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100% Material, 100% Spiritual by John Swain Pause for a moment. Are you who you want to be? Are you satisfied, sanguine and without regret? The dogs are at my feet, chewing on a ball and each other. In a few moments it will be nap time.
In 1969, I had the opportunity to spend several months in India training to be a teacher of TM (Transcendental Meditation) with the Maharishi. We were the group that arrived just after the Beatles. Oh, what a different era! The Maharishi said to us, "Have 100% material, 100% spiritual fulfillment." It is just as true today, fulfill your material needs, but don't forget to complement this with full, spiritual satisfaction. I am no longer affiliated with the TM organization or technique, but I shall never forget observing the Maharishi walk, floating in sheer bliss down the dirt path to his jungle cottage by the Ganges. He exemplified his teachings in the essential manifestation of Joy in every aspect of his Being and Doing. It could be the simple pleasure of a flower's fragrance or complex organizational decisions. No difference, but ultimate distinction. Unleashing your spiritual being is the path to genuine, personal fulfillment and happiness. Yes, amidst divorce, dying parents, mortgage payments and getting the kids to their soccer game, your inner bliss is and never can be diminished. A very, deep, silent listening is essential to know and experience what you truly are and always have been. This inner consciousness is your highest authority for change, clarity and direction as you age. Aging is the opportunity for increasing your joy until the end. Remember, "No one gets out of here alive." Make the best of it. |
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In Zen, there is a saying: "Eat when hungry, sleep when tired." How many of us are naturally in tune with personal and cosmological rhythms of the universe? For better or worse, we live in a fast-paced, high-stress society in which external, material rewards are often of the highest priority.