We are pulled down by the weight of the world, yet all the time the glorious light shines down upon us from above. Open your eyes you will see that it is so.
Things are not what they seem.
Perhaps we are treated unfairly so we can understand how important it is to treat others with kindness and respect.
Perhaps traffic delays are there to remind us to slow down and lighten up.
Perhaps things fall apart so they can come back together in new and better ways
Perhaps life is short to remind us how precious each moment is.
Every downside has an upside. The conditioned mind does not always see it this way, but it’s true. Every cloud has a silver lining. All you have to do is look up and see.
It’s not what you look at that matters,
it’s what you see.
– Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Enlightenment is NOW!
Arise! Wake up! And open your eyes. Throughout all of your daily activities, maintain your awareness of God. Do not allow yourself to get pulled down into the land of illusion. If you slip up, it’s no big deal. Simply come back to the loving presence of God. Nothing is lost and everything is gained.
To be aware of God is to be awakened.
Always maintain your awareness of God. Don’t let your attention stray from God’s loving presence. For in doing so, you separate yourself from heaven and fall into a hell of your own making.
Make every breath count. Make every breath a moment of meditation. Make every breath a loving communion with God. Saturate yourself with the loving presence of God.
As you have time throughout the day, turn your attention within and feel loving presence of God. In these moments the world recedes and the kingdom of God opens up before us.
Its good to remember that that all we have is this moment; glittering like a snowflake, melting in our hands.
You already have everything that you have been looking for. You are already an enlightened being of love and light. And, you are already living in heaven on earth. You don’t have to think, seek or do anything. Just look and see what’s already there.
You are already that which you seek to become, and your refusal to believe this is the only reason that you don’t realize it.
Walk in love, walk in light, and live in heaven on earth.
It isn’t yesterday or tomorrow. It is now!
It’s the sunbeam of light shining on your face.
It’s the sound of the barking dog.
It’s the warm, loving presence that lives in your heart.
It’s the light that shines from within!
The more you grasp for it, the more you deny it. Settle into what is already there.
You don’t need to seek enlightened experiences. Simply nurture the love which is already there.
Wake up!
It’s later than you think.
This is it!
Nothing comes next.
Love over it
“Life is full of pain and suffering”, you may say. Not true my friend. Life is full of light and love. Life is what you make it.
There is always something to worry about. But remember, there is also always something to love. Deep down inside you know what you have to do. You have to love more, fear less, and trust in God.
The key to overcoming difficulties: When you start feeling off-kilter, just love a little more. Love over it.
With all the adversities in life, what can one do? one can love. One can Love!
The people and things that disturb you are not your enemies. They are your friends. They are there to remind you to come back to your breath, back to the moment, and back to your being. This is where love and happiness can be found.
When your mind starts carrying on, like it will from time to time, you don’t have to push it away. Just step back and observe it from a loving heart. In this way you will see that the mind is not as important as it wants you to believe, you will learn a valuable lesson in acceptance. And you will understand that the real power lies within your presence, within your being.
It takes self-awareness to remain in the presence of God. It means coming back to your breath. It means coming back to the warm, loving presence of God every time your mind has drifted.
Our heart is restless
until we learn to rest in the love of God.
– Inspired by Augustine of Hippo
You don’t need anything to be happy because it is your natural state of being. All you have to do is stop believing the lies that tell you that you that something is missing in your life. You are fulfilled just the way you are. You just need to get out of your own way and let yourself be. And bliss will pure forth like the summertime rain.
There is nowhere to go.
You are already there.
– Indian Proverb
Come back to your sanctuary
There is no need to go into the garden to witness much beauty, within your body is a garden of greater beauty. Go there, and witness the infinite beauty within.
Mental sunshine makes the flowers of peace, love, and happiness grow in your heart.
You are not the thoughts and images that arise in your mind. You are the One who loves and accepts everything and judges nothing. You are beyond thought. You are in essence love. Nothing escapes your attention, but nothing sticks.
“The time is coming”, you say. No. The time is now.
God is in the peep of every bird. And the bud of every flower. Open your eyes and realize
That God is within you. And all around you.
The spiritual energy of God is present everywhere and available to everyone at all times.
Stop now and consider this
If you are dependent on anyone or anything for happiness, you have created a jail of your own making. Instead, depend only on the love in your heart, which is always present.
Negative thoughts are a reminder that you have gotten off track; that you have another opportunity to return to your oneness.
God has put heaven within your heart. The darkness of this world cannot hold you down.
To be content, you must be feeling, acting, or thinking of love; otherwise, you will be suffering because you will be moving away from God (who is love).
Additional inspirations to help you turn it all around
If you cannot find the contentment right where you are,
where else do you expect to find it?
– Adapted from Dogen (1200-1253)
If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
– LAO-TZU (601-531 BC)
One should remember God more frequently than one breathes.
– Saint Gregory of the Theologian – Nazianzus (328-290)
Think less.
Love more.
– Unknown Author
A monk asked, “What is God?”
The master said, “Who are you?”
– Inspired by Joshu (778-897)
Let your soul stand cool and composed
before a million universes.
– Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
The blue sky and bright day,
No more searching around.
– Mumon Ekai (1183-1260)
Close your eyes and you will see clearly.
Cease to listen and you will hear the truth.
You yourself, are the One
that you have been seeking.
– Adapted from Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
Be silent and your heart will sing.
– Taoist Meditation
Copyright @ 2020. Mark Ellison. All Rights Reserved
Living in Heaven on Earth 