Spiritual Art Blog - *Ed P

Switch yourself on

While chatting about being open to the guidance from Spirit, the Life force or your Higher Power, someone suggested it is like being a mobile phone. If we are not switched on we can't pick up the signals. We may not even be aware there are signals and information which we can receive from our physical world.

The first signals we notice are the waking dreams. Something like a piece of text or headline hits us as significant or where someone says something that has special meaning for us. The message is significant for some reason but you can't put your finger on it.

The next development of this is when you ask a question and look for an answer. The way this works is to ask a question of Spirit, your inner guide or Higher Power. It's a good idea to specify how you'd like the answer. See the Waking Dreams post for ideas.

So how do you switch on this inner guidance? A method I've found useful is singing the word HU during my contemplation. HU is an ancient name for God, it is also the core sound of the universe. By singing HU you connect with this life force and come into tune with life. Practice this for about twenty minutes a day for at least four weeks. This will give you time to adjust to this new element in your life.

During your contemplation you can ask questions and indicate how you'd like them answered. This takes a bit of practice which is why the four week trial period is suggested.

Another method of switching to our inner guidance on is by being aware of our dreams but we’ll discuss that next week.

Anger will only shorten my life

Thought for the Week -

A very good friend, Jim, was telling me about an incident he experienced when he was buying his car. When he arrived to pick up the car the sales man asked him “Do you have the bank draft”. This was the first he heard that they required a draft and he explained that. “I wasn’t aware that you needed a draft, which is why I brought this cheque.”

Suddenly it seemed that his money wasn’t good enough and that his character was in doubt. Jim felt a little indignation begin to rise within him and along with that came some anger. He felt his ego begin to fume so he said to himself “Let’s just listen and see how it this thing plays out”.

The sales man went off to his boss and explained Jim’s situation but his boss wasn’t going to change the rules for Jim. The sales man explained that not long ago someone bought a car from them with a cheque which bounced and they couldn’t find the buyer or the car since. For that reason they have to insist on taking bank drafts only.

Jim accepted the explanation calmly. He kept his ego and anger in check. They didn’t boil over and scald him or the sales man. As he was leaving to go and get the bank draft the sales man said “You are taking this very calmly.” Jim replied “Anger will only shorten my life”.

The cycle of karma continues

Thought for the Week -

While cycling home from work this evening I went through the campus of UCD, as usual. It’s a nice cycle through trees and paths built for cycles and pedestrians. As I came to a large open paved area I saw a Dad on his bike leading his two sons who travelled a few yards behind him on a large trike which pulled a little trailer. One boy peddled the trike while the other sat in the trailer behind. The boys were about 8 or 9 years old.

As I passed the boy in the trailer produced a toy handgun and shot at me. I immediately returned fire with my right hand gun shooting from its index finger muzzle. I shot twice. The boy’s face was shocked for an instant and then became a shy smile. I was smiling too.

It was a joy to be brought back to the days of my youth when I played ‘Cowboys and Indians’ in the woods near our house.

What a nice unexpected gift I received from this boy. Our exchange of shots and smiles lasted no more than 5 seconds but the joy I received lasted 5 minutes and more. His joy may have lasted a minute or so entertained by the idea of a adult joining in his game.

It is interesting how the innocent little things we do can affect the people around us. I hope all the shots I fire as I go through the day bring benefit or a smile to those who are affected by them. Somehow I don’t think all my shooting is as playful as the shots above and they are adding to my cycle of karma.

Cycling the karma road home

Thought for the Week -

I cycle to work a few times a week and have discovered that it is a lot like our path home to heaven, God, the Universe or whatever you like to call it.

At one stage I was a bit aggressive as I cycled along. If I came up behind a slower cyclist I'd speed past them just to show them who was the better cyclist. Around this period of cycling I began to get a lot of punctures. There was no obvious area where there was a lot of glass or sharp metal but the punctures kept bringing me to a halt on my journeys.

One day after passing two slower cyclists I came to a stop with yet another flat tyre. As I worked on replacing the tube the two cyclists passed me and I knew they would surely be at their destination long before I reached mine. Then it struck me, my pride was the cause of so many flat tyres. I passed the slower cyclists with a confident swagger only to be humbled by them passing me shortly afterwards with my pride as flat as the puncture.

Following that realisation I approached and passed other cyclists with a lot more care and consideration. Since I changed my attitude to others on their journeys I have rarely had a puncture.

On our spiritual journey we meet and pass a number of people who are heading to their own destination in their own way and at their own speed. I cannot make any judgment as to where they are or how far or fast they're progressing. We all have our own individual path to travel so that we learn what we need to find our way home.

It doesn't matter how fast we seem to be going or how close to our destination we are. Each of us has our own path to follow and our own individual destination. My opinions about someone because they appear to be poorer, richer, highly spiritual or behave like animals are just my thoughts and not worth wasting time on. We all have our own lessons to learn and need to go through our lives to learn them.

If you want to have a smooth ride home, beware of your pride and opinions as the karma it creates may slow you down, or like me bring you to a halt.

Ed with Joe and Alan (left to right) on a charity cycle with the Blazing Saddles in China in 2004.

How to Follow Your Intuition

Thought for the Week – To continue our discussion on Waking Dreams and Inner Guides we should have a look at nudges from our higher self or what we often call ‘intuition’.

So how do you start getting your intuition to work? It can be very subtle but with a bit of work you should begin to see results.

The way it works for me is like this; when I have a query or question in mind, an answer will often suggest itself almost immediately. Then I'll think a bit more about it and start reasoning different options through. After a number of options have been through my mind I begin to get confused and end up unable to make a decision because I'm not sure which idea is the best option.

What I should have done was take the very first idea and go with that. The first idea comes from your higher self or Soul. The other ideas come from the mind and are not as 'pure' a suggestion as what the Soul comes up with. It was difficult for me to believe that the first idea was the best because my mind convinced me that the logical answer would be the better one. I had to test the intuitive suggestion a few times before I could believe it was the best.

The best thing to do is try it out on something not too critical like “Which route should I take?” Try it on your way to work, school or the shops, etc. You’ll get a suggestion immediately and then you’ll get a number of ideas or alternative options. Try and grab the first idea before it gets lost in the confusion of ideas that the mind will suggest. It might be worthwhile writing it down.

Let the mind come up with a few suggestions. Now go back to your first idea and choose between it and the other suggestions. Looking at them all. Logically you should choose one of the ones your mind suggested. Now, make a decision to go with the first idea despite the fact that there is a better option available.

Take the route suggested by your intuition and see what happens. Later review what happened. Did it work out ok? Did you come across any interesting events by ‘coincidences’ along the way? Can you check if there were any problems or situations along the logical option? In hind sight which was the best route?

Be aware that the mind can be very strong and convincing about its logical answers. It will be unwilling to give up its power over your life easily. This will require persistence and determination on your part. Keep working this until it is a habit and feels so natural that you go with what your intuition tells you. Once you get into the flow of you will begin to have a lot more peace in your mind and confidence in your decisions.

Let me know how you get on, click on the ‘Comments’ below and leave me a note.

Thanks

*Ed P

Waking Dreams

Thought for the Week -

Walking Dreams is the name given to 'coincidental' answers you receive in the physical world around you after you have asked question within yourself. Here's an example which may explain the concept better.

Bill had come to a point where he had an opportunity to make a change in the direction of his career. It looked like a good idea but it was a move into a new area which could conflict with his job, family and his spiritual direction. He couldn't make up his mind, he just kept gong around in circles. Finally he decided to ask his inner guide or guardian angel. His request was this "If this idea is the right direction for me please show me a zebra." He picked a zebra as it wasn't something he would normally see.

About two days later he still hadn't seen any zebras and was beginning to think his answer was "No". That evening he was chatting with his daughter and as she left the room, she took off her jacket and asked Bill "What do you think of my new t-shirt, Dad?". There on her t-shirt was a colourful zebra and the answer to Bill's question. The fact that his daughter brought the message confirmed it was a particularly good move for his family.

Another form of Waking Dream is to ask a question and let the answer come from the action you are doing at the moment. I usually use this method while I'm in the shower.

Our shower has a removable head with a hose attached so you can shower your whole body. After washing my hair, what little I have, I will attempt to replace the shower head into its holder with my eyes closed. With water still streaming down my face I will have a question in mind and if the head fits easily into its holder the answer is Yes, if I miss it completely the answer is No and if I almost get it in the answer is maybe.

You can work out your own way of asking questions and getting answers based on these methods. What method you do use? I’d love to hear other peoples experiences. Click on ‘Comments’ below and tell us your how you do it.

Dowsing Decisions

Thought for the Week -

While talking with a friend about her next possible business decision she took out a chain with an inverted cone and said "I'll do a dowse on it". She explained "You ask a question and if it swings clockwise it means Yes, if it swings anticlockwise it's No. She then went through a few short questions and I watched the pendulum swing in the Yes and No directions. I was impressed.

She offered it to me to try but I just jokingly swung it in a circle. I didn't want to upset the inner connection which I use for my own decisions. This is a connection with my inner self or Soul and the Holy Spirit or the Universe, you may have hour own name for it.

I'm not sure how to describe it. It is a combination of intuition, outer messages or waking dreams and 'coincidences' or synchronicity. It's an awareness of what is going on around me at this particular moment. When I have a decision to make I'll watch for messages around me or a hunch or how an option feels. If it feels right and there is a message or an image that confirms this, I'll go with it.

This is not something that I decided to start using one day, it has grown over a number of years. I've tested each element bit by bit and when I found that the direction they lead me was a good one, and brought positive results, then I began to trust it.

How do you make your decisions? I used to use my mind but that was hard work and wasn’t bringing many good results. I picked up a few tips from some friends and then worked on them. One of the methods is called Waking Dreams. It basically involves picking up messages from the world around you. I’ll tell you how I use it and give some examples in next week’s blog.

*Ed P

The Past is a Moment

Picture: Family Tapestry (rough concept). See News below or CGSociety for more info.

Thought for the Week -

It's funny the way words are sometimes put into our mouths just to provide an answer for the person we are talking to.

While talking about our many past lives my pal said "The past is just a moment". How could that be? "Well, look at all your past now. How long does it take? Just a moment. When you look at your past now you can see it all now in this moment. Now all your past is a moment."

Our further discussions confirmed that this viewpoint is pretty close to Soul's view which lives in the now, this present moment. So if we are looking at all we have done and gone through from Soul's point of view it really doesn't appear very important as it is only a moment. That takes away a lot of the anxiety and worry we often attach to the events in our lives. Yes, they are important and have to be dealt with appropriately but when we leave this world it will only be valued later as a moment. While we live life and deal with its challenges, in the overall scheme of things it really is just a moment, so don't worry too much about it. It's just a moment we have to go through. As the last line of the U2 song Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of says "It's just a moment, this time will pass." (See the video below).

I was thrilled to be shown how to see such a vast expanse of time as a moment.

*Ed P

Chores of Enlightenment

Picture:

Island Sanctuary (I’ve just finished this picture, so its time let it be seen)

This is a place to go to when you've been through a hard time. An island you can escape to, away from the pains, pleasures and pressures of life. Somewhere you can restore yourself in quiet reflection. A place where you can recoup your energies.

As you sit in the contemplation places around the island, you let the insights slip into your consciousness as you soak in the sunshine, silence and solitude. This is a place of purity where only clean, clear and comforting thoughts can come. This island is a sanctuary.

Thought for the week-

Chores of Enlightenment

While chatting with a friend she was telling me that she often gets insights and wisdom as she does her chores around the house. It's not that she was thinking in a positive manner but she was focusing on what she was doing. She was in the moment.

We came to the conclusion that because her mind was still, Soul had the opportunity to get a message through. Her mind was quiet as she concentrated on the ironing, or polishing or cooking. It gave Soul a chance to slip past the mind and impart some wisdom.

So doing the best we can, doing it with love and putting our attention on the task at hand can result in enlightenment.

Life is a voyage

Picture: Voyagers to the Island Sanctuary

Thought for the week-

Have you ever considered that life is a voyage? Think about it. We live our lives in the pursuit of happiness, sailing from one island of promise to another. There are many islands with a variety of pleasures which promise happiness and fulfilment. We have visited these islands many times, often for a short stay and sometimes for a life time.

Each island has its own charm and promise. The names of the islands are Wealth, Power, Sex, Food, Drugs, Drink, Honour, Pride, Greed and lots more. When we land on these islands there is a welcoming party and it is a wonderful place. If this is our first time on the island we can spend a long time exploring all it has to offer but the time comes when we realise that what we seek is not here. It’s time to set sail again to see if the next island has that which we are searching for.

After visiting many of these islands we begin to learn from our experiences and gain some wisdom about what is good and what is bad about these islands. If we visit them only when we need to, then we gain some balance in our lives. We do not end up stranded on any of the islands if we keep our boat in a healthy condition.

While sailing on the open sea we may get time to enjoy the sunshine and mild breeze. As we sit in sweet contemplation we may come across a new destination. One that brings love, kindness and happiness to our lives. This is the port we seek. The source of love, imagination and inspiration.

The home we seek is happiness and it cannot be found on the islands we visit on our voyage through life. It can only be found deep within ourselves. He place where we find love. Not the love that gives in order to receive but the love that gives for the joy of giving, not expecting anything in return. This is the island of our dreams which can only be found through bringing love into our hearts, to be given to others so that it will grow stronger and stronger. This can be the most challenging voyage of them all but the one that brings all the riches you could want.

*Ed P

Write down your problems

Thought for the week-
Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you’re in a corner surrounded by problems? Here’s an idea I’ve used a number of times and have found it very useful for getting myself out of such a situation.

Take some time to write a letter. Write it to your inner guide or Jesus, Muhammad, the Dali Lama or who ever you look up to on a spiritual basis. Write how ever you feel, what ever you feel. Put down all the situations, difficulties and problems. Add details and explanations to clarify things if necessary.

Now put it away and let your higher power take it from there. By doing this I’ve found that my general situation begins to become clearer and not as hopeless as I first thought. The action of writing the difficulties down gets them into some kind of order so you have a better over view of them They are now separated and I can now see little things I can do to sort of the problems out.

This is not a miracle cure but I have found it great help in bringing me out a swirling river of problems onto a little place of refuge. From that point I have often found a path to safer ground. Hope this works for you too.

Light in your contemplation

Picture
The art of living spiritually. That’s the title of the seminar I created this piece for and now it’s the title of this piece. I tried to illustrate growth as we progress towards the light. We become more illuminated as we grow.

Thought for the week-
While we are on the subject of seminars, I was at one titled ‘Exploring the Spiritual Frontier’ presented by Eckankar in the UK, over the weekend. It was very enjoyable with lots of good talks and insights from the speakers. One of the speakers, Phil Morimitsu, gave an excellent demonstration of what to do when you see the light during your contemplation or meditation.

He had made a large sheet out of black plastic bags. Through a hole in the centre of this vast blackness he shone a torch light. “This is something like what you might see as you sit with your eyes closed” he said. It’s true, I’ve often seen little lights or glows during contemplation. He went on to say something like “The idea of this light is not just to sit there and observe it but to go towards it or somehow bring it closer to you.”

Phil then went behind the black sheet of plastic and explained “We are on this side of the blackness and the light seems to be blinding but if we go to the light we discover that it is bright because where we are viewing it from is so dark. When we get to the light we enter a whole new enlightened world.” Then from behind the black sheet he broke through the little black hole and entered into a “new enlightened world” leaving the darkness, the black plastic sheet, behind.

It was a very practical demonstration of what can be a difficult concept to convey. So now you know what to do the next time you see the light in your contemplation or meditation exercises.

Sharing Love

Picture:
Does this picture look familiar? Yep it’s just like my mini picture which is on last weeks post. This is created using a program called Bryce. It’s a 3D landscape program where you can create landscapes and things in three dimensions. You can then fly around the landscape and find the best angle for your picture or even create an animation. Anyway this is going to be the basis of another picture in the Sanctuary series, Island Sanctuary.

Thought for the week-
Sharing love is something we do a lot but we are often unaware of it. When we smile at someone or make a pleasant comment we are sharing a little love. When you say thanks to someone for any little favour, it adds a little sparkle of love to them.

If we can just increase our awareness of these deeds they will become more valuable, to the person receiving them and to us too. Anytime I hold a door for someone and they say thanks, a spark of love glows within me. If I meet someone I like, the warmth grows and I am a happier person. All these little events build up to add more and more joy to our lives.

While the people we do these little deeds benefit from our kindness, I think the one who benefits most is us. We allow love flow through us and once it begins to flow, even more of it comes through. As love flows through us we are surrounded by love and the joy it brings with it.

That’s the way love works. The more you give the more you get.

Every picture can tell you a story

The canvas above left, Island Sanctuary, is the one I painted at the Expose Yourself gallery over the weekend. The photo on the right shows it being exhibited in ‘Ireland’s Smallest Gallery’.

-Thought for the week
I was talking to a good friend during the week and she was asking me about the picture Soul’s Journey Begins. The surprised look on the baby’s face frightened her. She said ‘All babies are happy and lovely and cuddly’.

She then told me about the time of the birth of one of her children. She had given birth naturally on her previous children but on this one she had to have a caesarean section and she was unconscious for the arrival of her child. This distressed and confused her a lot. After visiting some intuitive people she was told that the reason the baby went into distress at the birth was because the child decided it didn’t want to be come into this life. She, the mother, was unconscious because she had to go to the soul who was to be her new child to explain that it would be fine in its new life and it would be well looked after.

It seemed to me that the picture reflected the event of her child’s birth. When I told her the title of the picture, Soul’s Journey Begins, she thought about it a bit and said ‘That’s, fine, it all makes sense now’.

We never really know the effect a picture has on a person. If you look close enough, every picture can tell you a story.

Pride and punctures

-Thought for the week

Have you ever noticed that if you are going along proud of yourself and looking on the world with distain you end up falling flat on your face?

I cycle to work 2 or 3 days a week. Many times I’d fly past slower cyclists with pride and gusto as if to say “I’m faster than you, get out of my way.” On a number of occasions I’d get a puncture and it wouldn’t be long before the person I’d passed would glide by, as I repaired my bike. After about a year of this carry on I eventually put my pride and my punctures together and discovered that they were related.

It’s interesting the way life is trying to teach us things as we go through the process of living. It will place lessons in our way so that we have to go through them. How long does it take for us to really learn the true reason why things happen in our lives?

Watch out for the repeating problems in life, there is a lesson we’re missing if it keeps coming back to us. I hope you learn your lessons faster than me.

*Ed P

Let your diamond sparkle

-Thought for the week
A thought struck me during the week. We are here in this tough, hard life because we are like diamonds in the rough. There is a pure clear loving core within the hard rocky exterior we project as our personality. We need to go through a lot of grinding to get all the rock and grit off us. Once we’ve removed the crust of attachments, opinions and bad thinking we then need cutting. The cutting goes deep into our emotions to reveal a brighter part which would have remained hidden otherwise. You might have thought that was the end of it but there is always something more. We need polishing to get rid of the jagged edges and make us truly sparkle.

So during the week when life begins to grind you. Relax a bit. You need to get through it and learn from it. The lessons we learn help chip away the rock and dirt to reveal more patience, compassion and love. With a little more light to our lives, those around us will sometimes see a sparkle.

Picture
The picture above is the almost finished version of River Sanctuary. It’ll take me about another week to clean it up and finish the detailing but at this size on the web you’re really not going to see much of a difference.