you’re not “patriotic”) if you hold a different idea of what is appropriate than does the US government. Just notice how many times the ego mind actually is manipulated into feeling some measure of security by the propaganda you hear. Or, perhaps you find your ego mind is fascinated or drawn in by the show of power, even though your true self experiences revulsion at the very notion of war.

Perhaps the most receptive to this sort of propaganda manipulation are adolescent children – those who are at the tender age of defining themselves in the world. Those, in particular, who have been enthralled with war and big “blow-‘em-up” images from television and movies are at risk, psychologically speaking, with the media images now being broadcast all day long. Seeing the images of Baghdad burning has for many become a seductive source of thrill and excitement.

If some of you have difficulty believing this, look at the response of Wall Street, or the upward turn of interest rates. Of course, very little attention is paid to the price for all the fireworks. Indeed, were such more fully (and honestly) disclosed, the net effect would aggravate feelings of insecurity and powerlessness. What a provocative impetus indeed for the renewing of your minds on a regular basis!

This would be a good time to inquire deeply into your own psyche to discover where your own needs for Approval, Power and Security lie. These are the areas that can trip you as you walk your spiritual path. You see, human nature is such that everyone must deal with the ego’s need (or so it seems) for these three energy forces. If you look carefully at historical figures, you will discover that human failures (whether great or small) have arisen again and again because the ego gets stuck in one, or more, of these three areas. Perhaps something can be learned from this fact that is valuable to you in negotiating your path at this time. Know that because these three areas are so important to the ego, they are likely to be the source of egoic downfalls – in yourselves as well as in international figures.

Please join me this month in listening to Three Little Mountains, a lesson I gave in Denver on March 2nd of this year. Based on a text by the very famous Nargarjuna, I wove this Teaching to aid you as you face these precarious and compelling times. You will discover there are attitudes and behaviors you can employ to supersede the egoic demands for Approval, Power and Security. You can take great comfort in the fact that you are not alone in the journey. You can know that others before you in virtually every spiritual tradition on Earth have accomplished mastery over the ego. Your mindfulness will serve you well to this end, and your ever-increasing vigilance to catching those little ego slip-ups will prove invaluable to your spiritual development. Use the “little mountains” to support you on your journey; to offer solace in trying times, and to inspire confidence in your path.

Let us continue with our “Shi-ne” practice. Continue applying your Shi-ne practice in all areas of your life, as you began to do last month. Practice holding yourself undisturbed as challenges arise, and pay attention to where you tend to lose this undisturbed quality of flow. When it happens, simply recall yourself sitting in your place of meditation to bring up the feeling of being in your place of serenity. Let this activity be an extension of your meditative practice, and discover the urgent pull of the Self toward this undisturbed manifestation of awakening. As for the sitting part of your meditative life, begin by sitting quietly with your eyes open, gazing at the floor some two to three feet in front of you. If you would like, please feel free to use one of the colors we have previously used. Follow your breath for ten full breath cycles, starting over if you lose track of the count. When you complete the cycle of breaths, close your eyes, and feel yourself to be in the presence of your Spiritual Teacher. Make the feeling as real as possible, engaging as many of your senses as you can. Feel true reverence and respect for your Teacher, and allow yourself to be fully appreciative for His/Her assistance in your life.

See yourself sitting before your Teacher, who is seated on a platform or lotus throne about eye level in front of you. Think of some quality of the Teacher’s that is very precious to you, and bow before your Teacher as a sign of respect to the Teacher and the quality you are cherishing. Be aware of your Teacher’s love streaming to you, and feel deep appreciation for this gift. See yourself making a physical offering to your Teacher - something that the Teacher would know came from you. As your Teacher receives your offering, feel a loving smile coming to you from this Precious One. Feel yourself nudged to make a deeper offering - perhaps your promise to meditate daily and to dedicate whatever goodness comes from your meditation to your Teacher.

Review your life for the past 24 to 48 hours. Think of your most negative moment, and notice whether it was due to your thoughts, your words or your actions. Let yourself experience some genuine remorse for this, and then make a promise to your Teacher that you will not do this again for the next 24 hours. Next, think of a moment of kindness that you generated in that same period. As this memory arises, allow a feeling of warmth to arise at the heart level. Promise yourself that in the next 24 hours you will look for more opportunities to create goodness and kindness in your life.

Next ask to see the Teachings in every aspect of your life. Ask your Teacher to witness your thoughts, words and actions in all situations. In difficult situations, ask to see the Teacher’s face on the face of those who try your patience, as well as those you serve in love and kindness. Try to see what each situation would be like if you could experience as your Teacher in each case. Have a sense that your Teacher is not only watching your every thought, word and action, but that your Teacher is ardently holding forth that you will make the best decision in every situation for all concerned.

Now ask your Teacher to stay with you for the duration of the next 24 hours. In the palace of your heart, create a room for the Teacher that is quiet and filled with love and reverence. Visualize the Teacher becoming small enough to fit into a beautiful pearl. Open the petals of your lotus crown, and allow the Teacher to descend through your Crown Chakra on an energy flow that brings the Teacher to rest on a lotus throne in your lotus heart. As the Teacher sits there in dignity and serenity, ask Him/Her to be both witness and coach to/in your life. Ask help in seeing your own thoughts, words and actions, that you may continually increase the purity of your motivations, and see through the controlling parts of your ego/mind.

With the Teacher enthroned in your heart, bring your focus to the floor or colored cloth before you. Using it as a backdrop, try to hold the image of the Teacher. See Him/Her as a living person (not just a photo or statue), and envision Him/Her doing the kinds of things He/She would do were He/She in physical form today, such as giving a Teaching, or conducting a blessing ceremony or an empowerment. Try to hold this living, working image as you simply remain aware of your breath. Watch the Teacher performing virtuous tasks as you simply say “rising” on your in-breath, and “falling” on your out-breath.

Try to hold this image and stay connected to your breath for at least 15 minutes. Should you find it difficult, forgive yourself and just keep trying.

When complete, become aware once more of the qualities of the Teacher you wish to manifest in your own life. With each breath, draw those qualities into yourself, receiving them as a gift from your Teacher. Appreciate your Teacher’s example, as well as your own opportunity to receive precious teaching at this time. After about five minutes, let yourself arise with royal dignity, knowing yourself to be purified by this work, and trusting it has generated transformation for yourself and Earth.

Walk in peace and love,
Djwhal Khul