Alfredo at Occupy Oakland, 12/12/2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Alfredo Sfeir Younis will offer several public talks during his December 2011 USA visit.

Washington DC Schedule of Public Events

December 5th, SHANTI YOGA at 7pm
Address: 1409 East West Hwy, Bethesda, MD
RSVP at shantiyoga2@earthlink.net
Accessible via Bethesda Metro
“The Experience of Silent Retreat”

December 8th, NETWORK OF LIGHT AT 7:15-9:30PM
Address: 6304 30th St NW, Washington, DC **no parking in cul de sac**
Near Tennyson St NW. Light, Refreshments from 9:30-10:30pm
RSVP at networklight@hotmail.com
“Conversations with Alfredo: Changing our World, Field Notes from 108 Days in Silence”

December 9th, LUMINOUS WARRIOR at Noon-1:15pm
Address: 520 10th St NW, Upper Level, Washington, DC
“True Warriorship in a Transforming World”
RSVP at www.luminouswarrior.com
Accessible via Metro Center Metro stop
202-670-7086

Please join Alfredo on a Pilgrimage to the National Shrine following his talk at Luminous Warrior. For more information, write to us at silentpeace.media@gmail.com prior to December 9th.

SPECIAL EVENING

December 14, MEDITATION CENTER OF DC at 7:30-9:30pm
Address: 3325 Franconia Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310
“Changing the World and Changing it Now”
RSVP AT mdc072@meditationdc.org; 703-329-0350

Chicago Schedule of Public Events

December 7, DePAUL CENTER at Noon
Address: 1 East Jackson St, Chicago, IL
“Rio Plus 20: Hopes and Challenges for a Sustainable Future”

California Schedule of Public Events

Dr. Sfeir Younis will attend several meetings focused on Rio Plus 20, the New Economy and infrastructures for Peace while in Northern California. Meetings in California are by invitation only. If there are changes to his schedule they will be posted. For more information on his US schedule, please write to silentpeace.media@gmail.com.

Join him as Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation (ZIHT) in Lisbon launches the Tao of Management in Portuguese by Alfredo Sfeir-Younis.

Alfredo has several speaking engagements during the week. A couple remain open to the public:

Tuesday, 18 October at 6:30pm – We’ll have the presentation of the  ”Tao of management”, Portuguese version. And after, a conference “The True Meaning of Economics and Corporate Development In The 21st Century”. This will be at Casino da Figueira da Foz.

A Planetary Challenge Before Rio Plus 20 is a collective means for healing and human transformation. Click HERE to learn more about the challenge.

RIO PLUS 20 POSTINGS

In full alignment with our mission to bring the spiritual dimension fully into public policy related to sustainable development,  a new feature has been added to the side-bar menu of the website – Rio Plus 20 Postings. This feature will allow you to stay current with Alfredo’s postings and activities related to Rio Plus 20.

Dr. Alfredo Sfeir Younis offers the fruit of his work spanning over three decades on the environment during this seminal moment for all life on the planetary body, that is home to us all, Earth. There are more than 112 pages posted so far and more to come. Check back often for new additions or follow Alfredo on Twitter for announcements of new postings.

We invite all global citizens to dive into these writings and decide for yourself how you will use the power of your being to heal and extend any healing you gain to others. Your active attention is needed in the world. To read Alfredo’s Executive Summary and full statement, click HERE.

With great respect for the role each of us will play during these critical times!

PLEASE DO NOT GET FILTERED OUT OF LIFE!

by Cho Tab Khen Zambuling

Because of your great attention on knowing, having and doing –the golden rule of the Era of Pisces– you are being filtered out of being and becoming –the golden rule of today’s Era of Aquarius.

You must be wondering: ‘What in the world is he talking about?!’  Filtered out from what?  How does one get filtered out of life?  Should I change my eyeglasses; clean my eyes, or remove the fog from my bedroom window?

Let me be short and direct.  Education, religion, habits, values, beliefs, toxicity, stress, fear, and unethical behavior are the principal filters in our lives.  Some of these filters even have a built-in mechanism that keeps you always in some form of equilibrium and, thus, you do not even realize that you are being filtered out.  In the depths of toxicity, all can look and feel very normal.    Those filters are the most dangerous ones, because you will always think: “I am fine”.  This is the case, in a common form of toxicity in the example of someone who is drunk. The drunk person always says, “I can drive.”  That person is indeed in some form of equilibrium within that drunken state and at that very high level of toxicity.  To correct the situation, only the person with less toxicity may take the car keys from the one who is drunk.

Another toxicity that is supremely dangerous is that of values and beliefs.  This is the moment when faith is mixed with fanaticism.  These values and beliefs are so ingrained in ourselves that we have instant negative reaction to people who have a different set of values and beliefs.  One time, someone knocked on the door of my house; this person wanted to talk to me about God.  The person did not say good morning to me, instead begun to speak with the intensity of a storm; it was like a machine that would expel an uncontrollable flow of words; and very loud.  For me, it was a very disturbing situation.  At one point she said: “Have you ever seen God?”  At that moment, I said something that she really did not agree with — nothing insulting or disrespectful. Her reaction was violent in many forms: language, posture, look, and disposition, solely due to our differing value and belief systems.

It is like people have become robots that have been programmed to do or to go only in one direction.  Thus, any change in course provokes negativity.  With the same token, when one knows the essence of their programming, it is very easy to see how an action or a question will trigger a very predictable reaction.  Just try one of these!  Say to a group of people who are out in the garden “look at God!”  The first reaction they will have is to look up into the sky.  Isn’t it?    But is God up in the sky?  How about considering another possibility: that may be God is down and one is to look down towards Mother Earth, under our feet, and look to all that surrounds us.  They will be puzzled at first.  You may even take a more radical stand on a situation like this, by explaining to people that, as a matter of fact, if you look up, you will see nothing more than clouds and smog.

In reality, it is so automatic to look up, that nobody is able or willing to break that adopted habit.  Some would say, “What is the point? God is everywhere”. Yes, God is everywhere, however another point here, is to try to break the habits that limit us from expanding the wisdom of our vision, audition, etc.  One important change in direction, and one that demands a complete reprogramming of our robot, is to look inside ourselves; God is inside you!  This is the closest place you can reach God.  I guess the moral of the story is to have your senses checking-in and not checking-out.

In my silent retreat I have worked very diligently to have only one trigger mechanism: to go inwards (inner) and not outwards (outer).  This was not easy because there are situations when one believes they are focused inward but in actual fact one is hooked outwards.  This is a theme that deserves much more discussion, perhaps in another note to you.

This issue of instantaneous reactions or acceptance that leads to a certain type of behavior is not only in relation to religion or spirituality.  In politics it happens in the same way, day in and day out.  Some people do whatever the political party tells them to do, no matter what.  There are no questions asked.  It is all sacred and final.  This behavior maybe OK, but we have to always remember that those organizations are made of human beings, like you and me and, thus, subject to major errors.  Just look at what is happening with many churches and political parties!

Here is another example of an unquestioned view. At one time in our history, it was unacceptable to think or to advocate publicly that the Earth was round.  Without room for questioning, it was decided that the Earth was flat. Anyone who stated that the Earth was other than flat paid with their own life.  The inquisition killed them.  It was considered to be a major sin.  The same organizations today will laugh at someone who states that the Earth is flat.  So, we realize that, in time and space, things may look one way, but it may be a completely different way; we must accept that reality changes constantly and we are to revise what appears to be sacrosanct.  Think about such issues as those of morality, ethics, misuse of funds, and the like.

On the social-gender front, there was a time when women were thought to be inferior human beings and, thus, with no bill of rights.  As you know, this is not just a political matter and the politicians are not the only ones to blame. Not at all.  This is also in the realm of philosophy, religion, spirituality and culture, just to name a few.  Please take the time to read some of the well-accepted sacred books, in addition to study some of the constitutions that were so unchangeable at one point in time.  How many years it took for women to be accepted as equal?  How many women died fighting for equal rights?  Even today, there are many places in the world were we constantly see violations of the rights of women, and nothing happens as a result of that.

Similarly, during the time of slavery, a good majority of people took the position that black people were inferior, as if they were just merchandise to be bought and sold.  It was widely accepted.  None of the slave traders died because of their metier.  On the contrary, they were rich and famous, and their families and descendents still today are rich as a result of having used “cheap labor”.  Today, this is totally unacceptable, despite the fact that many forms of slavery are present in the world today.  Does it surprise you? Not really.

One must say that those examples are not just exceptions to the rule!

Sometimes, we see the same people who were ardently promoters of “X”, a few years later they become ardent promoters of “anti-X”.  Yes, the same person.  Converted? New knowledge? New experiences?  Was the judgment about “X” made too soon?  What is the process here? How long does it take for us to promote something so ardently before it giving way?

All of the above are filters to true reality.  They filter you out of life, out of being and becoming aware ones own true nature.

The great accelerator of this displacement from reality is our internal logic. We practice our logic so much, that we see it and feel it as if it were reality.  Please, remember: your logic is just logic; it is not reality.  You must cut the rope and liberate yourself from your thick and unchangeable logic and take courage to have a peak at unfiltered reality.  Is this possible?

Another accelerator that keeps you away from reality is fear and stress.  From an early age, we are educated to create these non-realities via fear.  Like in a dark room there are ghosts and monsters; in the end we suffer a great deal in the dark.  Even the words “dark” or “black” have a negative connotation today.  This is tragic.  Education plays a big part here.  Children believe what their teachers tell them.  Never forget a debate with my son when he was like 5 years old.  In the end, I asked him why are you saying that?.  His answer was categorical, “because the teacher told me so”.  And the conversation ended there.  In this case, authority, or perceived authority, is the mayor filter: what the teacher says.  Being a teacher of children is an immense responsibility.

We also get filtered out of life and our true being (SELF) because of our own inadequate and inappropriate projections.  The term ”I am not worthy of this or that any longer” filters you right out of your life opportunities!  People who are depressed, for example, tend to have a very negative set of projections about themselves, which, sooner or later, become a reality (the power of thinking).   When I learned to speak in public, my images of “reality” that I had of the audiences in front of me were terrifying.  I suffered a great deal during the delivery of my statements until I gained experiences that replaced my projections onto the audience and self-confidence.

Finally, a huge filter is ethics and morality.  I am one of those who cannot operate in an ethical or moral vacuum. I am definitely aware of where the boundaries of morals and ethics lie.  Otherwise one is drowned by those boundaries, and life passes in front of your eyes without having the opportunity to live it.  Many moralists know that everything and everyone is subject to change.  Nothing is static.  All is subject to transformation.  This transformation takes place at the surface or at a very deep level inside us (our consciousness, the power of choices).   However, while it is obvious to state that we are all different, we see the daily intolerance that exists today regarding those who think different from us, or who hold a major divergent view on some aspect or another.  Having practiced my profession for more than 40 years, I was permanently exposed to this situation.  People lost promotions, salary and merit increases, and the like, because they simply had a different opinion and point of view.

In most countries, it is the power of the establishment that decides the direction of what is to be accepted as right or wrong, good or bad, and acceptable or unacceptable.  They create this artificial reality to maintain themselves in power.  The power establishment has been entrenched not only on the material side of things, but also on the religious, spiritual, ethical and moral sides.  This reality forces many people to accept values, beliefs and spiritual practices that are not theirs, and in some cases, to accept what in their heart they feel as being wrong.  The power establishment acts as a major filter in relation to our free will, personal experiences, and approaching reality as it is.  One is forced to conform.  Today even democracy is practiced in one way, the way of the establishment.  This power establishment is not only a political one.  It is also religious, spiritual, military, scientific, and many other important dimensions of our lives.

Filters, filters, and more filters.

The fundamental question we need to ask ourselves is, “How are we left out by these major filters?”  Left out: (a) of an experience, (b) a path to our human transformation, (c) accessing important information, (d) having the possibility to be treated with other forms of medicine, (e) etc.

Are you being filtered out?

How does one know that they aref being filtered out?  If you do not see, feel or experience life right now, is it even possible to know that you are being filtered out?  This is a very tough paradox to disentangle.

I do not pretend to have the full answer.  Also, in addressing a question like this for someone else, I face a real paradox: the paradox of cognition.  In particular, since I do not know what you are able to see, or recognize, I may never explain fully your situation.  I can only explain mine.  This is because only experience can tell what reality is and is not.  Yes, our own personal experiences.  However, there is a back door to this dilemma: increase our levels of human interactions to heighten all forms of interdependence.  Thus, as we increase our levels of human interactions, and we are allowed to be part of a dynamic collective existence, it will only be then that we will be able to exchange experiences and realities and, thus, eliminate the possibility of being filtered out.  Human interaction is the way to true reality.  But be careful with whom you interact!

Remember, the sun is the sun.  The moon is the moon.  Water is water.  Air is air.  These simple statements, like mantras, will vanish each of your filters.

After a long period of silence, reading many books considered to be the major spiritual books, reviewing my entire life one day at a time, and connecting to higher levels of consciousness, I realized that the system had me caught and had me filtered out in a large number of fundamental areas.

My experience is not to be generalized, but the idea here is to use this experience to motivate you to think about this major paradox.  You may conclude that you are not filtered out, and such a state is simply great.  In doing so, remember what I just said about utilizing silence, reading sacred books, reviewing my life, and connecting to higher levels of consciousness.  See these as important instruments to eliminate your filters.

For me, doing the exercise alone was a tremendous challenge.  I did not want to become self-propelled.  I had to be extremely careful of my yardstick; otherwise, one may arrive at any irrelevant conclusion.

For the majority of people it is more effective to address this paradox as a group exercise, this is to say, interacting with other, or even with your spiritual teacher.  Think about doing it in a group, a different group than you are used to.  Of course, if you do it with that group you are already with for years (the ‘yes’ group), they will tint your eyeglasses even more.

To carry out this introspective exercise it is not an easy proposition.  Several reasons account for this: (a) one is not ready to look to the other side of the fence; (b) having the principles you have (filters) it gives you a sense of comfort –I know them and I do not want to know any others, (c) there is a major fear to be dismantled in your beliefs –I see this often with religious and spiritual groups that are offering salvation or nirvana, and (d) one would insist to remain intoxicated with our way of life, because to detox takes many years or many lifetimes.

One of my greater observations was related to the dismantling of beliefs.

Some people are so afraid to change, that they are ever entrenched in the phrase “What is there for me to see anyways that I have not seen already?”  Or, worse, some religions will tell you that such exercise is futile.

Many times, the interpretations of the sacred books require rethinking in our present time.  These Books were written thousands of years ago, inserted into a human reality that it is not the same as the one we live now.  That said, I testify to the fact that there are some clear and useful universal values and teachings that we should adhere to today.  Spirituality only makes sense when it is immersed in the true human reality at a given point in time and space.

If Moses, Christ, Mohammed, Krishna, Buddha, and so many others would come to the Earth today, what would they say to us?  Maybe one new commandment would be equal rights and total respect of women.  Others may be: to respect and conserve nature; to not get caught in consumerism; and to live in a world with inner and outer peace, and so on.  Some who like to keep things as they are (keep on the status-quo) would say that all of the above has already been said.  Even assuming that these people are right, why is it not happening then?

We are filtering people out of their own being.  We are filtering people out of their own love and compassion.

Neither do I hold the truth nor I pretend to do so.  But, I do want to warn people that they must be fully aware of what they profess.  In this case, awareness is not just to know, it is about self-realization (to experience reality).  Do not just believe.  Faith is a super powerful drive, but it should drive you to the highest level attainable in your life.  Be fully aware of what you are being taught.  Be fully aware of your practices and to what places these practices are leading you toward.  Do not be passive.  Do not be confined or to be imprisoned by the teachings you have received.  Do not have any fear.  Fear is often used to filter you out.  A fear filled spirituality is not spirituality.  It is just fear.

In our lives, we are also being filtered out because we refuse to be humans, to be creatures.  Most new age teachings pretend that we are creators or we are creation.  When you become a creature you will find happiness again.  To be a creature is not something inferior; on the contrary, it is the essence of those who live on this planet.  Again, it is not easy to explain verbally.  Do not get stuck; the moment you see you are not evolving or transforming, question yourself whether you are being filtered out.

If you are not fulfilling your dreams, you are being filtered out.  If you are not sure of your practices, you are being filtered out.

The worse from of filtering is that which we apply to our own selves.  I do not want to see such or such reality.  “I am fine the way I am now, and do not bother me with the rest”.

Huge changes are coming.  You must be part of these processes of change.  Stop and think.  There is too much spiritual paraphernalia, too many promises, too many spiritual shopping centers… These marketing and flashy ways to address spirituality –where the language is incredibly powerful to convince you of anything—are strong forms of being filtered out.

Go to the fundamentals of your life.  Go to the real essence of spirituality.  Go to the sources and do not let others tell you what these fundamental sources are saying.  You must do it yourself.  You are the selector and the processor of selectivity.  If it is too easy, then it is too good to be true.  You do the reading, you do the reflection, you do the meditation, and you do the screening. How many Christians have not read the Bible?  They just believe what others are saying.  This applies to all religions.  Even if you do just a little bit, it will be yours forever.  It will be your truth.

You do not need to go fast.  You just need to go one step at a time.  One brick at a time.

Let me end with a fictitious story.

A young lady has triplets.  Unfortunately she died during delivery.  The government put the triplets up for adoption.  I do not know why but they were separated at adoption; one was adopted by a very conservative Christian family from the southern United States of America (USA), the second one was adopted by a very traditional Buddhist family from Northern Thailand, and the last one was adopted by a family of aboriginal people from Australia.

The first one was educated with a Christian faith, to believe in one God, following the Ten Commandments, and developing his spirituality based on that religious architecture.  He believed in such concepts as ‘salvation’, ‘sins’, and ‘heaven’, jut to illustrate the pillars of his faith.

The second one was educated based on Buddhists principles and following a style of life that included meditation, the recognition of the Law of Karma, and the practices of the “Four Noble Truths” and of “The 8 Fold Path”.  She did not have any idea about a belief in God.

The last one was educated close to nature, understanding the Laws of Nature, the interdependence with Mother Earth (Pachamama), and being part of this organized material order of mountains, rivers, and oceans, to name a few.  She did not learn about religion, but recognized the existence of a Creator, and saw the creator’s presence in all sentient beings and nature (sun, moon, earth, trees, animals).

All three were truly devoted to their inner architecture and practiced according to that architecture.  Also, they knew later on in life that they were adopted children and that there were two other ones; but, none of them really had an idea as to where the other ones were.

After many years of success in their respective lives, the first one became President of the USA, the second Prime Minister of Thailand, and the third, Prime Minister of Australia.  It was there and then when they used their respective power and influence to search for their missing siblings. They succeeded in finding one another.  To their surprise all of them had attained high positions of power and were eager to meet and get to know each other.

To organize an effective dialogue among them, as they were too busy in their respective countries, they put together a mini-summit around some fundamental questions.  Here is a sample of those questions:

1.   Do you believe in God?

2.   Do you live by the principles of the Law of Karma?

3.   Do you follow the principle of Natural Law?

The mini-summit became so chaotic that they decided to split and go back to their respective positions of power, thinking how wrong the other set of beliefs were. There was no awareness, that the notion of God must not become a filter.  That the notion of Karma, must not become a filter.  And, that the foundation of Natural Law must not become a filter.

The three of them died at more or less the same age.  One believed in salvation, the other in enlightenment, and the last in becoming one with nature.  To their surprise, all three ended up exactly in the same place.  The first one asked the others, what are you doing here?  This is where God dwells. You are sinners. You do not belong here.  The other said to the other siblings, what are you doing here? This is Nirvana, where only enlightened people come.  You should go away from here, go to the Bardo.  And the last one told the others, what are you doing here?  This is where the heart of Mother Earth resides.  You should go somewhere else.  Go to your heaven or to Nirvana.

Reach your own conclusions. The story may continue without an end. The main point is to ponder and question, Are you filtering out your life, and preventing the becoming of your true being?

With love and service to humanity.

Cho Tab Khen Zambuling

If you happen to enter the Internet, and put the word “spirituality” in Google, you will find an infinite number of references/citations.  If you put the words “spirituality, meditation, and yoga” you will find billions of citations.  If you put the words “spiritual teachings” you will find millions of citations.  And if you put the words “spiritual centers, organizations” you will find also many citations.  You can multiply to the power of ten if you add the word “religion” into the hopper.

In this era of information and informatics, open to all, any one may open a blog, or a website, or any form of cybernetic space, to bring information to the people.  In this case, I am talking about spiritual information, recommendations, teachings, advice, etc.  Anyone has the possibility to open that space and make a mark on so-called spirituality.  This has allowed many of us to have access to an incredibly important list of writings, teachings, sacred texts, translations from languages we do not know (like Pali, Sanskrit), etc.

During my 4 months of silent retreat, access to Google was essential.  I had to review, learn, and practice a series of teachings that I would have never been able to do without the Internet.  Thus, I applaud this information revolution as it has democratized fundamental knowledge that otherwise, would not be available to the masses.

However, there is another face to this information revolution.  This is a major warning!  And, I would like to express this warning via a very fundamental question: “Are those teachings valid, real, correct, or useful?”  Not easy to say, because I have no time to browse, open, read, understand, realize and understood all that is available.  Nobody can.

To read the complete article, click HERE.

Alfredo sends his love and appreciation for your wholehearted response and prayerful attention.

“Spiritual Masonry: One Brick At A Time”
Cho Tab Khen Zambuling

One of the important life conclusions is that I am a “spiritual mason”. Not an architect, not an engineer, not a project manager, not an owner… Just a mason!

I possess no spiritual helicopter, I just know how to transform myself and, sometimes, others through “walking spirituality”. No major quantum jumps or spiritual DNA transmutations. No Hollywood or Bollywood spirituality.

This is why, in this short text, I appeal to those who may feel that their spiritual transformation is too slow moving, or to those who see with consternation the world out there, where spirituality is part of the largest shopping malls ever available to consumers. Those who have been exposed to conversations like: “I am the reincarnation of so and so”; “last night I had a tremendous channeling and I learned so and so”; “I am protected by this deity whom transforms the world inside me”; “my life changed in one second and now I saw the true light”; etc.

Do not worry, you are fine!

Let me start by saying that out there, within the world I know and experience, both nationally and internationally, I often find it difficult to identify other spiritual masons; but I have not lost my hope. Probably, they are quiet, unassuming, and hardworking somewhere.

There is this inner feeling that a few people like to be spiritual masons. Most feel much better and, of course, accomplished if they play the role of, or believe they are, spiritual engineers, designers, senior advisors, bosses, executives, or the like. One sees this phenomenon in the way these people speak, teach, behave, and promote spirituality. The way they project themselves is unique and, now, it is widespread within the spiritual world. It is similar to what happens in the army: all want to be generals.

As in any métier, there are only a few who are the true masters; others, are top class, and many are apprentices.

When I lived in the USA, we had a tremendous experience watching a “master roofer” repair the massive, old roof of our house that was truly in a state of collapse. The house was constructed in 1922. He did an impeccable job, in a situation that was difficult, delicate, and risky. But, little by little he did it. We were amazed by the way he got this job done and, furthermore, by the quality of his craftsmanship. As the French say: chapeau! This master roofer was older (sixties), unassuming, rather quiet, observant, and fully engaged (step by step). He knew how to organize the ‘top guns’ and the apprentices. It ended up being an orchestra where each played its role harmoniously.

It has also been my experience that the good mason sees quickly when, for example, the engineers and architects are recommending something will prove wrong in the calculation and design. I remember listening to a mason who, in very simple words, explained to me that what the high level professionals had recommended was neither doable nor able to work over the longer-term. Or, masons also make good recommendations about the materials to be used and the combination of elements that are being suggested for a given structure.

The Master Mason based their judgment and choices on experience and self-realization. They know it because they have done it. It is not a theoretical proposition. And, this experience and knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation.

The Master Masons know also that, no matter what structure you are building, a fundamental and essential aspect of that structure is its foundation. It is also the details of how that foundation is to be made. It is clear to them that without a solid foundation, one may have the nicest looking structure (house, palace) but, which under any unexpected condition, will eventually collapse. Being from Chile, the country of major earthquakes, I can easily relate to that. In fact, we were directly affected by the February 2010 earthquake.

Building a foundation of one’s own spirituality is essential, before even aspiring towards, or having, what sounds like a ‘new age’ talk, or approach, to everything under the sun. Today, the use of spiritual words is in fashion. Words like karma, nirvana, enlightenment, meditation, etc. are used in daily conversations; even in the world of economics and business! One observes daily the title of spiritual courses, books, teleconferences and seminars; these are such that most people expect that all the wishes in life will be fulfilled. It often takes just one short weekend and a couple of hundred dollars, to become spiritual and accomplished. There are millions of certificates and diplomas offered and, through these certificates and diplomas, some people go out and provide services to others as a professional deal. The prices of these services are going up by the minute.

As a spiritual mason I am committed to build what I hope is the strongest foundation, one brick at a time. It is not, and it has not been easy. It is not quick. It is not glorious. Maybe I will die and I will still be building the foundation, with as much rigor as I possibly can.

But, in my last few years, I begin to note that I am putting some brick layers a little bit higher above the basic spiritual foundation. In doing so, I take a brick in my hands, soak it into a bucket of spiritual water, observe its size and composition, touch its rough edges, calculate how it will fit with the ones already there and those to come, put the magic spiritual mix and mortar where needed and, finally, I accommodate it on the existing spiritual structure.

I look at the structure, or the higher walls, and there are times when I do not particularly like it. Then I go back, and build it again. It is hard work, but I know it has to be done. It reminds me of the story of Milarepa: he had to build many times a house before his Master approved of it. When I look back, I see a similar pattern: build, torn down, and build again. Not like the great Milarepa, in my case I am still building this last house with the hope that, this one, will be “approved”.

Does it sound familiar to you? Do not feel discourage! Every time you build a new one, it is better and more appropriate for your next stage of spiritual realization. Nothing is lost.

In the last few years, many people have been very critical of the system of education, and rightly so in my view. In general it is only producing so-called high qualified professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers…), and there are not really good institutions to produce professionals located in other parts of this wide spectrum (there are exceptions to this perception). We need to have formal education for masons, plumbers, electricians, roof specialist… Without them, it all will end in chaos.

This also applies to spirituality and to spiritual development and human transformation. Come and let us join hands, and together let us form the best community of spiritual masons in the world. We want to meet all the spiritual-master-masons that are around so that they can teach the true spiritual fundamentals. This will, in the end, avoid a spiritual catastrophe of major proportions.

How do we know who is really a spiritual mason? Mostly in action, confronting difficult spiritual situations, and finding right and practical solutions to people’s problems and challenges.

Let us also be proud of being the spiritual masons, even if our hands are often dirty; let us not be afraid of doing the heavy lifting that is necessary so the spiritual house is solid, beautiful, and useful.

Spiritual masons of the world, unite!
Let us change the world now: one brick at a time!

As you have observed, many important events are happening around the world. These are the results of our own doing. And, it is very important to acknowledge this responsibility.

Given the level of interdependence we have, almost everything happening in one side of the world affects all of us, no matter whom we are and where we are.

This interdependence is also present at the level of our thoughts and intentions. Thoughts move very fast and across entire oceans. Our intent, which may be defined as the kinetic energy and the element defining both the direction and trajectory of our lives, also is able to cross all political boundaries.

Similarly, our right thinking, right language, and right actions impact all living beings on this Planet. In other words, your spirituality is now the true mover and shaker in the world. The material world has lost its true power.

Trying to establish the grounds for a society that is materially rich and spiritually poor will simply destroy humanity. The moment has come to attain a balance between material and spiritual transformation. There is no more time to wait.

It is important to stop our indifference (passivity) and our constant criticisms of the other, or others. This is the time to shift to a new plateau, where our collective transformation is at the center stage of our lives. We, together, have to establish the foundations and to construct the collective vehicle to build a new collective future for human beings and for all sentient beings.

The alchemy of destiny –the rules of change and transformation and the primordial composition of our destination—is to be developed now.

In this process we have to become one with nature.

The only solution to world problems lies in strengthening the spiritual basis of our lives is the expansion of our collective consciousness.

It is imperative to have a new vision of our own destiny. This vision must open us up to new forms of collective creation and distribution of wealth; to the collective elimination of all toxins from all forms of substances including fertilizers, pesticides, drugs, etc.; to total love and compassion with no more boundaries; and to new forms of human interaction where we are all One and One is all.

The supreme challenge of Yoga/UNION (world union) is clearly in front of us today. This is not just an option. It is our only destiny. This UNION is to be attained at a certain pace (rhythm) and time. And we are to become part and parcel of this pace and time. Otherwise we will continue to see more disasters around the world.

It is essential that the total balance be achieved between spiritual and material transformation. Material transformation alone will not be possible in peace and safety without a strong, well balanced, and advance form of spiritual transformation. This is the key. This is the path.

The time is now. There is no more time.

In union with all of you, walking the path,

Cho Tab Khen Zambuling