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On the Ship Voyage from St. Petersburg to Valaam Island, Russia. Midnight, 8-9 September, 2009 |
1. Truth offers no hope, no expectation, no consolation. But that is not a situation of hopelessness, error, or confusion. On the contrary! It is a situation of holiness, existential bliss and compassion.
2. Beautiful lies of various belief-systems do offer many assurances, assertions, arrogance, gratifications, glorifications, consolations, comforts, paralysing concepts and conclusions as also paradoxes, perversions and paranoia.
3. Why remain caught up in the backwater of desires? Why not come to the state of the energy of Understanding which is moving endlessly like a river to merge in the ocean?
4. There is only total human action. Not political action, religious action, spiritual action, social action! Love, no-"I", is the totality!
5. Swadhyay is peeling off, taking off till one comes to the innermost "is-ness" without any "I-ness" whatsoever!
6. The drive to see what is, is the way of life in which there is no conflict, whereas diligence in what should be is the way of mind wherein there is confusion and chaos.
7. Blessing is right here and now --- immense and simple --- wonderful and mysterious --- which no book can reveal! It is neither sought nor given!
8. Only a total response, not fragmented reaction, leaves no marks of conflict or confusion.
9. Allow "what is" to blossom. All "what should be" then blasts out for the benediction to be!
10. Listening is a living thing, a burning thing, a furious and serious affair! Past pressures and prejudices must not interfere in listening.
11. Thought is the enemy of Compassion. The flame of Compassion requires an awakened Intelligence which sees the movement of thought and thus reduces it to ashes for the decoration of Shiva - the Laya - the "No-thought" - the Innocence - the Supreme Compassion - Bom Bhole!
Jai Valaam Island of Monks (also known as New Jerusalem)