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Disasters And Understanding Death

Reginald Sinevet — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:18:46 +0000

I recently lost my cousin to the earthquake in Haiti. My family is coming to grips with the loss because we four months ago, my grandmother transitioned. This is hard to take in a four month period.

I started to think about how life and death are different sides of the same coin. Death is always near. I don’t like to say death because the real essence of who we are lives on. Our bodies may no longer be functional, be we transition, we shed our bodies in order to be free of the confines of our current existence. I know we gone living because our true essence is spiritual. We come in this existence to learn the life lessons that we’ve chosen to learn.

I’m not going to post much but wanted to quote something from my teacher, Osho, about death.

Beloved Osho,
When I was coming for discourse, my heart was trembling with fear; I felt as if I was going to die. Death seemed to be very close. Later in the discourse, I felt an infinite joy from some unknown source. Are these just two colours of love for you, or is it something else? Will you please comment?

haitanya Bharti, death is always close by. It is almost like your shadow. You may be aware, you may not be aware, but it follows you from the first moment of your life to the very last moment. Death is a process just as life is a process, and they are almost together, just like two wheels of a bullock cart. Life cannot exist without death; neither can death exist without life.

Our minds have an insane desire: we want only life and not death. We don’t look at the existential truth, we always cling to our own insane desire. Any desire that goes against nature is insane. And this desire is in almost every living creature, not only human beings. Even the trees are afraid of death, but trees can be forgiven. They are not conscious beings, they are only unconscious – fast asleep.

But you are a little bit awake: you can sense the presence of death. Hence the possibility opens for a deeper understanding, that life and death are all together, two extremes of one energy. Life is the active force and death is the inactive force. Life is the positive electricity and death is the negative electricity, but they cannot be separated.

You are saying, “When I was coming for discourse, my heart was trembling with fear; I felt as if I was going to die.” Those who are aware that death is possible at any moment – the very next moment and you may be gone – this awareness is going to help you to live this moment as deeply as possible, because death can cut your roots without informing you, without any previous intimation that “I am coming.” It simply comes. You know only when it has happened. But it is not the greatest misery. The greatest misery is when there was the chance and the opportunity, you did not live – you went on postponing.

Life is an opportunity. Death is the end of the rope. If you understand death your life will become intense and total. But instead of understanding death, you become overwhelmed by it. Hence the heart starts trembling with fear. And fear is not going to help at all, fear is going to cloud your mind even more. Out of fear, there has never been any understanding.

So whenever you feel fear, it is a tremendous opportunity to understand that life is momentary, it is ephemeral, it is made of the same stuff as dreams are made of. How real the dream looks when you are asleep – in fact, more real than your experiences when you are awake. You may never have thought about it, but while you are awake you can doubt: “Perhaps what I am seeing may be just a dream.” I may be a dream, you may be a dream, this whole communion may be happening just as a dream. Soon you will be awake and you will find, “My God! It was just a dream.”

There is the possibility when you are awake to suspect, to doubt the reality that surrounds you. But when you are asleep, you cannot even doubt the existence of the dream. It is so real, it is more real than reality. Have you ever doubted any dream, thinking that perhaps what you are seeing is a dream? The moment you doubt, you are awake, and the dream is immediately finished. The dream can remain there only if you are totally asleep, so deep that no doubt, no suspicion, can arise in you.

But to those who have understood both life and death as nothing but two aspects of one reality, the dream and the so-called reality of your waking consciousness are not basically different. Just as in the morning you wake up and the dream life is finished, one day in death you wake up into another reality and all that was real up to then – for seventy years – becomes just a dream. Not even a trace of it is left anywhere in your consciousness.

Death is a constant reminder that, “I can come any moment. Be prepared.” And what is the preparation? The preparation is: live life so totally, so intensely, be so aflame with it that when death comes there is no complaint, there is no grudge. You are absolutely ready because you have lived life so totally, you have known all its mysteries – there is no point in living anymore. Death has come exactly at the right time, when you may have thought to die yourself. I call that death perfect which comes at the moment when you yourself may have thought, “It is enough.”

Death comes and you understand that life has been lived totally, so now there is no point to go on breathing and go on waking and sleeping unnecessarily – because nothing new is going to happen. Now everything is past and there is no future. In such a moment, death is a welcome guest. And unless you are ready to welcome death, know well that you have missed life. Those who feel sadness and fear about death are the people who have missed the train. But in our unconsciousness, we are all continuously missing the train. The train is moving every moment, just in front of you, but somehow you go on missing.

I have told you about those three professors, all belonging to the Department of Philosophy. And they were talking, standing on the platform. They had come to send one of them off for a long journey, to give him a send-off. But they got so involved in their talking and discussions that the train left. It was only when the last compartment was moving just in front of them that they all three became aware. They all ran. Two jumped into the compartment, one could not.

An old man, a porter on the railway station, was watching the whole scene. And this man standing there was looking so sad that the old man said, “I can understand that you missed the train, but don’t be worried, because within two hours another train will be coming.”

He said, “I am not worried about myself. I am worried about those two fellows who have entered the compartment. They had come to send me off…” But such was the rush – and everything had to be done so quickly.

This is our state. It can happen to anybody, just because our actions arise out of our unconsciousness. Your heart trembling with fear is nothing but your misunderstanding. As far as death is concerned, what you experienced is true for everybody, every moment, until you die. It is not true only for those who are already dead. In one thing they are better off than you: they cannot die anymore – no fear, no trembling of the heart. They just lie down and rest in their graves. Nothing is going to happen to them anymore.

But as long as you are alive, the possibility of death is absolutely certain. Only the timing is not certain. But the happening is absolutely certain. What does it matter whether you die after seven days or seven years or seventy years? One thing is certain: that you are going to die. Life is not something that you can go on missing. Otherwise at the moment of death, you will feel the greatest misery and pain, the deepest agony, from missing the whole opportunity that was given to you.

And existence gives so abundantly, it is not miserly. You are just not alert enough to use the opportunity to transform yourself into something immortal, eternal, into some experience which will make you beyond the reach of death. Just fearing death is not of any help. If you see that death is following you, it is time to start searching deeper into yourself for that point which is beyond death. We have been calling that point satchitanand: the truth of your being, the ultimate consciousness of your life and the tremendous blessing of your coming to flower.

You are also saying that as you sat in the discourse you felt “an infinite joy from some unknown source.” There is nothing mysterious about it. You came to the discourse trembling, overwhelmed by the fear of death, and here you saw laughter and music and you became one with the commune. You forgot your tiny ego and its fear of dying. You fell into deep harmony with all who are present here.

This harmony is the source of your joy, not any unknown source. This harmony is the source of your infinite joy, and this harmony is also the source of your deep feeling of love for me.

It is not something unknown, it is something very clear, you just have to be a little more conscious. Then this clarity will give you all the clues to things that go on happening in your being, but you don’t know from where they come, where they are going. Everything seems to be a misunderstanding. But out of harmony, out of love, out of joy, arises understanding.

Namaste!

Haiti – A Country Of People Like Me And You!

Reginald Sinevet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:17:22 +0000

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the news about the devastation that occurred in Haiti over the past 24 hrs. It has been incredible to see the disaster and the suffering that has been coming through the news and internet. Particularly, it has been hard for people who are from Haiti, have family there, or have friends who are there currently. More importantly, I think it’s been a situation where you can empathize and sympathize with people there.

I don’t want to get into a history lesson about Haiti. There are plenty sites that can provide that information if you want to know more about the history. What I want to cover is what I’ve seen from folks on the internet about the plight that the Haitian people are going through. I am Haitian, however I put myself in every other person’s shoes because I am every person I see. How many of us do really do that these days?

So, back to the different things I’ve seen on the net and how that type of thinking does not serve anyone, except for the people making the statements.

There is a commentator and religious person that have used this disaster as a means to polarize people and make news for themselves because of they have hate and politicized the event. I’m not going to mention the names as I’m sure you can find those individuals relatively easy online.

The thing that I’ve seen, and that I’m not really surprised about it, is the politicization and polarizing comments that have been coming through. However, all the comments come down to trying to show that we’re all different instead of uniting people and showing how really the same that we are.

The people that are affected by this tragedy could be from any other country in the world. Can you see yourself or your country being affected by such a tragedy? Wouldn’t you want help and assistance from the international community to help you deal with your current situation? Would you want the hate, politicizing, and religious condemnation to distract form the help that you need in order to survive and bring focus to you plight? Well, that’s what some people have been doing in the same of “trying” to make a point. I say trying because it has not been happening nor taken that way by those who are empathetic to and affected by a people or country’s plight.

Why would anyone try to politicize and make this a polarizing type of situation? What you have to understand is that we are all the same. People make it out to seem we’re all different because we look different, speak different languages, or are from different countries, and have different cultures.

There is nothing different other than what we see. We are all one and the sooner and more we realize that the easier it’ll be to put ourselves in each other’s shoes and not polarize and politicize such events. I’m sure you would want help as quickly as possible. Put yourself in that person’s shoes and now you’ve felt what it is like for them. And if you can’t feel for them, then you have no heart. Plain and simple!

One thing that I do know however, is that we are a family. If we’re not here to help each other, no matter what the seeming differences may be, who will help; who will we turn to? It is unfortunate that it takes an even such as this to bring people together. Let us strive to be one regardless the situation.

Thank you all on behalf of all people struggling around the world for your positive thoughts and support to raise us up.
Namaste!

To donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund text “Yele” to 501501. To donate $10 to Red Cross Haiti Relief text “Haiti” to 90999.

Namaste!

Are You A God Fearing Person? Why?

Reginald Sinevet — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:15:44 +0000

I could never understand the statement that some people make that they’re a God fearing person. I’ve tried to understand what they say, and even the explanation that have been provided to help my understanding. I must say, however, that it has not worked. I’m still stumped and baffled by the statement.

I’m not sure if it’s something that was developed through their upbringing in the church or if their priest or pastor drilled it in their heads that God is something to be feared. I remember when I was younger and going to church, and passages from the old testament were read, how negative and fearful those words were. I could not understand it, and I still don’t.

It was not until I embarked on my own journey did I come to understand of the different levels in which the bible and other religious texts were written. The majority of people just take the stories literally and do not go deeper for the real meanings.

If you’re one of those people who is a God fearing person, I ask you to think of this…there is an absolute Intelligence that created this universe, the sun, me, you, so forth and so on. I would say that creation exists out of love and only through love could something so awesome ever be created. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this, but if you don’t, just follow me a bit more.

Out of love we exist; and your kids, family, and everyone you know exist because of that same love. If it is all love, where does the fear come from? I can see if one would say that they are in awe of God, or that they are reverent of God – I am fine with either of those statements – that would make sense to me. But, to be in fear of the Spirit That Is is not compatible.

Let me ask you this…do you love what you fear or are you afraid and are angry with what you fear? I surmise that it’s the latter. Look at the world today and tell me that most people are not a fearful bunch. And out of that fear, all sorts of things are being done under the guise of keeping us safe. We don’t understand and are therefore fearful. This fear makes us mistrust others, which makes us guarded. Do you see how that thought of fear has basically morphed into other things?

I have a few suggestions and they are simple ones to follow if you choose to follow them. Number one is to stop taking for gospel what the priests and pastors tell you on Sundays. Follow your own path to arrive at your truth. I’m not saying to completely discount they say, because you can always pull nuggets of goodness from other people. What I mean is for you to open yourself to others, meditate to get the wisdom from within. All you need to know is within you.

Number two is to remove the word fear from your vocabulary as it relates to Source Energy. As I said before, we are here out of love, so how can we be fearful of the Spirit that Is? Once you remove the fear, love will start to pour out of you. The fear is no longer there to inhibit the flow of love. Being in fear does not fit the God part of you. Remove the fear in order to reconnect with the power source that’s inside you that’s all love and completeness.

Number three is a passage that you should really take to heart. “Love thy neighbor as thyself, for thy neighbor is thyself.” You are your neighbor…meditate on that one. It is something I’m going to talk more about in future posts as it relates to consciousness.

Namaste!

Create Your Own Path and Be Free

Reginald Sinevet — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:07:26 +0000

I remember when I was in high school in Brooklyn, NY, and my classmates were taking the SAT and applying to college. I was going through the motions preparing for the next phase of my life. I remembered wanting to study computer science cause I thought it was sexy and a good path to take once I finished college to get a job…you know the typical stuff of worrying and preparing for the future.

There was one thing that bothered me about the whole thing though. I could not put my finger on it, but deep within I knew there was something else I had to do. So, what did I do, or in this case, didn’t do? I never applied to any colleges. Instead, I visited the Marine recruiting office and talked to a recruiter about opportunities available in the Marines.

I felt that I had to follow my own path even though my parents had ideas about they thought would be best for me. I had different ideas of what I wanted to do, which was to take charge of my life. I know, I know, joining the military is not the best way to really take charge of one’s life because you give up so much to be part of the collective. However, joining the service was a path that I decided to take and it was my intention to make it work for me.

Jump ahead a few years and I arrived at another major decision point and this one dealt with the whole issue of religion and spirituality. I remember when I was around seven or so, I started asking myself questions about God and was curious about the rituals that were always performed in church. The rituals did not make any sense to me even though I learned about them all in catholic school. I’m older now and have more understanding, but I still find them to be too philosophical. I’m now wondering if my classmates, family, or even friends questioned some of the rituals and what they thought about it all.

One thing I read a while back and I recently reread by my favorite teacher, Osho, asks why we don’t question or have stopped questioning the things we learn instead of taking them for face value, especially all the dogmas of religion. This was what got me thinking to write this post. In a way, I guess I was early to the game of questioning the things I was being taught. An over the years I was able to see life in a different light.

Everything seems to be hand-me-downs and no one questions whether or not if that information resonates with them and if it’s something that should still be followed, or if different paths should be trail blazed because of questioning that brings new insight and experiences.

As Osho puts it, “It is only in questioning our beliefs, assumptions, and prejudices that we can begin to uncover our own unique voice and heal the divisions within us and without.” You can start with a belief, but I think it is through questioning that you get to really “know.”

I see a big change that has been occurring for a quite some time now. People are no longer interested in the dogmas of religion, of its philosophy. Why go on analyzing and dissecting when you can synthesize. Let’s look at the big picture and become conscious. How do you do that? You start by making an intent to create your own path, going from believing to knowing, and by asking questions of the things you’ve have learned and accepted without reason.

I know there are some who not agree with me on this issue. And that’s good! Now you should ask yourself why you don’t agree. As you ask questions, you’ll be on your way to creating your own personal path.

Namaste!

Are You Providing Value To Others?

Reginald Sinevet — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:38:40 +0000

I’ve been involved in internet marketing for little while now, and have seen all sorts of products and courses, that try to help people move from pain to pleasure. People have things that they’d like to take care of, and that’s the reason why courses and products are developed – to help them fix a problem.

The “gurus” out there have always talked about providing value to people. They always say to give your stuff for free and people will more apt to follow you, ask for your advice, and really want to your product then.

Providing the value was not something that was lost to me, but my issue was, what can I offer of value to people being in the internet marketing community. I was not one of those gurus and I was learning, am still learning, about that industry. However, that lesson, of providing value, is tried and true in many areas of life.

So, what does providing value have to do with Spirituality?

We are all here to serve each and to help each other remember the reason why we are on this Earth. As Yogananda Paramahansa puts it, “To forget God is to miss the whole point of existence.”

How often do you think of Her on a daily basis? Do you meditate or pray in order to feel and enjoy Him?

We should all strive to arrive at a point in life where material accumulation is not a factor or the reason for being. Yes, we need stuff to live, but living the simple does not require the excess or the constant striving to accumulate things.

God does not and do not want to impose on anyone. God wants us to return to Her and it’s our decision whether or not we do. One things to remember however, is that we have our being in God. We are an extension of Him, for She is all there is. Give thanks and meditate on these things.

I hope have been able to provide value to you. You in turn should strive to provide value to others through whatever means you’re able to. We think we are the wave, but really, we are part of the ocean. We only feel this way because we have just felt separated. This is a metaphor often used by Yogananda that often helps me remember by connection to everyone, everything, and God.

Reconnect with the One in whom you have your being; meditate; provide value to others and help them reconnect, for we are each other; we are One.

Namaste!

My Passion! – Your Passion!

Reginald Sinevet — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:40:27 +0000

I remember when I was about six or seven years old, going to church with my grandmother. I used to have conversations in my head and asking, ‘if God created us, who created Her?’ This was not a question I could readily ask her or anyone else and get a good enough answer. Maybe, if I did ask the question it would not have taken me so long to get a better understanding.

Then again, maybe it was meant to be this way so I could learn and grow to really understand. Looking back on it now, I don’t think I would’ve understood what I understand now. Things do really happen on Divine Time, in Divine Order.

So, what does all this have to do with my passion?

For the longest time, I struggled to figure out what do to with my life after I left the Marine Corps. There, everything was structured. There was a plan, and you were performing as expected. It was the easiest job you could have. When I got out, everything changed. It felt as if I was freed, but with no sense of direction. The different things I got into were mostly about making money. I got interested in real estate because of the $ signs I saw during seminars from people who were making things happen in the industry. Then I went to find a regular job in IT because I had the background.

Something was missing from two things I got involved. I went into them with no real passion in heart. This left me with an empty feeling…a feeling of, ‘this is not it.’

Over the years, I’ve had psychics do readings to help me find my way; read many spiritual books; and meditated. I knew I was onto something when all I could focus on, at times, was spiritual books and learning as much as possible from the Great Teachers.

I could tell I found my passion when I was able to totally focus on something, day-in and day-out, without being bored. Do you have something like that in your life?

I decided that this was probably the best way to share my passion with others because it might help you find out. We are all really here to serve each other and I can’t think of any better way than to you help you bring out what it is you’re most passionate about.

So, how do you figure out what your passion or passions are?

I kind of mentioned it already…but, here’s the basic question you should be asking:

* What do I enjoy doing on a daily basis that I’m not bored with?
* What brings me peace of mind and takes me to another place when I do it? (I’m not talking about drugs here.)
* What do I enjoy doing that brings joy to myself and others?

I would love to hear some of your answers to the above questions as well as any thoughts you might have about this post.

Namaste!

A New Year – A New Beginning!

Reginald Sinevet — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:45:22 +0000

As the New Year approaches, I believe it’s important to look back at the past year and release the negative, or the things we consider to be negative, from our lives in order to start new. The below is from a talk given my Dr. Leon Masters, with by spin on it.

As one door closes, a new one opens. It happens all the time. Although, during the transition we may feel that things are against us. The new gives us an opportunity to to be part of the energy and the flow. Carrying the old negative energy, which is side by side of the new, does not help us in the long run. There are many things that, over the past year, have “negative” connotations or sentiments attached to them. Why would you want to carry those things with you?

In reality, the way we look at things, or the story that we have about that certain thing, is the only reason it is deemed good or bad. It starts from our subconscious as to how we were feeling at that moment or how a particular event ended up over a period of time. The psychic energy associated with that “thing” is a burden that needs to be released. We will talk about how to release in a bit.

We all have things that we were not, or are not, happy with – whether it is relationships, our financial situation, our educational, job situation, or whatever it may be. However, the way we begin the year sets the tone for how it will end. What you do the first day, week, or month will set the tone for the following days, weeks, and months.

Just because things did not turn out the way we wanted does not mean we failed. I’m sure if you look back at some of the things that did not go your way, you’ll see that it was the best thing to have happened. When we try to accomplish things via the personal ego, sometimes the Spirit within will intervene, if you will, because It knows what it best for you. I have personal stories of things not going the way I wanted them to. I take that lesson in stride because I know better days are coming.

Inside each of us, God/Spirit consciousness is there that knows what is best for us. This is the successful part of us that wants us to be a success. We are an extension of God/Spirit and It wants us to succeed. Period! So, don’t look at not getting your way as failure, but as a stepping stone that is taking you closer to soul and Spirit’s goal. When you let go and let Spirit in, you will then be guided, directed, and inspired. We need to let our ego aside so we may be guided and inspired by Spirit. Inspired=In Spirit.

This all starts with listening to and depending on the Spirit within. We are so trained to depend and look up to the things that are outside of ourselves. We listen to those who may not be enlightened to guide us, when the the God/Spirit within is right there to help us at all times. Start turning to yourself in the new year to begin being self sufficient. Walk in the light of Spirit presence in mind and know that so called failures are not crushing blows but stepping stones.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish thing.

How do we go about releasing?

Meditation is the key to it all. It is communing with God/Spirit; feeling that closeness, peace, and awareness. It will leave you refreshed and renewed no matter the circumstance. The biggest blessing that we can have is to be in contact with Spirit. Your worries and torments will no longer drag you down when you make a conscious effort to meditate.

Also, be grateful for the lows and highs you experienced this year for each event is a teacher. Be grateful for the lessons you have learned and experienced. Paraphrasing from Dr. Masters, “What’s the point of holding to hell, when heaven is just around the corner?”

Take the attitude of newness into the new year by releasing the “negative”, embracing the energy of new, being grateful for the lessons and experiences, and forgiving others and yourself for any transgression. Do these things with a sincere heart and really connect with those feeling…do not do them by going through the motions. Start fresh, for this is a new year.

Namaste!

P.S. Meditation is such an important topic that I going to devote a whole post on it. Please stand by.