Quote of the Week 20 - The Existence of God

"The existence of God is self-evident."
Master Choa Kok Sui

Quote of the Week 19 - For Free

"Every one who is thirsty, come and drink. He who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good. Let your soul delight in abundance." Isaiah 55:1-3

This very clearly contains a message that biblical words are often used figuratively and not literally. Obviously, the thirst and hunger referenced here is not on the physical level, and the satisfaction of these desires is likewise to be fulfilled other than on the physical level, and for free, or for a price that everyone can afford, with assets that everyone has available to them. The key is to "listen carefully" in order to partake of the abundance available on the level of the soul, an obvious reference to meditation on the inner sound, the "still, small voice within" (which phrase is contained in another portion of the Prophets).

Quote of the Week 18 - Wrapped in a Holy Flame

Reb Yitzhak of Berditchev, at the bedtime Sh’ma, would look back on his day and say that he was sorry for what he did not do right and that tomorrow he would do better. Then he chided himself, saying, "But Levi Yitzhak, you said the same thing yesterday!" Then he would say, - "Yes, but today I mean it."

Reb Meir’l Premishlaner: "Whoever is attached to ‘Above’ will not falter and fall below."

From Wrapped in a Holy Flame, Teachings and Tales of the Hasidic Masters, by Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi

Quote of the Week 17 - Instant Samadhi

"People often come to me for instant knowledge, instant samadhi. They say, "I do not want to do anything. Please, Swamiji, give me ashir-vada (blessing) [may also be a request for shaktipat initiation]." Let me assure you that samadhi is not something that dawns all of a sudden. There is nothing like instant samadhi or instant enlightenment. Many of you think that a guru comes and blesses you and you are in samadhi. This never happens. Many people would like to be enlightened in a second’s time without having to do any preparation. If someone has the power to awaken the dormant power of shakti, the primal force of kundalini, how are you going to handle it if you are not prepared? In the path of sadhana [spiritual work], preparation is very necessary. Preparation does not mean making any physical effort. Preparation means becoming aware of another level of consciousness."
"Consciousness does not dawn all of a sudden without sincere efforts. If you are tired of efforts and if you do not know what to do next, then grace dawns. The greatest power in the world is the divine power of grace. This happens when you are prepared, when you have done your duties properly, and you have completed all the preliminaries. Grace comes and fills the gap you find in human life…That grace comes when you use all your human efforts. That is called the ascending force [human effort; grace is the descending force]. When you are tired and you do not find the way, you say, Now I cannot do anything. I have used all of my resources – my body, with all my little power; my breath; and my limited mind. Now I have reached a plateau. There dawns that wisdom that helps you, that leads you to the other shore of life."
"There is something called shakti-pata that a teacher gives. It is not the mass hypnosis that people use for a gimmick. A guru can give shakti-pata to his prepared disciples. The ascending force comes when they have prepared themselves, utilizing all human potentials. Finally he touches them. What is his touch? The descending force or grace. It is possible, but you have to prepare yourself."
From Samadhi, the Highest State of Wisdom, by Swami Rama