Music, invisibly heard but  not necessarily seen, has a corresponding mathematical component which charts its form, denoting scales and timing.

The word chord, defined as a combination of single notes played together is from from the French, meaning agreement or accord; separate vibrations playing simultaneously, harmoniously.



One's invisible spirit or consciousness also over time experiences a scale of high and low notes in the ups and downs in daily life on earth. But what if there was a secret chord, a combination of notes one might play to ease life's discordant trials and reveal a harmonious higher order of existence?

As in a math formula, where each number represents a value that defines a phenomenon, one's personal values also define one's invisible relationship to life, as well as to one's higher power.

Values like gratitude, forgiveness, tolerance, mercy, and a conviction that a Higher Power benevolently accompanies, counsels and guides towards one's highest good throughout, are notes of a divine chord or an accord with the Supreme - if one has interest in pursuing such a dialog.

One always has the free will of choice in deciding how to react to whatever life sends one's way; reacting with surrender and praise of wisdom, Source/God, with a "Hallelujah" is just one of many.

"Now I've heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord.. but you don't really care for music, do ya?  HALLELUJAH written by Leonard Cohen

Like notes in a chord, cultured qualities of love, patience and mercy in all situations, open the heavens for grace to descend, guiding one's spirit to ascend to higher conscious realms and connectivity with life Supreme.

When one can praise the Supreme in all circumstances, one's spiritual heart strengthens and spiritual communications from the Lord in the heart / Holy Spirit are gradually revealed, accordingly.

This blog post was done on March 20, 2019 the lunar appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (February 18 1486 – June 14 1534) who taught and freely gave access to spiritual accession and love of God, through heartfelt musical praise of the Supreme.

Srimad Bhagavam 10.14.8
tat te ’nukampam su-samiksamano
bhuñjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak
 
Translation: 
 
My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.
 
                     Hallelujah!

1. You - as one point of consciousness
2. Everything Else - the entire creation, both animate and inanimate
3. An Energetic Relationship - which flows between You and Everything Else

If one could consciously freeze a moment in time, one might observe a frozen block of one's surroundings - noticing everything that is different, separate, or outside oneself - plus oneself as the observer.

Nobel Prize Winning Physicist Eugene Wigner wrote: "I am convinced of only two things, the existence  of my own consciousness, and the reality or existence of everything else."

The static truth, or unchanging nature of this statement is correct, but it does not address a third reality - the reciprocal, connected flow of energy between the Individual and  Everything Else.

A frozen moment in time might help theoretically conceptualize oneself as separate from everything else - but time is never frozen and continually affects stasis; time and energy are not stagnant.

How one energetically relates to and connects to one's environment and how one's environment responds, is an experiential third dynamic. It's You, Everything Else, and then how you Tango.

1. False Human/Animal Ego - Fear-based exploitation of others/nature for personal/family/tribal gain
2. Renounced Ego - Renounces the world/people/nature as an illusion with no utility or Source.
3. Dedicated/Service Ego - Respects the sacred purpose of life & nature - serves, mindful of Source

Diverse people of faith as well as those in science, resonate with the idea that all life is energetically connected, even if the source of all such life-energy is not fully understood.

Some may see life as an aspect of nature or spawned by material energy, while others may see a higher-consciousness Source as the origin of life and it's connectivity.

What many do commonly realize is that life's actions, over time, have various reactions. Many intuit that it is the quality of the initial action, either exploitative, detached, or dedicated to service, which determines the qualitative reactions one receives from "everything else" - which one may view as nature, the universe, or God/Source.

As sparks of consciousness, time forces us to reach out; to interact with a least some portion of everything else around us. By some means or another, it's experientially safe to say - that portion of everything else, or even more, will reach back.

Although written for someone else, and maybe a stretch for some, one might mentally offer the mood this old-school song to the Source - of everything and everyone - to God, and to our beloved teachers and mentors; to the Conscious Universe.

One's conscious personal internal experience of love can expand towards "everything else" by means of serving this eternal ecstatic truth - that we were created to give and receive love which is unlimited and unconditional.

The two-way flow of love increasingly manifests, by mindfully and dynamically re-connecting in a humble yet informed service mood, to spirit, Source, Godhead.  

When it is understood that life is connected by subtle non-material, but conscioius energy, one can also understand that Source/God energy is not exclusively accessible in a church, temple or mosque only.

One's heart is another holy residence of the Supreme - as is nature on another level because of it stemming from Source - if one has deeper vision.

When one knocks on the heart's door seeking answers, one may discover wonders; that on deeper levels everything is One and yet three at the same time - Source, you, and a reciprocal flow of love.

Reality Is An Internal Affair, As Is Love

In one sense we are born alone and die alone, but that’s not all there is to the story - its a story that continues beyond the surface layer of reality. We are always surrounded by life - life which displays a conscious spark of energy as it's symptom which may change form, but is never destroyed.

Life is a story also of how we relate to everything and everyone in our sphere of experience - which gives meaning between apparent bookends, and influences one's present and future realities. Reality and relationships are connected.

Reality, like any good story either factual or fictional, has many layers and levels of significance.

The first layer of reality is the physical/material body. It is the physical body which houses but does not define, more subtle layers of invisible reality - such as the mind, intelligence, and ego - or in a word, consciousness.

Scientists readily admit that only so much is known about the physical body, and that even less is known about personal consciousness.

Whether one believes consciousness survives the eventual demise of the body or not, everyone agrees that one’s consciousness exists and is the vehicle by which one perceives present reality.

At times we are conscious of our body primarily. At other times we are more consciously focused on a having conversation, or reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, or planning something which includes thinking, feeling and willing of some future action.

The physical body with its five senses feeds information to the mind which may act impulsively for immediate gratification or not, depending on one’s intelligence and free will choices. The mind usually pushes for what’s easy, while the intelligence considers what may be best, even if not easy.

The sensory information received in the mind (sometimes called the 6th sense) may be considered as data for a more subtle part of consciousness to analyze - categorized (in yoga texts) as the intelligence. It is one’s intelligence which performs a secondary but immediate review of what the senses have dictated to the mind.

The function of intelligence is to analyze the mind’s data, uniquely for problem solving and considered action; to make the hard choices.

The rub is sometimes where the invisible mind and separate invisible intelligence disagree - regarding a choice to act or not on the mind’s proposals. The mind immediately indicates yes or no, and the intelligence if  present, considers the best outcome. If the intelligence is strong enough or developed enough it can override the mind when necessary.

It is the choices we make which determine our personal reality, present and future. No matter what the external world offers, one’s internal choices and reactions play a huge part in shaping one’s present and future reality.

It is said the highest knowledge or intelligence, is to understand what is matter, what is spirit or consciousness, and who is the controller of both.

It’s also said that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. In proportion to the student’s sincerity to understand, a bona fide teacher can reveal what is matter, what is spirit and the nature of the controlling source of both matter and spirit.

Many believe our temporary life on earth is like a classroom or assigned course study in which to learn and apply gained wisdom which grows one’s consciousness to it’s fullest potential - the fullest potential being a reconnection to Source of all life, knowledge and ever-increasing bliss.

This reconnection is by means of conscious interaction, meant to be experienced here and now, as well as beyond the body’s expiry date.

This blissful awareness is experienced in one’s personal consciousness. It is consciousness which pervades one’s present body and outlasts it. The life-energy behind consciousness is never destroyed - it simply changes form.

As for the purpose of consciousness itself? To experience and exchange love with the Source of all consciousness and love.

It is understood by mystics of many traditions that one’s consciousness, although conditioned by material conceptions at present, is actually the symptom of one’s spiritual essence or soul which is already eternal, knowledgeable and blissful - in it’s pure state minus material coverings.

Each eternal spark of Source energy has the free will to determine its own path - either toward reconnection to eternal blissful spiritual reality, or eternal separation in materially housed conceptions, birth after birth as an alternative shifting reality.

Experiencing the ultimate reality, by being re-connected to loving one’s loving Source - the Source of all truth, beauty and lasting happiness - is truly an internal affair worth having.

The point is you, as a conscious being.

We just want to be ourselves, but don't always know who we actually are; or what we are meant to do - aside from paying the bills and existing day to day.

Every action serves a purpose, and service of some type, is part of every action.

When a person uses anything in one's sphere of influence to serve and enhance love, respect and compassion, a useful purpose is served, knowingly or unknowingly.

Love matters, and being an active agent of love is actually the soul's constitutional function. Consciousness, as a symptom of the spirit/soul achieves it purpose and it's heights, in loving service.

How one self-identifies, seeds one’s values and sense of purpose. One may see oneself as a purposeful cog in a great reality, or one may, in egotistical delusion, envision oneself as the center of the universe. Real ego or identity flourishes when loving service to the greater good or Source, is mindfully engaged in.

Truth be told, according to ancient revealed wisdom, one's spirit or conscious life force is actually created by divine love, for divine love.

Divorced from this conclusion, megalomania has many thick and thin layers of ego-tripping along with it's polar opposite - thinking of oneself as totally useless, worthless, or simply not enough.

Thinking of oneself as useless/worthless fuels a sense of self-loathing - thinking which extends to one’s external world, projecting a determination that nothing actually has any value - that nothing has a point, or serves a worthwhile purpose.

Rage over failure to control one's world sometimes leads to depression which can fan such flames of delusional thinking. Oversized ego may conclude everything and everyone else only exist to serve one's self-centered schemes - which is clearly unbalanced, but not uncommon.

Alternatively, seeing oneself as a spark of Divine energy, in service to the Divine, brings not only a vision of a higher reality, but an experience of divine joy.

We need not be uninformed or shy in recognizing our divine birthright. It begins a uniquely sweet surrender into gradually succumbing to the all-attractive Source of divine love and beauty. It involves a courageous and heartfelt choice to express one's desire to re-unite with the Source/Creator of all love, truth and beauty.

By taking such a bold move with even a shred of faith, the Divine responds in a personal and unique way.

Once experiencing a glimpse of divine love and grace from within, the desire grows for another audience with the Lord who dwells within and without - both personally as the Supreme Lord who hears and sees us, and who manifests His all-pervasive energetic presence throughout the universe.

One should not be swindled into a negative self-conception, neither by temporary external circumstances or by ignorant accusers - ourselves included. Each person has a special talent which is energetically constitutional, but perhaps unrealized, just due to a lack of information it truly exists.

“Who do you think you are!? - can actually be a valuable point of reflection and liberation, rather than a belittling accusation. We are of Spirit for Spirit, with a mission to experience and expand love.

Somehow we tend to project our identity into the material elements and temporal circumstances that cloak the eternally conscious self, until the blinders are removed by transcendent knowledge.

Self-identification and self-reflection are greatly enhanced when one realizes that each person, as a point of consciousness, is connected to a greater reality or consciousness - which is not limited to one’s body, social body, or cultural conditioning.

Bhagavd-gita (the Song of God)  Ch 15 "Yoga of the Supreme Person" verse 7:

"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.'

Sacred texts assert that the real self is a conscious spark of spirit, presently covered by mental conceptions - linking it to matter in the form of the physical body and subtle mind. Such coverings are only temporary, and ultimately do not define one, any more than a car defines its driver.

What matters is the real self, which is spontaneously joyous, complete in knowledge, and has a loving relationship with everything “outside” itself - once liberated from the prison of misconceptions.

Fashioned in the image of the Creator, underneath all material costumes each person has a transcendental body formed of eternity, complete knowledge, and unending bliss - which is the real fabric of eternity and spiritual body needed to spontaneously dance with one's divine Source.

The point, and what really matters, is realizing one’s true identity and nature as a fragmental portion of eternal truth and beauty - meant to purposefully exist for engaging in eternal loving energy-exchanges with the Source of all love and beauty.

God as Source, although sometimes misrepresented, is inconceivably as distant as the stars, yet simultaneously is as close and present as one's heartbeat. Seek and ye shall find, as the old saying goes. Everything has a use and it all matters, when seen as connected to Source energy and love.

After trying on so many temporary shells or conceptions the self, with actual knowledge of one's spiritual self as connected to God, one can relax into being a player in the cosmic orchestra spreading love - by seeing the Divine in all things and acting accordingly.

Perhaps it's time to give thanks, utilize the ticket of sincerity, and jump back on the Soul Train; being grateful that we can be our real and eternal selves again - now and always.

                  "Thank You" (Falettinme be Mice Elf Agin) - (for letting me be myself again)
                                                          by Sly and The Family Stone

                Any comments are welcome using the link on the sidebar right, above Archives.

Why This, Why Now?

Because every human being on earth is at a critical junction - with a limited amount of time present in one’s body to understand one’s highest good, one’s truest self, and one’s future direction - all while under assault from seemingly random complications and distractions.

Whether one is rich or poor, famous or obscure, young or old, inclusively we face three-fold  sources of stress regularly - stemming from one’s own body and mind, from the bodies and minds of others, and from misery offered by nature (heat, cold, rain, wind, earthquake, flood, fire etc.).

One may say these three-fold miseries are just part of life, so one should just get used it and deal… True enough, but is there possibly a better way to experience one’s time on earth and beyond? Could there be a source of satisfaction, knowledge and love experienced beyond one’s present or past states of existence?

                                                             "Rain" by Kid Cudi

Finding the Source goes beyond religious rhetoric and scientific speculation, neither of which speak with a single voice. Yet religion/spirituality and science reflect certain measures of truth which can contribute to one’s well-being, when understood in broader terms of consciousness and energy.

Saints and mystics have employed a subtle science, wherein spiritual, non-material energy descends from the Source of all energy. This nourishes a subjective evolution of one’s consciousness toward an increasingly transcendent life - enabling one to experience life at every present moment with both knowledge and transcendent happiness. It is a state of mind and spirit where sources of stressful energy may register, but not distract or impact one with a dysfunctional result. A state of consciousness where one not only handles the negative, but is enriched by a growing sense of truth and beauty energetically radiating from within, and also seen shining from within everyone and everything else. This revealed from within one's heart as a type of conscious vision, by the loving Source of all such energy.

Finding the Source of lasting love and happiness can be done. It has been done by serious aspirants over the ages, and the door today is still wide open - even more so than in previous ages, due to more accessible knowledge and universal divine mercy.

Rather than feeling victimized, we can own the part we play in our present condition by seeking to find not only the source of our present discomfort, but the source of ultimate comfort - by knowing one's true identity and purpose in relationship to personal Source of all energy and consciousness. What is one's true identity and purpose? To exchange love with the Source of Love, God.

Just as the sun radiates both heat and light, sacred texts describe Source/God as a fountainhead of all material and spiritual energy, which is by connected consciousness, manifesting both forms of spirit (subtle energy) and matter (gross energy - earth, water, fire, air, ether). If one chooses to personally cultivate a conscious re-connection to God through a practice of loving service, a reciprocal loving relationship is gradually revealed within and without - one begins to experience one's spiritual birthright as a loving spark of eternal spirit, intimately connected to Source.

                                                   "Let it Rain" - Eric Clapton

"...Now I know the secret
There is nothing that I lack
If I give my love to you
You'll surely give it back"

Each conscious spark has the free will and choice to express love as connected through spirit, or through a separated (material body) expression. Material expression takes the form of a physical body, doggedly thought of as the self (I am male American etc) - from which all other separate illusory conceptions spring, starting with "I" (my body) and "mine" (my body's gender, partner, family, community, town, country)".

The perfection of "I" or real ego, comes automatically when one is able to surrender to the reality that "I am spirit; I am a loving servant of the Supreme", giving up all other misconceptions of self. One simultaneously begins experiencing the protection, fearlessness and deep love offered by the Supreme Lord from within one's heart, upon such surrender.

For those seeking spiritual re-connection, spiritual growth produces a spiritual body of experience - revealed in stages.

For those of us seeking the material expression of delusional separated ego, continued experience of temporary bodies and relationships are offered by the material energy - as arranged by Source. The choice is always ours.

Perfection of any religious process is to know and love God in a natural spontaneous way - when fundamental understanding evolves into a love-ruled heart, flowing in the loving current of Source.

About 500 years ago in West Bengal India a divine manifestation of Source appeared to promote a most direct and sublime method of prayer to reconnect to God in this age; by chanting God's holy names - either quietly to oneself (Japa Meditation) or congregational singing (Kirtan), and dancing.

A golden Avatar known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 1486-1534 A.D. particularly liked the two Kirtan mantras in the videos below - Hari Haraye and Hare Krishna. He chanted them with large crowds who were blessed with the direct experience of re-connection to God, by chanting and dancing in ecstatic love.

Not narrowly an Indian practice, ecstatic kirtan, or singing of the holy names of God is a world-wide phenomenon practiced daily by those seeking a personal loving relationship with the Source of love.

It is said that the first step in spiritual realization is to hear sacred sounds which open the heart, and then to respond from the heart. Sacred sound is so powerful, just by listening without even understanding the language, an subtle change of heart and mind can be internally experienced.

                                                               Baltic Festival

                                                       Radhadesh, France

                                                                  New York

                                                                    Lithuania