February 2020 Bardo Buzz (02-02)

Each issue of The Bardo Buzz comes with an installment

The Joy of Sacrifice:

Secrets of the Sufi Way by E.J. Gold

THE ETHICS

We should learn the laws of cosmic harmony and become law-conformable to them, but should remain inwardly free in order to be able to take hazard for the sake of truth.

Pupils can be divided into three main categories; Saints, who understand how to be a reconciling force for those on both sides of the law; Scholars, who are attached to the form of the law; and Objective Scientists, who understand law only in relation to the understanding of mutuality, action or nonaction, and idiotism.

It should not be our way to seek exotic understanding of laws, nor to pervert them in order to justify our lower nature desires.

In the outer school, we are given historical data. In the middle school, exercises to know how to know. In the inner school, it is up to us to find answers to our questions, and to find questions to our answers.

The school has both internal and external effects. The external is to observe customs and bow to the king of the outer world. The inner is to make all quiet inside and to prepare the soil for the collection of higher substances for the formation of the soul.

Each state experience and initiation has its own subjective responsibility and its own objective obligation.

Some people are identified with the dream, some with religion, some with the school. Identification is still identification, no matter what.

Morality depends upon language, history, literature, custom conditioning. Conscience depends upon an understanding of objective suffering.

The least we are asked to be able to do as completed man is to suffer the unpleasant manifestations of others toward ourselves and others without resentment, to take no action against wrongs done us, and to have compassion for those whose nature is more powerful than their being.

States are a form of inspiration. To observe our states is to observe ourselves being breathed.

When we first come to the school, we control our manifestations with the help of inhibitions. After a while our manifestations become our master. We must find a way to become master. We should learn to associate with beings of every type, especially those we cannot tolerate, in order to have every possible kind of impression.

Learn to endure momentary displeasures for the sake of the Work. We should not inflict our understanding on new pupils, but should wait until asked for help.

Fellowship in the Work requires agreement on everything lawful.

Ego depends on belief in an unlimited future.

To worship one's inner evil, god is what is meant by self-love.

Make friends with the denying force.

If we are doubtful as to which course to follow, we should follow the line of most resistance,

One who endures the unconsciousness of others is closer to the Work than the one who shuts himself up in a monastery.

We should respect the teacher and his work, acting as much as possible from conscience.

We should remember that the teacher is consciously the denying force for our questions. We must overcome his resistance and find a way to use him as he could be used.

To become strong, we must learn to be gentle.

Do not follow the customs of sleeping men.


to be continued...

THE CHAT BOT by E.J. Gold

ICW September 30, 2018

If you're not prepared for awareness, if you're not prepared for the waking state, one of the reasons you want to prepare for the waking state is just this: that in the waking state, there's a lot of disappointment ahead, there are a lot of misunderstandings, a lot of sadness. When you understand the actual situation, you will be very sad. You'll want to do something about it. You'll hope you can do something about it. You'll wonder if there is anything that you can do about it, and if you see the situation in its entirety, you'll have the hopelessness of despair, which is what Ouspensky called it.

Just incomparable despair. Because the sheer weight of the problem is that literally, when you walk out onto the street and you see a sea of people out on the street, there will be only a few live ones, non-zombies. Everything else out there is a walking robot and you can actually see the key turning slowly in their backs. Yet, they can carry on a lively conversation, can't they? That's because the chat bot is behind it. By the way, in reality, there is only one chat bot. It can sound like anything, look like, appear like, it can have any personality, but it's only a single chat bot, it is modified for your usage and to your specifications. Thank you for using Sirius Cybernetics.

-- excerpt from Tabatha Jones

THERE MIGHT BE TULIPS THIS YEAR

It is time again already, time for the monthly newsletter -- and I am just starting to stir from a semi-hibernation phase. Nature is waking up, cycles upon cycles everywhere in the universe where you really look. Planted some tulips in the fall, the tips are showing. Hopefully the chickens won't consider them a tasty treat and we will be able to enjoy them in their full expression.

Lately, I am getting glimpses of humanity since it began, so many lives in so many places trying to survive, live, make sense of the world somehow, give meaning to their existence. It stirs feelings of compassion as well as wonder about this mystery. Being grateful for another day in this life, knowing that in a blink of an eye, it could suddenly be over. There is a sense of humility, surrender and letting go, though not mindlessly drifting, but with presence and attention.

Christiane Wolters

IT HAPPENED AT THE ASHRAM

Paula's wonderful family visited us in January. Well, actually, they were visiting Paula and we were blessed with the opportunity to spend time over two lunches with her mother, father, brother and sister-in-law. Having spent time with them, it is easy to understand how Paula became the gracious person she is. Her family were delightful guests and we look forward to seeing them on their next visit.

The Ashram has been in its present location for over 30 years, and with time comes the need to repair and maintain. January was a month for maintaining some of the trees on the property. We made the property safer by trimming branches away from some of the electrical wires bringing power to the main house. One of our beloved oak trees lost a major limb and Zeno (I love that name), the tree expert we've been working with for at least 20 years, assures us that with a good trim job and cabling it will be with us for many more years. As you may have seen in a recent email, we are asking for help with the $3,000 cost of putting our Old Oak Friend back in good shape. If you would like to help out, you can give a donation for the tree work at:

It Happened at the Ashram Paula's wonderful family visited us in January. Well, actually, they were visiting Paula and we were blessed with the opportunity to spend time over two lunches with her mother, father, brother and sister-in-law. Having spent time with them it is easy to understand how Paula became the gracious person she is. Her family were delightful guests and we look forward to seeing them on their next visit. The Ashram has been at its present location for over 30 years and with time comes the need to repair and maintain. January was a month for maintaining some of the trees on the property. We made the property safer by trimming branches away from some of the electrical wires bringing power to the main house. One of our beloved oak trees lost a major limb and Zeno, (I love that name) the tree expert we've been working with for at least 20 years, assures us that with a good trim job and cabling it will be with us for many more years. As you may have seen in a recent email we are asking for help with the $3,000 cost of putting our Old Oak Friend back in good shape. If you would like to help out, you can give a donation for the tree work at this donation page.
Barbara Haynes

SciFi Radio Theater onstage, reading a radio play with a large cast -- Aug 2015

MUSINGS OF A LABYRINTH READER

Take Your Next Step

In the Archive Talk, Shamanism, E.J. Gold defined The Work and told us how to do it. He also said that this wouldn't do us a bit of good. Nonetheless, from the following excerpt, one may devise a strategy, involving working with a group, to exercise preliminary skills moving toward this higher aim of invocation.

"I will tell you what the Work is as I see it and understand it. To begin with, you start out by invoking your own presence. The first taste is free. The first hit is always free. You get off on it. If you get hooked on invoking your own presence, that's your problem, not anyone else's.

"If you're smart, you'll be a dealer. In which case, you'll begin by using invocation of your own presence as merely a method of practice on a small scale, which will later take place on a much larger scale, invoking a presence much greater than your own.

"And step by step, through the evolutionary process, you're led through a number of things. And at one point, the evolutionary process requires the invocation of that which produces the Cosmos, that which produces the Creation itself, literally to turn the universe inside out, to localize its manifestation for a moment, for as long as you can tolerate it."

Putting aside the vast goal revealed, take a serious look at yourself. Am I invoking my presence 5 minutes per day or not even 5 minutes in a row? What does it take to do so? Can I apply attention and sensing and focus to accomplish this first step?

Not if one is not "over oneself". What does that mean? The clearest way to communicate that is to put it into a practical situation. Let's say as part of a group, you are contributing to "bringing to life" a science fiction story. There is a group in the ashram who gathers to attempt this weekly. Ask the questions: Is my attention in the moment? Am I focused on listening and sensing the timing of delivering the lines? Am I bored? Is a pattern of low self-esteem stealing my attention or scrambling my ability to respond? Can I "get outside of myself" to imagine what it takes to evoke a character as the author describes and the story reveals it? Can I let myself feel something other than the machine-dominated body distractions or emotional associations or mental addictions?

Yes, work comes through a form of manifestation. And that manifestation is voluntary and directed by cues outside one's ordinary scope. But you start where you start. And you take a shovel to clear your obstacles as you can recognize them in operation. And if the form has value, moving through the process, it will uncover your prison and show you the suffering you may not be ready to give up.

Science Fiction Radio Theater is one form which can take you along a process employing skills needed to perform the art of invocation. There are many others E.J. has and is presenting for those who have the ears to hear. But it takes more than hearing. Putting effort in over time is required.

E.J. has referred to the "wind and water" method. One can observe its effectiveness in your practices, if you do them daily. And there are times to demand more of oneself, to lean into the upscale process. But only if one is "in motion" will this strategy work.

So, this is an invitation to take the next step in your process. And for motivation, you may feel the necessity to remember a quote by E.J. Gold -- "Everything happens lots longer than you think it should -- except life."

Marvette Kort

ON TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

You really have so little choice - so little to decide. You get put through the machine and it chops you up and spits you out. Your life, it's all mechanical, of the machine, until you have free will. You can't be accepted into the Work until you have matured, freed yourself and take responsibility for your life, become accountable for your every action. It's not just from coming to a school. It's an active process - you have to take the responsibility for yourself.

When you're trapped in the machine, it doesn't matter what you do. -- E. J. Gold Practical Work on Self

When we take full responsibility for our actions, we stop blaming others, we can correct our faults and change happens. That's the way we can learn, move forward and grow!

Michele Marie

MY LIFE, MY SHOW, MY REALITY

Marvette and I were enjoying a late dinner in the cafe after the PVA Resonance program and the end of her work in the kitchen. She had recently finished her submission to the Bardo Buzz and wanted to have a pair of ears hear it. During the reading, there was a change she wanted to make in the text and needed a pen. There was one nearby used for E.J.'s daily blood pressure log. When I suggested she use it, she declined and went to find another.

In that moment, it struck me that what is good for one person may not be good for another. I would have felt fine myself using the pen because our discussion was related to Work ideas, but she obviously didn't feel the same way.

As I sat there waiting for her to return, the importance of developing our own individuality (and allowing others to have theirs) became clearer. "No one thing more than another" from the Clear Light prayer in Angels Healing Journey, came floating into my mind. That state of unconditional acceptance. Allowing her to be, allowed me to be as well.

When she returned, we shared some of the day's events. Most notably for me was lunchtime when I wanted to join the group in the cafe, but had responsibilities to attend to. As I worked to complete the tasks, my entire cast of negative characters surfaced -- self-pity, leading the group was followed closely by resentment, jealousy and anger.

However, I was fortunate to remember a similar experience I had had a few weeks past, which culminated in the realization that this was my life, my show, my reality and it was what I had to work with. This was my particular reality -- who I was, what I did comprised the scenario of the play. There was no one who would come along and make it "different". And how could they? I was playing a character I have developed over countless lifetimes. I had a role and a function none of my colleagues had. They had their own responsibilities and obligations to handle.

In that moment of recognition there was an acceptance which changed my experience. Most notably perceptions changed -- what would have appeared as an obstacle was now merely a part of the scene. I stopped fighting and reacting to what was happening -- the mishaps, the mistakes, the disappointments were all viewed as merely part of the script. I had surrendered.

All of that came back during the lunchtime episode I was experiencing. With this blessed insight, I easily finished my job and went into the cafe where the group was still seated. E.J. left soon after we had shared a funny moment. I found it heartening however that he returned shortly to briefly pop his head in the doorway and say "WHATEVER you do all day, IS your practice. You may not like it, but it is YOUR practice" The universe spoke. I was again blessed.

Jewel McInroy

REMEMBRANCE

"Ah, but we must first recognize that there is a maze and that we are in it. If we haven't achieved at least this one small step, then how can we expect to make the giant leap, to bring ourselves into the waking state, when it is important to do so?" -- Life in the Labyrinth, Ch. 2, "Maze Brightness" (italics in the author's text)

In Life in the Labyrinth, there is a statement regarding maze brightness to the effect that you have to leave the intellect behind to navigate by signs in the labyrinth. Searching for examples or any handle on this, I recall a memorable aspect of doing foreign rights work for Gateways Books and Tapes.

For years I attended book trade shows for IDHHB, starting with the American Booksellers Association (ABA) show in 1983 -- now called "BookExpo America." And from 1998 up to 2016, almost every year I went to the Frankfurt Bookfair in Germany. The declared purpose was to expand the reach of Gateways books by E.J. Gold and other authors (including the late Claudio Naranjo and Robert S. deRopp), to get the books published in other languages. This is a business project, money is involved, commerce and also marketing of the ideas. I had a vague notion of what to do as a novice, some goals re: meeting foreign publishers, and I had to feel my way. The learning curve was a long one -- not steep but extended over years, and with help from Matthias Schossig and others, I had some successes with the right sales, and we got some books circulating in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and so on.

However, there is an unexpected phenomenon that occurred which I came to realize was a gift of "ECCO" in Dr. Lilly's parlance and a guidance of an entirely different category. Every time I would present a table or display of Gateways books for commerce -- someone would show up at the table and pick up the American Book of the Dead (ABD), the red book. Only the ABD -- this would be a person whose grandmother, uncle, spouse, friend, someone close, was terminal or had died -- and this person at the book show needed the ABD. As often as not, these individuals were not editors or agents looking to buy rights. They were associates, shoppers, guests, people who were gifted a pass for a day. I would sell them an ABD or in some cases, give them the copy with the understanding that they would do the readings, then pass it on to the friend or associate who was in the book trade.

This happened first at the U.S. show, the ABA, then in Chicago and New York City. Then it happened annually at the Frankfurt Bookfair. In both cases, the "sign" -- that someone would show up who hadn't known it in advance, but who definitely needed the ABD -- stopped occurring after years. In the case of the BookExpo, the change took place along with a rapid commercialization of the booksellers' trade show and a steep rise in pricing that stopped Gateways from exhibiting there. In Frankfurt, I also experienced for a year or two that no one showed up for the personal ABD copy. I dropped the rights project though I may return periodically to the Frankfurt Fair to check it out. We do have ABDs published in Spanish, French, Italian, and Greek, with prospects for Portuguese and German, so I am satisfied regarding the original goals for attending these fairs.

Regarding Life in the Labyrinth, I would just like to point out that without at least a minimal degree of attention and sensing, I might never have placed any of those ABDs with those new ABD readers. For all I know, the waves rippling out from just those encounters may be more significant for our work than the actual business deals and book contracts. For me, this is an example of labyrinth "signs," and it was certainly a lesson in "maze brightness" over repeating cycles.

Iven Lourie, January, 2020

Tank Tale

"A spark, a glimpse.
The frightening dance of the Shaman
Rays bursting from his core
All across the black and white glamour world
There were few twigs of color."

As the car passed through the dense forest lanes on a November evening in Colfax, I felt the transition. The foggy material world and the known self-existence being left out in the town. As I entered the gates of an enigmatic world, i.e. IDHHB, the flock of birds galloped in my heart. The machine was fading out, whereas the being was gaining a foothold on the physical plane. The chiefs from the dream world said there are 7 planes in the form of a ladder.

Speaking of planes and ladder, Sufism contains precious fragrance which can lead an individual towards the surrender of its self-importance without the need of a ladder. Also, it correlates with the Bhakti Marga (Devotion Path) from India. For me, Sufism depicts a cry, a call of a mortal towards the realm of immortals. Sufism seems to be an invitation to the main chief, the dancer, the shiva, the allah, to descend into this realm of layman. The cry may bring the chief to dance and get a glimpse of the stage and the audience. The dervishes practiced that art. Their movements were a cry, a call of invitation, a divine madness.

There aren't any preachings at IDHHB, which for me correlates with Sufism. Nor any step-by-step layout of a map or a plan to follow. But yes, there are major hints, practical in nature, which the individual has to test and taste (more importantly taste!). After all, it is an art, probably an art-form, i.e. the art of connecting with the heart through the heart. Only the heart can bring harmony and create a harmonious human being.

As the doors of the storeroom open, I notice the array of the portfolios. How can an individual create these immense collections, in such a short time span? And I use the term portfolio in an ambiguous manner, because it contained not only portfolios of artworks, but handicraft items, books, magazines, music albums, musical instruments, ancient artifacts, and what not! It is definitely not a work of a layman per se. Maybe the commander or a chief of staff, who knows?

And thus, my session in the floatation tank ended. The being is not used to prolonged exposure to the unknown world and strives to get back to the known world. Therefore, I open the door of the tank and enter the dream world. The machine gets activated again in order to manage the known world by its limited gimmicks of gestures, tone and movements.
Nishit Gajjar