FIRST LESSON FROM INDIA 2007 / POEM March 8-9 2007

Rishikesh, India

LESSON ONE: TRUST IN THE DIVINE AND PUT YOUR FAITH IN TRUTH

Well, for those of you who have been following my travels over the past 6 years, you know that every trip holds certain lessons for me, and each trip is different in character and unique in the ways these lessons are shown to me.

This trip is no different of course, and, in spite of all the busyness of the past week (or perhaps because of it), I remained awake almost the whole night last night (and that is part of another story which will eventually follow on the India Journal), and while awake, some wonderful things and insights presented themselves to me. I will share them with you, but since they are more concerned with things other than travels, I am posting them on the Mindfulness Journal ...I will try to keep this as chronological, consecutive and straightforward as possible, but please forgive me if things do not come completely together...

Let's go back a little while, even before I left for India. In my prayer/meditation sessions each day I have been asking that all those who are in need of my special services, be guided to me by the Universe, wherever they may be.

So far several people have found their way to me right here in Rishikesh, in very strange ways...I will not go into details of all these stories, but a couple are particularly outstanding, including the one already posted, and one to be posted shortly.

But while all this is going, the God and his Universe are still working to move me along the path further with each new day. Note the previous Post about the message from the tree embracing the rock...and this brings us to yesterday and last night...so here we go:

After several discussions with "the girls" here, I have been considering a change in plans. I will, first of all be staying longer in Rishikesh than I had originally planned, and am now thinking of coming back in October!! And then yesterday, while waiting in my room for "the girls" to come back from a wedding they were attending, I received a message from one of my daughters that she decided to become a Mother. No further details, and this has also become part of a new equation. coming back in October involves many new concepts and ways of looking at my life. How will this all sit with my family? With my work? I have often strayed from what I know is the right path for me, either because of laziness, fear, or critism. Will I be strong and rooted in what I know is my destiney, like the tree embracing the rock?

Is there any way I could work here? AND THEN THE FIRST THING DAWNED ON ME:

The reason I found my way to Vivek, is because THERE I will find the solution to earning some money here in India. I will speak to him about working with him, or having him send people to me. And how is it that I have not thought of this until this minute?

And then again, trying to fall asleep with the idea that I will go down and see him the following morning....I tossed and turned and at 12:30 AM the following poem was lovingly "given to me"

The Sudden Need to Know-

But knowing is not what it seems to be
Is knowing knowledge?
or is it understanding of TRUTH!
To know what your personal truth IS, is the most profound
form of understanding.
And when what you know to be TRUE is what guides you
along your path,
Then you may stumble at times, you may even feel a momentary fear
when faced with some new obstacle,
But you will never stray

Because you KNOW!!

LESSON ONE:
TRUST IN THE DIVINE AND PUT YOUR FAITH IN TRUTH

My TRUTH is service to others! I have know this for a very long time, but it was shot with an arrow which hit the target bull's eye this time!!

And, just as all this came together, I read the following in Paulo Coelho's book which I am now reading:
...Death is possibly THE most important thing. We are all walking towards death, but we never know when death will touch us and it is our duty, therefore, to look around us, to be grateful for each minute. But we should also be grateful to death, because it makes us think about the importance of each decision we take, or fail to take: it makes us stop doing anything that keeps us stuck in the category of the "living dead" and, instead, urges us to risk everything, to bet everything on those things we always dreamed of doing, because, whether we like it or not, the angel of death is waiting for us.

So, this is the poem, and the lesson, and I will now work and making things move along, always following the guidance I am so lovingly given each and every moment of each and every day (and night)!

Namaste