“Think the unthinkable. How to think the unthinkable? Be without thoughts; this is the secret of meditation.”

Jade A. Lauryne--

My son and I were talking the other evening and we touched upon an issue that I had not thought about in quite some time – although I am sure this age-old question still rages on. My son was speaking with me because he is suffering from a very bad case of wrong decisions.

He found himself embroiled and under the spell of a young lady that has brought him nothing but mental and emotional anguish and financial ruin - the likes of which he had never heretofore experienced. And, as with many of us; he is wondering what he has done to warrant having such an experience. His question to me was did I think his meeting of this young woman was fated and pre-destined and out of his hands; or, was he being punished for some past-life indiscretion of which he has no memory. He is in much pain and this prior relationship has paralyzed him and made him suspicious and gun shy. I fear he is walking away from a potentially sane and beneficial relationship for fear that the new young lady is putting up a false face and will show her true colors when it is too late. I feel his pain.

I came to the conclusion years ago that if I were going to accept that I had been endowed by my Creative Intelligence with divine free-will; then my life could not be pre-destined or pre-ordained or fated. I think many of us suffer from the consequences of not paying conscious attention to our mental, emotional, spiritual and manifest surroundings. So many of us are sleepwalking through life and simply do not pay attention until we are drowning in some quagmire of issues and circumstances that we alone have created.

I recently painted a deck on my house. I enjoy painting, a meditation in being present that doesn’t require much thought but lots of attention. If you tend to live in your head, paint something. Your hands may get dirty but your mind will stay clean.

With just a few planks left to color I noticed I was almost out of paint. Looking back and forth between the paint can and the unfinished boards I wondered if I would have enough paint to finish the job. I dipped my brush in the remaining paint and made sure I didn’t drip any unnecessarily. I repeated the process until I was swirling the brush around the inner sides of the paint can to make sure I absorbed every ounce of liquid. After several minutes I was amazed at how much paint I had “squeezed” out of the remaining supply. By the time I finished, the inside of the can was completely dry. 

I have been a vegetarian for many years for all kinds of reasons: health, morality, energy, ecology, and on and on. I don’t think everyone should be a vegetarian, and I have never proselytized. I think everyone should follow their own body’s guidance toward food that works for them. I just know what works for me.

When Dee and I grew a family of dogs, we decided to feed them meat. That was a big decision for us, since we had never had meat in the house. But we love our “kids,” and we want them to be happy.  Why impose our diet on them? So we buy them canned dog food and cook meat for them.

Have you ever wondered if you have a soul? And why, if it exists, and it is yours, you can’t seem to find it? Even if you haven't asked yourself these questions wouldn't you like to know?

Not only is it possible for to connect with your soul, doing so leads to deep peace and true happiness. Everything in the universe is in a state of motion, evolving into some state other than where it is at the present time.

A Sufi is one who is on the path of spiritual learning.

Contemplate the following story of Hassan, a great Sufi mystic.

Existence heaps thousands of opportunities in front of you to help your spiritual growth. It is important for you to be open to them. An important lesson may come in the form of a book, a friend or a loving animal.