RE: LRIG 5TH EXPERIENCE ON SELFLESS SERVICE
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From: Jonathan S.
Date: Monday, March 24, 2008, 6:46 PM
Subject: Re: LRIG 5th Experience on Selfless Service
ID: 260240

Blessings to everyOne,

Whoever said that selfless service was easy...maybe it is the easiest way of living life that is possible, but the ego of individuality and separation gets in the way and says, " what about me...I want to be happy, joyful and free too. " It seems that the great paradox is that the way to experience this is to let go of all expectation and attachment to any of it...This is our work together and we are here to support one another in this letting go process...Sometimes the only thing I can do is get down on my knees and turn it over to whatever I relate to as a Higher Power, God/Goddess, Spirit, Self...

Also, sometimes when I'm not experiencing something, like joy, I step back and observe that I am clinging to or attaching to an expectation. This may be very subtle and the egoic mind has its tricks...Joy and happiness become the byproduct of remaining the present centered awareness clinging to nothing, it is our true nature...

Whatever is happening...remember to shine the light of love, compassion and forgiveness upon yourself too...

As far as what this 5th LRIG Experience was like here in Eugene, OR...On Friday March 21st to coincide with Spring Equinox...Barack Obama came and gave a talk to a packed house at MacArthur Court (over 9,000 people) at the University of Oregon. Coincidence or Synchronicity that it was on the first day of Spring...I'll let you decide...then on Saturday afternoon I got to interview a woman from India (Sadhvi Chaitanya) who lives in Georgia at the ashram she started...she is a teacher of Vedanta and is offering talks and classes for the next two weeks here.

After the interview, she invited me for tea to the home of her sponsor who is a man from India that lives here and teaches at the University of Oregon...We discussed politics, world affairs, and how Vedanta and knowing the Self is the antidote to all the problems on the individual and collective level...she gave the example of the Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree in an awakened state and that his consciousness effected everything within a 100 mile radius. He was simply sitting in the ever present state of Buddhahood, that pure Awareness that we've written about and which is the theme of our 6th Experience.

There were moments when the old gremlin thoughts of negative critical self-talk took over, but I noticed that they didn't linger as long as they usually do...Sadhvi Chaitanya said that Self-Love is the foundation for all spiritual practice...This is something that I/we all need to remember everyday...

Love and peace,

Jonathan