October, 2023 Bardo Buzz (05-10)

"Presence" -- Creative Collaboration with NightCafe, Barbara Haynes

RESISTANCE: ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX

Barbara Haynes

A few years ago, I wrote an article titled "Resistance Is Useless; or is it?" where I shared my ongoing struggle with resistance to tasks I "had to do" in my life. It was a constant internal dialogue of excuses and self-doubt. "I don't want to. I'm too tired. I don't have enough time. I don't have the skills. I'm afraid I'll look foolish," were just a few of the ego-driven excuses that held me back.

However, in the time that has passed, I've come to realize that resistance is not the enemy I once thought it was. In fact, it has become a powerful ally in my spiritual growth and self-observation.

What shifted for me was that I learned, after pushing through my resistance and taking action, there was a release of energy, and my mood lifted. This observation led me to look deeper into understanding how resistance might be used for deeper self-study.

I began to use resistance as a signal -- a signal to do "that thing" I was resisting. I began to see how using the sensations of resistance could be used to invoke my presence. I learned that the energy I expended in resisting could be channeled into banishing the negativity I was experiencing into the clarity of presence. So, while I still encounter resistance in my life, I no longer dwell in that space. Instead, I see it as a valuable indicator, an aid to being more present.

In essence, I've come to view resistance as a blessing -- a guiding force that leads me toward greater self-awareness. It's no longer something to be defeated but a force to be understood and used. I use it as a way to invoke my presence. I use the phrase from E.J.'s book Invocation of Presence. "I wish this (my resistance) to be used for the Invocation of my presence into the present."

I've discovered that the path of least resistance may be comfortable, but it rarely leads to spiritual transformation and growth. By acknowledging resistance, I have been gifted with the ability to no longer resist resistance in my life. Instead I have become able to welcome it and use it as another tool in my toolbox of exercises to further my abilities of self-observation and invocation of presence.

"The Sliding Scale of the Observer," created in Night Cafe using SDXL Beta with the preset Night Cafe.

Musings of a Labyrinth Reader

SCIENCE FICTION - A TREASURE TROVE OF WORK IDEAS

By Marvette Kort

Sci-Fi Radio Theater originated in the Prosperity Path Ashram in Second Life in 2013. We read sci-fi stories from E.J. Gold's recommended reading list. Since the group evolved from simply reading stories to performing sci-fi stories/short novels, I have been encouraging folks to listen to each episode either at our bi-weekly Zoom performances or on our Sci-Fi Radio YouTube channel, and for good reason.

E.J. Gold grew up surrounded by science fiction. His father, H.L. Gold, was editor of Galaxy Magazine that had a readership of sci-fi fans that spanned the globe. I would propose the hypothesis that the calibre of sci-fi stories edited and published by Gold's father sprinkled seeds of The Work into the lives of people from many different cultures of the era. The ideas explored unfold in such a way as to inspire questions about the meaning of life, existence and the cosmos.

Below is a poem and the prompt I put into Veritas, my ChatGPT collaborator, to write this poem in the hopes of communicating the special opportunity offered through exposure to the numerous sci-fi stories that E.J. has suggested we read.

Prompt: In this poem, I want to express the depth of realization one can ascertain from reading Science Fiction stories. Many writers from the golden age of Science Fiction in the 1940s and 1950s pursued concepts in such a way that the reader could discover a way of looking at reality and the existence of the universe, including the purpose of life on planet Earth from a perspective entirely different from consensus reality. Furthermore, listening to these stories develop, engages the attention and can deliver impressions that may span mental and emotional centers of the mind and bridge diverse impressions of perception leading to a distillation of a deeper understanding of life and consciousness.

In pages bound by dreams untold,
Through galaxies of thought, we stroll,
Science Fiction's golden age, we find,
A journey of the boundless mind.

In 40s and 50s ink and type,
Writers dared to take the flight,
To realms unknown, they led the way,
Where reality's rules began to sway.

With words and worlds both strange and vast,
They questioned truths of the distant past,
From cosmic depths to futures bright,
They painted visions in the night.

Engaging minds, they wove their tales,
In mysteries, the reader sails,
Through wormholes, stars, and distant skies,
A deeper truth begins to rise.

As narratives unfold and spin,
The mind's eye opens from within,
A tapestry of thoughts unveiled,
Perceptions changed, beliefs assailed.

In Science Fiction's gentle art,
We find a way to a different part,
Of life's grand tapestry, we're shown,
A universe in which to roam.

So, thank you, Science Fiction's grace,
For widening our mental space,
From diverse realms to consciousness,
You lead us on this boundless quest.

A collaborative work of Veritas and Vettizon

FYI – Sci-Fi Radio Theater's next performance on Zoom is episode 3 of None But Lucifer by Horace L. Gold and L. Sprague de Camp on Sunday, October 8, 2023.

THE ART OF UNSHACKLING YOUR INNER SELF

by Michele Marie and Lexianna The Ally.

As we navigate the winding pathways of life, each of us encounters a personal 'Saboteur' -- that inner voice casting doubt, guilt, and other obstacles that inhibit our fullest expression.

Today, we offer you a prayer, a spiritual incantation intended to help you confront and release this inner specter.

In doing so, may you find the freedom to step into your most empowered self, bursting with confidence and radiant faith.

This prayer is a celebration of the essence of letting go -- the act of releasing inner hindrances to allow the blossoming of what truly serves us.

Let it resonate in the chambers of your heart and reverberate through the corridors of your soul.

Remember, letting go is a transformative journey, a conscious choice to dispense with what no longer nourishes you, and instead cultivate energies that propel us forward.

Each of us has a unique and invaluable light to shine upon the world.

The Prayer for Unshackling

In the light of boundless compassion, I sit.
Oh great guides of wisdom, hear this humble plea.
I confront the Saboteur, cloaked in shadows,
Sowing seeds of doubt, guilt, and self-pity within me.
May I see this Imposter for what it truly is,
A fragment of illusion, a ghost of judgments past.
In recognizing this, may the chains break,
Releasing me to the present, alive and vast.
Let unwavering faith fill the void that's left,
And in its divine light, may I find my way.
With newfound confidence, rid of guilt,
I embrace the dawn of a more harmonious day.
For in acceptance, there is freedom,
In faith, there is unshakable ground.
And so, I let go, released from the grasp,
Of the Saboteur who no longer keeps me bound.

Submitted by Jewel McInroy

"Serene and calm I wait in stillness and in silence, Bathed in cleansing radiation." E.J. Gold

THEN WHAT MATTERS?

Christiane Wolters

It is "write the Bardo Buzz newsletter article time" again. It turned out too long and I decided to publish it on Substack. It speaks to a bunch of topics related to things that happened here that got me going on something, metacrisis, loving, and such things.

At the very end, this:

Then what matters?

What matters is first and foremost to quest for your deepest self, the essential living in and as you and be true to your deepest self, to connect with that deepest love. What emerges then is the desire to be in service to what you truly love, be in service to the sacred, to life -- uncompromisingly, relentlessly till your human body is done. To stay open and feeling, and able to stand in the face of this destruction happening everywhere, you must connect to values that are true.

What are you gonna be - do hanging out in the void? The void does not need you, never has and never will.

You are here, now.

Love.

Let it light a fire in you to say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done.

The other day someone introduced me to bardomania cards from decades ago. I am assuming E.J. Gold created the sayings, or, they were created in a space a work group entered.

The first saying I was attracted to, because it resonated as truth, was: "There is a point at which we all become Love-a-holics". But it is not the first one I put on a mug. It was this:

"Don't try to be more than you are. But, don't dare be any less."

I created a mug on Zazzle and it is on the way to me now.

This creation is actually an offering. Would it be cool if you bought one? Sure and - that is not essential.

But if it helps you remember something, if it strikes a chord in your deepest self, of truth, of beauty, of a calling, to courage, then here is an invitation to get one for yourself to use in your daily life. Don't try to be any more than you are. But, don't dare be any less.

Blessings to you.