What this web site is about
One beautiful young fish said to a beautiful mature fish, known for her wisdom and joy: ”Everyone’s talking about this thing called “water”, and I sort of understand the idea, but I can’t really see it – do YOU think it exists?”
The wise fish said “Water it is everywhere, in and around everything – you are breathing it and it is a big part of what you are made of. Without it we wouldn’t be here”
“I dunno, I still don’t really get it”.
“Don’t worry little fish – one day you will ..” said the wise fish and she swam off leaving a stream of bubbles, lit by the golden sunlight from above.
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It is possible to directly experience the true nature of things in a way that permanently expands your understanding and connection to all of life. Regardless of belief, simple meditation practices from ancient roots can be practiced today to help open one’s heart and mind. We get to know ourselves, our heart opens and we come to see and appreciate how things work and what we can do from our own inspiration to genuinely be with others.
Naturality Mantra by Jivasu – sung by Gary Justice:
Dharma Deeham Dharma Manas Dharma Budhi Atman/
Dharma Priya Jan Dharma Serva Jan Dharma Desh Dharma Dhara
Dharma Neeham Dharma Ekan Dharma Hee Gatisheelta
Dharma Jivan Dharma Chetan Dharma Hee Anand Param
“Sincere care for self and all others and living in accordance with universal law leads to happiness and shining that cannot be removed.”
In Among Everything is about practicing experiential ways to discover what we have, who we are, and what it is that connects us and is our energy source. A shift happens as we become aware of awareness. We connect with something that is beautiful, and this inspires us, helps us to heal and opens a richer experience of our lives. This experience can be brought about by meditation, or by becoming deeply immersed in an activity, seeing a sunrise, looking into the eyes of an infant. When we are “in” it, the connection can be so powerful that one experiences “rebirth” or is overcome with devotio . Yet, most of us tend not to stay “in” such a connected awareness – only visit it briefly, perhaps not even consciously.
This was of great concern to Masters and commoners of ancient times and there was much motivation to pursue the matter. They were aware of something ultimate, that connected everything, and in their humility were aware that most people had limited access to such awareness. This is the subject of Jesus’ communication, Moses’ realization, Mohammed’s motivation in the teachings of The Q’uaran. It is The ultimate message of The Baghavad Gita and the many other paths of India’s Sanatana Dharma. The same expereince of profound Oneness is the basis of the oral transmission of First Nations Peoples, Buddha’s message, Guru Nanak, and so on.
The situation is not different today. Many outstanding and well publicized enlightened individuals have been trying to communicate that a perspective far more shining is available than that which is our habit – Einstein, Leonard Cohen, Amma the hugging Guru, H.H. The Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa. Furthermore, that in order to end the suffering of so many and stop destroying the planet, it is necessary to arous this level of feeling and awareness.
There are many ordinary people aware of this connection, who are not famous but have a shining light in their eyes regardless of their circumstances. However, open expression of this and pursuit of developing it is not built-in to the mainstream of contemporary culture, largely controlled by organizations with ulterior motives, or whose awareness is closer to an animal level of consumption and competition.
Unlike in ancient and even recent past times, today it has become “alternative” to be interested in human spiritual purpose, greater good, and cultivating humility or devotion towards the mysterious “something” that is present before, during and after a human life. It is not a significant part of our schooling, our hospitals nor is it on our advertising billboards.
Without ordinary community interest, we have to seek out such a path with small groups of like-minded others- perhaps in friends networks, religious communities, spiritual or meditation groups or yoga or arts communities. Or in large groups of similar categories such as joining a major religion or modern spiritual society or Guru following. Like any pursuit in groups, this can have mixed results, but perseverance of input fro mothers and personal contemplation can be a powerful combination, provided we keep our hearts open and stay in touch with our basic intuitive awareness.
Masters from many paths tell us it is rewarding to keep sight of the underlying motivation to pursue these issues, and to undertake regular personal practice to try connect better with one’s life and with others more deeply.
In this sense “practice” means something extra you do, some time set aside to take stock of what needs shining, and with this time, “practicing” for all the other parts of your life. We undertake simple exercises designed to help us let go of neurotic drives and distractions from what is most important. This is what master’s refer to as uncovering our “True Nature” which is said to be “luminescent” – that is – shining, brilliant and wonderful! It has been called God (by many names), also Buddha Nature, Pramatman/Parambrahma, Superconsciousness, Higher Nature, etc. All these are attempts to convey a formless yet rich Presence that we are all connected by and can be experienced better than described. So why are we talking about it so much and practicing towards feeling it so little?.
Meditation can be a direct way to move towards this awareness. It can ground us, inspire us, soften us, strengthen us, inform us and reveal paths on which to move towards freedom and joy. This web site will develop as a source for events and practices to help us connect with this unfolding process, by way of writings, video/audio, hosted events and listings for like-minded hosted events. Then we can all form a religion - or not!!! Maybe we could all keep our religion or atheism and still do some fundamental practices and learn to think for ourselves. Replace the conditioned response of shopping eating drinking and talking with something more connected and more original – at least sometimes! By learning about meditation and some of the ancient practices, maybe we can find modern, genuine ways to truly celebrate a friend’s birthday or marriage, new baby or opening a new business.
We can remain an individual and also be assisted by this experience of Oneness, Consciousness, Joy, Peace. It is not something abstract or intellectualized, but something primordial and fundamental. For the most part, those positioned as “leaders” today in government, business, even teachers will not be the ones to show us. We can explore among the artists and those genuinely concerned with spirituality and this may help, but ultimately we wish to personally connect with the experience of this primordial flow.
This needn’t require studying complicated philosophies or doctrines. Most direct is the method of developing sincerity, humility and being still enough to listen to the wordless world and open our hearts.
I am Gary Justice, AKA “Empty Book” and, by facilitating and co-creating group experiences, writings and sound art works , would like to share some of what goes on in the practice of music, Zen, Meditation, Yoga, and Movement – from lineages of Buddhism, Sanatana Dharma and more. These were learned by study and more importantly by spending time practicing alone and with communities led by masters and turned on beings.
Practicing together we can learn each others’ stories and the stories of all things – wordlessly. We can learn to look in, look out, look up and listen deeply – to better see, better hear and better feel the light, the sound and the silence of our experience within the universe and beyond. Then we can better serve each other and the dance we are doing here in our everyday lives.
