Robert’s Imponderables: Part Four

Posted on January 27, 2015 by janeadamsart

Completing this series of Robert’s sayings in Transcript §85:

“There never was a time when you were not, and there will never be a time when you disappear. There is no birth for you, there’s no prevailing of your body, there’s no disappearance. There is only eternal life . . . Ponder this.”

“The mind cannot destroy the mind, pondering cannot destroy the mind, thinking cannot destroy the mind. The only way to destroy the mind is to inquire, ‘To whom is there a mind?’ . . . Ponder this.”

“You are already free and liberated, and there’s really nothing you have to do. Just be your Self . . . Ponder this.”

“To be your Self means that you’re nothing else. To be your Self means that you’re not the body, nor the mind, nor the world, nor its things. To be the Self means that you are the imperishable Self, which is all pervading.

“Water cannot drown it, fire cannot burn it. You are that Self that has always existed. Some people call the Self ‘God’, some people call the Self ‘Brahman’, some people call the Self ‘choiceless effortless pure awareness’. It makes no difference what you call the Self. Just to know you are That, will free you immediately . . . Ponder this.”

Sedona Landscapes – click on image to view

“There is really no one who can do anything for you. I cannot really do anything for you, because I am really in your Self. There’s no difference between my Self and your Self. There’s one Self. Therefore, when you look at me, you see your Self. What do you see? . . . Ponder this.”

“Ponder the one who has been pondering all this time.”

“Ask yourself, ‘Who am I? Why is it so hard to become the pure unblemished Self? For whom is it hard?’

“Ask yourself, ‘Why do I think I’m human, and have to go through experiences?’

“Ask yourself . . . Ponder this.”

“That’s enough pondering.”

My adventure invites fellow travellers. I am a poet, an artist and a seer. I welcome conversation among the PHILO SOFIA, the lovers of wisdom.

This blog is a vehicle to promote also my published work – The Sacred India Tarot (with Rohit Arya, Yogi Impressions Books) and The Dreamer in the Dream – a collection of short stories (0 Books). Watch this space.

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All art and creative writing in this blog is copyright © Janeadamsart 2012-2014. May not be used for commercial purposes. May be used and shared for non-commercial means with credit to Jane Adams and a link to the web address https://janeadamsart.wordpress.com/

Robert’s Imponderables – Part Three

Posted on January 24, 2015 by janeadamsart

Part Three of extracts from Robert’s satsang transcript §85 – see previous posts …

“You have absolutely nothing to do with pondering anything, for the truth is already present, shining in all its glory and splendour, and you are That . . . Ponder this.”

“There is really nothing you have to do to get yourself Self-realised, only to get yourself out of the way . . . Ponder this.”

“Since there is no one to ponder, why are you pondering this? You are beyond pondering, beyond trying to change conditions, beyond trying to improve your humanhood, beyond trying to get along in the world. Since you are already the world, there is nothing else to do but to awaken to the truth . . . Ponder this.”

“To be your Self means not to be the body, or the mind, or the conditions in your life . . . Ponder this.”

“To be always happy, to be always contented, always at peace, and not to think at all, are the marks of a realised being . . . Ponder this.”

“What you see in this world is only your self. You can never see anything else. Wherever you look, you will see yourself. If you have troubles, you will see troubles everywhere. If you are at peace with yourself, you will see peace everywhere. You are the cause and creator of your particular world, and yet you have the power to change it, by turning within and not reacting to the things of this world whatsoever . . . Ponder this.”

“You are born into a certain situation, with certain parents, a certain religion, a certain environment. This is alright, and this is all good, and this is how it should be. Use the opportunity to awaken. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, and comparing yourself with others, use the opportunity to awaken, to become totally free, by negating all these things and understanding the truth about yourself . . . Ponder this.”

‘It is a rare privilege to be born as a human being, even though it is an illusory birth. But to be born as a human being is the only way you can find your Self. An animal, a tree, a mineral, cannot do this. You have been given the rare opportunity of birth, so that you may find Self realisation, and unfold into your true nature. Do not use your time for anything else. This is the purpose of being in this birth: to become absolutely free and liberated . . . Ponder this.”

Ramana siddha

My adventure invites fellow travellers. I am a poet, an artist and a seer. I welcome conversation among the PHILO SOFIA, the lovers of wisdom.

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Robert’s Imponderables – Part Two

Posted on January 22, 2015 by janeadamsart

See previous post for more soliloquies from the late American sage and jnani, Robert Adams, who sat with Ramana Maharshi …

“You are not what you appear to be. The world is not what it appears to be. The universe is not what it appears to be. Your God is not what it appears to be . . . Ponder this.”

“The substratum of all existence is absolute intelligence, choiceless pure awareness. Therefore, how can there be evil so called, on this earth?

“How can there be sickness, man’s inhumanity to man, lack and limitation on this earth, if the substratum is pure consciousness? . . . Ponder this.”

“Everything that you behold with your senses is an optical illusion. . . . Ponder this.”

“There is only one intelligence, one consciousness, one awareness, one ultimate reality, one life, and you are that . . . Ponder this.”

“To free yourself from this optical illusion, this maya, the mind has to be controlled, by finding its source . . . Ponder this.”

“You find the source of the mind by following it to its original place of origin. From where did it arise? Who gave it birth? How did you come by a mind? By inquiring into the ultimate nature of the Self, you attain unconditional freedom . . . Ponder this.”

“When one intelligently investigates the source of ‘I’, one then ultimately becomes free from the bondage of ‘I’, and becomes all pervading, omnipresent Consciousness . . . Ponder this.”

“Your past only exists because you think about it. Your fears, your frustrations, only exist because you think about them. Where would they come from if you didn’t think about them? If you didn’t bring them into play in the present? Where would they come from? And how would they be there? You are the cause of your problems . . . Ponder this.”

“The so-called good things of your life are equal to the bad things of your life. They are both karmic, and you have created these things at one time or another. You are now experiencing them. The only way to remove them from your life is through inquiry: To whom do they come? What is their source? . . . Ponder this.”

“Who is the one that is pondering all these things? That one must go ! . . . Ponder this.”

Robert Adams , 1928-1997: Peace

To be Continued

My adventure invites fellow travellers. I am a poet, an artist and a seer. I welcome conversation among the PHILO SOFIA, the lovers of wisdom.

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Happy Birthday, Robert

Posted on January 21, 2015 by janeadamsart

Here are some “Imponderables” from the American sage Robert Adams (21 January 1928 11.30pm – 5 March 1997).

I woke up this morning, saw something on facebook, and was inspired to celebrate his birthday with these “imponderables” from transcript 85 of his satsangs. It is called “Ponder This” – some sips of rare wine to mull along the day while riding on buses and recovering from sore backs and concerned about the world situation, and so forth.

A new sketch for Robert’s birthday

“All of your desires, all of your needs, all of your wants are already within you, waiting to be fulfilled and expressed . . . Ponder this.”

“All of the masters, the teachers, the saints, the sages you worshipped all your life, whether it is Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Moses, whomever, have always been within you, waiting to be expressed . . . Ponder this.”

“The only problem you have, that does not allow these sages, your desires, your wants to be expressed for you, is your noisy mind . . . Ponder this.”

“Whatever you see in your life right now, good or bad, is a result of your thoughts and your belief. It has no other reality. It is not permanent . . . Ponder this.”

“There is absolutely nothing in this universe that can hurt you, or cause you physical harm, or cause you pain, except when your mind is trained to believe these things . . . Ponder this.”

“You have absolutely nothing to do with this world, this universe, or with others. Yet, at the same time, you are this universe. You are places and things and others . . . Ponder this.”

“No one is responsible for where you are right now, whether you like your position or you do not. This is where you are Karmically. This is where you are supposed to be, and all is well . . . Ponder this.”

Robert and Dmitri

… To be continued, over the next few days. I made these imponderables into a little book, and illustrated it, at around the time Robert passed away in Sedona, in 1997. To read my posts about meeting Robert, type Robert Adams in the search button.

Happy birthday, beloved one.

My adventure invites fellow travellers. I am a poet, an artist and a seer. I welcome conversation among the PHILO SOFIA, the lovers of wisdom.

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Sacred India Tarot Archive – Two of Staves/Wands

Posted on January 12, 2015 by janeadamsart

“..

In this Tarot series we are still transitioning from the Swords which administer Karma, to the Wands which deliver justice.

A wand, staff or stave is a connecting instrument. It signifies authority and the power of a completed circuit. The wand symbolises creative force and investiture: less a weapon than a fiery transmission. The ancient Egyptians called theirs the ankh – a staff of life. Inheriting their wisdom, Moses hit the rock releasing the water of life, with a rod he had mastered in its earlier form as a snake. It became the Arc of Covenant – for humankind and the Holy One.

The Tarot’s suit of Wands generates a flow of current – related to the serpentine helix of our DNA:

When a battle is waged, instruments are required, which are more than mere weapons. They come from within us and they come from between the worlds. The Two of Wands in Tarot are in relationship – a bridging of realms. It took an epic force – assisted by the simian intellect – to build a stone bridge from southern India to Sri Lanka, to rescue Rama’s bride Sita from her captivity under Ravana, king of demons.

It takes that same strength for us to evolve beyond the labels: to affirm in the light of last week’s events – “I am human”. My good friend pointed out, that more than “je suis Charlie” in Paris, “je suis Humaine”. The profound power of one simple truth through the networks can change the world. The revolutionary baton is, “I am human.”

Humanness is our amnesty, a meditation of the depth, the breadth and the height. Keep saying “I am human” – look deep within, and look around – it is contagious. That forgotten collective memory could disorient and disable a killer cell, if more and more of us have it. We can try. I am human.

Rohit Arya’s Notes – 2003

“This event is difficult to conceptualise, as there is really no artistic depiction of it. What we need is a feel of a seashore, the stone bridge receding into the horizon, a gorgeous spectacular sky-scraping ancient city of Lanka dominating the landscape, and the tents of the invading army, with the monkeys all over the place. Perhaps we could have Rama, Sugriva (the monkey king), Hanuman and Laxmana on a little hillock surveying the City.

“Lanka can be made as bizarre and fanatastical as you please, there is no version of Lanka which will not be true, for it was an illusion built city, actually created by a Danava called Maya for his powers of captivating, lllusionary architecture. He was the equal of Vishwakarma, architect of the gods, and in reality built the more famous structures!

“The illustration is very poor, and we certainly don’t want Lanka to look like that, but some of the themes are contained in it. The two Wands could be placed one each in Lanka and the hillock illuminating the scene.”

Here is the Ramayana epic now, from Rohit’s book with the deck:

“Lanka is besieged. An unending horde of Vanaras is eagerly awaiting the chance to lock horns with rakshasas (demons) who, for the first time in their life, are diffident about combat. They have been jolted by this inconceivable invasion and, up in the sky their dread nemesis Hanuman (see Knight of Arrows) keeps a menacing vigil. The last time they confronted him, he burnt the golden city to cinders and ash, so belligerence is not an option. The golden city was then magically rebuilt by the sorcerer Mai Danava, father-in-law of Ravana, and a greater craftsman than Vishvakarma, architect of the gods.

“Rama has sent word that peace can be obtained by the simple expedient of returning Sita to him. Their own karma brought them to a stage where they cannot accept this, though they desperately want to. They are the rakshasha race, conquerors of the three worlds, and to surrender a prize is to lose face irrevocably. Like well entrenched comfortable Mafiosi, controlling territory on violent reputation alone, their bluff has been called.

King Ravana, the many-headed

“This card is called Dominion, but the person normally does not attain the heights of success it promises, or loses it in being too grasping. Returning Sita would save their kingdom but unravel their reputation and power; fighting Rama and Hanuman is suicide.

“Stuck! If they fight, they lose their fantastical comfortable life. If they don’t, they are finished as a ruling power. Ruin beckons them in either eventuality, and the rakshashas glumly realise, long before Rama does, that their days of power and glory are over.

A Rakshasha or demon

Interpretation:

“Reassess your position – moral and ethical choices … Many options exist, though you may not see them. Patience is needed. Interaction with an overwhelming personality. Don’t take the lead of spiritual mentors or leaders, blindly … Too much reliance upon supposed ‘strong’ figures, and falling for pseudo-spiritual flim-flam … Lack of discipline is compounded by greed. Use of will power to overcome stagnant situations. A little extra patience is required – don’t spoil it now by getting greedy. Self reliance is your best option.”

Here is the finished card:

Sacred India Tarot Two of Staves/Wands – the Crossing into Lanka

My Lanka fell rather short of Rohit’s vision, but presents a walled and besieged citadel. The expression in Hanuman’s eyes and face carries the nuances of this encounter, both sides.

I am concluding this post with my invocation of “The Flowering Staff” – a Tree of Life within a tower of Alchemy.

Malkuth (physical body or root) is an almond blossom; Yesod (personal, foundation) is the nut; Tifareth (heart and soul) a Rosy Cross, and Daat (collective unconscious) is an opening pine cone – the pineal chakra or third eye. The staff uniting the worlds is both wand and sword, expressing higher and lower frequencies simultaneously. A dove flies toward Kether the One Light.

“I am human”.

The Flowering Staff 2002

For other Sacred India Tarot posts, look under Recent Posts, Search, or Archive of All Posts in the title bar.

Rohit Arya

Rohit Arya is an Author, Yogi and Polymath. He has written the first book on Vaastu to be published in the West, {translated into five languages} the first book on tarot to be published in India, co-authored a book on fire sacrifice, and is the creator of The Sacred India Tarot {82 card deck and book}. He has also written A Gathering of Gods. He is a corporate trainer, a mythologist and vibrant speaker as well as an arts critic and cultural commentator. Rohit is also a Lineage Master in the Eight Spiritual Breaths system of Yoga.

Earlier posts about the deck, including the first 15 Major Arcana archives are in http://aryayogi.wordpress.com The deck is copyrighted (c) 2011 to the publishers, Yogi Impressions Books pvt, and available also on Amazon and internationally.

Jane

My adventure invites fellow travellers. I am a poet, an artist and a seer. I welcome conversation among the PHILO SOFIA, the lovers of wisdom.

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